The Gathering

by S L Dearing

  Sean rubbed the back of his neck as he watched the flames in the fireplace dance. Sara sat on the ottoman next to Sean’s chair. He turned and looked at her when she touched his knee.

  "How are you? No one seems to ask you that."

  Sean smiled and touched her cheek.

  "I'm fine, Kid. What are you two doing back here so early?"

  Scott smiled.

  "Someone spilled ale on herself and needs to change."

  Sara looked at Sean, who was now smiling at her. She then smiled sweetly and looked at her dress.

  "Yes, someone did spill the ale, but the one who was drenched with the ale did not spill it, but that apparently doesn’t matter. I reek of ale and now I'm going to change. Excuse me."

  Scott raised his eyebrow at her as she walked past him, still trying to appear irritated. He laughed, which caused Sean to laugh with him. Sara rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs.

  When Sara reached the top, she could hear Amanda crying. She walked towards her room and she stopped to listen at the door.

  "Amanda, please tell me what you dreamt about, Honey. Please tell Mommy."

  Amanda's sobs were now trailed by the hyperventilating that follows a long hard cry. Alia grabbed a handkerchief and made Amanda blow.

  "I was dreaming about all of us,” Amanda said. “It was dark and I couldn't find you. I saw Alisha and I ran to her and then she was gone. I found Coeli and then she was gone, too. Then I saw Tanner and Chris and they moved away from each other and then I followed Tanner and he was gone. Everyone was gone, Mommy, everyone. I found you and I ran to you and you disappeared. You just disappeared!"

  Amanda started to cry again and Alia held her.

  "It was just a dream, Baby. It's ok. We're all here."

  Sara's shoulders slouched as she leaned against the door.

  "What exactly could be worth eavesdropping on a six year-old?"

  Sara smiled as Alisha walked up behind her.

  "You should make an appearance, Amanda had a bad dream and in it you disappeared on her. She's freaking out."

  Alisha frowned.

  "Poor baby."

  She knocked on the door and walked in.

  Sara watched as Alisha took Amanda into her arms and rocked her. Over and over, she told Amanda that it would all be all right. Alia smiled as she watched Alisha comfort her sister. Soon Amanda fell asleep and they laid her in her bed and put out the lamp.

  Alia closed the door behind them and kissed her daughters on the cheek. As Alia walked back downstairs, Sara felt the urge to grab Alisha, so she did. She pulled her into an embrace and held her there and Alisha held her back. As they parted, Sara looked at her sister and felt an overwhelming sadness.

  "I love you, Lish."

  Alisha smiled.

  "I love you too, Care Bear. Go get changed, Scott's waiting."

  Sara nodded and walked to her room. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

  70

  The dance floors were full and the young people of the Gathering were trying to wipe away the grim news of the day. Elian Merganser was dancing with Tanya Hogar, Tanner with Chelsea, Sam with Coeli, and so forth. Bill Nyland was watching the festivities from a distance. He was watching Alisha Stark and the long-haired man who had cut in on their dancing at the last Gathering and he couldn't remember why he thought he loved her. It all seemed so unimportant to him now.

  Alisha turned and looked at Bill. She felt for him. The horrors of what he and the others had seen. They had all been changed and she could see it in their eyes. She asked Vance to wait there and she walked over to Bill.

  "Bill?"

  He looked up and smiled at her.

  "Hello, Alisha."

  "How are you?"

  "Tired."

  Alisha smiled.

  "I meant how are you?"

  Bill nodded and sighed.

  "Yeah, I know. I'm still tired. I can't sleep. I just see all of it…their faces… over and over. I can't sleep."

  Alisha felt her eyes well up and she reached over and took Bill's hand. He smiled at her.

  "I hear you're getting married."

  She nodded.

  "To Vance Worley, in a few days."

  Bill nodded.

  "That's good."

  Alisha squeezed his hand and he kissed the back of it.

  "How about a dance for old times’ sake?"

  She nodded and they took to the floor. Vance sat back and watched them. As he watched, his mother sat down next to him.

  "Hello, My Son."

  He took her hand and kissed it.

  "Hello, Mama. How are you tonight?"

  "Fine. I just came over to tell you to be grateful for every moment, Vance. Every moment."

  Vance turned and looked at Maggie. The lights from the lamps danced against her face and the wisdom of her life was reflected in her eyes. They were sad.

  "You're being kind of cryptic, Mom."

  "I know. I love you, Boy."

  Vance laughed and hugged his mother.

  "I love you, too."

  She then stood up and walked out to the dance floor, embraced Alisha and walked towards the castle. When Alisha had finished dancing with Bill, she kissed his cheek and walked back over towards Vance.

  "That was weird. Your mom told me to make every moment count and then she told me she loved me and walked away. What did she tell you?"

  Vance shrugged.

  "Same thing. Maybe she's getting senile."

  "She's forty-five, Vance."

  He shrugged again and laughed as he swept Alisha into his arms and on to the dance floor. Maggie had stopped to watch and as she did, she let her tears fall. She could not stop the inevitable and for that, her heart was breaking.

  71

  As the evening grew later, people dispersed back to their dwellings. Coeli convinced Sam that she needed to show him something she had in her room, so they went back to the castle and walked in.

  Sam stopped on the landing.

  "Are you sure this can't wait 'til morning, Shay?"

  "Yeah, I'm sure, now be quiet and come on."

  They moved quietly to the back of the castle. Coeli held Sam's hand while she led him up the stairs to the third floor and then down the hall to her room. She ushered him inside and closed the door, locking it behind her.

  The moonlight shined through the open balcony as the orange glow from the fireplace warmed the room. The cool night air made Coeli's skin prickle.

  "Ok, what's the deal, Shay? What's so important?"

  Coeli moved closer to the fireplace. Taking a poker she stirred the orange and white embers then placed a few pieces of wood on top of them, which quickly caught fire. Sam folded his arms in front of him and raised his eyebrows.

  "C'mon, spill it."

  Coeli put the poker back and looked over at him, her eyes glassy and bright.

  "I know you think we should wait, Sam, but I don't want to."

  Sam sighed and let his head roll back, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, then throwing them up in frustration.

  "I thought we had already decided to wait. There's no rush, Shay."

  Coeli shook her head and walked over to him.

  "But there is, can't you see it? It's just that…well, I don’t want anyone else…I want to make sure it's you, Sam. Can't you understand that?"

  Sam took her face in his hands and lightly kissed her.

  "Despite what's going on with all of this weirdness, there's still plenty of time and I'm not going anywhere."

  A tear rolled down Coeli's face as she remembered the dream. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him towards her. With the softness of her lips and that heady sent of jasmine, Sam felt the passion well up in him and he fought it, pushing away from her and stepping out onto the balcony, covering his mouth with his hand. He stood in the cool night air trying to regain his composure.

  Coeli bit her bottom lip as she undid the ties of her dress and al
lowed it to fall to her feet, along with the rest of her clothes. Her stomach was in knots as she pulled the stick from her hair and let the mass of black curls fall to her waist. She walked silently to Sam and stood behind him. Her breathing was getting faster as she moved her hands to his back and let them hover just above his shirt. Finally, she laid them gently on his back.

  He sighed and turned. He gasped slightly at the site of her. She was more beautiful than he had ever imagined. Her tanned skin in the gentle radiance of the fire and in the light of the moon cast her in a golden glow. The fullness of her hips and curve of her breasts, pink and alert in the cold night air. He shook his head, but Coeli laid a finger on his lips and put his hands on her body. She pressed close to him, pulling his mouth to hers once again. He felt himself harden as his hands gently caressed her soft skin.

  He consumed her mouth and closed his eyes. She pulled at his clothes, dropping them to the floor as he pushed her back towards the bed. She felt the weight of him on top of her as his mouth found her neck and she felt the butterflies in her stomach, her body trembling against his.

  He stopped and looked at her, staring deeply into her eyes.

  "You ok? We can stop."

  She shook her head.

  “No, I’m fine…really.”

  “Really?”

  She smiled and nodded, then kissed him. His fingers brushed against her nipples and she moaned as her skin began to tingle. Then she felt his mouth against her skin as she ran her fingers through his long hair. She arched her back and he pulled back to look at her. He slowly traced his thumb along her lips.

  "I love you, Shay."

  "I love you, too," she whispered.

  Their lips touched again and she felt him inside her.

  The pain was intense and sharp. Coeli whimpered quietly, trying to mask the sting. Sam stopped and looked at her.

  "I’m stopping."

  Coeli looked up at him and shook her head. It had to be now.

  "Don't stop."

  Sam frowned as Coeli gently kissed him again. They started slowly, but soon Sam's moans were audible but low and he closed his eyes tight, holding back as long as he could.

  He kept his moan as low as he could, so as not to wake anyone as his body became rigid, then weak. He felt her tiny fingers against his face and when he opened his eyes, she was smiling at him.

  He looked at her, still breathing deeply.

  "Are you ok?"

  “Uh, huh.”

  “Did you?”

  She nodded and Sam smiled.

  “Really?”

  He rolled over and put his hand behind his head. Coeli rolled on to her side, pulling her hands to the side of her face and smiled. He looked over at her. He had never seen that smile before. He reached over and brushed the curls away from her face.

  "C'mere."

  Coeli moved towards Sam and laid her head on his chest as he placed an arm around her shoulders. Soon their breathing slowed and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

  72

  Rona sat up and looked around the dark cell. The lights of the village had now been dimmed and only the gas lamps were giving off an eerie yellow glow that barely illuminated the jail. Rona listened intently and heard the long deep breaths of sleep coming from the cell next to her, so she glanced behind her to see Darla lying in her bed.

  She smiled and threw back her covers and gingerly stepped onto the floor. She took several steps towards the window, when Darla shifted in her cot.

  "Wait."

  Rona rolled her eyes and turned around, knowing she would have to do some explaining because Darla could never figure it out on her own. She sighed and looked. Darla was sitting up on her cot.

  "What, D?"

  "Wait for me."

  Rona rolled her eyes and sneered. She angrily whispered back.

  "I'm just going to the window. What are you talking about?"

  Darla's head was tilted to one side and her eyes were staring straight ahead.

  "I love you."

  "What?"

  "I'm beautiful?"

  "You're crazy…"

  Then it dawned on Rona.

  "You're asleep."

  She dropped her shoulders and smiled to herself, then turned back towards the window.

  Rona lifted herself back up and looked out on the street, no one. She then glanced up to the walls and saw the shadowy sentries walking along the perimeter, looking for the Black Horde and the Master's beloved pets. Sean had placed the best archers on all banks of the wall with orders to shoot down all falcons.

  Rona then stepped down and sat in the middle of the cell with her back to the window. She drew a circle on the floor in the dust and made ancient markings in and around the circle. When she had finished, she reached under her cot and felt around, then smiled as she drew out the knife they had put on her tray for dinner.

  Under her breath she began to chant. Her voice never rose above a whisper, but outside the winds picked up and grew cold. She held her hand above the circle and placed the knife against the palm. She closed her fingers around the blade and pulled, flinching slightly as she dragged the knife through the soft flesh of her hand. Blood flowed freely and fell in the center of the circle. When the blood hit the ground it began to smoke and bubble, then the smoke immediately floated out the open cell window and trailed in a spiral motion through the village and into the sky. The soldiers didn't see it as it grew, higher and higher.

  Rona then placed the knife in the center of the circle and tapped it three times. A great vibration traveled up the smoke and into the sky. Within moments two falcons flew directly into the smoke and only moments later into the cell.

  They chirped quietly as Rona told them of the dilemma she was currently facing, but that the Master should continue with his plan. She promised to figure out a way to get them into the village. When she had finished giving the birds the whole story, they flew back into the smoke and vanished into the sky.

  She then drew the smoke back to the circle and chanted to make sure that the magic was done. She took the glass of water that was next to her cot and dipped the knife. She poured the water over her hand and then over the circle on the floor. She watched as the blood and dust ran towards a drain, circled around the opening and disappeared. The cut on her hand was still bleeding. She quietly whispered a healing spell and the wound closed, but was red and raw. She tore off a piece of sheet and wrapped it around her hand.

  Rona then looked over at Darla who was still sitting up. She shook her head and climbed back into bed. As she rolled over and closed her eyes, Darla turned and looked at her. She smiled and lay back down.

  "Wait."

  73

  Alia wandered through the halls of the dimly lit castle. She walked slowly and thought about the last few days. The Gathering was a time to reflect and now she could do nothing but; the presence of this new evil was everywhere and nowhere. She felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding, which was understandable in light of the growing threat, but this was something else. This was closer to home, yet her dreams had shown her nothing about the Fail.

  Her dreams. She thought about the rest of her dreams. Ravens all about her, the red-haired woman who came to her, calling to her. Alia knew it was the goddess. Ferage had asked why she didn't go to her and Alia knew the answer. She was afraid. Afraid of losing herself, afraid of the unknown, afraid everything would change, and then she smiled. Everything had already changed and still the goddess called to her.

  Alia walked into the sitting room and saw Sean still sitting in Paul's chair. The lean silhouette of his body was illuminated by the fire glow and she could see the outline of his long brown tresses as he rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

  "Can an old lady join you?"

  Startled, Sean turned and smiled.

  "Sure, where is she?"

  Alia smiled and sat on the floor next to Sean's legs and leaned her head against his knee. He reached down and gently smoothed out her hair.

 
"What's up, Al?"

  "I don't know. I can't put my finger on it."

  "There's been a lot to digest in the last few days. I didn't tell you earlier…I didn't want to overwhelm you…"

  Alia looked at him.

  "What now?"

  "Calvary called and reported seeing weird lights in San Bernardino. They don't remember there being anything there where they would be able to see lights."

  Alia sighed and shrugged.

  "Sure, why not? We need something else to worry about."

  "I'll worry about his one. You take it easy."

  She turned and looked at him. He was staring at her, softly. Then he let his fingers gently caress her cheek and in that instant she knew. She knew what Kaley had said was true. She was afraid, afraid of change, afraid of losing him, afraid of losing herself. She took his hand and pressed it to her face. She loved him, sometimes so much that she couldn't breathe and in that moment she decided to tell him.

  She got up on her knees and looked at him imploringly. He leaned forward and took her hands.

  “What? What is it, Al?”

  She smiled and looked at his hands and then looked back into his eyes.

  "I love you, Sean."

  He smiled and squeezed her hands.

  "I love you too, Al."

  She shook her head, seeing that he didn't understand.

  "No, Sean, I mean I love you. I'm in love with you."

  His breathing quickened and he tilted his head slightly.

  "I'm sorry, could you say that again?"

  Alia's heart was pounding so hard she felt like it would break through her chest, but she took a deep breath and swallowed.

  "I'm in love with you, Sean Lantry. I have been for a while now, but I've been too afraid to tell you. But in the last few days I've been reminded of how precious time is and… well, here…I guess…"