Morrigan's Bidding

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “Thank you for Agreeing, Sean Aragorn MacDougal,” Morrigan said, bowing her head to him. “We will not ask you for any favors, nor impose any tasks on you. If you deem it a worthy task to topple the Queens from their perch, we would be grateful for the chance to return to our people. I have looked at the strands again and your future is far from set. You shall be a nexus of change, and no one who meets you will be bound to the path they were before. All will be given the chance to shake off whatever constrained them, and to grow as they see fit.”

  A deep, gravelly bass boomed out, “We have all come to see you off, and those who could gifted you some of their power.” Sean’s head turned to find the speaker, an old man with white hair and a wild beard. “Even I have given you a gift.” The speaker’s face and body changed, becoming that of a young man in his prime, the voice changing to match his appearance, “We should have listened before, but we didn’t. Now it is your wisdom that will decide the future.” Again, the voice changed to match a new face on the same being, a man with deep, fresh wounds marking his face. “From us, we wish you joy and a long life.” The speaker bowed to Sean, followed by the others.

  “If Dagda is done,” a thin reed of a man said from the side, his hands moving in a weird pattern, “I have the portal ready.”

  “Hopefully we will meet again, in time,” Morrigan added as Sean felt the slab tilt towards the thin man. “May your feet be always swift, and your vision sharp.”

  “Wait,” Sean managed just as a white opening swallowed him whole and he began falling past the stars towards a planet below him. “Oh, fuck.”

  ~*~*~

  Snorting, Sean jerked upright as real footsteps pulled him out of the dream. “Is it time to wake?”

  Fiona sat at her table in one of the chairs they had made the night before. “I did not mean to wake you,” she apologized. “You can return to sleep if you need.”

  Sean shrugged and got up. “It’s fine. I need to be able to sleep again tonight, after all.” Rubbing the gunk from his eyes, he took the open chair at the table, “What time is it?”

  “High sun,” Fiona replied as she poured him some tea. “You snore loudly,” she said with a faint smile.

  “Cian said the same thing yesterday,” Sean chuckled with a smile. “I’ll need to see about fixing that eventually.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Better than you, as I don’t recall you snoring,” Sean said as he sipped the mint tea. “I wonder, is this the routine that the village will continue with? Trees, Shaping, and hunting?”

  “For years, probably,” Fiona nodded. “It will be rather difficult to attract more people to something so far removed from the Quadital.”

  “What is the Quadital?”

  “They are the four capital cities the Queens rotate amongst,” Fiona replied. “They are separated by a lot of land, mostly farmland, though there are a number of cities and towns. Outside of the Quadital, cities and towns of various sizes extend for five hundred miles, and at the farthest reaches, you find places like this. Past that are the Wilds, where those who seek adventure or to escape civilization go.”

  “The Queens change capitals?” Sean asked, intrigued.

  “Yes, they change with the seasons,” Fiona replied between sips. “Always directly opposite the other as they circle the land, bringing Summer and Winter with them.”

  “Do the Queens cause the change, or do they simply follow the change?”

  “The change follows them, or at least, the histories say that is the case. It is said that, long ago, the Winter Queen refused to follow the pattern. In doing so, she brought a terrible winter over the land and Summer ended up along her edge. The nobles of each court started fighting along the boundary of the divide. Summer proved to be more powerful in the end. Winter fled to where she belonged, and her grasp was broken. It took decades for the land that had been held by the long touch of winter to finally overcome the strain and begin to flower and grow again.”

  “Do the two Queens never meet face-to-face?”

  “Once every hundred years, they meet at the center of the Quadital, barring emergencies that demand they meet right away. The city of Accord lies in the middle of the Quadital. It is the biggest of the cities, as it lies at the heart of the Queens’ power. The buildings are fashioned from living trees or from the very earth, carved by the most powerful of Shapers. No single structure in the city was built—all were Shaped over the long years the city has been there. The Queens meet for a full year in Accord to renew the Agreements between them, and to start new ones. During that time, Accord is the most dangerous place to be, as agents of both Queens work in the background to weaken the other. When they leave the city, it grows peaceful again, becoming a beacon for anyone who wishes to grow. It is said that all the most powerful beings have spent long years in Accord soaking in the leftover energy the Queens expend during the meeting.”

  “Something to see, eventually,” Sean said. “When is the next meeting between the Queens?”

  “I believe it is in another thirty-three years,” Fiona said, “but I could be off by a year or two. Why, are you planning on leaving soon?”

  “Not soon, but I think seeing it without the Queens there would be for the best,” he chuckled.

  “The safest, at the very least,” Fiona chuckled with him.

  “Do you just wait for the logs before dinner?”

  “Mostly. Sometimes, I lay out my fortune with the cards, or I read one of my few books again. There is not much else for me to do. I might have worked a little more, but we used all the logs last night.”

  “So we did,” Sean smiled. His smile faded as an idea struck him. “Fiona, do you have anything made of metal that I might try an experiment on? Something you don't care much for?”

  “I have a hair pin I never use, would that work?” Fiona asked as she retrieved the bronze stick engraved with butterflies. “What are you wanting to try?”

  “You’ll know soon enough if it works,” Sean said as he accepted the bronze piece.

  Fiona arched a brow at him in silence, waiting to see what he was going to do. Sean focused on the metal in his hands and tried to call forth the same feeling he’d had last night when he Shaped the wood. Staring at the bronze, he tried to feel a connection to it like he had with the log when Fiona had shown him. After a moment, a faint bass hum seemed to start in his fingers, the feeling growing as it rapidly spread through his body. Smile forming, he watched as the bronze hair pin began to shrink and widen. Fiona gasped sharply.

  “You can’t be serious. Plant and metal?” Fiona whispered, watching the stick in Sean’s hands Shape itself to his will as his fingers glided over it. “Dual Shapers are as rare as hen’s teeth,” Fiona said, her eyes wide.

  “Give me your hand,” Sean said softly as he held the bronze on his palm, no longer Shaping it, but letting the energy stay strong.

  “You can’t mean-” Fiona stared in disbelief, then reached across the table to cup her hand under his. “My blood has no affinity for metal. I can’t...” she trailed off as she felt a faint hum start to vibrate in her hand.

  “Use your other hand,” Sean urged her. “Focus on the similarity between your hand and the bronze.”

  Fiona changed hands, then took a deep breath as the hum started again, much stronger than before. “Do the Tuatha Dé Danann really care?” Her question was whispered, almost inaudible. “I would never have thought about trying this.”

  “The Shame the Queens gave you might have been an unintentional gift,” Sean said as he dropped the bronze into her mithril hand. “Shape it, Fiona.”

  Focused solely on the squat piece of bronze, she began to pull and thin it. She pulled the metal into a long, thin wire, which she began to twist into a rope of bronze. The metal seemed to flow under her hand. When she stopped, a twisted rope bracelet lay in her palm. Lifting her wide eyes to Sean’s, the shock and wonder on her face spoke volumes.

  “It seems I’m not the only dual Sha
per in this village,” he said with a broad smile. “I do believe you are more than you ever suspected.”

  Lips parting, cheeks burning, her breath came in small pants. “You’ve changed me—”

  “No,” Sean said simply, holding up his hand to forestall her. “All I did was show you a possibility. You stepped through the door and accepted a gift from me. It was the least I could do for the gift you gave me last night. I would call us even in this exchange.”

  “No! We are not,” Fiona disagreed, shaking her head sharply. Pausing as she tried to find the words, her chest heaving with the excitement of success. “I might be Shamed in the eyes of society, but if I let this be known, then even nobles would crawl over each other for my services. While I might have shown you a dormant Talent that resided in you, you have shown me a new side to me—not just in ability, but also a new way of seeing myself as a person. I am indebted to you, Sean MacDougal. I will honor that debt in some way before you leave this village, as this village is surely too small a place for you to stay.”

  Sean stalled by downing the tea in his cup, buying the time he needed to get his words lined up. “While I disagree with how much value you place on what I’ve done, I won’t try to dissuade you, Fiona. I would ask for two things to call us even, and one of them is quite personal.”

  “I will do them,” Fiona said, leaning forward to place the bracelet in his hand, “if you accept this gift in return.”

  Using the simple clasp, he put the bracelet on. “Fair trade.” Meeting her eyes, he could see excitement in hers, as well as a touch of hope. “The first is an easy thing to ask; will you continue to teach me until I leave this village?”

  “Of course. As you are also teaching me, that is an easy request and should almost not count,” Fiona replied quickly.

  “The more personal thing…” Sean trailed off for a second, breaking eye contact with her. “I want you to embrace this new facet of yourself wholly; leave Silvershame behind and become Mithrilsoul.”

  “Oh,” Fiona said, the disappointment loud in that single word. “I will try, Sean.” Getting up, she went to her bed and pulled a small chest from under it. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some things I need to do.” Her voice was odd and she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  Thinking he might have overstepped himself by asking her to change her name, he got up and went to the door. “I’ll see you for dinner, I hope,” he said as he opened the door.

  “Of course,” Fiona said flatly.

  The silence stretched for a moment before Sean left, berating himself as he went. Idiot. You knew she hated that name, but you brought it up again and then named her like she’s some kind of pet, he cursed inwardly. Shaking his head, he found the village seemingly empty, but the sun was just past midday. He went to use the single outhouse, not looking forward to the rough leaves that were used for paper, and found the women in the small farm area, tending the crops.

  “Afternoon, ladies,” Sean greeted them with a smile.

  “Works all day and all night, then goes to a woman’s home, and greets us like everything is normal,” Tamaya said archly, a single brow raised as she stood up from where she had been working. “What wonders are you going to accomplish today, Sean MacDougal? You seem to have bewitched all of our husbands into thinking you are some powerful ally here to help us get the village started.”

  Blindsided by her greeting, Sean stood there blinking at her, “Err… huh?”

  The women broke into laughter at his dumbstruck expression. “You really got him with that one, Tamaya,” Enna snickered.

  Tamaya came over to the fence that had been erected around the garden, her grin wide and full of crooked teeth. “I was just having you on. We’re thankful you’ve helped them all find a bit of fire again, as well as Fiona, it seems.” Lips curling into a salacious smirk, Tamaya leaned in a bit more, “So, is her metal side warm to the touch?”

  Stepping back as he stared at her, he was at a loss for words. “Oh, the silent lover type, are you?” Rylee chuckled at him.

  “We didn’t do anything of the sort,” Sean protested. “Fiona and I only slept, her in her bed and me on the floor.”

  Booing, the women all shook their heads at him. “A shame. We thought maybe you had melted her icy heart a bit,” Tamaya sighed. “Ah well, maybe it was a bit too much to hope for.”

  “You’re all cracked, you know that, right?” Sean asked.

  “No,” Tamaya said. “We’ve been less than accepting of her and, while she bears a Shame, so does Darragh, and we don’t shun him. With how accepting of her you’ve been, we realized it was time that we tried to do the same, and not keep her at arm’s length like we have been.”

  “Oh,” Sean said, turning over her words in his mind. “She would probably welcome your friendship. She’s not doing much at the moment, maybe you could head over and talk with her a bit.”

  “Not going to go back and help her test her new bed a bit first?” Tamaya grinned at him.

  “Really?” Sean exhaled loudly. “That’s it, I’m using the outhouse, then going over to speak with Darragh. You’re all as crazed as I thought!” Laughter trailed after him as he walked away, comments about him being the crazy one trailing after him.

  Using the outhouse was worse than using a modern day port-a-potty, like those found at most outdoor events. Grabbing one of the leaves to finish up with, Sean frowned, a strained smile coming to his lips as he focused on it. Its texture began to change, becoming softer and more pliable. He couldn’t quite match the softness of the toilet paper he was used to, but it was better than it had been. Using two pieces, he finished up and left the box. With a thoughtful look, he took the basket with him when he left, walking over to the nearest house and leaning against the wall. It only took him a few minutes to transform all of the leaves into the more comfortable version he’d used. He returned the basket, then headed off to see Darragh, wondering if anyone would mention the leaves later.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Misa opened the door of Darragh’s home shortly after he knocked. “Afternoon, Misa. Might I speak with Darragh for a while?”

  “He hasss been waiting for you,” Misa said as she let him in, left him with Darragh, and went to the kitchen.

  Darragh was seated at the head of the table, so Sean took the chair to his left. “Afternoon, Darragh.”

  “Good day to you as well, Sean,” Darragh replied. “What can I do for you?” he asked as Misa brought them both tea.

  “I was hoping to learn more about the world, and maybe learn magic from Misa,” Sean said, sipping the tea which had a strong berry flavor. “This is delicious, Misa.”

  “Ward brought the tea back from town with him, along with the repaired hand axe lassst night,” Misa told him.

  “What information do you seek today?” Darragh asked, bringing the conversation back on track.

  “You’ve told me of Agreements, and what follows them. Fiona told me a little of the Quadital and how the capitals are laid out, how the Queens move from capital to capital, and about their meeting once every century. Knowing that, I was wondering what the average person’s life is like?”

  “Interesting. Not a question I had anticipated,” Darragh said. “I would think the average life is the same everywhere. Wake, work, family, and then sleep. Maybe once a tenday, they go to the pub to see friends. Most people will never enter a serious Agreement that might bring them to the Queens’ attention. What were you seeking with that question?”

  “I’m not sure, really,” Sean said after a minute. “I just wanted an idea of how I could fit in easily. I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”

  Darragh nodded, “A very worthwhile endeavor. Unfortunately for you, you seem to have the Talent to Shape, and Shapers are sought after as long as they bear no Shame. Any of the nobles would be interested in retaining your abilities, if for no other reason than to deny others access to your Talent.”

  “Letting it become known I can Shape would be something
to avoid, then, if possible. Good to know,” Sean said. He sipped the tea, enjoying the flavor more than any of the others he’d had previously, while he put his thoughts in order. “Considering your village out here, on the edge of the map, as it were, is there a living to be made off exploring the wilds?”

  “Yes, and no,” Darragh replied. “If you have the ability to draw accurate maps, you can make some money off that. You might also find something of value in your travels. It is said this world was not always under the sway of the Queens, and that the wilds still possess things they would pay well to have or know about. From my younger days, I can recall a band of explorers that traveled far to the east and found a ruined city built of basalt. The Winter Queen lavished the group with their hearts’ desires for the location of that city, along with the Agreement that no other would learn of that site from the group. Or, at any rate, that is how the rumor goes. I did once speak to someone who, while not a Fey, lived like a noble. He would only say he found something that he sold the location of to the Winter Queen.”