Date: Tue, 29 Mar 1994 20:33:22 -0500 Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Elizabeth A Scroggs Subject: Mentor (part 2) ********** Mentor A Highlander Story By Betsy Scroggs ********** Part 2 Comments to betsy@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu ********** Connor's face had healed by the time the airplane took off. During the flight, he waited like a cat for an opportunity to pounce, to regain the upper hand. But it seemed that everyone one the plane knew each other, and was watching him. Besides, what could he do miles in the air? He sat back and thought about the trap he would be forced to lead Duncan into. Then he remembered another time when he and Duncan fell into a trap, and smiled painfully. ********** "Connor, Connor!" Connor felt his presence right before he heard him calling, and smiled as he looked up from the drink he had been scowling into. It was good to see Duncan again. Heather h had already been dead twenty-five years. He tried a little travelling, but he e moved like a dead man everywhere he went. He was finally y pulled back to Scotland, back to the house he shared with Heather. He hadn't wanted to do anything ever again until he met young Duncan. A young new Immortal to teach and show the rules of the Game was just what Connor needed to take his mind off the void Heather had left. And Duncan was a clansman! Connnnor longed to go back, even though he knew all his friends were dead. He had made Duncan tell him everything that had happened withth the clan. All the births, deaths, the stories. He laughed bitterly every time Duncan told him the story about the devil who had taken the form of a clansman and was driven out of town when he was discovered. Connor had been training Duncan for about five years now. Duncan was a vevery fast learner, and had almost beat Connor in mock fights more than once. There was not much left Connor could teach him. He was fairly new at living forever himself. He hoped Duncan would stay for awhile aftter Connor had taught him all he knew. But he had a feeling that Duncan was restless, and wanted to roam. He already wanderered off for a couple of days at a time, leaving Connor to worry like a father. This time, Duncan had been gone a week, and Connor went to an inn in a nearby village to escape from the utter emptiness in his house. That Duncan found him here was no surprise. Connor always came here when he was depressed. "You don'n't have to shout, lad. I can feel you coming." But Duncan suddenly realized Connor's presence, and sat down hard, dizzy from the force. "Well," Connor continued, "We'll havave to work on controlling that. Now, what is it you want, Duncan?" "Look what I've got!" He pupulled two good sized pouches off his belt and dropped them on the table. Connor's eyes grew wide. The bags were filled with gold coins. "Where did you get that, son?" Connor asked suspiciously. "Oh, Connor, you should have been there!" the younger man started, not even noticing the tone of his teacher's voice. "I was walking along the road, about two or three towns away, when I heard someone screaming. I ran over, and saw a man attacking a young lady. She had fallen off her horse and d he was trying to hurt her so I stopped him. I cut him, but I couldn't kill him. I took the young lady home, and her father was so grateful when he heard what happened, he gave me these." Duncan waved his hand over the bags. "He said it was the least he could do for protecting her virtue. I think he's a rich merchant." Connor cuffed Duncan in the head. "You left that thief to go rob again?" "I can't just kill people, Connor." "There are going to be times when you have to kill people, Duncan, even when you don't want to. You have to kill them to survive." "Not mortals, I couldn't. Life is so important." "Duncan, there are bad people in the world. People who don't deserve to live. It doesn't matter if they're immortal or not, if they're causing harm, you should try to stop them." "But I did stop him. And it doesn't matter anyway, he's far away. He was a coward, attacking a woman. He would never bother me. I didn't come here to argue, Connor. I came because I don't know what to do with this gold. I I want you to have some." Duncan pushed one of the bags over to his friend. Connor was not really upset with Duncan for not finishing off the ruffian. He was actually proud. Duncan had a sense of honor, and respect for life. He took the gold happily. He felt he deserved it. He had taught Duncan well. "I think this calls for a celebration. My student does well for himself." He grabbed the barmaid as she walked by and pressed two coins into her hand. "Don't let us go dry for the rest of the night." She muttered a happy reply and hurried off. Across the room someone else's eye had grown wide from the sight of so much gold. A dark looking young man whispered something to his companion and they slipped outside. ********** End Part 2 Again, sorry about the repeated letters, I'm sticking it on from a word processor. I'll send the last two parts tomorrow. Betsy Scroggs =========================================================================