And so Danann One rides off with the Fienne to
battle, and Mamm One stays behind. Neither knows how long the separation will
be, nor does anyone know, but their circle stands waiting.
Suddenly the dogs of
Dunnottar get to their feet and go to attention. They are not growling but their sudden
movement has everyone on the alert.
The dogs romp toward
the door of the roundhouse, tails swinging madly, and they begin to bark.
Sass is right behind
them, with her soldier close on her heels.
When a loud banging is
heard on the door, her eyebrows raise and she says, ‘Do they think us deaf?’
Opening the door, she repeats
the question at the top of her lungs, ‘DO YOU THINK US DEAF?!’
And realizes that she
has just shouted into the chest of a very tall person standing outside of the
door.
She raises her eyes
slowly until they finally meet the cheerful and un-insulted eyes of the man she
has just shouted at.
‘No I don’t think
you’re deaf. I just like to make a grand
entrance.’
And it dawns on Sass
who this man must be.
She backs into the
roundhouse and beckons him to follow, her soldier watching warily as the tall
man stoops to get through the doorway that was made to accommodate Danann’s
height. This is one very tall person
indeed.
Mamm greets him happily
from her chair by the fire and he goes to her, shedding his layers of cloaks
and plaids and jackets as he goes.
By the time he gets to
Mamm there’s not much left of him but for his great height.
Mamm’s head tilts back,
and back, and back, in order to see his face, although she already knows full
well who this is.
‘Well back up a little
so I can get a good look at you,’ she snaps at him. ‘Better yet, sit down here
with the younglings so I can look at you eye to eye.’
‘It’s been a long
while, Mamm,’ says the visitor. ‘Do you remember me?’
‘Hard to forget such a
one,’ laughs Mamm.
She reaches out for a
hug once he is seated on the floor and she can reach him.
‘Welcome Tavvish! Welcome to Dunnottar!’
‘Thank you, Mamm of
Dunnottar! It’s darned good to be here, let me tell you. I’ve had a cold time
getting here, but have made it now … so … where’s the mead?’
Now, nobody but Mamm
knows who in the heck this guy is except for Sass. They’re all standing there gaping at him,
still shocked at the pounding he did to their door, the layers of clothing he
has shed across the floor of the roundhouse, and the transformation of him from
an enormously huge person to one so spare as to be a walking skeleton, albeit a
very tall and very animated skeleton.
Talorc, true to form,
finds his wits first and approaches.
He’s got one hand out to shake this man’s hand and a mug of mead in the
other. He’s a little surprised at the
strength of the hand that grips his and grins outright (believe it or not –
this is Talorc remember – he’s almost laughing) when his mug of mead is
immediately appropriated and drained in one go.
As the others see this
uncharacteristic response of the usually reserved Talorc, they crowd closer and
introductions ensue.
Caileen joins her
husband and frees his hand so that she can shake the hand of this man who so
delights Talorc. She doesn’t know who
this is but she likes him already.
Alianora and Drustann
are next; they too are charmed by this man who has come to them from out of the
Long Dark night. They have heard of him
on their journeys, but never met him.
Then comes Sass.
Sass asks him where is
his harp and his flute and his other gear, which earns her a huge grin and a
hearty laugh.
She joins in with the
infectious laughter, but won’t give up her question.
‘Where is all your
stuff?’ she asks again. ‘If it’s outside you’d best get it in here – it can’t
be good for it to be out in the cold night!’
‘Ah, right you are,
Sass! It’s all right outside the
door. I left it there in case I had the
wrong place and got chased out.’
Kalann and Aine step up
as Sass races to the door.
‘Welcome to Dunnottar!’
they say in unison, and each take one of the bony hands extended to them.
Tavvish pulls the two of them right down into
the jumble of younglings and laughs at the looks on their faces.
‘And welcome to our
gathering at the feet of Mamm of Dunnottar,’ answers Tavvish with another laugh
as the two of them get over their shock and relax amid the scrambling
younglings.
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