Over the next few days of no sleep and increasing levels of pain, Dora, Morgana, and Airmed all prevent Marie from killing herself just to get the pain to stop. Dora uses a cushioning charm to stop her from braining herself on a rock in an attempt to get some sleep, Morgana has to wrestle a dagger away from her when her sleep deprived mind decides it's a good way to scratch the pain she's feeling in her heart. Finally, Airmed is called in when Marie manages to seriously injure herself. As the moon comes closer to rising on the final day, Marie's body and magic come closer and closer to alignment and the pain she's in increases to the point where both Morgana and Dora have to hold her down. Finally, the whole thing comes to a crescendo and the two of them are thrown clear as a wave of magic passes over the entire domain, causing all of the plants and flowers to grow wildly. The Cerberus whines and runs to hide in the forest.
When Dora and Morgana make their way back to Marie, she's fast asleep with a peaceful expression on her face.
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"You are very patient for a mortal."
Amelia doesn't jump in surprise, though it's a very close thing. Instead, she turns her head and smiles, "Good day, would you care to join me inside for some tea and biscuits?"
The giant of a man, as he is clearly a man given the only article of clothing he's wearing is a loin cloth, looks surprised, "Is this one of your customs?"
Amelia nods, "I understand that in your own culture, a guest would bring salt and mead. In my culture a host offers Tea and biscuits. Be careful on the stairs, as you may have to duck."
Standing from her deckchair she climbs into the trunk and fans herself as she moves out of sight, there's something about his wild hair, and his beard braided with coral and shells that is getting to her. She's almost cursing herself for inviting him in, rather than presenting the salt and mead she brought for this situation, when he climbs over the edge of the trunk and walks down the stairs.
"This be interesting, the space only exists in the Otherside when entered from the top. How is it that this is achieved?"
Amelia smiles faintly, "Please, take a seat. Our customs aren't so dissimilar that talk of heavy subjects can start straight away."
"Apologies, I shall endeavour to reign in my curiosity while we partake of the food and drink. Mayhap you could tell me about your family?"
The next half an hour passes as they talk about their respective families and the woes of their jobs. As the man finishes the last of his cup of tea, he looks Amelia up and down.
"Mayhap you will assuage my curiosity, why is it you do not have a man? You are a comely lass, if a little on the slight side."
Amelia laughs uneasily, "There was a war on when I started as an Auror, village guard, and afterwards I had Susan to look after. Not many men that are worth having want a woman with children. What about you? You spoke of children but no wife."
The man looks uncomfortable, and then sighs, "'Tis only fair I suppose. I no longer have a wife amongst the Tuath Dé. T'were better she'd died than what she did. For I am cuckold as she left for the Summer Court and joined the now named Oberon as his Queen."
Amelia grimaces, "I'm sorry to hear that, I don't suppose divorce is any more possible for your people than it is for mine."
"I do not know what that means."
"Divorce is a muggle concept where a marriage can be ended by legal means. As we use magic in our marriages, even those without contractual obligations, our vows hold us until they're voided."
"I see. Mayhap we can move from this subject to the reason you find yourself in my domain."
Amelia takes a breath, "I'm known as Bones, and I would like you to teach me to use a sword."
"You may call me Oirbsiu. Pray tell, why would a lass who looks well suited to picking flowers want to learn to use a sword?"
Carefully controlling her tone, Amelia responds, "I am not some delicate flower of a maiden! I am a warrior by my own peoples standards and I refuse to die alone under siege."
"I intended no offence, as you have not the physique of a woman of work, or a warrior."
Amelia grinds out, "We have not used force of arms since the Protego shield charm was invented, and then perfected. Stamina and agility have been far more important for centuries."
"Then why do you seek to learn the sword?"
"I already answered that, I refuse to die alone under siege."
"That does not answer the question, mayhap it is my wording or my intent that is not being understood. This magic can be imprecise. How will learning the sword help you?"
"I don't know, all I know is there is a true fate. In one I die alone in my home, under siege. In the other I have a sword in one hand and a wand in the other."
"I see, The Morrigan or one of her Crows?"
"Crows?"
"Battle Crows, her Chosen. They have a tattoo of a crow on their faces."
Amelia nods, "Then one of her Crows."
"You are aware that The Morrigan is a Doomsayer not a Banshee are you not?"
Feeling as though the man in front of her is just stringing her along, Amelia throws her arms up, "I am sorry for wasting your time, I will seek instruction elsewhere."
Oribsiu nods, "Good, you are willing to walk away. Sometimes in a fight you need to understand when not to fight. Come we will fight before I choose to teach your or not."
Amelia can't hide the surprise she feels, "This was a test?"
Oribsiu shakes his head, "No, but it served as one anyway."
As they head for the stairs, a blast of brine hits Amelia in the face, "Oribsiu, what's going on?"
"This island is not exactly suitable for a fight," Oribsiu raises his voice as the sound of the wind outside begins to pick up, "So I am making sure that there is plenty of space to manoeuvre in."
As he puts his head above the top of the trunk Amelia sees his hair ruffle in the wind. This in no way prepares her for the slap in the face that is the Hurricane roaring around the island. Within seconds she's drenched and shivering as the stray water from the wall lashes against her body. Gritting her teeth, she pulls her wand and casts a weather charm to protect herself from the wind and rain. A warming charm follows along with a cleaning charm to get the water out of her clothes. She looks over to berate Oribsiu only to stop when she sees him standing beside the trunk looking at the other side of the island. Staggering against the wind, she pushes her shield against the whipping wind and move to stand beside him. As she does, she enlarges her shield to encompass both of them, "What are you doing?"
Oribsiu looks down at her while indicating the sea floor that is slowly being revealed, "What does it look like?"
Amelia's jaw drops open as her mind finally fills in the details in front of her. Where the wall of the Hurricanes eye is only a matter of yards behind the island, in front of her is an area of sea floor scoured clean by the driving winds of the eye of the wall. The water bulging up away from the spinning vortex of wind and clouds. After a few minutes Oribsiu walks down the large hill as though it was merely a walk along a path and there weren't millions of tons of water waiting to crash down on them.
Setting her shoulders, Amelia carefully follows him, and as she gets further from the wall of the hurricane the wind lessens until it drops completely.
"Are you ready?" Amelia looks over at the apparently unarmed man.
Setting her jaw, Amelia nods, "I am."
A flick of her wand brings up a shield charm just in time to divert a bolt of lightning from the storm into the ground. She has to scrabble for space as a second quickly follows the first from behind her. Shielding against another pair, Amelia searches her brain for the lightning ward, and jumps backwards as Oribsiu is suddenly there with a sword coming towards her head in a lazy arc.
A swipe of her wand sends the red bolt of a stunning spell at the man, who contemptuously parries is to one side. As she recalls the incantation for the ward, she's forced to flee as Oribsiu follows up with his strike. After shielding another lightning bolt, she desperately points her wand at the sword and says the shortened incantation before dodging another lazy swing. The second it takes to cast the spell costs her a blow to her arm, but it then buys her precious seconds as the lightning ward does its job and pulls lightning away from the protected area into the target.
Tapping her wand on the sliced skin, she stops the bleeding and bandages the wound. She just has time to tap herself on her head before Oribsiu has recovered. The slimy feeling of a broken egg sliding down her face as she jogs from her previous position straight into a rising pillar of rock, which catches her underneath her chin.
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Amelia groans as the world rocks underneath her. The sensation aggravating the feeling in her head from the rock spire. Feeling her bile rising she snaps open her eyes and turns over. Seeing the side of a boat, she heaves herself over before throwing up.
"You are nothing but a milk drinking whelp who wants to play at war. I've seen children who would have lasted longer than you did."
Amelia wipes the bile from her mouth and spits, "That just means I have to work harder."
"If I teach you, you are mine."
"No," Amelia coughs and spits over the side of the boat, "no negotiations till my head is better."
Oribsiu smiles and holds out a ripe, sweet looking, apple, "Here, eat this, it will make you feel better."
Amelia screws her eyes almost shut as she tries to think past the pain, "No… There is something about apples and the Sidhe."
The apple disappears and Oribsiu's eyes crinkle slightly, as though she's just passed a test, "Then you leave me no other recourse. You will be my student 3 days a week, and you will allow me to court you. It is rare to find a milk drinker with such fire."
"My head is not better."
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Amelia wakes up lying on a bed made from skins and something else, the sharp tang of brine tells her she's still near the sea even though she can't hear it. Nearby there is the sound of metal moving against metal and the room fills with the scent of seafood stew.
"Welcome to my home mortal, I am Manannán mac Lir. How is your head feeling?"
Amelia turns her head and a damp piece of fabric falls off her face leaving her forehead feeling cool in the breeze, "Fine. Yes fine."
Oribsiu nods, "It should be, you have slept two days. Here, eat, then we can talk."
Amelia takes the proffered wooden bowl and a loaf of dark bread, looking at it in confusion.
"You break the bread and soak bits of the inside in the juices. Then use the crust to eat the rest, it is polite to only eat with your right hand though."
Amelia nods, "Thank you." She then tries to do as asked.
As she finishes up, she casts around for her wand, "Do you know where my wand is?"
Oribsiu points to the windowsill and Amelia nods. Walking over to take her wand she stops, slack jawed, as she sees the vista outside. The island they're on drops away in a rolling hill covered in sea grasses. Off to one side is a wood with alder, hornbeam, hawthorn and poplar easily identifiable in it. The scene flows out into the sea where there are small green islands breaking up the pale blue of the water. Off in the distance, mist can be seen gathering on the Horizon.
Suddenly aware of Oribsiu's presence standing behind her, Amelia tenses, "It's beautiful isn't it, much like my wife. But be wary of the sea, as she is also treacherous and will try to kill you if you're not prepared. Come, gather your wand and I'll take you to your portable house."
Quickly, Amelia grabs her wand and uses it to clean the dirty bowls. She also casts a stasis charm on the pot so that it will keep.
Oribsiu nods at some sort of realisation, "I understand why you are so frail now. Here is your box."
Amelia nods, "I remember something about you trying to bargain with me while I was injured."
"That I did Lass. However you agreed to nothing."
"Then, would you like to bargain for your teaching now?"
Oribsiu laughs, "You have that the wrong way around lass. It is you who wishes my teaching, what do you have to offer?"
"Without knowing what you need or want, how can I make a fair offer?"
"Surely you must have an idea of what you're willing to give."
"It is clear that the traditional things we would bargain with in my culture have no meaning for you. Also, I'm not going to include my Niece in any betrothal agreements."
"But you might include yourself. I see, then I will teach you the sword and my magic. In return, we will court for a year and a day. After that we will be betrothed for a year and a day, and you will begin to teach me Roman magic. Finally, we will be married for a year and a day. At the end of 3 years and three days our marriage will become permanent and you will either take up a domain or take my mark. Three times you will be able to refuse and the agreement will be broken and your training will end.
"Or you can go to the goblins you mentioned."
Amelia pauses with her mouth half open and snaps it closed with a click. A few seconds later her eyes narrow, "When would the break points be?"
"Why? The traditional times, after each year and a day."
"Why do you keep asking to court me?"
Oribisu laughs, "What you lack in strength and ability, you make up for with fire and stubbornness. You are one of only a handful of womenfolk that have not tried to trap me in marriage. I am including my daughters in this. That you are associated with The Morrigan is probably why, she always did attract strong women. I would be a damned fool not to try and grasp the pearl before the other divers notice how beautiful it will be with barely any shine."
Amelia frowns, "If I agree with this, if at the time of the break points I am not of sound body and mind, as well as capable of making a decision requiring consideration, the decision will be delayed until I am once again in full control of my body and mind, and I am able to give it proper consideration."
"That is agreeable, as long as it also applies to me."
"Morgana, why am I even considering this?"
"Because you are still trying to escape your fate. The Morrigan is not the only one who can see the future. However, one thing has always been true. Only mortals are bound by fate. One of the vagaries of all prophecy is time, time and participation. Immortals don't need to worry about time, if a prophecy says that a certain mortal will kill one of us, we can just disappear for a couple of hundred years and they'll die on their own."
Amelia raises an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware of that. So, no, I don't think that's why."
Oribisu gestures with his hand as if to say, 'go on'.
Leaning back against the trunk, Amelia pulls up her occlumency to think about this without emotions getting in the way. It's true what she said earlier, most people have been intimidated by her since the war. The one person that wasn't, well, the less said about him the better. If her father was still alive, the ink would already be drying on the signed contract. What more could she want out of this? Time, 3 years. Power, in spades. Prestige, he's a literal god. Attraction, oh Merlin yes. Susan, marriage wouldn't impact that. Work?
"I need to be able to continue with my current job at the Ministry, or any other career I choose to take up."
Oribisu laughs loudly at that, "You think I would be able to stop you from working? Lass, you would have more status in my society than I do. I might be the King of the Otherworld, after my father passed me the title. However, The Morrigan is just that. It's not her name it's her Danu blessed title. Women are the life givers, without them all peoples would die out."
"Morgana damn it. Fine, I agree."
"As it is said, so it is done. By word and magic let us be bound to this agreement."
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Amelia staggers out of the mist next to Susan's bed, completely emotionally wrung out. Groggily Susan wakes up, "Auntie, what are you doing here?"
"That arsehole punted me into the mist only saying that I needed to want to get places."
Susan shuffles over, "Come on, get in. The first lesson is always hardest, as until then you don't know you can do it."