Ann McLaren when James meet her at Hadrian's wall..

Havens Salvation

Chapter 2

Decisions

Copyright 2014
Misha Nova

Editorial salvation by djkauf

Creative Consultancy by

Bailey Summers,

My wonderful, funny, insightful and talented girls [ Anna 12y] and[Crystal 9y]

Ms Mary Adelaide Wilkinson [ my mother who dragged me all over the back roads of Colorado bringing those historical souls back to life. ]

Teha Kendi Actress Playwright Director Screen writer. Mother Best Friend, Wife, and the first person to give my writing a good review.

With out all of the efforts from the above this story would never seen the light of an audience.

Betty

After breakfast we crossed the highway from the Cafe, to take a look at the closed Chamber of Commerce building. There were a few old brochures about attractions. We found one that was five years old with a map of the township.

Walking on a stone walkway around the building, I found there was an area with eight outside protected display boards. These boards painted a panorama of the town from its start as Forest City; a gold rush boom town, through its rebirth ten years later as Haven. Pictures are windows into the past, like little time machines but unfortunately they are flat with no depth.

Pictures from the founding through the war years of WW I and 2, then even more from modern times up into the 1990s and to the near present...these gave a static sense of life then but no smells, no sound, no real sense of the people themselves. But from what I could discern, this place intrigued me.

There was a more detailed general map of the town and surrounding areas, I pulled out my tablet to take pictures of all the pictures on the boards. Being careful to overlap the pictures so I captured a tiled view of the contents of all 8 boards. Something in the pictures tickled my mind but I will look closer later for what it is. But I could see that there were faces from the past and present that were related to each other.

Anna started to read about how the town was re-founded to be a spiritualist Mecca in the 1900. The last bit of writing was was dated 1989 and spoke about the towns being owned by the residents and their hopes, goals.

Anna must be thinking I was going deaf, she started talking, quietly to Crystal, who can never talk quietly, which started them both jabbering among themselves. They chatted about how it could be so neat to meet other kids from here to find out what they think about living here.

" Crystal this would be such a nice place.”

“ Why, because crazy Kurt is not here? “

"Yeah that too, but have you seen that adults here, listen to what you are saying? And they use the same lame jokes, like mama? It's a grown up way of being like us “

' Ya it's like a whole lots of people here think like mama.. You know I think mama would like living here, there are more people like her.. ,Anna Margie at the restaurant told me we fit in here.? “

“I think it would really be nice that mama would be happy,and not so sad all the time. People like Kurt being mean is really hurting her. She is being pecked to death out there. Maybe she will be safe here."

" I think you’re right about being safe here. This place feels like home did before mommy died. This is a place mommy would like to live. Lowering her voice to a whisper. Crystal don't tell mama but I talked to mommy's ghost last night. She had just kissed mama behind the ear last night. Then as you slept she kissed you, then told me we should stay here,and if we do, she wants to be here with us.”

As the mama I must always keep an ear open to what is going on whether I like it or not. I like what I hear. It would seem the kids are both voting to stay. And it is so sweet the girls are thinking about me as well. Would living somewhere around here be that bad. I am really surprised at how fast this is going. Sometimes that's the way things work, if you are worrying too much, things can hide in plain sight. Relax and go with the flow, then the solution finds you. Here I have been looking for a place like this, fretting that it may not exist. When I gave things over to my guidance, it finds me. Now I just need to get my nerves to accept this, when changes happen this fast it makes me queasy, like a ride on a roller coaster, with no seat belts.

This is where my discipline, smarts and experience figure in to the equation. Because when you separate what your desire is from what vibe you are sensing, it filters out the interference created by your fear of being wrong. The wisdom is knowing the difference between hitting the nail in the board, from hitting the nail on your hand. Now where did I put my antacids ?

Betty

I gave the display boards another once over taking another picture of the township map and its legend before telling the girls .

" Girls, let’s get walking and see what's going on. After we see the main drag here then break for lunch and then see what we want to do next."

We did our walk around and took a lot of pictures. We stopped at the Heavenly Bean the coffee roaster whose motto was ' Where Heaven buys coffee.' I was in Heaven sampling all of the different types of drip coffee that was fresh today. After six small sample cups I was very jazzed and very contentedly happy. I just had to have a pound of the a special Hazel Nut medium roast coffee.”

The next stop was at the” Pastry Cornucopia “ where I got a mixed sample box, then spent time talking to the owners finding them to be a lot of fun and charismatic. Now I had a sugar high to go with my coffee buzz.

I turned toward the convenience store gas station and my stomach went sour, Looking closely I could see the darkness around it. I pulled the kids back towards me as I watched several townspeople avoid even driving through the frontage access to the highway preferring instead to drive to another access point farther away.

“Let’s not go there, kids, it has a really bad vibe about that store”. Soon as we backed away I was strongly drawn to Dells dairy store . I noted on my slate this gas station has something bad about it. I noted the name of the company listed on their sign to research later.

We back tracked just a few paces to stop at a local Dairy. The clerk at the counter was a twenty something young man named Lester, who was quite animated and chatty; telling me about the town and their products.

I was able to buy a half gallon of milk for cereal and for the kids to drink. We were talking about their small pints of ice cream, when there was a commotion from outside and our Lester muttered “not again.”

“Whats happening Les. Just then a young women bolted past the door slid to a stop and lunged in, crying “protect me”. She was hysterically crying , her nose and the side of her face was bleeding from a savage blow by what looked to be a ham sized fist. I bent over to help her when a very gruff voice came from the door

“Get away from her, you witch, she belongs to God and I am his right hand.”

The girl was only about 14 at the most and from how she was acting she needed medical attention now. I have seen my share of battered children and women working in shelters. And I had only one response to what I was seeing and that was cold steely anger. I turned to look at this bearded refugee from deliverance and I see his right fist is bloodied with strands of hair the same color as the wounded child who my kids, and the clerk were dragging behind the counter. I tossed my phone to Anna who looked at me wide eyed.

I was no shrinking violet when it came to protecting children, and I had all ready prepared myself for a fight; having lived in Philadelphia for a spell I was always prepared for what ever. Bad back or not I was going to stand up to him. Slipping my collapsing whip batons out of my bag. It was time to get medieval on his ass.

“ So, when does the right hand of God get the job of crushing a child's head?”

“It’s none of your business, witch. I am anointed by God and responsible for the brat so give her to me now.”

“ I talk to God all the time and he never clued me in about talking to a stupid, inbred moron. You keep calling me a witch; do you expect me to grow a pointy hat or something.”

“You’re just stalling” as he advanced on me trying to trap me against the counter. My Tai Chi training and my incredible aim was my edge. His stupidity made him underestimate this woman’s pluckiness, to stand against him was just the icing on the cake.

His first lunge and grab only got him air and some quick slaps from the whip like collapsible batons. My friends in Taipei had procured these for me from their Sensei. The sudden rap on several nerve clusters did not deter him as he turned to tackle me as I bolted out of the door. My strikes did not stop him but they spoiled his aim and slowed him down, just enough, for me to make a graceful exit stage left. I needed to keep my movements well planned and smooth so I don't throw my back out. Meaning I needed to end this now.

Outside gave me some more room to move and stay out of his grasp. This allowed me to really wale away at every place the big dolt had nerve clusters I could hit. After a few moments his nose was broken, both eyes blackened, several teeth on the ground. He now had more bruises than he would have gotten than if he had base jumped , sans parachute, into a boulder field, After three passes he finally had the sense to just to stay down.

The ambulance was the first to get here and it took some encouragement to get them to minister to the girl inside first. Bob from the diner ran up to me to see if I was Ok. As they were doing this a state trooper pickup truck pulling some trailer skidded to a stop. An older officer came bounding over to find out what was happening. He talked to Bob first then he came up to me.

“ Pardon me, Miss, do you know what just happened here?”

“ Sorry, officer; the gentleman 'car accident' there, was trying to kill a young girl who ran into the dairy with her face all busted up and blood dripping. I was already there, when she came in crying for help.

This gentleman then tried to attack me, so I got out of his way by leaving the store. He followed me out here screaming he was going to kill me but in the process he had several unfortunate accidents, carelessly running into things, before falling down to sleep off what ever he is onf.”

The officer looking skeptically at me, then the man on the ground. Then he asked me.” are you Ok, do you need to set down? ” I nodded then he called Bob over telling him to take me over and take care of me.

“ Bob, watch for shock, call me if you need me.”.

I noticed someone taking care of the girl behind the counter having an inflatable neck brace put on her and speaking quietly to her as she was still responsive and awake.

Then the gurney came out with the girl on it. The one lead EMT ran up to the officer telling him, there’s a need to clear the area for a Medical Chopper that was soon to land.

Officer McMillan had a particularly dark look on his face when he asked if the big guy was OK enough to transport to County lock up. The EMT dealt with the still prone man like dealing with a wild bear. “ Yes, I would think so, but I really don't want to take a chance of him getting loose and killing all of us in the process.”

The officer talked on the radio and looked at the Bear trap then at prone figure and laughed a truly gallows laugh. About 5 minutes later the brute was cuffed and loaded into the bear trap on top of some blankets procured for the purpose. The chopper arrived and the young girl was evacuated to Harbor View Hospital in Seattle.

I was helped to the Diner by some very well meaning people, thus allowing the drama to take care of itself. There was enough personal drama for me to take care of. Both girls were hugging me as I sat down in an offered chair,

I was amazed at how responsive the entire town was turning out to help with this situation. It reminded me of the Minute Men from the revolutionary war time. Here it would appear that most of the residents have some training on how to handle emergencies.

Betty

I was slightly drained from both fighting and using my protection warding's for the entire family. This strange situation really rattled us making all three of us a bit shaken from what just happened.

I haven't had a place react this strongly to my presence since I got drafted into my first community action group. I was just through my transition when a real estate company was trying to push our LGBT center out to develop a property. It was odd that every move they made I was just randomly there, it was not planned in any way. I did not think about it. It was like some force of nature using me to trip them up. That's when I was told by the the old women who owned the building about a gift I have in being able to make a difference for the better where I lived.

Funny why would I think about Mrs Cravits from 30 years ago here and now.?

Marge

I was just serving coffee to Jessie when she got distracted and
accidentally pulled her cup away from my aim.

“ Marge, look, it's that new girl from that god awful gas station running away, bleeding from the side of her head. Now there is that brutal chap who owned the place chasing her.”

Bob, the diner owner, came out from the back and yelled “Any one with a phone call 911 now”. as he ran out of the front door. Every one was at the windows staring at the show across the street in front of the Dell's Dairy.

Next to Dell’s there is a gas station which was recently bought by a thug we all call Mongo. I could see his latest employee ,a young girl, running and screaming across the parking lot, as she ran into Dell’s Dairy crying for help, Mongo was following close behind the kid, looking for blood. Both were out of sight for a moment inside before another person then ran out with Mongo following closely behind them. When that person turned and faced each other I saw it was Betty he had chased out of the building. Betty took what looked to be a dance pose in front of the big man who charged like a bull. Betty moved smoothly look like Kung Fu dancer striking Mongo a bunch of times with something in her hands. Two then three passes and big man was laying out in the dirt.

By then Bob was looking at Mongo on the ground. Looking down on the ground scratching his head at the unexpected sight. Turning to us in the window he shrugged his shoulders wearing a big grin on his face. Bruce, our former town Sheriff, arrived driving his State Police truck, towing a bear relocation trap. Then there were two of them looking at the crumbled mass on the ground scratching their heads and laughing.

Sobriety returned with a vengeance when Anna ran out to them pulling Bruce into the Dell's with some urgency. Bruce started to talk on his radio to someone as Samuel, our Paramedic, ran into Dell’s bag and back board in hand.

Roslyn from the hair dresser ran over to us, gasping for breath, telling me “Marge that visitor Betty has really beating down that awful brute. “ before pausing for another breath.

“Roslyn, slow down girl, sit here is some tea tell me what you know slowly,”

“Mongo started slapping the little blond girl around for spilling coffee on the floor. She started to run away when he hit her really hard. The kid ran into Dell's with that monster chasing her. He tangled with Betty who mouthed off to him to draw him back outside. He chased her screaming God is going to kill you. Betty got some room to move and pulled something out of her skirt and she beat the stuffing out of Mongo with it.”

The sound of the approaching chopper got every one on the scene to move to assist. Lanes were blocked and things were moved out of the way, allowing the chopper to land safely. With a smooth motion from years of practice, the crew had the child prepped and loaded in just a few minuets. Samuel went with them explaining what was happening along the way.

After all of the excitement with the chopper’s departure Bob came
back to the diner.

“ Margery when they get Betty over here what ever she orders is on the house; good grief that women doesn't waste any time getting busy, does she.? We just gotta convince her to stay here. I haven't seen so much positive action in this town since well, you know Marge.? “ The last part sounded quietly respectful.

Yes I did and I felt no sorrow admitting to that. I know that where ever Ann is right now, she sent this breath of fresh air to wake us up. Good bad or indifferent, Betty was sent here by the spirits, to shake things up. Ann 's spirit has provided us with this landslide of hope, named Betty. , Us mere pebbles need to git ready for a wild ride.

Betty

I never expected to be playing David against Goliath like that ass hat. That girl was only 14 years old and was being forced to work off her sins against her Church rules. She had panicked when screamed at for spilling some hot coffee then bolted out of an open door from the cashier register station she was locked into.

Mongo grabbed her by the hair so when she screamed in pain he closed fist belted her in the side of her face and mouth. The medical evacuation folks told me that she has some crushed bones in her face that may never fully recover, but my pulling him away from her, then the kids and clerks fast thinking pulling her out of sight gave her the best chance she could have.

That man has to be on anabolic steroids because people do not become that grotesquely deformed by natural means. His rage was not naturally fueled; I could sense that much, he had completely run off the tracks. There was no human left at that moment inside of him, only unreasoning animal rage.

Betty

Emotionally I was a shambles, as I always am after a physical confrontation, but the person who can stand, must stand, or all is lost.

I was shocked that the State Cop didn't arrest me, he gave me his card told me to stay put, then he simply took charge who he called Mongo after the EMT refused to transport him due to their safety concerns. The Trooper calmly cuffed and got some help loading Mongo into a reeking Bear live trap, dropped the door and hauled him off.

The response of the people of Haven was remarkable. I was escorted over to the Dragon’s Diner like a parade hero. My children were praised , by Les, the clerk for their quick thinking saving the girls life.

Lester

“ Anna and Crystal jumped in and pulled the girl behind the counter while Betty got Mongo outside, I knew that Bruce was working near by so I called the State Patrol dispatch where my aunt works , and lady luck had our back, she took my call, and Bruce was just up the road . “

Betty

The three of us had a need for extreme comfort food. I had a hot roast beef open faced sandwich, mashed spuds, and a salad, Anna had a taco salad and a small side of fries, then Crystal had her beloved corn dogs, and her raw carrots. We ate slowly and comforted each other.

I was brought out of my emotional retreat by several people coming up to our table. There was Bob, the owner, a tall women who looked like Samantha's and Nominee's mom and a couple of others I could not even put a guess at.

“ Betty, girls Bob started:It has been a long time since I have witnessed such a display of bravery and cool headed action. On behalf of the town of Haven 'Shire' as you called it Betty, I want to thank you for living up to what this town has tried to be, without even knowing who we are. For the rest of your visit here your food and lodging are on us. No arguments, no fuss”,

The tall woman identified herself as Samantha's and Nominee's mom then added.

“Betty, I have not had the pleasure of meeting you and your girls until now; for that I am sorry. I am Sam's and Nom's mom Sandra Kline, and I wish to invite you and your family to move here to our Shire. Your room is on us no arguments. And yes, Anna, you are so welcomed, very welcomed. Here, young lady.“

One of the men in the gaggle of people stepped up and slid his card on the table

“ I am the kids uncle and I do have some properties here in town which I am sure I could convince the town to rent to you through your voucher.”

The rest of the people thanked me and some left cards asking me to call them if I needed any services.

All three of us were floored at this offer. We never had been welcomed to any place before; here is a chance for us to really get a restart for our family. I looked over at the girls who were as stunned as I was.

Anna was first to say “ We are welcomed here that's a real difference.”
She had a smile on her face and so did Crystal.

“ Let’s say, girls, I will give this all a little thought and answer you tonight. Right now I don't see any reason why not.” That sent the two of them bouncing on their seats with unbridled enthusiasm only kids have.

Betty

Some other kids of varying ages came in with book bags and sat down in a marked off area of the diner. The sign above the spot simply stated BOOK Nook Club. After about ten long minutes my kids were begging to go talk with them.

Just then a couple of the kids one boy one girl came to our table and politely asked if my two could join the group?

“If it's OK with them, sure, have fun. “

This gave me some time to tinker with Haven's map images, trying to enhance the image then annotate it with my and the girl's observations. I noticed that my girls were getting along well with the kids. With both of my kids showing the local kids their tablet pictures, and talking very animatedly about the sharing.

When Margie refilled my coffee I asked if we needed to get out of the way?

" Get out of the way, of what? Your kids, and you are the town's hero's. Bob is likely to set aside a booth just for the three of you, Also you’re doing us a favor playing decoy ducks and drawing in business ,so just stay put. Anyway if you can't tell we like having you around. If you don't mind I am about to go on break may I join you.?"

" Sure I could use some company. It would appear my entourage has deserted me for more age appropriate company."

" Ya got a couple of really good kids. To let you know so are the the kids they are talking to. They hang out here after school, eat a plate of fries, and do their homework, like a study club .”

" Thanks for the compliment about my kids. So are the kids here still in school?"

" Yep it's the summer session the teacher focuses on fun stuff and it's good to keep them sharp, and out of trouble. Then we keep an eye on them after school until the parents get home. It gives them time to do their homework and socialize."

" I really need to talk to a 'knowledgeable local' about some things. Could I please pick your brain for a bit?"

" Good luck on finding it, I think the local ravens may have pecked it away. . But I will share what they have left me”

I could only smile and giggle at her joke. She returned in a few minuets with a full dressed burger and fries. Good grief it looks good, but so did all the food from Bob's kitchen.

Betty

“Well Betty what are you look-en to find out about Haven”

“I am starting with nothing, Marge, So all I have is Questions. The kids and I just took a walk across the highway to look over the other side of the town. And I am left with a very big question, what happened to derail this lovely town. I found a map of Haven at the chamber of commerce. The boards behind the building tell a story of a successful and vibrant community. There are pictures of the beginnings of the town the middle during the war years then recently up to about 2004 then the pictures stop. Now from what I can see, It's like someone pulled the fuse leaving the town to just wither on the vine?. I don't git it.”

“ Wow, how long do you have, it's a long story, that I can't cut corners telling, this place is complicated.”

“ Margie, I am Scottish and American Indian. I am a widowed mother of two bright girls; to support them I have been a grass roots organizer, done administrative work for nonprofit organizations, ran food banks. I had my own craft business, I also did volunteer work for a community market garden in Seattle's Capital Hill district. I thrive on complication. And I am really thinking of relocating here”

“ Are you crazy, woman? No don't answer that, it could incriminate the two of us, me for asking, you for answering.”

Laughing at Marge's patter I noticed that I am very at ease with her and at being here.

“ Marge how much do you know about the founding purpose of this town, to give good a chance.”

“ That stood out to you did it?. Its been a long time between the last person who understood that and you. I just hope you do not go off laughing.”

I could only shake my head and mumble. “ Their loss.” Marge's eyebrows picked up at my comment.

“ Betty this place was founded by a group of very diverse people trying to create a better place intentionally separate from the rest of the world. The founders noticed that every law and custom that has ruled for over 2000 years has been based on rewarding bad and punishing good. The founders snagged up on an Idea that Confucius made popular in China centuries ago when he was given a challenge to reform a notoriously bad Province. When the Emperor ask how he did it, Confucius answered 'Simple; I rewarded the good and punished the bad.' Working on that simple principle we had Transcendentalists, Swedenborg., Charismatic Christians, Buddhist’s, and a passel full of other good folk who came here from over in Blessings to create Haven as a doorway, and a Spiritual Fort of sorts, protecting Blessings, and what we call the Sanctuary’s lower flank ,from investors and spectaculars in the 1890s. 1900.

They worked to remove the incentive people has to attack each others lives by creating a community in which inspired social cooperation rather than blood thirsty competition. People were encouraged to do good things for the township, for their neighbors and for people outside of this community. The town council was created to operate as a guidance and accounting system keeping track of the mundane facts and numbers needed to really know who was doing what.. We are all neighbors who work very closely with each other in an attempt to create an working relationship between people on a non competitive basis. Example: those kids your kids are sitting with, earn credits by mowing the lawns of people who can't mow there own lawns, or houses which are vacant and the township owned properties, they pick up trash, do minor repairs like painting and cleaning up after a project, telling us when something is wrong with a light or a road surface. Kids are everywhere in the town, and around our limits so they see so much more than adults can pick up on..

They redeem those credits here and at places in town for snacks merchandise , and services. The businesspeople are payed fairly by the township sometimes in the form of Tax abatement or Meta we like to call it. The kids take pride in their town, get the idea of working , and understand the concept of service. One stone three birds DOA.”

The brilliance of this concept floored me. “What about the Adults, what do they do.”

Well, Tom, in the corner, is a heavy equipment operator, so he does the road repair work, and helps his neighbors. The town ship gives him the space for his equipment storage behind the Police Station. He is payed time and material by the township for the other projects. There a few people who help him on these projects to earn extra pocket money. Sam's heavy truck repair shop up town towards the hills, repairs Tom's, and the city's equipment at cost. There are others involved but the township’s money is in low supply for what we need to do.”

“ That's so neat; I love that, does this go back to the founding of the town.”

“ Yes, from the beginnings of the town we nested functions and funding of those functions and projects, putting into practice, spiritual principles and beliefs. Because all those different spiritualistic beliefs have many of the same foundation principles every one focused on just how we were alike.”

“Now the 64 dollar question, how is it working today?”

Marge grimaced “ It's still working, but the town is having problems keeping businesses in town. The Banks have red lined this township because we do not play by there rules. We still hold on to our beliefs, and because we do they call us Communists and silly idealistic fools. We still have a lot of residents here but their dollars are going elsewhere. We just are a bedroom community for the job markets.“

“Sounds like' Ye be' under siege, Lady Marguerite, and in danger of being starved out.”

“ You got it. We have lasted for over a decade in this war. Our food and water is still good but morale is low and people are getting scared that the state will reincorporate us under another standard township charter to give the banks a shot at our property.”

“Is that why, that inconvenience store is here.? “

“ Yep we had to let them put it in last year when some court decided our protective covenant was too restrictive and anti Business. The yahoo who owns that chain is a real work and so is the one who sued to force it in. it's just more money intercepted and taken out of our mouths. No one from here goes there, and it drove our gas station out of business.”

This angered me to no end I have seen this type of of warfare destroy many small town business districts, and the community organizer in me knew by experience what was happening; getting my hackles up. This old war dog in me was saying to her self, Game On, I can help them stop this. If they can give me a place to stand

“ Margie this is just too weird to be true, and I don't know how to say this with out sounding vain, but I may just have a few ideas that would go a long way in helping this situation.”

“ Yo girl unless you are going to be' boots on the ground here', it won't help much. We are down to a skeleton city council, and all of them are tied down with living and family making.”

“Margie, have you just thrown a gauntlet down at me. Are you calling me out?”

Margie looked at me with a conspiratorial look on her face, and mouthed “who me” silently. Causing both of us to laugh like a couple of school girls.

Bob

I came out of the kitchen to see how things looked, and there was Marge and Betty. The two of them were whispering together like a couple of old friends. It's good to see Margie smile again, being the head of the steerage coven is such a strain on her that I worry.

It is so easy to like Betty, her kids are sharp and sweetly funny. I got a feeling that with a little help, Betty may just stay here for a spell. Maybe I could bribe her with my grandmothers corn bread.? Na she is not that cheap I would have to use a Smoked ham, a mess of greens and the corn bread.

I can see that Betty is the type of person you really want to have on your side, just because she is such good people. She will not run from a challenge and from what I saw today she is a real rock.

There is a melancholy about her, though and many wounds weighing her down. People are just stupid to abuse away a good person. But their loss is our gain. I just read a good vibe from Betty that I trust her. Because after 25 years on the LAPD if you don't, or can’t, read people you’re dead. “

Marge

After just a hour of talking to Betty, I was almost hyperventilating at what she shared with me. Her positive and inquisitive personality spoke volumes to me . Bent but never broken. Fiercely loyal to her beliefs , her children and then to her community.

She was not at all stuck up. But very confident in what she knows, and can do. Just from the few minutes I talked to her I could sense she was the deepest person I have met in many a year.

She uses her humor and wit to great effect in communication, but that also keeps private, a wound, she carries with pride and honor. Rather than weaker, that wound makes her stronger, and compassionately solid; what Bob would call a rock.

At the same time Betty is heavily veiled, making a deep read impossible. But the glimpse I have seen makes me like ,and trust her enough that I want her to stay and be my friend. Thinking about Ann it comes to me that Betty is a modern update but still having the same spark and flame.

Betty

Marge had to go back to work so I was able to get away without giving myself away. I got the maximum amount of information with the lowest exposure of myself. Marge is really good at her craft, I was just able to keep ahead of her scans and probing.

There is so much more going on here than I ever could guess at. This is an epic struggle to hold onto what this socially advanced community has accomplished ,that has stood over one hundred years, If entropy was just a force of physics why does this feel like it is directed and had a face. It had a consciousness and it was restlessly trying to pull this town back into chaos that surrounds it.

There is nothing I can think of to compare this place to. With the exception of the Quaker, Shaker and Amish Mennonite communities which are one religion examples not a plurality . I need to look up some of the other names on the internet. I never even heard of Swedenborg or Universalism, except as a reference in one of my teacher Maggie's text books. Now they are becoming a living breathing people, whose lives and efforts I care about.

Betty

I opened my pad and hooked up the key board to record my thoughts. This beats talking to my self in public.!

“Typing”

Statement; Before I can make any decisions, I need to define the question,

Question :Do I stay and help? Or do I just pass through.
Note to self; the second option leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

Fact; This is all or nothing! If I can't help, or they say no I need to get out.

Fact; This type of battle isn't new to me. I have worked with several
communities trying to save them from the lingering death with only partial success.

Fact; I am tired of coming into a struggle to save a community after most all of the businesses had been killed, and the fight is really close to lost.

Fact; This is a living community, That has its act straight right now.

Fact; I have never had such a good situation to work with.

Fact; I do have the strength to join them in this battle for them.

Question; But is this my personal vendetta ?

Question; Is this is my great white whale.?

Question; If so do I have the right to involve them in my very personal fight?.

Desire ; I need to win a battle for my soul, I need, to give those bas@#$ds a dose of there own medicine stopping them here in their tracks.

Fact; If we win this? it could save this community, and create a working model that shows others that it can be done.

Argument; Good goddess Betty, listen to yourself, you have gone mad like Ahab or worse yet Napoleon, or Caesar.?. What makes me think I can be a leader in this effort? what if I fail.? Could this be their Waterloo and mine?

Question ; Can I handle these responsibilities, and the consequences .?

Statement; Ouch! this makes my head hurt.!

Fact: But if I do nothing, this town and all the work that went into creating and maintaining it may likely die.

Fact; Things are broken now. Question; could I break it any more?

Fact: If nothing is done this place will be erased from the earth like it never happened. Like another Sand Creek. Or Wounded Knee. No one remembers those any more.

Decision 1; So why not place my cards on the table and let them make the decisions?

Question; Aren't the goals we both have here the same?

Question; Do I have the same goals that they have, and want the same thing they want.?

Question; So why not help them do what they are trying to do. Because I want to do the same thing?

Fact; I think I need to think this out.
Question ;Whoa; isn't that what got me this headache to start with.

Haven’s Salvation

James.
There was a disturbance around me causing me to look to where it ended. In my natural wolf form I stand about seven foot something and change allowing me extra leverage for this work. Coming from around where I was working the timbers for my roof I was surprised to see Mr Keven Smith. Then the unmistakable profile of my fourth charge, the lovely Morgan La Fay. She is the daughter and Inheritor of her mother’s station. Fay held a wicker picnic basket, and a blanket looking like a person going to a gathering in the city, nor the back country wilds of Scotland.

The smile on her face lit up the countryside like a field of wild flowers.

Seeing her opened my heart wide, we were friends as well as peers. Our talent differences prevented any physical relationships but our friendship more than made up for any other lacking.

“ Fay merry meet today. What brings your ladyship to my humble crumbled home.?”

“ AI James I am here on an errand of mercy to save Keven from begging for your help. I am also here to see a dear friend and then to offer credence to Keven's offer of assistance in reclaiming your ancestral home. “

Fay asked me to join her in the shadow of the keep where she set up quite a spread of cold cut venison, and wild boar, there was wild marinaded mushrooms a proper rustic breadbasket butter contaminants of horseradish mustard, a lovely bottle of Spanish Sherry from her own estate. Vintage this was, 1885 a fine year. We started to sup , so I continued the conversation.

“ Then my fair lady what's the scary moat monster lurking in the basements of this situation? Of which no one is telling me about.? This request and the offer of highly valuable considerations, leaves me concerned about what I may be getting my self into ? I loved Ann, it was bad enough to she needed me to leave her body there in the States. What was so impotent not to bring her back to her soil, why was she was left there for her final rest?, But then to disturb her? That will demand, a powerful amount of persuasion. ”

“Always to the point and loyal beyond any expectation of service! Ann and I love you for that. Then there are many other reasons, surrounding this request.” Fay paused then continuing with a trustful sincerity in her voice. James this is truly an essential mission and one Ann is requesting of you to attend to personally.”

“Fay, why would Ann ask you anything from where she is.”

“Let’s just say James: the rumor of her death is greatly exaggerated. She is in a sorceresses sleep to preserve what she had to be able to perform her final act in choosing and training her successor. She could not tell you before because the enemies of what the two of you were doing in haven. Ann created a ruse to convince our opponents that she was not able to find a successor and that she was interned away from Haven. When she is done training her successor you are to bring Ann home, to here.

The chamber of rest for our order is deep under the foundations of your keep. That is the reason that we could not tell you, as no one but myself or a very few others, could know. Alas if any one discovered our ruse the entire order could have certainly been in jeopardy. That is how intense this war has become. ”

As angry as I was at this news I was also certain that Fay was speaking truthfully, there are many a fact I have held my tongue still about. That is just how it is must be done. An old Scot once put it, Two people can keep a secret, only if one of them is dead.

“Fay you are saying that those who are at rest are sleeping like they are dead but their consciousness is still present, and able to communicate with the still active.?”

She drew herself up into a formal pose, “ I speak as the last remaining member of my order who was living during the war between my people and the humans. Yes, James that is what I am saying and as our guardian elect of this vital secret I charge you to keep and honor the trust of 15,000 years of wisdom and teachings. Including my own mother’s resting place. I trust you are willing to do this for us.

Pulling my self to my full height and performing my ritual salute

“Yes I James McGuffey do swear by all that is honorable and true that I will keep and protect this knowledge beyond my last breath. And may my immortal being suffer in the darkest pit of Tartarus if I should fail at my oath.”

There was a visible sigh of relief that emanated from Keith. “By Mars I hated to beg an elder to do something. I ' really can’t order them to do anything, let us say elders can be more stubborn than a Damascus Donkey. With them it is all carrot and no whip.”

.
Betty
The quiet of the evening gave me the time to really do some serious work tonight. When I did the weaving of the wardings to protect the children and prevent them from intruding I was shocked to find another powerful warding in place. I was not uneasy with the energy and have had this happen before when my Scottish Grandmother communicated with me years ago.

I called down to the desk letting Samantha know we turned in very early and to hold all phone calls and visitors. I then performed my cleansing rituals of both body and spirit. Gathering my sacred items, I donned my robes, cast my circle and protection then settled down in the circle surrounded by my candles and intent to get some answers to my questions.

My first impression was that of the smell of peat burning on a fire with the sharp smell of blood mixed with sweet heather in the back ground. I knew I was on the spiritual plain and that I had been brought here by a very powerful being so lets see where I am. I opened my eyes and carefully stood up inside of my protective circle..

What I saw made me want to retch at the sight of the ghastly wounded and the dying. The population of survivors. were overwhelmed, sorting through the grisly remains for the survivors. There was a party of captive Romans riffling through the pile of what looked to be the remains of a large number of Roman legion bodies The Celts were both men and women trying to untangle their fellow Celts remains from the trash of war. Celts who died in place fighting for their freedom and survival, while the Romans were fighting for a flag. It was a very ' You Are There' moment unlike even the experiences I had at Valley Forge and Salem some years ago.

This was a battle field just after the fact, and nothing could have prepared me for the total carnage of what I was witnessing. There sat in the middle of this mess on the side of an overturned cart a fearsomely decorated woman receiving aid from what must have been a healer of sorts. She was biting on a cloth covered stick as the other women sewed up a nasty gash on the warrior’s upper right arm. On a sword in front of her was the head of a Roman Centurion or some one that was in command. She was staring at it with a smoldering hate that should have caused that bodiless head to burst into flame.

“Liken what you see, lass.? A voice next to me spoke “ I turned to look at an older women who was a carbon copy of the young woman being sewed up.

“ Haven't Ye ever seen the real business end of such a fight before have Ye?”

“ Yes mam I have and at this scale. I had to fight during the Tet offensive when I was a SP in Saigon during the Vietnam war with death staring me in the face I did what I needed to do, I still have nightmares. What I am witnessing here this is as stupid, what a waste of life. Look at this carnage, the Romans had no clams to this land. There greed forced these people to die for there stupid greed. The Romans were butchers and got what they deserved here. “

“ But Betty 'have things' really changed for the better? Or has technology made things really worse? Then I could have picked up my sword and bow and stop or kill the invaders. Now the invaders can come with machines and push homes over. They can use cheating to steal things from their rightful owners owners. Then use others to force at weapon point the owners to leave.

“ You surprised me Lass. Normally when I bring a person as green as yer are here, the reality of my home land and the very forge that made me who I was. They run and hide. What makes you different from them, is that you know when and how to stand and you’re different from me that you have fought on this new battle field most of your adult life. . What I need is to see if you have the stomach to fight with the spirit I did then, pointing at the frozen scene, with the tools you have today. I need you to protect my town from this new type of invader. Outmaneuvering and out thinking them on the battle field? Can you answer me, child?”

Yes, I can.

Why

“ Because my lady, people like I am facing now killed my ancestress and then my grandparents not 10 years ago. Bunch of drunken high school kids stumbled across my family’s wedding, and went on a killing rampage, because my family is Native first people of this land. I had to stand and fight to save my family. I broke my vow of harm to none and I know that I have been paying for that and will be continuing to pay. All but my parents lived and those boys never bothered any one again.”

“ I was suddenly then looking directly into the eyes of the older woman. They were ice blue and cut through me like a laser, she then spoke very softly.”

“ Margret was right about you. There is iron in your spine enough for this doing.” Putting her hands on my shoulders she compassionately spoke “ “Betty, Your Jenny did not die because you stood and fought that day 10 years ago. She died because a drunken driver ran the light. Sometimes random bad things happen to good people and there nay be any reason for it. But you have not crumbled, you have risen to the occasion and pushed on. I needed for you to see this, gesturing with her hand at the frozen scene in front of me, so you can fathom me. My time doing this job has passed; I can not fight in my way and save my hopes and works. I need you as a modern warrior to fill my place with someone who knows how to fight both ways.

When you fought those murders, you violated nothing, you were point defending your family their endings were on there own hands, no different than if they threw them selves if front of a car you were driving. Shed nay any tears for them, lass. And they will not be the last, sometimes a good blade and a firm hand nay afraid to use it is the tool for the job of dispatching vermin. But to deal with the masters of the vermin you need your other skills to win that day.

My time here is limited and passing quickly I need to know are you willien to stand and fight, or do you want to keep running and living as a refugee in your own land?

You can see my decision was to stand, and run no more. That decision cost me my balance of time I had here before my sleep. But please see what it gained as well. There has not been a day since that war with the Romans that I haven't thought of these people and what we payed for that day on that battle field. But for then it purchased my peoples freedom from slavery.

And that is why I stood here and refused to run from the slavery of hate and anger. I created these shields to protect one spot on this Earth against the averse and the desire to destroy life that love and sharing create. When my slumber overtook me I prayed to the goddess for a person who had enough skills and spine to see and enough love to share in my dream of a Haven from hate and murder a Place Where Good Stands a chance. To be willing to stand and fight for it, to run no more. I need you to be making a decision on your free will, think well consider carefully.

Betty

Lady Ann McLaren stood in front of me waiting for a decision I had already made before she brought me here. Ann was renowned to be cut from the same bolt of cloth Lady Morgana LeFay was cut from. All who work in my craft look up to ladies like them and aspire to understand an mimic there total devotion to the cause of love not hate being our core belief. In hopes of capturing the knowing space Ann and Morgona lived in.

Now standing before me with the stench of death and carnage of a battle field around us was Ann McLaren herself in the form she was at the height of physical power asking me to take up her life's legacy. What was a stripling like my self to say.?

Ann

I could sense a wave of energy building within Betty that was coming into focus and resolution.

Betty turned to me raising to her full height. She squared her shoulders and met my eyes straight on. They was a fearsome set to her gaze that to a lesser witch would be downright frightening.

Ann, why a powerful person like your self would be seeking out a homeless women of questionable origins for this massive responsibility. But I accept it is the wisdom you are, brings us to this point. With a steely certainty, Betty stated.

“My Lady McLaren, I accept your challenge and your trust. Teach me what I need to learn and I give you my vow. Here is where I stand, from here there is no retreat. I take my vow to the Goddess with free will and competency to make this decision on my grandparent’s graves I swear my loyalty to Haven and what it stands for. Here I stake myself not to move from Haven’s defense and nurturing. I accept your calling and trust.
Do You Accept Me my Lady McLaren?”

If the world held its breath awaiting for Betty's answer it could now start breathing normally again.

“Lady Betty White Owl I accept your service and I swear to put all resources needed for your services at your disposal. Betty, I will not mislead you there is work to be done and nothing is going to be certain as far as outcome. I know you have the skills to do this but can you focus your intent strongly enough to do this?”

Before I leave for now, watch who then I greet next. And how I greet them.”

The scene moved forward as people came and went asking questions I now could understand. I was amazed at the even handedness and concern this young Ann showed for the endless parade of need and pain.

Then something was brought before the Warrior Queen that shocked my sensibility. It was really tall walking on two legs and looking just like a giant wolf crossed with a human. It wore Roman armor and devices and could speak,sort of. This was observable a parley between two adversaries but there was respect but no anger or hate, there was however respect.

Soon the wolf transformed into a very tall man whose speech was easier to understand, now that it was spoken without a muzzle full of teeth getting in the way. There was an oath taken by him to be her body guard and companion, in exchange for the outlandish number of people he killed protecting the Roman officer whose head Ann now possessed and had been glaring at earlier.

“ Remember that wolf’s face Betty. He will become your best friend and the protector of your children and there children after them. James is a magical being created in the far dark past, he was created to be the perfect body guard and trusted friend. You chose to stay so I will pass his service onto you.

Ann smiled at me then continued; James kept me alive for a ,let us say, very long time,. If you are curious You can do the math lassie.”

Then she was gone, and I was alone in my circle in the present time. It took a couple of minutes for me to gather myself. I got up surprisingly not stiff from my long time of working. But I so desperately needed some tea, and fresh air to revitalize my self and to get the stench of burning peat out of my nose..

Betty

Never in all the years of working craft have I ever experienced such a gut wrenching ordeal. To recap in my journal I started with; I now know who the person in the picture was. Ann and she was far older than I could ever have imagined. She was as driven as old, what I was witnessing was the end of Roman occupation of Scotland and England .That was around 450 AD or thereabout.

I just swore allegiance to a Sorceress that was over 2000 years old, I swore to fulfill her life's biggest accomplishment

Only the legendary sorceress and wizards were ever rumored to live to the age of over 2000 years. No one spoke about them, they only were rumored to exist. So far removed from us we didn't think much about them.

Just finishing my journeying and my second cup of tea. When there was a polite knock at my door. I was a bit upset at the intrusion but I answered the door just the same. I could only see a general shape but feeling more confident than intelligent I open the door. In front of me was the man wolf James whom Ann shown me and spoke of.

“ My lady, Be ye Betty White Owl ? ”

“ Yes sir, how may I be of service.?

“ Nay it is I who may be of service to ye. My name is James McGuffen and I have been requested to make my services available to yourself and your family.”

My head slammed up against a parking stop like realization
“O my God you are real not just a vision? Then the women I talked to was the real Ann McLaren. “ Oh shit o gosh yes yes please come in Mr McGuffen please have a seat in the living room, I have no Scotch maybe a cup of tea perhaps.”

“ The tea will be fine my lady. I never touch the Scotch, but I do like a fine brandy on occasion. But this being our first meeting for business a drink is not proper.”

Betty discovers the direct connection between the Astral world and the physical. Promises made to Ann's spiritual self are made real and physical by James introducing him self..

Betty

With more than a little bit of nervousness as I put together a couple of cups of tea and some of the scones from my sweet treat box. For some strange reason I found an ideal mug for James with a larger handle and volume more fitting his size in my kitchen cabinet.

At first glance James is all human, just a very large human-form. When I came out of the kitchenette I noticed James was out on the porch looking at the surrounding country side.

“James, here is your tea, I didn't know how you liked it so I brought the usual suspects.”

“A bit nervous are ye, Betty ? I am not a monster if that’s what ye be worrying about.”

“Yes, I am nervous. I have never meet a legendary person of your stature and calling before, I am still stunned from the scene when you meet Ann on the battlefield. And, no, I am fully aware you are no monster. “

“Thank ye for seeing that and may I be as up-front with ye in saying I did not expect to meet a former war horse adapt so well to the role of being a mother and a sorceress apprentice.”

“Ya about that , it's not a problem is it, James ?”

“Ye ask a man who becomes a wolf at his whim, if a wee bit of plumbing repair bothers him? Nay, Betty, I have no problem with it. I just wanted you to know I am aware of your unique circumstances. I speak of this so you can be relaxed with me. Knowing ,as you Yanks say It, I Got Your Back.

White Owl, I can not even imagine how this must be playing out in your head. I was never as young as you even from my creation. I will be a task master in your physical training, but I am also mindful that all of the world as you knew it was just upended ass over apex. So we need to take tomorrow slowly.

After tomorrow you have two more days then you'll need to be ready to repair these warding's. That will take a flair and an amount of your control, not to do too much this first time. You need to do this gradually so as not to damage the finer portions of the net. Things must be stabilized through out the barrier’s structure. Ann used a fair amount of finesse to create this shielding, that makes it tricky to tinker with.”

“James, what about my children, how do we integrate them into this new world ?”

“Your bairns are good with me; soon they will be playing with me like a big dog.”

“James, not to be indelicate, but what range of transformation can I expect?”

“Nothing indelicate about me being 7 foot 8 inches, anamorphic human wolf mix. For me my transformation ranges from being a over sized, full wolf. And everything in between, to how I appear now. You see I clean up nicely, and can take you out to a fine restaurant or the opera.”

“Wow, James, you are quite flexibly accomplished at your trade.”

“After two millennium and a half I would pray so.”

James

Betty was really trying to suss this all out. I could see the weariness in her face, and hear the stress in her voice. This first meeting needs to be a good one, or the whole endeavor could go pear shape, here and now.

”So how are ye faring through this, Betty?”

“James I need to be honest with you this is just a bit out of my job description. It will take me a bit, to get up to speed here. I have done extensive work on the Astral dimension, but my work on the physical dimension has been limited to manifestation of opportunities to take physical action, and for chance to favor me, not my competitors, negotiations, helping tummy aces, defeating bedbugs and lice . This new work will take a bit of doing, mate.”

“Betty, my dear, Maggie would not have recommended ye if not for your extensive abilities to put yourself in the place to make a difference. Today's instance with that brute proves to me ye got what it takes. Ye have the rare ability which ye are truly brilliant at being the one stone that obstructs the ill intent of others. Your actions today unhinged some well made plans and ye naturally just created the focus point of intent at the weakest point of their plan, and unraveled it.. That is some pretty high magic if ye be asking me.”

“Your magic manipulation is unconsciously flawless, ye naturally balance the order ye are trying to create with allowing the disordered a natural path to flow away from your intent. This and maintaining balance. It’s all a matter of Balance. Goddess, how many times while training me to work with Ann did Maggie try to drive that concept into my head.”

You’re not trying to force any thing, Ye are just using focal points like a acupuncturist, but on a much larger scale. That is not something any one can teach ye. It’s a natural sense and, Maggie
told me ye have it to spare, as do both of your girls.”

“What a rush, James; I have always wondered why things just seem to hunt me down like a guided missile. Then when things would happen I would just act and things came out. I could not plan what happened; I went where the flow directed me like a canoe in a creek. But how am I going to do this at these larger scales?, I worked one on one in the past, and sometimes just as a temporary fix to buy some time allowing people a chance to react to the threat that was being faced. James, this is a war on a scale I have never encountered. There are so many things to learn, and know. How am I going to do this in two weeks ?.”

“Nay, nay, Betty it’s not what ye think at all. What ye need to do tomorrow, and the day after is to sort out what is damage, and what is nature with Ann's warding's. Then over the three days of the full moon cycle keep things held together. In fact the lesser the splash the better. It would be to your benefit, that what craft ye are doing falls into background scatter so others do not see ye are pulling strings. The longer ye can hide that the longer the time ye have to suss out what ye need to learn and gather the energy to fix things.

Betty don't concern your self with the larger stuff just yet. Ye are the eyes and ears into this dimension that this location has lacked for over a decade. Being here ye can be an antenna running both ways; ye tell the spirits what is happening and they will decide where to apply the energy and source the energy. Goddess bless ye, child, ye are not a Jinn. Ye will not just be handed the keys to all the creative forces of the universe just like that.”

The noticeable sigh of relief flooded through Betty's body, and slowly a grin of humor washed over her fair face.

“Thanks for that information, James; I had the vision of a cosmic sized problem like when Ray Charles was gifted some special car which he wrecked in the driveway of his estate. He just wanted to feel a few moments what is like to drive. I would be that blind “.

“Betty, ye are too used to being on your own totally. This responsibility comes with a wee set of training wheels and a lot of spiritual guidance. We needed some one physically with the drive and pluck to stand and deliver themselves into the breach getting up one more time and then you’re smacked down . Until yesterday I had no idea any one was left on this planet who had the moxie to do this fool’s errand. “

“James I don't see either Ann or you as fools but very motivated beings trying to make a difference for this world, one Haven at a time. I am honored to have been offered this chance of several lifetimes to make a difference. What people do with this difference I can not tell or know but it should be interesting to see just what happens when you simply Give Good A Chance. “

James

The two of us talked a bit more before the day just wound Betty down. We were chatting and suddenly she stopped in mid word just after a yawn, I never seen a person who fell asleep between parts of a word before. Chuckling to myself I picked her up and gently put her in her bed before locking the door and porting into my room farther down the deck from Betty's.
As I stepped into my kitchen, Melissa, the youngest addition to our order was curled up on the sofa drawing in her sketch book. She looked up at me inquiring “well how did that go? I didn't hear any noise or screaming of distress”.

I liked Melissa from the moment I first met her earlier this evening. Unlike other Americans she was quite level headed and balanced, with a good sense of humor.

“Well, Mel, I think it went superbly. Especially for a person so green to the bigger world. Betty is a bit like you in personality but older in the human sense, she has two children I haven't met yet. I have found that children age humans maturity wise.”

“Careful where you tread, big guy. I was one of those humans a year ago, and yes being that vulnerable and caring for the more vulnerable does mature a person. I would wish to have some alone time, talking with Betty. I believe my experiences being so fresh I may have some things I can share.”

“Lass, I think ye are right; let me see when to introduce the two of ye.”

“James, I am going to ask my wife Lilly to join us here. I have an intuition the extra eyes and fire power of the two of us running background interference, having you being close in support. That way our lack of experience will not compromise Betty's or her children's safety. We will operate with a leash on until you tell us leash off. That would be in the case of a fur ball fight and you need us for being a tie breaker. Other than that, I know we want to avoid that, so we will be very stealthy.

“I agree your plan is sound. Melissa where did ye become such a strategist? “

“My father is from an ancient Japanese family who wrote the definition of the word strategist. As Lao Tse teaches us, the best war is the one your opponent does not know they are fighting. So I want to be the wind they do not see. And you are the hammer they do not know about.”

Betty

I awoke in the morning refreshed still trying to fit my head to
the new key hole of my life. At first I was trying to convince myself that it was all a dream until Crystal came into my room and then asked me what was that bad smell out in the living room.?

“What smell is that love?”

“ The baddest is like some one was burning a patch of old lawn grass dirt and all. the second is the smell of a wet dog.”

”A really big wet dog”. Added Anna

James will love that one!.

“ Oh I did have a visitor last night it was a very big doggy looking for a home, I told him I would have to ask the two of you. If there is any chance you would like to have a new friend seeing as we are going to stay here.”
The explosion of yelling screaming jumping around dancing etc., could be heard all the way to Seattle, maybe even to the top of Mount Olympus out on the Kitsap peninsula . Also from the sound I would

hazard a guess this was a positive response to staying put in our new home town.

Betty

Breakfast this morning was an event to be sure. Every one was in
a festive mood after the girls spectacular, showboat entrance. The two of them were singing an impromptu song with only a one phrase lyric.

“ We’re staying staying staying we’re Staying.”

When I came in, just following their performance, Marge asked me

“ So I hear a rumor that you might be staying? “

“ Well, Marge, what or who could have told you that?”

“ I think it was a couple of little birdies over there”
Thumbing over her shoulder at my two grinning Cheshire cat birds sitting in what has become our home booth.

“ Well, from the horse’s mouth, as they would say, Yes I had a bit of a moment of “extreme clarity” last night, and I desire to cast my anchor here in Haven, and stop running port to port. This is our home port now, and probably for the rest of my life, Marge. Remember, be careful for what you ask for you just may get it.” I chimed with a smile.

“ Betty, welcome home. I have been praying for the likes of you for ten years. Now I have a little sister to look after and work with.” Betty hugged me deeply and with affectionate firmness. Whispering in my ear “ I see James is back.”

Whispering back in her ear”; Yes he has been assigned to my family for protection. That's why I said I may be here for the rest of my life.”

Marge letting me go from the huge snake embrace, mouthed “We'll Talk.”

Before I could set down a herd of people assailed me shaking my hand welcoming me to Haven Shire. It's funny how simple things catch on. So with my right hand well wrung out, I made it to our table where the kids sat beaming their smile. It would appear having a home agrees with them

Bob

Never have I been so excited for a new person in my life. Usually I am very reserved with all but my most trusted friends. But in less than two full days Betty and her kids worked there way into my heart and I liked that. Now that there going to stay put and help us make a difference. My Coley told me they were going to stay but you understand a man just needs to see things for him self although my wife is right just about, all the time. I just don't count my bobbies before there hatched. I still am going to smoke up a sweet ham, cook a pot of greens and bake some corn bread, Betty's a breath of life to this town and good Lord she has her work cut out for her. I just want the perks for being here helping her stay once she has started..

Betty

I loved breakfast this morning more than I have in years. Bob smokes his own sausage and bacon, making it a great pleasure to eat. The eggs are local and fresh and my can you taste the difference. This morning he cooked me a couple goose eggs for a change, they have a rich rich flavor like several chicken eggs, distilled into one egg.. Crystal asked if they’re Dinosaur eggs.? Then of course the restaurant broke up laughing at that crack.
I was savoring my coffee when a 30 something women in a long prairie dress came up to the table introducing herself as Mrs. Sparks the head town ship home schooling teacher.

“I was wondering Ms White Owl would it be possible for your children to join the classes today. Were going over to the creek to study on the nature trail..”

With that my two flashed their biggest puppy dog eyes begging to go..

“Well, I think that might be a Capital Idea, Mrs Sparks, I think I should enroll them in your school for

the fall term, since we are moving here to stay. So if you could get whatever paper work together.? “

Surprising me, there appeared a manila envelope on the table in front of me with my name on it. I had already checked the on line information about the school while I was eating breakfast finding it had a wonderful rating according to state sources it was one of the best hidden treasures to be had.

“My TA Coley told me yesterday she knew you were going to need this so she had me prepared for such a contingency.”

“ Mrs Sparks, it looks like you have a couple more fish to add to your school. Speaking in my Sergeant mom voice. Crystal, Anna: I am counting on your good behavior for Mrs Sparks. Do you understand?.”, Both nodded vigorously.

I sweetly looked up at Mrs Sparks. “ Please just call me Betty in the future. And let me know if the two of them are anything less than on their best behavior.”

“ Betty from what I have seen of you in action I have no doubt about your children just being perfect angels.”

With that the kids hurried out of the booth and gave me their practiced public hugs before leaving with Mrs Sparks. I watched as the three of them cross to the other side of the road en route to their new school. I was feeling confused emotions both a satisfaction with melancholy all at once. This event does cement the fact, we are staying here.

Betty

I was working in my journal when the largest of James’ form filled the other side of the booth.
“Good morning to ye, my lady Betty how are ye this beautiful morning.”
“ And top of the morning to you James. I am just trying to let it all sink in that I am finally home. And it's in a place I never been before. Please pardon my John Denver ripoff.”

“ Betty I do understand; in the Scottish High lands I just found the Ruins to the Keep where our elder formed our protection order. . It now feels just like home to me.. I have wandered the world, and never had a single place called home. That stone ruin has become home, and on my off time I am rebuilding it one stone and timber at a time. “

“ A real fixer upper is it James Sound like Bob Velove from This old House would love to see it, He would need to call this project This really really old house”. You might want to skip the Dungeon recreation and media center; American audiences can be a bit squeamish. But there are some who might get turned on by the whips and chains.”

“Betty ye can be a really goofy person when ye work at it.” chortled James.

“ Look at it as a perk of the job, I am entertaining you while you work. On another topic I bet you look right smart in your Tartan all spiffed up. Do you play the war pipes James.”

Still chuckling “ Thank ye for knowing the real words to use. Yes my Kilt and regalia does do a fine job of fitting me out properly. And yes I do play the war pipes and the small ones when I am just relaxing. I have you know I also do a fine Jig and Sword Dance,.“

“ That gives you an inside edge with my girls, Anna was working up to be a Premiere level dancer before my spouse died. Crystal was just starting and also enjoying it. Though she still looks more like a bean hopping in a skillet, than a dancer. But she does it with enthusiasm .”

To that James commented “ Thanks for that wee bit of intelligence, I may be able to remedy that situation of lacking a teacher. I am knowledgeable of several teachers in Aberdeen Scotland who would be happy to teach two such fine bairns as your girls. “

“ I thought the Idea was that I was supposed to be here doing a job, not in Scotland chasing marmots in the highlands and enjoying watching my children dance.”

“Ye are forgetting, Betty, you have just became a part of the larger world and for your training I will be taking ye to many places in the world. It will be by what ye would consider unconventional means, but I will get you there and back intact and healthy and in no time.”

I was just about to ask James how unconventional when Marge appeared with a large soup bowl of oat meal and a giant mug of tea for James. She rubbed James upper arm, telling him

“' God I missed you big guy. “

To this James answered “ I am touched ye remembered, and ye still had my utensils.”

“James, my friend, I have prayed for the day ye would come to your senses and come home you old watch dog, Those highlands are nice to visit, but life is here. Remember there for solitude here for the living. You have been sorely missed James, know that.” Marge went on to fill more cups of coffee leaving us to ruminate.

Betty

The view from our home booth down the road was like an owl's perched above the down hill slope of the main street. I could see a long distance with great detail. Something caught my eye. A mini van pulled through the gas station’s entrance marking it as not from around here. Then I recognized the weathered magnetic sign on the door declaring it a county health inspector. Having been in the operations loop of many food banks in this tri-county area, I knew every one of the people hired by the counties and their vehicles. This was not one of the officials. Then the energy signals from the van came into focus. Different van same snarky bad energy. It was Unice and her side kick Four Finger Fred. Two scam artists for hire, who pray on the unknowing and vulnerable usually trying to ruin their business.
There are a lot of shady people who want to harass other business due to the color of the owner or their religion, politics., sometimes just to hurt or get rid of the competition. A few published reports, even false ones, can hobble or destroy a business.

“James, hold the fort here; I have some business to intercept some scum balls before they do any damage.”

“ Good I need to see ye in action, White Owl. This should be fun to watch.”

As I left Marge gave me a high five telling me “sic them babe.”

The trip across the street took far less time than it should have, allowing me to appear at Unice's side of the car just as she was opening the car door. Hitting my hip with the door Unice gave me the look from the pit of hell before she recognized me with a startle.

“Betty love what brings you here?. Why are you here?”

“ I am on vacation in this fine town of Haven and I noticed my old playmates plying the fraud game in

yet another location. So when I saw the two of you I just had to come over and save you the time of trying it here.”

“Betty you know that as a public watch dog, I have access to any
public location I think needs investigating, she tried to open the door again finding me unmoving. The fake smile on my face melted in to my I mean business face, before I continued .

Betty

“Unice in case your hearing aid is broken I will talk louder. I am not going to budge from this space. Leave now and I will give you and Four Finger over there, a half hour head start. I have this county's health office on speed dial, stay any longer I will call now and I will bust your ass into tomorrow. Judge Bean will just love to see you again, wouldn't she. “
The pallor on both of their faces told me I may have struck a nerve.
I noticed a familiar noise behind me rattling to a stop. The steady even step coming up behind me told me that Officer Bruce was approaching behind me.

“ Hello, Betty, is there some problem here?”

“ Yes officer I am familiar with these two frauds trying to pass them selves off as real county health inspectors. I had traffic with both of them in Seattle when they tried to close down a bunch of food banks I worked for. Unice would plant bugs mice and feces, then Four Finger Fred there would pose as an inspector come in and fake red tag the place closing it for a couple of days until things were worked out.”

“Betty it would seem that you are well traveled. Your fame precedes you, even into my rarefied world of officialdom. When I saw you standing here I thought to my self, what’s the problem ,and suddenly, I noticed that the tags on this van are out of date as of two days ago. I was going to stop to say hello, and yet again you assist in nabbing the criminals this time in the motions before they did any damage. You are becoming a real Crime stopper.
OK. The two of you out of the car keep your hands where I can see them, there is an outstanding summons for you Unice Vancamp, and a warrant for you Fred Bender. This car will just need to be impounded for being evidence.”

“Officer, be careful of Unice's coat because she has many secret pockets in it like Harpo Marx's trick movie coat, it’s how she plants stuff and I do suspect there might be a weapon or two hidden there. Be

careful because she has been known to carry mice and rats that may be rabid.”

“Well, citizen Betty, you did your duty thank you for your assist. Please don't leave town we need to talk. I will take it from here “

“Officer Bruce why the bear trap shouldn't that be park and wildlife.”

“It is unless the bear is causing accidents by chasing cars on a
state highway.”

“Oh so Yogi graduated from picnic baskets to grand theft auto.”

Bruce only shook his head and quietly laughed as he cuffed his latest trophies.

Betty

I took a slow stroll back over to the Diner and my now cold breakfast. I enjoyed every bite watching to two of them loaded into the back of the Cruiser , rather than the bear trap.
And their van was hauled away by the impound tow truck. There was a low chuckle from James’ side of the booth; looking up from my breakfast I asked

“What?”

“ Betty That was well played, nothing too flashy, no blood drawn, your stealthy profile preserved. I hope you don't mind if I told Betty to call Bruce for an assist.”

“Heck, big guy, that was icing on the cake, thanks for the back up. It made that intervention a really special pay back for all those years I fought them keeping food banks open, and especially for all
the folks they messed up. ”

Marge strolled up with her bottomless coffee pot filling my cup, asking why I was eating my breakfast cold. James and I just laughed.

Betty

The town of Haven was settled on a semi flat spot ringed between significant foot hills. The location appeared to be well ventilated but sheltered. I had the chance to walk the hills with James who pointed out the ruins of what was there before. There stood an ore mill, here was a horse stable, that foundation was the old blacksmith shop. Across the road from the stable we passed an old mine shack that was spayed open all four sides open like a flower. The shack’s roof perched but smashed on some rocks a distance away. James told me the story of an old very cheap miner named Jack Willow who did things in his own way.

James

“ Working with old time dynamite was very tricky business. It was very temperamental and dangerous to work with. It would dud when it was cold or frozen.. Miners in the past would do one of two things. The first, wisest but still dangerous, was to buy an Acme Dynamite warmer. That Ye would set on top of your wood stove, the other more dangerous was to wear a home made vest to bed with the next days explosives in individually sewn pockets being kept warm by the miners body heat. Just don't roll out of bed. Concussion could set it off as well.”

“Jack being very cheap, was one of the latter. His shack was small and on top of his shaft. One day he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and fell down into his uncovered open mine shaft. When he hit bottom the dynamite exploded blowing the house and Jack to kingdom come. Hell Betty all we found was one of his boots on the railroad tracks coming into town. That was about all there was left of poor Jack. To add insult to injury the mine shaft filled with water making it useless.”

“Why didn't he cover the shaft,?”

“He told me if he or any one was blind or stupid enough not to see that hole, God needed to end them.”

I am loath to laugh at death but that was too funny not to. As we walked we talked about James’ side of the story how he met Ann.

James

Ann and I go a ways back and my service to her was more out of love for what she stood for than just the honor of serving one of this ages’ greatest survivors of the Tut en de Danone wars. When I had to leave her here it stuck in my craw. I never liked to leave a fence all shoddy for the lack of a hand full of nails. [ a job half done]. I met Ann in Scotland after I was suddenly discharged from the Roman Legions service when my charge was killed in battle. That was during the time Rome was withdrawing from the Scottish frontier. Sometimes that pull out was painfully slow, But in the end it was lightning quick.

Some of us decided to stay in Scotland, because it was a far better fate than returning to Rome defeated and for me with my Charge dead by Scottish steel. AI it was a right good fight it was. My charge Marcos always over valued his ability with the sword. I often told him, “ It matters not. The hundred dead at your feet. What matters is the thousand more who are waiting to stomp you. “

Marcos was the group Commander, he was ordered to fight to the
last as the sacrifice to allow the rest of the failed retribution force a chance in Hades to withdraw, using the night as cover..

We had been stopped just ten marks over the wall by some of the most vicious fighting I ever seen until modern times. It was the dark of the moon and the thousand of us were to be sacrificed giving four thousand comrades a chance to withdraw to the relative safety of the Wall.

In my wolf human form I was far stronger and protected from the bitter cold And the added bonus my appearance gave me the edge of terror against any who would try to kill my charge.

It was gray and with the snowy dawn came a wall of angry people with enough angry steel in their souls to storm what they thought was a well defended location. The first second, and third attack were turned back before the last wave found a weakness in our steadily depleting ranks. We maintained our stand, fighting in an ever decreasing circle until there was only forty of us fighting in the end.

Marcos was a veteran of the German theater and I think he was not willing to retreat again. He was able to send thirty or forty to their paradise, before being stomped by the several hundred remaining. I saw Marcos fall, fighting to the end like a true son of Rome. He chose honor over life. My duty ended when he did. I was allowed to be taken captive, because I fought well and honorably by sending a hundred plus souls to their maker. This made me along with my few remaining squad a special honored enemy.

The young women War Chief we were brought to was Ann. Fresh from the fight still in war paint and armor, in front of her was Marco’s head, much abused and, spiked on his sword. I towered above her in my wolf form and I to was well drenched in the blood of her warriors. Her army helped to wiped out the 9th legion and over a thousand of my 11th.

She knew of my kind and our order. So she spared my life and my remaining men, if I would serve as her protector. As long as I served her, she was always bolt straight, honest, and rock solid honorable.

There were breaks between periods of service to her, during the successive two melanin. I still spent a lot of time in the Highlands of Scotland ranging from one end to another. I was created in that land and when I am laid to my rest I want it to be in Scottish Soil. But until that time what's tonic for my soul, is to be hefting stones and lifting timbers reforging my home keep.”

Betty

I placed my hand on James’ arm and looked into those deep brown eyes. “ James, thank you for sharing that with me. It helps me a lot
to understand just who I am standing with here. I may not live as long as Ann but for the time we have together I hope to be as honorable and honest. I trust you do keep me that way, I need you to be my good angel”.

“ That's a historic first Betty ye are asking a wolf to be your conscience. Still it puts that shoe on another foot for me. Ann used to be my conscience, now I get to be yours. As ye Yanks would say, I need some practice to wrap my head around that. ”

Betty

After breakfast James and I took a walk and talked about my new responsibility. We came across a forked road winding to both the left and to the right. I started to go up the right hand road when James stopped me.

“Betty please do not go up that road it goes to Ann's home and ye need to stay away because the warding's are quite potent. Its a also a place of great sorrow for me.”

“How about the left fork?”

“I don't know where that goes it wasn't there when I was here.”
The left fork ran for a bit before a drive went up to what looked to be a parking area. Walking up I found a beautiful double A frame house sitting on a foundation, surrounded by an high fancy iron fence. There were two fire places and more features that I could make out from where I stood. The
energy was sweet and free, but I did not want to intrude in on someone’s privacy. The house grabbed my attention because the occupancy energy was very faint so I wanted ask questions in town to find out if the people who owned it would want to rent it.

On the way back I filled in James about the comment Crystal and Anna made about the smell in the living room this morning being part big wet dog. He roared at that one, then smiled like he is hatching a scheme.

“Betty I need your permission to pull a Jake on the kids to introduce my self into your family is that OK with ye.?”

“You mean a joke?”
“Yes I guess that's the Yank way of saying it.”

“Sure why not I trust you not to scare them out of their wits, I will just play along after dinner. That should be early enough so the excitement will wear off before bed time.”

“That's going to take some getting used to Betty I have not been around children for some time. I need to remember if I use inclement language to do it in Gaelic.”

This gave us both another hearty laugh. It hit me suddenly I have not been able to laugh at things this readily for years. This is something I could get use to, I like it... a lot.

Betty.

I made it back to the room where I refreshed my self with a cup of tea and a bit of rest. I had a few moments to reflect on just how fast and far our lives changed. We went from homeless to a home town, from rudderless to a life time calling to serve.

I just needed to relax and allow opportunities to happen around me. My next step was to start looking for a place to live and form a better idea of the needs of this town’s people. That was going to take some real inspiration. It is about them and not about me so how do I find out what they need.

1] Question: Du ? what about asking them?.

2]Question: And how to do that? One at a time then there's a bag of headaches.

3] Question: What about using the tools I understand.?

1] Answer; Sounds like a job for a computer web site. And that sounds like a job for Pea Patch Gretchen from the Pea Patch gardening organization. She told me if I ever needed help with a thing like this to call.

Marge

I was wandering where Betty and James got off to, just then Betty came into the front door like a house on fire.

“Marge does the town hall have a computer system, and does the town have a web site.”

“Well, hello to you; secondly beats the you know what out of me. Maybe Louise would know about that. Let me give her a call, sit down let Ill get you some brain fuel.”

Betty is like a tornado whipping through a Kansas trailer park. Something has set that woman on fire and I just hope we can keep up with her. A tornado brings freshening winds, I just need to keep her from also blowing the roofs off this town. Betty was writing furiously in her notebook when Louise came over . Looking over to Betty's booth Louise asked

“ What's our non- costumed super hero up to now?”

“Louise, I only know she came in here asking about a computer in the town hall and does the township have a web site?.”

“Oh is that all, it's yes and no.”

“Louise tell her not me.”

“Oh, right.”

Betty stayed huddled in the corner with Louise chatting and working feverishly on something the rest of the afternoon until the kids came up for air and french fries after classes. As I filled up coffee cups, all I heard was some strange language being spoken. That was totally Geek to me.

Betty

I haven't had such a blast at brain storming for years, Louise is going to open a secure access point for me to the township computer We are going to set up a town network so that we can vote, and share information. We want to crowd source our township’s problems with each other within the community. This would draw in as many residential resources as we can. How can we solve problems if we don't ask each other to define what those problems are? Every one has a different view on just what the problem is or is not. But by bringing as many community people together as we can to solve some of these things and reducing the chance of error in the decision making processing. Hopefully finding the best solutions.

I had contacted Gretchen and she was stoked at the idea and started to refer to the project as the Eureka initiative. Go figure; ask a geek a question get a geeky answer. So here we have a start at the seen side of things now I need to work on the unseen side of the problem.

“Louise, I wonder if Bob is open to being an internet cafe.”

“No to that one, too much overhead, no return and it pushes people away from each other. This diner is based on direct conversation.”

“Good to know, that is an asset not to be lost. It’s some of the same values the Amish embrace, Thanks, that keeps me from going the wrong way on the freeway. So this is an E free zone.”

“Betty you are such a hoot, most people would have argued till well you know”.

“Louise this is about Haven, not my ego. We, if you don't mind me saying so, have something really special here and people like yourself and Marge know what it is. I am new and this is just the beginning of discovering how to save the good points of Haven and not making it like the outside world.
My hopes is to use the intra net in town to have people attend the meetings and vote. Become more involved in the running of the community rather than running from it. It won't please everyone but if we talk things out and keep things open and transparent I am praying to save this beautiful place from perishing.

“You have been here just for two days and you already get us. Betty where have you been hiding all this time?”

“Oh I was out there becoming the person who I am right now. Can't take shortcuts when making a quality product. Skip a step and you end up with a rubber wrench.”

Futurus Persevero

To Be Continued

I will be posting smaller six inch hoagie size installments of my stories. Rather than the full twenty four inch Philadelphia style hoagie. I will re-post the first three sections broken up the same way, hopefully making things more digestible, and enjoyable.

Please remember your feed back is important to improving my writing.

Huggles

With her oath to Ann sealing the deal James Betty's new protector meets Betty for the first time and spends part of the day informing Betty just how much larger her world has become. Two old trouble makers, up to no good, discover that it is Betty, who has the last laugh, on them. After a short tour of some of the town, James and Betty come to agreement how to introduce the children to James as the pet dog. Betty continues her whorl wind getting to work brainstorming with Louise coming up with ways to allow Betty to become a township community organizer.

Betty

Today was swamped by so many physical things to draw my attention I was thirsting for a metaphysical swim to cool my jets. Between Marge and Louise we stormed the outskirts of what we are confronting here. I also found out that I have a lot of groups to meet with and come to understandings with to make this work.

Marge and Louise told me of only three; one of which being the first people nation living with the sanctuary area of what Haven is
suppose to buffer and protect. There are several major ethnic councils among the First people here but there is one central council dealing with the affairs of outside contacts and contracts.

This relationship was dealt a fatal blow when Ann passed. And
there was no one to take her place. This resulted in the slow diminishing of contacts between Haven and the first nation people; causing both communities to become drawn into their own worlds of concerns.

But as we get our act on the road the right thing to do is to try and rebuild these contacts and re-earn each others trust and cooperation. They’re are our neighbors and we all have the same concerns for family and hearth. That alone creates common ground for enlightened self interests, and that is a start.

The other two groups are the Steering Coven and the Town Council. Marge will introduce me the the first and Louise will break the ice with the second. But all of that will need to wait until after the Full of the moon where I need to prove to my self that I can also do the job of being the town metaphysical protector. I have just a bit of the buffet on my plate but that feels good.

James

I had an ear to the ground to sense when Betty would be returning for the night. Melissa and I have erected special warding to protect Betty and her family from most metaphysical incursions. I even linked a transfer spell to my Portage artifact so with a thought I could sweep Betty and her cubs away to my keep in Scotland. That's only if any attack proved to be dangerous enough. But now was the time for the joke of the century on her kids.

I was lying stretched out on the floor in the kids bedroom looking just like an overly large dog apparently asleep. I heard the family come in and start to calm down, out in the common rooms. When I was cued by Betty telling the children to put their stuff into their room. The next thing I heard was “DOGGY”. Mom there is a very big doggy in our bed room.. Betty told them to wait a moment and soon I heard my name being spoken by Betty and gently shaking my furry shoulder. I turned my head to look at them and gave one big Yawn.

James it is so nice that you decided to come back to say hello to my children Crystal and Anna. Can they pet you please, Both children were so excited they just bounced up and down saying over and over again Please Please Please.

I rolled over completely over the two of them licking their faces and hands like a friendly dog. Their laughing and giggling was totally captivating and I have to admit I lost my heart to those
two in one evening. We played and I let them ride me around the house until they exhausted themselves and fell to sleep curled up on top of me.. Betty untangled Anna and with some difficulty moved her into her bed, I followed with Crystal careful not to wake her up from her slumber. Both children were as good as gold when they were playing with me. There was nay pinching or poking me, and they really treating me like just another person in there life. Both talked to me about so many things my mind swirled to engage them all. I would nod and gently wolfishly vocalized to each of them.

Crystal was far more adventurous with herself acting out rescues of her mother and sister from bad guys especially some one named Keith. God help that soul if this little girl ever got the drop on him.

Anna was the more sensitive and tactility brushing my fur and tidying up things very nicely like I was a pampered pooch. She to was interested in fixing Keith in ways that made me appreciate that even at a young age the female of the human species if crossed was the most dangerous.

To the children I was James there new doggy friend, not a pet but friend or as Anna put it their four footed buddy. So for now I will disturb that notion because it serves our purposes. I can speak to Betty later about this, but truth be known I am enjoying this a bit more than I would like to admit.

Betty

Seeing James playing with the kids in his wolf form made me smile. This was the first time my kids just were able to relax and have fun for the sake of having fun like normal children do. And James was having fun right along with them. I bet he has not played like that for ever. It was like having a family again, and just for that moment I felt safe and protected. , Having James protecting us changes the entire dynamic of our lives. It is so very exhausting being the only one to watch protect and fight for my two sprouts.

Betty

The illusion the public has concerning magic is comical. It is not blasting people with colored rays of light or any thing of the likes.
There is a lot of work to be done gaining the cooperation of energies to perform works necessary for a community to have rain when they need it, interfering with negative actions of others. Bringing about positive results from ventures. The most important is the witches connection with mother Gaia. It is something that must be experienced and can not be described. Being connected to everything living, every were, is a rush of the highest order.

That will be what I need to totally need to connect with the local energies over the next three days. I need to sense the smallest of the many fields of the cooperative energy Ann wove together, that holds negative chaos at bay. It would appear this area is a somewhat autonomous pocket isolated from normal space by the barrier. With so many disciples of the negative Chaos able to direct that energy with outstanding results. Entire nations give up reason and turn against all civilized codes just to prove wrong is right.

Haven is a place on earth where right is right and this sanctuary drives our opponents crazy. It is a bit of a hoot having the crazy telling you are the crazy one. Until a day ago I was beginning to agree.

Having James to give me this break is really important to this entire project because I can now go on the positive, redirecting my energy away from my self protection wardings, and providing our side some serious energy generating capability. I need to gather the remaining moon energy of this cycle so I can collect and generate enough energy to tap into the fields of energy that regulate Haven’s protection. If I do things carefully enough this cycle's repairs will not be detected. That should give me September's full moon to continue the repairs that makes the biggest differences.

The big test will be preparing Haven barriers for the big struggle on Samhain October 31. That is when both myself and my opponents will be at our most powerful for the year, Added to that Samhain falls on the night of a full moon. I really need that home field, defensive advantage. I do not know how long I can hide my presence but the longer the better for me. It give me a chance to really dig in and set up shop.

Between now and then. I need to gain an understanding of the energies in this location. Weakening the outside influence on the critical portions reducing their influence. All without pulling down the Barrier or sucking myself dry. No Pressure, no performance anxiety; no, none whatsoever.

Work involving magical intent needs to be done very exactly and with great care. Magic is managing to pull positive results out of a stream of total chaos. You slip and negative energy is brought through at the same time and the results can be devastating.
It is reported in the circles of the occult in 1897 Samuel Crowley and his son found out the hard way. Neither of their remains could be view at their funeral and Scotland Yard will not comment at all due to his son breaking the circle trying to save his father from something nasty his father was working with.. So I am very careful not to play with nasty energies or make any careless mistakes.

Betty

James and I had a good laugh concerning this evening after the kids went to sleep, he told me he intended to start tickling them to take their minds off his changing into a man. But he thought wiser to let them get more accustomed to him and then ease them into the understanding he was more than just a big dog.

James

It is so easy to work with Betty. She has an easy going nature allowing her intuition to guide her to the best positive results. She is is free of pretense no unnecessary formality or rules. If she weren't an Owl person she could be a wolf easily. Ann and myself had it hard for the first two hundred years before we worked out our relationship. That was before we could relax around each other and be who we were. Considering Ann was just about as wild as a human could be, and still be human, and I being a wolf at the core it is a wonder we did not shred each other.

I am aware the clock is ticking on Betty's preparation for this full moon so I best be giving her some room for her to get to work. To night is going to be a rough one if what Morgana has told me transpires. They had to bring Betty here very powered down so they could disguise her entrance to the town. Then pour in the training and the power so she is able to do this job. Tonight will be a shock to the system for Betty, and all I can do is watch her physical body and protect that. She is on her own for the rest. ,

Betty

I never had a protector to watch my body during a journey to the Astral Plane. That allowed me a lot more confidence in what I am doing. Confidence is where it is at tonight, or any time you separate your spirit from your body. You are still attached to your body by a spiritual thread; silver for most, golden for some. But your intent must be firm and without fluctuation or that tether can be damaged or cut. Having James protecting my body from harm is a great help but also having him be there as an anchor is just as important in case something goes wrong and I have problems coming back.

I don my robes and do my preparation rituals, cast my circle, sealed it well and went into my practiced trance sinking into the quiet darkness of my inner self.

I never had such a rude awakening than this one I found myself in the middle of a skirmish with a group of Roman troops trying to kill my village. I knew these people they were my relatives and friends. I saw my father was fighting to protect my little sister as I was running and screaming from over a small hill of dirt behind the Romans Dad was fighting. I spiked that foot men in the neck cutting past the cheap poorly made armor conscripted men received to fight in. Not stopping my movement I retrieved a Glave with its pole handle broken slightly longer than ax length. That made it a wonderful tool to slice through the kidney of another foot men whose poorly fitted armor had ridden up exposing that target. I by instinct recoiled back on my heels to avoid a Roman thrusting one of their funny looking pilum spears through my innards. I parried his unbalanced thrust throwing him more off balance. He stumbled past me so I could not get a clean hit, I rolled away looking for another better target.

That next target was the Centurion on his horse with his back towards me, reaching up with the Glaive I was able to hook it just under the mans chin strap and pull him off the horse or at least his head came off, from the expression on his face that was quite to his surprise. I then felt more than saw something being swung towards my head from behind. Ducking and rolling the second in command just missed my ass as I tumbled out of his way. Sorrow to that Roman officer he did not noticed my Big brother Angus who chopped wood and dug peat for a living swinging his big ax at the Roman’s head. The Roman was cursing at me for killing his commander so loudly when the ax connected he never knew it was coming. He was dead before he hit the ground. Never stop moving my dad taught me I grabbed a Roman Gladius and sprinted towards the next Roman.......

when that scene flashed to another.

I was suddenly alone wearing my robes in an open rocky area; no grass, no Romans, no blood, no battle, or parents. Just two other women. One I recognized was Ann both painted and armored, then a slightly younger women in ceremonial robes. I got my wits about me and composed myself quickly casting my balance before I fell on my face.

“You’re right, Maggie she does adapt quickly to situations.”

“Ann, I wish to introduce you to your future student Betty White Owl. Ann my dearest, please give Betty a moment to come back from her demonstration lesson. Betty dear, do close your mouth before something flies in to it.”

Gasping for breath and flush. I gasped out

“This is a lesson in what, may I ask ladies? “

Ann

“One to show you Betty you know more than you realize it is a matter of you remembering what you know. And regaining your practice of your craft. I taught you more than you realize when you were my student lady. I was grooming you for the possibility you would grow into this calling.”

A a bit confused and asked “ have I been here before.”

“Yes you have, Betty, and it is time for you to remember who you fully are and where you have come from. So that you can now do what we prepared you to do then. “

“The fight I was in just in then, was my real past I fought in that fight.”

“You were reliving one of your past life times just then. You lived that life when Scotland was under Roman ruler ship. You fought most bravely then and you need to pay heed to the fact that with no retraining you flashed into remembering how to fight with a
sword with out favoring your physical body's bad back. You will
also remember spells and how to call or cast them when you need to.”

“Maggie, why choose such a violent memory.”

“You need to act, not think, just act. That is what we need you to realize. That is all you need to do. Remember to remember”

Betty

The three of us all sat around a small peat fire up near the top of a rise protected by a group of standing stones. We covered a lot of what had happened while I was living in different places and how it related to here and now. This included my rapid departure from my last apartment and why I had to arrive so beaten down.

It took some time in this place of timelessness but in the end I had to sum up our discussions so I kept things straight.

Betty

“OK, to make it clear for me; I was brought here all battered and worn down so I could slip in unnoticed. Now you need me to power up remaining undetected so I can reweave like Grand mama spider a century old barrier. This barrier is holding back the North Sea of human mistaken intent that if it should fail our town in the bottle would be crushed. Do I have that right?”

Both women had the most amused look on there face. Maggie spoke;

“That's a crude but humorously accurate synopsis.”

“Wow I always wanted to be the little Dutch Girl with my finger in the dike. “
'
“Maggie, does Betty act this glib when she is casting or gathering?”

“Ann, I don't play with sacred things,! Ever! I am more than 120% focused when sacred energies are involved “ I growling lowly”

“Betty; I just wanted to see if we are on the same page when we work.” chuckled Ann “ Now to the business at hand. Betty we have some serious ceremonial work that needs to be done.”

We arose from our fire and started to walk the direction the two women were leading me.

Maggie embraced me warmly and spoke quietly,

“Betty, remember when we talked about your fear in deciding which of two paths to take. This decision is only one path; it is a path of total commitment. You are sworn to see this path through, but the rewards are enormous to say the least. You will walk where only a very few have before you have. You will be connected to and trained by the best and wisest minds our world ever produced.”

“ All of us will train you Betty to make a stand by accessing that power. This will allow you to save and protect everything you and we hold dear.”

All the time we were strolling in a general direction towards
their goal. The temperature started to drop a bit at a time and there came a wind softly at first but with a stiffening making it increasing. hard to stand against. We were now on a promontory high above the North Sea but the waves below here have been beating for millennium with out really scratching these cliffs.

These cliffs were born deep with in the earth. When the melted basalt lava was spat out, it cooled, and hardening deep under water, into what has to be the densest stone on earth. This stone was then trusted intact from the sea floor and became dry land. This stone has been ground by glaciers, blasted by constant wind and hammered on by the relentless sea. Now stood here in the real physical world in our spirit forms. I was led into a curiously placed round tower reaching up to the sky farther into the dark than I could see. The tower was constructed out of the same stone as these cliffs, and the land it stood upon. There was no separation between creation by the hand of humans and that of the goddess herself,forming a perfect symmetry.

This tower had no record of being built, by who or why it was constructed Modern science could not cypher it out. No artifacts were ever discovered; no record of ever being inhabited or could be inhabited. It was not a part of anything else it just stood there since memory of this place has been apart of recollection.

I instinctively knew that this place was the tower of Oaths where sacred unbreakable oaths were taken by people on their path of knowledge where they are introduced to the future. This tower was constructed with this one purpose in mind, the transition from lower levels of training and graduation to the next level or levels along the path of learning. Each level of knowledge has its own guardians and assessors of worth. They could not be fooled or bribed. You passed and moved on. Or you failed . It was a magnificent example of magical engineering where each stone serves a purpose and a unique function. I was walking up the stone staircase in silent awe of all those who have been here before. I felt their presence deep into my bones as we were all part of a continuum that is over fifteen thousand years old.

We emerged on the top floor; we were still protected by the parapets surrounding the roof below us. To the lower horizon it was stormy with lightning hitting the ocean. Directly above the tower I could see stars and the moon directly above like the tower was diverting the clouds.

The tower had a flat roof with an altar directly centered on the roof. The altar was made from interlocking pieces of obsidian, clear quarts, malachite, and amethyst They formed patterns I was not quite able to make out in the dark.

There was a moment before I really felt the energies creeping over my arms and legs with a gentle warmth. Soon I was enveloped with in a cocoon of loving and protective energy. The three of us had became present on the same page and with smoothness born from practice. We all took relative positions that formed a one third ratio; all 3 of us laid our Athame's on the top of the alter tips touching. Each of us laid our right hand on top of each other and started to circle the alter deosil [clockwise] using our intent and prayers to form a circle of protection keeping us safe from random spiritual interference.

This circle also defines a cleansed space where the sacred can reside with us while I take my oath and accept my new position and responsibility. In a spiritual manner it is a meet and greet for those who I will answer to, and need to cooperate with performing my station. Tonight was an initiation and the start of Ann becoming my teacher and I her Apprentice being formally handed over from Maggie.

"The circle is open, but never broken,
Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!"
our world runs in cycles never ending
one ends when another starts
when winter comes for one spring arrives for another
The time for responsibility passing from one to another
Duty must past from the old and accepted by the new.
Here we have three who weave
there lives together as one
sharing gains sharing loss
Sharing hopes sharing oaths
Sharing dusk’s sharing dawns
A new sister joins splicing
Her life into this cord continuing for one past
so the cord is unbroken
so the cord is never ending
If there is an be objections
Make it known now.

Voice

How can we trust such a being not pure in any form? What's sacred to them that makes themselves worthy of our trust and investment of efforts. Is there no one else worthy of our trust; why this one now and here.

Maggie and Ann

We speak for her worth, we know her substance, she has proven by her deeds worthy of trust.

Ann

She has been tested by life and met all challenges she has been blooded in battle yet here she stands She has been trained in both the past and present
She is proper in her craft and practice.

Maggie

She has been forged by the fires of life, and death lifting her self from the mire of the mundane by her own efforts, by her own fire within. She has sworn her most sacred oath to make her stand here and not to run or retreat from her station.
A large crow or raven flies in and the voice emanates from where it stands

Voice

If you stand by this person you will be punished if she fails. She is a women who has never bled the blood of her life -energy And you have expected us to know, that she will stand with her sisters those who make there efforts known to us each month Do you guarantee she will not destroy the cause going warlock.

Betty; Speak for your self woman What proof do you offer me, Betty to your being trustworthy of this station? What proof do you ,Betty have to show us for your efforts. What do you offer us as collateral for our trust, You are women in form and spirit but only partial in power what is your offering to show your worthiness of our trust and aid. NOW Speak

Betty

Respectfully who ever you are , you can see my life's path and my always seeking of the truth with no regard to my pain. Being two spirited I had a hard path to walk, and I have done so with pride. I am known to my parents tribe as Walks her Talk. I stood at 17 confronting vicious physical opposition to my kind attending schooling, I have beaten rapists off from young women although they loathed me, I came to their aid when need my help them. I have protected the just born from murder by men too angry to listen to reason.

My life is full of examples of my courage and willingness to use my skills to protect the innocent and helpless. I do not run I do not hide where confrontation is due or necessary

I give you my life as a living example, I give you my every effort. Childhood onward, my life has been training me to make my self worthy of serving the goddess. I have consistently stood by my sisters and there children. I don't retreat from a stand I give you my body as proof I give you my scars and my wounds I have served at the alter of goddess in all ways I even by prepared and buried the body's of loved ones with my own hands.

What else do you require of me? I am willingly serving as the brains and steel to advance this portals survival and flourishing.
As Ann before I swear to hold the door open to those who seek us out. Yes my lady I give you my sacred word to stand and not to retreat

The womanly form in front of me was not some one who I quickly recognized; she was clad in a black iridescent cloak and dress with decoration of silver Never meeting an archtype goddess I do not know if myth followed truth. I have a suspicion who this may be guaranteeing I was keeping my voice tone firm but respectful

Voice

Mortal changeling do you have any Idea of whom you address?

Betty

"Respectfully, no my eminence, and I would not hazard a guess lest my ignorance may prove to be insulting."

A smirk swam across her face then she spoke with a booming voice.

"You challenge me with out knowing who is disapproving of you. That makes you either very sure of your self or just stupid. Make a guess at who we are, allow us a laugh."

Her arrangement spoke of a Celtic goddess not the Greek Hecate so my first guess was.

"May you be Bridget, my worship?"

"She is much to sweet to fill my boots she votes for you. But I am far more demanding , to the point and a lot less sweet at getting what I desire."

The woman form in front of me took on a very ominous atmosphere about her as if emphasizing her statement.

Betty

"Then my next guess would be her majestys the Morrigan."

Morrigan

"Got it in only two; there may be hope for you yet Betty. It would seam that, being part male, has not robed you ,completely, of innate intelligence. But it has cheated you of the experience that would allow you to win my vote. You do not bleed as women do! I do give you credit you fill the heals you wear nicely, and you have willingly shared the same fate as any other women but is that because you like to suffer or is it who you are
As of now I am undecided. The first you are too weak to do the job the second is not proof of your worthiness of trust."

Another softer voice interrupted, entering the debate.

"My sister's Morrigan, that is of no lacking in her character, you are being peevish, And there are many women who never bleed but are the model of womanhood. And there are those who do bleed who in no way earn the respectful title of women and have no connection to their sisters world."

My focus was on Morrigan and I did not hazard to look at my supporter.

Morrigan

"Bast my sister at least you are one who has shared my office of fighting battles deciding the fate of those who fight them. So I do accept you being a advocate for this changeling."

Bast

"My sister, this Witch has done battle, in the modern world, using modern weapons of litigation, legislation, law. With these tools she has protected many communities and taught them to be able to stand on their own .

She has fought for, and lead groups of people in long and rigorous battles. Defending there rights of self determination. This is also all skills necessary to protect this holding from harm. In today's reality the pen is mightier than the sword."

Morrigan

" The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword speaks louder at any given time. So she also needs to have the stomach and ability to use the sword, if called upon to do so. Sister Bast speak to that."

Bast

"She has stood protest lines, taking clubbing and chemical sprays, and she only needs some experience to remember what it is to hold live steel in her hand again. Her past lives have taught her well.'

Betty

"My worship Morrigan what would you demand of me as collateral to seal your trust of me in this manner?"

Morrigan

"I need to see you in action. To test your strength over a period of couple of ,your, months. You will need to manage your leadership and motherhood in balance. And you need to do this all by the rules you hold so high.

Call it proving you have the staying power to wade through a sea of bodies if necessary to protect this sacred spot. You pass you stay you Fail you move on you have my leave to do so.

And one other thing you need to agree to accept the birthright of any complete woman regardless if you pass or fail. This is the Gauntlet I cast at thee."

Bast

"Betty chose well my faithful student. This is for ever for you."

Betty

"My worship Morrigan I accept ".

Morrigan

“Either you are completely daft or very dedicated I am not
voting which right now. I give my provisional approval; I will judge you on Samhain my young apprentice.”

With that the Morrigan tossed something at me that when it hits my chest it had some weight though it surprised me I caught it was a finely crafted silver metal gauntlet with a Crow Device on its back.

Our ceremony was completed in about a half an hour then with out any other added drama, with our work completed the three of us bid our goodbys properly and I was reinforced by both of my former teachers. With Maggie's and Ann's well wishes I left the ceremonial area my ordeal there on the Astral plain completed, for now!.

Betty

I found my self getting up a bit unsteadily. Moving over to a chair James asked me simply. Ran into some opposition to the plans?

"I am on trial between now, and Samhain. Pass I get the Gig; fail I will be forced to move on."

"Did ye recognize or did they declare who they were?"

"None other than the Morrigan herself. But my old patron Bast stood up for me, swinging the deal."

“You’re lucky ye walked away from that encounter that is one serious force of nature. Was there any other comments,to ye Betty?”

“Either you are completely daft or very dedicated. I am not voting which right now. I give my provisional approval. I will judge you on Samhain my young apprentice.” Then she threw a silver metal chain mail gauntlet at me .with a Crow device on the back."

James chuckled deeply.

“ She likes you lass, ye will see more of her. Get ready to have a lot of crows and ravens watching your every move. Don't slack off one bit nay for even a moment. From this day on ye need to stay at the top of your game. Always maintain a positive, I will do this, attitude. Now don't just believe that it can be done. Morrigan can forgive lack of knowledge before she will tolerate lack of confidence or courage. She may provide some divine intervention, so be prepared.”

“The Morrigan is a force of life and death, creation and destruction, She is the Celtic form of Freya and like Freya, Morrigan is Valkyrie claiming the worthy fallen from battle and condemning the less than brave. No prayer of negotiation. She's the worst bitch you can imagine when crossed. But a loving and ramrod straight mother when you please her. Now she is your patron. I hope you are ready for an interesting life Betty ye are going to have one.

“James It's time for me to get my sorry ass to bed. Thank you. for your information and protecting my body, But I do have a day to work on on this tomorrow. My mind was fuzzy but sleep will fix that. My nerves are another” I muttered softly.

Getting up and started to try to walk to my bed. That simple movement was hard because the floor kept moving under my feet making it impossible to walk a straight path. One moment I was walking, the next James was tucking me into my bed. This is getting to be a bad habit, I hope he doesn't mind.

James

Betty is still learning the rigors of serious astral projection. The poor soul thought she was going to make it to her bedroom on her own. I knew from working with Ann that was very unlikely.

Later when I inquired from Ann what transpired? She only softly told me;

“ That James, if she is willing, is Betty’s news to share. Consider this a woman's courtesy to a sister.”

“Ann give me something how did she fare.? ”.

“Considering what transpired James, she did brilliantly. ” Then like a mist, Ann departed.

When I walked back into the living room to clean up, A sound came from over where Betty was working. The sound of something dropping onto the floor. I walked over there to see there was now, the gauntlet, that Betty described, with a Crow symbol on its back.. I took a very deep breath letting it out slowly. This was either very bad or very good. The Morrigan is the elemental force of natures creation and destruction ,something to treat with extreme caution. She plays rough, and for keeps. This gauntlet’s physical projection into this plane, indicates just how high the stakes are here.

Glossary of how words are defined in this world.

Athame = A sacred double edged knife usually with a black
handle used in ceremonies only to direct or cut energies.
Used for Casting circles and calling in the directions
individualized to each practitioner by how it has been
fashioned and the symbols carved into the handle.
not used to cut physical things.

Device = A symbol or graphic used to identify a house, an individual Knight, or very important person or being.

Dynamite Heater Here's another one of those "what were they
thinking" examples. This is a dynamite heater, used in mines in Colorado in the 1800's. They would actually fill all the holes with sticks of dynamite and set this contraption on a hot wood stove to heat the dynamite. And, yes, the predicted result would happen occasionally , it accounted for "over 50%" of all mining deaths.
Imagine that!

Gauntlet = A metal glove woven out of chain mail to protect your hand in combat.

Morrigan [ Irish Celtic] elemental force of creation and destruction Like Fray [Norse] performs the duty of choosing the honorer dead warriors from the carnage of battle. Goddess of lustful sex. Animal Crow or Raven.

Morgana La Fay [ Welsh] Sorceress Half sister to Arthur Pendragon, student of Merlin the Sorcerer. In some recounts she went beyond Merlin in skill and power. Not related to the Morrigan.

Pilum spear; Signature Roman infantry weapon. A wooden shaft tipped by a one piece metal forged head. consisting of the mounting socket a short metal shaft finished by a narrow barbed tip. This was trusted or thrown and a solid hit could penetrate most of the days available armor and shields.

Samhain 31 October = Celtic new year the night the veil between living and the dead is the thinnest allowing communication

Warlock = Oath breaker, betrayer. turn coat, traitor usually bribed with offers of safety and wealth, to turn in others to the witch hunter.

Previously in Havens Salvation

Having learned just what the Morrigan plans are for Betty James takes time to sup with his patron Goddess rekindling there relationship.

Betty runs where angels fear to tread. She starts to successfully repair the barrier protecting Haven while discovering that it is an intelligence in and of its self. The effort leaves Betty spent and unable to work until Thursday when sh got on with her Job as the new township manager. Searching for the papers necessary to save Havens incorporation Betty finds another mystery from Havens past. Two boxes from the American war department from WW2 and the Cold war respectively. These boxes as interesting as they are need to wait until the charter is safe.

James

Ye can be sure that after me meeting with the Morrigan I had a lot to ponder. When your patron has three distinct personalities, things can become a mite bit confusing.
Melissa contacted me at my Keep to inform me of what was happening with Betty and the township. All that news was good and after my parley with Morrigan I understood better what her tactic was attempting to do. I will not tell Betty the details of my privileged conversation with me benefactress. But Betty is nay slow in any sense. So she has already concluded that the challenge was more motivator as a to put a fire under her. Mel informed me that she was fine with me taking some time off to see to me Keeps construction. Me time in the service of Rome taught me a lot about how things should be built for them to last. And having Morgan’s help moved plans along smartly.

One of my remodeling decisions was to rebuild the Curtain wall surrounding the main tower that comprised my home. I was reconstructing the wall in the French round manner rather than the rectangular old manner. The second one proved easily demolished by siege machinery. Why am I doing all this work in building a stone strong hold in this modern day.?
Modern military methods nay work in this part of Scotland. That is one of the reasons the government leaves me and mine alone. They are nay any longer equipped to fight me kind of war. The area me keep is in is physically and magically imbued with protection rendering it hard to find and even harder to attack. And with the chambers below I was able to gain some favors in additional wardings. So with out the use of modern machines of war all that's left is the old way on foot and by breaching me walls. And that be a skill few if any one besides my order knows how to do. This location is governed by the Phantom Queen and nay amount of yelling and screaming is gonna buy the fare it would take to reach here. Morrigan cares not for wealth.

We also needed a real Castle to shoot our movies around and in. It is that which helps pay the honest brass we be needing to function in the realm. of the norms. Our physical needs must be provided for,our buildings maintained and our employes paid. That's how things work.
I be satisfied with me keeps progress time to be heading back to the Norms world in Haven. I be missing the kids and Betty never thought I would be a family wolf.

We survive by being invisibly woven into this world fabric. We survive by being the unseen.

Betty

It has been a week since my work out. I have recovered physically so tonight I am using the last quarter of the moon to thank the goddess for her aid and blessings. Showing gratitude, and being thankful is as powerful as the act its self. It is the return blessings keeping the energy paths open. When a first people hunter is successful in the hunt they leave a small offering and a prayer to both the animal who gave there life, and one in gratitude to Grandfather Great Spirit blessing an arrow to fly true allowing those who eat to live. We are not separate from our world

I am thankful for the help saving my efforts and the town’s safety, and my prayer was answered . It was a humbling experience those three nights to be on the firing line doing my work yet going unnoticed. Yes I payed for it for a couple of days but that's chump change for what I was able to do. The next two cycles will be harder in some ways but easier in others. If I can get past the next moon cycle in September without the opposition knowing There is someone holding things together, I stand a chance of accomplishing the repair on Suwanee.

All and all today, we are OK, James got back last night looking refreshed and the kids were happy there doggie came home. Seeing the kids cuddle with there wolf made me grateful for everything that has happened during the last two weeks I was able to find the best place for me to house my family. A place where I can make a real difference, and we as a family, are welcomed and wanted here. I was able to stop two direct attacks on this township and pull the barrier out of its nose dive. Not bad for a nearly 50 + year old Hedge witch community organizer. a Rosy the handy woman I think we are going to make the goal the Morrigan set for us. Yes I am happy now, and tonight I need to share this with the goddess who helped make it possible.

Betty

The moon was in its last quarter but shown very brightly shedding more than enough silvery light to see my way. I was taking James for an off leash run. It was so funny and silly of James running around furry and on all four fleeting feet kicking up the early fall leaves. I picked up a clean stick and winged it out into the forest as far as I could get it to go. James that goof took off chasing it. He noisily crashed through the underbrush totally playing at chasing a stick.

The kids still haven't found out that James , is more than the family friendly wolf. That will happen when it happens. I am determined to allow them, as much of a chance, at there childhood while they are children. I hold there innocence precious for that reason. I will try to protect that innocence until it is there time.
That is the way of maturing, it is an orchestrated process. You must take each step when you are suppose to. First there is being a baby, then the toddler, then the child, at last step you become an adult.

Childhood is not an inconvenience, it is an essential part of the process of maturity You can not skip it or you will remain emotionally immature when you are physically an adult. You still must learn the steps you skipped as a child. But being an Adult it becomes much harder, it takes more time and the cost is nearly unfordable, sometimes fatally so.

Betty

The world around me was in a state of flux with the warm weather giving way to the cooler air of autumnal season as the earth got ready for winter, The thick smell of broken leaves becoming one with the heady mustiness of a living soil feasting on the newly set banquet. You could see by the waning moonlight the pale heads of the larger mushrooms silhouetted against the dark moist compost of the forest floor.

It was just warm enough today that the last of the insects rattled out a musical background which was soon to be calmed, becoming the sleepy silence of winter.. I gasped in the total inundation of my senses from what I was experiencing all at once. Every sense was being stimulated allowing me, the vision of beauty, the hearing of the fall music, the perfume of all, life was having one last blowout party. The caress of the mild moon and winds dancing through the pines, even the air had a flavor to it.

A shiver ran up my legs through my core, up and out my arms, hands, and my head. My sight shifted and I could see the inner glow of life shining in and around everything that surrounded me. All at once I was no longer limited to my skins boundaries, there became no separation between the world and myself, I no longer existed separately, as just me I had melded with the communal experience we of, life.

Moments later I padded bare footed and sky clad. Daintily and sure footed picking my way through the forest, my feet only finding the islands of soft moss under all of the forest debris. This immersion was exquisite like swimming through a familiar landscape that I only could walked through before.

Betty

I flowed into a clearing where the tall grasses shimmered with the evening dew appearing like small diamonds decorating any thing the dew could embrace. A mist rose from the warmer soil below and the surface of the pond of water to shift and shimmer in the glow of the moon.
A knotted cloud of very small flying bugs wove and banked together as if one intent moved them.. The fantasy image before me filled my soul with its dreaminess, as if this image was created by some cosmic illustrator just for me. Its ephemeral beauty struck me mute as I had no words that could do this vision justice, so remained silent with my mouth agape in awe.

Within a moment the bugs’ flight became a merry chase of one another in much smaller groups, they played tag weaving back and forward tracing intricate patterns in the mist like microscopic paint brushes sweeping the fog into corralled spaces all within their paths of flight.
The mists random divisions slowly started to gather into first an abstract form , that captured an ever increasing realistic image what appearing to be a woman's form. She was garbed in a gracefully flowing dress. Condensing and coalescence the garb was composed of many fine particles of broken leaves, sands and soils of many hues. The rest of her was formed from other bits and pieces contributions from nature.. Her skin was mushroom tan, her hair moss green, Not scary so but natural blended together in humanly familiarity like my friends and family.
There was an amused smile playing across her shimmering features.

“Having trouble believing your eyes child, is my form not pleasing. to your eyes? “

All I could do is numbly nod at the beautiful image before me.

“Yet you nod like a mute bobble head toy, your mind so adrift that Betty 'you of all people' can nay yet find words to speak to your true Mother.”

“My apologies I am dazed by your vision and the sound of your lovely voice. I can't think why you would choose plain me to show your self to.?”

“Betty your modesty is a virtue, but presently it's over done, making you appear a bit thick. I would say even as we chat I sense the ripeness swelling in your bosom. It is revealing your buried internal beauty for all to see .

“Rhiannon sends her blessings as is well pleased with your work of all of those I work with she is one of the hardest to please. rejoice in her favor and know you have done well.

The purpose for our visit is to convey, my husband’s and my gratefulness for the chances you took, and the labors you have accepted in our service, for that I bestow my thanks and my blessings. I hold this location in special appreciation as it is an Altar to returning bounty from being barren. The spirit within this land will serve those who live in harmony with the land.

So lavish it with love, my care taker, and it will care for you, and yours. You were the third to acknowledge the spirits special willingness to protect this land from harmful inundation, but as you noticed my spiritual allies require help to perform this duty, so they are thankful as well. The first people here were the first to form this bond, Ann was the second who refined this relationship, You are the third to retain it and heal it after neglect and assault, and bring it back to health.

Because the time rapidly closes upon your first epic test as the guardian of my garden. Your 'Act Now Time' is very finite . Leisure is a luxury, you need to ration, thus my council to you is tarry not.

This knowledge is my gift to you. Use it as you see fit. The pebbles on the hill have refusal to act or vote, so now they can be swept away. They have outlived my need of them. “.

With that she caressed my cheek and kissed me upon my forehead. I awoke the next morning in my bed still with leaf fragments and moss on my feet. This initiation is becoming really embarrassingly redundant, with others having to put me to bed.

The goddess’s last words played billiards in my mind as I laid snuggled under my covers. It rolled around until I was in the shower washing off when the water going down the drain sparked a cascade of thoughts resulting in some loud unladylike like laughter. I glimpsed a part of what the lady was hinting. My take on it will require some help from the kids. As Anna would say
“Ferb I know what we are going to do today.”

Betty

Sunday I was hiding in my office annex looking for the the township renewal paper work. Doing this I had stacked and re stacked the boxes hoping to find something in the shuffling of things around. I vacuumed then moved, sorted vacuumed, then stacked, vacuumed and searched. Then And I vacuumed some more.

The kids were with me to help but were distracted by the enormous space of the lower level. This gave them a place to run and play hide and go seek. After a while Crystal started to pick up things in the other offices cleaning them up then Anna started to run the vacuum cleaner.
Louise came in looking surprised.

“You know you do get the weekends off”

“Not until I find those papers, I don't That is my number one priority right now”.

A giggling sound behind us caused the two of us to look up to see Crystal wearing the coat of the animal control officer holding Anna under a long handled net. In a very authoritarian voice Crystal spoke out while Anna did a cat imitation.

“Ms. Township manager Ms Mayor I found that noise you were worried about.”

Louise and I busted down laughing,

“Do all kids do this My two were always stealing Jacks net and doing that.”

Betty

Crystal pulled one of the rolling office chairs out from under a desk I was using then carefully sat on a couple of document boxes to bring her up to the desk height. She was drawing on the back of some 11 X 14 used paper drawing a picture of her perfect home including the slide into the bathtub from her bedroom, the whole wall TV screen, her rubber room for when she was in the mood to bounce around and her walk in refrigerator for her snacks.

When she was finished she proudly was showing Louise her perfect house when I happened to look up and noticed what was on the front of the paper. It was the work sheet Mike had devised, to help him fill out the town ship charter renewal. I turned to look where Crystal was sitting and there on top of the pile she was using to boost herself up was a dusty box which I could make out through the freshly thinned dust wiped off by Crystal’s jeans

“Crystal my doll you have a intelligent butt.”

“What mama, I didn't say anything.”

“I know honey It's just your butt found the papers we were looking for sweet heart.”

Louise turned and when her eyes fell on the desk she whispered

“That was Mike's old desk how did it get in here, that was in his living room yesterday. ? “

“I guess Mike wanted to lend a hand because I do not remember seeing this desk in here on Friday.”

Opening the box I found the contents slightly ruffled from Crystal searching for big paper. Near the top was a note be sure to ask Louise what the current residence count was. The hand writing was a little shaky. Louise looked at the date on the note and softly gasped

“This is the day Mike died at his desk in his living room. I was so shocked finding him I forgot I came to pick up these papers.”

“Looks like Mike is still on the Job, Louise, he must have been a good man.”

“ Yes yes he was. “

Looking up to the ceiling talking to no one in particular Louise gave a mouthed only prayer,

“Thank You Mike where ever you are.”

Betty

After we composed our selves a bit Louise treated every one to a Ginger Ale from her private stock. We were joking about Crystals house when Louise got a wry smile on her face. Looking at Crystal and Anna who also produced a house of her own, Louise told them

"In fact my fair ladies, you two just reminded me of something I wanted to show all of you. Come with me I think you will like this.”

Louise

I explained as I took Betty and the kids through a second unlocked hidden door down from her office then down a set of steps to the same level that connects to the Emergency Center. Along the way I told them what My husband does for a living.

“Clifford does hotel renovations from simple spruce ups to, full tear outs and rebuilds. He is also payed to dispose of the debris of construction. This includes the old furniture and fixtures. He sells some and uses some in fixing up other hotels. He especially has an eye out for things he likes for use at our other locations . My brother runs one in Bellingham , his two son's run the first in Leavenworth the other in Wenachie both of them on the other side of Stevens Pass so the east dry side of the mountains. But he saves the very best for here, “

I had brought Betty and family to a group of rooms meant to be a home away from home, in case of us needed to use the command center.

“This one is meant to be for the town ship big wig manager.”

Tapping a code on an key pad next to the door it opened. and the lights came on in the entry way and the living room. Betty gasped.

“ OMG this place looks like something from the life styles of the rich and famous. how come so nice the Feds didn't build it like this .”

“ No not hardly Betty, the space was meant for the mayor of Seattle so it was fair for a government install. But a couple of years ago a Hilton rehabbed several of their penthouse suites and paid my Cliff to take this used stuff away. He installed it here just in case someone like our new township manager needs a place to call there own. This is one of his pet projects and he has been scarfing up stuff for years. Bits of tile from here, a stone counter top from there, a free scratched restaurant stove from a friend to pay for towing his car home; things like that.

He works all spring and summer having most of the fall and all of the winter off from that work. He is right now doing some work on our fourth property that my sister will manage in Skyhomish just up from Index. It’s a B and B and with all the summer and winter traffic on highway 2 going to Stevens pass it should be a real hit”

Betty

If I hadn't seen our suite first but was showed this place I would have died from the shock. I am by nature am a frugal person but when I can buy quality I do so. This place was over the top beautiful like right off of a House Beautiful cover story. But things looked sturdy and solid. There were solid glass bomb shelter skylights in the ceiling six feet or more thick with indirect lighting rimming the edges. Betty showed me the rest of the house and I followed her like a zombie. The master bedroom was totally everything I loved but never could afford. From the canopied bed to the vermilion red dresser. I had my own master bath, with built in spa
And there were two rooms for the kids that needed a little finishing work. The girls went gaga over as they could do some personalizing. They shared a large bathroom with two sinks. There was even a guest room, sewing, craft center. The kitchen looked like a set from a PBS cooking show. Still it was practically laid out for real work not show. There was a huge pantry and a restaurant size freezer, and refrigerator. There was a much smaller refrigerator for produce under the kitchen prep counter.

“ Have I died and gone to heaven? I can't afford this palace. I still Love it but How much does it cost”

“For you Betty the home and groceries are a part of your compensation package. We don't pay squat because there is a limited source of income for the township but I will not have you living hungry, naked and smelly in this house because you can't afford to buy necessities.”

“Then Louise you can call me Betty Rubble and charge admission.”

Sam

This day has been longer than I thought and I found myself drifting off at the wheel. Lake Stevens was ahead and I needed to rest. It was Labor day weekend, and the last of the tourist season so the campgrounds were nearly filled with some of the local color, that being red neck. I know a lot about this unique minority of American hell my father and grandfather are, and so was all of the family. There are some things we share common ground on, but they are way too reckless and cocky for my taste. They tend to over use liquid courage, which leads to under use of common sense, inhibiting their self preservation.

So I have learned to steer clear so I didn't get into trouble. But every so often I do break my own rules. My first mistake was when getting some more ice I picked up two six packs of Molson Beer. My second was having a couple, three beers then not keeping to my self but wandering around stopping at the Sandwich shop across the street from the camp grounds. I was enjoying my sub and fries out on the deck when I was joined by some loud construction workers looking over a drawing with pictures on it. They were talking about a prank they wanted to pull by removing a big rock out of a friends back yard.

There Idea was to use a big block of the military explosive C4 to do this in the middle of the night. When the figure of four pounds was bandied about I just shivered. The alpha Red Neck saw me, not knowing who I was, he made a snarky comment to me.,

“What’s wrong with a little joke man?”

“Nothing but if you kill the family it is no longer a joke now is it.?”

“So what do you know about explosives?”

“A lot I was in demo for 6 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. That much C4 will shatter that rock and blast the house right off its foundation with the shrapnel from the crusted stone. You will have a kill zone of about 60 to 70 feet in diameter depending how the rock shatters.”

“How would you move the rock gently my fine expert.”

“Let me see your drawing.”

Looking it over I saw a simple answer

“Place about 6 to 7 ounces of Tovex here on the lower side of the slope. By where you place it the stone will roll to the right or left just make sure there is nothing in the way below the rock.”

“Sounds like you have done this before”

“Yep. We used Tovex and rolled a rock a little bigger than this down onto the entrance of a war lords armory to keep him from using it. We didn't want to set the vol ital stuff off , we just had sealed the mouth of the cave. It was like bowling with a two hundred ton bowling ball.

“Ok tell me smart ass whats the difference between C4 and Tovex,”

“10 to 20 years in Leavenworth versus probable going Scott free. C4 has a lot of yield and it is tightly Federally controlled and tracked. It is easy to trace and it is tagged for ID, but Tovex is a common construction explosive and you can get it in a number of places cheep. It has a lot of concussion force to just push, or shatter in place a rock. If used properly it will not throw a deadly cone around it.

I did the C4 rout once my self when I took out a Taliban unit of about 65 camping in a depression among some rocks. I did not want to hurt the innocent village just 20 yards away. No body left that crater alive,. No one in the village was hurt, except a few broken windows.”

“What the hell did they do to you to piss you off.”

“They hit my Cheetah with an IED killing my squad but not me. That's the last mistake they ever made, they didn't get me.”

“Well what’s your name”

“My Field handle is Sand mam. Oh by the way I used only 1 lb of C4 for that job, it's not how much you use, it's how you use what you have”.

Oh.!!!

Creative Consultancy by Bailey Summers, and my two girls Anna and Crystal
Ms Mary Adelaide Wilkinson [ my mother who dragged me all over the back roads of Colorado bringing those historical souls back to life. ]
With out all of the efforts from the above this story would never seen the light of an audience.

Sam

I was up early the next morning having tossed ,and turned all night long thinking about those Red Necks and their idea of a joke. Something was off about how they acted so stupid to think four pounds of C4 was, 'one 'going to be easy to get, and 'two' using that much explosive could be seen as a joke.

The clincher was watching the Alpha Red Neck sneak up, infiltration style, on my outside security camera, just to slip a note into my trailer rear roll up door. I had been played, and that pissed me off. That jack ass came close to getting drilled by my 9mm Glock.

It was dumb not to push on to Summer House last night but I couldn't make up my mind to go there or Bellingham. So I stopped at Lake Stevens for the night to rest and think. I should have kept to my self and kept my mouth shut. But there was a chance they were stupid enough to try their stunt that's why I got involved. My heart was in the right place ; I just have a problem reading people who are not up front in their trying to kill me.

I reached into my watch pocket of my jeans and took our my great decider. I tossed my Janus coin to decide many things in my life. Summer Town won. Again I had the feeling there was something up there, some one or some thing special to me. I Time for some damage control I needed to get some where I can dig a hole and go to ground laying low out of sight for a while. So Summer Town was just as good as any other whereabouts.

Betty

With our new apartment my commute to work was easy. Because I was living just 75 feet away from my office I had no more silly excuses for being late to work. Also because it was under ground it's safe from prying eyes and weather delays.

It was sweet for both James and Melisa to help us with the move from the condo. James using
his portage device making the move entertainingly spooky., we would hear the tiny bell ring a disembodied arms would reach through the shimmering opaque hole in the air, depositing our packed luggage into the kitchen. The luggage was followed by James 'the wolf' with a small satchel in his mouth like the family wolf was helping. He He He.

The move solved part of the problem of keeping me working here with out being. recognized. My job had a public portion to it that I could not escape . I had an idea but I needed to run it past Louise.

The first order of business was filing the Township’s Charter. That was going to be a joint task requiring both Louise, and I focus, uninterrupted all day. So the town hall was closed we brewed a fresh pot of Heavenly Brew French Roast, we got a plate of sugary sweets from the Cornucopia and after a half hour planing session, we got down to brass tacks.

Louise

When Betty and I get a head of steam up to do a job we can move mountains. We fuel our efforts with caffeine, followed by a sugar chaser. This is a potent and mystical formula which keeps us focused and driven to complete the job.

Mike had gotten a lot of the drudge work done and the dear man had a check list of the information he needed to get from me. That got me to run to my office upstairs to find the remaining information required . That only took half an hour. With that done the two of sat down with an organized table between us. Then Betty announced it's “Show Time” dialing the number for the county office responsible for this issue.

Betty

I always need to take a moment to change mental gears before dealing with any one governmental. The biggest shift for me was remembering that I was talking to a personality with no sense of humor and totally literal like a computer. There are so many protocols and nuisances to observe as they were large and in charge.

The last gulp of coffee was just settling my nerves when I dialed the number to the county regulation office. I was on automatic with my professional patter loaded in my mind. There was so much hinging on me getting this first impression correct. On the sixth ring the phone was answered by a sweet sounding operator asking how she may direct my call.

“ My name is Betty White Owl and I am the Haven township manager. I need to talk to someone in the Registrars office concerning our township’s Continued Incorporation declaration.”

“ Thank you, ah here it is please hold while I transfer you.”

“ Thank you, have a good day”

“ You’re welcome” Came back in a surprised tone.

“County Records Filing Department Glen speaking”

The voice was gruff but somewhat familiar.

“This is Betty White Owl of Haven Township our Id number is 626213b 784. I have inherited a record keeping mess I need help untangling and I was told you’re the best person to help me”

“As I live and breath is that really you Betty This is Grumpy, long time no see, doll.”

My nerves relaxed at this announcement. I have worked with the G Man on many projects, involving the various clients I have worked with. Each time I found him he had been moved to some another department. Luckily for me they were the ones I needed to talk to.

“ Well do tell G man what’s new with you, buddy?”

In my best hail fellow well met voice.

“Well let me see my daughter Terry finally made Bob an honest man after the second baby girl.”

“Grand Pa Smurf retired so my son Max has taken over the family farming business. Max has a real feel for the job and is diversifying his product line which is doing well. “

“The wife is really good lost another 30 lbs and fits into her wedding dress again. “

“My niece Jacky is working over in the State Patrol office and informs me that a little blue bird ,AKA Bruce, told her about some strange rumored acts of Daring Do that are credited to you. But that’s nothing like you, is it Betty.?”

“ Well tell me what the rumors are and from the horse’s mouth to your ears I will confirm or deny culpability.”

“ Let me see , You busted a big time drug dealing, and slum lord section 8 theft.”

“ Yes “

“you iced a seriously psychotic child beating monster ”

“I am embarrassed to say yes”

“Then trapped two slimy, slithering con artist’s in the act of impersonating county officials while transporting vermin and who were in the possession of illegal weapons.”

“ Oh yes and that felt soooo good getting them after all of their stunts.”

“ ha ha ha Betty you are one of a kind, did I miss anything.”

“Oh just like I said I have taken on the job of being the New Township’s manager here in Haven.”

“Oh that's what you are talking about. Still in the business of pulling others Bacon out of the flames? What made you decide to become a professional and step up to the really insane work?”

“ A bit more than that this time it's personal G man; this time I have found the place we need to settle down. I am now working for my self and my family for a change.”

“Great to hear Betz , Jen would approve you know, it's what she would want for you and the kids. I know her passing has kept you constantly on the run. If anybody has earned ,and deserves a break, it's you , doll. You have helped so many people, saving their jobs, homes, their business. Good God girl it's past time for you to be a little selfish and work for your self as well. How do the kids like it there, Haven is a pretty small burg ?”

“ So far so good, they like the school, we have a very nice place to live, and we have been adopted by a very large dog the kids call James. We just fit in here with every one. It's an Odd ball place but I mean that in a good way. Life moves very differently here. We have a lot less stupid people stuff happening, if you follow me?”

“Yes I do we spent our honey moon there that's where Max was conceived. In fact I think all three kids were conceived in Haven at the Hot Springs lodge. The wife and I liked it so much we spent several vacations there. It's a very special place, fitting a very special family. So Ms Township Manager tell the G man how I can help you.”

“ Well let me see , can I put you on speaker phone the mayor and I are alone and you may need to ask her questions to.?”

“Sure thing Betz I have already done the same here I have cleared my docket for the day. I have my secretary here, ready to make this thing happen.”

“Say hello to the G man Louise, pardon me Ms Mayor.”

“Hi G man this is Louise Jefferson Mayor of our fine village.”

“Hello Louise, good to meet you, Take care of that women she is a treasure.

“ So Betty why are you so late, usually you’re early.”

“ I just got this job last Thursday and I’m going through the paper work I found. The last person died on the job before they got the filing done. I started a mad search, to find the necessary paper work and found all of it, on Sunday afternoon. The former officer who did this job had partially completed paperwork and the supporting documentation. I am trying to get this done making it as easily for you as I can.”

“Let me see what you already have gotten done start faxing what you have. Here is my private fax number. “

So began the longest day of my life. It was nail biting all the way as we inched through all of the steps we needed to complete the filing before close of business tomorrow.

James

Yesterday Betty asked if I could take a run around the perimeter of the barrier, looking if I could spot if anything else was wrong. Betty reasoned that because I helped with the Barrier's original physical construction ,and the energy set up, and the fact I could run it quickly. It is good to see Betty is starting to think on a tactical level. She must have learned that from her time working with legal system. She's now putting that knowledge to use by thinking on several levels of threat or solutions at the same time. She needs to look ahead and constantly maintain a situational awareness of what is or is not a threat. That is the key to the type of mindset Betty needs to culture, so as to properly protect Haven from attacks on both the physical and the magical fronts. Betty has broken the modern mind set that blinds most modern people. If it is nay chewing on their leg, or chasing them around the house they nay notice it.

James

Malissa was the home guard, so Lilly and I could go for a run. Lilly can use the training and experience, in how to work with another of her race. Her and I start hiking into the out back through the woods that are still familiar to me. We were just hiking like any one else would .

When we got out of sight in a flash Lilly went full wolf and took of like a shot fall leaves flying in the air. I followed of course and you know about wolves loving chasing things. I must give Lilly credit she is fast and nimble for such a youngster. I knew all of this back country from living here but time changes things. I have nay ran it since coming back but I will know what I am looking at, but for now I was just running for the joy of it.

It was a merry chase and before we knew it we were there. There was a small ridge line overlooking the barriers edge here. At that moment the joy we were sharing was evaporated, replaced with dread. The barrier was being attacked by dark magic. From our vantage point I saw that the barrier had shrunk away from its intended position, and is now bowed inward. There was a high pitch crying sound I knew was from the barrier signaling distress. A pile of those dam black stones, Lilly has been talking about, was resting on the barrier in a pile about three feet deep and was what was bowing the barrier inward. The stones were coming out of a old mine shaft higher up the hill, then tumbling down and spreading either direction out of sight at a much shallower depth. .

Lilly broke the silence.

“That's not right can you hear that awful shrieking high pitch sound James.”

“Ai lass, I do at that and its nay a good sound to be hearing. It's telling me the barrier is in danger of collapsing here. That would allow that filth to spread willy nilly all over this sacred grove. We’re being invaded by a very potent source of what we are trying to keep out. This must be the work of a necromancer or some dumb witches circle nay knowing what they are playing with.”

“What can we do big guy, this is way out of my league.”

“We find shelter and camp here for the night. Then do some scouting to discover how bad this is. I am porting back to the Keep to gather some things I need to beat this back now!”

Sam

As I pulled into Summer Town The first thing I did was to feed my truck [Iron Horse,] including my reserve tank in the trailer. I next stopped at an IGA, getting ice ,energy drinks a few things like bread milk, steaks and spuds. Nothing like the crappy food at county lock up, to make some one hungry for steaks and spuds. That part only took thirty minuets, The next was finding an out of the way camp grounds. The one I decided on was on a remote corner of town and had a couple of sites that were away from the the rest. I had made my reservations over the internet via my smart phone and I picked the farthermost site It was one of the cheapest as it only had the basic hookups and it was quite a distance from the service center. When I was checking in the owner asked what is my pleasure was this visit.

I told them I wanted time to sleep to when ever I want to, and to be by my self so I could hear my self think.

“Well you came to the right place for that, and that is our best spot. We have some writers who come here in the summer to write or recharge . I will keep the campers on the front part near our store you enjoy your self ”

“That's good it is just what the Dr ordered me to do, so I will not be much of a bother.”

“Friend you folks seldom are we like having you as a customer, enjoy your stay”

I pulled into my site and was immediately impressed by how quiet it was. In short order, I had grilled my steak and roasted my spuds. Sitting in my camper section at my table with a glass of wine I savored every mouthful of my dinner..
I built my habitat space to be compact as my trailer was just so big, and I needed to leave room for the rest of my other things. Like my Bike needs a nest, and so does the rest of my essential gear.

I was now fed well, so like a lion, with full belly I had no problem getting to sleep. Tonight I hope the dreams leave me alone, I know I am safe here I just hope that inner demon which is trying to protect me understands that to.

Betty

This part of the process is the hardest on me. Bureaucracy's can not be pushed they have their own speed, like cold molasses. We were between steppes and waiting for one pm. the end of lunch. Our progress was ok, there were a lot of hurdles and rings to jump through for the county, but I stayed pleasant thanking the person on the phone for there help. But I need to do something to get my mind off this worry ,and onto something else.

I had just finished my cob salad, Bob sent over, when I had a brain storm that was a win win situation. I went to the Sunday Seattle Times and found the article about how the smaller growers were hurting for labor, by being out bidden by the big companies who used Labor Brokers. I remember that there was a local connection to be found just up the RR tracks. I got Louise on the intercom to run the idea past her.

“Louise I think I have found a way to start mending the fences between us and the First People, they are in desperate need of pickers and packers, So why not do a swap our labor for their gleanings and what ever surplus they may have.”

“ That's a great idea Betz we could offer them the use of the old produce loading docks. Cassy has the Haven shuttle running she that she uses to bring in the hay. We could bring the products here to allow the produce people a short hall out point, we use to do that when Ann was here. Let me see what I can round up in the line of worker and get Cassy to open up the loading docks and get them up running. Betty this is the type of stuff we need to do for us. It is a brill idea love, thank you.”

Betty

Finding the number for the contact person Greta Brown the phone was picked up by a friendly sounding older women.

“Upper Skagit tribal Operations office Greta Brown speaking, how can I help you.”

“ Hi Ms Brown this is Betty White Owl I am the new Township manager for Haven. I think...”

I was cut off by an eager voice

“Oh you’re the one stirring the pot over in that sleepy burg. Please pardon me for jumping in, it is rumored you are skin.”

"Yes I am from both sides of my family we were a Lakota, Blackfeet ,Scottish mix and I got all the hard hotheadedness from all of the clans both sides of the big waters.”

“Good its time they get someone sensible in that job. How can I help you today.?”

“Well Ms Brown I wanted to offer you some help getting in your harvest this year I have the Mayor calling around so I can give you some numbers of people. Willing to help. The young ones can pick and us older gals can pack heck even my two kids will throw in to sweeten the deal.”

“ Wow this is a surprise I need to run that past Strong Bear he is our farming manager, if this fly’s we can pay you by the case harvested and on the truck, like we do the others.”

“ Well we had a different type of compensation thought out, if you are game.? We would like to glean the fields and have any surplus you may wish to get rid of. You folks need the money to keep operational there and this will I hope start the process of mending some hard feelings Haven has gathered from being absent for these ten years.

We also can offer you the use of the produce loading docks down here, so you have an edge on those farther away. With them having Lower shipping costs should help you a bit, I understand we did this in the past and every thing is still there and useable, we are checking out the cooling rooms now.”

There was silence on the other end then Greta continued.

“Are you authorized to offer this Betty.?”

“Ran it past the mayor Louise ten minutes ago and she gave me the green light. If you want give her a call when we are done and hash out the details with her. It's past time to be good neighbors again.”

“ I still need to talk to Strong Bear and Louise and I will get back to you latter how does that sound.”

“Sounds like a plan have a good day talk to you later, Greta.”

Maggie fussed along the edges of her garden that was in grave need of some T L C Her responsibilities have really taken the fire out of her the last last few weeks. Even with all of the energetic support the council has given her the very fact her stately pace of life was disrupted caused her much duress.

But the good news is so far her student Betty has shown herself to be all of what Maggie prayed for her to become. The council scoffed at the fact Maggie took the scrawny young changeling under her tutelage. Their was a spirit within that confused mind that when trained and disciplined could perform the most complected spell work with out error or improvisation. You can not , just wing if you lost your place or forgot a key phrase. Betty just patiently worked her way through each lesson sometimes well into the dark of the night following every nuance she was taught. There was a mind not a calculator going through the motions inside of Betty allowing her to complete her apprenticeship with in six years rather than nine.

But at the instruction of the Orders Crone mother, at the time , Maggie had woven a power control spell with in Betty preventing her from accessing full energetic flow before Betty was pronounced ready. Now one of the most powerful of the old Fey was claiming Betty as her vassal for one of the most critical posts in all of the world.

The only warning Maggie saw was the shadow of the raven passing over head and the slap of wings bringing it to rest behind her.

“ Speak of the being and so mote it be.” Maggie thought'.

“Merry Meet my fine women Maggie of the Isles how be you today. “

Turning to face her addressee. With a sigh of resignation Maggie address the Phantom Queen her selves.

“My Ladies Morrigan I am honored for you to visit my humble home. How is it may I serve you my Queen.?”

“I can see where Betty received her manners, when addressing us, you have taught her well. I have but some questions concerning your student, my lady Maggie is Betty ready for the responsibilities that are quickly overtaking her. Will she stand and fight like all creation depends on her. And do you profess her ready for you to remove the power warding you so skillfully woven to protect all against mishaps. “

“My Ladies, Betty's' life has all been about responsibilities, and the proper dispatch of them. “

“As for her willingness to fight.? Try to stop her from fighting now she has a home to stand and hold.”

“And last, Yes I have removed the warnings allowing them to gradually fade so Betty has no nasty surprises. “

“Yes my lady's, Morrigan I pronounce my student to be fully ready to meet her fate, and best it. Or die trying. There is no chance she will run or hide that is not her way. To date she has fought every battle until victorious, or released by those she fought for. She has won by not being captured or dieing. And now she has sees her self like the 300 at Thermopylae “

“Maggie is there anything you wish to share with me about your student.?”

“Just believe in her just as sure as you believe in James or myself.”

“From your mouth to my ears Maggie. You do understand that I do trust you and by your word now I will trust Betty

Merry part Maggie to merry meet again. Be in good health my friend.”

With a flourish of her arms the Morrigan became an enormous raven and flew away. And in the moment of parting Maggie started to feel physically a lot better, and her energy returned in gentle waves.

Remember your comments are the Tiermisu in a writers life our egos need to know how we are doing so please comment.

The rapid fire pace of the last two weeks continue. Some problems solved. New Problems develop. New Allies discovered, and a nasty villein in the shadows. Oh My.

Many people on the Reserve thought John Strong Bear was a hansom man. Living up to his namesake, John was built like a black bear, being stocky but not stumpy. was just one indication of John’s Mohawk heritage The muscles on his muscles showing the effect of his work as the agricultural manager of the Upper Skaget tribal enterprises. John was not a sit behind the desk manager, he normally used a gregarious slap on the back or a warmly polite thank you if you were a woman. Bear would pitch in when ever needed, he pitched in, to demonstrate or help in any job, including the disgusting dirty ones. Greta hired him away from a local grower who didn’t know just how great a farmer he had working for him. The day came when John reminded his former boss that the ‘At Will’ clause in the state labor law went both ways; his boss’s comment that that is what you get with liberal Communists in the White House.

Every year in the last five years John managed an increased production from the same amount of land. This year’s harvest was the largest yet and all organic. Moving into strictly organic production was a great undertaking but had played well; opening a larger more lucrative market. John thought that rather than being a small fish, produce grower, playing in the big pond of the larger produce growers, where he had to fight to be noticed. He thought he should be competing in a smaller pond of organic produce where he could be seen.

This year, production was not bothering John, it was having enough people to bring the crop in. He was using every bit of local talent he could scrape up, just to bring in the early production. The big push was going to start in about a week, the frost and nippy nights warned that the extended fall could end, any time. This left Strong Bear having to ask for divine intervention through Grandmother Greta.

Greta was the go to matriarch of the Skaget tribal council and what she said was listened to and followed. She was eighty six and did not look a day over fifty five, Greta held such powerful medicine that John thought that his Grand Father, the great Mad Bear Anderson would have deferred to her judgment.

Grand Mother Greta came into the small personal meeting room with a look on her face that reflected amusement, confusion, and mild shock. Pouring herself a cup of black coffee, she started to talk to John as she sat down.

“Sorry, Bear, I had to take that call. I am glad that you are here because it concerns you as well. It would appear that the new woman in Haven, Betty White Owl, has been conned into becoming the Township Manager. She has taken it to heart that it was about time that Havens residents needed to become more neighborly. Louise, the mayor, has OK’d a plan so they are officially offering help with this year’s harvest. . Louise is getting the work crews organized. Betty has people checking out the old jitney train they have to transport the product, to their shipping and processing docks like we used before you were here. “

“Grand Mother what do you know about this White Owl; is she real or a want to be and how much is this neighborly help costing us?”

“Bear: White Owl is real as rain. She is a two spirit woman from Pine Ridge who had a dust up there. So her family shipped her to the outback of Scotland to live with the other side of the family. She has been doing social work helping communities fight big business and organizing township governments to work better. My sources told me she was widowed about seven years ago and has been raising two girls on her own.”

“Answer two Betty only asked for gleaning rights and any surplus or cosmetically damaged produce. They are reopening their canning kitchen. She even apologized for them being hermits; Ann’s death derailed the town until she took over the position about a week ago.”

“If she’s from Pine Ridge, what the coyote’s tail is she doing here? She’s a bit out of her old stomping grounds.”

“Greta laughed You should talk, Mohawk, she can't go home; there is a bounty on her head, so she adapted to living here in Western Washington telling people it is the most like Scotland as she could find.”

“How many people are they offering?”

“We will have about twenty five 15 to 18 year olds for the picking, 8 to 10 strong backs to lift and tote, then about 25 to 30 women to trim process and pack. That and what local talent you already have should cover your needs.”

“More than cover my needs, much more. I can put my experienced pickers with the kids and that will keep that process flowing well. I have about 10 lift and tote men and can you get your hens to throw in with cooking or trimming.”

“Already done; you will have 20 trimmers and packers. Plus the Relief Society Hens have offered to do the cooking of the chili, stew, burgers and the rest. Hell, even that skin flint Robert of the beverage company has pledged water, beverages and ice to pay off his back taxes.”

“Bear started to chuckle; where did the medicine power come from, to cause this? I was praying for relief, like a Burnt bear dancing on cactus. This can’t just be my prayer work?”

“Strong Bear you have such little faith in your honest prayer to help others. It was from your lips to the Creator’s ears. With Mad Bear as your Great Grandfather you must know the power of proper intent”.

“You got a good point, Greta, I still have the strangest feeling since the last full moon something has shifted, Shshomie refuses to tell me anything, other than it’s women’s medicine, and nothing her husband needs to know about.”

“Your wife is wise, John, let us women handle the moon medicine work. You go home; it’s time for your dinner and for the first time in a month you can eat with out a worried stomach. Now scoot; I have work to do.”

When the room emptied Greta refilled her coffee and sat in her contemplative chair. Her grand kids made a cute sign misspelled like in Winnie the Pooh declaring it ‘Pooh’s thinking spot’. Gathering her note book Greta did some quick review of the notes from the last Black Lodge meeting.

Everyone was confused and felt the same thing that the gathering storm clouds had been unexpectedly blunted like the shield wall on the border was working again. So this month’s attack was not as powerful as originally foreseen. There was something cutting the dark tendrils away from the stricken town of Haven.

Then there was the white spirit owl that has been killing mice in the area that had string tied about them in odd ways. Greta did not miss the fact the spirit owl had to be this Betty's familiar. Greta was aware there were Unseen living in and around Haven and Blessing, but for the most part they invisibly blended in and have always done well by Grandmothers people. Greta never worked with an Unseen who was Native blood as well; this should be more interesting than waltzing with a Sasquatch.

Betty had just popped up unannounced out of no where. No one picked her up coming or when she arrived. As suddenly as a mountain thunderstorm this person went from nothing, to single highhanded fighting off a concerted attack against Haven’s protective shield. From Greta’s position there was no telling how many were involved in the effort but the best guess it was at least eight maybe more. For one person to hold that tattered barrier together was beyond Greta’s imagination Betty White Owl was someone to watch and someone if possible, to become friends with.

Then there was the reappearance of the big black wolf and two snow white companions. All three of them have been prowling about watching and protecting Haven closely. The black wolf was familiar to Greta as it was Ann’s protector spirit guardian; he arrived soon after Betty. There is something unprecedented and big happening in Haven. Meaning something big was coming to her people as well. Most of her people did not know that Haven was their shield against a lot of bad things on the other side of that shield. Many will disagree with Greta but if Haven is opening the door, Greta may need to pay them a visit. But with Strong Bear as back up; Greta is daring not stupid.

Lilly

My comfort level went way up working with James. My father, trusts him explicitly, now working with him, so do I. The barrier bulging in would have stymied almost every one else, James took it all in a flash; he then formed a plan to look for a solution. Running opposite directions we scouted the extent the parasitic disruption covered.

I went in the southerly direction, the way the wolf runs, for about one mile. With the exception of the original contact site the stones were only thinly piled up for about one half of a mile then diminished to nothing in the remaining one half mile. Returning to our original location I noticed James had already returned and in his human form was up a tree trying to see the source of these rocks. I was at the base of the tree looking up when my sense of humor got the better of me. Using wolf speak I called up to him,

“Little Kitty. Little Kitty. please come down to play. I am a lonely vegetarian wolf so I won’t eat you.”

That got a guffaw from James. Smiling and looking down at me.

“Lassie, your dad told me you have a wee sense of humor. I told him someone as proper as you couldn’t tell a joke. Now you prove me wrong, so now I owe the king a beer. Vegetarian wolf you say, that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one.”

James came down as I shifted to my human form, and then filled him in on what I had found.

“Aye, I noticed the same thing, this is the focal point of the disruption. The source of these stones is a level mine shaft poking out of the hill yonder. I be needing to go back to me Keep to gather some material to do a patch before this breaks down the barrier here. You stay and keep a watch on things until I get back.”

“James, shouldn’t I go and tell Betty about this so she can help?”

“Nay, Lassie this is my responsibility to lance this boil. Betty is in the middle of another battle, with the local county Government for the town’s license to be a town. She knows that arena very well and nay needs any distractions from her labors. This here is my specialty within the team that is forming here. Watch and learn little Sprangling. Now I needs to be off see you tomorrow morning.”

James hit a nerve that I could not allow to show. Both Melissa and myself are Spranglings, a word we used to describe those under five years of turning.
Inexperienced and still adapting to our selves we have a lot to prove in a short period of time. So my father apprenticed Mel and myself to James. I need to keep my mind on my responsibilities. What I need now is some food then a dry place to sleep. Staying calm and focused was important because others depend on me to protect them; it’s what our species does.

Betty

The G man and I were on and off the phone several times in the same hour; there were questions about our township plans for the next five years. How diverse of a community we are. What are we doing to grow local business opportunities?

“G man, I just started last Thursday. There will be no need for a business plan if we do not keep our township charter. I need some time to root out the opportunities we have here. It is like Springfield all over again, I just need the time to find the formula that will work here. Springfield was way down the drain, almost totally dead with only 500 full time residents left. But with a little rallying of the local population they turned things around in less than five years.”

“Betty, do you have as much here? Haven is not even on the county maps any more.”

“Who paid for that to be done? The county doesn't just remove a township from the map with out some one proving it is gone. I know that there have been complaints filed with the WASHDOT about road trenching damage, I saw and experienced that, and sign destruction. Can anybody please talk to them to find any records of work done to fix our north access road? Also the south access road has been blocked during several holidays at the bridge just outside of Summer Town. Check with Officer Bruce McMillan; oh crud I don't know which district he works with.”

“No matter, Betty, don't get your knockers in a knot lady; you just gave me something to work with. Just stay calm and let the G man cat out these rats. Stay frosty and hatch that phone, I might need some fast facts.”

“I got you G; I will do just that no matter how uncomfortable sitting on the phone might be.”

“Ha that's the Betty I know and love, stay sweet doll and keep the faith;”

And that is what I did. I continued to sort the paperwork putting all in order. I was now only three years behind from current so that was good progress. For less than one week of work.

Betty

I was going through some historic documents from the time the town was founded under the new name of Haven. I found in a original township ledger from Haven’s first mayor Buster Billingly who was just off the boat from California. He told the story of how the entire holdings of the Washington Minerals and Refining were purchased by Count Armon Shelgrem and given to Ann and “her order of fine women trying to save the earth from itself. “ The letter continued to say that there was free and clear title to the land in Ann's name as the Steward and Thane of the entire holdings. In the case of her death the land’s title reverted to the Sisters of Perpetual Peace based in Glasgow Scotland. The title would be held by the order until a successor could be found. This title was a total duplicate of the title issued by the State and Federal government per the mining law of 1872 to WMR Corporation with all the same privileges and rights.

I stared at those yellowed pages as Buster spoke to me from over a hundred years ago. If he wasn't dead I could kiss him. I now had an armored shield to protect our town and our region I just needed to find out whom in Scotland is still overseeing the affairs of the Sisters of Perpetual Peace. Then like Crystal with a foam bat it hit me; Maggie told me she was of the same order as Ann who makes me OOOOO shit the new Thane?

I am Judge Claudia Bean, and I am County lead Attorney Erma Fredrickson

Attorney

This is a recorded disposition concerning the extension of the township corporate charter of Haven Township.

Judge

Mrs. Louise Franklin you are the mayor and Ms Betty White Owl you are the new Township Manager of Haven Township.
Louise
Yes, your honor’
Betty
Yes sir.

Judge

We agreed to this little video chat so I can give you the chance to expediently convince me to allow your charter to be renewed. I have been briefed on your situation and the need to have this decided before close of business tomorrow. To start I will ask some questions concerning the present situation and condition of your township.

Attorney

Mayor I will need you to please verify your present population size.

Louise

Within our township proper we have three thousand full time residents. In the surrounding countryside we have approximately another two thousand residents who are registered to vote in township elections.

Attorney

Can you tell me why your application for renewal is so tardy?
Louise
We have had several key positions left open by deaths. Our former manager passed away at his desk at home two months ago and we did not know that the paperwork was not filed but missing in a pile of documents in his cluttered home.

Judge

Ms. White Owl how did you come into this situation?

Betty

By my definitions, your Honor, divine intervention. My family and I were looking for affordable housing after being forced to move because our landlord was defrauding the US section 8 housing program. While looking for a new place to live I had stopped in Haven for the night and found a special unique community that could use my years of experience advising people trying to save their homes and towns from being destroyed by corporate greed, and my five plus years of advising townships how to be compliant with the new federal laws and requirements. So when Louise asked me for help I knew it was the right thing to do. We have worked out a compensation package that once reviewed by the section 8 Voucher specialist will provide my family a home. That gives both Haven and me what we need. Haven is a stable and loving community where my children and myself are welcomed. This is a place worth fighting for and that is what I intend to do.

Judge

“Ms. White Owl the both of us have reviewed your past and recent history. Both I and Ms. Frederickson are impressed by your actions. When did you find the paperwork for this situation? Then what actions did you take?”

Betty

This Sunday afternoon your honor. And we immediately started to check the facts recorded on my predecessor’s work before he died. We corrected the old data to match current levels, then filled in the missing data the manager did not have. I contacted the proper department in county then faxed the paper work to them. I have been informed that our application was very accurate and properly filled out allowing things to progress much faster than normal with in the county system.

Judge

Ms. Frederickson does your department have any thing to say.

Attorney

Only that I wished you gals could teach the rest of these fools how to do what you have just done. I agree, your honor, this is free and clear of any clouding issues my office would be concerned with.

Judge

That is what I have found and my colleagues all concur as well; the both of you need to be commended at keeping your head together. I also believe the two of you working together will solve any outstanding problems your community may have.

I have no legal objections to processing your renewal; it is my decision that you have not received any special treatment in this process and your application has been granted.

With the formalities completed the Skype connection was broken. The two of us sat stunned into silence at what just happened. The both of us just sat there making goofy faces and pantomiming our shock and amazement when as if on cue my fax printer called for attention then started printing out the new township paperwork with all twenty five signatures including the three judges and the Legal Council. There was a signature copy for both of us to wet sign and fax back. Then both of us started crying tears of joy at this our first battle being won. We got up and hugged each other then started jumping up and down like a couple of kids just happy to be alive.

Well that went as well as could be expected your honor.

Oh stop the honorific shit Erma it's just the two of us right now.

Thanks, Claudia, I was getting a little stiff in the face having to be so formal. You know she is going to blow her everlasting stack over this.

“Ha ha Ya I know she's screaming that I got friends, so do we and if we can’t stand the heat in our own kitchen it is time that we retire to Shady Glenn and a rocking chair. I mean to let that pompous nasty piece of work know, we do not work for her, I work for the law. I will not be bought, or threatened. We run this county not that Tory want to be. I know her Uncle he didn't put up with her shit, and sent her packing. I also have the promises of his backing through this.”

“Claudia, truth be told Haven got it all correct there was no legal reason not to grant their application.”

“That's why I made them jump through so many hoops. Every one who signed off on this did so after the strictest interpretation of the civil code. This decision is legally air tight”

“You know that her minion will be informing her Majesty like ten minutes ago.”

“Yay I know that too, she should be throwing a lot of those priceless relics of hers at the wall screaming my name asking the hounds of hell to pee on my roses.”

“You don't look broken up about that.”

“The satisfaction of knowing she is having a really bad day makes any problems I may have all worth while.”

Alease / betty

The sweet smell of our cooking fire beckoned to me from my bed roll. The morning was crisp and sweet making it a boney day for some hard work. Yesterday our family arrived from driving our cattle up from the coast to our summer pasturage in the closest High lands to our winter home. It was a fair journey all up hills, the entire way, requiring 4 to 5 days to travel to the high summer pastures. The reason for this trip was the grasses of the high country fattened up our stock like no other making this trip well worth while.

Our land was full of large stones moved here by the ice from the cold times farther back than our story tellers have lived. Our summer camp is nested inside one of the many clustered piles of stones dotting our land. It was as if the ice like a little kid had played with the rocks then left the stones cast out when it walked away.

Years ago in my mother’s grandmother’s, grandmother’s time one of the piles that already had a small dry cave that hunters had used over the years was carefully enlarged then the floor dug down to create a comfortable home away from home. Close to our stone home a grouping of larger rocks that when the spaces between the larger stones were filled in with the abundant more portable stones fenced in a large spot of good grazing land. When you put in a couple of wooden gates you have a gathering area for our cows. Dad’s big dogs protected the cows from the wolves who come here looking for an easy meal.

We arrived late afternoon yesterday allowing us just enough time to put the cattle in the holding area:; and for my father Ian, brothers Angus and Conan to roll the giant stone away from the entrance to our lair. Mama insisted on cooking a right meal last night so we used the last of last years dried beef and vegetables in making her stew. The winter’s rain had filled the cistern so there was enough water to hold us for the summer. Tomorrow our men will check the rest of the rock fencing on the other larger spaces filling in what the winter removed. My job will be gathering more dry firewood and be finding some meat for our table.. We had a small wood supply in the lair but we only used that when we nay can get other wood.

Our breakfast was oat porridge and a piece of dried fish. We had to gather what we could for the coming winter but most of that was my Mama’s job. I was allowed to gather berries and things like bitter bulb grass and blue yampas, but my grandmother had years to train me mom, better than I have been able to learn yet. So mom gathers the rest, like mushrooms, medicine plants, and special things she powders found in places only mother knew.

This morning I warmed up finding a pile of winter killed dried wood from the heather and heath bushes. Then when my scent was covered by the foliage I took my bow and went to our family’s prayer circle. We never took anything from the land with out asking permission and giving thanks to the goddess of gathering and the god of the hunt. The rest of the morning I wandered slowly renewing my connection with the land and its emotions, walking in reverence and love. This was my favorite place in our world. I loved the wee smells and sights along my way savoring each like my mothers stew.

I found that I had wandered into a glade marked by ancient standing stones inscribed with markings I nay could figure what they were speaking of. My instincts were to leave well enough alone and move away from what I thought was a sacred site of the ancient ones who lived here long before my people, I nay have any interest to run afoul of any forces I nay could comprehend.

As I moved away a short but respectful distance from the ancient spot I heard a rustle then a snapping twig in the brush ahead. The wind was blowing from the sound to me bringing me the odor of a male deer I slipped behind a large rock and readied my bow selecting two stone tipped arrows. I saved my steel tipped ones for killing Romans, or marauders. Notching my first arrow I waited for my food to come nearer to me. First I saw a muzzle then I saw the male deer come out of hiding cautiously sniffing the air. A few more steps he turned offering me the perfect side on target.

The kill was clean directly through the heart dropping a medium sized male deer where it stood. There was no pain or struggle; he was just dead, but he would live on in our families bodies from sustaining us for another summer into winter, I thanked the goddess and god of the hunt I thanked the deer; I then smelled bear then I saw bear running at me looking to take my deer. Running away was not something that had a good ending, so I prayed for the best shot and charged the bear back causing the bear to stop short and rise up onto its hind feet showing me his size. I was going into battle for my life so I evoked the name Morrigain took aim for the right eye then everything became slow motion, he started to drop forward I released the arrow then he fell and slid to my feet dead. My legs gave out and I sat down on my knees hard. I was at the bear’s eye level. I now did not see a monster I saw another who shared with me this wonderful land, I was just faster, smarter, and had an arrow guided by the goddess of sovereignty. I thanked my brother bear for feeding my family giving us warm clothing and what ever else my family can find a use for from this sacrifice of a noble life.

A few moments later a couple of unarmored Vikings came out of the brush in front of me. Their hunting tools out, they had actually been hunting the bear. I pulled two more steel tipped arrows this time and prepared to stand my ground; like the bear you nay run from the Norse. I was loaded and pulled to shoot when I heard my dad greet them in their language. He traded with some of the scattered few who sailed here during the warmer weather.

The exchange was friendly my father offered to share some of the bear with them for help in butchering the bear and the deer. The older of the two spoke some of our language and asked my father should he not ask this daughter of Freyja this young Valkyrie for permission, My father turned to me and with eyes full of admiration asking me if this deal was agreeable. I said in the only word I knew in their language, yes.

My brothers came to where we were, looking for my father and seeing my bear and deer spoke to me with pride asking me to return to camp and to let mother know of our good fortune. Conan came with me to bring back the big horse and wagon. His praise warmed me from my heart out telling me how special I was because the Goddess protected me.

When we got back to the lair and the story retold my mother fussed over me like a returning hero. She cooked me some of her broth to warm me as I had started to shake uncontrollably. The sweet taste of dried duck in the broth filled me with warmth the taste was a bit different but pleasant. We were talking when sleepiness stilled my mind and my shaking stopped. I nay remember being put into my sleeping spot.

But when I awoke I was in my bed with Crystal and Anna poaching space in my bed with me. Then it hit me that I had been living in a dream of the past. I came home elated but very tired so we ate and went to bed early. Then that dream so real I could still smell the heather on my hands. It was especially hard to shake this as the body memory remained long after the children were off to school. I was in two places and times simultaneously totally assume, but weird.

Remember your comments are the Tiermisu in a writers life our egos need to know how we are doing so please leave a comment.

The Sisters of Perpetual Peace have chosen Betty White Owl to fill the slippers of Ann. This is bringing many changes into Betty's and her families life forcing Betty to the Bleeding edge of the battle to preserve Haven and its Shire from the greed and envy of some of the outside world.

I now understand what Betty was talking about being under a Grand Mothers scrutiny, damn this is uncomfortable. Louise

Clint was sharp young man, when he took this job with the Legal Eagle Law group he had no illusions about the profession of being a lawyer. Law practice is like everything else; you did what you were told and given to do. Clint was also just out of law school and the newest member of the law firm. As such he was given the task of taking care of a troubled account. Clint was happy to be trusted with any client, even the ethical challenged Gorgon. So far he has lasted the longest of any intern working on this account; there was something in how he handled Ms Gorgon [Not her real Name ] which kept her as satisfied ,as she was likely to get, with the services rendered. The Receptionist had just informed Clint that Lady Gorgon was returning his call from eight this morning. Being a sharp lad he promptly and politely answered the phone on the second ring.

“Yes maam, thank you for getting back to me, yes I understand your time is precious so I will be brief. The news is concerning a set back to your project.

This situation was not created by any neglect of attention, We were legally outmaneuvered at the last moment. From your informants report it was because of a stroke of total blind luck. Haven’s civic officers managed to renew the town charter before the deadline..

No maam, you are anonymous, no one is aware of your involvement. There was nothing that could have been done to even slow it down. By the time the internal sources at county legal became aware of the procedures, Haven's reincorporation was signed and sealed.

Yes maam, this all happened in one business day. Yes, it is unheard of for the process to work so quickly. First the paperwork was pristine in its preparation. Next, for some reason no one can fathom, especially with it still being golf season, all three presiding judges were holding court yesterday.

Therefore, because nothing was out of place and nothing being remotely improper the judges signed off on the renewal between their sessions, and no favoritism or special treatment was made.

Yes maam, I did contact Judge Bean and she was intractably set that they could not and did not show Haven any special consideration and saw no reason to revisiting the issue. It was a standard renewal and she considers it no more important than cleaning her desk off.

Yes maam, I will keep you informed the moment any thing else happens.

Yes maam, this was the easiest approach but I was already researching a different one before this happened. Yes maam it is still in research. Yes maam, as always it is a pleasure doing business with you. Yes maam, this is one hundred percent confidential only I have any access to your information and it is removed from our system nightly and placed in the company Vault every night. Yes maam, good day.”

As the young lawyer was hanging up he could swore he heard the sound of something ceramic hitting a wall.

Louise

I started early today telling Betty to have another cup of coffee. She had a hard day yesterday saving the township charter, then a rough night sleeping last night. She so earned and deserved the time.

Yesterday I followed her suggestion in working out the details, with Greta , as to how we were sitting up the harvest workers. So I was more than a little surprised to receive a call from Greta's sister Gretchen. Mistress Spenser is the leading Elder of the people’s governing council. I haven't talked to the grand old women since Ann had passed and could only guessed that she had felt the changes in the Barrier up her way.

“Louise it has been way too long since we have had a chat, what rock have you been hiding under women.”

“Just the big one called Haven trying to keep both our selves and our little town alive. Our business and the Diner are doing just fine a few others were making a profit but the most of the rest of the people were looking really bad. Gretchen, I will not kid you. I thought we were done, heading to the trash heap of history. “

“So what happened to your little Burg that has things all a twitter? You folks lost Ann and started to become stand offish a few years after that you go totally AWOL for four years. and now all I get is just an Amityville back call from Greta..

Please understand I am very happy for the help, so I am not questioning your honestly wanting to help with the harvest, that is Greta's responsibility and is gratefully acceptable. I have known you and your parents for decades. I always liked you and your husband. But please if I don't have some answers to my questions I won’t have answers for our shield men.”

I now understand what Betty was talking about being under a Grand Mothers scrutiny, damn this is uncomfortable.

“Truth be told maam I am not totally clear on all that has happened to us, Betty is still unraveling that information. I am concerned what ever I say to. you can take it as me making excuses for our bad manners, breaking a mess of arrangements and letting you folks down. I hate excuses as much as you do.”

“Two things, Lou , speak your piece and let me decide if they are excuses or reasons, and two, call me Gretchen or Grand Mother the whole Maam thing puts my dentures on edge, You will soon enough be a crone so I can accept some familiarity.”

“Haven went through a slow shut down over the last six years. Permits were not issued by the state or county, We got little or no road maintenance. The gift Ann left us needed energy to keep it working but we didn't have that energy nor do we know how to repair the Barrier when it started to wind down. “

“As that happened we started to fall apart a bit at a time, the older people of the community started to die and there was no one there to replace them, Mike passed about a month and a half ago taking any of my hopes for our future with him.”

“About two weeks ago Betty stopped in town traveling through, trying to locate housing for herself and her two kids; then things started to happen. She had only been here for a day when the Reverend’s son severely beat up a teenager girl, who worked for him at his gas station The kid bolted running into the Dairy Barn being followed closely by Mongo. A few moments later Betty ran from the store being followed by that beast who was really focused on killing her. That didn't happen, Betty knows self defense, so she was prepared. Using a couple of whip sticks, she took Mongo down. Bruce was the responding officer who arrested then hauled Mongo off in a bear trap to the county lock up.

The next day Betty recognized two con artists who pulled in front of Sweets Cornucopia . Betty had been fighting them for years because they play dirty tricks on food banks and small businesses.

Betty wouldn't let them even get out of the car. And again Bruce was just going by when he noticed their car had out of date tags. Betty informed Bruce of her past experiences with them in the past. When he searched the women for weapons he found she had a trick coat filled with rat poop , dead rat bodies and some other tools of the trade, It turned out they were going try to sneak rats into the store, and then posing as County health inspectors, they were going to red tag the business.”

“ I have heard of this Betty White Owl's work before, Tell me what you know and I’ll share with you what I know,”

Our conversation covered a lot of ground from Maggie on the Isle of Man up to the arrest of Kurt. We talked for about one hour back and forward, not just about Betty and Ann.

“ Gretchen, this entire piece of land covering the WMR claim is considered by your and our Unseen as sacred Territory that must be protected at all costs.”

“Good luck at that Lou. There is an impressive array of people outside of our area who covet these hills, your Barrier stops some of the energy of greed, coveting and hatred. But it is becoming porous, weak and is in danger of falling apart.”

“Didn't you feel the change in things last month?`.

“Yes, we did, but from what we can see things are pretty much the same, just settled a bit. “

“Gretchen, I can't say more right now. Do you trust James still.”

That's an easy question. You bet I do. Of all the lunkheads living in that Shire Hippie Commune of yours he is the most level headed.

“Can I send him to talk to you so he could explain face to face the bigger picture. Things are best left unsaid until then. “

“Yes, you can and tell him to bring his appetite; it's about time that boy gets fed some real food. Tell him he still owes me the wager he made. I am just upset because that dog is back and never even said hello.

Louise, I think it might be good for all of us interested parties to have a Pow Wow. Would the old dancing circle be available, if Betty is willing and brave enough to meet me in person?”

"Yes she is willing. She wants to find the path to rebuild the relationship with your people. Betty is our “She who must be obeyed leader” in this matter. So Haven has decided to follow any thing she negotiates. Gretchen we are so interested in making amends and putting things right.”.

“Lou, do you think Betty intends to repeat this next year.?”

“Yes. Absolutely she means for it to become an annual tradition . You folks will have the use of the Produce Docks and the Snow Goose to get your products here. And we have a lot of our 4 H kids to helping in the picking a mess of man muscle for toting, and a lot of my Hens for trimming and packing. Betty and her two daughters will be helping as well.”

“So, White Owl is willing to get her, and her kid's hands dirty good for them, teaches a kid a lot of values seeing their parents getting dirty for the right reasons. You have no idea just how happy you have made the Bear, Lou, he had that hang dog look about him for the last three weeks trying to figure how to get everything in on time. He told me yesterday that with the extra hands the harvest will go faster allowing us to get in on the early market before the others.

But why are you just asking for the gleanings and left overs. Don't you folks need the cash?”

“ Gran, both Betty and I see this as a way to start making amends for our stupidity of the past decade. We missed a lot being too self absorbed. The food will be payment enough. We need to refill a lot of pantries here for the winter. And the good will we hopefully start to earn between our people is priceless. Consider this just a down payment on our future actions when it comes to being there for our neighbors. Bets is strong in the traditional ways and all of us here defer to her leadership. There has been to much isolation on our end and it is past time we did something about mending the fences we broke.”

There was a few moments of silence before Gretchen continued.

“Lou, I have prayed for this day for a very long time. What ever Betty is doing, she is doing a whole lot right. Us elders have been seeing this big Winter White Owl hanging around here This Owl is telling all of us, that we should listen, because it appears that we are going to be seeing a lot more of each other.

I want to let you know, Lou, it's going to be the young adults and kids who will be the hard sell. They're really cynical and have already made it clear that it will take a whole lot more than harvest help to change their view that this is just a game to endear your selves to us again. Most of the kids either think Betty is a want to be or an apple. I know better now as I see your heart and see your actions. They are too young to do that yet.”

“Gran, Betty is very aware this is the case; she also wanted to check if she could have a meet and greet with only her and the interested parties at your meeting hall soon. She will have time after the harvest but I told her she needed to get the OK through your sister and councils. I also warned her that she will need her flame proof underwear.”

“Let’s continue this discussion face to face say about noonish Sunday after church. And be a dear, have Bob pack us some of his fantastic food in a picnic basket, every thing goes better with his food.”

“I will do just that, Gretchen, and thank you for being so helpful with this.”

“Lou, it’s not every day I get a great Snowy White Owl delivering dead mice as calling cards requesting an audience. Crud, your Betty is worse than a Harry Potter movie. Tell her a text message is acceptable. Any way, Louise, I got some things to do, while the day is still young, so please give James my regards? Hoot a loo to you Lou. By”

I could only chuckle at how much things have and have not changed. Old enough to be more familiar, and a crone. That's coming up in the world for me.

C

Lilly

Living in the royal house didn’t prepare me at all the world had to offer but I was not a stranger to hard work and dirt. I knew nothing about the wolf part of my heritage but I was neither lazy nor did I play princess. So when James departed last night his calling me a Spangling comment hit a nerve. But I could not allow my emotions to show. Both Melissa and myself are technically Spangling's, so a use of this term is a bit of an insult, meaning wet behind the years green and unproven. It is usually reserved for the young men in their teens who need to be reminded that others older and wiser lead, and they as fresh meat are to follow. With my manifestation and Melissa’s turning happening later in our lives we feel like we have been demoted back into being flea bitten unkempt children eating at the little table during holidays.
.

I woke up early the next morning just before dawn. The rabbits I ran down last night didn’t sit well with my tummy so I was a bit grumpy. I then was startled at a cracking coming from the bushes in front of a little cave I dug out between some big rocks to sleep in wolf style last night. A small deer came out into the clearing looking around cautiously, sniffing the wind for danger. I just stayed very still and watched; soon mama dear came looking for her kid who was now eating the sweet tasting fall grasses. Both ate their fill and wandered off looking for water.

I have become very close to the pulse of nature, the enhanced senses I now have makes every day life a visceral experience for our race. When you can sense the heart rate and breathing of your prey there fear their terror you are on the bleeding edge of nature.
This is a two way street, as wolves we know that we can and are hunted too, so when I was startled awake it was out of concern that I was in danger. The funny thing was I was something they should be scared of not the other way around.

My stomach grumbled again and lower down rumbled reminding me I needed to take care of things. It then occurred to me that for some reason there was energy leaking through the barrier that was affecting living things on this side as well, that's why my tummy was wonky. So this morning I took a run in wolf form to find something better to eat, and to rid my self of last night’s rabbit as well. Moving a respectable distance from the leaking point I was able to get two more much plumper rabbits for a replacement brunch. These I cooked over a camp fire to be safe. This time the roasting made a big difference in their taste and my gastronomic comfort level. It would appear that rabbit Sushi requires especially good quality Rabbit.

I cleaned up my cooking mess and went for a patrol run to check things out for any changes. In climbing up a couple of trees I was able to get a sense of the slope and lay of the topography around the cave where the stones were coming out. I went far enough away from the weakened spot and any piles of those damn stones to safely pass through the barrier. Coming around the back side of the mine shaft I had to in a number of place be very careful. I carefully walked around the Swiss cheese holes I sensed under the forest floor. A hundred years ago where people were done with a hole or wanted to hide it they just laid down logs and covered the lid with brush and dirt. This gave me an idea of how to reroute the stones coming out of the mine away from the wounded area.

I was just coming back to where the watching point was when I felt a painful pressure change in my wolf ears. I knew this meant that James through his portage device was returning to this area so I sat and waited under cover.
Soon a shimmering silver oval appeared hanging in space just above the ground; the oval was apparently only two dimensional and opened on the other side to where James was coming from. In moments I saw my teacher’s leg then the rest of him come out of the oval backwards carrying something between himself and another,. who was also slowly struggling with the cloth wrapped weighty bundle. Following on the other end came a tall totally bald human wearing Druid’s robes

Lilly

The human had a peaceful contemplative look on his face as they sat down their end of this bundle. I stayed out of sight to find out who this person is. Watching as the bald human breathed in the forest air and with a ready smile he slapped James on the shoulder exclaiming loudly,

“So this is what you have been hiding from me all these years, James.”

“I can nay hide any thing from ye Elric. Ye be to sharp for me wee brain to outwit. Ye do remember ye old goat that both Ann and Maggie tried for the longest time, to entice ye to visit, the answer given was blunt, leaving no imagination what you would rather be doing. So we just thought more for us”

Elric laughed a long undignified laugh. His relaxed manner and lack of stuffy attitude, gave me quite a pause. My father knows a lot of Druids among the Unseen but this one is so not like the others this one is so natural?

Alease /Betty

I woke up earlier than both me mom and dad, really early this morning with the taste of my Scottish mother's healing broth still in me mouth. I was a bit set back not to find myself in my sleeping nook but on an unfamiliar soft bed. I was in some very bonny shelter I have never seen the likes even in a fever sickness. Stumbling out into the larger part of this dwelling I gazed upon two wee lassies sleeping in their bed protected by a large white wolf, at least that felt right.

“Alease, my girl, I said to me self, when did ye sleep away so long ye forget being married with two children. Ye would think Me wouldst remember having them.”

Then the smallest one called out for mama Betty, who in the world would she be. The smell of a stiff harsh smelling something heating in another room, stirred a memory. Following the smell I saw my reflection in a silvery surface that was suspended in thin air. On one side me seen the white wolf was jumping into but nay coming out the other side.

OMG That shook the Gallic out of me, startling me back into my mind of who I am now. Good goddess I needed that coffee now. Was that Melissa or Lilly or did we have a real pet wolf?

Betty, my woman you need some one to seriously talk to about this. Does Ann's order have a Witch doctor. That thought got me laughing at my silly self, yep I am back in order. The memory of being Alease hung with me all morning long at least until the kids were off to school. There was a bi when the kids asked me something and I answered they looked at me as if my mind had wandered off some where and I had slipped a cog or something When I asked what was the problem with them it occurred to me I was talking to them in old Scottish. I was able to pass it off as a joke and Crystal started imitating me like a the little girl mocking bird she is. This did not help my feeling of incongruity with my settings. I called Louise and told her about last night and needing some time to reset my brain to present time and place. Laughing at me

“Bets let’s meet over at the Dragon; say ten this morning for breakfast my treat and we can talk about your night and my morning OK.”

“Just keep the funny farm people away from me if I start to talk in Scottish and saying my name is Alease. In the dream I killed a bear with one arrow at point blank range, I think I may be a little twitchy this fine morn.”

Gretchen.

Robert my youngest son at twenty three was up unusually early this morning and had come into my office with a couple cups from our local chains who served the Heavenly bean brand. My boy can be a sharp stick to the eye for others, but he loved me, and for the most part, respected me. I started as he was sitting down.

“I am a bit shocked by the fact that White Owl has volunteered for a parley with no preconditions or agreements. She called it a “meet and greet.”

“Mom it's going to be more like a Meat and grill. I’ll bring the A1. Does that women think a name is going to let her just walk in and snow us again. Hell no, I remember how they stranded us ten years ago we almost went belly up. So no one of my lodge is going to be too pleasant with this want to be.”

“I won't be happy if it turns into that so I want you and your band to keep it civil, and allow Betty to be seen and heard before any one starts target practice.

Listen, Robert I am still smoking this person out, but what is printed about her, and who her enemies are impress me. What she is doing in Haven aligned with what I know about her. Added to that she has agree to meeting us on my terms with only herself as back up. She is no fool and has been straight with every one she has worked with.”

“So she has a good work ethic; wow I impressed. She is just another apple trying to get a pass to fuck us over. As far as being no fool, her coming here alone does her no credit?

Does she have any Idea what’s happened here for the last ten years. Most of us never got a childhood because you parents were scrambling so hard to keep us fed. I will promise to keep my hands to my self Ma, but I will not pledge for any others in my crew.”

“I have raised you better than that Rob you never have met her yet you judge her, You haven't even used your vision to see her heart, I have done both or I would not have agreed to her request to meet the council for a parley. She is no Apple she is skin and honors both of her grandmothers traditions. There is talk she has been chosen by the Scotsman James as his new charge. There is also proof she now walks the same path of knowledge Ann walked, and has pledged her blood and body to protect what stands here to Ann's benefactress. Win louse or draw she has never backed down, from any fight; those are actions not words“

“She just wants something from us; it's always their way, when they get what they want they go away until the next thing comes to their little minds. What’s on this ones list; what are they willing to trade; why does she want to talk to us.”

“Betty White Owl is her name she alone has called for this get together she is alone the night after the harvest has been completed, with no list, no expectations. She just wants to meet with us so we can see who she is and she wants to know her neighbors so she can learn where our interests can help one another. Betty is the new Township’s manager and has been given leave to act on the best interests of both parties with no interference.”

“So the Havens hippies finally bit the bullet and figured out they have a shit plan for living in the modern world.”

“ No Rob there are two many signs that spirit has led Betty and her family to Haven. In the first days she was there Betty physically stood up and stomped the Reverend's son, preventing him from killing Jessie's daughter. She also busted those two con artists who closed our food bank and got them arrested for being lying frauds. She has been working the last three weeks doing all sorts of paperwork for that township saving their charter and finding needed supplies to repair the towns services. She has friends in every county west of the Cascade divide and quite a few in the eastern side of the state. Every one of them I have talked to has told me exactly the same thing. Betty has guts and brains. That she walks her talk and is honest and
fair.

Rob, all she is asking for is to parley on fair terms with no bull shit, those are her words. All I ask is that you do not lynch her before you get to hear her.”

Mother you are my elder and my kin, I will listen and I will watch. If she squirms or fails to be up front and speak the truth I will roast her where she stands. “

Son I would expect nothing less of you. Robert, I will make you a deal If you bring the grill, I will bring the matches and the charcoal.”

Robert roared like his daddy does.

Betty

It was a beautiful Pacific Northwest fall day in Haven, It was still before ten AM and I already had a full start on the day. I wonder if the other people around the town had a full morning or lax. I felt I had already worked half a day just getting back to emotionally being here. I was reading about the village recently discovered in the northern highlands but I must have dozed off because I startled awake presently being shocked awake by the slow motion vision of seeing Alease's arrow entering the right eye of a charging bear and the bear dropping sliding to a stop at my or Aleases's feet.
I decided I needed noise and bustle around me so I would more likely be able to hold my mind in this time frame So freshen up my self a touch of foundation eye liner with a spot of eye color some blush schemer of lip gloss and my bandana I was on my way to the Dragon.

Louise joined me in but a moment waiting only for Mia to fill her cup with coffee before quietly exclamation “spill girl.”

Louise for a short time this morning I was confused if my name was Alease or Betty and things felt a little surreal both physically and emotionally. I woke up tasting my mother’s soup like I just had some. I still could hear the Norse Vikings ask my dad to ask my permission if they could share the bear for the help of butchering it. I even spoke to the kids in ancient Scottish in answering a question they had asked. Both looked at me like I was pulling their leg in a joke so I just played along like I was. It took until the children went to class for me to stop sounding like James. Crystal started to imitate the both of us too well for my tastes.

“Sounds fun, Betty how do you feel now.?”

This is my fourth cup of coffee and I am beginning to feel solid again.”

“Sounds like a hell of a memory vision to me what else do you recall.”

Louise took my hand in hers then I related the entire story to her, the names of my family members laughing at Conan being a solid Scottish name. Where the rock pile house was, the bear the Norse and my wee bonny sister Ann.

“Betty, if you don't mind ,I want to call a friend in town who speaks Swedish and Danish' You are recalling the language spoken very accurately I would like to have her listen to this. You had an immense experience, I really think you need time to absorb what happened and not try to carry on as usual. Our office work is done for this week; we are good today. There are some things coming up but they can wait. So today we get the day off and I want to spend it with my best friend.”

Talking to your self is only a stop gap tool, people use to wrap there mind around a situation, or circumstance. Many times you need to reach out to some one else to gain the perspective you need to come to grips with what is within or without.

SAM

This down time is totally necessary, usually I wouldn’t take time to repair things along my way. No it took me breaking my self, to get the point I needed rest. This time I think I broke my mind, or at least cracked it. This was a hard place to be for me, because my mind is not physical. I cant hold it like a broken arm or limp on it if it was a broken leg, Both of these are parts of me they, actually physically prevented me from doing things.

My mind is not just another part. I can't put a splint on it, to remind me. and allow it to heal. This wasn’t like patching a flat bicycle tire, I had no experience with this repair. So with my life on pause, I called my mind mechanic.

"Sam why does this being in your head make it not an injury? My god women you’re a person not a machine, there is no automatic repair button. Sam what triggered this melt down?"

“ I just can't handle that I was put in jail because I prevented a woman’s murder. I had to watch too much of that shit going down in theater. . But it wasn't our job to rewire their heads, just to do our jobs of fighting the war while respecting their cultural differences.

My commanding officer called it the Prime Directive, I called it bull shit. He got in my face one day about it; telling me if I wasn’t able to put my inner little girl in check I could be transferred to a more fitting posting aligned to my sensitive personality. I declined his offer wanting to choose my time and place to get off of this bull ride. You never let the bull decide when you get off, his goal is to stomp you. You hold on with your teeth until it's an opportune time for you to depart the bull's company”

“I can understand why this situation would bother you, but what I am hearing, is that this time something broke .”

“I thought when I got home I was done with that type of shit, but here has become just as bad, The police and judge told me it wasn’t my business and stay out of it. Things, that's the same non interference shit.”

“Go on; what was your thinking at that time,”

“This was here at home, not over there, there was no one but me to stop that drunken ass. The police had plenty of time to respond, But she ran out of time, this guy went full out on a mother who was shielding her little girl. He had punched the mother several times, closed fist, She was down at his feet covering the little girl. He then wound up for a killer blow on the back of her neck and I cut him short. For saving a life I got thirty days in the slammer to reconsider the errors of my way.”

“Do you regret your actions or your incarceration.?”

“My incarceration, I would take the same action again.”

“So if you are OK with your actions and still feel your values are good enough to fight for, where is the rub? I understand a month in county jail is no picnic but good and brave people often run afoul of the authorities. I am not supporting what the judge did, he was clearly motivated by some thing other than the rule of law. But I think you feel this is too close to where you live, inside of you.”.

“Jolene you put your finger right on the pulse of the issue. There no one was standing up for innocent people. I come back home to find the same type of tactics being used here against innocent people. The authorities didn't care if someone was brutally murdered, they were worried about some one else doing their job, stealing their thunder. Standing up and saying no is a crime here.

What happened there has done more than take the wind out of my sails. This has punched a hole just above the waterline and I feel like I am floundering. I am pumping like mad to stay afloat but for the first time in my life fear and panic is in control of me.”

“I understand Samantha, my brother is on walk about in Alaska trying to find himself after returning from Afghanistan. I will tell you the same thing I told him go find a place where the water is calm, and pump your bilge dry, Then consider what repair work you need to do, with out the panic over sinking. Withdraw from the hustle and bustle of day to day life, give yourself time to heal.

From what you have have told me before, you haven't stopped moving since getting back state side. I think you have been running from these issues. with this instant brings boiling over your pot. Your buried issues are arising from the grave to demand justice.”

“Shit Jolene ,you mean I am having a private Zombie apocalypse.? He he he he”

“That's a good way of putting it Sam,. I am telling you, it's alright to be upset about this. Stop thinking past is prologue or that you are crazy for doing the sane thing. The world is really what's crazy here, not you. So take some time get away from people and give yourself time to decompress then heal. You can't patch an inner tube that still has air in it, can you.”

Sam

My time alone helped me secure my control over myself enough that I wanted to stretch my legs a bit and see just what this section of the country had to offer. I never felt comfortable not knowing what was around me and what roads went where. Time for Tarok to get out of his stall and have a little fun. The nice thing in building your own equipment is that you can build it right for you. My motorcycle is the most tricked out toy I have and I do love my gadgets.

Getting into my leathers, grabbing some water and a bit to eat, took all of ten minuets. Dropping the ramp and rolling Tarok out of his dock about five. Helmet check, bike check systems check, and data systems primed all happened as I pulled quietly away from my home away from home.

Some people like loud bikes I like my quiet one; let’s me go places no one can follow or track. On the outside Tarok looks like a mildly custom bike but nothing else stood out from any of thousands of other bikes on the road. I was invisible.

Heading out of town following the back roads I took a GPS lock, on any note worthy features I came across. Police station here, Fire station there then a marked forest service road number 65732 running up into the hills noted on map showing a squiggle running up. There were other paths on the side of this mountain, just not on the map, those were the ones I wanted to find. It is on my list to explore so with out fan fair I quickly reset Tarok's suspension to run on gravel noted my GPS recorder and went for a ride.

Betty

We have only been here in Haven for a few weeks and my withered roots had already driven down deep into this rocky soil. No one was more shocked at this development than myself. In my opinion one of the biggest curses of modern life was the loss of a real home town. For most people it was their life style to move with one town being as good as any town. For of us and many others it was a matter of survival.

Until Haven no home stood for more than a year at most, because my work was helping people; my family had become refugees in our own country. Our moves were not because we want to, or like to, we move because the monsoon rain of events in our lives demands it.

No sooner that we had a chance to settle down in one community when something would make it a good idea to move to another location. Some times it was economic forces, some times social ones but the solution to either was to move or die. That's why Haven has been such a shock to my system.

Before we moved here, people for hire by who we were in litigation with was given found our address, Then we would become the target for harassment. Sometimes by pressuring a landlord, by telling neighbors lies or false rumors, pulling dirty juvenile tricks on us, or on our neighbors blaming us for what they were doing. Anna called them Griefer's , people that loved to inflict grief on people, the neighbors would say it's just a part of life, so sad too bad to be you, now get the fu*& out of here before we hurt you to.

Authorities also work under the rules they’re here not to prevent things from happening but to keep a lid on it when it did. The path of least resistance was to snag the victim charging them with the crime of the others. This kept paperwork low and maintained the world view they have that it was the world that was crappy and mean.

Here in Haven I wasn't a social outcast or do gooder, I was part of the solution to the problems that people wanted solved. I was one of the persons who served the community keeping things working. That's not social engineering, it's Democracy. Confucius once had to rehabilitate a crime infested district When successful, the Emperor asked how he did this, Confucius told him simple “You need reward the good and punish the bad.”

All of the places I have lived before I never had the chance to just get out and roam about. I decided today, Saturday, I was going to take the kids and do just that. I had already gotten an idea from the old maps what was near by so I packed us some trail food and water rousted the kids from bed by yelling

“FIELD TRIP.”

It took only fifteen minutes before they were ready to go.

We walked and sang as we wound our way up into the hills surrounding Haven. I could feel where James was working on the barrier so I steered clear of going that way. There was a prominent foot hill that stuck out somewhat alone that looked like a mole hill thus it was named Mole mountain, some called it pocket mountain but the kids loved the name of Mole for a mountain.

There was rumored that there were some nice looking crystals up towards the top, lurking on the slopes. So prospecting we went, up and down and up and down, Soon we were joined by a pure white wolf who wore a collar with the name of Melissa engraved in fancy script. The girls acted like they had known this wolf for a long time, I already knew this was one of James's assistants, I just haven't met her human form . My worry was what would happen if the kids encountered a genetic wolf? Would the meeting be good or bad.

Betty

I had settled down on a spot of the slope and started to draw mushrooms and grasses adding a sprinkling of drawn little faerie's making their home there. I was engrossed in my work when Crystal cleared her throat requisitioning my attention.

“Ma, there is some one here who wants to talk to you.”

When I looked up at Crystal's smiling face I was also visited by a shock. The person or being that my daughter lead to me was none other than the legendary Green Man who in Celtic beliefs is the god of summer. At nine years old I couldn't expect she would know who this was, or what his appearance meant, she was just being her normally buoyant self, helping an adult who she knew meant no harm. For nine, Crystal had an extraordinary refined sense of a person’s inner make up. With her chores done she bid us both good by and returned to her digging up the hill.

“You have a wonderful daughter there, Betty. She has so many gifts to offer this world.”

His voice was resonantly masculine and cultured, his features were human whose skin on his face were comprised of many leaves. There were the fall colors shot through the predominantly green of his skin and simple clothing. His appearance left no doubt that this was a working Deity spirit, who got his hands dirty performing his tasks.

“My Lord “ Taking a deep bow of my head.

“Oh please, this isn't court, dispense with the frilly formalities. I know my arrival here is not expected as my duties are elsewhere, but from all the stir my comparatives have been going on about I needed to see how you are doing?“

Looking up into the face of one who I had only seen depicted in story books is a bit disconcerting but I still accepted their proffered hand in assistance for arising from the ground.

“Thank you how should I address you sir?”

“Oh that would be fine but my real name this year is Keven. With all of the being born in the spring and dying each fall I have taken to changing my common name every cycle.”

This caused me to chuckle a bit which I stifled out of respect.

“My child I am pleased to bring ye merriment, as your face lights up in the most enjoyable manner, not unlike your daughter's; when you smile it is a thing of beauty. Having that image within my memory will comfort me during my rest this winter. So relax and walk with me there are matters I wish to share with you before my time here has passed.“

We walked a bit and he chatted to the trees and bushes along the way as one would greet a friend upon the travels of a social stroll. Keven would pause and inform me of the purpose of this shrub and uses of that plant and how to prepare that bark. I was totally mesmerized by his gracious and generous manner.

We had traveled a short distance when I hesitated and strained to listen for my children’s sounds as to reassuring my self of their continued well being.

“Betty, ease your mind, the wolf form Melissa is looking over your children keeping them safe from harm. I would not put those precious treasures of yours in any danger so relax and have a seat.”

In just the moment of my distraction he had manifested a picnic supper of great verity.

“This is most generous of you my Lo /Keven??? “

It was his turn to smile and laugh warmly.

“My wife was truly well spoken of you my dear, and I see she was very understated.”

Offering me a crystal goblet of the purest quartz filled with a deeply red wine.

“Worry not, Betty, this is but the last and the sweetest of my summer wine I share with you as a celebration of your progress and a salute to your courage in accepting this very difficult responsibility. I felt it was proper for some one to reward you with a simple celebration.”

Gesturing to the feast of nibbles from pickled mushrooms , and salads of many type of greens, rustic breads, cheeses, and so many vegetables and relishes. I sipped the wine flavored of strawberries and cherries, savoring its delicate flavor noting the lack of any alcohol taste. After sampling the mushrooms and several of the relishes. I calculated this was all locally grown items.

“Keven if you are trying to seduce me you may just succeed.”

“Nay my lady Betty it is too late in the season for that. But I will not promise you next mid summer's night, not to interrupt your dreams. But to be sure, I am pleasantly married and my wife is too aware of my wandering eye. Thus she keeps me well sated and on a very short leash.”

“Thank you for this, Keven, I have been so wound up I needed this very pleasant diversion It has relaxed my anxiety of what is going to happen tomorrow with the Elders of the Upper Skagit nation.”

“It serves no purpose to fret or worry about that which has yet to transpire my lady Betty, you are well aware that tomorrow is but a dream, it is only the present which is real. So be with me for this time and allow me to take your mind off the tasks you have set your self upon,”

There was a pause of silence between us as the warm afternoon framed the picture of fall beauty surrounding us in this most unlikely location and company. We would talk about small things concerning how the mushrooms were prepared and who would be a good friend to court a friendship with. He commended me in surrounding myself with the best people for the job, and then allowing them to do their jobs.

“James especially is a great choice for mending the structural problems with your barrier, he is really in his element here. I need to warn you of a great change that may be on his horizon one that is well overdue. Just remember he is a big boy and needs to be just that. My word to the wise for the day.”

“Keven why are you folks so nebulous and vague with your warnings ? It does cause a lot of headaches if you follow what I mean,?”

“Betty, be more open with me. You wanted to say 'pain in my ass' didn't you, truthfully now.? We who exist in the rarefied spaces, must and do respect you. And honor the fact you as a race, for both the good and bad, need to exercise, and understand the freedom of your own volition. So we give you tidbits which do not derail that rule but still prepares you to be attentive to things requiring the exercise of judgment.”

“Keven, I like you, no bull shit no pretenses; you are the natural you.”

“I can be nothing else my dear it is my nature and I can not stray from that path of my own straight and narrow. Speaking of which I wish to present you with a bit of wisdom before I depart your company, my dearest,

Your future will require an amount of flexibility in some manners and a balance of rigidity in others, Look to my children for examples, for balance and extremes. Then apply them accordingly in full measure no holding back, trying not to offend or be to harsh.

In the manner of life and death, always err on the side of life, but realize you in some instances to be the very mask of death with out guilt or shame. Those situations are usually well marked and in your face. They require a decisiveness and clarity of purpose, that those of you who have lived among gently civilized people have seldom experienced.

But afterwards put down your weapons and embrace your children; they will balance you and remind you what you are fighting for. You were a womanly male for a purpose, you have been exposed to things, been allowed to do things, women normally never get a chance to. This blend is now your strength. Still remember that on your journey there are times to let go of ambiguity to accept with grace gifts bestowed upon you by chance and fortune.”

Gently cupping my face Keven looked deep into my eyes

'When after the travels of many miles you come across an enemy make sure the journey was theirs. So when you are forced to cut them down you will have no guilt in your actions.

You are a fine person Betty and I am looking forward to seeing what you do with these opportunities and challenges you have before you. I expect big things of you and I will devote the balance of my energies this year to give you cover in disillusioning those who are in conflict with your purpose and goals. Just be very careful in how you use your skills.”

The entire time he was speaking to me the illusion of the presence he had faded and slowly thinned out until all I could see was his Cheshire Cat like smile, which bid me adieu before fading completely.

There was only the now empty wine glass in my hand remaining. Its presence filled me with wonder and contentment.

Lilly

James, Elric, and I took a break from the toil of saving the Barrier; we got the reinforcements in place which pushed back as hard as the stones were pushing holding a balance of forces. The short spires of rock were originally to be used when the barrier was first established. But later they were found to be redundant. So James, being a good thrifty Scot, put them in a cave for safe holding in case they are needed.

Elric was the surprise for me, getting dirty pulling the earth up from the holes he was requesting the earth to allow. I always thought the Druids were too clean to be touched by any one less pure. But there he was working along side of the two of us sitting two of the stones in place. After a short prayer the stones started to reinforce the barrier by supplying the missing energy lost when the original stone crumbled. Dirty, we needed bathing then food. Heck I could no longer tell if I was a dirt brown wolf with white spots, or a white wolf with dirt brown spots.

James took us to a fairly secluded place not on any others tour map. We entered a very narrow opening to a cave that once inside looked more like a home than a hole in the ground. Once in, James rolled a large stone over the doorway to keep things ‘private’. The insides were dusty from lack of use but that never bothered any other wolves I have ever met.

James was quite proud of this little hideaway from the outside world. Ann and he spent some time here as a retreat away from the madding crowds of Haven. Ann told James that the parts she fashioned were a reminder of when she was a little girl. The family would take their cows up to high pasture in the low highlands. There was a summer cave home her family had in Scotland.

In the back of our cave was a natural atrium open through the roof of the cave directly under the hole a natural hot spring. All sorts of clingy plants grew on the walls and floor. Making this look like a bathroom from a very expensive house. Elric was impressed; very impressed when James informed us that he was the one who cleared the stones uncovering the pool and brought in all of the plants we see softening the walls. He even planted some trees around the opening to prevent people from peeking in or locating this spot.

James bid us to dive in and before either of us could act Elric got down to his skinny and waded in. James gave me an aside comment concerning that.

“Elric was an 800 year old hippy, as much as a Druid.”

I loved that observation because it fit my observations of him. The other observation was Elric was cut like a body builder. I am not going hetero over him but I can admit that for all of his age he has held up well.

James has been running his tail off trying to break the law of normal physics of not being in two places at the same time. He is determined to keep Betty on her own track while taking care of these little things himself.

“Lilly, it works like this; Betty has the entire big picture on her plate plus any side dishes she is capable of dealing with on her own. It’s our job to field as much of this small stuff that could be a distraction from her main duties. Betty is a real go getter and tends to overdo rather than under do.”

"She sounds like she has a streak of the Dutch people in her lineage” Elric added.

“AI that she does, so I try to gently persuade her to take time off when she can so she remains fresh on the job. I also keep track of all the wee fiddly bits that may become the proverbial horseshoe nail. If the problem can be better solved with a wee bit of her attention then I bring it to her attention. But her main job is the big outside stuff, while we watch her back as the Yanks put it.”

“You guys just said something about Betty having some Dutch in her, what’s that about?”

“What Elric was trying to say, Lilly, is back in our day the Dutch were considered such hard working and industrious people that when they bought shirts they would come with their sleeves already rolled up.”

“Ya, I see that in her she does spread herself really thin, her children, the town all that mumbo jumbo, gobbledy gook, magic stuff, Betty worked last full moon. I was worried that the roof was going to fall in but she never stopped fighting and trying.”

“AI lass, that’s Betty alright, relentless in what she believes in... sounds like some one else we knew, Elric”

“I agree with you James, you would think that Ann and Betty were cut from the same bolt of cloth, and sewn by the same tailor.”

“Elric that would be a twist in faith only the Gods with their perverse sense of irony would arrange something that symmetrical.”

Lilly

As we soaked the warm waters worked their magic so we fell into blissful silence, with the only illumination being a candle from Elric’s bottomless pack. The hot spring did wonders to ease out the tension and pain of the work today. My next memory was James lighting oil lamps he produced from no where. He was dressed and ready to leave, so I started to scramble to get out of the pool but I found my body had become rubber, preventing me.

“Stay put lass you’re in for the night; Elric is gathering a fine supper for you and himself, and taking care of some business with an old friend. I need to run into Monroe to talk to one of my contacts about information he has for me. Ye have a bit of work ahead of ye tomorrow checking out some more of the Barrier. You be our legs and eyes and Elric and I will do the patching. For Betty’s sake we need to have as much repaired and patched as possible by the next full of the moon.”

“James is it wrong to say that I like Betty as a person, is that getting to close.? Daddy has been telling me that we need to keep our distance so we stay objective in our work. He has warned me not to get too attached.”

“If all things be normal lass but things are nay normal, so what ye are feeling is good and proper for this situation. The Morrigan has told me that so many things are on their way in the next five years more or less, winding up to massive changes. She is short on details, but I understand if Betty succeeds in October those of us here, will be here for the long spell. These people are our family now and we need to do what we do best to protect them.”

“James do you think the Morrigan has any chance to flunk Betty and send her packing. I don’t think the lady knows Betty very well if they think she is going to willingly leave now.”

“The lady’s has no doubt the only way Betty is leaving is in a box. Never tell Betty this but her accepting the job was the passing grade. The ladies love mind games and use them to great advantage to leverage what they desire or need”.

“It’s odd to think that a God or Goddess has need’s?”

“AI they do have just as many as we wee folks down here. Their’s also tend to be on a grander scale.”

“James is one of their needs to torment us. I think what they are putting Betty through is just too much for any one mind to comprehend. How can they for any reason think they can push any flesh that fast and that hard?”

“To a new comer like your self it would appear to be just that. But that is not the entire picture. Betty has been forged by Hephaestus himself. Every blow in her life was to shape her into who she is becoming now. This situation is tempering Betty to the steel she is made of. It may seem harsh but after what’s she’s suffered through over the years it is just the speed of the change which is difficult. This is drawing the brittleness out of her, this is annealing her strength pulling together everything she has ever done or experienced before now into a flexible and durable spirit that will not break in combat or rust in peace. Because combat always follows any peace both properties are important.

The speed serves to prevent her from over thinking the situation, and to sneak her into the arena with out the combatants knowing she is here. They have been lulled into complacency thinking Haven is a soft target but Betty has the drop on them because they have no idea she is stitching together the torn fabric of the Barrier and bringing the people of Haven and the larger communities of the shire together under one flag it would be said.”

“So she is sneaking around hiding from the others who are sneaking around. this is like a cartoon That's
how is she going to win against so many people”

“AI lass if she can manage to keeping them in the dark until after the full moon on Samhain, she will be rooted here making it enormously hard to push her off this mountain. But until then she is vulnerable and so are we.”

“Is that why she was so beaten up from the last full of the moon?”

“AI Betty had to do things the hard way, so nobody knew she was doing it. I can tell you from working with Ann the energy and pain involved was considerable. In the end Betty left an illusion that the barrier was weakened but not down; but in reality she saved it.

September and the first two days of October’s circle of three are going to be back breakers, Samhain (October 31) is going to be either a victory for us or a blood bath for Betty. She is committed to stand like the Greeks at Thermopylae; she has no fall back, no place for her to go.”

“Why can’t she just drive away into the sunset and disappear like so many others.”

“If I understand what I have been told if Betty had passed us by, and went to Summer Town, she and her girls would have been assassinated, that’s how much the big corporations hate her for all the work she has done in helping people.”

“Wow, get out. They have that much of a hard on against her and the children?”

“You sound surprised Lilly, it has been the way things have been done since before the time of Rome. It’s just that people here in the States have a sheltered view of the world. Community organizers have now been put on a varmint list to be hunted no limit no license needed terminated with predigests.”

“So she stands here or is cut down from behind. There is nowhere to hide?

“It’s all a part of the new world order as the president called it. With modern technology they can locate almost any one any time, then termination is very easy.”

“If she wins how are we going to survive what’s happening. Won’t they just throw a bigger bomb or something?

“The Barrier is so much more talented than any one could ever imagine, with its protection and some slight of hand by Betty it is able to repel any thing norms can offer."

“Then why allow it to fall into such bad repair in the first place?”

“Ann was really keen that it didn't fall into the hands of the wrong members of the unseen community, who if they came into possession of this location with a functional barrier that could be used to unleash another evil on norms and unseen. So she rigged the game that those folks would not see this as a tempting target, because no one could fix what's broken.

But if a particular person with the right special skill set ,was to find their way here , then they could bring the Barrier back to full power and help it reach its full potential. That's the way it was supposed to work. If any one asked me when they sussed this out I would have laughed at them.”

“Then it's good they didn't ask you, James; who came up with this idea it seems to be such an impossibly long shot, for any one to bet so much on. Unless there was something else we don't know that would increase the odds that the plan would work. “

It was Ann and Fay were in cahoots to cook this up in secret, but it has the scent of the ladies Morrigan type of plan; I didn't find out about this until talking with Fay when she roped me into coming back here.”'

“And what was that like, James?”

“If Fay wasn't such a good friend I would have walked out I was so mad. I spent eight years with my guts in a ball knot thinking I let Ann down and didn't protect her. Then to be informed that it was all a mind game to disguise what was really happening. But I must admit it was a bloody good idea, But your right Ann wouldn't trust blind luck on a slim to naught chance of some random cast of events to bring just the right person at the right time to the right place. There is something else going on that I nay have figured out yet. I have some parts but not enough to act on”

“Well Master James are you going to share what you do know with me your Padawan Learner?”

James just chuckled “But my dear that would be telling and I nay want to do that. What you don't know can't come out by accident and spoil any plans. Nay offense, Lilly, but I have learned from a very old acquaintance that two people can keep a secret only if one is dead.” so being as I need and like you alive, I will keep me silence.

I will share this with you, if you think Betty has her hands full now. Soon she will be given a post. that although she will totally hate it is uniquely suited for Betty to perform.”

“James, let me see if I got this; if Betty is right for a job because she doesn't want it, does that make some who wants it wrong for the job.?”

“You got it in One, lass.”

Every one is still sorting out their own part of the Puzzle that is their life. Haven’s Barrier does not alter the fact, real life has never come with a book of instructions,. There is no neatly written signage, or GPS voice telling a person how to. Real life has always been flying by the seat of your pants, navigating by a combination of schooling, your experiences, trusting your gut feelings to fill in the unknown. Regardless whether your age is over two thousand years, or under sixteen, you must play the cards life hands you, being careful what you keep and what you throw away. Phaedrus the Elder

Betty

I was able to strong arm Bear before he went home from the picnic. I am really good at understanding systems if I get some basic information as how things are to be done. Having collected and read every handout sheet from each work station. I had some idea what his vision was concerning product flow.

"Betty, my whole system is devised to get the product smoothly out of the field into a controlled environment. Every half hour in an uncontrolled warm dry environment degrades some of the flavor. The sooner the most of our product is inside a cool damp environment the longer our hang time. We then can bring flats out of the chiller to the trimming tables and if we are quick, things stay good. I prefer that the boxers work in the chilling room to keep things as fresh as we can, here in our process. We have no control of how the shippers handle things from there but if it leaves the chiller room and goes directly onto the truck the receivers do assume responsibility for the product. But the temperature of the product needs to be random sampled by the driver as it is loaded.

Betty, I am curious... I never had any one interested in my system before; why you?”

“Bear, I have worked in a lot of places doing a lot of processes, some of my experiences are from the operations side of food banks. They face a lot of the same restraints you do in that spoiled food does not feed people. If I know how your system is supposed to work I can help in keeping things moving any where I am working. I just need to know what I am looking at to keep it moving along.

Strong Bear, I want to be clear about that. I know this is your circus not mine. I am following your way of doing things, I am a smart cog in your system and I will follow your manner of doing things.

Strong Bear blinked a couple of times before he finally smiled, then chuckled to himself.

“And here I was getting ready for an arm wrestling match with both you and Louise tomorrow, trying to keep control of the process. The one thing I never expected was that you would leave me in charge.”

“Hey Bear Man, you are the commander General of the Veg. I am going to work very hard in being a help not a hindrance. You point I shoot, and there can only be one leader in this pack effort, and you are it.”

“Shit Betty you just killed my best line from my motivational speech tomorrow morning.”

“Not a problem; I will just nod and laugh on cue like a good follower. But go now, you have a good evening. I have to meet with the work crews back at the township hall to be sure everyone is on the same page”

“Betty where are my manners? I have forgotten to say thank you for your help, this is really making a difference.”

“Certainly Bear, thank you for the chance to prove ourselves to you. It is going to take a lot more than just this but you folks are well worth the effort.”

Strong Bear then did something unexpected he hugged me, while there he softly spoke in my ear.

“Betty I already trust you; you are simply good people and I am blessed to have met you.” Breaking the hug” go get some sleep you are going to need it tomorrow.”

Louise

Last night I thought I was going to need to spoon feed some of the people as to how to do their jobs. , But to my total amazement Monday morning everyone remembered our drills on Sunday evening.

After Sunday’s picnic the leads went out to their teams and shared what Betty and I had learned from Strong Bear’s crew earlier in the day. It was a great help that many of the folks in town have done this type of work before. And what they did not remember; Bear's hand outs and some quickly made posters filled in the gaps.

Bear's organization was fantastic, the controlled mayhem required to pull off this complex operation would have stumped a lesser person. Watching him work reminded me of a carnival boss setting up for a show. Not a wasted move or word; everything the model of simplicity and effectiveness. Every step of the way Strong Bear quietly corrected and encouraged people who were making mistakes, and prazing those doing well.

We had set up an operations room in the township building Sunday. Monday Betty and I were working there trying to keep up with the fast paced fluid processes necessary to get the product to the purchasers. I made a few suggestions that would keep the number of questions we had to ask him down to a minimum. Using some simple visual aids it allowed the rest of us to integrate with what Strong Bear wanted done. By ten AM, the first refrigerated trucks were coming in to be loaded, then ushered along their way as the next truck took its place in line.

Spotters in the field had assessed the different fields to their picking order so the most ripened produce was the first picked . Things moved so quickly we were running low on picking flats. We were worried until I remembered that there was an old building near the shipping dock which had a mess of the picking flats, and a supply of their branded shipping boxes left over from some time ago. Problem solved

Betty

One of the great things this effort afforded me was the ability to work with Crystal and Anna. We became a floater team moving from one bottle neck to another. Thursday the child watchers were down with a kid’s virus that was nearly fatal to adults. The younger kids were following Crystal around like she was the mother duck. Several of the little girls were worshiping the ground Crystal walked on.

Anna and a couple of the other older girls sat up a play school for the slightly older kids. We found some random kid safe art supplies. This was a big hit and over the next couple of days several artistic masterpieces were unexpectedly created. The surviving adults supervised and handled hard to do jobs.

Friday, day five, we were out in the field keeping the crews fed and hydrated. Both of the kids teamed up to become excellent as runners, taking energy snacks and water to the picking crews. I floated around the pickers and the loaders pitching in where ever the flow was slowing down. Day six, Saturday, the three of us were at the packing and shipping docks, doing our act in keeping the flow going smoothly.

Sunday of the first week had all of us followed God’s example and we all rested.

Sam

Siting still for me has its problem, I start to remember my bad shit and brood. The chance meeting with that wolf-man really thrown me for a loop. I have never had someone cut through every defense I had; the worst of it was he did it from the inside. From the outside I have known many men in my life. Men I served with, those I took orders from, and the men I hunted down and killed. But not one of them ever touched me on the inside. It has taken me a couple of days just to regain some emotional control . Every day the pull to find him increases, but for now I have my control back. Not knowing how long this control was going to last? I need to do something with it even if it is wrong.

I am understanding there was some stump clearing with demo charges going on near by I think I am going to take the truck out for a run and check it out maybe pick up some easy work. Nothing like blowing things up to get this girl out of a funk.

Patrice Stout

My company had hired some local talent to blow some stumps and boulders for a power line project. The people I got were some local red necks who have done this type of work at home. I had to fire these good old boys by Wednesday, I run a demolitions company not a play ground for over age juvenile delinquents. They parked a twenty ton boulder in my driveway, as a joke. So when Sam first walked up to the office trailer I couldn't figure just what I was looking at, but after checking out her paperwork and a few minutes, of small talk, I found out Sam was a Cracker Jack Demo person. She knew her stuff inside and out and after another twenty minutes of practical demonstration I was sold on Sam's skill. If it exploded she could handle it, Plastic to Black Powder, fuse, to electronic delayed staged type detonators,, She took the company mandatory safety test and aced it cold with no study.

The reason I needed a demo person was to clear a path to install the footings for the power towers up a steep hillside. With boulders the size of small houses and the large old growth tree stumps along the planed path I would need to use a D 8 or D 12 Caterpillar., but it was just too steep to even try. It wasn't rocket science but it was necessary for it to be done properly. The best way to do this involved the frugal use of explosives. Sam proved she was just the person I needed to get the most bang for my buck.

I have been in this business for a long time and had gathered a wide assortment of various products. Sam being skilled enough to use, all of these odd and ends is putting me way ahead in the financial game. She liked using black powder on the smaller stumps and certain types of stone. Tollvek on the larger harder granites. She was able to take a 300 foot long rocky ledge that was twenty feet high and deep and neatly crumble it into ballast size stone used to line the footings for drainage.

There was a film crew who paid me to shoot video of the explosions to be used in some undisclosed movie project. Even with the delays they caused plus Sam just starting on Wed; by Saturday I was on schedule and way under budget. Just by not judging a book by its cover and hiring one good person.

Strong Bear

This harvest is running ahead of schedule and has been the smoothest I have ever experienced. At first I was worried about Betty or Louise from their end trying to micro manage the process, but I haven't had problem one. Their cooperation sent a very clear message to the rest of the crews to cooperate with those of us who have done this before.

The fact was Betty and Louise took the really hard to do floater duties, performing them flawlessly. Betty's kids were a help. Even as young as they are they contributed solid effort making the jobs of everyone easier to do. The kids made pom poms then worked up a group of cheers to play cheer leaders for the crew.

The business end, as well was going so much better than expected. Shipments were accurately prepared. packed and quickly loaded The quality of our products was judged to be excellent so we picked up a couple new clients on the spot market from several up market restauranteurs. Their Chefs came to our fields to inspect the products. The Chefs encountering Betty's kids who openly promote our product by eating the produce fresh out of the field. Those two charmed the sock's off of the Chefs, becoming the single greatest sales team I ever have encountered.

The single most satisfying thing to have experienced is the seamless manner our two communities flowed together for this effort. Betty was joking telling me that the town next door was an American Brigadoon who woke up in time for this years harvest. I just had to laugh because that is what it felt like to me to, we just discovered we had family next door. I had walked alone for so long around the Caucasian promised land, I had forgotten what it was like to be among the people. When Greta found me and brought me to this this reserve I felt like I was in heaven. Now overnight our community grew by thirty percent and those people are just as helpful, friendly and hold the same values as we do, that is truly a thing to celebrate.

Greta

Haven has done the impossible they have in two weeks changed some of the most hardened let them rot in a bad place nay-sayers in our community, to well let’s wait and see people. Many others especially the local talent pickers are raving over the enthusiasm of the Haven helpers this year. Things are going great on all fronts in the harvest with Strong Bear telling me that profits are up over thirty percent from this time last year. He also feels we may be done with the harvest in three weeks rather than the five it took last year.

Both myself and Gretchen have been monitoring how Betty and her family are working during this harvest. Betty's kids are the best indicators either of us could have asked for. Betty is doing so much right with raising them I can’t imagine that her personality is much different from there's. Both kids are individual as a finger print, friendly and outgoing and really engaged with the world around them. Betty and her kids do anything asked of them, free of any complaints or “I am too good for that” attitude. In fact she has followed Strong Bear’s lead totally from the beginning.

Before any person can lead they must be a good follower and everyone who has worked with her has told me that she has followed directions to the letter making suggestions as to how to do things easier when appropriate and when they can be used. The three White Owls have been the grease in our gears allowing things to move smoothly all week long.

The only person I worry about is my son. He has been in the mood for brooding. The better the news about the White Owl's, the deeper his funk gets. But he is the exception, not the rule, I worry he may feel forced to push the river and really test Betty's mettle some how. He is very intelligent plus imaginative, making him impossibly hard to advise in these situations. I need to let him take his lumps. I am not worried about Betty. I am well aware she can take care of herself, it might be a hoot to see just what she does to take him down a notch.

Anna

I am sooo tired from this week, it has been so much fun but being an adult is supper hard. We worked in all sorts of places doing what ever was needed to keep things moving. It was a lot of fun working with all of the new people and making new friends. The first couple of days were awkward with them trying to get to know us. But after diaper duty watching the kids, then Crystal’s inspired us to be cheerleader's while working out in the field, people and we started to thaw.

There is this one guy that still gives me the willies every time he is around. He just looks angry all the time. Our new wolf friend Melissa growled at him when he got too close to Crystal and me yesterday. Then that afternoon there was the noise of something happening in the brush which bordered the field we were working in. Soon Melissa came out of the brush carrying with Cathleen’s baby girl Penney. It looked so cute, with Penny hanging like a wolf cub from the nape of her outfit. Cathleen told us that we were so blessed to have such protective spirits watching over us and that she and the other pickers now knew we were good people. She also told me that the angry young man was her boy friend and Gretchen’s son.

“Don't worry about him the older men took him for a swim in the river to cool off.”

I saw him only once more later on and he had a new patch on the seat of his rump right over his rump, he was walking with a limp and helping with the work, he kept his distance and stayed away from the day care area where Crystal and I were working.

James

The background music in this bar was not really to my taste, I much preferred the Pub scene over the American bar one. There was something about listening to the same song several times that sours things for me.

Six foot six he stood on the ground
He weighed two hundred and thirty-five pounds
But I saw that giant of a man brought down
To his knees by love

Sometimes chance has a way of rubbing ones nerves a wee bit thin. This dam song is really is getting under me skin.

He was the kind of man that would gamble on luck
Look you in the eye and never back up
But I saw him crying like a little whipped pup
Because of love

Please tell me that this song will end soon; please Goddess or I will, need to throw that juke box through the wall!

You can't see it with your eyes, hold it in your hands
But like the wind it covers our land
Strong enough to rule the heart of any man
This thing called love
It can lift you up never let you down
Take your world and turn it around
Ever since time, nothing's ever been found
That's stronger than love

Most men are like me, they struggle and doubt
They trouble their minds day in and day out
Too busy with livin' to worry about
A little word like love

But when I see a mother's tenderness
As she holds her young close to her breast
Then I think god that the world's been blessed
With a thing called …..

I can't believe that I listened to that six times before I pulled the plug.

“Hey mister why did you go and do that, I like that song and it cost me a quarter to hear it. ERCK”

I don't know what possessed me to do this but I had the drunk by the nape of the neck in front of my face growling very low under my breath low enough he felt it deep inside of his bowl.
I stuffed five dollars in his shirt pocket and sat him down in his chair gracefully.

Looking him straight in the eye daring him to say anything.

I took my seat and went back to quietly drinking my beer. Here when people get a wee bit to much drink in them to allow gracefully navigate a dance floor they should stay quietly seated like we Scots. . Regardless how much the deck be pitching and rolling under their feet American country people tend to attempt to dance with each other, with mixed success. The man was soon up dancing to a new song as his wife and friends maneuvered him out the door.

I am looking for a hard headed women.
One who will make me do my best.
If I find my hard headed women.
The rest of my life will be blessed.

Oh Goddess just shoot me!

I Thankful I was sitting in the dark far back in the establishment, waiting for my informant to show. The food here was tolerable and no one gave me a second look eating a very rare prime rib. I just wish that American beer wasn't so thin and wee in taste. I got the information I was looking for and set off to see what my mysterious person looked like.

The next day I was far higher up slope and upwind of Wolf Girl but somehow she knew I was there. I watched for over an hour as she drilled blast holes and set charges. I like her walk ,she was fluid, and. I had to admit I had a soft spot in my heart fort a women who knew how to handle explosives. There was an exceptionally large bolder that she spent time tapping with a rock hammer and marking where and how deep she wanted holes the crew drilled while she took care of a group of stumps. I never seen a demo person have an audience but the rest of the crew watched in fascination as W G set and laded out the wires to the detonator caps, Her lay out was complexity but when she was finished the stone had been reduced to a pile of gravel that could be easily moved by shovel. It went into a system of overlapping flumes which transported the stone to be easily moved down hill to the foundation location for a power tower.

I moved on filled with mixed emotions about this attraction that was daily growing trying to pull us together. I am still wondering what the dunder head was thinking when they included that wrinkle in our genetic mix. I would gladly separate their head from the rest. This was a complication to my already complex life Me didn't need. How would I go about explaining

“Oh darling every now and then me and me friends are going to nick out and have a howling good time, join us if you wish; dress is casual or optional if your are hirsute-ly attired.

Where is Morrigain when I need her I need some one to bitch too

Betty

My becoming younger of body had some extreme benefits especially when doing the lift and tote work. The biggest problem involved with the becoming younger process was that my body was becoming more stolidly female. Having been taking hormones for some time to even out my body’s natural estrogen production. But I think that I may have retained a small amount of my previous strength, because I was losing some strength.

Physically being between genders has always been a pain because of being trapped at being neither fish or foul. I was never the pretty girl of our family, the best that could be said was that I was ruggedly plain. But I never allowed what others think to stop me. I got that trait from my great grandmother who in her later years looked like one of our ancestral chief’s Crow Dog. She never was a classic Indian Princess but she was the glue which held our band together after Black Kettle’s wife passed. She gave the Indian agency heartburn when ever they had to deal with her sweet but relentless manner of twisting the agency knickers in a knot. But being the mother of four she was definitely all woman and that never stopped her from doing man’s work,

I am not going to let this loss of muscle stop me from doing what I needed to do. I just needed to learn how to deal with the loss of muscle mass. The learning process was steep and physically painful; everything hurt head to toe, which made me very thankful for the soak tub in my bathroom suite.

The children were all tuckered out so when they finished their baths it was no problem getting them to bed. Some how we been joined by a second white wolf identical to Melissa who must be the elusive Lilly. Earlier this evening Crystal told me that the wolf was her special friend. Each kid was snuggled up with their corresponding wolf which made for a very cute sight. With all of my motherly chores complete some how I was able to crawl into my bed as I can't remember any thing past my bedroom door.

Phaedrus the Elder

It needs to be stated we the unseen are essential humans with extrema talent's. Our problem has been public relations involving the simple fact people with out talents both fear and loth those who have them. In the past we could hold our own being considered demigods, Goddess, or something just to leave alone. But about two millennia ago ,with the rise of several new religions, we could no longer mix with the normal population as we once did. These groups became sworn to kill us where ever we were found. Not wanting to engage in war on our own kin we withdrew, becoming the unseen and living our lives as quietly as possible.

We also did not quit adding new members to our union, both by normal birth and by assimilation.
Betty is about to find out that this process has its traumas and its rewards. Her work is doubled because of the very short time she has before needing to use her expanded talents. So no time is wasted requiring the use of both her waking and non waking hours. Upon falling asleep Betty finds herself seamlessly experiencing her life's in review with hopes this will prepare her for her future.

Alease / Betty

Our world has changed so much this being the third summer since I met Freida. This year Olaf moved his family south to our winter village on the coast. He now runs trading between our lands and his native Norse lands. There is much both groups have to trade, making this a good move for him. It also has the benefit of allowing his older mother and father to live in warmer climes during the winter.

For me it allowed Freida and me to live like the sisters we felt we have become. Being older. Freida had a lot to teach me in the art of combat. And I had a lot of herbal and crafting off the land to exchange. We would spend hours in the local woods gathering the fruit’s of our lands while practicing ambushes on each other sharpening our skills. We would roam many marks over very large range of heights.. We ran everywhere and took all sorts of leaps and jumps covering a lot of ground like wolves hunting deer.

One evening we came back to our summer cave to find our fathers talking and laughing with each other. It was approaching summers eve and my da had made his honey mead for the celebration. Both of us had the day’s gatherings and some rabbits plus four partridge. We were not even winded from our run back home and had been there some time listening to both of our da's laughing between each other, when our brothers came in winded bruised scraped and really banged up. Seeing this our Da's broke our in a full out roar of merriment at their plight.

It was explained to us that they had seen us traveling across the broken boulder fields running and gathering along the way. Our brothers bet their respective Da's they could catch us or beat us back to the home. The price was enough of the early mead to get drunk for the first time. That night they went to bed sober and sore. That's when we were informed how fast we were running and how much ground we had covered the two of us stood with our mouths open in unbelief. . The two of us became the wolf sisters according to village elders, our name was put to a test just a few days later.

One of the things that had changed was the Romans were increasingly bold in there presence in our lands. They were no better than brutal uncivilized thieves who demanded crippling tribute from every one they encountered. It was pay or die and they killed entire families including children and their mothers. So far the skirmishes between our men and the Romans have been in small numbers but the news this year farther down the coast has been deeply concerning. We had a good harbor that was protected from the winter’s storms so we knew that we would be targets.

Our daily chore parties would go out in numbers large enough to prevent them being overwhelmed if they contacted a Roman patrol. It was late fall and we were setting up for the winter when the two of us were roaming when we heard the sound of Norse war horns blowing in the distance. I have come to understand the signals they could send to a knowledgeable listener. Freida returned then relayed the signal back to our village. Once the village answered the two of us took off running to help if we could.

In a very short time we came over a rise to see a strong Roman force forcing about twenty of our family men into a dead end rock formation. Today all of our mock fighting came to use. Our speed allowed us to move and accurately shoot. My priority were those on horse back shouting orders in there bitter tongue, I could nay shoot the noble beings who bore the beasts who looked human . The horses were serving those who enslaved them. But the plumed silver clad dandies on their backs were born to be my targets. The fanciest became my first target as he swallowed my first shaft loosed. I would nay waste a shaft against their armor but a well placed shot elsewhere performed its duty silencing his tongue.

Freida

Alease has a sense to her that my father called Freya's eye. With out knowing how this sense aimed her strikes at the most venerable place to strike. The first people she struck at were the officers on horse back The first one she struck was the leader in the fancy armor marked him as important and one to be followed. She silenced his mouth from our position above them on the very rocks the Romans were using to trap then hunt our men. A single arrow found his open mouth but he still held on to his mount this high born Roman. By the time the Roman archers could react to our presence; the two of us had thinned the officer ranks by three and the archers by the same.

Then full fury of our volleys found the Roman foot men's backs. And the three remaining archers. We had run down the opposite sides of the narrow alcove the Roman’s footmen were trapping our men in. The Romans having pressed the attack were now trapped in the opening of the alcove themselves. Their backs were to us, and all of their attention was trying to kill our men. They were totally unaware of the fact there back were open to attack Shooting as we continuously moved we crossed each other’s paths. It took just a short time to fell half of the two score foot men. The effect was immediate., our men broke through the foot man's line and the hunters were now the hunted. The remaining two line commanders split one grabbing the reins of the high leader’s horse taking him away from the fight while the second charged Alease.

Alease

Freda and myself had broken the Roman attack on our family men and I just started to calm myself when Freda's horn sounded alerting me to an attack coming towards my back. The surrounding rocks muddled the sound of the approaching horse until they were on top of me. I was just able to swing at the rider with my bow to ruin his sword aim but that cost me my bow. He turned around and with an ease and expertise of a man born in the saddle charged me again.

Now I was at a disadvantage as his momentum on the horse would rip my weapon out of my hand so I tumbled low out of the arc of his swing. Rearing his horse he spun around and in the brief moment he could not see me I bolted to the rocks opposite of his sword arm. Before he could move forward and see me I was up on the rocks swinging my sward at his neck. His response was spooky he responded without seeing me just enough I only took off his ear. Spinning his horse out of my reach he realized I had evened the match by being at his level, that and Freda's arrows just missing him sent him off following his departed compatriot in full gallop.

Suddenly as they attacked the Romans were done with only two officers quitting the field in a rush to save the life of their leader who was choking on his own blood. My father was dumb struck at the sight that two girls broke the Romans attack,. We greeted the now freed men as we immediately gathered our wounded and made for our village.

James.

Following the Legate’s orders I watched a battle at a distance. This was his son’s first action in Brittany and he wanted an unbiased eye analyzing his youngest son’s first command in battle. The boy did everything correctly but Mars was blind to his prayers so not on his side today. The two young women on foot took his men completely by surprise. They fought together as a team moving fluidly over the terrain like flowing water. I was stunned to watch their attacks take out two score and a half men of this patrol. The second in command was correct taking his lordship off the field trying to save him. The fourth harried the attackers almost losing his head in the attempt. But he too saw the better part of valor was fighting tomorrow.

It was time to join them back at the encampment General Hadrian had built for this attempt to suppress the people living in the Pictish uplands. I would be needed to tell the General that his son fought with valor and all of his men were true suns of Rome. I just hope his son survives his wound, and I will speak to the correct actions of the second and the fourth in this fight.

I stood at a distance watching the men gather around the two slight and wee young women. The fight in them was many times their physical size as I witnessed how they fought so fiercely to save their family men. The general did not understand that the upland women knew how to fight and some of them were vicious enough to fight along with the men. In all my campaigns I have fought with Caesar to Hadrian I have never seen such spirit and skill in two young ones. These children will be the death of many legionnaires if they are not stopped before they gather their own following. If these two are cut from the same cloth as Queen Boudica. Hadrian needed to cut his losses now, and just wall off this part Britannia as being unworthy of Roman blood. If not he will bleed the empire white trying to take this land.

I have a funny feeling about these two spranglings, I may only be five hundred years old just a pup to the Elder, but there is a connection between them and some time of my future I just don't want it to be at sward point or arrow tip. I would rather serve them than fight against them, there is an energy they have which joins them as the blade of the same sword; nothing in time or history can separate them, they will always find each other drawn together like iron to a lode stone.

Alease

Part way back the reinforcements coming from the village met us. The head man split the party sending a very strong force to pursue the retreating Romans and leaving some to help bring in the wounded. The two of us had recently enlarged the number of missiles we carried to allow us a benefit if we were forced to fight. Today proved the worth of this preparation. I went to a quiet place away from the noise of celebration and lost my breakfast. On the banks of a nearby creek I washed the blood off my hands and sat down to listen to the soothing water. I have nay killed a man until today so my shaking and unsettled guts were to be expected. I just nay wish to have me brothers and Da see me like this.

Betty

I sputtered awake with the taste of bile in my mouth shaking from this intense dream. The full immersion of my senses was very surprising. I could still recall the feel in my hand when my sword cut off the Romans ear, that is how real this was. I was able to recall just how badly the Romans smelled like rotten fish. Probably from that Garum sauce they ate on everything. That was added to the sour vinegar smell from the wine they always consumed. If there were a more disgusting people in the world than these Romans I nay ever want to make there acquaintance.

I needed to shake off the lingering effects of the dream. I shuffled out to the kitchen for a cup of tea to wash the taste and smell out of my senses. This dream tonight convinced me to follow Greta's sage advice to take a couple of days off.

“Betty: Atlas’ story is a warning, not someone to imitate. Put the world down and rest. I promise I won’t let Zeus won't shoot you with lightning.”

Aliease's life review has left Betty very unsettled so she is taking Greta's advice and spending some quality time by herself, or so she thinks. More parts of the puzzle are discovered and both a new friend and teacher and a villein find there way into the fray to save Haven.

Betty

I awoke with a shudder; I was truly surprised to be in my bed and not in Scotland sleeping on a rock. This dream was a cue; I should follow Greta's sage advice and take the opportunity to just rest.

After checking on the kids, finding them still sawing logs, I returned to bed and enjoyed the quiet for the time while I had it. It was about 9:30 when I awoke again finding my bed had been infested by my two sleepy little ones. Mommy’s bed was still an option in our family and to be honest , especially on days like this, it is truly a slice of heaven. I know this will fade as the girls get older, but for now I am going to bask in its warmth and hugging and snuggling [huggeling] both of them.

Quiet shouldn't and doesn't last forever so soon my little ones were awake, needing food, and activity. After a double quick time assembling ourselves we took a short jog over to the Dragon for something to eat. Bob as usual was preparing a treat for us even before we got into the door. I swear that man has a powerful sixth sense for what I am hungry for any time of the day, he even has the greatest skill of all he makes the calories in the food optional so I can eat guilt free.

Louise and Samantha joined us at the diner requesting my two to join them for an overnight to Blessings where Louise had relatives who owned yet another B & B.
This was a cousin of Louise who has two children Crystal and Anna's age. There was a ton of stuff for them to do, from clothing shopping for Anna, and horse riding for Crystal. Both of my kids were popping off like bottle rockets threatening to break all the glass in range of there shrill high C over high C voices. I was able to send Samantha with the kids back to our apartment to pack for this junket to parts in unexplored Blessings. They respectfully walked across the highway then took off running like the devil was on their tail.

Louise promised to pick me some smudge sticks for my cleansing rituals. I needed some sweet grass braids and a couple of locally published books about the region’s legends, lore and history. Local publications sometimes have things the larger publications overlook or ignore.

“What are you going to do with all this free time?”

“I am going to take a long walk in the woods and do nothing for a few hours.”

“I will believe that when I see proof of it, Betty. You never do just nothing.”

“I can and I do, you know how hard it is being a mother how much time do you have to do nothing?”

“That's my point exactly, I bet you will go home and start cleaning right after you take a half hour walk that you cut short because of guilt.”

“You’re on; what's the wager I can do this?”

“Two pounds of your hazel nut coffee, if you do and two pounds of vanilla almond if you don't.”

“Buy that Heavenly Brew now I will be collecting it when you get back.”

Soon Cleo came to our table with a picnic basket for Louise and the kids so she was off to pick up the kids. She promised me to call when she got to her cousins to let me know things were all right.

I was about to leave when Marge came out with a sack lunch for me, calling it “walking food.”

“I do not want to see you for at least four hours preferably five hours women. Greta told me her marching orders for you today, and I am going to be checking on you. See you tonight for dinner.”

“You got it, what's for dinner?”

“Marge's silence and her mischievous grin made me suspicious but interested, damn she knew me to well.”

It had become a very pleasant day not to hot not to cool and with the suns rays back lit illumination projecting through the tree canopy of leaves it was a stunning view full of the fall colors. I was able to just let myself go into the wind experiencing but not analyzing or thinking, just being here unencumbered by the burdened of being human. Eckhart Tolie has written volumes about the human propensity to over use their analytical mind skipping over the necessity of simply being in the present moment. There is a huge amount of information and experiences within our environment available to those present in the moment that our over use of our intellect blinds us to.. Our thinking is not us, it's not who we are, it's a side effect of our mind that we identify as our selves. Our selves are so much more than our thoughts, it is so vast it is immeasurable. But we are so busy chatting our selves up we never notice what we are missing.

The self is ever so much more hard wired, connected to the world that our incessant bad habit of constantly thinking blinds us to. Maggie repeated it a thousand times a thousand before it began to sink in.

“You can not fill a cup if it is already full. You need to be open and empty before you can receive.”

That was my first lesson of being a Witch, simply being fully present with out the constant chatter of thought distracting me. Then and only then could I sense the threads of energy as I touched them. Then I could feel what these threads were connected to, and how my intent would alter their vibration creating this effect or that occurrence. That is what separates the mundane people from the talented, the individual’s ability to sense the still small voice within that informed you what was presently singing around you. It is that understanding which has kept me from being totally trampled into the dirt by the herds of stampeding sheepel running from their own self created disasters.

Walking among the trees allowed me to bleed off the excess nervous energy I am surrounded by every day. Emptying my senses of the constant chatter of my own thoughts and the thoughts of others. This was when I sensed the singing of another, deep within the woods far away from Haven proper. I had been walking for a considerable time before I was able to locate the source of the harmonious singing, and when I did I could scarcely not believe what it was I was seeing.

There in the flesh was a member of the race unknown to the common people of modern times. This was one of the Tuatha Dé Danann or Faerie's, these ancient people are now quite secretive and extremely cloistered. The only reason I found this one is that they allowed me to.

What was before me was a total vision that was unearthly in its beauty. Her clothing was so fine, it could not have been sewn by human hands and her physical beauty was beyond anything I ever experienced, She continued singing in Gaelic “Siúil a Rún" a very ancient song common to Ireland and Scotland. It is the lament of a young women whose true love has gone to war, then what she would do, even dishonorably, to get him back.

I gathered up my pluck and advanced into the gathering of stone embracing the space which she occupied.

“I bid you Merry meet and good day my lady, how is it I may serve your needs.”

“A bit more brazen than James suggested you would be when we met. Good, that shows courage to face the unknown, something you will need now you have accepted this station as yours, Betty.”

“How is it you wish to be addressed my lady I do not wish to start out on the wrong foot, by being impolite.”

“Presently my full name and title is of no importance. You may call me Fay. I will be your teacher in this next phase of your life. You have accomplished much in these few weeks since you have gained solid dependable ground on which to walk.

A bit of advice for you to consider; it is very good, that you can think of solutions on the fly, but soon you need to start shifting from the putting out fires, to more long term tactical planing, The present rekindling of your township’s neighbors is an example of the type of activities of which I speak. Then there is, assuming the proper frame of mind to be truly successful at this endeavor.”

“Frame of mind is important but please be more specific; that is a very broad subject, my Lady Fay.”

“It truly is, especially for your situation, and it will demand a lot of you, may be making you highly uncomfortable in the changes I seek, nay require.. As a leader there is an edginess you need to develop, people need to follow you, not continuously debate your decisions. Now that your elven blood lines are becoming dominant you need to learn the how and why of command and leadership.”

“I was afraid you were going to say something like that. But if I am going to accomplish anything in Haven and the surrounding region I must toughen up on giving orders. I take it there is more to this.”

“Your guess is spot on Betty, there is so much more that needs to be learned including the fine art of when being a complete and total bitch is called for. Alease's appearance in your life is not just an exercise on how to weird you out, it is the next step in your awakening to being one of the unseen. You will be very powerful when you accept your birth right and that requires control, focus, and an iron will.”

“I do accept Alease is one of me from a past life's, she is just being a bit disorienting. The immersion is so total I have some problems coming back to this existence. Hell I was talking to my kids in Gaelic the other morning. I don't need them to think I have goon around the bend.”

“Yes; it was a very important lifetime that what you learned then needs to be integrated with in your total being, that is if you want to live.”

“Point taken and recorded, will there be more of this to look forward to in this transformation. Whoa, back up, you did say I am becoming an unseen ? And what about this Elven blood line asserting itself?!”

“I was wondering when that was going to strike a nerve. Yes this has always been a part of you and now it is surfacing, and just in time. You are a bridge between many of the communities within our larger fellowship, it was not chance that you were drawn here by your own free will. You are to take on the responsibility of being an arbitrator between many of the now isolated bands of the unseen.

That depends on whether you survive this first test of preventing Haven from falling into the wrong hands. You must talk to James on this subject as he has hinted at before. As Alease you were most successful taking the fight to the Romans, so this little dust up should not even force you to break a sweat“

“Fay, that is easy for you to say. All of my life I have only known being a Norm' now I am becoming something that only existed in story books. How am I going to wrap my head around that, and how am I going to explain this to my kids?”

“Step one: trust your self, step two: seek advice from your truly and James; step three: stop thinking like a Norm. step four: relax I have done this myself. Following our advice will get you past the hard parts. All the rest will come easy peazy. Or at least that's the plan ?”

“BEINGS you are the woman with the plans when do we start?”

“We already have, my dear.”

That is when I noticed a blurring in my vision which when it cleared I was tempted to say 'Toto we aren't in Kansas any more' , but I kept quiet not wanting to look like a total fool. We were standing in a high grassy rock encrusted meadow that I immediately recognized as belonging to the Scottish highlands. There is a scent and feel to every place on Earth I have visited, and here is not different.

The feel of magical energy hung heavy in the air and pressed in on me like water in a swimming pool. Many of the rocks show signs of distress from some form of abuse. There were rips and tears in the peat floor between the rocks and spots where the grasses did not look quite like they should. Some of the tufts were intertwined in interesting Celtic knots with different colors for the many elements, some were way too tall for normal, that was when I saw several stalks working in unison snatch a bird out of the air pulling it down into the center of the plant.

I looked at Fay who was most amused by the expression on my face.

“I thought it would be wise to take you to someplace safer for you to practice until you develop a little more control over your abilities.”

“Fay, what are these strange plants and did I just see one catch and eat a bird?”

“They are the results of many years of mistakes or accidents. Some are purposely created as tests of a student’s control. A few are the result of some one's warped sense of humor like that Bird Trap Bush.

This space is separated from the norm’s world by an isolation fields created by Quantum forces. What happens here stays here, for the most part, and time here moves at a different pace. A week spent here means seven hours have passed in Haven. We find that very helpful in recovery from injuries.

Let us away to my home I would love a cuppa and a nosh, would you care for that?”

“Yes I would, is this something I will need to get used to?”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

“ Do you have something stronger than tea?”

We worked for three days on several extensions of spells I already knew, my weather influencing was expanded by a factor of four. It was frightening how much energy is packed into even a small storm. I just wish I could give some of this sense to those who deny Global Climate change they would become converts to the fact of the matter.

I was working on control when a lightning discharge got away from me and exploded a substantial large boulder The two of us were a half a mile away from it and we still were showered by small stones and some wind bloom dust.

“Now that was something unexpected, Betty. And you were arguing that you weren't that powerful.”

“I never had such an experience in my life what the hell just happened?”

“You gathered the energy properly, contained it nicely, then an unexpected change in the cloud cover pulled things apart. You sensed that and pushed the event far enough away we only got dusty not smashed.”

“But I destroyed that boulder?”

“Betty, don't fret so much, look around most of the smaller stones here were much larger stones in the past, there has been eons of apprentices doing their best to make gravel out of a mountain none have succeeded. Heck I shattered an entire cliff face throwing a temper tantrum when mom was training me. That is why we are working here. But I think the next thing I need to teach you is a projectile shield spell just in case.”

It has been three days and nights and we are starting the fourth day, I am feeling wonderful. Fay's castle is nothing like the average third or fourth century castle keep. It has windows not just shutters and by craft the stone inside is warm and comforting.

The people who work for her are like family, the mood is quiet and contemplative most of the time. There is however, a time for cutting loose and having fun outside for the help, and down in the dungeon for Fay and my self. There I could cut loose with no worry concerning any one getting hurt. The practice hall is very large with high ceilings and was lined with the hardest known stone then shielded with protection warding's that taped and stored the expended energy to light and heat the castle.

It was the fourth night when I met Fay's mother, this is one night that will stay with me for the rest of my souls existence. We were in the practice hall and I was targeting clay pigeons using low level projection cantrips. I had hit nine out of ten targets when the room went dark and gravity ceased its duty of sucking us to our floor. I had played enough X Men danger room simulations to know to make my self a hard to hit small target. I cut the holding spell that suspended me in the middle of the air and attached my self to the ceiling making it my floor. I shifted my sight to the infra red showing me two people in the room with me. One I recognized as Fay by the outline but the other person was just a faint red purple blotch. I continued to move tossing trip, tangle, spells. There were a couple of heavy projection blasts that hit where I had been but so far so good. I then tried something new, ripple the floor. It was met by a grunt then a static discharge that affected an area not just a spot. I bit my lip because a near miss made it hard to concentrate.

My next tactic was to put my self into a no gravity environment so I could fly through the room. Once away I gathered all of the debris in the room and flung them at the purple blur. That had the result of me being swatted like a fly and pinned to the wall.

“Well, well, what have we here, a talented fly per chance?”

“No mother that is my new apprentice Betty White Owl I was speaking to you about her recently.”

I had Hidden one spell within a talisman around my neck. A simple port spell to behind Fay on the other side of the room.

“Well, you are imaginative are you not, apprentice, I like that in a student. You are the first to even evade capture for more than thirty seconds. You might just have some talent for this vocation.”

“I beg your pardon my ladyship but you have me at a very great disadvantage in that you know my name but I haven't been properly introduced.”

“Betty white Owl I wish to introduce my mother, Morgana La Fay.”

Fay rattled this off as if she were introducing me to her neighbor or car mechanic. Then the coin dropped in to my empty change box. I am being tutored by the daughter of the most infamous Sorceress ever known and I was going toe to toe with her; what the hell was I thinking.

“Betty my dear child you were thinking, and kept your head. What you did was keep out of my reach for about ten minutes with out killing anyone including your self, that is a record time. I am not offended in fact I AM QUITE PLEASED by your performance. If it was any one else but myself you may have been the victor. As it is I would never hurt a member of my family who was just very imaginatively defending herself. I just ended the performance so no one would get hurt. And you still surprised me in very good form Betty, you did the near impossible with what you had to work with.”

“Sorry but this is not how I imagined this would end up. How may I address you my lady?”

“Morgan is my common title among family.”

“Family????” my brain was swimming in shock and awe, Fay continued.

“Mother, I think she is in shock maybe this is time for some tea and explanation? “

I was drinking a cup of coffee with a shot of brandy in it listening to the explanation of what was just revealed. Fay broke the quiet by putting her hand on mine. Morgan was sitting across from me with a warm smile on her face,

“Betty, with the closeness that develops between an apprentices and there master, among sorceresses it is custom that you become a member of the master’s family. There are ceremonies to be performed but my mother agrees you are worthy of the station and the training you are about to receive.”

“How are you with your children having another Grandmother and Great Grandmother” Morgan quipped.

“They will love it I just need to leave it until it is going to happen for me to discover just how I am going to explain to a soon thirteen year and ten year old they now have a magical relatives, great grand mother.”

“That's the easiest thing to handle; both of your kids already know so much more than other kids do, there is also the fact they share your genetics so it is a great possibility they to are talented, so there training can start early.”

“Morgan I think I am living in the Chinese curse, May you live in interesting times.”

When I got back to Haven it was only three o clock in the afternoon on the same day I left. This was going to take some getting used to but I do feel rested and no one here missed me. The great thing was I had four days rest so I was ready to work. After a quick check for messages I went to my office and made myself a small pot of coffee.

I loved the quiet of my office it made concentration on difficult tasks easy. So I started to cast about for something fun to dig into that's when the two heavy letter boxes slid off what I had them perched on under my desk finding the toes of my right foot, this event was punctuated by comments that would peel paint off of a house. After I recovered enough to actually look at the offending boxes I noticed these were the boxes I set aside during the mad dash concerning our township incorporation. I had sufficient work at the time and that was a life or death decision. These two old war department boxes were on the lowest priority.

Now this was a bit of fluff I could dispose of in an afternoons work and get on with the rest of my real work. Or that was the way the plan was supposed to go, Where it went was someplace very different, it was a game changing discovery that for some reason didn't freak me out but amused me. Where else would I find that this little sleepy town held a well kept secret. The town of Haven was first the home for an instillation constructed secretly by FDR during the depression to store the paperwork for the new social security program. But WW 2 hijacked that and it was re-purposed into a military food rations plant. Then after WW 2 ended and the cold war race for atomic superiority it was re-purposed again for a regional government bomb shelter designed to carry an undisclosed amount of people safely through an atomic shooting war with Russia or China.

All of this was underground utilizing all of the undermining from the hundreds of mines that ran under Haven. I read that the running joke when the original owners sold the land was the place was considered so badly undermined if some one dropped a five pound rock hammer the entire town would sink into the earth. This was partially true enough for the government to decide to utilize this in the construction of this BUNKER IN THE BASEMENT.

Betty

When I realized that what I was looking at was real and not just a silly proposal I laughed until I wet myself. Why should I not expect Haven to have a few quirky secrets I hadn't unearthed yet, this complex was just the cherry on top of the Ice cream Sundae that was Haven, The original document repository was of modest size but the food processing plant was huge. This place made most of the powdered eggs the service people consumed during the war. That was just the tip of the iceberg of what went through here during the war. The loading and unloading docks were underground and trees covered a lot of the route up to this location. During the war the entire town worked here utilizing the vast amount of food produced in the valley and the surrounding area.

After the war our priorities shifted and at first conversions of the old food plant used what was there directly. The Governor of the state and several of his key officials and judges were to be sheltered here. But the power of Russian weapons increased and so did the importance of keeping the state government safe. The facility was constantly under construction from 1956 up to 1966. After that equipment was added and new technology replaced old upgrading the facility to house a small city of people serving the state and federal government in case of an atomic war.

There was still a lot of the old food plant undisturbed since the war as the food plant rambled sideways the shelter went down deep. I had only the time to scratch the surface of what was present in this bonanza of information but what I could figure out with just what we were siting on top of more potential useable real estate than we could have ever dreamed of. In Jimmy Carter’s term of office the township had built for them this township building from which the state could monitor emergency services under severe environmental conditions that was where my apartment was constructed along with several other units to allow the Township Government to continue functioning in case of a natural disaster.

The bomb shelter facility was maintained until 1999 when it was decommissioned. In 2001 the keys were given over to the township with the warning to not get lost down there.. I wanted to research this out a little more before revealing what I had uncovered so I very carefully locked away my treasure in my own safe I inherited with the office. It looked to be over a hundred years old but it was so sturdy I felt that things were safe from the honest people. It was getting late and I wanted to get to the Dragon for dinner; then an early bed time, since I have a feeling things are going to pick up tomorrow.

That evening I talked with the children who made it to Blessings and were having a blast, With everything happening lately I was worried about they’re feeling forgotten. But contrary to my worries both were thriving in this new environment making new friends and discovering all the stuff we take for granted as adults for the first time. Their enthusiasm for the world was refreshing and allowed me to process what was going on with me and not worry about they’re feeling neglected

My world was swirling and racing around me at such a pace if I hesitated or paused for even second I would only hear a ripping sound as I was shredded . I was in a process which only ran one way, so regardless of my emotions, it had to be done. There had been a number of times in my life where I had to hold my emotions in a freezer just to get through a situation or event. This is a skill that I developed to perfection when I was still trying to play at being a man. I have had to go past frosty to Arctic frozen pulling my concentration into a very special sort of compromises.

I had to allow for relevant details to come through into focus while filtering everything useless out, like fear or worry. I was flying through a nebulous cloud following my own internal compass that traced a random appearing and circuitous course, through the nebula skirting the obstacles and finding what I was looking for.

You must navigate solely by using your intention that you will find what you need to find. Then by your intuition alone know that you have found the correct thing person or event. All as you move from each relevant event to the next. I fully understand what I am trying to say, but no matter how much or many times I explain it, it still sounds confusing.

There are two types of the unseen those who hide behind there wealth and think they are powerful. And the unseen who are cloaked within their knowledge and are powerful.
Phaedrus The Elder

Amanda Shelgrem

“Madame Shelgrem as your account manager I will not insult you and therefor assume you are you aware that this large a withdrawal will cost you a very large sum of money, outside of the amount you have requested. I know this project is very dear to you but the cost?”

“You fool, money is not the point. I have more wealth than some medium sized countries, so I can easily afford it. And you are correct this project is very dear to me. I am attempting to recover the property my fool relation great uncle Armon just gave away. My ancestor was stupid enough to give this property to a bunch of do good's who have no right to that valuable a resource that they squander by just sitting on it.

So just do as I told you to take your commission and be done with it. Also, Mr Bartholomew, thank you for looking after my interests; my father has always trusted you as do I.

Oh by the way please find a solution to this Betty person problem, she is in my way and I want her gone understand Mr Bartholomew.?

“Yes implicitly, Mrs Shelgrem I do.”

“Do this for me sir and you will be properly rewarded for your services, But do this expediently sir, before I am forced to take matters into my own hands.!”

“Poppy be a dear and show Mr Bartholomew out would you?”

The banker’s departure was a signal to Athena to continue her postponed conversation with her mother, but Amanda beat her to the punch,

“Oh where was I, ah yes. I am not going to allow some human vermin to infest my families land. This fight is about the proper order of things. I and mine are on top so it follows that they and theirs are on the bottom.

A blank block of marble in the quarry is just slightly more valuable to me than it is inside of the mountain that gave it birth. Now it is for me to carve this blank into an image of my liking. I desire my own oases and playground, A kingdom if you wish to call it that. I will be Queen and the little people who I want to remain will be my subjects.

That my dear daughter is what the New World order is about. This will be your inheritance. That is what I am training you to take over for me and continue. Our family were respected royalty before and we will be respected royalty again. To do that I must first recover what is by all rights ours.”

“Mother I am very moved you wish to raise me above the rabble, but the time for royalty is done and the time is for Democracy. We are a thing of the past. And this Betty is the future, she worked her way up out of poverty and has helped many people weather the economic storms. She should be praised for helping them become independent productive people rather than welfare dependent.

"The poor are poor for a reason, they serve as a warning about what happens when you displease your betters. Democracy in the hands of the poor disrupts this natural order. But the great thing is Democracy is so easy to destroy because it has historically existed for such a short time. But there has been royalty for eons longer than Democracy. It's an inconsistent spot here or there where some fool smears and drains some of their cheap blood to install some form of it.

Then it is left to people like us with more common sense to pop there fragile illusion and then clean up the mess they made returning things to normal. That is what is important here and now I have the means to rectify this deplorable situation. And that entire 6000 plus acres will be a monument to my correct thinking.

It is the power over people that's my goal; the power to make them bend to my will. I am their better, and now like the past I want stability, and certainty that what I build will stay put for you to inherit, my Princess.

And no one certainly not a worthless red skinned freak of nature, like this Betty, is going to get in my way of accomplishing that, If I had my way I would put a bounty on the heads of anyone who tries to organize people to stand in the way of Manifest Destiny; any one or thing especially a community organizer who are even lower than a labor organizer. Who do those communists think they are, their silly concept died with Nehru jackets.

Athena was very tired dealing with her mothers triads and pipe dreams.

Poppy had been her nanny since she could remember and she has always been her rock and really her mother. Athena found herself alone in the kitchen making a pot of tea for herself. Poppy came in a hurry.

“Athena this is a treat but I need to get your mother’s lunch finished before the Queen of Hearts says off with her head.”

“Poppy let me help you with that just tell me what to get and you do the proper arranging and finishing I need a little break from Mom's rarefied atmosphere. I need some grounding. “

The two women worked like a team and in very little time the lunch was just about completed with the exception of a few finishing touches.

“Poppy there is something very wrong with Amanda she has no compassion and she is proud of it. What am going to do with a kingdom of people who hate me and my mother for her craziness.”

“You are like your name Athena; there is much wisdom behind those beautiful eyes. What I say can never leave between the two of us, comprendi.

Yes I agree your mother suffers from an emotional sickness which has choked off her heart. She can't seem to love or accept love. She has been fighting in the mans world so long she has emotionally become one and like your Grand Pa Pa she has sold her soul to reach for her success.

I just pray that I have given you over the years enough love that you do not fall into the same pit that has swallowed the other members of your family.
We will talk more later my child”

Just then the buzz and flashing light showed the Queen was in her dining nook awaiting her food. With a kiss on Athena’s cheek Poppy was gone.

1. The pen is mightier than the sword, but always remember the sword speaks louder at any time or place.

• Mouse That Roared
• L Wibberley

Melissa

I felt it in my feet before I heard the low frequency rumble from below. “I yelled, Lilly, I feel a cavein “ spinning around in place looking for some clue where it was giving way, which happened to be right under Lilly's feet.

“Lilly. Look out” I screamed That was just enough warning for Lilly to side leap back onto the thick root mass of a nearby tree. Lilly stared, wide eyed ,at the earth crumbling
away in an ever widening hole starting from the spot directly where she was standing.

I was still crazy upset “What the hell woman; what were you thinking. I told you it was spongy over there.?”

I made it over to near where she was now standing, as she curiously looking down into the ground where roughly a twelve foot by twelve foot patch of what had looked to be solid ground as it continued to crumble, then dropping out of sight. The splashing sound from deep in the ground indicated this was a water filled shaft.

“Sorry Mel,. I thought with me being lighter I could find out how large that spongy spot was I suspected it could be a mine shaft just not where I was standing. Thanks for the save, babe.“

“Lilly, my love, let's get out of here now.” The two of us started to pick our way through the small meadow to far more stable ground. As we daintily made our way I had to rib Lilly, “Just what was the question, you felt like risking your life over.?”.

“I am not exactly sure, but I will know it when it comes to me. Elric told us he wanted us to nose around looking for anything we don't already know about this place. First, knowing it is a Swiss cheese landscape, and just how Swissey this place is would fill that bill.”

The rambling started again, it become louder and now the ground shook like it was alive. The sound was followed by a cascading pattern of the earth collapsing into trenches that were running randomly in crazy patterns.

“Mel, Run! run now to that rocky hill.”

“Just try to keep up with me, Lilly”

When I left with Lilly on my side we were fanatically four footing it, leaping from one island of semi firmness to another. As fast as we leaped the ground would crumble behind us. Following instinct and what little we knew about where there had been stability and what spots had been spongy. The earth rolled and pitched under our feet like it had a tummy ache and was shaking getting ready to belch. Lilly and I ran for all we were worth side by side matching stride for stride up the side of the hill nearest from the hole. We did not stop running until we were safe at the top of the solid stone hill. When we turned and looked at the amusing sight as trenches zipped runners that formed lines in the landscape tracked in many different directions.. There were small holes that were collapsing and then everything settled with a groan.

The dust and dirt kicked up from the sink hole forming filled the air with the rank smells of rotted wood and stagnant water. Added to that was the stench of sulfur and other more metallic smells, from the broken stone. We were both laughing like loons hugging one another having survived what could have been our last moments together.

“Goddess, Lilly, look at what you done, looks a bit like a spider.”

“Mel only if it was drawn by a frat party of drunk ground hogs.”

The rumbling and caving in continued for a short time and when it stopped we then heard the raucous unbridled laugh of Elric coming from where we had worked so hard installing the new drawing stones. Running along the ridge line we came to be just across a new deep trench which had magically appeared. between us and where he was standing. Elric was pointing at the diminishing pile of stones falling away from the Barrier running down hill into the newly formed trench. The trail of stones puked out by the old mine shaft was likewise interrupted, as its stones ran down hill into the same trench, disappearing into the unseen depths.

Elric stared at both of us and yelled so we could hear him at the distance. “Girls why do I think you had something to do with this fortuitous disaster?, Now fess up. who do I get to tattle on, no sorry, make that give credit to, when we explain just what happened and why you two sunk their five acres.”

I was grinning and in a smart ass-ed voice I tossed back at Elric. “Call it zen landscaping, or art in the forest.”

Lilly started jumping up and down. “No, No, I got it, we were chasing a whistle pig and when it went underground we tried to dig it out.” Elric groaned. “it figures.“

“Mr Zachary Bartholomew sat in the corner of a nondescript bar and grill down by the docks in Ballard. If you need something done badly enough you can find the contact here to get things done.

You wouldn’t recognize Mr B, he wasn't dressed in a suit in fact Mac as the bartender knew he was dressed like, and even smelled. like one of the local fishermen. So when another local joined Mac everything looked OK. This bartender knew better than to look too closely at any one, it was bad for business.

Mac had done this before, more often for the old man and now for Amanda the New Boss. Wealthy people are impatient and demand results yesterday. You don't deliver you louse your situation and most likely your life. If it came to a choice of his family’s welfare and his life, the object of his employers wrath, who ever that was would louse. Just like the military, where he met the old man, you do what you are told, when you are told to do it. The difference here the pay and perks are better and the wardrobe is mostly more stylish.

The person Mac was waiting for promptly appeared ghost like by the table.

“Well Mac, long time no see, what brings you out this late at night.”

“Well Mr Brown, my employer, has a pest control problem they need to take care of, in an expedited manner. There is a property they would like to be cleared of a certain vermin which have infested the place.”

“My people only deal with limited sized infestations if you need a larger job done I don't have any contacts, for that.”

“That's not a problem if you drive off the queen the rest of them will wilt or be evicted by legal means, if you know what I mean?”

“Is there any particular niceties or details they need to observe, if there is an accident and in driving off this queen and she has an unfortunate accident?”

“No not at all, an unfortunate accident may be somewhat preferable. This queen tends to pull together pesky community hives. So if an accident discretely happens it would not cause any problem.”

“ I like doing business with you, Mac, you are easy to get along with, do it right do it quickly your employer and you are happy. Something that may be a problem is there cost of doing business has increased rather dramatically can I assume that won't pose a problem? “

“No not at all, unlike the previous management, the new management, is well aware that to make money you need to spend some. I have a very generous budget for these type of things so no problem at all.”

“That works for my contacts; is there any thing else we need to consider.?”

“Only that my employer requested me to offer you a nice dinner as there will possibly other collateral work they will need to have done. This will become a big project, and other inconveniences may need to be cleared up to get their project off the ground. Would a pleasant repast maybe with a bottle of wine, and convivial conversation appeal to you. Mr Brown?

“Your new management is a class act Mac, Ya I think I will take you up on that. Skeeter here has a mighty fine cook in the kitchen right now and I am hankering for a nice rare steak.”

“I thought you were a rare sort of guy, Mr Brown, you just have that feeling about you.”

If it isn't enough with me dealing with Alease's hand me down dreams of hand to hand fighting the Romans, with all of that gore and viscera. This morning I now have a major case of some one trying to dig my grave willies. Everyone has had that shivers up the spine feeling described as someone walking across your future grave. Mine was strong enough it felt like some one really enjoying dancing a bloody jig on it. Damn there I go again , sounding like I was born in Scotland.

With so much that's happening at this time distracting me, I am strangely good, with that I am not psychically blinded to sensing danger coming my way. This isn't the dime store variety of danger; but something that's cunningly going to stalk me. This feeling is intense and familiar, it wasn't the first time some one has put a price on my scalp. I am Owl, the night Eagle, not a mortal, mangy, chicken stealing Coyote, so this fact of a bounty doesn’t scare me, It was the opposite effect, this pissed me off big time.

With my renewed vigor also has come an intensity in my emotions, making it much harder to keep them under wraps. So unfortunately it wasn't long before every one else noted my lack of humor. I was thankful that today was my office day. While I am mulling over who or what is generating this warning bell, not wanting to inflict my problems on the world. Just as I was penning a particularly witty repartee to the reporter covering the arrest and sentencing of Mon-go; when suddenly James appeared from the ether in my office. He gently and carefully took the pen out of my hand and bid me to escort him to the Dragon for a late lunch. Once seated and the obligatory cup of brain Jo being served, and allowing enough time to relax and eat, James for once took a relaxed approach to our talks.

“Betty, me lass, I be understanding that ye might be burdened with more than a wee bit of concern. Everyone has been steering a wide birth around ye, fearing you may give them a broad side. What be hanging heavy on ye mind?.”

“Remember you asked James; YOU asked. I had a rough night with memories of being hunted By Romans. When when I awoke that feeling became directional so I am really sensing some one is hankering to do me dirty. And there is nay, any limit how much nasty they being willing to perform in doing it. Who ever they may be has been given a contract on me. I can't say where or when but they are serious a pro and very cocky about them selves. And don't be tellin me James, it is all in me pretty wee head, Good god I wished I could stop that accent. incessantly slipping in.

James

We were having a nice meal so we had relaxed a bit before I ventured to speak aboot plans I was a making involving instruction and practice with Betty just what she needed to know to prevent some ham handed ass ending her in a simple fight.

“ Now lass this is the first day I need you to face the cold hard fact you have a great big target painted on you like a birth mark one meeter in diameter.

I was distracted by flashes of real anger in her eyes when looking at me. Like she wants to lunge at me across the table and rip out my gizzard. I needed to get her mind onto doing something about her vulnerability. She then continued our conversation.

“Hell of a birth mark dude, what can I do about this.”

“Learn to fight dirty, efficiently, and with out mercy for those who are trying to kill ye. Nay any of that 'with harm to none' that nay apples to a person that is trying to pin ye spleen to a wall. Remember they are attacking you, ye must aggressively be attacking back, not assertively or any other flowery term.

Do You have any experience with live steel swords Lass?”

“ I studied Ken-do for six years and I just graduated to a steel blade. Then I also have played with a hand and half bastard sword I still have in storage, I collect daggers for throwing.”

I gave her my eye of appreciation “Ever drawn blood in anger lass.?”

“Drawn blood yes, but not in anger more like cold blooded determination to live.”

“That's good, lass, keeping ye head clear of anger when fighting, is the first step to keeping your head attached to where it belongs. Your job and duty is to be seeing your adversary head, and not yours rolling across the floor.

I will make preparations to be taking ye to me Keep, so we can get in some practice time. Until then I need you to use that exercise room I just finished down the hall from your apartment to do some weight training to build up your arms and legs so ye can swing steel without getting winded or slow."

“Oh great, more homework, just what I need.”

“It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, but always remember the sword speaks louder, at any time or place. So its yer choice lass, it's either that homework, or practicing writing out ye will and last testament! “

Betty

“I understand James there is nothing I want to do more than to put all these silly dream memories to a test to see if this is real or is this just me having give away nothing dreams. I know all of your charges in the past came already knowing the stuff you are going to need to teach me. I am sorry that you need to scrape the bottom of the barrel to teach me the rudimentary basics”.

“AI Ann and the rest of my charges from antiquity were already well blooded warriors who already had finely honed combat skills. But the last thing I want to happen is for you to get into the habit of mixing it up in a fur ball fight. You are irreplaceable, Betty, please, for me heart, start thinking that way. A good sword arm can be hired or trained, sensibility requires that I need for you to be good enough to protect your self, if some one gets past me.”

“James I need to tell you about some recent things happenings with me. If it isn't enough with me dealing with people planning my demise. These hand me down dreams of fighting Romans with all of that gore and viscera. I feel that these memories are from a past life so apart of me I need to remember and use. This women is seriously crazy when it comes to fighting the Romans. And those emotions are bleeding through to this time, she died angry very angry, the only time I ever felt so angry is before I transitioned.”

James

“That bad lass, its nay any wonder ye have been out of sorts today. Is there any name or time period you can give me.”

Betty's face and voice softened as she brought the memories forward. “It is during the Roman attempt to subdue the tribes of the north. A two walls had been built by the Romans across the width of Briton, the first is Hadrian's wall of fitted stone and the start of a second of dirt and wood north of the first. “

I saw the towering blaze behind Betty's eyes flair, there was a struggle between Betty and these memories. I became worried at what I was witnessing not knowing just what was going on. Then suddenly Betty used her commanding voice telling who ever.

“You will not use me to harm James; he is a good friend and not the person you knew that long ago so mind your manners or so help me by the Morrgaine I swear I will banish you totally and absolutely,”

Then with a determined look Betty looked back at me and smiled. “Sorry about that James I had to dunk a wild cat to calm her down. It would seam this incarnation of myself knew you and wants to chop you to pieces as crow treats. Do you remember a women who would holds a grudge for 1700 years who's name was Alease”

My blood froze in its tracks, what sense of perversity would this universe chose to preserve that particular Alpha She Wolf. Alease was the surviving sister of the pair that wandered the lower highlands stomping the best Rome could muster against them. Next to Queen Boccaccio those were the fiercest fighters Rome ever encountered, but unlike the Queen Boccaccio those two fought using both there heads and there hearts. Now the women I have sworn to protect turns out to be the reincarnation of the one person who 1700 years ago came the closest to almost ended me.

Betty now has a self aware portion of her who swore a blood oath that she would kill me in the most savage manner. I have an entirely new appreciation of Betty's strength holding that hell hound off of me carcass.

Betty

The look on James’ face was burned into my mind. I had to strangle Alease to stop her from using me to choke the life out of James and there. With the help of the connection I presently have with the Morrgaine I was able to stop her in time.

Good gravy I was really a bloody bitch back then, I took no prisoners and was harder than a stone, no quarter no mercy, for those who hunted my people. This Alease wanted to use a broken plate to perform a Bries on James, then splitting him in two with a dull stone knife. And until the Morrgaine explained to Alease ,where the bear pooped in the long grass, I was very close to erasing her completely by banishing her to the nether realm.

“James, I am so sorry about this, Alease never mentioned her mortal enemies, good goddess that women scares me.!”

“Betty, there is nothing to apologize about, Alease and I have a very complected past. She came the closest to ending me than any other foe I ever faced. If there is any one I could have to teach you how to fight the way I need you to fight I would choose her.
We just need to find a way that the two of our personalities can coexist, and not kill one another.”

“I will never allow anyone to hurt you. You are family more than any thing else; and I have it on the word of the Morrigan that she will not allow Alease to run off the rails in hurting you.”

“I appreciate that, lassie, to be sure that women gives me the cold chills, and that is saying something.”

Betty

Just after lunch dinner I received a call from Louise asking me if there was any problem with the girl’s staying for maybe two more days. There was an old fashion carnival Louise’s Sister and law was running and the kids were having a grand old time. So who be it me to squash fun especially on the week end, so after a quick talk to the both of them letting them know I will miss them and then being regaled by both of them how much more fun they were having than being home with me. Sniff

With the girl’s spending a second night in Blessings that gave me some unexpected time for trying some outlandish things out. The first thing was to use one of the empty below grade store rooms for magical practicing. It was a real fun time bouncing empty metal 55 gal oil drums all over the floor.

Control was harder here than around Fay's home, plus the energy is thinner here as well but if I can throw something the size and weight of a steel 55 gallon drum you have something that is useful. Getting the range and experience working in this world but I have a long way to go, and the only way to get there is practice, practice, and did I say practice.

The next point of tonight's work out was the free weights following the video instructions left by James. Nothing that required a spotter, just simple repetitive work creating the burn that tells you it's time to stop for now, tomorrow is another day. After three hours of the combined work out I was sweaty really thirsty and in need of a good night's sleep.

Strong Bear

I had called a general core council meeting to fill every one in as the extent of our good fortune.

“Good evening and thank you for coming what I have to share with you the news from our harvest this year. We all know the hesitation all of us felt involving the people of Haven in our harvest. The mother of all smiled on us this year. We started looking for just a handful of pickers and she sent us an army of volunteers. The folks from Haven has allowed us to exploit the early local markets before any others got there first crop out of the field. So we are standing down for a week or so allow the late maturing crop to fill in and then we can have a couple three days of gleaning for our and Havens food storage.

It was because we accepted that offer I am here to tell all of you that this years harvest has been the most profitable and largest we ever had. That was mainly due to our dedicated staff caring for the crop all season long.
But Haven’s dedication to reconnecting with our people by helping us as neighbors has helped propel us onto the Gourmet food market. We not only broke into this market for the first time this year, we were well received. Those restaurant clientele are now negotiating with my staff to become there supplier for there early market next year as well. The beauty of this is that we have cut out the middle man skimming the profit for themselves. That one step has allowed us to see the full market value of our crops.

They also allowed us to need only three and one half weeks to get in the crop that normally with full payed picking crews help we would be lucky to get things wrapped up by six weeks with a loss of fifteen to twenty percent due to early frosts. This year we only lost a few tomato plants in a low lying area due to early low pockets of frost. Our crop yield’s were very high this year making this a banner year for our agricultural branch. We posted the highest profits we ever have in the thirteen years we have been at this project,

This was partially due to the Haven volunteers If we had to bid for pickers through the staffing agency's would have exceeded thirty five thousand to forty thousand dollars plus we would have far fewer people getting the crop in. The people of Haven have chosen to take the field gleanings as payment for there work and are willing to sign agreements to help each year from now as long as they are there to help, for the same payment

I am pleased to announce that for an out of pocket expenses of sixty thousand dollars, we have profited just from the gourmet restaurant market, two hundred and eighty thousand dollars. Plus another one hundred forty eight thousand dollars from our bulk sales to the fresh vegetable suppliers like Whole Foods and other up market providers who followed the recommendations of the gourmet restaurants and sought us out.

Havens people also providing us the use the Snow Goose to transport the product to the old produce processing siding in Haven where again with our help and direction the volunteers trimmed, cut, cleaned and packed every order we had for lower process and transportation cost to our customer. They were able to access Haven’s loading dock far easier than all most all of our competition. “

“Strong Bear if I may ask how much did we pay our pickers?”

“Twenty thousand dollars for the vegetable pickers council women White Faun, maam.”

“So for a cost of sixty thousand dollars we profited four hundred twenty eight thousand dollars. We also provided people here with income at the same time, can we consider that payroll really a cost, the people who earn that money here live here and spend shouldn't it be considered a profit? And what about our fruit market this year,”

“White Faun that is how I would count it but for tax purposes it is a cost of production.
It is one of the few places the tax law works for us. And the fruit market is a separately operated venture from the field vegetable one. I think the cost was about forty five thousand dollars and a profit near to one hundred and sixty thousand, I do not have the total of that division with me. We are also checking on converting our marketing to the upmarket ventures as well. Our extensive use of beneficial insects and bug traps our fruit is nearly unblemished as a factory farm, with superior flavor and texture. So next year we hope to see a much higher profit from this year with far less running around looking for markets to take our products. The markets will be coming to us instead with money in hand.”

Next the elder Shield man Stone Fox asked me “How well did the leadership of Haven conduct them selves? That is something I have interest in particular” I deferred the answering of that question to Greta and Gretchen.

Greta elaborated “The process worked as well as a well oiled machine because of Havens leadership. Louise and Betty pitching in where ever needed. No job was refused even the most dirty and hard to do. We had to send Betty home because she was working too many hours and Louise was very close to having us do the same.”

“So from your perspective what has changed in Haven to make this possible?”

All three of us at the same time said “Betty White Owl”.

“Bear, how can you three explain this in simple terms an old man can understand?”

I answered “Betty is a very complex leader , who uses tried and true Lakota people methods based on what she had learned as a child from her Lakota grandmother.
Betty's Medicine power pried open Rip Van Havens eyes. Suddenly they are talking and planing and asking for guidance from ours and their leadership.

Phoenix like our fellowship has been reborn all because Betty said Can we? then Louise said to Greta Why not, then. Greta said to Gretchen Should we? then Gretchen said Why not. So I had the common sense to followed those wise woman's lead”

“Strong Bear, do you understand what you just said?”

“Yes I do”

“Then I am not going crazy, so did I,. that's a first, Bear. One more question. can you explain why here and now.”

“Fox this was a breakthrough that had to be made by our work and great spirit dipped his creative brush into great mysteries paint pot and painting a new tomorrow, where there was once none. All of this came together due to a modern refugee, a single women following her intent to find a home for her and her family wandering into the broken down village of Haven. Once there she and her family decided here is where we stand. Betty is properly not doing anything besides point the way from out in front.

There has been suggestions to dust off those old projects update them and see which ones we want to continue. How we do this and what we do is up to us. Those decisions are our job's, we the people must decide what to do, when, and how to go about accomplish things we need and want to do. “

“Well Bear we need to take this to the full council before we commit any resources in that direction. Remember you have experienced directly the spirits of these people many others have not so are not so sure about the trust you have in this new alliance.
There are others who would want to have a word with Betty about those past broken promises.” Stone Fox was emphatic about this point.

Greta interjected quietly “ Peat, Betty has asked me to request permission for her to speak at the next general council meeting. She has also requested that the offended parties attend so she can try to answer some of the questions then.”

“Greta does that women have a death wish or does she want to experience Jesus plight at Gethsemane. There are many not that happy that this harvest has been so successful. George told me the other day that if a cloud spits a few drops of rain it doesn't mean the drought is over. And he is the optimist of that group, what exactly does she come with to offer at this time.”

“Mocking Bird has always been wise with his words and he does have a good point. I think this harvest was a good first step. Now all of us need to see if they can keep delivering in the future, I certainly feel, they passed this first test. I think the others that worked with the Haven crew agree with that. Now it is time for more of our people to start watching what Haven is doing to continue walking there talk. Louise and Betty understand this as well. That's why they proposed a follow up project that will mean a lot to us this coming winter. But we need the council’s permission, Peat, to proceed.“

“ Louise has proposed a follow on project already?” White Fawn interjected.

“Yes, White Fawn, Louise knows that we were left holding the bag with quite a few projects. What she is offering at this time is to put a rush on finishing the last little bit of the rail line refurbishment to reach Blessings. They will supply all the material they have and the man power to finish the refurbishment of the rail lines to Blessings as long as the weather holds. In the spring the work will continue as far as the material will stretch. There will be contracts drawn up to state the basic ground rules.”

Fox was thoughtful for a moment before continuing “That will go a long way of convincing some of the nay Sayers. Hell that would even impress Mocking bird and I. But God help them if they fail to follow through. That's my warning.”

“Fox these folks just want that chance and only the weather or lack of materials would be the likely slow down of this project.”

“OK I will talk to those of the council, who are not here, then get back to you. Folks lets call this a night before you tell me Betty can multiple fishes and loaves or walk on water.”

Strong Bear

The entire room broke up in laughter at Fox's droll comment, but that's something to think about, are we building her up too much. We need to take a step back, and make sure we are correct. Our people are so precious, we can not afford making a mistake by backing the wrong pony. It is about the people not our emotional reactions. Our people is what counts there welfare is our center and purpose for being here. And Stone Fox's words put me in my place reminding me of that.

Sam

I was told by the foreman that the boss wanted to see me before I left today so I walked down to the office trailer and knocked on the door.

“Come on in Sam, it's unlocked”
Going in I just had to quip about his accurate guess it was me.

“That's easy, Sam, you are the only one polite enough to knock the rest just barge in.”

“You didn't dare do that in Iraq or the officer was likely to shoot you and ask questions later. It's just a hold over from the day.”

“Sam it's more than that it's you are polite and disciplined unlike the rest of this crew. Good God mam if I had just a few more like you I would be blessed. Sam your a good advertisement for people to hire a vet. I just wanted to tell you thanks for being such a good hand at what you do. And I want to let you know that you can take tomorrow and Friday and Saturday off with pay. Before you get your beak bent out of shape I will see you on Monday morning, you get time off for good work.

It's embarrassing to say this Sam but you are so far ahead, of us guys we need to double time it, just to catch up. I also just ran out of pneumatic line to run the jack hammer and drills you use. You are just so efficient at what you do you have gotten six day's of work done in three this week. So I just can't in my right couscous dun you those three days pay so take it off go enjoy your time off come back refreshed.”

Some how he got that out in one breath

“Boss do you always talk so fast that no one can get a word in sideways?”

“Sam, yes I do, it saves me time and words. You are not the only one who did time in the service.”

“What branch, sir?”

“Navy SeeBees in Nam we dug paved and constructed with one hand and shot back with the our hand.”

“That's interesting my Grand dad was a See Bee during Korea he was at Inchon with MacArthur He taught me everything I know, about how to get things done. He often told me there motto “The difficult we do immediately the impossible just takes a little longer” My great grand father worked on the Alcan Highway during W-W2 with the Army Core of Engineering.”

“Small world we live in Sam it's good to see that someone like you continued the old days traditions. Hey kid this is your Friday Sam, go get lost see you next week.”

It's nice when the boss is pleased enough with your work to pay you for taking days off. So I have Thursday, Friday and Saturday off this week so I was out doing a little wolf spotting to take the edge off. All is fair in love and mate hunting, he spied on me I am going to return the favor. Maybe that's the way wolves shop for potential mates. They sniff each other out from a distance at first. Then if they like what they see and smell there is a get together for a casual meal say over a fresh deer carcass.

Betty

This has been one of those work days that went on for eternity. The office was very busy today, keeping me hopping from one thing to another. I was able to keep up with the work, but my lack of good sleep because of my dreams made it all the harder. The vividness has been disturbing, with last nights by far being the worse. The dreams ran like a badly edited movie, with scenes starting and ending in random order. This didn't allow me to focus on any one long enough to mentally understand what I was seeing. Emotionally was another thing entirely, every thing a person could feel I was experiencing in overlapping waves.

Work today was much the same as my dreams, with different jobs coming across my desk as flurries with no particular order. I worked like a fiend, in fits and spurts but staying on top of things. The only down side was by the end of the day, I couldn't remember the details of all that I had done. Thank goodness for my paper memory, I wrote all that happened as I went along in my Bullet Journal, so the particulars were recorded, but my oh my, the brain was scrambled eggs.

The one incident, today, I do recall is one with the widower, Mr Johannes. It was a simple renewing a dog license but he was so distracted by my cleavage that he had to keep bringing his eyes back to the paper work. That was an interesting experience for me as no one, with, the exception of my wife, ever looked at me long enough to stare at my chest. There are so many things wrong with an 85 year old man ogling me. But there was a certain feeling of satisfaction from the smile on his wrinkled face. Later that evening when I was eating at the Dragon, several of the younger guys from town were staring at me then blushing when I looked back at them.

When I got home I checked out what was they were so interested in. Taking time to look myself over in the shower, then afterward in the mirror. This was the first time in a few weeks that I really studied myself, since the first time when I noticed that my features had started to change. When you have been “ruggedly plain”,there is no room for being a vain person. That was what I was accustomed to, then to suddenly see myself morphing into someone pretty, really shook me up.
I have no idea how to handle men’s attention, and reactions to me, or how to properly conduct my self around them. This is something most moderately attractive women learn how to handle as they grow up. I never had this happen to me before this. This was something that I need to learn how to cope with, but that is in the future. Right now I need to prepare for September’s full moon so I needed my rest. But that plan only lasted until my head lay upon my pillow.

Betty.

I would have sworn to the Goddess that my pillow was a revolving door. I knew I just had fallen asleep warm and snuggling in my bed only to find my breath catch in mid inhale. Suddenly my lungs cramped from the cold damp night air sucking the warmth out of me. I found my form standing behind a group of standing stones at night. It was a moonless night under clear starlit sky, I was so cold I shivered in my simple clothing that was not warm enough to keep me comfortable. My senses were on high as I clutched a rough woolen cloak around my head and shoulders.

Unlike other times I was still me, not Alease, it was me Betty stealing through a group of stones trying not to be noticed. I had no clue why I was being so intent on remaining unseen but I knew in my bones it was necessary. I sniffed the cold air and was rewarded with the smell of peat bog and living earth, then the overpowering invasion of the stench of unwashed man. This caused me to think “ I wonder how far that smell could travel in the wind. A horse whinnied near by, informing me just how close the men were, and that they smelled stronger than their horses. Being warned, I then froze behind a large boulder that shielded me from the road and detection. There were distant men’s voices talking in a strange language that sounded like Roman but wasn't quite totally understandable.. I crouched down making my self as small a visual profile as I could, hoping the ground fog would allow me to be mistaken for just another rock in the field. I remained as I was for a long time as the men loitered around talking. Then I heard one of them cuss and shout at his compatriot who answered just on the opposite side of the boulder I was behind. I then smelled the stench of urine and heard the pissing man talking to what I understood as his penis, telling it that there was a treat awaiting for it back in town. The man on horseback made some comment about putting the bull away so they could get back to someplace warm. Walking away, the 'penis' man was rapidly speaking something that sounded a little like Spanish. I started to breathe again but stayed down until I heard them ride away back down the road.

Suddenly a soft hand found my mouth, then a woman's voice whispered “Lady, follow me so I can bring you to safety, but caution make no noise, there are cutthroat's riding in packs everywhere.” To that I just nodded my agreement. She was a bit shorter and slighter than I, and she led me hand in hand away from the road. We wove our way across the frost covered ground keeping the larger boulders between us and the road. The path she directed me along was rocky but those rocks acted like steps and hid our foot prints as a pair we zigzagged up the hills towards a darkly cloaked mountain that was only visible because it masked the stars. We stopped a moment to catch our breath then we continued on our long, high climb.

Just as we crested a rise near the cliff face when suddenly, I was dragged into a hidden cave that reeked of bear. With out a moment’s hesitation my guide softly placed her hand over my gaping mouth to stop me from protesting. My companion then started softly singing in a rhythmic voice as our toes Braille-d there way over the uneven floor of the cave. The farther we walked the stronger the bear smell became. My rescuer continued chanting a sing song prayer in Gaelic, which suddenly ended in the name Bruce, just as we saw the bear looking at us. Before I could utter even a “shit it is a bear” we were standing , outside the mountain. To my eye we had to have traveled through the mountain to where we were. Looking at the horizon I became aware we were in a hidden valley with mountains on the far side from us. In the valley there was a village which lay before me. I made the distance to the village being only a couple of miles away. I could see the soft smoke that issued forth from the many hearths inviting me to seek their warmth. When I inquired the name of this village was.

“ It's Teramar in our old speak, to the Romans it is Porta Santus. Where else would you be silly, come on ,you’re expected, our head women is wanting to talk”.

“I am new to these parts who were those men hunting me”

“You are in a war zone and those cut throats are commanded by the Italian Count named Medici. We fear the brigand of Italy is seeking to destroy this village to gain favor from the leaders of his church . We are to be used as sacrifice to prove to the higher church men that Medici is an outstanding member of his new church. It would be in his favor if he can break us the last free Celtic women, or witches is what they call us, here in our last strong hold here in the old Peckish home lands. .
The Count's one god religion maintains the rule of man is absolute, thus reducing women to being slaves, with no standing or rights. Those of us here are worth even less than that, because there commanded by their god not to allow witches to live, so our fate is death.. It is thought he s trying to elevate his families prominence with in this new power in his country by using these. murders and thief's he calls an army to destroy us.”

I was following my guide when I stumbled on a rock, causing a sharp pain in my right big toe. Waking up with a gasp from the pain in my right big toe, I found that I was once again in my bed in Haven. I limped into my bathroom to see that I had given my toes a good whack splitting my Big toenail on something hard that wasn't in my soft bed. Then I noticed the impressions on my foot and calves matched the marks that would be left by high wool socks and the traditional soft slipper gillies.
This Dream Walking just went up another level of intensity, with me bringing back these wounds and marks. I need help from my mentor real soon. Before I end up bringing back some illness, or an arrow in my back.

Sam

My motor cycle Toroke got me within four clicks of where I wanted to start my spotting for the Wolf Man. My spotting scope was one of the best to be found ,allowing me to see in very dim light of the forest below. I had found a covered ridge line where I could look down on a spot of ground I had tracked him to. It was just before sunrise and the air was crisp just above the frost point, and down below was my target of interest.

Below Wolf Man was doing some warm up exercises, stretching everything, before he got busy with of all things sward practice with a short sword like from gladiator. Wolf man was very limber as if he was made of liquid muscle. His sward moves demonstrated a skill that was Ninja level, if not better. Then he picked up the pace the sword moving so fast I only saw a blur. I have seen a lot of good sword people in my time this man was inhumanly quick. The whole time his face was calm and it was like he was dancing to a silent song no one else could hear.

I was impressed with the total package I do mean everything, making it really sexy to watch him work out. Then he melted my brain, he took off his shirt and started to work out with a really big arsed brood sword. The sweat glistened on his torso in the early morning sun light. It highlighted a body so cut and toned I involuntary gasped at his sheer beauty, as steam rose from his bare skin. I found my self drooling over the vision of his body. There is no Greek or Roman statuary, that could capture the total perfection of this mans pecs and gluts. If I was going to lose my heart to some one, I found the one that was exceptionally easy on my eyes. But the biggest thing that made him worthy of my love was that he could be my equal, some one who I could stand back to back with in a fight and know I am safe. The real odd thing was his vibe was that he needed the same thing.
Competition ?

My wolf spotting went on for about an hour more, as I watched him pick up and press stones over his head like they were toys. Muscles rippled and bulged as he worked out. I could only sigh and look on from a distance. There had to be a better way I could gain some real up close intelligence on this guy.

Then unexpectedly a women came out of the woods. She had native features and the guy greeted her with a very warm embrace, they spoke for a few minutes then he tossed a bamboo Kendo practice sword to her. Just a blink of an eye the two of them were sparing with each other. Not just the formal type practicing but an all out trying to kill each other with sticks. The woman moved stiffly at first but in a very short time and after a few prodding blows from his sword she started moving more quickly evading and attacking at the same time. The Dark haired women landed some very direct blows on the man and he never flinched or said ow.

There were breaks in the action when the man would demonstrate some very dirty and effective moves. My guess this was this was some sort of self defense class. Judging by the escape techniques being demonstrated, as the techniques were hit, and run like hell. Several times the Wolf Man would snag the women and do what most big men would do by throwing her where he could dispatch her. But from the git go this gal would roll with the punch, and not lose it, she instead came back with a really vicious attack.

Once he pulled a toy gun, and I saw something I never seen before. The women snapped her free hand in a strange gesture, then it was like she hit his hand with something as the gun flew out of his hand, strangely just a few micro seconds delay I heard a crack like a small bolt of lightning. The big guy just fanned his hand like the whatever packed some wallop. From the open palm gesture I could see she didn't have any weapon, so I had no idea what had happened, or what she did. But I got a bad case of feeling it wouldn't be a good idea to piss this person off.

It didn't end there, the man tossed rocks at her that she deflected with some of the same gestures. When he tossed a head sized rock she used both hands and a larger more visible streak of light smashed the rock into several pieces deflecting them harmlessly away from her. When the man tried to grapple with her there was a swirl of smoke and all he got was open air. The next thing that happened was a piece of fruit sailed from behind a group of rocks and hit the man in the head. At that time the man shouted enough That's enough. Oh god there was that Scottish accent again just melting my insides. But who is that women with him, god I hope she isn't competition. If so I wonder just how far away I would have to be, to survive taking her out.

This leaves me in a conundrum of how do I get close to this guy so to get a message to him. I had just cracked a bottle of Guinness Stout and had finished a little over half of it when I noticed the guy sniffing the wind and scanning the hill that I was standing on the far side of, so he could not see me. Not wanting to take any chances I put an unopened bottle in the crux of the tree, just at his eye level, with a small note rubber banded on the bottle, then leaving the open bottle at the base of the tree. I got out of there double time. Toroke was just were I left it, so I just made a quiet git away, only using the electric drive. After making it back to my home on wheels I needed a very cold shower to calm my self down. That night I went to bed with visions of his glorious body in my head.

James

Three scents that stand out especially in the great outdoors venue. One of them for me is the scent of Guinness Stout carried on the wind. When I reached the location from which I could track the perfume of that scent the person was gone. While scanning the area my eyes fell upon a capped bottle of me stout, just at my eye level in the crotch of the tree. Next to the tree base was a partially drained bottle which gave off the scent that brought me here. Some one went to some trouble to draw me here for some reason. This made me suspicious but there were no warning bells going off in me head so after checking for traps on the unopened bottle. And finding none, I retrieved it and looked at it. Prominently around the bottle was a note attached with a rubber band, there was a scent on the note that matched the wolf girl and it simply stated

I never remember blushing before in my life, but I never had some one interested in me that way either. So wolf girl wants to play tag, so be it I be it for now let me see what I can do about that.

Betty

I stood with James by my side when we were ushered into the receiving room of the Morrigan by a giant of a man who gave James a good nature slap on the shoulder along with a toothy grin.

“He seems to like you James. do you know him?”

“Oh we sparred the last time I saw the Queen, I believe he is one of her sons.”

“From the smile I think it must have been a good sparring session?”

“Ai it was lass, I had to get past him, to see the ladies so we had a bit of a row, but once I cut off his head the two of us have been good ever since!”
James has to be the greatest straight man in the known universe, he delivered that line, totally dead pan with out cracking a smile. I asked my self do I really want to know? Not wanting to probe that answer for details, I decided only to nod and waited quietly to be ushered in.

I was alone when brought into a private small cloistered room, where I was introduced to all three of the faces of the Morrigan . Badb was the maiden, Macha the mother and Nemain the matriarch but each spoke separately as individuals but they shared one drive and purpose. I explained what was happening to me with Alease memories bleeding through time into me now. and what happened the night before with James.

Macha

“My apprentice I commend your judgment in seeking us out, you need to become aware of when to share your experiences with us. This is one lesson that I pray in the name of the one source, that becomes burned into your souls memory, that what you are experiencing is real, and not an illusion, You were there when you stubbed your foot, therefor you could have been killed if those men captured you. But worry not my apprentices, this incident indicates you are ready to learn the wee simple methods I can easily teach you to protect yourself. But that will not do ye very little bloody good if ye do not remember to use them. ”

Nemain,

“And pleasant it shall be to instruct you, worried we were about finding a proper replacement to fill Ann's slippers. But I must commend you in how you have taken to the mixed bag of problems and responsibilities facing you”

Badb

"Lady Betty, I apologize to inform you there is need for us to send ye back to finish what ye missed. That rock was very rude to have ambushed your toes, but the fate of some very carefully laid plans rests upon your mindful precipitation when performing your role within these plans. Consider it to be a dance that is necessary to remain within the rules the universe operates by. There is wisdom in how things are structured and we must always be mindful of them. We can not explain more because your at the moment actions are important for the success of this venture.”

Macha

“My sisters,. there is much is to be said about that, but at a later time. Now the issue is how to aid our apprentice to integrate the divergent portions of her past, so it becomes an asset rather than a sleep robing distraction. To that end I believe Badb you have a suggestion for a face to face meeting between the two, that may offer some insight into a solution.”

Nemain,

“Be acceptable with you this is Betty ?”
“Yes certainly it would be stupid to lose the insight Alease brings to me. I was just concerned she was going to push me out of the way using me as her instrument to rip James apart. I was not going to accept it; that's when I requested your aid in subduing her.”
,
Badb

“And glad we were to aid you in that endeavor. The time is now, for you to greet you sister personality. So the two of you may resolve your difficulties.”

With that Badb waved her hand at the space in front of me where a solid as I am Alease appeared. She held a relaxed and peaceful air about her totally unlike how I remember her the night at the Dragon.

“Betty my sister it is good to see you from the outside for a change.”

“You are me are you not, but me from the past, Long past?”

“That is a wee sticky question ye have asked of me. But roughly yes I am that part of your soul that lived during the time of the Roman occupation of me Da’s land. But you are the sum of all the rest of the lives our soul has had since then. Ye are a whole lot more polished than I back then.”

“But how is it you remain as a distinct separate person from me rather than just being me.?”
“How it has been explained to me is that I am a special part of you that was cut short by an untimely death before I could finish that life tasks incomplete. So I need to be rejoined with the you who is now to complete the cycle of growth necessary for us to ascend onto the next stage of our soul’s growth.”

“Wow, heavy girl, How are you with this? It is freaking me out just a bit going from sleeping in a comfortable cave at night, killing giant bears with a single arrow by day. Face it I am a wimp now compared to your Wonder Women stomping Romans for a hobby. “

Alease laughed loudly turning to the assembled Morrigan. Ye are right she does have a grand sense of humor.” Turning back to me, “ Betty it is good to nay find out I have not become a silly stuck up ass. But nay ye are not a wimp in any way. Ye are just inexperienced as to how to gut people efficiently. But I do also understand that practice is frowned upon in these present times.”

“Alease I have had enough happen in my life to keep me grounded and humble. I just need a teacher to help me learn how to 'gut people efficiently' if the need should arise, and I fear that it will.”

Sam

It was about nine thirty when I was about to finish up my policing up my camp site, when I was taking the trash to the trash dumpster nearer to the camp store. My landlord had been very happy with me staying here and has invited me to stay the winter if I wanted. He just asked for me to watch the place during Christmas so he could go and spend it with his kids. Having payed my rent he informed me I owed him nothing for the winter claiming.

“Sam you give me peace of mind knowing I have some one like you with my back while I am not here, the least I can do is to give you free rent for the winter for that service, kid. Just let me know if you need anything and I will rustle it up for you”

Thanking him I made my way back to my rig when in the dimming light I noticed the rig moving like a weight had been moving around inside of it. There were no racoons on the roof so I had my Glock in hand when I unlocked the door and flung it open.

There was no place to hide inside such a small space. There on my table was a dozen roses and a small bottle of Red wine with a note rubber banded to it. The note was a bit cryptic consisting of a series of numbers and a short neatly printed script .”Bring your own stick.” The numbers were time and, date the other numbers were GPS coordinates. I would guess the ball is in my court, this looks like a man who seriously is trying to court me, BYOS indeed, how sweet.

Betty

The first night of September’s cycle last night was a bit anticlimactic, nothing really happened the entire evening except for my feeling of something brewing on the horizon. I still didn't let my guard down until I felt the probing from a distance dissipate.

I didn't know what to expect tomorrow but I know that it may be a real slammer. I looked at the star and planet chart to see if there is anything especially standing out for tomorrow night finding nothing. The only thing followed up the last waning night when there was an overlap of the moon rising, while the sun was still up which didn't mean anything to me, I only experienced a mild discomfort thinking about it.

Imagine my surprise when the second night was a dud as well. It sailed by with nothing but a few blows sounding out the state of the Barrier. My work was to make sure that every bit of energy I could stash into the Barrier I did. At the end of the second night of the cycle everything was cruising along quietly.

The third night I was relaxed but focused on my tasks tonight. Because of the early moon rise I wanted things to be ready before sunset. I was in my robes humming to my self while I prepared my circle and placed my candles where they belonged. Everything was in harmony and I was feeling good about tonight. I did not anticipate what would happen next.

A breeze ran through the town that felt out of place it was cold and had the scent of sulphide like swamp gas when I looked in the direction from which the wind was now blowing what I saw made me blanch. The billowing angry clouds rolling over the hills boiled like an evil brew in a pot. The cloud had many different colors to it that did not occur in nature tipping me off that things were about to become very interesting.

I didn't try my tinderbox style of lighting my candles I used my butane lighter. I frantically raised my circle and drove shafts of pure white light down through the cardinal points of my circle with the south one thicker and more robust. I was still reinforcing my circle when the front slammed into me, like a freight train loaded with iron ore. I didn't have time to properly prepare my self so I was still loose inside of my circle and not as is my custom, anchored down.

The wind and all in the path of it is screaming. That includes the Barrier, and yours truly standing in the circle trying not to be torn to shreds. The air was filled with everything the wind could lay hands on, that was not fastened down to the ground, plus a few things that were. Dirt, stones, dust, trash, leaves, branches, children's toys, a dog house, you name it was blow-en in the wind, except the answer of where the Hades did this come from.

This started before the sun was fully set as the moon had just cleared the horizon. The furious vengeance this manifestation struck was tearing to shreds everything in its path. Wind speeds were approaching that of the windward edge of a small tornado, and it wasn't for the wind break of the grove I would have been pulled out of the circle airborne, then sand blasted. If I thought it was bad for me it was worse for the Barrier. She was being torn apart from the inside out. My job was to hold it together no matter what it cost me to do so. The town and my children wouldn't survive a month, if the barrier wasn't here shielding it from all the hate and envy thrown at Haven.

I consider my self prepared for almost anything but not this. All I can do is persevere and search for any way to buffer this wind even just a bit, every little thing counts in this game. Once I was able to recover from the initial shock, which took unknowable minutes, I was able to squeeze out a couple of frantic thoughts. I started to pull energy from the surrounding area to thicken the Barrier at its lower edge where it connected with the earth. I then pushed the footing out a bit to relieve some of the flat area the energy in the wind was working on. This directed the air upwards lessening the strain on the footing and buffering the wind striking the higher levels. That was when I was able to notice that the wind was carrying an enormous amount of particles of negative reductive from a lot more people joining in tonight than I just the original circle that I encountered during the August full moon. There were more people than I could not count all supporting threads to this effort, it was all driven by their off the scale hatred for Haven.

I was gasping, panting and sweating like a cross country runner in Death Valley. I was still too reactive and not proactive enough. So my next move still gasping the thin air around me was to alter the Barrier frequency just enough to create a slicker surface than it usually has. Reducing the purchase the wind could get on the fabric of the Barrier. Who ever was generating this storm was seeking blood, and may just have enough horses to pull it off, if I don't think and act fast. I could not flinch even once. I needed to act as my strength was nearly tapped. Unlike Atlas I could not afford to shrug and wouldn't even if I could.

Betty

I was gasping, panting and sweating like a cross country runner in Death Valley. I was still too reactive and not proactive enough. So my next move still gasping the thin air around me was to alter the Barrier frequency just enough to create a slicker surface than it usually has. Reducing the purchase the wind could get on the fabric of the Barrier. Who ever was generating this storm was seeking blood, so if I don't think and act fast they may just have enough horses to pull it off., I could not flinch even once. I needed to act as my strength was depleting. Unlike Atlas I could not afford to shrug and wouldn't even if I could.

Clifford

I had made it home two days ago after having gone to work in April doing my summer work, reworking Hotel rooms for the higher line establishments. Haven is such a nice break from the mundane outside world making me happy to be home during the bad weather of the winter.

My work is specialized requiring a large number of skills that your normal hammer and nail contractor doesn’t have, so I remain in constant demand. This season’s work had been profitable not only in pay, but also in the salvage I was able to stash away for my own projects.

Louise has been holding down the home fort since April with me only making over night visits in July, so my coming home now allowed her to take a little time off to play up in Blessings with our family. I really like the eccentricity of Haven and the fact that the weird is normal here. There are times things can get spooky; this became one of those times.

Within the micro seconds it took to recognize something was wrong, things became really horribly wrong. We can have these violent wind storms come up in the spring and early summer as the seasons would change, but never in the fall. With the spring winds there was some warning that something was brewing but not this time.

The entire building shook when the wind fearsomely struck, causing Jessa my counter girl to yell,

“Boss”

“Ya Kid I am coming “ but I could not be sure she could hear me over the sound of the screaming wind. Then Kelly, our maid, shouted, “ stay put Cliff I got her”, followed by the sound of the automatic window shutters vibrating as they struggled to crank up over the large picture windows we have in the front of the building. The front door had its own slide out panel but it was somewhat sheltered from the wind, so it trips then shuts.

Just before the front window shutters totally closed I saw the Heavenly Bean rooftop sign of the manically smiling Buddha standing in its oversized cup, doing a lazy cart wheel past the window heading out of town.

The lights flickered then went out for a few moments before our UPS kicked in, turning on the emergency lights. From outside I could hear the sounds of a lot of stuff hitting the Windward side of the building then a couple of bangs then shattering glass in the leeward side of the building where the parking was.

My office phone rang on the township priority line so I scrambled to get it. It was my brother Bob next door at the Dragon.

“Cliff, are you all right?” Bob yelled over the wind.”

“Yes, we are for now; the window shutters closed before the power went out. UPS is working fine the help is a little rattled and I think I may have lost a window or three in the rooms I can't see well enough yet. And you? “
Everything is ok here. Marge, God bless her, was just leaving when she saw the front line of the winds topping the valley ridge line and just calmly came in and hit the shutter button yelling for every one to get on the floor Do You know where Betty is?

No, Haven't met her yet, she's not there.

No, Oh shit she may be at the circle.

Marge

Working the dinner shift was always a bit dull around here, mainly the regular locals who I have known for years. Tonight we had a couple of tourist families who were vacationing together.. Both families seem to fit the type of people we used to get back in the day. Both had kids with a good sense of humor and their parents were the searching type looking for more than a house in the burbs with a three car garage.

I was musing about how things were looking up when I heard a dull thud against the south window followed by Janice ,Jake's wife, making a quip about not ordering scrambled eggs tartar. That was followed by several dull thuds that I discovered were eggs flying through the air on their own. My puzzlement grew when a chicken was plastered against the outside glass; was followed by the sound of something rolling down the road that turned out to be the Giant coffee cup from Heavenly Roasters roof top, to which Jake seeing this added “ There's that take out coffee you were looking for dear.” That's when I finally looked up at the horizon to see what had created this storm of chickens and eggs. The weather phenomena roiling on a fast boil did not look real to me leaving one possibility that it something magically foul was attacking Haven.

With all of the trash in the air I knew something would eventually punch through the window, to prevent that I went to the cash register counter and with more than a little force I hit the big black button that started the storm window protector to start grinding down to cover up the outside glass. As this was happening I noticed that Louise’s place was doing the same thing.

Bob came out of the back looking at me for some answers, but I had none, so I could only shrug my shoulders. What ever it was, it was nothing we needed, or wanted right now; personally I could use another hole in my head more than this. Just as the shutters on both of the building ground past my field of vision I could see Cliff and his two people gathered in the entry room, I could account for every one besides Betty. Then the memory sunk in; Betty was out in Ann's circle.

James

The three of us were uneasy before this with our ears popping and Melissa whining in pain from the air pressure drop. We were inside working in the work out practice room. When it hit knocking all three of us to our knees. The Banshee sound reached us through the air vents and our highly tuned senses causing my eyes to water and my nose to run with a trickle of blood. Lilly was the first to react, running to Betty's apartment only to return moments later yelling to me Betty's not at home according to her note I think she is outside in the circle.

At that one moment everything around me moved in slow motion as I ran full wolf to the emergency air lock entrance right near the circle. From the window in the wall what I saw terrified me like nothing else ever. There was Betty holding the wind at the outer edge of the Barrier using such a large amount of power there was a blue green signature color of manna surrounding her. Betty was using so much energy holding the Barrier together, debris was getting past her personal projectile wardings, with some of them striking her like bullets. I was seeing her bleeding from many different wounds staining her simple white ceremonial robes. I noticed straw and some small sticks wedged in those robes, some obviously sticking through into her skin. But like Ann before her, Betty was stoically refusing to surrender, even being the target of the worlds largest sand blasting machine. .
By then the girls joined me both of them simply saying “what’s holding her there.?”

“Her determination and love for this town lasses; that is one person you never want to meet in a dark alley if she is pissed at you.

Mel go to her prayer room bring that chain mail gauntlet with the crow device on the back of it. Lilly go to the infirmary just down the hall from the practice room I need a gurney, blankets, Crash kit and Trauma Kit. Go now get back as soon as you can. “
To their credit I didn't need to tell them twice they were gone in a flash.

I tried to open the door but there was no way for me to lever it open just from the wind pressure on the other side. Screaming in frustration I redoubled my efforts to opening it only to have the door crack open just long enough for the wind to suck the air from our around me causing me to release the door as it firmly reseated itself to the hatch edge jamb.”

I watched as things wound around in slow motion, Betty was not just flaying around she was working things like a pro. Dilating time stretched out how long she had to react to things but it also increased the time she was feeling the pain of what she was experiencing. I could not port into her circle or both of us could end up as unrecognizable goo smeared thinly all over Haven’s residential neighborhoods.

She was on her own, as only she could reach out to another allied energy, that is what I sensed that she was trying to do. There was a brief moment I could see her praying or chanting as some of the wind blown trash struck home peppering her body like buckshot. Still she stood trying to anchor herself more firmly in the protection of the circle.

“James why didn't the fool wear the gauntlet I gave her for protection?.”

Badb voice startled me,

“I don't know my lady I think this is a total surprise to everyone, the last night of the cycle is usually very mild, nothing like this. And did you ever inform her of that gift gauntlet that had that ability?”

“ She should have discovered that herself. “

“With all pardons my lady, ye have been removed from our worldly concerns for a long time. Betty has so many responsibilities in the physical world there was no time to do so, but to her credit as you directed she did not just try to do this alone, did she my goddess?

“Well, yes, James she did call for help, and this is an honest mistake on my side of the equation. Don't tell her I am assisting her. ”

“With all due respect my lady Badb, all of your students in the past have had a lot more time to suss this job out, before being used as a human dart board, and only ye know how many practitioners it took to produce this effect. If ye don't help now there may nay be nay any thing left to help.”

Before the lady could do anything suddenly Betty changed her tactics, causing Me to gasp.

Betty

Snaking my life lines two ways was tapping my energy reserves with no return, I sensed the worry for me from all around, hell I was worried about me. Then a trickle of energy came from Gaia along with the thought of “fight like with like.” With that I remembered that there was an upper air pattern weather system that was circulating in the opposite direction. I had to take a crazy chance that could go either way, but as my mama had the habit of saying when she was undeceive about something that needing to be done

“Do something even if it is wrong, just act.”

This was a fifty fifty chance; better odds than allowing this pepper mill to grind me into dust. I shifted my energy turning my circle into the center of the vortex. With the speed of a starving predator the storm gobbled me up, but with a greater speed I pushed the upper edge of the vortex up into contact with the counter rotating upper air. I was in the center where the fireworks started but the natural system had far more horsepower driving it, than any normal people could focus. The result was our storm was being sucked up off from the ground then eaten like string cheese by the far larger storm. There was cloud to cloud lightning running water in sheets as only part of the storm above disassembled and neutralized the smaller hell storm.

The uninvolved part of the ground storm reacted like a wounded animal separating its self from its trapped part recoiling away from my location. The wind rapidly died down where I was standing It had turned its remaining fiery away from me, striking out east towards the hills which separated our township and the native lands. It took only a moment for me to see in my mind that the target had shifted to the narrow cleft of stone which separated us from the approach to Gretchen’s home and barn, then beyond that the new orchard would lie in its direct path. The stone cleft would concentrate the power of the storm into a scythes edge creating a devastating front that would cut through everything it encountered like a hot knife through butter.

Gretchen’s

The sound of small stones against my kitchen window startled me and my company. Mocking bird only got out “what the shit “ before the window blasted inward peppering us with dirt, twigs, and small stones. Its path howled into the kitchen then took a short cut through my dining room door then out my front room picture window. The wind was so strong it picked up my two cats and Zak's ferret up off the couch back, where they were sleeping, and tossed them out the window.

Bettty

I sent my second strand of consciences out to find a place to stand and divert this apparently semi intelligent storm. In moments I found an anchor place that stood out in my minds eye it shown with a silvery glow. Holding the connection between the natural and the shit storm distracted the smaller storm just enough for me to wrap my presence wardings in a tight ball of energy, I released its attachments to Ann's circle and pulled on the cord shifting my location to where I needed to be.

If a rabbit could run two hundred miles an hour that was my perception of what the entire trip appeared to my senses. It was over in a moment all with but me hitting any thing solid. I arrived smack dab on the spot I was aiming for. Directly in the mouth of the rock cleft I anchored up. The energy there was pure and powerful, drawing on this energy I deployed my wardings into the face of the wind, which had already stripped some trees of there leaves. There was enough energy in this node to pop out my ramp shaped wardings just where they needed to be. The kinetic shock of the wind hitting the wardings nearly knocked the wind out of me. But now I had good leverage so I could push the leading footing edge of the storm upward forcing its top edge strongly into contact with the natural system above.

The lightning effects were even more spectacular here, as waves of Technicolor lighting rippled like ocean waves across the sky as the natural met the unnatural head on at over four hundred miles an hour. The upper level was connected to the jet stream making its power a factor of a thousand times stronger than my ground storm. I just needed to keep these two rubbing against each other long enough.

A line from a song came to me then,

“Does any one know where the love of God goes when a storm turns minutes to hours. “

The angry roar of the wind became bone shaking as I was again pelted by the trash picked up along the storms path getting here. But in this situation it was mind over matter. I could not mind so it did not matter, I was going to prevent a slaughter. The storm clawed at me like a wounded leopard snarling and scratching at me, just out of its claws reach, it could not claw me but but did it ever spit on me.

All of the wind force was pushing me slowly backwards but my left boot heel found a rock which stopped my slippage. I then noticed a slight weakening in the wind speed as the smaller storm was losing its grip on its manna source losing more energy than it can pull from its source. A surge of energy ran through my legs flowing up into my hands offering a golden sheen to the energy I was protected when this connected with the storms gripping edge there was a separating tearing sound from the earth as the storm in front of me was being sucked up off the ground by the increasing strength of the upper level storm,

Zak

“Mom what in the hell is this?”

“Shut up, Zak, and close that dining room door.”

Suddenly the wind diminished to a whisper of what it had been, and through the missing kitchen window I saw a human form glowing brightly corking the wind outside of the stone funnel. The storm was being directed upwards along the cliff face and into the sky where it was making a lot of lightning effects.

“Mom, who's that in the cleft?”

Mocking bird answered me in an incredulous voice “Betty”.

James

"What the bloody hell now?”

James uttered looking at the blank spot Betty was formally standing in.
Badb commented “very clever and innovative your Betty is. She shifted her stance from here to the new target of that malignant work of craft. She is now making a stand in the rocky cleft east of here very good use of terrain. James prepare for me to send you to her she will need some medical attention.”

I was clearly unimpressed by Badb's nonchalant expression over Betty's actions, treating this like a school assignment and not the life and death situation it is.

Betty

Standing rooted in my spot the manufactured storm screamed like it was in pain from being torn to shreds by the larger storm overhead. The Frankenstein storm was being unraveled one stitch at a time.
I had to admire the craft that created this monster but at the same time fighting it I wished the practitioners had put their efforts to better purposes.

I was front row center watching this spell stripped of its life, so when the wind stopped with a pop I could see the swirling mass being lifted into the sky as it rained trash. My hearing was so over stimulated I could not hear the stuff hit the ground and my sight took a while to clear so when it did I could see that my robes were in tatters, torn ,and bloody from a lot of flesh wounds that I was too numb to feel. as I leaned against the stone wall to steady my self I knew this was going to hurt like hell in the morning as I disassembled my wardings I took stronger note of my condition.

I had the appearance of a human pin cushion with all sorts of twigs sticking in my hair and in my robes. I started to remove those that were not stuck in me deeply or just trapped by my robes. Suddenly I felt a pair of strong arms gently enfold me steadying me on my feet. It was Strong Bear and as my hearing recovered I could make out he was talking to me.

“Steady on woman, let us help get you to Gretchen's porch where we can get a look at you and check you out.”

“Bear I really need a cup of coffee ,a bottle of aspirin, then a bath, in that order I feel like hamburger right now.”
I was moving painfully slow when James appeared, excused him self, he picked me up like a baby carrying me over to the porch where people were assembled ready to help me. James laid me down while the others gathered with towels, blankets and hot water.

Zak

“Bird man what’s happening?”

“Were trying to keep Betty from going into shock while James, their field medic, figures out what to do next. She got pretty torn up out there fighting this monster.”

“Why would she do something like that, she doesn't know us?”

From over Bird Man’s shoulder a deep and very Scottish accented voice came from the man they called James,

“Because that's what people like her do, ye brainless prat, Betty stuck it out there because she could do something about the situation, and because she cares for your mom and your people.. She was determined to save your mum and the new orchard from that hell storm, it comes with her job description ye know, the one that she doesn't get payed for.”

I watched as James emptied the pot of red stained water then refilled the pot again with more clean hot water, silently James left with the water. I followed soon after I heard Betty cursing from outside.”

“Bird man is that blood that was staining that water.?”

“Yes son it was, that's a first time someone has shed their blood for us in a long time. I need to rethink how we are handling this situation with Haven and we all need to be thinking of some very humble apologies, to give Betty after she can have visitors.” all the while he was looking directly at me.

Melissa

“Lilly who is this leaking power all over the floor?

“This is Badb She is one of the three sisters who are collectively known as the Goddess Morrigan, she is James and our big boss. She's like an immortal, big ass witch who really cares about Betty and is James’ patron Goddess.
“ Then this is a Good thing she did because she may be needed to resurrect the dead if we can’t get Betty stabilized. “

The hairy eyeball from James stopped me in mid thought.

“Mel you really need to develop the skill of the unexpressed thought. Especially when dealing with Goddesses and Gods.!!”

Some how Betty's heart didn't stop from the shock of what just happened to her. There were cuts and bruises everywhere. We got her to the emergency infirmary before I noticed that James had put a silver metal gauntlet on Betty's right hand.
James was a good trauma medic, doing the heavy lifting as far as the sensitive procedures like starting the saline drip IV and cleaning the really deep wounds. While Lilly and I removed the little pieces of straw and stone Betty had stuck in her skin resulting from her saving this town from what ever that hellish thing was.

Badb and James talked in old Gaelic, about what I could not tell, but several times Badb intervened and healed a wound that was very severe, or to speak very kindly to James. Then she sweetly kissed Betty's cheek and forehead leaving a glowing cloud of energy around Betty. Badb then spoke to Betty's sleeping form as if she were a very loved sister. Smoothing Betty's hair Badb smiled then proclaiming something very loudly, in a voice that resonated with the fabric of the heavens. Betty still looked the worse for wear, but her healing rate was rapidity increased, but something else transpired as when Badb did what she did. Lilly's and James eyes grew wide, then both of them became subdued and respectful.

Badb

Mortals do not fully realize just how important they are to the function of things in the universe. Very few even give there thoughts and intents the slightest credit for achieving any thing. In truth the skillful focus of intents are really everything, it is that alone which separates my sisters and I from the norms, today Betty has taken the first critical step in joining our little club. It was Betty's focused intent that saved Haven, not mine. I was not going to allow Betty to come to harm, any more than what already had transpired, but it was her intent to stand come what may, that won the day.

You learn a lot about a human from what they are willing to bleed for. No one would take the savage punishment Betty did with out demonstrating that she had what is required to stand against any comers, who could confront this Village and region. The next requirement of our champion is imaginatively becoming able to participate in the process, not just slavishly perform rote tasks like a dog doing a trick. They need to trust us, being willing to act as our conduit for our intent, with out which our power in this realm is very limited.

Betty has proven herself to be fully on board, reaching out to the universe on her own, searching for solutions that may be hidden in the details. Things that Goddesses and Gods can miss. Her comfort level and confidence in us is critical to making this work.

“My lady Badb I have known ye and your sisters long enough to know to ask just what are you planing?”

“ Yes, James, you can and I will answer you thus. As you are aware, we knew .that Porta Santus was destined to be destroyed, and we know just about when it would happen. In spite of the war between humans and my people. We fay never included all humans as being our enemies. . There were always some human allies who were respected and loved by our people. There was a decision made to do what we could to prevent the loss of the irreplaceable knowledge and talent that was Porta Santus. We could see many different paths which the human society norms could take. But their free will did not allow our knowing which path would play out. Only the one source knows that and she is not telling.
We were allowed to choose to save as many of the practitioners and there knowledge as we could from the murderous rage of the scourge of Medici. Just before the town was attacked, we moved those people we could saved ,by gentle force ,through a passageway to a cave where we previously hid the original books and stores of seed for the medicinal and food crops. The one source made it clear we could not prevent Portus Santus being razed then burned with the rest of the fleeing population put to the swords, we were required to allow destiny to play out, Its destruction had to convince the attackers they had accomplished there goal, so they did not searching perhaps disclosing our hiding place.

The plan was open ended as we did not know then where or when we could deliver these souls. What we decided to do was the same as we did for our own population. We put those saved in a deep slumber to await with our people who fled, when Humans drove us from our lands. Still they await for the spell to be completed allowing them to emerge from the place of slumber back into this world.
We were also preparing for another event, approaching in your near future, which will alter your world so much so , the Fey will be able to rejoin the rest of the population in the sun and once again majik will rule over technology.”
“My lady if I may be as bold to inquire, when in Tartarus were you intending to inform me of this situation?”
“Now, when you needed to know, and can act on what I am sharing with you. I do not withhold information you need from you James, I just need to be judicious as to when I let you know, to when you need to know it..”

Betty

“Having survived many a thrashing, there is a certain taste, smell and dull achy feeling you became aware of when just waking up. Always there is the physically hurting, everywhere., so bad you would need to get better, just so you could die. Then there was the metallic smell and taste of blood, with all of your senses turned internally, as your fuzzy mind sorts out what is, or is not, still working.
Then .I find ,I become aware of the smells of where I am, whether there is light or is it dark, and if any one is touching you. I knew I was in some sort of clinic, there was a subdued lighting. I was wearing something on my right hand, and some one was holding my left speaking something, my brain struggle to untangle.
“Lie still my daughter, as you need to conserve everything you are receiving, so you may heal.”
“my children?”
“ worry not they are safely having fun working the carnival in Blessings.”
“....... can not see this.”
“I assure ye, they will not, you will be whole when you see them again..”
“ people safe?”
“You are forever the mother and leader my dear, we are all proud to say yes to all, There was some damage to buildings but the people are safe, and you are still secret to your opposition. They still do not know, that presently, there is an active protector of Haven.
She placed her hand over my eyes and forehead . “Sleep my brave one, rest, and heal knowing things are safe, and so are you,”
A warn golden glow filled what little sight I could discern, as I felt the need to claw and hold on to awareness drain out of me satisfied at the moment, I had done my duty,
nooo annyyy else mattereeeddd.

Morgan la Fay

Leaving Betty's side, I was pondering what would make a mortal willing to stand in opposition of unbeknown fury, motivation only by the drive, for protecting, of that, which they love. Tonight was nothing short of an epic victory that in my day would be worthy of song and myth. This may be something human kind needs to rekindle anew. For all of their modern wonders, today's people lack that visceral emotional contact, with the epic stories of the struggles their hero's endure, so there are examples of what to emulate if called upon. Like those, real human. common folk,, in the past who were also brave enough to take a stand. Beowulf, Gilgamesh the mortal who was Thor. Mulan ,the Valkyrie, or Amazons all fighting for survival in a dark and cold world. All of them were just flesh and blood becoming heroes after they paid the cost for standing, come what may, making a difference by there actions. These hero's stood against outlandish odds, selfishly giving them selves for their people, Those sacrifices became the reason to enshrine their memories.
Then the old time story tellers refused to allow the names of these heroes to be eroded by, or forgotten in the flow of time, or the clutter of more immediate concerned. The Girot's of Africa, the minstrels of Europe, the twisted hair's of the American first people, all kept there social icons alive in stories. Betty is earning such immortality, because although she could have run, she stood her ground. All most totally alone she saved Haven the town, and the orchard lands of the local first people, Betty is a hero worthy of remembering. Standing as she did tonight has cost her a lot she could have easily died from all of the injuries.
Braving that storm grossed her, lbs of stones, and sticks, studding her flesh, numerous deep cuts, severe wind burn to her body and eyes, extreme dehydration and the near total depletion of her stored manna. Badb, of the Trio Morrigan sisters, was so impressed, she herself intervened in Betty's healing.
Note to self
Because Thoth is responsible for the record keeper of this planets Akashic Records , I pray that I can convenience him to assign a muse to start recording in verse, Betty's stories and her bravery. I believe I should bring that up with Thoth at our planning session for our response to the near time Event looming for the mortals.
This Event will mark the beginnings of some very interesting times, for this lonely little planet. Often I ponder, how such a technologically arrogant people will deal with the return of Magic as the driving factor of their world once again. Yes these times should be interesting, very interesting indeed.

Phaedrus

Morganne

For some Eternal s, our longevity has its drawbacks. There are some of us like the mighty Zeus, who after his place in the sun had passed, found eternity so insufferable, that he long ago spread his essences upon the stellar wind, thus is no more. Others walked away from there duties and moved off to lazier less stressful pastures.

That's not my way, my Will and Spirit was forged within the very heart of this planet during its creation. So like my daughter Boudicca I will not surrender or abandon, my responsibility's. I stand by these my mortal children who I have guided in many forms and through several epics. My gambit and intent is that, this time, unlike the several preceding, they will not go back, to start over again.

I needed a agent of action to catalyze the necessary events to set the reactions into motions. That someone world need to be my apprentice but still there own person freely making decisions based on there willingness to do whats right. There has been so many apprentices that have now passed into history, leaving only a smattering of dust, to mark there passing.
I was nearly at the end of my optimism, that I would find some one who would be able, to pass the tests of there honor and character, and willing to make the necessary sacrifices, to make themselves worth of my investing of my personal training. Betty has now proven to being that person. This endearing, and most unlikely of candidates warms my cold hearts. Now that the couple who are to be Betty's key protectors have united our plans can go forth.

So it is one of there own Betty White Owl that will serve the purpose, as my foil, and catalyst, to the next evolutionary step, my children must take, if they are to avoid the long painful fall back into savagery ,yet again.

Sam

With the yes and no part of the relationship, being settled by our courtship. The two of us now know that on physical and spiritual levels, we are compatible. All it took was us trying to beat the shit out of each other. The cherry on that sundae, was in the end, the two of us saving each others lives. As important as that was, it was only first base. To get to second base and beyond, you need patience and time. Our Body memory’s can be a real bitch, when it comes to the touchy feeley part, of a relationship.
Being in combat has changed James, and I, making us edgy and reactive when around people trying to touch us. I don't know, yet, what theaters James has fought in, but like me, he is the veteran of many attempts, by people trying to kill him.. Both of us have grown very strict boundaries ,concerning our personal space. You don't survive long in combat with out a hard shell protecting your squishes. It's that shell that requires time and patience to allow someone else to touch us in a nice nonlethal way.

James

I had no illusion of being sexual with Sam this evening, us trying to kill each other is the best I was going to get. That fact we were able to take time in the hot springs pool together was amazing. I never realized that I had such a reaction to being touched, so we held hands after dinner which was as close as we are about to get right now. Sam is no dummy she is well aware that the girls and I are different not just in the private security work. She may even know that the unseen exist, just not exactly who or what we are. That's a wolf I need to let out of the bag carefully!

Sam

At about 22:30 hours my and James's phone rang it was my boss who like usual got to the point.

"Sam where are you.?”

"On a date with my Boy friend”

"On a date with a boyfriend ? Damn girl you just won me a big bet !"

"Yes a boy friend, a big strapping Scottish dude, built like a Greek god, type of boy friend."

"Sorry to interrupt, but seriously, I need you at the site. Come on your bike and be desecrate, enter on the uphill side by that old mining road."

"Whats sup boss?"

“Never you mind just get here like I needed you yesterday! “

When I turned to James he looked at me and at the same time we both said “I got to go, duty calls.” Both of us laughed and exchanged numbers promising to get together again real soon.

Marge

Betty was in her booth drinking coffee, like this Monday morning wasn't any different than any other. I had already called Louses telling her Betty was in no shape to go to work today. Bob bless his soul, put up in the window Betty's favorite breakfast just as she came in. No one else here eats a Denver omelet smothered in chilli, side of hash browns and Bobs smoked sausage, at least we can put a smile in her belly.

Louses

When marge called me to say that Betty was in a rough way my first response was “That women is daft, thinking about work.” Grabbing my purse and scarf, I shouted to Samantha that “I was an a mission of mercy” then took off for Bobs.

Betty

Goddess bless Bob before I even sat down he had my favorite breakfast ready for me. This is a community of gifted people but it was sure nice. My plan this morning was to drink coffee and get my poop in a group before trying to go to work. I was so use to just pushing through things, this morning I missed the sign on this door that said pull. I was clinging to the normalcy of my breakfast like a life ring from a sinking ship. Suddenly Louses slid her skinny rump into the seat in front of me.

“Betty why are you up to early for your own good.?”

“Just trying to process the last few days hoping my normal routine would help me feel less surreal.”

“Let me guess, not working.?

“Got it in one girlfriend, I always told people you are sharp,.”

“Betty go home, relax, take it easy. There is no way you are going to feel better by pushing right now. This is not like the flue, there is nothing wrong with you “Ye just gotta get Ye sea legs mate.”

“ Your right this is a great blessing not my run of the mill earth ending disaster. What your saying does make sense I just didn't know what I was fighting with.”

“Betty this is a beginning, not an end, you are no longer limited to mundane practices alone, when called upon, you now pack a lot more influence in negotiations, access to wisdom, and the moxie to make a stand and make that stand stick.

“But the mundane is just as important it grounds us to the necessary parts of life, like my children ,this township, all of my new friends, and family.”

“It's not an all or nothing Betz, I watched Ann over sixty years keep this dream together and on the right path. Very seldom did she demonstrate her raw power. James told me she was good at that years ago when she was laying the foundation for this happening. I only know a smattering of what she buried here for you her successor.”

“Sixty years you just had your kids!”

“Yes Betz I am a member of the union, as well, and you don't know how relieved all of us here, are that you found us. Let me help you through this transition I am experienced with its ins and outs. One thing is you need to start thinking about your future lady, as it is here, and it is now. What's the first thing that comes to mind that you can now change?”

Sipping on my still hot coffee ,blessed be Marge, I cast my mind back to the last month and a half. Thinking, then allowing the answer to surface, rather than forced thinking about it. It came to me.

“I will be able to actually start planing my efforts, and not try to solve everything at once, or on the fly.”

“Got it in one friend, but seriously you did saved us by being able to think on your feet, so whats your first step ”.

“Eating breakfast, and enjoying it in good company. So who else here is of the union?”

“Number 6, that would be telling.”

Betty

Coming home was actually pleasant, for the first time I was free of extreme anxious. Yes I had a lot to experience, but I did have the tools to make that a less uncomfortable experience, for all who will be attending these festivities. The first chore was to start the laundry, Meditate, move the laundry, start another load, meditate take notes, Move laundry just done into the dryer. Start another load, fold dried laundry. Meditate. Perform this cycle many more times than I remember then made dinner.
When the girls got home I had my poop in a group and was ready for the evening, or so I thought. Both of the girl’s had already promised there friends to study that night. So with the rush of the trade winds, the two of them changed clothing and flew out of the house.

I was able to salvage dinner and then make there favorite apple pie. They came home already having eaten and busied them selves in there rooms doing what ever they do, behind closed doors, alone in there room. I try to avoid thinking about it as it causes headaches. So I went to the laundry room to fold the last of the laundry to find the afternoons effort was on the floor scattered. My cool levelheadedness went the way of the passenger pigeon, and my stomping snorting bull came out to play.

I am still getting use to my increased magical strength, especially when I am upset. It was that even my simple little tricks, ' cantrups ' were super powered. I knew that Anna was the person who went got her clothing change from the laundry basket. She had for the eleven-ty seventh time forgotten to take her clothing back to her room and worst had dumped the neatly folded basket on the floor. I went to Anna's room with the clothing ,both clean and dirty, following obediently behind me like a parade I stopped at her door but the clothing continued into her room flying around Anna like a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. The yowl of her protest registered within the decibel range of a jet engine. With a wry grin on my face I looked into the now destroyed room, sat Anna trying to swim upstream of a continuously playfully circulating stream of her own clothing. The actions of her clothing mirrored my emotions of being trapped in my oldest daughter messiness.

My now knackered offspring was pleading for relief, which I temporally granted her by allowing the clothing to circle around her like how a war party of movie Indians to wagon trains. followed by me coolly stated “ Make it good” .

“Mom whats happening ,why are my clothing attacking me? ”

“Anna I have washed dried and folded these cloths so many times I am sick of seeing them. Most never get on your body before you drop them on the floor trashing all of my hard work. I just found all of your clean clothing knocked onto the laundry room floor.”

“Mom Crystal did that not me!”

Turning to one of my favorite outfits of Anna's, worn to a bare thread by continuous washing.“ Is this true does my daughter speak the truth?”

The outfit gave a strong pantomime that indicated no Anna had not. I returned my gaze to Anna's stricken face. “I see that the victims of your abuse disagree with on on the facts of the matter, do you think you may want to reconsider your accusation.?”

Quickly speaking to the tattling togs Anna recanted her claim, then apologized to her outfit.

“Now young lady you have one hour to separate clean from dirty, then properly stow the clean clothing, or this lesson repeated.”
My ire spent I then returned to the laundry room preparing to repeat the lesson with Crystal. To my surprise I found the room sans of any of Crystals clothing. The washer was running a load and the dryer tumbling away. Smiling to my self I remembered an old 1960s sitcom “It's about time.” and started to hum the theme song to my self.

mission log # 2276
Agent Griefer
[personal note] { mission note }

PN
Any moron can give directions, it takes someone smart to give proper ones. Crap it took a good hour to find that damn armored pressure door. Door unlocked as advertised.

MN
Did not open into room as advised but into a tunnel, 10 meters long with broach to the outside.

PN

God I hate tunnels, to many memories that still bleed in my dreams. Thankfully it was only ten meters long. With broach to outside mid way to next locked pressure door. Breach opens out onto a hard to see small ledge overlooking the town. It's a shame that all of this was going away in the end, but they didn't take the hint and just leave. Hell they don't even know whats buried beneath there town. They now hired a 60 year old community organizer to pull there hotcakes off the griddle, to late. She thinks that she is smart enough to keep this fossilized slice of the past safe. She has only made herself a target, our client wants her gone the sooner the better.

MN
Ledge offers excellent conceal to scout the town for the target. Target still hasn't broken cover as of 17:00 hours.

Betty

I decided that with the kids asleep I could allow Lilly and Melisa stand guard while I sort out some of my neglected paperwork. I was surprised that nothing big had happened the last 4 days that I was gone, so the paper work finished early. Next was the E Mail's which was only 100 postings long. Sixty of which were spam leaving only forty to go through, only one of those was of any importance it was from G Man.

He sent me an answer to an earlier asked question about the Power House in our back lot. Everyone here stayed away because back in the 1970 and 1980 the licensing and then operations was put in the custody of a private company who posted the place NO TRESPASSING under penalty of federal standards bla bla bla bla. But I have learned to question if the poster had the proper authority to do so. Simply I did not believe them and from what G man just messaged me I was right.

“Hi Betz Your question is easy to answer your township still retains ownership of the property and the contents with in. Only to operational control was moved to the private sector. “Before you say it yes it was a raw deal.” Then the private company dissolved, and stranded you with a dead dinosaur its liability, and disposal.

The up side is that you also have an intact 1990 era office building, and a service barn with stock room, both are intact. These should be safe to use with some cleaning, and reconnecting the power water, and sewer. The power station it's self is a dead dinosaur that should be stuffed and nailed to a perch. The generational equipment dates back to WW2 or there about with two older Steam donkey engines that were the original power station for Haven. By my educated guess there must be over 10 K tones of scrap metal there if you can bust it apart.

Before it was shut down we made them clean the place up a bit so some poor schmuck would be killed by any thing really toxic lingering on the floor. I can not say its 100% safe to enter, I do not have anything on the structure on that building. It was a WW2 DOD project to power the canning and ration factory your office is sitting on.

The canning part was operated for the decades after WW2 making Gov, food for our military and was finally shut down in the 1980s as redundant. That's yours as well I have again no Idea how creepy or stinky it is down there, so toss a dog in if it comes back alive there may be something useful there. Stay Quiet about that you have enemies who could cause mischief, as it is a rabbet warren of connecting tunnels and escape routs to use in case of fire.

Hope this is helpful I will be sending you copies of the blueprints of what I have on the above ground structures made under county control and licensing. Stay out of the DOD stuff as that could be dangerous, and I do not want my God Daughters orphaned.
Sorry I hoped to bring you better news, But as Judge Bean stated. if there is anything positive to be done with those resources, you would be our best bet to be the one to suss it out.

G Man “

I was positively stoked on this news I have several new play grounds to explore, thanks to our dead solicitor Michael, the map of the canning factory in my files,. If he wasn't dead I would plant a big sloppy one on his bald head and hug him. Again a hand from the grave helping us.

Betty

In clearing the other Emails I discovered one that was only one line and a bunch of attachments.

I put that entire bundle in my spy catcher virus scanner sand box on a sacrificial lap top I use just for that function and allowed that beast to chew on it for a while. Everything came up clean as a whistle so I opened it. What I found was lists single spaced containing inventory lists of cargo containers.

The source of our message was hidden by proxy servers so I could not track its origin. But I did find that behind one of the J pegs was a buried file that I had to decrypt. It wasn't large so it wasn't making the file bloated and easily found.
“Betty a mutual friend ,who understands your situation, informs us that you are in need of some resources that we have surplus of.

"There are more than a few people who have over the years been helped by your many labors. Now that you have joined the club of Township Supervisors we wish to help you while helping our selves. Each of us has contributed surplus equipment and or discontinues items we no longer can use and you can. You will need to separate the wheat from the straw as this stuff comes to you through the “scrap it get rid of it supply stream.

Items will be dropped shipped to you in sea land containers they were stored in so be prepared to park them where ever you can, then sort them later, this is on the QT so don't get us in trouble. Just pretend to be a trash processor, so move the delivering trucks in, and out as fast as you can as they are on our clock or doing a favor for us. “

Do I have my work cut out for me I need to take care of this first thing tomorrow morning, so I will be needing some shut eye soon. I sent Louise a quick not about our wind fall and suggested we use the tarmac apron surrounding the power station as a parking lot for the sea land containers. We needed some one familiar to this type of work to watch dog things into place and sign any paperwork.

Agent Griefer.
ML 22:00 hours

Target still a no show but she has been reported to be down there I still haven't seen her my self.

PN

The women who is my target, is another person who should have known by now to stay out of the way of the big people and what they want. She has already lost a lot being on the wrong side of the equation. My motto is I would rather rule in the reality of hell, than serve in a nonexistent heaven.

MN 23:00 Hours

Mayor left shop at 23:00. To much traffic to night to personally scout, I will deploy drone later.

PN

My dad always told me that a possum can't blame the bumper of the truck that sends it to possum Heaven. It is cause and effect, cause possum stupidly being in the road trying to cross it. Effect truck bumper sends possum to become the blue plate at the road kill cafe. In my story old women White Owl is the possum in the road, I am the truck. End of story, moral stay off there damn road.

ML 00:00 Hours

Dispatch drone I now have scan of area, mapping program up loaded mission log to PAD. Program drone that if I am taken down, to evade and escape the way we came in, with all logs to this point.

PL

Need to get some sleep nothing happening here at this time. Settling in for the night listening to my tunes, the first in the shuffle,
“Don't pay the ferry man,” that's so fitting.

I truly love my work commute, leave my office walk fifteen paces to the hallway door, down four steps then thirty six more paces to my door. Even taking the scenic rout, stopping to straighten a picture I hung on the wall, I still made good time, due to lack of traffic.

Unlocking my door and entering I thought I saw Lilly and Melissa partially undressed playing cards. But when I turned around from locking the door both were standing there smiling at me, wearing each others outfits. These kids may look like identical twins but there choice of clothing is not.

“Hi boss ,Mel chimed in, not a peep out of the kids for some time I think they are very asleep.”

As a mother I know silence may be a big problem, I made my way to there bedrooms. Not finding them there I mad a beeline to my ladies lair. Except for the pile of clean laundry on my bed my first inspection of the room things looked untouched. Having been ambushed by my children to many times, I quickly checked their prime spots to hide, my closet, under my bed,. Behind the overstuffed recliner chair. Bathroom behind the shower curtain. and under the sink.

I could feel them but not see them, as I cast about for something I may have missed, I noticed a slight movement of the laundry pile. Knowing laundry piles, usually, don't breath, I quietly lifted the edge of the covers to find my sleeping treasures. Then a wafting of there dead mothers ,my wife's, perfume. This caught me unaware, bringing tears to my eye because I was longing so much to hold her again. The perfume was on one of her's old long night dress, I has stored in a sealed plastic bag. Remembering back to the cold nights in our school buss home all snuggled together under the blankets, brought back the warmth and safe feeling I use to have.

Having just put my sweats over my night dress, it was an easy doff and join the kids, reuniting all four of us slumbering together once again.

I am sorry for the length of time between postings. When you are creating a world you need to develop what's there and a whole lot of other things. That is what I have been writing the whole lot of other things. Enjoy the postings will be more regular.

Huggles

Michele

Some people hide behind their money and think they are powerful. We stand by our knowledge and personal power and know we are powerful. We survive by being invisibly woven into this world fabric. We survive by being the unseen.
Phaedrus the elder

Betty

My senses were already fairly good, now they are too good, now at times I had to stay in a dark room far away from people just to stay sane. Now I think I could see a mama flea scratching her head, hear her ask, where did I put that. Having just found the volume knob I was able to dampen things down a bit. That still left me with the real ultra high definition I Max surround sound experience all while sitting in my office twenty feet under ground.

Fay pointed out it was important to pay attention to those little things if I wanted to live long enough to see my grand kids. I was having one of those moments now, I was experiencing an uneasy feeling of being sought after or watched, from somewhere inside the barrier, but not where inside, the barrier they were, that was still blurred. On the brighter side I knew James was soon to be coming by, this allowed me to set up a proper tray of tea and biscuits for him before he got here. Moments later came James’ polite knock on my door jamb. Bidding him to enter he took his seat on the other side of my desk placing a long red leather ornate bag close to him on my desk.

“ So lass, ye are looking a darn sight better than when I last laid eyes on ye, how was yer vacation?”

“Before I woke up I can not say, after I awoke, it was really nice. It shames me to admit, I could get used to like living like royalty. Seriously I owe you a very sincere thank you for saving my impulsive ass, if the kids knew they would thank you to.”

“Ye were more than just impulsive Betz, ye were brave to do the right thing, when it was needed. And to be certain your resurrection was a group effort , plus my pleasure, and my duty. Not only that ye are the twine that bundles things together here, Ye and ye barons are the closest thing to a family I have ever known. ”

“If we are family that makes me the crazy aunty Clara, a few door knobs short of a collection, from the second day I have arrived I have been long on reacting short on planning. Looking from the outside I must, appear like a total goof.”

“Ye have been doing a fine job patching things up keeping this boat from sinking. What ye see as stumbling about, others see as smartly ,and deliberately patching or fixing the worst of the damage. That's not making mistakes, or showing weakness, it is brilliantly clever. You came aboard a floundering ship, then with only ye bare hands saved her from sinking, ye wrestled her upright, pumped her bilge out, steering with one hand, repairing with the other.”

“How can they see that James, things have been such a bum’s rush around here I would think they see me as a bit of a flake that's gotten lucky?”

“Betty, I was talking to the Morrigan inside the shelter watching ye fight that storm. Ye cut that beast in half then popped out of view following the second half to where it was going, finding the best place to stand and stopping it, no training could have taught you that bit of instinct. That night you impressed a Goddess by ye natural talent, ability,and blind bravery. Just the thing she has been looking for, to take this job in Haven, While ye were on the gurney she proclaimed you, Haven's chosen champion, asking the source for their blessing and empowerment of you as being worthy of the post. .She gave you some of her life force not just to heal you but out of deep appreciation for what ye did that night. I can tell Ye that it was a bloody sight when me found ye in Gretchen’s back yard, ye be a real human dart board.“

“ I don't remember much of that night but I do remember pushing my self way over the top. Fay told me I popped a fuse. So my manna is limited until my body passes the by products from that Performance.”

“Betz Ye treat this like it was a willful reckless overdoing of things. Ye did what Ye needed to do to protect the innocent. Ye put your self on the front line and acted. Ye have earned a lot of respect both here in Haven and on the reserve. Ye even won over Zack's belief in ye honest intentions.”

“Oh, is that all it took, one down, a few thousand more to convince. I hope the rest goes easier on me I don't think I could bleed that much again and survive.”

“Nay lass Ye swung the heavy hitters with your actions that night. Ye put ye ass on the line for them and bled willingly for them. That's heap big medicine in any one's book.”

Groan; “That's just bad James, please good grief don't repeat that to any one.”
James was chuckling to himself when from behind his bulk came a voice neither of us expected. Greta’s.

“Heap big medicine indeed, James you Scottish lug head have you been swilling that distilled peat bog run off, you call Scotch?”

This caused James to spit a mouthful of tea all over his front, jumping up sputtering and all red in the face, James was trying to apologize to Greta.

“ You know James crimson is really your color.”

Before he could answer Greta moved in to take his seat.

"Thank you for warming up my seat big guy, for that favor, and your services hoisting some heavy wooden timbers this weekend, you will earn my forgiveness for that last brain fart of yours.”

Smiling James politely replied “My fair lady I would be honored to aid thee in ye labors.”

Greta smiled at me, then in a mocking voice “Betty White Owl, last week you do heap big medicine for my people.”

James choked and I laughed until I had tears running down my cheek’s. Greta was notorious for wrangling her way by sweetness humor and sharp whit. Within a single portion of a minute Greta embarrassed James ,'the unflappable', got a good seat. press ganged James into helping with some very hard labor, and got me to laugh. It’s good she is on our side because she can be the irresistible force.

Greta

“Betty I know you are chomping at the bit to talk to the the tribal leaders, and the standing committees people. Seriously my advice is let them see who you are, then allow them to come to you, after a consensus has been reached. Let the men do what they do best, argue, and fuss over minutia; Allow them their space, just remember you are coming with things in hand they dearly want.”

“I thought that may be the case, just like back home. But thinking that would be the case so I wanted to nudge things into motion to give them enough time to think this there idea, so they can save face when the real negotiations start. Also like you said I want them to scope me out so they are comfortable that I am a real skin not an apple looking for an advantage over them. My second reason I think there might be some thing we can do with out stepping on their turf, which might be time sensitive, like needing to be done now, before the weather turns messy.”
“Yes there is, good you picked up on that. , as with the harvest, we need a hand in finishing a bit of work on the RR track between us and Blessings. There's about a mile that is partially complete and desperately needs to get done before the weather turns. And our access our access roads become impassible, they have been neglected for to long, we just don't have the finances or time to repair them this year. So if the weather becomes as bad, as we think it will, with out the RR we will be stranded cut off from food, and fuel. Here is a list of some others that are important but not as critical.”

Greta shoved a small report folder over to me, there were about ten high priority projects that would take some time to digest, but a slip of paper marking the RR work caught my eye.

“Remember ask to rent the dance circle for our two events.”

“Ok, the main list will need some reading, and you don't need permission to rent your own dance circle. That is your sacred ground, use it as you see fit, Greta. Why would I take your money for that. We need to pay you to rent it, if it is available. if that does not effect its sacred function.”

“Betty be careful what you promise, there is a lot of red tape between you and the keeping your word.”

“Grandmother I could never take money from a skin to use their own space, if I ever did that, even from the grave, Grand father Sitting Bull would have my hide tanned and hung on his lodge wall.”

“The overseers law require that we do things this way, when in Rome, as it is said. We were just hoping that we could please have permission to have access and some privacy on those days.”

“According to county gov, I am the law concerning these issues. Better than that, you have my love and permission to take full stewardship of the said property, known as the dance circle, as yours to use, when ever you want , how ever you want. This is a religious site and we will relinquish any prior claim to that property. Are there any other religious sites you have been denied access to.”

“Betty you are a dear child, but you need to know that you are opening some old very old archaic laws governing this situation, you better read them before you commit your self lady.”

“Already have, I have fought several battles over religious or racial protective conveniences and won every one, Pres Carter's executive order concerning native religious rights set precedence concerning this type of title restrictions. Also I am not going to tell any one are you? what others don't know wont hurt us. until I have the court papers in hand, referencing this transfer back to you the rightful occupation, I know nothing.

So hold your event and we will wrangle out the details at another time. Just remember on these issues, your money is no good in this office, your friendship, and respect are more important and the only currency you will ever need here. If you still insist on payment, a pound of smoked salmon would be generous enough.”

Greta

I have been watching Betty the entire time we have been talking, and what I saw only made me love her all the more. I could not have even hoped to have such an ally before. Her real emotions were right in front of me, for me to see. She does not close herself off like most people living among the overseers community. There is a fire and spirit to make a difference or die trying.
How can I keep my feet on the ground taking this news to my sisters that for the first time in over one-hundred years we will be having our women’s black lodge dances where Grandmother Earth bid us to, during this is a time of rapid change I just hope we are in time to help protect this land. Betty has just given me the hope that this will be so.
Our conversation continued for a little while, before my sister’s son, Zak, showed up on cue to collect me to go home. Betty greeted him warmly and the goofy kid could only blush. His view of Betty has done a 180 change after the storm, especially seeing her bloodied from the battle, that one instants spoke so much to him, she bled to save his mother lodge, and the orchard. Mocking Bird also had a revelation that night about trusting us women to know what another women has in there heart.

James

I have to say when Betty sets her mind to something shit happens, I how ever would be remiss in my duties if I do not issue a warning to her concerning the path she now walks, as noble as Betty can be there are some practical issues to be addressed.
I had in my possession something of drastic importance for our two spirited leader On the surface they are just some antiques but the underlying power is when the the proper hands thy can come alive and do some exceptional things. I hope that this is the case right at this time.

“Betty, my Noble lady, I have something for ye and Alease to take a gander upon. You may find these useful for cutting all of the red tape you are about to do battle with. and I need to warn ye where you are blindly a fixing to charging into, is a land of Dragons, big ugly, unfriendly, dragons, who think that where you are going is there turf, and there turf alone.”
“I know what you speak of my Vizier, but this is territory I am well familiar with. I have met the before mentioned Dragons, and they left the arena of contest well worn, and reminded not to judge the size of the individual for the size of fight in that individual. Needless to say, I won they lost. Those dragons learn not to muck with me, if they value there hides, or have desire to live.”

James

I pushed the long leather bundle that I have been holding on to for over a millennium and a half towards Betty, she look at it like I just offered her a bag of poisonous snakes.

“So whats in the bag James I take it it can bite.”

“Not those who have the rightful intent to wield them and ye are the first in at least fifteen centuries to have the right to claim them. I took an oath back then to return them to you when the time is right.”

“Would that have been Alease.”

“Ye are Alease, remember that, she is you, and yes that is who ye were when you made me promised to do this duty.”

Betty/Alease

How can I explain to some one else what is like to find your self with two different sets of experiences which play inside of you at the same time. When I pulled the bundle to me that James had placed on my desk I had a shock like a lightning bolt which ran through me forcing me back into my seat. Thank goodness I was already sitting down or I would have been dropped like a sack of potatoes onto the floor. Again with the total immersion world where my vision was Alease's vision, as things happened then but were experiences as if it were now, and the first time.

Alease /Betty

“Tired but feeling better, mama told me my fever broke last night about dinner time. I remember Da telling the older boys that the herd will need to be ready to move to high pasture in about two score days.

“So go and prepare the high camp clean out any bad weeds from the enclosure and cut a supply of wood but be back to prepare to move the herd in one score days, None of ye fool-en around this time Conan ye stay with ye brother until we are all together. There is too mush mischief going on recently with the Roman's pushing ever more northwards. Remember that numbers are on there side and you never see all who is following there camp trying to feed on the Roman's left overs.

Our strong house will need some serious work this year, to stay there making It work through this winter, if those rats nosed Roman bastards work up the coast like they did after last years scuffle, this time Alease is in no shape to pull ye haggis out of the fire as she did for us. “

“Conan answered “ Who would think that something so small would have that much fight in her We are blessed by Chrom that she is our kin.”

Angus replied, “Ye be careful bringing that god to our table, this house belongs to the Morrigan any ye best remember that, mum would bash ye stupid for that crap.'

Da joked “to late hoe do you bash something stupid when that is how thee were born, I argued with the midwife that she must have dropped ye on ye head when ye was wee, and new, but she blamed the druid for that scandal saying when ye were named he fumbled ye into the stream onto the rocks so he named you Conan the rock. “

I had to chuckle under me covers at that one, Conan was long on strength but a we bit short on sensibility, but every one has there strengths and weakeners . That what a family is for, our personal strengths protect the weakness of our other family and their strengths protect ours.

I must have dozed off under the warmth of my furs because mum had just shaken me awake, and the men were gone to work. Next to mum was a giant bear sized man that I recognized as the Norse father of the boy I fished out of the river bay. His warm smile and smokey scent greeted me,

“Master Othburt what brings ye here.”

“To see your smiling eyes and to let you know my son, and heir has survived and has asked for you. He thinks you must be part water spirit who sweet talked the water sprites queen to allow him to leave her kingdom.”

“Don't take that away from him but it was a lost net I had to slash free, that had its cold wet fingers wrapped around his leg. If it was a water sprite I would have let them have him.“

Master Othburt gave a good loud laugh that rattled the rafters of me home. “ It is good lass Ye have nay lost your sense of humor. But onto serious business my family and I agreed to bestow on you a gift for giving our son back to us. “

I felt my eyes becoming heavier as I struggled to stay with what was happening. My mum seeing I was tiring intervened.

“Orion finish what ye came to do sir, still she tires easily. ”.

The master smith rubbed his rough finger against the side of me face and smiled widely.

“My father was from the land of the Franks where he learned from his father how to make swords from a special steel he had learned to smith far away in Cathay. None other knew his secret save for me. I had smith such a blade for my son but we decided that it is you who should wield it I can make him another when he is ready.

This Alease the Bear killer the favorite of Freya is a sword to replace the one you sacrificed saving my son, may it serve you well all of your days.”

The master smith pressed a leather bundle into my hands, then lightly kissed my head then departed. I pulled the bundle under me covers, then noticed that it was singing to me, I cuddled it to me and let it sing me to sleep.”

I opened my eyes to find my self in my office with James watching me with an unbridled intensity.

“Well look who has returned. What happened please tell me.?”

“I just experiences when this sword was given to me in Alease's time by a Norse master smith for saving his son's life.”

“Ahh good then this is the sword that I thought it was. Ye have been blessed again my fiend this sword is very special indeed, very special.”

James excused himself it was still mid afternoon and I was now alone or so I thought. I was in the middle of my meditation trying to bring all of me back into this time frame when inside of my head shouted Alease's voice.

“Well what, sister, please be more specific?”

“Betty nay answer my question with a question that's plain rude. I BEG thee open up the bundle I need to lay eyes upon them again, PLEASE I need to know..”

“Ok, Ok keep your tunic on, that package scared the living shit out of me. It took me over when I touched it not a comfortable feeling for me.”

“Ye were nay out of control sister ye was sharing an experience from me/ our past like those from a wee time ago, when ye spoke to me mum. I am sharing a bit of me with ye to prime the pump as ye would say into opening up the two way sharing of ye physical presence. Ye have promised me this and so far all I have had is crumbs. I nay know what ye consider as sharing ye physical space but the present arrangement is as thinner than a rag man's shirt.”

"Alease sister I admit I have been a bit of a workaholic as of late I apologize.”

Alease was pacing inside of my head like a caged starving wolf ravenously looking at the now world with longing and desperation. “Sister please we must be cautious so no one else knows our little secret. Can you hold out until dusk to allow for some discretion?”

Exasperated Alease interjected.

“I can get Bob to feed my kids, it is Friday night and they can spend the night with their new big sister Samantha. This gives us this evening for you to take us for a walk and work off some of these frustrations.”

A ripple of relief passed through Alease changing everything between us.

“I warn ye when ye return ye will be sore and well knackered. I am a bit of a task master with me self. Thank ye Betty for your sacrifice and ye time. But how ye people can sit still so much only working in ye head, ye could even ask a druid who would say “Don't ask me?”

“I have you know sister this harvest I did every job there was to do from tote stack cut clean, I do get my hands dirty and I do more than sit around.”

Alease's sharpness in my mind melted into a humorous chortling, letting me know that I had been skunked, by my own sister / self.
A walk on the wild side.

This time before I touched the bundle I made myself relax and open up, I pulled the bundle nearer to me on my desk blotter then taking a deep breath touched the bundle a second time.

I had a familiar sensation like I was going into a light trance where my consciousness slipped to one side allowing my guides to speak while performing a readings or a healing. I just get out of the way for their wisdom, or the healing energy to come through. It wasn't unpleasant just a bit disorienting. I had for the best description became a superimposed image onto my physical body. I could sense and see where ever I focused my attention, above , behind or around me. as if my senses vision, hearing, touch, did not depend upon my physical senses but was an omnidirectional sense of all of my surrounding. It was a good five minutes before either of us could get our bearings enough to speak to each other.

Alease

I can breathe, and feel the world on me feet again. I never thought there would be any thing so sweet feeling. Me have physical body arms and legs that move and bend when I command. The first thing me noticed after that was it was so warm and stale in this office I felt cut off from my surroundings,though the clothing Betty wore was loose fitting clothing of mostly natural materials Me could feel the deadness in the fabric as it lays on me skin.

I was stiff and felt a bit awkward when I stood up causing me to wobble on me feet and be needing to catch me balance. Thank the Goddess that Betty wore flat bottomed soft leather shoes. After I was sure of me balance I turned my attention to the familiar red leather bundle on Betty's desk. It has been a very long time since I have seen my travel bag for me weapons. Undoing the ties at the top I felt the familiar hilt of me fighting dirk then I found me sword next to it.

The flow of energy from me sword filled me with the familiar energy that it has blessed me with since the master smith gifted it to me a very long time ago. Now I need to exercise me arms and legs something I have missed for too long.

“Betty to Alease come in Alease!! They are called moccasins, Prairie moccasins, to be exact. ”

“Oh Betty I was a bit befuddled at being fully in a body again. Me didn't wish to be disrespectful to Ye in any manner.”

“I know sister I was just trying to cut through because when you touched that sword in the bundle you glowed and things got interesting in here. Duse ye know my lady, ye sword is both magical, and if ye listen just a wee bit it can speak to ye.?”

“Women are ye daft this be a fine steel blade made by a master smithy....?”.

“Betty this should not be, is thee playing a trick on me?”

“No sister I am not it would appear that the blade has been created with the ability to learn and gain wisdom as you use it. On the time it gains enough experience it would try to communicate with you.”
“Then why has it nay spoken before now?”

“I was fighting for me life, and being in fever which made it hard to stand, but ay I do remember.”

“Alease I think you have hurt its feelings it has been extraordinary patient, and on that subject so has this young Egyptian Woman , who is watching from near by, do you know who she is.?”

“Nay I know not who this be, as far as me know this is the first time me ever was aware of her.”

“Looks like Alease our world just got a little stranger, it's a good strange but strange how ever you look at it.”

“But me want to go now Betty, I need to run the rust out of me joints.”

“I need you to wait for a few hours until it gets twilight and we aren’t as visible going to the place where you can work out. If we are right that we are being watched, then we need to draw this snake out on our term's not there's. They will not strike when everyone is in the way, but if we leave a trail of bread crumbs for them to follow maybe we can trap who ever they are.”

“Ye speak wisdom my sister but how shall we manage it?”

“You walk the body I speak and gesture, we need to show our selves and get something to eat.”

Griefer

ML 09:00 hours
Still no show of target, I may need to scout around to locate her nest.

PN
I have slept in harder places but I don't remember when, the sun got me up early allowing me to do some discreet spotting. I need to be careful not to reflect any light from my position, I am not wanting to draw any ones curiosity, that would be bad.

ML 14:00 hours
It was afternoon when my target showed herself, for the first time ,where I can see her. She looked far younger than intelligence showed her to be. But Intel can been wrong. I will wait for dark to move into position to expedite this job.

PN
I watched her strut to the restaurant that everyone in this one horse town went to. She acts like she owns this town, what a surprise I will be, just like the truck bumper is to a possum.

Betty

Arrangements were made with Samantha, Louise, and Bob for the care and feeding of my precious children. I made a mental note that I needed to set some time to have a really good comfort food dinner home made with the works, it had been too long since I really cut loose in the kitchen. I really need to pull things back into our home. That would give me the grounding I need and the mother my kids needed. Some how I can't see the Morrigan's sisters changing dirty diapers or dealing with baby puke all over there feathered outfits, that image got me a giggling releasing some of the tension that has been building up worrying about who is watching me so clumsily from the bluff above town. I guess I will find out this evening, as I already reserved time after what ever Alease has planed to hunt this peeping and tom down.

About ten min into Luncner [lunch dinner ] Alease got distracted doing something, so I was back in the saddle, working on a conversation with Mia over the orange chicken Bob had made for dinner special tonight, when I had the sudden impression to get back to the office, for what I do not know. There was something I didn't have with me that I needed. Lilly came into Bob's looking for me, she sat down in front of me for a moment to let me know that I needed to portage back to the office.
In the office I found Melissa there dressed for a fight, Mel then formally informing me that Alease had issued a challenge to James for a combat match on the old power station grounds, this was to be just after dusk and myself and the two girls were to only be observers, and referees full stop. And there goes an evening knitting and swilling wine in front of the fire, dang nab it now I need to watch two people beat the ever loving snot out of each other, hell it's better than American football, not as spicy as Rugby.

“Alease you are enjoying this too much for it to be healthy. What is this thing you have with James, it appears to be an obsession with you?”

“James and me go way way back, he be the only one the Roman's had that was any challenge to me in face to face. He was an honest opponent, and an honorable one at that. Me have waited for a very long time to get this shot at him as a test of me strength and endurance. Ye just keep us from killing one another, by the goddess it shall be strange afterwards to fight by his side rather than trying to lop his head from his shoulders.”

Alease was doing the walking again,back to the office so she could get ready for her bout. Changing into some exercise clothing Alease strapped on her dirk and blade. For the first time I noticed that Alease fought left handed and preferred to cross draw her blades, this put the sword on her right hip..Before she got too far I reminded her to retrieve my gauntlet from my coat pocket, just in case we needed it.

The light has all but left the sky as we exited the building from a discreet seldom used door behind bushes. Alease was getting used to the nuances of my body and I had the strange sensation like my contents was settling to the bottom of my container. Alease walked very differently from me in that she moved with grace I never managed to achieve. There was power in her walk, which stretched my body in unaccustomed ways, part sexy slink part strut all confident but not cocky or arrogant. Alease knew who and what she was, and that was in control, thus capable of taking care of her self.
.
“Betty some thing I need to teach ye about being a leader of a cause. One of them is how to walk and act with command, your people around you will draw there strength from your certainty of power, your presences will give them courage to stand with you, and do there job. Ye walk with too much apology for ye self. Even as a baby me little sister never walked like that, none of our women would, we always ask our girls are ye a free Celt or are ye a slave to Rome. ?”

“I never thought any one I could apologetically walk, how do you do that?”.

“Ye walk with ye head slightly down and with a stifled gait like ye are a wee little thing, trying to act all weekly coy, or like a dainty fearful girl. not the warrior you are destined to be. Ye movements speak a lot to others, if ye walk like you be certain of your cause and the moral power of your leadership, ye good people will draw there certainty from that knowing, so they come to ye leadership. ”

Griefer

ML
19:34 hours Target acquired appeared out of nowhere. Subject presently performing exercise moving in the direction of an uninhabited abandoned industrial area. Subject is alone, thus available as a target. I an moving to engage designated target. Minder droid loaded and prepped for evasive action then to egress along entrance vector.

PN
If there was some thing like a female gunslinger this bitch walks like she is. Vision obscured by vegetation making it hard to ID just what she may be wearing but it looked like exercise clothing. I can not see how this women could be 60. that matters not, she can't out run my choice of arrows which is quieter than a bullet, but bullets are still an option. Arrows would be quiet allowing me to escape to spend my pay, and that's the point of this life.

ML
Time 1938 moving out to intercept, haste is required target moving rapidly to optimum location.

PN
Set my gear to the ready, checked my rapelling gear then cleared my 9s to be certain I cant be spotted, then over the edge I go. I am not superstitious but just as I started, and was committed a big ass ghost white owl silently launched from above and behind me. No time for this shit it's a dumb animal and I need to hustle my ass and get this done.

Betty

No one could see us when in the gathering dusk Alease drew her long blade with but a whisper. The darkness allowed me to see the faint glow of internal light the sword had all to its own. The glow was the most intense along the fuller of the blade where delicate runes framed in bold letters ++ ULFBERHT ++ ! Then both Alease and the sword breathed deeply, the quiet night air, relieved to be free of confinement.

Alease

Freedom to just breathe in the clean night air is so delicious it was nearly sexual for me. Betty was being such a good sport about this exchange, though me feel she is finding this as interesting as me find it liberating. To have my singing sword in me hand again me felt like a long lost friend and me are back into reality once again.

We approached the gate to the place of rendezvous when Betty with a flourish uttered a spell “Time to cue the scare music.” with out a sound an opening through the gate appeared. What those words means, me do not know but who knows the mind of a wielder of magic.

I was too preoccupied trying to locate my challenger, somewhere in this huge messy space littered with bits and pieces of some monstrosities which appear to have done battle here and perished. Some where out there is a very large Scotsmen looking to beat the tar out of me with his very sharp sword.

As I was standing behind something I could not recognize gathering my self-confidence, Betty chimed in,

“ I know he wants to beat the crap out of us and that I am supposed to keep the two of you from killing each other, are you sure that's all I should be doing?.”

“I assure you Betz he's not going to get the chance to do that, it will be the other way around. Just remember ye be a referee not a participant.”

“Alease I understand that but he is going to use his skills and talents both, are you sure I can't even the playing field a bit”

“Ok Ok this is me shutting up.”

“Ye best keep it that way, me lady really talks too much.!!”

Betty

Alease has been out of action during her dirt nap for roughly fifteen hundred years, but she hasn’t lost any of her edge validating what James and Fay has been saying about her. She was showing her skills by using my body's flexibility from yoga and Tie Che to silently limbo through the parking lot using what ever was about to mask her movement.

We ghosted through the broken terrain to the edge of the service building and paused. I had shut off any contact to Alease so I wouldn’t spoil her fun. Alease's footing changed just a bit as she eased her way around the edge of the building, my warning bells started to ring. It was after the fact I was able to figure what happened next but it was fast and fluid. Alease using one foot pushed against the side of the building moving her up and away from where she was standing. Slicing upward Alease's Sword parried
James's sword as he dropped out of the sky landing crouched onto the space she had just vacated.

The thunder clap of their swords meeting set a spray of sparks illuminating there combat. Alease did not give James any room to react but furiously beat down his defensively postured Clamor. Snaking out viper like James produced a wicked rip gut dirk trying to catch Alease unaware. His dirk was meet and Jammed to one side by Alease's countering with her own cup hilt Dirk, James took a blow to the head from the pummel of Alease's sword. Booting Alease to one side James drove forward rising to his full height. Smashing down trying to smash Alease's guard down his blade only found a parking lot stop that Alease's body was blocking his view of..

That move only pushed Alease to attack again rapidly monsooning blows onto James guard raising storms of sparks. Every time there steel meet one another, the sound was like a foundry full of black smiths working double time. Nether were rubbernecking but each knew just where they and the other was, all of this in the pitch black.

James

When Alease and I were living, during the Roman occupation of Brittany, we fought in what was then her wild Pict lands. I never had the pleasure of a one on one sparring match with Alease, she had a way of staying maddeningly out of me reach. She was brilliant as a field commander, innovated tactics, and weapons, constantly improvising, on the fly.
I am now finally fighting Alease in person, finding her blinding speed and combat skills just as challenging now as others did then. I must be rusty at this and she is as fresh as if yesterday was her last fight. By the Goddess this is challenging me, She set me up taking a blow to the face so she could strike me leg with great force nearly cutting of me foot, me heavy Grieves prevented that but that armor was ruined.

Betty

Alease avoided most of James blows, once he tagged her with the cup hilt of his sword but she had a set that up because she was able to really land a solid blow on his Greaves protecting his left shin. Cutting a very deep crease in its heavy metal this caused James to limp. I do not know how we were doing it but Alease was keeping us in the fight and not even breathing hard, neither was James. Never having been in this serious type of combat I was stunned at how fast time moves when you are trying not to flinch or yell look out, Then above me I sensed something quietly trying to get my attention. Looking up I could see the white owl blending in with the low glow of moon light.

Griefer

PN

I was making fine time to my ambush point I started to hear the sound of metal hammering against metal like a sword fight. My first thought was great competition for this job, the second thought was shit no way as I came into vision of the going on. This was a full out medieval type sword fight with each contestant working there best to kill the other. There was a giant Scot dressed man naked from the waist up swinging one of the biggest swords I have ever seen, fighting my sixty year old target who was fighting with as much skill maybe more.

It was very dark between the buildings but my night vision goggles allowed me to see them swoop , strike then dancing into another position to do it again. This was not a movie fight this was real as the blood on the woman's cheek. There skills were impressive and I could see the art of many years of training liked they lived and breathed this type of combat dancing. I put that aside I had that minder Drone perched somewhere watching so I needed to get this show on, as I prepared I felt at was a shame in another time or place this target and her companion could have been friends, My three shafts chosen two in the ground on on the bow, my 9mm auto magnum free to fire, I waited until her back was towards me and I drew steadied and loosed my first shaft automatically reaching for the second.

Betty

It was odd at first seeing through owl eyes but what I saw shot my heart rate and adrenalin through the roof, In the darkened forest below a person was fixing to shoot us in the back. My vision went into slow motion as I saw the shaft loosed wobbling just a bit as it left the bow. What I saw Alease acted, on spinning on axis swiping the air with her sword parrying the shaft away from us. That move caused her to land with out grace but still rolling as in close secession two more shafts flew over our moving form just clipping our right ear. Things were still moving like in a frame by frame examination of a movie. In my mind I could still see our shooter flow from bow to small hand gun which sprayed bullets, POW POW POW POW our way, one clipped us in the ankle, the others ran wild. Alease had managed to get us around the corner of the building which took the next few rounds scattering pieces of metal siding and insulation into the wind but missing us.

Griefer

How things went wrong is still a mystery to me, it was as if this women had eyes in the back of her frigging head, all three shafts were airborne before the first reached her. I had her dead to rights, but instead of killing her she spun like a rotisserie blocking the first shaft with her weapons then simply rolled away under the other two. She moves so fast she was just a blur to my eyes. Dropping my bow I drew my backup side arm, but I had no more luck hitting her but I did hit the giant Scot knocking him down. Knowing well the hornet’s nest had been kicked, it was time for me to hit the road out of town. Because I needed to traveling alone so I tossed a bit of dis invitation in the form of two delayed flash bang's over the fence on the general path I knew they would need to travel to catch me, then existed stage right.

Behind me I could hear the distinctive sound of large dogs coursing me down, lightening my load I dropped my equipment belt having set the remaining of my flash bangs to a very short delay. When they detonated it just about threw me in to the river, and deafened me. but I didn't need to hear to run so I poured on the speed no way I was going to slow down. Just as I was clearing the rivers edge I was batted like a ball from behind boosting me in the air , throwing me onto the rocky river bank... then . . . .every thing ….. pain , . . . . cold . . . . . darkness.

Betty

Though both Alease and I were really pissed off seeing James down holding his leg cursing. Alease said something that wasn't Sunday school material and I had to hold her for a moment so I could bounce the two flash bangs over the fence to what I thought was in front of our elusive party crasher. James had recovered into his human wolf hybrid form allowing him to run towards the explosions just over the fence. I on the other hand found my owl friend had spotted something flying fast and low the opposite way, I recognized it as a quad chopper drone trying to escape.

Using my haste spell again knackered me, but that drone was a real danger to us ,so I pushed passed my tired, with my mad, and off we went after it. Just about everything in trying to catch things runs as a vector, and such as we were running our legs off. I was trying to answer Alease's practical question of once we catch it what do we do with it. This wasn't a parked car, so I would need an Idea now, then I had one. I was just a little ahead of our madly buzzing quarry when I reached a shallow creek along its flight path, asking for help from elements of earth and water, I was able to pull a large slug of clay and mud from the creek. Then it was easy to pull that into a extra large mud pizza which caught the drone wrapping around it before it could maneuver away. Then I squeezed the mud into a ball around the quad drone snagging and stifling it in mid air. Still holding on to it as a solid mass I squashed as hard as my skill level would allow to force the mud inside of the body of the drone. That dropped it to the ground with me still holding onto it, There was a squealing sound that died down to a drone, then it thankfully stopped droning.

I dropped exhausted to the grass between two trees. I was lying on the earth looking up at the stars gasping for breath, when the sweaty face of my favorite Scot peered down from above me.

“So what was so bloody important, ye had to run off , before securing the person who tried to kill you.”

Holding my breath to steady my rasping , gasping breathing. The best I could do was point towards the stream gasping.

“look!”

“Aha ye have made ye self a wee mud ball, but why?”

As if on cue, and to my ego's relief, the mud ball sputtered and cracked open revealing the mangled mass at its center,

“ D DD Dro Drone.” I stammered.

“Ah yess, ye have caught a bug in mud, not as stylish as in amber, me does not think, lady, that it will catch on as a style. “

With that comment and my final dregs of manna I managed to toss some mud ,gifted from the river, catching James with a very proper splatting along the side of his head.

Before

I dropped exhausted to the grass between two trees. I was laying on the earth looking up at the stars gasping for breath, when the sweaty face of my favorite Scot peered down from above me.

“So what was so bloody important, ye had to run off , before securing the person who tried to kill you.”

Holding my breath to steady my rasping , gasping breathing. The best I could do was point towards the stream gasping.
“look!”

“Aha ye have made ye self a wee mud ball, but why?”

As if on cue, and to my ego's relieve the mud ball sputtered and cracked open revealing the mangled mass at its center,
“ D DD Dro Drone.” I stammered.

“Ah yess, ye have caught a bug in mud, not as stylish as in amber, me doesn’t not think, lady, that it will catch on as a style. “

With that comment and my final dregs of manna I managed to toss some mud ,gifted from the river, catching James with a very proper splatting along the side of his head.

Betty

The crisp air of autumn finally started to dilute the late summer stale weather. This provided me some comfort from my bruised and exhausted feelings. I needed time in the sun, just to be there not doing anything. A friend of mine called it draying, defined as just looking out onto a restful beauty visage with nothing on your mind but the restful beauty of the visage. I was able to skate out this morning to find my self a place to do just that.

Considering what happened last night we were both extremely skilled, and lucky to have escaped with only cuts and scrapes, however our would be scum ball killer ended his evening with a close encounter by his own booby trap.

“Truly hoist by his own petard “

But the nearness of his almost killing us left me shaken and needing comforting.

This morning to keep the kids from panicking, I was hiding behind the excuse of being down with the flue. With the kids safely in school learning their lessons, becoming educated , I literally ran for the hills. With my expanded skills set I was able to find one of the toothier portions of the Cascade Mountains to find my isolation.

The grand Tetons looked like Tits, the Rocky's like a broken jagged mass, the Cascades look like teeth, big sharp teeth many covered with moss sprouting waterfalls from the gaps between. I found one with a walkable surface covered with moss and trees like bushes. Here I found my spot, and was sopping up the view, enjoying the sun’s warmth and the incense of my tiny camp fire. If I had any wish, it would be for some Heavenly breakfast blend dark roast, but to have that would require me to take an uncomfortable travail from my comfy location, so I put that on my brain’s back burner, to remember for the next time I visit here.

The morning was young and the sun was still weaving up along the surrounding hills, gently warming the fresh autumn chill causing the evening dew to become vapors and to lift from the living surfaces as a living plasma of life, it was not just moisture but it contained all the essences of life. These essence enveloped everything in its path working its way upward into the higher branches of the trees, and reminded me why I loved this part of the world so deeply. Here I could find the just right amount of connection with and, yet some small necessary separation from the primordial essence of the juices of life itself. I am not a frog I still need dry sunlight but please understand this has not only been a dry summer but also a dry period in my life, and I needed some grow juice to kick me off into the next act of my life.

Feeling a questing for me, I reluctantly answered wondering why my world could not stay saved, on its own, by itself, for just a little while longer. A gentle reply was given as to only desiring to be sure of my safety and well being.

I replied “ If it is my well bean you are questing about, a good thermos of my breakfast blend, with cream would be appreciated.”

All went quiet on the other end and I returned to my draying. Remember there is no time keeping when you dray, it is not draying if you are doing it on the clock. In fact I had slowed time down around me just so, the void in time allowing me enough space to do this properly.

From my Owl's nest perch above I watched the last few active insects rush about tending to their restless chores, the bear cubs eating berries with their mom. A hawk snatching a slow mouse as an in flight appetizer for the hawk's travels south for winter.

Because plants can't migrate they scramble in their own way, I could see the all leaves tracking the sun, every plant, and remaining blossom ,playing heliotrope, so they could pack away the food energy they needed to sleep through the winter., so they may awaken again in the spring. It was slower but just as aggressive as any animals preparations.

Being distracted by watching life unfold around me I was allowing the stress and tension to slide out of my body and spirit, renewing me and allowing my self to become one with in the circuit that's life, gifting the tension to the earth who uses that energy to feed other processes. Becoming a part of the circuit, allowing mother earth to perform her job, in keeping the cycle of life perpetuate. Being traditional first people my family taught me this, and allowed me to be proud to be a part of the cycle.

Modern People's pride, sees themselves as separate from the earth, that point is what makes them civilized, not savages like us aboriginal first people's, Old Celts or the like . They don't see mother earth as their champion or friend. But an adversary, to be dominated , never to be trusted, that belief slowly kills them, bringing a new meaning to the term 'anal retentive' as one who proudly, and selfishly hoards their shit. By not allowing the recycle of their burden willingly. They are strangling themselves with pride, rather than participating in the earth's dance. In simpler terms these people are full of shit, and die liking it that way.

Owls are called the night eagles and that makes us a part of the raptor family of birds. We need the wind under our wings and the vantage that altitude gives us. There is a need of freedom sailing in the air all birds of prey hunger for, this is something I needed but until now haven't had since living in Scotland. I suddenly had the hunger to cleanse my self with the wind being in the perfect place to do that. My renewed vigor and strength allowed me to find one of the loftier perches on my chosen stone spire. I climbed into the sunlight and spread my arms out onto the wind and cried my wind song grand mother taught me

I was rooted to my spot as the winds whipped my clothing around me with tornado force trying to dislodge me gaining no purchase on my inner self or flesh. I felt totally cleansed and solid with what I just sworn. My hearing was that of thousands of drums beating in the air with the songs of a thousand more ancestors in and around me. I was in the biggest Pow Wow dancing in the Woman's circle with all my relatives from the past to the present. Totally one with its eternal rhythm of the earths heart beat then for the first time I knew what I was doing was totally correct and I was where I was suppose to be. Until this moment I had the same problem every one else has had at one time or another, and that is doubt in my own correctness. That is no more room for doubt certainty of knowing filled me and it felt grand. The singing and dancing went on in the sacred space around me for a while then it slowly wound down leaving me very satisfied and fully focused on my received guidance and wisdom in this manner.

Descending back to my fire I found a thermos of coffee and some food with a note.

You pray for our spirits, allow us to feed your body,

There was spring water ,fry bread, with honey, roasted venison, seasoned Frijoles with greens and rice, and hand made warm corn and flour flat breads. and Green salsa I didn't realize just how hungry I was until smelling this wonderful food, bringing completeness to my experience.

Merry meet, to all who have entered here, in this our imagination lit world. Allow me to introduce my self, I am the Teller of this realm, or simple Tells. I am the cosmic story teller of both legend, and lore, of all peoples of all lands near and far away. If it is to be told I can recite it from heart because it is who and what I am. What I seek is to share with any, and all who will receive as entertainment, or give to those who seek knowledge of what was. I am the living memories of who you would call the Creator.

So welcome to my fire circle, and I bid you to hold the listening feather while I take up the talking stick. listening feathers quietly listen to what is told, and talking sticks Tells the tale. I am, like your selves, but a portion of the limitless grand being we all know as the Creator. I am not trying to upset any one's understanding of the cosmos , but all that exists is a part of the body of what many of you call God.

It has become common belief among the people of your planet that the effort of one person falls way short of getting any thing done. That is simply not so, and you must become aware of that fact with total certainty, or Like being on the dock watching the last rescue ship pull away, you may suffer the worst for your doubt.

With the decision having being made by Betty and her merry band, the Creator of all, now allows me to disclose to you, knowledge of my presence. More to the point I am allowed to inform you this woman's decision to stand, will effect the outcome of everyone with in this story, and the world it occurs on. As an impartial observer as I have no Ox to be gored in this drama, she could have just walked away leaving a very different outcome to this situation.

The process of creation and destruction leaves much the same aftermath. Look at any construction, or demolitions location, you will find a lot of loose detritus, or trash scattered about. The creations of all that is the universe, and the destruction and recycling by the ages of many celestial objects has left a lot of stuff spinning, and traveling to all random directions with no destinations in particular. It was such a chance event, which created your small oases, framed by the infinite sea of black of your lonely quiet neighborhood of this galaxy.

I spoke earlier of the Creator, now I will speak of there messengers. Messengers such as Raven,, and Coyote both who only marginally respects the order of things. Raven who prefers to creating randomized events, which disorders those who are too serious, or think they can out wit the Creator. Coyote who ties the laces of your shoes together with his, just to laugh at the both of you rolling around in the dust.

The Creator placed your world in isolation to see if it is possibly to mature immortal beings, starting with mortal ones. Immortality by definition means without limitations. So when limitations gain dominance, the Creator sends their messenger of chaos to loosen thing up.

Raven floated in the black, seeking within, a vision, a special some thing that would gracefully, and with eloquence alter the sedentary elements , who hold your world in thrall using there ruler ship to stifle the Creators intent.

Unlike Raven’s cousin to the south, Coyote, who is more of a slapstick comedian thus more of a blunt force trauma is preferred for the individual, but not for theses cosmic adjustments. Raven thoughtful and careful manner, provided the ideal tool for the Creator’s desires.

As Raven dreamed a flash of inspiration shown deeply from the black of space. A mere speck on the cosmic scales, but just the right size for Ravens thoughtful plans. It glowed duller than it's sibling objects, but it contained just the correct mix, of this, and that, to season the new stew of changes that your world requires.

Black against black Raven’s form moved against the back drop of the star field. At these distances Raven’s movements were invisible to those on your lonely blue planet. It was not until Raven opened its wings again fully coming back into being, just outside your solar system that the instruments were registering an object that blotted out of the star field behind it. The unknown object moved quickly then appeared to bounce off the gravity of Jupiter back out into space, relieving the scientists concerns. But unseen by most, something fired first through the Oort belt that scientists didn't notice coming, the long way around their way. Behind the glare of your star the dark comet scarred to its core started to shine with a brilliant multicolored aura, which radiated a fireworks like display, comprised of the comet's internal boiling dark matter. That was in your year of 1999, now in your year of 2014, the remains of that body, is a cloud of dark debris traveling along its intended decaying orbit towards it's destination, more on that at a later time TTFN.

James

Before we could run down where the first person got in there was another attack the very next evening by four Mercenary Assassins this time at the town hall on Betty and Louise. the remains of one of the attackers was being examined by a special group of government officials who are trained to keep quiet the activities of any unseen abnormal clashes.This group are the cleaners who tidy up after any dust offs. They investigate the situations and send to adjudication by a special body of judges and legal experts.….

Some one was working overtime trying to pin Betty's hide to a wall, this was the second attempt on her in a twenty four hour period and these blokes fared far worse then the first who she swatted him with his own flash bangs. He is under lock up awaiting the end of this deposition.

One of the agents I was familiar with and had worked with before was Agent Blackthorn Between the two of us stood a tall man frozen in place with a look of hate tinged with a slight bit of surprise on his face. Black was walking around the now statuary like a posed person examining this newest addition to his work load. Me is nay liking the way me old friend was acting towards the situation.

“ James if something is strange and interesting you are some how connected to it.”

“Nay Bob there are so many interesting things in this world why would ye accuse me of that type of bad manners mate. I am one of the least bothersome sweetest blokes you have ever met, Bobby. So I am a wee bit offended by your unfounded accusation.”

“ James it may have been a few years since your last brush up with the big assassin you put through the wall after ripping off his arm and beating him over the head with it. But you are hardily Polly Pure heart are ye you balmy Scotsman yutz ?.”

'Oh I did forget about that wee bit of an incident. To be honest that rat faced black hearted fool was trying to kill me queen. ”

“You put him through 2 walls James into the lap of the consultant for Halliburton, getting blood on her dress.”

“ I thought she took it quite well, he did sneak in with her to do this deed. If ye have a point to get to please do ,your insults are becoming a bit tiresome Bobbie. Oh how is you uncle Bill”

“James McGuffen before I forget my religion, And only my grand mother calls me Bobbie, and Bill is not my relative. “

I had more than a wee smile on my face when Bob turned to our well done corpse .

“Now Jamsey what can you tell me about our subject Mr A.”

With that Bob lightly touched the barrel of the gun in Mr A's extended hand with a pencil tip. Doing that Mr A in a cascade of falling crumbling dust fell in milliseconds into a pile of charred dust with Bob exclaiming softly

“ Shit”

“Well Bobbie the first thing I would tell ye, is nay to do that, Ye will find his remains a mite bit fragile”

Bob was starring at the now pile of evidence with his mouth open. His first technician commented

“Well that answers the question of how to store him.”

The second technician dryly told the first.

“Boss, I will go get the evidence vacuum, with a clean filter.”

The first technician quickly recovered telling Bob.

“ Don't worry agent Cosby we already got all the data we needed, in fact this makes it easier to store our dried villain/ killer here, he now will conveniently fit in a smaller box.”

“ James answer me straight what did this to him.?”

“It is a who Bob, My newest responsibility named Ms Betty White Owl. She told him to freeze and he and his three friends tried to shoot her. She was faster with a spell than they were with there gun's.”

“Betty White Owl, Haven township's municipal building, last night about 1800 hours. I think it was a frost spell that went a little over kill, , but she was really annoyed this was the second recent attempt to kill her.,and the mayor Louise."

"Annoyed, hell you say, good god what would she do if she was really pissed off ?."

“Bob no one would ever know he ever existed, and the devil would have a new bar stool.”

“Gooneys James I missed you buddy, but not this wanked out strangeness that follows you around like a puppy dog. Ann was bad enough but she at least she followed the code you unseen live by. now this one shows up.”

“ Agent Black during Ann's time that was a cold war. Haven is now under physical attack and whoever it is are gunning for any one who is running things. Armon thinks it might be one of his long lost relatives but he doesn’t know for certain. If it is the person who he thinks it is, we are due for a very wicked spell, as she is an Untouchable.

Betty's patron is the same as mine meaning this time, unlike the last , there will be no backing up or backing down. Betty is First people and she will not surrender even one centimeter of our stand, because we are protecting some of her people who live behind us. I need to pass this on my King, who is considering backing Betty in any fight that develops. Which may drag in your less desirable resident population of the untouchables. This could get really deeply messy.. Know that Betty will nay pull any punches she nay has any room to move or maneuver or to play nice nice."

“Your Boss lady is known as the the Morrigan isn't it.? She has been very quiet for a long time. Why is she playing in our back yard.?

“I nay can tell you Black, the ladies have there own thoughts, and way about them, but on this present situation all three are in agreement, the last time that happened Rome fell. Also that time even your contents heavy hitters joined in the effort taking them down. I suspect the ladies Morrigan's have your problem children's blessings, and there help in this present situation. Hell they may have even invited the ladies to help. Both Raven and Coyote are partial to my lades charms. And White Buffalo Calf Woman is a fan of the belief in the sovereigns of your first people. Add Quetzalcoatl and our dance card is full. Crazy looking to have a party. “

“Talk about your nightmare team, add she who will not be named and we have a whole ware house of whoop ass opening up letting whole a lot of crazies loose.”

“Bob to borrow from your analogy You have a can of worms where each worm has their own can of open worms waving them at ye.”

Bob was looking James in the eyes when he suddenly had a red phone receiver in his hand. There was an answer from the other end then Bob rattled off a series of numbers and letters. “Thank you please inform him I will await for his office to return my call with further instructions. Yes thank you madam Secretary.”

"Ok James let’s see the next Bloke prepare me how bad a shape is he in."

“Ah he is in dandy shape only roughed up just a bit. His operating name is Griefer, and he had a minder drone following him around. that should ring a bell or two for Ye Bob, and for the sport of it we have said drone in nearly intact condition for your examination. That should be worth something to Ye me Bucko ”

“James how is it you dig your self into a hole in one situation then spring your self with the next.?”

“I be living a clean life Agent Blackthorn a very clean life.”

Betty

'I had just gotten back to the township office and was talking to Louise when four masked gunmen stormed into the reception front office. I just reacted yelling freeze which was another power spell and they did permanently. Now I was being debriefed by Fay as to what happened.

Fay

“Do you think child that you can possibly manage all of the interactions nuances, and details of this evolution and make no mistakes, I never picked you for an egotist Betty.

I saw her face roar into a deep fire engine red out of total embarrassment.

"You look so cute when you blush Betty, but ye have to get real with ye self about some things. One, ye are going to make mistakes Two, some of ye mistakes are not mistakes but a higher hand taking charge".

"Fay I dusted four people yesterday I reduced them to frozen dried ash when all I was trying to just subdue them. Subdue you can produce information, freeze dried produces ,awkward. fragile statuary thus we get no information. Simply told, I let my self get pissed and...”

“You are still alive so is Louise. This has become a take no prisoners war game love, and ye need to put some of your druthers on hold until your opposition gets the Idea that trying to kill you or others close to you, is not in there best interests. Judging from there opening gambit of sacrificing a knight and four pawns, there either desperate, or inexperienced, may be both.”

Fay. Don't rule out stupidly ill informed. Because there are some other things you need to know. When I returned to my meditation perch, today a couple of things happened since I left and before this morning. Big number One several of the surrounding topographical features have shifted closer in position to my prayer and oath stone to approximately start to form a circle and had grown by themselves into something like a gargantuan Saracen standing stone. Big number two my safety valve let go, draining me of my extra flow from fighting Stormzilla , so I think I am at full power again..”

“ Let go as in all over the place?”

“Yes it was really messy but the spring that suddenly appeared near by afterwards, took care of my clean up and when I returned to my fire circle the mess had been absorbed into the rocks leaving only some large crystals of rose quartz, all of this freaked me out ”

“Betty my lass worry not, ye have been blessed with acceptance by the land its self, THE LAND itself has chosen to bond with you in the strongest of ways. The last to have that happen was well before my time. Oh my Betty this is a ,very ,very powerful omen, it also points to something else I think I need to communicate with Mom on this before I say any more. But ye have nay anything to be worried about James, is plugging the holes that let the rats in and your more than able to take care of your self again with Alease's help,and ye children be safe with Lilly and Melissa. so take the day off have a good dinner with your kids and enjoy your good fortune.”

“You do have a way of putting me at ease Fay; thank you very much I think I need to lie down until the kids get home from school, there has been too much happening for my nerves to follow.”

I bid Betty a good day and immediately started to plan what I would need to prepare the gift I think will set her feelings right. With the earth being so plastic and cooperative at this time it is the perfect time to do this for her she will just squeal for joy when we surprise her. Mom is going to love this I just know.

..

Before

“Betty my lass worry not, ye have been blessed with acceptance by the land its self, THE LAND itself has chosen to bond with you in the strongest of ways. The last to have that happen was well before my time. Oh my Betty this is a ,very ,very powerful omen, it also points to something else I think I need to communicate with Mom on this before I say any more. But ye have nay anything to be worried about James, is plugging the holes that let the rats in and your more than able to take care of your self again with Alease's help,and ye children be safe with Lilly and Melissa. so take the day off have a good dinner with your kids and enjoy your good fortune.”

“You do have a way of putting me at ease Fay; thank you very much I think I need to lie down until the kids get home from school, there has been too much happening for my nerves to follow.”

I bid Betty a good day and immediately started to plan what I would need to prepare the gift I think will set her feelings right. With the earth being so plastic and cooperative at this time it is the perfect time to do this for her she will just squeal for joy when we surprise her. Mom is going to love this I just know.

NOW

Morrigan Madba

You think that your science can conjure up the answers for everything? Take something simple like the earth's age. Although Scientists thought they had a good figure, later they found their certainty was overly optimistic. So trapped by their own certainty, they have neglected to given you the corrected results. Their reasoning for this, was if the public knew the true age, that would destroy the faerie tale of scientific certainty, the same way Galileo destroyed the church myths by discovering that the sun was the center of the solar system. This scares the high lords of science, as they bet everything on their immediate and total knowing, rather than stating 'now this is the best we know.'

You ask, how, would I have, this knowledge? I was there!, I witness events long before Ireland was thrust up from the basaltic rock of the sea floor. When land formed, I was there, when the dry land was just clad in the bonny green of plants. I rejoiced in my freedom to frolic amongst the trees and bushes. I was there, long before humans ever trod upon this my new home. When the human creatures evolved and took habitation of this land, these beings worshiped me as a goddess.

But as my brothers and sisters spread across our new home land of Ireland, there were conflicts, many conflicts with the humans. Danu, our mother, tried to lead our people to live in peace with our human neighbors. Save for my younger sister Rhiannon our family “The children of Danu,”, chose to ignore her wise guidance, but chose instead to fall under the thrall of our wilder natures. I was the worst of all, I am the alpha, the beginning of our race, I was a first born of Danu, In hind sight, I should have heeded me mother’s guidance, I should have led my people according to her council, so we the Tauten de Danu could have, prevent the disasters, our violence sponsored.

There were three results of this disastrous fighting, First, both sides were savaged, leaving only a hand full of human, or Fay to repopulate. The second, these wars taught the humans, to hate our kind. Third, the worse, because of our senseless waring something unthinkable happened, we depleted the elements required for our majik, causing our majik to weaken greatly. To prevent our extinction, Danu was forced to retreat, by once again sheltering our race in the dark abyss we escaped so long ago. Only three of us remained behind, me mother Danu the wise, me Morrigan the sovereign, and Rhiannon the incorruptible.

Danu called a council of us three , at the location where the fighting originated, my home. Our mother then asked me

“Morrigan can ye tell me what ye think was wrongly done here?.”

I listed me thoughts of what tactics didn't work, what I would do differently to prevent our defeat.

“Me child you have listed a long line of excuses, for your first, and biggest mistake, ye escalated a simple disagreement, into a war, that destroyed everything ye loved ,and cared for. This was because ye thought more of ye self, than ye did of ye family or our world. Ye thought ye was the only thing that counted, but ye were not alone in this mistake, ye brothers and sisters except for Rhiannon allowed their EGO'S to rule there actions as well.

My daughter allow me to explain something, all sentient beings must have the freedom to choose their own path. Hopefully for their own benefit they are following the creator’s guidance, how to follow the path. Regardless if their decisions are good or bad the system remains in balance, If some one prevents them from making free will decisions, the energies of creation start running the wrong way around, and if this becomes severe enough this can create storms of cause and effect, that assaults others, not even involved. If this goes on long enough, the balance of order verses chaos fail, allowing too much chaos or order to dominate removing the sacred balance with the other. This law of sacred balance is observed by the creator of all things them selves and the creator is always adjusting this balance by using the many tools creation has, like the flow of inspiration and incentive, to steer the path of sentient beings take. The Creator in its wisdom have placed through out all of creation. sentient beings as controls to keep the sacred balance between the forces that are not sentient and them selves. If that sacred balance fails all manner of evil becomes possible and the living system can die from the lack of the sacred balance between order and chaos.

My dearest daughter I share responsibility for creating your nature so powerfully monolithic in your ways. This creates problems for you being sensitive enough to understand how the whole world functions. I wish to suggested that you should submit to my teaching you how to be a more flexible being, I wish to separate you into three sister personality’s, your maiden, your mother, and your matriarch. This is so you may become cooler minded in your thinking. By you having the three sister personalities sharing the making of decisions. That hopefully should temper your judgments allowing your nature to be more understanding of all you will encounter." I submitted to me mother's suggestions, and when she was finished, for the first time I knew doubt in me actions, and Danu's wisdom became apparent to me.

Now when I viewed the ruins of the places I truly loved and unsuccessfully tried to protect, me melancholy and remorse was so great, me one hope was to cease to be. Me mother's wiser hope, was for our people to sleep until the time came, that the earth healed, and majik once again flowed. To this wiser, unselfish end, me Mother forbid me seeking or answering me desires. She counseled instead, that I was not alone in being accountable for that which occurred. However as a leader, she still demanded of me, a terrible task in recompense for me deeds. I was to use my demanding sovereignty by becoming the unmovable sentry at this door, protecting our peoples way of return. Me mothers task was to, use her wisdom, to know the proper timing, in awakening our people, then releasing them from there dark prison. Me younger sister Rhiannon task was to use her incorruptibility, to keep me efforts pure in my service to our people, She was to also reminded me that I existed for the time when we may all freely play, in the sun again. The other responsible parties would await mother’s judgment until that later date.

In her last act here in the sun, Danu helped me created a special impregnable spot in an uninhabited wilderness near to me native soil. The new land would became the Scottish highlands lands. Me mother and I formed, me Fortress, places of audiences, then the Tower of Oath’s. All of this was created with out seams or fault’s, formed from a single mass of earths dense stone basalt, this stone was so hard, and unrelentingly dense, the fires of Tartarus could nary do any harm, other than soot its surface. These locations are outside of the cause and effect of mortal space.

Mom allowed me to create a small refuge space with a village, for those humans who desire to serve the collective good, of both populations. For it's purity and protection it was separate from my place, This new village was named Teramar or Health's Haven the place the Romans called it Porta Santus . These village dwellers were to be, me only human company, their simple ways, teamed with Rhiannon’s incorruptibility educated me about about the honest responsibility of being a sovereign.

That responsibility was tested when in the year CE 700 I had to face the echoes, of our original war with the humans. Some humans were still fruitlessly fighting on several millennial after our complete departure. These invaders came to destroy my village, they claimed it served the ancient evil. I could not directly fight the invaders because my open involvement would fan the flames, continuing the war to destroy us. To save who I could, meant there was no recourse than the loss of so many more, me family of mankind had to survived in just the flowers of the Teramar settlement, meaning with out the support of there families and friends. But the flowers did survive, with all of their knowing, all they created including their seeds, and written material. Of the six thousand inhabitants I was able to save only three hundred. Any more and the invading army would have searched for the missing people, and found their temporary hiding place.

When conditions permitted the 300 were moved, so they now sleep, with me eternal family, this was done with me mothers blessings and assistance as she who keeps sentry on the other side of the veil. I must now shoulder the responsibility of knowing and planing the events that will bring about the conditions where I may correct some of me mistakes so I can put things partial back into their proper place. All done with respect to their freedom of choice, allowing them to walk the pathway they chose to trod, as they walk in the sun, this is the same freedom I violated when I made me original choices, 4000 years ago. I am nearing the first step in undoing my damage. And freeing me people.

I am not flying blind in the performance of me duties. Within me scrying room is a very large Cauldron, which stands in the center. The Cauldron is covered in a runic language not spoken as a living language in over ten thousand years none other than me self or a trained adept can enter. As there are things, that could melt the flesh from your bones, then pull your life force intact from the body, taking it to a place so foreign, your soul will be screaming for all eternity. I am safe in there because I know what me is doing me mother taught me how to use her most powerful tool she bequeathed me before her departure, her Cauldron. This Cauldron allows me to council with another being from the dark matter portion of our universe.

Me sister, or 'me other', is the title me son has given to her, is the reason me mother and I have build. this place of the strongest stone, then warded by our most powerful spells. This special space is safely sealed away from the erosive effects, from the dark mater directly connecting with the matter of our space. These are among the many safely method me other and I have chosen to keep the power within the Cauldron safely contained. Here me other is a guest, this being her embassy in our space. From our first meeting, long long ago, the two of us have been a constant in each of ours lives.

We are diametrically opposite in all manner,, this makes us a very powerful team. I prepare me protective circle raising the wardings then I caress the lip of me cauldron to awaken it. Like all things ancient, this takes some time for it to open itself into me sisters realm. When all is readied the two of us started by me pulling the project the two of us have been working on from within the point that both universes can safely connect. Using me wand, I stirred the contents of the trillions of energies patterns that existed involved with this project, from that source I was able to pull the successful working patterns for this project, so I may interact with them locally, with out causing anything to change in the larger web of events.

Me other, and I need not verbally speak to one another, to understand each other. I am able to follow her suggestions, and pull strings of events into contact by altering one or several position, or the quality of interaction, then watch how that one Point alters the interactions between countless other Points. in time, space, present, past, or yet to be. Most fractional alterations only produce minor energy exchange before the momentum runs its path , then ends with all energy dispersed in friction between the interacting Parts.

But when repositioning one particular cluster of weakly glowing Points to a different, geographical location, that cluster of Points luminance grew to become dazzling. What ever other Points that first luminescence fell upon, became interactive with their adjacent Points. This luminance, eliminated the 'normal' human resistance, when a simple threshold was reached, the luminance between all of the other Points, created a chain reaction which into living patterns which pulsed, sang, lived, breathed, then most importantly like other living things reproduced them selves making this chain of events, exactly what we needed. With anticipation, I added in the Points from me group of Teramar survivors, this addition then expanded into an interlocking web between the rest of the sanctuaries, all over the world, and within me 'others' sisters realm as well.

Now have me answer, the timing is right, and all indications are that this is the best that can be hoped for. I am plotting that me family of man who survive in the bodies of the three hundred, now can finally be return. I have found the perfect soil to give them a fighting chance, and the perfect gardener in the person of Betty to protect and nurture them. The world will owe Betty White Owl a huge Huzza for her part in this gambit, and she is totally unaware how much depends on her, as that is the way it should be. It is her free choice to participate or not, all fate hinges on her free choice.

Betty

It was six am and I was running through the brush lichen to a mad women chasing the devil out of her kitchen garden. I was in full chain mael armor swinging a three pound bastard sward single handed. No I wasn't chasing Grendel, I was trimming the brush on either side of my driven path. I was in boot camp. visa vis Alyssa’s command, to get in shape or perish, After two separate attempts on my life I was inclined to be very supportive in this effort. This being my first week, of my masochistic cooperation in my own pain and suffering. I was at the end of today's early morning toughening jog, through the merry woods surrounding Haven. I released my armor to meld back into the gauntlet. There was sweat running off of my back and face as I returned the sward to my grinning companion James.

“March yer shapely ass into the showers before ye Barons awaken, they will surely to ask, difficult to answer question. Me thinks that finding their mother knackered sweating like a race horse could be just a bit alarming.”

My breath returning to normal, gave me the chance to inquire 'Time?”

“Twenty two thirty, much better than yesterdays twenty eight even.”

“Time to eat the donuts, good god I need some coffee.”

A familiar voice inside of my head sung out

“No Donuts, you dolt, ye be just getting into fighting trim. Eating those fat pills would only set ye back. I will be nice, you may have your omelet and chilli, with just a wee portion of potatoes, a small one I say and remember I’ll be watching.”

No rest for this dieter, but to be honest if I scale back me beloved home fries allows me to live longer, so I can be with my children and fight another day, it's worth it

Betty

Today is a nice slow day, which is making up for the hectic few days before. I am reading a note that James gave me describing how his new girl friend Sam, is trying to get herself out of a jam by trying to run down the real thieves of some high explosives, used at the construction site she is working demo at. Some one was really hot to stop the construction of that power line and it wasn't the environmentalists this time, that wrinkle was worked out before the project started. Who it was no one knows but the outcome may affect us having power through the winter.

I was looking over me bullet Journal when someone came into the Dragon and asked in a familiar sounding clipped voice, if I was there. The problem is that voice was from an imaginary character I created for a collage drama class. When I looked up I was startled to see a very real person ,looking, and sounding just like my made up creation. I was staring at a flesh and blood doppelganger of my comical, outrageous, unflappable, character Erma Cats, she was here in the flesh, I am inhabiting mine right now. So she can not be me. Help, I am very confused.

Erma Cats

I am to be a surprise for Betty and judging from the look on her face I have succeeded beyond anyone’s expectation. I am literally the last thing on earth Betty would ever conjure up in her mind to find looking back at her here and now. Isn't Magic wonderful you wish for a PA and pop here I am, in the flesh.

Sam

It took me about an hour to infiltrate our camp from the time I first got the call. The catch was because the area was flooded by people all wearing an alphabet soup of jacket ID badges, FBI. DOD. ATF, FIMA, CIA, NSA there were a couple I didn't know existed. Then there were two suited figures dressed classic MIB uniforms including the Ray Ban sun glasses running the show. The reason for all of this attention is that some one had blown the explosive safe, leaving a small crater in the stone that it was firmly attached to, I knew the content of the safe, as I worked with it last, From the lack of damage, I knew that some one had taken the C4 explosives, also I could not smell even a trace of plastic explosives only black power, and dynamite..

I used the dark and a FBI jacket, I borrowed from its user, to slip into the office tailor then waited for the Chief to come into his office and close the door, before I let him know that I was sitting in the darkest corner of the office.

“Good god Sam, is your last name Heart Attack.”

“ You did say be discreet sir.”

“So I did, remember I was in construction not intelligence, sneaking around wasn’t in my training, you cant sneak driving a Bulldozer, or blowing things up. So pardon me that your entrance was a bit startling.”

“ Chief, sorry for the shock, I just didn't want to complicate things by bringing in an outside audience, that could make things messy, what can I do to help Chief,?”

“OK you were the last into the locker before it was blown, do you remember the inventory.”

Pulling out me phone I thumbed in me secret 9 digit code to access me secure files.

“Remember Chief we were drawing down the supply for me being gone so there was 2 one lb cans of black powder 8 sticks of dynamite, two links of Tovex and two one pound blocks of C4. So my answer to the next question is going to be, no not all of that went up in smoke. my best guess is someone discounted the plastics. The crater is not big enough to have blown the C4 and I only smell the black powder and the dynamite not the plastic.”

The Chief grinned at me ,” Sam you know why I hired you?, You cut through the bull shit and get to the point. You just answered the questions in a few moments that those professionals are still trying to solve and have spent all night trying to answer. By the way does you date have a name, you are willing to share,?”

“ James McGuffen sir the biggest hunk of solid manhood, I ever laid eyes on. He be hailing straight from the highlands of Scotland,.”

“ You landed Mc James Sam, Oh me god what a catch for you. Its about time that lummox fell in love, and with my star employe. Hold the phone Sam how can we get so lucky, this will solve our little problem with the authority's right now.”

Picking up his sat-phone from his desk the Chief hit a speed dial.

“Mr Black I have some new information for you that you may find interesting, Also could you please contact Mr McGuffen and invite him to these festivities tonight, Yes sir he can clear my employee of any involvement, as she was on a date with him tonight.”

Even I could hear “No firkin shit.” from where I was sitting.

The next three days James and I narrowed down the who done it list, by eliminating the normal list of suspects it came back to one group, that was new on the scene, The Redneck Deconstruction crew,. That name for some strange reason, rang a gong for me.

James

In the merry chase I have called me life, I have been all over this green earth. Pole to pole and everything in between. In me recent past, I can honestly state, that I thought I have seen, and experienced all. The one thing I neglected in me very long life, was to experience my emotions at all, when ye are living a life of service to others, feelings had a bad habit of getting in the way, then things need to get done.

I originally made this mistake just before Constantinople fell. I was shaken awake when the first of the giant cannon balls hit the outer wall. The Emperor Constantine the XI sent me with a small party of Greek scholars to escape the disaster. I had just fallen in love with a middle aged nursemaid that served in the court. We dressed her up in a uniform and armor to disguise her. It was risky but I could not bear to leave her in the doomed city. I had to hold her while she died because she took a spear meant for me. It wasn’t until her scream got cut off did I know some one was attacking me. She died in me arms telling me not to grieve as she would have suffered worse, fighting off the rapists who would follow the fall of the city. She professed her love for me then passed. From that moment on I locked me heart in a very tight box and buried it deep within all of me discipline learned in fighting to keep the people alive I am protecting.

Now over a millennium later I discovered that damn heart has escaped its internment, and is now demanding that I allow it to attache me to these people, and this place. This has given me the powerful need to suss out me shadowy trail of where do I fit in. Aye me loves the Scottish Highlands, as the place of me creation, but long ago all of the people who were important to me, either move on, or died out. The simple irrefutable fact is, now I fit here in Haven. This is where my people are now, not the barren highlands. These people care for me, and it took me simple mind, until now, to suss this out.

Never in me life, before returning here this time, had I had a group of people, even knowing me silly quirks and all, who honestly care about me as a person. Not only do I have people who need me, I now have people who love me, and the hardest part to come clean to me self that I love them back just as much. Love was just another four letter word, which I had nay any place for in me life and chosen occupation. Now with being Betty's friend and trainer, and her wee Barons protector by being there big overgrown doggie, I now know what experiencing and receiving love is.

Having Anna telling me all of her fears, and desires while grooming me. I can honestly say this child loves me with all of her heart, as I love her in return. Then there is the little Warrior Queen, Crystal who is becoming a fearsome fighter for her mother's cause. It is her I understand, love, and cherish the most, I have become like a very proud Uncle wanting to train me sister Betty's daughter how to live a good life and fight a good fight. So it is Scotland for the scenery, and here for the people and family, I can't hug or hold scenery. So very simply I have found after two and a half millennium, that I need people in me life, who would have thought. I must add this place is easy on the eyes as well.

I had been clearing me mind, from all of this heady stuff by soaking up some good tea and food at Bobs. I was recharging from me extra chores, helping me soul mate Sam in tracking down the vermin who nicked high explosives from her job site. From the first night, the two of us worked like a well oiled apparatus. Over the last three nights, I expected some problems between our styles, but nay any became present. We had eliminated many of the usual vermin, leaving a shadowy trail to suss out trying to locate a group calling them selves the Red Neck Deconstruction Crew. Sam thinks she may have met them a month or so ago plotting to roll a big rock using a pound of C4. Her work mates told her thy saw a couple of them watching her do her job. Tonight we expect some results in our search for these people, I need some action to loosen up and keep in shape, tonight will be fun.

Now as I was musing over me revelation, me dam phone rang from its secure channel. At first this was annoying but when Mr White started to kid me about Sam I knew that I should have expected this call/ I will need to come to the construction site office by one this afternoon. This will also gave me an excuse to go see more of me lady friend. I maybe even get a chance to play around, you know. strictly on a professional basis.

But before I could finish me food and leave when Crystal slipped into the booth opposite of me. She was really direct, like a pint size inquisitor, which means she was channeling her mothers Owl energy, I knew I was in for it when she made her simple statement.

“Hi, Mr big Scotsmen. I know who you are, and we need to talk!”

“Hello, you are Betty's daughter are ye not, I work with ye mother but she hasn't introduced ye to me yet.”

Being dissected by a ten year old's piercing gaze, is an experience I never encountered until now. Her incredulous look told me that in the American vernacular that I was 'busted.' She continued in a low conspiratorial voice no one else could hear.

“I am not my sister ,Mr James McGuffen I am not blinded by love for your dogy act. I just need to let you know that if you hurt Anna in any way you will answer to me, and that will be very ugly.”

The certainty of this child's conviction could never be doubted, she would die trying to avenge her sister's honor. Suddenly I received a sharp kick to the shin under the table by me inquisitor.

“Mr James, please continue to act like we are just talking. I do not want to hurt you I just need your full and undivided attention to what I am saying. I need for you to come clean about your self and, what is going on here. My mom is a great person, and I want her to stay that way. WE as a family have already lost to much to have some, stray magic, dog man play with our heads. This is the home we have been hoping for, and my mother is happier than she has ever been since my birth mother died, I will not put up with your messing things up, we have too much to lose. So spill Now.”

“So ye think ye are ready to hear everything do ye little Warrior Crystal. And just why do ye think you can, take what I could say, whats ye proof that ye can take it?”

Crystals eyes narrowed then through semi clenched teeth she spoke almost in a monotone.

“I had me birth mother die in my lap, I have been living for ten years now, watching, everything, every one has done to me family, I am now in my second ten years I am as smart as I ever will be, so I am the judge of what I can take and what I need to know. I have my families back, as they protect me don't think me as being a stupid kid, that doesn't work with me.”

I received another sharp kick even harder than the first, “I don't hear you saying any thing, Mr James.”

I had to respect this person’s determination, and the bruises to me shin so I decided to follow Betty's advice.”If they are old enough to ask, they deserve an age appropriate answer”

“Crystal, your world has become a lot larger, a whole lot larger. In ye new world, I am one of three guardians, we are here to protect your families life, and keep ye safe from the bad people who live in this bigger world. Your mother is a very important person to this whole world and a lot of special people are training her to do the job she now has.”

“So where do Anna and I fit into this bigger world.?”

“Ye are your mother’s heart and soul and both of ye are very special as well, Anna is very magically talented, and ye are a true Warrior heart and soul. Ye skill is something ye mother knows about and is thinking ye needs some training in how to use it properly.”

“Why would you care, Mr James, you are just going to get sick of us,, then leave when ever you want. You will just go back to Scotland and play in the mountains there. That's where that really scary lady lives, she is you boss right?”

“Crystal I am never leaving, and I will never get tired of being ye families protector, never in a million years. In fact I have decided I needed a change so Haven is me new and always home. Ye family have done the impossible ye have given me something I have never had in me life, a loving family. And I have come to love you as well so I can't leave. I even have found a girl friend who would join ye in hunting me down.

As for me boss being scary, yes they can be scary they are, very, very, very, old and has been performing her job for just as long.”

“Who gave her that job.?”

“Her mother Danu.”

“Mothers do give you some stinky jobs to do, my mom tells me it is to build character and make you a better person. Me James I liked you from the very first time you came into our room, but my sister loves you ,she is older so she knows more than I do, so she has been really very, sad that we have been moving around so much. You are the first thing she has had to hold onto and talk to. I can't just let that be taken away from her.”

“Crystal we can keep this little talk between the two of us, and I have no problem being your sisters big pup, I like doing that. Ye kids are a proud part of me heart, that, until, now I never knew I had, I love three of you because ye are very special people and me destiny is to be ye protector from now on. Let me tell ye a wee secret I need ye to keep between us, can ye do that? “ Crystal gave me a partial nod of yes.”Crystal I do not age like everyone else, in fact neither will your mother or you girls. You will grow up into being women, but you will age far slower than the other people here in Haven.”

Crystal looked at me with large eyes trying to take this all in, and trying to decide whether she believed me or not. So I continued talking.

“Ye mother has taken on the job of a dear friend of mine Ann McGrager who was the founder and first protector of Haven. Ann trained Maggie of the Island of Mann , who trained your mother. Your mother now is the new protector of Haven and has been promoted up the ladder by the society that sponsored Ann.”

“Is that why your pictures from the past are so much like how you look now, with out that stupid beard and long hair. You look so much more better now. Ann was a pretty woman but those dresses did nothing for her looks, and don't get me going about those hair styles.“

This kid was very observant, to pick up the fact those blurred pictures were of us, it must be her mama's Owl sight that dispelled the blurring placed on them.

“That was the way of the times Young Warrior, Ann hated those dresses as she could not swing a sword properly, dressed in one, and preferred wearing her hair down and flowing like the Celtic princess she was. Ann was a traditional old school fighter who helped to drive the Romans out of what is now Scotland. Your mother appears to be cut from the same cloth, she does understands the legal requirements of fighting in the courts, but Maggie told me she was very good with the sword and bow for when she needs to make a point aggressively.”

“Mom always told us that, the pen was stronger than the sword, but don't fight a sword with a pen.”

“Ye mother is very wise; Are we good Crystal have I answered ye questions properly.”

“For now big guy my BS detector quivered a couple of times, but you were honest with me. Are you going to ask me mother to train me Mr James.”

“Yes I will ask her as soon as I can, and how did you penetrate me cleverly fashioned disguise, Lady Crystal?”

“Your smell Mr James there is still a faint doggy smell to you., even now, and when James the dog wasn't there, you were around keeping your distance. I had to stalk you for several weeks before I caught you here.

”
“You have more than a BS detector me Padawan learner you have finely honed senses as well.”

“Ah yes Master doggy I will learn fast.”

“Crystal please I am a wolf, not a dog, they come from wolfs not the other way around. Master Black Wolf would be ok”

“Yes Master Wolfe I do understand.”

Fay

“Mom, do you think she will like this place?”

“How did you like your original place?”

“I loved it you struck a good balance in all of your choices. But you had been training me for three centuries by then, you have only known Betty for a short time.?”

“I have been watching Betty for some time now Fay. And I have observed her through many of her past lives. So this was not such a stretch to figure this out.”

“Mom you never told me about this before, why now?”

“Now, you need to know. Always remember my daughter, I have taught you everything you know, it will take a lot more time. before I can teach you everything I know.”

Remember your comments are the Tiramisu in a writers life our egos need to know how we are doing, so please be generous and leave a comment.

Before

Betty

I was looking over my bullet Journal when someone came into the Dragon and asked in a distantly familiar, clipped voice, that took a moment or two to be remembered. My problem with that is that voice was from an theater character I played in a collage drama project. When I looked up I was startled to see a very real living person ,who looked and sounded just like that fictitious creation. I was staring at a flesh, and blood doppelganger of my version of a comical, outrageous, unflappable, character Erma Cats. She was here in the flesh, confusing the shit out of me as to where she got her's,because I am inhabiting mine right now.

Erma Cats

I am to be a surprise for Betty and judging from the look on her face I have succeeded beyond anyone’s expectation. I am literally the last thing on earth Betty would ever conjure up in her mind to find looking back at her here and now.

Now.

Erma

Betty's owl eyes looked me up, and, down before continuing, “ Pardon me for being a little slack jawed women but it has been over forty years, since I have laid eyes on that face, and then I was wearing a lot of theater makeup to create it, now somehow I am looking at someone else who has that same face, so what gives, who are you, and what are you.?”.

I decided this would be better sitting down, taking the seat opposite in her booth.

“Hi Betty, miss me, it is so nice to see you again, all grown up with children, goodness gracious you sure got busy. Who am I, and what am I, are two different questions. Who am I is Erma Cats, the former executive sectary to Sir Winston Churchill. What I am first, is the answer to your prayers, for help, in handling the essential but burdensome mundane chores of township business. And second ,What I physically am, is the muse that first sparked Ginger to create me as a character to entertain those lonely men far from home. at the USO clubs during WW2. I am the same muse you kept alive doing your collage radio and stage plays, now given substance.”

An appraising hardness came over Betty's eyes as she pointed at me with her fork. “To be bluntly honestly, what evidence or proof can you give me to who you claim to be, Erma was a totally fictitious person , The real Secretary I believe it was a women who's last name was Mell ,or Snell I haven't a clue what her first name was.”

“During the war years, that would have Been Elizabeth Nel. I met her once with Ginger at a reception for Ginger's book about him. Ms Nel was quite a person full of praise for the man she served, but you knew that as you to were there.”

“ Don't be obtuse, and keep to the subject at hand.”

"Ok here is something no one would have known but you and Ginger, It was the 1972 at the
Edinburgh Highland Games, Ginger was singing Juice Newtons song Queen of Hearts in Gaelic. You were front row center because you had fallen asleep during the story telling
performance. You woke up to her first performance,, with a startle.”

“Ok Good god, yes she was singing in the Gaelic singing contest, I never laugh so hard. Then the Queen of the festival inquired “ My Maiden fair When-st ye came by your mirth and wisdom .”

I continued “ My Majesty my mirth, and wisdom wast born, long ago when I lost my maiden's virtue, to a very hansom young sailor man. He claim he was in possessed of a true ship of the line, but alas in truth, he only possessed a wee leaky row boat, which sunk liken the Mary Rose, at but my mere giggle,”

Now Betty's eyes were smiling “Ok I give. No one but us would remember that. In memory of Ginger even that stodgy Maiden Queen couldn't keep a straight face at that answer. And for some unknown reason , Ginger pointed me out as being the child of that union, Erma do you know why did she claim to be my mother.”

“Oh that's easy, when she met you in Edinburgh you were a babe out of the woods having just started collage. You were so idealistic but also so hardened by your young life. You truly lacked any sense of humor, and hadn't a clue how to let go and joke around a bit. Ginger was 77 at that time, and wanted an apprentices she could trust and spend some time with while she was still sharp. Ginger was never a 'willy nilly' sort of person, and wanted for some one to carry the torch of her hard won wisdom, and humor.

I, as her muse, was to be the vehicle to do just that.. Part of me is her imagination melted together with memories of people her mother, and Ginger knew from there home town in Vermont. Added to that, the seasoning gained by knowing all of those characters working in Vaudeville circuit, and those later who worked at the Saturday Evening Post in the 1930s when she lived in Philadelphia.

Both of us had been watching you, during the first two days, of the festival, finding that your energy and dynamic was very compatible with us. Then when you played along with the skit, both of us knew you had to be the one. . Ginger could tell you really needed to develop your sense of humor, by learning how to laugh at life, and your self, so you could become open enough to love. Therefor we decided to pass the torch to you, and we wanted you, and you needed us.”

Betty had a musing look on her face as she pondered what I just revealed to her. Then she started to chuckle at some personal joke,

“I wondered just how I could come up with your sister Elma's outrageous comments like the joke about the prostitute telling the Pope 'You no play the game, you no make the rules.' Time wise I really don't remember exactly when I found my sense of humor it was near that time, I do remember I had to fill an elective the only thing left was the drama class, that's when I started making friends and became able to find my passion for living, and not just slogging through.”

“Oh my Betty you were so serious at the beginning at your school, Then everyone thought you would make a fine, judge or some stiff shirt bureaucrat. Not what you have become, a hero of a lost village that you have saved from certain death. They never knew you were the person performing me, it's still unknown to this day.”

“Your such a gift Erma, but what do you get out of this, what have I given you ,whats your pay out.”

“You gave me sustenance through your goofy uncle, pieces of your experiences, and imagination. With your help I was able to finally grew into a complete personality not just a simple muse, who lived past the time muses fade back into nothingness, and are forgotten. You had a rare opportunity, in school, to stretch out your wings and express your inner wise ass, the cheeky,snarky bits who asks the questions people need to ask but don't.

Like when during the zoning board hearing in Marysville PA , just after the owner of the new Mega Super Mart told the zoning board how he felt close to small towns, and wanted to be an infest-or rather than investor. You jumped in asked the owner why people should welcome an business killing infestation, that would leave thousands of people unemployed.

Betty I would show up many times when you least expected me. Things like that kept me alive long enough to survive until we got here to this magical place. Somehow I found my self a welcomed stranger, I was embraced by the other spirits who have passed, who fleshed me out, by combined me with bits and pieces of there desires to help the town, then I was fired in the oven of your desperate needs, powered by your prayers, with a pinch of fear, that you couldn't do this mammoth job without a PA's support, to make this job work.”

“Erma I do desperately need a PA, but how can you a spirit file, type and research. “

“Because of the gift this wonderful environment has given me, the other side, pulled together what ever they could, to give me enough physical form to do the work as needed. “ With that I gave Betty's hand a squeeze not only out of affection, but also a way to demonstrating that I can touch, the physical world. “You have a huge cheering section over there Betty.”

“ Well then Erma my fine women let us go and introduce you to the other person you will need t o work with, who is our fine Mayor Louise .

“Great I have been wanting to meet her since you have gotten here, I can see through you, that she is quite a gal, and someone I know that I can work with. But first I want to have a taste of your cooks magic, that will be a first for me. “

James

As I be departing Haven for me little get together with Hazard, I happened to look into the front window of the Dragon to spy Betty, some what at a loss for words, she was talking to the newest member of our merry band. Morgana had some hand in there recruitment so it had to have some oddness beyond all belief, knowing my friend as me do. There is so much about Morgana I can not fathom, and she has such the way aboot her, that even to me is scary strange. That is saying quite a bit, coming from a really a big wolf who wears britches.

For now me mind needs to focus on first things first. I be needing to be going, out in the bush far from any where people are normally be found, Hazard has set up Sam's boss at, and in a recently played out abandoned deep rock mining claim that has proper security for construction explosives, and the space necessary to get this power line constructed. Hazard dredged up a couple of surplus Russian Mi-26 heavy cargo choppers, with aircrews, parts and pilot's. These Choppers have enough horses to lift fully assembled towers, and to handle resupply. Leave it to Hazard to find a spot that is totally inhospitable, where you need a chopper to even reach it, only a former Marine would have such a finely honed skill in finding such a place.

Making me way to the new camp required that I take the scenic route rather than just pop in, as I discovered that Havoc's men tend to shoot before they ID their target. I was fine with the twenty mile stroll making me happy to stretch me leg's having a run through still oddly familiar landscapes. The last ten years hast nay changed this land appreciably. Ann would still recognized this remote stretch of mountains, by the things we people who are rooted in the land pay heed to. The watering holes , game trails, creeks, glades along with the man made physical marks like old placer mine tailing's, remains of log bridges and the power lines., When Havens power station was scraped, the new company slapped together this work around, out of left over bits and pieces, cutting Haven out of the system. This spot was one of the most difficult to construct due to its remoteness, so when I found three sets of shod hoof prints that smelled like whiskey, and store bought cigarettes. I snooted around a bit more then found the faintest whiff of nitrated ammonia, and diesel oil.

All that told me I needed to inform Havoc that he has problems in his new back yard. And that he be needing to personally get his wee hands dirty, weeding out this problem, sooner would be better than later!

Betty

I introduced Erma to Louise as an old school mate who wanted to join our St Jude team, Louise told me to go and do my walk around town. “Bets I can settle Erma in, it is your turn for the town walk around, your adoring public awaits.”

Erma grinned evilly “ Who would have guessed that behind that wall flower I knew in school, . lurked a super hero who forgets to wear her union regulation cape, I sure never saw this coming.”

Before they could get my range for another round of rib poking I slipped down to my office out of range while listening to the story telling starting behind me. All the while in my mind I could hear the costumer for the supers saying “no capes no capes”. I brewed my self a walking -travel mug of Heavenly 'Denny Hill Regrade' blend coffee. Grabbing my shoulder bag with my Township managers kit and fresh couple of Washington state Fuji apples, and I was ready, so like the wall flower I have always been, I slipped out the lower door undetected.

Since the first week I was living in Haven I started leisurely strolling around the town, checking out the place. My main focus was getting to know the place and talk to the people living here. Then I soon started to notice blocked drains, dark street lights, pot holes and the likes. I also was told about several creeks that came in the east end of town, three passed through buried culverts of brick built long ago when Haven was young, they were suppose to depart from the western edge of town. Two were backed up into ponds that would flood the roads during the winter rain, one entered never to be seen again begging the question where did it go. All three did have outlets two needing only maintenance to get them to flow again, the third outlet just stayed dry. That was one of my higher priorities to resolve, not wanting any portion of our town to suddenly disappear into a sink hole.

I also learned to always stop to read the township bulletin board. Here is where people would pin up announcements, offer items for sale, trade, or for free, also asking help with one thing or other. That board told me so much about the character of this township, and where I could join in to the society social structure here.

My children got into the spirit as well, Anna got a few babysitting jobs, and a gig repainting the township motto sign. Crystal joined the local bicycle club called the Wheelies, and also hangs out with kids in wheelchairs through her both groups got together under the Wheelies Banner and now both groups help the township or find and fix access problems in the township. As a reward Louise granted the Wheelies and Crystal a small space in the unused police car garage where she helps service the twenty five or so chair driver's and the sixty bicycle gang.

One of the farmers stops by on Saturday working on a special project Crystal uncovered on the internet for an all Terran wheel chair, that uses a set of handles the driver moves back and forwards to propel them selves. There has been two prototypes built trying to get things to work right.

My gig has been spotting structural problems with our elders housing stock, Last week Mrs Streeter needed to have seven shingles replaced where a tree branch hit her roof back during the last windstorm. Mr Gardener needed a wheel chair ramp for his bigger power chair. Mrs Kent has some major problems with the old foundation to her house that was able to be stabilized until warmer dryer weather. I think she may be straddled over the west branch of the east creek which goes in the east top edge of town the one that gets lost and doesn't find it's way out.

Several houses are receiving weatherizing up grades courtesy of the donations Haven was recently been gifted with. All of these projects and some new ones have been captured on my tablet and will be posted on out private township Internet board. I personally comment on each project completed and extend my gratitude to those who made these things possible. My desire is to let people know that I am involved and care about them and that someone in the township office is on there side.

Betty

I had been growing slowly uncomfortable this morning. but when a great weariness overcame me matched by a suffocating shortness of breath. I knew immediately I had to get out of town now. As I topped the first ridge going out of town ,tTo my right came Alease's familiar Scottish accent

“Betty rather than being a powerful and prepared witch, I needs be tellen, that ye have the appearance liken to, Grim Reaper scat. Me sister I nay can cipher how ye can dream to survive, this coming battle upon us, if Ye be hardly breathing now, must I be teaching ye how to do that as well.? “

“And a pleasant good afternoon to you to Alease. I can guarantee you that the air still runs in and out these two holes that's in my face, so I got that one covered, I have been doing this for some time with out fail.”

“Dearest Betty, there is more than just the wind willing its self up and down ye nose, to ye breathing. A vast amount of elimination of the toxins from tension worry and stress, be leaving by that doorway as well. I have already let Erma know that ye will be needing to be alone, so to prepare for a special project over the next seven days. So get ye pack we are going for a little walk up into the hills, This time ye must not trust blind luck, and raw power to survive what ye will be hit with. Make no mistake aboot this my sister , Come all Hallows Eve, ye are at war, not a skirmish, or probing. Ye are needing to get into there faces, stomp them down, then lop off their head. Ye must act like this could be ye last act on earth, fail in doing that, it shall so be.”

“Alease I do appreciate that news flash, but I have already sussed that out! So do you have some real news, or useful information, I would appreciate that you would share that now, and keep your snarky attitude, to your self. If not I will be going to prepare, elsewhere.”

Alease broke out with a full out non lady like loud laugh at my change in manner.” I do see ye have been practicing how to rapidly shift ye footing, I truly like that sister. But save your fire for the real fight, I just needed to put before ye in plain language that your opponents want to rip ye giblets out.”

“ What you think like, I am going to plant a big wet kiss on them , hold hands and sing campfire songs. That's NOT going to happen. I know that there is a total of seven days,I have two to prep for the full of the moon, three days of working the same going crazy, trying to play dead, while not becoming so. I get maybe a days break maybe with skirmishes. On Samhain, I have a stick in their eye so they don't see the surprised of my raising the barrier into its proper position forcing them to confront a balanced fully functional barrier.”

“What if they nay be surprised.”

“Oh there is no way they could see this coming. If I am anything I am totally out of the box with
what is coming there way. Those folks only advantage is the I do not know where there Nexis is located, and collectively they pack a lot of raw power. These dark unseen have little or no finesse, let alone any true understanding of craft, they are just bullets in a gun to the Untouchables that are in charge. The those folks are such control freaks so they won't let their casters learn that much . My plan's are to give them no way to stop or dodge the train, I am going to run down the barrel of there gun, I have been preparing for this over the last month, and all is ready.“

“That is an overcooked opinion of ye self. Your power will only go so far, how be ye thinking
to pull this off. Ye be one against how many. “

“ I don't need to fight them all I have to only find the Nexis, a device, or a person. That is there lens that aims the power of the group, I then and drop my hand crafted personal sized hurricane on them. In all of Maggie days, she has found only one witch able to cast from inside of, or through a hurricane, I seriously doubt any of their cannon fodder, unskilled casters can.”

“ Who was that Betty, Merlin or some other ancient myth, or a being with super powers?”

“No just an idiot savant who was never told, and who didn't know,that it couldn't be done. Me.”

“ Sister when did ye do this and where.?”

“ It was graduation I had spent every pound and penny I could find, planning and preparing a party for my classmates when A nasty bit of spoiled rotten work, from Brandenburg, Using her fathers pull canceled, my non refundable reservations, then told my guests I had left town having scammed them. She ruining their graduation celebration but then took her friends on her Daddy's 200 foot floating play toy, for a trip around the bay, I got to the coast on a friends borrowed BMW cycle in time to see line of sight where they were. My rage taped into some local unstable north sea weather and created an unseasonable nasty storm which followed them around the Irish Sea like a puppy dog, and the center of the storm rotated around them. After several hours even the crew took sea sick, so by Daddy's orders, they put back in frazzled and totally exhausted. The Brandenburg bitch came back to port cold, and wet. To be greeted, at the docks, by my friends who discovered her scam. Her reception was so toasty she was no longer cold, or wet. Goddess Maggie really chewed my ass out about that stunt, I was misusing my powers, and teachings, harmed innocent people, and I could have exposed our people to the public.”

Alease had a puzzled look as if I had suddenly gone totally stupid.”Betty I nay know how to prepare you for this shock, but there is nay that type weather which occurs here. How or where do ye intend to carry out such a stunt.?”

“Well Partner, I be reckoning if Pecos Bill can lasso a tornado, I should be able to one up him, by lassoing a small hurricane, or just the pieces of one.”

“ Betty that is a myth one of ye Yankees tall tails, it's Blarney.”

“Alease did it ever occur to you that I know a few things ye do not. Like that I mix modern understandings with my crafting, you see I am an amateur weather observer. So I know from the satellite weather picture that we are presently balanced on the edge of seasonal weather
changes from summer to fall.. Now the warmer southern summer system is balance with the colder north fall system. Both competing weather patterns are parked , by some means, I will not tell, right off the coast of this state. I have been able to fineness two tendril eddy's, one from the cold one from the warm patterns, holding them on there respective side of the Olympic mountains . On the day before Samhain I will portion them out then attract what I want into a convergence center roughly targeted around here. On Samhain I narrow down the circulation until I find the nexus point of these bastards, dropping the combined force of
these tendrils on top of what ever artifact or person that's at the source of this. Uncombined they are just a bit of nasty weather hurting no one. Combined, they become Molnar, Thor's hammer, Let them try to cast through that. because I can“

“Betty this is a side of ye I never knew about even as close as we are. Ye have a bit of Psychotic maliciousness a running through ye.“

'You haven't seen Psychotic yet. Sister, I am a mother, these are my family, and friends in the cross hairs. and now, I have the ways, and means to protect them. Any way 'It's the old Hair of the dog trick agent 99', from my last months battle with them.”

“ What the helheim are ye going on about?.”

Before she even finished talking, I was laughing too hard to answer her. 1960s sit com humor would just be too oblique for Alease. And by the time I explained it wouldn't be funny any longer. Worse yet I would remove all doubt, that I am crazy. So to my self only, I sung

“ Maybe she's right I might be crazy, but it may be a lunatic, 'the Morgana' ,is look for.”

“So Alease I do understand, that come all Hallows Eve, I am going to full out war, this is not a skirmish, or probing distraction action, I am going to get into there faces, stomp them down, and if they persist I then will lop off their head. I know I must act like this COULD BE my last act on earth, if I fail it will be. If so bury my remains in my white buckskins with my Pipe and tomahawk.

I may be known as peace maker, but if they bring me war, I will give it back to them, I want them to smell there own blood, that up close and personnel. Win Louse or Draw they are going to know they have tangled with something as bad ass and determined as they are.“ .

Hazard

I was talking to a couple of native volunteers who are members of the Local Iron Men search and rescue team, when a white rock the size of my head came sailing through the air landing short rolling up to me. On it written in black marker was 'Hi I be here.' John Crow Dog took one look at it exclaiming “

“ You got that mangy wolf Mc James working for you now, have heard he is in town.”

“Yep that's his calling card all right, why cant he use a radio like any one else?” Thumbing my microphone button I signaled our sentry to let him in, and escort him to me. I also called Sam to keep an eye on her team mate.

.

Betty

After I caught my breath I was fine so I told Alease that I had to just finished up a few things in town before settling down to work. Eating an early dinner before the kids got out of school. Erma had joined me and was studying me closely which I found very annoying.

“Take a picture it would last longer, and would be less annoying.”

“Well Betz I was just looking to see if I could tell how well done you are without poking you with a fork.”

“Oh I would find that a lot more annoying, and to answer your question Yes when I am done with my dinner I am retreating to the cave to start my preparation work, I need to have Louise gather my kids to watch them tonight,”

“Got a better idea, let me watch them they would not likely know its not you, and I need to get to know them,”

“Do it as your self Erma, those kids are sharp, better to hide what you are, by just being your personality, get to know them as well as you know me, before you try to imitate me, never underestimate those kids, remember they are talented as well, making them even harder to get over on them.”

“You seam to be a little sharp this afternoon Betz, are you ok?”

“Just adjusting to my new reality Erma, having to be the custodian of all of this power is uncomfortable for me. I am having to learn an entirely new way of being, and living. none of it convenient, or , for now, fully understandable.”

“You sound like you're having control issues Betz. Remember you also need to embrace the unexpected, to take what is happening in, along with your plans. Dynamically adjusting along the way, is the real secret weapon you have against the Untouchables, They only play on a flat prepared floor, and by a ridged set of plans. You can go off road, and play it by ear allowing you to dance around any set blockade.”

“I know your right Erma, it's just hard right now, sorry for being short tempered and cranky,”

“Any second thoughts about this new and improved you?”

“Not really it is just adjusting to, and accepting that I have a rare chance to make a big difference in a lot of peoples lives, something I always wanted to be able to do. It's just that when you get to see your dreams suddenly shoved under your nose their size and complexity can really scare the shit out of you. Up until now everything has been stuff I am familiar with and have done before. Now this is a totally playground. Like being moving from the little kids sandbox into the older kids play area, There is no fence, I am no longer the biggest kid in the place, I am just little me, in a big world. And the kids playing here are really intimidating.”

“Betz always remember before you got here, that you have had twenty six previous lives on
this little ball of spinning dirt. All of that experience, and wisdom is there within you, just call on it and you will find the answers you are looking for. I am just here to remind you, what other resource that are here, so get your thermos of coffee from Marge and get to work you're burning starlight.”

Sam

When I got the call to come and escort James to the briefing room I was surprised to see a familiar face I haven't seen since they shipped out of Afghanistan, before me. Buford Block was my heavy weapons officer for our forward recon group. He was the one who sent that cryptic message 'wish you were here,'. We greeted each other warmly with his saluting me calling me Lieutenant. Havoc was a bit surprised until Blocks explained to him I had been his CO in Afghanistan. Blocks then greeted James with a firm hand shake thanking him for saving his life a few years back during a out of country intelligence operation that had went south. James remembered him and exchanged pleasantries. Then we were off with Blocks tagging along just long enough to tell me a bit of interesting information about James.

“Sam James is a good man but there are things about him that you should know so you don't get freaked out if something happens.”

“Blocks did I ever get freaked out the entire time you worked with me, why now.?”

“Sorry Lieutenant this may be a bit forward of me, but Havoc knows the two of you are very close its why he picked the two of you for this operation. I also know your partial to wolves, Mc James is more wolf that you suspect if you know what I mean, he is one of a group we call the Unseen, and they are really out there different than us. Mc James is a great guy he saved our entire squad but he changed into something I cant even describe. Just be careful out there Lieutenant.”

“Thanks Blocks, don't say a word of this to any one, and thanks for having my back.”

“Your welcome and thanks Lieutenant, now go break a leg.”

This hung in the back of my mind through the entire briefing, like an annoying piece of food caught in my back tooth. I had to keep first things first so I just filed it away and payed attention to the pretty toys we had to play with on this operations.

Hazard

“Ok folks this is the skinny, our friends, and allies Homeland security ,ATF and the likes need to have actionable intelligence showing that there is a high possibility the C4 is there where Sam and Mc James traced to.. WE are sending those two in to find out what the location is really like, and how best to approach it. Our intelligence is worthless, as there has been nothing recorded about the place since 1972. We are going to provide the investigation team with a set of disposable small drones to skulk around finding out what can be found. These also can attache them to any active radio tower, and they can recharge inductively from the broadcast energy. The drone will record information until we recall them at a later date. “

“So Hazard me mate, do we go and knock on the front door, and ask for a cup of C4, or does the company have a explosive sniffing rat on the payroll.”

“Mc James our inside operative would only slightly chafe calling him a rat, but he will somehow get to you a sample of any explosives that are there.

The biggest most important thing is to not get caught, we can allow for a few casualties by the cover that this is a drug search, but please Mc James avoid any large scale carnage. That goes for you as well Sam, these folks are at this point considered to be good old boy Americans, with a slightly odd hobby.”

“Why cant ye yanks keep to the normal type of pastimes like stamp or coin collecting maybe barbed wire knitting, or how aboot painting lead war figures, no you have blokes building play forts out of scrap. “

“Hey Mc James it gives a whole new meaning to Junk Yard Wars, you Brits gave us that “ Sam shot back, to which James only groaned, “ I should have seen that coming.”

Betty

I had set up in Ann's Crafting cave this time as it was separated from the township with all of its distractions. The wardings around the cave gave me a warm protective feeling knowing that only a tactical nuke could uncover it or break in, I was able to work uninterrupted until well after sun down.

A very mistaken impression of casting is that people mistakenly think that I can do, what I want, when I want, like Harry Potter with his wand, it's not that easily done. You work with the power when it bids you to do so, and how it wants you to. That's why it takes some fore thought to prepare, discovering what you have to work with. Just popping in with some nincompoop spell is a good way of getting dead. We do have contingency spells that need no mumbling in Latin, or action to cast. It is stored like a booby trap that activates only when it is needed, this magic not mechanical boom booms. These take time to craft the correct material to work with ,and the correct phase of the moon.

There is a lot of planning, checking of what planets are in the heavens, compared to your birth chart, and a lot of trivial drin people would likely overlook. As a Hedge Witch had to take all of this in account. Being meticulous counts in so many ways, maybe as I grow with my craft I can let some of this go, but for now Maggie's lesions about sloppy work remain my gold standard.

Ann's old cave hide away was delightfully quiet, how enjoyable it was just to feel the lacking of stimulation. The emptiness was both luxurious and at the same time sensual. I can't afford any distractions. the burdens on my senses dropped away, my mind found it's calm spot and rested lightly within. I was ,for this moment, free of outside distractions, Erma was standing in as my Lamont Cranston keeping the children safe from my non-secret identity. I was needing to act freely with out worry about there safety, just in case preparations go wrong.

Alease was totally correct and it was time for me to finish setting the stage, and by completing my blocking out this Samhain campaign, to favor my success, doing so I was laying my foundation, of what was to happen when. I wanted my adversary's surprised and running for cover, when this train comes through the station wall.

I can not assuming that I am still anonymous, and that I have not been tagged. Also I don't know how targeted there personal attacks could be, so I needed several locations I can work from as casting areas allowing me to move around if they find my range and location at one, I can move to another.

'Oh Bother'

In a flash my mind asked, where was James off to, he has been conspicuously absent today? That thought brought a shiver through me, when James is conspicuously missing, there is a game a foot, And I am in the blind, on what he is doing or where he is. The shiver was a warning surrounding him in particular. This type of warning meant something was dangerously threatening him which is never a good thing, but especially before I go full out.

That thought gave me severely itchy feet, because I have learned that I must honor my impressions I had to settle my work in a safe parking position, and get out for a walk to see whats bothering me so much maybe the need for fresh air. Some how I seriously doubted it, it felt like some one had James in the cross hairs. I knew he could generally cared for him self but this feeling was about mortal danger, to him in particular and near by in the out side world.

Sam

Our approach was flawless, our infiltration perfect. Working with a pro like James was a real treat, the down side with no real intelligence as to the field conditions, we were flying blind into a wasp nest. This county had no proper records of this property, and the township had a don't ask don't tell policy in surrounding land usage, The up shot was we were blindsided by this being a defunct junk yard. We were walking on the graves of Americas obsession with the
iron pony, everything was covered in vines moss with trees growing up through the rusted
rotted remains covering thousands of hidden traps as the car and truck bodies crumble under our feet, slowing our progress to a creep, No one inside knew we were there, but we were mired, trapped, with no quick and easy way of egress. Our secure communications were blocked by a low level jamming signal, so we could not even contact our C&C to let them know that ground assault was off the menu. We had prepared a burst coded transmission to be sent if we found away, because although our RF devices can't be understood by eaves droppers, the just discovered antenna farm around and inside the compound would inform them t something was sent and the approx location it came from.

“Sam I think we are as close as we are going to get to the compound and we need to let B and W know this is a no go. We nay even have the information they need to suss this nut out.”

“Lets try those little flying camera bug to get a better sense of whats there.”

“Good Idea but don't let it transmit back to us just pop up, scan, retreat to us, we direct link extract. then send it back up.”

“That may take a little time,”

“That's nay any problem as my leg is trapped inside of what I am sitting on so lets make the best of what we got.”

Mr Black

It has been over two hours since we inserted the recon team and there is nothing. not even a peep.

Com
Agent Black sir there has been chatter on the local police bands that just informed us that
there is a big action of local law enforcement coming together in Summer town, focusing its target on our operations location.

Damn it we filled the papers to keep local law enforcement safely out of the picture.

No sir this is deliberate the Sharif telling every one to ignore those papers and is coming directly from the Summer Town local PD. Dispatch.

Does he thinks he is the all American Sheriff of Nottingham this is federal jurisdiction.

Hey W we need to talk.

Bout what partner.

This operation has gone all pear shape on us. No news from the recon team meaning they are not able to communicate with us. The earlier aerial pictures were shit, the entire area is overgrown by trees and bushes hiding the ground level. We have just been informed that we sat them down on the edge of an overgrown historic junk yard, a real mess of old car bodies, farming equipment and truck carcasses, all which may be trapping them from egress. Now the local police are mounting a major operations on top of them. .Bottom line we need to abort and get our people out, before they catch there death of lead poisoning in a cross fire.

“Shit that's the last time I allow the County to feed us local information , how do you miss telling us there is a historic trash pit of that size, I bet that this local police operation is no accident, some one is covering there ass.”

“Communications”

“yes sir Agent White“

“git me the air field'

“Right away sir!”

Sam

I had been working for about another hour or so when we noticed action at the front gate, with people coming up from the other side of where we were. They did not have the problems of negotiating through this shit it has been cleared on there side, and they had defensive points established with over lapping fiends of fire.

I had an call sign from an outside communications unit nearby but behind us. It ID as being one of ours and it sent me instructions There was a soft buzzing above drawing my attention to a spot just visible above the trees where there was some starlight being blocked out by our much larger flying friend I grabbed a fully charged micro drone and flash loaded it with our intelligence then sent it up to our the new visitor. Moments later I got back some bad news.

“Shit James we are boned but good, I just got an update from C and C something has kicked this nest of red ants and they are packing for an invasion they make a whole mess of twenty or more local police units not even two clicks away from the compound and our position. We are to abort and withdraw.”

“Ye get out Sam that's an order, I am trapped so I must stay hunker down here and let this storm blow over, maybe they will overlook me I should be all right. “

Just then there was a slight hissing sound to our right and I watched the tree's chopped into a mess of splinters. A round object went flying over those shortened stubs and ignited in a smoking reddish white flame, “flairs” James muttered, then a second larger ball dropped into the same area and after a few seconds it exploded with a thump not a loud bang shredding more of the undergrowth. There was another spray of something that shredded things to our left , and the same procedure was followed we were in a very narrow band of cover so when a third hollow sounding metal ball hit the ground we both flinched, this one did nothing.

“Sam go now, I bet that ball is the evidence, get it and scat.”

“You ass I don”t leave my people behind no matter what, we have a better chance together than apart".

All the time I was talking I was moving retrieving my own design utility hand ax from my side belt,

“Now shut up and don't move”

I made my first swing at the upper edge of the car body over the windshield we were sitting on

“or you will be”

I took the second swing splitting the upper windshield ridge,

“peeing sitting down”

I smashed the windshield . And freed James foot from the steering wheel that held it.

”for the rest of your life.”

James ripped the remaining metal away from his leg freeing it, pushing with his good leg he launched the two of us off the top of the cars sending us ass over tin cups down from the pile we were sitting on.

“Sam if ye wanted a circumcised man all ye need to do was ask.”

“Worry not love, good luck finding a Moil with combat experience.”

I grabbed the hollow ball and both of us started running zig zag different paths keeping low using our cover. A large ball hit and rolled between us it's fuse still burning, which James soccer side kicked back to where it came from. In a moment there was another dull thump from it behind us, then I was compelled by James's bulk to hit the ground as a largish branch flew over us.

I found moments later I had been picked up back on my feet and the two of us were running like bunnies to get out of this maze. As we went we picked our way, keeping low but listening for others in pursuit. We weren't surprised when we found out just how close they had gotten from the shouting around us.

I spy.

Betty

I Had arrived at the top of the best look out point to see down valley, I saw a sea of red and blue police lights starting to line up around something I could not make out. I cast my senses out and found a very agitated flash from James with another he was deeply concerned for. I fixed the location to where the police action was happening at the bottom of the valley near where the road from the south came up. At my distance I could see nothing but I knew some one who could Aurora. Questing for her I discovered her hunting mice about half way in between. I reached out to her finding her excited to sense me, I was caught up in all of the excitement she was feeling and had to pull myself back.

Before I got in too deeply I sent a blessing of protection and good luck to Aurora, James and friend. I was limited at this distance to what I could do at this short of notice, but there natural skills with just a bit of luck and protection should be enough to get them out alive, I pray it is enough.

No Retreat

Sam

We had stopped for a moment for me to field dress James leg. How he was running on it I did not know it was cut very deep and he had lost a lot of blood. The spray bandage we had been given in our first aid kit stopped the flow of blood and sealed the wound with a protective infection fighting foam. I then applied a night ops top bandage over it,

“Sam I can gimp out of here, just go and save your self don't slow your self down.”

At that moment James sagged a bit, from the loss of blood.

“Drink up man get some fluid into you” I had pulled his hydration tube to where he could get it.

“Good idea Sam I must be getting old, to forget that.”

As he drank deeply Both of us noticed the sounds coming up behind us that wasn't two footers, it was four, a lot of four footers. They were following James's blood trail and we both knew we could not out run them. So we picked our spot to stand, just when the lead alpha dog came into sight, it was a huge thing that walked like he owned the earth under him. Behind him was a large ragtag mess of mutts all waiting their turn for a piece of our meat. James and the Alpha locked eyes, then James pointed at the Alpha and with a voice so base and deep simply said

“ He's mine, you can have the rest, but that bad mutt is mine.”

In that moment everything fell quiet, then somewhere a cosmic fight bell rang, and the two contestants charged each other head on.

Remember your comments are the Tiramisu in a writers life our egos need to know how we are doing, so please be generous and leave a comment.

Shift HAPPENS Part 2 - More Please By Misha Nova Copyright © 2012 by Misha Nova All Rights Reserved.

Image Credit: José N. Harris - Time .
 

Part 2

More Please

I was excited but out of it when we were at the club. The focus and energy from performing waned a bit, as did my balance from drinking. I felt like I was walking on a ship during a storm. It occurred to me that I needed to get out of the shoes I was wearing, as I was struggling to stand. Poppy decided to help me in case I needed help in removing my shoes.

Poppy told Michele, “Michele my girl, you look to be a little tipsy. You might want to sit down a bit until you get your bearings back and take those neck breakers off.”

After Poppy eased me into our booth, I removed my shoes. While removing my shoes it occurred to me why wearing heels and drinking is a bad idea. Poppy added, “Michele, real girlfriends don’t let their friends walk drunk in heels."

Having no experience with being drunk, I needed the help. The manager of the club gave me another stiff drink along with some prize money. Immediately, Poppy and Danny took control of my silly self. Before I started to drink the last drink given to me, Danny stopped me.

Michele said to Poppy, “I think I need to sit the rest of the evening out. Gads, things are so wobbly and I am so fuzzy, I can’t see or think straight?

Michele then asked Danny “Danny be honest with me. Is it me, or is the room rolling a bit?

“Girl, a word from a wise friend, before you get yourself stupid from drinking, I think you need to stop. From what you have already drunk, it is going to have a steadily increasing effect on you.” Danny replied.

“Oh good grief Danny, what have I done? I am so sorry to be embarrassing you in public. First I act as if I can sing, then get drunk. What’s next? No, no, I do not want to know. I need to get home before I do something bad.” Michele stated.

“Let’s get you home, my misbehaving angel. You’re still a long way from phoo pah. Sam and I still have that record from when we me in Thailand.” Danny said in a low voice. Sam then chuckled and added, “Oh those were the days, and they were fun, but thank God they ended. It would have killed me if they didn’t. Michele my love, you are only modestly off kilter and between friends it is nothing, so chill out and relax. We’ll keep you safe and modest.”

That got me to ease up on myself a bit. While we were walking to the car, I was able to walk a relatively straight line. I believe Mark Twain put it best, when he commented in a story about a drunken person falling down a set of weaving stairs, “God pity the sailor out on a night like this.” By the time we arrived home, I was full sail into the gale, and having a little problem walking up my set of weaving stairs. It was late in the morning, about 3 a.m. and it took Poppy’s assistance to get me on my couch.

My confusion at waking up on the couch wrapped up in my Santa Fe blanket wasn’t too bad. The sight of a trophy on the coffee table was the real shocker. It brought back the memories from last night to me. There sitting on the table was the physical evidence from last night ensuring it was not a fantasy.
 

OPERATION REMEMBER THIS

The morning after the night before, saw the six conspirators in a multiple lined phone and internet huddle. Sam and Danny were pulling their end of ‘Operation Remember This’ talking to Poppy who was getting Betty, Jessa, and Elena ready to be picked up. Seala was Skyping for directions to Michele’s condominium.

“With the distractions of Poppy and posse, and Seala can keep her busy in the studio until Danny's set up is complete. Michele will be clueless until she comes back down stairs.”

“Sam” Seala inquired, “what time should clueless me be ready?”

Sam answered, “Seala my dear, you are never clueless, only uniformed for your protection. I will call you about 15 minutes before I collect you around 1 p.m. But, depending on other timings on our end, that time may shift a bit, so I will text you about any changes.”

Sam told Poppy, “you should show up around 1 p.m. or there about. I want to give our poor darling a chance to wake up and eat something light before we descend on her sanctum. Everything will go pear shape if we do not pull this part off correctly. Let’s set our watches to 9:00 a.m. Mark now!”

Poppy, Sam and Danny all sung out 'done' as they have so many times in the past performing some coordinated activity together. The others just giggled at there perceived silliness.

“Sam, what’s with the James Bond act?” Elena asked, and then said, “I think you love playing spy too much.”

“Elena my dear child, in my younger days, I would have been able to catch and seduce agent Bond if he ever existed. That was when I was with the government Special Ops. Bond stands out like a neon sign to a real field operative. Our life was based on blending in and just being like everyone else. Not flashy and too pretty to be believed.” Sam replied.

“You were a Mountie, Sam. I can’t believe that you were Nell or Dudley horse.” Betty chortled.

“He did play Nell a couple of times during operations and his partner was hung like the horse”, Danny interjected. “Yes, he was an important part of the department, acting as a coordinator communications, intelligence gathering, medic and so many other hats, his boss called him Swiss Army knife operative. He even turned a high-level Russian agent who fell in love with his Nell personality. She was heartbroken to find out that Sam was a gay guy, not a trans girlfriend. She is the one who put Sam and me together when Sam ran off to Thailand. She still sends us Christmas cards and we get together every now and then when she is down from the Yukon’s.”

“Sam, what the hell does she do up in the Yukon’s?” Poppy asked.

Smiling, Sam speaking in a fake Russian accent, “She and her boss Boris, chase moose and squirrel, that’s what. Now back to work.”
 

Green Fairy Dreams

My dreams were jumbled and a bit weird. The dream I remember was a debate between the two sides of my selves. This is an old cold war buried very deeply. This time though, it was very funny. There was my conservative self-speaking in Shakespearean verse, all stilted and formal in a pentatonic verse. Then there was my goofy free loving hippie self and she was battering back in free verse. “Fer Sure”. The two juxtaposed, were hysterical to hear, and spotlighted just how torn I was over the situation. Wow, I need to find out just what was in those drinks last night to give me such vivid dreams.

I was able to pry myself out of my bed and into the shower around 11:30 a.m. I had to let the fancy showerhead pound me back to life with its 100,000 pulsating massaging streams. After about 15 minutes, I became pro-too human but capable of speech.

My home phone started ringing while I was in the shower. I got out in time to answer and I saw that Ma Ma Cat was calling, which put me in a good mood. A spontaneous funny bone response came out when I answered. I said in a monotone:

“City morgue, you kill them, we chill them, you stab them, we slab them, stiffly speaking.”

Sam cracked up making all the funny sounds he makes when he finds something super funny. “Michele”, as he started to recover a bit, “O God, Michele, I wanted to see if you are all right after last night.”

Michele replied to Sam, “Ma Ma Cat, I am a bit blank about last night so let’s not go there. And I don’t want any regalement about how funny I was to be singing at a bar. Especially from the skunk whose idea it was to go there and whose wife got me plowed enough to howl in public.”

“Michele, you howled beautifully last night. The crowd voted you the best and what is more important is Seala knows talent when she sees it, and you got talent kid.” To that, I groaned loudly enough to get Sam to laugh again. “Michele my lass, get some coffee, eat something simple like toast. You need some time to wake up. Then go and see your performance on Poppy’s Facebook page. That will bring it all back. TTFN.” My first thought after he hung up was ‘another fine mess I got myself into.’

My automatic coffee maker dutifully made me a pot of coffee, which drew me into the kitchen. The coffee was dark enough to be tar sand, so it had to be Poppy that made it. I drank it anyway.
 

The Plot Thickens

By 10:30 a.m., Poppy was getting Betty, Jessa, and Elena their coffee at a local coffee internet Café as they chatted about Michele’s lack of birthday celebrations.

“Who can forget their birthday?” rang out from Betty and Elena, who often spoke at the same time saying nearly the same thing. Both Poppy and Jessa were quiet for a moment, setting the mood to somber. Poppy started to explain:

“None of us know the total story except Ma Ma Cat. But from what we know, a real tragedy uprooted Michele’s family. After living in some sort of religious prison camp, Michele returned to the States when she was 17, and forced to fend for herself with little to no contact with her parents who remained out of country in protective custody. That was twenty-four years ago. Someone has blocked Michele from going back to the States under some agreement. Michele was forced to sign with the State Department forcing her to live outside of the U.S., so her parents could come back home to the U.S. for medical treatment. It’s voluntary, getting around their Constitutional rights. And it is legally binding until the State Department changes its mind.”

Jacklyn continued, “Her father died five years ago and was buried by the Franciscans, the Catholic order the family worked for doing missionary work. A different order that has custody of Michele’s mother would not let her go to the funeral, claiming they were protecting her health. Michele could not get even a mercy passport to be there, due to National Security Issues not disclosed bullshit. Michele’s mother seldom gets to talk to her over the phone and her calls are monitored by the clergy.”

“Long story short of this, Michele was never able to get passed lousing about her parents whom she loves immensely. The family always made a big thing out of every ones birthday. So when they separated Michele stopped celebrating her birthday. It has been so long, she appears to have forgotten how to, and she gets all stiff and sharp with everyone around this time of year.

Ya, Elena piped in, she went all ‘Major Houlihan’ on Mary last week for something small. So when Mary saw Michele smiling and humming to herself, she told me, “Margaret must have gotten laid.”

Poppy laughed so hard, coffee came out of her nose, and Jessa was patting Poppy on her back trying to help. There was knowing glances between the people at the table leaving much unsaid.

Elena continued, “I never knew Michele was so talented and funny to be around when she lets her hair down. Who could have known that personality was buried under her work personality?”

“Elena”, Poppy cut in, “you need to know Michele first started medical training in a war zone when she was 11. Her family worked as missionaries and Narc-O-Lords, and then rebels were attacking the area they worked in. Her family was always being caught in the middle, and had to help the ‘Doctor’s Without Borders’ to save lives. This type of stuff was a normal part of their people’s lives, so Michele as she grew up became a sort of medic out of necessity.”

“Wow, it’s good to know that about her! That explains a lot of why she is so intense about things. She must be a classic text book PTSD customer.” Betty stammered.

“Betty, let me be blunt,” Jacklyn spoke. “PTSD revolves around an event or a closely group of events. Michele’s life was in a combat zone. Her family could not escape because of poly-ticks. They started in Belize, but could not leave, so they kept moving south and deeper into the mountains, until they ended up in Peru back in the middle of nowhere. In that area, they became a bit of a legend in there, continuing support of the peaceful locals. Michele’s God Parents were local Inca medicine people who stayed with the family from Belize to Peru. Then Michele and her parents were rendition to Brazil for their protection.” Jacklyn continued. “When she was returned to the U.S.A., she was able to get into a fast track high school program, gaining a lot of momentum before she went into trauma nursing as a specialist. She graduated when she was 23. She worked as a nurse for a couple of years when the deal was cut to get her parents back into the States, forcing her to move to Canada. Here she met Samuel and Danny who sort of adopted her while she was retraining to work with the Canada medical system. Poppy met her about the same time, as she was becoming a RN after being a LPN in the States. I met Michele when Samuel and Michele, then Poppy hired in here about 7 years ago. Wasn’t it Poppy?

Poppy answered, “About that time for me I think. Michele and Ma Ma Cat have been here for at least 8 years and change. Adding, Michele is tough and by the book for a reason, it saves lives. Death is her nemesis, and I personally know of at least 8 patients that she shepherded back to life from the valley of death. That is only part of the reason all of us are doing what we are doing to help her. She has given so much of her life saving other people, now it is time for her to be helped by other people”. Of anyone we know Poppy gestured to Jacklyn, “she has earned that right. She deserves your respect as well girls,” Poppy stated at Betty and Elena, “and you can take that to the bank.”

There was a chiming of Poppy's phone signaling that they needed to get on the road.

There were a few things to gather before they needed to be in position.
 

Enter Stage Left
[Michele]

I was finishing my toast and third cup of coffee when at 1 p.m. sharp, at my door, arose such a clatter I sprung from my spot to see what is the matter. Then what to my wondering bloodshot eyes did appear, four clamoring workmates who were not very clear. God, what was in those drinks!

Three of them blurted out at once, so all I heard was loud gibberish. The best I could manage was a blank stare of incomprehension. I yelled, then winced at the volume of my own voice,

“Quiet you guys!! Why do you insist to ruin my perfectly good hangover? If you will promise to be QUIET, I will let you in.”

Jacklyn came up behind the three stooges, calm as usual, musing, “Never send the cheerleaders in to wake up the dead, as the perky makes the deceased cranky.”

I said, “Jacklyn, you are always the voice of reason amidst your pack. Now I need someone to please tell me why you’re all here.”

Interrupting, Poppy jumped in, “We are here to help you celebrate your success on YouTube. Your and Seala video, has gotten a lot of hits and positive comments since last night.”

While Poppy was booting up my edutainment system, Jacklyn and Betty looked around my condominium.

Betty asked, “Michele, are we on Paradise Island, and where is wonder woman? The fountain by the door, the gossamer curtains, is this your Fortress of Solitude?”

“Betty, yes it is. But part of this is the original decoration done by my Aunt, the first owner of Casa Del Solitude. Aunt Clara had a thing for the classic Greek female goddess thing.”

“I moved here from the States to take care of her for the last five years she was alive.”

After I can get my poop in a group, I will give you the $2 tour.”

Within moments, I was watching a video of Seala and my entire performance, all in 58-inch super high definition. Someone made a video mosaic from Poppy’s I pad, and several other people’s cell phone, and Tablet’s uploads. This gave the effect of different camera angles, capturing our showmanship and adding a pro touch. From what I could see, both of us had solid outing. Seala’s being smoky and sophisticated, complementing my emotional and edgy. The combined effect created an excellent ensemble act. We did together what was not achievable alone. Even as strangers we were able to in a flash, create an electrifying audience pleasing performance.

Because I was on stage wrapped up in the totality of the formula, I did not notice the individual reactions until I witnessed them now. Reaction to Seala’s performance was tempered by the fascination with me being both new and good! I was embarrassed and confused by what I had just seen, the video brought back all of the memories and sensations I felt during the performance. I could feel my voice in my chest reacting to each pulse of the songs, and every emotion I was expressing. I was lost as to what to say at the end of the show. The entire video was almost an hour long, including both of our solo performances, the duets, the effects, comments, and embellishments.

I felt my face blush so badly, it felt like a torch. But honestly, I had to admit, it was a good show. By the way we worked the stage, both of us looked liked a hot Vegas act. Seala was smooth, and provokingly sexy. I was a fire burning up the stage.

“See Michele, we were not pulling your leg or teasing you last night. The two of you were fantastic, not just good.”

That unexpected voice whispered in my ear caused me to yelp and jump. There stood Sam and Seala who had slipped in when I was fascinated by the video. Both were grinning and giggling to themselves. Sam was the only one who could do this to me. I hated it when he does that.

“Ma Ma Cat, you goof, you’re the only one who can do that, and it bugs the shit out of me.

“Yes, Wolfness, Yes I am, and I am your big brother, so it’s my job to keep you honestly on your toes.”

Seala looked at me with amused eyes, “is it always like this between the two of you?”

We both answered yes at the same time, Seala just laughed.

“I think this is going to be a strange or wonderful relationship. I need to know which one of you is strange and which one is wonderful.” Everyone laughed at that.

By now, my stomach started to rumble asking for more food than the toast provided and it already moved on. “Haay guys, anyone else hungry? I need a refill of coffee and food, a lot of both.” I started to get up to pull something together in the kitchen when Jacklyn who had a fresh cup of coffee and a bear claw intercepted me.

“You need to be showing your studio. We will take care of brunch for you.” Sam said.

Just then there was a very loud noise from my kitchen followed by Sam saying, “sorry my bad.”

I yelled, “Sam, that better not be my omelet pan.”

Seala asked me, “What’s happening, has everyone gone south in their head?”

“Yes, yes, they have my friend.”

“Michele, let these kooks do their thing, while you be my tour guide to your place.”
 

Forging A Dream

A moment later, we were in my studio. My condominium was a conversion of an old Victorian mansion, and my top floor unit was the quirky one, using the strangely shaped areas on the third floor and some of the parts of the fourth floor unfinished attic. So, I have an odd floor plan allowing me to use space creatively. My studio was in the attic, which had an unfinished walk in closet I use for my isolation room. I had a few odd instruments, some of them antique. I also have an oddball collection of equipment on various racks lining the walls, showing off a motley patchwork of home brew and modified consumer components.

Seala looking around bemused, examining my Foley stage, and the oddball collection of microphones, that I purchased over the years. I even have an old broadcast microphone from the 1920’s, the type Orson Welles used to perform the ‘War of the Worlds’.

Pointing at that one, Seala asked, “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yep, it was one of the first ones I got while I lived down south as a kid. I was about 11 when an old radio station had upgraded their setups, so they did not need the old relic they had in the closet. Thank goodness, they had the equalizing box and power supply. When I helped them clean out the closet the manager gave it to me with some other equipment as payment for helping him clean up the station.”

Seala asked, “Why would you want this? They had a weird sound to them. You can’t use them for modern singing or anything.”

“Haay girl, I use it for my Foley work and for the voice over effects when I make audio books for the blind. Their hearing is so much sharper, so the different frequency response adds to the color and mood of the work. One time, this old timer emailed me telling me the exact model number and series that my different equipment was.”

“Michele, this is your toy room, where you let yourself play and have fun. Good grief, some of this stuff had to cost a bundle when it was new.”

“Yes, it is my adult sandbox where I play and have fun. None of this cost much, all of it was cheap. I found things at flea markets, people’s attics, wherever I find them. I had to repair a lot of them. I learned that from my dad, who was a ham radio sparky. To be honest, I don’t have too much cash invested in it. Most of this I pulled together in college when I was in the drama club. They needed people to do tech work and I was interested. My parents were Franciscan Missionaries, so we were poor. I was working my way through school and had less money. I love sound and I was not going to let that stop me from having my tunes. This was a way I could afford my passion, and it is different enough from nursing that doing this allows me to unwind.”

Seala responded, “Samuel is right, you are a multifaceted personality. I have an engineer who would love to see this, wow; you must have so much vintage stuff here. However, when I look around here, I see a lot of effort pointed out ward. What do you do for your inner self?”

Arching my eyebrows, I gestured to my sound booth, “well, let me show you.”

Walking over to the console, I powered things up and called up the latest set up on my computer. “This is my latest project I am trying to become proficient at.” I went into my booth and got comfortably in position, then cued the start up sequence, and enabled the studio monitors. The start up sequence allows me time to warm up my voice before the real work begins. Seala took a stool from the other room and got comfortable.

Cueing the song, I nailed the first phrase sweetly on the mark. I know the song it is mine. I know how I wanted it to sound, but even more important; I felt the meaning of the words. They move me and that is what came out.
 
 
Faith of the Heart Lyrics
Rod Stewart
 
It's been a long road
Getting from there to here
It's been a long time
But my time is finally near

It's been a long road
 
 
I was smiling, but with a tear in my eye from the emotions, the song brings out from my soul. Seala was soundlessly applauding from outside my booth. Coming out, she simply walked up to me and embraced me with a big hug.

“My friend, you gave me such a gift just now! I love the way you can let loose, and put out into the air around you that emotion you are feeling through the song. It is not just a good song, you transmit your emotions through that song, honestly, only a few artists can reach for, fewer get it, and you got it. Wow! Tell me why you did not believe you can sing, and why it has taken you so long to go out and play?”

Answering from the door to the studio, Poppy’s voice interjected, “Because she is scared of being made fun of, or being laughed at. When she sings like that it is so wonderful to hear, but that is when she is completely emotionally vulnerable, and fragile. This has been a secret hideaway from the cruel world for her. The one place she allows herself to let go. But it is still a cage, one that prevents her from sharing this great gift. I never once doubted that she has great talent. I am worried for her. Does she have the strength to stand up to the scrutiny by the rest of the public? The type of inquiring minds who want to know, pursue gifted people with.”

Swifter than I could follow, Sam poked his head in the door and in a June Cleaver voice informed us, “Foods on kids, let’s eat now. Go wash your hands and face. You can play more after you eat.”

I was lucky my face was away from everyone because I was mortified by both Poppy’s bluntness, and Seala’s complements. My head was swimming trying to grapple with the idea that I had what it took to be a performer. I shut the major equipment down, quieted the lights, and then went out with the others.
 

Surprise

Coming into the living room, I was shocked to find a crowd had gathered. All cheered when I came into the room. There had to be another fourteen people in my living room all cheering my entrance. Samuel walking into the center of the room pulled out a pitch pipe, and then with a flourish, cued up Happy Birthday.

I was puzzled, but deeply moved. There were no strangers here. I knew everyone, but the singing Happy Birthday, what was that about? Betty, from Human Resources, was the first to come up to me and give me a hug.

“Michele sugar, you were not going to dodge us another year. You have given us the slip for five years, so this one was the charm.”

“Betty, what is going on?”

Danny walked up gently, placing her hand on my shoulder softly speaking, “My darling Michele, we want you to remember this day for the rest of your life. One, today you turn 34. Two, this is the year you find out that people like and need you, my little hermit. You keep avoiding your own birthday, so we wanted to prank you into a celebration. You entirely forgot this year, so for a change, we trapped you into having some fun with us.

Betty continued, “Michele, you are too good of a person to be hiding away so much girl, and I, for one want to celebrate your birthday with you this year.”

Kitty, the sweet Jamaican woman from the kitchen turned me around announcing that “Brunch was on, get it while it is hot.” There in front of me, was a portable serving line like the one used for board of director meetings. It had a large variety of food, more than enough to feed all 20 plus of us. This was a potluck brunch, so we had a little of everything. All of it was delicious. My head was truly spinning, but I was also very happy. Everyone oinked out.

An hour later, the debris gathered and removed, it was time for presents. Kitty knitted for me a pair of sleep socks plus a sleep hat all in the Jamaican National colors. Betty knowing my liking of eccentric knee socks gave me several pairs of interesting colors, some with separate toes. Seala gave me several Fake books used by performers to learn new music and lyrics, and a year’s membership as an apprentice in the local performers union. Sam and Danny gave me a beautiful Navaho silver bracelet and Squash blossom of red coral, turquoise, and jet, they were truly magnificent pieces,

Mary gifted me a box of homemade candy. Jacklyn gave me a beautiful wolf scarf and a wolf headscarf ring made out of bone. Elena and Beth got me a Hudson Bay blanket. The rest of the guests came with various gifts. All of them precious, from the simple cookies to the gift cards for coffee. There was some Navaho pottery, a beautiful Alpaca sweater, several nice but old scarves, and a Kweo wolf Kachina from Hopi country.

I haven’t had a birthday party since I was a kid living with my parents. We were living in Peru at the time, when on my 17th birthday, a Jesuit Cardinal came with Peruvian Federal troops. Then we were for our own protection put into protective internment in Brazil. What they told my parents, it was because the local Narc-O Lords were threatening to kill us, and so the church hid us. There was no celebration that year, and no celebration since then. I had no reason to celebrate. Maybe I should rethink this, I am under the impression that was then and this is now.

Today became a lot of fun for everyone involved. The chocolate cake was three layers and had chocolate ganache between each layer and you guessed it, chocolate icing. The ice cream was fudge ripple. Death by chocolate was used as a weapon of mass distraction, but what a way to go.
 

Reality What A Concept

I wandered about until the food and the cake wore me down enough to make me land on the couch for some R and R from the party. Danny was milling about, talking to the guests. Finally, she worked her way up to me. She has this sexy walk like a cat on the hunt. I love how she moves and for years, I have been learning from her. Next to Poppy, I consider her my best friend. Sitting next to me on the couch giving me a hug “Happy Birthday love, I hope you are enjoying yourself.”

“Yes, yes, I am. I think this has been the most fun I have had on my birthday since I was a kid.”

“Michele, I have known you for over six years and there is still so much I don’t know. There is so much to learn about you, but I do love to see you smile you don’t smile often enough. Both Sam and I love you to pieces and want to see you find happiness. And this she gestures around her is our little attempt to boost your opinion of yourself. And try to teach you the importance of your own happiness. YOU need to see your happiness as being important and work for it. Being selfless is not always right or the only thing you have to offer the world. And being selfish is not always wrong. You need to get off the fence you have been sitting on. Then move through your transition into being who you desire to be sweetie. That alone will clear up a lot of issues you are having emotionally.”

I was rocked so far to gasp. “We never spoke about this before, why now? I thought it would be too personal and private.”

Danny answered, “I asked Sam to tell you years ago to talk to me. God, you’re a part of the family. Honestly, I am more like your big sister than a friend, so if we can’t have a girl talk who can. I know those hungry eyes of yours watch me walk and move. I am much honored you try to imitate some of my movements; it’s natural for a little sister to learn things from their big sister. But I am moving away from what I wanted to say. I feel you are still trying to make a decisive decision, but are too isolated from the rest of our community. You need to take advantage of advice from those who have gone before you. I think you need some friendly advice, as to how others see you and know you. You want a strictly unbiased opinion from someone you trust. Am I on target here, little sister?”

“Danny, yess, I would like to know your opinion about this, you have a broader understanding than me. And yes, I am very frightened, that I may be making an irreversible mistake by having SRS, and not being content with things as they are.”

“There, that wasn’t so hard? You can be focused when you are clear and open to a subject. I can answer your question very easily. I know it is supposed to be wrong to suggest to people to take this course, or the other. In this case, convention is wrong. In my humble opinion, you are so totally a female, and would never be content until you are.

“Michele baby, not everyone can be like me, this works for me. If I didn’t have Sam, I would have finished. But with that sweet man, I am content and so is he. But do not do as I do, do, as you need to do, for yourself. And for yourself, my judgment is that you are definitively all female. I have known you long enough to see this so clearly in you, but it is my opinion and Sam’s opinion and Poppy’s and Beth’s and Elena’s and Jacklyn’s, ETC, ETC, ETC!” Danny did a classic imitation of Yule Brenner from the King and I.

I was laughing very hard. “OK, I got it; it’s time to get myself right with myself. Well sister, I think we need to go and have coffee and do some shopping when you can, so I can get some more of your expert advice.”

“This is the beginning, Michele, we wanted to blast you off that fence you have been stuck on and give you some momentum towards finding your bliss. I will call you next week. I think you need a girly girl intensive this next month, so I will make some time available. But I need to get back to settling this party, remember your happiness.”

I moved to my recliner, and then the center of the action swarmed back to me. Friends who spared no hugs for me surrounded me. Whose sharing started to melt the cold spot inside of me. As the day wore on, I was feeling more content and happy. I had always found that scary because it usually meant I was missing something, but there was a difference this time. I felt I was moving fast enough to make it into orbit and not fall back down. It was a strange unsettling feeling, like I was weightless for the first time.”

There was Sam at my shoulder as if he magically became there. “The possibility of being successful is stressful, honey. You looked a little green around the gills there, so I thought it would be good to stabilize you.”

Sam stood grinning like a cat that got the bird. “You know me too well, Ma Ma Cat. Yes, I am scared, but of what I do not know?”

“Knowing you, I would say it’s possibly being noticed or standing out from your surroundings. You have been haunted by something for so long. I think even you have forgotten what it is. You act more like a wolf than you realize. You always shun the spotlight, never looking for credit for your accomplishments. Like a person who has been hunted by some malevolent force which will punish you if you are too successful. Like an invisible hand could hit you from behind out of nowhere.”

“Wow, was the only thing I could say.”

“Michele, I have to admit there is an unfair advantage here. One, I am a psy major. Two, I still have some friends in both low and high places whom I will not tell you about. They did some favors for me, by checking some things out. You can relax; no one is hunting you anymore. Your parents received the recognition for the good people they are. So fly and be free.”

Being slammed into a wall at 30 kph would have been easier than what Sam just told me. I know better than to ask how, but why did this happen in the first place, Mr. I have high friends in low places or whatever it was you just said?

“Michele, this world is a complicated and very dangerous place for innocent people because the bad guys try to look like the rest of you, Mistakes are made and until someone cleans up the loose ends, justice and truth get hung out to dry. I am sorry for what your parents and you were subjected to and I can’t get that back. But I can get your passport back and clear your family name, so you can put some of this behind you and let you go home, if you want.”

“Sam, this IS home, that WAS home. WAS is in the past. I could never live there again, too much past to get past. You are my family now and forever, I hugged Sam hard. Thank you for my freedom, it is going to take a little time to unlearn living the way I have been doing so for a long time. Just be patient with me for a bit longer. I want to thank you for being such a good friend, and for setting me up regardless where this goes.”

“Gee, don’t I feel like the old master in Kung Fu setting my student off on their life’s walk.” Sam said. “Just understand one thing in all seriousness. If you get a good offer and don’t take it, I will fire you; I can’t have a stupid person working for me, to much liability.”

“Sam, how can I leave on such a selfish lark like this, when I am making a difference saving lives? That’s the biggest purpose here.”

“Michele, I asked you last night about your life and saving that? If you won’t or can’t do that, how can I trust you with the lives of other people? Something you do not know about me is my time in Thailand. It was because I nearly dropped the ball on myself. I was too close to checking my self out permanently all over a temporary problem. Danny was the one who saved me. She was my wake up call, my Jamie. I need to tell you, tonight and last night was not a cheap trick to get you to have some fun but a necessary intervention, to put your little Ch o Ch o Train back on its track. You are too close to burning out or breaking down. Personnel had no choice but to give you some time off. Either that or my ethics would have forced me to let you go.”

I love Sam he is the best supervisor I ever had. He can be funny as a stand up comic, or as serious as a heart attack. But you always knew where you stand with him, and what was I ashamed to admit but he was correct. I was in sad shape emotionally and mentally.

“Michele darling, if I did not know you could do this, I would have done something else other than this. But I know, not just believe, if you got the right break that you would run with it all the way. I want total happiness for you and being a nurse was only one-step in getting there, now it is time for the next step in your climb.

“I need to get home sweetheart, unlike you I need to work Monday and Sunday is my crash day. Looking at me deeply in my eyes, Michele you’re worth it. Try to let your self appreciate how special you really are, and when you make it, remember us little people who helped along the way.”

“Sam, like I could ever forget you. That is like never.”

“Hell, kid you forgot your own birthday, oh that was my point.”

I was crying softly as Sam got up and hugged me like a huger snake hard! Biding Sam goodbye, who told me to stay put and think about what we talked about today.

It was late afternoon now, and there was a chill in the air, so I started up my fireplace and folded myself into my recliner. Allowing the party to wind around me as my mind was winding around what Danny and Sam had told me.

One by one, my group of unexpected friends came by and gave me a hug and a friendly goodbye. I thanked all of them for coming and making today so special. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of people that I, until today, only counted as casual acquaintances. I was seriously mistaken for being so reclusive thinking that no one would want to know me. It would seem that those who did know me, to my surprise, liked me, and saw me a good person. I am guessing I needed to start doing the same.
 

Wake Up Call

It is hard when you find that you have been fooling yourself for so many years. There is the grace that I did not know until today. What I had feared, but could not prove was a reality. It’s liberating knowing your old paranoia’s were real, but no longer a danger. It is especially empowering to also learn that you do not have cooties or some weird social deformation, just the fact your fear made you overly cautious. There are so many things to ponder, but that my biggest hurdle is not to ponder now. I need to right now stop worrying about the dental condition of a free horse, and just ride it out of town.

I can worry about the dust settling later, there are bigger issues to consider with my newly unearthed talent. I am not comfortable being so outstanding in a field any field. My preference would be to remain quietly within the edge of a tree line, out of sight of the public, But to use my talent, that is impossible except if I was the invisible woman. That is to freakish to contemplate. So out in the open, it has to be. I wonder if wolves are a tad agoraphobic. Crikey, my mind is overloaded for me to ask that question.
 

Fireside Chat

I attempted several times to help with the clean up but the remaining crew of Poppy, Jacklyn, and Seala told me to go and sit down. They even gave me a glass of nice Holiday Spice Wine from Pennsylvania Bucks County Vineyard. Poppy has family there and she uses her Aunts import license to get a case every year. Watching the fire, sipping my wine and draying about my future, I was amazed at how much my life had changed in a little less than forty-eight hours, the old person who I was can be no longer. My mother used to tell me that once a cucumber becomes a pickle it could never go back. She has some odd sayings. But this was a fitting quip, if there ever was one, for this situation. I was chuckling to myself when the three girls joined me with their own glass of wine. When asked about why I was so jolly, I had to tell them about my memory. We all got a kick out of my mother’s homespun humor, wisdom mix, easy to learn and impossible to get out of your head.

Poppy opened up the next round of inquisitive poking at my mind trying to sound me out as where I was in my process.

I was up front with my answer “My friend, I am trying to emotionally catch up with the physical changes in my life. Before you all start, I know this will take some time this time. And I will not be letting moss grow under my rolling stone. So, without further adieu, Seala, what do you need from me to enroll in your services in keeping this process moving right along?”

“Show up at my studio on Monday.” Then Seala looked with laughing eyes to Poppy. “Is she always like this with the bad jokes?”

“Only when she is very nervous or scared, my guess is that she is nearly out of her wits, and is trying to not lose it and hurl her stomach continence into yonder fireplace. Three bad puns in a row are a bit extrema, even for her.”

Seala asked me with concern in her voice “Michele sweetheart, what has you so nervous and worried?”

“Seala, I am not an out there personality. I have always been quiet, plus a bit of a social recluse. This new situation is so out of my control, it shakes my confidence in being able to emotionally handle it, without becoming a total mess then falling apart. That would be wasting your time, money, and effort. I would then die of embarrassment.”

Poppy put her hand on my arm, “I will never let that happen to you girl. You are not going into this alone and without help. We will all help you take this slowly and build up your tolerance to all of the new things. It is not an all or nothing all at once event, but a process of growing, shedding old skin, then growing again.”

Seala continued, “I have shepherded far less talented people than you into public lives. You will have good days and bad days, but from what I saw upstairs in your studio plus last night, there will be very little that you will not be able to handle with the proper education, then taking our time as things come along. I am your friend and I will not put your emotional or physical safety in jeopardy to make a buck. You are worth more than any physical value I could place. Besides, it is my time and money to waste. And you do not have a corner on the market for stupidity. None of us do.”

Jacklyn, who had been setting quietly until now, spoke up. “I want you to know I am from a theater and entertainment family. I have seen every screw up a person can manage. Most of those, No, make that nearly all of those mistakes, come from the ego growing faster than the talent, then they forget what was important. Those people burn out because they can’t deliver on what their ego demands of them. Crash goes their ego and their career. You do not have that type of ego. You know, with four footed sureness, just where you stand, and you have the rest of us willing to lose a leg to kick you in your pretentious tail, if you start getting to big for your furry britches, girlfriend.”

“Folks, I can not promise I will not become addicted to the fun and energy this work brings out in me. I am worried about being myself and staying that way, and not losing that which is the most important thing I have. My self-respect, honesty and honor, how do I keep all of this? That part feels like an impossible mystery.”

“Michele” Poppy interjected, “there is no mystery. And the solution is in being you. You already have all of that. Being your good self is what you are addicted to. Just loosening up enough to be you, and stop trying so hard. That’s why you have been so miserable. Listen, Michele, you are a fantastic, dedicated nurse. But until last night, you refused to be a living person as well. You became just a doing, just a nurse. Especially today, stop stressing over this, let’s all of us just have some fun Then let that fun get under your skin, let it seep into your insides, and feed that living person, not just the nurse, but all of you.”

“Your heart wolf girl is a wild thing that needs to fear less, run free and howl at the moon, not hiding away whimpering in fear. That will kill you faster than any mistake you could make trying to do what you were born to do. Stagnation is the death of the creative personality. You rot from the inside out and that is still change, just not a good or pleasant change.”

My grandfather always talked about not pushing the river, but allowing the path to open for you. “Ladies, I feel a song or so trying to get out, would you do me the honor of joining me in my play room for a couple of songs if your inhibitions allow.”

All of us scampered off to my studio where I started to set things up.

“Michele,” Seala asked, “won’t we wake up your neighbors?”

“Not a chance,” Michele replied, “this room is totally sound proof. Nothing gets in or out of the room sound wise. We can totally open up and scream if we want to. If you want to know, the sound insulation is from a jet aircraft salvage supplier that I am friends with, the floor, ceiling, and walls are isolated from the bones of the house by cork dampener pads.”

“Michele, are you some sort of sound engineer under that nurse uniform?”

As I told you, I worked with a local radio station in Peru when I was a kid. I swept the floors, but it sparked my curiosity and we had to work under some very primitive conditions, as the village was poor. When we moved to Peru, I got to be one of the Foley people, so I got to work in the studio. I remember one of my friends took me to some old caves where we recorded many different effects using the acoustics of the cave. Another field trip was to a festival where several of the local villages got together for some sort of old festival where they use a large Inca site to chant and sing using drums and Pan Pipes. One of the most intense experiences I ever had. There was at least six hundred or so people faced off towards each other in two equal groups across an open area that looked built or modified to create the acoustics of the area.

The Inca’s and the people who went before had such a way of living the land and using its features. My life changed that day, being in the focus of those two chanting, singing groups changed me some how. The interplay of rhythms and tonality created a sacred effect altering the minds of perception of reality and created visions among all of those present. We recorded those experiences and used it during one of our radio drams. It was like one of the old radio drams before TV. I did American children’s voices and occasionally did a woman’s voice. I still have a high fidelity copy of some of the shows

While I was running off with my mouth, Poppy was turning on and setting up the studio for us to play. The first title we did was warm up our voices. Seala helped us with some toning in harmonies. We actually got some Gregorian chanting in English. Then we played ‘What Do You Do with Maria’, from the Sound of Music. Then we did ‘America’ from West Side story. We all played with this being a campy number. Seala and Poppy did ‘Toto Africa’. Then we worked on ‘The Longest Time’ by Billy Joel. We had most of it fitted together, but we lacked the lower tones needed for a good Do Wop sound. Seala mentioned Charles, the baritone from the club.

“He is such a good sport and uses the club to have fun because his day job is so serious.”

“What does he do? I asked.

“He is an Opera singer and can not be seen performing ‘trash music’ by his fellow singers, so he plays with us, and they leave him alone. Everyone else has their own secret vice music; they just cannot appear professionally outside of the Opera company. So, he does our circuit.”

On my Foley stage, I had a small anvil, which Jacklyn started tapping. Then we all started doing ya ta da to the anvil chorus.

Beth and Elena both cracked up saying, “Anvil would be a great name for a heavy metal group.”

All of us fell out over that. Seala stopped mid-chuckle and was trying to come up with an alternative name riffing off Anvil saying, “Damn, it is on the tip of my tongue. It’s something like that but bigger.”

She looked at me with pleading eyes asking me to help. It suddenly came to me forcing its self out of my mouth at the same time Seala spoke with me A FORGE.

FORGE, the rest of the group looked at us a bit as if they did not get it.

I elaborated, “A forge is a place where metal is formed by melting, hammering, and bending it into shape. Like Valley Forge where the revolutionary war colonies made guns, cannons, and bayonets. But it can also describe where ideas get pounded out.”

Then Seala added, “Or where songs and music takes form and styles are hammered out.”

All at once, a sudden spark of inspiration gave me goose bumps.

“I stammered out, girls I think we may have just created something that is begging to be let out and played with, and by the Muses daughters of Zeus if you are with me or not, I gotta do this. For those of you with me, I give you FORGE.”

I stood at the center of our group with my hand up in the air. Seala walked up with confidence and joined me grasping my hand, then Poppy, Beth, Jacklyn, and Elena. All of us gathered like a group of knights with swords raised together, then on que, we all spoke, “ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL.”

My ‘total resolve’ birthed that night in the playroom. I remembered what the old man at the gathering in Peru told me. He knew that I changed under a full moon up in that lofty valley. He told me I would be tested harshly during the first part of my life preparing me for the time when I will know to act! At that time, his words and what happened that night would all come back to me, and then I will know that this is the time and I will find it necessary to focus every ounce of my passion, on the presented goals. Doing so, every force focused that night would be available for me to be able to grow and prosper.