The Tor part 1

Onagh ran her hand against her baby girl’s cheek. Marveling at the darkness of her hair for only a few elves in their history had dark hair. Finvana watch for a moment the crossed the room to his wife slipping his hands around her and hugging her close.
“My Love she is beautiful,” whispered Finvana. “She will grow with grace and beauty. Her mind will be sharp.”
“Fin, I want the best to guard her. I want a trio for her.”
“Onagh, no child has had three guardians.”
“Fin,” Onagh looked at him fierce in the eye, “She will have three.”
Finvana ran his fingers through his hair. Onagh asked for so little and what could it hurt.
“Alright…”
“Good here is the three. I want Shayndrakka, the golden dragon. Next, I want Killeashandra, the unicorn. Finally, I want Grwyphan, the gryphon.” Onagh’s eyes glittered in the moonlight daring Finvana to deny her the three she had chosen.
“I will ask them…” started Finvana.
“We will serve the little one, Sire.” said Shayndrakka as she back winged onto the balcony. “This little one will need all of our protection and help as she grows. No matter where she goes we will go.”
”Thatsss right ssshe will be under our care,” Grwyphan said with a bow.
Killeashandra stepped close to the crib and blew in Kaira’s face only to hear the little girl laugh and grab at her forelock.
Onagh seemed to calm down a little as the trio reassured her. “Come Onagh, lets go and enjoy our daughters day.”
Onagh gripped the edge of the crib. ‘I feel this is the last I will see her as a baby.’ Smiling she turned to her husband, “Yes, let’s go and enjoy our daughters day. Let tomorrow bring whatever.” Leaning in close she whispered,”Kaira, my love, remember me and know me when next we meet.”
Onagh took Finvana’s arm as he escorted her to the great hall.
Neither noticed the small shadows going into the nursery. Nor did they see the brilliant light from the room. Gone was the hope of the kingdom in that flash of light; gone was the child of the King of the Sidhe.


Kaira St James wiped her hands on her slacks. She had been waiting for the dean to approve her trip to Glastonbury. She had hoped that gain approval to dig near and around the Tor. Legend has it that there were tunnels used in the world wars and that some have disappeared. She wanted to map the tunnels and disprove the myth.
“I think all is order, Kaira.” Sighed the dean, “but you know that it will be hard to convince the people of Glastonbury to allow you to dig at a so called sacred site.”
She sighed in relief, “Sir, which is the least of my worries. I have a feeling it will be easy.”
“Let me know of your findings as you go along. Your parents would have been proud of you, Kaira.”
Kaira’s eyes misted, “I hope so. I do miss them so.” Kaira accepted the packet of information from the dean and walked thoughtfully out of the office.

Kaira loved her adoptive parents. Maureen and Jonathan St James were scholars and help Kaira with her thirst for knowledge. They found Kaira on a trip in a field and went through the necessary processes to adopt her. Kaira grew quickly and healthy. They had thought they could no longer have children and after they found Kaira, Maureen gave birth to two other children. The St James children learned to rely on each other strengths. David, the eldest, kept them together after the accident that killed their parents. Kaira, second eldest, organized all activities from cooking to going to a movie. Jonathan, third eldest, was the comic relief in the group. He kept all of them laughing at his silly antics. However, like the other children he was just as bright. Sara the youngest was the delight of her brothers and sister.
Kaira hated the thought she was going to leave them all behind. However, they all have found families of their own. Kaira was alone. Sarah was the last of the natural born St James to be married. Though Kaira was happy for her younger sister, she could not help to wonder what it would be like to be married. She had all these friends and yet she was still all alone.
She wondered why she never had a boyfriend or significant other. There were times she would have been happy with even a casual relationship. However, that was not in the cards for her. All she ever wanted was someone to love her unconditionally. Someone she could be a helpmate not a bedmate. A man that would let her fight her own battles, yet he would protect her and cherish her for all time. Granted, her friends were always there but to have that special someone seemed only to be a dream.
Shaking herself away from those thoughts was difficult. When she was depressed weird things would happened so she tried to snap out of it before anything could happen.
“Shit, not again,” she groaned.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shape of which should not be, a unicorn.
She turned toward were she saw the shade of the unicorn and gasped. ‘Oh God, I am losing it now.’ There stood a real unicorn.
The unicorn stared at her then turned and walked slowly away into the woods surrounding the campus. As it approached the shadows of the trees it turned back to see if she was following. ‘Why not?’ Kaira thought as she took a step toward the unicorn. She remembered in dreaming of dragons, unicorns, and griffins. She really wanted to know if the beast would allow her to touch it. Following close behind they slowly walked deep into the woods until they came to a pool. It was so quite that you could hear a leaf drop to the forest floor. The unicorn dipped its horn into the water. Then it stepped back as if to allow her to drink from the pool. Kaira, not wanting to offend the beast, knelt and drank the cool water.
“Kaira,” said a soft voice.
Kaira looked up and saw only the unicorn. Shaking her head, she drank once again.
“Kaira.”
Kaira did not look up, “Who is calling me?” afraid that it was the unicorn.
“It is I, Kaira.” Kaira looked up into the soft and ancient eyes of the unicorn. “My name is Killeashandra, your protector. I am one of three. You are needed.”
“Needed for what?”
A mighty breeze buffeted Kaira. Shielding her eyes from the dust until the wind subsided. Looking up she saw a golden dragon.
“Well met, young Kaira, I am Shayndrakka. You have grown tall and graceful.”
“Okay, I am going nuts I am listening to a dragon and a unicorn. What is next a griffin?” Kaira rubbed her temples, “I am going mad.” Shakily she sat down on a boulder.
“Yyessss, Kairrrra, a Grrrriffin that issss what I am. My name issss Grwyphan, we are your guarrrrdianssss. Prrrinssessss you arrrrre needed in the kingdom.” Grwyphan bowed to her then sat down beside Shayndrakka.
Holding up a hand Kaira started to protest, “Okay, you are not here. I am not here. I am in my room napping from packing for my research trip. I know I am hallucinating from the brownies Steve brought me. Yeah that’s it. OWWWWWW.” Rubbing her arm where Grwyphan nipped her.
“Shut up, Kaira. You are not hallucinating and we are real. We also know that right now you can comprehend what and who we are.”
“Killeashandra, I do not mean to be rude but how is it that you can talk to me? How is that all of you can talk to me?”
“Many do not know of the magic of unicorn touched waters. Nor do you know your heritage.”
“My heritage, like how am I to know that my mother and father found me while on a trip to England. I do not know if I am even English.,” sighed Kaira. “I can’t be sitting here talking to things from my overactive imagination.”
As Kaira walked out the grove, the trio looked at each other. “This would have been easier in the fifteenth century when people actually believed in us.,” said Kille.
Shay started to fade, “Yes, but She is not human but Princess of the Sidhe. She needs to be home before all belief of magic fade from her memory. She still radiates with magic and that should help open the door between the worlds.”
“Iffff sssshe can not wait then?”
“Gwyph, we will come to that when we get there. Come she is almost home, be diligent the ones that took her in the first place are looking for her again. I am afraid that this time either they will kill her or she will wish to die.” Kille said cautiously.


Kaira made it to her apartment and poured a glass of mead. She wished it was stronger but the furniture would start literally flying around the room. That was something she did not with her friend arriving any minute to see if she got the approval of the dean for the research. She just poured her second glass when her doorbell rang. Opening the door, she was accosted by her best friend and her boyfriend, “Well did you get it? Are we going? How many can you take? Are you actually heading the team?”
With a twinkle in her eye, “Ummm let me see. Yes. Yes. Five. Yes.”
Steven picked her up a twirled her around. “Yahooooo, we are going to England.”
Kaira’s eyes glazed for a second but Jennifer saw it. “Kaira? What is it?”
“I can’t you will think I am nuts. Hell I think I am going nuts.” Kaira drained her glass and poured another.
“Kaira, you and I have been through a lot of crazy junk. I have witnessed some crazy stuff that happens around you. Flying furniture to things just appearing when you wanted them too. Kaira, there are those who think they can do magic and then there is you who can do real magic.”
“Jen, oh do shut up. You are not helping. I saw things that one should or do not see. Steve and Jen what I am about to tell you must not tell anyone. SWEAR!”
Jen and Steven swore and Kaira told them about the trio.
“A unicorn? Oh Kaira how lucky you are, and it protects you too.”
“Cool, Kaira, a dragon and golden at that. Can you help us see them?” asked Steven.
“Guys, did you not hear what I said; I saw them. Do you not think I am crazy?” Kaira rubbed her temples. “You guys go pack. We are flying out day after tomorrow. You need to pack and I need to sleep.”
Jen and Steven chatted excitedly out the door on dragons, unicorns, what to pack and oh yeah griffins.
Kaira got undressed and slid into a hot bath. The mead and the hot water soothed her nerves as her muscles relaxed. Murmuring how wonderful it would feel to get in a warm bed, she got out of the bath toweled off and slid into her warmed bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillows sighing as she went into her dreams.

Gwyen ap Dudd gazed into the scrying glass. “Show me my one true love.” The glass shimmered and settled on an image of a woman with light brown hair and fair skinned. He wished she were awake. Suddenly the glass showed a dragon’s eye. “Fair one, why do you spy on our own.”
“Forgive, oh mighty dragon, I asked to see my one true love. I am sorry if I intruded.” replied Gwyen.
“Who are you Fair One?”
“I am Gwyen ap Dudd King of the northern Sidhe. I seek my bride.”
“She knows you not nor her heritage. Tread softly young Gwyen or you will have not.”
“As you guide her I pray you guide me in helping her.”
“Well met, fair one, look to your kingdom and when it is time you will know.”

“That was interesting, Kille I met Gwyen.” Shay said softly.
“Oh and what did the Fair one want?”
“To see his true love and it was Kaira. I do not think he was behind the kidnapping.”
“I think not. Gwyen loved her from the start even though he is hundreds of years older that her.,” sighed Kille.
“She is the hope of all the Sidhe. The merging of the bloodlines may save them and would allow the ring of children’s laughter ring through out the kingdoms.”

Gwyen had been startled that the dragon was talking to him. He reviewed the conversation with the dragon. She knows not who she is. What does that mean? All Sidhe knew who they were from the moment they were born. How can she not know? He was sitting on his throne pondering these questions as Galfried walk up to him.
“Gwyen, the ball is almost here and here you sit like your father died. What is wrong?”
“Galfried, if I didn’t know better I would think you are trying to distract me.” Gwyen said with a smile.
Galfried clapped him on the back, “As if I could.”
“Gal I saw her.,” sighed Gwyen, “she is so beautiful. She has a dragon as a guardian. I wonder if she is who I think she is.”
“Gwyen there is only one who is guarded by a dragon. And she is the daughter of Finvana High King. Tread lightly she was taken that night so long ago on her naming day. Thank the goddess that they found out she was kidnapped by the brownies.”
“Yes, but why the brownies? Why did that try to make it seem I stole her? If it was not the fact that you, Gawain, Kaelan, and Maira told them I was in site if all you I would be dead. I know I can fight but Fin would have killed me. Death and grief were in his eyes that night. The wails of Onagh hunt me even now. Cerridwan said all would turn out alright but how I know not the gift of sight is not mine. Gal take Kellen and Riona to the surface. Go to the Tor in Glastonbury and wait. You will know what you wait for when you see it.”

Kaira stepped off the plane and breathed in the air. Granted it was not as fresh but it was not recycled air from the plane. Everyone breezed through customs. Stowing their luggage in the bus they rented to take them from London to Glastonbury, they all were chatting excitedly. No one notice that Kaira was pale and withdrawn. She felt at home and yet not. She found a seat in the back of the bus while the others gathered in the front.
‘I am surrounded by people and yet I am alone.’ A single tear formed and fell from her eye. She closed herself off from the others. She did not want to depress anyone. Jennifer turned and felt for Kaira. Knowing that Kaira wanted to be alone, she came back to the back of the bus for find her friend.
“Kaira? Please do not pull away? We need you just as much as you need us. I know you want someone of your own.”
Kaira shimmered in the shadows. “Jen I am so alone. I can be in a crowd and still be alone. I really don’t begrudge you and Steven or the others. I just feel like I am missing part of who I am. I don’t know how to understand it at all.”
Jen hugged Kaira, “Love you like a sister. I will sit with you for a while. Steven can entertain the others.”
Kaira looked out the window and saw Kille running by the bus. She grabbed Jen’s hand. “Look, Jen, do you see her?” gasped Karia.
“Kari iiiss that a Unicorn, a real unicorn?” stammered Jen.
“Yes that is a real unicorn and look do you see that?”
“Dragon, oh my I do not know if I am excited or afraid. Oh they are so beautiful.,” whispered Jen. Together they watched the dragon and the unicorn keep pace with the bus until both fell asleep.