"But wait. Cate's not that old. I mean, she'd have had to start her training when she was like, four or five."

"She has obviously shown exceptional abilities. Lachlan and Maeve must be good teachers." Ceara took a quick sip of water and continued.

"Druids are not the people your generation have transformed into role-playing pieces. They were not wizards or soothsayers, magicians *

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or dragon-slayers. In Celtic society, they were the intellectual cla.s.s, the philosophers, historians, doctors, judges, teachers, seers, astronomers and mathematicians. They gathered deep in the woods to learn, to share and to tell stories. It is believed they were capable of divination and prophesy, healing, levitation and shape-shifting into animals."

"Shape-shifting? Like metamorphosis?"

"A little. They were brilliant men and women who memorized nearly thirty thousand verses. They were the best of the best, and after Caesar and others tried to destroy them, they went deeper into the woods. They sought security and comfort in the oak groves they so loved. The word itself, Dru-wyd, supposedly combines two words that mean oak knowledge or oak wisdom."

"What do you mean supposedly? How can we not know any of this for sure?"

Ceara shook her head sadly. "The Druid way was an oral tradition, so very little was ever recorded. In many areas, the act of writing down the rituals was illegal. Then, the Catholics came along and converted the islands of Britain and Ireland, destroying hundreds if not thousands of ancient texts that had been written down when the Druids saw their end was near. Saint Patrick himself is recorded as having burned over one hundred and eighty Druid texts in an attempt to convert Ireland to Christianity.

"The Druids, who roamed what is now known as the United Kingdom and parts of France, left us very little information about themselves, so what we do know of them is an incredibly Roman- biased point of view. What we do have recorded-and remember, that does not mean that it is the gospel truth-is that the Druids were persecuted by the Romans, the Norse, the Normans and the Saxons.

And once Christianity made its bid to be number one, the Celtic religions were nearly wiped out. Pockets here and there managed to survive, and even make a comeback, but for a thousand years, their ways were practically lost."

Jessie felt an incredible sadness in her chest. "Then it doesn't really matter what Cate does because eventually, they lose."

Ceara shook her head and frowned. "Again, my dear, I caution you *

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against swallowing all the information historians feed us. Do you not think that j.a.pan's history books tell a much different tale about the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima? Do you not think that some Germans have a different side to the telling of the war? History is a man-made convention with plenty of flaws and inconsistencies. You are in the singular position to actually see it for yourself."

Jessie shuddered. "I don't know if I want to if all it is is one destruction after another."

Ceara patted Jessie's hand. "I've painted a bleak picture, and I apologize. Certainly, there are wondrous things from history that have been recorded, it's just, we aren't discussing the good things that happened to the Druids, because that would not help."

"True."

"The Celts were a strong and brave people who believed that your soul lives on, and since they truly believed this, they fought with a ferocity that scared even the well-trained Roman soldiers. Would you ever go to war against someone who had nothing to lose? Would you battle someone who did not fear death?"

"No way."

"Exactly. The Celtic warriors were unafraid of death because they knew they would see each other again in another life."

"Scary if you were an opponent."

"Very. Julius Caesar felt that, without the Druids, the Celtic people would not be as strong, and so, if you cut the head from the beast, you could then conquer the beast itself."

"And did he?"

"Not quite, but certainly not for lack of trying. He managed to deal some very heavy blows, but after Gaul, he-well, let's just say he had other things on his mind."

"What happened in Gaul?"

"Around sixty BC, Caesar went to Gaul, which is France now.

There, he served as governor and was a brilliant general of over fifty- thousand loyal men. Caesar directed his army in conquering the rest of Gaul, which consisted of the remainder of current France and Belgium and parts of Germany, Holland and Switzerland. He nearly *

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wiped out all Druids in Gaul." Ceara sipped her water and continued.

"The problem for the Celts in England was they were not unified. The separated tribes and clans made it easier for the Romans to conquer. In fifty-five BC, after only two summers of fighting, Caesar went back to Rome, but he still managed to gain a toehold in England. Still, it was enough to start a turn of events that leads us right to sixty-one AD, where Cate and Maeve face a tenuous and not-so-pretty outcome."

Jessie was on the edge of her seat. Finally, she would find out just what had happened to those Cate and Maeve were set on protecting.

As if sensing Jessie's excitement, Ceara held up her hand. "Oh, no my dear, not quite yet. First, you must gather as much information as you can about the Roman occupation of England in the first century.

Then, you'll need information on the Druids on the Isle of Mona, and then-"

"But there isn't time."

Ceara shook her head. "There isn't time to make a mistake, either, Jessie. Whatever information you gather will be used to move as many of their people as they can out of harm's way. If you have incorrect information or biased sources, you could send them right into the line of fire." Ceara softened her voice as she reached out to touch Jessie's hand. "Youth is impetuous. It rushes headlong into the fray before a.s.sessing the dangers. They cannot afford for you to act rashly.

I understand you want to make a difference, and you will, but only if you act wisely and not like a naif."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Slow down."

Ceara visibly relaxed. Reaching across Jessie, she touched the mouse pad and clicked on her browser. "Now, would I be a.s.suming too much if I thought you knew how to use the Internet?"

"I'm a teenager, Ceara. We live on the Internet."

"Good. You will need to narrow down the specific information we need. Of course, you are welcome to come aboard anytime in order to use the laptop. I keep it locked in here, and the key is in the b.u.t.ter dish in the refrigerator. There are chat rooms listed in my favorites section, but don't spend too much time there. We need accurate information, not people's opinions."

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"Got it."

"And don't forget to take notes. When you go home, read everything you've written and memorize as much information as your brain can contain. You'll need to recall as much of it as possible later, when you go back. Whatever skills you acquired in our disappointing school system will need to be at their peak."

Jessie nodded, and then she saw the clock on the desktop. It was getting late, and she wasn't even supposed to be out. "I'll give it my best."

Ceara put her fingers to Jessie's lips. "Remember, it matters not what you once were or what you once knew. Cate believes in you, so it is now time for you to believe in yourself."

Nodding, Jessie realized that she did, indeed, feel differently since the last slip through; differently enough to actually walk out of a shrink's office in the middle of the session. While not a real smart thing to do considering her parents' reaction, it had somehow marked a change in how she saw herself. This was her chance to turn her whole world around-to experience something few people believed in and even fewer had tasted. She wasn't about to let her parents' misperceptions of her keep her from her destiny. Not anymore.

"I'm getting there," Jessie said, as Ceara clicked open her mailbox.

Jessie grinned when she saw Ceara's address. It was all.com.

Ceara typed in her pa.s.sword and then opened a letter from someone from the University of Oregon. "I took the liberty of writing to a professor friend of mine at the U of O. He's in the history department and has written two textbooks about Roman history. He's done much of the research we need."

"I don't know what to say, Ceara. You've been working really hard at this."

"We all have our reasons, don't we?" She pushed her gla.s.ses up the bridge of her nose. "He tells me he has a friend in London who is an authority on the Romano-British age, and he has another friend in Rome who wrote a book on the Roman governors of Roman provinces and that we ought to be able to get something from both of them quite *

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soon." Ceara turned and held Jessie's chin. "Now, here's what you need to find out first. You must make sure their village is called Fennel, and if it is in the area we call Wales. The name of the people once inhabiting that area was the Silures. If you can get the true date on your next visit, that is even better. The more information you can get from Cate, the better. Ask for specifics."

"I'll go back tonight."

"Look for things that will help you remember. It will be much better if you can pinpoint their exact location and date, otherwise, we could give them information that isn't what they need."

"Maybe it's still called Fennel?"

Ceara shook her head. "Already checked. There is no Fennel. Like so many villages and towns of the time, the name was probably Latinized after the Romans came."

Nodding, Jessie glanced over at the clock one more time. "Okay, but I really have to get moving. If my parents know I skipped out on them, who knows what they'll do?"

The villagers met in the deepest part of the groves, No Man's Land to the villagers and Haunted Forest to outsiders. They came carrying little save their ceremonial devices such as herbs, cauldrons, swords and staffs. They left behind everything of world value in homes that were, as they spoke, being set afire so as to conceal any possible evidence of who had lived there.

All told, there were fifty-eight Druids from Fennel and the two surrounding villages of Gaston and Maubrey. They had come seeking refuge and advice; for the Romans had moved from the north where they had already killed, tortured and run off many of the northern Druids. The last message Lachlan had received from his Chieftain was that the Romans were headed toward the people of the rock. They were safe for the time being, but Lachlan did not know for how long.

Stepping into the circle, Lachlan pulled his hood down and addressed the waiting group. "The time is upon us, my friends, when we must choose to fight or flee. Our warriors are gathered together to *

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prepare for the battle Rome is forcing on us. But we cannot rely solely on swords to protect us from the enemy. It is not the warriors Paulinus seeks to destroy, but us. Another warrior can replace a warrior, but we cannot be so easily replaced. We must continue on-our people rely on us to protect them from these invaders, and we cannot do so if we cease to exist. So-the question all of you are thinking is do we fight? Do we fight with our warriors or do we flee so we can lead from afar once the dust has settled and we can try to rebuild our world? Do we take better care of our people by remaining alive and saving our secrets for another day when we rise again to the seat of power, or do we use those very secrets in an attempt to destroy an enemy that, like a lizard that grows its tail back, appears to be invulnerable?" Lachlan waited while the group murmured among themselves. Maeve took Cate's hand and held it firmly in her own. Cate could not look at her friend for fear Maeve would see how utterly afraid she was.

Lachlan held up his hand for silence. "The Druids who were able to escape Caesar in Gaul knew the true treachery of the Roman people.

Though they have called us barbarians, we are not the ones raping women and killing children. We are not the ones invading their lands and taking over their farms and villages. While we honor all life, they destroy it to suit their greed, they desire to create a world where Rome is the center and we are nothing but support."

The crowd murmured again. They did not know that this very speech was being replicated in the mountains where the Chieftain addressed his men in preparation for the coming battles to be fought.

Again, Lachlan waited for silence before continuing. "There are other even more powerful people, the people of the Iceni and the Ordovices who can aid us should we choose to fight rather than flee.

But whatever route we take, we must take it together. To faction off as our tribes have historically done will surely mean the death of us all.

We cannot remain divided and hope to win."

"What of Cate McEwen?" one asked from the crowd. "Has she not been successful?"

Lachlan slowly nodded. "Indeed, more so than we could have hoped. We are so very close to having answers, but the Romans are *

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very close as well. That is why we must make a decision so that we may be prepared in the event that Cate's information is received too late."

"What shall you have us do, then?"

Lachlan addressed the speaker. "I ask that we spend this eve discussing our limited options. In the morning, we shall return to the fire to see what message I will take to the Chieftain. Speak your mind this evening, question each other, and search your hearts for what you truly believe would be best for all of us."

"What say you, Maeve?"

"Yeah. What does Maeve think we should do?"

Everyone stopped and turned to Maeve. Since her arrival from Gaul, the Silures regarded her as far more powerful than most Druids.

She had been able to rise to her power in a country that had been crushed by Caesar, and already, there were legends and stories of her, some exaggerated, some not, and all looked upon her as a strong, guiding force. Her word meant everything.

Inhaling slowly, Maeve released Cate's hand. "I believe in Catie and the work she has accomplished thus far. She needs a little more time; time we may not have, in order to retrieve all of the information we need. Still, we must be prepared for the eventuality that the Romans will attack before we have what is required. We must be prepared for everything."

"And foresight, Cate?" one woman asked. "Have ye seen anything?"

Cate shook her head. "None different than what I shared with you weeks ago."

"Do you still believe you can do what Maeve believes you can do?"

Cate looked over at Maeve and held her gaze for a very long time.

No words needed to be said; each knew what the answer was.

"I have gone further than the others and returned safely. It is a new quest and if I had more time, I believe we could change the course of events. Still, there is help, and I am seeking it. It-is the best I can do."

"Is it true Quinn has not returned from the portal in over two days?"

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Maeve and Cate stared at Lachlan, who nodded sadly. "Quinn has yet to return, it is true, but that does not mean we shall never see him again."

The crowd groaned in unison, memories of past failures looming over them like a group of circling vultures.

Maeve held her hand up and the crowd silenced immediately.

"Quinn has exceptional abilities. I have faith in him as well. Do not give up hope."

"Until tomorrow, then," Lachlan said, effectively cutting off any more questions. "Ian will take our decision to the mountains where the Chieftain will announce to the warriors what needs be done. Be well this night."

As the members of the order wandered over to the fire to sit and converse about the decision facing them, Maeve turned to Cate and stared down into her face. "There is not much more time, my love."

Cate stood erect, unblinking. "I know."

Lightly touching her cheek, Maeve gently pulled her into an embrace. "We will get through this."

Nodding, Cate felt the mounting pressure of her task and a small window of fear open up inside her. Would Jessie come through for them? Cate could only pray she would.