“It used to be Donegal land,” Abigail reminded them all. “Circin was certainly upset about that strip of land being ceded to the Sinclairs by Scotland’s king as part of my dowry.”
Talorc nodded, looking rather pleased by the memory. “But before that, it was claimed by the Sinclair and more importantly, the pack that hunted on Sinclair lands before joining the clan.”
“Your pack?” Guaire asked.
Ciara’s father nodded. “Aye. My ancestors were the original Chrechte of this area, though the pack split when joining the clans and some went to the Donegal while others came to the Sinclair.”
“Which simply proves that those particular caves are on a piece of land that has been in dispute for generations,” Eirik said.
Talorc sighed and nodded. “We will continue with the original plan.”
“I know you do not want Ciara away from your holding any longer than absolutely necessary, but I will keep her safe,” Eirik promised.
“See that you do.”
The ride through the forest was quiet, the only sound from their party the carefully placed footfalls of the well-trained warhorses under the four travelers. An eagle and two ravens flew above them in the sky.
Eirik had surprised Ciara; taking heed of her worry for the young Éan, Fidaich and Canaul, he had assigned a seasoned warrior to join them in watching over the horses. She was even more surprised to discover both boys could shift.
“You said your coming-of-age ceremony was only seven years ago,” she said quietly, bringing up the topic that had been worrying at her mind as they rode.
“Aye.”
“But Fidaich and Canaul can shift already.”
“The ability to shift comes early for the Éan; some can take their bird form when they are small children, though most wait until that time when bodies change from child to adult.”
“And these two?”
“Fidaich started shifting this year, which was no surprise, but Canaul began shifting soon after. He is a year younger.”
“Having his best friend shift without him must have been too much for his raven.”
“Aye.” There was a hint of a smile at the edges of Eirik’s lips. “I was the same with my cousin who was two years older than me.”
“I imagine everyone attributed your early shifting to you being the prince and of royal blood.”
Eirik shrugged, but Ciara was sure she was right. “Still, I do not understand the coming-of-age ceremony if you already shift.”
“It is different. It is when we are gifted with special talents and our ability to pass the raven on to the next generation relies on our connection to the Clach Gealach Gra during our coming-of-age ceremony.”
Horror filled her at the thought of the Éan losing their stone as the Faol had misplaced theirs. “You are serious?” She had to know.
“Aye.”
“But the wolves give birth to wolves without the Faolchú Chridhe.”
“It is a good thing, or there would be no Faol walking the earth today.”
“Do you think one of the other races of the Chrechte stole our stone in hopes of just that eventuality?” Her vision today didn’t intimate such, but still she wondered.
“I do not know, but does the why of it matter now? Centuries have passed. Any who had plans for the loss of the stone are gone.”
It was a freeing thought, that the enmities of the past had no place in the present. “If the coming-of-age ceremony is not linked to the Éan’s first change, how do you know when it is time for it?”
“It can be performed any time after the first change and before an Éan has seen twenty summers. However, if it is performed too early or late, the special talents conferred by the stone are weak.”
“Who determines the time has come?”
“The stone. It calls to Anya-Gra, the parents and sometimes the Éan himself.”
“It called to you.”
“Yes, but it had been taken and was not in the Sacred Caves.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You were not meant to. My sister returned it in time for my final blessing.”
“You would not have your dragon if she had not.” The prospect was untenable.
“Lais would not be able to heal, either.”
“Do you think the Faolchú Chridhe will confer special talents like that as well?”
“Yes.”
“But it’s not the same.” They’d already established that from the fact the Faol could reproduce without any coming-of-age ceremony. Stone or no stone.
“Each race has its differences. For instance, all Éan have control of their change from the first time their bird takes them.”
“Truly?” Among the Faol, most males could not control their change, so it was dictated by the full moon, until they