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Pisky's ATS Story
page: 12share:
Chapter 32 - The Pixorcist
Click here for soundtrack
"But she's my daughter - I have a right to see her !!!" Angover was distraught, news of the cause of Tamsin's malady having been brought to him by KayEm mere minutes earlier. The Smith had instantly rushed from his quarters into the hall, demanding to see Tamsin and berating the priest for his foolishness in believing in demonic possession. And when Fingal had then denied him access to his own daughter, it was too much for the normally kind hearted blacksmith to bear. He stood towering above the priest, meaty hands in fists, face the colour of thunder; "Let me see her, Fingal, or I swear I'll ..."
A soft hand on his arm stopped Angover's threat in mid flow. He turned to see Asala standing beside him, still sporting the Mickey Mouse ears that she had put on in an attempt to make Tamsin feel a little better. "Please", she asked, "Let Fingal do his job. He knows what he's doing and if he says its ... what he says ... then you have to trust him. We have to trust him."
Angover seemed to physically shrink, his anger leaving him as quickly as it came. He smiled wanly at Asala and took her small hand in his. No words were necessary, the pain in the eyes of both speaking so eloquently that words would have been superfluous. Taking a deep breath the blacksmith turned back to Fingal. The old priest reached up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't you be worrying", he said in his Irish brogue, "The girl will be needing you once we're done. You too, Asala. She'll need friendly faces once we've booted out the fecking 'queen of the damned'".
"The what ?" Asala asked, her face a study of puzzlement.
"The ... entity", Fingal replied, "Said that she is royalty. lib�rez-moi, paysan. Comment le d�fi vous touchent une reine , she said to KayEm, which roughly translates as ' release me, peasant. How dare you touch a queen'. And needless to say, it was the pixy who came up with 'queen of the damned' monicker".
Asala shivered at the thought of who - what - was behind the door to the infirmary. Behind her, KayEm fumed at having been called a peasant.
"Now, Angover", Fingal asked in a manner which would accept no denying, "Are you prepared to allow me and my pixyish friend to see what we can do for your daughter ?"
Angover glanced at Asala, who smiled weakly. The blacksmith closed his eyes for a moment then took a deep breath and nodded. "Please", he asked, "Bring my Tamsin back to me."
"I got Tobias to set a guard", Pisky said to his priestly comrade as they prepared themselves for spiritual battle, "No one goes in or out unless we allow it."
Fingal smiled at the pixy's forethought. "Too bad for heaven, too good for hell", he said with a grin on his face.
"I should have known that you would know the pixy legends", Pisky replied as he picked up a blessed crucifix and handed it to the priest.
"Ravenna told me a story once", Fingal said as he took the proferred crucifix, "something she found when she was wandering the halls of the Vatican archives. It's about the pixies and how in the end they will have to make a choice, and that choice will determine where they spend eternity".
Pisky grinned, "Pixyland I hope - with rivers of cider and pasties just lying there ready to be eaten."
"You never know", the old priest replied. Then with a nod to the pixy, he led the way to the infirmary.
It was like walking into the antechamber of Hell. The infirmary was cold, far colder than would be expected at that time of the year. Even Pisky, who loved the cold, shivered as he entered the room. On the single occupied bed, Tamsin sat with a fearful expression on her face. Beside her Asala squatted, mouse ears on her head, attempting to placate the terrified child. Tears shone on the faces of both, but when Fingal appeared it was as if a lightness of hope had entered the room. The priest patted Asala's arm and led her to the door, "Don't worry, lass", he said with a faint smile, "It shouldn't be long now." And as Asala left the room, Pisky closed the door and followed his priestly collegue to the bedside.
Tamsin looked up at the old, lined face of the priest. Her eyes were sunken deeply into the now skull-like face and the lustrous hair looked like old straw. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, then took hold of Fingal's hands tightly.
"Please tell her to go", Tamsin wailed, "I don't like her any more."
The old priest swallowed a lump in his throat, forcing away his own sadness at the girl's plight. He took a deep breath and, looking straight into that suffering face said; "I need to talk to her, Tamsin. I can't tell her to leave if I can't talk to her." Tamsin looked horrified. "Will you call her for me, my child ?"
Tamsin shuddered. She pulled her hands away from Fingal's and hugged herself, tears welling in her eyes. "No ... please ...", she moaned softly, "She's scary ... I don't ..." Then she screamed as if all the demons of Hell were chasing her.
Pisky could see the desperate battle going on inside her little body. Tamsin's innocent soul struggling against a dark force that was desperate to regain control. Finally the fearful girl turned towards Fingal with a look of pure desperation in her eyes, one which was replaced almost instantly by one of utter contempt as the foul entity returned in triumph.
The change was palpable, Tamsin - or whatever was inhabiting her body - stretched like a cat before sitting with an arrogant smile on her face. "Monsieur le pr�tre", the entity said "bienvenue encore � l'enfer."
Fingal blanched, then regained his composure. "Welcome to Hell, Indeed", he replied in English ", And who exactly am I addressing ?"
"Vous pr�f�rez l'anglais ?", came the reply, "warum nicht deutsch?, o italiano?, �o espa�ol?, ou mesmo portugese? ... I know many languages". She turned to Fingal, "Priest, your standards are slipping. I remember a time when the clergy could speak at least four tongues. But now ...", she shrugged her shoulders. "English it will be then", she smiled wickedly, "I am Isabella."
Pisky grinned. He knew that the priest required a name in order to expel the possessing entity. Obtaining the name of the demon was of the utmost importance. Even with the name, an exorcism was difficult enough - without one, it would be nigh-on impossible.
"Isabella" Fingal repeated.
"Yessssss", the creature possessing little Tamsin hissed. "I gave you my name, priesssst. But it will avail you naught". She smiled, her eyes glowing preternaturally. "Do your worssssst, clergyman. You will die like all the ressssst. And as for you", she turned the full malevolance of her glare upon the pixy, "I will enjoy taking your life. I will enjoy it immensssssely".
"Bugger off, Gollum", snapped the pixy, "You'll be whinging for the presssssious next !"
Isabella chuckled; "I already have her", she said.
"That is a matter of debate", Fingal said as he opened his copy of the pre-Vatican II Roman Ritual.
"Pisky ?" he asked, the rest of the question unnecessary as he watched the pixy picking up his own copy.
Fingal moved closer, the book held tightly in his hands. Making the sign of the cross he intoned the first line of the rite of exorcism. "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti."
"Amen" said the pixy in response.
Isabella laughed.
Fingal glared at the creature possessing the small girl, and the anger he felt made his hands shake. "Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis," He begin, making the sign of the cross above the bed. Isabella giggled. "et in nomine Jesu Christi" He made another sign above the bed. Isabella stopped laughing. "Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri et in virtute Spiritus Sancti". This time as he made the sign, Isabella visibly flinched. The change on her face was abrupt. It was as if the face of the small child underwent a hideous transformation. The pupils of her eyes seemed to stretch vertically until they were almost catlike, but no cat ever had such a malevolent glare as was fixed upon the priest once those words left his lips. "You would die painfully for those words had I but the power !!!" Instantly she leaped from the bed, scrabbling for Fingal's throat with fingers that were more like claws than human digits. The priest flung his arm up to deflect the attack, at the same time calling to the pixy to continue the ritual. Fearful for his friend's life, Pisky grabbed hold of Tamsin's arm and instantly found himself flying through the air, cast aside by a power greater than his own. Bouncing off one of the infirmary beds, the pixy cursed in Cornish as he landed on his arse on the cold stone floor. "Finish the ritual !!!", the priest shouted as Pisky pushed himself up and returned to the fray.
Fingal seemed to be holding the demon at bay by holding forth his crucifix while in his other hand he now grasped a small glass bottle. It was up to the pixy to complete the litany. Quickly he scanned the room, finally finding the book that he had dropped as he was thrown away from the bedside. Picking it up, he ruffled through the pages until he found the one he needed. Then he began to speak.
"Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in nomine Jesu Christi Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti"
Isabella began to whine in a manner not unlike Phoebe when chastised by LadyCool.
"ut descedas ab hoc plasmate Dei Tamsin", the pixy continued, calling for Tamsin to be released from the torment of the demon. "quod Dominus noster ad templum sanctum suum vocare dignatus est"
Isabella began thrashing around on the bed, an ullulating sound issuing from the possessed lips as the demonic entity fought to keep control. Fingal moved forward and held the little body by the shoulders to keep her from falling from the bed to the hard cold stone floor.
"ut fiat templum Dei vivi, et Spiritus Sanctus habitet in eo", Pisky continued, "Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et saeculum per ignem".
Isabella relaxed, her cold eyes fixing those of the priest. Fingal moved away, opened the small bottle of Holy Water and with a roar, he threw the contents over the small figure on the bed. "Tu autem effugare, Isabella; appropinquabit enim judicium Dei !!!", he shouted. "And to you, Isabella, begone! For the judgment of God is at hand !".
Isabella shrieked as the blessed water contacted her skin, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. Her body went rigid, eyes widening, breath coming in short little bursts. "Prenez haleine, tirez forte" she whispered with a grimace of hate spreading across her face, then with a deep soul shuddering breath, let loose a hideous groan that sounded as if the devil himself was tearing at her heart. Her eyes blazed defiantly for a moment, then with a final moan of anguish, her body relaxed, her breath slowed and her eyes closed.
Pisky dropped the book and rushed to Fingal's side. "Is that it ?" he asked.
"It went easier than I expected", the old priest replied, dropping into a chair beside Tamsin's bed. The child slept like a baby, a beautiful smile on her face as if released from the clutches of Hell itself.
"What was that foul stench?" Pisky asked, walking over to the medicine cupboard and removing a bottle of Best Pixyland (Marked 'For Medical emergencies only').
"It happens sometimes", Fingal replied, taking the bottle and drinking deeply as the pixy walked over to the door and opened it. "Be grateful she didn't puke green pea soup or have her head spin around".
Pisky crossed the threshold and waved KayEm over to the door. "Its done", he said in a whisper, "But we need you to check her over just in case." KayEm nodded and followed him back into the infirmary.
At the first touch of KayEm's hand on her forehead, Tamsin opened her eyes and smiled. "Welcome back", the pixy's wife said, picking up the little wrist and checking her pulse. Tamsin took a deep breath of relief and using her other arm, waved at the priest and the pixy standing at the bottom of the bed.
"She looks healthy enough now", Fingal said as he returned the wave.
"True", came the reply. "Out of interest, what was that last thing she said ... haleine, tirez .. whatever ?", Pisky asked as he watched KayEm check Tamsin's pulse.
"take breath, pull hard" Fingal answered, mopping his brow with a handkerchief, "I don't know, probably some kind of demonic personal motivation mantra."
Pisky shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sure I've heard it somewhere before", the pixy said. "Never mind - it was probably crap anyway. At least we've got rid of that evil old bitch. Worse than fecking Toadwoman."
"No one's worse than Toadwoman !", KayEm retorted as she replaced Tamsin's hand inside the bedcovers, "That's for sure." Tamsin giggled as she watched KayEm grimace at the thought of her nemesis. The vile Toadwoman had caused KayEm to be fired from her job just before Christmas 2003 and she had never forgotten it, neither would she do so. The only compensation the pixy's wife had received was when she had learned that Toadwoman had been locked up in one of the Oregon gulags and was probably being treated like crap by some Corporate slave driver.
KayEm grinned at the thought. Pisky, knowing what his wife was thinking of, also grinned.
And when Angover saw the change in his daughter, he rushed into the room, caught her up in his strong arms and hugged her as if it was the first time he had seen her in years.
English Translation of Exorcism Ritual
I exorcise thee, every unclean spirit, in the name of God the Father Almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord and Judge, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that thou depart from this creature of God, Tamsin, which our Lord hath designed to call unto His holy temple, that it may be made the temple of the living God, and that the Holy Spirit may dwell therein. Through the same Christ our Lord, who shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire.
[edit on 7-11-2004 by Pisky]
Click here for soundtrack
"But she's my daughter - I have a right to see her !!!" Angover was distraught, news of the cause of Tamsin's malady having been brought to him by KayEm mere minutes earlier. The Smith had instantly rushed from his quarters into the hall, demanding to see Tamsin and berating the priest for his foolishness in believing in demonic possession. And when Fingal had then denied him access to his own daughter, it was too much for the normally kind hearted blacksmith to bear. He stood towering above the priest, meaty hands in fists, face the colour of thunder; "Let me see her, Fingal, or I swear I'll ..."
A soft hand on his arm stopped Angover's threat in mid flow. He turned to see Asala standing beside him, still sporting the Mickey Mouse ears that she had put on in an attempt to make Tamsin feel a little better. "Please", she asked, "Let Fingal do his job. He knows what he's doing and if he says its ... what he says ... then you have to trust him. We have to trust him."
Angover seemed to physically shrink, his anger leaving him as quickly as it came. He smiled wanly at Asala and took her small hand in his. No words were necessary, the pain in the eyes of both speaking so eloquently that words would have been superfluous. Taking a deep breath the blacksmith turned back to Fingal. The old priest reached up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't you be worrying", he said in his Irish brogue, "The girl will be needing you once we're done. You too, Asala. She'll need friendly faces once we've booted out the fecking 'queen of the damned'".
"The what ?" Asala asked, her face a study of puzzlement.
"The ... entity", Fingal replied, "Said that she is royalty. lib�rez-moi, paysan. Comment le d�fi vous touchent une reine , she said to KayEm, which roughly translates as ' release me, peasant. How dare you touch a queen'. And needless to say, it was the pixy who came up with 'queen of the damned' monicker".
Asala shivered at the thought of who - what - was behind the door to the infirmary. Behind her, KayEm fumed at having been called a peasant.
"Now, Angover", Fingal asked in a manner which would accept no denying, "Are you prepared to allow me and my pixyish friend to see what we can do for your daughter ?"
Angover glanced at Asala, who smiled weakly. The blacksmith closed his eyes for a moment then took a deep breath and nodded. "Please", he asked, "Bring my Tamsin back to me."
"I got Tobias to set a guard", Pisky said to his priestly comrade as they prepared themselves for spiritual battle, "No one goes in or out unless we allow it."
Fingal smiled at the pixy's forethought. "Too bad for heaven, too good for hell", he said with a grin on his face.
"I should have known that you would know the pixy legends", Pisky replied as he picked up a blessed crucifix and handed it to the priest.
"Ravenna told me a story once", Fingal said as he took the proferred crucifix, "something she found when she was wandering the halls of the Vatican archives. It's about the pixies and how in the end they will have to make a choice, and that choice will determine where they spend eternity".
Pisky grinned, "Pixyland I hope - with rivers of cider and pasties just lying there ready to be eaten."
"You never know", the old priest replied. Then with a nod to the pixy, he led the way to the infirmary.
It was like walking into the antechamber of Hell. The infirmary was cold, far colder than would be expected at that time of the year. Even Pisky, who loved the cold, shivered as he entered the room. On the single occupied bed, Tamsin sat with a fearful expression on her face. Beside her Asala squatted, mouse ears on her head, attempting to placate the terrified child. Tears shone on the faces of both, but when Fingal appeared it was as if a lightness of hope had entered the room. The priest patted Asala's arm and led her to the door, "Don't worry, lass", he said with a faint smile, "It shouldn't be long now." And as Asala left the room, Pisky closed the door and followed his priestly collegue to the bedside.
Tamsin looked up at the old, lined face of the priest. Her eyes were sunken deeply into the now skull-like face and the lustrous hair looked like old straw. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, then took hold of Fingal's hands tightly.
"Please tell her to go", Tamsin wailed, "I don't like her any more."
The old priest swallowed a lump in his throat, forcing away his own sadness at the girl's plight. He took a deep breath and, looking straight into that suffering face said; "I need to talk to her, Tamsin. I can't tell her to leave if I can't talk to her." Tamsin looked horrified. "Will you call her for me, my child ?"
Tamsin shuddered. She pulled her hands away from Fingal's and hugged herself, tears welling in her eyes. "No ... please ...", she moaned softly, "She's scary ... I don't ..." Then she screamed as if all the demons of Hell were chasing her.
Pisky could see the desperate battle going on inside her little body. Tamsin's innocent soul struggling against a dark force that was desperate to regain control. Finally the fearful girl turned towards Fingal with a look of pure desperation in her eyes, one which was replaced almost instantly by one of utter contempt as the foul entity returned in triumph.
The change was palpable, Tamsin - or whatever was inhabiting her body - stretched like a cat before sitting with an arrogant smile on her face. "Monsieur le pr�tre", the entity said "bienvenue encore � l'enfer."
Fingal blanched, then regained his composure. "Welcome to Hell, Indeed", he replied in English ", And who exactly am I addressing ?"
"Vous pr�f�rez l'anglais ?", came the reply, "warum nicht deutsch?, o italiano?, �o espa�ol?, ou mesmo portugese? ... I know many languages". She turned to Fingal, "Priest, your standards are slipping. I remember a time when the clergy could speak at least four tongues. But now ...", she shrugged her shoulders. "English it will be then", she smiled wickedly, "I am Isabella."
Pisky grinned. He knew that the priest required a name in order to expel the possessing entity. Obtaining the name of the demon was of the utmost importance. Even with the name, an exorcism was difficult enough - without one, it would be nigh-on impossible.
"Isabella" Fingal repeated.
"Yessssss", the creature possessing little Tamsin hissed. "I gave you my name, priesssst. But it will avail you naught". She smiled, her eyes glowing preternaturally. "Do your worssssst, clergyman. You will die like all the ressssst. And as for you", she turned the full malevolance of her glare upon the pixy, "I will enjoy taking your life. I will enjoy it immensssssely".
"Bugger off, Gollum", snapped the pixy, "You'll be whinging for the presssssious next !"
Isabella chuckled; "I already have her", she said.
"That is a matter of debate", Fingal said as he opened his copy of the pre-Vatican II Roman Ritual.
"Pisky ?" he asked, the rest of the question unnecessary as he watched the pixy picking up his own copy.
Fingal moved closer, the book held tightly in his hands. Making the sign of the cross he intoned the first line of the rite of exorcism. "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti."
"Amen" said the pixy in response.
Isabella laughed.
Fingal glared at the creature possessing the small girl, and the anger he felt made his hands shake. "Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis," He begin, making the sign of the cross above the bed. Isabella giggled. "et in nomine Jesu Christi" He made another sign above the bed. Isabella stopped laughing. "Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri et in virtute Spiritus Sancti". This time as he made the sign, Isabella visibly flinched. The change on her face was abrupt. It was as if the face of the small child underwent a hideous transformation. The pupils of her eyes seemed to stretch vertically until they were almost catlike, but no cat ever had such a malevolent glare as was fixed upon the priest once those words left his lips. "You would die painfully for those words had I but the power !!!" Instantly she leaped from the bed, scrabbling for Fingal's throat with fingers that were more like claws than human digits. The priest flung his arm up to deflect the attack, at the same time calling to the pixy to continue the ritual. Fearful for his friend's life, Pisky grabbed hold of Tamsin's arm and instantly found himself flying through the air, cast aside by a power greater than his own. Bouncing off one of the infirmary beds, the pixy cursed in Cornish as he landed on his arse on the cold stone floor. "Finish the ritual !!!", the priest shouted as Pisky pushed himself up and returned to the fray.
Fingal seemed to be holding the demon at bay by holding forth his crucifix while in his other hand he now grasped a small glass bottle. It was up to the pixy to complete the litany. Quickly he scanned the room, finally finding the book that he had dropped as he was thrown away from the bedside. Picking it up, he ruffled through the pages until he found the one he needed. Then he began to speak.
"Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in nomine Jesu Christi Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti"
Isabella began to whine in a manner not unlike Phoebe when chastised by LadyCool.
"ut descedas ab hoc plasmate Dei Tamsin", the pixy continued, calling for Tamsin to be released from the torment of the demon. "quod Dominus noster ad templum sanctum suum vocare dignatus est"
Isabella began thrashing around on the bed, an ullulating sound issuing from the possessed lips as the demonic entity fought to keep control. Fingal moved forward and held the little body by the shoulders to keep her from falling from the bed to the hard cold stone floor.
"ut fiat templum Dei vivi, et Spiritus Sanctus habitet in eo", Pisky continued, "Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et saeculum per ignem".
Isabella relaxed, her cold eyes fixing those of the priest. Fingal moved away, opened the small bottle of Holy Water and with a roar, he threw the contents over the small figure on the bed. "Tu autem effugare, Isabella; appropinquabit enim judicium Dei !!!", he shouted. "And to you, Isabella, begone! For the judgment of God is at hand !".
Isabella shrieked as the blessed water contacted her skin, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. Her body went rigid, eyes widening, breath coming in short little bursts. "Prenez haleine, tirez forte" she whispered with a grimace of hate spreading across her face, then with a deep soul shuddering breath, let loose a hideous groan that sounded as if the devil himself was tearing at her heart. Her eyes blazed defiantly for a moment, then with a final moan of anguish, her body relaxed, her breath slowed and her eyes closed.
Pisky dropped the book and rushed to Fingal's side. "Is that it ?" he asked.
"It went easier than I expected", the old priest replied, dropping into a chair beside Tamsin's bed. The child slept like a baby, a beautiful smile on her face as if released from the clutches of Hell itself.
"What was that foul stench?" Pisky asked, walking over to the medicine cupboard and removing a bottle of Best Pixyland (Marked 'For Medical emergencies only').
"It happens sometimes", Fingal replied, taking the bottle and drinking deeply as the pixy walked over to the door and opened it. "Be grateful she didn't puke green pea soup or have her head spin around".
Pisky crossed the threshold and waved KayEm over to the door. "Its done", he said in a whisper, "But we need you to check her over just in case." KayEm nodded and followed him back into the infirmary.
At the first touch of KayEm's hand on her forehead, Tamsin opened her eyes and smiled. "Welcome back", the pixy's wife said, picking up the little wrist and checking her pulse. Tamsin took a deep breath of relief and using her other arm, waved at the priest and the pixy standing at the bottom of the bed.
"She looks healthy enough now", Fingal said as he returned the wave.
"True", came the reply. "Out of interest, what was that last thing she said ... haleine, tirez .. whatever ?", Pisky asked as he watched KayEm check Tamsin's pulse.
"take breath, pull hard" Fingal answered, mopping his brow with a handkerchief, "I don't know, probably some kind of demonic personal motivation mantra."
Pisky shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sure I've heard it somewhere before", the pixy said. "Never mind - it was probably crap anyway. At least we've got rid of that evil old bitch. Worse than fecking Toadwoman."
"No one's worse than Toadwoman !", KayEm retorted as she replaced Tamsin's hand inside the bedcovers, "That's for sure." Tamsin giggled as she watched KayEm grimace at the thought of her nemesis. The vile Toadwoman had caused KayEm to be fired from her job just before Christmas 2003 and she had never forgotten it, neither would she do so. The only compensation the pixy's wife had received was when she had learned that Toadwoman had been locked up in one of the Oregon gulags and was probably being treated like crap by some Corporate slave driver.
KayEm grinned at the thought. Pisky, knowing what his wife was thinking of, also grinned.
And when Angover saw the change in his daughter, he rushed into the room, caught her up in his strong arms and hugged her as if it was the first time he had seen her in years.
English Translation of Exorcism Ritual
I exorcise thee, every unclean spirit, in the name of God the Father Almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord and Judge, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that thou depart from this creature of God, Tamsin, which our Lord hath designed to call unto His holy temple, that it may be made the temple of the living God, and that the Holy Spirit may dwell therein. Through the same Christ our Lord, who shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire.
[edit on 7-11-2004 by Pisky]
As Loki says, that was definitely something else. Whew !!!!
And I loved the soundtrack
And I loved the soundtrack
take breath, pull hard........
why do i have this feeling, that this passage is going to come back and bite our friends in the arses?!?!??
well done pisky!! I look forward to the next chapter!
-Sarah
why do i have this feeling, that this passage is going to come back and bite our friends in the arses?!?!??
well done pisky!! I look forward to the next chapter!
-Sarah
I'll listen to the soundtrack when I get my speakers back...
Meanwhile I have a funny feeling....
Meanwhile I have a funny feeling....
Chapter 33 -Out of the mouths of babes
"This is the voice of the Mysterons !!!!!"
"Feck me Pisk, that's the worst yet !!!", Loki grinned as the pixy's latest cider-powered belch echoed around the Great Hall.
"Disgusting, if you ask me", Rhiannon snapped, looking over to where Damien grinned in appreciation.
"Hey Pisky, what's a 'Mysteron' ?', the boy asked, ignoring the warning glare from his mother.
"They were aliens in a kids show when I was little", Pisky replied, "Captain Scarlet. They used to send their messages with glowing circles of light, then kill their victims and ..."
"I think it's time for Damien to go to bed", Rhiannon said curtly, cutting off the pixy's explanation as she gestured for her son to leave the room. "I'd rather he didn't hear about the horrible shows you watched as a child. It's no wonder you turned out as you did."
"Feck me !", the pixy exclaimed, "Captain Scarlet is a British insititution ... like 'Thunderbirds' and 'Stingray'"
"And 'Captain Pugwash' too, I assume", Rhiannon snapped, "And don't think I haven't heard about that foul show ... what was it ... Captain Pugwash, Roger the Cabin boy and Master Bates ! ... disgusting !!!"
Pisky grinned. "You fell for it then ?"
"What ???"
"The 'Captain Pugwash' urban legend."
Rhiannon looked puzzled, "What ?"
"Its not true - there were no such characters in the show. Even in the pilot."
"Oh", Rhiannon muttered, "Well, even if its not true, someone must have had a sick mind in order to make up such a vile urban legend !"
Pisky grinned. "Not this pixy though."
Damien tugged on his mother's sleeve. "Can I see Tamsin before I go to bed ?", he asked, "I haven't seen her since she's been in hospital".
"Ten minutes, that's all. She's probably tired. And don't torment Coleman either - He's staying in the infirmary with her so Angover can get some sleep."
Damien sighed and walked over to the infirmary while his mother berated Pisky for his unseemly behaviour. Opening the door he smiled to see Tamsin sitting on the bed reading while Coleman stood looking through the window.
"Hi !", he said, moving into the room. Tamsin looked up, grinned and put down her book. "How are you?" Damien asked shyly.
"Ok I suppose", Tamsin replied, "Still tired though, and KayEm says I have to stay in bed for a few more days."
"Bummer" Damien sat on the bedside chair.
"What was going on outside", Tamsin asked. It was a sign of her improvement that she was getting back her inquisitiveness. "Not much", Damien replied, "Just mom giving Pisky a bollocking."
Tamsin giggled at the thought. "What did he do ?"
"We were having a belching competition", he explained, "It was Pisky's idea"
The angry sound of Rhiannon's voice as she rebuked the pixy sent Tamsin and her companion into fits of giggles. Coleman turned and smiled. It was good to see the girl laughing again. "Right", the apprentice said, walking from the window, "I need to make a 'call of nature' ... Damien ...", he turned a mock-serious expression towards the boy, "Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to keep Tamsin entertained until I get back."
Damien grinned and nodded. Tamsin placed the back of her hand to her head in a pretend-swoon, "My hero !", she said. Then started giggling again.
Coleman shook his head and left the room. As he did so, Rhiannon's voice could be heard screeching. It certainly looked as if the pixy was getting the short end of the stick this time.
"So", Damien asked, leaning towards his companion, "What was it like ?"
"What ?"
"The exorcism"
Tamsin stopped smiling. "I don't know", she said. "She pushed me away. I remember talking to Fingal and Pisky and thats all until I woke up and felt ... I didn't feel frightened any more."
"Was it that woman then ?" Damien asked, intrigued, "The one you told me about."
"Isabella, yes", Tamsin replied, her hands clutching her book tightly. "She was ever so nice at first. You would have liked her. She told me that she came from France and that her husband was the king although he never really acted like a king. And she didn't like his friends. She wanted me to visit her too."
"She did ?", asked Damien, "How ? - she's a ghost !"
"She wanted me to visit her tomb in Shillington. She said she'd really like that."
"That's really spooky Tamsin.", Damien shivered..
"Then she started being snappy and I got scared.", Tamsin continued, "I'd be walking near the church and then I'd feel her nearby and the next thing someone would be talking to me and telling me that I'd been gone for hours. And then I ..."
"What ?"
"I killed the bird. But I don't remember doing that. I ... just remember standing in the hall with the dead bird in my hands and ..." She closed her eyes.
"Weird", Damien said, awestruck. "How come you never let me meet her ?"
Tamsin shrugged. "She didn't want me to tell anyone."
"LC would have been livid if she'd found out you'd made another board", Damien said, "She was pissed when she saw us with the first one."
"I know", Tamsin replied, "Isabella didn't think much of LC because she burned the first board."
Damien looked puzzled, "But when we played with it, we only got that one spook, the one that said he was Jack the Ripper. And I know that was you pushing the glass."
Tamsin smiled.
"You played with it before, didn't you ?"
Tamsin nodded.
"And you were expecting Isabella ?"
"I was hoping to speak to her. But she didn't come through when we used the board together because she only wanted to talk to me."
"Well", Damien exclaimed, "After what happened to you I'm glad I never met her." Tamsin bit her lip and nodded.
"Anyway", Damien grinned evilly. "Guess what I did."
Tamsin looked up expectantly.
"I put blue colouring in LC's shampoo bottle."
"It was you ???" Tamsin's mouth opened in an 'O' of amazement, "No wonder she was annoyed. You should have heard her in the kitchen that one day. She was furious." Then both of them started laughing like piskies - although not like the Pisky, who was still getting chastised by Rhiannon and definitely had nothing to laugh about.
"Rhiannon !"
The voice sounded as if it was coming from the far end of a tunnel.
"Rhiannon !!!" More urgently now. And louder. Rhiannon's eyes flickered open and she peered into the early morning light."What ??? ... what do you ... What time is it ?" she groaned as she came to full wakefulness. Tobias stood beside her bed, with Pisky behind him. They looked worried.
Rhiannon pushed herself into a sitting position and scraped her hair from her face. "What is it ?", she asked.
"We need to talk to Damien", Tobias said, nodding towards where the boy slumbered in the nearby bed.
"What for ?"
"We need to know what Tamsin said to him last night."
"Oh ... ummm ... he's ... hang on" and she slipped from her own bed, pattered over to where her son lay and woke him from his sleep.
"Mom ?" came the small voice, "What's up"
Rhiannon moved slightly so he could see Tobias and the pixy standing beside the door. "Damien", the soldier said, "We need to know what Tamsin said to you last night before you went to bed."
Damien shrugged his shoulders. "Not much", he replied, "Why ?"
Tobias looked from Damien to his mother. He took a deep breath. "Coleman has been badly hurt", he said. "And Angover and Tamsin have disappeared. Did she give you any hint ... you know, did she say anything about going somewhere ?"
Damien shook his head. "She was fine. We laughed. Mostly about mom telling Pisky off.", He shook his head again. "How's Coleman ? What happened to him ?"
"We don't know yet", Pisky replied, "KayEm's got him in the infirmary. She found him this morning when she went to look in on Tamsin. She says he's got a fractured skull for sure. He may have brain damage - whatever hit him was", he paused, "... Coleman was hit by something very heavy."
"But he's going to be OK isn't he ?" Rhiannon asked, her face white with shock.
"We hope so", said the pixy sadly, "but he's still unconscious. KayEm's doing everything possible."
"That's why we need to know everything that Tamsin told ..."
Pisky spun around as the door crashed open. Loki stood there breathing heavily. "LC's gone too", he said in between gulps of air, "And I don't think she went of her own volition !"
"This is the voice of the Mysterons !!!!!"
"Feck me Pisk, that's the worst yet !!!", Loki grinned as the pixy's latest cider-powered belch echoed around the Great Hall.
"Disgusting, if you ask me", Rhiannon snapped, looking over to where Damien grinned in appreciation.
"Hey Pisky, what's a 'Mysteron' ?', the boy asked, ignoring the warning glare from his mother.
"They were aliens in a kids show when I was little", Pisky replied, "Captain Scarlet. They used to send their messages with glowing circles of light, then kill their victims and ..."
"I think it's time for Damien to go to bed", Rhiannon said curtly, cutting off the pixy's explanation as she gestured for her son to leave the room. "I'd rather he didn't hear about the horrible shows you watched as a child. It's no wonder you turned out as you did."
"Feck me !", the pixy exclaimed, "Captain Scarlet is a British insititution ... like 'Thunderbirds' and 'Stingray'"
"And 'Captain Pugwash' too, I assume", Rhiannon snapped, "And don't think I haven't heard about that foul show ... what was it ... Captain Pugwash, Roger the Cabin boy and Master Bates ! ... disgusting !!!"
Pisky grinned. "You fell for it then ?"
"What ???"
"The 'Captain Pugwash' urban legend."
Rhiannon looked puzzled, "What ?"
"Its not true - there were no such characters in the show. Even in the pilot."
"Oh", Rhiannon muttered, "Well, even if its not true, someone must have had a sick mind in order to make up such a vile urban legend !"
Pisky grinned. "Not this pixy though."
Damien tugged on his mother's sleeve. "Can I see Tamsin before I go to bed ?", he asked, "I haven't seen her since she's been in hospital".
"Ten minutes, that's all. She's probably tired. And don't torment Coleman either - He's staying in the infirmary with her so Angover can get some sleep."
Damien sighed and walked over to the infirmary while his mother berated Pisky for his unseemly behaviour. Opening the door he smiled to see Tamsin sitting on the bed reading while Coleman stood looking through the window.
"Hi !", he said, moving into the room. Tamsin looked up, grinned and put down her book. "How are you?" Damien asked shyly.
"Ok I suppose", Tamsin replied, "Still tired though, and KayEm says I have to stay in bed for a few more days."
"Bummer" Damien sat on the bedside chair.
"What was going on outside", Tamsin asked. It was a sign of her improvement that she was getting back her inquisitiveness. "Not much", Damien replied, "Just mom giving Pisky a bollocking."
Tamsin giggled at the thought. "What did he do ?"
"We were having a belching competition", he explained, "It was Pisky's idea"
The angry sound of Rhiannon's voice as she rebuked the pixy sent Tamsin and her companion into fits of giggles. Coleman turned and smiled. It was good to see the girl laughing again. "Right", the apprentice said, walking from the window, "I need to make a 'call of nature' ... Damien ...", he turned a mock-serious expression towards the boy, "Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to keep Tamsin entertained until I get back."
Damien grinned and nodded. Tamsin placed the back of her hand to her head in a pretend-swoon, "My hero !", she said. Then started giggling again.
Coleman shook his head and left the room. As he did so, Rhiannon's voice could be heard screeching. It certainly looked as if the pixy was getting the short end of the stick this time.
"So", Damien asked, leaning towards his companion, "What was it like ?"
"What ?"
"The exorcism"
Tamsin stopped smiling. "I don't know", she said. "She pushed me away. I remember talking to Fingal and Pisky and thats all until I woke up and felt ... I didn't feel frightened any more."
"Was it that woman then ?" Damien asked, intrigued, "The one you told me about."
"Isabella, yes", Tamsin replied, her hands clutching her book tightly. "She was ever so nice at first. You would have liked her. She told me that she came from France and that her husband was the king although he never really acted like a king. And she didn't like his friends. She wanted me to visit her too."
"She did ?", asked Damien, "How ? - she's a ghost !"
"She wanted me to visit her tomb in Shillington. She said she'd really like that."
"That's really spooky Tamsin.", Damien shivered..
"Then she started being snappy and I got scared.", Tamsin continued, "I'd be walking near the church and then I'd feel her nearby and the next thing someone would be talking to me and telling me that I'd been gone for hours. And then I ..."
"What ?"
"I killed the bird. But I don't remember doing that. I ... just remember standing in the hall with the dead bird in my hands and ..." She closed her eyes.
"Weird", Damien said, awestruck. "How come you never let me meet her ?"
Tamsin shrugged. "She didn't want me to tell anyone."
"LC would have been livid if she'd found out you'd made another board", Damien said, "She was pissed when she saw us with the first one."
"I know", Tamsin replied, "Isabella didn't think much of LC because she burned the first board."
Damien looked puzzled, "But when we played with it, we only got that one spook, the one that said he was Jack the Ripper. And I know that was you pushing the glass."
Tamsin smiled.
"You played with it before, didn't you ?"
Tamsin nodded.
"And you were expecting Isabella ?"
"I was hoping to speak to her. But she didn't come through when we used the board together because she only wanted to talk to me."
"Well", Damien exclaimed, "After what happened to you I'm glad I never met her." Tamsin bit her lip and nodded.
"Anyway", Damien grinned evilly. "Guess what I did."
Tamsin looked up expectantly.
"I put blue colouring in LC's shampoo bottle."
"It was you ???" Tamsin's mouth opened in an 'O' of amazement, "No wonder she was annoyed. You should have heard her in the kitchen that one day. She was furious." Then both of them started laughing like piskies - although not like the Pisky, who was still getting chastised by Rhiannon and definitely had nothing to laugh about.
"Rhiannon !"
The voice sounded as if it was coming from the far end of a tunnel.
"Rhiannon !!!" More urgently now. And louder. Rhiannon's eyes flickered open and she peered into the early morning light."What ??? ... what do you ... What time is it ?" she groaned as she came to full wakefulness. Tobias stood beside her bed, with Pisky behind him. They looked worried.
Rhiannon pushed herself into a sitting position and scraped her hair from her face. "What is it ?", she asked.
"We need to talk to Damien", Tobias said, nodding towards where the boy slumbered in the nearby bed.
"What for ?"
"We need to know what Tamsin said to him last night."
"Oh ... ummm ... he's ... hang on" and she slipped from her own bed, pattered over to where her son lay and woke him from his sleep.
"Mom ?" came the small voice, "What's up"
Rhiannon moved slightly so he could see Tobias and the pixy standing beside the door. "Damien", the soldier said, "We need to know what Tamsin said to you last night before you went to bed."
Damien shrugged his shoulders. "Not much", he replied, "Why ?"
Tobias looked from Damien to his mother. He took a deep breath. "Coleman has been badly hurt", he said. "And Angover and Tamsin have disappeared. Did she give you any hint ... you know, did she say anything about going somewhere ?"
Damien shook his head. "She was fine. We laughed. Mostly about mom telling Pisky off.", He shook his head again. "How's Coleman ? What happened to him ?"
"We don't know yet", Pisky replied, "KayEm's got him in the infirmary. She found him this morning when she went to look in on Tamsin. She says he's got a fractured skull for sure. He may have brain damage - whatever hit him was", he paused, "... Coleman was hit by something very heavy."
"But he's going to be OK isn't he ?" Rhiannon asked, her face white with shock.
"We hope so", said the pixy sadly, "but he's still unconscious. KayEm's doing everything possible."
"That's why we need to know everything that Tamsin told ..."
Pisky spun around as the door crashed open. Loki stood there breathing heavily. "LC's gone too", he said in between gulps of air, "And I don't think she went of her own volition !"
I knew it, didn't I tell those damn kids! Pah back in my day...
Well, at least I didn't go without a fight... Ok I'm dying to know what's happened now...
Well, at least I didn't go without a fight... Ok I'm dying to know what's happened now...
Fear not, for LC is not your average swooning heroine - you can prepare for some serious 'arse-kicking' from the pixy padawan in the near future.
Wow my character has many depths, from Lara Croft to Motherly figure, to pagan, to pixy padawan...when can we expext the next chapter oh wise pisky?
ooooooooooooh, i can't wait to see what happens next!!!!!!!
What has tasmin gotten herself into now????
edit: to echo LC, whens the next chapter???
[edit on 11/14/2004 by smilingsarah82]
What has tasmin gotten herself into now????
edit: to echo LC, whens the next chapter???
[edit on 11/14/2004 by smilingsarah82]
Originally posted by smilingsarah82
edit: to echo LC, whens the next chapter???
in about three minutes
Chapter 34 - The She-Wolf of France
"Feck me !", exclaimed Pisky as he stood inside the computer room on the top floor of the Gatehouse, "What the hell happened here ?"
"I don't know, but I plan to find out !" snapped Tobias as he scanned the broken pieces of computer equipment scattered on the wooden floor. It was a testament to Loki's cabling ability that the dial-up line was still attached to a shattered external modem, but the accompanying computer lay forlornly in the centre of the room with its cabling hanging out as if it had been disembowelled. Propped beside the desk, a keyboard was missing most of its buttons and the mouse was crushed beyond repair. The second computer had received similar treatment although it looked as if Erisian's half-rebuilt laptop had been overlooked. Beside the door, a dark scuff mark denoted where LC had been forcibly removed from the building, kicking out in an attempt to escape before being overpowered.
"Who knew that LC was here ?", Tobias asked as the pixy stood and attempted to visualise the events of the last few hours. "Virtually everyone", Pisky replied, "She was covering the computer while Erisian got a few hours kip. They've been working together since we went to Wayland's"
Tobias sighed. "Damien couldn't tell us much", he said, stating the obvious since the pixy had been with him when the boy was questioned. "Isabella, Shillington and something about being married to someone who didn't act like a king. Utter bollocks if you ask me."
The door creaked open, admitting a shocked Erisian. Her eyes widened and she placed a hand over her mouth as she took in the sight before her. "Can you fix this stuff ?", Tobias asked.
"I ... I'm not sure ... its ..." she muttered as her eyes scanned the pieces of broken equipment.
"Loki ?" Tobias looked hopefully at his companion. Loki sucked his teeth in the manner of a cowboy builder or second rate mechanic; "I'll give it a go", he said, "But I can't guarantee much."
"Pisky can give you a hand", Tobias continued, "while I try to work out where they've taken LC. Then we'll talk strategy. The sooner we get things sorted, the better."
"It's been almost ten years since I did any computer engineering", the pixy explained, "So it's going to take a while to cobble anything together, But I'll do what I can."
Tobias nodded his thanks and left the room, leaving Pisky and Loki to collect what working parts they could find in a vain hope of having enough to put together at least one functioning computer.
"Shillington", Tobias said, pointing to a small dot on the Road Map he had found in one of the hummers. The vehicle itself, alongside the quadbikes and battered old Vauxhall Nova belonging to Loki had long been idle due to lack of fuel and it was unlikely they would work any longer even if a magical source of four star could be discovered. That left the horses as the only means of transportation, plus Shanks' pony of course. Tobias put down the book and looked around the small group clustered around him. "It's in the wilds of Bedfordshire, near Luton ... about 140 miles away." He shook his head at the collection of groans that met his ears. "Where's Pisky ?", he asked Erisian who had picked up the book as if to doublecheck the soldier's calculations. "In the Gatehouse", she replied, "And Loki's in what's left of South Tower trying to fix one of the PC power supply boxes".
"OK", Tobias said, having come to a decision. "We need Pisky and Loki here to get the computer room running and a net connection back. I don't want to be caught napping if the Corporates are planning anything. KayEm needs to stay to look after Coleman. Erisian, you'll be needed here once the computer's working again." Then he turned towards Fingal. "You know more about Tamsin's state of mind than anyone, Father", he said, "I'm going to need you to come with me to ..."
"Chillington !" Pisky strode through the doorway and dropped into a chair. Pouring himself a generous tankard of 'Best Pixyland', he took a drink before continuing.
"Ok", the pixy said, taking the mapbook from Erisian and flipping through the pages, "I took the liberty of asking Rhiannon and Damien to join us. I think I may have an idea where Tamsin and Angover took LC."
"Where ?", asked Pantha, "And more importantly, why ?"
"I don't know the why, but I am virtually certain where", the pixy answered as Rhiannon and her son entered the hall from the courtyard.
Pisky stood, poured a tankard of cider for Rhiannon and handed Damien a can of cola from the dwindling stores before gesturing for them both to sit beside the roaring fire.
"I know you told us what Tamsin said to you yesterday", the pixy began, "But I need to ask you a few more questions. I think I know where they are heading and your answers will help me convince everyone else."
Damien nodded, secretly pleased to be included in the discussions.
"Right", Pisky continued, "What did Tamsin tell you about Isabella ?"
Damien thought for a while then spoke up, his voice the only sound in the hall. "She said that Isabella was a Queen and that she was married to a king but that he didn't really act like a king."
Pisky nodded.
"Oh!", Damien interrupted, "I almost forgot. She said that Isabella hated her husband's friend and that he was a gasman"
"A gasman ?" the pixy asked, a look of bewilderment crossing his face. Then he grinned. "Do you mean a gascon ?"
"Yes, thats it !!!", Damien exclaimed, "A gascon !!! ... how did you know ?"
"All will be revealed", the pixy replied, looking around the room at the perplexed looks of his companions.
"Now", he continued, "Where did Isabella want Tamsin to visit her ?"
Damien took a deep breath. "Shillington", he said importantly. I remember that because Grandad used to call me his little shilling bit. Did you know that a shilling is an old coin, but we don't have them anymore because Heath betrayed Britain to the Europeans ? That's what Grandad used to say anyway, before he died."
"I think I'd have liked your Grandad", Pisky replied, having a similar viewpoint. He looked over to Rhiannon and caught the faintest of smiles from her before turning back to Damien.
"Ok", the pixy continued, "Damien - did you ever do French at school ?"
"A bit", the boy said, "But I hated it."
Pisky grinned. "What's the French word for 'Dog' ?"
"Chien", Damien replied almost instantly, pronouncing it in the correct French manner.
"And how is that spelt ?"
"C-H-I-E-N", came the reply.
Pisky looked around. "It is my opinion that the word Isabella said to Tamsin was not 'Shillington' but 'Chillington'", he said, "The letters C and H are usually pronounced 'Sh' in French, as in 'Chien'. Isabella is - was - French, hence she would pronounce words with somewhat of a French accent. Especially if she's who I believe she is"
"And who is that exactly ?" Tobias asked.
"Isabella, wife of Edward II. Known as 'The She-Wolf of France'" Pisky smiled.
"I assume you're going to explain this ?"
The pixy took a drink of 'Best Pixyland' to wet his whistle before continuing. "Damien gave me the info, but it took until this morning for me to join the dots." he said. "A French Queen called Isabella who was married to a King who didn't act like one. Who didn't like his friends, one of whom was a Gascon. There was, as far as I know, no French Queen Isabella, but there was an English one. The wife of Edward II. And this king, the son of Longshanks, was often seen to be working with the peasants in the field, much to the disgust of the Queen and the nobility."
KayEm looked up with a disbelieving look on her face. "Are you talking about the Isabella mentioned in 'Braveheart' ?", she asked.
"Ignore 'Braveheart, that was just fiction." the pixy explained, "Isabella was never the sweet, soft hearted woman she was portrayed to be in Gibson's film. She had her husband murdered horribly and, alongside her lover Roger Mortimer, took control of England during the minority of her son the future King Edward III. However ... ", the pixy continued,
"Her son wasn't as easily manipulated. Four years after his father's ignominous death, he overthrew Mortimer and had him executed. Isabella was condemned to 'house arrest' at Castle Rising - for life".
"So where does Chillington fit in ?" Tobias asked.
"Chillington has a legend attached", Pisky continued. "Back in the fifteen hundreds the owner of Chillington was one Sir John Gifford. He, as did many other noblemen of the time, kept a menagerie in the grounds of his manor. One day a wild panther escaped and was pursued by the household. Sir John himself came upon it as it was stalking a woman carrying her child through the park. As he drew his crossbow to save the woman his son came up behind him and offered him encouragement. He shot and killed the panther as it sprang. Just outside Chillington Hall there is a small Gatehouse. In the grounds of this building is a large wooden cross - Giffords Cross - which marks where this is alleged to have happened."
"So what's that got to do with Isabella. From what you've said you may as well link Pantha to Chillington - after all, it was a panther in the story." Pantha shivered.
"Two points", Pisky replied smiling, "Firstly, local folklore of the area says that it wasn't a panther that Gifford killed, but a wolf."
"And the other point ?"
"Remember when I said that as Gifford aimed at the 'panther', his son gave him encouragement ?"
"So ?"
"He said Prenez haleine, tirez forte ... "
"Take breath, pull hard", Fingal translated, causing a gasp to reverberate around the hall.
"Yes", said the pixy, "The words Isabella said at the end of the exorcism. I knew I had heard it somewhere before."
"So where exactly does that leave us ?", Tobias asked.
Pisky took a deep breath. "I don't believe that Gifford killed a panther." he explained, "I think he killed a wolf. The She- Wolf of France. Isabella."
The hall went quiet as each member of the group considered the pixy's words.
KayEm broke the silence, "But why?", she asked, "She was under house arrest in some castle wasn't she ? What was she doing in Chillington ? and Why would Gifford kill her ?"
"Now that is the sixty four thousand pixy stix question", Pisky replied. But on the grounds that Chillington is only fifty miles from here, while Shillington is over a hundred miles further on, I would be inclined to check out the closest one first."
LadyCool was not happy. In fact it was quite safe to say that she was absolutely livid. Her stomach hurt from having been hung over Angover's horse like a lump of meat, her legs dangling one side, arms the other. Both ankles and wrists were tied and she had been gagged by something that smelled like a three week old dog turd. She definitely was not happy.
Since she had been forcibly removed from the computer room by Angover, she had spent hours trying to work out a plan of escape. He hadn't hurt her - in fact he had looked sad faced as he had clapped his massive hand over her mouth to stop her shouting for help - but he was a closed book to her now, as was Tamsin.
The girl rode regally on one of the stable horses, her back straight, her eyes fixed far in the distance. She hadn't spoken a word to LC since she had destroyed the Stokesay computers and imperiously ordered her father to open the gates.
It was late in the evening by now and the horses were faltering. Suddenly they came to a halt as Tamsin lifted one arm and dismounted. Angover followed suit and hobbled both horses before lifting the aching LadyCool from his mount and sitting her beside a large oak tree. "I think I can take this off now", he said in his Cornish accent as he untied her gag, casting the object away. LC spluttered. "What was that disgusting thing anyway ?" she asked.
"One of Pisky's socks", came the reply, "There's a terrible smell in Dingley Dell, 'cause the pixies are washing their socks", he said, repeating the old poem that no one knew the rest of.
"Oh my god !", LC exclaimed in horror, "I need to wash my face !!!"
"I suppose I can untie your hands for a bit", Angover said, "Just to let you eat and wash anyway. As long as you promise not to run away. Tamsin wouldn't like that."
"Bugger that", thought LadyCool, "Give me a chance and I'm off !", but she merely smiled nicely and turned to allow the blacksmith to untie her bonds.
Once her hands were free, she took a bottle of water from Angover and splashed the cold water over her face in order to remove the stench of Pisky's socks from her pores. She would deal with the pixy later on, but for now she sat and plotted her escape.
"What's going on, Angover ?", she asked as she watched Tamsin eating daintily while sitting against a nearby tree.
"I don't really know lass", the blacksmith answered, "I just know that Tamsin says that it'll help her." He looked sadly at LadyCool. "I've already lost my wife, I can't lose my daughter too."
LC leaned back against her own tree and sighed.
"OK, this is what we're going to do", Tobias explained as he poured himself a flagon of Best Pixyland. "I'm going to Chillington with Fingal. Pisky and Loki are staying here to fix the computer kit. Erisian, as soon as you get net access, I want you to check things out. If it turns out that the pixy is spouting #, I want you to send someone to tell us and we'll head off straight to Bedfordshire." The soldier grinned at Pisky who flicked the V's in a friendly manner. "Pantha", Tobias continued in his best 'Star Trek Captain' voice, "You have the conn."
And within the hour the soldier and the priest had left the safety of Stokesay, bound for lands unknown.
"Feck me !", exclaimed Pisky as he stood inside the computer room on the top floor of the Gatehouse, "What the hell happened here ?"
"I don't know, but I plan to find out !" snapped Tobias as he scanned the broken pieces of computer equipment scattered on the wooden floor. It was a testament to Loki's cabling ability that the dial-up line was still attached to a shattered external modem, but the accompanying computer lay forlornly in the centre of the room with its cabling hanging out as if it had been disembowelled. Propped beside the desk, a keyboard was missing most of its buttons and the mouse was crushed beyond repair. The second computer had received similar treatment although it looked as if Erisian's half-rebuilt laptop had been overlooked. Beside the door, a dark scuff mark denoted where LC had been forcibly removed from the building, kicking out in an attempt to escape before being overpowered.
"Who knew that LC was here ?", Tobias asked as the pixy stood and attempted to visualise the events of the last few hours. "Virtually everyone", Pisky replied, "She was covering the computer while Erisian got a few hours kip. They've been working together since we went to Wayland's"
Tobias sighed. "Damien couldn't tell us much", he said, stating the obvious since the pixy had been with him when the boy was questioned. "Isabella, Shillington and something about being married to someone who didn't act like a king. Utter bollocks if you ask me."
The door creaked open, admitting a shocked Erisian. Her eyes widened and she placed a hand over her mouth as she took in the sight before her. "Can you fix this stuff ?", Tobias asked.
"I ... I'm not sure ... its ..." she muttered as her eyes scanned the pieces of broken equipment.
"Loki ?" Tobias looked hopefully at his companion. Loki sucked his teeth in the manner of a cowboy builder or second rate mechanic; "I'll give it a go", he said, "But I can't guarantee much."
"Pisky can give you a hand", Tobias continued, "while I try to work out where they've taken LC. Then we'll talk strategy. The sooner we get things sorted, the better."
"It's been almost ten years since I did any computer engineering", the pixy explained, "So it's going to take a while to cobble anything together, But I'll do what I can."
Tobias nodded his thanks and left the room, leaving Pisky and Loki to collect what working parts they could find in a vain hope of having enough to put together at least one functioning computer.
"Shillington", Tobias said, pointing to a small dot on the Road Map he had found in one of the hummers. The vehicle itself, alongside the quadbikes and battered old Vauxhall Nova belonging to Loki had long been idle due to lack of fuel and it was unlikely they would work any longer even if a magical source of four star could be discovered. That left the horses as the only means of transportation, plus Shanks' pony of course. Tobias put down the book and looked around the small group clustered around him. "It's in the wilds of Bedfordshire, near Luton ... about 140 miles away." He shook his head at the collection of groans that met his ears. "Where's Pisky ?", he asked Erisian who had picked up the book as if to doublecheck the soldier's calculations. "In the Gatehouse", she replied, "And Loki's in what's left of South Tower trying to fix one of the PC power supply boxes".
"OK", Tobias said, having come to a decision. "We need Pisky and Loki here to get the computer room running and a net connection back. I don't want to be caught napping if the Corporates are planning anything. KayEm needs to stay to look after Coleman. Erisian, you'll be needed here once the computer's working again." Then he turned towards Fingal. "You know more about Tamsin's state of mind than anyone, Father", he said, "I'm going to need you to come with me to ..."
"Chillington !" Pisky strode through the doorway and dropped into a chair. Pouring himself a generous tankard of 'Best Pixyland', he took a drink before continuing.
"Ok", the pixy said, taking the mapbook from Erisian and flipping through the pages, "I took the liberty of asking Rhiannon and Damien to join us. I think I may have an idea where Tamsin and Angover took LC."
"Where ?", asked Pantha, "And more importantly, why ?"
"I don't know the why, but I am virtually certain where", the pixy answered as Rhiannon and her son entered the hall from the courtyard.
Pisky stood, poured a tankard of cider for Rhiannon and handed Damien a can of cola from the dwindling stores before gesturing for them both to sit beside the roaring fire.
"I know you told us what Tamsin said to you yesterday", the pixy began, "But I need to ask you a few more questions. I think I know where they are heading and your answers will help me convince everyone else."
Damien nodded, secretly pleased to be included in the discussions.
"Right", Pisky continued, "What did Tamsin tell you about Isabella ?"
Damien thought for a while then spoke up, his voice the only sound in the hall. "She said that Isabella was a Queen and that she was married to a king but that he didn't really act like a king."
Pisky nodded.
"Oh!", Damien interrupted, "I almost forgot. She said that Isabella hated her husband's friend and that he was a gasman"
"A gasman ?" the pixy asked, a look of bewilderment crossing his face. Then he grinned. "Do you mean a gascon ?"
"Yes, thats it !!!", Damien exclaimed, "A gascon !!! ... how did you know ?"
"All will be revealed", the pixy replied, looking around the room at the perplexed looks of his companions.
"Now", he continued, "Where did Isabella want Tamsin to visit her ?"
Damien took a deep breath. "Shillington", he said importantly. I remember that because Grandad used to call me his little shilling bit. Did you know that a shilling is an old coin, but we don't have them anymore because Heath betrayed Britain to the Europeans ? That's what Grandad used to say anyway, before he died."
"I think I'd have liked your Grandad", Pisky replied, having a similar viewpoint. He looked over to Rhiannon and caught the faintest of smiles from her before turning back to Damien.
"Ok", the pixy continued, "Damien - did you ever do French at school ?"
"A bit", the boy said, "But I hated it."
Pisky grinned. "What's the French word for 'Dog' ?"
"Chien", Damien replied almost instantly, pronouncing it in the correct French manner.
"And how is that spelt ?"
"C-H-I-E-N", came the reply.
Pisky looked around. "It is my opinion that the word Isabella said to Tamsin was not 'Shillington' but 'Chillington'", he said, "The letters C and H are usually pronounced 'Sh' in French, as in 'Chien'. Isabella is - was - French, hence she would pronounce words with somewhat of a French accent. Especially if she's who I believe she is"
"And who is that exactly ?" Tobias asked.
"Isabella, wife of Edward II. Known as 'The She-Wolf of France'" Pisky smiled.
"I assume you're going to explain this ?"
The pixy took a drink of 'Best Pixyland' to wet his whistle before continuing. "Damien gave me the info, but it took until this morning for me to join the dots." he said. "A French Queen called Isabella who was married to a King who didn't act like one. Who didn't like his friends, one of whom was a Gascon. There was, as far as I know, no French Queen Isabella, but there was an English one. The wife of Edward II. And this king, the son of Longshanks, was often seen to be working with the peasants in the field, much to the disgust of the Queen and the nobility."
KayEm looked up with a disbelieving look on her face. "Are you talking about the Isabella mentioned in 'Braveheart' ?", she asked.
"Ignore 'Braveheart, that was just fiction." the pixy explained, "Isabella was never the sweet, soft hearted woman she was portrayed to be in Gibson's film. She had her husband murdered horribly and, alongside her lover Roger Mortimer, took control of England during the minority of her son the future King Edward III. However ... ", the pixy continued,
"Her son wasn't as easily manipulated. Four years after his father's ignominous death, he overthrew Mortimer and had him executed. Isabella was condemned to 'house arrest' at Castle Rising - for life".
"So where does Chillington fit in ?" Tobias asked.
"Chillington has a legend attached", Pisky continued. "Back in the fifteen hundreds the owner of Chillington was one Sir John Gifford. He, as did many other noblemen of the time, kept a menagerie in the grounds of his manor. One day a wild panther escaped and was pursued by the household. Sir John himself came upon it as it was stalking a woman carrying her child through the park. As he drew his crossbow to save the woman his son came up behind him and offered him encouragement. He shot and killed the panther as it sprang. Just outside Chillington Hall there is a small Gatehouse. In the grounds of this building is a large wooden cross - Giffords Cross - which marks where this is alleged to have happened."
"So what's that got to do with Isabella. From what you've said you may as well link Pantha to Chillington - after all, it was a panther in the story." Pantha shivered.
"Two points", Pisky replied smiling, "Firstly, local folklore of the area says that it wasn't a panther that Gifford killed, but a wolf."
"And the other point ?"
"Remember when I said that as Gifford aimed at the 'panther', his son gave him encouragement ?"
"So ?"
"He said Prenez haleine, tirez forte ... "
"Take breath, pull hard", Fingal translated, causing a gasp to reverberate around the hall.
"Yes", said the pixy, "The words Isabella said at the end of the exorcism. I knew I had heard it somewhere before."
"So where exactly does that leave us ?", Tobias asked.
Pisky took a deep breath. "I don't believe that Gifford killed a panther." he explained, "I think he killed a wolf. The She- Wolf of France. Isabella."
The hall went quiet as each member of the group considered the pixy's words.
KayEm broke the silence, "But why?", she asked, "She was under house arrest in some castle wasn't she ? What was she doing in Chillington ? and Why would Gifford kill her ?"
"Now that is the sixty four thousand pixy stix question", Pisky replied. But on the grounds that Chillington is only fifty miles from here, while Shillington is over a hundred miles further on, I would be inclined to check out the closest one first."
LadyCool was not happy. In fact it was quite safe to say that she was absolutely livid. Her stomach hurt from having been hung over Angover's horse like a lump of meat, her legs dangling one side, arms the other. Both ankles and wrists were tied and she had been gagged by something that smelled like a three week old dog turd. She definitely was not happy.
Since she had been forcibly removed from the computer room by Angover, she had spent hours trying to work out a plan of escape. He hadn't hurt her - in fact he had looked sad faced as he had clapped his massive hand over her mouth to stop her shouting for help - but he was a closed book to her now, as was Tamsin.
The girl rode regally on one of the stable horses, her back straight, her eyes fixed far in the distance. She hadn't spoken a word to LC since she had destroyed the Stokesay computers and imperiously ordered her father to open the gates.
It was late in the evening by now and the horses were faltering. Suddenly they came to a halt as Tamsin lifted one arm and dismounted. Angover followed suit and hobbled both horses before lifting the aching LadyCool from his mount and sitting her beside a large oak tree. "I think I can take this off now", he said in his Cornish accent as he untied her gag, casting the object away. LC spluttered. "What was that disgusting thing anyway ?" she asked.
"One of Pisky's socks", came the reply, "There's a terrible smell in Dingley Dell, 'cause the pixies are washing their socks", he said, repeating the old poem that no one knew the rest of.
"Oh my god !", LC exclaimed in horror, "I need to wash my face !!!"
"I suppose I can untie your hands for a bit", Angover said, "Just to let you eat and wash anyway. As long as you promise not to run away. Tamsin wouldn't like that."
"Bugger that", thought LadyCool, "Give me a chance and I'm off !", but she merely smiled nicely and turned to allow the blacksmith to untie her bonds.
Once her hands were free, she took a bottle of water from Angover and splashed the cold water over her face in order to remove the stench of Pisky's socks from her pores. She would deal with the pixy later on, but for now she sat and plotted her escape.
"What's going on, Angover ?", she asked as she watched Tamsin eating daintily while sitting against a nearby tree.
"I don't really know lass", the blacksmith answered, "I just know that Tamsin says that it'll help her." He looked sadly at LadyCool. "I've already lost my wife, I can't lose my daughter too."
LC leaned back against her own tree and sighed.
"OK, this is what we're going to do", Tobias explained as he poured himself a flagon of Best Pixyland. "I'm going to Chillington with Fingal. Pisky and Loki are staying here to fix the computer kit. Erisian, as soon as you get net access, I want you to check things out. If it turns out that the pixy is spouting #, I want you to send someone to tell us and we'll head off straight to Bedfordshire." The soldier grinned at Pisky who flicked the V's in a friendly manner. "Pantha", Tobias continued in his best 'Star Trek Captain' voice, "You have the conn."
And within the hour the soldier and the priest had left the safety of Stokesay, bound for lands unknown.
How could you! *gags* I'll never get my taste buds fully restored now...
Very interesting, Pisky. I think I found an anomaly (I'm going to assume it's deliberate ) and think I know where this could be going.
Originally posted by Ravenna
Very interesting, Pisky. I think I found an anomaly (I'm going to assume it's deliberate ) and think I know where this could be going.
As I said in my reply to your U2U, that was a pretty good piece of research. You were right about 'something' ... as for why ? ... you'll just have to wait.
[edit on 16-11-2004 by Pisky]
Wow, poor LC, the stench must have been unbearable
another awesome chapter pisky!!!
another awesome chapter pisky!!!
I bet that didn't taste too pleasant...
As for the piecing together of computer bits...it's funny you should mention that...
About a week ago, a fellow I know took an old computer of his, and threw it off his roof, smashing it to bits.
I being of the frugal sort, gathered the pieces, and lovingly created myself a nice little CD player from the CD rom and power supply. It's a bit dodgy, and has no display, and is tricky to use, but hey, I made it.
I also had some fun attempting to wire up an AC adaptor so that I could use the old hard drive for an independent backup drive. I've had a bit of success...but I shocked the hell out of myself once.. I'll have a nice backup drive here in a bit. I'm going to find the tin-snips now, so I can remodel a bit of old casing for it. It's going to be pretty sweet.
As for the piecing together of computer bits...it's funny you should mention that...
About a week ago, a fellow I know took an old computer of his, and threw it off his roof, smashing it to bits.
I being of the frugal sort, gathered the pieces, and lovingly created myself a nice little CD player from the CD rom and power supply. It's a bit dodgy, and has no display, and is tricky to use, but hey, I made it.
I also had some fun attempting to wire up an AC adaptor so that I could use the old hard drive for an independent backup drive. I've had a bit of success...but I shocked the hell out of myself once.. I'll have a nice backup drive here in a bit. I'm going to find the tin-snips now, so I can remodel a bit of old casing for it. It's going to be pretty sweet.
Chapter 35 - The calm before the storm
"Try now"
"No - still fecked"
"BUGGERATION !!!!"
Pisky danced around in frustration hurling imprecations left, right and centre but particularly towards the cannibalised computer sitting on the desk.
"What about the external modem ?" Loki asked once the pixy had ceased his rantings.
"That's buggered too", came the reply, "even if it did work at first, the sodding dog peed all over it when we were seeing Tobias and Fingal off."
"She misses LC", Loki explained, although an explanation wasn't necessary.
"Don't we all?", Pisky asked. "KayEm's pacing the hall like an angry lioness. If it wasn't for having to look after Coleman, she'd have gone out herself."
Loki nodded. "We all would have gone."
Pisky agreed, then leaned forward, screwdriver in hand, to fiddle once more with the errant computer.
"I don't like this one bit", Ravenna said with feeling as she sat beside Sarah in the hall. "There's something ... not right ... about all this 'Isabella' stuff. Something's wrong and I can't put my finger on it." She picked up a cup of coffee prepared earlier by the New Yorker and took a sip. "How are Loki & Pisky doing with the computer ?"
Sarah sighed and shook her head. "Not too good", she replied. "Angover did one hell of a job trashing that system."
Ravenna pushed a piece of hair from her face and sat back, her hands wrapped around the mug. She turned to Sarah. "Look at all this chaos", she said with a wry grin on her face; "And to think that I wanted to be a nun."
"A nun ???"
Ravenna grinned at her companion's look of surprise. "Yes. I saw The sound of music when I was a kid. I wanted to be like Julie Andrews. That lasted all of a month before I changed my mind and thought I'd be a witch instead."
"Let me guess", Sarah said, "Charmed ?"
"Bewitched" Ravenna replied, wiggling her nose. And they both fell around in gales of laughter.
"Have you ever had a day when you wake up and it's like there are black clouds just behind your head?" Asala asked as she carefully chopped a piece of onion.
"What do you mean ?" came Pantha's reply from the other side of the kitchen. She threw a pile of potato peelings into a bucket, wiped her hands and joined Asala at the table.
"I'm not really sure", Asala said, "It like I'm looking at this onion and the cutting board and the knife just fine, but ... its like when you know someone is behind you before you turn. Except with me its like there's a dark cloud there instead. Weird I know."
"Not really", said Pantha, her mind elsewhere. "I had a nightmare last night and I haven't had one for months." She turned to Asala. "There was a dark cloud in that too."
"There was ?"
"I was walking through some hills - they looked like Scotland to me - and I needed to get somewhere before the cloud reached me because I knew it was bad news. I ran and ran and eventually I turned and it was there. Black and lowering and ... evil." Pantha shivered, then collected her thoughts and continued. "In front there was a mist and I knew that if I went in there, I'd be safe from the cloud. Then I woke up."
Asala put down the knife and leaned against the table. "I'm glad I didn't have that dream." she said, "I hate bad dreams. I just can't seem to push them out of my mind."
"I'm sure it's nothing", Pantha said, but deep inside she was troubled.
Status: Dialing
"Come on", Pisky muttered under his breath, "Get on with it"
Status: Verifying username and password
"Yes !!!" Loki yelled as the internet connection was completed and the network icon appeared at the bottom right of the screen.
"About buggering time too !", the pixy said as Loki checked that the connection was valid. "It's taken long enough."
"Are you going to let Erisian know", Loki asked, "or should I ?"
"Pisky gestured to the printer beside the now functioning computer; "I still have to get that pile of crap working." he said. Loki offered his commiserations as he checked the connection one last time before standing and heading towards the door. "I'll give you a yell when food's ready", he said to the pixy who had the back off and was hacking away inside the printer with his penknife.
The old door creaked as Loki left the room, leaving Pisky fiddling with the machine. The pixy was still in the middle of replacing the guide belt when he realised that Loki was calling to him from the courtyard. Muttering obscenities, he stretched his aching bones and threw open the window.
"Visitors !" Yelled Loki as the pixy leaned out of the open window. "Pantha's taken them into the hall". And with this he strode away to track down Erisian.
"Feck that", muttered Pisky, returning to his work. Then fired out a torrent of the vilest Cornish oaths he could muster as the printer cartridge burst and covered his hands with black ink.
Tobias and Fingal sat on a fallen tree munching on sandwiches supplied by Asala as they rested both themselves and the horses. The soldier chewed thoughtfully, his eyes following the clouds as they wafted through the sky.
Weird, isn't it ?", he asked as he picked up his bottle of 'Best Pixyland', "As far as the corporates are concerned, we've heard neither hide nor hair from them for weeks apart from the normal 'We are the Borg' beaurocratic crap on the net."
"And that's a bad thing ?", Fingal asked with a quizzical look in his eyes.
"I just don't trust the bastards", Tobias replied. "They're too quiet. And the way people have just settled into life under the Corporates bothers me. It reminds me of a book I read once about the Nazi occupation of Holland. The only difference for most people in the cities was the presence of German soldiers and less food and amenities." He took a drink and passed the bottle to Fingal. "Of course most people were just keeping their heads down and going with the flow.", he continued, "While others fought and ended up in concentration camps. And its the same here right now." He sighed. "Who would have thought it?"
"The pixy told me about the time he was in the Channel Isles", Fingal replied having first taken a drink to wet his whistle. "Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. The only British lands occupied by the nazis. Pisky told me about the people he knew there, people who lived through the occupation. He said that they never gave up and never missed a chance to feck up the lives of the invaders. Passive aggression he called it. Of course there were some arseholes brown-nosing the nazis but they ended up on the losing side at the end and dearly regretted it." He looked into the darkening sky as the first faint stars appeared, "One day", he said philosophically, "This will all be over and we'll be on the winning side. And the corporates will be the ones regretting their choices. Mark my words."
Ravenna stood up from her place beside the fire as the hall door opened and Pantha entered followed by two indistinct shapes. As she ushered the couple inside, Pantha scanned the hall, smiling as she caught sight of Ravenna and Sarah peering into the bright sunlight pouring through the open door. Closing the heavy iron studded door cut off the bright rays and the figures came into focus. Both were dressed in green. The one nearest Pantha was a smallish man with a shock of black curly hair and a ready smile. His hat flopped over one ear and in his right hand he held a bow, the arrows for which were carried in a quiver at his back. But it wasn't his appearance that caused Ravenna to gasp, but that of his companion.
She was tall, almost as tall as KayEm. Her long pale blonde hair fell down her back, shining in the sunlight streaming from the windows. She too was dressed in forest green, her long ankle-length skirt swishing as she followed Pantha towards the fireplace, her hooded cloak fastened on her shoulders by silver brooches. The woman's eyes were piercing green, almost as if her mortal eyes had been replaced by emeralds and her face as white as freshly fallen snow. She scanned the room languidly, a curved bow held lightly in her one hand, the other at her belt. Ravenna swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry as the visitors gaze caught hers. And held. Ravenna's blue eyes met the emerald orbs of the visitor. Words leaped unbidden in Ravenna's mind, words she couldn't understand. Something like a soft wind seemed to enclose her soul. Her eyelids began to flicker at the emotional onslaught. Then the woman turned away to address Pantha.
Ravenna sighed in relief. Seeing the blood drain from her friend's face, Sarah took hold of her arm. "Are you ok", she whispered in concern, while Pantha kept the visitors engrossed in conversation.
"Fine", Ravenna replied, "That was ... I'll tell you later." Then she turned to where Pantha was beginning the introductions.
"This is Pickwick", Pantha was saying, indicating the small, curly-haired man. "He's from Bodmin."
Pickwick smiled, doffed his hat and made a stately bow towards his three hosts. "Charmed, I'm sure", he said in an accent that was vaguely recognisable but not quite enough to make identification possible.
"And this", Pantha continued, indicating the tall blonde woman, "Is ... Murree ... Mur ..." she struggled to speak the unusual name.
"Muryannan", came the reply. The voice was soft yet hinted of unknown strengths, the accent similar to that of the smiling Pickwick. She inclined her head to her audience; "Muryannan of Hexworthy, Handmaiden to the Lady ..."
The door opened with a creak as Loki entered the hallway, his entrance interrupting the strange blonde woman who glared towards him as he crossed the floor.
"Feck me !", he grinned as he reached the group clustered beside the fire, "It's Galadriel !"
Muryannan pursed her lips. "I amar prestar aen", she began, stopping Loki in his tracks. "Han mathon ne nen. Han mathon ne chae. A han noston ned 'wilith"
"And a merry Christmas to you too !", grinned Loki sarcastically.
Muryannan placed her bow on the nearby table and crossed her arms. Still looking at Loki she smiled coldly.
"The world is changed. I feel it in the waters. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.", she answered the unasked question. "It's in the Quenya Elven language created by Tolkien. Since you mentioned Galadriel, I assumed that you would understand her tongue."
And for once, Loki's own tongue was tied.
As quickly as manners would allow, Ravenna left the hall and walked over to the gatehouse. The sun was low on the horizon and the cold air biting as she opened the door and began climbing the creaky old stairs. Inside, Phoebe lay before a merrily burning fire, while Pisky lounged on a chair indulging in a late afternoon tankard. Erisian sat at the computer, tongue between her lips as she concentrated on catching up on the recent news. Ravenna closed the door and leaned against the wall. "That was intense", she said, sighing deeply.
Pisky looked up, a quizzical look on his face.
"That woman, the one who just got here. very strange. Almost spooky." Ravenna dropped into a chair beside Erisian and rubbed her face. "Oh, by the way Pisky", she said, turning to where the pixy was about to pour more cider, "Pantha's looking for you in the hall."
"No peace for the wicked", the pixy muttered, pushing himself out of his chair and handing the unopened cider bottle to Ravenna. "You may as well have that", he continued noticing her pale complexion, "You look as if you need it."
Then he left the room and headed towards the hall.
Clouds scudded across the sky as Pisky strode rapidly across the courtyard. In the stables the ostlers covered their charges with thick blankets against the coming cold. "We'll have snow soon", the pixy said to himself as the clouds blocked the light of the moon. Reaching the hall, he pushed open the door and entered the warmth of the building.
One of the newcomers lounged on a padded couch, his back to the approaching pixy, while Sarah, Pantha and Loki sat nearby. The cider, as usual, flowed like water and Pisky grinned at the possibility of good drink and good conversation with people from the 'outside world'.
"Pisky !", said Pantha, her face red with a combination of cider and heat from the fire. She stood and gestured to the pixy to join the throng.
The visitor also came to his feet and turned to face the new arrival. "Pisky !!!!", the beaming Pickwick yelled happily, leaping across the room to grasp the dumbfounded pixy by the shoulders.
"Feck me !!!", Pisky replied, his smile so large it looked as his avatar was there in the flesh. "What the hell are you doing here ???"
Pickwick opened his mouth to answer, then closed it rapidly, gesturing with his head to where Muryannan was walking gracefully from the bathroom. Pisky turned at the sound of a soft footfall, and his mouth dropped.
Muryannan smiled coldly and inclined her head; "Good evening, Piskandir"
Pisky closed his eyes, shook his head and said the only thing that came to mind.
"Oh feck !!!"
"Try now"
"No - still fecked"
"BUGGERATION !!!!"
Pisky danced around in frustration hurling imprecations left, right and centre but particularly towards the cannibalised computer sitting on the desk.
"What about the external modem ?" Loki asked once the pixy had ceased his rantings.
"That's buggered too", came the reply, "even if it did work at first, the sodding dog peed all over it when we were seeing Tobias and Fingal off."
"She misses LC", Loki explained, although an explanation wasn't necessary.
"Don't we all?", Pisky asked. "KayEm's pacing the hall like an angry lioness. If it wasn't for having to look after Coleman, she'd have gone out herself."
Loki nodded. "We all would have gone."
Pisky agreed, then leaned forward, screwdriver in hand, to fiddle once more with the errant computer.
"I don't like this one bit", Ravenna said with feeling as she sat beside Sarah in the hall. "There's something ... not right ... about all this 'Isabella' stuff. Something's wrong and I can't put my finger on it." She picked up a cup of coffee prepared earlier by the New Yorker and took a sip. "How are Loki & Pisky doing with the computer ?"
Sarah sighed and shook her head. "Not too good", she replied. "Angover did one hell of a job trashing that system."
Ravenna pushed a piece of hair from her face and sat back, her hands wrapped around the mug. She turned to Sarah. "Look at all this chaos", she said with a wry grin on her face; "And to think that I wanted to be a nun."
"A nun ???"
Ravenna grinned at her companion's look of surprise. "Yes. I saw The sound of music when I was a kid. I wanted to be like Julie Andrews. That lasted all of a month before I changed my mind and thought I'd be a witch instead."
"Let me guess", Sarah said, "Charmed ?"
"Bewitched" Ravenna replied, wiggling her nose. And they both fell around in gales of laughter.
"Have you ever had a day when you wake up and it's like there are black clouds just behind your head?" Asala asked as she carefully chopped a piece of onion.
"What do you mean ?" came Pantha's reply from the other side of the kitchen. She threw a pile of potato peelings into a bucket, wiped her hands and joined Asala at the table.
"I'm not really sure", Asala said, "It like I'm looking at this onion and the cutting board and the knife just fine, but ... its like when you know someone is behind you before you turn. Except with me its like there's a dark cloud there instead. Weird I know."
"Not really", said Pantha, her mind elsewhere. "I had a nightmare last night and I haven't had one for months." She turned to Asala. "There was a dark cloud in that too."
"There was ?"
"I was walking through some hills - they looked like Scotland to me - and I needed to get somewhere before the cloud reached me because I knew it was bad news. I ran and ran and eventually I turned and it was there. Black and lowering and ... evil." Pantha shivered, then collected her thoughts and continued. "In front there was a mist and I knew that if I went in there, I'd be safe from the cloud. Then I woke up."
Asala put down the knife and leaned against the table. "I'm glad I didn't have that dream." she said, "I hate bad dreams. I just can't seem to push them out of my mind."
"I'm sure it's nothing", Pantha said, but deep inside she was troubled.
Status: Dialing
"Come on", Pisky muttered under his breath, "Get on with it"
Status: Verifying username and password
"Yes !!!" Loki yelled as the internet connection was completed and the network icon appeared at the bottom right of the screen.
"About buggering time too !", the pixy said as Loki checked that the connection was valid. "It's taken long enough."
"Are you going to let Erisian know", Loki asked, "or should I ?"
"Pisky gestured to the printer beside the now functioning computer; "I still have to get that pile of crap working." he said. Loki offered his commiserations as he checked the connection one last time before standing and heading towards the door. "I'll give you a yell when food's ready", he said to the pixy who had the back off and was hacking away inside the printer with his penknife.
The old door creaked as Loki left the room, leaving Pisky fiddling with the machine. The pixy was still in the middle of replacing the guide belt when he realised that Loki was calling to him from the courtyard. Muttering obscenities, he stretched his aching bones and threw open the window.
"Visitors !" Yelled Loki as the pixy leaned out of the open window. "Pantha's taken them into the hall". And with this he strode away to track down Erisian.
"Feck that", muttered Pisky, returning to his work. Then fired out a torrent of the vilest Cornish oaths he could muster as the printer cartridge burst and covered his hands with black ink.
Tobias and Fingal sat on a fallen tree munching on sandwiches supplied by Asala as they rested both themselves and the horses. The soldier chewed thoughtfully, his eyes following the clouds as they wafted through the sky.
Weird, isn't it ?", he asked as he picked up his bottle of 'Best Pixyland', "As far as the corporates are concerned, we've heard neither hide nor hair from them for weeks apart from the normal 'We are the Borg' beaurocratic crap on the net."
"And that's a bad thing ?", Fingal asked with a quizzical look in his eyes.
"I just don't trust the bastards", Tobias replied. "They're too quiet. And the way people have just settled into life under the Corporates bothers me. It reminds me of a book I read once about the Nazi occupation of Holland. The only difference for most people in the cities was the presence of German soldiers and less food and amenities." He took a drink and passed the bottle to Fingal. "Of course most people were just keeping their heads down and going with the flow.", he continued, "While others fought and ended up in concentration camps. And its the same here right now." He sighed. "Who would have thought it?"
"The pixy told me about the time he was in the Channel Isles", Fingal replied having first taken a drink to wet his whistle. "Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. The only British lands occupied by the nazis. Pisky told me about the people he knew there, people who lived through the occupation. He said that they never gave up and never missed a chance to feck up the lives of the invaders. Passive aggression he called it. Of course there were some arseholes brown-nosing the nazis but they ended up on the losing side at the end and dearly regretted it." He looked into the darkening sky as the first faint stars appeared, "One day", he said philosophically, "This will all be over and we'll be on the winning side. And the corporates will be the ones regretting their choices. Mark my words."
Ravenna stood up from her place beside the fire as the hall door opened and Pantha entered followed by two indistinct shapes. As she ushered the couple inside, Pantha scanned the hall, smiling as she caught sight of Ravenna and Sarah peering into the bright sunlight pouring through the open door. Closing the heavy iron studded door cut off the bright rays and the figures came into focus. Both were dressed in green. The one nearest Pantha was a smallish man with a shock of black curly hair and a ready smile. His hat flopped over one ear and in his right hand he held a bow, the arrows for which were carried in a quiver at his back. But it wasn't his appearance that caused Ravenna to gasp, but that of his companion.
She was tall, almost as tall as KayEm. Her long pale blonde hair fell down her back, shining in the sunlight streaming from the windows. She too was dressed in forest green, her long ankle-length skirt swishing as she followed Pantha towards the fireplace, her hooded cloak fastened on her shoulders by silver brooches. The woman's eyes were piercing green, almost as if her mortal eyes had been replaced by emeralds and her face as white as freshly fallen snow. She scanned the room languidly, a curved bow held lightly in her one hand, the other at her belt. Ravenna swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry as the visitors gaze caught hers. And held. Ravenna's blue eyes met the emerald orbs of the visitor. Words leaped unbidden in Ravenna's mind, words she couldn't understand. Something like a soft wind seemed to enclose her soul. Her eyelids began to flicker at the emotional onslaught. Then the woman turned away to address Pantha.
Ravenna sighed in relief. Seeing the blood drain from her friend's face, Sarah took hold of her arm. "Are you ok", she whispered in concern, while Pantha kept the visitors engrossed in conversation.
"Fine", Ravenna replied, "That was ... I'll tell you later." Then she turned to where Pantha was beginning the introductions.
"This is Pickwick", Pantha was saying, indicating the small, curly-haired man. "He's from Bodmin."
Pickwick smiled, doffed his hat and made a stately bow towards his three hosts. "Charmed, I'm sure", he said in an accent that was vaguely recognisable but not quite enough to make identification possible.
"And this", Pantha continued, indicating the tall blonde woman, "Is ... Murree ... Mur ..." she struggled to speak the unusual name.
"Muryannan", came the reply. The voice was soft yet hinted of unknown strengths, the accent similar to that of the smiling Pickwick. She inclined her head to her audience; "Muryannan of Hexworthy, Handmaiden to the Lady ..."
The door opened with a creak as Loki entered the hallway, his entrance interrupting the strange blonde woman who glared towards him as he crossed the floor.
"Feck me !", he grinned as he reached the group clustered beside the fire, "It's Galadriel !"
Muryannan pursed her lips. "I amar prestar aen", she began, stopping Loki in his tracks. "Han mathon ne nen. Han mathon ne chae. A han noston ned 'wilith"
"And a merry Christmas to you too !", grinned Loki sarcastically.
Muryannan placed her bow on the nearby table and crossed her arms. Still looking at Loki she smiled coldly.
"The world is changed. I feel it in the waters. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.", she answered the unasked question. "It's in the Quenya Elven language created by Tolkien. Since you mentioned Galadriel, I assumed that you would understand her tongue."
And for once, Loki's own tongue was tied.
As quickly as manners would allow, Ravenna left the hall and walked over to the gatehouse. The sun was low on the horizon and the cold air biting as she opened the door and began climbing the creaky old stairs. Inside, Phoebe lay before a merrily burning fire, while Pisky lounged on a chair indulging in a late afternoon tankard. Erisian sat at the computer, tongue between her lips as she concentrated on catching up on the recent news. Ravenna closed the door and leaned against the wall. "That was intense", she said, sighing deeply.
Pisky looked up, a quizzical look on his face.
"That woman, the one who just got here. very strange. Almost spooky." Ravenna dropped into a chair beside Erisian and rubbed her face. "Oh, by the way Pisky", she said, turning to where the pixy was about to pour more cider, "Pantha's looking for you in the hall."
"No peace for the wicked", the pixy muttered, pushing himself out of his chair and handing the unopened cider bottle to Ravenna. "You may as well have that", he continued noticing her pale complexion, "You look as if you need it."
Then he left the room and headed towards the hall.
Clouds scudded across the sky as Pisky strode rapidly across the courtyard. In the stables the ostlers covered their charges with thick blankets against the coming cold. "We'll have snow soon", the pixy said to himself as the clouds blocked the light of the moon. Reaching the hall, he pushed open the door and entered the warmth of the building.
One of the newcomers lounged on a padded couch, his back to the approaching pixy, while Sarah, Pantha and Loki sat nearby. The cider, as usual, flowed like water and Pisky grinned at the possibility of good drink and good conversation with people from the 'outside world'.
"Pisky !", said Pantha, her face red with a combination of cider and heat from the fire. She stood and gestured to the pixy to join the throng.
The visitor also came to his feet and turned to face the new arrival. "Pisky !!!!", the beaming Pickwick yelled happily, leaping across the room to grasp the dumbfounded pixy by the shoulders.
"Feck me !!!", Pisky replied, his smile so large it looked as his avatar was there in the flesh. "What the hell are you doing here ???"
Pickwick opened his mouth to answer, then closed it rapidly, gesturing with his head to where Muryannan was walking gracefully from the bathroom. Pisky turned at the sound of a soft footfall, and his mouth dropped.
Muryannan smiled coldly and inclined her head; "Good evening, Piskandir"
Pisky closed his eyes, shook his head and said the only thing that came to mind.
"Oh feck !!!"
oooooooooooooh piskandir...........
I can't wait to see where this is going, and what Ravenna felt / heard!!!!!
nice work pisky!!!!!
edit: cause i can't spell
[edit on 11/22/2004 by smilingsarah82]
I can't wait to see where this is going, and what Ravenna felt / heard!!!!!
nice work pisky!!!!!
edit: cause i can't spell
[edit on 11/22/2004 by smilingsarah82]
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