Glossary of Terms

Bairn: baby

Beguines: self-running nunnery without vows to the church, not supported by the official church as related to Rome (historically accurate term in the British Isles)

Ben: hill

Ben Bristecrann: broken tree hill (a sacred spot to Ciara's family)

Brae: hillside or slope

Cahir: warriors who fight the Fearghall

Celi di: Scottish Highland priest practicing Catholicism with no official ties to the church in Rome (historically accurate term in relation to Scotland and Ireland)

Chrechte:  What werewolves call themselves.

Clach Gealach Gra: (moon's heart stone) the bird shifter's sacred stone

Conriocht: werewolf (protector of the Faol, shifts into giant half wolf/half man type creature)

Éan: bird shifters (ravens, eagles & hawks)

Faol: wolf shifters

Faolán: little wolf (Gaelic term of endearment)

Faolchú Chridhe: (wolf's heart) the wolf shifter's sacred stone

Fearghall: secret society of wolves intent on wiping out/subjugating other races of the Chrechte

Femwolf:  Female shapechanger that takes wolf form.

In Heat:  Refers to a female in ovulation, whether she is wolf or fully human.

Keeper of the Stone: a Chrechte who has a special link to the sacred stone and can utilize its full potential for healing, gifting and bringing forth the protectors of the races (conriocht, dragon & griffin)

Kelle: warrior priestess (mentioned in Celtic mythology)

Kyle Kirksonas: River of the Healing Church

Life Mating:  Like marriage.  This is forever.  Some packs consider sex an automatic life mating, others do not.

Loch: lake

Mate:  (v.) To have sex with and in some cases form a lifetime bond with someone else.  (n.)  The other half of a mated couple.

Mate-link: the special mental bond between true/sacred mates

Mindspeak:  Talking in another person's mind.  This is not mind reading, but hearing the other person's voice when their thoughts are directed toward the recipient.  It isn't always intentional, but it does have to be directed.  Some shapechanger family members can mindspeak with one another and some sacred/true mates can as well.  Some very powerful shapechangers can mindspeak to anyone.

Mo gra: my love

Out of Kind Mating:  One of the mates is human.  (When it is a sacred/true mating children can result.  Those children have as much chance of being shapechangers as not, but the gene does not show itself until the first change some time during puberty.)

Paindeal: cat shifters (large cats of prey)

Paindeal Neart: (panther's strength) the panther shifter's sacred stone

Picts:  What others called the werewolf clans found in Ancient Northern Scotland.

Sacred/True Bond:  The condition by which, once a couple has had sex, the shapechanger(s) in the couple are no longer [physically capable of sex with anyone else.  (For the male this means impotence except with his mate and for the female it means an involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles that prevents intercourse with anyone but her mate.)  When a sacred/true bond exists between a shapechanger and a human, they can have children.  Otherwise, their coupling will be infertile.  Some sacred/true bonds result in the ability to mindspeak.

Sacred/True Mate:  The person a shapechanger is meant to be mated to.  This bond is more than physical, but not always recognized as such.

Scenting:  The process of marking a mate with a wolf or dragon's scent.

The Change:  When a shapechanger takes on its animal form.  This is a complete process with no in-between phase.  Some werewolves control their change from the very first one, others will not until they have sex for the first time.  If the males do not have sex by the time they are 30, they will never control their change.  Females have no such time limit.  The different pack's views on pre-marital sex impacts this heavily. 

The Hunt:  During a full moon, werewolves will get together in their wolf form and hunt.  Sharing in the kill is part of their ancient culture and continues to this day.

Usquebagh: "water of life" (Scotch whiskey)

Werewolf:  Male shapechanger that takes wolf form.  Can also be used to refer to the species in general.