The Clanmeeting [Hafne, Chyril 22nd, midnight]

[Amber Kynterle]

Even though Amber had been silent during the entire meeting so far, she had been paying close attention. Although she had been rather out of the loop when she'd come here, she was starting to understand the situation better, and it was looking to be a sticky one indeed. She was glad enough to let the others do the talking; she'd stand by and back them up if they needed it. Her strengths weren't in talking, they were in doing.

So when Gavin approached Milkhaire and then turned to ask if she and the others would accompany him, she stood and nodded her agreement. She started toward the two of them, along with Syrawenn, watching the gathered Clansmen and the Duke's men carefully. Hopefully, this would not get ugly, but if it did, she aimed to be ready for it.

[Turi]

The muttering began as soon as Milkhaire smiled and nodded and pressed through the crowd with Gavin and his friends in tow. At first Duncan tried to stop him, but the moment he laid his hand upon Milkhaire's arm the Voice of the shaman pulled it back and stepped away with a look on his face as though had been slapped. Soon the murmurings grew into a buzz and then a roar, and the peacetalks ground to a halt while heated debates broke out amongst the Clansmen over the sudden depature of their shaman.

The Count and the Duke stood quietly aside while all of this came to pass. Erwin's face remained impassive. Johann's grew increasingly frustrated.

*****

We have forgotten...

As he led them away from the city gates into the rolling hills, the words of Milkhaire whispered mournfully in the minds of those who would listen.

Trade and wealth consume our hearts and minds... and we have forgotten... the wisdom of the Earth we have forgotten... the Earth remembers... deep in stone beneath the grass... it remembers... but it does not speak...only screams... can you hear it?

The shaman turned around to gaze at them the world seemed to turn black. Their eyes told them that they could see the grass and the trees, illuminated by the moon and by the fires of Hafne that burned behind and cast their shadows before them, but at the same time they knew they could see nothing. Then they could hear. Inhuman groans torn at the same time from tortured throats and the roar of a landslide. There was the suggestion of unbearable pressure, incredible heat, smoking flesh and burning coal and terror and then silence.

Do you understand?

In an instant the sending faded away and Milkhaire stood before them, waiting for an answer to his question... but this time, his voice in their mind told them that it was not a question he knew an answer to.

[Syrawenn]

It took a great effort not to run victory laps around the little group that left. It took an even greater effort not to laugh out loud. Yet the moment Milkhaire's voice sounded in her head it took the greatest effort not to walk back and punch some assorted people on the nose.

Clenching her fists the girl followed, the voice upsetting her delicate emotional balance. "Fuck it. They won't listen. We already knew. Gwayne an me. We heard. Aetya told us. Koreyman told us. No one wanted to listen. Buncha crappy fools!"

And then there was the very real sensation that backed up everything the youngster had believed in since following the little Koreyman. Under the moonlight the land cried out. Syrawenn gasped and had to steady herself. "CRAP!"

It took several heartbeats and very conscious breaths before she was able to get her head screwed on right again.

"I did not need that." She mumbled, rubbing her temples. "An guess what, I understand. Told ya. We knew. Ain't hard to get it. Land needs support. People rob it. Needs to get somethin back. Gotta be the stones. Gatherin an guidin, somehow. Like those watercatchers. Catchin stuff an gatherin it in the right place. Stones down, land down. Earth upset. Searchin for another way to get what it needs. Okay, I'm ramblin, but I got it from some authority how this is supposed to work, so trust me on this one. Please. Maybe I'm wrong, but this time I don't think I am."

The two weird Adhiel. Syrawenn had never guessed she'd miss them. They had told her so much, taught her so much of the realm of the divine and magic energies. Even though she was not into the whole magicy scene, the girl understood the need for it to exist. It had been wonderfully theoretical and philosophical discussions and it seemed it had not been for nothing.

No coincidences ever. They told me this cause I'd need it. Wanna bet? They knew.

"See, there's balance an it's upset. Really upset. Domininny is bein an ass an the rest tries to make up for it. Not really workin out yet. But here's Dommie's men pullin down part of that balance. An then there's people gettin all upset an powerhungry cause everyone feels that balance-landslide. Seriously. I ain't talkin rubbish, not this time. I'm sure of it. I saw the dreams. We walked the goddamn nether an aether an I bloody well seen what is happenin."

It was so hard to relax her fists. It was even harder to remember to finish one thought before starting on another. Right now she didn't care what they'd think. For once she wanted people to just hear her out. Koreyman needed it. She needed it.

"So then ya got it translated into really really bad stuff. Cause people go nuts an the earth goes nuts. It misses a vital part. So it's gonna explode. Really gonna explode. Like more than metaphysical, ya know? Like REAL. No way to channel the energy the right way so it's gonna go the wrong way. Very much wrong. We better be fast or there won't be no Islay to salvage."

The girl looked around. "There, all done. I'll talk more otherwise I'll explode myself. But not now. Tryin to make sense cause friggin netherbats we need to stop talkin an start doin! So FUCK yeah, I understand!"

[Gavin Tylvan]

There was no gloating, no smile, no emotion whatsoever on Gavin's face as Milkhaire followed after his words. For a flicker his eyes rested on Duncan's, his head tilted as an expression of sorrow marred his features, and then the big man turned and walked away without a word. There was nothing he needed to say. Nothing he wanted to say. His actions spoke for himself. His and Milkhaire's, and Syrawenn's, and Amber's and Gwayne's.

Then came the weird sensation of seeing and not seeing, but this time Gavin did not push it away, suppressing the instinct to do so, opening his mind to Milkhaire, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He listened to the scream and groans, crouching down and without truly knowing why touched his hand to the ground, remaining thus until Syrawenn spoke. He listened and remained quiet, rising once she was done and walking to the white haired shaman. "I.... I do not understand yet. But perhaps we can make some sense of it together." He turned to glance at Syra. "She is speaking the truth. We have seen stuff. Experienced weird things, that did not make sense now, but perhaps..... Tell me. These screams and voices. Have you heard them before? And do you know if they are coming from the earth or from people?"

Then a thought struck him and Gavin took a deep steadying breath, closing his eyes for a flicker. "I want to show you something. Can you reach into my mind and see it if I show you? It is something that happened three months ago." He looked into Milkhaire's eyes, not quite knowing why he offered the shaman to gaze into his mind, knowing that a while ago he would never have done it. But now. Now he was ready to simply close his eyes and lower all barriers and let Milkhaire experience that blasted landscape where they met the endless walking forest. To let him see the fiery mountain and winged angels circling it. And to see the bough of the Immortal Oak come crashing down. To see and feel everything he felt until he woke up in the forest near King's Court.

[Amber Kynterle]

Amber was following along at the rear of the group, watching their backs as the muttering rose behind them. But finally, they were away from the gathering, and relatively alone in the wilderness. She was just about to turn and announce that she thought they were safe now when the... sounds... came to her.

Screams, sounds of torment... fire? She felt at once both hot, and incredibly cold, chilled to the bone as she shuddered, her skin prickling. In that moment, she felt the most awful sensation she'd ever felt. It was even worse than the time she'd been caught naked in a tub as a leering Red Bear intended to rape her. Far worse.

She put her hands to her ears to try to stop it, but it was a futile effort, for the sounds were gone just as quickly as they had come. She looked first to Syrawenn, then to Gavin as they spoke. They both summed things up quite well, there was no need for her to add her own two cents. Then what Gavin said struck her.

"Do you... do you think that maybe... what we saw there, might come to pass here?" she asked the big man, her voice small and afraid. "Here on Islay?" Or maybe the whole world, she realized, but that thought was too horrible to even put into words. She just shuddered, and she suddenly felt exposed at the back of the group. She stepped closer to them, unwilling to be alone in the darkness, wishing that she could just hug someone and forget about the horrible sounds that were still echoing in her mind.

[Mairi Armstrong]

Mairi could hardly believe what Gwayne and then Gavin were saying. She began to get angry, feeling a frustration simmering below the surface as Gavin accused her of arrogance. This was not what was needed - petty insult slinging. Of course she felt she her position was right - she was here to argue for it.

And then he was walking off with the shaman and the other religious nuts. What good was that going to do? She feared the discussion was going to end without resolution, and they'd just be back here again in a month, or even worse they'd be facing more fighting.

"Your Grace, we need to get the talks back on track!" she said to Erwin in a low voice. "We must reach some compromise, you know that. Should we reach out to these...religious types? Try to bring them round to us? They have already voiced their wish for settlement."

[Turi]

[hr]They were all of them like children in the dark, stumbling and striving to make sense of a world beyond their senses. Himself included. Once, this mystery of the Wyrd might have been open to Milkhaire, but no longer. The anguished cries seemed to drown out everything. Seeking new perspectives on this emerging problem, the Shaman received three very different responses. Perhaps a part of the truth was embedded in each of their thoughts.

Young Syrawenn spoke of energies flowing like water, gathering and bursting the earth like an abandoned beaver’s dam. She interpreted his vision as a symbol of the truth, and was understandably eager to do away with metaphor. But she could not sense the Wyrd for herself... what she knew of it came filtered through the experiences of others.

It is not as you fear Milkhaire's words whispered gently in Syrawenn's mind, and they could be heard faintly by the others as well. I have seen it for myself that the Earth bleeds … not into Herself but into the oceans, and slowly. Our fields would be dust by now but in the lands of Clan Whelan an oak tree stands in the place that was Southdown Rock. A priestess put it there, to bind the Mother’s wound. You have met her. She was young, but she was wise … before the last tree withers, we will have time.

Act we must little sister but how to act? Why to act? Once, in a time closer to the dawn days, the Korey taught my people the ways of the Mother and to listen to the Earth's voice. I would seek their counsel now but they have gone... the gopher and the groundhog say, no longer do they guard the stones that stand… so who will teach us again, that which has been forgotten? Can we seek through the Old Ways to restore the Stones as they were before? Or must we raise them with sorcery and machines of fire and iron, as your people raise their cities?

Gavin considered the voices a sending of sorts, belonging to the present and to things that existed, but he did not know where they came from.

I only show you what I found, when I sought the paths of the Korey Men inside the Wyrd, Milkhaire replied to the big man. Earth or people, I know not what I hear. Both, it seems… but how can this be?

Milkhaire’s presence in his mind was not as intrusive as he might have feared. He had invited the shaman in and held nothing back, so it was like sharing a tale with a friend, a friend he had no secrets to hide from.

The madness of a mad god. There was a shudder in Milkhaire’s tone after seeing everything that Gavin had been through. The cries of the adhiel encased in the glass mountain would stay with him for many nights. Although they belonged to distant land, they too were the children of the Mother. You are right… there is something of the torment of those trapped souls in the voices I hear, he acknowledged. But it is not the same, and it is my thought that those souls are now at peace. See here… The image of the Restless Forest advancing on God’s Peak, shattering the ground where they trod, replayed in Gavin’s mind. They were sent. They will bring the Mother’s children back to Her.

There was more… at the time, it had been a struggle for the man to come to terms with a creation oblivious to human concerns and morality. The shaman wondered if he had that defiance in him still, or if through his experience he was learning to accept it. He wondered, but he would not press Gavin on the subject. If the tall warrior sought answers, he would bring it up himself.

The last to speak was Amber, who saw the future... and was afraid. Yet there was strength in the heart and body of the farmer's daughter, despite her moments of vulnerability. Milkahire reached out, and a deep sense of compassion washed over the young woman.

Nothing is certain to come to pass, he assured her. This time, he could be heard clearly by all. And know that we are not alone… there must be others beyond Islay who have sensed a wrongness in the Land. The gardeners, in the Abbey. The wise women and hexes of the Midlands. The Nazareen, who live closest to its heart. Perhaps even those of Father Sky, who watches over all. He put his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels, raising his face to the stars.

Perhaps some of them remember. Will you go to them? he asked.[/hr]

[hr]“They’re supposed to be your people, Armstrong. I’d have thought you’d know best how to handle with them,” the Duke replied to Mairi with a stony calm although, by the Lady, it was an effort. Visions of the Sunfire Brigade setting fire to the fields were floating in his head, where they really ought not to have been.

The whiskey, he reminded himself, mouthing the words silently under his breath. Without the highlanders there would be no whiskey. The thought settled his stirring blood before he cast his eyes over the bickering Clans. They were clumped into huddles, and those close enough to be seen were separated distinctly by their tartans. Many groups continued to argue amongst themselves, but one by one the quarrels died down and soon most stood watchfully back, while runners were sent to a central point where the colours of Clan McGregor held sway. There, an even rowdier disagreement began to take place.

The sight before him was enough to raise a brief smile.

“I think now seems the time to start the negotiations anew. Let’s strike while the iron is hot, shall we? Why don’t you go out and find out exactly what that fuss is all about? Before they somehow manage to bring themselves to unite again.”

He signalled to two of his closest bodyguards and they stepped forward, firelight gleaming off their golden armour, ready to accompany Mairi if she agreed to take on the assignment.[/hr]

[Gavin Tylvan]

It was as Milkhaire said, but there was more in what Gavin had seen, more to the images he had sent to the shaman, the tall warrior reading more deeply into them. "The trees. They sounded strange. Their minds were warped. They felt different. More like the agents of Dominicus or Pan, than those of Mother. Confusing. They argued. As if they were not sure if what they did was right." he paused and fell silent for a moment. "Perhaps it is the sign of what goes on. Perhaps it shows how much the Mother is worried over it all. She seems more active than what I would expect of her. Younger. Impatient. It must mean the situation is serious." It made it necessary for them to act fast and see if their actions would change anything. He was still not certain if they could help an entire island, but for once he felt like he was helping people and that they were not against it. Though perhaps once Koreymen were walking once more they would learn a different tale.

The last question elicited a hum from the big man, as his mind worked furiously to seek out the possible venues of action. "I know of two..... no, of three people I could talk to. And we could go to the Abbey and see if they will help us too." He paused. "The Duchess K'Mith might help, if you think it would be wise to ask her for assistance. She is a powerful mage and I have seen her library. It contained a lot of books that might hold answers to our questions. Perhaps it has happened before somewhere else?" It was a vain hope at best, but he was not willing to let it slide past without at least trying. "Then there is a ghost of a girl in her library. She might know more of what goes on than you or any of us do. She was the one who warned us of the demon all those days ago." Gavin shivered even though he was not cold at the thought of the last name. "And I have already wanted to go seek Vaga out. The woman from our dreams. The demon took her face when she appeared to us. But, she also helped me and seemed wise. I would even say she might be linked to nature. She asked a rat to guide me to a secret passage and it listened. And she also knew of the future, claimed to have had visions in the past. Perhaps she has seen this too?" With a heavy sigh he added. "And I have to make sure she was not linked to the demon, and if she was to see if I can remove her from the picture."

[Mairi Armstrong]

Mairi blushed deeply as the Duke gave his thinly veiled criticism, and she hoped he wouldn't notice. She was, more than she liked to admit, somewhat desperate for his approval.

"I...uh...of course, your Grace," she replied, hardly knowing what to say in response to the cold rebuke. She followed his line of sight to the quarreling crowd. He was right of course - they must continue the negotiation and fast, before they were able to collect themselves into a mass.

She stepped forward and called loudly,

"Who will speak wi' me? Come on now, surely one o' yer can see we need to talk about this. A MacDermot? Are there any of ye out there? Surely you'll come talk to Shona's daughter! Or are the MacGregors going to speak for everyone? I never thought I'd see the day! You Ryans, you O'Briens, tell me what you think. A Clan surely has its own mind!"

Divide and rule, she was thinking. And hoping it would work, if only because she wanted the Duke to be pleased. Perhaps later she would have time to muse on this pathetic desire.

[Gwayne of Vendeling]

Gwayne watched the whole opera grow, his interest in politics had never been great and he knew that the Goddess would guide him to his destiny whatever Milkhaire said. So he decided to stay in the shadow of Lady Armstrong, she could need some help.

His thoughts distracted and pointed inwards he missed most of the words and visions that floated by. Sometimes he looked up at certain words or remarks. The voice of the Duke woke him up with the sound of irritation or anger in it. Maybe Gwayne just imagined it, still it made him look up from the Goddess body and back to the people talking.

The young man could not resist to move a tat closer to the lady, he did not like the Duke, the man was a person who clearly understood soldiers.... not normal people..
Besides that he was also a city dweller who wanted to control the free people, free people as in.... not in a city.

The clans would never submit themselves to a man like that without force, and the man would use force if needed.
Words burned on the young man's lips to be spoken, none left them. He had learned a bit so he waited, the Goddess would know.

After a few flickers he could not resist to let a few soft words flow...

"I am glad that the Duke honours lady Armstrong by calling them her people. The alternative seems to be worse. Its all a matter of respect... "

[Syrawenn]

Angrily Syrawenn stomped the ground with a foot. "No! They are not gone! Not all of them! We saw the Korey, we talked to him, he was nice! And then he was gone! But there's gotta be others! And there was that swangal! Aetya! And she knew stuff too! Was she that priestess? Was that oak that tree where we went with the kiddies when we brought them to clan Whelan?"

So many questions welled up, every answer sparking more questions. The girl had to know; had to feel that what they were doing was not for naught. Too much had happened in the past for no reason at all and completely outside her control. There had to be a moment to grab that control and finally do something.

"And what's so wrong with getting them stones up with us eh? What's so wrong about people when we're doing this to protect the land that shelters the people? Times ARE changing! Why not use what we have to solve this! We can do it. I've seen how. They make heaps of sand an pull the stone over it an then pull it back up to fit in the hole! I've seen it. I've been through time!"

Quickly the girl clapped a hand in front of her mouth. Milkhaire might be a shaman, she was not so sure he'd be ready to accept the fact that she, a human girl from no particular interesting family at all, had been back and forth through the very lines of time.

"An sometimes the place is just right. And if the place is right, then the Korey will come back cause then ther's something to guard again. Wanna bet?"

A half ear listened to Gavin as he spoke of his interpretation and plans. Meanwhile her mind was tossing and turning, part wanting to hit something very hard right now while the other part tried to understand why it would be so hard to just get the damn stones back up.

[Tristam]

OOC: OK, people I am shifting to summary mode because of the sync event. I am figuring nothing much will get done this night and I will use the summary to set the scene for the next threads on the 25th. If there is anything you need addressed that I have missed, feel free to post it after.

Milkhaire's Group: Syrawenn, Gavin, Amber

In response to Syrawenn's question Milkhaire agreed that the physical raising of the stones was easy enough to accomplish but each had been blessed by ritual to tap the magic of those places. He is afraid that raising the stones will not be enough. He agrees that seeking help from the Lady K'mith, the Abbey and any that might still have the ancient knowledge should be done and soon.

The Duke and Clans: Mairi, Gwayne

The Clans are truly confused and the McGregor's most of all. Duncan is spreading the opinion that Milkhaire leaving means that dealing with the Duke is pointless and that the rebellion begins now. The O'Brien's have countered that clearly Milkhaire is too focused on the world of the shaman to effectively rule here. They have a proposal for the Duke. Let him set a quota for the whiskey and his taxes. So long as these needs are met, the Duke leaves them alone. After all, if the whiskey and taxes flow freely, what does he care about fighting amongst the Clans, right? Most of the other clans seem to be waiting to see what happens next before committing to either plan.

[Mairi Armstrong]

Mairi was intrigued to learn that the O'Briens were most receptive to compromise. She felt that little more could be accomplished that night, but the next day sent a message to the O'Brien clan requesting a meeting with a representative of the clan on the 25th, at the fifth mark of Morningtide, at a room in a warehouse down at the harbour.

[Tristam]

Mairi gets a reply that they will meet with her at the appointed time and place.

OOC: Feel free to start the thread.

[Turi]

Skilled, locked, archived.