The men of the village had been gone for two days when the runner from Christine‟s homeland arrived. He immediately sought out Christine to tell her the news from her mother.
When Christine saw the messenger she knew him to be from her father‟s village.
“I have brought news to you from your mother,” said the runner.
“What news do you bring?” asked Christine. “Is my mother in ill health?”
“No,” replied the young man. He then told her what her mother Margaret had told him to tell her.
“He is alive then?” asked Christine.
“Yes, he is alive and getting stronger. But your mother was concerned that Katelynn had been with him for he yells her name out in his sleep,” explained the young man.
“Katelynn is safe she is here. Her father and some men of the village are out now looking for him and a companion that traveled with him to the north,” said Christine.
About that time Katelynn walked into the hut. Her mother explained all that the young man had told her.
“We must travel there now mother,” said Katelynn. “See if we can find out what happened to Eric.”
The young man told Christine that he had been instructed by Margaret to wait and escort her back to the village. She told him that she would need a little time to prepare for the journey but that it would not take them long. She went to Eric‟s mothers‟ hut and explained to her what was happening and for her to tell Richard when he returned.
By the time Christine returned Katelynn had their traveling supplies together and was ready to go. He had told Christine that it would take several days to get to the village. And they may have some luck and see some of the men out looking with Richard, and have them go find Richard and tell him where Christine and Katelynn had gone and why.
Just as they were leaving Katelynn saw someone stumbling towards the village. He looked very familiar; as he got closer Katelynn realized it was Eric.
“Mother it is Eric,” she exclaimed! “Stop we must find out what he knows.” Eric was so exhausted he could hardly talk but he got enough out that both women knew that the men could be in danger. They needed someone to find Richard as soon as possible and warn him of these men. Katelynn now began to wonder about Charles, had she been right? Was he Lord Drasken? And where was Bryon? She did not know what to say to Eric when he was able to finish telling them what he knew.
She held his hand as he lay on the cot and said, “Eric you have always been like a brother to me. I am sorry I do not have the same feelings that you have for me. I only hope I can forgive you for putting the man I love in danger. As he has forgiven you.” She saw the hurt in Eric‟s eyes and knew he regretted what he had done. Katelynn knew she would forgive him. For she knew love could make you do very strange things.
After they had talked to Eric and he was resting they started out again. Katelynn could only hope they made it to the village before Charles and his men found it. Bryon was alive and to cheat death again would be impossible. She knew if Charles and his men found him first that they would kill him.
As they made their way to the north they could see signs of Richard and the men. They saw where the men had started into the forest. This was probably where Charles had told them he had found Eric‟s horse. How she prayed for their safety, for she knew that Charles was Lord Drasken. How she knew this she could not explain. It was then she realized what her mother had been telling her of her gift for seeing. But now she would not call it a gift but a curse. Why had she not seen the truth before now? Was she blinded by the lust that Charles had awakened in her?
Was this his plan all along? But what of the things he had told them? Did this make what she felt for him different somehow? Her mind was in such turmoil she could not think of these things right now.
Christine was watching her daughter and knew all she must be thinking of. Did Katelynn feel she had betrayed Bryon? What had happened between her and Charles? Christine knew that her daughter was deeply troubled. Katelynn had to work this out for herself. But Christine would give her daughter guidance only if she asked for her assistance. Then Christine would tell her what her thoughts were.
When they arrived in Glen More three days later, Christine‟s mother and her sister met them.
“Katelynn this is your grandmother Margaret and your Aunt Elizabeth,” Christine told her.
As Katelynn looked at the two women she understood where her mother got her looks from. But they did not have her features and she really did not look like her father either. So where did she get the color of her hair and eyes from?
They were taken immediately to the hut where Bryon laid. Katelynn sat beside him and began talking to him. Bryon awoke and saw this beautiful woman sitting next to him. It was the sight of Katelynn that had brought his memory back. He sat up to hug her and fell back on the cot. His head still hurt badly when he tried to sit up.
Christine said to Katelynn, “ It will be several days before he will be ready to travel. He will be well taken care of. You must prepare yourself for what is to come my daughter.” Just as Christine had finished speaking in walked a man, he was the biggest man that Katelynn had ever seen. The man seemed familiar to Katelynn somehow. He had hair as red as Katelynn‟s his eyes were the color of green that reminded her of her own. This must be my grandfather she thought.
Christine looked at him and said, “ Father this is your granddaughter Katelynn. Katelynn this is my father, your grandfather William, Chief of Glen More.” As he reached out to hug her she saw that his eyes were filling with tears and knew she did not need to say anything. After he had hugged her he looked at her mother and was openly crying now. Katelynn had never seen a man weep like this. Her mother stood and he held her.
Katelynn now saw a glow about her grandfather that had not been there when he walked in and it made her feel good. This all had happened she knew for reasons, Bryon coming to Katelynn‟s village, her grandmother and aunt finding him barely alive then bringing him here. It was strange for her to think of these things as though there was a reason. Maybe this was part of the awakening that her mother had spoken of.
Now that Katelynn was here she would need to try and learn how to use the knowledge she would be taught while here for the good of all. She knew she would not have much time. That the men would be getting back to the village soon if they had not already. Then Charles would learn that Bryon and Eric were both alive and had told them all that had happened. She must devote herself to finding the truth within herself. Her mother had told her she was destined to lead her people. That she was the Druid Prophetess. And that she would be responsible for bringing peace to the lands of the north. She wondered now if her grandfather knew of this as well. Had he known that her mother was the one who would give birth to the Prophetess?
Katelynn and her mother had been at her grandfather‟s village for three days. That night after an exhausting day of training she dreamed. She dreamed of her village she saw it in flames and Charles watching as the flames shot higher. There were more men with him than had been the last time she had saw him. That day Christine announced that Bryon would be able to travel after a few more days of rest. And they would be traveling back to her Glen Roy. Her father had told her he would send an escort with them. Himself and a few of his best men would escort them back to Glen Roy. Did he know of the trouble that loomed on the horizon as Katelynn had dreamed of that night? When she awoke the next morning these were the questions that she wanted to ask him. But he was not in the village all that day. And no one could tell her where he had gone. Not even her grandmother knew for sure. She had told Katelynn that maybe he had gone out to hunt. So they would not have to worry about food while they traveled back to Glen Roy. She thought about this and agreed that she was probably right. But she still needed to speak to him
The next two days she was so busy trying to prepare herself for the storm that was brewing. She had spoken to Bryon on a couple of occasions and now knew for sure the man that called himself Charles was indeed Lord Drasken. Bryon explained about the revolt of the people and how Lord Drasken‟s father Phillip had tortured the people when they did not pay him for his protection from bandits and attacks from other villages. He also explained why he had chosen the name Charles. That this was his given name and therefore he used it so to trick anyone whom came in contact with him so that no one would know that he was in these lands. He wanted it to be kept a secret for some reason. But Bryon was sure he knew the reason.
He had come north to find out what Bryon was up to. And he now believed that Lord Drasken was thinking of trying to conquer this land to the north as well. If this were true then he had to get back to Dunkeld and restore order and get the root to them to see if its healing power would help cure the sickness that was spreading through the land. He hoped he was not to late and that the sickness had not ravaged his homeland. But he had been gone for too long. He did not know what to expect when he returned to Dunkeld. But all he could do was hope he was not too late.
The morning they were to start back to Glen Roy, Katelynn rose early just so she could speak to her grandfather. She told him of all the things she suspected. And he told her that yes he had been told that the Prophetess would be born to one of his daughters. That was why he had gotten so angry with her mother for leaving. When she gave birth to a daughter she would be the one that would bring peace to the people. But the child would not have the teachings to help her for the battle she must face.
“Grandfather,” Katelynn said. “How could you know it was my mother and not Elizabeth that would give birth to the Prophetess.”?
“The same way your mother was told about you at your birthing,” William began. “A High Priest of the druids was at your mother‟s birthing.”
“This man Charles that you speak of Katelynn,” her grandfather began, “ He came to this part of the world for one thing and that was to do harm to young Bryon. And now he desires another and that is you my child. You will need all your strength to fight him. And I will help with my knowledge. But you must be strong for he is a man who does not take well being put aside as you have already done.”
Katelynn felt her cheeks begin to glow. “ How could he know these things?” she thought. Her thoughts were not in turmoil anymore she knew where she stood as far as Charles went.
It was not long after she had spoken to her grandfather that they were on their way back to Katelynn‟s village. Bryon told William along the way what he knew about Lord Drasken and all that had happened in his lands to the south. How he feared he might be to late to stop the sickness. But feared even worse they would be to late to stop him from taking the village of Glen Roy.
William said to him, “ I do not believe this man will harm the village until he sees that Katelynn will not give in to him. Only then will he become enraged and try and take Glen Roy by force and Katelynn as well.”
They continued on until nightfall and stopped to make camp. Katelynn could feel Charles close. Only if she had known how close, he had been following them since late afternoon. He saw that Bryon was with them and began to make plans for an ambush. The other men had began to head back to the village. Charles had told Richard that he and his men would make their way back at a later time. That maybe they would see something that the others had missed. Richard had told him that he believed they had done a through job of looking but that it was up to him and the villagers would surely appreciate this. After this was said Richard and his men headed back to the village.