{"id":1311,"date":"2012-07-18T00:00:30","date_gmt":"2012-07-18T04:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1311"},"modified":"2012-07-17T18:50:09","modified_gmt":"2012-07-17T22:50:09","slug":"winter-chapter-16-05","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1311","title":{"rendered":"Winter – Chapter 16 – 05"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHelp me brace this door,\u201d Gray growled, glaring at Wat.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The other man scrambled over and threw his weight against the doors alongside his friend.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray\u2019s gaze flicked to Kes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cGet the shotguns and get them fast.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t care if they\u2019ll do us any good or not, they\u2019ll at least make <\/span>me<\/span><\/em> feel better.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kes nodded and ducked into one of the side rooms.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Aoife met Gray\u2019s eyes, her breathing still shallow, still kneeling on the hard wooden floor.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe have until they break down the door,\u201d he said, his tone even, voice not betraying even the slightest hint of fear.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cTell us everything you can about what you\u2019re afraid these are\u2014and why you\u2019re hoping it\u2019s not them.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s a long story,\u201d she said.<\/span>\u00a0 With a lot of dirty laundry attached.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHopefully we\u2019ll have the time, but give us the short version first.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Highlights.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cR-right.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Highlights.\u00a0 <\/span>That involves who and why and what.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>She swallowed the bile rising in her throat, her stomach already trying to rebel against her.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201c<\/span>D\u00e9ithe agus arrachtaigh<\/span><\/em>,\u201d she murmured to herself, then began to get her feet under her again.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Ter\u00e9zia offered her a hand up, which she gratefully accepted, reflecting maybe she could like the other woman after all.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Once she was on her feet again, she wrapped her arms around herself tightly and sucked in a deep breath, finding her center and grounding points.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The air, even inside, buzzed with the evening\u2019s power, the strength of Samhain and the thinning of the veil.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s to your advantage if you have to defend them.\u00a0 <\/span>Remember that.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIf they\u2019re what I fear, they\u2019re old enemies of my family.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Four sisters, the maidens of Tuonela\u2014peddlers in pain and suffering, dealers of death and decay.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019re northrons like us and would have taken the T\u00edr for their own if we\u2019d let them.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s where it started.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I suppose you can only take so much doom and gloom.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Aoife gulped in air again, fighting down her nausea.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m still not sure who crossed them first, who gave them the first insult, but I fear it was either Teague or my brother.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kes returned with the shotguns, handed one of the three to Ter\u00e9zia.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She kept the other two for herself.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Aoife kept talking.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe had never been allies, not ever since before I was even born, but relations were at least neutral when I was a child.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That changed as I grew older.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>There was an attack upon us in E\u00edre, during the days of old, before the first true kingdoms there.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My uncle and his armies turned them back, but not without a cost.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Hundreds died on their spears, when they came in their dragon ships and on the backs of worgs.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A shudder shot through her and she caught her lip between her teeth.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI was a child that first time.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The second time, I was older, and the fighting was more fierce.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We almost lost when they attacked with their allies.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She shook her head slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt was the days of mythology\u2014the days that are just barely remembered now as legend.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd our furry friends out there?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray prompted.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThey\u2019ve used them before– Kivutar, Loviatar, Kipu-Tyito, and Vammatar. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>They\u2019ve called upon the changers to aid them in the past, used them as hounds.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ve heard it whispered that it happened in the days of Br\u00e9anainn.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She knuckled her eyes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThey\u2019re skinwalkers\u2014more like shamans from the west than like the werewolves you\u2019ve probably read about in books.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Not like the <\/span>loup garou<\/span><\/em> or anything like that.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019ve taken on the form of the wolf in order to gain their strength and wildness, but they often lose themselves in the doing.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019re warriors who chose this calling.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Not quite a berserker, but not quite a real man anymore, either.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019re bloody well dangerous and I hope that they\u2019re not what I think they are because they won\u2019t stop until they\u2019ve found their quarry.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I hope it\u2019s not us.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s terrible of me to hope that it\u2019s not me, because it means that it\u2019s someone else of my blood, but we\u2019re not equipped to deal with that here.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019re too few.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We didn\u2019t have any warning.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gods and monsters, I hope the others <\/span><\/em>will<\/span>.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Ter\u00e9zia frowned slightly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201c\u2026do you guys hear anything outside?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Wat shook his head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNot anymore, anyway.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Doesn\u2019t sound like anything\u2019s fighting out there anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Then a voice echoed from beyond the doors.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAoife O\u2019Credne!<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I know you\u2019re within; come out and have words with me.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Her blood ran cold and her jaw tightened.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Met by silence, the voice outside continued.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCome out, Lady of Sighs, you have my word of honor on the blood of my ancestors and on the blood of heroes I will not harm you this night.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWho the hell is that?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray asked, staring at her.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Cariocecus.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHelp me brace this door,\u201d Gray growled, glaring at Wat.\u00a0 The other man scrambled over and threw his weight against the doors alongside his friend.\u00a0 Gray\u2019s gaze flicked to Kes.\u00a0 \u201cGet the shotguns and get them fast.\u00a0 I don\u2019t … 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":[35,55,14,52,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-2","category-chapter-16","category-story","category-winter","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-l9","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311","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=1311"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1313,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311\/revisions\/1313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}