Sorceress

Chapter 33:

Steeling my nerves, I canter up the hill. Once mounting the crest, I find myself face to face with an impending stone fort. Torches flicker from within, and I can hear muffled voices, laughter, talking, shouting. Two warriors stand guarding the entrance, at the sound of my horses hooves grazing against the stone, they shout out into the darkness, "Who is there?" 

"A friend," I reply, trotting into the reach of the light from their torches, one of the guards indicates I should stop, and I draw to a halt. 

"What business does this friend have here," The guards come closer to me,

"I wish to speak to your chief," I reply. As the guards come closer, I see the shock in their faces,

"These clothes and weapons come from the faerie realm," one says,

"Who are you?" demands the other,

"I am Aine, a sorceress,  and I have an urgent message for your chief," I see the wary deliberation on the guards faces," they wave their hands, 

"You will follow us," I jump off my horse, one hand still on the reins, and follow them into their village. As soon as I enter the stone fortress, I see familiar roundhouses messily scattered around the place. We pass a well on my left.  I pass several women sit around sharpening weapons, and as I proceed through the village, I see a group of men, just a few years older than me drinking and laughing together. Most of the people I pass have tattoo's that mark them out as either sorcerers or sorceress's, I obviously never got my sorceress tattoo, but I am shocked at the sheer numbers of sorcerers and sorceress's, obviously I am nothing special here. We come to a halt stopping outside of a large roundhouse, with an embellished ceremonial shield above the doorway. "In here," one of the guards tells me. They take my horse from me, and I cautiously step into the roundhouse. As I enter, I pass two more guards, obviously here to guard the chief. The chief himself stands facing the wall of the small room, looking at something in his hands, dressed in a regal coat of furs and skins. His hair is lank, and braided randomly, with some hair left out. He turns to face me, and as is customary, I bow,

"Greetings, I welcome you to my village," I smile,

"Thank you, my name is Aine," He returns my smile,

"I am Efil," I incline my head again, walking closer to the fire in the center of the room, warming myself,

"What brings you here, Aine? And why do you wear elvish clothing and wield elvish weapons?" I take my cloak off, and I notice Efil looking at my shoulder- my dress is off my shoulders, revealing my tribal tattoo, a look of caution crosses his face,

"I do not recognize this tattoo, you are not from any Southern tribe, are you?" Efil says carefully,

"No, I am not. I am from the North, and this is why I present myself to you today," I say to Efil, 

"You are from the North? Are you a sorceress?" I nod, and he leads me over to a bowl of water stationed over the fire, "Show me what you wanted to tell me," I look at him, perplexed, but willing to prove myself, I carefully place my hands on the boiling water, and watch as he follows suit. I feel pain rush through the hands and up my arms, pushing it away, I imagine my memories flowing from my mind into the water, for Efil to pick up. After some while, I pull away, and see the horror on Efil's face. 

"Vikings?" He sighs, rubbing his forehead, "We have no choice, this is a problem that faces all of the Southern tribes," he mutters, before bellowing to the guards stationed, "LIGHT THE BEACON!" they race out of the room, "They will come out from the forest- like yourself- and face this barren landscape. They will go around it, nobody can bring an army of hundreds and hundreds through this place. They will follow the edge of the forest and come out onto the Ailleacht Fields, belonging to tje Ailleacht tribe, they will suffer first. My tribe would be last because of the landscape surrounding us, but they will raze us to the ground if we do not rally all the Southern tribes and meet the Vikings in the Ailleacht Fields. This is where all the tribes meet when the beacon is lit." I smile, grateful that Efil has been so proactive, "Aine, sleep here with my family tonight, and tomorrow, all my able bodied warriors will make our way to the Ailleacht Fields. We make our way on foot as no mortal horses can handle this barren landscape," Efil has his returned guards make me a bed, and I try to get some sleep, as he goes behind a curtain to sleep with his wife.