Reunion and Revelation, pt 3

“Mother, for once in your life, it is you who have been outmaneuvered, and for once in mine I cannot be happier to be involved. I have been rewarded for my faith and brought together with one who completes me in a way I never realized I was missing. Aidan has been rewarded for his kindness and passion and given the tools he needs in order to become what he was meant to be. At first when he told me the truth of what happened to him, I was angry at the Powers who played with his life and brought him so far from his home. I was wrong, though, and it was Aidan himself who realized it.

“He wasn’t brought here by the Brighaid; instead, They winnowed through the souls who were already caught in this net and plucked out the one, single, shining soul which matched my own. They did not dump him in the middle of the wastes to wander alone; They carefully placed him here, where we would be drawn together, knowing that we would realize the truth on our own without any additional interference. Many believe that fire is always rash, reckless, incapable of doing anything but consuming its fuel as quickly as possible, but they are so very wrong. Embers can linger long after the flames have vanished, still just as hot as the fire which created them, and in time spark an entirely new conflagration.”

She takes a deep breath and places her hand back on top of yours atop her breast. “The Brighaid’s flames have been but a thin flickering light for generations, but we, Aidan and I, and perhaps others we will meet along the way, are the embers which will re-ignite the flame. The world now is filled with suspicion, hatred, fear, and distrust. People do not create great masterworks for the sheer joy of their craft. Evil,” She stares right at her mother and says very deliberately, “has been allowed to corrupt the wondrous places of the past. But we are here now and we are given the opportunity to change that, to spread joy and love, to craft for the sake of making wondrous things, and to purify that which is tainted. They did not use us as tools, Mother. They gave us a purpose, and they gave us each other.”

Once again Brighid turns to you, and her faith and enthusiasm burn so brightly in her voice and manner that she seems truly radiant. “I am sorry for surprising you with this, Aidan. Everything did not fully come together in my mind until just now. Please understand that I do not believe either of us are being **** upon this path; I am certain that the Three Flames have faith that we will honor and exalt them just by following our hearts and keeping Them in our minds. They represent freedom, independence, and following your passion, not doing what others tell you to because they say so.”

You think back to what your Patron told you, then repeat it out loud -- in Highlands Gallic, not Divine Speech. “Honor my words, honor my friends, follow my heart. Those are the only orders I was given, and they are nothing I object to. I will travel this path with you, Brighid.”

She gives you a dazzling smile and turns back to her mother. “So, Mother, I will place this in your hands; when you believe you have atoned, come to me again and we can talk more of forgiveness. Until then, I still love you, and I would very much like to be your daughter again, like when I was just a yearling.”

Ailis’s eyes fill with tears and she stands up. You hastily pull your hand back from around Brighid's waist as she follows suit and the two women embrace. Brighid actually kneels down on her forelegs to even out the height between them as she holds her mother tightly. On the one hand, you are happy that they seem to have somewhat mended their fences. On the other, tears and arousal don’t mix well in your experience, and you have a quest to complete!

You give them a moment to themselves -- quest or no, you wouldn’t feel right breaking them up too quickly -- then stand and walk over to Brighid, lightly placing your hand on the point of her hip, just forward of her rump. She lifts her head from her mother’s shoulder and smiles at you, extending her nearest arm back to you and beckoning you to join the hug. You trail your hand up her spine as you step into her embrace, then slide it up the back of her shirt. You loop your other arm loosely around Ailis's back, and for her part she does the same.

Brighid whispers to Ailis, "Do his hugs not feel wonderful, Mother? I can lend him to you for a while if you would like. I think a good ride might help you get yourself back in order..." She giggles at the incredulous look she gets in response.

You give a mock sigh and say to Ailis, "I apologize for her, Ailis. Clearly I'm going to have to take a firmer grip of the reins with this one." Your carefully picked word choice causes the petite centaur's eyes to widen, but Brighid's breath catches in her throat and she lets it out in a soft moan. You continue, "As you are surely aware, she can be a bit headstrong at times. I'm working on breaking her of that, but I've only just started and progress is a little disappointing so far." You unwrap your arm from around Brighid and deliver a swat to her flank with a cupped hand, intended to make noise rather than cause pain. "I assure you though, give me some time and I'll have her following the lead like a good girl instead of jumping the fence and galloping around making a fuss for me to clean up after."

Ailis looks at you in silence for a moment or two longer, then she chuckles and begins to laugh. Her arm tightens around you and pulls you into a true, tight hug, and she tells her daughter with joy in her voice, "I take it back, I do approve! It looks like you may finally have met your match, little spark. I would almost pay to see him put you through your paces, it must be a spectacular show." This is the first time you see Ailis truly happy and unguarded, and it transforms her. She really is quite beautiful in an entirely different way from her daughter, at least when she isn't brooding and scheming.

Brighid makes a low, happy sound and cranes her head around her mother's to grin at you. "What do you say, Sir? Do you want to show my mother just how well you handle me?"

Before you can respond, Ailis interjects, "Before that road is traveled, I have one last thing I need to say to you both. It will be short, I promise. Brighid, your appeal to the full Council is set for tomorrow night. For the record, the vote is already decided informally; Fionn actually agreed with me, and he was able to convince Anwn as well. You will need to be present to argue your case, and I expect you to argue it well, but unless things go terribly wrong, all of the Starchasers with reasonable combat Skills will be recalled to the village and we will march on Bannagh Macht in about a week's time. I know you will be coming, as you swore an oath." You look at Brighid sharply, and she mouths, tell you later. Ailis tilts her head at you and asks, "Do you wish to be part of the expedition? No one will say a word against you if you decline -- none worth talking about, anyway. I cannot say that remaining behind would be a poor choice, in fact. But you have earned the right to accompany us if you wish, and I am sure Fionn would be able to make use of you as a scout and guide if nothing else. The choice is entirely in your hands, I promise you."

You don't even have to think. "I have a score to settle with that rhyming asshole. I am in all the way."

Brighid impatiently bulls her way in, saying, "Great! We will finally purify that evil! Next week. But this is now, and I believe there is a proposal in front of my Lord..." She bites her lower lip and gives you her sexy begging look again.