Hooked [Complete]

55. Beltane Part 3: A Friend's Promise

Author's Note:  Hmmmm......there's so much going on at Beltane....time to catch up with our favorite ancient Barkeep....

Song for this Chapter: Stop Drinking by Van Morrison

Sucellus' POV

It seems like old times. It's after dark and the post-hunt revels are in full swing. Nuno's camp is full of the sounds of human stories being told and the smell of roasted meat. Today's hunt was a huge success. Lots of rich happy humans bagged their first boars. Even better, the thrill of the hunt made them feel. Cernunnos is right about these modern times. They are too many devices—electronic and pharmaceutical. But today at least, for these huntsmen and mountain folk, there is connection and vitality.

And just like holy days of old, Cerridwen is playing murder on her fiddle. She looks annoyed, but I'm actually kind of glad to see the old gal fired up. She's been far too sad, since I've returned. I pretend like I don't see it, and I goad her all the time to try to stoke her spirits, but she's not the same as she used to be. Whatever's got her divine underwear in a twist tonight is making musical sparks fly, and that is a good thing in my book. I'll find out what it is later. Hopefully, it's Cernunnos. Those two are going to have to have a barn-burning like old times to get right.

They aren't the God and Goddess of Old—of really old, when they used to fight like demons just so they could have shake down their house making up, but something is going on between them. It didn't escape my notice that they ran off together into the forest at the last training session. Very interesting how Cernunnos came back with a full set of horns. The result of tender declarations perhaps, but they aren't coupling in secret. If they were physically back together, there would be no hiding it. They'd be making Greenspark just winking at each other. Their kind of love, fulfilled after a two thousand year separation... well that would be a fireworks show to rival Disney.

But there are other interesting things going on tonight besides Cernunnos' fully grown horns or Cerridwen's angry fiddling. Druantia is here and so is that Roman Godspawn. Never in the olden times would Cerridwen have tolerated Druantia's presence, and never would Cernunnos have let a Roman skulk about. Well, things do change, and even an old god like me has to learn some new tricks. Neither the Druid witch or the Roman godspawn look much happier than Cerridwen, however. Damn, these three are the only pissed off people in the whole entire camp tonight.

I saunter over to Dru and Finn, where they lean against the railing, underneath the night sky and the lights that Nuno has strung all over his camp.

"Unhappy witches make me nervous, darlin'," I say to Druantia. I see Finn's eyes narrow. "Oh relax, Roman, you ain't got a damn copyright on the word."

Finn's eyes roll and Dru's lips twitch at that. There's no love lost between the reincarnated Druid witch and the Roman godspawn. The Romans stamped out the Druids hard. That was a little bit after Druantia's time, but surely she knows what happened to her Druids--it's at least implied in the recorded history. What is not specific is the fate of her son. He didn't meet the best end at the hands of Romans. I wonder if she knows. Probably not. I doubt Cernunnos gave her many details of her son's crucifixion. More likely, Dru's instinctual dislike of Finn stems from a generalized mistrust of Romans, and vice versa.

I don't think Finn is what is bugging Dru right now, however.

"Come on now, tell Uncle Sully what's wrong. Is it just that your drink is empty?" I sniff. Vodka and pomegranate juice, with a splash of soda and twist of lime. Nice choice, witch. I refill it with a snap of my fingers, and she smiles.

"Nothing's wrong, exactly. I just wish Lana and Sean hadn't bailed to go home to Mystic Mountain. Why did they have to go tonight, when all of Mystic Mountain is coming down here tomorrow?"