Chapter 91: 90. Drafted

"Kaitlyn?" Kelly exclaimed. "Seriously?!"

I nodded, "Kaitlyn Connolly. She specifically said both names."

It was late-afternoon and I was back in our room with the twins again, telling them about my meeting with their granddad.

Keira had an amused smile on her face as she said "Well that's a little unexpected. I never thought she'd change her last name too."

I suggested, "Maybe because she's human now, she wanted an Earth name instead of an Otherworld name?"

Kelly shook her head "It's not Earth versus Otherworld. It's not even human versus fae. It's English versus Gaelic."

She smiled at my blank expression and explained, "Connolly and Conghaile are basically the same name. Connolly is just the Anglicized version of Conghaile."

I stared at her for another few seconds then shook my head "Three years in and I'm still learning the basics."

Keira grinned "You didn't know that? You know Brádaigh gets Anglicized into Brady?"

I felt my cheeks going red as I sighed, "I had no idea."

Both of them giggled in stereo.

"Ok," I sighed. "Well I'm going to keep saying Brádaigh because it sounds more exotic and interesting to me. And anyways back on topic, so she asked to change her first and last names, and I agreed. And as the leader of the Vale sept, I'm telling you two that your grandfather's name is now Kaitlyn Connolly. Ok?"

They both nodded, but Kelly commented "Makes me doubly certain I'm changing my name to Kelly Vale back on Earth."

"Me too," Keira stated. "It's one less thing we'll have in common with either granddad or mom."

I could feel another blush coming on as I said "Right. That won't be the least bit awkward, trying to explain to people that you two are both using my last name now."

"I keep telling you," Keira grinned. "We're all married."

My blush got a little brighter as I rolled my eyes.

"So did anything else happen?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "She apologized to me. She sounded sincere too."

I added "I don't think she's reformed or anything like that, not yet. I'm sure she's mostly still just adapting to what you did to her, Keira. But it feels like a start. Like she's just taking the first steps in that direction?"

The twins were both quiet for a few moments after that. I assumed they were talking with each other again.

Finally Kelly responded, "I guess that's a good thing? I wouldn't have expected it so soon though. It's only been two days."

Keira suggested, "It's probably just sort of sinking in for her now, that she's not getting out of this. That this is her fate and she's stuck with it. I bet that's got her freaking out, and that's what's got her thinking about apologizing."

"Maybe," I shrugged. "It felt sincere to me, but I have no idea what motivated it."

"Keira?" Kelly looked at her sister. "Maybe you and I should go visit her again?"

I reminded them, "We're supposed to be meeting Maeve soon for dinner, so if you're going don't take too long."

Keira shrugged, "Granddad can wait. We can see her tomorrow, sis."

About an hour later, seneschal Owen showed up to escort the three of us to my mother's private dining room.

Like before, I was seated at one end, Kelly and Keira sat across from each other on either side, and Maeve sat at the other end opposite me.

The twins and I were dressed casually as usual. They were both in matching trews and blouses, I was in my typical hose and short dress combination. Maeve was dressed casual as well, in a soft cotton dress.

A couple maids served the food, which was some kind of exquisitely prepared roasted meat and vegetables, and freshly baked bread. Then they retreated and the four of us were left alone to eat and talk.

"So Tegan," Maeve began, "What have you to report? What are your plans?"

I replied, "Our prisoner has provided me with detailed maps of the area surrounding castle Faoláin as well as the castle's interior. She's also told me what she knows about the defences there, in terms of numbers of soldiers, and how she's observed them to be deployed. She warned me that Aengus has a mage on his staff, and he's not too shabby with magic himself. She also said he wears a very strong anti-magic amulet, like the one she had. All of that will complicate things but we should still be able to pull it off if we're careful."

My mother listened quietly then asked, "And your plan?"

"Kelly and Keira and I will travel at dawn to a location about two leagues north of the castle. From there we'll go on foot to a point north-east of the castle where we can observe it from the woods. We'll wait there till it's late, midnight or so. Teleport onto the castle wall, then make our way inside."

I hesitated slightly at the next part. It was the step I was the least enthusiastic about. "We know the rough area of the castle where Aengus will be found. To find out exactly, we'll have to use some magic to get that information from whatever guards or staff we encounter along the way. Like what room's his, and how to get there."

After that I took a deep breath then concluded, "Then we grab him, get the amulet off him, hit him with a sleep spell to keep him quiet. We teleport him and ourselves back out to the spot where the veil is thin and as soon as the sun starts coming over the horizon we get back here."

Maeve considered all of that for a few minutes, then finally asked "And you're confident the information you have from the prisoner is accurate?"

I shrugged slightly, "I'm pretty sure Kaitlyn isn't lying to us. I think the information is as accurate as she can provide, going off her memory and what she's observed over the many times she's visited the place."

"Kaitlyn?" Mother raised an eyebrow as she looked at me.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Our prisoner's name is now officially Kaitlyn Connolly."

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She was quiet again for a few moments, then asked "How many soldiers are you taking?"

I shook my head "I wasn't going to take any. Just the three of us."

Mother frowned. "You did that last time and it nearly got you into trouble, Tegan."

"We're not going up against a powerful mage this time mother," I explained. "And once again we're hoping for a small fast stealthy group. The more people, the slower we'll go."

She stated, "Then you'll take Feichin. You said yourself he was invaluable helping you navigate unfamiliar woods on foot, and you'll be doing that again this time. He's able to move quietly and quickly."

I could tell she wasn't going to budge on that so I just nodded, "Very well."

"When are you planning on setting out?" she asked.

"Day after tomorrow," I replied. "We'll leave at dawn. And we should be back again the following dawn, it should only be a day."

Mother smiled, "Excellent. If you pull this off Tegan I will be very happy."

• • • • •

"So that's about it," I said. "It's roughly two leagues we need to cover, and we'll have all day to do it. Then we wait till it's late, like midnight or later, before we make our move into the castle."

Feichin was quiet for a few more minutes as he studied the maps Kaitlyn made for me.

It was about noon, and the huntsman had been called into the castle to meet with myself and the twins again. He didn't look very happy about it either. Some food had been provided though and he helped himself to that.

Our dinner with Maeve last night wrapped up without much conversation, apart from the 'business' I'd discussed with her. Now we were making our preparations and getting ready for tomorrow.

"I'm not familiar with the terrain that far west," Feichin finally stated. "I can't say if it's level, rocky, hilly. I don't know if these woods are thick, thin, or picked over for firewood. There may not be enough cover for us to hide where you want to go."

After a pause he added, "And where we were to the south, we knew that was possibly dangerous. This place," he tapped the map, "This place is definitely dangerous. Me and the two lasses would be killed outright, we've no value to them. But you'd be taken and held for ransom m'lady. If they got their hands on you."

I sighed and glanced at Kelly and Keira, then looked back at him. "I know it's going to be dangerous. Unfortunately this is what Maeve wants us to do. I'm not really looking forward to it either, but we don't have much choice."

Feichin nodded slowly and looked at the maps again. "Where'd you come by these, if I may ask?"

Kelly spoke up, "We've got a prisoner who's been to castle Faoláin several times. She drew up the maps for us."

"We're pretty sure we can trust her," Keira added. "We're confident the information she's given us is accurate, at least to the best of her knowledge."

He looked at the second map, of the castle layout, then back at the first again. "If she's been there, she'll be able to describe the terrain. Get that information, we'll be needing it."

I asked, "What do you think we should bring? Supplies, weapons?"

Feichin helped himself to some more food, and spoke as he ate. "Same weapons as before. Bows, two dozen arrows apiece for you lasses. Daggers for all three of you. If you're confident we'll just be away one day, no need to bring food unless you think you'll fancy a snack. Bring something to drink for yourselves. Dress for travel, dark clothes, like when we went to Griofa."

I looked at the twins and asked them, "Any other questions?"

They both shook their heads.

"I've another question," Feichin said. "Why bring me? You said yourself, you're only covering two leagues and you've all day to do it. And you know I don't know the land there."

I sighed, "My mother ordered it. I'd planned for just the three of us to handle it. She insisted on sending you."

He sighed but nodded slowly. I knew he wasn't happy about it, but it looked like he wasn't going to argue.

After watching him for another few moments I asked, "Feichin, may I ask you a personal question?"

That seemed to surprise him. He looked at me warily, "Aye, what is it m'lady?"

It was something I'd been wondering about him for years now. I took a deep breath and asked, "Three years ago, when we first met? When I told you my idea to try and save Connor? You said my plan was crazy and was likely to get us killed, then you immediately went along with it. I've always wondered, why you were so eager to go on what you said was a suicide mission."

He picked up his wine-glass and drained it. As he set it back on the table he sighed, "Your mother wouldn't let anyone hunt the beast. For almost twenty-three years it stalked the western forest, and no-one was allowed to do anything about it. I knew your scheme was probably my one chance to take it down."

After a pause he asked, "Do you remember when we set off, your mother told captain Siobhan and I something? She said bringing you back alive was paramount. Do you know what that meant, m'lady?"

He didn't wait for my answer, "It meant two things. The rest of us were expendable, she was ordering us all to give our lives to keep you breathing. It also meant that should the beast put you in mortal danger, we had permission to put it down. That's why I went."

"In the end though you didn't shoot it," I said. "If I'm remembering right? You had your bow drawn but you didn't fire."

He nodded, "The captain had already dealt it a serious blow. I could have killed it then and there, but I sensed the curse was starting to unravel. I don't know if it was your blood in its mouth, or on its claws. Or maybe it was your scream, but something led the beast to falter. As much as I wished to see it dead, I knew in a moment it would be Lord Connor again."

By now the twins and I were all frowning slightly as we listened to the story. I asked, "Why did you want to kill it so badly? Was it some sort of challenge, like as a hunter you wanted the glory or something?"

Feichin poured himself another glass of wine, then drank it back. "No m'lady, I was looking for revenge. My eldest son Roarke was at the Imbolc celebration the night you were born. He never came home from that feast."

I sighed deeply, "I'm so sorry."

The huntsman shrugged as he stood up. He stuffed some more food into his pockets and said, "I'll meet you by the garrison tomorrow before dawn."

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