Chapter Eight: Return to Sender

Fiona heard Sunny's cries and rushed into her room to find Sunny slumped on the floor of her bedroom. Clutched in her hand was a red coloring pencil. The sketchbook lay open, and Fiona studied the drawing in horror for a moment then looked down at Sunny.

"Is child dead?" asked a small voice.

Fiona swung around and glared. "Is this your work?"

"I only watch!" was the answer. "Only watch!"

"Go find Tully and tell him what has happened but do not let anyone see you!" Fiona ordered. She cleared away the pencils and other drawing tools from the bed and roused Sunny enough to get her into bed. 

Once Fiona had made certain Sunny was resting comfortably and would not wake up, she headed downstairs, taking Sunny's sketchbook with her. 

There was the growling bugle of the watchman's horn. This alerted the clans that something of import had happened. From further away, another clan watchman sounded a short and long blast from his horn.

Fiona listened to the sounds of the horns as they continued to sound out over the area. The clan chieftains would assemble on the neutral ground of the Dannan. She looked at Sunny's drawing with growing anxiety. Fiona put the sketchbook in the drawer of the hall table, locked it, and put the key into the pocket of her dressing gown.

Fiona began to pace. She walked back and forth from the kitchen to the front parlor, waiting for Tully to arrive before the chieftains. She paused in her pacing to look out the window over the sink, waiting to see lights coming from the woods.

There was a knock at the front door and Fiona hurried to answer it. She pulled the door open wide expecting to see Tully standing there. There standing in her courtyard were the chieftains of the four clans. Fiona acknowledged them with a curtsy – this was serious and called for the highest formalities to be observed. It was not often the chieftain of the Dannan clan was seen outside the Ballencoo Wood, but there he stood, waiting for the invitation to enter. His dark eyes blazed beneath grey brows that were knitted together in concern. Fiona stepped back from the entrance, "Welcome, I bid you; enter in peace."

One by one, they unbuckled their belt knives or daggers and handed them to their waiting men. Then they stepped in and proceeded to the parlor. Rainbow was next and then Griffin Doyle followed by Oran Bishop. For once the Wolf and Badger clans were not arguing about who should enter first. Tully appeared after Oran, "That little hunky punk told me to come."

"Aye," Fiona whispered for Tully's ears only, "I told him to fetch you."

"He was yammering on about baro dook," Tully muttered.

"I'll have to talk to you about that later," Fiona told him, "First the others need to know about the attack."

"What!" Tully hissed in amazement, he tried to catch Fiona's arm, but she was too quick. He grunted and followed Fiona into the parlor to join the others.

Since the chieftain of the Dannan clan was senior among those gathered, he sat in the most comfortable chair next to the fireplace which someone had already set a nice warming blaze in the grate. Fiona glanced at the crackling flames in the fireplace and was reminded of what was in Sunny's sketchbook.

Rowan Teague looked up at Fiona, as did the others. Not much rattled the Dannan of Ballencoo, but tonight she wrung her hands in worry as she tried to decide just how to tell the assembled chieftains in her parlor what had happened. "There has been an attack at the palace," she blurted out. Her words hung in the air like storm clouds.

"How do you know? You are certain of this?" Rowan Teague asked in alarm.

Fiona opened her mouth to confirm when a figure appeared in the hallway from her kitchen. It was Nicodemus Fury, "The Dannan speaks the truth. Somehow, daemons gained entrance and attacked. Lilas Winterbourne was killed."

"What could set them off after so many years of peace?" Griffin Doyle asked looking to the others in the room for an answer.

"Is the Ard Ri and his family safe?" Rowan Teague asked.

"The family is safe and secure," Nicodemus said quietly, he looked at Fiona, "It was a powerful magic that saved them tonight."

The men in the room all looked at Fiona and then collectively raised their eyes to the ceiling. Fiona glared at Nicodemus and then began to wring her hands, searching for something to say.

"What do we tell our people?" Rainbow Wells asked, "They have all heard the alarms."

"The danger has passed, and the Ard Ri is safe," Rowan said. He looked at Nicodemus, "We will wait to hear if we are needed."

 "Do you know who intervened?" Griffin asked.

"Baro dook!" Nicodemus declared with a wicked grin.

There were nervous scoffs from the men in the room at Nicodemus, but they all glanced upwards to the ceiling again. "Do not be ridiculous," Tully said, rolling his eyes.

Nicodemus glanced over at Tully and then at Fiona, "Only repeating what I heard."

Rowan shrugged his shoulders and glanced around the room at the other chieftains, "Until we are summoned there is little else that we can do," he slowly got to his feet. "I am glad no harm came to anyone in the family," He came to take Fiona's hand, "I hope to meet your great niece before the end of the festival. Bring her to me."

"Yes, I will," Fiona responded. She walked to the front door with the chieftains and as they filed out, they all took her hand in farewell. Tully and Nicodemus both remained behind in the parlor.

"What the hell happened?" Tully asked Nicodemus.

"You know where Fiona keeps her liquor?" Fury asked. When Tully nodded his head, Nicodemus jerked his head to the kitchen, "Get it, we are all going to need it!"

Fiona returned and sank into the nearest chair and put her hands over her face. Tully went into the kitchen and returned with three small glasses and a small brown jug. He poured three glasses and handed one to Fiona and then passed another to Nicodemus who sat in a chair nearest Fiona. Tully perched on the ottoman in front of her.

"The girl saved the Ard Ri's family tonight," Nicodemus replied softly.

Tully frowned first at Nicodemus then turned a hard gaze on Fiona. "Is that what that little scamp was yammering on about?"

"She has not been --," Nicodemus started, and Fiona let her hands fall from her face and glared at Nicodemus.

"Awakened?" Fiona declared. "No! Of course not!"

"Something has happened," Nicodemus said.

Fiona nodded. She drained the contents of the small glass and handed it to Tully. "Fill it again I have something to show you both."

Tully eyed the empty glass for a moment in mild surprise. Fiona did not often imbibe strong liquor. Nicodemus knocked back his drink and held his glass up for Tully to refill. Tully had not even touched his drink and he frowned at the empty glasses and then reached over to pull the cork from the jug.

Fiona returned with Sunny's sketchbook. She handed it to Nicodemus. Silently he thumbed through the pages. He froze. He was looking at drawings of his true self! How was this possible? He flipped the pages and came across others of himself in the visage he currently wore and of his true self.

"Is that Gabriel's son?" Tully asked coming to peer over Nicodemus' shoulder.

"Yes," Fury said. He realized that he could say it was his nephew, Michael in the drawings. "Michael and the royal family were saved tonight by a powerful magic." He studied the drawing of where Sunny had roughly drawn in the blue protective lines around the doorway and then hurriedly erased them.

"How could she do this?" Tully asked, taking the sketchbook from Fury.

"One thing is certain," Nicodemus said as he frowned first at Tully, then reached over for his glass and drained the contents a second time. "She is in danger – and if she is not told – she and everyone around her will be in danger as well."

"Well, you simply must tell her," Tully announced, snapping the sketchbook shut.

"I gave my word --," Fiona began.

"Whatever promises you made," Nicodemus told her. "They became null the moment the girl arrived in Ballencoo."

Fiona nodded absently then downed the drink shuddering with its after-effects. "Aye. I know you think that is best, but I know what is to be done."

"Where is Siobhan?" Fury wanted to know.

"When I got to her, she had passed out," Fiona said. "I managed to rouse her to get her into bed. She is sleeping now."

"Is she all right?" Tully asked.

"I think so," Fiona murmured. "I had to hurriedly cloud her memories; I hated to do it ---,"

"Good. Fury said. "You did the right thing, Fiona."

Tully nodded in Nicodemus' direction, "We should be on our way;" He patted Fiona's knee nearest to him, "When it is done - get some rest. I will come by tomorrow."

Tully rose and followed Nicodemus to the door. As he passed Fiona, he laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. She reached up and put her hand briefly over his and squeezed back. "It will be all right." He told her.

The men let themselves out the front door they paused and looked back to the house. "Do you think she will accept?" Nicodemus asked softly as he looked up to the windows of the second floor.

"I do not know," Tully murmured. He glanced up into the trees and tugged at Nicodemus' sleeve, "More of them are out there watching and waiting."

Nicodemus studied the shadows moving restlessly in the trees and nodded absently. "Fiona has more work to do before she sleeps; do you think she will have any trouble?"

Tully shook his head in the negative. "She knows what must be done."

March 12: 6 Days Before Festival

The morning came. Sunny woke with a start, and she sat up in bed. What had happened? Was he safe? Who was this man? She looked at the floor next to her bed and saw her sketchbook. It was folded neatly with her zippered pouch of colored pencils. Had it all been a dream? She sat there, confused, and feeling a massive headache beginning behind her eyes. 

Sunny listened to the sounds of the house. It was quiet, too quiet like just before a rainstorm. As she was trying to get an understanding of what had happened last night, there was a soft knock at her bedroom door. "Come in!" she called.

Fiona pushed the door open, she found Sunny sitting up in bed. Sunny opened her mouth to speak but what would she say? What would she ask? She decided to let Fiona begin. "I have your breakfast."

"You didn't have to do that, Aunt Fiona," Sunny said. "I could have come down to get breakfast."

Fiona brought the tray in and set it in front of Sunny. "That's all right," she said cheerfully, "I think you needed to rest."

Sunny frowned down at her hands, spotting the smudges of color on her fingers. "Aunt Fiona ----"

Fiona laid a hand over Sunny's and squeezed it gently. "Eat your breakfast, dear."

"Is he all right?"

Fiona's smile crumpled slightly, "What do you mean dear?"

Sunny felt the ache behind her eyes begin to creep into her jaws and the back of her head. "The man in my sketches – he was attacked! Attacked by monsters!" there was an edge of desperation in her voice, and she flinched at the harshness of it.

Fiona gently caressed Sunny's forehead, reinforcing the work she had done the night before, "Think no more of it dearie, it was just a terrible nightmare."

"No!" Sunny said pushing Fiona's hand away, "It was real! I saw it!"

"I came into your room when I heard you scream," Fiona told her gently. "You were talking in your sleep." She reached down and handed Sunny the sketchbook. "You'd fallen asleep with your sketchbook in your hands. It's no wonder you were having a nightmare – your drawings ---,"

Sunny flipped through the sketchbook and found the picture. It was hideous! The beasts attacking the man were on fire and burning up. She snapped it shut and looked over at Fiona. "It was real – at least it seemed real!"

"I don't doubt it," Fiona said quietly, "Your drawings are very realistic."

Sunny looked down at her plate. She was hungry; it was a terrible kind of hunger – even more terrible than the kind of hunger she had felt when Maya had put her on a diet to fit in her high school prom dress. It had been three sizes smaller than what she normally wore. When she could eat again, she had stomach cramps so bad she was rushed to the hospital emergency room thinking she had food poisoning. Sunny closed her eyes briefly and shook her head to banish the memory. "Wow, I guess I was overly tired and didn't realize it," she looked apologetically at Fiona, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you just now. It's just --- it was – it seemed so real!"

Fiona smiled and leaned over and kissed Sunny's forehead, "You haven't done anything wrong child – nothing at all. Don't worry anymore about it. Maybe you should go out today and draw pleasant things. Go enjoy the day and forget about everything." With a final nudge, Fiona locked away the last vestiges of Sunny's memories.

Sunny felt something lift in her and she suddenly felt the nightmarish visions evaporate like a fog. She nodded and smiled at Fiona. "Right, I think I will."

After a few minutes, Fiona left and went to her room. Once she was there, she went over to her dresser and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She sighed heavily; she had lied to Sunny. It had taken a lot of energy to lie and then soothe away the images that were so vivid in Sunny's mind. Fiona rested a moment then slowly eased downstairs to the kitchen to fix a thick slab of bread and a generous smear of honey. As she chewed and swallowed, she began to think of what would come next. She went to her icebox and pulled out the pitcher of milk. Fiona had bought herself some time; not much, but she hoped it would be long enough to see Sunny well back in the States and living life not ever knowing of the legacy of her family. 

After Fiona had left her room, Sunny turned her attention to her breakfast. She ate everything on her plate and then set it on the nightstand. Within a few minutes, she snuggled down into her bed sheets and fell deeply asleep. Fiona peeked in before she left and saw that Sunny was resting comfortably. As she started to close the bedroom door, she spotted a small shadow passing by the open window. She closed the door and felt satisfied that Sunny would be safe until she returned later in the day.

 It was several hours later when Sunny woke. She yawned, threw the covers off, and sat up on the side of the bed. The first thing that struck her was how incredibly thirsty she was! She got up and washed her face and dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen with her breakfast tray. As she washed her dishes, she drank several glasses of water and then finally drank directly from the tap. The water was so cold and sweet that it was hard to imagine ever wanting anything more!

 Sunny looked up from the water tap and wiped her face with the back of her hand and gazed out the window over the kitchen sink. Nothing seemed different, everything felt much the same. She dried her hands on a dishcloth and went to collect her knapsack. She checked the contents and found a sketchbook and a tin of sketching pencils. Sunny checked through the house one last time then went to the back door and opened it. Sitting there waiting for her was Shanley, his tail thumped happily, and his long pink tongue lolled out over his teeth in a dog-like greeting. He whined, ears twitching forward and backward.

She opened the door and stroked his ears, "Hey Shanley, you want to go to the post office with me?"

Shanley's eyebrows beetled over his deep amber eyes, and he grumbled a response. Sunny laughed as she imagined he would rather romp through the forest than trail off to town with her. She stuck her feet into her green rubber boots and set off hitching her knapsack higher on her shoulder. Shanley plodded along her side, head down and sniffing the road and sneezing when his sensitive nose caught a whiff of something disagreeable. The walk was very pleasant for Sunny, and she stopped several times to sketch the scenery, even sketching Shanley as he dove into the tall grass to root out what turned out to be an angry magpie.

When they reached the stone bridge that spanned the Trickle River, Sunny stopped to watch the water for a moment. Shanley charged down the embankment to the water's edge and splashed about barking at the fish that darted around his paws. Sunny idly watched, then spotted a small band of men and hounds coming from further upstream. Shanley barked a greeting, and the other hounds bounded up to meet him. They dashed under the bridge out of sight. The men waved to her where they were, and she returned the gesture.

"Hullo!"

Sunny looked over the edge of the bridge and spotted a face. It was Shannon. "Where did you come from?" she asked him.

Shannon smiled and climbed the grassy embankment and came up to join her on the bridge. "I've been there." He pointed under the bridge. The hounds that had been temporarily hidden from view, went bounding back to the men, splashing through the shallows. Sunny shook her head as she thought she saw Shanley disappearing into the forest. "Guess I'm on my own."

"You still heading into town?" Shannon asked.

"Aunt Fiona asked me to check the post," Sunny replied. "Then I thought I'd wander through town and maybe sketch a little bit."

"I can go along with you," Shannon offered.

 "Great!" She pushed herself away from the stone wall and Shannon fell into step with her. They continued together, chatting about this and that as they strolled toward town. The cobblestone streets of Ballencoo had plenty of foot traffic but not many automobiles – in fact, Sunny didn't see any cars or trucks on the narrow streets. When they reached Cluny's tavern, they turned down the road, went one block over, and found the post office. It was a whitewashed stone building with hanging baskets of red geraniums on either side of a dark green door that had shiny brass hinges and a door latch. She opened the door, and the set of bells announced her arrival. Shannon entered a step behind her and hung back close to the door.

A plump woman with wireframe glasses and a rosy complexion came from the curtained doorway behind a wooden paneled counter. "Good day!"

Sunny smiled back. "Hello. I'm Fiona Dannan's great niece, Siobhan O'Neil –"

 "You're Sunny," the woman announced. "I'm Ruth Brooks."

 "Miss Brooks," Sunny returned. "Would it be possible to pick up the mail for Aunt Fiona?"

"Oh surely!" Ruth exclaimed. "I have it all here. There's quite a bit and mostly from the same place!"

Sunny waited and glanced back at Shannon who grinned and rolled his eyes making Sunny grin back. Ruth returned and plunked down several stacks of mail. "This one came registered to you, dearie. You'll have to sign for it."

Sunny frowned at the letter Ruth held in her hand, she could tell from the handwriting it was from Jason. Ruth looked down at the letter in her hand and she frowned too. "Did you want to sign for it?"

Sunny shook her head. "No, no I don't," she responded. "In fact, if there are any others from this address, I'd prefer you send them back."

"There are quite a few others in there," Ruth said pointing to the bundles of mail on the counter. "You want to return those?"

Sunny pulled the rubber band from one bundle and began sorting through the letters, quickly pulling any letter from Jason, and setting it aside. There were five in the first batch and three in the second stack of mail. "Yes. I'd like to make arrangements to send any others back where they came from – can we do that?"

Ruth took the letters and pulled a rubber stamp and pad of ink from under the counter. She stamped them rather vigorously "return to sender" on all of them in bright red ink then looked up at Sunny through her glasses, her mild blue eyes sparkling with irritation. "Do the same with any others that come?"

"Yes, please!" Sunny declared, then grinned. "I would appreciate it very much!"

Ruth's demeanor once again became mild and pleasant, "Of course my dearie, what else may I do for you today?"

"Well, there was one thing --,"

"Ask away dearie!" Ruth declared with a wave of her plump hand.

"Would you mind if I sketched you?" Sunny asked. She put the mail into her knapsack, pulled her sketchbook out, and set it on the counter. "I've been sketching scenery this morning, but I'd love to sketch you."

Ruth chuckled merrily at the thought of being the subject of Sunny's pencil. "Oh sure," she tucked a strand of hair that had escaped her bun, "imagine that; you are drawing me!"

Sunny grinned then looked over at Shannon, "You don't have to stay; unless--,"

"I'll wait," Shannon said and plopped down on a bench that was placed by the window.

Sunny drew out her tin of pencils. She pulled two pencils from the tin and tucked one behind her ear. Ruth waved her behind the counter, "Come and sit where the light comes in,"

Sunny came around and perched on a tall stool next to the window and began sketching Ruth Brooks. Other customers came and went. Ruth introduced them all to Sunny and all were courteous to a fault. A few of the older men agreed to be sketched and told Sunny where they could be found in town. Most would end up at Cluny's Tavern.

When Sunny was finished, she showed Ruth her drawings. "My goodness!" Ruth declared, "It's like I could jump off the page!"

Shannon came over to look at Sunny's work, "Aye, bleedin' awesome!"

"Well, I guess we should go over to Cluny's now and catch up with my other subjects," Sunny said. "Thank you so much!"

Ruth Brooks giggled happily, "Any time, dearie; any time!"

Sunny and Shannon walked out together with the set of jingling bells over the door sending them on their way. "Maybe I can catch the Cluny's and sketch them too?" Sunny said.

Shannon nodded, "I think I'll look up Terry Shea," he replied as they walked toward Cluny's Tavern. "He runs with the Badger Clan, but we get on."

"Have the Wolf and Badger clans always been at odds with one another?"

Shannon considered for a moment. "There's always been a little strife betwixt the clans, but no good reason – that I can see."

Sunny smiled at the boy, "Good for you Shannon."

They found the two men sitting outside on the dark green benches outside Cluny's Tavern they were smoking pipes and sipping on mugs of dark ale. When they spotted Sunny, they waved to her. Shannon spotted his friend and trotted off with a wave at Sunny, "I'll be back in a bit,"

Sunny nodded and went up to the two elderly men. "Now gentlemen are you ready to be drawn?"

"Aye, draw away!"

Sunny settled herself on a bench and began to sketch her subjects. As she drew, she noticed that more townspeople came to watch and even volunteered to be subjected to her pencils. Sunny was happily sketching when she noticed a group of men and women gathering at the edge of the roadway leading out toward the fairgrounds. Shannon and Terry appeared and were playfully jostling one another but stopped when they got to where Sunny was sitting.

Terry whistled low under his breath as they peered over her shoulder. "Bluddy 'ell! She's good!"

"I told ya!" Shannon said giving Terry a shove.

Sunny grinned at the boys and nodded over to where people were beginning to congregate. "What's going on over there?"

"They're bringing in the horses," Terry piped up before Shannon could say anything.

"Where from?" one of the tavern customers asked, he tucked a newspaper under his arm and lit his pipe. He drew on the pipe and sent spirals of blue smoke around his head. Sunny liked the sweet tobacco that most of the men in town smoked; it reminded her for some reason of Christmas.

"Oi those will be Fury horses," replied another man in the small group standing outside the tavern.

Sunny looked over at the group of people. There were men and women of all ages waiting expectantly. She heard shrill whistles and the rumbling of many hooves. Shannon and Terry broke into a run; they wanted to catch sight of the fabled Fury horses. Sunny finished up her sketch and got up and followed the rest of the group. She managed to find a spot further down the road where only a few grey-haired men were standing out under the small group of trees to watch the procession. 

The first group of the horses thundered over the bridge and down the road followed by several mounted men. They drove the horses toward the large pasture. There was a big sorrel horse with four white socks and a blaze of white down its face. He galloped past the people, tossing his head, and snorting disdainfully as it passed.

Sunny flipped to a blank sheet in her book and with a few strokes of her pencil, caught the movement of the horse as it thundered past. She smiled as she flipped the page to capture the next group of horses. She did not have long to wait, the next group rumbled into town and down the narrow road past the crowd, raising a cloud of dust. It was four dark brown horses with various markings, a tan and black horse and drawing up behind them another bright coppery red horse. There were riders mixed in with the horses and Sunny quickly sketched them with quick sweeping strokes. Then there was a pause in activity. The crowds continued to wait expectantly. Then a cheer rose among the sounds of the pounding of hooves mixed with shouts and shrill whistles. 

Sunny had found that wonderful place she had thought would never come back to her when she entered college to take up graphic design. Her first love had always been drawing, but it had taken a backseat when she got to college and turned to commercial and graphic design. Now it seemed her hand held a magic wand, and the images flowed out onto the page.

Then there was a sudden awed silence, only the sound of huffing and whinnies of a protesting horse. Sunny edged into the path and looked back down the road. The rider was struggling a bit but was managing well enough. The riders' mount was a well-muscled black stallion that looked reminiscent of the type of horses that a knight of the Round Table might ride. The big black marched along, thick neck arched proudly, and ears pricked forward and alert. 

She realized she was standing in the middle of the road and stepped back. Then the blaze of white appeared in a cloud of dust. The stallion the man led was even more magnificent than the horse he rode.

The white was incredible! His body was dazzlingly white and shiny like opal! His ears were flat, and he was all but snarling at the indignity of being led through town. He moved stiff-legged behind the black, snapping at the hindquarters of the black stallion when it got within reach.

Everyone was quiet and a little scared as these two stallions stormed over the bridge toward the fairground pastures. Sunny was drawing as quickly as she could and managed to capture the two horses and the rider.

They were passing her when the white stallion chose to fight the tether. He caught it between his teeth, and he bit through it like it was straw. Not sure what would happen if the animal decided to charge the crowds, the rider prepared to throw his leather lariat around the white horse when it did an unusual thing. It dropped its head and headed straight for --- Sunny!

She was unsure what she should do, so she froze in place. The other bystanders scattered away from the white terror. The horse came up to Sunny, put its massive head against her chest, and sighed. She tucked her pencil behind her ear and dropped her sketchbook to reach up and stroke his cheek. The white terror sighed heavily into her chest and became as docile as a lamb.

"Orion seems to have found his lady fair,"

Sunny looked over and found Tully standing quietly beside her. "I don't think he likes having to be led through town eating the dust of the other horses!" she said quietly.

Tully chuckled softly. "He told you that did he?"

Sunny blinked and looked into the dark brown eye rimmed with golden glints nearest to her and smiled. "He's very proud."

"Well, you should tell him to go on to the grounds and settle down for the night," Tully said. He glanced up and saw Nicodemus preparing to dismount the black stallion. Tully stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Go on and tell him to go, you will see him again soon."

Sunny chuckled and patted the horse's well-muscled shoulder, "It's going to be all right, I'll come and see you soon."

Orion turned a baleful eye on all the men around him including Tully, and before anyone could toss a lariat over the stallion's head, he swung around snarled, and sped off ahead toward the fairgrounds where the other horses were already grazing. 

"Seems ye have a way with the brute," Tully replied.

She looked over at Tully, "He is beautiful!"

Tully grinned at her, "Caught the Fury horse fever?"

Sunny giggled, "Oh stop!" She looked around for both and looked toward the pasture and the swirling dust being kicked up by the circling animals. Tully chuckled softly and pointed, "There they be!"

Sunny glanced that way too seeing that once again the bold white stallion was terrorizing the men on foot. She grinned wickedly at the scene, then turned and smiled at Tully. "I think I'd better get home; Aunt Fiona will be waiting for me."

"Collect Shannon on the way, his da will be looking for him to do his chores."

Sunny nodded. "I will. See you later Tully."

Tully watched as she hurried off to find Shannon. He turned and saw Nicodemus striding back to talk to him. As the man arrived, he looked past Tully to the retreating figure of the young girl. "Fiona's work still in place?"

"Aye," Tully responded. "She seems not to remember anything."

"Will you be going back to Laurel Cottage?" Nicodemus wanted to know.

Tully nodded. "Aye, I think someone should stay close and help Fiona if need be."

Nicodemus clapped Tully's shoulder. "I will catch up with you later tonight."

"Aye," Tully watched as Nicodemus strolled back to his waiting horse and riders then turned to go in the general direction Sunny had taken.

Nicodemus headed straight for the white stallion that had retreated to the far side of the pasture. "You great fool! What were you thinking?"

["She is the female that has captured your heart?"]

"What are you talking about?" Fury growled. "She is a child, Orion! A child!"

["Is that what you are telling yourself?"] Orion asked his voice full of amusement. ["I suppose if that keeps your arousal in check, you do what you must do!"]

Nicodemus glared at Orion, then turned and stalked away. He realized that Orion had touched a nerve! He had been jealous of the way Sunny had touched and caressed Orion! He was jealous as a boy with his first love! Fury stormed off into the forest to collect thoughts and settle his emotions.