Page 34 of Father of the Wolf

“Perhaps you will meet them someday. They certainly will like you.”

“Are your brothers like you?”

“Do you mean my magic?”

“No, I mean you as a person.” Or whatever Athair was. Regardless of the fact that he looked like a wild animal, he felt like a person. It was a strange thought. Even more oddly, she wanted to know him better.

“As I mentioned, I have two brothers. They are very different. His far off expression focused on his past this time rather than the distant forest. Acair is my twin, older by an hour. He is strong and reliable. He has always given us direction and a plan. Even when we had little hope, it was Acair’s fierce determination that kept us together through the darkest of times.”

“He sounds like a good man.” Hope thought that Athair and his twin must be very much alike.

“He is. The responsibility he carries is hard for him at times. It was his final decision that we should seclude ourselves from the world. At the time, we felt it was our only option.”

“What is your other brother like?”

“Sgrios.”

She watched several strong emotions pass over him, but she didn’t understand them. They flashed by very much like pain. He didn’t continue for a moment, just closed his eyes and lay completely still. Athair looked very dog-like with his head resting on his front legs.

“I think I have begun to understand him better since the poison. If I do not overcome the urge to turn feral, he will surely join me. I find it comforting to know I will still have family even if I lose myself.”

“Was he poisoned, too?

Suddenly, Athair raised his head and met her gaze, and she felt comprehension dawn over him. “Yes, I suppose, it was a kind of poison, but not how you meant. Sgrios believes he caused the death of many of our clan. It is his guilt that poisons him. He avoids the guilt and painful memories by running with a small pack of wild wolves, and only rarely returning to human form.”

“I see.”

He was looking off to the woods again. This time the sense of longing was muted and all she felt from him was regret.

Maybe she shouldn’t have made him talk about his little brother. The topic seemed too painful for a conversation meant to set him at ease. But what new topic could she bring up that would be easier? “Do your brothers’ names have meanings like yours?”

“Yes, Acair has been an anchor for our people. The seer of our village named him at the time of our birth. Our parents were alphas of the clan back then, and I think they believed Acair would follow them and eventually take leadership.”

She smiled a little at the pride rushing through Athair’s voice. The obvious love he had for his family felt strong and pure.

“As for Sgrios, he was once called Donnchadh, but now he chooses to go by Sgrios, when he answers to anything. The word is Gaelic for destruction. He’s been like a different man since that day.”

Once more she steered the topic away from that brother. “What about the two boys traveling with you?”

“Rath and Dàn. They are both good men.”

“What are their names in Gaelic?” She felt like she could learn an important element about each individual simply by hearing more about their names.

“Our oracles often gave a name and prophecy for newborns, so often the name an individual goes by is related to some deeper meaning. Rath means luck and good fortune. I have always found it ironic that his personality is intensely serious and his nature, quiet and serious.”

“What about Dàn?”

“Dàn is Gaelic for fate.”

What a strange name for a child. She couldn’t help imagining a bunch of old ladies holding up a newborn dramatically and giggling. “How did he get saddled with that name?”

“Even without training, Dàn is a powerful seer and probably much more.”

A fortune teller? Seriously? She pictured one of the side show guys in the traveling carnival. “By seer, you mean he can see the future? That could be really useful for playing the lotto.”

“What is the lotto?”

“Granny’s favorite pastime. Lotto is gambling on a list of numbers. What kinds of things can Dàn do?” A thought hit her, and she stared at him in surprise. “Why didn’t he tell you to just not drink the poison?”

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