by Linda Jordan
The deities clearly didn’t want humans to visit there. The vision she’d had was the closest anyone had ever come or was likely to.
She rubbed her face, trying to wake up. Monster wasn’t about. Probably out hunting.
Cady dressed, ate breakfast and decided to walk to the Commons, to see what was up. There was probably some cleaning up to do after last night.
She’d left the party when it was in full swing. As she’d fallen asleep last night, the sound of the music was still going on. It had been quite pleasant to hear as she’d drifted to sleep.
The village was quiet this morning. Most people probably still sleeping. The fires were burnt down, but the large one was still smoking.
Cady picked up three stray mugs and took them inside the commons. The food had been put away, taken care of last night by someone else. There were plenty of dirty dishes.
Cady got some water heating in an ancient electric kettle and put soap and some cool water in a large metal tub. Then more cool water for rinsing in another. When it was ready, she poured boiling water in with the soap. Then scraped all the food scraps into an old plastic compost bucket. Soaked some dishes and began washing the mugs.
She’d done about half the dishes when Gia came through the door.
“Cady, good morning. I thought I’d come clean up. You beat me to it. Here, let me take over. You’ve done enough.”
“Well, I’ve got to do something,” said Cady.
“Here, you dry,” said Gia, handing her a towel. “We’ll need more room on the drying rack. There’s a lot of dishes here.”
Cady began drying the dishes she’d washed.
Gia was glowing, despite such a late night last night.
“Did you have fun last night?” asked Cady.
“It was wonderful,” said Gia.
She must be in love.
“Any part in particular?”
“Oh, the dancing. The dancing was so much fun. But afterward. Well, Logan and I. …”
“Ah, that’s the reason for all that radiance you’re giving off.”
“It shows, does it? I’m not surprised. I’ve had a crush on him forever. I finally, found out it was mutual.”
“Well good. I’m happy for you.”
“What about you? Are you ever going to get involved with anyone again?”
“I don’t know. I never really have. Just short term things. Just sex. I’ve never really loved anyone. And there’s no one here I’m even attracted to. But who can say? Life is strange. And I never say that anything’s impossible.”
“Exactly. What’s impossible when there are deities passing through the village everyday, unicorns just over the hill and dragons hanging out helping people with their magic?”
“Yes. Anything is possible here.”
Sharine and Beth came in the door.
“Good morning. You two are up and about early,” said Sharine.
“I woke up with the sun blazing away,” said Cady. “Thought I’d better get out and get things done and appreciate all this sunshine. It won’t last and in a few months I’ll be missing it terribly.”
“That’s so true,” said Beth. “Each winter seems longer than the last. And wetter.”
“That’s because they are,” said Cady. “I’ve been tracking them ever since I came to the village. They are longer and wetter. Summers are dryer. The climate is still shifting. Our ancestors really screwed things up.”
“Cady, are you worried about all the deities and spirits? There seem to be more each day. Why are they gathering here?” asked Sharine.
“They’re gathering around the island, I do know that.”
She told them about part of her vision.
“It’s a vision, I don’t know if there’s actually a huge rock there that gives off white light and energy to them or not. But they seem to be congregating there and keeping us humans away. For whatever reason.”
“Are you worried about it?” asked Beth.
“I’m very curious. I don’t know enough to be worried. I don’t know if they even notice we exist,” said Cady.
“So, we shouldn’t do anything about it?” asked Sharine.
“What would you do?”
“I don’t know. Some of us might have enough magic to drive them away.”
“To what end? I do know that we don’t want to interfere with whatever it is they’re doing. All the old stories point out the stupidity of humans who get involved with deities. It always ends badly,” said Gia. She rinsed out the dishwashing and drying tubs, letting them drip in the sink area and taking them outside to air dry.
Cady nodded. She dried the last pan and shook out the damp towel. She walked out the door and hung it on the porch rail in the sun.
Beth and Sharine followed them outside.
The lake shone gray blue in the bright sunlight. The island was a white glow now. Deities and spirits dancing in the air, spinning and spiraling around each other. It was dizzying to watch. Cady had to look away.
“Yes, it bothers me. I don’t understand what they’re doing. My vision didn’t give me any clarity about that. I was told that the energy feeds them and that they transmute it, making it safe for us. That is what’s happening now. I worry about the future,” said Cady.
“Is there any way for us to prepare?” asked Sharine.
“First we’d have to know what to prepare for,” said Beth.
“She’s right,” said Cady. “Until that, I’d just say, do what we’ve always done. Keep our options open. Be prepared for anything. Keep stocked up on food and supplies. Be ready to grab everything and run at a moment’s notice. This is a wonderful place, but there’s never been any guarantees for us that it’s permanent. Just like Paradise Grove. We need to be flexible.”
Gia nodded. “I’ll pass that around. I think people may have forgotten, since we settled in here so easily.”
“We settled in here so easily, because we had a lot of time to prepare to move. We should always keep moving in mind,” said Cady.
Later that day, Cady was outside the Commons, working with Tullianne, the village midwife. She had helped birth most of the village’s children. With difficult births, Sharine was called in to help as well.
Tullianne was having a hard time accepting and integrating all her new powers. Dina, who was six months pregnant, had come along so Tullianne would have something to sense. She was married to Bao and this was their first child.
The day had grown warm and Cady wore a blue t-shirt, her long-sleeved shirt around her waist. Still, she was sweating in the sun.
Most of the village was up and finally getting to their morning work. Two young children played by the edge of the lake, rolling rocks around with sticks and chasing each other.
Onyx sat off to the side, watching Tullianne. Dina sat crosslegged on the porch of the commons, leaning against the building and knitting a blanket of soft cream colored wool.
Tullianne knelt, her hands close to Dina’s belly.
Cady asked, “What do you sense?”
“I can feel a fullness around Dina. A sense of wholeness and contentment.”
“Go deeper,” said Cady.
“I hear another heartbeat. It’s smaller, but strong. Almost an echo of hers.”
“Keep going.”
“The baby’s strong, but struggling somehow. It’s missing something.”
“What?”
“It needs more. …”
“More what?” asked Cady. She took a deep breath and remained grounded. She could see what the baby needed, but Tullianne needed to see it.
“Ah, I have it. The baby is tired. It needs more rest, more sleep. Less stimulation. It wants quiet and peace.”
“Yes. Now what would you tell Dina?”
“I’d find out what she’s been doing in her daily life. I’d recommend more meditation. More downtime. More time to just be. And napping. Less work.”
“Good,” said Cady. “People only have their children for a short time. Th
ey must take the time to treasure them. That short time includes the time they’re in the womb. That is some of the most precious time a mother has with her child.”
Tullianne bowed and said, “Thank you.”
“Good work today. I think we’re done for now.”
Tullianne sat and talked to Dina.
Cady went inside the Commons and got some non-alcoholic apple cider from the fridge. It was cold, fresh and unfiltered, tasting crisp and sweet in her mouth.
Then she washed the glass and set it to dry and went back outside. Tullianne and Dina were walking away, arm in arm and talking.
Onyx was still there, waiting. The dragon’s black scales glistening in the sunlight, as if they were wet. A glow of energy surrounded Onyx that she’d never seen before.
“So, my friend, what have you been up to? I haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks.”
“I’ve been exploring all sorts of places. It’s been fascinating.”
“Have you been to the island?”
“Yes, I’ve been there many times. It fills me with energy.”
So that was where the glow came from.
“Is it going to be harmful to the village?” asked Cady, sitting down on the porch near Onyx.
“It certainly attracts a great many deities and spirits. I can’t say for sure, but it’s becoming very crowded there. Something will happen. I can’t say for sure what.”
Which was how Cady felt. She didn’t know if good or bad would come from all this, but things would change. They always did.
She shifted, crossing her legs to get comfortable and leaning against the building. Her body felt weary. It had been a late night for her last night and she felt weary.
“What did you learn on your travels?” she asked.
“I saw the old village. It is filled with people and they are building many houses. There will be more people gathering there. They are very industrious.”
“Anything else?”
“I have met more dragons.”
“More?”
“Yes. Three of them. They have been together all these millennia, a clutch from the same parents. They have slept beneath a mountain, buried from all human contact. Now awake, they were searching for more of their kind.”
“Did you enjoy talking to them?” asked Cady.
“Yes, but they are very different than I am. They don’t know very much. I have always sought knowledge and wisdom. They are very, very young.”
“Will you speak with them again?”
“I probably will, but I will go to them. I’m afraid they might look on eating humans as a sport. I was afraid to ask,” Onyx said, looking at the ground.
“Do they have as much magic as you?”
“Not yet. If they live, they will. If they continue to learn. All dragons have similar potential, but we must all be trained. They have asked me to teach them.”
“Did you agree?”
“I told them I needed to think about it.”
“Young, wild dragons on the loose will benefit few.”
“I agree. However, it takes decades to educate those as young and untrained as they are. And there might be more out there. I cannot teach them all.”
“Why? Haven’t you got decades?”
“I’ve been called here to guard this village. To guard you. I can’t bring them here. And I can’t be in two places at the same time.”
“Perhaps you were called to help us get from one village to the other. To make that journey and now your work with us is done.”
“Is that what you think?” asked Onyx. The dragon cocked its head at her.
“No,” she said.
“Nor do I. I sense a storm coming in the future. I need to be here.”
“Is there a way you can place a binding, a geas on them that will stop them from harming humans?”
“Geas. That is an old word. I do not know if they have enough discipline to obey such a thing. I will think on it. Even so, young dragons are clumsy. They could easily step on someone.”
“Then create a place for them at the edge of the village. A place they can live. Where they can be side by side with humans, to grow to understand them, but not enter the village until they can control their bodies.”
“It might work. You are full of much wisdom today, Cady.”
“Yes well, maybe that’s what is awakening in me. It’s been a long time coming, I can tell you that.”
She told him about her vision. Including the part she’d omitted when telling Gia, Sharine and Beth.
“You are worried about the influx of deities and spirits?” Onyx asked.
“Yes.”
“And you are afraid of what powers might be growing in you?”
“Not afraid. Concerned. I get bits and pieces of the new magic, but I can’t seem to control it. I blow things up and burn things. It’s very frustrating.”
“You are impatient.”
“Yes,” she said.
“You are like a child with your new magic. You can’t make it work correctly and end up setting things on fire. You must be patient and keep learning to control it. Your new powers will come in fully when it is time. Sometimes it is the challenge that brings power on.”
Cady sighed and stretched. “You’re right of course. I hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps nothing’s going to happen until there’s an emergency and then suddenly “poof”. I’ll be able to deal with the storm and the power, hopefully.”
“Hopefully,” said Onyx.
Would she be able to handle the power when it came?
10
Damon
Damon paced around the Cap, throwing more wood on the fire. The cooks were working through the nights now, to make enough food for everyone and cover all the shifts. He smelled roasting chicken and duck. The scents made his mouth water, even though he wasn’t hungry.
He walked the perimeter of the village. The moon was out, so there was enough light to see by. The guards were all alert and doing their job, but no one had heard or seen any sign of the raiding party.
Damon felt restless. Anxious. His mind full of everything that could be going wrong.
Stop, he told himself.
He left the path and went a ways into the woods. Sitting on a stump between two guard posts, Damon closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. It took some effort. More than it should have. He had gotten out of practice.
If he was going to survive this war, Damon needed to begin meditating again. And working out—fighting. He still ran every morning, but that wasn’t the same as fighting with someone. He needed to find a sparring partner and get back to that. He’d grown too soft over the last few months.
The war was going to happen and he needed to be ready. Needed to be in peak condition. It was time to hand over some of the organizing to someone else so he could have time to work out and meditate. Damon still hadn’t found anyone. That needed to change. He needed to prioritize it. He couldn’t do everything himself anymore.
Off in the distance came a strange noise. It took him some time to realize it was the creaking of wagon wheels. They’d need to take care of the noise before they used the wagons again, someone would know how to do that.
Damon went to the closest guard and appeared at the man’s side so suddenly that he almost gave the new recruit a heart attack. The man was so intent on watching for the noise.
“Sorry,” said the guard. “Guess I need to be alert in all directions.”
“That would be best in the future. We’ll let this one pass,” said Damon.
Out of the forest that sat across the way and into the moonlit meadow appeared a dark heavy horse, pulling a wagon. A man sat on the wagon driving the horse. Then another wagon, and then a third. Behind that trudged the raiding party.
The drivers took the wagons around the edge of the forest to the other side of the village. The paths here weren’t big enough for their wide bulk. The raiding party followed, ready to unload the wagons.
There was no sign of
Morrigu or Evangeline.
Gregor came last, following everyone. Damon walked over to him.
“How did it go?”
“Perfectly. No casualties. We got these three wagons and cleaned out all their arms in that building. I’m assuming they had some stashed in their houses, but that would have been messy.”
Damon nodded.
Gregor continued, “I was told that Mila got three riding horses. She was to wait on the other side of the village for Evangeline and Morrigu.”
“Have you seen them?”
“No,” said Gregor. “They were going to take another route back. Throw any straggling villagers off our trail.”
Damon nodded. If Morrigu took a long time in the village, she’d still be on her way back. Best not to worry.
The wagons had been pulled up in front of a building that looked like the other housing. The large heavy boxes were being unloaded. Then the wagons were taken to where the horses would be kept. Along with the other livestock until their new pasture could be fenced in.
Damon went to the Cap and sent out new guards to the perimeter. Time for a change. The shifts were shorter tonight. He wanted everyone well rested and alert if trouble came.
The wagons unloaded, the raiding party came to the Cap for food. They were a boisterous crowd, full of pent-up energy that needed an outlet.
Damon got their attention and said, “Terrific job folks. We still have three people out, Morrigu, Evangeline and Mila. So, we’ll be celebrating at dusk tonight. We’re having a feast and Morrigu will be here. The cooks have been preparing for two days for this. We’re still on high alert. Not expecting trouble, but anything’s possible. It would be a good idea for all of you to eat your meal, calm down as quickly as possible and get some shut-eye. Again, thanks for the great job. Well planned and well executed.”
The crowd was a little quieter after his announcement.
Then he went and got some of the roasted meat and sat down at his table. He looked at all the guards sitting in the Cap eating, evaluating the skills he knew each one had. Then he went over the list of the others sleeping and those on guard duty. He came up with three names of people he could try out as an assistant. It was a start.
