DISCLAIMER: I've never written before so stop 
reading now if you are looking for good fanfic. I'd love 
as much feedback and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism as 
possible. I feel like what I've written needs a lot of 
help. This story takes place after The Spear of Destiny 
but before  The Eternal. (In other words, Longinus is a 
jerk but the Father is still alive.)

K.

LEANNA  part 1

Conor crouched down near the campfire, holding his 
hands towards its warmth.  Fergus's long form 
stretched out to his right.  The older man had his arms 
folded across his chest and his eyes were half 
closed with weariness.  It had been a long day's ride 
and, truth be told, both men felt the worse for wear.  
Each would be more than happy to return to the 
Sanctuary and his own bed, but it had been a trip well 
taken.  The Curgan tribe had agreed to join the Alliance 
and had pledged their loyalty to Conor.  "I think that 
went well," Conor ventured aloud. "With Porrig's 
support behind us, more tribes are sure to follow,"
Porrig led the Curgan tribe. He was well respected 
among the other leaders. He had been a devoted 
follower of Conor's father but his doubts concerning 
Conor's youth and abilities to lead the Alliance of 
Tribes had been common knowledge.  It had taken 
three days and nights of talks to assuage the chieftain's 
concerns. "Aye lad. That was a bit of diplomacy 
worthy of even your father," Fergus replied.
Conor allowed himself a bit of a smile at the compliment. 
The chieftain Porrig wasn't the only one who had 
expressed doubts about Conor's abilities, but lately the 
young prince felt he was earning a grudging respect from 
Fergus. Both the number of clans joining the Alliance and 
Conor's leadership abilities were growing each day.
With no sound for warning, a small form leapt from the 
shadows onto the back of Fergus's horse. Whoever it 
was had already untied the animal and, quick as a wink, 
horse and rider started off towards the woods. Conor 
moved towards his sword as Fergus grabbed his long 
pole, jumped up onto the fallen log he had been resting 
against, and with one blow knocked the thief from the 
animal's back to the ground. "Why you son of a cursed 
mother!" Fergus railed. "You yellow bellied pile of 
dung! Steal my horse will you! Well boy - I am going to 
give you the tanning of your young life!"
"Fergus wait! Let the boy speak." Conor moved along 
side Fergus as the horse thief slowly rose from the 
ground and turned towards them. The hood of the dark 
cloak the figure wore fell back with the movement to 
reveal one of the most beautiful women either man could 
ever recall seeing.


Whatever new curse Fergus had been forming died on 
his lips as both men were struck dumb with the vision 
before them. The woman used their confusion to 
decide her course of action. She had a talent for judging 
character and these two were as heroic as they come. 
The way the younger had called for reason when the 
older was enraged by the theft. The way they halted 
now upon finding her a woman. She was safe.

"I've been called many things in my day, gentlemen, but 
'boy'...I do believe that is a first." Her voice was soft as 
silk with a hint of an accent neither man could place. 
She imperceptibly lowered her chin, looking out at them 
through her full lashes, her violet eyes sparkling and her 
mouth curving slightly into a smile. She was well aware 
of the effect she was having.
"Um...uh," Conor stammered.
"Well, no...um, well," was Fergus's equally intelligent 
reply.
The two men stared rather helplessly at the woman as 
she, amused, stared back at them.
It was Conor who regained his senses first.
"Why were you stealing our horse?" he asked gently.
"I am sorry," the small woman responded. "It is not 
something I'm in the habit of doing. Really." She smiled 
at them. "You see, I have need to travel quickly and I'm 
afraid I let that need overcome my sense of what was 
right. Please, forgive me." She was a glorious picture of 
contriteness. If she had but asked now, either man would 
have handed over his horse...and gladly. "Well now lass. 
That's understandable. But why are you in such need 
of fast travel?" Fergus asked.
She had opened her mouth to answer when she 
suddenly looked off into the woods. "Damn."
A moment later Conor and Fergus heard the sound that 
had caught her attention. A group of men surged out of 
the woods and into the clearing. Their leader looked 
past Conor and Fergus, his eyes fixed on the woman  
as if he was possessed.


"You're fast as a hare, beauty, but we have you now!" 
The burly man started to move forward but Conor 
and Fergus stepped as one to block his path.
"And what business do you think you have with this 
lady?" Fergus asked menacingly.
The man ignored Fergus as he recognized Conor.
"Well now. If it isn't the little prince!" he sneered. 
"Trying to steal what is ours, boy?"
"This woman belongs to no one but herself, Davin," 
Conor retorted. 
"And she appears to want nothing to do with you."
"A clear example of good taste, I might add," Fergus 
pronounced. Conor and Fergus had recognized the man as 
well. Davin was the leader of the Kelmor clan. He had a 
reputation for wildness and an inflated idea of his own 
self importance. With Davin involved, they knew this 
confrontation was going to get ugly. Davin didn't 
disappoint their expectations of him. With a growl he 
drew his sword and his men followed suit. Conor and 
Fergus eyed the men before them.
"Four to our two," Conor noted.
"Well, I guess we could always let them send for 
reinforcements," 
Fergus countered. "Just to be fair."
The two friends exchanged glances and then drew 
their own weapons. The six men began to battle. The 
woman they warred over watched the fray carefully. 
Her two heroes were outnumbered but she could tell 
from the way they wielded their weapons that they 
were the more skilled fighters. She stayed at the 
ready - just in case. The brawl seemed to end as 
quickly as it had begun. She had judged correctly. 
Davin and his three clansmen were outmatched. At 
the end,  one of the Kelmor men lay dead, two others 
were wounded and helping each other back into the 
forest. Davin's left arm was wet with blood 
from were Conor had slashed him. As he reached 
the forest edge, the Kelmor leader turned back to face them.
"This isn't over yet. Not by half!"
It wasn't clear whether he spoke to Conor or to the 
woman. Conor suspected it was to both.


"Try to steal one of their horses, did you? Fergus 
asked wryly. The woman tried to give him a withering 
look but had to break into a little laugh. She was 
beginning to quite like him.
"It seems his clan have a legend," she explained. "The 
tale tells of a woman with violet eyes who would come 
form across the sea. She would possess great powers 
and the leader who controlled her would rule the island."
"Davin ruling the island," Conor mused. "Now there's a 
frightening thought."
"Well the violet eyes I have and I did come from across 
the sea, but, as you can see, I am entirely powerless." 
She gestured towards her small form. She stood no more 
than 5'3" and weighed, at most, 105 pounds.
Still reeling from the impact of her beauty, Fergus 
couldn't help answering "That, my lady, is far from true."
The woman bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment 
of the tribute.
"When I came upon their village, I thought they were 
just being incredibly friendly and generous to a weary 
traveler - that is until I tried to leave. Luckily, I was 
able to escape the hut they had confined me in. I was 
running as quickly as I could away from their 
village when I came upon your campsite. The rest you know."
"Does our lovely thief have a name?" Fergus asked.
"Leanna," the woman answered, "and I am deeply in both 
your debts. But now you have me at a disadvantage - in 
whose debts am I?"
"I'm called Conor and this is Fergus. If you wish you 
can travel with us. We can bring you to a safe place, a 
sanctuary. It's our home and you're welcome to stay as 
long as you wish," Conor offered.
"Yes, as long as you wish," Fergus added needlessly.
Conor had to smile. His friend was obviously smitten. 
Not that he blamed him. Conor himself would be more 
than interested in this mystery woman if he wasn't so 
confused about his relationship with Catlin. His smile 
faded a little at the puzzle that lay there. Conor shook 
off the thought - time enough to worry on that when 
they were safely home. Davin might just be planning 
on returning with those reinforcements Fergus had joked 
about. Aloud Conor said "We should move on. Let's get 
safely back to the Sanctuary."


They arrived at the Sanctuary at dawn. The camp was 
just beginning to stir. Catlin met them at the entrance 
to the caves but they saw no sign of Tully. Conor 
knew instantly from the look on Cat's face that 
something was wrong. Sleep would have to wait.
"What's happened?" Conor demanded.
Catlin took her questioning glance from Leanna and 
told him what had occurred two days ago. The Romans 
had attacked a nearby village. Catlin, Tully and three 
others from camp had been hunting close by and had 
gone to try and help the villagers.
"We were totally outnumbered. We should have gone 
for help, but there were children there. The Romans 
were killing everyone!" Catlin's voice shook as she 
tried to control her rage at the injustice.
"Were any of our people hurt?" Conor feared the answer.
"Conor," Catlin hesitated, "...Morgan and Thom were killed."
Conor's eyes closed in pain.
Catlin went on. "Meara just has a bruise or two. But 
Tully took a crossbow bolt in his leg. It seems to have 
festered already. He's weak and his body is hot all over."
"Those bastards!" Fergus hissed through clenched teeth.
Conor opened his eyes and looked Catlin over quickly. 
She had a bandage on her upper arm.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly, reaching out to touch 
her arm gently.
"It's just a scratch," she assured him, coloring slightly at 
his attentions. "But I'm worried about Tully. Nothing we 
do seems to help."
"Conor," Leanna's gentle voice broke in. "I have some 
skill at healing. Please let me try and help your friend. It's 
the least I can do after your help to me."
"Thank you, Leanna. Anything you could do to help 
would be much appreciated." Conor turned to Catlin.
"Where is he, Cat?"


Catlin, still puzzled over the identity of this 'Leanna', led 
them to the alcove where Tully lay. The boy looked 
awful. His brow was beaded with sweat, yet his body 
shook slightly as if gripped with cold. He attempted a 
smile when he saw Conor and Fergus.
"You two missed all the excitement," he joked weakly.
"Can't leave you alone for a few days without you 
getting into trouble, now can we," Fergus joked in return. 
He crossed to where the young man lay and put his hand 
on Tully's arm. "How are you, lad?"
"I'll be okay. I just need some rest and I'll be good as 
new," the injured man answered.
It cheered Conor somewhat to see Tully was still in 
such good spirits. maybe the wound wasn't as bad as 
Catlin thought.
"Tully, this is Leanna. We met her on the way back from 
the Curgan village," Conor explained. "She has some skill 
with healing and would like to help."
Tully and Leanna exchanged "hello's" as the woman went 
to the bed where he lay and moved back the furs that 
covered his legs. Slowly she removed the bandages that 
had been placed on the wound. At one glance, Conor 
lost all hope of a mistake on Catlin's part. The bolt must 
have carried some sort of toxin. Tully's wound was angry 
and swollen and ran green and yellow with pus.
'He's going to lose that leg,' Conor thought miserably.
Fergus and Catlin's faces showed that they were having 
the same thoughts. Only Leanna's face betrayed nothing. 
Luckily, Tully was looking at her and not at the others. 
She smiled at him.
"I have some herbs that can help you heal faster. I have 
to prepare a paste to put on your leg." She touched his 
arm encouragingly. "I won't be long."
She walked out of the alcove and into the main chamber 
of the Sanctuary. Conor, Fergus and Catlin smiled at 
their wounded friend and then followed Leanna from 
the room.


"Can you truly help him?" Conor asked when they had 
moved some distance from where Tully lay.
"The wound is very bad. I need to get the contagion out 
from his leg. It will be a very painful process and leave 
him with a long scar. If I miss any of the impurity, he 
might lose the leg still...or his life.
" Leanna's voice was matter-of-fact. "I'll need a sharp 
dagger, clean cloth, a needle and thread, the strongest 
spirits you have..."
"We have only ale," Fergus told her.
"Then that will have to do. Now, I need to prepare a 
draught to make him sleep."
"Come with me." Catlin showed Leanna to a cooking fire.
Fergus and Conor exchanged worried looks and then 
went to find the things Leanna had asked for.

Catlin watched as Leanna prepared various remedies 
from the pouch of herbs she carried on her belt. The 
woman worked diligently on her preparations and 
seemed to have forgotten Catlin was there. Catlin took 
the opportunity to study her. Leanna was small, 
shorter than Cat was. She seemed to have a 
wonderful figure, though the cloak she wore hid 
most of that from view. She looked to be in her mid 
to late 20's. Her long hair was raven black and her 
eyes were an amazing shade of violet. She was most 
definitely beautiful, one of the most beautiful women 
Catlin had ever seen. Cat felt that familiar burst of 
jealousy she always felt when a new woman entered 
camp. Jealousy ...and something more. She wasn't 
sure what she felt. Inadequate? Unworthy? Damaged? 
One thing she did know was that she was sure Conor 
had taken note of Leanna's charms. He had been very 
careful with her feelings since she had opened up to 
him while they were imprisoned by the Red Boot. 
But she still had no real idea of his own feelings. What 
she wouldn't give to have him look at her once the 
way he had looked at Fergus's daughter Molly. And 
now here was this new woman, so beautiful she could 
make a man ache just by being in the same room. 

Catlin's mind was racing with questions for this 
stranger. Where had she come from? She was not from 
the island nor was she Roman. How had she come to 
meet Conor and Fergus? What was the help they had 
given her?
Suddenly, Leanna's voice broke into Catlin's reverie.
"Ask," she said softly.
Catlin felt herself blush as she realized the woman had 
been aware of her attentions.
Leanna turned and looked at Catlin with friendly eyes.
"What would you like to know?"
By the time Conor and Fergus rejoined them, Catlin 
had heard the  story of Leanna's time at Davin's camp 
and how she had met up with the two men in the 
woods. It pleased both Conor and Fergus to find the 
women chatting together like old friends. When the 
men had given her the supplies they had gathered, 
Leanna rose and led them back to Tully.  


Leanna gave Tully one of the potions she had prepared 
earlier. Almost immediately the young man's eyes began 
to close.
"Catlin," Leanna commanded. "Hold his head in your lap. 
Listen closely to his breathing. If it changes in any way, 
grows faster or slower, tell me."
Catlin nodded in acknowledgment.
"Conor, Fergus, take hold of his leg. Even in this drugged 
state the pain may be such as to make him move."
Conor and Fergus moved in to take hold of Tully's 
damaged leg. Leanna flicked the swollen skin near the 
wound with her fingers, watching Tully closely for any 
sign of reaction. When none appeared, she took the 
knife she had heated earlier in the fire and deftly sliced 
open Tully's leg almost from knee to ankle. Catlin 
flinched involuntarily at the act. Conor and Fergus 
both recoiled slightly at the stench that rose up from 
the open injury. Leanna worked without expression. 
She quickly removed as much of the visible infection 
as she could and then bathed the wound with the ale 
Fergus had given her. When she felt satisfied that the 
wound was clean, she spread the herbal paste she had 
prepared into the open area. She had Conor and 
Fergus hold the wound together as she sewed the 
separated skin shut with the crude needle and thread 
they had found for her to use. Finally, she rebandaged 
the leg with clean cloth. Conor, Fergus and Catlin 
looked at her anxiously.
"Now, we wait," was her only answer to their 
questioning looks.


They waited. The potion Leanna had given Tully 
kept him asleep throughout that day and night. 
Leanna never left the young man's side. To everyone 
relief, Tully's fever was gone the following morning. 
His breathing was calm and even, his sleep peaceful. 
Feeling confident the worst was past, Leanna let 
Catlin lead her to a bed where she took some much 
need rest. In the days that followed, Tully grew 
stronger, though he was still confined to bed. For 
her part, Leanna settled in to camp life with 
surprising ease. Conor's people had all suffered 
greatly in the fight with the Romans. They had lost 
family and friends, their homes, the lives they had 
worked to build. It had made them understandably 
wary of strangers, but Leanna had a way with them. 
Almost everyone became instantly at ease in her 
presence. People who shared their troubles with no 
one would pour out their hearts to her. Despite this, 
Conor had a nagging suspicion none of them really 
knew Leanna at all. When he quietly watched her 
interact with the others, Conor often felt the emotions 
Leanna displayed were merely reflections of what the 
others were feeling or some portrayal of whatever 
behavior would be appropriate for that situation. It 
wasn't that the prince feared some evil intent on the 
healer's part. It was more that he felt she was trying 
to protect herself, or perhaps them, from something. 
He worried she was hiding some past pain or trouble. 
He wanted to ask her, to get her to open up, but she 
was very skillful at turning away questions that delved 
to deeply. What she told them about herself was never 
truly complete, but it was always just enough to 
make any further questioning seem intrusive.

Conor looked over to where Fergus and Leanna stood 
talking. His friend said something to her and Leanna 
broke into uncontrollable laughter. It was with Fergus 
that Leanna seemed to be closest to her true self. 
They had grown closer and closer in the days of Tully's 
recovery. Whenever Leanna wanted to go out to gather 
herbs or to take a walk, Fergus was always there by 
her side - 'for her protection'. The sight of them together 
was almost comical: the tall, blustering warrior towering 
over the petite, serene healer. Yesterday Conor had 
been shocked to realize that, though he had known 
Fergus for nearly his entire life, this was the first time 
he'd seen his friend in love. Conor made himself shrug 
off his concerns about Leanna's past. Fergus was the 
happiest Conor had ever seen him, Tully had kept his 
leg, and Catlin had truly blossomed with Leanna 
around. Conor hadn't realized how much Cat had 
craved a close female friend to confide in. That 
stopped him in his tracks. Just how much of this 
'confiding' had to do with him, he wondered. 'Cat,' he 
mused. Conor paused, confused. 'Now where do I go 
with that thought?'
He knew he loved her - but as a woman or as a 
friend? He found her beautiful - but did he desire her 
like he had Claire? Or even, if truth be told, like he 
desired Molly? All he was certain of was that he 
never wanted to cause her any pain. He felt so out 
of control of the whole situation 'Perhaps I should 
find someone to confide in,' he thought wryly. 
Sighing, he shook his head. He called for a training 
session to begin outside. For some strange reason, 
Conor suddenly felt the need to hit something.


While Conor's followers gathered in the clearing 
outside the entrance to the Sanctuary to spar, 
Leanna gathered up a few things to wash in the river 
that ran nearby. Fergus noticed that whenever they 
would practice their fighting skills, Leanna would 
find some excuse to be absent.
'Understandable,' the warrior thought. 'As a healer, 
she must have seen more than her fill of bodies 
broken by the sword.' Fergus made a brief, 
halfhearted attempt to join in the training exercises 
before he gave up and followed the path Leanna had 
taken to the river. She had already started washing 
her things in the the cool, clear water. Leanna had 
removed both her cloak and the long sleeved shirt 
she usually wore under it. She was dressed in a 
sleeveless tunic and a short skirt, underneath which 
she wore leggings that stopped above her knees. The 
tunic exposed a large portion of her shapely shoulders 
and back. Fergus realized he had never before seen 
her without the outer shirt on. He now saw Leanna 
bore a large tattoo that covered most of her left 
shoulder and back. The design was comprised of one 
circle after another radiating outward from a solid 
shape at the center. It wasn't the black color of the 
Celtic tattooing he was used to. The center shape 
was fairly circular and a purplish, brownish, red 
color. The circles that enclosed it were a softer red 
and seemed almost textured. By now Fergus had 
moved close enough to see the true nature of Leanna's 
'tattoo'. With a start, he realized that the center was 
actually a birthmark. The circles, each of which 
contained different intricate patterns, were actually 
formed by scar tissue. The designs had been carved 
into the beautiful woman's body! Fergus had spent 
his entire life as a warrior. He knew to achieve that 
level of scarring would have required the designs be 
etched deeply into the flesh, then the wounds would 
have had to have been reopened continually as they 
tried to heal.  He could tell from the scars that the 
innermost circle had been applied first. Each 
successive circle had been added at some later point. 
"It is a common practice among my people." Leanna 
answered the question Fergus had only just thought 
of. It was a habit of hers Fergus found a bit unnerving. 
Leanna seemed to be able to both sense your approach 
and read your mind.
"Is it purely decorative then?" Fergus asked.
Leanna paused for a long time before answering.
"It signifies my...role...in my society. My work and 
status."
"As a healer." Fergus's words were more a statement 
than a question. Leanna let the subject drop.


"Why aren't you at practice?" Leanna inquired.
"Well, the light is starting to fade..."Fergus's voice 
trailed off.
"Fergus," she teased. "Were you checking up on me?"
Fergus felt his face start to grow hot but he quickly 
recovered. Pulling himself up to his full height with a 
humorous swagger, he said, "To be completely honest, 
lass, when you are as great a warrior as I am, practice 
just seems besides the point." Leanna laughed, turning 
slightly to face him. A she did, one of the pieces of 
clothing she was washing fell into the water and began to 
float slowly downstream.
Fergus gallantly leapt onto a rock that jutted out into 
the river's flow. He reached towards the wayward garment.
"Fergus, take care," Leanna warned. "The rocks are wet."
Fergus gave her a look that left no doubt as to what he 
thought of her even suggesting such a thing was possible 
when his feet slipped out from under him. With a very 
large splash, he landed in the water.

Leanna tried to keep her face neutral, but she knew it 
was a battle she would lose. Giving up, she erupted with 
laughter.
"So glad I can add a little joy to your life, lass," Fergus said 
sarcastically, one eyebrow raised.
Leanna took one look at him, water dripping from his 
limp mustache and laughed all the harder.
Gaining control of herself, Leanna was able to offer, 
with mock seriousness, "Perhaps tomorrow Conor can 
hold a 'walking on rocks to rescue laundry' practice."
By this time Fergus had moved close enough to the 
young woman so that,  with a quick lunge, he was able 
to scoop her up in his arms. He held  her out over the 
water, a menacing look on his face.
"Now, what was it you were saying, woman?"
"You wouldn't dare!" Leanna countered.
Fergus relaxed his arms so that Leanna dropped, catching 
her mere inches before she met the river's surface.
"All right, all right," Leanna giggled, locking her arms around 
his sturdy neck. "You are 'the world's supreme warrior'. A 
man of consummate skill and grace...any lack of rock 
walking ability not withstanding." 
Fergus made once again as if he would drop her into the 
water's damp.

"Wait!" Leanna squealed. "What I meant to say was 'a 
man of such rock walking ability that his name is 
renowned throughout the land." Leanna looked Fergus 
straight in the eyes. "I say that with complete 
sincerity."
Now it was Fergus's turn to laugh. 
The healer had her hair tied back, but a tendril or two 
had managed to escape, exquisitely framing her lovely face.
'Sweet Brigid, she's a beauty!" Fergus knew he was 
more than a little in love with her.
Once again, she seemed to have read Fergus's thoughts. 
Her face became a complex jumble of conflicting emotions. 
Fergus saw sadness, fear, hope, and, yes, desire to match 
his own. Carefully holding her aloft, the warrior moved to 
carry Leanna back towards the safety of the river's banks. 
Fergus was desperately trying to decide how to proceed 
once they reached the shore. Fate decided for him. A rock 
under the river's surface shifted beneath his feet. In the blink 
of an eye, his legs once again flew out from under him. 
Both he and his passenger fell into the water.

"Well," Leanna said, looking down at her wet form. "This 
will save me the trouble of taking THESE off to wash."
They had both stood up after their tumble into the water. 
The river came up to the petite woman's waist. 
"Of course," Fergus bantered. "That was my plan all along."
Leanna rolled her eyes and then playfully began splashing 
him. He moved in and grabbed her wrists, laughing...and 
then he was kissing her. Fergus felt the healer start to respond. 
He was happier than he could ever remember, but suddenly 
she pulled away from him.
"This can't..."
"I'm not..."
"You don't..." Leanna didn't seem to have the words to 
explain what she was feeling.
"Love, what's wrong? Tell me." Fergus half pleaded.
"Fergus, I am sorry." Leanna grabbed hold of her emotions. 
"Please believe me when I say I am not what you want."
'Now, what is that supposed to mean?' Fergus thought. He 
knew exactly what he wanted. Leanna turned and headed 
towards the riverbank. Fergus caught her by the shoulders, 
turning her back to face him. "Leanna," Fergus's voice was 
insistent. "You are ALL that I want."
He could see her indecision, the conflict in her eyes. Leaving 
her no more time for thought, he cupped her face in his hands 
and moved his head in to kiss her once more. This time, 
Leanna didn't push him away.


Leanna and Fergus lay on a grassy patch near the river's 
edge. They were spooned together, Fergus at Leanna's back, 
one of his powerful arms wrapped around her protectively. 
The healer's heavy cloak covered them from the evening's 
chill. After making love, they had lain talking for a bit, looking 
up at the stars, and then Fergus had drifted into a light sleep. 
Leanna's mind was racing. She was furious with herself. It 
wasn't that Fergus was the first man she had been with 
since...since she had left her land, but she knew he was the 
first who had the power to touch her heart. She couldn't let 
that happen. She felt even more than before like her world 
was falling apart. Back home she had known who she was, 
where she fit in, what was expected of her. Now...what? Then, 
she had had one basic rule she followed. 
Every decision in her life was based on serving that rule. 
But now? How to decide her actions now? Leanna was 
incredulous to find she felt like weeping. She never wept. She 
had to leave here. 'As soon as Tully is better, I'll go,' she 
decided. 'Tully, and the woman who has that cut on her 
arm...and the youth with the fever.'
Leanna sighed heavily as she realized she was making excuses 
not to leave. Was she falling in love with the tall Celt?
'Love.' She rolled the word around in her mind. It felt 
strange, out of place in her head. She couldn't blame herself 
for feeling confused. She had loved only once. Before that, 
love had held no place in her world. Opening her heart 
that one time had cost her everything, even her understanding 
of who she was. 'Love is dangerous. Love brings nothing 
but despair.' Even as she thought these things, she knew 
they weren't true. SHE was dangerous. SHE brought nothing 
but despair. She always had. Love had opened her 
eyes and she could see that truth. She had to leave, for 
Fergus's sake. What would he think of her if he knew what 
she was? The face of the one she had loved rose unbidden to 
her mind. Her body shuddered uncontrollably as she 
pushed the image away. Feeling her move, Fergus woke.
"What is it, love? Are you cold?" he asked, concerned.
"Yes," Leanna lied. "It has gotten a bit chilly. We should 
get back to the Sanctuary." She made a move to get up but 
Fergus held her fast.

"Perhaps I can help you warm up." The warrior began 
kissing the nape of her neck. Leanna tried to keep her 
body tense, but she felt herself relax into his arms. She 
wanted to stay in his warm arms forever.
"Fergus," Leanna chided, trying to keep her heart 
hardened. "It's late. We should head back. The others will 
worry." He moved so he could look into her eyes. "Let them."
His mouth covered hers and, at that moment, Leanna knew 
she had lost. She couldn't keep her heart hardened, she 
couldn't keep it safe. It was beyond her reach. Fergus had 
already taken it


Conor and Catlin had been worried. They were still up long 
after everyone else in the Sanctuary had gone to their beds. 
The thought that, perhaps, Fergus and Leanna had been 
acknowledging their feelings for each other had kept them from 
forming a search party. but they had worried. Looking up, 
they saw Fergus and Leanna enter the Sanctuary. The looks 
on the warrior and the healer's faces told them they had been 
right not to search. Conor and Catlin had been sitting aimlessly 
by one of the fires. Now they realized it looked like they had 
been waiting up for the wayward couple - which, of course, 
they had been. Desperately, they looked about for something 
to do. Conor picked up a nearby knife and began sharpening 
its blade - with a rick. Catlin intently poked at the fire 
with a stick, almost extinguishing the blaze in the process. 
Leanna smothered a smile. Fergus was too besotted with his 
ladylove to even notice the others. Neither the young prince 
nor the ex-slave were too busy with their 'work' to not notice 
that Leanna went with Fergus straight to his chamber.
"I guess that was a productive day's washing," Conor said, 
looking at Catlin with raised eyebrows. He rose and headed 
for his own chamber. Cat watched him until he disappeared 
down the corridor that led to his bed. She resumed poking at the 
dying fire, pondering the mysteries of love and laundry.


The next morning a messenger came from the Father. Glas 
wanted to see Conor. The prince, Catlin and Fergus prepared 
to travel to where the Father was camped. Tully was now up 
and hobbling about. He had had enough of laying around the 
Sanctuary and wanted to accompany his friends. Leanna saw 
no reason why he couldn't. She offered to come along in case 
his wound should trouble him. His three friends didn't fail to 
notice that Fergus's face lit up at the change in plans. They 
mounted horses and started off.

The five friends laughed and joked as they rode along. It was a 
beautiful, sunny day and they were all happy to be out in it. 
Fergus was in particularly high spirits, regaling them with 
outrageous tales of his youthful exploits. He rode next to 
Leanna and barely took his eyes off her the whole trip. 
After about a half an hour of riding, they reached the Father's 
camp. Leanna was curious to meet this 'Father'. For reasons of 
her own, she wanted to learn what the spiritual leaders of this 
land were like. Conor, Fergus, Cat and Leanna dismounted. 
Tully remained on his horse, nursing his injured leg a bit.
Conor strode up to where the Father stood waiting. Fergus 
followed close behind. Both men dropped to one knee before 
the small boy and bowed their heads in respect. Leanna had 
been checking on Tully but now she turned and looked to 
where Conor and Fergus knelt. She froze as soon as she caught 
sight of the Druid King...and then it was like she was underwater. 
The air felt thick and heavy, as if it would take all of her 
strength to move one finger. Everything but Glas's sweet, 
innocent face seemed to be a blur. The pounding of her heart 
filled her ears. 'The Father? But, he's a boy. He's a child.' Why 
had she come along? What caprice of fate had brought her to 
this place to stand before this child? In disbelief, she watched 
the Father slowly turn his glance from Conor to search her 
out. Leanna was certain that if she made eyes contact with 
Glas it would surely kill her, but she couldn't rip her gaze 
from his face. An oblivious Catlin turned to say something to 
her new friend. Cat saw that all the color had drained from 
Leanna's face. She seemed to be barely breathing. It was if the 
healer had been turned to stone. "Leanna." Catlin kept her 
voice low. "What is it? Are you ill?" Across the clearing, Conor 
raised his head to look at Glas's face. He was ready to hear 
whatever the Father had called him to hear, but he could see 
that the Druid King's eyes were fixed on a point somewhere 
behind him. Turning his head, Conor was startled to find the 
object of Glas's attention was Leanna. Without a word to the 
prince he had asked to see, Glas started walking towards 
where the beautiful woman was standing. A confused Conor 
and Fergus rose to watch him.

Glas stopped directly in front of the healer. They stood 
looking deeply into each other's eyes. 
'He knows!' Leanna thought, the realization hitting her like 
a bolt of lightening. Her body began to tremble. 'By the gods, 
he knows!'Her legs gave way from under her and she fell to her 
knees. Fergus started to move towards her but Conor's hand 
on his arm held the warrior back.
Leanna and Glas were now virtually eye to eye. After a few 
more moments of studying her, the Father spoke.
"You have been forgiven by all but one," his young, yet strangely 
wise, voice intoned, "When you have learned how to attain that 
last forgiveness, then you will find peace."
Leanna's puzzlement showed on her face. How could she ask that 
person's forgiveness?
"But, that's impossible," she argued. She waited for him to explain 
his meaning to her, but the boy just stood there, watching her 
intently.
Conor, Fergus, Catlin and Tully were mesmerized by the scene 
playing out before them. None of them, not even Fergus, had 
ever seen the healer so emotional, so unreserved.
'Is the forgiveness to pass to me through the Father?' Leanna 
wondered. 'Am I to ask this boy to grant me peace?'
Suddenly, Leanna realized whom it was Glas spoke of.
"You mean I must forgive myself?" she asked, incredulously.
Leanna gave a small, bitter laugh.
"Well then, 'Father', I am truly damned."
No, Leanna," he admonished. "Look around you. You are truly 
blessed."
Glas reached out a hand and gently placed it on her head.
"How you choose to live now, those you work to cure, these 
are atonement for all that once was."
For a brief second, Leanna let herself believe she could 
awaken from the nightmare that was her life. This child knew 
things, saw things, that others didn't. Perhaps she could still 
be happy, start a new life, here, with these people, with Fergus.
'No,' she thought bitterly. 'You must earn your happiness in life.' 
The few people she helped with her healing skills did nothing to 
move the balance in her favor. Helping a thousand couldn't do 
that. She deserved every moment of pain this world threw 
her way...and more. That was why fate had brought her here, to 
remind her of that fact. 
Leanna gathered her strength and rose to her feet. Without another 
word to anyone, she took the reins of her horse from Tully, 
mounted up, and rode off towards the Sanctuary. Her four friends 
were left to watch her departure and wonder at it's meaning.

end Leanna part 14

Kaleyna