Soren could feel Ran’s distress and went to Orphir to find her. She stood motionless at the water’s edge and so he took her into himself and merged with her. The thick cloud filled with wind and water floated out over the water.
Hold me,she said.
I am here.
They just remained there together in one form until they heard de Gifford’s voice and felt his approach. Separating, they took human form on the beach before him.
“Is that how you will uncover it?” de Gifford asked, smiling, clearly excited by the coming events.
“I believe so,” Soren said. Ran nodded. Something had disturbed her deeply. “As storm and water, we can push away the water and open the site.”
“There are two rings of stones under the water,” Ran said. “I saw them earlier today.”
A chill went through the air and a keening sound echoed across the waters as the moon rose over the eastern horizon and the sun dropped below it in the west. He looked at de Gifford and then at Ran and nodded.
“’Tis time.” His own voice echoed across the beach and he looked at Ran. Her eyes glowed brilliant turquoise now as she reached for his hand.
“We will meet at Stenness,” Hugh said.
“My father?” Ran asked, turning her gaze on de Gifford.
“I will take him and the priest there,” Hugh said. “They have actually been sent on ahead of us.” De Gifford motioned to his men to move out. “Wait until I arrive and then uncover the circle. Once you have done that, I will bring the priest to you and you begin the ceremony.”
Soren nodded as did Ran.
“I will kill him if I think you are betraying me,” de Gifford warned. “And then I will kill the priest.”
“I will see him alive before I open the circle to you,” Ran said quietly. “And I will see him alive before I carry out the ritual. If he dies—” Her words drifted off.
“Since we have all entered this bargain willingly, let us be done with the threats. We all have great things to gain in this endeavor,” Soren said in a voice that sounded very different to him.
De Gifford left them, traveling to Stenness in his own manner. Soren took Ran’s hand in his.
My love, it has been too long since I held you.
The words were not his, but he said them in their thoughts to her. She smiled back at him, walking into his embrace. Soren felt as though it was the first time he’d held her.
Taranis, my love. I have longed for you over these centuries,she said.
Nantosuelta,they said.Come, let us carry out the ceremony.
The voice in which he spoke was both foreign and familiar to him, for it was part of him and part of the god who now lived within him.
Merging your souls released us into you,Taranis said.
Now we are you,his goddess wife said.
In a moment, they were at the place between the lakes.
“There,” Ran said, pointing to the area between Brodgar’s Ring and the burial cairn on the opposite shore. “The circle lies there.”
They turned and watched Hugh enter. He did indeed move between torches, ones his men must have placed in preparation. On the shore there, a wagon holding Ander and her father sat waiting. When Hugh stood before them, he nodded at his men. Ander was helped from the cart and walked toward them. Svein was carried over and laid before them.
Soren led Ran to the edge of the lake, across the path from the stones, and held out his hand to her. Embracing her, he lifted up into the sky and moved out over the lake to the place she’d indicated. From here, even in the gloaming, he could see something under the water. “Give me your strength, Soren,” Ran and the goddess said.
He began the merging, spinning faster and faster, letting the winds free to form a huge storm over the lake. She added her water to it and they grew. Lightning shot into the sky and into the lake.
Waters, move!The goddess called out from the storm. Soren guided the heavy spinning clouds down to the lake, adding his winds to the force pushing the waters away from the circle. He expanded, wider and wider, stronger and stronger, until they became a cyclone over the circle. When the water cleared away, he pushed deeper and harder to clear the accumulations of silt and debris from within the rings. Finally, the stone-inlaid floor was visible and he knew he’d reached the bottom of the structure.
