Heart of Stone Ch. 07

"Dorian disliked being in a position where he actually had to DO something that might be unpopular, the only way he would agree to be involved at all was if he could keep records and nothing more. Your ancestor, Cyril, knew that he wanted one cohesive group so he agreed. From all accounts, he was also a very forward-thinking man. Dorian's son took his father's view of involvement, his grandson didn't, but, he had very little natural ability. We still keep records, but we've also developed and nurtured our skill as well. Is there more coffee?" Andy asked.

"I think there's more in the pot." She picked it up and refilled everyone's cup and let them add the sugar and milk themselves. "Let me see if I understand this, each person is born with a certain level of natural magical ability and even if that ability is nurtured they can't go beyond that natural level."

"Yes. That changes as the skill travels down through the generations. Once someone is trained, if they have a child the child's natural ability will surpass that of the parent. It's all rather Lamarckian* in a way." Robbie said.

"What if that child remains untrained?" Mary asked.

"The level of natural skill doesn't grow or lessen in succeeding generations. Now if both parents are trained things get complicated." Robbie chuckled. Mary was curious but decided that was a topic for another time.

"What do you do in the group?" She asked him.

"I'm a historian as well. I keep the history of the gargoyles, until they can do it themselves. At the moment though, that's more along the lines of just keeping track of where they all are, and if they're still in existence. Admittedly, that doesn't take a great deal of time, so the focus has been on gaining skill. In that department, my family is second to yours." He smiled. "I've helped train the others since Ambrose's passing. Another admission, you had been told that several were destroyed when you were first searching. You have to understand that we didn't know you at the time and we had no idea what your intentions were."

"You mean those others still exist?" Mary asked.

"Yes. The only one that my family sheltered." Robbie said.

"This is a lot to take in." Mary shook her head, feeling like every question they answered spawned a thousand more. "And our visitor?"

Andy and Robbie looked at each other.

"We've no idea who he is." Andy said. "We have a general idea of what he's doing and we know he's exceptionally powerful. Robbie's father would not have been easily influenced."

"Aiden believes that he isn't human." It took Mary a moment to realize why both men were staring at her. "Aiden is the one I woke." She explained.

"Aiden, son of Darius?" Robbie sounded as if he was trying to convince himself.

"Yes. You knew he was here though, didn't you?" Mary was suddenly nervous, feeling as though she might have made a mistake.

"Yes I knew, but when I saw Esme in the garden I thought it might have been her." Robbie paused a moment, considering something. "Could we meet him?" He said finally.

"I don't know-"

"Mary," Aiden spoke softly from the the door. Mary had been so engrossed in the conversation that she hadn't heard the door open. Both men turned quickly, their eyes and mouths wide. "They know. Refusing now is without point." He smiled softly at her and then turned to the two shocked guests. He looked from one to the other, as if trying to place the two men that he had never met. Robbie was the first to regain some limited composure.

"Hello." Was all he could manage.

"You are the Barnaby." Aiden said to him with certainty.

"Yes." The surprised man responded. "How did you-"

"You have your ancestor's nose." Aiden smiled benignly and then then looked at Andy. Mary pulled Aiden's large chair over so that he could feel a part of group. "And unless I am mistaken you are an Alwynn."

"C-Cranmore now." Mary remembered that feeling of shock and awe. Aiden sat down and nodded.

"When Mary told me your name I could not place it. When did it change?" He asked. Mary could tell that he was trying to put them at their ease in the only way he knew how.

"My great-great-great-grandfather Basil Alwynn had one daughter, but no sons. She married a Cranmore and the name hasn't changed since." Andy sounded as though he was still frightened.

"Aiden, would you like some tea?" Mary asked. She knew that seeing him do things that seemed 'civilized' had helped Maureen and Colin get over this frightening appearance.

"Maureen is seeing to that, child." He smiled at her.

"I thought your kind didn't take warm food or drink." Robbie said, his curiosity starting to override his fear.

"That has been true for the majority of our existence and to be honest, the thought of eating cooked food still turns my stomach." He smiled softly. "There was something appetizing about the scent of Mary's herbal tea. It does not appeal to me all the time, but there are moments I find I prefer it to other things."

Maureen knocked and brought in a large china pot and Aiden's large cup. She filled the cup and handed it to Aiden.

"Will you be wanting more cake or coffee?" She asked.

"Another pot of coffee, please." Mary said. Both men looked like they were relieved she suggested it. It was clear that it would be a long night, but everyone's curiosity was piqued.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You are not sleeping, dear one." Aiden's voice was soft. Mary squirmed against his chest and sighed softly. She and Aiden had talked with Robbie and Andy until well after midnight. Very little new information was shared, but everyone became more comfortable and better acquainted The two men accepted her offer of guest rooms and were sleeping in the south wing of the Hall. Mary was still trying to assemble all that she had learned before Aiden's appearance.

"I know. I can't seem to settle my mind." She replied in equally muted tones. He began to massage her lower back and Mary trembled as some of her tension started to melt away. His tail wrapped around her calf.

"The evening was filled with revelations for me as well. I had some vague idea of the existence of this group, but I had no idea they were so organized. I understand the need for secrecy, but it is still difficult to accept that my kind and I were the center of such intense activity for so many years and that neither Lawrence nor Ambrose saw fit to tell me about more than your family's efforts." He kissed the top of her head lightly.

"Why? From everything you told me, your kind had been entwined with mine for a very long time. It seems logical more than one person, or one family would have wanted to see you restored." Her fingers traced light designs on his chest.

"It is not quite the same. Besides, if the knowledge of my kind and our history have been preserved so diligently, then the knowledge of the prohibitions against our mating still exist as well." His arms tightened around her.

"Maybe, but just because it's in some book somewhere doesn't mean that anyone still believes in it." She kissed him softly. "I know I don't."

"Go to sleep dearest. I'll have to leave in a few hours and I want to know that you have gotten a bit of rest before I go." Mary recognized the worry in his voice but she didn't mention it. She could reassure him from now until the end of time but she couldn't make him believe it. She knew that her guests would be up relatively early too, and she didn't want them to feel abandoned. Mary closed her eyes an tried to relax.

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*Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) advanced the once widely accepted theory that an organism can pass on characteristics acquired in its lifetime to its offspring. For example, if an animal continuously stretches its neck to reach food higher in the trees, then its offspring will be born with a longer neck than the previous generation.