vermin at every turn. Ceithin knew that. He chose to ignore the slip because he wanted to know more. To know more he had to reveal some of what had happened with Kian.
"Kian came to us." There, a simple enough start, and at least Darach looked half way interested. "Very brave to approach the forest and try and find the Cariad."
"He always was the brave one," Darach murmured.
Ceithin considered the words. Darach wasn't exactly a coward, facing down the stuff of his nightmares alone in a haunted forest. "He had nature's Fire, already had mastered many of the old ways, knew when and where to pass to the Otherworld. He needed a little extra to be able to punch a hole."
"I wanted to go with him."
"But you couldn't, could you? You had no real Fire. Kian said you were days away from your Fire's birth."
Darach dropped to a crouch, holding his hands loosely between his spread knees. He was despondent, grieving. "He left me here."
"Is he your kin somehow?" Now that was a valid question. Ceithin sensed some connection between Darach and Kian, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Blood brothers. Myself, Kian, and Eoin. When we were just twelve, we swore we would be together always."
That explained a lot, and what Ceithin found most interesting was even though Darach might not believe in the old magik of the Cariad, he did have faith in the ancient ritual of blood kinship. A blood bond between two was strong, but between three it was unbreakable, irreversible. A great deal of ancient magik and the blood of each was used to make the connection. He wondered briefly what it must be like to be separated by an entire world from the other third of you.
"So Kian is gone, but where is the third, this Eoin? Did he not follow you on this adventure of yours?"
"He had amber Fire and it consumed him when he came of age."
Ceithin ' s eyes narrowed as Darach ' s voice grew cold and emotionless. Amber Fire was the most powerful of all Fire. The Council members all possessed some version of amber gold . The color was the most volatile. Incredibly rare, it was sought after and jealously hoarded. There were only two with amber in the Valley, his own father and a distant cousin. " I am sorry . " H e genuinely was more than just simply sorry. He had seen the Fire go wrong before. The end for the hapless person who bore it was quick, but immolation was also a terrible way to lose your life.
"The bond we had with him died in the blaze."
"It would."
"And then Kian left. So it is just me."
"And your family?"
"My parents died a long time ago, and I have an older brother who is training for council assistant and had left our home. He is getting married next month."
"You have no plans for marriage then, youngling?"
"Why do you call me that? I am twenty-one, and I have my Fire now. Stop calling me that when you can be no more than a few years older than me." Darach pushed himself up and stretched out the muscles he had used to stay crouched.
Ceithin desperately wanted to have a quip ready as a comeback, but he had nothing. Limping slightly, he walked to the horses. If they pushed, they could be in the Valley by nightfall. When they were both seated on their mounts and had started to move off, Ceithin deliberately kept the pace slow so they could talk.
"You asked why I called you youngling, and I guess it is because the Fire in a Cariad isn't new like yours. I may only be twenty-five, but my Fire is one of the most ancient in my clan."
* * * *
" Will you tell me your name? " Darach asked as the warmth of the day began to wrap around them. He tried to say it as confidently as he could . H e couldn ' t keep on calling him the Cariad bastard . He winced as the Cariad turned in the saddle and just stared at him.
"Ceithin," he replied, and then turned back to concentrate as his mount scrambled up the shallow banks of the stream.
Darach turned the name over in his mind. Ceithin. A strong name and one he hadn't heard before. Ceithin
"Kian came to us." There, a simple enough start, and at least Darach looked half way interested. "Very brave to approach the forest and try and find the Cariad."
"He always was the brave one," Darach murmured.
Ceithin considered the words. Darach wasn't exactly a coward, facing down the stuff of his nightmares alone in a haunted forest. "He had nature's Fire, already had mastered many of the old ways, knew when and where to pass to the Otherworld. He needed a little extra to be able to punch a hole."
"I wanted to go with him."
"But you couldn't, could you? You had no real Fire. Kian said you were days away from your Fire's birth."
Darach dropped to a crouch, holding his hands loosely between his spread knees. He was despondent, grieving. "He left me here."
"Is he your kin somehow?" Now that was a valid question. Ceithin sensed some connection between Darach and Kian, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Blood brothers. Myself, Kian, and Eoin. When we were just twelve, we swore we would be together always."
That explained a lot, and what Ceithin found most interesting was even though Darach might not believe in the old magik of the Cariad, he did have faith in the ancient ritual of blood kinship. A blood bond between two was strong, but between three it was unbreakable, irreversible. A great deal of ancient magik and the blood of each was used to make the connection. He wondered briefly what it must be like to be separated by an entire world from the other third of you.
"So Kian is gone, but where is the third, this Eoin? Did he not follow you on this adventure of yours?"
"He had amber Fire and it consumed him when he came of age."
Ceithin ' s eyes narrowed as Darach ' s voice grew cold and emotionless. Amber Fire was the most powerful of all Fire. The Council members all possessed some version of amber gold . The color was the most volatile. Incredibly rare, it was sought after and jealously hoarded. There were only two with amber in the Valley, his own father and a distant cousin. " I am sorry . " H e genuinely was more than just simply sorry. He had seen the Fire go wrong before. The end for the hapless person who bore it was quick, but immolation was also a terrible way to lose your life.
"The bond we had with him died in the blaze."
"It would."
"And then Kian left. So it is just me."
"And your family?"
"My parents died a long time ago, and I have an older brother who is training for council assistant and had left our home. He is getting married next month."
"You have no plans for marriage then, youngling?"
"Why do you call me that? I am twenty-one, and I have my Fire now. Stop calling me that when you can be no more than a few years older than me." Darach pushed himself up and stretched out the muscles he had used to stay crouched.
Ceithin desperately wanted to have a quip ready as a comeback, but he had nothing. Limping slightly, he walked to the horses. If they pushed, they could be in the Valley by nightfall. When they were both seated on their mounts and had started to move off, Ceithin deliberately kept the pace slow so they could talk.
"You asked why I called you youngling, and I guess it is because the Fire in a Cariad isn't new like yours. I may only be twenty-five, but my Fire is one of the most ancient in my clan."
* * * *
" Will you tell me your name? " Darach asked as the warmth of the day began to wrap around them. He tried to say it as confidently as he could . H e couldn ' t keep on calling him the Cariad bastard . He winced as the Cariad turned in the saddle and just stared at him.
"Ceithin," he replied, and then turned back to concentrate as his mount scrambled up the shallow banks of the stream.
Darach turned the name over in his mind. Ceithin. A strong name and one he hadn't heard before. Ceithin
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