DISCLAIMER : Still the same, still the same. This is not a decade of change.
Sorry this kind of short and mostly theological chapter was so late in coming…hey, kinda like the second coming of Jesus! You wait and you wait…digression. In truth, I was sick for over a week, was called into work a lot, and had hella school stuff to do. Fun.
NOTE TO READERS : I knew this would happen, and I was actually a bit later than I thought it would. Yes, I know that "alter" and "altar" are different words. I was hoping none of you did, though. Yes, it is on purpose. Why? I guess y'all will just have to be good boys and girls and find out in time. Bonus Points to the Dread Rainbow Man, perhaps my most staunch and crazily named reviewer, for pointing it out first. Keep that steady grasp of the dictionary, my friend, and you shall go far in life! Grin…
Ch. IV
"Bird on a Briar, bird, Bird on a Briar,
Mankind is come of love, love to crave.
Blithe bird on me have mercy,
Or build, love build thou grave."
-Medieval English Anon
He felt a shift on the bed slightly, and a scared voice called out to him.
"Briar?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dreamless sleep, something akin to death, had consumed her body. It was as if her soul had slowly leaked out of her body, like the moon slowly waning in the sky, and a torrent of un-magic had been let in instead. Trisana Chandler had listlessly suffered through this, for she had little else of a choice. If she had thought that in the dark nether regions of the human psyche she would find peace, that, for a moment, her over-wrought mind would somehow manage to sink into darkness, she was wrong.
The part of her mind, whatever unknown part that was instigating the god-head transformation, would not follow suite with the rest of her mind and sink into nothingness. Instead, it remained active, creating vivid imagery and disturbing pictures in what should have been a somber death-sleep.
There I am, Tris's inner voice slurred upon seeing a mental image that her mind was showing her. Thin and sickly, there sat a crone so old and haggard that it was difficult to discern where her tatters of human flesh ended and the flesh of the rotten log which had begrudged her to rest began. This harbinger of Death mournfully gazed down into her hands, as if studying their emaciated and pale visage for the first time.
"Gone," she rasped out. "Gone."
A small babe was cast out to the side, half hidden by the sharp twists of shrub roots. Its thin rib cage slowly moved up and down, as it struggled for breath. It turned to look at Tris, the cold, childlike eyes meeting Tris's.
"I drank of her teat until I had my fill; but there was not enough for all to live."
Tris shuddered at this cryptic picture…Why do they haunt me?! She cried out in her mind. Why is this happening? This isn't even making sense to me!!
The old crone paid Tris's queries no mind, but continued to sit in morbid fascination of her hands. Suddenly there was a pull. The rest of her mind slowly began to wake up. Thank the Gods, was all Tris managed to think before consciousness, in all its gravity, hit her. The last thing she could hear before she was pulled back into the land of light was the raspy voice of the crone, screeching out to her.
"Why did I betray them all? Why?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Tris? Tris, are you all right?"
"What in the Darklands kind of question is that? 'Am I all right?' You….you…. you moron."
"Glad to see that your temper is in check, Coppercurls," Briar responded, relaxing a bit. He had pivoted on the bed, so that he now sat facing her. Tris still lay in her same position, except now the calm, if not death-like, look on her face had changed to one of annoyance. Tris attempted to sit up, but quickly found that she possessed the strength not to do so.
"Take it easy," Briar murmured, moving his hands to gently push down on her shoulders. "I expect that your all bark, no bit right now."
Tris relented and closed her eyes. Briar let his hands linger on her shoulder, as if feigning some sort of a caressing gesture. His mind was racing, set afire by his own thoughts about the recent revelation and the new thrill that seemed to spark to life in him just by touching Tris. Should I tell her how…how I feel? No, she'd probably go off on me for going into her memories like that. And she's probably too weak right now, but still…he couldn't stop himself from grinning like the village idiot.
Even though this was definitely not the right place, or the right time, he was ecstatic that Tris had feelings for him
"So," Tris mumbled, her eyes still closed.
"So," responded Briar in some sort of an agreement with her.
"Are you new here?"
"What?"
"Are you new here? At…Discipline? I don't think we've met."
Briar was stunned into silence, his mouth slightly agape.
"If you don't want to answer me, fine. Leave then. I feel like I've been through the Darkland and back, and I don't need to be surrounded by some novice who can't string together two words."
"Tris…oh Gods," Her memories were in the crystals. Of course she wouldn't remember him, everything that made up who Tris was was currently not inside of her physical body. "I am so thick. Not just a few memories of yours are gone, all of them are. You're memories, they…aren't with you at the moment. You've just got to trust that I'm one of your mates."
Her eyes shot open.
"We're mated?"
"I…no, no," he felt a blush creep upon his cheek, "you're just my friend, a friend, that's all."
"Oh. Well then. If that's all, I'd really like to get some rest, I've got a great journey ahead of me, and time is running short," she responded, turning slightly and nestling her head deeper within the furrows of her pillow.
"You know about the journey? To the Council?" he asked, perplexed.
"All I know is that Mother is calling me, and I must answer Her. Now go." With such a royal and final dismissal, Briar felt compelled to obey. He gathered himself and stood up. He turned to look down upon her, perhaps the last time he would ever be able to do so. Things were confusing.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Down in the kitchen Lark, Sandry and Daja were fixing glasses of lemon water, the fence being completely painted and the three of them in dire need of a rest. They were all startled to see Briar's tussled figure make its way down the stairs.
"You know you aren't to be up there," Lark scolded, her usually warm eyes fixed upon him with worry.
"I know. Rosethorn said I could go up there."
Lark turned her gaze to Rosethorn, who say ever vigilantly with her tinctures.
"Niko and Honored Moonstream had finished with her. She will depart in a week. She's harmless right now, Lark. Might as well let them all se her," was the succinct reply from Rosethorn, as she continued to concoct tinctures, not looking up to meet anyone's eye.
"Where's she going?" asked Daja in alarm, forgetting her cool drink even though she had been one of its greatest proponents only moments before.
Lark seemed to bite her lip before answering her question, and the questions that soon followed from the mouths of both Daja and Sandry, in a manner that was similar to how Rosethorn had answered Briar's questions about Tris.
"So," Sandry said, once everything had been completely explained, "this could be Tris's last week with us."
"Yes," replied Briar, somewhat gloomily, grabbing a seat next to Sandry, "and she doesn't even remember who we are. I was up there talking with her, and it looks like all her memories of us are stuck in those crystals. Even though," he added, as a second thought, "she did seem to know my name right when she woke up."
"Maybe she was dreaming about you," Daja added in what can only be described as a girly voice, but what in all actuality was really a desperate attempt to lighten the mood. Briar forced a smile, wondering what they would all think if they knew how much he wanted that to be the case.
"Anyway, she's resting right now. All that I could really get out of the conversation with her was that she hasn't had a very happy couple of days, and that her mother or something is calling her."
"Not 'her mother', Mother," quipped Rosethorn, aged fingers continuing their work. "It's just another sign of her god-head. She is feeling the call of the Great Spirit. Tris realizes, on whatever level that the god-head is affecting her, that she needs to go to the Trials."
The kitchen was filled with silence, as each was absorbed by their own thoughts. The only source of movement was the sunlight that filtered lazily through the dust that now could be seen floating everywhere, since Tris's dusting duties had been shirked. The patterns and refractions they made were beautiful in a quaint way, their tiny, floating bits recalling the mind back to images of childhood faeries.
"This really, really sucks."
"Briar, I don't even know what that word means, but I agree," Daja said, taking a sip of the now remembered lemon water.
~*~*~*~*~*~
She lay in her bed, straining her ears to hear the footsteps of the young boy as they began to fade. When she was finally sure that he had gone, she opened her eyes and surveyed the room before her. It was very plain. Now, what is going on? That boy said that he and I were friends, but all that I know is that I must go and find Mother. Oh Graces, this is confusing! If only I could let my mind rest for a moment…a prickling sensation of memories resurface ran along her spine, as meditation techniques slowly came back to her.
Taking a deep breath, she began what had been a once familiar technique. She felt her body slowly relax, and felt herself synchronize her breathing with the universe, or perhaps the other way around. Now, to find my haven…the nerve! That person is back!
Along with remembering her techniques, she had also recalled what it felt like to have her haven violated, and once again, there it was. This time, though, she was quicker to act. Her inner-self quickly swooped down, to try and put a strangle hold on whoever was desecrating her most sacred ground. With an elfish grin, she successfully got a hold of the invader.
"No need for that, Sister. I will stay with you as long as you like."
Tris was taken aback. The familiarity of the energy surrounded her and things began making sense. When she had last meditated, the alien energy had dissipated itself into the surrounding earth. It was because the energy was the earth.
Tris had, in a somewhat awkward strangle-hold, Mila of the Grain, Goddess of the Earth and triple trinity.
Tris quickly recoiled as if she had been burned, and stuttered a bit before Mila continued.
"I'm sorry to usurp your haven like this, Sister, but it was and is necessary."
"Umm…all right," was the only response that Tris managed to emit as she gawked at the plump, womanly being that was before her.
"I wanted to see for myself if you were going to join Us. I know my actions might and still are a bit premature, but I'm fairly confident that they are correct."
"So…so you're going to bring me to Mother?"
Mila's eyes, the starry night sky, twinkled with delight. "Yes, Sister, yes. That is exactly what I am going to do. Only I will need your help. As you will learn, you must sever all your mortal ties. It should be easier for you, since crystals are coming to your most Holy Aide and are allowing themselves to be used as vessels."
Tris took a moment to think. "I…I think I can do that. I don't remember anyone anyway. There is this boy, though…it seems like he almost…I don't know, fancies me."
"You cannot allow that to happen, dear Sister. Even if this mortal does wish you for his consort, if you retain ties with him in the Trials to come, he will be killed."
"I see. So, how do I sever my ties exactly?"
Mila took a moment to consider the question, running her hands over her rounded belly as she thought. Finally, it appeared as if a suitable answer had been found, for she spoke. "Trisana, you must be cruel. For every wrong that had ever been wrought upon you, you must repay it threefold onto all of those around you. Let their be no err in your practice; your kiss must be like that of the serpents, your words like the most deadly of poisons any dark mage could fathom, your manner colder than that of Wyntehrr's fiercest reign. Only then will you be able to redeem those around you, and save them from a most painful passage into the next life."
"I…I will do what you ask of me."
Down in the kitchen, a chill worked its way down the spine of three youths, as they felt powers at work they were yet to understand.
Sorry this chapter is so short. I'm ironing out some kinks in the groundwork…hopefully it'll be as smooth as a baby's ass in chapters to come…but you know what might make me write a little bit faster?? REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!