Lost
and Found
Gideon had spent most of the day in Edan,
helping with things, including feeding the cougar kittens during their short
stay in town before Tom Kirby and the new woman, Wyoming Davis, left for
Esperanza in a cart. So, it was later than usual when he saddled up Shorty and
started down the road. He was just about to Carol's place, when the wind and the
rain hit. Gideon pulled his horse up, trying to think of where the closest
shelter would be. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning hit a nearby tree!
Shorty reared, terrified of the explosion
of noise and the bright flash of light. Somehow, Gideon managed to stay on as
the horse took off at a dead run through the trees.
But when Shorty slipped and stumbled on the slick ground, Gideon went
tumbling over his shoulder, landing hard on the ground. By the time he managed
to raise up, Gideon’s horse was long gone.
****
The Old One sent out a call to all his
lovely ladies. The storm he had
been awaiting was here, and he wanted to be sure none of the mortals found
themselves in any real Danger.
All of the Fae gathered in their glen,
unaffected by the wind and rain, to see where he would send them.
Shannon immediately said she wanted to see if Gideon was safe.
The Old One, nodding, bid her to her task, then turned to the others as
she left.
Shannon made her way to Gideon's cottage,
arriving at the same time as a man she that she knew was new to Edan, but had
not actually met yet.
"Have you seen Gideon?" he
asked. He was holding Shorty's reins. "His horse came galloping up to
Katherine's place without him. She sent me here to check up on him."
One look at the man, and she froze.
"I know who you are," she said, her hand on her belly.
Andrew saw the look and grabbed for her
arm. "No," he said,
"That's not it at all! I've been reassigned for the time being," he
explained. "I've known Gideon for a while now. He also knew what I was the
first time he saw me. He is my friend. And I'm worried about him!"
"But he's not going
to...to...?" she asked, trembling. "It's
his baby I'm carrying."
Andrew was caught completely off guard.
"His? How..." he sputtered. "Oh, you must be his friend Shannon!
That is wonderful news! You must tell me all about it! After we find him!"
He closed his eyes, a far away look on his face as he searched for his friend.
"He's lost," Andrew said. "And scared. There are trees all
around him."
Shannon took a deep breath. Time to put
her own fears aside and concentrate. "I
can feel him. Shorty threw him . .
. but he was spooked, so the place of the accident is . . ."
She closed her eyes tighter. "That
way," she pointed. "Let's
go!"
"Stay here out of this rain!"
he suggested, "I'll go get him!"
She eyed him levelly. "I don't catch colds," she said, "and I am
immortal. The rest of my sisters
are out finding mortals, and I *will* find Gideon!"
"But you are pregnant!" he
said. "You don't want to risk the child, do you?"
"The child will be protected!
And I am not the only pregnant fae out tonight.
Come, stop arguing and let's find Gideon, before this child never knows
how special his father was."
The two of them went in the direction
that Shannon had indicated, leading Shorty behind them in case they needed to
put Gideon up on him. A short time later, they found him, sitting under a tree
and shaking from both the cold of the rain and fear.
Seeing Andrew and Shannon, he managed a
wave and a big relieved smile but when he tried to get up, he fell back down.
"Shorty got scared and ran away, and I fell off,” Gideon told them when
they ran up to him. “I didn't know where I was, and I couldn’t walk so I
hugged a tree."
"Trees are good," Shannon said
soothingly. "They will help
you. But they can't lead you home.
Andrew and I will do that."
"Andrew is my friend," he said
as they helped him to his feet. "He was always there when I was really
sick. My leg really hurts. Is it broken?" He was leaning heavily onto
Andrew, and not putting any weight on one leg.
Shannon concentrated again.
She couldn't tell, but she did know who could.
And where she was. "Get
him up on Shorty," she said to Andrew, "and let's take her to Kat's.
Ancelin's there, for some reason. I
hope Kat is okay." She only
knew where her healing sister was, not her errand.
Andrew's eyes widened. "She was fine
when I left! She and John Clayton were getting all the animals under cover.
Here, you get on behind Gideon," he said, holding out a hand to boost her
up. "We can travel faster that way!"
Shannon gave him a twisted sort of a
smirk, and then levitated off the ground. "C'mon
Angel boy," she said, "You're slowing us down!"
Not for long. Taking the reins in his
hand, Andrew took off at a run, with Shorty cantering behind him. Gideon was
hanging onto Shorty's mane and smiling, enjoying the fast ride even though his
leg hurt every time it bounced against the horse’s side. They took the most
direct route, and when they got to Kat's place, they saw that one corner of the
barn had collapsed.
Shannon ran into the barn, but no one was
there. She next went for the house.
Andrew meanwhile was helping Gideon down off the horse.
She found Katherine resting on the couch with her head in John Clayton's lap. The jungle man was making little soothing sounds to her as he stroked her hair. Ancelin was bringing her some tea.
"Corner got her when it
collapsed," said Shannon's sister. "She's
all right, but she's having cramps."
"Is it labor?" asked Shannon.
Ancelin looked grave.
"I did what I could," she
answered. Usually that was enough.
After all, if she could cure consumption, she should be able to put off
premature labor!
Kat sat up slowly when Ancelin brought
her the herbal tea. "What ever she did seems to have worked," she told
Shannon. "And this special blend of herbal tea should help keep the labor
from starting up again." She paused as the door opened again, and Andrew
helped the hobbling Gideon into the house.
Ancelin rushed to his side.
Placing a hand on Gideon's knee she concentrated for a moment, then
smiled. "Bruised, maybe
strained, but not broken." As
she spoke, she moved her hand slightly, and Gideon smiled.
The pain was gone just that quickly.