J M Hofer

Across the Sea J M Hofer

In the aftermath of the battle at the Crossroads, Bran convinces the few warriors who remain to gather their families and live as one clan under his leadership. Together they abandon their old villages and unite under a new sigil-the Sacred Oak of the Crossroads-no longer referring to themselves as Easterners, Northerners or Southerners, but simply as "Oaks." Their newfound peace is not to last, however, for the birth of a wee golden child, abandoned and set adrift in the sea, sets in motion a series of events that threaten to destroy the Oaks new home. The selkie, Ula, finds the shining babe beneath the waves and protects him as her own, but the capricious sea delivers the child into the fishing nets of a man named Elffin, who carries the child off. Ula follows, becoming ever more entwined in the child's fate, and breaks her vow to return to Tegid Voel. Bran is then left to placate the dangerous giant Lord of the Lake, who has threatened to flood his land if Ula refuses to honor her agreement. Bran travels to the court of Elffin's father, Gwythno Garanhir, to find Ula and seek a solution to their dilemma, and is surprised to find him both a generous host and a shrewd businessman. He decides to enter into a trade agreement with him, agreeing to marry his youngest daughter as part of their negotiations. He is tired of pining for Lucia, who refused him in favor of a life upon the Isle with the Sisterhood. What Bran does not know, however, is that Lucia is destined to leave the Isle behind, causing them both to lament the choices they have made. Their love will test the limits of their honor, but ultimately lead them down a path that will demand much more of them than they ever expected.