Chapter Five
"Alana—Alana pay attention," Caryn sighed. It seemed that Alana was daydreaming an awful lot lately. It was very unbecoming. "I plan to leave tonight so Arlen, I and the boys can collect our stuff to move in here—that is—if we can find the place" Caryn grumbled. "Aine tried to talk us into moving to the farm right after Keegan died. I was tempted, but moving is such a mess. Now, I don't see much of an alternative. No way are we leaving you girls here alone, and our house isn't big enough for all of us."
"Mama already moved papa's stuff from the office." Kellan nodded. "It will make a good room for Brody and Hagan. It even has a window."
"That will work for Hagan," Caryn frowned, "but Brody is a grown man, he will need a room of his own. No, I think we must have Kellan move in with Dara and Alana. The room is plenty big enough for three girls. After all, Rhoswen, Vevila, and Kane all share a room."
Kellan looked at her startled. She had always lived in that room. It was her home, a place mama had set up specially for her. Her sisters were together in the other rooms because that was what made them the most comfortable. The twins had their own room together, and the younger sisters liked to play and romp around together. They had asked mama and papa to let them all sleep together. She looked up to see the twins eyeing her. They were no more comfortable with the notion than she was. They liked their own type of twinism seclusion.
"I don't think that's going to work," Rhoswen surprised them all by saying.
"And why is that?" Caryn asked calmly with her hands on her hips. She had expected Kellan to complain and was surprised to hear Rhoswen object.
"Kellan used to walk in her sleep," Rhoswen shrugged. "There are wards in the doorway to keep her safe. I don't know how they work exactly."
"Sleepwalk?" Caryn asked derisively. "Well I guess we'll just move the twins into her room then. We all have to make sacrifices."
She was satisfied when the girls looked submissively down into their plates. She was totally oblivious to their smoldering anger and resentment. She was mentally patting herself on the back for sorting out that dilemma to her satisfaction.
Caryn spent the rest of the day reorganizing the furniture, and wandering in and out of the girl's bedrooms, muttering to herself. They were quick to find tasks outside which needed to be done. It was easy enough. Since their mother had become bedfast—the outside tasks had only been moderately finished. The cow had been milked, the cream strained off—the milk drank—but the butter never seemed to get churned or kneaded. It just spoiled. There were other tasks in similar conditions.
Caryn set up the supper by herself. She was very aware that the girls were avoiding her. That was too bad, change was coming, and they would have to change with it. It was going to get a little rough for all of them.
"Supper," she told them abruptly placing the bread on the table.
They silently took their seats and started passing the food. Caryn would have liked to have said grace, but let that slide. It was a little soon to be opening their eyes to different beliefs and possibilities. There was more to spiritual wholeness than just Druantia.
"She could have at least cut us off with a better portion of land," Caryn grumbled as she bit into her cheese toast.
The girls stared at her with surprise. This was very fine land, the best in all of Ireland. Papa had seen to that!
"What do you mean?" Vevila asked.
"I shouldn't be burdening my worries with you girls," she sighed. "I'm just concerned about that thing out there. How are we going to survive being so cut off? How are we going to come and go without them trying to burn us out? It's hard being Druid when the rest of the world is either Catholic or Protestant. The two groups hate each other—violently. How much more would both groups hate us? I can't understand why she would have done such a thing—it's totally bizarre."
"But we have everything we need here!" Vevila assured her.
"Bogs and knats," Caryn grumbled.
"I can tell it's been a long time since you've really visited," Kellan laughed. "Papa cleared out all of the bogs. We grow wheat in most of those fields."
"We still have one potentially bogged area though," Vevila told her, "papa was experimenting with rice last year. That was a lot of work. We'd still be at it if it wasn't for the Haugers. Mama suggested that maybe growing rice just wasn't our thing."
"Growing it was fun," Alana added, "and pretty. It was the chopping, stomping, husking, and drying that was the problem. We had rice drying on every surface we could find—including the roof."
"If what mama says in her letters is true," Kellan added, "we'll be glad enough for it later. It's stored in one of the back rooms."
"Plan on it," Alana shivered, "mama's never wrong."
"Papa drained the last of our bogs," Kane told Caryn, "but didn't get around to forming it to any purpose—that was the rice experiment. If it doesn't get formed, it will again, revert to bog. Papa had given permission to the Haugers to build a lodge there, but I don't know what they've been doing."
"Just who are these—Haugers?" Caryn asked.
"They are the workers," Kane frowned at her, "the ones who plant and harvest. Surely, mama told you about them?"
"No," Caryn frowned back at her. "Why would she?"
The girls looked from one to the other feeling confused. Hadn't mama and papa prepared anything? Who was supposed to tell the Haugers what to work on next? Sure, they knew the routine, but sometimes other things came up—like the bog.
"Doug Haugen is our foreman," Kellan answered. "His family has been in charge of the labor party forever. The Haugers are his people. They work as a roving band doing whatever needs to be done. They take care of the live stock, too. Not our animals, but those that belong to the farm."
Kellan could tell by Aunt Caryn's bland expression that she didn't really care about the farm workers, the bog, or the farm. Papa and mama had always been animated when talking about their various projects and sooner or later, they always involved the Haugers.
"What about those who rent their plots?" Caryn asked. "How does that work?"
"They have their plots and smaller gardens," Vevila answered, "we all share in the property's harvests. The property has mostly wheat and hemp fields. There is also one dairy for cows. Mama outlawed potatoes last year. You should have heard the uproar! People sure like their potatoes."
"She did relent though," Kellan reminded her, "she let them plant one third of potatoes—on their own plots."
"And they did that?" Caryn asked surprised.
The girls looked at her puzzled.
"No one ever disobeyed mama," Kane frowned at her. "Papa didn't even do that."
"How do they pay their rent?" Caryn asked. "How much do they pay?"
"I think it varies," Rhoswen shrugged and watched Aunt Caryn closely. "Last month Della baked us a pie each week. They had to get another cow, Belle stopped making milk. Cow's cost a lot you know. So she baked us pies."
"Mama sold her our Annie," Kellan mentioned, "which was a relief for us since we were so busy with taking care of other concerns. A cow was just one more thing to worry about with mama being so sick. They will take very good care of Annie."
"Huh!" Aunt Caryn scowled. She wondered how they paid for the cow when they couldn't even afford the rent. She sighed—Aine probably gave them the cow.
Rhoswen was disappointed by Aunt Caryn's apparent disregard for the McGivney's hardship. Without a milk cow, the McGivney's were going to suffer greatly. Oh well, she thought, maybe it was just because she didn't know them. It would be different once their aunt got to know the families.
"Well, they have Annie now," Vevila assured her, oblivious to the fact that her aunt was totally unconcerned about the McGivney's cow.
"We need to check out the extent of mama's spell," Kellan stated with concern, "We need to know if it cut us off from the village, or the Manor. We need to know what the Haugers are doing and how they are managing. There are a lot of families who depend
on us."
"How did Keegan clear out the bog?" Caryn asked curiously, totally ignoring Kellan's concerns. Her family had tried for decades to drain out that mess.
"Papa's a nature knight—he could do anything," Vevila told her sadly, "except dodge boar spikes."
"Papa started a project out back for your Arlen," Kellan told her, "you've been so busy with mama—you haven't even seen it."
"What is it?" She asked puzzled.
Kellan frowned, "It's that big empty room where we had the feast. The floor is real smooth. He said it was sealed concrete. Aunt Jaclyn burned it out. I'm not sure what that meant. He put screens on the windows. I've never seen screens before. There are rooms above. I thought maybe you were going to move into them."
"Mama hated it when you moved to Dublin." Alana stated. "Why did you move anyway? Weren't you happy here?"
"Dublin's a fine city!" Caryn explained, "Aine and I were the only children living here. It was pretty lonely, and the village didn't like mother very well. They were scared of her actually, and mean to Aine and I, more so to me I think. Aine was quite the charmer and she had her very good friend, Molly. The two were inseparable—drove mother nuts."
"Me too," Vevila told her, "scared of Grandmother Saidie. She was pretty fierce."
"Mama only had us stay one summer with her," Kellan commented. "That was enough."
"I love Arlen's family," Aunt Caryn's eyes got dreamy. "It was easy to want to move closer to them."
"The wagons ready," Dara called. "Heidi and Rosy are hitched up as you asked."
Dara wasn't surprised to see Kane come to attention at the mention of her special donkey, Heidi. She had stopped Aunt Caryn earlier while she was harnessing Button. She told her that Button had a week old baby. Aunt Caryn complained that the other donkey wouldn't let her near, so she would have to take Button, the baby would just have to keep up.
"You can always take the other wagon," Dara suggested. "It only takes one donkey to pull it."
"The other wagon?" Aunt Caryn looked at her aghast. "That's a children's wagon. I can't go off in that!"
"Mama did it all the time," Dara insisted.
"I am not Aine," she stared at her.
"Obviously," Dara said scathingly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She put her hands on her hips. She didn't like Dara's attitude. If this was going to work, there were going to be some changes, and the changes were going to start now!
Aunt Caryn had then ordered Dara to hitch up Heidi. She had mentioned to her aunt that Heidi wasn't used to anyone handling her but Kane. She had just looked down her nose at Dara and demanded that she hitch her up—now! So Dara reluctantly did as she insisted. She knew that Kane was going to be upset. The whole incident had upset Dara badly. It was so mean—and so unnecessary.
Dara couldn't understand how their aunt could just shrug off either Button having a new baby, or Kane's feelings about Heidi. Didn't she realize that the baby could die from such a journey as this! Dara had literally brushed past her and unharnessed Buttons herself.
Kane glared at her and went out to scratch Heidi's nose.
:I'm sorry,: Dara sent to Kane. :She was harnessing Buttons. There's something really wrong with that woman.:
"All right then," Caryn grabbed her bag. "You have your tasks. The most important task is to try and figure out what Aine did to the floor. We'll be back in around a week—maybe two."
"What about Uncle Stefan?" Alana asked.
Caryn paused, "I don't really know how to answer that. I guess you'll just have to make a judgment—if he shows up again."
Alana frowned after her. They didn't know Uncle Stefan very well. Aunt Caryn obviously knew him well enough to smack him in the head. She obviously felt threatened about something. It would have been fitful if they had been told something about him. After the ceremony, Dara had asked their aunt who that man was. She just told them that he was their Uncle Stefan of course.
It was late at night. Caryn had been afraid that someone would see her appearing out of nowhere with the wagon. Someone like who? Kellan thought scathingly. They were out in the middle of nowhere. The manor and the village were quite a ways off. There would be no one standing around just to spy on nothing!
They waved as Caryn headed for her home. Kellan fidgeted impatiently. She thought Aunt Caryn would never leave. There were things which needed doing, and with Caryn around, those things kept getting side-tracked. She had never met a person so disorganized before, and worse, she kept disorganizing everyone else in her efforts to get her own stuff done. It was going to be really hard without mama.
Aunt Caryn hadn't given them time to read their mama's letter, or to work with their amulets. They hadn't even ridden the village to see how the folk were doing. Kellan could imagine their shock—she still felt shocked. She hoped Uncle Arlen was more organized and better at managing property, otherwise they were going to be in trouble.
"We'll get the books," Alana said as Dara grabbed an oil lamp.
"Thank you," Kellan nodded at them.
"I moved their personals to mama's favorite workroom," Rhoswen told them. "We can go through it later. Caryn spooked-out when she came across mama's workbooks. She's not going to be any help with the magics. I hope we know enough."
"We know how to read and we know how to learn," Kellan told her. "We will do this! I see you've activated your amulet."
"I noticed that you have, too," Rhoswen countered. "I think we should help the others to at least activate the raven. They need to be able to see what mama has done here—and outside."
"I agree," Kellan nodded, "we will do it when they all get back."
They stepped into the room and paused. It was hard to imagine that their mama and papa would never return here. This room had shared many fond memories of cuddles and loves, of laughter and gentle teasing.
They all returned to stare sadly at the large room. Kellan walked in to sit on the overly large bed. The others joined her. This would be the last time they would all sit here together.
"Rhoswen and I decided that we all need to activate the raven on our amulets," Kellan told them.
Every sister pulled out her cherished amulet.
"Druantia has already personalized them," Rhoswen told her sisters. "You can tell because it has a slight hum that you can hear."
"This raven, the one sitting on a branch," Kellan pointed at her amulet, "represents true sight, wisdom and prophecy. To activate any of the symbols on your amulet, hold it in your palm and concentrate on what the symbol means. If your vision is true, the symbol will activate, giving you the protection or power the symbol represents. They are kind of like a test. When you get the correct answer, you get the reward."
Kellan was pleased to see that all her sisters activated the raven on their amulets effortlessly. Alana looked around surprised.
"I didn't see that before," she pointed at the blue glow of their mothers design. She frowned, "it makes more sense, now."
"We need to dismantle the bed and get it out of here," Kellan started, "so we can see the rest of the design."
"How?" Kane looked at the overly large featherbed.
"One piece at a time," Rhoswen marched over and pulled the blankets away and tenderly folded them and placed them in the corner. Kane carried over the pillows and throws.
"They smell like mama and papa," Kane said as she clenched the last pillow tightly.
"Sit here for a while," Vevila patted the blankets and encouraged Kane to sit. Kane sat down—tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"This is a really big bed," Rhoswen observed. "It will take a while, but I think we should sew divisions into the material, and then cut between the stitching. That way we can keep the feathers together."
"That's a good idea," Kellan agreed. "There are probably enough feathers here to make around six manor beds. Caryn already informed me that she and her Arlen wanted nothing to do with this room."
Rhoswen grabbed up a pencil and started marki
ng the mattress into sections. Vevila left to gather up the sewing tools.
Dara and Alana entered the room carrying armloads of books.
"I don't think we will be needing those for awhile, just set them over there," Kellan directed.
Dara set down her books and glanced over Rhoswen's shoulder. Alana joined her as Vevila walked in with the sewing basket.
"This design was on a rock by the wall," Alana told them settling onto the blankets. "I want to see if I can find it in one of mama's books. My sewing makes the Cally-cat laugh."
"Let me see," Kellan said surprised looking over her shoulder. She hadn't noticed any rocks with writings. "How did you find it? That looks like something I've seen in her workbook from last spring. Give it a go."
"I don't think just anyone could see it," Alana frowned. "I was holding my amulet when it seemed to find me."
"Maybe Kane can look with you," Kellan suggested. "She can check the drawings even if she can't read the language yet."
"I can sew," Kane told her stiffly.
"She's been practicing creating stitches," Dara smiled, "in case we get attacked and need her medical expertise."
"Good!" Rhoswen approved. "I've marked two sets of seams. We will cut between the sets after they're sown."
"We're going to need bigger needles," Vevila said doubtfully looking at the delicate sewing set.
"There's some out in the stable," Kane grinned, "past the wall."
They all groaned. Dealing with the wall was bad enough during the day—at night is was a nightmare.
"Come on," Kellan told Kane.
"We can at least start," Vevila told them, "it doesn't have to be fine sewing."
"I hate to interrupt your party," Terah called from the doorway, "but I need for one of you to heat some milk-mint. Little Haley has an upset stomach."
They all looked up at her annoyed. None of them minded helping out, but Terah had abused the privilege days ago. She seemed to think that because she was older, she could boss them around.
"We're tasking," Kellan told her, "I guess you'll have to get it yourself."
Kellan headed out of the room with Kane.
"Alana," Terah looked over at the girl sitting on the blankets, "it doesn't look like you're doing anything."
"Well now," Alana frowned at her, "perceptions can be rather deceiving can't they?"
"What?" Terah said confused.
"No one here is going to do your errands," Dara told her aggravated. "You were hired to care for Haley, not us. We're trying to take this bed apart—or would you rather sew the separations in the bed, and I'll rock Haley back to sleep?"
"Oh," Terah said surprised.
She looked on with interest, and then left the room. A few minutes later she returned with Haley. She gave her the milk and burped her. She then formed a crib around her with the pillows.
"What can I do?" Terah asked them.
"Really?" Dara asked surprised.
"Well, okay," Terah frowned at her, "really."
"Sew on this line," Rhoswen instructed. "Kellan and Kane went to get bigger needles out of the stable, but we can still get started."
"The stable?" Terah shivered.
"Oh yes," Dara teased her, "that could have been one of the other alternatives to sewing."
"I don't think so," Terah informed her. Alana giggled.
"Your seams curving a bit there," Rhoswen pointed out Vevila's seam. "At that angle, it's going to cross where we have to cut."
"At least it's going somewhere," Vevila told her, "why the little tidy stitches? Get going there sister. This isn't a fancy ball dress."
Outside, Kellan and Kane stealthily made their way to the stable only to find it wasn't empty. There was an old Chinese man sleeping in the straw. His clothes were old and ragged. He had straw entwined in the long braid of his hair. There was a long staff laying beside him. Kellan wondered if maybe he was lame.
:Now what?: Kane surprised Kellan by sending her thoughts to her.
:He's snoring,: Kellan sent back. :Let's try to just pass him and get what we need. He doesn't seem to be hurting anything.:
They quietly walked around the little sleeping man. Kellan was just stretching up toward the upper shelf when a gigantic monster rose up towards her out of the straw. Both she and Kane screamed. The little Chinese man laughed. He laughed so hard that tears came into his eyes.
"AW-EE, AW-EE, AW-EE," the monster roared.
Kellan sprang back. The monster was the biggest donkey she had ever seen in her life. Kane laughed and patted the donkey's large head, and then scratched it between the eyes. She laughed again when the donkey tried to lip her fingers.
The Chinese man bowed to them, and then gathered up his things.
"You may stay here," Kellan said slowly using hand gestures to convey her meaning.
"Caryn will throw a fit," Kane reminded her.
"He's not doing any harm," Kellan said stubbornly. "He didn't even start a fire. It's cold and wet outside."
"Are you hungry?" Kane gestured to show eating with her hands, and then gestured to him and his friend.
He nodded and prepared to follow them. They stared at each other confused. Kane had meant to bring him food, not to take him home. He nodded toward the door talking to them in Chinese.
Kellan shrugged and pulled the saddle kit from the shelf. He didn't seem much of a threat. He was a scrawny little guy, just a little taller than herself. Kellan didn't see any harm in extending a little hospitality, besides she thought, he looked hungry.
She and Kane pulled a bale of hay from the ground to drag to the house. Another thing which Caryn should have had them doing was to empty the old stable. The little Chinese man took the bale from them and threw it onto the donkeys back. He picked up his one bag and waited for them.
"Wow," Kane muttered.
"Kingdom, come," he told the donkey in Chinese. The donkey followed him without rope or lead.
Kellan and Kane were astounded when the Chinese man and the donkey didn't even hesitate to walk into the oblivion of the ocean below. Kellan noticed that the man didn't put his weight on the staff. He didn't seem to be afflicted at all. They tromped right over the rocky incline and on up to the house.
They paused when they got to the house. The new stable was over in the glen next to the wheat fields. Kellan didn't know where to stable the donkey. The Chinese man settled their dilemma by simply putting down the bale on the porch. He looked at them expectantly.
Resigned, Kellan opened the door and bowed. "Enter as friends and family," she said simply.
"May peace always find you—you may call me Meifen," the Chinese man surprised them by saying in English, and then laughed heartily as he went inside.
:I think we've been had,: Kellan sent to Kane. They both stared after him. Kellan shrugged yet again and went into the house.
"I am Kellan, and this is Kane," Kellan introduced as she lead the way into the kitchen. "We have more sisters, they are upstairs."
"Kellan," he did a slight bow toward each of them, "Kane."
"It has not been long since we ate, but if you are hungry or wish some tea, I can get it," Kane offered.
"We aren't shy," Kellan added, concerned for his diet, "you may look around for what may be best for you to eat."
"Hot water is all that I require," he told them.
"It is very hot," Kellan opened the tap for the thermal water. "It can burn."
"Nice, does not smell like rot-ten egg," He nodded approvingly. "Would you like some tea?" He offered from his bag.
"No, thank you," Kellan told him.
Kane curiously smelled from the bag and grinned. "Ginger!" She walked over to the cupboard and pulled down cups and a plate of cookies, "Ginger tea should be served with ginger bread."
Kellan sighed and pulled down a cup for herself—Caryn was going to kill them. She nodded and allowed the Chinese man to put ginger tea into her cup. Kane placed the cookies on the table.
"So where's tha
t saddle kit," Vevila called out, "Oh!" She stopped to stare at them. "We have company," she called out to the other sisters.
"I'm Vevila," Vevila introduced herself smiling curiously.
"His name is Meifen," Kane told her as she calmly took her seat and helped herself to a cookie.
Dara, Alana, and Rhoswen came into the room. Dara frowned when she smelled the ginger. Caryn had warned them to not use up all the spices. She sighed, once again missing mama. Mama didn't care, when it was gone, it was gone. It was then that she realized the scent was coming from the stranger's tea bag. She was surprised by the clear green glow coming from the tea.
"Dara—Alana—and Rhoswen," Kane told him as they entered the room. "This is Meifen."
They nodded to him—he bowed back. Kellan pulled out some more cups and filled them with water. Vevila sat at the table and motioned for him to sit beside her. The others took seats and helped themselves to the cookies.
"I don't recognize that spice," Dara mentioned.
"It's ginger," Kane told her.
"It's like ginger," Dara corrected, "but not."
"You are correct," Meifen told her, "it is ginger and yet it is not. It is like your ocean, and yet it is not."
"It is very good," Dara told him without tasting it. "It is very green."
"Yes," he said simply as he sipped his tea.
"And who is this?" Terah asked, surprised upon seeing a Chinese man sitting in the kitchen.
"This is Muffin," Kellan told her quickly, "an old family friend."
Straight faced the sisters all nodded. They'd get the story out of Kellan or Kane, later.
"I was surprised by your wall," Meifen said. "I waited at the stable for an answer, and was surprised by these two."
"No more than we were surprised by you, Muffin," Kane told him.
He just rolled his eyes at her.
"I have delivered Kingdom to you and now will be leaving," he stood to leave.
"Delivered Kingdom," Kellan repeated, "I don't understand."
"Nor do I," said Meifen. "I was just told to bring Kingdom to where the ocean isn't the ocean and my debt would be done."
"Old friend?" Terah asked doubtfully, "Why does he speak so then?"
"He's Chinese," Kane told her, "they speak with such riddles."
"Please stay Meifen," Kellan asked, feeling apologetic for her manner, "at least the night, mama and papa would be very disappointed in me to have displayed such discourtesy."
For the first time, light amethyst eyes met dark Han-purple eyes. Meifen nodded.
"I will leave when the sun rises and the sky is the color of your eyes," he told her.
Alana spied little Caitrina crawling toward her mother. She gave Dara the mental equivalent of an elbow jab. They both smothered a laugh. When Caitrina used her mother's dress to pull herself up, Terah just about jumped out of her seat.
"How did you get out of your crib?" Terah asked astounded. "I guess we'll be retiring for the night." She picked Caitrina up, "thanks for letting me be with you. I really liked that."
"We liked you being with us, too," Alana told her. Terah nodded and headed for the nursery.
"She helped us sew on the mattress," Dara told Kellan and Kane. "Maybe it will work out."
"How far did you get?" Kellan asked them.
"Not very far," Alana answered. "But we did pull the mattress out of the frame so you can see the diagram now."
"Good enough," Kellan stood and then turned to Meifen frowning, "I don't know where you are to stay. There are rooms above the workplace papa was preparing for Uncle Arlen. He won't be staying there, now that he and Caryn will be living in here."
"Show me," he turned to Dara, surprising her with his request.
Dara stepped toward the door.
"No, no," he stopped her. "Show me—here." He pointed toward his head.
They stared at him surprised. Dara pictured the rooms and focused the image toward him.
"Old view," he told her. "Look there now."
She was surprised to find that she could see the building. She was even more surprised to see that Uncle Stefan had setup shop. He had taken over one of the upstairs rooms, and had finished the forge their papa had started on the outside wall of the bare room. She hadn't even known it was to be a forge—though it was obvious now.
"Uncle Stefan is there," Dara said with surprise, which surprised them all—except Meifen. He smiled contentedly.
"I will be fine there," he told them packing up his tea. "We will look more at your mother, Aine's diagram later. I suggest you sleep very fast, tomorrow will come very early." He bowed to them and walked out of the house.
"We didn't mention mama's design, did we?" Dara asked confused.
"Not that I recall," Kellan answered.
"He never hesitated to walk into our ocean," Kellan pondered. "He knew it wasn't real."
"But it is real," Kane told them.
"What do you mean?" Kellan frowned.
"I watched Jaimie throw a rock," Kane told them. "I expected it to land in the yard, but it didn't. I heard the sound of the rock clanking against other rocks—that I couldn't see—before plinking into the water below."
"That's just too scary," Alana shivered. "So if someone jumps, will they land in our yard—or in the ocean?"
"A better question would be," Rhoswen added, "are there times when we might be stepping off into the sea?"
"Oh dear!" Kellan said soberly.
"We really need to understand mama's drawing," Dara emphasized.
They walked upstairs and stared at the design.
"I can't make it out," Vevila commented. "We need to see all of it,"
Kellan rolled up the sewn part of the mattress and carried it out of the room. Alana and Dara started to carry out the part which had not been sewn yet, feathers started escaping everywhere. The more they tried to capture them, the more they escaped. Rhoswen and Vevila jumped in to help. Kellan returned to a room full of floating feathers.
"I think I can carry that," Kane told them. "Please stand back."
They stood back curiously. Kane concentrated on moving the mess as a solid group. She walked with it to the other room. Kellan quickly jumped out of her way.
"Wow!" Vevila said surprised. "When did she learn that?"
"And how?" Dara said with raised eyebrows.
When Kane came back into the room, she was pale.
"Maybe you should sit down for awhile," Kellan suggested to Kane.
"And maybe you should mind your own business," Kane said irritable, rubbing her head.
Kellan stared at her surprised. She shivered as she realized that Kane was developing an awesome and dangerous gift that none of them knew anything about. She was suddenly afraid of Kane, and then became angry with herself.
Kellan marched over to Kane, pushed her onto the pillows, and then sat on her. "You are still my little sister, and you will do as I say!"
"All right, all right," Kane said angrily. "Get off me—you big oaf!"
"We need to all remember," Kellan said as she released Kane, "that our gifts are coming on fast. We need to make sure we don't harm others and ourselves, because we don't know what we are doing. Pact," she called out and lightly cut her palm. She held her hand out to her sisters. "We must not harm one of our blood unless there is no other choice."
Dara cut a slash into her own palm, "and we must be here for each other."
"Emotionally, spiritually, and magically," Rhoswen added piercing her palm.
Kane, Alana, and Vevila cut their palms as well. All six sisters slapped each other's palms. When Kane slapped Vevila's palm—the last sister combination—a burst of energy rocked them all, sending them to the floor.
"Wow!" Vevila exclaimed tiredly, her voice shaking, "I think we just did something else, we didn't know we were doing."
"I think so," Rhoswen reached for a pillow. Her hands were shaking, and the pillow seemed awfully heavy. "I think I'll just lay here for a few minutes."
r /> "Me too," Alana said resting her head on Rhoswen's stomach.
Kane was already snoozing, and grunted when Kellan shifted her.
"We should have left the bed alone. We could all fit in it!" Dara complained as she stole a pillow from Kellan.
"Hey," Kellan complained tiredly, "share!"
They all settled out and fell deeply asleep.
The morning did come on very early. Terah found the six sisters laying in a mish-mash fashion with smeared blood everywhere. She started screaming.
All six sisters jumped to their feet—ready to fight. They stared around confused by Terah's screams.
"Stop it!" Kellan said shaking her.
"What is wrong with you?" Dara asked irritably.
"The blood," Terah stammered, "and you were all just laying there. I thought you were all dead!"
"What an eejit!" Kane said exasperated. "There's not that much blood!"
"I need some tea!" Alana said glaring at Terah.
They could hear the babies crying from the other room. The sisters marched out of the room to the kitchen. Terah blinked with confusion watching them walk away. They hadn't even explained about the blood. Feeling slightly abandoned, she walked back to the nursery. Caryn would hear about this—and that China man. Old friend? Not bloody likely!
"Sit!" Meifen ordered as they walked into the kitchen.
Surprised, they did as he instructed. Gone were the raggedy old clothes. In their place was the finest purple silk robe the girls had ever seen. Alana touched the fabric and was surprised to receive a jolt for her curiosity. She quickly moved her hand into her lap.
"Drink!" Meifen commanded as he placed a cup of aromatic tea in front of each girl.
Dara studied the tea. She wasn't really surprised to see that there were ingredients which she didn't recognize, but what did surprise her was the emanating aura of the beverage. It glowed a deep green which Dara had always associated with healing energy.
The sisters peeked over at Dara, and when she drank they followed suit. The tea was rather sharp and made them sit up straighter for it. Alana also noticed that it replenished the supply of energy which she had started associating with the energy supply it took to work with magic.
"Kaliton," Meifen explained, "last night's magic drained you all. It is lucky for you that there were so many of you to share the affect, or Terah's screams would be for a real purpose—not just to irritate you."
"But what did we do?" Kellan asked.
"We will discuss it later," Meifen informed her, "now drink, and then eat!"
He placed egg omelets in front of them. They poked at them experimentally with a fork. They contained cheese, mushrooms, and sausage. Kane curiously put a forkful into her mouth. Its savory flavors made her stomach growl appreciatively.
"Mine seems to be missing the sausage," Rhoswen mentioned and then said quickly. "Not that I'm complaining. It was very nice of you to make us breakfast."
"And did you want sausage?" Meifen asked her.
Rhoswen frowned, surprised. "I guess I really didn't."
"Today," Meifen began, "you will take the wagon and carefully check on your neighbors. While you are out, I would like you to think about magic and how you feel here about it." He pressed into the center of his chest. "Think, but do not do!"
"Who are you?" Kane asked simply, and then added, "to us."
"I am one of the cousins," he laughed and walked from the room.
"He is one of Druantia's children from China," Dara whispered.
"This is really good!" Kane said enjoying her first omelet.
They all watched as Vevila picked at hers nervously. Everyone else was done eating.
"What's wrong with you?" Kellan asked.
"Well," Vevila said scornfully, "do you see any chickens around here? It's not as if mama had just picked some up from the village, right?"
They all stared at her cold egg omelet.
"Sea bird eggs," Dara declared. "I guess that's alright."
"Remember mama's letter," Kellan brought up, "about the famine. I guess we will be learning to eat other things."
"I thought that was just about potatoes," Vevila said squeamishly.
Food had always been a little scary for Vevila. The different textures could make her have a true-blue gagging fit. Kellan watched her with concern. There was a time when mama despaired getting her to eat anything as she kept getting thinner and thinner. She finally called in a healer. It was then that they realized that Vevila wasn't just being finicky—she had an over-reactive gag reflex at the back of her throat. Since then, mama was very cautious about the textures of the foods that went onto Vevila's plate. Now, Kellan realized, she needed to watch out for her younger sister.
"Just try the sausage," Kellan warmed the plate without thinking. "It's really good!"
"What did you just do?" Alana exclaimed surprised.
"What?" Kellan frowned at her.
"To Vevila's plate," she insisted.
"I warmed it," Kellan told her still frowning, "like I do sometimes."
"How?" Dara asked interested.
"What do you mean?" Kellan asked them.
"You just did magic," Alana insisted. "I can't heat a plate like that. No wonder you didn't mind the bone cold baths grandmother used to make us take. You were heating them weren't you?" She accused.
"Well, okay," Kellan defended. "I was first in. It made sense that I should be the first to heat them."
"The first?" Rhoswen scoffed, "the only. By the time the bath was handed down to Kane it was damn cold."
"I didn't mind," Kane defended Kellan.
"Mine were cold too," Dara mentioned. "If you heated yours, mine should have still been warm."
"Grandmother probably made it cold again," Alana grumbled.
"I didn't know," Kellan said angrily. "Grandmother said I was only to heat my own, that you girls had to learn to heat your own."
"Can we?" Vevila asked curiously.
"Teach us!" Dara demanded.
Kellan looked at their determined faces. She couldn't remember how she had learned the trick.
"I have to think about what I'm doing to warm the plate," she told them. "Sometimes I get it wrong, and nearly wipe myself out with a headache, at other times I break things. The learning had something to do with grandmother."
"We'll be waiting," Dara warned her stubbornly.
"She's finished," Rhoswen announced.
"That wasn't bad," Vevila admitted, "once Kellan warmed it, it stopped being slimy. I think the eggs were a little undercooked. It would have been better though with some little fried potatoes." She finished wishfully.
"Dream on," Kane told her. "Mama gave the rest of our potatoes to the Manor."
"We can grow more," Kellan assured them, "the famine hasn't hit yet, remember."
"We don't know what we can grow," Alana argued, "we don't even know if we have any land anymore."
"Mama wouldn't have cut us off with nothing," Kellan argued back.
"What about them out there," Rhoswen frowned, "who have no land now? The evictions have been real fierce."
"Think about it," Kane added. "If the potato is gone, what will the people be able to afford to eat? We have to do something!"
"True," Kellan said determinedly. "We will not just be sitting over here in our little safety zone, and watch others starve to death. We'll figure this out!"
"It won't get that bad," Alana asked nervously, "will it?"
They all just stared at each other.
"AW-EE, Aw-ee," they heard the bellow and ran to the front door.
"Kingdom!" Kane said with delight. "That's what Meifen called him. Isn't he beautiful?"
Kane ran up to the big donkey. The others stared at the biggest, shaggiest donkey they had ever seen. His shaggy hair was dark brown. Kane was delighted with his large brown intelligent eyes. He had a white mark just down from his eyes, and also had a lovely white nose.
"He is yours now," Meifen said from the yar
d. "He is the biggest donkey there is. He is a Poitou."
"But why?" Kellan asked.
"I do not know," Meifen told them. "When I was a very young and foolish man, a stranger saved me from a ravenous tiger beast. I was truly dead." He showed them the tiger bite scars in the back of his neck. "I promised to be his slave for life. He laughed at me and told me I was to find the biggest donkey I could find and when the raven appeared, I was to take it to Ireland and give it to the sisters who lived by the ocean which was not an ocean. If I was so inclined, I might stay with them for awhile and teach them some of the mysteries I had learned with the life which was extended to me." He bowed to them, "I so choose, if you also choose to do what I say."
"I can't promise that," Rhoswen informed him. "I will never promise to obey any man!"
He laughed, "Promise to think about doing as I say."
"That," Rhoswen smiled, "I can do."
"A raven?" Alana frowned.
He pulled up the sleeve of his robe and showed them the freshly burned raven which was etched into his forearm. Its pattern was very distinct. He placed a hand over the wound and when he removed the hand, the raven was healed. The raven was a fine white scare line.
"Wow," Vevila whispered in awe.
"You will all be able to do that," he told them.
Dara relaxed her mind and studied this strange man. She saw the flow of his aura and saw that unlike most people, it flowed freely, without any blockages. His crown aura was very bright. His heart chakra was very fierce. She knew him to be a very strong, honorable man.
"And who was that stranger?" Kellan asked.
"James Caidance O'Byrne," he told them. "Your mother's-mother's-father.
"Our great-grand father," Alana whispered in awe.
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