Chapter 1, part 2

Please see the previous sections to get the story so far. And I'd really appreciate some comments, even if it's to say its no good. Any and all feedback is helpful.

Somewhere in Scotland, Earth. 1852.

            Derek MacKellan stood before an assembly of wealthy lords and ladies, nervously tapping his foot against the ground as he waited for the, meeting to begin. A lot was riding on this night, on whether or not he could win the support he needed.

            He was an archaeologist, one of the best in his craft. For over a decade now, he had traveled throughout Europe, Asia, even the Americas once, discovering ancient secrets of the past.

            Derek was approaching these wealthy nobles this night seeking a patron to finance his latest venture, a very promising sight just outside a small village in the North called Fairnesse.

            Unfortunately, the necessary equipment to start a dig and hiring a crack crew to assist him, was very expensive. Generally he was the one being commissioned, and he knew that these nobles were very tight with their wealth. But something about this sight, still unbroken ground, called to him.

Glancing to the back of the room, he met the eyes of his beloved wife Myrah, and immediately all apprehension melted away with her reassuring smile. He smiled back, and then let the chatter of the nobles wash over him as he ran his speech through his head, as he had been doing all day, silently rehearsing the words he hoped would convince them that this was a worthy venture.

His hand clenched briefly around an object on the podium before him, reassuringly solid, and then he drew his hand away to straighten his glasses on his nose.

            The door to the well-lit chamber opened, and in swept one last noble, a handsome young man with flowing golden hair, dressed in resplendent scarlet finery. As he moved to an empty seat, he caught Derek’s eye and gave the archaeologist a mysterious smile and a wave of one elegant gloved hand.

            Derek stared for a moment, something about the young man, his aura, seeming to fill the room with his presence. He had never seen this particular noble before, of that he was certain, and he wondered who he was.

            But Derek had no more time to contemplate the strange young lord, for the room suddenly stilled to quiet, and all eyes turned expectantly on the nervous archaeologist standing at the head of the room. Taking a deep steadying breath and clearing his throat, Derek put on what he hoped was his most charming smile, and not just a shaky grin. Moving out from behind the podium, he paced before his audience, making sure to meet every man and woman’s eye.

            “Welcome, my lords and ladies. I thank you for taking the time to come out here this evening.” He paused for a moment, facing the assembly directly, his gaze lingering on the golden haired lord in the third row. “Every once in a great while, we have the opportunity to make a discovery that changes our entire view of history. It is my belief that I- that we are on the cusp of one such discovery right now, this very day.”

            “In an insignificant little town that doesn’t even show up on a map? Ah yes, a great discovery I’m sure,” one lady scoffed with a skeptical wave of her fan, and there were several murmurs of agreement.

            A flash of anger ran through Derek at that snide remark, but he quickly calmed himself. There was too much at stake here to lose his temper in front of his prospective patrons. He knew he had to act quickly or else he’d lose them completely.

            “That’s precisely what makes Fairnesse such a valuable sight for excavation. The area is pristine, untouched. Whatever artifacts we might find there will be perfectly preserved, unbroken by the meddling of civilization.”

            “‘Might’ being the operative word. What makes you so certain that there is even something to be found?” another voice quipped. “It sounds more like a fool’s venture to me.”

            Derek flushed in frustration, silently cursing the narrow-mindedness of these nobles. These pompous fools had only come because of the prestige he had earned throughout his career, more precisely the prestige of his clients. They certainly hadn’t come because they believed him! Their minds had been made up long before they even entered this room.

            But he wasn’t about to lie down and give up on everything he had built up, especially not with his wife watching. Derek looked to Myrah once more, and plainly saw the concern writ on her fair face.

            She had always supported him in every venture, and in their numerous discussions regarding the Fairnesse dig, she had been every bit as eager as he was. And he could tell that it was not just because this project would allow them to stay together for at least the next several years. He could see it in the light in her eyes whenever she spoke of the place that she had felt the mystical call of the sight too.

Clearing his throat once more, Derek answered, “I’m so very glad you asked. An old friend of mine visited the place many years ago.”

He moved back behind the podium, his hands closing once more on the small cloth-covered object as he drew it out in view of the assembly. Many necks craned to get a closer look, excited whispers running around the room. The archaeologist smirked; plainly they hadn’t been expecting actual proof.

“He found something extraordinary there,” Derek continued, holding the enshrouded bundle up before their eyes. With a grand flourish, he whipped aside the cloth. There was a collective gasp from the gathered nobles, none quite sure what to make of what they were seeing.

In his hand, Derek held a small cube of bright metal, about the size of his palm. It appeared to be made from one continuously joined piece, each side in perfect proportion, surely the finest craftsmanship any of them had ever seen. Its smooth surface was covered in strange, indecipherable runes, and a milky white gemstone was set into the top side.

None of those gathered there showed more interest than the young lord with the golden hair. He leaned far foreword in his seat, eyes riveted on the artifact, hands clenched tightly on the top of his cane.

With a confident smile, Derek replaced the bizarre cube on the podium, turning back to address the crowd with an imploring gesture.

      “So what say you my lords and ladies? Will you take this chance to be a part of what could be the greatest discovery of our time, to have your names written in the history books?”

The nobles fell to muttering among themselves, and Derek had high hoped that one of them would step foreword to take this opportunity.

But his hopes were dashed as one by one, they shook their heads. Slowly, the lords and ladies stood up and made for the door, offering quiet apologies.

“It’s a fascinating discovery to be sure, I’ve never seen the like, but…”

“It’s simply too risky.”

“…nothing more than a worthless hunk of metal.”

“Someone else, perhaps.”

“Please my lords, wait! Surely you can see the potential…” Derek cried desperately, grasping at one man’s sleeve as he passed. That sleeve was promptly yanked away with an indignant “harrumph” as its owner swept from the room, leaving Derek and Myrah alone.

The archaeologist hung his head in defeat, pushing his bangs off his forehead. Myrah went to her husband, resting a gentle, consoling hand on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, love. We tried,” she said, sincere disappointment in her voice. Derek clasped her hand in silent appreciation, knowing it was the only thing she could think of to say.

“Those fancy fools ca’nae even see what’s right under their snub noses,” he sighed in resignation, moving back to the podium to collect the mysterious cube that he had put such faith in.

“Most of them cannot, my good man, it’s true, but I can,” a well cultured voice said from the door. Both Derek and Myrah turned to see the young golden-haired lord standing casually in the doorway.

“Good evening. I have to say, that artifact you found is most intriguing. May I see it for a moment?”

 

As he spoke, the magnificent figure took a step into the room, limping slightly. Though, his stride was so fluid and graceful as to make it seem just a natural part of his step.

Wordlessly, Derek dropped the cube into his gloved hands. Holding it up before his face, the young Lord examined it closely for several moments, his amber eyes glittering. With a nod of satisfaction, he handed the strange metal cube back to Derek.

“That settles it, then.”

“Beg your pardon, sir, but settles what?” Derek asked, more and more perplexed by the golden-haired lord’s strange behavior.

“Why, I would very much like to sponsor your project,” the scarlet figure laughed, clapping Derek on the shoulder. “Anything you need, I shall see that you get it. I’ll even start making arrangements for a suitable home close to the sight for you and your charming wife. You’ll be able to move in come Christmas.

Derek was silent for a long while, mouth slightly agape, not sure he had heard correctly. It was too good to be true, surely?

“Well, say something,” his new patron prompted genially, a smile crossing his handsome features.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Derek finally managed to sputter, rushing over to shake the young lord’s hand enthusiastically. “But- if I may be so bold to ask- who are you?”

“Just a friend, passing though,” was the enigmatic reply. A small slip of parchment was pressed into Derek’s hand. “Just write to this address with a list of all your needs, and I will see that they are sent to you promptly. Good day, good sir, and good luck. You truly are standing on the cusp of the discovery of a lifetime.”

With that, the mysterious young man tipped his hat in farewell and glided from the room, cane tapping the wooden floor with every step.

Derek and Myrah exchanged bewildered glances before joyful smiles broke out across their faces at their good fortune, and they rushed to each other in a tight an triumphant embrace.      

                    ********         

It was December, nearly Christmas time when the MacKellans finally finished transporting their belongings to the stately manor house in Fairnesse that was to be their home. Myrah and Derek rode in their carriage behind the last wagonload, very much looking foreword to settling into their new home.

Both were enamored of the place, now that they had gotten the chance to get to know the environment and the people.

A crisp snow fell outside the warm windows of the carriage as night settled in and the carriage bearing its two passengers neared its destination. At long last, the wheels rattled to a halt outside the inviting glow coming from the manor windows.

The estate was so much larger than the couple had anticipated, or in truth ever desired. They had always been content with a relatively simple life. But now, with three wings full of unexplored rooms, and acres of sloping grounds, they had more space than they knew what to do with. So for the most part, they had taken up residence in the main wing of the house, leaving the other two empty for guests. And there would be several come spring, when excavation on the sight, less than a mile west outside the village, was due to begin.

With her hand still on the door handle on her side of the carriage, Myrah paused in her motion as she caught sight of a glint of light sparkling out of the trees.      

Normally she would have dismissed it as the light of a lantern, one of the townsfolk out searching for a lost dog perhaps. But this light froze her gaze long after its afterimage had faded into the shadows. Tiny fingers pulled at her very heart, urging her foreword as if drawn along by an invisible string.

Barely registering the movements, Myrah opened her door and stepped down lightly onto the fresh blanket of white, her boots crunching the powdery flakes.    

“What is it Myrah?” Derek said, coming around the carriage to help his wife down, only to see that she had done so herself, and was staring off into the distance as if in some trance. He noted that she hadn’t even bothered to pull up her hood.  

“I don’t know,” came the quiet, deadpan reply, and without another word, Myrah started off into the night.

Derek had no choice but to follow, albeit cautiously. But as he walked, a curious change came over him. His only thought was to keep moving foreword, towards… something, he knew not what. He waved away the curious stare of their driver, his steps now being driven by the same urgent call his wife was hearing.

Little did they know that it was actually a charm from a certain dragon-shaped pendant that was beckoning to them, a magical call that would be impossible for any but a powerful wizard to ignore.

But of course, they knew nothing of the powerful magic that compelled them. All the couple felt was a persistent call within their hearts, a silent plea for help.

  The falling snow leant an almost palpable hush of anticipation to the chill night air.

After only a short while, they both heard a pitiful wailing sound coming through the trees. Myrah knew that sound right away, as only a woman would. It was an infant’s cry of distress. She broke into a run, her maternal instincts taking over.

Just a little ways ahead she saw a small grey bundle lying in the snow. With a cry of pity, she scooped up the tiny figure and cradled it against her chest. She then moved aside the cloth to get a better look at the baby’s face, trying to discern where this mysterious orphan had come from.

And it was obvious she was indeed an orphan, for there were no tracks save their own, and no note in the blanket.

She hadn’t been out in the cold very long, but she was already shivering, lips turning blue with the cold. Myrah wrapped her cloak around the baby, and soon her new charge had stopped shivering, and her crying quieted.

 Letting out a happy little burbling sound, the baby smiled, reaching up towards the kind face above her. Myrah let her take hold of her finger, smiling back warmly.  

“Oh, ye poor, sweet thing; what’s happened to your mother? Derek, we simply ca’nae leave the little dear out here in the cold. And we have talked about starting a family. Maybe this is a sign, hm?”

Without answering, Derek held out his arms for the baby, and Myrah gently placed her in his arms. It was true they had been thinking of starting a family, but he didn’t think it wise, not when he would be away at the dig sight for most of the time, come spring.

 But any stern reply he might have made about a baby being too much of a responsibility for them to take on at this time, melted away when the little girl in his arms turned her crystal blue eyes on him and beamed up contentedly. 

“I wonder where she came from.” Derek said, fingering the dragon pendant around the baby’s neck. Looking closer, he saw what might be a name etched along the dragon’s wing. “Look at this. I think it says Hlao. My, what an unusual name. I wonder if it means anything.”

“Well I like it,” Myrah said defensively, gazing fondly at the little bundle in her husband’ arms.

“I never said I didn’t,” Derek replied passively, handing the baby back to his wife as a peace offering. Myrah accepted the burden gratefully, letting out a soft coo.

The couple stared down in wonder for a long moment at this unexpected joy thrust into their arms. And neither of them could deny that it did bring them joy, that this defenseless little creature was relying on them, that she was theirs now.

Looking at the sweet, innocent face peeking out of the folds of cloth, neither of them could find it in their hearts to turn the little foundling away.

Derek looped an arm his wife’s waist, kissing her on the forehead.  

“Well, wherever she’s from, her place is with us now,” he said with finality, stroking the baby’s shock of black curls. Myrah laughed in delight, tickling her new daughter under the chin.

“You hear that? Ye’ve got a new family… Hlao.”               

Author's Note

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[DaughterNature]

I'll give you another one of my blanket-suggestions now: be very careful with spelling, grammar and punctuation! A misspelled word or misplaced punctuation mark can drastically alter the reading experience, or even the actual meaning of a sentence!

I don't know very much about the history of Scotland, but I would caution you to make up places, people, or occupations that don't have at least some basis in historical fact. While the interaction with the mysterious young man is okay, as you rewrite, try to picture how each person moves and where they stand so you can describe it in a way that makes sense.

This may be a small thing, but if it is snowing in the place where the baby appears, why did the picture in the book show the heath in spring or summertime? The ending to this chapter is very sweet.