Morgana looks out of the kitchen window into the courtyard while washing up the breakfast plates. Behind her Kate is busy cleaning down the table; which, all things considered, is progress from shortly after she first arrived.
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"Kate, are you ok?"
Kate looks up from the scrubbing brush she's using on the floor, "Oh, don't mind me. The kitchen will be perfect soon."
Morgana crouches down beside Kate, "Kate, you don't need to do this."
"Oh but I do, I've been such a poor guest. Just lazing around watching TV for weeks on end. It's the least I can do for you."
"Kate, it's only been a few days. And you're allowed to laze around and heal."
"Oh, but I couldn't do that. You're being so generous, putting a roof over my head and Marianne's head. This is the least I can do to help you. I'll make sure the house as neat and tidy as my own was."
"Kate, the best thing you can do for me, is heal. If I wanted a housemaid, I'd hire one, you are not just a guest, you are family."
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Kate brings the last of the dirty crockery over to the sink, "In all the years that I've been coming here, I never knew you had a courtyard."
Morgana starts slightly and turns to look at Kate, "I didn't want people to see the gate, so I've enchanted the windows and door so that those without magic can't perceive them properly."
"Why can I see them now?"
"Your raven necklace I gave you. How are you getting on with Airmed?"
Kate turns around and leans back against the counter, "She's amazing, I wish I could heal half as well as she can. With Joanne's help, she's been giving me herbal drafts that make me a little loopy. Then I have to talk about a traumatic experience. Joanne goes into my mind to make sure that I've remembered the whole thing. Then she drinks the same draft. I was leery about the idea of someone looking in my head, but Joanne's been so gentle since the first time. Airmed says that once we've covered all the traumatic memories, we can start working on my programming."
"Have you made any decisions about what you want to do on the subject of magic?"
Kate nods, "I…I think I have. The idea still scares me a lot when I consider it more deeply than a fairy tale wish. I think I'd like to become one of Airmed's and train up as a nurse, then maybe a doctor. I…I was looking at some newspapers, and there's discussion about whether the NHS should allow alternative therapies. That started me thinking that maybe I could do something like that. Just some way to give to others what Airmed has given to me."
Morgana puts the last of the dishes on the rack, dries her hands, and gives Kate a hug, "I'll do whatever I can to support you in what you want to do. Just always keep in mind Airmed's first rule. Heal yourself first."
Kate nods, "I've been reading about Brigid too, and honestly, if Harry was accepting chosen, I'd rather be one of hers."
This time it's Morgana that leans back against the counter tops, "She was always the best of us. Always willing to give of herself, even when she had nothing else to give. Ultimately, that's probably what lead to her sacrificing her immortality, even though it turned out to be futile."
This time it's Kate's turn to give Morgana a hug, "I don't think that will be a problem for Harry."
"I still worry, as he is still half mortal for some reason. I know, because I can still see half of his fate. Marianne is less mortal than he is now. Whatever Donn did before he killed himself, I think he left more than half his power in that cloak."
"You're his mother, you'll always worry. Is that a snowdrop growing by your gate?"
Morgana turns around and looks out the window, "It is," her shoulders sag, "That also means it's time to present Harry and Marianne to mac Lir. I'll send them a letter inviting Amelia and her boyfriend to dinner on Sunday, would you like to join us? I'll be hunting a deer and roasting it in my round house."
"What's going on?"
"Mac Lir guards the apple trees, and I had to bargain for the one Marianne ate to get magic."
"Oh?"
"The price was to present the two of them to him when the first flowers of spring bloomed."
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Airmed sighs as she scribbles the answer to another trivial question on her Biology GCSE. Honestly, the hardest part of this exam is not correcting egregious mistakes. She only had to read two of the GCSE text books to spot a few dozen, especially in reproduction. On the other hand, their theories on evolution have answered a large number of questions her family had about some things, especially crabs. Genetics is also massively exciting. The only heartening thing about this whole process, is that she isn't the oldest looking person taking these exams.
This whole thing would have been easier 10 years ago when they didn't keep everything on computer. Then she could have done the same thing as her Grandmother. With a sigh, she continues with the exam.
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"Bones, you look like shit."
For once, Amelia doesn't jump when Mad-Eye does that. Instead, she looks up at the door, "I finally got more than 6 hours sleep last night."
"Are you going to let any of us in on what you've been doing for the better part of 2 months?"
"You already know what I've been doing." She points her thumb at the sword on her back.
"That doesn't explain why you've only been getting 6 hours sleep a night, or why I had to get up to check if you were in your office. You've got mail by the way."
"Thank you, can you just put it on my desk?"
"Bones, you're dodging the question."
"No, I've answered your question, the last bit was a complaint not a question."
"Have you been taking lessons from Malfoy and Dumbledore?"
"Moody, I am being taught to wield a sword. The training is so intense that all I dream about is my teacher shouting 'Footwork, remember your footwork. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3.' Anything else is absolutely none of your business. How's Scotts training going?"
"He's doing well, probably be ready for his exams in the middle of next year."
"Good. How about the initiative that Dumbledore suggested?"
"The 'poster' was an inspired idea. I have no idea where Scotts got Dumbledores photo for the background, but that works a treat. I had to do a week of front desk duty before the regular busybodies figured out it was serious. It's also helped with questioning suspects, we've not had attempted escape during questioning once it's become clear that we're going to arrest them.
"Oh, and Fletcher is back in the cells again, sang like a bird after Scotts put a 'Tennis Racket' under his robes with the handle sticking out the collar. You might be able to get that probation idea passed the Wizengamot at the next trial, especially if Dumbledore preaches leniency again."
One Mad-Eye closes the door, Amelia opens the letter. Reads it, reads it again, and then frowns. A flick of her wand has a 'Be Right Back' sign placed on her door and she disappears in a swirl of mist.
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Susan and Daphne both shuffle awkwardly in unfamiliar and scratchy clothing, while holding a spear in one hand. Behind them is Morgana's round house, and to the right a scary looking field shrouded in a light mist. The poppies looking like drops of blood surrounding the bodies of the fallen and their weapons. In this case, knowing that's exactly was underneath each cairn wasn't helping. Standing to one side is Marianne's mother, the discovery of which had been a surprise, as they'd started thinking of Morgana as her mother.
Morgana, Marie, and Dora are all stood naked in a triangle in front of the two of them. Daphne can't stop looking at the markings that cover Marie's body and how similar they are to the markings that Morgana bears. Marianne shifts to one side to lean on her spear drawing Daphne's attention to the last two members of the group. Harry and Marianne are both standing there with sword and spear. They are both dressed in nicer quality versions of the clothes that Daphne and Susan are wearing. There is some sort of significance to the clothing, but it's not something that Daphne's been introduced to as yet.
Just as she's about to nudge Susan to ask a question, two figures walk out of the mist. Daphne almost drops her spear when she recognises Madam Amelia Bones, from the sound next to her Susan didn't manage the almost. Daphne can't help it, but she stares at the man next Amelia, who is standing there in nothing but a loin cloth, which a large sword over his back. The sound of Kate falling to her knees breaks Daphne's fascination, and also prompts Morgana to shout something in Celtic. Daphne decides to ignore her instructions and quickly walks over to Kate with her spear. Once she gets there, it's clear that Kate is crying, and latches onto Daphne. While she's dealing with the distraught woman, whatever ceremony they were here for goes ahead. Though Morgana has a sword in her hand, where before it was sheathed. The fascination that Daphne had with looking at the man has also vanished.
Eventually, Daphne becomes aware of the man approaching, by Kate shying away and hiding behind Daphne.
"I am sorry, I not know you bad reaction."
Morgana's voice calls out from behind him, "Yet you didn't glamour that aspect of yourself, despite my asking you to in the letter."
The man spins around while surging to his feet, "Morrigan, please."
"No Manannán, you do not get to escape the repercussions of your actions. Unlike everyone else here, apart from Harry, this is your culture, and you know who I am. You have a choice, I can take the price out of your flesh, or you can owe Kate something that will balance the harm your presence caused her. As well as the cost of insulting the host."
"Mórrígan, I…"
"No mac Lir, unless you wish me to rip your domain from you and grant it to Kate, you will choose."
"You don't have the power to do that."
"Not alone I don't, but she is Airmed's patient, there is Brigid, and there is Donn. Now choose."
"Flesh, I choose flesh."
Grimly, Morgana nods, "Defend yourself."
What follows is a fight that would be more at home in an anime than being watched in real life. It becomes clear that while mac Lir is no slouch in battle, and probably better with a sword. Morgana really is battle incarnated, able to use every weapon she calls to hand, and with a mastery of movement and magic related to controlling the battlefield that mac Lir cannot match.
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Finally, after both of them are bloody, bleeding, and breathing heavily, Morgana manages to pin mac Lir to the ground with a spear long enough to slice the skin off his back. As he lies unconscious on the grass, Morgana stumbles back to the watching people.
"Sorry about that," Morgana slurs, "Kate, this is yours. Mount it on your wall, use it as a rug, or burn it, it is still yours. I was only going to take a tiny strip until the bastard fought back so hard."
Amelia looks nervously from the bleeding woman to her boyfriend, "Erm, should we do anything about him?"
Morgana looks up, "Na, the bloods good for the poppies, and he'll heal. You can take him back to his domain if you want, and you're still welcome to return for the Deer, as long as you respect guest rights that is."
Kate shakes as she holds the bloody sheet of skin, and both Susan and Marianne look pale. Marie smiles sadly as she sees this, "Morgana, I think that we should head inside and you can explain what just happened while I clean your wounds."
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In the dimly lit Round House Morgana kneels while Marie washes her wounds from a bucket of water. Looking around at the clearly shaken people, she sighs, "The first thing you need to understand is just how important guest rights were in the ancient world. It's one of the things I don't miss about that time period. In modern times there are enough people, and sturdy buildings are easy enough to make that criminals can be tried and sent to prison for their crimes. We didn't have that in Celtic times. We also didn't have any sort of social justice, as that wouldn't be invented for another hundred years after our extinction, and was called weregild. Because of this, religion, custom, and village law were the rules at the time. If you were powerful enough, then you could afford to ignore many of those things in some cases. I know you're all familiar with the ritual that is guest rights, however you probably don't really understand how that fits in socially. Being a guest brings two expectations, the first is that you will not bring harm to the host or their household. The second is that you will defend the household according to the welcome you've been given. The second part can be nebulous, and would really need a lot more experience in my culture to understand. Mac Lir offered insult by ignoring my request that he glamour that aspect of himself. If no harm was done, or I hadn't asked him to do this, then the apology and an explanation would have been socially acceptable. However, by ignoring it and also causing harm to a member of my household, I could not just accept an apology."
Amelia's eyes narrow, "Wait, are you suggesting that he can stop himself from being attractive?"
"Sort of. Imagine wearing a corset every day for a few years, and then having a party and telling all your guests that they have to wear corsets. That's what glamouring ourselves feels like. The more powerful you are, the more you need to glamour in order to walk around without harming everyone. Susan and Daphne are fine just pushing their magic into the mist, and Marianne doesn't even need to do that. Harry, on the other hand, is constantly wearing a minor glamour in addition to that. Marie is soon going to need to learn how to wear glamours, though currently her training is keeping pace with her magical growth. Quite frankly, it's horribly uncomfortable until you get used to it, and I'd imagine it's worse if you can't use the mist of the Otherside.
"Anyway, for whatever reason, mac Lir decided not to heed my request, and put Kate at risk because of it. At that point, I could ignore it, request a token repayment, or demand the full accounting of what he did. I've failed Kate too much too recently to allow him to get away with less than paying her back personally, or taking justice myself."
Amelia glances at the children, and Kate, "Did it have to be so…"
Morgana nods grimly, "Not initially, he could have done the honourable thing and put up a token defence to show that he wouldn't allow me to kill him. Then I'd have taken an easily healed strip from his arm or leg. For a mortal, that would then scar, and the shape of the scar would make it obvious to other people that he had abused guest rights. Instead, he fought back and drew blood against me. As soon as that happened, it became a trial by combat, where the victor is the one that was in the right. I could not allow that, as it would mean that he had not broken guest rights. Life was hard, and death was cheap in those times. I much prefer it now, even though the dangers and threats still exist. I can still feel it, the call of battle. The world still isn't a peaceful place, but for most people it's peaceful enough."
Amelia worries at her lip, "What about my own agreement with him?"
"If you want to discuss it with me, we can do it tomorrow. Tonight, we have loved ones to care for, and a deer to eat."