Gunns & Roses Read Online Free

craftsmanship!”
    “Isn’t it? I’ve never seen a design exactly like this, but it’s definitely Celtic. See the knotwork that resembles the edging of the sporran clasp?”
    “The bird is amazing,” Annie murmured. “Looks like a bird of prey, but which one? A rose is clasped in its talons. Are all the bands the same?”
    “Yes, the exact same design. I don’t think it’s an eagle judging by the shape of the head, but I need help to narrow it down more.” Alice leaned closer to look at the sporran. “The paste seems to be working well. I can see the clasp design is also definitely Celtic—see the Celtic cross?—other than the knotwork, I don’t see any other common elements between it and the bands.”
    Annie picked up the toothbrush to work the paste into the last section of the clasp. “While I finish cleaning this, why don’t you grab the laptop from the library and see if you can find out anything about the band design.”
    Alice snapped a finger and replaced the band she had been holding among the others on the table. “Excellent idea,” she said. “Be right back.” She disappeared through the kitchen door, returning a moment later with the laptop. Soon she was tapping away on the keyboard, typing key words into a search engine.
    “There—the whole thing is pasted,” Annie announced. “How long should I leave the paste on the silver?”
    Alice glanced over the top of the computer. “You can probably start removing it from the first side you covered. Try the edge to test it and use warm water to make sure you completely remove the paste.”
    Annie set the pasty cloth aside and went to the sink to fill a glass bowl with warm water. Setting the bowl on the table, she sat, dipped a new cloth in the water and went to work on the first corner of the clasp. “It worked! The tarnish is wiping right off. Finding anything?”
    Alice chuckled. “Yes, I’ve discovered Celtic designs are quite popular for tattoos.” She clicked through a link. “Oh, here’s something. Common Celtic bird designs are the crow—also known as the death eagle—herons to show fidelity, and peacocks for symbols of immortality and purity.”
    “Interesting, but no matches with our design.” Annie rinsed out her cloth and dipped it into the bowl again. “The clasp has some kind of plant sprig for the main design. It’s repeated on either end of the Celtic cross in the middle with the knotwork connecting them. There aren’t any birds.”
    Alice gave a triumphant grunt. “Ah! Here are some bird-of-prey designs. Eagles are close, but the angle of the head is different, like I thought. Here’s a kestrel; that looks pretty close. Oh! This one looks similar as well. The design description says it’s a hawk.” She angled the computer so Annie could see.
    The website page contained several pictures of bird designs. Annie leaned closer and pointed at the top one. “Are those two birds biting each other or themselves? I can’t quite tell.”
    “They’re biting their own necks, according to the fine print.” Alice hovered an index finger between two pictures further down the page. “These are the two I was talking about.”
    “Sorry, I got distracted by that fascinating, but rather disturbing, design.” Annie moved her eyes down the page and bobbed her head. “You’re right; they both have a lot in common with the band design. So, it looks like we’ve got either a Celtic hawk or kestrel …” she held up the sporran, “and a sprig of … something. Any ideas?”
    Alice peered at the newly polished silver. “Hmmm. My guess is … I have no idea. My knowledge of plants and trees isn’t huge. It mostly revolves around what fits in a window box.”
    “And we don’t even know what the bands are . Who do you think might be able to help us?” Annie asked.
    Alice slowly closed the laptop, thinking. “Maybe we should start with Mike Malone. After all those years he’s spent writing The Point , he’s a fount of