The Matchmaker

Title: The Matchmaker
Author: Rimau
Email address: rimaufic@yahoo.co.uk
Fandom: Highlander
Pairings: Duncan/Methos
Date: December 1998 (revised May 2000)
Disclaimers: Not mine, borrowed without permission, am not making any money. Please don't sue.
Summary: Connor MacLeod and Adam Pierson go to rescue Duncan from a homicidal cult.
Author's webpage: http://www.rimau.aeglos.org/

This is my first Highlander story, and it's not your ordinary slash story. I wrote this as a Yule present for my beloved friend and alpha reader Riikka. It's from the other Highlander's POV, but the pairing is Duncan/Methos and the sex... well, you'll see. The reason I originally rated this NC-17 was the violence.

If you get annoyed by a 'last minute rescue', go away. And if you don’t like Connor or Methos all that much, you’ll hate this story. You won't be warned again! Oh, and we all know that after that mess with Byron, they all went back to Seacouver and continued with their lives, don't we?

Special thanks to DonnaR and Raonaid for betaing! All remaining mistakes are there because I’m really stubborn (not a Scot, though) and don’t always follow advice.

The Matchmaker by: Rimau

I ground my hands in my pockets and sighed. I had been searching for this place for over an hour now and was almost ready to give up. Damn, it couldn't be this hard to find one little bar! When I got my hands on my cousin I'd have a little conversation with him about keeping appointments. Probably with the aid of a club. I scanned the street ahead and almost missed the pink neon-sign. Finally! It was getting cold out here. If nothing else, I'd get something to drink at 'Joe's'.

I felt the Presence the second I reached for the door handle. Duncan? Maybe, maybe not. I opened my coat and stepped in cautiously. There were only a couple of customers and I spotted the other Immortal immediately. It wasn't my cousin. The man was sitting at the bar with his back to me, talking with a grey-haired bartender. I assumed that was Dawson.

I walked to the bar, keeping my eyes on the other Immortal. The bartender looked at me and smiled. "What can I get for you?"

Duncan had told me of him, and the Watchers in general, but I wasn't certain if he knew who I was. "You're Joe Dawson?"

The man on the bar stool jumped to his feet and reached under his coat for his sword. I stepped back and mirrored his motion.

The first thing I noticed in his face was the nose. It was quite hard to miss. He had died quite young, was the second thought that flashed through my head. He stared at me for a while and then his eyes widened. He held both his hands out and climbed back to his seat.

I raised an eyebrow. "You really should be more careful. I could be a headhunter."

The man mumbled something like 'Not with that accent,' and then smiled and shook his head. "I was expecting a friend." He turned to glare at the barkeeper. "Thanks for not warning, Joe."

The mortal chuckled. "How was I supposed to know which MacLeod you were talking about?" He took a glass, a bottle of Glenmorangie and poured me a drink. "Here. I believe this is something you enjoy just as much as your cousin does."

I took the glass, but didn't drink yet. I haven't reached this age by drinking with unknown Immortals.

The skinny, big nosed man obviously didn't share my prejudice. He drank deeply from his bottle and then held out a hand. "I'm Adam Pierson. And yes, as you guessed, he's Dawson. It's a pleasure to meet another member of the Clan MacLeod."

I nodded and grabbed his hand. "It seems some things never change. Like my cousin's big mouth."

Pierson laughed. "Well, Duncan is such a sentimentalist sometimes and he is proud of his kinsman."

I hate to admit it, but hearing that made me feel good. "Sentimentalist, you say?" I sighed. "A stubborn fool would be more appropriate. Since he uses his real name all the time, it seems he's incapable to understand that others might like to have a little anonymity. But then again I don't believe discretion is a part of his vocabulary."

Pierson tried to hide a grin and Dawson looked at me shrewdly. "The same can't be said of you, Mr. Nash."

Impressive. Either he was a really, really good friend of Duncan's or these Watchers were far better than I had thought. I decided it was a time for a demonstration of good will and drank from my glass, putting my other hand on the counter, far away from my sword. Words with our kind aren't all that important. Actions are. I saw the two men glance at each other and smile slightly. They were obviously both smarter than they looked.

"I came here to see Duncan. He called me three days ago, telling me he had something urgent to discuss with me. He was supposed to be back yesterday from some tournament he was at, but when I went to his apartment an hour ago, there was no one home. He's never stood me up before and I thought he might be here."

Dawson frowned. "Haven't seen him since he left for that tournament in Stoede about a week ago." He looked at Pierson who shook his head. "I think I should call Timothy Kesti."

"Kesti? Why?" Pierson asked.

"I assigned him to Watch Mac."

"What?" Pierson spluttered. "You put a Watcher on him? Why?"

"Adam..." The Watcher sighed. "Kesti's new. Duncan is fairly easy to observe. Since we already knew where he was going, and why, I thought it would be a perfect assignment for Tim. You know he's into martial arts and he'll blend in perfectly at that kind of tournament."

Pierson shook his head. "But still. If Mac finds out you did this to him..."

I cleared my throat for attention. "Excuse me, but is every Immortal here in Seacouver this familiar and friendly with the Watchers?" I almost winced at the amount of suspicion in my voice.

The two of them exchanged a strange, calculating look and then Dawson nodded. "Adam used to be one of us. We knew each other long before..."

"And we're still friends." Adam's tone indicated that was as far as he wanted to go with the subject.

Ironic. After watching others, he was now being watched. Poetic justice. I kind of liked it.

Dawson excused himself and walked to a phone. I watched Pierson finish his beer and play with the label of the bottle. I decided it would be good to get some more information from the lad.

"So, you're Joe's old friend." It was hard not to smile at the word 'old'. "What about my cousin? You obviously know him, but he's never mentioned you to me."

"I met Duncan in Paris three years ago. I guess you could call us friends."

His words were light, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. I realized that Duncan had probably been teaching the youngster and that the lad wasn't certain just how to describe their relationship. I wondered if Pierson's education was the reason for Duncan calling me here. If that was what he was after, he'd be disappointed. The whole demeanor of the young man screamed 'bookworm', and I was beginning to have a bad feeling about this.

I didn't have the time or the patience to teach the lad. Or anyone, actually. After guiding Duncan through his first, awkward years of immortality, I swore to myself never to go through that again. And it wasn't just for the sake of my own peace of mind. If Duncan hadn't been of my Clan, when he whined for the hundredth time that I was too harsh a teacher, I would probably have taken his Quickening. I've learned many things over the years, but patience isn't high on that list.

Dawson walked back to the counter. I could see from the look in his bearded face that his news weren't good.

"I called Tim's cellular. He's in a hospital in Stoede." He grimaced. "He's been mugged. He told me he had seen some unknown people attack Mac outside his hotel and when the attackers noticed him, they manhandled him too and then left with Duncan."

I cursed. "I think I'd better go find out what happened to him."

Pierson got to his feet. "Fine. Let's go."

I admit that my tone was a little patronizing. "Look, lad. I can handle this by myself. He's my cousin."

"You need us." I smiled at Dawson's words. "You need to know exactly what happened with the muggers, and the only witness is Tim Kesti. And he won't talk to you. You might be less notorious than your cousin, but even if he doesn't know you by sight, your appearance is a dead giveaway that you're an Immortal."

I frowned. He might have a point. "What about my appearance?"

The Watcher coughed. "Well, pardon me, but only an Immortal --or a flasher-- would use that kind of a coat."

Pierson howled with laughter.

I argued with the lad all the way to the airport. I had grudgingly allowed Dawson to come with me, but I thought Pierson should stay home. I didn't want to risk his life. If Duncan was held captive or if he had been killed, the person responsible was most likely an Immortal too. To take the lad into a dangerous situation felt wrong. I knew my cousin would kill me if I let something happen to his student.

Finally I gave in, realizing that nothing I said was making the lad see reason. In the end, it was his head. His decision.

Dawson dozed off right after we took off. I spent all the flight trying to get to know Pierson a little better. I really didn't want the lad to hold a grudge against me. He told me a little of himself and I wasn't at all surprised to hear that he worked as a teacher at the University of Seacouver. A professor of linguistics.

I had to dig out every little detail from him and began to think that perhaps under that open and friendly surface there was a shy young man who was a little in awe of me. I know I'm not the oldest Immortal in the world, but usually people near 500 years are not as friendly as Duncan and I. Of course there was Amanda, but calling her 'friendly' would be an understatement.

After landing, when we got through customs, we rented a car and headed East. Stoede is a small town and it took us over five hours to drive there from the airport.

We checked in to a hotel just after midnight. Apparently the same one Duncan had stayed at. I was a little amazed by the quality of the hotel. We got a conference suite, that had a meeting/living room and four bedrooms. Dawson paid for it. Apparently the Watchers covered all the expenses. We decided to go to the hospital in the morning. The delay made me want to scream, but I knew that barging into a hospital in the middle of the night was impossible.

I woke up at 0700, glad to see that the others hadn't planned on sleeping till noon . We ate breakfast in the hotel's restaurant and then went to see the young Watcher.

Kesti was in a private room. Dawson walked into his room while Pierson and I waited outside for a moment to give the Watchers a little privacy. The barkeeper had been a little edgy all morning and I understood he was worried about his young friend.

After around five minutes we joined them.

Tim Kesti was about 25 years old. His long blond hair was pulled back from his face, but his features were a little hard to see clearly from under all the bandages and bruises. He also had a cast on his left hand.

He smiled at Pierson. "Hi Adam. It's nice to see..." He saw me and froze.

The young man swallowed and Dawson patted his hand. "It's all right, you can talk in front of him."

Kesti's eyes were huge. "That's... That's Connor MacLeod! He's an Immortal."

Interesting. The young Watcher hadn't reacted the same way to Pierson. It seemed to me that talking to a real Immortal upset him more than knowing who I was. Apparently Pierson's status as one of us wasn't in general knowledge. Maybe being a close friend of Joe Dawson's had its advantages.

I walked closer to the hospital bed. "It's all right, lad. I just want to know what happened to Duncan."

Kesti glanced nervously at Dawson, who nodded. "Just tell us what happened."

"Right. I was going to the hotel when I saw the subject..." He glanced at me. "Mr. MacLeod, that is, walking towards me from the gym hall. I tried to act like I didn't know him, but..." He looked at Dawson and blushed.

"He knew you were a Watcher?" The older Watcher chuckled as he saw Kesti's guilty look. "Don't worry. That's not so unusual. Not with him, anyway."

Kesti nodded. "Well, anyway, he told me to say hi to you from him the next time I called in to the headquarters. Then, after he went to his room, I went to the bar and had a few cokes. I was scanning the lobby and saw he'd come back down. He was talking to two men. They were arguing and MacLeod walked away from them. When they followed him to the street of course I went after them. One of them hit him on the head and then they dragged him to an alley. I went to get a closer look and saw there were more men in the alley, all wearing black coats with these weird pictures in the back. When they noticed me, I got my ass kicked. The last thing I saw was a heel approaching my face at warp speed. I woke up here in the hospital."

Pierson was looking concerned. "We need to find out who they were and what they wanted from Duncan."

"Oh, I already know." Kesti looked a little smug as he said that. "I figured, since I screwed up my first assignment, I ought to find out as much about this thing as I could. The nurses here are really talkative. It seems there's this weird cult that has their headquarters somewhere in the forest. It’s few days on horseback from here. They call themselves 'Sons of Odin' or something like that, but from what I heard, their religion is more like a crazy combination of Satanism and Nazism than any real pagan belief. They're apparently very serious with this religion, though; it's not just a place for young guys to vent their frustration. The jackets the muggers wore had their symbol. There have been some murders and disappearances around here but the police haven’t been able to stop them. Some people believe that the cult’s protected by someone in high places. And no one knows how many of them are there. I've heard guesses from twenty to over a hundred."

Dawson looked impressed. "You've done quite a good job here. You'll be a fine Watcher."

The boy smiled a little and then his face grew serious. "There's something else you should know too. These people have no respect for life. Many people who have gone too close to the place they live have never come back. They kill for pleasure. And all the murdered people were..." He looked at me worriedly. "They were ritualistically beheaded with an ax."

Oh, shit.

Dawson patted Kesti's hand. "Do you have any idea why they took MacLeod?"

"I can only speculate, but I think they knew he was a judge at the tournament and they took him to teach them martial arts."

I sure as hell hoped he was right. I nodded at Kesti and then went back to the hallway, allowing the Watchers some more privacy. When they were finished, we drove back to the hotel.

Dawson sighed. "Well, at least we know, now, that it's not about an Immortal. Even if that cult is lead by an one, from the sound of Tim's story I think that the cultists really believe in something. That in a way makes their headquarters..."

I couldn't help interrupting him. "Holy ground. You're right. And if they wanted to kill Duncan, why take him with them? Why not just kill him here?"

Pierson shook his head. "That doesn't sound right. What Kesti said about the ritualistic murders, axes and beheadings, sounds familiar, like I've read about it somewhere." He sighed. "Those idiots give old gods a bad reputation."

I wasn't really listening to him. I had already heard more than enough. It was time for action and I needed to get going. Pierson paced around the room, annoying me. I saw the worried look on Dawson's face and sighed. "I think you two should stay here. I'll go and get Duncan."

"Joe can stay. I'll come with you." Pierson's voice was calm, as if he was just stating a fact.

I laughed in his face. "Look, lad, it's going to be a hard trip to the cultists' place. I don't need you to slow me down. Trust me, I can do this on my own."

He just looked at me and smiled. "You can't stop me. If you try to go alone, I'll just follow you. Besides, you don't have the time to argue with me. Even if Kesti's right and the cultists took Duncan to use as an instructor, we still wouldn’t have time to waste. If your cousin refuses to co- operate, they will kill him."

I was glad he didn't say, 'If they haven't already done that'.

"I think Adam's right," Joe quipped in as he walked to the bathroom. "I'll stay here with Tim, you two go and find Duncan."

How nice! Two against one. I didn't know what to do. If Dawson hadn't been with us, I'd probably have stabbed Adam and left him somewhere safe with the knife still in his heart. He wouldn't have recovered from that by himself, but I could have revived him once my job was done. Or if I was killed, someone was bound to find him someday and he'd be taken to a morgue to revive. But now killing him wasn't an option. Not while the Watcher...watched us all the time.

That thought gave me a chilly feeling and I raised my voice. "Dawson! Is there someone Watching me now?" Why hadn't I thought of that before? I just heard water running and saw Adam grin. "What are you smiling at?"

"Oh, nothing. To answer your question, no, there's no one Watching you at the moment. Except for Joe, of course. You can be sure that there won't be anyone trailing us to the woods."

I glared at the lad. Damn! That meant he wasn't at risk to be exposed as an Immortal. I squinted my eyes. Maybe there was still a way to leave him behind. Kesti had said the cult's headquarters were a few days from here 'on horseback'. "How are you on a horse? Can you ride?" My last chance to get rid of him.

I heard a gasp from behind me and turned to see Dawson standing there, his face as white as a sheet. I hadn't seen him that upset even in the hospital's waiting room.

Adam walked to the worried mortal and put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Joe. It's all right." He looked at me and said curtly, "I can ride."

I nodded and hoped he wasn’t saying that if we walked the horses, he’d be able to stay on. "Then we should go right now."

Pierson grabbed his coat and sword and motioned towards the door. I smiled, but didn't move until he stepped outside. He might be Duncan's friend, but there was no way in hell I'd turn my back on an armed Immortal I'd known for less than 24 hours.

We drove to the outskirts of the town. The hotel's doorman had recommended we go to a man called Henderson. He’d said that his horses were well kept and strong. The same couldn't be said of the man himself. Henderson was a big man who obviously didn't believe in bathing or combing his hair. Fortunately, his horses were in top shape.

Inside the stable, I looked around, trying to decide which horse to choose. Pierson walked to the far end of the stable and stopped in front of a gray roan. "I'll take this one."

Henderson shook his head. "That Ned is one mean bastard. He don't let people onto his back."

Pierson just smiled. "I can handle him."

I didn't know whether to laugh at the lad's arrogance or to kick him in his arse. I know that when a horse-owner calls his horse 'mean', he's not exaggerating. "Pierson, you should listen to the man."

He ignored me completely. "Could I have a saddle, please?"

At least he knew how to saddle the horse. I was a little amazed that Ned allowed him to put the saddle on without objections, especially when I saw the vicious glint in his eyes. Following Pierson and the horse outside, I heard Henderson mutter to himself and raised a questioning eyebrow.

He spat. "I said he won't last thirty seconds. I just hope he won't break anythin’ when he falls."

Aye, me too. It would be hard to explain how he could live after breaking his neck.

Pierson walked the horse a couple of meters from the stable and then stopped. I couldn't help smiling at him as he stared the horse right in the eyes and muttered something. Did he really think that soft words and gentle touches would soothe that horse so he'd be able to mount it?

He moved to the horse's side and then suddenly jumped on his back. He slid his feet into the stirrups and took a firm grip on both the reins and the saddle horn just as the horse's front feet came off the ground. The big grey pranced around on his hind feet for about a minute, trying to get Adam off. Then he dropped down again, still fighting. He jumped a couple of times and spun around as the lad kicked him in the ribs. Then he tried to twist his head and bite Pierson.

The lad just laughed and slapped the horse lightly between the ears with the end of the reins. The horse froze and I could see him tremble. Pierson nudged him with his feet and the horse took off down the road at a trot.

Henderson's mouth was agape. Then he grinned. "Well I'll be damned. That's one helluva horseman!"

I had to agree. Maybe the lad wouldn't be such a nuisance after all.

While Joe and Adam waited at the stables, I drove a few miles back on the road to a store and bought the necessary supplies. Even though we had decided to take two horses to move faster, I thought that after finding Duncan, he'd enjoy having his own sleeping bag.

I selected cans of food, a few loaves of bread, steel utensils and plates, matches, a knife and as an after-thought, one slender white candle. It was once again the time of the year when my bonny Heather had been born, centuries ago. I wasn't sure if we'd find Duncan before her anniversary, and I wanted to be prepared in case we didn't.

I carried my purchases to the counter and paid for them, thanking the clerk, as he handed me a can opener.

"Goin' campin'?"

The clerk just sounded curious so I nodded. "I'm on a honeymoon. She's an outdoor person and insisted on coming here." It never hurt to be friendly, but telling the truth might. I thought for a moment. "I thought I'd get some extra supplies. You know how it is in the woods." I hoped he would believe my lie. I was supposed to be on a honeymoon and yet there were sleeping bags and utensils for three? I must be getting a little rusty.

"You gonna stay long?" He saw my eyebrows rise and chuckled. "Just wanted to know if you needed a tent or somethin'. It's the season for storms. And once it starts rainin' it can go on for days."

Swell. I looked around and spotted a large piece of oil-cloth. "I'll take this. And that lantern over there." I paid for them and walked back to the car.

While I had been shopping, Dawson had somehow gotten a map from Henderson. They had marked the area we were supposed to look. Of course, Henderson called it 'the area to avoid', but it meant the same. The Watcher also pulled two handguns from his bag and gave them to Pierson and me without a word.

We said goodbye to Henderson and I reminded Dawson that if we weren't back in two weeks, he should write the final chapters to our chronicles and get out of Stoede. He looked worried and turned to Pierson. "Take care of him, Adam. Don't lose your heads. And bring Duncan back with you."

The lad smiled. "Survival is what I do best. Don't worry, Joe. We'll be back."

Dawson glared at me and nodded. "See you in two weeks. I'll stay at the hotel." He turned and headed towards the car. Pierson and I mounted our horses and then rode to the forest.

I enjoyed riding a horse again. There is something soothing in the strong, fluid gait of a good mount. The silence was also nice. I wasn't in the mood for small talk and apparently neither was Pierson, judging by his somber look. Being able to be comfortably quiet with him made it a lot easier to accept his presence on this search.

We covered quite a distance that first day and decided to camp at sunset. It was unknown terrain and a few more miles weren't worth crippling the horses. Since we were still so close to the town, I thought building a fire wouldn't endanger us. Pierson fed the horses and searched for firewood while I prepared us a dinner.

After eating, I checked my weapons. I was glad the lad didn't need me to remind him to take care of his sword. We sat silently next to each other, polishing our blades.

Pierson's sword was a beautiful old Ivanhoe. Seeing my interest, he handed it to me, hilt first. I weighted it and smiled. A perfect balance. I returned the sword to him and sighed. "Wonderful tool. You shouldn't trust another Immortal with it, though. I could have done something unpleasant with it."

He tilted his head to the side. "You mean, you could have 'tried' to do something unpleasant."

This repartee took my mind away from the constant worrying and made me laugh. "Whatever. But you can't deny that you would have been quite helplessly unarmed." I looked pointedly at the gun that was on top of his saddlebag, about a meter and a half from him.

"Unarmed?" He grinned at me and before I could notice, he had a dirk in his hand.

God, that man must be really paranoid! I looked at the dagger and frowned. "You have any more those?"

"You don't expect me to reveal all my secrets to you, do you?" At least he wasn't a total idiot.

I shook my head, but couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable. I was in the middle of the forest with an unknown man who was armed to his teeth.

Pierson noticed the doubt in my eyes and sighed. "You're worrying that I might do something stupid. Don't. You're Duncan's cousin, and that means that I couldn't take your head any more than I could take his." He looked me in the eye. "Unless you force me to."

"I won't." And that was a promise.

The second day dawned with a little rain shower that did nothing to improve my mood. I estimated that we would reach the cultists' headquarters the next day or at the latest the day after. Pierson and I were getting along just fine, but I couldn't help getting a little snappy as the hours went by. I was getting really worried about Duncan. Pierson was calm, but I could see this really panicked look on his face from time to time. Poor boy, this must be very hard for him.

By noon, it had stopped raining and it was easier to see and hear what was ahead. And it was just in time. I thought I heard something and reined in. Pierson looked at me and nodded; he had heard it too.

We tied the horses to a tree and crawled through the bushes, to a little opening. There were three men standing there, all armed with rifles and knives. They wore black coats that had axes embroidered on the backs. They were cultists all right.

Damn! I couldn't use my gun. The sound of a shot being fired would alarm any other cultists that might be near. If the young Watcher's story was correct, we were in grave danger. The cultists would protect their territory with lethal force, kill first and not bother to ask questions. I turned to Pierson, only to find that he was gone. I cursed. That idiot! What the hell was he up to now?

I looked around and groaned. Right behind the guards, there was a huge oak tree and in it's shadow stood Pierson. I was so mad I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. Then I would bite his head off. There was no way that skinny little scolar could handle one of those guards, not to mention all three.

I began to inch my way closer, when a sudden move caught my eyes. That young idiot was holding up a hand. When he saw that he’d got my attention, he moved his hand to his ear. Understanding that he wanted me to listen, I still didn't like the situation. I moved closer, preparing to help him.

One of the cultists put down his gun and stretched. With a blur of motion Pierson ran one of them through with his sword and sent a dirk flying to another one's chest. When last man bent down to pick up the rifle he had laid down, Pierson effectively jumped on it, making the gun snap into two pieces.

The guard pulled an evil looking knife from his belt. I scrambled out of the bushes into the clearing.

"Stay right there, MacLeod. I'll handle this." I stopped as he said that. Not because of Pierson's words, but because of his voice. It was...calm. Too calm for a man who had just killed two armed men and was now facing the third. The knife the cultist was holding was big enough to do some serious damage and the lad could be killed if the man aimed at his neck. Pierson's sword was still on the first cultist's chest.

"Yeah, Mac. You stay right there and maybe I won't kill you like I'll kill this little asshole."

Pierson smiled at the cultist's words and then purred, "Give me your best shot."

I must say one thing about that cultist. He really tried. He just wasn't good enough. In just a few seconds he was on his back with Pierson holding the knife at his throat. I walked closer to them, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Now what?"

Pierson was staring straight into his prisoner's eyes and addressed his words to him. "Now, you will tell us just exactly where your camp is and how many people will be there."

The man spat on him. "I won't tell you nuthin'!"

The smile on Pierson's lips made me shiver. "Oh yes, you will." He took a deep breath. "MacLeod. Stay away from this." I saw the knife move slowly against the man's skin.

I didn't intervene, but I didn't watch either. I didn't know how he muffled the man's screams, but somehow he managed, because there was no way anyone could keep quiet during what the lad did to him. After a few minutes, I heard strangled whispers. There was a total silence after that.

While I have seen dozens of battles before and even participated in a good number of them, this was different. It was incomprehensible to me that this shy, scrawny creature was capable of such savagery and my voice wasn't totally even when I asked, "Is it over?"

When I didn't get an answer, I slowly turned back to face Pierson. The lad was squatted beside the hideously mutilated body. He was staring off into the distance, his hand rising slowly to draw a line of blood on his left cheek. He looked like he was somewhere far away. I swallowed. To think that I had turned my back on him made me feel creepy.

"Pierson? Adam, are you all right?" I definitely didn't want to go any closer to him until he got that vacant look off his face. "Adam?"

He shook his head and looked at the body. "I'm fine." He wiped the knife on the body and got up to recover his sword and the dirk.

We left the scene without a word.

We camped by a brook that night. My companion washed his clothes and then we once again sat down beside the small fire. We hadn't talked since we had left the dead cultists behind. I didn't know what to say to him.

Giving me a stare, Pierson sighed and said, "Go ahead."

I blinked. "What?"

"Ask."

There were dozens of questions in my mind, but the most important was of course, "Did he tell you anything?"

He chuckled bitterly. "Oh yes. He told me everything I wanted to know. The cultists have a house less than a day's ride from here, due South-West. There are about ten men there all the time. The others are there on and off. The only time they all gather there together is on their holy days."

That was good news. I had been afraid that all the cultists lived in their headquarters. It was a relief to hear otherwise. "Anything else?"

"He told me that the three of them were the only guards between Stoede and their house." He sounded disgusted. "Sloppy work! He also said he was one of the men who took Mac and put Kesti to hospital." His voice got even colder. "He got what he deserved."

I couldn't really disagree. "Did he say why they took Duncan?"

"Kesti was right. They needed someone to teach them martial arts. At least we know now this has nothing to do with his Immortality." He yawned.

"It's been a rough day, I think we should get some sleep now. The next few days will be hard enough without one of us falling asleep in the saddle."

He stared at me and started to laugh. "What? No accusations? No judgmental attitude?" He cocked his head to the side. "No brooding?"

"You’ve got the wrong MacLeod. As far as I’m concerned, you were right. They got exactly what they deserved." And I wasn't saying that just to humor him.

"So, being a Boy Scout doesn't run in the ‘family’? That's definitely good news."

I had to laugh at that, too. Sometimes Duncan could really annoy people with his 'holier than thou' attitude. I began to lay down my sleeping bag and thought that I could get to like the lad after all. Adam Pierson... Aye, he was a good lad.

I didn't see any reason to stand guard. We really needed our wits the next day and I knew that if someone did approach the camp at night, the horses would make enough noise to alert me.

I awoke to a scream. Scrambling up, sword in my hand, it took me a few seconds to I realize who was screaming and why. Then I sighed and put the sword down. I knelt next to Pierson and shook him gently. "Wake up, lad. It's just a nightmare." He whimpered something in some strange language. "Come on, Adam. Wake up..."

One second I was trying to shake him awake, the next I was lying on my back with his sword on my throat. I lay very still and had to force myself to breathe evenly. "Adam. It's me, Connor MacLeod. Calm down, you were having a nightmare."

The blade was lifted off my throat and then a strong hand helped me up. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

I touched his shoulder. "It's all right. I've had my share of nightmares. I understand." Actually, I was relieved. The fact that the events of the day haunted him made him seem more human after the things he had done today. And the way he let go of me as soon as he realized it was me made me, believe that I could trust him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talking won't change what happened. I just have to accept it and move on." His eyes were full of pain.

I swallowed, feeling sorry for the lad. "Try to get some sleep then."

Adam was already awake when I got up. He looked surprisingly relaxed, considering what was ahead of us. Me, I was so tense, I couldn't eat a bite. Adam smiled at me and got to his feet. "Let's get this over with."

We saddled the horses and mounted them.

As Adam rode next to me, he asked, "What are we going to do when we get there?"

"We get in, find Duncan, and get out."

He laughed. "Well, the simple plans usually work best." He looked down and muttered so quietly I almost didn't hear, "Now if only he is still alive."

We rode a little slower than we had earlier. After about four hours the path we had followed widened into a well kept road. Slowing to a walk, we soon spotted a big house behind the trees. We tied the horses to a tree a few meters off the road and then moved on.

Two cultists were patrolling the grounds, but not for long. Approximately three meters from the house, I felt a very weak Presence. I thanked God we weren't too late. It had to be Duncan.

I yanked the door open and jumped back as four men ran out with axes in their hands. Once again Adam's dirk flew. Seeing one of them collapsing with a knife in throat didn't have any affect on the three remaining cultists, but a sword in the gut did. Adam didn't have any problem with handling the third one and then I rolled away from the last man and chopped his head off. What can I say, I needed the practise.

Adam and I ran into the house. The feeling of the third Presence was slowly dissipating. Then it was gone. I guessed Duncan had been killed, but not beheaded, because otherwise, we would have felt his Quickening.

It didn't take long to locate him. He was lying on the living room floor, obviously beaten to death. Unfortunately he wasn't alone. There were three black-robed men kneeling beside him and an older man, wearing a golden robe, stood right next to him, with a huge, symbolically decorated ax poised right above Duncan's head.

The man --the high priest, I thought--noticed us and screamed. His disciples tried to climb to their feet, but three well aimed shots from Adam's gun made sure they wouldn't intervene. Ever. The high priest's eyes bulged and there was spittle running down his chin. "Too late. You're too late, I'm too late, we're all too late..." He began to sob. "We're all doomed. He'll come for us and we'll all go to hell."

This was bad. There was no way to solve this situation rationally. The man was obviously insane. Nodding at Adam, we slowly began to move closer. I didn't dare to shoot, fearing that if the lunatic dropped his ax, the weight of it would be enough to sever Duncan's head.

Suddenly the man's sobs ended. "No! Not too late!! Not for me! Oh, Great One, take this sacrifice..." The ax rose higher.

Oh shit! I felt like I was in the middle of some stupid horror movie. Any time now there would be screaming teenagers running around.

I jumped at the crazy man just as his ax swung down, knowing that I could kill him in three seconds. I also knew I'd be at least two seconds too late.

I had completely forgotten Adam and as the ax descended, he dove between it and Duncan's body. It hit his left arm and he howled with pain. The last thing the cult's leader ever saw was the blood that begin to soak Adam's sleeve.

I yanked my sword out of the limp body and knelt next to Adam. "How's the hand?"

The lad was pale and he was breathing rapidly. "It's still with me," he groaned from between his teeth. I didn't bother to ask if it hurt.

I knew it was best to get away from there as soon as possible. All the cultists there were dead, but according to Tim Kesti, the movement was larger than just the ten or so we had seen. And killed. I helped Adam to his feet, cut a piece of cloth from one of the robes and helped him tie his arm to his side to minimize the movement and therefore the pain. I spotted Duncan’s sword in the corner, bent down to pick it up and handed it to Adam. I was glad I noticed the Katana, knowing how much Duncan loved it.

I carried Duncan's body outside. I lifted him on my horse and watched Adam mount his. The lad winced and grabbed the reins with his right hand. There was no need to do anything to the place, our business there was done. I climbed behind my dead cousin and once again headed into the forest.

I started getting a little worried when after three hours, Duncan hadn't still recovered from his death. I saw we were near our previous night's campsite and called to Adam. "I think we should stay here until he regains consciousness." We’d probably stay for the night as well. Now that we had Duncan, there was no reason to worry about using firearms and I thought we could handle any trouble.

The lad nodded and reined in. We got Duncan off my horse and covered him with a blanket. I saw Adam bite his lip in pain as he moved his left arm and I motioned him to sit down next to Duncan. "I'll gather some wood. You'd better sit here with Duncan, in case he wakes up."

He didn't look me in the eye and began to pull something out of his saddlebag. There was something very wrong with the lad. I didn't know what to think. This whole thing had felt strange from the beginning, and it was getting weirder every minute. I had expected Adam to be overjoyed to see Duncan, but for some reason the lad once again had that wooden look on his face.

I stayed near the camp and picked up as many twigs as I could carry. Then I headed back. I stopped when I reached the edge of the clearing. What I saw, made a lot of things cleared.

Duncan was still dead, but now his head rested on Adam's lap. The lad was gently brushing the hair off my cousin's face. Then he carefully wiped the blood off his temple with a damp cloth. Adam's expression was soft and there were tears running down his cheeks. When Duncan's face was cleaned, he bent down and gently kissed his forehead.

I swallowed. So that's why he had been so strange all day, the aloofness had been just a way to hold his emotions in check. I tiptoed back to the woods, wanting Adam to have some privacy.

I remembered how I had felt when my first teacher had been killed and understood what the lad must be feeling. If by some chance Kurgan had failed, I wouldn't have let Ramirez out of my sight for days. I might have even kissed him. That thought made me chuckle. The overdressed haggis would have thought I had lost my mind.

I waited in the forest until I could feel Duncan's Presence. Back in the camp, he was trying to sit up. After seeing me, his eyes widened.

"Connor? What are you doing here?" He looked around and frowned. "And where exactly is 'here'?"

"We got you away from the 'Sons of Odin'. They were just about to use a big axe on your neck when we arrived."

His eyes clouded. "Oh, yes. I remember. So you saved my life once again. Thank you, cousin."

"Don't thank just me." I nodded towards Adam, who was standing a few meters from him. "I couldn't have done it without him."

Duncan turned to see whom I was talking about. He saw Adam and tensed. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Highlander." Adam's voice was sarcastic.

"You didn't have to bring him with you." Duncan sounded angry as he turned back to me.

What was going on here?

My cousin looked at his hands and grimaced. Although Adam had cleaned the blood from his face, his clothes and hands were still covered with it. Duncan’s face hardened as he saw that Adam’s whole left side was crimson with blood.

I cleared my throat and gestured with my hand. "There's a small brook there, in case you want to go and wash. I could also get us something to eat..."

"I'll go and wash the blood off me. I'm not used to smelling like a walking slaughterhouse."

Adam flinched. "Duncan..."

It was hard to watch my pig-headed cousin turn his back on Adam, especially after all the lad had done for him. The young man shook his head and sighed as Duncan disappeared into the forest.

A few moments later I followed my cousin to the brook. I usually let people handle their own business, but this was different. I'd watched for days as the lad agonized over Duncan's fate and now my idiot cousin acted like he had been offended by Adam.

Since he hadn't left the range of my Presence,I deliberately stepped on a twig. Even though his Katana was still tied to Adam’s saddle, there was nothing deadlier than startling an Immortal.

"I think you are too harsh on the lad, cousin."

He laughed. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Connor. Go away."

That did it. I hadn’t come all this way to save his sorry arse just to let him sulk and drive me away. I grabbed his arm and turned him to face me. "You stupid bastard! Do you have any idea what we went through to save you? How many people we had to kill?"

Duncan's eyes were cold. "I'm sure he enjoyed every minute of it."

I saw red and before I had time to think, I punched him in the stomach. He fell down and lay there, gasping for breath.

"You really don't know your...Adam very well, do you? Enjoy it? Dear God, if you had seen his face or heard him scream in the night when the events of the previous day came to haunt him in his dreams, you’d be on your knees apologizing to him." I was literally shaking with anger. "He cares for you very much. I wanted to do this alone but he and that Dawson-fellow insisted on following me. And I tell you something. I'm glad they did, since I would never have reached you in time without Adam. I was the one who killed your captor, but he jumped between you and the ax." He had to know that. The lad deserved Duncan's gratitude, not his rage.

Duncan's eyes were full of pain. "Connor, you don't understand..."

"I hate to interrupt you two, but it's getting chilly here and I need some help with the firewood."

I turned around to see Adam. The lad had changed into a clean sweater and had put his left arm into a sling. I felt a stab of guilt. The wound in his hand had to be worse than I had thought if it wasn't totally healed yet and I hadn't even asked him if he was all right. I walked closer to him. "You should take it easy, Adam. Let that hand heal."

He shook his head. "I'm fine, I don't need to rest." He looked at Duncan. "He needs it more than I do."

Did my cousin appreciate his concern? Of course not! He advanced the lad and snorted. "I don't need you worrying about me, Adam. I'm a grown man, I don't need a knight in shining armor to rescue me. And even if I did..."

"I wouldn't qualify." I had never heard the lad's voice get so cold. "I don't even know why I bother." Adam's face contorted with rage. "Fine. You can't stand my presence? You get your wish. As soon as we get back in town, I'm out of your life!"

Adam walked back to the camp. As soon as he was out of sight, Duncan's shoulders drooped. I knew my cousin all too well and I knew that whatever he’d said that had hurt Adam, it had been said in the heat of the moment and was now regretted. He would never admit that though, just like he wouldn't admit the fact that Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod needed help occasionally. At least, not without some goading, anyway.

"He cares for you very much."

"You already said that."

I almost laughed at the petulant tone of his voice. "Aye, but you didn't listen."

He shrugged and I decided to play dirty. "He will leave, you know." I didn't bother to add, 'for good'. He must have seen it in the lad's eyes too.

"He's done that before. I'm used to it."

I looked straight into his eyes and saw hurt and pride warring with confusion. "He. Will. Leave."

He tried to change the subject. "Would you mind? I need to wash myself."

Well, at least I didn't have to think what to say. "Duncan. He will leave." This could get really annoying after a while.

I saw his eyes darken as he finally understood what I was saying. "The hell he will."

I watched him run towards our camp and sighed. There was nothing else to do now, but let them handle it on their own. I sat down by the brook and watched the water flow by. I wondered what had happened between the two of them. They had both been hurt and they had obviously been keeping their feelings to themselves for a long time. I heard voices, but ignored them. As long as the two of them were talking, or yelling, they could make progress. It was good to get things out in the open and a good argument was the best thing they could have right now.

Then I heard the sound of steel clashing steel and jumped to my feet. What the hell were they doing?

I got to the clearing just in time to see Adam send Duncan's sword flying. Then my cousin sank slowly to his knees, with the gleaming Ivanhoe at his throat.

I reached for my sword instinctively, but Duncan's voice interrupted me. "It was a fair fight, cousin. You can't intervene." I couldn't believe my ears. How could I just stand by and watch my only kinsman lose his head. I had to do something.

"You take his head, Pierson, and I'll take yours next," I snarled. I might be fond of the lad, but Duncan was of my Clan.

Duncan's voice was cold. "No you won't!"

"What?"

"If Adam takes my head, you will leave him alone. Just as he will leave you." There was pleading note in his voice now. "Promise me, Connor."

He was out of his mind! I shook my head, holding my sword ready.

"Promise me! Let him walk away, kinsman."

I couldn't ignore his plea. "If you wish. I will let him go. I won't even follow him." But the next time I saw Adam Pierson, he would be a dead man. I put down my sword and walked closer, so I could see Adam's face. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

The lad looked Duncan straight in the eyes and whispered, "Yes. This must be done." He took a deep breath. "There can be only one!"

I couldn't believe it. Adam was actually going to kill Duncan. The man we had came all this way for. The man he had cried for less than an hour earlier. I saw the lad's grip on the hilt tighten and wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't. The blade swung up, in slow motion, just like in a dream, and then came down.

It hit the ground next to Duncan.

My knees gave in and I sank to the ground. I was shaking badly. Damn, I hadn't been that frightened for years. Not after Kane had taken my son.

The two idiots ignored me completely. Duncan took Adam's hand into his. "I meant what I said. I'm sorry I've been an arsehole. And the only way you're going to leave me, is still over my headless body."

So that's what it was all about. That melodramatic bastard! I saw Adam purse his lips together and swallow hard. "Apology accepted."

Duncan's eyes were gleaming. "You mean you won't leave?"

"I do."

I began to laugh. They looked so ridiculous. And that phrase. Dear God, what next?

When I calmed down I saw two pairs of offended eyes on me. "I'm sorry. It just looked like I was going to get a new relative."

Duncan realized that he was still on his knees in front of Adam and groaned. "You miserable..." He got up and playfully hit me on the shoulder.

Adam just smiled enigmatically.

Without that smile I would never have figured out the reason for that nagging feeling of wrongness I had felt from the beginning of this little adventure.

Since both my cousin and Adam were still recovering from the events of the day, once again I ended up making the supper. Duncan eyed his plate suspiciously, but he was wise enough to eat without comments.

I watched the two of them talk.

Duncan refused to tell us about his time with the cult. Realizing that it wasn’t a good idea to push him, Adam talked about things happening in Seacouver. It was so confusing. Before, I’d watched as Adam went through hell for Duncan. Then there was that fight. Immediately after, they made up and now they were acting like best friends. I didn’t know what was going on, and wasn’t sure I wanted to.

I participated in their conversation halfheartedly and instead viewed how they were talking. Their body language and the way they looked at each other was far more interesting than their conversation. I went through the last two days in my mind and the amount of hints and clues that had been right under my nose made me curse. I didn’t know how I had managed to ignore them all. And today. I began to think that maybe their fight had been more complicated than just an ordinary spat.

After eating, Duncan went to wash the dishes and Adam walked the horses. I rolled the sleeping bags open and listened to the lad talk to the mounts as he fed them. I didn't recognise the language.

He came back to sit by the fire and smiled at me. "I needed some practise. There aren't all that many people here who can understand Aramaic. At least I won't bore the horses to tears."

We both laughed. "Well, Professor Pierson, how about tonight's arrangements? Should one of us stay in guard?"

Adam thought about it for a moment. "I think that would be a good idea. If there are any cultists left here, they might be looking for Duncan. I'll take the first watch."

I nodded.

When Duncan came back with the dishes, we lay down in our sleeping bags. Adam sat at the edge of the clearing with his back against a tree and his gun on his lap. I lay there quietly, watching the stars, until I heard a soft snoring coming from Duncan's direction. Then I carefully slipped out of my sleeping bag and walked over to Adam.

"Couldn't sleep?"

I shook my head. "No, I wanted to talk to you in private." I sat next to him and sighed. I didn't know how to begin. "I lied today. To Duncan."

Even though it was pretty dark, I could see him smile. "I know. When did you admit it to yourself?"

"When we were eating. I didn't know it was a lie, when I said it, but now I do. There’s no way I would have let you go if you had taken his head." To thine own self be true, said Shakespeare. And he was right, even though sometimes it hurt like hell. "When did you know it was a lie?" I really needed to know.

"The moment you said it."

I thought about that for a moment. "That's not the reason you didn't kill him, is it?"

"No."

"Actually, you never really even intended to kill him. And the things you said by the brook, you weren't really mad at him, were you? You just wanted Duncan to fight with you. Why?"

Adam's voice was serious. "He needed to let off some steam. And he had to... feel in control of his life again. Fighting me was his decision, not something someone else told him to do. He wasn't mad at me. He was mad at being a victim. Someone who needed rescuing."

I laughed a little. "And you knew just which buttons to push. But that's not the whole truth, is it, Adam?"

"If you know enough to ask, surely you have already guessed the rest."

Nice evasion. "There's more to you than meets the eye."

He laughed. "No, MacLeod. I'm exactly what you see. Just a guy."

I wasn't sure what to say. I wanted to ask him why he had risked his head with that stupid stunt he had pulled with Duncan. I wanted to warn him about trusting other Immortals with that kind of power, even if he was a good fighter, winning Duncan with one hand... Damn, apparently that had been a ruse too. The lad...the man... Adam..."Bloody hell!" So that's what was really wrong.

That arrogant little... I couldn't believe I had fallen for it! "You're not Duncan's student."

"No, I'm not."

"You're not all that young either, are you?"

He was shaking with laughter. "No."

I was quiet for a long time. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Nope. I've enjoyed it far too much!"

"You sure as hell act like a kid. At least now." I couldn't keep the resentment out of my voice. I felt like an idiot.

Adam took a deep breath. "Tell me something, Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. If I hadn't recognized you at Joe's, would you have told me who you are? Or would I be talking to Russell Nash?"

He was right. "Nash." I didn't know what else to say to him.

Even though I was exhausted, I didn't want to leave him quite yet. I hadn't felt like this towards another Immortal since Kastagir's death. I sighed. "Well, I don't care how old you are. What others call you, if Pierson's not your real name, doesn’t matter either. I think I like you anyway."

I guess that startled him a little. "I think I like you too."

"What about you and Duncan?" I had to ask.

It was his turn to sigh. "I care for him very much. But so many things has happened these last few months, I'm not sure if we're still really friends."

"What things?" I cursed. "You don't have to answer. I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's all right. If I didn't want to talk about it, I wouldn't have brought up the subject." He squirmed a little and rubbed his side. "Let's just say that some... unfinished business from my past caught me unawares and Duncan was pulled into solving it. And then one of my students went mad and I resented Duncan killing him. I shouldn't have, he did the right thing, but..."

I nodded. I could imagine how that felt. And still this man cared for Duncan. Risked his life for him. I really wanted to leave it at that, but there was one more question in my mind.

"Does Duncan know? I mean, who you really are?"

The pain was tangible in his voice. "Yes. He knows exactly who I am."

And that was really all that I needed to know.

When it was my turn to stand guard I thought about the things Adam had said. He hadn't really revealed anything to me, he had just made me even more confused. I thought for three hours about the way he had acted towards Duncan, the tenderness, the caring, and the way he had manipulated him, and still didn't understand him. When I went to wake Duncan to take the last watch, I decided to let the matter rest. I was only giving myself a headache.

Waking up late,I was glad to see that someone else had already made breakfast. I visited the bushes and then grabbed something to eat.

Adam was cleaning his sword and Duncan was doing his kata. I shook my head with disbelief. The climate wasn't exactly tropical out here and my cousin was wearing only his pants, going through the exercise. I think Duncan just wanted to show off his muscles. He used to do that all the time I was teaching him. I thought Duncan was being ridiculous and turned to Adam to make a joke about it, but my words froze to my lips at the sight of him.

He was holding his Ivanhoe on his lap, squeezing its hilt so tight his knuckles were white. His eyes were glued on something behind Duncan. I frowned and squinted my eyes, but didn't see anything threatening behind my cousin. Then, it hit me, when I saw Adam swallow when Duncan began to stretch. He was looking at Duncan. I almost laughed. So, I wasn't the only one who was envious of his muscles. Then I looked a little closer. The expression on Adam's face wasn't of envy. It was more like...

I began to cough and almost choked on the bread I had been chewing. Duncan jumped to pound me in the back and soon I could once again breathe properly. "Thanks," I croaked.

He grinned. "You're welcome." He bent down to grab his Katana. "What do you say, Adam? Are you up to some practise?"

Adam smiled a little and nodded. I watched the two of them move a little farther from the fire and then bow to each other. Adam was the first to strike, and Duncan jumped back from the blade. I watched them spar and smiled. They had obviously done that before.

I was glad they had decided to play. It gave me time to think about what I had seen in Adam's face. Desire. Hunger. And the last piece of the puzzle. Love. I wondered if there was something else I had been missing here and shook my head absentmindedly. It was apparent that Duncan was totally oblivious to Adam's feelings.

I felt sorry for Adam. The fact that he was lusting after my cousin didn't bother me. To me love was love, period. At least now I didn't have to think about his motivations and hidden agendas.

Adam and Duncan sparred for a quarter of an hour and when my cousin had landed on his arse for the fourth time, they once again bowed to each other and put their swords away. We gathered all our belongings and then saddled our horses. Duncan climbed behind me and we continued our way back to Stoede.

Duncan had been awfully quiet during our ride and I tried to think of something to say to him. Then I remembered something. "So, what was the 'urgent thing' we needed to discuss about?" I asked lightly.

"Damn, I can't believe I forgot that. I heard about an old acquaintance of ours."

I sighed. So there was an Immortal involved in this.

"Dmitri Kemppain."

I pulled the reins hard and turned to see his face. "Kemppain? Are you sure? Where?"

"I heard his name mentioned while I was at the tournament. I think he lives in Stoede. Or at least he did a week ago. "

I couldn't believe it. I had been looking for that man for centuries and my cousin just happened to participate on a tournament in the same town where that bastard was hiding? "Thank you for telling me."

Duncan looked concerned. "You're going after him?"

"Yes." Oh yes, I'd go after him and I'd kill him and I would enjoy it! "He's going to pay for all he's done." I swore. "I can't believe I didn't even suspect that he could be behind this cult thing before. Remember what happened in Alicante in 1713?" I heard a sharp intake of breath. I guess he did.

Adam looked at me curiously. "What happened?"

I didn't want to talk about it and I let Duncan explain. "Kemppain tricked some people into hunting us down and then killing us. He said we were of the devil and we had to be burned at the stake. Connor and I got away from them. A friend of ours wasn't so lucky. And that's not the only time he's used the mortals against our kind. We've both lost too many good friends because of him."

"But... It seems like this cult has been here far longer than a few weeks. How did he know you were coming here?"

Duncan's voice was hard as steel. "He probably didn't. He could have done all this just to practise. Or maybe just for fun. He's a sociopath."

That was an understatement. If there was just one person in this world I would have no problems killing in cold blood, it would be Kemppain. That bastard was a coward who used others to do his dirty jobs. I’d done some things in the past that I wasn’t all that proud of, but he was different. He didn’t deserve to live.

I nudged the horse. The sooner we got to Stoede, the better chances I'd have to get that monster.

Lost in thoughts about Kemppain, I was totally unprepared for what happened next. A shrill scream blasted through the forest and figures dressed in black run towards us in attack.

There were nine of them, all carrying assorted weaponry, including axes, rifles and one of them even held a crude wooden spear. They ran towards us, shaking their weapons and screaming insults and slogans.

My horse threw me and Duncan off its back and we had to roll away from the range of its flailing hoofs. I jumped to my feet and kicked one of the cultists in the stomach. Then I drew my sword, wishing that I had thought twice before packing my pistol in the saddlebag. Centuries of being dependent on my blade made me sometimes forget that sometimes even I needed a gun.

By some miracle, Adam had been able to remain on horseback and was now charging towards the attackers. He swung his sword, but didn't slash at the cultists with it as I had thought he would. Instead he used the flat of his sword. I didn't know if he didn't kill them because he didn't want to upset Duncan, or for the same reason I didn't want to. After hearing about Kemppain, the tenure of this mission had changed. These stupid mortals weren't the enemy anymore, they were victims.

We tried to use lethal force as little as we could, but finally we had no choice. The cultists were in some kind of a berserk frenzy and they didn't stop even when they were seriously wounded. I grunted and tried to filter my conscience out of the fight. It was them or us.

I ran one of the cultists through and turned to meet the next one and then doubled over with pain and clutched at the spear that was deep in my side with my left hand. Thank God my right hand still held the sword and I was able to eliminate my opponent. His body hit the ground a second before I did.

I was trying to catch my breath. Damn, it hurt! I didn't even try to remove the damn piece of wood by myself.

I lay there, trying to keep quiet, and waited for the fight to end. The outcome of the little battle was fairly predictable and soon all the cultists were down. My companions had been more careful than I had and I was the only one of us with a serious injury.

Duncan walked over to me, his eyes wide. "I...ah..." He stuttered. "Do you need my help?"

Idiot! What did he think? That I was just lying here for fun? "Of course I need your help, you idiot! Get this thing out of me!"

There was panic in his eyes. "I don't know what to do..."

Adam pushed him aside. "It's all right Duncan, I'll do it. I'm a doctor, remember?" He knelt next to me. "Do you want me to shoot you before I'll pull it out? It's going to hurt like hell otherwise."

I swallowed. "Just pull it out." It might hurt, but pain was better than that horribly empty feeling that followed the recovery from death. "I can take it."

Adam nodded. "Duncan, I need your help. Move behind your cousin and hold him tight."

I felt Duncan's arms come around me and then Adam took a firm hold of the spear.

I screamed. I could feel the wood move inside me and it sent every nerve ending into flames. I prayed that I would faint and for once my prayers were answered.

When I came back to this world, the first thing I heard was someone crying. It was a harsh, familiar sound. A sound I had heard many times after a battle. I moved a little and was relieved to feel that the wound was almost healed. I looked around and saw Adam staring at me over my cousin's shoulder. His expression was one of deep sorrow. Duncan was shaking badly and he was holding Adam like a lifeline. I closed my eyes again, certain that my cousin didn't want me to see him crying.

And I needed some rest.

When the sobs subsided, I heard Duncan mutter, "Thanks, old man."

'Old man'? I lay completely still. I didn't think he was talking to me, and though eavesdropping wasn't very polite, my curiosity was getting the better of me now.

"You needed it." Adam's voice was gentle.

"No, I mean it, Adam. Thank you. For everything." I heard him blow his nose. "I never thanked you for what you did for me."

"You don't need to thank me. I know you would have done the same for me, Highlander."

Duncan sniffed. "I'm not acting very much like a Highland warrior right now."

Adam sounded very serious. "You've been under a lot of stress the last few days. It's completely understandable for you to react this way. I know that whatever happened when you were being held prisoner must have been horrible, but you survived it. There's nothing to be ashamed of." I heard him move. "Let's go see Connor. I think he's waking up."

That man should be a psychiatrist, not a linguist! I moved a little and then groaned loudly. They were at my side immediately, helping me up.

I grinned at Adam. "Thanks, doctor. I feel a lot better now."

He laughed. "If you think there are any complications, take two Aspirins and call me in the morning. But only if you're insured."

"You quack," I muttered and then laughed too. I saw Adam's horse standing near by, tethered to a bush. There was no trace of my horse and I glared at Duncan. "Did you misplace our mount again?"

He tried to scowl at me, but couldn't keep the amusement out of his face. "Hey, this time you can’t blame me! The last time this happened was over a century ago. You have only yourself to blame, Connor. You were the one holding the reins."

I sighed theatrically. "Excuses, excuses. Now, try to find it, please." I looked around and this time my sigh was real. "I really don't want to stay here any longer than I have to."

Duncan nodded.

My horse hadn't gone far and it was fairly easy to find. Some of my stuff was scattered around the path we were following and I bent down to gather them, trying to keep my eyes away from one of the bodies, that lay about two meters away from me.

I thought I heard something and walked closer to the body. The cultist had been just a kid, not over 18. I felt bile rising to my mouth. This was just one more reason to hunt Kemppain down and make him pay for all the things he's done. Not just to Immortals, but to these poor, hapless mortals too.

The boy's eyes were open and I moved my hand to close them gently.

He blinked.

I jumped back as he took a strangled breath and began to wail. "Duncan! Adam! There's a live one here!"

The cultist's pupils were dilated with pain and he was trying to whisper something. I leaned closer to hear what he was saying. "I'm...sorry..."

Dear God!

A shadow fell over us and I looked up to see Duncan staring at me. His face was greyish and I could see his throat contracting as he tried to swallow. Adam knelt beside the boy. His hands moved swiftly over the young man's body.

The cultist was crying now. "I want my mama! I'm scared. I don't wanna die! Mama..." His face was wet, but he didn't move when Adam probed his limbs.

Adam motioned with his head and the three of us stepped away from the boy. He sighed. "His back is broken and I think he's bleeding internally."

I felt nauseous. "What can we do?"

"There's nothing to do. We can't move him and I don't think he can survive waiting for help. It'll take us over 24 hours to reach Stoede and by the time the medics will reach him, he'll be dead."

Duncan looked aghast. "So he'll die."

"He'll die." Adam looked sad. "I've seen this thing happen before."

I saw that my hands were shaking and I squeezed them together. Death was one thing, but this... If Adam was right, the boy would lie here in the forest for hours. In pain, frightened, dying. "Isn't there anything you can do?" I hated myself for asking, but I had to. I had to be certain before I could even think about what to do next.

Adam looked into my eyes. I don't know what he saw there, but something made him nod. "There's one thing." He walked back to the boy and Duncan and I followed him like shadows.

The boy had stopped crying. His lips were moving, but he wasn't making any sound. Praying, I guess. Adam knelt down and touched his cheek.

"Am I gonna die?" It was a faint whisper.

Oh my God! That bastard Kemppain! How dare he use these mortals to get us? How dare he send them to die? Their lives were short enough already!

I didn't understand how Adam could keep his voice so calm, so gentle. "What's your name?"

"Paddy. It's short for Patrick."

"All right, Patrick. You're not going to die."

Why would he lie? That wouldn't help the boy.

The mortal closed his eyes and sobbed, "Thank God! I was so afraid!" He swallowed. "But I can't feel my body. I can't move."

"That's because your spine has been dislocated. Don't worry, I'm a doctor, I'll fix it in no time." He frowned. "One thing, before I start. Are there any more men here looking for us?"

Patrick whispered, "No."

"Good. Now we can do this in peace."

The boy's eyes shone with gratitude. "Thank you, mister. And I'm sorry I tried to kill you, I'll never do anything like that again. I just want to go home to my mom."

Adam smiled at him. "All is forgiven. Now, I have to move you a little to make this work. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

I saw Adam lay both his hands on the boy's face. He closed his eyes and then, with one swift motion yanked Patrick's head to the side. There was a loud 'crunch' as the boy's neck broke.

Adam laid the body back down and got to his feet. He didn't look at me or Duncan when he walked to his horse.

I felt ashamed of myself. I had asked him to do that. He had killed him for me in a way. I remembered Duncan's words from the previous evening, about him enjoying killing, and felt dreadful. Adam was really a good man and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt him.

I looked at Duncan. "Don't blame him for that, cousin. He did it because he had to. It..."

Duncan turned his back on me and ran to Adam. I followed him, ready to stop another fight.

Adam was tightening his saddle-belt, when Duncan reached him. I saw him tense. "MacLeod..."

Duncan raised a hand to his lips. "Before you say anything, let me talk."

Adam nodded, his eyes wide.

"What you did was an act of mercy. The right thing to do. I realize you had to do it, and if you hadn't..." he breathed in a gulp of air, "I probably would have. It wasn't an easy thing to do and I'm proud of you!"

I was amazed. That was the last thing I had expected him to say.

Obviously Adam thought so too. He nodded. "Thanks. Shall we go now? We still have a long way to go."

I was quiet during our ride and didn't say a word when we made camp. Our last one. Next day we'd reach Stoede and all this would be over. Duncan and Adam would go back to Seacouver with the Watchers and I'd go after Kemppain. Life would go on.

I made us dinner without comments. I once again watched Adam trying not to touch or watch Duncan too openly and felt like shit. I owed the man. For saving Duncan, for... what he had done today. And I didn't have a clue how to pay that debt.

I watched the flames dance and sighed.

"Something wrong, cousin?"

I looked up to see Duncan frown at me. I shook my head. "Just watching the flames, thinking."

He smiled. "Don't worry. We'll get to Stoede in time. There's a church where you can light your candle."

I blinked. Yes, he was right. Two more days and it would be her birthday. I was surprised he remembered. That gave me an idea. Turning to Adam, I asked,"Have you ever been married, Adam?"

He looked startled. "Yes."

"Mortals?"

"All mortals. That way I didn't have to fear for my head." The ironic tone of voice seemed to come naturally for him.

I turned to Duncan. "What do you say, cousin? Could you ever love an Immortal?"

"I love Amanda."

Adam flinched.

Duncan stared at the fire for a while. "But if you mean, if I could ever be in love with an Immortal... I don't know. It would be complicated."

I nodded. "You think it couldn't last?"

"Maybe not forever. But then again, nothing lasts forever. The only Immortal couple I know are de Valicourts and even their marriage was beginning to falter after three centuries." He looked almost like he wanted to add something, but didn’t.

I wasn't sure what to say next. I really wanted to steer the conversation into a direction where Adam might be able to talk to Duncan about his feelings, maybe not today, but in the future. But I didn't want him to get hurt, and knowing my cousin's conversational skills and tendency to blurt things out without thinking, I was playing a dangerous game. Suddenly I felt like an idiot, playing a matchmaker for my cousin and his friend. His male friend.

Well, at least Ramirez would have been proud of me. I had come a long way from the savage, unlettered Highland warrior he had known.

I cleared my throat. "Adam, what about you?"

At first I thought he wouldn't answer my question. Then he sighed. "I think loving another Immortal would be extremely stupid. You'd have to get to know her or him very well first and then let that person see the true you. Then there would have to be a decision between revealing your feelings - and possibly alienating your friend, or even losing your head - and suffering in silence. Either way, you get hurt."

Poor, poor bastard. Not very good odds with Duncan.

I decided to drop the subject but Duncan however wasn't finished yet. "I think it's worth the risk. There's always the possibility that everything will turn out right. I think that the thing that would hurt most is the regret of missing the opportunity to have happiness. And we have a long, long time to regret."

It had become far too morbid. "And love does bring out the best in us."

Duncan laughed. "You're right. Adam, just look what you've done for me over these last few years. I'm your friend and you've risked your life for me on more than one occasion. That gives some clues of what you'd do for someone you really love."

How could he be so blind? Adam just shrugged and then faked a yawn. "I guess it's time for me to get some sleep."

"Me too. I'll go and check the horses first." Duncan got up and disappeared into the shadows.

I began to roll my sleeping bag open, but Adam's hand on my wrist stopped me. I looked up to him and saw a wistful smile. "Thank you for trying. And for not pushing it."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

"It's all right. At least now I know how he feels about me. I'm his friend, and that's enough. It has to be." He patted my hand and then began to prepare himself a place to sleep.

I lay awake for a long time. This whole thing with Kemppain, combined with Adam's feelings and the upcoming anniversary, made me feel miserable. Like I was some kind of a failure. I thought about love and felt a little better. It wouldn't be long until I could go back home to Alex and John. They were my Clan, just as Duncan was. Duncan, who had never been married, never had had a real family. Losing every loved one to the Game. Losing Tessa after he'd been pulled back to the Game. Being pulled partly by me...

Shit! There I was again, wallowing in remorse. I rolled to my side and wished I was in a real bed so I could just bury my head under the pillow, like a damned ostrich, hiding from the guilt.

"Would you please stop fidgeting! Some of us want to sleep here!" Duncan's voice came as an angry hiss.

"Sorry."

I heard him turn. "Connor?"

"What?"

"Do you think...I mean, has Adam told you anything about his past?" His tone of voice indicated that it wasn't what he really wanted to ask.

I thought for a moment. "Some. I think the old man is a very private person, though." I was going to leave it to that, but then my conscience kicked in. "I know he's older than he seems to be and that he's a good man. That's all."

"Mm hmm. About that talk we had tonight. He sounded almost sad. Do you think I offended him somehow?" He sounded worried.

How did I get myself into this mess? "You know him far better than I do. What do you think?"

"I don't know. I guess I did." He sat up. "Do you think it was the thing I said about Amanda?"

Finally he was getting it! "Could be."

"Then I should tell him that if he loves her, I won't stand in his way."

I groaned.

"I mean I want him to be happy and if she makes him happy, that's fine by me!" He sounded like he was trying very hard to convince himself about it.

"Go to sleep, Duncan!" I really didn't have the patience for this anymore. If he continued with that idiocy, I'd probably strangle him. That would keep him quiet for a while.

"I can't sleep with this thing on my mind!"

Aargh! "No, I don't think he's in love with Amanda! Now stop brooding and shut up!"

He chuckled! "You sound just like Adam."

I refused to comment on that. Thankfully he fell silent and I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep again. Finally, after tossing and turning for what seemed to be forever, I gave up and squirmed out of my sleeping bag. I saw Duncan was still sitting, staring at the embers and sighed. "Do you think we should get more wood?"

He shook his head. "No, it's not really all that cold out here." He glanced at his sleeping friend. "Even though I know someone who might disagree."

The resigned tone of his voice made me laugh.

Duncan moved the embers with a stick. "Connor..."

Oh no. Not again! "What?"

He never got the chance to say whatever he had to say, We both turned to look at Adam when we heard the moan. It didn't seem to be a nightmare, far from it, actually. I didn't know whether we should wake him up or not. There was nothing wrong with having an erotic dream, but I was afraid he might say something in his sleep that would reveal his feelings to Duncan. It definitely wouldn't be the right way for my cousin to discover how Adam felt about him.

Duncan sounded a little embarrassed. "Do you think we should go and see the horses or something? To give him some privacy?"

Adam moaned again and I heard him whisper, "Oh, please..."

Aye, it was definitely best to go and see if the horses were all right.

I nodded at Duncan and we began to pull our boots on. I was almost ready, when Adam sighed and then fell silent. Duncan tilted his head to the side. "Maybe we don't have to go after all."

It was almost as if Adam had heard him. "Don't leave, no..." He rolled over with his sleeping bag and moved his arms restlessly.

I exchanged worried looks with Duncan. Adam was dangerously close to the remains of the fire. These modern day sleeping bags and hot embers were a very bad combination. "I think we should wake him up." I touched Duncan's arm when he started to crawl towards Adam. "Be careful. Last time he had a nightmare, he almost cut my head off."

He nodded and then moved swiftly to Adam. He reached him just in time to stop his flailing hand from getting burned. I motioned him to hand me Adam's sword, just in case, but he completely ignored me. I thought he'd shake Adam to wake him up, but instead he gently stroked the sleeping man's cheek. "Shh...Calm down. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

Adam stopped whimpering and reached out for Duncan. He wrapped his arms around my cousin and sighed contently.

Duncan smiled and whispered smugly, "See, no sword on my neck."

I shook my head. "What are you going to do now?"

"Throw me my sleeping bag. I'll sleep here."

Damn. I did what he asked and then pulled my boots off. I lay down and listened to Duncan trying to wiggle himself into the sleeping bag without waking Adam. I dreaded Adam's reaction in the morning and hoped I'd wake up before either of them. Maybe I could find a way to prevent my companions from hurting each other.

I woke up just after the dawn. I stretched and tried to remember why it had been so important for me to wake up so early. Then I remembered. I turned around and slowly opened my eyes, only to see that Duncan was already awake. At least this way Adam didn't have to wake up in the arms of his unrequited love.

Duncan hadn't noticed that I wasn't sleeping anymore. He was still lying close to Adam and he was staring at his friend. Adam was snoring slightly and my cousin smiled a little and then lifted his hand to the sleeping man's face. What the hell was he doing?

My eyes widened as I saw him touch Adam's temple and then slide his hand gently down his cheek. His fingers brushed Adam's lips. His expression was tender, almost wistful as he leaned closer to Adam and kissed the tip of his nose. When he raised his head, the first thing he saw was my shocked expression.

He swallowed, his face was as white as a sheet and there was panic in his eyes. I tried not to laugh at him. He grasped his boots and after pulling them on, he ran into the woods. When I thought he was out of the hearing range, I began to chuckle. So, Adam's feelings weren't as unrequited as I had thought. Good for him.

I built a fire and made some breakfast. Thank God that evening I could call room service and order something palatable. I'm not exactly an gourmet chef like Duncan is. Too bad he had bolted. I thought it should definitely have been his turn to cook. The smell of coffee made Adam stir and soon he was awake.

"Where's Duncan?

I couldn't help the grin spreading on my face. "He...thought he needed some exercise. I guess he's out there running or something." I motioned vaguely with my hand.

Adam looked at me skeptically. "You two didn't fight, did you?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not."

I felt a Presence and we turned to see Duncan walking towards us. He refused to look at me and began to pack his gear. When he was finished, he walked to my horse. We got the hint and soon we were ready to go.

Duncan began to untie the horse from the tree I had tethered it to, but I stopped him. "I think my horse needs some rest after carrying the both of us all the way here. You ride with Adam today."

Both Adam and Duncan were staring at me with identical expressions of horror on their faces. Gathering all my willpower not to laugh, I scowled at them. "Now, let's get moving."

Being chillier this morning, with the sky overcast, we moved a little faster than the previous day. I spied Duncan from the corner of my eye and sighed. He was sitting as far from Adam as he could without falling off the horse.

Apparently that disturbed Adam too. "For Gods' sake, MacLeod, hold on! I don't want you to fall and break your neck."

Duncan winced and wrapped his arms around Adam's waist. I smiled. Maybe the physical contact would push them into revealing their feelings to each other.

Or maybe not. By noon I was beginning to feel irritated. Those two hadn't said anything to each other all day and when we stopped to rest the horses, Duncan once again disappeared into the woods.

Adam sat next to me and sighed. "You're not very good at these mind games."

I blinked. "Mind games?"

"First you look at Duncan like he is navel lint and then you refuse to ride with him. If you two didn't fight this morning, the only explanation is that you're playing some kind of a mind game. And you're not doing it very well."

I groaned. I guess trying not to laugh had made me look angry. Of course my cousin would misunderstand. He probably thought I was disgusted with him because he cared for Adam or something like that. In a way the fact my own cousin thought I was a homophobe made me a little annoyed. "You stay here. I'll go and talk to him." He nodded and I walked in the direction Duncan had went.

I found him about two hundred meters from where we had stopped. He was leaning against a tree. He didn't even look up when I came to the range of his Presence.

"Duncan?"

He looked at me with his patented puppy-dog eyes. "Just leave it be, cousin. I'm sorry that..."

"You love him?" I could see the answer in his eyes. "Well I think that's just great. You should tell him."

His jaw fell open. "What?"

I laughed. "I think you two would be perfect together."

"What?"

"Just come back to Adam with me. We'll work this all out somehow."

I turned around and started to head back. Duncan ran after me and grabbed my arm. "We are not going to work this out. This is my problem. I'll solve it."

I looked him straight in the eyes and nodded.

We returned to the horses. I motioned Duncan to continue riding with Adam and he climbed behind him after glowering at me.

After about an hour's ride it began to rain. Hard, cold rain. I looked at the sky and cursed. Those clouds could only mean one thing.

A bolt of lightning burst across the sky and a couple of seconds later there was the rumble of thunder. Shit! My horse was trembling and I had to hold the reins tighter. I turned to see how Adam was doing and sighed. He was really sensational with that horse. "I think we should stop until the worst of the storm passes. It’s making the horses jumpy!"

I saw Adam nod and scanned the area ahead. There was a tiny clearing just by the path and I motioned towards it with my hand, almost managing to get myself thrown off the horse as lightning flashed again.

We tied the horses to a tree and then tightened a rope between two big oaks. The oil-cloth I had bought was big enough to make the makeshift tent comfortable for the three of us. Spreading the sleeping bags to the ground, we piled the saddles and the saddlebags to one corner.

I began to pull my clothes off. Duncan looked at me, alarmed. "I don't know about you two, but I'm not going to sit here in wet clothes." I crawled to the saddlebag, where all our spare clothes were, and cursed. "These are all damp too." I sighed theatrically. "Well, at least we have shelter here. We won't get too cold."

My companions began to undress a little hesitantly. I tried not to grin too openly as I lit the lantern and then stretched. "Too bad we don't have a deck of cards. I'm afraid this might get a little boring after a while."

Adam pulled his shirt over his head and I whistled. He didn't look all that scrawny anymore. He looked at me questioningly and then began to peel his pants off. "It seems Duncan isn't the only one in this tent who has muscles." He looked a little embarrassed and then instinctively glanced at Duncan.

I saw my cousin swallow convulsively and move a little farther away from his friend.

We sat in silence for a long time. I noticed that the two of them tried very hard not to look at each other. The tension in the little tent was palpable and I almost couldn't help laughing they both curled into similar positions, hands across their laps. Hiding something?

Duncan wore a pained expression. I glanced at Adam and saw once again that frightening frozen look on his face. I couldn't let that go on anymore, it was time for a more direct approach.

I sighed. "Go ahead, don't mind me. Just try to think I'm not even here."

They both stared at me like I had lost my mind. Finally Duncan cleared his throat. "What are you talking about?"

This time I didn’t even try to keep the laughter inside. "Come on, you two. You don't have to hide it from me anymore. I already figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"That you two are mad about each other."

Adam looked like he was ready to faint. "Connor..."

I shook my head. "You don't have to explain. Actually I think it's sweet." I held out a hand. "Welcome to the Clan, Adam." He didn't take it, he just stared at me and so I turned to Duncan. "What?"

He looked at me sadly. "You promised you wouldn't do this."

"I never said that."

Adam quirked up an eyebrow. "Do what?"

"I think Duncan means that I'm not supposed to mess with your relationship by interfering in any way."

My new friend looked confused. "What relationship?"

Why did I even bother? "It's quite obvious that you two are in love with each other. And it's even more obvious at the moment that you want each other." I looked at them pointedly and saw both of them redden. "I just thought you should know that if you want to do something about it now, it doesn't bother me."

Duncan turned to stare at Adam. "Me... Maybe we should... I mean..."

"Is he telling the truth? You're in love with me?"

Duncan flinched at his harsh tone. Then he squared his shoulders. "Yes."

Finally!

Adam turned to me. "Get out."

I shook my head. "I'm not going anywhere, it's still raining out there." When I had shared a tent with Duncan and his lover, Little Deer, over a century ago, I had found out that there wasn’t much privacy living in the tribe. It really didn't bother me.

"What are you doing, Adam?" My cousin's words were a whisper.

"I'm trying to arrange us some privacy." He smiled and moved closer to Duncan. "After I tell you I love you too, I'm going to jump your bones and I don't need an audience."

Duncan stared at him and swallowed. "Connor, get out. A little rain won't melt you."

"I'm not going out there."

"Get out or I'll kill you."

Well, well, well. Anxious, wasn't he? "I don't intend to watch you two. I'll go to the far end of the tent and watch the rain." I crawled away from them.

There was a silence. Then I heard Adam's voice. "Put the light out."

"Adam..."

"Put the light out and come here. I don't care if he takes pictures. I want you. Now!"

The lantern's glow disappeared and then there was a rustling sound.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about this first?" Duncan's words were choked. I guess Adam hadn't wasted any time to get his hands on him.

"Would talking change anything?" It sounded like Adam was forcing himself to stay calm.

"No, it wouldn't." My cousin took a sharp intake of breath. "Wait, Adam. You do understand... we... have...to...Stop that! We have to talk about this sooner or later." His last word was a strangled yelp.

Adam's voice was full of amusement as well as arousal. "You're right. Later."

I tried to concentrate on the sounds of the storm, but couldn't help hearing the two of them kissing and gasping endearments. I began to think about Kemppain and what I'd do to him when I finally...

"Oh, Gods, Duncan! Yes, touch me, please..." Adam's groan interrupted my thoughts. I tried to go back to thinking of Kemppain, but somehow the images that came to my mind had nothing to do with him, or vengeance. I heard a rustle of cloth and then something landed next to my foot. I didn't need to see what it was. Considering the fact that those two only had their boxers on when they started, it wasn't hard to guess what that crumpled little garment was.

I didn't hear any more coherent words for a while, but there were lots of moans and panting to distract me. And it went on and on. I felt heat rushing to my face and wondered if this was such a great idea after all. The things they were probably doing... I didn't need that mental image.

One of them hissed and then I heard Duncan's voice. "Yes, just like that. I..." He gasped. "God, how do you do that?"

"Do you really want me to answer that? My mouth is a little busy at the moment..." Adam's voice was hoarse and I heard a wet sound, like someone was licking something, nibbling...

I bolted. I didn't care that it was raining, I couldn't stay in that tent any longer. Liberal or not, there were some things I just didn't want to know and this most definitely fit that category. I grabbed my clothes blindly and ran out, hopping into my trousers and pulling my boots on. Nevermind they were wet. I wouldn't catch pneumonia.

The horses seemed to be happy to see me and I went to calm them. The thunder was moving away and now even the rain was subsiding.

How long was it going to take to... I decided not to think about that anymore. I winced as I heard Adam scream Duncan's name. Any Banshee would be envious of that wail. About ten minutes later they both emerged from the tent. They were both fully dressed, thank God, and they looked... disgustingly satisfied. I couldn't help leering at them.

Adam just grinned back at me, but Duncan blushed and then groaned. "You'll never let me forget that you helped us to see what was in front of our noses all the time."

"No. You two owe me."

He just glared at me.

We saddled our horses and this time our riding arrangements caused no objections from anyone. I enjoyed watching Duncan talk and laugh with Adam. My cousin had been alone far too long, he definitely deserved some happiness. Even their constant touching and kissing didn't bother me now. At least they were keeping their clothes on. And with Adam holding the reins, there wasn't the fear for them to fall and break something.

About three hours from Stoede we stopped to eat and rest the horses and then continued on. None of us wanted to sleep outside anymore. I wanted a hot bath, a good dinner and a big, soft bed. It wasn't all that hard to imagine which of those Adam and Duncan wanted the most.

It was dark when we reached the outskirts of the town. We stopped at Henderson's and left the horses there. Ned whinnied when Adam walked him to the stable and the man patted the horse with a smile on his face. He muttered something to it and Ned laid his muzzle on his shoulder.

Henderson grinned and then burst into laughter. "Goddammit, kid. You really know your way with that horse."

The proud look on Duncan's face made me chuckle.

I called Dawson and asked him to come and bring us back to the hotel. When he arrived, I was a little surprised to see Duncan hug him.

The Watcher's voice was gruff. "It's good to see you again, MacLeod. For a moment I thought I had lost yet another friend." He looked at me. "I assume the cult won't be bothering Stoede again?"

I nodded. "The cultists are all...gone. Or at least their high priest and about twenty members are. That should end the movement here, but it doesn't mean this won't happen again."

"So you figured out about Kemppain?"

How did that man get all the information? "Yes."

Adam came from the stable and Dawson grinned. "I see being a nursemaid to two dour Scots hasn't been too much for you, my friend."

Adam laughed. "Not at all. Where's Kesti?"

"He was released from the hospital two days ago. I sent him back home. When I did some snooping around and found out about Kemppain, I thought it was best if he wasn't here to witness the light show."

I frowned. "So Kemppain is still here in town?" It sounded almost too good to be true.

Dawson shook his head. "He left the town yesterday."

Damn! "Let's go back to the hotel."

As soon as we were at the hotel, Adam and Duncan disappeared into Adam's room. Dawson raised an eyebrow. "What's with those two?"

I wasn't sure what to say to him, but then I thought that since he was Duncan's friend..."They just need to talk about something."

"I hope they don't screw it up. Duncan has a tendency to talk these things to death."

"What things?"

Dawson shook his head. "You know what I'm talking about. I'm a Watcher, remember. The way those two look at each other is impossible to misinterpret." He grinned. "It's about time they did something about it."

I was impressed. Maybe it was time to get to know this Watcher a little better. I headed towards my room. "I'll take a shower and then call room service. Care to join me for a drink after I've eaten?"

He was already pulling a bottle of Scotch from his bag. "Ask them to bring some extra glasses. I hate to drink from a plastic cup."

I don't know how many hours passed until I heard the knock on the door. "Come on in."

Adam slipped quietly inside. He looked at the two of us and sighed. "I see you're having a good time. How much did you have to drink?"

Dawson squinted his eyes and tried to focus his gaze on the table. "Just... Connor, is there one or two bottles on the table?"

It was a little hard to tell, when the whole room was spinning. Adam raised his hand. "Okay, I get the picture. Is there a reason for this little impromptu party?"

"Connor here wanted to get some information. About me. And about you too. Don't worry, I didn't tell him anything." Dawson was grinning like a madman. "And we did have something to celebrate. How are you and Duncan?"

I hurried to explain. "He guessed it all by himself. I didn't tell him anything."

Adam shook his head. "You two are impossible! It's not really your business, but... we're just fine." His dreamy smile was all the explanation we needed.

I grinned and raised my glass. "Here's to true love!"

Dawson didn't say anything. His eyes were closed and he was snoring slightly.

Adam sighed. "If you wanted to know more about me, you could have just asked." He looked at his friend. "He's going to have one hell of a hangover. Come on, let's get him to bed."

We carried the Watcher to his bedroom and then headed back to the living room area. Adam grabbed a bottle of beer from the mini-bar and looked at me expectantly. "So? What did he tell you?"

I grimaced. "Nothing. That man is too damn clever for his age. He told me that it was all right to call you by your real name, and when I couldn't, he just smiled and asked me to pour him another drink."

Adam laughed. "That's Joe, all right."

We sat there for a while in a companionable silence.

"How old was the oldest Immortal you've ever met?"

Adam's question startled me. I thought for a moment. "Probably... I'm not quite sure. Ramirez was two and a half millennia old. I guess he was oldest. Or perhaps Nakano, but no one knew how old he was, not even him. Why do you ask?"

He answered with a question. "How did it feel to meet them?"

That was a hard one. If I had been completely sober I don't think I would have answered honestly. "Well... I guess 'awe' would be the most appropriate word. They had seen so much, survived so much... To have two teachers like that has been one of the best things that ever could have happened to me."

"So you admired them for their experience and wisdom." There was laughter in his eyes. "I've read your chronicle. You've never taken a head from a teacher. The oldest Quickening you ever took was Kurgan's. Tell me about it."

I didn't really want to remember that night. I had only partial memories of it. Falling through the air, landing on the cold, hard floor. Hearing Brenda's screams and the sound of shattering glass. Feeling Kurgan's Quickening rushing through me... I looked Adam in the eyes. "It felt...strong. Devastating." I wanted to leave it to that, but couldn't. "It felt good."

He nodded. "The older we get, the more intense our Quickening will be. Hard to absorb, intense pain, but also earth-shattering pleasure."

I shuddered. He was right.

"Who's the oldest Immortal you know of?"

Odd question. "I think it might be Amanda at the moment." I didn't hang out with Immortals like some of us did. Prudence, you see.

"No, I meant who's the oldest Immortal living?"

That was even stranger. "Do legends and myths count?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"I guess the answer would be Methos."

"Right. Now..." We both turned to the door, grabbing our swords. Even though it was probably Duncan, it could have been Kemppain.

Duncan grinned as he saw us. "Two against one? Not very honorable, is it?"

I relaxed and put down my sword. Adam resumed his boneless sprawl on the sofa and Duncan went to the side table where I had put the half empty bottle, to pour himself a glass of whisky. I turned back to Adam. "So, where were we? Methos?"

I heard Duncan curse as he spilled the expensive liquid all over the table.

Adam laughed. "Yes, I believe we were talking about Methos."

I raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, cousin?"

"What? Oh, nothing," he stammered and tried to wipe the table with tissues. I sighed. What a waste of good whisky.

"What about Methos?"

Adam's face was serious. "What would you do if you met him? How would you treat him how would you feel? Would you treat him like you would treat any unknown Immortal? Or would you try to take his head?"

"You must be joking!" I felt offended. "I'm no headhunter! If he didn't challenge me, I wouldn't fight him."

He raised a hand. "That's what I thought, but I had to ask. What about the rest?"

How would I feel? Who did he think he was, Freud? "I don't know. I guess I'd be awkward. That kind of person, with five millennia behind him, has to be very wise and I...Duncan, stop that!" My idiot cousin was coughing, trying to choke on his whisky. I went to pat him in the back and when he could once again breathe, he collapsed on the floor, howling with laughter.

I shook my head. "Honestly, Adam, I don't understand what you see in him. He's just a brat."

Adam was looking at Duncan with an approving little smile. "Yes, but he's my brat." He waited until my cousin had calmed down and sat beside him. Then he continued. "So, you'd see Methos as some kind of an idol?"

All the drinking I had done made it easy to say. "I guess so. I think meeting him would be an honor. And maybe a little frightening." I heard a stifled giggle coming from Duncan and frowned. "Do you think this is funny?"

"Yes! And so would you, if you knew..." He silenced and looked apologetically at Adam. "Sorry."

"Duncan," Adam sighed and then grinned wickedly. "If you enjoy this that much, go ahead and tell him."

I saw Duncan's eyes widen. "Are you sure?"

I was getting really annoyed. "Sure of what? What are you two talking about?"

"About who I am. Yes, Duncan, I'm sure. He's your cousin and I think I can trust him to keep his mouth shut."

Of course I'd keep my mouth shut! What was he thinking? That I'd go and scream his name from the hotel roof? I got up. "How magnanimous of you. However, I don't care who you are. I think I'll go to bed now." The part of my mind that was still rational --and sober-- ordered me to shut the hell up and sit back down. My ego however felt too bruised to listen to reason and told me to walk away.

Duncan laid a hand on Adam's thigh. "See, now you've hurt his feelings. You're not all that wise after all, Methos."

I froze. I was certain I had heard wrong and turned around to see Adam smiling at me. I swallowed. "You're kidding, right?"

His voice was deadly serious. "No. We're not."

The world's oldest Immortal? The oldest man alive? Sitting on a sofa less than a few meters from me? "You're Methos? A five thousand years old man? That is ridiculous!"

But even my alcohol-induced mind knew that it wasn't at all ridiculous. It made more sense than I wanted to admit. I sat down on an armchair and stared at the two men sitting side by side. "Does Dawson know?"

Ad... no, Methos nodded. "He found out after we had known for over a decade."

"What about you?" I turned to Duncan.

"I knew from the first moment I saw him." He probably saw my expression darken and hastened to add, "But since I was looking for Methos and found him," he put an arm around Methos' shoulder. "It wasn't all that hard to guess who he was."

"I'll be damned!" I shook my head. "This was the last thing I thought would happen when we started this little adventure." I began to laugh. "Although helping my cousin find his true love wasn't on my mind either. But now that he has, I think I have to do this properly." I reached out my hand. "Welcome to the Clan MacLeod, Methos."

This time he took my hand and then he embraced Duncan. And then they kissed, quite passionately actually.

I didn't know what to say. Actually it was hard to even think. Almost a bottle of the best single malt combined with this made me incapable to do anything else but to sit there with my mouth slightly open. I felt my eyelids getting heavy and decided to close my eyes for just a second.

I heard Duncan whisper to Methos. "Do you think he'll be all right?" I felt annoyed. Of course I would be all right. I was just resting for a while.

"He'll be just fine! Now, why don't we go back to your room and continue our earlier conversation?"

There was a sound of a kiss and then my cousin chuckled. "I think that would be extremely wise, old man."

Methos growled. "I'll get you for that, Highlander!"

"Oh, you will." It didn't sound like a dare. More like a promise.

I heard the sound of a zipper being opened and then Methos whispered frantically, "Duncan! Your cousin..."

"Has passed out. He wouldn't wake up even if the roof fell on top of him."

I resented that! I hadn't been that drunk! "Is that so?" I growled and opened my eyes. Then I closed them again. Damn! I tried to banish the image of my cousin kneeling in front of his lover from my mind but failed. Oh, well, someday I might even laugh at that. "Would you two please stop doing this to me? If you can't keep your hands off each other, at least go somewhere private!"

The zipper was closed again and I risked a peek. Thank God they were now both decent. Duncan smiled at me a little sheepishly and then pushed Methos out of the room.

I staggered to my bedroom and fell asleep with all my clothes on.

I had awakened quite early, showered, and was having an enormous breakfast when Dawson appeared from his room. The good thing about being an Immortal is that you never get a hangover. That fact seemed to annoy the pale, red eyed Watcher enormously.

"Morning, Joe."

He just grunted. He sat down on the sofa and sighed. "What the hell happened last night?"

"You passed out and I carried you to your bedroom...with Methos." It was definitely my turn to startle someone.

Dawson's eyes widened. "Who told you?" His face paled even more. "Oh, hell. I shouldn't have drunk that much..."

"It's all right. You didn't say anything about his identity. He told me himself."

There was pure relief on his face. "Thank God."

I finished my breakfast and then went to my room to get my coat, my sword and that little white candle. I nodded at Dawson. "I have something I have to do. Would you try to find out where Kemppain went from here while I'm gone?"

He glared at me and then nodded. "What about Methos and Duncan?"

I couldn't resist leering. "They'll probably spend the whole day in bed."

The church was small and empty. I knelt at the altar and then went to the side and lit my candle. I wasn't sad anymore. Too many centuries had passed since she had died. But I felt enormous tenderness for her every year on her birthday. She was the first woman I really loved and in that way she'd always be special.

I spent quite a long time in that little church, thinking about the past, the present and even planned the future a little. I would go after Kemppain, but I wouldn't let the need for revenge blind me. I wouldn't spend the next decade or so hunting for him. I had a family that missed me. And I missed them.

It was raining a little when I got back to the hotel and found Dawson still sitting in the living room. He didn't look as miserable as he had in the morning and he greeted me with a happy smile. "I have good news for you."

"Kemppain?" Could he have possibly found him?

He nodded. "Yes. He was seen this morning in Stockholm, Sweden."

Sweden? What the hell was he doing in Scandinavia? I walked to the phone. "I need..."

Dawson smiled. "I already got you a place on the first plane to Europe. Your stuff is all packed and I made a deal with the local taxi. They'll take you all the way to the airport."

That man was unbelievable! "What about my cousin?" The last thing I needed was him to trail me. I worked best alone.

"Don't worry about Duncan. I'll handle him." The Watcher gestured towards my room. "Now take your bag and go. Remember how long it took us to get here from the airport. Your plane leaves in seven and a half hours from now."

I was already going.

The airports are the same everywhere. Noisy, full of busy people and expensive. I couldn't believe my eyes, when I saw that a beer cost over six dollars! I had over an hour to wait for my flight and I decided to buy a newspaper to find out what was going on in the world.

I looked up as I felt the Presence. Actually I felt two Presences. I groaned as I saw Duncan and Methos coming towards me, both wearing similar smug expressions. I shook my head. Why did I trust that damn Watcher? "What are you two doing here?"

Duncan grinned. "You didn't think we'd let you do this alone, did you?"

I scowled at him. "I don't need a guardian, cousin! I've managed for all these years without your esteemed protection." I couldn't believe he expected me to let them come with me. No way.

Methos put his hand on my shoulder. "We're just accompanying you, it's still your hunt." He lowered his voice. "Don't be stubborn, Connor, please. Letting us come with you would mean a lot to us, a lot to him."

I understood what he was saying. I had come all the way from Scotland to rescue Duncan. Now my cousin wanted to do this to me. If I refused to allow him to come with me, he'd feel inadequate once again. Damn! Maybe the old man really was as wise as I had always imaged he would be.

"All right. You can tag along." But this time, if we needed to go camping, they'd have to get their own tent.

The End

December 1998 (revised May 2000)

Go to the prequel/companion piece/sequel, The Hunt