"Oh, ha ha! You guys are always laughing at my expense and I am always the last to know about it. Maybe the two of you should date!"
Caislyn cocked an eyebrow up as if in thought, and then got ready to walk over to Seth, "you're right, I don't know why I have been denying myself all this time." She didn't get a step in Seth's direction before Jaxon was pulling at her arm.
"Oh no you don't!" Jaxon said, smiling, "go get your own stalker!"
Caislyn yawned again, "I think, at this point, I would rather have a place to lay my head than my own private stalker. I wonder what Arkos and the big guy over there are cooking up?" Caislyn nodded from Jaxon to the group of men, "can you tell what they're saying?"
Jaxon turned her head toward them, trying to catch what they were saying and after a few minutes she turned back to Caislyn, "I can't get anything. There's so much going on down in that camp that I can't separate anything. Sorry."
"Aw, don't be sorry." Caislyn looked back at the SUV. I am going to go check on my mom real quick.
"Merriwyn is with her."
"I know. I just need to see her again." Caislyn turned to walk back to the car they had exited before and Jaxon followed along with her. "I can't believe that after all this time I have my mom back, but this is how I get her. You know? I mean, I can't even tell her I love her. I can't..."
Jaxon hugged her friend, "Shh, I know," she tried to reassure Caislyn. "We'll figure everything out and get her better for you Caislyn." Just as they were stopping outside of the SUV the back door opened up and Merriwyn climbed out.
"Caislyn, Jaxon, we need to figure out what is going on here so I can begin treating Vesta. I would like to get her comfortable somewhere before I start with the medicinals. Do either of you know what's going on here yet?"
"No." They said in unison. Jaxon suddenly turned around, having heard the footsteps closing in on them before anyone else did. Seth and Arkos were headed in their direction.
"Okay, they were able to acquire two new campers for you with the money I sent ahead. It's up to you guys to figure out how you want to work the living arrangements. I know it isn't much, but it will keep you safe until we can get everything figured out."
"Wait, you're leaving?" Caislyn looked at Arkos, worried again about what was going to happen next.
"My wolves have lives to get back to, Caislyn and I have to head to the council to try to smooth things over and hope that I can get them to understand that the two of you aren't a danger to our world." He reached over and hugged Caislyn, who standing at 5 feet 10 inches was still dwarfed by the werewolf. "Take care of your mom, I will update you with my efforts through Mikel and his father Andrei. They are the clan leaders here, and can probably answer more questions for you than I ever could."
It wasn't until Arkos and his wolves began to depart the camp that they realized how quiet it was here in the middle of the forest. Caislyn was about to go find Mikel to see where the new campers were when he walked up with a large, older man beside him. Mikel was smiling again, as he had been when he first greeted Caislyn.
"Caislyn, this is my father Andrei." Caislyn shook Andrei's hand as she had Mikel's, but there was no smile on his face to greet her.
"We have taken great risk to welcome you here." His voice came out in a heavy baritone that Caislyn had only been semi-prepared for after hearing Mikel's similar voice. "We welcome you as blood family, but caution you that should you bring danger upon our family we will have to turn you out." Mikel was no longer smiling, showing obvious disapproval for what his father was saying.
"It's okay," Caislyn said, addressing the intense look Mikel was giving his father. "I have had my family torn away from me, I understand the need to protect them above all." Andrei nodded to her.
"You are our family too, Caislyn." Was all that Mikel said before he turned on his heel and walked away.
"You must forgive my son his rudeness. He is excited that you are here and something is happening amidst our old, boring ways." Now, a slight smile played across his face. "He does not know the hardships we have endured, or the things that could happen should others become aware of us. We have stayed hidden away in these forests for ages, even as they have dwindled and given way to the sprawling cities." He looked from Caislyn to the rest of the small group that had been left behind as the werewolves departed. "I shall not bore you with the details now, it looks as though you could all use some solid rest. If you would follow me, I will show you to your recreational vehicles, as Arkos calls them. They are a little too exceptional to call them campers.
"I'll drive the SUV over with Vesta," Seth offered. Caislyn mouthed a quick thank you and then turned to walk with everyone else.
"Why do you live in campers and tents? You've been here for ages, I would have imagined a small village should have sprung up in that time."
Andrei smiled again, "Do you not see a small village before you?" he questioned as he spread his arms wide, indicating the vast expanse of the camp. At Caislyn's uncomfortable look, he went on to explain, "we are always prepared to move, just in case our safety is no longer an option here. We have many plans in place, including splitting up and heading in opposite directions, to ensure that our people survive. Witches, Vampires, Lycans, they have all just come out into the open within the last twenty years. The Gypsies have never been hiding, so we are always watchful, and always prepared for attacks on our kind. You would have done well to grow up here with your family Caislyn, it would have better prepared you for the life you are to live now."
After that was said, everyone walked in silence to the campers. They were both newer and something more than just campers, as Andrei had hinted. They were very modern recreational vehicles, with all the amenities inside. At the looks that were coming from the small group Andrei explained, "most of us live in simpler vehicles and tents, but Arkos sent enough funds and we thought you would miss the comforts of your own world. Well, Mikel thought of it, so you should thank him when you see him again."
"We definitely will." Caislyn agreed. "Now, we need to get my mom in here and comfortable so we can figure out how to make her better."
"Agreed," Merriwyn spoke up and then followed it with a slew of orders, "Seth, please bring Vesta in as carefully as you can. I will stay with her and Caislyn for now, until we can get Vesta stabilized. Jaxon you can share the other RV with Seth." Merriwyn reached out and stopped Andrei as he was turning to walk away. "I may need some help trying to heal Vesta. She's been through the ordeal." Andrei blanched noticeably and nodded his head.
"I will send someone tonight, then."
"Thank you," Merriwyn said to Andrei as he turned to go.
"The ordeal?" Caislyn asked, looking even more concerned than ever about her mother's condition.
"I will explain later. Let me do what I can to help her now. I promise, I will answer all your questions in due time, Caislyn."
"Fine!" Caislyn stormed off into the RV following Seth who had just taken Vesta inside. Jaxon whispered an apology to her mother as she followed behind her friends.
~...~
Over the next two days the gypsy healers of the group worked with Merriwyn to try to bring Vesta around to no avail. Her condition remained unchanged and Caislyn was beginning to grow more weary about a positive outcome. Caislyn tried, several times to go talk to Jaxon about it, but she as always preoccupied with Seth. She carried her burden on her own and went to find Mikel to see if there had been any news from Arkos yet. Caislyn had to smile as she passed the little kids who were running around the camp kicking a ball. As she caught up to Mikel she greeted him with her thoughts. "I would give just about anything to be able to go back to the simpler times of my childhood."
"Wouldn't we all?" He held out his arm for her to take as they walked. Caislyn slipped her arm through the crook of his and they continued on through the make-shift village. "Have you been to the creek yet?" Caislyn looked up at Mikel in surprise.
"I didn't know there was a creek running nearby."
>
"Would you like to go see it? It's a bit chilly to go swimming, but I always think better out there." Mikel smiled down at Caislyn, "My mother used to tell me I had a water spirit that lived in me."
Caislyn smiled along with Mikel as she thought back to her own childhood and playing near the water. Then it occurred to her that she hadn't met Mikel's mother. "Where is your mom anyway, I don't think I 've met her."
"We lost her in child birth when my little brother, Sasha, was born." A deep sadness fell over Caislyn as her thoughts immediately turned to her own mom and dad. Mikel took notice and bumped into her. "I'm sure those haggardly witches will pull their magic together and bring your mom around. I've seen them work wonders before." Caislyn nodded and offered him a smile as they continued walking through the woods. Before long they came to a creek where the water was running swiftly across the many boulders. It was the strangest creek water Caislyn had ever seen. It was almost a turquoise color, made more magical by the occasional sparkles of sunshine that flitted across its surface as the gentle breeze stirred the trees that lined it.
"This is amazing, Mikel." Caislyn sat down on the ground and started removing her boots and socks.
"Caislyn, the water is very cold this time of year."
"I don't care. It's so beautiful, I have to..." Caislyn was already down by the edge, getting ready to sink her feet into the water when a familiar voice caught her by surprise.
"Don't bother talking sense into her Mikel, Caislyn isn't one to hear it."
Caislyn looked up and there, across the creek stood ten strong men and a few women, each with burdens of recently killed animals and bushels of berries as well as other fruits, herbs, and fungi that presumably grew wild in this area. A few people parted out of the way as the owner of that voice drew closer to the front of the group.
"Gregore!" The name left Caislyn's lips in an excited shriek. She forgot herself and the cold water and jumped in to cross over to the other side. She seriously misjudged the depth of what was supposed to be a little creek, and as she jumped she was plunged waist-deep in the freezing turquoise waters. Gregore ran to the edge, as did Mikel. Both men were trying to get to her to pull her out before she froze to death. Gregore was able to grab hold of her first and snatched her out, pulling her close to him as he did so. Caislyn threw her arms around Gregore and started babbling endlessly about everything that had happened.
"Whoa, whoa... Caislyn, slow down." He pulled her back from him for a moment. "Let's go get you dry and then we'll catch up, okay." Gregore took his coat off and draped it over Caislyn. She walked with the rest of the group, down the creek, a little ways until they came to a spot where one of the gypsy-men climbed a tree and lowered a make-shift bridge down to the others. They placed it across the much narrower section of the creek and started crossing in twos.
"How, no, why are you here?" Caislyn looked up at Gregore as they crossed the bridge. "I don't understand."
"What? You're not happy to see me?" She smiled, but smacked him across the chest at the same time.
"Of course I'm happy to see you, I just don't understand why you're here."
"Caislyn, you took off, disappeared like your parents did, and when I tried to organize a search party my parents pulled me aside and explained that there was something going on with you and most likely you were in hiding." Gregore looked pained for a moment, and then he pulled Caislyn closer. Mikel had caught up with them on his side of the creek, finally, and Gregore stopped with his story to greet the man. "Ahh, Mikel, didn't anyone tell you what a trouble maker she was before they turned you loose with her?"
Mikel did not seem very happy to see Caislyn curled up by Gregore's side. Caislyn watched him closely and saw as he forced a smile that definitely didn't reach his eyes. "They actually did warn me, but how was I to know that you would appear and cause such a reaction?"
"Sorry, Mikel." Caislyn said as she hung her head down and gave Gregore a little squeeze. "Greg has been my friend since..." she paused trying to count the years in her head since they first met on the playground.
"Fifteen years now," Gregore said without a thought.
Caislyn looked up at him, to those bright blue eyes and smiled. "Wow, you're getting old!" She joked and he pretended he was going to toss her back in the creek." The others were laughing, but continued on with their work, lifting the bridge into a set of trees on this side of the creek so they could head back to camp. "So, seriously, how did you get here, of all places?"
"My family are from this area. They are a brother clan to the Vadomas." He smiled down at Caislyn again and hugged her tight. "You know, if we had both grown up in the villages we are named for, we could have been betrothed to one another."
Caislyn's eyes went a little wide. It had been less than a week since she heard another person, a Fey, tell her that in another life they would have been betrothed. Before she could respond though, Mikel did.
"We don't really do betrothals anymore Drabek. Ever since Caislyn's grandmother ran away, our people have relaxed their stance."
"Which is why I came back to study with the Vadomas rather than my own clan of witches. They weren't as welcoming since my family left to go to the United States."
"Well, there loss is my gain, then."
Gregore smiled and then kissed the top of Caislyn's head. "So, how did you manage to end up here?"
It occurred to Caislyn that Gregore must have been out of the loop since he was off with a hunting party. "I have so much to tell you, Greg." Caislyn looked around at the curious stares she was getting from the rest of the gypsies. "Some of it can wait. I found my mom, though. She's back at camp. She's in some sort of coma or something, but the healers are working on her. They all seem to think she will be able to pull through."
"Oh, God, Cais. I'm sorry, are you sure this is something the healers can do? Maybe we need to get her to a hospital?"
"No, they are working on her. Merriwyn says it's because of some ordeal that the Brotherhood put her through."
"The ordeal?" Gregore asked, paling noticeably as he did.
"Yeah, but I don't know what that is, and no one will explain it to me."
Gregore stopped walking and pulled Caislyn to the side. "Go ahead," he shouted up ahead to the others, "we'll be right behind you." He looked at Caislyn, hugged her, and then sat her down on a fallen log. "Caislyn, don't you remember when your mom was talking to us about the burning times."
"Yeah, back when your mom made you take witch history 101 with me." Caislyn laughed at the memory, "what about it?"
"You never paid that much attention, because you were always too busy trying to prank me to get me back for getting you in trouble." He smiled, but it didn't stay on his face long. "your mom told us about The Ordeal. It's the worst torture a witch can endure. Supposedly, it's the only way for a mortal man, a human, to strip a witch of her powers. The more powerful the witch, the worse The Ordeal."
"So, you're saying..." Caislyn let everything sink in and then the tears started. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that if she survives, there's a chance your mom won't have her powers anymore." Gregore stood as Caislyn did, but he stayed as she walked around the tree and began heaving everything she had eaten for breakfast. When she sounded like she was finished, Greg walked around the tree and scooped Caislyn up in his arms. She was freezing cold, he had forgotten about how wet she had gotten. "Come on, let's get you back to camp so you can get warm and dry. Then we will talk."
***
BLUE SKIES
Gregore realized as he neared the camp that he didn't know where Caislyn's tent was, so he took her to his. He helped her out of her wet clothes and into some sweats of his. Then, he tucked her under his blankets on the cot he had set up inside his tent. Once he was sure she was warm and comfortable he left her to go look for some hot stew. He wasn't sure if it was the cold or the shock of what actually happened to her mother that put Caislyn in this state, but he wanted to make sure he did all he could t
o bring her back around. If they were right, if Vesta had gone through The Ordeal, she would need her daughter's strength to get through it too. It hit Gregore that Caislyn hadn't mentioned what happened to Mac yet. He wondered if Mac had made it out okay, or if he too had been put through The Ordeal.
"Sasha!" Gregore called out to the boy who was stirring a pot over the open flames. "Smells good, how about a bowl for our friend, Caislyn?"
"Ann says no one eats till noon." Sasha puffed out his chest, obviously proud that he had been put in charge of guarding the coveted stew.
"I'm sure she won't mind so much. It's for Caislyn, she fell in the creek earlier and needs some help warming up. You'll be her hero!" Sasha's face exploded in a fierce grin and he nodded, signaling Gregore to go ahead and take what he needed.
"Okay, Gregore, but just a little or Ann will have my hide." Gregore nodded back and dipped the ladle in the pot pouring a generous portion into his bowl. "Is she alright?" Gregore snapped back to attention and fluffed the hair on the ten year olds head.
"She's fine, just needs some heat and she'll be out to thank you herself in a bit."
Sasha's face lit up and he went back to stirring the pot as he was before. Gregore turned to head back to his tent, but before he did he took note of the sky. The azure blues of the morning were beginning to dim as swift gray clouds headed in their direction. "Sasha, you might want to cover the stew," he called back over his shoulder and pointed up. Once Gregore reached his tent he sat the bowl of soup down on the cooler and made sure to secure the tarp that covered everything in inclement weather. He knew he needed to keep as much water off of the tent as he could. Gregore already had a trench dug around the outskirts of his tent to offer the water a direction in which to flow so that it wouldn't start backing up inside. He hoped it would be enough because they looked to be in for a solid downpour any time now.
~...~
Jaxon and Seth had awaken earlier in the day, and decided it wasn't worth the energy to go get breakfast. Instead, they spent the morning in bed, enjoying one another. Having their own RV had been almost like having a honeymoon for newly weds. It was endless romance, sex, and the occasional breather for sustenance.
Revelations Page 8