1 Chapter 1

…When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord

An' float the jinglin' icy boord

Then, water-kelpies haunt the foord

By your direction

And 'nighted trav'llers are allur'd

To their destruction…" Robert Burns

Address to the Deil

Scotland 1300s

He pulled back the bow string with a slow calm breath, the tip of his nose barely touching the string as he aimed at his next meal. The red stags head flew up and met his gaze from across the Lochs shallow waters.

Cleaver beast, aren't you?

Kalum held the bow steady, holding the preys gaze as he prepared to fire, knowing the beast couldn't see him from his position behind the bolder. He knew the chill in the air would cause his breath to mist so he stilled his breath while he was under the prays eyes. It was a bright night; the moon was full, beautiful as it shines down on the lochs shore, the herd of deer easily seen while they drank. The stag, finally feeling safe bent its head back down to quench its thrust.

He exhaled and let his arrow fly to its mark. The arrow stuck, the stag jumped and bolted to the safety of the forest with his arrow still protruding out of his side.

He smiled as he rose from his hiding place. He knew the blow was fatal, but he wouldn't follow him yet, the beast needed time to stop running and realize he isn't being followed only then would he lay down in death. He would be patient and wait in respect for the creature.

Kalum sat his bow against the rock, and then shook his body to rid himself of the water that clung to him before he dressed; he grabbed the tunic he had shed earlier that night before his swim. The training day had been difficult. New members of the Clan Lore who desired to be part of the Loards warriors had to survive sparing with him, the Clans commander, it wasn't an easy task, but the poor lads did try.

Most new clan members where powerful beasts that never had a real opponents in the life so they thought I'd be a push over, little did they know I'd been trained by some powerful monsters and earned my place as commander.

Kalum wrapped his kilt around him; he fastened the leather belt around his waist, then swung his claymores harness onto his back, then sat to pull on his foot coverings. Even though he was most comfortable in the water he moaned at the warmth of his leather boots gave his feet as he slipped them on last.

After a few minutes he gathered his stuff and grabbed his bow, he glanced around at the lochs shores to make sure none where around to follow him. At times the clan's wulfer pups would follow him on a hunt then claim his kill after he went through the effort to kill it. Sneaky lads. However, he didn't mind, if they were hungry they could steal his meal anytime; they needed it more than him.

After all it's not easy to be part of the fiendish clan of Lore. A clan of beasts, highland monsters, fokelores of legend, basically any creature that haunts the lands of Scotland was a welcome addition to the clan as long as the purpose was to live in peace. In his case it was the perfect clan for a human cursed to be a kelpie, a true demon.

Kalum stepped out from behind the stone and jogged to the place the stag once stood. He knelt down to look at the small pool of blood.

He couldn't have gone far with this amount of blood loss; I must be finally getting the hang of this bow. He rose as he spotted more blood specks in the distance. Even though the moon lite up most of the trees, he could smell the sweetness of the blood, His night vison helped as well, the advantages of being a cursed fiend.

As he tracked the stag up the hill toward the keep, he herd the rustling of a squirrel as he walked along forest. A fox ran out in front of him and stopped in his path, to sniff the air. Kalum paused his steps as well when the fox stepped toward him for another smell, its red coat damp from the moist air, its gold eyes searching him to see if he was a threat.

���Aiming to be my next meal?" he asked feeling a little foolish threatening a small fox.

It cocked its head to the side as if it understood him but wasn't afraid. It almost seemed to want to stay with him. Suddenly the fox turned his head to the trail ahead and bolted almost running into him.

Kalum watched as it ran away then turned back to face the trail ahead; he put his bow against the tree and drew his claymore from his back just in case a more dangerous animal found his kill before him. Kalum continued to follow the sweet smell of blood, till he spotted the downed buck in the moon light of the forest floor. He sheathed his sword to his back then walked up and crouched down to retrieve his arrow.

"Nice shoot, need help getting him home"?

As he worlded around to grab the intruder he pulled his dirk out of his boot and aimed for the neck, but a hand grabbed his wrist and over the gleam of the blade grinned alac.

"Chief?" he quickly lowered the blade and released him "what the hell are you doing sneaking up on me? I could have killed you."

Alac rubbed his throat "don't flatter yourself. I stopped you and I could have disarmed you if I thought it necessary but thought I would spare you your pride"

Kalum laughed as he turned back to his kill "sparing me huh? Guess I don't have to hold back next time, I can just thrust my blade with more force."

He over to the stag and knelt down to pull out the arrow as alac walked to the other side of the body.

"Next time I'll just lay you out like I did last time we spared. Need help?" he asked stepping closer to the body. Kalum shrugged and handed alac the blade.

Alac wasn't just his loard, he was like a brother to him or at least the only one he trusted, he was also a fellow kelpie, but a much more powerful one. While kelpies are known as mythical demon water horses that lore travelers to their deaths with a ride resulting in being dragged into the water till there rider drowns, alac had been the one who prove to him that being a beast was a personality choose not a requirement. However, when you're not born a kelpie, you're cursed into one, its different.

He was different.

He was two different self's different.

He's the asshole that makes up himself but also the sadist bastard that makes up his kelpie self. His double personality. Alac called him "kelp" after dealing with him several times over the years. I thought that maybe the witches curse is what caused kelp to appear but alac said that's not a kelpie trait it's a human trite, which sometimes just appears after a horrifying experience.

"Stop thinking about him or he will wake from his dormancy" he thought and shook his head as he held the buck still so alac could gut it.

"How'd you evade your bodyguard this time, my loard?" he asked.

Alac growled as he motioned for me to hold the legs apart "don't 'my loard' me lad, you might be the commander of my men but remember I can still kick your ass. I don't need a damn wet nurse."

"He's there for your protection not because he wants to be, trust me, your disapproval of his presents isn't lost on him" he said as he held the legs so alac could start cutting around the tail "how'd you outsmart a wulfer anyway? He has keen hearing and the best sniffer in the clan."

Alac laughed as he cut up the belly "I'll remember to have a talk with him about what he thinks of being my bodyguard and why would I tell you my escape method. There are times I need time to myself and only myself! I am chief and will do what I please!"

Kalum grinned then nodded in defeat.

After the stag was gutted, haled, tied to alacs back, kalum gathered up his all his gear and they started up toward the keep. The keep that hosted the clan stood on a cliff overlooking the loch, a small group of cottages that made up the village surrounded the north and west side of the keep. The south side was just a drop off to the loch and the east was made of a steep decline down to the loch shores through the forest.

"Lorrie has been asking about you around the clan" alac said as he put out his foot in front of kalums path to try to trip him, alac loved tricks in all forms, no matter how childish, but he knew his moves and avoided his foot "you should go to her, a rough bedding might make you less of a asshole."

Kalum rolled his eyes "no I'm done with women, after Mary I decided I don't need another woman to suffer my touch."

Alac winced "you can't compare all women to Mary. It wasn't your fault that kelp took over, besides you need a mate that will handle and love you both..."

"STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM, ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE HIM COME OUT!" kalum shouted in anger as he stopped walking.

Alac turned around and stood chest to chest with him without fear "calm your temper kal, he is part of you now, so you might try to get use to him and move on."

Kalum pushed him away "NO he's not me, he's him, IM ME! You don't understand" he said and turned away and stated back towards the loch.

"Where are you going?" alac snapped.

"I left my bow pack, my loard go I'll be quick, besides I've lost my apatite" he said without looking back.

A woman that will love both sides. What a fool, what woman would love two monsters? No woman has that much heart for monsters.

Kalum made his way back to the shore and sow the pack by the stone he had made the shot from. He walked over and was about to swing it over his head to his back to join his claymore and bow when he heard what sounded like thunder on the wind. He gazed up into the night sky but only saw the beautiful moon shining bright surrounded by stars, so thunder was unlikely.

Suddenly he spotted movement in the distance. Horses storming fast down the shore line. What clan in their right mind would send so few warriors to attack a night hunter clan in the middle of the night? He bolted to the nearest tree and waited for them to draw closer. The two fastest horses stormed far ahead of the other, he noticed the two front horses where white, no saddles and the others were darker in color and rode with full dressed warriors. They appeared to be chasing the white horses. As they got closer he noticed of the ones on the white steeds was female for her long golden hair glowed in the moon light, the other must be a man since he could see he wore tights and boots, probably some chiefs wife caught in the act of running away with her lover, typical woman.

One of the five men got along side of the female and grabbed her arm. He herd her scream as the man pulled at her arm causing the horse the horse to slow. Kalum finally could see the men were warriors in plaid. One finally managed to pull the girl off her horse to his saddle.

"LET GO OF ME YOU PIG!!" she screamed as she tried to wiggle to get off his horse.

All the men halted their horses not caring about the other rider. Kalum started to get a bad feeling about these men they were getting rough with her and he didn't like it even if she deserved it.

The other rider hearing the scream stopped and turned in the saddle to see they had the girl, he turned his horse to head back to the men just as the man holding the lass slapped her bottom and laughed "thought ye could escape, I don't think so the chief has other plans for you."

Kalum nodded his head just as he thought just another woman betraying her husband, well the husband can deal with her, no concern of his. Still he couldn't seem to leave.

The lass brought her elbow up to hit the warrior's nose and with a push she dropped to the ground. All four men jumped off their horses. She had barely had time to recover and run when one of the men grabbed her.

The lad jumped from his horse onto the man holding the girl forcing him to release her as they both fell to the ground "let her go you basterd! Cin run!"

The lass hesitated then began to run toward the forest as the other two men started for her. She didn't get far. The man with the blooded nose grabbed her around the waist and hailed her back toward the horses as the lad got shoved to the ground and kicked in the gut by the others.

"Take that you little weakling!" one of the men laughed.

"NO stop you monsters! STOP!" The girl screamed trying to get lose to help the lad. The man holding her got mad, turned her and slapped her across the face forcing her to the ground.

That was all kalum could take, no matter the circumstances no real man should hit a lass, he ran towards the men while readying his bow with an arrow, he stopped still quite a distance away and prepared to fire.

The woman screamed again as the man threw her over his shoulder and yelled at the other men to mount up. Each man kicked the lad in the gut one more time with a laugh before heading toward their horse.

Kalum fired at the man closes to him, he cried out and fell, the other men scrambling to get to their horses. He ran closer as he watched the man with the lass force her to mount as he mounted behind her. Kalum drew another arrow and shoot hitting him in the arm the arm screamed but didn't let go he kicked the horse and they bolted in the opposite direction of him. He drew another arrow as he ran towards the lad on the ground. He shoots again and missed the two men as they sped away with the lass.

"Damn Damn Damn!"

He started to dash for the dead men's horses hoping to pursue them but only the lad horse remanded and backed away when he approached it. He stared at the departing men in the distance, looks like there headed for the McHugh's land.

Kalum turned back to quickly go to the injured lad. He was still, must have passed out. Kalum looked around at the dead men as he pasted them, none looked familiar but then again, he didn't know most of the other clan's men. Clan lore were mostly night hunters and most clans left them alone in fear of their souls, so there wasn't much chance of them knowing each other.

Kalum came up to the lad whose upper half was on his back and legs were twisted to the side. He suddenly noticed his garments seemed odd, the color and thread. The green tunic was longer than normal, it reached a little past the lad's knees, the tights appeared dark leather, and the mud from the shore couldn't disguise the fine fabric. His boots rode up to his knees. Maybe he was fancy English man. His cloak was odd also, it appeared to be several different color rabbit pelts sewed together to form a cloak with a hood that covered the lads turned face.

Kalum hunched down to his knees and lifted the hood to get a look at the odd lad.

Son of oden! He's a lass!

Kalum let go of the hood as if it burned him. A woman. What kind of woman turns and engages men into a fight? She must be light in the head. That would explain the odd way she's dressed. He sow her body start to shake from the wet clothes he needed to get her warm but first see to her injury's.

He picked her up and took her to a dryer patch of shore to have a better look at her. He lowered her down to lay flat on her back. He lifted her tunic up to just below her chest to check the damage she suffered by the kicks.

Damn him to hell for not jumping in sooner. He winced at the dark red and purple bruises that covered the fair skin of her stomach, one in the shape of boot.

"bastards" he growled under his breath.

He didn't think it was life threatening but he needed to get her to Nanci the healer to make sure.

His gaze went up to her face, even though the dirt and blood she was striking. Her face was oval with a stubborn chin, her nose petit, her lips plump soft and red from the chill in the air. Beautiful.

He had excellent night vison but even so he rubbed his eyes when he got to her hair thinking he was seeing things. Her hair was as strange as her garments. Most lasses he sows had long hair or hair passed their shoulder at least, this lasses hair was very different.

One side had dark auburn waves that barely went to her shoulder blade and got shorter as it got to the back of her head, however the other side was short, maybe an inch or shorter, as if someone had taken a sword to it. As odd as it appeared it suited her, she reminded him of a broken fairy princess.

he had to get her to the healer, the damage could be more severe then he thought. He picked her up in his arms trying not to do any more harm to her injuries. As he turned toward the woods he herd her horse winy and stomp. Kalum started toward home with commandant strides.

"If you're so worried about your master you may follow, if not good luck" he yelled behind him. She weighed next to nothing, lass needs more meat on her bones, he'd see to having her fed after she sow nanci. As he got closer to the keep with her in his arms and her horse trailing behind he looked down and stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze was met with wide, innocent green eyes.

She was awake.