Drustann and Alianora of Dunnottar : Equals in Love, Equals in Leadership

  

Alianora and Drustann of Dunnottar

Years of travel and travail eventually lead them home to assume the Authority of Leadership.

From Mamm of Dunnottar:

Alianora is telling of their years of travel before returning home ...

...  And Drustann said to me, ‘Alia, we must be like the space between the lines of the Spiral, you and I – invisible but holding the shape just exactly so.’

And so we did.

Culdee we are called by some, and Drustann ‘priest’ by others.

I, being a woman, have no authority whatsoever, you know.

Drustann here lets out with another snort and doesn’t bother to try to hide it this time, nor the laughter that follows.

Dunnottar looks with amazement at Alianora whose authority is unquestioned, and raises their eyebrows at the very thought of her without it.

No.

Not possible.

And Dunnottar laughs along with Drustann.

Don’t laugh too loud nor too long.

I assure you that I tell you true.

The stories we have heard, even the worst of them, don’t come even close to what we learned of the roman church and the world as we traveled.

Much of it we told you when we got home from our travels, and much have we heard between then and now. It is not exaggerated, my people.

And so, after the birth of Dothann, we traveled for a bit in Gaul and in Aquitaine before returning to Dunnottar.

Our travels were long and difficult, sometimes bitterly dangerous, but Drustann insisted that we were going home and so home we came, at long last, to the Peace of Dunnottar.

The rest you know.   ...

From LittleMamm of Iona:


A fire has ravaged one of the local communities. Sometimes leadership is painful.

...   The site is immediately buried as Kalann suggested, and Northwest chooses to situate itself this time alongside the running water that has saved many of them many a scar.

The place of the medical tables and the kettle of healing broth becomes a quiet place of contemplation. 

Many go there to sit in silence, to remember.

Thann and Sass have continued to hold the littles in the running water, refusing all but brief breaks from the others.

After almost two full days of this Alianora has had just about enough of it. She steps into the water in front of them, blocking the flow to the littles, and looks the stubborn pair full in the eyes.

What she finds there almost makes her step back out, but she grits her teeth, mutters ‘Needs must’ under her breath, and steels herself to stand her ground.

‘Look at you two! You’re almost asleep on your feet!’ she shouts. ‘What good do you think you’re going to do these littles, or yourselves for that matter, if you drop them and they drown? HUH? What good is that going to do anyone? You’ll hate yourselves for the rest of your miserable lives, and so will everyone else! And then who will be our Healer, Sass? Who will wear the mantle of Dunnottar? Who will work our forge, Thann? What will your younglings have to say to you when they come along? HUH?’

Keeping her compassion at bay, just for this moment, Alianora tears into the already fatigued couple who stand before her with their eyes filled with the pain and fear they bear on behalf of these two littles they hold so steadfastly in the healing stream of running water.

Calling on the Mother for help, Alianora lowers her tone just a smidge and continues, reaching a gentle hand to touch the bare shoulders of these who are so very dear to her.

‘You can’t go on this way. It will kill you, and then what will become of these littles? They need you. They need you to be strong. You need to let others help you now. Your bodies need food and rest. Do you not trust the Mother to care for them for just a little while? Do you not trust Her to care for you, as well? She has them in Her hands, this you know. Please, Sass. Please, Thann. Just for a few hours. Let us help you; we need to do this too, not just for you but for ourselves and for these littles.’

The plea in her voice, the softness of the love in her eyes gets through to the pair she faces in the running water of the stream.

Their own eyes soften at the sight of her and as their heads finally nod in agreement Drustann steps into the water to take one of the littles while Alianora gently takes the other. The two of them stand firmly shoulder to shoulder while Kalann and Talorc guide Thann and Sass out of the running water, wrap them in warm plaids, lead them to the fire, sit them down, and fill their hands with warm bowls of healing broth.    ...

As their way of life is threatened in a very real way, Alianora and

Drustann lead their people through troubled times. 


Together they love; together they take their stand; together they

prevail.