by S. Lawrence
"I willnae let ye go alone, but we both know I willnae be found worthy." His voice is quiet and filled with resignation.
"Ye such a git. If ye are unworthy, then so am I. We both have darkness, the demons that ride us," I reply. I am neither angry or upset. I am saddened by how he sees himself. "There is no other more worthy, nor any other I want by my side."
He turns and looks at me, a slight smile curving his lips. "I always hae ye back, Brother. I will follow ye through any realm."
A sigh and light footsteps have us turning to find Aislin walking slowly to us. "My boys, what will I ever do with you?" We both scoff at her nickname for us, boys indeed.
Her hands raise to our cheeks, and her slender fingers slide over our skin and beards before they pull softly on the hairs, forcing our eyes down to her face. She stares deeply into them; she possesses no power, but still, her soul reaches out to us. Tears pool in her sapphire eyes.
"Never would she find you lacking. The Tree looks into your very souls. Your souls are true and good. No, stop!" She silences us as we both draw a breath to argue. "I have been there, surrounded by the magic, and I was shown things, things I can't remember, but I know you. I see you beyond the damage and demons. I see the men that have been hurt and betrayed but who are still capable of love. She will see it as well."
I look at my brother before she draws my eyes back to her. "You, Michael, you deserve to find peace." She looks at Sean, forcing his gaze to hers. "You, my dear Sean, you deserve love, both to give and to receive."
She drops her hands and glances over her shoulder to Kai, who stands at the side of the barn waiting, before looking back at us. "I love you boys, more than you can imagine. You freed me from that room and what you lost there. Please come back to us." She blinks her tears away before she turns, returning to her man. She walks a few steps before she pauses, looking back over her shoulder at us. "You are so worthy, you'll see."
The tone of her voice, the hint of power in it makes me wonder if she didn't get a gift from her 'in-law' for her wedding yesterday. I lock eyes with Kai, a question in mine, but he only shrugs. I look over at my brother as a shiver run over his body. He is sensitive, and I know he felt the sliver of power from our girl.
We stand together, hidden under the Spanish moss, and each of us is lost in our memories. The sun is setting low before we turn as one and head back to our family. We are a motley crew but somehow, we all fit. They are waiting for us as we walk through the door -- Aislin and Kai on one couch, Jason and Emma on the other. Cora is sitting in an overstuffed chair as brightly colored as she is, a cup between her hands, and her eyes are staring off into the distance.
Chapter 5
KAI
Aislin's sadness beats at me as the men return, her thoughts turning to her father and her loss. I'm not sure how she would survive if something happens to these men who pulled her out of hell. I look to Jason, and he holds knowledge in his eyes. Emma is watching her friend.
'Guardian,' Morrigan's voice whispers in my head.
'Goddess. Do you have need?'
'No. Just help, I hope. Danu is coming to you. She is making a portal there that will bring you all to this realm. Tell the Druids to be careful of my father and any of the other Gods, even Loki. I don't know his part in this yet.'
I look down, and Aislin's eyes are locked on me. Everyone tensed, sensing our apprehension. "We are about to have important company," I report to the group.
"Who?" Jason inquires.
"Danu." Aislin's voice is reverent, and she sits up looking around.
"Danu?" Cora's voice is a quiet whisper as her eyes widen. I grin at her, nodding my head. She leaps to her feet spilling her tea. "Shit, fuck, sorry, Aislin." My girl grins at Emma. They both burst out laughing.
"Honey, don't worry about it. It never gets less mind-blowing. Believe us. Every time, they act like it's nothing, when in fact it is something. And Danu, well she is REALLY something."
Cora stands looking around, flustered until Michael walks over and catches hold of her fluttering hands. "Calm ye self, love. She tis nae going to hurt you." His burr rumbles with laughter, but his face is covered with a kind smile on it.
Jason and I become aware at the same time of the wash of power that heralds her arrival. I let my eyes drift around the room but don't see her. I look at him questioning, and he nods. Emma moves to the window beside the fireplace. It is one of those southern windows -- tall and narrow, almost floor to ceiling -- and she is grinning when she waves her hand at Aislin.
Crossing to her friend at a jog, my love leans around her to look out at the field where we were married. "Oh, she is beneath the oak."
Cora whips around to look out the other window, and her jaw drops open. Danu must be in full form for that reaction. The girls lean back, looking over at Cora, and grin. I walk over and wrap my arms around Aislin's waist, pulling her close to me while I look over their heads. There she was, the Mother Goddess of all the Celtic Gods, glowing under the moonlight. Her head turns toward us, and her voice rings out in the room. "Come join me, Guardian, and bring your friends. You too, Cora." A very startled gasp comes from the petite woman to my right.
We all begin to move, and Sean wraps his arm around the unusually timid fortune teller. "Come on, Cora. Time to meet your first Goddess, unless you spoke to them yesterday."
"Of course I didn't speak to them yesterday. Do you think they need me to tell them the future?" She hisses at him as he steers her along. Her eyes lock on Aislin and Emma, pleading for rescue. The girls smile and pat her arm, murmuring encouragements as we walk by. Michael follows, alert for anyone else popping in.
As we draw close, I feel more power and I turn to look at the others. Everyone seems to sense it. Cora and the Druids stop dead in their tracks. I pull Aislin to a stop and look to Danu. She has a serene look upon her face. She beckons to the four of us in the front, drawing us away from the others.
Emma and Aislin look back, hesitant to leave the others. "I don't sense danger, Sparrow," I whisper in her ear. She nods and grabs Emma's hand, pulling her best friend close to her side. Jason's eyes scan the surrounding area as I look back at the others again. They are still stopped, their eyes unfocused, their minds far away.
Chapter 6
DANU
I draw them to me. They don't want to leave the others, but she has a message that is only for those that will travel her roots.
"Guardian, Hunter, Aislin, and Emma, so good to see all of you. I've come to make a portal, and the Tree has chosen this one of her multitude of roots." I run my fingers over the bark of the low hanging branch by my head, feeling her power running through it.
"The Tree of Life?" Emma is shocked.
"Yes, my dear. Long ago, at the beginning with Asger and Ylva, she chose her side and today she has decided it is time to help those she has championed. She is 'speaking' to those that will make the journey."
Aislin's eyes widen. "Cora isn't going. Cora isn't mixed up in any of this." Her voice shakes.
"Darling girl, was it not her that had the vision, that made the prophecy?" I try to be as gentle as I can.
She whirls to look at her friends, their bodies are swaying in rhythm with the planet. My Guardian wraps her in his arms, whispering words in her mind and calming her fears, fears of another friend traumatized and lost. Emma has tears in her eyes as she stares at the men she has fallen for, those that saved her friend. Her hand grips at Jason's arm, and he talks to her, his power washing over both women as he works at calming their fears.
"Look with your dragon eyes, Kai. You will see her power all around us." I look at my Guardian, waiting.
His eyes shift to amber, and they glide over the ground and the trees around us. He gasps when they reach the giant oak behind me. They fade back to his human eyes, and he locks them on me as I nod.
"She is everywhere, surrounding us with her power," he assures the others.
"If you open yourselves to her, you will feel her," I
tell the women, smiling when I see them close their eyes and relax. Aislin has power of her own now, a gift from my daughter. They open their eyes and they smile, feeling the embrace of the planet. The Tree has reined in the power, letting only a sliver of her true power flow through them.
"Come sit while we wait for the others." I wave my hand and couches appear below the branches. The couples move to them and sit, tense. "The weddings were beautiful," I murmur, hoping to draw their attention.
"You weren't here, were you?" It is Emma who asks.
"I was, in a way. I stayed just beyond this dimension. I didn't want to draw attention." I smile at them, letting them know that I stay near.
The others have started our way, and I create another couch for them to relax on. Everyone looks at each other as they draw near. Cora, the young seer, looks to be in shock. I wait until they are settled before I begin to speak.
"She had much to tell you." They nod in agreement. "I've come at her behest. She is concerned that the time of Fimbulvetr is almost upon us. She fears that Odin is almost ready to make his move. He has gathered many people to his side over these many years, some that have no idea what they are fighting for. Let me explain." I lean back making myself comfortable, fighting to not let my sadness, for my loss of the one I loved so long ago, overwhelm me.
Aislin's hand covers mine and she squeezes it. I understand the power my daughter gifted her when I feel it slide over me. This girl has always seen into people, seeing their truth, now she can see other things as well. My lips curve at her, a silent thank you. She is now the heart of this little family. My eyes drift to her best friend, with her wild red hair that matches her soul, wild and untamable. That one is the spine, her quiet strength making them all stronger. The men believed they didn't need these women but they did. The women are the ones to center the powers that flow through the men’s very blood. I study Cora for a minute; she is beautiful and elf-like. Her body is painted with tattoos. Her magic tickles the threads of destiny that have been woven a millennia ago. Each clan has their weavers, but Cora is in interesting blend of all the weavers. Her ancestors have mixed with seers from around this world until, in her, the power has combined into something very powerful. Something I fear we awakened with our presence at the wedding. I did not miss Loki's interest in her. I draw a deep soothing breath, letting my emotions settle, before I start my explanation.
"Fimbulvetr is what the weavers call the time before the final battle. They have foreseen much of the future. They weave the strands of each of our destinies, linking them together with others. They have also been known to cut those strands. Fimbulvetr is the time of the gatherings.” My voice breaks, worry overwhelming me.
"We do not know what will happen after this time. They often keep things to themselves. In your myths, it leads to the final battle but that we don't know. Raven has gone to Freya to warn her that the great winter is upon us, but we fear for her safety. For many years, she has worked for both Freya and Odin, all the while helping her own father. Loki has protected her as much as he can." I sigh, worried for the girl that I have watched struggle with her place in our world.
"Why are you worried about her now?" The one called Michael asks, sitting up straighter to watch me while I respond.
"Fimbulvetr is the great winter, foretold to last three years. Temperatures will begin to change around the world. Long ago, the Norns spoke a prophecy of the white bird." I look him in the eye to see if he understands.
"When ice and snow begin to fall,
the white bird will return.
It will be caged until two travel the roots,
until brother kills brother.
Only then she who has no roots,
no home,
will learn the truth."
"Why do fucking prophecies have to be so fucking vague?" The angry Druid growls.
Kai starts to speak. I feel his anger that the Druid spoke to me harshly. I stop him with a whisper in his mind, 'I happen to agree with him.' I smile at Sean, and he glares back at me. I understand his anger isn't with me but with the situation. His eyes keep darting to Michael, worry filling them.
It's Emma who speaks next. She listened and now asks the question she wanted to when they joined me. "What does this have to do with Cora?"
All eyes turn to the wee fairy, and she squirms under the scrutiny. "Honestly, I don't know. Only that Yggdrasill, the Great Tree, called for her to join the Druids on their journey. Her magic is staggering. Stronger than it was yesterday. Morrigan and I fear our proximity to her may have awoken some latent abilities. Her growing power will call to some. The Norns will be able to guide her."
Sean looks at her, and we all brace for an argument. Aislin smiles as he throws his arm around the tiny woman's shoulder. "Dinnae ye worry, I willnae let anything happen to you." His accent is thick with his emotion as his eyes lock with his brother's. Michael offers a slight nod before engulfing her hand in his.
"I told you she would see your souls. She knew you would watch over Cora," Aislin murmurs to them, drawing their gazes. Her face is covered with a knowing look.
"I agree. Yggdrasill spoke to you, chose you, as she chose Asger and Ylva over a thousand years ago. She sees in you champions, not only for Cora and Raven, but for us all," I acknowledge. Sean only harrumphs a little while Michael is quietly stoic, and I can feel him struggling with the thought of being chosen.
“She knows every part you, both of you. She knows your deepest secrets, those hidden even from each other. Still she chose you. Your heart and soul are good,' I whisper through his mind, choosing Michael because I can sense that Sean wouldn't be open to it. Sean will do what is needed, not because he believes himself worthy, but because his honor demands it. Michael's eyes latch on mine. In his, I see a hunger for my words to be truth.
"You will see, once you start your journey. But you must be careful. Those you will encounter are not always what they seem." Cora grips Michael's hand, her knuckles turning white as she leans into Sean. "My dear, this journey will take you completely into our world. Your powers will reveal things to you that have been hidden a very long time. Those that kept these secrets will do everything in their power to keep them hidden. That is why two warriors have been chosen to protect you; others will reveal themselves along the way. Once you reach Raven and Freya, you will be safe. The Norns can assist you but do not trust them. No one knows where the true threat comes from yet."
I stand and glance around, looking up through the moss and branches, finding the moon high in the sky. "Guardian, why don't you and the other men head in? I would spend some time with these women as I create the portal." He nods his head once before rising, leaning over to kiss his wife. The others follow suit; Jason kisses his Emma passionately before standing, and the Druids look around, always on alert for danger. They will feel the magic rise, calling to their Druid blood. I watch as the four warriors move away. They stop outside the barn, staying close enough to reach those they protect, if it is needed. I don't remind them that I can protect them all from almost everything.
I beckon the women farther in under the tree, letting the branches envelop us, drawing them to the power of Yggdrasill. "Kneel and plunge your fingers into the soil, let her embrace you." My voice rings out, clear and strong. They form a circle around me, these women each with powers of their own, some inherent and others gifted, and do as I told. In moments, their bodies sway to the ebb and flow of the Earth, the Tree's power flowing into them. Backs arching, they throw back their heads, their eyes truly seeing for the first time.
Aislin has tears sliding down her cheeks, and she feels the life. Emma is strengthened even more, her gift from Persephone growing. Soon she will realize what she must control. I look out and see Jason and his beast take notice. Cora's eyes begin to shimmer, turning to mercurial silver, as Yggdrasill shows her wondrous things.
I begin to speak the old words, words last heard echoing through the mountains in Scotland. I release my powers, letting them soar
. They build and build, weaving with those of the women surrounding me. I am letting it flow through them, allowing them to feel everything. Yggdrasill sends her magic through them, magnifying everything. I smile at the awe stamped on their beautiful faces, as their eyes look and see for the first time. On and on I chant, building the magic, weaving it with that of the Tree of Life, wrapping it around the large oak that is sheltering us. The Hunter and the Guardian observe with their animal eyes, while the Druids hold out their hands, letting the magic wash over them. The tree shimmers and becomes otherworldly, as our worlds merge into one within it. Within its trunk, through the glowing, we can see Yggdrasill herself, branches undulating, calling to us. I gradually call my power back in and wait as the Great Tree does as well. Bowing my head in reverence and thanks, she leaves those around me with slightly more than with what they began.
The women are panting but grinning, excited and overwhelmed at the same time. Cora's eyes glow with her new power, and she looks at her friends as a giggle erupts from her. Emma and Aislin's body begin to shake as they too start to laugh. All three women are filled with unadulterated joy, love, and happiness; tears run down their cheeks at the beauty of what they have seen and felt. The men moved closer and stand waiting, looks of confusion on their faces. I wave my hand, inviting them to join us.
"It is done. I must go. I leave you to talk." I look at the girls and encourage them, "Tell them what you've seen, what was given, and what was felt. All those you experienced is what we are fighting for." I sift away, joining my daughter, who hugs me tight.
"I felt it also, mother. A great battle is coming. I'm worried for our Druids and what they must go through," Morrigan sighs into my neck.
"If they survive, they will become exactly what they were always meant to be, what everything they suffered forged them into," I promise. I hope they survive.
