Highland Dream (Book 1)

Chapter 34

 

Holding back to the outer edges of the group before her, she felt compelled to move left. Heading towards a couple, they were slightly separated from the main group. Their attention on each other, rather than the chanting man, who stood before the standing stones. Every other person looked to him, their attention rapt.

 

As she approached them she saw the woman’s shoulders stiffen. As if she had sensed her. That had never happened before. But as the woman carried on her hushed conversation, she put it down to the topic rather than anyone sensing her…That just was not possible. Was it?

 

Cam was here. She could not see him. The man held his frame and he had similar features, but it most definitely was not her Camdyn. Her head was telling her she was being silly, her gut was telling her this couple was important. They were the reason she was here. She had to understand…something.

 

So she listened. She had never been taught the ancient language of the Druids, but she could understand them. She wondered if this was a part of her vision, or the magic held within the clearing itself, giving her an ability she would find nowhere else. As she stepped closer one more time, to hear more clearly the whispers, she was sure she felt the woman tense once more.

 

“Camdin, this is tearing my heart apart. But it is his only chance. The only way we can be sure he will live. You know I can’t tell you his future proper. As I cannot see ours. The other children though. They live. How can our son not get the same? Some have wonderful lives Camdin, work with tools we could only dream of.” She went to touch his face, only to have her shoulders taken unexpectedly, though extremely gently in large warrior’s hands.

 

“Catriona, we can defeat them. Only the council will not see. We have the strength of our warriors and the magic of our gods. How can we lose? We do this and win...” This strong warrior took a steadying breath, the glimmer of tears touched his eyes with a sheen, “we do this, and we lose our son forever. You cannot want that? Catri, all we ever wanted was peace, to build a family of our own. We have the family. One more battle and they could leave us be. Hide behind that wall they are building. They are scared of us, Catri, and I will not lose out son over the possibility of defeat. When we do not know for sure what his future will be. You cannot see him.”

 

She was shaking her head already, hearing him, Aislinn almost heard the weariness in that shake. She knew this was an ongoing argument, the same information being dragged up one last time. Only this time the winner would have the final say.

 

Tear streamed in a silent vigil down Catriona’s face. Her grief unquantifiable. She knew that it would be the hardest decision of her life. But she could live with it if it meant her son lived.