Unlocked: A Druid's Turn

Prologue: The Falcon and The Falconer

Will's phone vibrated on his nightstand in the dead of night. It didn't wake him, though. He hadn't slept in days. And with all that was going on, a call at this hour didn't surprise him, but the voice on the other end did.

"It's about bloody time, Eoin," Will said to his friend. He looked across the room to his brother's bed and checked to make sure he was still sleeping. "Where have you been?" Will whispered. "Are you OK?"

There was a pause before Eoin responded. "I'm just calling to let you know I found her."

"Who?"

"The gateway."

"The gateway?" Will was skeptical. "You're just full of surprises tonight. How? And how do you know?"

"Emer won't leave her side."

Will was quickly upright in his bed. "You recognized Emer?"

"Of course."

Will couldn't help but smile to himself in the dark. "So it finally kicked in? You're finally unlocked?"

"Only just tonight, but...yeah."

"Yeeesssss!" Will pumped his fist. "I knew you'd come through. God, what a relief. Welcome back, old friend."  

"Thanks, it's good to be back. Though the circumstances could be better."  

"I know. But you've just made things a whole lot easier."

"I'm not so sure about that. Emer's no picnic."

"No. And I'm surprised it's Emer and not her brother. But I guess no matter what happens, that poor girl isn't making it through this." When Eoin didn't answer, Will added, "Sorry, mate. I didn't mean to rub that in."

"We do what we have to do, just as we've always done. Right?"

"Right."

"Well, I gotta go."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I'll handle it."

"OK, but I'm here if you need anything. We all are. And hey, Eoin, do me a favor, would you? Call your father. He's been...difficult, since you left. If you don't talk to him tonight, he might just kill me tomorrow when I tell him that you're..."

"Back to my old self? Sure, I can do that."

"Thanks."

By the time Will hung up, his mother was standing in his bedroom doorway with wide eyes. "Well?" She asked.

"He's back."

She gasped and quickly put her hands over her mouth. "I don't know why I'm surprised, we all saw the signs. But then after the unlocking..."

"It took him a while," Will said. "But he's joined us at last, and that's not all. He found the gateway."

"No!" she said in disbelief. "Is he sure?"

"Yes. And unfortunately it's because Emer found her first."

"That is unfortunate," she said, "but we're still in a better position than we were before." Will nodded. His mother dropped her hands to her sides and straightened up. "So it begins," she said, reaching up with her right hand to touch the gold torc around her neck and then dropping her hand back down to her side.

Will mimicked her gesture. Then, each thinking of the night's fantastic news, they shared a smile. 

"Ag an fíos Anu," they each thought to themselves, and heard each other think. By the wisdom of Anu.

***

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