All We Are
by: mokatster
Chapter Five: Promising Tidings
The sun was shining brightly, and The'eba reveled in the warm rays beaming down on her. Her leaves rustled as she gave an involuntary shiver of delight, stretching her roots further into the cool soil, delighting in the rich nutrients it provided.
She could become anything she wished…and that ability brought her a greater understanding of the world and its marvels than anything else ever could. She soaked up the sun, giving thanks for the wonder of it all.
Her rhapsodies were interrupted by the vibrations in the ground that heralded Brighde's approach.
The'eba knew it was her. Nobody else even bothered with the apple trees anymore. She tried not to move, knowing that Brighde was the hardest of all the Coven to fool with her shape-shifting. But maybe, this time…
Brighde came into view, bearing a container. She glanced briefly at the bush-that-was-The'eba before kneeling at the foot of the nearest tree. She plunged her hands into the container, stirring the contents within for a good five minutes before speaking.
"Nice try, The'eba," Brighde said without looking up.
The'eba didn't respond. Brighde prodded her base with her foot.
"Give it up, I said. I know it's you."
The'eba relented, and with an almighty wrench of roots ripped from the soil, an angry snapping of branches, and an explosion of leaves, she shifted back to her usual form, complete with her dark cloak.
"What gave it away this time?" she asked, disgruntled, brushing leaves off her front.
"You quivered. There is no wind today."
Brighde turned back to the tree, at the base of which she was spreading a thick, pasty looking soil. The'eba scowled to herself, realizing that she should have known better than to believe she could fool Brighde. As one of the two Cailleachan, she had immense control over the weather, specifically the spring and summer seasons. She would, of course, know about the wind, since she was the one of the ones who summoned it.
The'eba turned her eyes to the tree on which Brighde was working. She looked at its beautiful silvery bark, then gazed up at the dappled sunlight that shone through its dark green leaves.
Such a beautiful tree…such a worthless tree…
"Will it flower this time, do you suppose?"
"How should I know?" Brighde snapped, finishing her ministrations and straightening to glare at The'eba. "We've been trying for years to get these trees to bear fruit, The'eba. It's all just one big experiment." She seized her container of pasty soil and moved on to the next tree.
"I am aware of that," The'eba said defensively as she trailed behind, regretting her idle question. She had forgotten that, even though the stubbornly fruitless trees were a source of frustration for the entire Coven, Brighde herself seemed to regard them as a mark of personal failure. They were the only plants she could not control.
"Why are you up here?" Brighde asked irritably, working the pasty loam into the earth.
"Maera says that the Four have consented to accept our blessings."
Brighde stilled and met The'eba's gaze. Beneath her hood, her eyes gleamed with the same kind of tentative hope that The'eba felt.
"So…will it happen, then?"
"Maera has only seen them from afar," The'eba reminded her. "We won't know for certain until they each make their wish, until we have seen every facet of them."
"But surely," Brighde persisted hopefully. "Since the youngest Son of Adam was so close to—"
"As you've just told me, speculation is pointless," The'eba retorted, a little sharply. "Let's not conclude anything too hastily."
Brighde seemed to understand that The'eba's harsh tone was inspired by fear. She reached out and squeezed The'eba's hand comfortingly, forgetting that her own were covered in soil.
"Her Winter is gone," she said softly. "Because of them, and the power they possess. For now, that is enough to give me hope."
The'eba couldn't help but smile at the younger Cailleach's optimism. Anything that reminded her of the coming of spring would be encouraging for her.
Maybe Brighde was right. But until Maera was able to learn more of the Four, The'eba was determined to not form any plans, to not get ahead of herself. She had to accept events as they came, not try to predict them. That was not the skill she had been given.
But yet…try as she might to remain dispassionate, she found herself incessantly dwelling on the Four.
Everything depended on them. Particularly, if the signs had been read correctly, on the one who was Marked—the one they called the Just.
A/N: Yes, I'm alive! I apologize profusely for the wait, but the last two months have been EXTREMELY busy for me. Squeezing in time to sleep was difficult, much less finding time to post this story! So, there's my excuse. :) But thanks to one of my readers for the reminder to update! :)
One note on names: the Cailleachan, Brighde and Beira, are deities from a Scottish legend. The characters with the same names in this story were very heavily inspired by info from the wikipedia page discussing the Cailleachan. Go peruse it if they fascinate you!
Thank you so much for your patience in the slow update, and for continuing to read! :)