For disclaimer see chapter one.
Blasphemy though it was, sometimes you need to curse the gods themselves, in a very loud voice.
Unfortunately for Cologne's sanity, with this many people in the room she would have to placate her frustration some other way, preferably half a mile away.
Rapping her cane on the floor she tried virulently to try and make some sense out of the current situation, with little success everything including her home, was now a disastrous mess.
Clatters became bangs, and bangs became arguments as the small shunting squabble inside the kitchen was steadily becoming a full blown argument over who would present which dish and to whom.
It really was becoming tiresome; this was the third fight she would have to dissolve in as many minutes the matriarch dimly reflected.
When she had decided to let the gods have their way with the young Tendo's fate, this is not what she had envisioned, but then again having her dwelling overrun in this fashion was not something she had ever dreamed of, not even at four in the morning.
Another crash followed the shrieking squabble, snapping off her trail of thought, as far as Cologne was now concerned this intrusion had gone on long enough. As she rubbed her temples in frustration she saw it, discarded on the table top, the perfect way to 'calmly' obliterate some of the din.
No one ever mentioned being a matriarch would be so much hassle, or that so called adults still acted as if they were children. Taking careful aim let the spoons fly until the barrage struck the wall between the battling brood with and almighty thump.
Peace perfect peace reigned strong and true as the row ended while the stunned adults attempted to regain their wits. In awe of her skills, and with the fear of her growing temper all arguments stopped, for the moment.
Exasperated by the clash and clatter of crockery accompanied with the sporadic smash, Cologne began to wish that the thankful tenants were less, enthusiastic in showing their appreciation. With the final loud crash of knife against wood, she decided her nerves could take no more and with as much dignity as she could muster, Cologne hastily retreated out the nearest door, planning sweet vengeance if the house was no longer standing when she returned.
Being one of the largest in the village the matriarch's huts amongst others was crowded to the brim from the bustling feast preparations, it seemed like every member of the tribe had invited themselves to 'help' reward the brave boy who saved the village during the night.
This spontaneous gesture of thanks had being going on from the moment they 'discovered' the brave heroics of the five guards and Mousse.
It was in a way heart warming, in that a special kind of way which only provides a jarring effect on your nerves.
Noticing a distinct few blurs Cologne suspected that she wasn't the only person to be sneaking out of doors to avoid the ensuing organised chaos.
In search of solitude she sought out her favourite lake side spot only to find five of the heroes of the hour lounging in the sunshine. Three enjoying their new found fame to the fullest, were re-enacting and no doubt exaggerating their heroic efforts to the younger children, who listened with bated breath at ever word.
The two others had wandered off to more secluded nocks amongst the denser reeds, ducking out of their daily chores for as long as they could.
Mousse however: could not be found amongst this leisurely diversion. It was not unexpected, Mousse was generally a reserved child, and had never been one for large amounts of company.
Choosing her own secluded nock, Cologne sat down out of sight to do what she had being trying to since before first light, hear herself think.
The Tendo girl now gone, vanished without a trace after the commotion ended. The anticipated fight now postponed, if not completely forgotten temporarily, Mousse amongst the unlikely others, now exalted heroes.
Yes last nights events were curiously convenient to say the least. At first Cologne had suspected Mousses involvement, the screwy scheme if it existed, just the kind of thing that could emerge from Mousses diabolical mind, but….
It still didn't add up. It was too complex, too large; it threatened too many people.
More to the point it actually worked.
In other words it stank of another puppet master pulling strings.
Relinquishing the thought, Cologne sighed deeply, knowing she may never discover what had actually occurred in those deep hours of the night when all slept their fullest.
The turbulent story that had been stitched together was distorted as a warped mirror.
A mysterious fire had broken out inside the village walls, in the cold night air the ravenous flames spread quickly leaching from grass and twig to dwellings. It leapt like a beast from roof to roof quickly reaching the village centre.
Strange, that the story arose in such away as no one had seen the fire start.
Cologne herself had other ideas, suspecting that it came from the village centre, starting at the 'abandoned potions' shed, one of the vials having combusting spontaneously in the night.
Some of the more dangerous concoctions could have combusted, if given a little assistance. Few things had been damaged by the fire, the buildings was designed to withstand such possibilities, but what had been destroyed?
The inventory list apparently, she had lifted its charred remnants earlier. Nothing odd about paper not surviving a blaze, but still it was, unsettling.
With so many containers, some mislabelled for safeties sake nothing could be proven, ash, glass and wood littered the floor alongside the blackened bottles.
On the warped mirror a slight change in perspective has a dramatic effect, the whole village had an opinion to the cause.
Some theories involved malevolent outsiders being responsible for the blaze.
What people had seen changed with each retelling making the truth harder to find.
There was only once certainty, liquids bubbled and boiled. The potions mixing in terrible concoctions, the vapours spread out in a deadly mist.
Choking fumes enveloped those it came into contact with. Defenceless and debilitated, this could have spelled the end for many as all slipped into uncontrollable unconsciousness and then…
The story slipped into a romantic fantasy that would be told and retold for months to come.
To many a miracle happened,
Mousse smelt the smoke, and saw the roaring flames from down wind.
He swept into the village like a defending angel, summoning the guards back with an alarm call as he came. Seven in all, this haphazard team extinguish much of the flaming wreckage in an amateurish but eventually effective manner.
Civilians and warriors alike were saved, as the village found out the chains of a master of the hidden weapons could easily snatch the occupants of a burning home to safely, with a few minor scrapes, bruises and a large amount of property damage.
Crowds congregated in small groups with many scared witless, battered, burnt and bruised but blessedly alive.
Their fear was understandable; even she had been affected by the smoke.
Colognes hands tightened close round her staff in agitation, and during the crisis she had been helpless, the smoke clouding her mind as well as her lungs. It was not a feeling she relished, nor was it good for her people to see her in such a state.
The village congratulating the starry eyed youngsters who stayed, while others found accusations to be hurled, in search of a would be culprit to blame for the misfortune.
Shampoo had been oddly silent, concern etched into her face as she had watched on. Cologne had been aware of her own struggle to breathe, but not much else. Had she said something to put that look upon her Great Granddaughters face? Or was it the shock of seeing her once indomitable Grandmother frail. Either way the damage was done. Shampoo had not spoken since the incident, and confined herself away from company.
Cologne tried to deepen her meditation, forcefully blocking out all distractions from the turbulent surroundings. The Tendo girl was the focus of the attack she was sure, her instincts cried out as much. The longer she mulled over these thoughts the harder it was to decide between a chaotic coincidence, or a precise plan. With the children of that chaotic place involved, anything was possible.
Unnoticed the seventh member of the group slipped away within the throng of people milling about. Her personal guard being to occupied puffing up his chest and posturing in pride for all the Shampoos of the world to see.
The girl was not recognised as a prisoner. How she could be, few had known what and who the girl was; when she left, and where for, remained a mystery.
Now smoke scorched from her courageous actions and she was now more than just a captive, some even claimed they owed the stranger their lives.
This did not bode well...