Trials of the Hunt

Chapter 73

As Dillion left to fetch Gannon, Kirwin bent his knees to sit. Magic whirled around the Great Hall and landed where he stood, whipping bits of dust and clay from the ground around his feet. From the red clay ground rose a clean, white bench made of stone and padded with soft, white fur. The Hall provided him with a seat and Sloane joined him.

The brothers said nothing to each other. Sloane grabbed Kirwin's hand and squeezed it tight as it rested on his thigh. They had lost the youngest of the family. Kirwin probably knew about the plot for months. It was always like that. Cernunnos' sight was a blessing, but Sloane knew the burden of what Kirwin saw weighed heavily on him. That burden would be passed to Gannon one day, if it hadn't already.

They sat together, hand in hand, side by side. Then, Sloane released Kirwin's hand and placed in it the brown leather sack containing Daisy's remains.

"Her family will want to know," he whispered.

"What do I say to them, Sloane?" A single tear fell down his face as he gripped the sack.

Sloane grabbed Kirwin's hand as it gripped the sack, but said nothing.

"They trusted me with their only daughter and I am to return to them a bag of ash." His voice quivered as he spoke about the love of his very long life.

"Take them more than ashes, brother. Take them her son. This time he may want to stay."

"I need him here... "

"You can use him for all that you need from afar. Perhaps distance is what will be most needed for the Lupuna's right now."

Sloane released Kirwin's hand and left the Great Hall, wiping tears from his face on his sleeve. He returned to the administration wing and began arrangements for Kirwin's travel to the Northern Territories.

Kirwin exited the Great Hall and walked slowly to his quarters. CJ followed him all the way. He entered, and he wasn't quiet about it.

"Could you keep it down out there? I've been working all day. I could use the quiet," yelled the queen.

With his left hand, Kirwin hung the horn on the hook over the mantle and lit a white candle. He watched as the flame burned bright, casting shadows around the stark white room. This was not a time for mourning. Death was to be celebrated. This was a celebration of life, of a warrior's death, and of a much-earned trip to the Summerlands for his beloved.

Kirwin forced a smile as he thought of Daisy returning to the Goddess, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He raised his right hand to wipe the tear and the leather bag that held her ashes brushed his thigh. He could not be happy, he could not celebrate. Her loss had become all too real in the time it takes for a tear to fall. He looked at the hanging crystals above the mantle, all of different colors and sizes. The candle light displayed images of his family along the wall. Images of him, Sloane and Naois when they were children. Many more images of the men with their children. The nephews that had been part of the plot. The nephews who had been trying to kill Gannon since he'd returned from the north.

"Kirwin! Didn't you hear me call you?"

Kirwin shook his head. He hadn't heard her shrill voice.

"Not now, please," he whispered.

The sound in the room muffled as she began to speak about plans for the winter festivals. Something about flower arrangements and bunting for the palace. Her voice got louder and louder until he looked at her and she was standing right next to him.

"What are you looking at?"

"Please Aurora, now is not the time... "

"You never take an interest in my life. I'm so tired of this ill treatment by you. You put the Horde before me, Kirwin, all the time. And that boy of yours, I'm already sick of seeing his face around here. He's useless and a drain on House Lupuna. You sent him away once. Do it again, and this time do it for good."

"Aurora! Naois is dead!"

Her body shook with fear and terror. He'd never yelled at her. She'd given him plenty of reason, but he'd always been even tempered with her.

"Naois?" she whispered, as she looked to his hand holding the leather sack.

"He plotted against me and became an enemy of the Horde."

"You had no choice?"

"I didn't have to do it, but it had to be done."

"Padraig?"

She didn't know the inner workings of the Horde. It was part of his world he never let her enter. It was better that way. But he couldn't explain Naois and Daisy's death without telling her Gannon's role in it. She hated him - always had, always would. She could never understand how Gannon suffered tonight. She hated Daisy almost as much. He loved Daisy doubly. Aurora would rejoice at Daisy's loss and that would cause him great pain.

"He didn't have a hand in this. I don't really want to talk about the details." He inhaled and exhaled. He needed to get the news to her before she heard it from the gazette or one of her ladies-in-waiting. And he had to prepare to take this news to House Lupuna. They'd lost two members tonight. And the political landscape had changed too.

He laughed nervously. He couldn't even mourn the love of his life and his brother without thinking about politics.

"What's so funny? Your brother died tonight. How?"

"He became an enemy of the Horde, Aurora. He and Daisy... their sons... they were taken from us tonight." It wasn't the entire truth, but he couldn't divulge the details. It hurt too much and her reaction would drive him through the roof.

"How are the boys taking this? I would imagine they're devastated." She ignored Daisy entirely.

That was the best he could hope for. At least she didn't smile about it.

"They are... I don't know, I... I..." How did they feel about it? He'd known for years that Naois was plotting against him. He'd had a long time to come to terms with having to kill his brother, or at least give the order. How did his sons feel about the death of their uncle? How did Gannon feel about having to kill him... about losing his mother?

He closed his eyes for a long time.

"I need to be with them tonight."

"Of course. Have them come and we can mourn their uncle together."

"This isn't something you mourn... Naois tried to kill me, Aurora. He plotted against the throne. Had he been successful, you'd have died too. Do you understand how this changes things?"

She didn't respond for a long time and for once, Kirwin enjoyed the silence between them. Then she spoke.

"I suppose you have a plan to... handle her remains?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "My youngest brother betrayed this family, killed his wife. The Horde hunted and killed him and his sons. The sidhe regent and his guard have arrived and set up offices in the palace, and you're worried about me taking Daisy's remains to her family."

She ignored him. "How long is this supposed to take?"

He scoffed at her, the leather sack once again brushing his thigh. "As long as it takes. I have a lot of amends to make. I made promises, Aurora, many very important promises. At the very least I failed her and I failed our son."

He knew it would sting her if he mentioned Gannon. Maybe she needed to be stung tonight. She would not feel the loss like he would, like their sons would. He walked away from the photo crystals, towards the door and stood with his back to her.

"I invite you to come with me. Dill and Gannon could use the support tonight." As could I.

"Padraig needs my help."

"Of course he does."

"Take your son with you, and this time leave him."

Kirwin opened the door and walked down the darkened halls, leaving the door open behind him.