Prophesy - 1. Chapter 1

Marish moved slowly through the hallways. Her hand pressed against the gash in her side, while her body throbbed with the pains of the birth she had barely completed. She knew she had only one thing left to do and the baby would be safe, but it was all such a gamble.

“I have no choice,” she whispered as the pain ran once again through her frail body.

“Find her! Now!”

Marish shook as she heard his voice echo through the hallways. She knew he wanted her to hear and stop whatever she had planned. There was no way she would stop her designs, especially after finding the prophesy about her child.

She reached the basement and used her ring to open the door. Behind her she could hear the guards marching toward her. Quickly she shut the door, and re-enchanted the entrance. Then another pain struck her and she toppled to the floor. Using every ounce of energy she crawled forward and reached the column in the center of the room. This was the only thing kept here, the Sidh Draíochta Orb.

“I want her dragged out of there. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Marish reached out and placed one bloody hand on the orb. The orb pulsed in time to her heart and grew hotter to the touch. Marish ignored the pain and just watched the entrance, hoping she would survive long enough to finish what needed to be done.

Her fingers burned and she could feel the heat baking her hand and still she pressed it tightly to the orb.

The door flew open and in marched six men in silver, bright swords held before them. One led the rest; he walked toward Marish and then froze as he realized what she clung to.

“Out! “ The captain of the guard immediately gestured toward the doorway they had entered through. He eyed Marish and the blackened hand that smoked as she clung to the orb. “Now, out all of you.”

The guards looked at each other, heard the tone of their captain and smelled the burning flesh. With a nod they moved toward the doorway and stopped just short of exiting.

“My Lady, what have you done?” The captain of the guard slowly moved toward Marish.

“What I needed to.” Marish’s blue eyes darkened with pain but her face showed determination.

The captain paused a moment and then moved forward again. As he reached the edge of Marish’s dress her whole body began to glow. He jumped backward as her form turned to a brilliant white light and vanished from sight.

“Where is she?”

The captain turned to face Lord Westnar. The lord’s tall form seemed to fill the room as he stood before the captain.

“Gone.” The captain slipped his sword back into his sheath. Then he lifted the helmet off and let the dark curls fall freely around his shoulders. He blinked, still trying to erase the after image from his sight.

“What do you mean gone? Where’s the deceitful bitch? I want that child!” He stalked closer to the captain. “Captain Se’Erine where are they?” The captain simply looked right at him. The lord gazed all around the small circular chamber before he finally paused and realized that the orb lay in the middle of the room.

“She couldn’t have?” Lord Westnar’s eyes stared unbelievingly at the orb.

The guards slowly assembled behind their captain. Each sheathed their sword and removed their helmets. They dropped to their knees behind the captain.

“She did, My Lord.”

Lord Westnar took one look at the troupe of men and realized that his wife had sacrificed herself and his unborn child to prevent him from creating the future of all Fae in his image. It was foretold that only a Fae from the fading forest and a high lord of the mountain lands could have the child of prophesy. She was the last of the clan of the fading forest. Without her, the prophesy couldn’t be fulfilled.

“If she wasn’t already dead, I’d have her head.”

_ * _ * _ *

Duncan leaned back in his chair and rested his feet on the stool. Ranger, curled up by his feet, sighed. The fire crackled and popped as Duncan let the heat warm up his frozen feet. It wasn’t easy to gather wood and chop it. He wasn’t a young man any more. Maybe the time had come to hire on an assistant, if for nothing else than to go out and do the bone jarring work his ass was getting too tired to take care of.

“Damn Ranger, I think it’s going to be a cold winter.”

Ranger lifted his head, looked at Duncan and lay down again.

Duncan laughed and readjusted himself to get comfortable. It had been a long day and he was ready to go to bed. He knew he should go start another fire in the bedroom but that would mean leaving the warmth of the one he had here in the living room. He considered getting a blanket from his bed and curling up right where he was, when there was an earth shattering noise and the whole cottage shook.

Ranger’s growl filled the room and his claws made a scratching noise as he scrambled to his feet.

Duncan turned and saw the hair on Ranger’s back stand straight up. He hauled himself to his feet, slipped his boots on and opened the door. Ranger moved in front of him and stalked out the doorway. On the ground before the cottage lay a small basket. Ranger moved slowly toward it, sniffed, sat down, and looked expectantly at Duncan.

“What is it boy?”

Duncan hurried toward the dog but noted the snow wasn’t disturbed where the basket sat. The only signs of anything were the prints Ranger had made crossing the snowy ground to get there. Pausing, he opened his senses and was immediately assaulted by the power of the magic still in the air.

“Back boy. This is dangerous.”

Ranger moved closer to the basket and looked toward the woods as if to protect it from something out there.

Duncan approached and looked into the basket only to find two pale blue eyes staring up at him. Carefully he reached his finger toward the basket and two tiny hands reached out to grasp it. The spell that had been wrapped around the child spread out with that touch and suddenly enveloped Duncan. A moment later, Duncan reached down and lifted the basket out of the snow.

“Come Ranger. Looks like I have gotten more than I was looking for.”

Ranger followed close behind, his tail wagging happily.

“Seems a wizard never gets to retire,” Duncan grumpily commented as they entered the cottage and he closed the door.

He looked at the pile of wood by the fireplace and sighed.

“Damn. Looks like I’ll have to go chop more, later.”

He raised his arm, concentrated and moments later the wood had formed a perfect crib.

“Well you don’t appear to have need of a diaper yet, thank the heavens for small miracles.”

Duncan carefully removed the child from the basket and checked everything.

“No name, no identifying marks. Just the blood blessing of your mother.” Duncan stared at the small infant in his arms. “Whoever you are little one, she did all she could to protect you. Now, what on earth am I going to call you?”

The baby cooed, holding tightly onto Duncan’s finger. Then the baby blinked, yawned, and tried to suck on Duncan’s thumb.

“Oh great. Got to feed you too.” Duncan paused and looked around his cottage, realizing there was nothing there for an infant. “I am going to have to get you food.”

Duncan stood considering what to do. He knew he would have to keep the baby a secret, but he was going to need help.

“Ranger.”

The dog immediately came to his side.

“I’m going to have to send you to the girls.”

Ranger’s ears flattened and he began to back away from Duncan.

“Oh, stop. I know they can be a bit … disruptive, but they are the only ones I can trust with this.”

Ranger turned his head and stared at Duncan.

“Yeah, I know. I am asking for trouble, but they will keep the secret.” Duncan set the baby in the crib. Then he walked over to the door and opened it up. “Go get them boy. Tell them to bring everything they will need for a considerable stay.”

Ranger looked at Duncan and barked once.

“Yeah, I know I’ll have to start changing the cottage. So much for a peaceful life and barely using magic.”

Ranger looked one last time, then took off running over the snow.

Duncan turned, looked one last time at his small, peaceful cottage, raised his arms, and began to cast the spell that would alter his home forever.

_ * _ * _ *

Matty stood in the doorway watching the wind blow across the field of flowers.

“What are you doing?” Silvia’s voice was deep and rich, pulling Matty from her day dreams.

“Trying to decide if I should go pick more plants for our supplies. The way the boys keep going, one of them is going to get hurt again.”

“Well Duncan should know better, but you know he would do anything for Regent. Face it, love, that boy has all three of us wrapped around his finger.”

“I know,” Matty smiled as she turned back into the house. “Who would expect the four of us to live together? I mean if that wasn’t a recipe for disaster, I don’t know what is.”

Silvia kissed Matty’s cheek.

“Don’t start. Help me finish cooking up the last of the soup. You know I have to put away the cooking pots, or Regent will want to try his hand at it. Not only can’t the boy cook, but what he did last time by grabbing hold of the iron pot was scary to see.”

“We have told him, my love, but the boy is determined to try.” Silvia shook her head and added the onions and carrots to the pot.

There was a slight breeze and Matty turned to find Regent standing in the doorway. Proteus sat at Regent’s feet, his golden tail gently wagging behind him. The young pup was barely a year old now, but was completely committed to all of those who lived in the household, however he seemed especially attuned to Regent.

“So the brave hunter returns. Where’s Duncan?”

“Skinning the catch.” Regent tilted his head and smiled. “At least you can’t complain we don’t get you variety. I brought down three rabbits, Duncan got a bear, and we did a little fishing as well.”

Matty turned and looked at Regent carefully. “Duncan got a bear?”

“Yeah. The damn thing charged him and no matter what we did it chased after him. Never seen a bear act that way.”

Matty’s face paled.

“Matty? Is something wrong?” Regent quickly crossed and held her arm.

Silvia returned from the back of the house, took one look at Matty and ran to her side. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

“I explained how Duncan killed a bear and she went all pale.”

Silvia turned and she stared blankly at Regent. Then she rushed out the door without another word.

Regent went over and carefully brought Matty to the table. He sat her down and grabbed one of the mugs, filled it with water, and brought it over to her. Proteus came over and rested his head in her lap.

“Matty, drink this.”

Matty’s green eyes went slowly from the mug before her to the open doorway where her eyes grew wide. Regent turned his head and stopped when he noticed the figure before him.

“Um, pardon.” There stood a young man barely out of his teens with a bearskin wrapped around his middle. He wasn’t wearing anything else. Behind the youth, there stood Duncan and a smiling Silvia.

“Go on Damian. Go down the hallway to the last room on the left. I think I can find something for you in my closet.”

Duncan thudded into the room, looked at Matty and Regent, and then paused.

“Matty, kindly get yourself together. Regent, close your mouth. You will collect flies if you leave it open that way.”

Duncan smiled and hurried down the hall after Damian.

“Who is he?” Regent looked where Duncan and the young man had gone. Confused he turned and faced the two women who still hadn’t moved.

Matty took a deep drink of the water.

“I thought …” Her voice faltered as she looked at Regent.

“He killed the bear,” Silvia said with a smile. “Then he found Damian and figured the poor boy would need some clothes.” She crossed into the house and sat down across from Matty. She reached out and rubbed the top of Matty’s hand.

“Hello? Remember me?” Regent sounded distressed. Proteus walked over, sat at Regent’s feet, and leaned against him. Almost absent mindedly he petted the large dog.

Matty and Silvia turned to look at Regent.

“Who the hell is Damian?”

“My brother.”

“Oh,” Regent began and then blinked. “Your brother?”

“Yes, her brother.” Silvia stood and shooed Regent toward the door. “Go finish skinning the rabbits. Duncan will be busy for a bit, so you can take care of it.”

Regent nodded and looked once more toward the hallway. He headed slowly out into the yard. Following behind him was Proteus.

“Just when you thought things couldn’t get much more complicated,” Silvia walked over and hugged Matty who began to cry softly.

­_ * _ * _ *

“Was that Matty?”

Duncan looked at the young man and ran his hand over his face. For seventeen years he had been dealing with three other people living with him, and now it seemed it would be four.

“Yeah, that was Matty.”

Damian grew silent and looked down at his feet.

“I’m not a mind reader boy, regardless of what others might think. You got a problem, you better spit it out.”

“But she was only eight years old yesterday. How did she get to be older than I am?”

Duncan laughed.

“Cause, you were caught up in magic. She lived her life, while you survived in a spell. Just be grateful I realized what you were boy. Nearly ended up killing you, and then I would have had to deal with your sister and her lover.”

“She’s married? To that young guy?”

Duncan nearly fell over laughing. Tears streamed from his eyes as he watched Damian try to hold together the bear skin around his waist.

“Heavens. You really didn’t get to know her did you, boy?”

Damian blushed and shuffled from foot to foot.

“Alright let’s get you dressed.”

Duncan looked at his bed and found a small blanket that wasn’t being used. He grabbed an old pair of trousers out of the cabinet, and a pair of boots that were a bit worn.

“Step into the boots and hold everything else.”

“Why?”

“I don’t have time for this. Just do as I say!”

Damian managed to slip into the boots and then held the rest in his hands.

Duncan raised his arms and a moment later the clothing had remade itself to fit Damian. The blanket had become a shirt, the bear skin a jacket, the trousers had reformed to his smaller frame, and the boots had become a comfortable fit for his feet.

“Now at least you are covered.”

Damian just looked at Duncan in amazement.

“Come on, I’m sure your sister wants to apologize.”

“For what?”

Duncan sighed and just opened the door and headed back toward the kitchen area.

Damian slowly followed behind feeling a bit uncomfortable.

“Dammy, Dammy that really is you!” Matty rushed over and hugged Damian tightly.

“Matty? I …. How did you get so old?”

Matty laughed and hugged him again.

“Sit down Damian,” Duncan pushed him toward a seat. “I’m going to get Regent. Time for a number of things to be made clear.”

Matty just nodded and smiled happily. Silvia watched from the corner, looking from her lover to her brother-in-law.

A moment later Regent returned carrying the skinned rabbits with Duncan right behind him. Regent set the rabbits down on the counter and then turned to face everyone else.

“All right, is someone going to explain to me what is going on?”

Duncan stood in the middle of the room and sighed.

“Sit down.” He turned and saw Silvia in the corner and pointed to her, “That means all of you.”

Silvia and Regent made their way over to the table and took a seat.

“Regent you have been the best son a man could ask for, but you know you are not my blood.”

Regent nodded and then looked at Silvia and Matty.

“The night you arrived here, all our lives changed forever.”

“I’ll say.” Silvia looked at Duncan and then at Regent.

“Until most magic users find a mate it is common for us to have a pet. At the time I had Ranger.”

Regent smiled as he remembered the large black lab that had been his first companion as he was growing up.

“Yeah he came and got us,” Matty said as she reached for Silvia’s hand.

“Wait a minute. You’re with her?” Damian cocked his head a moment. “I thought you were with him.”

“You thought I was with Regent?” Matty looked at her brother, disbelief clearly etched on her face.

“He said you lived here with your lover.” Damian pointed at Duncan as he spoke.

“That would be me,” Silvia growled.

“Oh.”

Regent sat quietly and blushed.

Duncan stared at Damian who shut up and suddenly found a design in the woodwork of the table top completely fascinating.

“As I was saying, Regent had arrived at my home and I needed help. It is rare for magic users to work with different disciplines, but I required assistance, and I wanted people who could keep their mouths closed.”

“It didn’t hurt that you knew a secret of ours, so you knew we would keep yours.” Silvia looked pointedly at Duncan.

“Wait a minute. What secret? I thought you were all friends.” Regent looked at the man he thought of as father then at the two women who were his mothers.

“We are friends, but Duncan needed to make sure whoever came here would help raise you and keep you safe.” Matty looked at Regent and smiled. “He knew I had made a mistake and was still hoping I could correct it.”

“What mistake did you make?” Damian looked at his sister, still trying to put everything together in his mind.

Matty blushed and looked down at her hands.

Silvia reached over and covered Matty’s hands with her own. She looked at Matty and then finally at Damian.

“She accidently cast her first spell on you.”

“On me?”

“I …,” Matty’s voice was very soft and she barely looked at Damian. “I heard you say that you liked a bear. I remember Daddy getting very upset with you and tossing you out of the house. I just wanted you to be happy so I remember wishing you could be a bear too.”

“You thought I ... but, I … so that is how I was a … bear?”

“She was just coming into her powers.” Duncan moved and rested a hand on Matty’s shoulder. “It was almost wish fulfillment. She didn’t understand why your father was upset with you. All she knew was that he came screaming into the house that you were now a bear, and he needed a gun, for you were bewitched. You ran into the woods and often came looking for your sister. I guess on some level you figured she would be able to turn you back.”

Tears flowed down Matty’s face as Damian reached over and took his sister’s hand.

“I guess,” Damian smiled at Silvia before turning back to his sister, “we had more in common than either of us realized.”

“Um, but why was I kept a secret?”

Duncan stared at Regent for a moment.

“Reg, you’re an elf. You aren’t human like the rest of us. It is why iron burns you. I’ve seen you often look at your ears and then mine and the girls. Your race marks you. It is nothing to be ashamed of. As to why we kept you a secret…” Duncan paused, and for a moment couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“It’s okay, Duncan. I can take over.” Silvia moved and kneeled before Regent. “We arrived shortly after Duncan had worked his magic over his home. He had changed his small cottage into the home you see today. From the moment you entered his life, Duncan has worked hard to make sure you are loved, protected, and trained. When Matty and I saw you, we too fell in love with you. When you grasped our fingers we learned something we never expected to know.”

Regent leaned forward and stared at Silvia. “What did you learn? Why was I kept a secret?”

“Your mother, Reg, is the reason. She cast a very rare and very powerful spell on you. It is called a blood blessing. It is a powerful magic that will protect the one blessed with it. The spell will automatically take the one blessed and find a safe haven for him. It also will bind any who can help the child within the first twenty four hours of being cast. Which is why Duncan raced to have Matty and I brought here. Once we saw you and you touched us, the spell included us as well.”

“Besides I didn’t have the slightest clue what to feed a baby, even if I could figure out your diaper.”

Matty looked at Duncan and smiled for the first time. “Well, you got the hang of them fast enough.”

“So you were forced to care about me?” Regent looked horrified as he stared from one to the other of people he loved most.

“Oh no!” Silvia reached out and hugged Regent. “What the spell did was allow us to see what your mother knew. You are important to the elves. She wanted you protected from a powerful man who sought to use you to gain even more power.”

“Someone wanted to use me?” Regent’s hands began to tremble, but Proteus leaned in and set his head in Regent’s lap and whined. Reg slowly petted the dog and was able to focus on those around him.

Duncan came to Reg’s side and rested his giant hand on Reg’s shoulder. Reg calmed down and looked up his father.

“Yes, your mother sent you to me to protect you. Once I saw your face, I couldn’t have loved you more if you were my own child. Once you touched me and I found out what lengths your mother went through to protect you, I knew I would do all I could to keep you safe.”

Reg’s dark blue eyes stared into Duncan’s brown ones. “Who was she protecting me from? Do you know, Dad?”

“I wonder,” Damian whispered. All conversation stopped as everyone turned to look at him. Damian blushed and stared pointedly at the table again.

Duncan waited a minute then he knelt down beside Silvia. He faced Regent and smiled.

“You know how every year I go away for a week?”

Reg looked at his father, nodding the whole time.

“Yes. You get our supplies and things. I always want to go with you, but you won’t let me.”

“Well that is for a few reasons Reg. First I don’t really go for supplies, though I always grab something on the way home.” Duncan paused and looked at Matty. Silvia had slipped away and was now beside her partner, holding her hand. “Mainly I went looking for the truth of who you are, visiting places I shouldn’t, and contacting those I could trust. I have traveled through the hidden kingdom. I have gone from the Light Elves to the Dark Elves, from the Forest Elves to the Mountain Elves, and places in between. Time works differently there. What was a week here could be a year or more there, or just a day. Elves are not always willing to give up their secrets but they will trade, and they know human magic is different from theirs. It has taken me a long time but I finally found out about you.”

Regent sat quietly looking at his father. His emotions played across the delicate structure of his face, one moment nervous, then angry, and finally curious.

“Why did she send me here? Do you know who my parents were?”

“Aye. I know much now.” Duncan paused unsure how to explain all he had learned. He could see Regent sitting on the edge of his seat, his eyes wide, and his hands grasping each other. “Your mother was the last of her family, a lady of the Fading Forest. Marish was her name. From those I could find she was a beautiful woman who was very much like you.”

Regent closed his eyes but softly repeated his mother’s name. “Marish.”

“Your father,” Duncan paused again, unsure how to proceed.

“Go on Dad, I need to know.”

“Your father was Lord of the Elves. He held sway over a large portion of the north. He controlled the Northern Mountains. Lord Westnar was a not a kind man, more of a despot to be honest. ”

“You keep saying things in the past tense.”

“He was killed. He tried to do more than he should have. His former captain of the guards killed him and took power. He stands as a figurehead waiting for the true heir to return.”

“Heir?”

“Captain Se’Erine was one of the few people who were with your mother at the end. She sacrificed herself to make sure you were safe. He never told anyone that she had already given birth when she died. No one knew you existed. He waits for you to come back and take over the kingdom.”

“So what am I supposed to do now, Dad? I don’t know about ruling. I don’t know magic. I know nothing about the elves. So what am I supposed to do?”

Duncan smiled.

“You do what you have always done. You learn. You practice. You have your family at your side.” Duncan turned to see Matty and Silvia smile and nod. “Where you go we go.”

Regent leaned in and hugged Duncan.

“I’m going too.”

Everyone turned to see Damian blushing as he looked at Regent.

“Dammy, are you sure?” Matty looked carefully at her brother. She was older than he was now, knowing the world outside had changed and realizing that she might still be giving up that world for one of the Elves was something she was willing to do for Regent, but she had Silvia at her side. “You’re human again. You can find someone and start over here.”

Damian nodded and looked at Regent again.

“Let’s say I might have found something new to take an interest in.”

Duncan sighed and shook his head.

“Life is nothing if not change. Everyone relax tonight. Tomorrow we have a lot to discuss and plans to make.”

Matty and Silvia got up to go finish dinner. Regent took Proteus outside for a run. Damian waited a moment and then followed Regent outside.

Duncan curled up in his favorite seat by the fire and put up his feet. He smiled and closed his eyes to take a nap.

_ * _ * _ *

Waro the Elder

Follow my words for they will be truth

A child will be born of Faded Forests and Mountain Mists

Two parents of noble blood and powerful magic

His father figure will teach him how to rule

The child will control all of Faire and beyond

The one who is his consort shall fight by his side like an animal

Two women shall watch over and protect him

When he is grown, he shall lead all Elves and the world of man to places unrealized

He shall be unique and well remembered.