The Yearning.docx

1、The YearningThe YearningHannah HowellCONTENTSPrologue1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9PrologueScotland桝.D. 1000揘ay!?/p Morvyn Galt woke shaking and sweating with fear. The scent of magic was thick in the air. She scrambled out of her bed and yanked on her clothes. She could feel her sister抯 anger, feel how Rona抯 br

2、oken heart was twisting within her chest, changing into a hard, ugly thing that pumped hate throughout her body instead of the love it once held. Morvyn knew she would not be in time to stop the evil her sister stirred up, but she had to try. She grabbed her small bag and raced toward Rona抯 cottage,

3、 praying as hard as she could despite her fear that her prayers would go unheeded. When she reached Rona抯 tiny home, she tried to open the door only to find it bolted against her. The smoke coming from the house was so heavy with the scent of herbs and sorcery that her eyes stung. She banged against

4、 the door, pleading with Rona as she heard her sister begin her incantation.揘ay, Rona!?she screamed. 揅ease! You will damn us all!?/p 揑 damn but one,?replied Rona, 揳nd well does he deserve it.?Placing her hand over her womb, Rona stared into the fire and saw the face of her lover, her seducer, her be

5、trayer. He was marrying another in the morning, forsaking love for land and coin. She would make him suffer for that, as she now suffered.揜age for rage, pain for pain, blood for blood, life for life.?Rona swayed slightly as she spoke, stroking her belly as she tossed a few more painstakingly mixed h

6、erbs into the fire.揜ona, please! Do not do this!?/p 揂s mine shall walk alone, so shall yours,?Rona continued, ignoring her sister抯 pleas. 揂s mine shall be shunned, so shall yours.?/p Morvyn scrambled to find something to write with. She needed to record this. As she sprawled on the ground to take ad

7、vantage of the sliver of light seeping out from beneath the door, she realized she had no ink. From beneath the door she could see the smoke curling around her sister and saw Rona toss another handful of herbs upon the fire. Morvyn cut her palm with her dagger, wet her quill with her own blood, and

8、began to write.揧our firstborn son shall know only shadows,?intoned Rona, 揳s shall his son, as shall his son抯 son, and thus it shall be until the seed of the MacCordy shall wither from hate and fade into the mists.?/p Morvyn scattered her blessing and healing stones in front of the door, praying they

9、 might ease the force of the spell.揊rom sunset of the first day The MacCordy becomes a man, darkness will take him as a lover, blood will be his wine, fury will steal his soul, yearning will devour his heart, and he will become a creature of nightmares.?Rona felt her child kick forcefully as if in p

10、rotest, but continued.揌e will know no beauty; he will know no love; he will know no peace.揟he name of the MacCordys will become a foul oath, their tale one used to frighten all the Godly.揟hus it shall be, thus it shall remain, until one steps from the shadows of pride, land, and wealth and does as h

11、is heart commands.揢ntil all that should have been finally is.?/p Morvyn sat back on her heels and stared at the door. She could not believe her sister had acted so recklessly, so vindictively. Rona knew the dangers of flinging a curse out in anger, knew how the curse could fall back upon them threef

12、old, yet, in her pain, she had ignored all the dangers. Morvyn placed her hand over her heart, certain she could feel the pain and misery of countless future generations, those of their blood as well as those of the MacCordys.The cottage door opened and Morvyn looked up at her sister.In the light of

13、 the torch Rona held, Morvyn could see the glow of hate and triumph in Rona抯 blue-green eyes. Rona thought she had won some great victory. Morvyn knew otherwise and was not surprised to feel the sting of tears upon her cheeks.揜ona, how could you? How could you have done this?she asked.揌ow could I? H

14、ow could he?Rona snapped, then frowned when she saw the blood upon Morvyn抯 palm. 揥hat have you done to yourself, you foolish child?/p Morvyn began to pick up her things and return them to her bag. 揑 had no ink to mark down the words.?/p 揝o you wrote in blood?/p ?慣is fitting. The Gaits and the MacCor

15、dys shall be bleeding for ages after what you have done this night.?She felt the heat in her stones as she put them away and hoped the power they had expended had done some good.揧ou cannot keep such a writing about. Not only is it considered a sin for you to write at all, but those words could conde

16、mn me, condemn us all.?/p 揧ou have condemned us, Rona. You knew the dangers.?/p 揢nproven. That is proof of sorcery, however,?she said, pointing to Morvyn抯 writing.揑 shall write the tale upon a scroll and hide it. Mayhap one of our blood will find it one day, one with the wit and strength to banish t

17、he evil you have stirred up this night.?/p 揌e had to pay for what he has done!?/p 揌e was wrong, but so were you. The poison you have spit out tonight will infect us all, the venom seeping into our bloodline as well as his. To do such magic on this night, at the birth of a new century, only ensures t

18、he power of the evil you have wrought.?Morvyn stood up and looked down at what she had written. 揑 fear you have stolen all hope of happiness for us, but I will not allow this to endanger your life. It will be well hidden. And every night for the rest of my life I shall pray that, when it is found, i

19、t will be by one of our blood, one who can free us all from the torment you have unleashed this dark night.?br / Chapter OneScotland?435Sophie Hay stumbled slightly as another fierce sneeze shook her small frame. A linen rag was shoved into her hand, and she blew her nose, then wiped her streaming e

20、yes with her sleeves. She smiled at her maid, Nella, who watched her with concern. Considering how long she had been scrambling through this ancient part of her Aunt Claire抯 house, Sophie suspected she looked worthy of Nella抯 concern.揑 dinnae ken what ye think ye will find here,?Nella said. 揙ld Stev

21、en said her ladyship ne抏r came in here; thought it haunted, and he thinks it may not be safe now.?/p ?慣is sturdy, Nella.?Sophie patted the stones framing the fireplace. 揤erra sturdy. The rest of the house will fall ere this part does. The fact that that stone was loose,?she pointed to the one she ha

22、d pried away from the wall, releasing the cloud of dust that had started her sneezing, 搘as what told me that something might be hidden here.?/p 揂nd ye dinnae think this place be haunted?/p Sophie inwardly grimaced, knowing she would have to answer with some very carefully chosen words or Nella would

23、 start running and probably not stop until she reached Berwick. 揘ay. I sense no spirits in this room.?She would not tell Nella about all the others wandering in the house. 揂ll I sense is unhappiness. Grief and a little fear. It was strong here by the fireplace, which is why I was searching here.?/p

24、揊ear?Nella抯 dark eyes grew wide as she watched Sophie reach toward the hole in the wall. 揑 dinnae think ye ought to do that. Fear and grief arenae good. God kens what ye might find in there.?/p 揑 am certainly nay sticking my hand in there with any eagerness, Nella, but,?she sighed, 揑 also feel I mus

25、t.?She ignored Nella抯 muttered prayers, took a deep breath to steady herself, and reached in. 揂h, there is something hidden here.?/p Sophie grasped a cold metal handle on the end of what felt like a small chest. She tugged and felt it inch toward her a little. Whoever had put it into this hole had h

26、ad to work very hard, for it was a tight fit. Inch by inch it came, until Sophie braced herself against the wall and yanked with all her might. The little chest came out so quickly, she stumbled backward and was only saved from falling by Nella抯 quick, bracing catch.As she set the chest on a small t

27、able, Sophie noticed her maid edge closer, her curiosity obviously stronger than her fear. Sophie unfolded the thick oiled leather wrapped around the bulk of the chest, then used a corner of her apron to brush aside the dust and stone grit. It was a beautiful chest of heavy wood, ornately carved wit

28、h runes and a few Latin words. The hinges, handles, and clasp were of hammered gold, but there was no lock. She rubbed her hands together as she prepared herself to open it.揥hat are all those marks upon it?asked Nella.揜unes. Let me think. Ah, they are signs for protection, for hope, for forgiveness,

29、 for love. All good things. The words say: Within lies the truth, and, if it pleases God, the salvation of two peoples. How odd.?She stroked the top of the chest. 揟his is verra old. It must have just missed being discovered when the fireplace was added to the house. I wouldnae be surprised if this b

30、elonged to the matriarch of our line or one of her kinswomen.?/p 揟he witch?Nella took a small step back. 揂 curse?/p 揑 doubt it when such markings cover the chest.?She slowly opened the lid and frowned slightly. 揗ore oiled leather for wrapping. Whoever hid this wanted it to last a verra long time.?Sh

31、e took out the longest of the items and carefully unwrapped it. 揂 scroll.?She gently unrolled the parchment and found another small one tucked inside. When she touched the erratic writing upon the smaller parchment, she shivered. 揃lood. 慣is written in blood.?/p 揙h, my lady, put it back. Quickly!?Whe

32、n Sophie simply pressed her hand upon the smaller parchment and closed her eyes, Nella edged nearer again. 揥hat do ye see?/p 揗orvyn. That is the name of the one who wrote this. Morvyn, sister to Rona.?/p 揟he witch.?/p 揂ye. No ink,?she muttered. 揟hat is why this is written in blood. Morvyn had naught else to write with and she was desperate to record this exactly as it was said.?Sophie opened herself up to the wealth of feeling and knowledge trapped within the parchment. 揝he tried to stop it. So desperate, so afraid for us all. She prays,?So