The TwiceBorn

Beneath A Thousand Stars

 "Within a moment of silence all is known that needs to be known."--Hillman

Alora tried to calm down as she walked alongside of Abigor as he approached the hags anxiously clustered about the feasting table.  Her heart was still racing so hard she could feel it behind her eyelids and all the shadowjack she had consumed was riding uneasily on her stomach. 

Food was the last thing on her mind but to decline the repast that had been specially prepared for Abigor was unthinkable.  And Alora wasn’t fooled by Abigor’s dismissal of her request.  It meant nothing. Abigor simply did what he pleased when it pleased him to do it and, for the moment, food had been more important to him than any decisions needing to be made.

             Alora watched as several hags ducked under the feasting table and frantically hissed instructions to all the table goblins.  If the table were to tilt during the meal because of an unattentive goblin, it reflected badly on whichever hag owned him. She remembered that much.  It had been a very long time since she’d been to a Sabbat and when she had attended, she’d never had to observe any of the stuffy rules.

             Abigor seated himself at the head of the table and watched the hags as they stood and waited for permission to sit.  The feasting table was still and the only sound was the pop and sizzle of new wood being thrown onto the bonfire.

“Alora?  You sit on my left…it is your privilege,no?”

Abigor’s voice was soft as he turned and gazed at her intently.

“Yes. It is my privilege.”  She responded and quickly seated herself. Abigor gave her a sunny smile then turned and nodded his head for the hags to be seated.  Excited chatter broke out all around the table and Alora managed to give Leonard a small, shaken smile as he started to pass her platters of boar meat and bowls of black caul soup.  Her goblet was filled with more shadowjack and, against her better judgement, she took several deep swallows.  She listened with half an ear to all the gossip and laughter around her. 

No matter what happened to her later, she had to admit she had missed being with her own kind.  And, she realized, she was hungry, ravenous actually, and the boar meat was cooked well and heavily spiced.

A sharp nip from under the table caused her to jump.  She looked down and saw Blixen clinging to her chair and teasing one of the table goblins with a feather.

“Alora?  Are you drunk?”  He inquired as he dodged one of the goblin’s kicks.

“No, I’m cone sold stober.”  Alora replied as she took another hefty sip.

Blixen giggled as he dodged another kick.

“Can you spare me a morsel of food?”  He begged.  “Yzebel’s too busy to feed me and I’m hungry.”

Alora took a piece of the gamy boar meat and held it under the table for the imp. 

“And some shadowjack please.  If you haven’t guzzled it all, that is.”

Alora frowned but lowered her goblet beneath the table for the little goblin to drink.  He swigged it down, burped, and then looked at her, muzzy-eyed.

“Thank you. I won’t forget this, you know. I’ll remember your kindness and when Yzebel gives you to me I’ll try not to be too harsh a taskmaster.”

Alora’s foot came down squarely on Blixen’s head and he let out a muffled squeak as he was driven into the dirt.  The goblin he’d been teasing chuckled and the table shook with his mirth.  Blixen gave an outraged squeak and launched himself at Alora’s leg where he attached himself and humped his body gleefully against her.