Post by blackest_knight on Jun 18, 2008 2:38:04 GMT -5
The last thing I remembered was the tree. And the light.
Suddenly I was floating above my body, staring down at the mangled remains of both my body and the tree. The trunk was snapped in half and embedded through my heart. I could see about a dozen armed men milling about, trying to decide what to do. Finally the Count returned, a sour looking man with only one arm, efficiently taking charge of the whole situation. He had my body moved into a make-shift stretcher and started leading everyone slowly towards his house for medical aid.
“Tis a fine mess you’ve made, daughter,” a voice wafted up from behind me. I turned and found myself staring into pale blue eyes; eyes that were the splitting image of my own. It was like staring into a mirror: same eyes, same raven black hair. “This tree was young, and not yet ready to die.”
“I am sorry, mother.” I knelt before her, noticing for the first time that I could see her through my hand; she was solid while I was not. “I have failed you. I have failed our people.”
She touched my cheek, drawing my gaze upwards to meet her own. “But you tried, my daughter. Tis more than can be said of most. You were willing to take on a neigh impossible task for us, while others were content to wait and fade away.”
The mournful shriek of a hawk directed our gaze skyward. Through the night gloom I found the shape of the hawk, Tam, circling around, frantically searching the ground. I heard him scream “AYVLIN!” as he wheeled away.
“He searches for you,” my mother smiled. “It seems you have tamed the untamable hawk.”
“We are merely friends. Helping me pleases him - it may help him bring retribution for those who have fallen.”
“I think you underestimate your friendship. If he were merely using you as a means to an end, he would not be frantically trying to find you now.” She pulled me to my feet. “But enough of that. Tam O’Shanter’s eyes are keen, he will find where they have taken you. We have another matter to discuss.”
We began walking, upwards, above the tree line. It was where my mother preferred to remain whenever she could, getting a bird’s eye view of the land. Besides, her carrion crows were more comfortable in the clouds; the humans distrusted such large birds, as they distrusted anything they deemed supernatural.
We walked for quite awhile, until we came to the barrier. I couldn’t actually see it, but I knew it was there: the barrier between this life and the next. From here the human spirit could journey onto whichever afterlife they wished. It was here that we stopped.
“And so, daughter, we come to it. You are half-human. The human part of you yearns to fly free. But what of the Tuatha Dé?”
“But mother, I failed! I did not win acceptance! The Tuatha Dé part of me is doomed to fade away forever!”
“Ayvlin Dé Morrigan, do you forget who I am? I am the Phantom Queen, ruler of war and death! Tis within my power, here and now, to set your mortal self free and make the Tuatha Dé whole! If that is of course your wish. You have done well, and were it not for random chance, you would not be here now.”
“Oh mother! I have longed for this to be so! Yes! Make me whole! For too long I have stood between the two worlds, neither Mortal nor Tuatha Dé. I wish only to belong!”
“Then come and kneel before me, daughter, so that I might free the Mortal blight from you.” She gestured before her, right on the barrier between the worlds. But even as I stepped forward, I could feel myself being pulled, violently, back towards my body. I managed one frantic look at my mother before I was gone.
“NO!” she screamed from a vast distance behind me. “How dare she! Ayvlin is not her’s! HOW DARE SHE!” It was the last I heard before I was pulled violently into blackness.
*
I drew a deep, shuddering breath into my lungs and opened my eyes. I recognized a few familiar faces: Tassitus, his panicked face swiftly growing astonished, and the Captain, his face looking relieved. A gaggle of nuns stood in the background, crossing themselves repeatedly as they looked at the woman who was standing over me. She was dressed totally in black with a mask covering her features; I could only make out her eyes, but I cannot tell you their colour. I only know that they were brilliant and commanding.
She stood up, stoppering a small vial she held. She flashed me a brilliant smile, then turned and walked out of the room, pausing to smile at the nuns, causing them to cross themselves all the more.
I know I should feel grateful for her bringing me back to the living. But deep in my heart I do not. I do not know exactly what happened while I lay dying, but I know she pulled me away from something wonderful. And I can never forgive her for that.
Suddenly I was floating above my body, staring down at the mangled remains of both my body and the tree. The trunk was snapped in half and embedded through my heart. I could see about a dozen armed men milling about, trying to decide what to do. Finally the Count returned, a sour looking man with only one arm, efficiently taking charge of the whole situation. He had my body moved into a make-shift stretcher and started leading everyone slowly towards his house for medical aid.
“Tis a fine mess you’ve made, daughter,” a voice wafted up from behind me. I turned and found myself staring into pale blue eyes; eyes that were the splitting image of my own. It was like staring into a mirror: same eyes, same raven black hair. “This tree was young, and not yet ready to die.”
“I am sorry, mother.” I knelt before her, noticing for the first time that I could see her through my hand; she was solid while I was not. “I have failed you. I have failed our people.”
She touched my cheek, drawing my gaze upwards to meet her own. “But you tried, my daughter. Tis more than can be said of most. You were willing to take on a neigh impossible task for us, while others were content to wait and fade away.”
The mournful shriek of a hawk directed our gaze skyward. Through the night gloom I found the shape of the hawk, Tam, circling around, frantically searching the ground. I heard him scream “AYVLIN!” as he wheeled away.
“He searches for you,” my mother smiled. “It seems you have tamed the untamable hawk.”
“We are merely friends. Helping me pleases him - it may help him bring retribution for those who have fallen.”
“I think you underestimate your friendship. If he were merely using you as a means to an end, he would not be frantically trying to find you now.” She pulled me to my feet. “But enough of that. Tam O’Shanter’s eyes are keen, he will find where they have taken you. We have another matter to discuss.”
We began walking, upwards, above the tree line. It was where my mother preferred to remain whenever she could, getting a bird’s eye view of the land. Besides, her carrion crows were more comfortable in the clouds; the humans distrusted such large birds, as they distrusted anything they deemed supernatural.
We walked for quite awhile, until we came to the barrier. I couldn’t actually see it, but I knew it was there: the barrier between this life and the next. From here the human spirit could journey onto whichever afterlife they wished. It was here that we stopped.
“And so, daughter, we come to it. You are half-human. The human part of you yearns to fly free. But what of the Tuatha Dé?”
“But mother, I failed! I did not win acceptance! The Tuatha Dé part of me is doomed to fade away forever!”
“Ayvlin Dé Morrigan, do you forget who I am? I am the Phantom Queen, ruler of war and death! Tis within my power, here and now, to set your mortal self free and make the Tuatha Dé whole! If that is of course your wish. You have done well, and were it not for random chance, you would not be here now.”
“Oh mother! I have longed for this to be so! Yes! Make me whole! For too long I have stood between the two worlds, neither Mortal nor Tuatha Dé. I wish only to belong!”
“Then come and kneel before me, daughter, so that I might free the Mortal blight from you.” She gestured before her, right on the barrier between the worlds. But even as I stepped forward, I could feel myself being pulled, violently, back towards my body. I managed one frantic look at my mother before I was gone.
“NO!” she screamed from a vast distance behind me. “How dare she! Ayvlin is not her’s! HOW DARE SHE!” It was the last I heard before I was pulled violently into blackness.
*
I drew a deep, shuddering breath into my lungs and opened my eyes. I recognized a few familiar faces: Tassitus, his panicked face swiftly growing astonished, and the Captain, his face looking relieved. A gaggle of nuns stood in the background, crossing themselves repeatedly as they looked at the woman who was standing over me. She was dressed totally in black with a mask covering her features; I could only make out her eyes, but I cannot tell you their colour. I only know that they were brilliant and commanding.
She stood up, stoppering a small vial she held. She flashed me a brilliant smile, then turned and walked out of the room, pausing to smile at the nuns, causing them to cross themselves all the more.
I know I should feel grateful for her bringing me back to the living. But deep in my heart I do not. I do not know exactly what happened while I lay dying, but I know she pulled me away from something wonderful. And I can never forgive her for that.