Adair Cormac's Story

Adair stretched his back again and stood in the stirrups once again trying to loosen his muscles up as much as possible. His body ached in a hundred different places and were only getting worse. He was an experienced rider and had spent more time in a saddle than most men of his tribe ever would in their entire lives, yet even in the familiar saddle of his horse Donn created its own form of torture for his aching legs and back. He estimated it was an hour or so before dawn, so he had been riding, with a few stops to stretch and water Donn, for over a few hours now after his brief crossing of the Firth. And while he was riding, he was also concentrating on the course they were following. Using the stars to navigate and watching the way ahead of them for any obstacles even Donn was unable to see in the dark.

The moon had set hours ago and to anyone else, traveling by horse in such little light would be too reckless of an endeavor. But Adair had the magick of his vision, an advantage that made traveling at night almost easier than in the light of the sun. Soon, he decided, he would have to stop for a brief rest. The strain he was putting on his mind was almost more exhausting than the physical ache of the saddle. If he pushed on, his attention might begin to wander and lead him headlong into a mistake--a wrong direction or a poor choice of a path. As much as he wanted to make better time, losing his horse was not something he would even consider chancing at this point.

He reigned Donn in. He figured now was as good of time as any to stop and catch a bit of rest. He dismounted and watered his horse before loosening the saddle straps a bit. He would normally remove the saddle altogether, but out here in the open, he might have to remount and continue on quicker than he would like. Leading him to a small crop of trees and brush, Adair tossed Donn's reigns lightly over a low-hanging branch without securing them. The horse had free reign to move about, but was trained enough not to leave Adair while he slept. Securing the horse would only leave it a target for any animals in the immediate area. Adair was pleasantly content to close his eyes and get some much needed rest with his horse nearby.


Maintaining the steady breathing rhythm he had fallen into when he stretched out against the tree to his back, Adair woke. Instinctively, he knew he hadn't been asleep for any more than an hour at most. His mind quickly caught up to his situation and pinpointed the location of the intrusion to his sleep by way of sound. A slight crack in a twig gave the man away quickly after the slight warning from Adair's horse. There was no outward sign that he was awake to the man, his eyes being slit so little that it would appear he was still asleep. Adair's vision sharpened through the nearly blind slit and caught sight of the man approaching quietly. He was roughly dressed and dirty, holding a rusted hand axe. He wore no armor and was dressed in rags dirtier than his complexion already was.

Adair took stock of the situation, reminding himself where everything was around him. The hilt of his dagger dug into his side, yet his Claymore and Falcata were sheathed on Donn's saddle behind the tree where the horse lay out of sight. Any movement toward the horse would alert the man and put himself at a disadvantage. Surprise is a deadly weapon... he thought. The man was almost close enough to act, just another step and...

Adair flung out his legs and twisted them into the man's, toppling him into the ground. He hit the ground hard on his back and the axe went sprawling away as Adair turned his motion into a roll onto his stomach, where he was able to push himself a bit closer to kick the man square in the face as he lifted his head to gasp a breath. Pulling his legs underneath himself, Adair came up to his knee and pinned the man's head to the ground with a forearm, his dagger springing into his other hand to rest on the man's throat. And as quick as it started, the little skirmish was over. He struck the man in the temple with the hilt of his dagger and retrieved the axe to place it on his chest after he was certain the man was out.

Trotting over to Donn, he quickly tightened the saddle straps and sheathed his dagger before swinging up into the saddle and leaving the man behind. The sun was beginning to rise as they rode on. After a few more miles, Adair slowed the horse's pace and referred to his map once again to verify their position. "Just outside the Cantae village," he whispered quietly to himself. He had been around these parts before and knew the area fairly well. "Might as well see what kind of information we can gather here first." With that, he spurred Donn on and continued toward the village.

From afar, Cantae village looked as it had the last time Adair had visited the area. Smoke rising from their forge, people moving about on their daily tasks, and the village looked virtually untouched by the events circulating the lands in the form of the invading tribe. But Cantae was far from safe concerning the threat of the unknown tribe from across the channel. The village was in the direct warpath and would soon be enveloped in the chaos unless something could be done to stop or deter these invaders. Remembering his father's words upon leaving in the dead of night, Adair reflected on his mission.

"Remember what you have learned over the years and what I have taught you," his father had told him. "Find their weaknesses, how they fight, what they lack, their numbers. Everything you have done for us over these years rests on what you do down south. Find a way to stop them or a way to deter them. But come back with the information my son, your brothers need you, I need you."

Adair was spotted as he neared the village and escorted to the Chieftain as formalities demanded. The village was almost as sobering a sight as his father's words to him. People didn't laugh as they milled about like they did when last he visited. They hurried on their way and kept their eyes downcast on their path. It didn't take Adair's unique vision to see why, but more details were revealed upon speaking to the Chieftain. Formalities were exchanged and pleasantries regarded as Adair began idle conversation with Cantae's Chieftain before explaining his situation and the sudden appearance into their lands. The Chieftain was much like Adair's own father, competent, fair, and direct. Most were unlike him, choosing to mill around unimportant topics to avoid the ones that mattered. Adair had always abhorred the meetings that had gone in that manner, but never in Cantae.

The Chieftain dove right into the subject and asked bluntly what Adair had learned about their movements and strengths. Most of Adair's information had come from rumor or other accounts of the invaders that had been heavily laced with exaggeration and false information. He shared what he knew to be the truths he had sifted through the rumors and speculation on what he currently thought of the situation. The Chieftain nodded and explained the situation in Cantae. The Druids sacrificing people brought an obvious look of distaste on both of their faces as they discussed the topic. It explained the mood among the village. If their Druids were killing off their own people, they were only making the invaders job easier, spreading unnecessary fear and unrest.

"Seek out my son if you require any assistance," The Chieftain spoke as they parted their meeting. "Caderyn, he is the village champion and should not be hard to locate." Expressing his thanks, Adair began his circuit of the town and listened to all he could. Most of the conversations were hushed and people were wary of him as an outsider. Adair tended to stand out in his leathers and looks that contrasted many of the village people. Adair took his time gathering his information, most of which was more rumor than fact. Staying close to Donn, Adair took out an apple from his saddle bags and shared it with the horse as he contemplated his next move.

The unspoken thoughts written across the Champion’s face said everything. He was shocked. No less than she had been after waking drenched in sweat, heart racing, and truly fearful of the future. Looking at the face of her companion, Sorcha knew that he didn’t like her idea. He was probably as against hers as she was of his.

What she didn’t expect were the words that came out of his mouth. She had expected him to protest. Tell her she was wrong, mistaken. He was going with her. With her. It was impossible for her to hide the shock from her face. Did he understand what he was doing? Of course, he did. He was more than seven seasons older than her and knew this world better than she, but still he was willing to throw away his high rank to go with her, a widowed smith’s daughter who refused to marry.

“You must n-” Her words were cut off as Caderyn hugged her. She returned the embrace knowing it was likely to be one of the last moments of pure emotions she was able to feel. She couldn’t let him ruin himself. Having him die while a worse physical condition than being alive, dying as a warrior was a better afterlife than dying as a betrayer to his tribe. She wouldn’t condemn his soul to such a life.

Sorcha watched the man walk back towards their tribe; her green eyes fighting back the tears she knew were threatening to fall. She had to leave before dusk. I came here to see a friend, told to hide while others died for me, and then tell of my dream only to condemn a good man to misery. Mother, this could not have been what you meant for me.

She shook her head as one of her front braids crossed her face. She grabbed it and pushed it back still staring at the same path where Caderyn had walked. The same path she would have to go as well. Taking a deep breath, the young woman fought to gather her nerves back together.

Taking a detour on the way back to the Forge, Sorcha stopped off back by her family’s graves. She prayed once more, finding herself seeking more guidance from her mother and the gods then even when she asked and begged not to have to marry young. She wanted to survive the process of motherhood and not leave children behind as her mother had done. Not that she faulted the woman, but she wanted to be around to watch them grow old.

Leaving the cemetery, she heard the news of a guest in the tribe. One they had had before. The other tribes must know of the foreign invaders as well. We are not the first tribe to be in their paths, but we are one of the firsts and likely one of the strongest contenders to stand against them. If we can bring other tribes to our aid… Maybe this is what the gods meant when they sent the death messenger to me. I must go, but I can not drag Caderyn into this as well. I can not.

It didn’t take long once she was back into the central area of the tribe to locate the outsider. He was standing by his horse. While she couldn’t remember his name, she knew his face. He had been well received prior. Everyone else was shunning him. This is wasn’t proper guest host relations. No wonder the gods were punishing them. Even strangers deserved some measure of respect.

Because she was a female it became a bit trickier to approach him, but given the fact she would be leaving the tribe soon anyway, she didn’t see the damage it could do. She smiled lightly as she walked over to him.

“I do hope you have been greeted and seen to what it is you desire from us?” She asked. While not the best manner of speaking the terms of why he was there, she tended to be the kind of person that didn’t beat around the bush. Her tribe was falling apart and the threat of the invaders… she didn’t want an outsider to see the depth of destruction should Cantae survive they would fall prey to other tribes in the area if too much was seen.

Adair stifled a yawn and held out the rest of the apple for Donn to chomp on. Lacking sleep was something he was used to on a daily basis as he traveled alone. Sleep could actually be fatal depending on where and when you decided to pursue it as he was reminded earlier in the day. On the other side of the coin, attacking a sleeping man could be a bad idea as well, as the man had learned.

Sleep was one of the furthest things on his mind as he observed the people milling about the village. Adair's previous visit to Cantae had not been too long ago, yet the experience was quite different this time around. Children didn't run up to him laughing as they ran through the streets, this time around being held close by their elders and hurried through the area. Women didn't wear the smiles they previously had either, and the men eyed him and the weapons on his person suspiciously. Donn seemed to sense the tension in the village as well, shaking out his shaggy head more often than usual and butting his head against Adair's shoulder. The brown, barrel-chested horse was more of a large pony, with big intelligent eyes that took in almost as much as Adair's.

Though, even as much as Adair was avoided, one figure that passed through the center of the village seemed to repel the people at a much greater rate. The Druid walked through the area as Adair watched on with interest. People split from his path, avoided his eye, and even went as far as to hush themselves as he drew near. It's as the Chieftain had said, Adair thought, watching the curious Druid as he continued on his way. The village was afraid of its own kind, and reasonably so. No one wants to chance being another sacrifice. The Druid spotted Adair and his eyes narrowed as he studied the newcomer in his village. Resisting the urge to drop a hand to the hilt of his Falcata that now sat buckled to his waist, Adair simply nodded in the Druids direction and watched him continue on his way.

“I do hope you have been greeted and seen to what it is you desire from us?” The voice brought him from his own thoughts and Adair turned toward it's owner. The woman's red hair caught his eye immediately, falling about her with a few braids throughout the locks. He remembered the hair from his previous visit for some reason, but not the woman.

"I have," He answered the woman. "Your Chieftain has been most gracious, and no one has yet to try burying an axe in my head, no one from here anyway... But I guess the day is still young now isn't it?" He paused as he studied the rims of her eyes. His vision revealed them to be slightly puffed and a slight shade redder than the normal set of a person. Adair had no idea what could cause this other than crying or suppressing the tears. Perhaps the invasion is taking more of a mental toll on her than others... "Don't worry, I won't be here long, just passing through. I'll be leaving once the sun begins to set." He turned once more to rub Donn's large nose, "Just giving the softie here a rest before we continue on."

Donn snorted scornfully and tossed his head at Adair's comment.

The stranger’s gaze seemed to be focused elsewhere and Sorcha turned her gaze until she saw the back of the High Priest. She shook her head with a heavy sigh as she watched until he was out of sight and then turned back towards the male.

She inclined her head as his words. “It is wise to pass through here quickly. Normally strangers are invited to stay a while and there are feasts and celebrations, but not now. I suppose you know of the invaders that are supposed to be coming from across the channel?”

Maybe she wasn’t supposed to say so much, maybe because she was a woman. But she knew in other tribes the women were not as suppressed, so lightly her actions nor her words would cause too much alarm. “We will be one of the first tribes they encounter and we plan to stop them.” She couldn’t reveal too much about what was going on, not to a stranger, but it was easy to see that the tribe was not as it once was.

Sorcha didn’t know how much the Chieftain had told the man, so she feared to say too much. Digging into her pocket she pulled out a treat the tribe made for their own horses. She glanced at the male, her face a question. When he didn’t say anything she stuck her hand out and offered the treat to the horse.

“If I may be as so blunt to ask what you are here for? There is not much we can offer now. Oh, where are my manners. My name is Sorcha Ceàrdach.” Her last name gave away her job, smith, one of their many names for it. She took the byname upon taking her father’s occupation.

“If you need a place to rest I can offer my own. It is not much but seeing as you are not going to get much in the way of hospitality it is better than standing here lacking sleep. I can put your horse to stable as well if you like.” Her father would be upset she hadn’t come right back to work, but he would understand given the circumstances. Of course bringing the stranger to their home could be seen as grounds to sacrifice them. Sorcha didn’t want her father hurt because of her, but she couldn’t allow the gods to go displeased because of earthly matters.

The young woman turned towards her own dwelling, the smoke coming from the Forge always told her where to find her home and then glanced back at the stranger. He would either follow or he wouldn’t. She had business to attend to and his presence made no difference. She headed towards home with a heavy heart. Today would be her last in the tribe.

“It is wise to pass through here quickly. Normally strangers are invited to stay a while and there are feasts and celebrations, but not now. I suppose you know of the invaders that are supposed to be coming from across the channel?”

Adair nodded and gave a shrug of indifference at the mention of the invaders. His tribe had received a bird only a day ago, telling of the threat that was sweeping the lands across the channel and bringing war to their lands soon. He knew every word of that message, crudely written in a hurried hand from one of the coastal tribes across the land. Tribes had invaded before, but none he could remember made his father's face grow as sullen as the accounts this tribe had surrounding it.

“We will be one of the first tribes they encounter and we plan to stop them.”

But how is the question? Adair thought. Cantae's warrior's were amongst the strongest in the land, but this new tribe was unknown and from the information in the message, had already obliterated tribes easily rivaling in strength any this one village could muster. Adair had made a trip across the channel years ago. The warriors there fought in a few varied styles, but had significant strength from what he saw. Cantae was strong as well, Adair recalled. But their people were scared, the village fractured by the sacrifices that were going on. He saw it on the Chieftain's face when they spoke and heard it in his voice. The sacrifices wouldn't help. It wouldn't save any of them. And Adair knew better then to bring the matter up in simple conversation.

As the woman fed Donn a treat, Adair smiled to himself as he caught the horse's big intelligent brown eyes. See? They seemed to say. This is what life is about, good treats and less fuss. But their gaze was broken as the woman continued on in the conversation. “If I may be as so blunt to ask what you are here for? There is not much we can offer now. Oh, where are my manners. My name is Sorcha Ceàrdach.”

Ceàrdach? That name struck a chord in his memory. Her father was Alaois Adair believed. But before he could voice the thought, Sorcha spoke again. “If you need a place to rest I can offer my own. It is not much but seeing as you are not going to get much in the way of hospitality it is better than standing here lacking sleep. I can put your horse to stable as well if you like.”

"Adair Cormac," Adair answered her. "And a place to rest in peace would be greatly appreciated, thank you." Tsking to Donn, Adair began to follow her through the village. "As I stated before, I am just passing through on my trip South. From here I am headed West for more information. Stopping by here was to speak to your Chieftain to let him know our tribe is not in the dark about the recent events. That, and revisit old memories." While he didn't lie to her, he only told her what he thought relevant enough to her question, withholding that he was a deciding factor on Tiern's actions towards these new threats plaguing their lands.

"You are Alaois's daughter if I'm not mistaken? The smith?" He asked as they walked. His father had mentioned the name after returning from his last visit to Cantae. His father owned a sword crafted by Cantae's smith and still preferred it over a much more ornately crafted one he received as a wedding gift from another tribe. "My father wields a blade forged by Alaois's hands. It's one of his favorites."

Trying to make idle chat came easy to Adair, and he tended to get sidetracked once in a while. Donn's head nudged his shoulder once more as they walked, bringing his thoughts back to his task once again.

"Forgive me for asking so suddenly," Adair said with a bit of hesitation, "but you don't sound convinced of your village's assurance in stopping the invaders. May I ask why that is?"

Sorcha turned back and looked at the male as he introduced himself. She nodded her head, his name finally clicking in her mind. She knew where he was from now and why she remembered him. There had been a large trade of weapons, furs and other items between the tribes. There had been a great feast and a lot of dancing. Most of which she and a few other girls did with one or two males. The young woman didn’t like to brag on anything except her work, but she knew it to be fact she was one of the best dancers in the tribe. While not the mostly musically gifted, she still had a nice voice and could play the instruments well. But she preferred as to her it took more skill.

“If you head west will you not be putting yourself in more danger by getting closer to these invaders?” The gears in her mind started running at the thought of having a traveling companion even one from outside of the tribe. He was heading that way already. I will not have to endanger Caderyn. I will have to find a way to brooch the subject with him, but not in public or where anyone can over hear.

Beginning to open her mouth to speak again, Adair continued as she stopped to listen to him. They were nearing her home now which was attached to the Forge, but each had a separate entrance. When asked of her father, she nodded her head.

“Yes, I am Alaois’ daughter.” The words of the man’s father’s sword brought a smile to her face. It probably came from the trade she remembered seeing Adair at. “Aye, though if I could but see it I could tell you whether it was my father’s work or my own.” She could tell the differences even when most people couldn’t. Sometimes even her father couldn’t tell the difference. But she knew most of her skills came from something she couldn’t reveal to anyone not even the Champion.

“I crafted the sword for our current Champion and he still wields it even though I tell him I have made better since.” She stopped as she listened to his question and glanced back towards the hub of the tribe and then glanced at the ground before looking back up.

“It is not that I do not have faith in our warriors. I have great faith in them, but this rifting between the people, between our religious sect and everyone else is causing alarm, fear, hatred. The first person the High Priest sacrificed was a new born believing that babies were the greatest valued thing in this tribe. When that did not work, he moved on just recently to a tanner. Though I could not see how that would be most valued, it shows he is not going to stop. Next it will be warriors, my father or I, women with child, older children, our elders, the Champion, the Chieftain. It will never end. Something else must be done.” Sorcha knew she was saying too much, but if she wanted to travel with this man west, he needed to understand without knowing the full truth.

“Our ways of life here are slightly different than most. You can see we have female warriors, but that is as high as we go. We can not be Druids and magick is forbidden by anyone other than the priests. I think they fear it. Cantae will fall either to the invaders or to itself. It is my belief that all of the tribes will not stand to these people, but if we combined strengths and allies even for this one thing then our great land could survive this encounter and any other if only we banded together.

I know you probably do not give much stock to a smith, but I believe my point is valid. Being able to speak to other tribe leaders could mean the difference between life and death for many tribes not just my own. Because if Cantae falls almost everything else will too until they reach the most northern tips or begin to head south. Though I have not heard of anyone south being much of a contender as of late. Of course I am not as well versed in the ways of outsiders as you are.”

Sorcha stopped when they reached the door to her home. “Allow me to take your horse and then get you something to eat and a place to sleep.” It didn’t take long to move to the horse to the stable, untackle him, brush him out and then give him food. He seemed pleased. Animals were always happy just to have the basics of life. Why can not people by the same way? She returned to where she left Adair.

“Follow me.” She led him into the house and brought him over to where the beds were. It was a one room. Two beds on opposite sides of the walls with wools covers blocking them off from the rest of the room. A small kitchen area was set on one side and a few pieces of wood furniture to hold clothes. It lacked a feminine touch even with Sorcha present. She never had a mother to show her how a house must look and she was fine with the bareness. On the other side was a door that lead to the Forge.

The red head lead him to one of the beds and pulled the curtain a side. She grabbed the clothes off the bed and moved out of the way. “This is where you can sleep. It is not much but it is the best I can. Please let me know if you need anything, food, drink, and what time you would like to leave so your horse can be ready to travel.” She inclined her head as she moved away and took the clothes to a leather bag. She rolled them and then stuffed them inside of the bag. It was the start of her travel bag. One she would have to have ready by the time Adair was leaving and before Caderyn knew what she had planned.

“If you head west will you not be putting yourself in more danger by getting closer to these invaders?”

Adair almost let another smile cross his face as he watched Sorcha immediately sink into thought after voicing her concern for his safety. Or what at least appeared to be concern. He had spent most of his adult life now discerning the meanings behind sentences spoken and the reactions of the afterthought, and this seemed more curiosity than concern to him. Whatever her reasons were, they were none of Adair's concern, and he let it go with a bit of a shrug instead.

"Hm," he said, feigning a bit of disinterest, "I guess it will. I guess the information will be a bit better the closer I get though, so maybe it will be worth it." And besides, he thought to himself, I won't have to get nearly as close as most people would...

He listened on intently as she spoke her feelings about the recent events in Cantae concerning the invaders. He was glad, at that moment, that neither of his brothers had accompanied him south. Hearing of the sacrifices left a raw taste in his mouth, and he was known to have easily the coolest head of the three siblings. It made no sense to him, the sacrificing of anyone. The Gods created humans, and gave breath to every life that was born into their world. Why would they allow an infant to be born, just to have it killed off soon after? And if that was what would sate their lust, why would more be required afterward? And why not just sacrifice one of the so called 'Holy' men? A man sworn to serve the Gods should be worth more than a common man, even one born higher. His eldest brother would have forced the druids to justify themselves through combat if he were here. To prove his ideals were correct.... Again, Adair was thankful he was on this mission alone so far.

Thankfully, Sorcha returned his thoughts to the invaders and away from the pointless sacrificing by diverting the conversation to the topic of standing against the invaders. He had spoken with the Chieftain on this topic already. From the information Adair already possessed, Cantae would definitely fall short in dealing with the invaders. Unless of course, aid was rallied to their side in assistance. Tiern might not be equal in strength alone to Cantae, but every warrior among the tribe was a seasoned swordsman, and even more valuable, was the tactical prowess his father could bring to the fight. Bran or the 'raven' as he was called was able to see many outcomes before they ever occurred or took place on the field of battle. And his eyes were currently walking beside Sorcha and Donn.

They arrived at her house and went around to the stable to house Adair's horse. After Donn was seen to, and looking more smug than ever, Sorcha led him into the house and to a place beside a bed. She grabbed up a few clothes of the bed and stepped aside. “This is where you can sleep. It is not much but it is the best I can. Please let me know if you need anything, food, drink, and what time you would like to leave so your horse can be ready to travel.” He raised an eyebrow at the bag she rolled the clothes up into instead of putting them away.

"I shouldn't be asleep too long, but thank you." He sat on the bed and looked up at her as he let the pieces fall into place. Her inquiry of lingering close to the invaders, packing a bag, the too intelligent talk concerning her doubts about the village to an outsider....

"Just don't try and steal Donn when you leave wherever you're going." He said casually "He'll throw you off..."

There seemed so many within this village, yet all attempted to stay away from her. Gavina simply could not understand why she was being treated this way. Eyes glanced down to her clothing, of which was quite dirty from weeks of travel. She sighed, Perhaps... thinking this was the reason. Her belly turned for a moment, sending a sudden jolt through her arm to cover it. She determined there had to be a place to eat. Right? Legs carried her frail frame throughout the village, attempting to find anything. Even if they were scraps upon the ground, she would take them up. She thought a moment of leaving the town to hunt and gather water, but she had no strength to do so.

Entering an area that looked of homes rather than shops, she began to knock on each door. Most did not open. Some she simply heard grumbles. Others they scared her off. None of these times did she have a chance to ask for food and water. Finally she came across what looked like a stable. She checked faintly if there was a way to enter, and in fact there was. Inside she noticed a horse of gorgeous wilds. However, she knew how some could react, so she quickly ran past him. Some water was found, set for the horses, and she drank wildly from it. Spilling the water over her clothes and some upon the ground. Although she was still hungry, she figured water was most important. Being as weak and tired as she was, Gavina found an empty stall. Plopping her stuff down just outside of the stall, she fell to her hands and knees. Crawling upon her dress to a thick stack of hay, she finally collapsed in exhaustion. A sigh and she gently closed her eyes. She had to rest. She needed strength.

Sorcha watched the emotions slowly playing across Adair’s face. He seemed much like the majority of the tribe. They hated the sacrifices. Everyone was afraid they or someone they loved would be next and with great cause. No one was deemed safe. The High Priest even now was supposed to be talking with the gods to find another person who was most valued to the tribe.

It didn’t take much to realize that the man beside her was one of high intellect. He was smart which was probably why he was sent to deal with the tribes. She found it easy to talk to him, while not as easy as speaking to Caderyn she found conversation pleasant. There were just some things that one could not tell a stranger that she could tell a life long friend.

Once at the house and everything attended to, the young woman watched Adair before nodding her head. She would have to watch him for when he was leaving then. If he didn’t need to be awoken then he was likely just to slip out unnoticed which wasn’t what she wanted to happen.

When the conversation turned to her and leaving she glanced back towards the door to the Forge afraid for her father to overhear. She shook her head once she was sure she was safe. “I had no intentions unless I was riding with you.” She hoped that it alone said what she wanted. She wanted to go with him when he left.

But she had to give him time to think it over. “I have work to do. I will get you something to eat before you leave.” With that said, she headed into the Forge to tell her father about the guest and avoided answering as many questions about what Caderyn wanted as she could.

While she worked, she went about getting as many tools as she would need to do her job properly, but without taking up much weight or space in her bag. It wouldn’t be long before she was able to leave the tribe. Sorcha pulled the box with the almost completed torc out and set it with the tools. She would finish it even if it was the last real project she worked on because she was murdered for the idea that she could make a difference in this conflict.

Sorcha had only been in the Forge for a few minutes working when the horn sounded. Her brows furrowed together and she glanced to her father. He shrugged at her, but she knew the look. They had a lot of work to get done. They both couldn’t leave, so the daughter set her tools down and headed back towards the center of the tribe.

She stayed at the back of the group so she could make a quick getaway once everything was over with, but when she saw it was Caderyn, she felt her chest clench. Something was very wrong. She imagined he had been packing to destroy his entire life including afterlife, but not this. Her green eyes widened at the sight of the head and her heart pounded in her chest.

Listening to her friend’s words only caused her fears to become fact. She avoided meeting his gaze and sank further back into the shadows. Before he was even done, she turned back towards the Forge. She told her father what was going on and that he would be better suited to be there than she would. She would continue to work, even if it was a lie.

Once her father was gone, Sorcha went back into the house and straight to Adair. She placed a hand on his shoulder lightly as she leaned down. She knew he was likely awake, but she didn’t want to startle him nonetheless.

“You must leave now. I am sorry, but they have caught scouts outside the tribe. It is not safe anymore.” She backed away and grabbed her bag that she had packed with the clothes. She went into the workshop and grabbed her tools as well as the torc and then put them in the bag as well as food. Glancing back over at Adair, she wondered if he would allow her to go willingly or not.

She already had her dagger and portable bag that held metal fragments in them on her, but she grabbed her bow and quiver before she stopped and slung the back over her shoulders and then went for her cloak.

“May I go with you or not? There is something I must do and it is hard to explain on such short notice, but please allow me to accompany you on your journey. I have a conquest and I wish to save another’s life if he was to go, it would be condemned.” She knew her words probably didn’t make any sense, but she had tried to sum up her story as best as she could in the short amount of time.

Sorcha stood in the middle of her home holding her breath. She didn’t know the stranger well enough to know what he would say, but he was smart. He had figured out what she was planning, just from watching her and piecing clues together. Most people in the tribe wouldn’t have been able to do so. She just hoped he said yes so she could spare Caderyn.

Adair's eyes had barely closed when a horn sounded somewhere inside the village. His initial reaction was to leap out of the bed and find out what was going on immediately, but something told him to stay where he was. The sounds coming from the forge outside the house paused for a brief moment before resuming a bit quieter. The pause and continuation of work almost immediately after at the sound of the horn told him it couldn't have been a horn warning of attack. Lying back down in the bed, he forced his eyes closed once more as the sounds of people passing slowly by the house began.

Just beginning to drift off to sleep again, something caught his attention once more; the sounds coming from the forge had stopped again. A door was heard opening and soft footsteps made their way closer to him as he slitted his eyelids to get a glimpse of the approaching figure. Sorcha's bright hair caught his sight first once again and a slender hand reached out to settle on his shoulder as she bent to wake him. Opening his eyes the rest of the way, Adair studied her face and propped himself up on an elbow as she spoke.

“You must leave now. I am sorry, but they have caught scouts outside the tribe. It is not safe anymore.”

Scouts? The thought shoved its way forcefully into his mind as he tried to quickly discern what it meant. They couldn't be from the tribe invading from across the channel, could it? According to his information, they had only recently left to traverse the channel, even scouts would be hard pressed to make it this far already. Another tribe perhaps? He knew it couldn't be his own, they would have never been able to come this far south so quickly under the cover of night without himself. The village itself might be coming to the same conclusions he was as well, and they've had a bit more time to discern the facts as well. Any outsiders would be in question, himself included. Fleeing might cause more suspicion as well, but staying might delay him if he was held for questioning. And delay wasn't something he was willing to gamble on at this point.

Sorcha was grabbing stuff up and equipping herself before she left for a moment to return with a few more things. “May I go with you or not? There is something I must do and it is hard to explain on such short notice, but please allow me to accompany you on your journey. I have a conquest and I wish to save another’s life if he was to go, it would be condemned.”

"It's not like you'll abandon your conquest even if I said no," he said as he stood and finished readying himself to leave. "And since you've been more than hospitable, I can't let you run off on your own now can I?" To be truthful, he had already given the matter some thought once he saw the traveling bag. She would be another pair of ears and eyes along the trip, and she didn't look like she would slow him down too terribly. "Let's go." He strode from the house and back out to where Donn was stabled. "Do you have a horse you can take, or are you r--" He cut his sentence off before turning the corner to the stables when he heard the soft whinny from his horse as Donn heard them approaching. Someone was with him.

Rounding the corner with his hand on his dagger, Adair came upon Donn blinking easily in his direction before tossing his head and looking away. Following his intelligent horse's gaze, he spotted a cluster of hay with red hair falling about it. They hay materialized into a pale woman with hair a little darker than Sorcha's collapsed on the stable floor. She looked incredibly underfed, and the whinny let out from his companion definitely didn't sound like she had arrived in good shape. Looking back at Sorcha, the look on her face said these women were strangers. Cantae wasn't such a large village that a woman of this age would go unrecognized, even if just in passing, so Adair had to assume she was another outsider.

Warning bells blared in his head as he knelt slowly beside the woman. She could be an enemy hiding out, or at the very least hostile. But a look over to his saddle showed his claymore still in place, and his supplies untouched. Any enemy would have surely taken or tampered with either of the two. And by the look of her, she didn't look in too great of fighting shape. He knew he should just ready Donn and leave the woman to her own devices, but those devices didn't look as if they had treated her well so far.

Reaching under her head to support her, he tried to wake her as he sat her up. "Miss," he said softly, trying not to startle her, "please, this isn't a great place to rest."

He was going to let her come with him. He wasn’t going to try and stop her like most men would have. Not that it was particularly a man’s quest, but most felt it their jobs to do such perilous journeys alone. Making her she had everything and being careful to follow in the shadows to the stable, she didn’t want anyone to see her now. Worse they would go tell her father or Caderyn would catch her. She was doing this to spare him not hurt him more.

As the two of them made their way to the stables, Sorcha followed him inside. Watching his body language and the sight of him going for his weapon told her something was wrong. Another scout? She thought to herself, but once she could see as he could, she knew it couldn’t be true. Scouts wouldn’t look this close to death could they?

Coming to Adair’s side she bent down and looked through the woman’s bag. There wasn’t much present and certainly not enough to tell where she had come from. Frowning she glanced at the still frame. This was going to slow them down, but it might be enough to give them a distraction.

“I will go tell someone of her presence. They will keep her until she is well and question her if she is a scout. Likely she is not, but it will give us a chance to escape from here unnoticed. Take your horse and the supplies and head into the woods. I will meet you there shortly.”

Sorcha stripped off her bag, weapons, and cloak giving them to Adair. She had to trust that he wouldn’t run off with anything or leave her abandoned in the tribe. He seemed like a good character and she hoped she wasn’t wrong. The mysterious woman needed help she couldn’t give nor did she have time to try. Someone else in the tribe would be much more skilled than herself.

Leaving the stable, she headed for the house of the person she knew could be of the most help. The tribe still seemed in much uproar from the announcement of the scouts. In this chaos it was easy to go by unnoticed. She reached the house and relayed her message as quickly as she could. She said she had gone there to check the area for hiding places of scouts after the announcement and found the woman. It wouldn’t look good on her, but still she would get the care she needed unless of course the leaders decided it was better not to risk anything and just kill her, but her people had never been that way before.

They never used to sacrifice people either. She reprimanded herself, but her help did as she expected and went to help. The family were good people and they would help her out. Turning, she headed back towards her house so she could slip out of the tribe before anyone saw her, but a figure stopped her short. It was the High Priest watching the comings and goings with a critical eye.

The man caught sight of Sorcha and leveled his gaze on her. The young woman fought back at gulp as she nodded respectfully to her elder. Please just let me get by and do not speak to me.

“You are Alaois Ceàrdach’s daughter are you not?”

Sorcha nodded her head. “Aye, sir I am. This there something you need?” All she wanted to do was run away like a scared dog, but she didn’t want to give the man any reason to choose her for death now.

“No, there is nothing. Just merely wanted to make sure I remembered who you were.” Nodding her head, she excused herself as quickly and politely as she could before heading for the woods. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she knew she was probably already paler than normal. The man was death and she came face to face with him. And while she was alive now, she knew that fact may be shortened if she did not get out of the tribe soon.

Entering the woods, she headed for the area she hoped Adair had gone to. It was close to the stable, but also far enough in that no one would see him or his horse. Of course it wasn’t too far from where she was supposed to met Caderyn at the end of the day, but she hoped not to get caught and to be out of there before the Champion figured out what she had planed.

Gavina flinched lightly when she realized something was touching her. The lack of strength within did not allow her to do more than a gentle flinched. Eyes opened and after some time, was able to focus upon the male whom held her head. Lips smiled gently, as if saying she was alright. " My apologies, Sir. I'll leave immediately." Despite her words, she did not move an inch. Unfortunately, she thought she was. When she realized she did not, her heart sunk. Strength...I just.. even her thoughts failed, now focusing on a female who she just realized was there. Although Gavina did not hear the woman's words, she did see her walk away. Eyes turned back to the male and smile softly again. " My apologies, Sir. I'll leave immediately." she repeated. This time, she was able to lift her head from his hand, but simply fell back into his hand. Brows furrowed as if upset by this.

Gavina had all intentions to leave. It was not as if she planned to steal someones stable for lodging when she knew you should always pay for using someones facilities. She simply wanted to rest her weary bones, but it was not until she had done so that she realized how bad off she was. She simply just thought all she needed was rest, food and water, and she would be well enough to explain and ask for a place to live.

Faintly she began hearing horns in the back ground. It confused her completely. Was that sound for her? Had she done something wrong and did not remember doing so? Thinking of all the options, she began to feel fear warm her core. Whatever she had done, she did not do on purpose.

As the woman Adair was holding began to stir at his touch, Sorcha spoke up from behind him as she began to remover her gear, handing it to him. “I will go tell someone of her presence. They will keep her until she is well and question her if she is a scout. Likely she is not, but it will give us a chance to escape from here unnoticed. Take your horse and the supplies and head into the woods. I will meet you there shortly.”

As she disappeared from sight, Adair turned his attention back to the woman in his hands. She was saying something, but her voice was so weak and faint, her words were hard to discern. She was visibly straining to move, but aside from her head, her body refused to react. His thoughts raced as he assessed her condition. He was nowhere near the skill his mother possessed in healing arts and medicine, but he had picked up on a few things over the years. And pressing his hand lightly to the skin on her forehead, he found her to be only slightly warmer than she should have been. She didn't appear to be injure or hurt, even to his enhanced eyes. He figured exhaustion was the only thing wrong with her, possibly requiring a few hours of rest or so to continue on.

Adair thought about what Sorcha had said upon her exit; "...and question her if she is a scout..." If things were less tense in the village, that might be the only case. But he was barely welcomed into the village and was a known ally, as well as the son of another respected tribe leader. An unknown woman wouldn't receive the same respect and treatment. Remembering the look of the man Druid he spotted in the village center, Adair thought again to the turmoil bubbling below Cantae's surface. A woman from outside the village might serve as a viable sacrifice in his eyes... A scowl crossing Adair's face at the thought. He wasn't going to leave this woman to the village's new-found solution for ridding the lands of the invaders.

"Wait here a second," he said gently to the woman and laid her head slowly back to the hay. He stood and fitted Sorcha's gear on Donn as he tightened the saddle straps. The horse's eyes followed Adair around as he moved and seemed to be trying to bore into him. 'You're out of your mind aren't you?' They seemed to say. "Shut it..." Adair mumbled at him.

Finishing his preparations, he turned and grabbed Donn gently by the sides of the horse's head and looked straight into his eyes and whispered "Easy boy..." This earned him a rolling of the horse's eyes and what sounded like a derisive snort from the horse. Smiling at the notion, Adair turned back and knelt down to lift the woman as gently as he could up onto the horse. She was much lighter than he had imagined she would be, but still said a quiet thanks to the gods that Donn was not the same height as a full-sized horse. He leaned her a bit forward so she rested atop Donn's stout neck and turned him slowly out of the stable, leading him on foot.

Entering the woods, Adair led them a bit further than he probably should have, but found a better spot than previously available to stop. A large oak sat nearby overlooking a large lake a little ways from the village. He would have kept going, but Sorcha was without her gear and most likely on foot. Any further, and she would be a bit hard pressed to catch up easily.

Supporting the woman as he let her slide from the saddle, he caught her and nodded his head for Donn to kneel and rest. Another snort greeted him as he leaned the woman back to lean against his horse and retrieved a small vial from his saddle bags. The dark brown liquid inside was amazing, and one of his mother's specialties. It worked wonders and helped boost you up when you felt like you were about to collapse. A few drops was all it took, but any more than that might cause you to vomit uncontrollably. Not everything is perfect, he reflected. Pulling an apple as well, he used his dagger to cut off a decent piece and let two drops of the liquid fall on the surface. "Here," he held it to the woman, "eat this, it tastes horrible, but the apple will help a bit."

Donn's eyes were once again locked on Adair as the apple rested in his hand. Holding out the apple, he let Donn take it and chomp on it happily. Adair figured it was either the apple or Adair's hand his horse was going to bite and made the right choice. Coming back to his feet, Adair ran a hand through his hair. Sorcha really couldn't complain about the woman's presence, but he still thought he needed a better excuse than 'I felt like it' for bringing her.

Gavina moaned gently when the guy picked her up. No, it is alright. I can leave on my own accord. was murmured within her brain, but still she did not move on her own. Being placed across the horse, she was able to smile ever so slightly. The softness of his fur comforted her a moment, until she realized something. They are taking me to my death. What have I done? She was still confused between the woman rushing out, the horn, and the male. She was unsure of what the male was doing and where he was taking her. It did not matter, she would not be able to run.

Eyes slowly opened when the male slid her off the horse and propped her up against him. "Wait here a second," he told her. She thought about nodding, completely intending it, but it did not happen. Eyes glanced around at where she was. It looked like the middle of no where, by a tree. That was interesting. She was not going to die? Again, this confused her more so. Soon he returned with an apple and a vile. The vile looked odd and she did not want it near her. However, he put a few drops upon the piece and handed it to her. Eyes looked to Adair, looking at the kind of man he was. It took a moment, but for some reason she realized she could trust him. She took the apple piece and plopped it in her mouth, beginning to chew; albeit slowly. Brows furrowed, eyes squinted, and nose wrinkled at the taste. Her mouth even propped open a moment, as if about to puke it up, but she continued to chew. As quickly as she could, she mashed it up and swallowed it. A sigh and she leaned her head back on the horse. Eyes closed again.

A few moments later she moistened her lips with her tongue. Softly the woman spoke, " Thank you.". All that she could muster for the time being, she stayed still and silent again.

Eoin

The running wasn't helping things one bit.
Eoin was quickly gaining on the mans tail but every time he got within arms reach the smaller target would slip away. Either by ducking through someone's home or diving through a street venders stall. The cause of him taking the West gate out of the village was hampered by the guards as he approached and for that Eoin was thankful. But now he has been running after this one man for several minutes now and it would not be long before he got away.

Passing near through the center of the village again he was able to catch a thread of the mans cloak as he dove around a corner. However the three young women screaming at the top of their lungs was not that much of a help in itself and as he thought Eoin lost sight of the runner.

The man was frantic with breath, not only were the others of his group discovered and killed. But it seemed that he had someone on his own trail that was aware of his presence.
The man was quick and light on his feel though, the saving grace that had helped him survive so far and he was not about to let his feet fail him now. He ran for more then he thought he was worth, ducking guards and then bursting out another one of the gates doing his best to remain detached from whatever patrols the village might have. He ran for some time unaware if anything was following or even if anything was aware of him.

The beat of his shoes on the ground kicking up dust and sullen soil as the departing morning dew could no longer sustain itself in his tread. Patches of mud was caking on the sides of his legs and the ends of his cloak were now tattered from the attentions of Eoin's grasping hands.

It wasn't long before the man ripped through several bushes and entered a large clearing, many of the large oaks and fur trees around casting shade for him to breath in. He was far enough away from the village now and the safety of the forest was between him and that horrid place.. or so he thought.
The man was leaning against one of the oaks as he gripped his side to help ease the pain of the long run, labored breaths escaped every few seconds as he tried to reconstitute himself. It was the feeling of a sudden impact to his jaw that slammed him violently into reality. He rolled away from the tree to see the large form of Eoin breaking the treeline along with the rest of his outstretched arm. "You ran far.. but not far enough."

The man pulled a dirk from within his cloak as a sign of defense and readied himself while still backing away.

Eoin on the other hand had already taken enough of his problems at this point and charged the man with both hands outstretched. The fleeing scout was not able to get past his grasp as Eoin hefted him into the air with ease and wrenched the blade from his fingers. Setting his mind on trapping or incapacitating the man Eoin had a considerably bright and horrid idea at the same time. He pressed the man against one of the large oaks and flipped the blade in his hands, driving it deep into his left shoulder effectively pinning him to the tree like a fly to a board.
In response the lets out the most primal of screams, its sound cascades outward in a torrent of pain and anguish. With this sound it was assured that no one within this ear shout could ignore such pain.

Eoin stands there and stares the man down, as he dangles and is forced to come to terms with his current predicament.

When she had been unable to locate Adair or his horse, Sorcha followed her instincts and it lead her to the clearing of the Old Oak, the same meeting place she had with Caderyn later that evening. The first thing she noticed was that Adair had the mysterious woman with him.

Great. Now they will think me a liar. She just shook her head at the sight, but the presence of the woman only brought more troubling issues. Biting her lower lip slightly, the young woman looked at the two people, the horse and then thought of herself.

“We will be slowed down greatly if one of us has to walk.” She stated slowly as the gears in her mind started turning. While her family didn’t own one themselves, she knew where she could get one and wouldn’t be punished if she were caught. If I take his then he won’t be able to follow. Nodding to herself, she knew she was about to take a huge risk.

“I will be back. Go on without me. I will catch up.” She had to leave her traveling gear, weapons, and her bag with him. To be seen with them in the tribe would be dangerous. Without another word, she turned on her heels and started running back to the tribe luckily avoiding all of the mishap with the scout as well as seeing or being seen by Caderyn.

Heading back to the tribe, she went to the stable again and got the tack for one of the horses before sneaking it into the woods nearing the place where they allowed the horses to graze during the day. Getting the tack to the woods was one of the hardest parts she knew, but stealing the horse was going to be another matter. Well borrowing was more accurate. She planed on bringing it back. Granted that she survived the whole ordeal or not.

The grazing area held several horses from the tribe, but there was one she wanted in particular. Caderyn’s. As Champion he was granted a high status among the people and given things or had wealth to buy them. His standing never stopped the two of them from being friends and for that Sorcha was thankful.

Letting a low whistle out she caught the horse’s attention and drew the animal to her. Stealing glances around her, she made sure no one was looking and using the mane of the beast, lead it to the woods where she had hidden the riding gear. Once there she started putting the tact on as quickly as she could begging the horse not to make a sound so she could follow behind of Adair to save her tribe and more importantly make sure Caderyn didn’t condemn his soul.

Adair passed the time waiting for Sorcha by unrolling the map of the area out in the shade under the large oak. He didn't stray too far from Donn in case the woman leaning against his horse needed anything. A few hours worth of rest would have been preferred, but with the new commotion surrounding Cantae, Adair wanted to get on the move again as soon as possible and put as many miles between himself and the commotion as possible. There would be plenty of time on this trip for that sort of trouble, and any he was able to avoid thus far would only help out in the long run. He pressed the map corners into the dirt to keep them from rolling back up and further anchored them with stones while he studied the features described on the cloth.

His mind wandered back to Sorcha as he stared at the map. He still had no idea what her 'mission' was in coming with him. She had given him a slight explanation, sure, but the best word he could use for it would be vague. To be fair though, he hadn't exactly spilled the beans on everything surrounding his trip either. She seemed trustworthy enough though, and there was no reason to question her motives. Not yet at least. As long as they were heading in the same direction, there was no need to abandon each others' company. What surprised him was how easily she decided in asking to accompany him. For all she knew, he could be some brigand pretending to be who he said he was. Plenty of people from the north could look as he did. More people in the world pretending to be me... He laughed at the thought and shook his head. The world definitely didn't need any of that...

While his mind continued to wander, he thought of his newest acquaintance and turned his head to look at the woman leaning back against Donn. She was almost a complete mystery to him. And being the fact that information gathering and interpretation was his area of expertise, the woman naturally intrigued him. Adair had never been one to wonder at the unknown, so he focused on the facts in front of him. She was an outsider of Cantae just as he was, completely exhausted and with few to no provisions. How exhausted she was told him she had walked pretty far to get to Cantae, either that, or had a horse that was no longer with her, possibly abandoned or sold long ago. If that was the case, she could've come all the way from--

His thoughts were cut off abruptly as he pulled his gaze from the woman's face and in the direction of a scream a bit off in the distance. It wasn't too terribly close, but he could still hear it so not as far off as he would have liked it to be either. Adair rose to his feet and rolled the map up to stuff it back into the pouch on Donn's saddlebags. He took care to do it carefully, trying not to disturb the woman while she rested. A sound behind him caused him to turn and drop his hand to his dagger before realizing it was Sorcha. He saw her gaze immediately drop to the woman and the look that crossed her face wasn't exactly one of approval.

“We will be slowed down greatly if one of us has to walk.” Adair was about to say something on the matter when he stopped. A look crossed Sorcha's face that made him pause. He could see an idea forming in her head. “I will be back. Go on without me. I will catch up.”

And with that she turned and was gone again. He let out a sigh and knelt down to pat Donn on the nose as he spoke with the other woman. "Sorry about all this," he told her. "Looks like we're going to be moving again. Things are a little screwy in the village we just left and we need to head out again. How are you feeling?" A little color had returned to her face and she looked a little better after the medicine and little bite of the apple, but Adair knew, especially in medicine, that looks could be deceiving.

Gavina had opened her eyes and began staring at the sky. She could tell the strength had mostly returned to her body; at least well enough to walk on her own for some time. However, she did not wish to get up. Her mind wandered about the man she left behind with the ailing group. She had heard some of the words between the woman and this Adair whom graciously cared for her. It did not seem like good things were coming. She wished nothing more than for his survival, but she would not know. She would simply assume he was safe. It was best that way.

When Adair began to speak to her, she looked over at him. Her lips peeled off into a smile, then her head bobbed slightly into a nod. " I feel much better. I do appreciate your help." She leaned forward, her back leaving the horses side. Head now arched downward as her hand reached up to caress through her sweat cooled hair. Nose wrinkled as she knew she needed to bath. Head raised again and looked back to Adair. " I am sure I look horrid. " She stated randomly, simply wanting to let him know she was well aware. But she smiled. " I am well enough to travel when need be. I do hope I am not a burden. I have no where to go, but If I could travel with the two of you, I will promise to prove my worth." Gavina was well aware how unpleased Sorcha seemed, but she desired so much to not be alone again. She knew the two of them looked as if they had a plan; something important. She did not want to hinder that anymore than she had already.

She looked behind her and gently stroked the horses side. " Thank you to you too. " A quick smile and she looked around at where they were. It was pleasant, but not the barn she remembered being in. She seemed in one piece so it mattered not. All it mattered was she was safe, alive, and not alone.