Aine and Kalann of Dunnottar : Warriors, Scholars, Food Providers, and Heart-Bound for Life

                                      

Here are Aine and Kalann. 

He has drawn her out of a deep darkness and together they 

bring light to those who are dear to them. 

Warriors and scholars both, their love and exuberance cannot 

be stifled.

From They Are My Song:



This is a battle nobody wanted, except those on the other side ... 

... Aine is shooting with amazing accuracy from the moving cart while Kalann keeps the closer attackers off the cart, and the driver and Aine alive and free to do their jobs.  In between sword swipes and spear thrusts, he uses his weapon-filled hands and his voice to call on the aid and protection of the Mother in ancient ways which he well knows but has not had to use before this time. ...

... Aine Speaks

Stonehaven! 

To me! 

Horses stay here!  Weapons will be here soon! 

If you can’t fight, GO!  RUN! 

Get onto Dunnottar and help them there!  Go now! 

Kalann, where are the others?  Oh, here they come!  Get that cart from Caileen, will you?  She’s got our weapons! 

Ah, extra arrows!  You keep them off us, Kalann!  I’m gonna do some target shooting here! 

Okay, arrows gone, c’mon Kalann, let’s show these guys some of our swordwork, then – one, two, three, GO! 

Really?  You want to get onto my observation platform?  I don’t think so!  Try climbing NOW, fool!   ... 

... Kalann Speaks:

Okay, Aine and I will stay here for Stonehaven people; send weapons carts! 

Well hey Talorc!  About time you got here!  Can we have your cart?  Aine wants some target practice.  Thanks! 

Come on archer, let’s get a move on – and you there, you drive.  Don’t worry; you’ll be safe with us.  Just don’t be surprised by anything we do, okay?  We have some awesome moves – watch and learn! 

What?  Out of arrows already, Aine? 

All right then, get this cart out of our way!

Aine, get our horses here, will you? 

Just Call them; they’ll come. 

Meanwhile, we've got some of these guys with their funny tunics to take care of.    ...

From Mamm of Tarnos:

Sisters pregnant at the same time is one thing ... but nobody expected THIS ... 

... Caileen is too uncomfortable for Talorc to carry her any distance at all and so all guests are bid a fond farewell. They will wait at the roundhouse. Caileen will give birth in the grove.

And so she does.

It takes a while, but eventually the birth wails of Colum of Dunnottar ring through the grove.

Colum’s wails are silenced when he is put into the arms of Caileen, yet birth wails are still rending the air of Dunnottar.

That Aine!

She has coerced Kalann and Thann into taking her for her night readings straight away after the Song!

Once up there she begins her readings, explaining them to Kalann and to Thann who has joined them on this night so as to be available when it’s time to let her back down, as he often does. At times Sass comes along and the four of them have some quiet discussions up there at the top of the tower.

On this night Sass has stayed close to Caileen, and a good thing she has. But she ought to have maybe made sure Aine stayed close, as well.

The younglings are beside themselves with excitement at the close of the ceremony on this night. Sent to the roundhouse with the others, they disobey and silently are running circles around the outside of the grove to vent some of their excited energy.

On the narrow path along the cliff side of the grove Rua slips and almost falls over the edge. 

Fortunately Dothann is right there and grabs her arm in the nick of time.

And so on this night the Younglings of Dunnottar are running running running – but slowing down along the cliff side – when they hear not one but TWO birthing Voices rising at once!

The one coming from out of the grove is expected; the other one is coming from the direction of the observation tower and is NOT expected.

The younglings stop in their tracks and stare at one another in the starlight of this May Day night.

What to do? Which direction to go?

There’s no time for blithering about so they link hands and run full tilt to the tower. They will greet this brother or sister first; the grove is filled with people and they aren't supposed to be anywhere in the vicinity anyway.

At the tower they hit the steps at a gallop and continue to the top, where the birthing cries are just fading in the arms of Aine.

Thann and Kalann have attended this birth and done a fine job of it, but are relieved to see Diann step breathlessly from among the younglings. She is young but has been in training and is quite very welcome. Immediately Diann goes to Aine, orders Thann to start a fire going, sends Merri and Corrbed for soap, water, new linens, and a kettle.

Aine is beaming.

Well, all of them are beaming.

As the fire adds its light to that of the stars, the younglings gather around but none reach out until Merri and Corrbed get back, which they do in record time.

Then they all scrub up and together approach Aine and the infant.

Smiling, Aine turns the little one to them and says, ‘Meet Saorsa, so named because she is at last freed from my insides!’

And the love story goes on ...