The Wanderers (post 3)

"Brennan, I must tell you a very important secret, and you must promise that you will give me the freedom to do what I feel that I must." She knew that his desire to please her was stronger than any desire he had ever had to please himself. "Of course, my love." He nodded and his expression took on a sincere concern.
"Something has happened to me.”
"Has someone hurt you?" Brennan's hand went instinctively to the dagger he always hid in his boot. "I will avenge you, so help me God." His eyes flamed. Clare put her hand on his arm.
"No, no. Nothing like that." He relaxed and took her hand in his. He stroked it sweetly.
"Then what?"
"We must not marry," she rushed in, "I've seen something. Something that may happen if we marry. Something terrible. We must not tempt fate by doing this thing." She caught her breath. It was amazing how quickly it had all come out. The hours she had wrestled with this, and now there it was; the truth free to roam the garden as it liked.

"You've seen something?" He was confused. "You mean
someone told you something?"
"No, Brennan, it was a vision." His eyes went wide at
that word.
"Clare, darling, you should not talk like that. My uncle
has little tolerance for fairy tales and even less tolerance for outright sorcery. He vowed that this province would be free of all such foolishness by The Eve of Messengers." He paused, for Clare to grasp the graveness of this. "You must be very careful how you speak of such things. Better still,
love, do not speak of such things. My uncle is a strange man and he has very strong ideas on these matters. Perhaps you just had a bad dream one night. You're nervous of leaving your family, that's all." He smiled now in an effort to still Clare's emotions.
"No, this is much different. I know what this is. I also know full well your uncle's feelings about anything out of the ordinary. That is why I am leaving." Now Clare paused to let Brandon grasp the graveness of this. "And if you love me, if you possess one ounce of honor you will let me leave, and
you will not reveal my secret." Brennan turned from her at this. Such a revelation, such a request. It called out all that was high and noble in him at the expense of his own lifetime happiness, his own dreams. Anyone else might imagine this an immeasurably selfish request, but Clare knew what pain she was sparing her friend, so she pushed on. "Brennan, you must promise me."
He lifted his head, and for the first time in her life Clare saw a heart in the breaking. His love and desire, struggled with his honor and in the struggle a part of him was shattered forever. "Granted, my love," he whispered and raised her hand to his lips. His kiss lingered there until Clare felt his great tears upon her fingers. Then with a quick move he stood, bowed, and rushed out of the garden, before Clare could even say fare well.
Clare struggled through dinner; a great feast celebrating the eve of her marriage. Brennan played his part expertly. Not even Astar suspected anything. Only once did Brennan look at her with a longing that shot right to her heart like an arrow. When at last Brennan must bid her and her parents good night, he leaned toward her in a mild embrace. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "I'll never love another as I have loved you, Clare, but your secret is safe with me." She took that kiss and that promise as a token for good as she slipped silently away from the great manor house in the small hours of the next morning. Dawn was still hours away and the darkness could be felt. It wrapped itself around Clare, and drew her on, into its mystery.