"My father promised ta help the resistance, but after he died ya never came," Birdee said pushing the papers into her chest.
Wren went white as she took the papers and read the contents.
"I'm coming ta say we must keep our promise now," Birdee said. "And Lena is here, as his daughter, ta see that our people's promises are fulfilled."
A man had come up to Wren and pulled the papers from her hand. He began reading them.
"That's our pa, Dason. " Lark whispered in Lena's ear. "He and Wren are on the council together."
When Dason finished reading, he shoved the papers in front of Wren. "Ya knew about this promise? Why was this not brought ta the council fer a vote?" he asked.
"I was not going ta suffer more of our people ta die," Wren said.
"We could have turned the war," Dason said.
"That is an opinion you have stated fer years," Wren said. "It doesn't change the fact that the resistance lost. We would have too."
"Wildee promised ta help. And ya knew about it," Dason yelled. "Our word is our bond, Wren."
"After his death, it fell ta me ta protect our people."
"Not you," Dason yelled. "All of us. That is the point of a council.”
"What did she give ya?" Birdee said limping forward until she stood in front of Wren. "What did the Priestess give ya for yer lack of action?"
Wren moved uncomfortably. "I don't know what yer talking about,"
"Yes, ya do!" Birdee yelled. "Why else would ya refuse ta act."
"I refused ta act because it was the right thing ta do."
"Refusing ta act is never the right thing. Keepin' things from the council is never the right thing. Ya helped the Priestess by doing nothing," Dason snarled.
"And we are safe," Wren said.
"She tortured me. She broke my bones. She was goin' ta kill me if Lena and Tern hadn't come fer me. Do ya call that safe?" Birdee said.
"Ya made yer decision ta follow her," Wren said.
"Ta save our people!" Birdee yelled.
"Ya made yer choice and that was the consequence," Wren said.
The people surrounding them were angry. They immediately started yelling some for Birdee, some for Wren.
Dason held up his hands. "We will need ta see all the facts. The council needs ta be gathered. Including Birdee and Tern." He nodded to them.
Several people stepped out of the crowd and toward a central building. Tern and Birdee followed. Lena moved to go with them.
Lark put a hand on her shoulder. "You being here is enough," Lark said. "It is up ta the council now."
***
Lena stared at the building the council had entered, willing unsuccessfully for someone to come out and give her an update on what was going on inside its walls.
Lark sat next to her, wrapping and unwrapping her hair from around her finger. The anticipation filling the space between them only increased as the minutes ticked by.
"How does the council work?" Lena finally asked turning towards Lark.
"Majority vote," Lark said, still wrapping and unwrapping her hair. "It used ta be that the leader, Wildee—Birdee's father—would consult with the council and then make a decision. But since his death, it has changed ta a majority rule. If Birdee had stayed, she'd have come of age ta be the leader by now."
"She's back now. Legally part of your people again," Lena said. "Will she become the leader?"
Lark looked over to the cabin where the council had convened. "I hope so. Nothin' like this has ever happened before. But if not, in the past, it has always run through blood right. Wren is the next closest blood relation, but still so distant that many in the council, including my father Dason, refuse ta allow it.”
"So, let me get this straight. Birdee was about to become the leader when the Defenses came looking for more soldiers. Then, as soon as she volunteered, the Defenses just let everyone else go? It doesn't add up," Lena said.
"I know," Lark said. "Everyone knows. And now, with the new information about Wren not sending the help promised, it's goin' ta throw a kink in things. It's goin' ta have them questionin' Wren and her involvement with the Defenses comin' ta the woods in the first place."
Lena's stomach growled.
"They're gonna be awhile," Lark said, glancing at Lena's stomach. Let's get ya some food."
Lark led Lena to her home, grabbed a bowl of stew for them both, then returned to the same place. Lena was almost done eating when Dason came storming out of the council hall. Tern followed with a limping Birdee. Birdee looked exhausted.
"Gather the village," Dason yelled.
Immediately, Lena saw three adolescent kids take off running in different directions. She could hear their whistles through the trees. Lena put her stew aside and stood.
Wren came out behind him. "There is no need ta gather the village. The council is in charge of decidin'."
"You have been bought by the very Priestess who is destroyin' our world," Birdee said.
"This is outrageous," Wren countered.
"Let the people decide," Birdee said.
Wren did not look happy, but she waited for the village to be gathered. It did not take as long as Lena thought it would. Many of the same people who had followed them into the clearing were still there. Still, Lena would guess hundreds of more people poured into the meadow.
The council formed a semi-circle with Dason and Wren standing in the middle. Birdee sat on the outskirts with Tern loyally by her side, his hand on her shoulder.
"Wren has lied ta us," Dason yelled across the crowd.
"Not lied ta," Wren yelled back. "Protected."
Dason held up the papers. "We promised that we would help the Resistance overthrow the Priestess. I have the proof. Wren withheld the information from us after the death of Wildee. And our promise was never kept."
A rumble was heard throughout the crowd. A man stepped forward and grabbed the papers. He scanned them, then yelled, "It's true what Dason says."
"We have been protected by staying ta ourselves," Wren asserted.
Tern stepped forward. "Look at her." He pointed at Birdee. The bruises on her cheeks had turned a nasty shade of yellow, and the shadows under her eyes only added to the effect. Lena knew she would be more bruised under her clothes. She also knew she had ribs that had broken from the torture she endured that no one could see.
"The only reason most of ya still have yer children by yer side is because Birdee is the one who protected us," Tern said.
"She abandoned us ta join the Priestess," a person yelled from the crowd.
Lark jumped forward through the crowd yelling. "You were there, ya saw the Defense soldiers beating us. They would have killed us if not fer Birdee."
The crowd exploded in chaos, everyone yelling their own opinion as loudly as they could.
Lena couldn't believe the fighting. Birdee was always so quick to defuse tense situations, Lena assumed everyone would be the same. But it looked like an all out brawl about to happen.
Birdee raised her hand then whistled so loud that Lena heard ringing in her ears. Everyone turned towards her. "Listen," Birdee yelled. "This is no longer about our failure ta act in the past. It's about the choices yer going ta make now. Today.
"I was raised here. Ya know me. Most of ya'll helped me become the person I am today. And I'm takin' a stand against Priestess Selene. Against the one who killed my parents. And against the one who's slaughtered so many of our people.
"This is Evangeline Adhara," Birdee yelled gesturing towards Lena. "Leader of the Rise. She is goin' ta stop the Priestess. And she needs our help. Fulfill our promise and rise with us."
Tern stepped forward. Jay and Lark were only seconds behind him.
The crowd looked at Birdee then at Lena. Lena stepped forward to stand next to her friend. She placed a hand on Birdee's shoulder. "We can stop her," Lena yelled. "We have the power to destroy her. But we need you to help. I'm calling on you to fulfill the promise you made to my father. I'm calling on
you to join the Rise."
The crowd started yelling again.
"We need you," Lena called above the crowd. "And anybody willing to rise above the fear. Rise and stand together. I will not force you, and neither will Birdee. But we ask you to join and to fulfill your promise now, that you failed to do so years ago."
"We will not be slaughtered because of your pretty little talk," Wren yelled.
"I'm not asking you to get slaughtered," Lena said.
"You all know the laws," Wren yelled to the crowd. "If ya leave the woods, you will not be welcomed back."
"You are not joining the Priestess. You're protecting your family," Lena yelled.
"And protecting yer family is one of our highest laws," Birdee said.
"How long till the Priestess' influence will be felt our homes?" Dason asked. "It's obviously already in the community. How long until it creeps into each of yer souls. If we fail ta act now, we'll not be kept from the harm that the Priestess will cause. I say we join."
"Ya have till the morning ta decide," Birdee called. "We'll be leavin' then ta put our plan into action." Birdee stood in front of the crowd until it had dispersed.
"Come," Tern said. "Ya need ta rest."
"I don' wanna rest," Birdee said.
Dason came to stand next to his son. A woman joined him. "Birdee, yer about ta fall over," he said. "Ya gotta take care of yerself, or ya won' be well enough ta fight anyone."
"Plus," the woman said, "We have a marriage ta celebrate.”
Lark whooped from behind where Lena was standing.
Tern wrapped both arms around Birdee and kissed her again.
"Robin, I appreciate ya. But I think ya need ta be thinkin' on other things tonight," Birdee said.
"Nonsense," Robin responded. "Anyone wantin' ta celebrate yer marriage already stands with ya. No arguments, Birdee. Ya deserve a ceremony in the woods. And I deserve ta see my son married."
Robin turned to Dason and Tern. "Go clean yerselves up. Legally married or not, we're gonna do this wedding properly. I will get Birdee ready. We will meet again at sunset in the grove."
Lena watched as Birdee gave Tern a pleading look. He shrugged his shoulders. "Can't argue with my ma." He gave her one last kiss before he took off with his father into the trees.
"Come," Robin said. "We have a bride ta get ready."
Chapter Fourteen
Lena followed behind Lark and Robin as they led Birdee past several log homes to a small two room cabin nestled in a thick copse of trees.
Multicolored rugs lined the floors. They looked like they'd been handwoven with whatever material was on hand. There were lovely rocking chairs that reminded Lena of the one Thora used to sit in at her room at the facility. Various patchwork blankets hung from the back of the chairs. Everything had an imperfect yet beautiful appearance.
"This is the bath-house," Lark said. They rushed Birdee into the back room. Lena followed. A square hole had been dug into the ground and lined with rocks.
Robin pulled a lever and Lena could feel the steam from the hot water gushing out of it. "We heat our water outside and then pipe it in here," she explained. "Used ta be that we heated pots then filled the bath pan by pan. It wasn' till a few years ago that someone convinced the council ta let us use pipe ta carry the water to and from the bathhouse. Makes it a heck of a lot easier ta keep us clean.”
Lark pulled a jar filled with dried flowers off a shelf and dumped it into the steaming water. The smell of lavender filled the bathhouse.
Lena couldn't help but take a deep breath. The smell immediately relaxed her.
"Can a girl get a little privacy?" Birdee said with humor in her voice.
Lena blushed and immediately turned away while Lark and Robin just laughed.
As they left, Lena passed a small mirror. She stopped. Her face had streaks of dirt across her cheeks. And her hair stood out in all kinds of angles. She hadn't realized until then how dirty she had gotten tromping through the woods to find the people.
"Don't worry," Birdee laughed watching her. "Yer next.”
"What?" Lena gasped. "Do I look that bad?"
Lark and Birdee both laughed out loud. "I need someone ta be at my side while we marry," Birdee said. "Yer as close ta family as anyone else besides Lark but she'll be standing with Tern. So will ya be next ta me as I marry?"
Lena felt her jaw drop and could tell she had a dumbfounded expression on her face.
"Well?" said Birdee."Will ya do it?"
"Yes, of course," Lena answered.
"Good," Birdee said. "Now get outta here."
As she walked into the front room and closed the door between them she immediately began digging the grime out from under her nails.
Birdee didn't take long in the bath, and when Lena's turn came she stepped into the water and breathed a sigh of relief. The smell relaxed her even more.
"Here's a dress fer ya," Lark said cracking the door and hanging a dress on the other side of it.
Lena dried off and changed. The dress was made of simple linen edged in lace. It was a little bit scratchy but Lena was happy to wear it for her friend.
As she walked into the first room she saw Birdee being fussed over in front of a large floor length mirror.
Robin was taming Birdee's tight curls to form ringlets down her back. She was still wrapped in a towel.
"Lark should be back any minute," Robin said. "She's just run ta our cabin real fast."
Just as she said it, Lark opened the door and stepped inside with a white linen dress draped over her arms.
"I got it," Lark said with a smile filling her face. She held up the dress. "Yer mother's wedding dress."
Birdee gasped. "Where ever did ya get that? I thought it had burned."
Robin laughed. "No, it wasn't at the cabin that burned. It was still at yer grandmother's house."
Birdee held it up to herself. The dress had a high neck with three-quarter length sleeves, but it was the lacing on it that made it so eye-catching. It looked like lace had been woven directly into the fabric. The sleeves and the edges were all stitched into lace flowers. The bodice was similarly stitched with lace.
As Birdee put it on, Lena saw Robin and Lark tense as they saw Birdee's healing wounds and bruises. They gave each other wary looks but neither said anything. The dress was a little bit loose around Birdee, but once the ribbon tied it back, she looked gorgeous.
Robin pulled Birdee's hair up at the edges and pinned it with a beautiful barrette at the back of her head.
"This is more than I could have ever hoped fer," Birdee said. Tears rimmed her eyes as Lark handed her a bouquet of dried flowers mixed with golden wheat. Birdee slipped on white slippers that matched the embroidery work on her dress.
"You deserve it more than anyone," Robin said then she turned to Lena. "Oh honey," she said giving her a look over. "Let me fix your hair.”
Lena felt her half dried hair. The frizz brushed her fingers. "That actually would be great. I have never been able to do much with it.”
Sitting in a low backed chair Robin began to style Lena's hair in intricate braids that formed a crown around her head.
"Wow, ya could be one of us and nobody would be the wiser," Lark said pulling Lena in front of the mirror and handing her a bouquet that looked like Birdee' s but smaller.
"She's my family," Birdee said. "Which as far as I'm concerned, does make her one of us."
"Oh Birdee," Lena said wrapping Birdee in a hug. "You're my family too.”
Robin and Lark joined the hug, "And a beautiful family we are," Lark said with a laugh.
Robin pulled away first and wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. "The boys should be done soon," Robin said. "Are ya ready to get married, Birdee?"
"Well, I've done it once already, can't be that hard doin' it again," she said.
In the distance, Lena heard the sound of hammering and men laughing and joking with each other. "What are they building?" Lena said.
"Oh, just
a little decor fer the ceremony," Robin said.
Birdee stepped to the door.
"Birdee, you look beautiful," Lena said.
Birdee smiled. "Lena, yer job is my witness. It doesn't take a genius. Ya just gotta make sure the wedding actually happens. And even if ya mess up, I'm already married so it doesn't really matter.”
Lena giggled. "I think this is something I can do without screwing up too bad."
"Then go," Birdee said pushing her out the door with Lark.
Robin led them through the trees to an open area with log benches facing a beautiful trellis. The benches were filled with people.
"You go up ta the front with Lark," Birdee said. "Tern and I enter later."
Lena walked the path between the rows. Dried flowers had been laid thick like a carpet. As Lena walked over it, the smell of spearmint and lavender wafted up to her nose. It smelled so good. She kept taking deep breaths trying to get as much into her lungs as possible. She felt so relaxed. More relaxed than she should feel for someone who was trying to start a war against Mir's ruthless leader. Lena pushed that thought away and turned towards Birdee and Tern who were standing in the spot she'd just come from.
Lark turned to the people waiting. "Today we come ta celebrate Tern and Birdee." She held her hand out beckoning the couple.
Birdee and Tern walked hand in hand down the aisle to the center of the trellis. Birdee was grinning from ear to ear. Tern looked just has happy as he held her hand.
Tern faced Birdee and took her by both hands. "Once again, I give ya my heart. I promise from this day forward you shall not walk alone. I will be yer protector. My heart will be yer shelter and my arms will be yer home," he said.
A tear slipped down Birdee's cheek but she didn't wipe it away. Instead, she repeated his words with a twist of her own. "Once again, I give ya everything. We will walk together, through the happy and the sad. Through wars and through heartache, I will be yer protector. Yer wife. Wherever ya are will be my home."
When Birdee finished, the crowd burst into cheers. Including Lena. She'd never felt so happy for a person in her whole life. At the edge of the meadow, Lena heard the playing of a fiddle. A wooden flute and drum joined in. Light filtered through the trees making everything glow around them.
The Mir Chronicles- The Complete Series Page 57