{"id":1049,"date":"2012-02-03T00:00:43","date_gmt":"2012-02-03T05:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1049"},"modified":"2012-02-02T13:34:27","modified_gmt":"2012-02-02T18:34:27","slug":"autumn-chapter-3-marin-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1049","title":{"rendered":"Autumn – Chapter 3 – Marin – 03"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>We lit lanterns\u2014flame and battery operated both\u2014and gathered up bundles of herbs, incense from our combined stashes, matches, and other items that Phelan insisted we might need.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline added a few things to our list, blushing a little as she said that she\u2019d be coming along with us.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The lower edge of the sun was touching the horizon when we set out from camp toward the ravine bridge, a cluster of us using kinetic flashlights and the lanterns to light our way.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>J.T. carried a set of tiki torches over his shoulder, another attempt to illuminate the burials a little more if we could.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The lanterns would only shed so much light when we set them on the ground, and this was going to be eerie enough as it was.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I walked with Thom, a few steps behind Phelan and ahead of J.T. and Carolyn, neither of whom were saying much on the way over.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>We crossed the bridge in pairs, and by the time we were all across the sun had slipped more than a third of the way down the horizon, casting long, golden shafts of light across the pavement in front of us.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPhelan,\u201d I said as we gathered again on the plaza, \u201cwhat exactly are we doing?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI told you that,\u201d he said with a wry smile.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He leaned against a gnarled staff of wood, one he\u2019d been working on almost since his arrival here.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019d claimed he wasn\u2019t done with it yet, but it\u2019d serve well enough for what we needed to do tonight.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBless the ground, the stronger the better.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He nodded toward Jacqueline.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cShe had some good ideas about that.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline snorted softly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAll I did was try to bless some bread.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m a laywoman, it might not have even taken.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I smothered a smile.<\/span>\u00a0 The light I saw in your hands when you saved Kel makes me think you\u2019re touched a little more by the hand of some greater power than the average laywoman.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cStill,\u201d Phelan said as we started walking again, \u201cit wasn\u2019t a bad idea.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Breaking and burying the bread could have some beneficial effects.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And thank you for finding that wine.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She shrugged, carefully shifting the basket she was carrying.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI still don\u2019t know what you wanted it for.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cTo drink, of course,\u201d Phelan said, winking over his shoulder.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom snorted a laugh.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDo you really expect us to believe that?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He shrugged.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNo.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But it was a good joke.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>After a moment, he shook his head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe can\u2019t spare the milk that we\u2019ve got.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The wine will do instead for an offering to the earth and to the powers beyond.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis sounds incredibly pagan.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kellin\u2019s voice drifted quietly from the rear of our party.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cProbably because it largely is.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>We passed into the library\u2019s dark shadow, forging onward toward the ruined Shakespeare Garden and the burial grounds beyond.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Glimmers of light drifted above the remnant hedgerows of the garden and the burial site beyond.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I took a short, slight breath.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>There was something haunting and beautiful about the lights.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWill\u2019o\u2019wisps,\u201d Rory said, voice low.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAre they really fragments of dead souls?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Looking sidelong as J.T., I saw a muscle in his jaw twitch slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Phelan glanced back over his shoulder again as we started down the hill toward the turned earth that sheltered our dead.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSome say they are.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Not always, though, in my experience.\u201d Phelan stared at J.T. for a moment.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The bigger man pushed past him and headed down the hill.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cLet\u2019s get on with this before we lose daylight completely.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Carolyn gave me a long, worried look and I shook my head slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That was just another set of issues they\u2019d work through at their own pace\u2014forcing it wasn\u2019t going to help, not yet.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom leaned close and murmured, \u201cWas it something he said?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYeah,\u201d I said quietly, watching J.T. start to savagely set the tiki torches around the perimeter of the burial mound.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOr more to the point, something he didn\u2019t say.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom frowned, following my gaze to J.T.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He shook his head slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd I thought I had problems.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I choked back a laugh and shook my head. \u201cYou don\u2019t know the half of it.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMaybe I should.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I looked at Thom for a long moment, then nodded.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 I just hope you\u2019ll be able to handle what he has to say.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We lit lanterns\u2014flame and battery operated both\u2014and gathered up bundles of herbs, incense from our combined stashes, matches, and other items that Phelan insisted we might need.\u00a0 Jacqueline added a few things to our list, blushing a little as … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,35,41,14,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autumn","category-book-2","category-chapter-3","category-story","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-gV","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1049"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1050,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1049\/revisions\/1050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}