“That was really useful” grumbled Alec, Claire turned towards Alec with one of those looks which would strike fear into any man’s heart “Alec you know how this works or at least you should do by now and you hold the key to where we have to go next.” They all stood and looked at Alec waiting for him to answer Claire. “I need time to think” said Alec “Godric said I was there as a kid and childhood memories don’t come that easy for me.” “YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER” shouted Claire Alec turned to Claire barely keeping his temper in check “HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER” but looking at a shocked Claire cooled down and continued “I spent a lot of time at the coast going to so many places and half of them I don’t know where I was, to me as a kid I was going to the beach and that was all that was important to me.” “Dad you have to remember this thing that has possession of me is confusing me I don’t know who I am any more” pleaded Alecia. Alec hugged “Alecia I know this is hard for you as it is for all of us leave me alone for a while and let me think” and Alec wandered off towards the river.
Alec sat down on the riverbank it was quiet just the rushing of water amongst the rocks gurgling its way towards the sea and the sounds of bird song it was peaceful. His mind started to wander through his childhood memories, those great times he had spent with his parents was such fun they had always tried to take him somewhere different each time and that was the problem. He sat for quite some time but the more he thought the less he could remember and became more and more agitated on his inability to remember. He sat there with his head in his hands motionless in thought and it was then he noticed that there was a blackbird that had appeared next to his feet it was looking at him cocking its head from side to side. Alec looked at this bird and said to it “I suppose you have come to mock me” it hopped onto his knee and looked into his eyes with a peculiar gaze and started to singing. “just what I bloody need” said Alec quietly the bird looked at him hopped from his knee down onto the sandy bank and started running around in front of him with its peculiar gate. Alec thought to himself you are just as confused as I am little one. The bird then hopped back onto his knee looked at him and then back to where it had been running around and did this four or five times. The last time it hopped onto his knee it gave him a sharp peck with its beak before returning to the bank. “ouch” Alec then looked down to where the bird had been running around and the bird hopped back onto his knee looking at him then looking at the bank. It was then Alec noticed what the bird had done. You wonderful creature Alec remarked stroking its chest with that the bird flew off. Alec stood up and said “thank you Godric friend of all creatures I should not have doubted you” and then proceeded to scrub out what the bird had done with his foot and hurried back to his family.
With a big smile on his face Alec announced “come on you lot lets go” and they all followed him back to the car and off they drove. “ Where are we going and how did you remember” asked Claire “where we are going is to Seaham and how did I remember well lets just say a little bird told me” recalling that the blackbird had run around in front of him spelling Seaham in its tracks. “Why Seaham?” “that is where there is a church and that is where the portal is” Alec said smiling. It was all coming back to Alec now how could he have forgotten he had been there so many times and now recalls how unhappy he had been when he had was dragged away from the sand to go and see a church and now so vividly as a kid crying because he had been enjoying himself playing in the sand. Fifteen minutes tops and we will be there Alec thought and perhaps things can return to normal for us and let these Gatherers sort their own problems out.
