the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes...

[goddessnanshe.livejournal.com]

Morning of 21st June

It's still raining, though not as heavily as earlier, but I couldn't wait any longer to come out here and see what has happened. I was wakened in the early hours of Sunday by a strange feeling of pressure and brilliant light, but my cell was completely dark. I walked through the abbey, and all was still and shadowed. Anyone else would say I had just had a dream - but I know there is no just to dreams.

In the afternoon, one of the novices came back from gathering in the woods to say that there was the strangest sight: a charred circle, as if lightning had struck and destroyed a neat section of the forest. Something about this oddity set my teeth on edge, and I was resolved to see it; but I had duties at the abbey in the evening, and I would not shirk them.

Today I woke to a downpour, but I have borrowed a raincoat from Sister Dove - she is slighter than me, and so it is a little tight, but it will do - and wrapped up my hair with a scarf to help shield it from the rain, since carrying an umbrella into the woods seems foolish - and I start walking the couple of miles to where Novice Diana said she saw the circle.

[OPEN][closed]

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[jack-hollow.livejournal.com]

Finish copying down what Samuel was saying--pyroclasm, that's a new one--and look over at him. He's seeming a bit taken aback; guess that even if he'd studied something like this, first time seein' it would be a bit of a shock. And ain't getting the feeling he quite looked inta this, which is a damn shame. Think of Waterkey's books for a moment, and wonder what happened ta the rest of them...

Ain't no use wool-gatherin' right now.

"Miss Thorn," I say, clearing my throat, "you said you figured someone knew how to protect herself. And now you're lookin' for a man. That mean there was at least two people out here?"

[samuel-durand.livejournal.com]

I meet Deputy Hollow's gaze for a moment, uneasily remembering that glimpse of flame behind his eyes my first day in town. I may not understand the conversation, but there are undercurrents I can easily taste. It seems likely that certain parties are being less than entirely forthcoming with Deputy Hollow. Most interesting. It may be that the institution of law (and by extension law enforcement) in Excolo is simply too informal to command respect. Then again, it may be that some of those assembled have something to hide.

And in a strange way, I don't have to include myself in that count. I conceal or distort almost everything about myself, but my local history is pristine. All my skeletons are buried elsewhere. It's my favorite part of traveling, the unburdened shoulders of a new beginning. Before, as always, more skeletons collect. And then moving on once more. Ad infinitum.

I shift to sit cross-legged on the wet grass, and withdraw my small book and a sharpened bit of charcoal from the inside pocket of my slicker. Sheltering it from the rain, I sketch the area in detail. Blast patterns. Debris. First an overhead look, and then again in isometric. I note the positions of each assembled with an 'x,' and write what names I know in the margins.

And then I turn the page and begin sketching faces.

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

"Miss Thorn, you said you figured someone knew how to protect herself. And now you're lookin' for a man. That mean there was at least two people out here?"

Tha's th'lawman, an'I hafta shake m'self outta m'thoughts. "Jes' used 'she' azza g'neric. Wuzn't act'ally sayin't wuz def'nitely a woman." Well, there izza gen'ral feel'f a woman 'round'ere...but'at ain't completely certain, 'spec'ally not after'at long. An anyway, Tez c'n turn'imself inta a woman. I know'at much,.

"S'poss'ble 'ere wuz more'n one person out'ere, but I can't really be sure. Might be able t'tell if'n'I went inta trance, but can't be sure."

[goddessnanshe.livejournal.com]

"Do you think whatever happened here was bringing him back?" I say to Syl thoughtfully. Magic has been done here on a great scale, I think... I miss my gifts. Tonight I can dreamwalk, and see if I can find him, but for the moment I feel helpless.

[jack-hollow.livejournal.com]

"Jes' used 'she' azza g'neric. Wuzn't act'ally sayin't wuz def'nitely a woman," which is kinda odd, but okay. "S'poss'ble 'ere wuz more'n one person out'ere, but I can't really be sure. Might be able t'tell if'n'I went inta trance, but can't be sure."

"Well," I say, now that I'm thinking about it, "when someone's bleeding that much," and I point to the patch on the ground with the end of my notebook, "usually means someone else did it to them. Which I shoulda thought of. So 'less someone lit everything up without anyone else around," which I mean I guess they could have, just I don't usually think people get scared and try to lash out less someone's around, "and then killed themselves and the body just disappeared after bleeding a lot, probably was someone else." Lord. Wonder if it's like that mess with Voronin, the fire there. Could stand a little ice for destruction, m'self, be a nice change.

"Do you think whatever happened here was bringing him back?" and oh Christ I hope not, and Miss Noma looks a little lost. Widowed, almost, which is a damn odd thought.

"Er," I say politely. "Ladies? C'n I trouble you ta mention who, exactly? It's kinda an important point. Specially if there's gonna be trouble."

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

"Do you think whatever happened here was bringing him back?" Asks Nanshe. S'a question't brings me back from jes' bein' angry, 't least, an' makes me act'ally bloody think again.

"No." S'what I say fin'lly. "This feels like somethin' uncontrolled, like somebody jes' lashin' out't random. Don't feel like no sorta creation'r res'rrection...jes' d'struction." Think ferra minute 'n sweep m'wet hair back from m'face. "Now, not sayin't 'ere cant be d'struction azzan aftermath t'some creation spells...tit fer tat, 'n all'at...but 'at'd leave some trace, y'know? 'n I ain't gettin' none'a that."

Th'lawman makes a good point, then. "Well, when someone's bleeding that much, usually means someone else did it to them. Which I shoulda thought of. So 'less someone lit everything up without anyone else around, and then killed themselves and the body just disappeared after bleeding a lot, probably was someone else."

"Could be," I nod. "Could'a been a reflex t'bein' attacked, 'is sorta thin'...but mind, anybody found a body, 'r bones? Cuz I ain't seen nothin'. An' innat sorta sit'ation, gen'rally th'attacker's th'first thin' t'go."

"Ladies? C'n I trouble you ta mention who, exactly? It's kinda an important point. Specially if there's gonna be trouble."

"Don't think't's nobody you know," I says witta sigh. Don't think Tez'n th'dep'ty ever ran inta each other. "'n anyway, dunno if'n he...'r she...looks th'same, 'r's even usin' th'same name."

[jack-hollow.livejournal.com]

Oh god, who the hell'd want ta bring him back? I can't imagine, and I don't wanna know. Syl isn't guessing it was meant ta do that, though. "Now, not sayin't 'ere cant be d'struction azzan aftermath t'some creation spells...tit fer tat, 'n all'at...but 'at'd leave some trace, y'know? 'n I ain't gettin' none'a that." Goes on ta there being no traces of the attacker, and I mutter acknowledgement, 'cause that makes sense, but...

"Given what happened ta the trees," I say, "I think lookin' ta find anything left over of anyone this was actually aimed at is maybe a bit optimistic." Traces of blood left after a lot of bleedin' inside a protected spot, okay. Pieces of someone that maybe set off the kind of reaction that hammered down and did this ta the trees and land as a side-effect...

Just sayin' I wouldn't hold my breath. If, you know, it mattered.

"Don't think't's nobody you know," which is a bit of good luck. Sigh at that, mostly in relief. "Not Donner, then."

[goddessnanshe.livejournal.com]

I listen to what Syl says, and nod.

"Still, if he is back... We should find him," I say. Who knows what kind of state he may be in. Or what he may intend to do. I have no trust of the Enemy of Both Sides.

"Not Donner, then."

I shake my head.

"Not a man," I say. There are no answers I can find here, only questions, and I have much to think about.

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

"Given what happened ta the trees, I think lookin' ta find anything left over of anyone this was actually aimed at is maybe a bit optimistic." Says th'dep'ty, soundin' right gloomy.

"Human body's harder t'burn'n y'might think." I says, lookin' 'round. "Chances are we'd see somma th'big bones...leg, skull, hip, 'at sorta thin'...mebbe th'heart too, though some critter mighta carried'at off. Jes'd 'spect t'see some trace, y'know? Rather'n nothin'."

Then'e mutters somethin' I almost don't catch. "Not Donner, then."

'course'e says'at right when'm lightin' up a cig, an'I end up spittin't out onta th'grass. "Good fuck no!" I says, gaspin'. "Who'n Christ's name'd want that fucker back?"

[jack-hollow.livejournal.com]

"Human body's harder t'burn'n y'might think," which is a fair point. An' Miss Nanshe seems ta know who she means as well, which is rather gettin' me curious over all--

Take a damn quick step back as Syl spits out her cigarette, and barely stop myself from steppin' on the damn thing, even if it's raining. Damn things. Pick it up, anyway, and offer it back to her, 'case it's still any good.

"Who'n Christ's name'd want that fucker back?"

"C'n think of a coupla people, maybe. Not in his name, though." Wanda's ex-husband. Karina or Maryk or Leah, if they had some idea of pinning it on him instead. Someone who took it especially hard over one a' the women he killed and wants him back just ta hurt him--hope like Christ it isn't that.

"Er..." Sigh and run my hand back over my head, and my fingers come away wet--still holding my hat over my notebook to keep it dry. "Miss Thorn," I say, quiet an' polite. "You mentioned maybe seein' more if you went into a trance; was wonderin' how likely that was. An' I'm guessing you both know who it was that came back, and I understand," dipping my head to Miss Noma, "if ya feel you can't tell me. But I'd surely appreciate anything eithera you can tell me, since the general tone of your moods on this is havin' me worry some 'bout the state of my town, an' what might be done to it."

[goddessnanshe.livejournal.com]

"Who'n Christ's name'd want that fucker back?"

"C'n think of a coupla people, maybe. Not in his name, though."

"This town," I say sadly, "unfortunately has a few people who might want a dangerous man back."

"You mentioned maybe seein' more if you went into a trance; was wonderin' how likely that was. An' I'm guessing you both know who it was that came back, and I understand, if ya feel you can't tell me. But I'd surely appreciate anything eithera you can tell me, since the general tone of your moods on this is havin' me worry some 'bout the state of my town, an' what might be done to it."

I glance at Syl, but I have far more loyalty to the town - my town - than to her, even though I like her. And I trust Deputy Hollow; he was made to serve, and now he serves Excolo with his whole straw heart.

"It's a god who has come back," I say frankly. "And I don't think he means ill, but he doesn't usually mean well, either. Nothing might come of it; he lived here mostly quietly enough before. But." I shrug, and sigh. It's getting cold out here, from all the rain.

[jack-hollow.livejournal.com]

"It's a god who has come back. And I don't think he means ill, but he doesn't usually mean well, either. Nothing might come of it; he lived here mostly quietly enough before. But." An' there ain't nothing I can really say to that for a minute. Don't like the idea of gods trolling through town in the first place, since the ones we've had showin' up in the last year don't generally seem ta be doin' much good, an' can't say I think much of the judgment of whoever brought him back.

'course, that leads ta the question of what the hell got him getting gone in the first place...

"Thank you, Miss Noma," I say, touching my hand ta my forehead. Rain's dripping in my eyes, I guess. "I'll be takin' a look into that." Wish I could offer her my coat or somethin', but it ain't as if she didn't dress sensibly for comin' out. Still. "C'n see you and Miss Thorn back, when you care t'leave."

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

Dep'ty hints on me goin' inta trance, an'I ain't real eager t'do'at. Not wittis many folk 'round. But Nanshe steps in. "It's a god who has come back. And I don't think he means ill, but he doesn't usually mean well, either. Nothing might come of it; he lived here mostly quietly enough before. But."

Wish she hadn't gone inta'at much detail, but guess th'dep'ty wuzn't gonna leave us 'lone 'less'e got some kinda answer.

Dep'ty nods an' thanks'er. "I'll be takin' a look into that. C'n see you and Miss Thorn back, when you care t'leave."

"'m okay," I says, shruggin'. "Jes' gotta get back t'th'lot mself." take a handful 'a ashes, pull up some grass'n earth from th'unburned circle. Like t'havva good look later. "Guess'll see you folks 'round."