Rian wrapped a towel around his waist and walked over to the door that led to Aubrey’s room. He opened the door.
“I’m done, all yours.” Aubrey’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing him.
“Gods,” she mused, “I will never tire of seeing that beautiful form.” Hope let out a happy yip and walked in. He knelt and gave her some pats.
“Did you have a good sleep with ‘Bre, my good girl?” Hope wagged her tail and put her paws up on Rian’s knee. She gave him a few doggy kisses before trotting off in to Rian’s room to join her brother.
Aubrey saw the faint lines at the corners Rian’s eyes, spied the haunted look in their jade depths. She knew Rian enough by now that his eyes darkened when he was upset somehow. He glanced at her upon rising. She saw the mask fall down to shield him as his eyes brightened and he smiled at her. He was tucking his pain away.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she inquired softly. He let out a soft chuckle and went to retrieve his grooming bag.
“I’m fine.” he then glanced over at her. Aubrey’s curls were tucked underneath a satin bonnet, a few small curls peeked from under the band. There were dark circles under her eyes. “Hard night?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she let out in a tired breath.
“Let’s finish getting ready and then we’ll go get some breakfast. That should help remove the specters of the night.” Aubrey gave a little start at his comment. Rian stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. She stepped into the bathroom, it still smelled of him. She pulled the bonnet and shook her curls free. She heard him putter around the room and talk to Sean and Hope for a moment.
“Remove the specters of the night…” she whispered as she gazed into the mirror, she cast a sidelong glance to the door that led to his room. “Is he poking fun or was that somewhat prophetic?”
Rian closed the door behind him. Sean and Hope were curled up with each other nose-to-tail on the bed. It had seemed that ‘Bre had been through the wringer last night as well. He heavily sat down on the side of the bed with a sigh. He clenched his teeth and looked out the window to the forests beyond. Agitation filled his chest. He got up and paced, several different longings warring within him. Dee, ‘Bre, the urge to let himself become one with the wilderness out beyond civilization. An echo of Soghodiya’s laughter came back to him, mocking him. The demigod shook himself. His features shifted to light despair; he looked to the ceiling, wishing for the tangled thoughts and emotions to smooth themselves. His eyes then drifted over to his phone, sitting on the bedside table.
Dropping back to the side of the bed, he picked it up and started to thumb through his messages. A couple of texts from his publishing agent. A series of check-ins from several other of the demigods that he knew back in Virginia. There was nothing from Dee, not a call, not a message.
“She must still be on her adventure with Reseema.” he whispered. Longing to hear her voice in the here-and-now pierced him, “They must be in the Overworld. Otherwise, she would have called me by now.” Rian let out another long sigh. He scrolled through the texts, giving each a short, response. Most of them knew he was on a holiday, so there wouldn’t be too much of a kerfuffle if he didn’t respond again until he got back home. He then decided that it wouldn’t hurt to check in with his wife. He dialed Dee’s number. It rang three times and then went to voice mail. Rian left a short, heartfelt message, moderating the anxiety out of his tone. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he pressed the ‘end’ button. He then called the house. After two rings, the line was picked up.
As she pulled out her bag and started her morning routine, she heard Rian’s tone change. It sounded like he was talking to someone. Her ears perked up, but she couldn’t hear anything other than the tone of his rich baritone. She padded over and put her ear to the door. He was talking to someone.
“Hello?” was the Irish accented greeting.
“Ah, Moira.” Rian answered with a brightening tone. He visibly relaxed.
“Well, good morning , Milord. I trust that your journey is going well?” He smiled and rose. Walking to the window, he drew the curtain aside, gazing once again into the wild distance.
“It is going well as it could be. I have learned a lot so far.”
“Ach,” she replied, “Your father would be happy to hear that you are broadening your horizons.” Rian let out a sigh,
“Have you heard anything from my wife yet?”
“No, Milord. Haven’t heard anything for good or for ill.” the brownie heard his sad intake of breath. “I am sure that she is fine. If anything dire happened, I am certain that we would hear something. She is with the Lady Reseema. They will be of help to each other.”
“Yeah,” he sighed, “Is everything alright at the house?” At the other end of the line, Moira patted her lap and Galloway hopped up. The Ragdoll cat got comfortable and purred. Moira smiled and gave his fur a couple of soft strokes. A compassionate smile crossed her face as she understood that her Lord was worried. The pain that he was going through threaded through his voice. A harp that was slightly out of tune.
“The house is in perfect condition, Milord. I’ve had that nice gentleman from the temple down the way come by and share a cuppa with me the other day,” she let out a soft chuckle, “At tea time of course. Galloway has been quite the comfort. Your and Milady’s mail has been separated and is waiting for your return.” the wrinkles of her face mapped out a smile, “We are all waiting patiently for both of you to return. To a happy peaceful home, of course, Milord.”
“Thank the Gods,” Rian whispered. Moira was silent for a moment. Rian heard the whistle from the kettle in the background.
“What has happened, Milord?” she asked as she poured herself a cup of tea, “What has given you this idea that there is something wrong here at home?” Rian ran a hand over his face. He reached over and then put an earbud in. He set the phone down and stripped the towel from around his waist and proceeded to get dressed.
“The guardian brand hasn’t alerted me. So she must be fine.” he muttered.
“Milord?” Moira drew his attention back to the conversation. He slid on his shirt,
“Yes?”
“Something has evidently bothered you.” Rian let out another sigh as he buttoned it up.
“Yes,” he gently stated, “I had a really bad nightmare last night.”
“Well, my Lord,” she soothed, “I am with you to help and support you.”
“I know, Grandma.” Moira heard the little boy within the man. She shook her head and took a sip of tea.
“The young ones always make it so much more complicated than it needs to ever be.” she thought, then after she adjusted the phone to her ear, “Please, tell me all about your dream.”
Aubrey had finished washing her face. Her lips twisted slightly into a frown. She shouldn’t have tried to listen in. She mentally kicked herself. All that she heard was that he was talking to someone. His tone was really off.
“Come on, girl. Get a hold of yourself.” She set out her makeup and then put half of it back. “We are out in the woods, I don’t need to totally doll myself up.” She bit her lip as she looked at herself in the mirror. A sigh escaped her lips. “Why do I get this feeling that I am fucking this up?” Her thoughts drifted back to last night, the bad dream that she had. She applied some eyeliner and mascara. Her brow creased as her intrusive thoughts continued. Seeing Sitara sing and dance on Rian’s phone.
“I could never equal that. I am not that good.” she tossed the items back in the bag and snatched her container of blush. Uncertainty filled her, “She is so beautiful. Why am even trying?” After applying the blush, she daubed some concealer to hide the dark circles. She stopped, as soon as she remembered that she had seen Rian in bed, tears leaking from under closed lids. She wanted to comfort him at that moment. Her heart felt torn. She stood there for a moment, gazing absently into the white porcelain of the sink. “Why am I doing this to myself?” she straightened and focused on her reflection. “I am better than this behavior. If he really didn’t like me, I would have never been picked for this adventure.” She cleaned up her makeup and then lightly styled her hair.
Moira listened to Rian talk about his dream. Tears glimmered at the corners of his eyes again when he had finished.
“I know I probably sound crazy.” Rian said dejectedly. He ran a hand through his hair. “I have to keep myself together. I have a heroine in my charge.” he let out a heavy exhale, “That and I have a raven that has been hanging about. I don’t know Grandma, I am scared. If Dee was here, she would help me keep focus.” Moira let out a soothing ‘shh” then spoke,
“Listen, Milord, You are a warrior like your thrice-blessed Father. Do you not think that he has been frightened a time or two?”
“I don’t know.”
“He has been.” she commented, “Now, about that nightmare. There are two ways to think about it. Either it is just a nightmare, your spirit and mind coming to an agreement, or there is some prophecy surrounding it.”
“I am so worried about Dee, about all of us.” he stifled the beginnings of a sob, “What if those in my charge come to harm?”
“Yes, you should always keep your wits and awareness about you.” she took a sip of her tea, “As for Milady, she will be fine, she has smarts sharper than a knife.” Rian paced and his pups watched him from the bed. He bit his knuckle,
“What if they aren’t safe from me?”
“If you permit me, Milord, I have a suggestion.”
“Please.”
“As for the whereabouts of your Lady Wife, I would talk with her Honorable Father. For controlling your holy rage, I would contact your Blessed Father.” she paused for a moment and then continued, her tone brightening, “Along with one of the Rianach. I would suggest the Lord of the Silver Arm.”
“Lord Nuada? The Winter King?”
“The one.” she stated, “He will have the wisdom and experience. From what I have heard from among my kith and kin, the Ard Ri’ has been mightily busy lately.” Her tone grew shrewd, “Milord, are you near the Green?”
“Yes, we are in the foothills of the Rockies, Aubrey and I are in Yellowstone.”
“Perfect. When you can settle yourselves, call them, they will come. My boy, you have more help than you are aware of trust in that.” Rian wiped the mist from his eyes and his lips spread in a watery smile,
“Thank you, Moira.”
“Another thing, Milord.”
“Yes?”
“I wouldn’t take your young charge with you when you meet with your kin.” Rian glanced towards the door. He started to say something, but Moira interjected, “Some secrets don’t need to be spread to strangers or the ill-prepared.”
“Okay,” he finally said, somewhat uncertainly.
“Now I have to go check the gardens, Milord. The pixies have been helping to pollinate. I want to make sure that they are not getting into too much mischief.”
“Thank you so much, Moira.”
“Anytime, Milord.” she said with a smile in her voice, “Now go on, get on with your adventure. Also, give yourself a little credit, you are more adept than you think.” Rian thanked her again and then rang off.
Rian stood there for a moment, taking in the conversation. He set his phone down on the desk. A sudden idea took hold of him. He fished a box out of an inner pocket of his pack. Lovingly, he stroked the beeswax burnished teak wood. An ‘Aum’ was carved in relief on the lid. The brass hinges creaked as he opened it. Inside nestled among silk, was a small ivory statue of Lord Ganesh along with a small brass incense holder and a few sticks of sandalwood incense. A soft smile crossed his lips as he remembered the day that Dee had gifted it to him.
“Just in case you need to contact my Father. Now that we are married, you are part of the Family.” she smirked in mischief, “No matter how much that bothers my Mother, never doubt that you are part of the Family. Plus, he will be able to see things clearly where our eyes are clouded.”
“I love your Mother, she is the sweetest, butmy Star,” he replied, “Won’t I be lost among the crowd?” he teased. She looked up at him, amusement plain on her face and played with a lock of his coppery hair.
“You won’t be lost among the crowd with these looks, Beloved.” she tweaked his nose playfully, “Especially with those stunning eyes.” He smirked as he pulled her close,
“Those eyes that can see you across the planet.” he murmured with gruff playfulness as he draped his arms around her waist. He then gazed into her eyes lovingly, “Thank you, my Star. I will give the Family full honor and love.”
Rian’s thoughts lingered on her smile that day. He set the small statuette on the desk, setting the incense in its burner before it. Retrieving a lighter, he lit the incense, his voice invoking the Lord of Intelligence and Remover of Obstacles in Sanskrit. He settled into a full lotus position. The smoke of the incense rose in lazy circles. Rian fixed his gaze on the image of the Elephant Lord, his voice lifting from a chant to a song of praise. Soon he felt the presence of his Divine Father-in-Law. A feeling of happy welcome and curiosity washed over him.
He bowed his head and started to explain his plight. A wave of gentle compassion surrounded him. It felt like a warm hug. He inquired about his wife. What he got back was the impression that Lord Ganesh had not heard anything lately along with the reassurance that Rian would be the first to know if Dee’s Father gained any additional knowledge. The Lord of Obstacles sent his blessings to smooth his way on the next leg of his journey in Yellowstone. Rian smiled and said a prayer of thanks. The incense by that time had burned down. When the last wisp of smoke had dissipated, Lord Ganesh’s presence faded. Rian rose and bowed to the image and then lovingly placed the items back in their box. He glanced over at his phone. The time said that it was eight-thirty in the morning. His eyebrows raised,
“Wow, time flies when you are having fun,” he murmured drolly. He looked over to Sean and Hope, “Time to get ready, I am surprised that ‘Bre hasn’t been banging on the door to see why we are taking so long.” Sean and Hope thumped their tails against the mattress. He chuckled then collected up his things, stowing them in his day pack.
Aubrey knelt and packed all of her belongings. While she packed her belongings, she was mentally packing and organizing her thoughts. With a couple of steadying breaths, rationality finally settled in. She made a mental note to talk with some of her contacts and tribal elders back home. Setting her bag by the door, she then turned to straighten the bed. She stepped into the bathroom to double-check that she had retrieved all of her stuff. Rian opened the door on his side,
“Oh!” he said as a bright smile crossed his face, “Almost ready?”
“Just about. Where are we going for breakfast?”
“Downstairs there’s a restaurant.” He hitched his bag over his shoulder. Sean and Hope were in their harnesses and he held their leashes in his off hand. “I was going to take the pups down to the car. I want to give them a snack before we head in for breakfast.” Aubrey looked at him curiously, he seemed to have drastically improved his mood compared to earlier.
“Rian…” He let out a short laugh,
“What?” he asked as he looked down at himself then looked beyond her into the room. “Would you like me to take your bag?” She glanced over her shoulder,
“Sure, I guess.” After a short moment, she came back with her bag. As he handed it to him, he winked at her,
“I’ll make sure that this is secured.”
“Thanks,”
“Meet you downstairs,” he said with a winning smile. Her heart fluttered in her chest for a second, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was overcompensating.
Aubrey walked downstairs, tens of steps behind Rian. She was confused on how he was acting. She took a turn at the restaurant.
“At least I should find us a good table.” The hostess led her to a booth near a window with a picturesque view of the wild forests beyond. She looked at the menu and ordered a cup of coffee. After about ten minutes Rian arrived and joined her at the table. The server came by and took their orders. She poured Rian a cup of coffee and she blushed when he thanked her with a smile. Aubrey leaned back in the booth and glanced out the window.
“There’s some beautiful campsites just up the road.” he said as he took a sip of coffee, “I can’t wait to get out there.”
“Yeah,” she replied, then glanced over, “so many things to see out here.”
“You have that right,” he said with a smile and lifted his cup in salute. After a few moments, the server arrived with their meals. She batted her eyelashes at Rian and set down a large carafe of coffee. His eyes widened with delight. He thanked the server as they both dug in.
Aubrey set her fork down half-way through. Rian had powered down a plate loaded with eggs, fried potatoes and bacon. He was working through a stack of pancakes. She noticed that he ate like a starving man. Her features grew pinched.
“Rian what is wrong?” she asked, “You have been acting weird since earlier.” He chewed his forkful of pancakes and swallowed.
“What do you mean?” he responded as he dabbed syrup from the corner of his mouth. He refilled her coffee cup and then his own.
She narrowed her eyes and studied him.
“I know that I had a bad dream last night, but you have been doing nothing but putting on airs of forced optimism this morning.” He raised an eyebrow as he cut into the pancakes again with his fork.
“What kind of bad dream?” he asked as he raised the next bite to his mouth. Aubrey waved her hand dismissively,
“It was probably just a dream where all of my fears got mashed together.”
“Go on.” his green eyes sparkled with interest. Aubrey’s eyes took on an annoyed slightly malicious gleam, she let out a huff of frustration,
“I dreamt that you were a monster in disguise, okay?” She chopped into her rapidly congealing french toast and took a big bite. Rian’s eyes were shadowed for a moment. He blinked as he took another bite of pancake. The silence stretched between them for several heartbeats. Rian finished his meal and set his plates to the side. She stuffed another bite into her mouth. She then washed it down with a sip of coffee. “Look, Rian. I don’t quite know what to think of the nightmare, but that is what it was. I was more concerned for you. I heard you yell and looked shaken this morning.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. His face took on a serious cast. He made a furtive glance around the room. He then reached his hand across the table towards her with the palm up. Aubrey put her fork down and took his hand. A wan smile crossed his face, his eyes locked with hers.
“Aubrey,” he said softly, “One of my biggest fears is that with all of the strength that I have, I will come to hurt those I care about.” he closed his eyes for the length of a breath, “I am also afraid of losing those I care about by not being there when I need to be.”
“Rian…” she started. Rian’s eyes snapped open. The seriousness of his gaze stopped her.
“I have lost friends and loves. My courage has failed me. I have to be better, I have to grow, each time.”
“Oh, Rian.” she whispered as she gripped his hand tighter. “Please tell me what happened.” He spied the server coming over. He brought her hand to his lips.
“In time.” he whispered, “if Fate allows it, in time.” The server checked in with them and Rian collected the check.
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