They returned around mid afternoon, baskets full and grimaces on their faces. They were covered in dried mud and sod, stank of the deep woods and pig shit. The latter came from Essus, he'd 'tripped' in a mushroom patch and landed where a sow had been rooting. Mozenrath had allowed himself a good internal laugh over that one. They met Iaine at the door who looked them over with a judgmental eye.

"Go give those to Cigfa and wash off. You'll have to hurry if you want to make it in time for celebrations." She said hurriedly, the talk with Tristan still in her mind.

"I thought we weren't going to attend." Essus said.

"You will not be allowed at the druidic ceremony no, but Tristan has decided not to begrudge you the local festivities." Iaine turned around to leave and was more than grateful that they did not follow her. She needed time to think and if she wanted no interruptions, she would have to change.

The falcon that soared over head went unnoticed save by those in the know. And they allowed her what she required. Iaine let the wind carry her across the woods and through the meadows. She kept a mindful eye out, looking for other raptors. True, she could always change back to human form, but any injuries she sustained while flying in another predators territory would remain.

The conversation with Tristan came back, half unbidden. As soon as Mozenrath and Essus had disappeared into the forest the chief druid and pulled her into his tent for a long talk. "You've got to stop stringing the two of them along like this Iaine."

"I don't know what you mean by this Tristan. I've never given either of them the slightest inclination to think…" He hesitated as to how to continue. "Tristan…I'm not interested in either of them as anything more than fellow druids."

Tristan looked at her with a careful eye. "Are you quite certain?" He asked. "I've seen that look in the eyes of young men before, strutting after the same hen, letting their claws fly when she looked indecisive." He sighed. "I was much the same at their age." He sighed and poured a cup of tea. "And to add to it, Essus hasn't given up on the thought of you as his and his alone."

"I know." She rolled her eyes. "It's my fault, following him around like I did until I got some common sense. Now he's bent on it." Iaine took the tea and drank some down.

"What you aught to do…is take a lover." Tristan suggested. "A pretty young thing like oughtn't be without a young man for too long any how." He poured some honey in his cup and made a small noise. "I couldn't help but notice you didn't take part at Beltane this year."

"I did. Remember, I gave our sacrifice his last night with a woman." It was a man's right, when he chose to go to the gods, to have one last night with a woman in his bed. A druidess was usually the one to oblige, and as Cigfa was nearing her fiftieth summer, Iaine had stepped up. He had been a nice enough fellow, crafty, a strong man of the warrior class. Not very experienced, but he did try to be considerate of her.

"And since then?" Tristan asked. "You were never one to spread yourself about easily."

"I haven't seen anyone to my liking for a great while now." Iaine admitted.

"Really now?" Tristan said softly, rolling the honey in the bottom of his mug.

"Really." Iaine insisted.

Iaine came back to the present, veering off to the left when she saw a twitch in the grass. It was a weasel, lean and hurrying about to eat all it could before the cold season. Iaine felt the personality of the falcon merge with her own. The predator did not see another animal, but prey, vulnerable and scampering. It's own instincts pulsed for the crunch of bone against talon and the sweet taste of blood running down it's maw. Iaine sighed, this was just a part of merging with such a creature. Their concerns were very specific, and if she gave in to them everyone once in a while, Iaine found it easier to maintain her own personality within the beast. She began to circle, curving her wings to the right angle, then with the quickness of a snake she struck, diving down from the clouds at an incredible height.

Nearer Iaine drew, her wings angling to where she became an arrow flying from an invisible bow. She gave a screech, the final call of a deadly assault. The poor thing looked up, just in time to watch it's vision be flooded by wings and death. With the precision of a true hunter she clamped down and snapped it's neck. At least she possessed the human intelligence to slaughter efficiently. Blood slipped down her throat and Iaine made a strangely human sound.

A noise went off behind her. She turned, wings spread and ready to take off. This time of year it could be anything, and most of them perfectly willing to kill a falcon for a meal. Tremors went off in the ground, a strange noise that made Iaine's blood quake. The sound of voices reached her ear, human voices. She took off, pumping her wings to get up high and see what was going on.

Dust clouds were forming in the distance, the sound of wheels and clanging of metal made her stomach churn as Iaine realized what was coming.

An army!

They looked to be Connacht men, rowdy and rough and ready to fight. The druidess gulped, they weren't more than a day by foot from the village, less than that if you counted the war chariots they brought. At their head was a man in full battle armor with a beard the color of the sunset. His eyes were focused straight forward, showing his determination. Iaine pulled herself up higher, fanning her wings out. Better if she could get a good look at these people before rushing back. The more they knew, the better they would be able to prepare. A shouting caught Iaine's attention and she caught sight of a set of white robes, green marked pointing up at her.

A druid! Impossible! Druids did not ride on the war campaign!

Cac! She swerved to the left just in time to avoid an arrow meant for her breast. Iaine tool and risk and dove straight for the tree line. What to do? If they saw her heading back to the village they would know for sure that she was not a natural bird. If she stuck around they would shoot her just to be sure. No doubt that tremor had been the druid, casting out a little magic to make sure the area was clear. Maybe she could distract them long enough to make her escape?

Then they would know who she was.

Chances were they did anyhow.

Iaine put her talons to a tree branch and listened carefully. Sure enough, scouts had been sent into the forest to search for her. She clicked her beak, concentrating her magic into the woods around her. The groan of the trees answered her back, questioning, wondering why they were being called. She sent out her distress. As a falcon, she could not communicate with the forest in words or spells. Her emotions however were much clear and defined. The trees themselves could not act, but they knew ones who would.

A sound caught her ear, but Iaine did not react quickly enough. A net flew from the ground, entangling around her body. She screeched in a falcon voice, sending panic and pain through the woods as she fell to the ground. A warrior stood above her, smirking as he picked his prize up.