David and LittleMamm of Iona
Born to Power and dedicated to Healing, the two of them sacrifice much in answer to a Call which they cannot and will not deny.
From LittleMamm of Iona:
From the day of her birth, LittleMamm's twin cousins Samm and Sarr have been her self-appointed guards ... now she has slipped away and they finally find her ... she's maybe eight or nine at the time. You have to know LittleMamm in order to understand how such a thing is NOT all that unusual ...
From the day of her birth, LittleMamm's twin cousins Samm and Sarr have been her self-appointed guards ... now she has slipped away and they finally find her ... she's maybe eight or nine at the time. You have to know LittleMamm in order to understand how such a thing is NOT all that unusual ...
... They have heard the yells of LittleMamm, the screams of Caht, and the snarls of Sidheach but have paid no mind to the rest of the noise that goes along with them.
Now they pay some mind and fight to turn aside before they find themselves in the midst of several hundred warriors, none of whom they know.
Teine lets loose a neigh that Rogue and Ordha would be proud of; it draws the attention of Sidheach who is there in an instant, guiding them through the warriors to LittleMamm and Caht.
Leaning down, Samm draws LittleMamm up to the saddle in front of him.
‘Tell me which to fight, cousin! I don’t want to kill the wrong ones.’
Hearing his brother’s words, Sarr pays attention to those pointed out by LittleMamm and sides Samm as the battle roars on.
Caht is not the only big cat among the warriors although Sidheach is the only wolf. The pack of cats scream their way through the men, ripping and clawing as they go but mostly simply scaring the warriors into dropping their weapons and running away as fast as they can go.
Of course they don’t get very far, at least not those who head into the forest. More of the big cat screams are heard from in there but very few human ones, at least not for long.
When finally there are only the good guys left on the battlefield (alive) the cousin twins pull up and dismount.
The first thing they check is that their saddle bags are still intact.
Then they turn to LittleMamm and can’t find her.
Exasperated, they pull their horns and sound the Call of Tarnos, loud and long.
That gets LittleMamm’s attention and she hollers at them until they see where she’s gone.
She’s standing with a youngling boy not much bigger than she is and the two of them are holding hands.
Samm and Sarr stop dead in their tracks as do A'Ghrian and Teine. Caht and Sidheach just keep on to the youngling pair, take their seats one to each side of them and begin grooming the effects of the battle from themselves.
Brows that have risen in surprise now draw down in perplexity as the cousin twins stand staring at LittleMamm holding the hand of this strange youngling.
‘This is David.’
Like that explains it all.
LittleMamm’s grin fades into a look of concern and she runs to her cousins.
‘You’re wounded, aren’t you? You aren’t moving and you’re all pale and look like you’re gonna fall over. David! Call your healers, quick!’
‘We aren’t wounded, you idiot. We’re just in shock.’
‘Oh. Okay, skip the healers, David. They’re just in shock. I’ve never seen them in shock before. What’s in shock? Is it dangerous?’
Raising their eyes to the heavens, the twins look for assistance.
‘Mother, you gonna give us a hand here or what? This is nuts.’
A rumble of thunder is heard right then in the bluest of skies but otherwise they get no response.
‘I think She’s laughing at us.’
David steps up and once more takes the hand of LittleMamm into his own.
‘I am David.’
‘No kidding.’
A bit of steel shows in the copper eyes of this strange youngling as he cocks his head a mite and looks up into the brilliant green eyes of these LittleMamm’s twin cousins.
‘Sheath your swords.’
‘We will not.’
‘You do not need them now.’
‘We might.’
‘Oh for the Mother’s sake, what’s up with you guys? Sheath the swords already, cousins. And David you cut that out. I’m standing right here for cryin’ out loud.’
The authority in LittleMamm’s voice brooks no argument so the three cease and desist as ordered.
Swords are sheathed, David cuts out whatever he was doing, and the whole group of them leaves the battlefield to the victors, who happen to be a combination of David’s family and the big cats of the forest. ...
From LittleMamm of Iona:
... Both David and LittleMamm already know that this son is destined to remain in Tarnos – for the same reasons that his brother has remained at Inverness in Chattan. There is none other to inherit the estate of Ethan and MammTwo of Tarnos and their son must be trained from infancy to be ready to assume his future responsibilities.
Even so, LittleMamm does not surrender this one without a fight.
‘NO!’
She shouts it to the heavens above her in the night.
‘NO! Not this one too! We have already given a son to meet responsibility! Not this one too!’
And her voice breaks as she sobs into the night.
‘Please,’ she whispers. ‘Please I beg of you Mother, not this one too . . .’
As her sobs lessen, she can feel warm strong arms stealing about her slender shoulders and turns to bury her small dark head into the still-golden tresses which have received her tears on other occasions.
‘Why, mother? Why must my children be not mine to raise, mine and David’s? How can this be right, or fair?’
MammTwo weeps with her daughter in the deep dark of this night and the two cling, their tears rising, coursing, falling.
None can know the ways of the Holy Trinity. What is demanded will perhaps be returned several-fold in other ways.
Still, the loss of not one son but two has LittleMamm up in arms and she will not relinquish this son.
She Calls the Winds.
The Winds deny her.
She Calls the Rains.
The Rains deny her.
She Calls the birds and the beasts.
The birds and the beasts deny her.
She calls the North Sea.
The North Sea denies her.
None will answer her Call against the Will of the Holy Trinity and the Mother has plans of which LittleMamm knows nothing at this time.
When her angry Calls remain unanswered, LittleMamm again finds the warmly solid arms of her mother around her. In those strong arms does she find her own peace at long last, and she reluctantly lets go of this her second son before even he is born.
If by chance you would stand in judgement of LittleMamm and David for giving over their sons, pray to all that you hold most dear and most holy that never will you be in their shoes. ...
David and LittleMamm have a Powerful love, one that reaches
out to embrace those they love even as they embrace one
another and their own Destiny. Although at a great distance
from their loved ones, they are never very far from them.
Their children grow into their own places in the world - and
the world changes.
No comments:
Post a Comment