Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 03:05:47 EDT Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: the dungeon of souls Subject: "Unwelcome Inheritance" Act I, part 5 "Unwelcome Inheritance" by Caile Donachaidh Kane Act I, part 5 comments to NOTE: I forgot to mention in the Preface that I am operating under the assumption that Duncan's apartment has a guest bedroom. This may be wildly erroneous, but it works for the purposes of the story. It's not a *serious* violation, is it? -Caile _Part 5_ Up in the gym, Charlie and Richie were fighting a small informal battle. Sometimes Richie would get the drop on Charlie, but he was usually promptly displaced. Suddenly, Richie paused, glancing around him. Charlie took this opportunity to knock him down, as Duncan and Shae stepped into the room. "Mac!" Richie exclaimed, climbing to his feet. "I didn't expect you back so soon." "Well, here we are. Richie, Charlie, I'd like you to meet Shae Taylor. Shae, this is Richie Ryan, and Charlie De Salvo." Shae set down her bag, and held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you both." "Likewise," Richie answered, shaking her hand. He let his eyes drift up her long legged form to the sword on her back. "I hope you'll like it here." "I'm sure I will." She shook Charlie's hand. "You're very good. I saw from the door." "Thank-you, Miss Taylor. I'd certainly like to see *you* use that thing you've got strapped to your back." "Perhaps later. Right now, Mr. MacLeod and I have business to finish." "See ya later," Richie said with a little wave, as Duncan and Shae continued upstairs. "Which one?" Shae asked, as they went from the elevator into the apartment. "Richie," Duncan replied. "He's even younger than you are." He took her bag and set it inside the door. "Go on, have a seat and I'll bring you some tea." He went into the kitchen. Shae took the sword off, careful to touch only the strap. If she touched the handle, or even the scabbard, there was no telling what she might see. She lay the sword down on the coffee table and sank onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. All she wanted was to sleep peacefully, just once. Duncan came back with a steaming cup of tea. He handed it to her, and sat beside her. Shae lifted the cup to her mouth. It smelled strange, yet familiar. She lowered the cup. "What is this?" "Secret recipe, from an old friend. It's to soothe nerves." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Go on. try it." At the first taste, Shae nearly dropped the cup. She was sitting at a table in a dimly lit room. She could smell the the burning of the torches, taste the tea in her mouth, hear a gentle soothing voice. The figure across the table came into focus... She spoke his name. "Darius." The vision went black. She was back in Duncan's living room, and he was sitting beside her. He took the cup from her shaking hands and set it aside. He looked searchingly into her wide, frightened eyes. "You saw something, didn't you?" She'd nearly given him a heart attack when she'd said Darius' name. She *couldn't* have known... She nodded her head. "I've tasted that tea before. I saw, no, that's wrong. _I_ _was_ _there_. I was sitting at a table, there in a small room. There wasn't much light, except from a few foul smelling torches. The walls were stone. I was drinking this very same tea, from a wooden cup. There was someone there with me, sitting across from me. He was speaking to me, but I don't know what he said. Just that his voice was very soft, very gentle. It was Darius." "Did you ever meet him?" "No, never. Fitz spoke of him often, but I never met him, never saw a picture. I just... *knew* it was him." Duncan thought on this for a moment. "It was Darius who taught me to make that tea." She blinked in disbelief. "When did this all start?" he continued. "When I became immortal." "Never before?" "Never." "You said the women in your family have been fencers for centuries?" "Yes. The eldest daughter is given the name of Taylor, and trained in every aspect of swordsmanship." Duncan frowned. "None of the other daughters? Or the sons?" "No, just the eldest daughter, all the way back to god knows when. It's just the way it's always been." "Well, it had to start somewhere." Shae shrugged. "I don't know." Damn, Duncan thought, this is goign nowhere fast. Maybe her history, her talent, there's got to be some key, somewhere. "Tell me about yourself," he asked. She shrugged again. "There's not much to tell. I was born in London, Knightsbridge, twenty-one years ago. I became immortal one year ago. Fitz found me, and took me in, taught me the rules. But, as he probably told you, I turned out to be more than he bargained for." Duncan chuckled. "Yes, but theres's not much Fitz *can* handle." Shae laughed, too. A weak laugh, but it was a start, he thought. "He thought he'd teach me to fence," she said. "I had him disarmed and on his knees in under 30 seconds. A new record for me." "Is that so? I think I'll have to take you on sometime." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Actually, my first bout is with Charlie." "He said he wanted to *see* you fight, not fight you. I get the feeling you'd clean up the floor with him." "Perhaps," she answered modestly. "Tell me about your training." "I began as soon as I could hold a sword. I started with epee, then moved to sabre, and finally to kendo. I also learned alot of broadsword technique from my mother, it's her specialty. My grandmere is a kendo master, as was her mother before her." "Your mother's specialty is broadswords?" For the second time that day, Duncan was nearly speachless. Shae grinned. "She's a very... *solid* woman." "I can imagine. What else?" "Well, I was regional champion in both epee and sabre five years in a row in my age group. And I've been competeing with the katana since I was twelve. My favourite competitions are the ones at wars and fairs, though." She shrugged and raised her chin. "I turned down a spot on the British Olympic team." "Why?" Why, indeed, he thought. "Honestly, I got sick of the press. I got alot of fanfare. So I just... droppped out of sight. It was getting to be such a drag that I quit competeing all together. The funny thing is, it was right before I became immortal. When I was a kid, I kept being told: 'You're too good. You don't belong in this competition.'" She sighed. "It just wasn't worth it. Now, or until recently, I practised 5 hours a day, and fought with friends and family." "And put Fitz to shame in his own salon." He laughed, and she joined his laughter. "He's gotten better, in the time I've been with him. His problem is that he doesn't practise. At all." "Well, Shae, I think I've nearly talked you death. Want to go downstairs and match?" After hearing her list of credentials, he was eager to see just how good she *really* was. "I'd be honoured to fight you, Duncan MacLeod." She stood up and lifted the sword and scabbard by its strap. "Just Duncan, Shae. And it's not me you'll be fighting. I promised I'd help you, and I won't go back on my word. But if you're going to earn your keep, you're going to train Richie." Shae stared at him for a long moment. "Deal." *********** whew! further parts will be forthcoming =========================================================================