"How heavy is this wineskin?" he asked me when I told him I had been particularly overwhelmed with dealing with the loss of my mother. It would happen to me every now and then. It would hit me and not leave me for days. I asked him what to do and he answered my question with his own. I looked at Daukyns and the wineskin held straight out from his body. Not understanding I shook my head.
"It's a trick question, Will. The answer is: It doesn't matter how heavy it is, it depends on how long you try and hold it. I can hold this easily for a minute or two. Maybe for half an hour. But in a day of holding this skin, my arm will start to tire. In two days? I would be forced to drop it. Do you understand?"
I shook my head. With Daukyns, it was hard sometimes to suss out his meaning. And somehow it always seemed to involve wine in some capacity.
"The longer you try to carry a burden, the harder it is to carry it. Sometimes you have to set it down for a little while. When you're ready, you pick it up again."
"What?"
Daukyns sighed and drank some of the wine out of the skin. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Will, set the burden aside for now. Pick it up and look at it every now and then, but stop trying to carry it around all the time."
I returned to the present and sighed. I missed Daukyns and his words. He always found a way to centre me. I struggled, but found a way to set aside the anger I felt about the loss of my mother. I focused instead on the bond between Gaea and I and how I felt I knew I could trust her. Another time, I thought. We will finish this conversation. "Teach them?" I asked at last. I looked around the kitchen and swung my hands out. "How? This place is a bit small. How many draoi are we talking about here?" As soon as I said the words, a thought glimmered in my mind.
"Will!" admonished Nadine, under her breath. Gaea laughed and I looked back at Nadine and mouthed 'What?' Gaea smiled at Nadine.
"He speaks truth, Nadine. I see in him now that he knows where to start. I tell you this: William, you are correct — head to the farm Reeve Comlin told you about. You remember where it is but to guide you and make you move swiftly across the land I give you another bond. She is young. Your age but not as mature. You are an old soul, William, she can learn much from you. The bond will guide you there. She will be the first Duilleog. Your first student and first challenge. Her name is Katherine."
I looked at my bonds and saw a new one form and snake out to the north-west. It was blue and bright. I sensed wonder down the line and the image of a girl, my age, with her face alight with joy came to my mind.
"Really?" I shook my head. This was too much and too fast. Gaea was standing there in front of me and giving me orders. Students? I'm only eighteen. Who would respect that? "How will I find them? I only found out I was a draoi a month ago." I could sense Nadine glaring at me and I didn't look her way.
"Fear not. They will find you. Already they are in motion. They will arrive soon. It is why you must hurry."
"Um, okay?" I had no other response.
Gaea smirked at me. Did she really just do that? Then she bent down and scratched the belly of Dog. He had been squirming on his back in front of her since Gaea had arrived. "Dog, my friend. You have done well. Do you wish to continue?"
Dog barked and stood up, came over to me, and leaned against me. Gaea smiled.
"Excellent. A good choice of name, William. Dog suits him. So be it." Gaea smiled down at Dog and then turned to Nadine and smiled at her with an expression mixed with sorrow. "Nadine. Your task was a difficult one and not one of your choosing. However, you have within you the lore that will teach new generations. Listen to William. He understands the application of that lore better than you will accept. He will guide you as you teach him."
"I will, as you command it."
Gaea shook her head. "No, I do not command it, child. I ask it of you. Perhaps this will help: a boon for you, my daughter. I withheld this from you so you would survive the Purge. I now grant you those powers as I would have before. You and William will make a new world possible. Use it wisely."
The tone sounded again and I felt an energy in the air. My hair floated up on my head and I looked to Nadine and saw her hair standing on end. She patted at it and then her eyes went round as Gaea's power joined with her. Through our bond, I felt her explosion of joy and watched as tears sprung from her eyes. With vision, I saw her aura burst blindingly with colour and then settle to a most beautiful bright blue. She gasped and held her hands up to her face. Her skin shifted and the remaining years on her body melted away and before me stood a young woman, my age, if not a little older. With trembling hands she felt her face and then looked at the back of her hands and felt the smooth, vibrant and young skin that covered her. She looked up to Gaea and tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Nadine, I name you my Cill Darae. Henceforth you represent me here in the Realm. I can think of no one better and, in truth, I always meant this for you."
Nadine cried out and collapsed to her knees and clasped her hands to her breast. "I-I don't understand? How can I...what? Cill Darae? But I have no power. Oh..." Her eyes lost focus and I could tell she was using the sight for the first time. She looked around the room and then down at the bond between us and raised a trembling hand to her mouth.
"You are wise, Nadine, and you have a strength within you that few possess. You will be the Cill Darae as I always meant the position to be. A position of power. Not second to the Freamhaigh. Equal. Use your strength and teach a new generation. Your powers are equal to Will's. I caution you to not lose yourself in your newfound youth. Move past the age you think you are and embrace the age you now are. Enjoy your second chance at youth."
"I will, Earth Mother. Thank you. Thank you so much." I could sense Nadine examining the bond between us and she continued to stare at me with something that seemed close to fear. I was confused.
Gaea laughed. "Nadine, my Cill Darae. You must be truthful to yourself starting now. You fight it again. This time freely admit your love and follow your heart. It beats true."
"L-love? No." asked a crying Nadine shaking her head.
"Yes. Nadine. You fight it but you love him. You felt it the moment you met, did you not? I admit I did not foresee this but I am truly pleased. Calm yourself, my daughter. I love you and William loves you. That is enough for anyone. Your lives are too short for missed opportunities. You are equals in this. I made it this way. And you both have much to learn."
My eyes widened and I stared at Nadine. She was still shaking her head in denial. Did Gaea just say I love Nadine? Did I? And then I knew. I had known for a while now but hadn't truly understood it. Now that the words were out I could see the truth of it. I now had a word to associate with the feeling I had when I thought of her. I looked to our bond and also finally understood the white line. A colour that Nadine had understood and had been bothered by. White was love, pure and true. Nadine looked up at me through her tears and my love surged even watching the snot running freely from her nose. Her transformation was startling. I knew her when she was grey and wrinkled, and now I saw her young with snot flowing down her face, and both faces were beautiful. She was a young woman again but with the wisdom of a lifetime. I could feel my heart was bound to her. True love, without a doubt, I thought.
"Yes, William. It is a rare thing," said Gaea and I looked at her in surprise. I had almost forgotten she was here. "It is not often that two parts of me make for such a pair. I enjoy it when it happens especially when it can result in offspring. Enough. You will have time to talk about this. For now, make haste. Leave for the farm. Do not doubt your abilities. Trust your instincts. Hurry."
"Wait!" I said, sensing she was about to leave. "You keep calling me William. Everyone calls me Will. Only my mother called me William. And it sounds...it sounds..." I trailed off, afraid to say the words.
Gaea stepped toward me and startled me by embracing me in a strong clasp. "That is because I am your mother, William. She was Belle and I am Belle. All life on Earth is me. You are starting to unders
tand this. I gave birth to you and watched over you since that day."
My strength left my body and I collapsed into her arms and she held me tight and supported me. She smelt like my mother and seemed shorter than before. "My mother died!" I sobbed.
"Yes, she did. I was with her when she passed and with her when she re-joined with me. We are together. All that pass return to me. Trust me in this: I am your mother, William. I love you. I have never left your side. I was the wolves that watched over you. I was the birds that soared overhead. Never were you out of my sight or out of my heart. Now wipe your tears and embrace what you know is true. All life on Earth is one. Death is only a transition and birth another."
We stood like that for long minutes. My emotions were twisted with random thoughts. My mother was dead. But this was my mother. I knew both to be true. It hurt and made me happy at the same time. I pulled back and my mother looked back at me.
"Belle!" gasped Nadine covering her mouth in shock. My mother let go of me and grasped Nadine's hands briefly before stepping back. I stood in shock staring hard at my mother and straining to remember every movement and every gesture. I didn't want to forget again.
"Yes. Nadine, I was always Belle. She was perhaps the closest to me of anyone. This is the face you try so hard to remember, William. You are my son and I miss you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you but certain events had to occur. Before Belle joined with me, she understood that you would be cared for. She made you promise to stay hidden and stay safe. Your promise to me, as your mother, is over. No longer must you keep hidden. Embrace the world. Embrace your power. The world will soon learn of the draoi. You and Nadine will make that happen. Now, I must leave. I have focused too long on the here and now."
Gaea vanished. We stood there for a long series of heartbeats. Then, with a cry, Nadine ran into my arms and clung to me and sobbed with joy. Dog barked and bounded about the room. What to do now? I thought and held Nadine tighter.
Part Four: Fight
Thirty-Three
Outside Lakeside, 900 A.C.
SETH FARLOW SPOTTED the marker beside the road and glanced back down the road he had just travelled, then, after a moment, he turned to look ahead toward Lakeside. The road was deserted. Seth steered his horse off the road and dismounted. With the reins in his hand, he led the horse into the woods until it was out of sight of the road. He reached into his saddlebag and removed a hobble and fastened it to the rear cannons of the animal. It wasn't necessary for him to hobble the horse. He had long ago overwhelmed the small brain of the animal. It wouldn't run. Not now. Not unless he willed it.
But old habits are good habits, he thought. It is good that God's creatures obey me so thoroughly. It is His will.
Seth stepped quietly deeper into the woods. His black boots left almost no mark on the soil and grass. In his left hand, he held a red bloodstone. He drew a black dagger from his waist sheath into his right hand. He took several steps and spotted the next mark about four feet above eye level on a tree -- high enough to avoid being seen. No one looks up, he thought. He stopped and closed his eyes and focused on what he was hearing. It was quiet. Seth scowled and reached out with God's Gift. The silence deepened around him. Ever since he had been blessed he found God's creatures all drew quiet in respect for his divine powers. Normally he enjoyed the respect of the silence. What he was not enjoying was that by now he should be picking up the sounds of his men. Peter he didn't expect to hear, but his idiot prodigy, Jeremy, he would be making enough noise to wake the dead.
The absolute silence meant something was wrong. Seth crouched down and strained to reach out with his powers to the woods surrounding him. The silence grew deeper. Seth could hear the rapid heartbeats of the creatures around him now. They held their breath in awe of his presence. Seth gritted his teeth and then released his power. He felt a wetness on his upper lip and wiped away the drops of blood from his nose. He would pay later for his use of God's power with a powerful headache. It was all part of the price to him. He hadn't needed to use his whip in weeks.
Seth was concerned. Peter should have left secondary signs on the approach trail but they were absent. The single signs meant they had managed to capture the demon spawn and then trussed him correctly. The second mark meant they were in full control and that the demon was drained and in their power. With the second mark missing Seth could only assume something had gone wrong. Seth began to seethe inside followed by a sharp and hot acidic burn. A rustle broke in the foliage near him and a rabbit bolted, screaming in fear. With a thought, Seth stilled the rabbit and twisted the brain matter. Seth felt the life-force of the rabbit dwindle and he grabbed it with his powers and fed it to his own. Goosebumps ran up his spine and over his scalp and he shuddered in ecstasy. He loved this part of God's Power. It was his sole reward in this life.
His anger continued to consume him and he struggled to control his breathing. He had trusted Peter to handle this correctly. For Seth, this was his chance at redemption. Peter knew that. Seth had to recover the Target and complete his mission. This had been his chance to atone for his failure ten years ago. He could not return to the Archbishop empty handed. The promise of bringing the Archbishop back into the Chamber was all he thought about. He wanted — no, he needed — him to see the work he did. It had been too many years since he had stepped in and participated. The past weeks on the road had been filled with his imaginings of how the Archbishop would respond.
How could an untrained eighteen-year-old demon spawn escape from Peter? Peter was one of the best. He had hunted down and captured dozens of them. He was unequalled. Something must have happened. Something unexpected.
Seth followed the trail and came to a large clearing with a small cooking fire in the middle. This is where Peter and Jeremy camped. It would be a set measured distance outside the known range of the demon's power. At a second site, called the containment area, the demon would be trussed and lifted from the ground. With only two hunters, one would stay with the demon and the other would stay in the camp. It was a method that had never failed. Seth could see the trail that likely led to the second area. But his eyes were focused on the opened waist packs of the two men. The exposed packs confirmed the men were lost. They would never abandon them or leave them in the open. Now it was only a matter of determining what had happened.
Seth reached out with his powers and sensed where the grass had been trampled. He scented blood and followed it to the base of a tree. His powers told him it was Jeremy's blood. The man had rested there, injured. There was something else. Another scent was in the air. Seth strained with his powers. And then it came to him: wolves. Wolves had come. Jeremy had run down the trail to the containment area. The scents and tracks confirmed it. Seth sniffed the air and smelled dog. Wolves with a dog. Demon powers. The Target must've broken his bonds. Peter fucked up.
Seth moved first to the waist packs and confirmed the bloodstones were not there. Seth frowned. The stones had cost him so much pain and anguish to make. They were worth it for they had saved so much Sect members from death and reduced the time it took to conduct the demon hunts. His men thought them to be actual rubies. Seth knew better for they were made from his blood. He had formed each of them over months. Each bloodstone was made from an equal amount of the blood he carried in his body. The bloodstones were the only way to give his men the protection they needed against the demon powers. The boots were the same. Leather soaked in his own blood until it was saturated. Seth was proud of those accomplishments. They came from his own brilliance. He had learned much reading the Demon Manuscript in Jergen over the years. He turned their evil into his gain. Through blood and pain came salvation. The scriptures spoke often of it. Sacrifice yields rewards.
Seth composed himself and made his way down the trail. He expected to find the worst. Peter had been a friend of sorts. More importantly, he had been one of God's best soldiers. His loss would not be insignificant. He sensed nothing in the area now. Whenever this had happened, it had been weeks a
go. He measured out the distance and stepped out into another clearing. Peter had measured the distance correctly. The high, afternoon sun lit up the entire clearing.
The first thing Seth focused on was the picked over remains of a lone wolf. Fur, blood, and bones had been dragged in all directions from the remains. The wildlife had feasted on the animal. The grass was trampled everywhere. Seth could see nothing else. The clearing was empty. There were no bodies, but dried blood was everywhere. Seth looked up at the massive oak tree towering over the area. It had a broad branch extending out over the clearing. Perfect for hoisting up a demon and Peter had obviously thought so as well. Under the branch, the grass had been cut away until only bare soil remained. Seth walked over and looked up and found the signs of the rope they used. The bark was rotted away and exposed the blackened wood underneath. Another one of my works. A rope infused with my life force and a block to demon powers.
Seth searched the ground under the branch and found blood, feces and urine. He used his senses and recoiled at the scent of demon. The Target had been here. Two wolves and one dog had arrived and taken out his men. One wolf fell. The dog released the demon and he escaped. Once a demon was hoisted off the ground he had lost. Never during any of the Hunts had a demon escaped once it was strung up. This time it had failed. With the one demon he wanted dead more than any other. Seth growled. Despite Peter having done everything right he had failed him. He had failed God.
Seth threw back his head and screamed in frustration. From all around he sensed and heard animals hidden in the bushes bolt in fright. With a vengeance, he reached out and killed them all and laughed at the pleasure surging through his body in reward.
Leaf and Branch (New Druids Series Vol 1 & 2) Page 55