Chapter 3

Kathy stirred the pot of stew that hung above the hearth fire. “It looks like it will be another fifteen minutes or so, Barbara. let’s take Carly outside for a few minutes.” She turned to Meg who was sitting on her blankets. “Meg,” Kathy pointed outside toward the river: “I’m going over there with Barbara and Carly. You’ll be able to see me. I want you to lay down and rest.”

“Ok, Momma. Can I have a hug?” Kathy stooped down and hugged her. “Thank you,” Meghan said with a smile.

“You’re welcome. Now, lay down for me.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Once they were at the river bank Carly turned to Kathy with worry on her face. “What’s wrong with mom? Why is she acting like this? It’s scaring me.”

Kathy hugged her. “I know, sweetie. That’s why I brought Barbara out here with us. She can explain it better than me.” She glanced at Mrs. Addison. “Barb?”

Barbara said: “Carly, your mother is going through significant changes right now. I need your help, so we can guide her through them. She kept saying she killed your father. If you know anything at all, we need to know. I promise no matter what you say your grandmother and I will never tell anyone.”

Kathy said: “I give you my word, baby. I won’t tell a soul, not even Grandpa.”

Carly shrugged and looked bewildered. “She couldn’t have killed daddy she was in Kansas working the day of the accident. Daddy told me she was. The only time I ever saw her hurt somebody was when a man tried to rape me when I was eight. She took a butcher knife to him.”

Barbara nodded her head. “Good on her. He needed killing. Somethings eating at her and we’ve got to get to it. Is there anything else? Does she get really angry about anything? I mean furious in a snap?”

“Drinking,” Carly said. “One day she lost her mind on Kevin. Kevin and I were going camping with Donnie and Margaret. He wanted to know If I could have some beer. He wasn’t arguing. He was asking what rules she wanted him to follow. Before we married, mom was still in charge of me as a parent. It wasn’t part of her slavery.”

“I’m a little confused. Could you explain that, please?” Barbara asked.

“Mom and Kevin had rules about what areas of life she was his slave in and what parts she wasn’t. Her money was her money. Stuff like that. I wasn’t included at all. She was still responsible as my parent and raised me the way she saw fit whether he liked it or not. Kevin and I were dating so he had to answer to her as a regular boyfriend would.”

“I see,” Mrs. Addison said: “When he mentioned beer, she became angry.”

Carly shook her head violently and pointed at herself. “No. When he mentioned me having a beer, she lost her mind. That was another rule they had. No alcohol is allowed in her house or any house she lives in.”

Kathy said: “Baby, There’s all kinds of booze at our house.”

Carly shrugged. “It’s not like we had much choice.”

“That’s true.”

Carly looked at Barbara. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

Mrs. Addison smiled at her. “You’re a very perceptive young lady. The truth is several things going under one description. It’s called the Healer’s Sickness. One of the things we’ve discussed. That is helping her get rid of the emotional and psychological pain that’s eating her alive.”

“Another is while she is being healed she is being reborn as a new person. Don’t get upset, She’ll have all her memories and will still love you and still be your mom. She will be more stable, mature, and wise. She herself will be some type of healer when we’re done.”

“What does that mean?” Carly asked.

“It means she will have a new direction in life. She will help people grow and will possess specific insights on how to do it. A gift if you will. She may be a counselor, a nurse, a doctor, there’s no telling.”

“I don’t understand how that explains this,” Carly said.

Mrs. Addison grinned. “You must be an excellent student in school. Your mother on the inside is being rebuilt from the ground up. All the places where there is pain will be empty and have to be filled. An easy way for her mind to do this is to make her childlike while it reorganizes.”

“We do all her worrying for her while she focuses on healing. If she didn’t have a guide, she could get stuck there. Our job is to help her keep moving until she comes out on the other side. Follow our lead when we do things and be as loving and affectionate towards her as you can. Do you understand now?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Thank you for explaining this to me.” Carly said.

“It was my privilege. After we eat, we’re doing our first ceremony. Kathy, the drumming and singing may upset her. I’m giving her a light sedative with her meal and I want you to let her rest in your arms as we start.”

Kathy leaned forward as Amy Norton placed a pad between her and the Oak tree. She leaned back. “That’s better. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kathy glanced at Barbara who nodded. Kathy held out her arms and said: “Meg, come here and let momma hold you. Barbara and the ladies want to sing for us.”

“Ok.” Meghan crawled from her blankets to Kathy and laid her head on Kathy’s inner thigh.”

Kathy stroked Meg’s face. “Good girl. Are you comfy?”

“Yes.”

“Mind your manners.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

The ladies seated themselves around them. Barbara nodded to Mrs. Tulane who gave three slow, soft beats then paused a moment. She started drumming again with Mrs. Norton adding a second drum beat. They sang a quiet, wordless, interweaving harmony that lulled Meghan to sleep.

Mrs. Addison with her drum led the drummers into a more forceful rhythm and began a soft chant that the other women joined into.

About thirty minutes later, Meghan sat up in a panic. “Momma, the dogs are going to get me.”

Barbara motioned for the ladies to continue as she set her drum and beater aside.

Kathy hugged her. “What dogs, baby?”

Meg was sweating and struggling with Kathy. “They’re outside. They’re getting in! Help me!”

Barbara snapped. “Kathy, turn your head.” Barbara tipped the contents of a small package into her mouth. She grabbed Meghan’s face and turned it to her and blew a powder into her face. Her eyes bored into Meghan’s. Her voice stern and authoritative when she spoke. “You are safe. Nothing will ever hurt you as long as I am here. Rest and listen to us sing.” Meg looked at Barbara a moment then laid down again.

When the singing stopped Kathy got Meghan tucked in for the evening. She went outside with Barbara to enjoy a cup of coffee. “What was that about?” She asked.

Mrs. Addison sighed. “She’s beginning to face whatever it is that’s hurting her so bad. She’s trying to scare herself into not doing it. That powder was a very weak sedative.” She stared at the flames of the little campfire in what they called the break area. “For all practical purposes, a bowl of warm soup would have relaxed her more.”

“You gave her a placebo?”

Barbara nodded. “Yes, she knows we’re doing Magick. Anyone brighter than a turnip would know that. She’s at war with herself. One side wants her dead for whatever reason, and the other side wants to be better. That side of her needed something to hold on to. So I gave it to her.”

Kevin led Henry to his dad’s office.

Ben looked up from his paperwork. “What brings you by? People are going to start talking at this rate.”

“Your sense of hospitality, of course. It never lacks.”

Ben smiled. “Why thank you, we pride ourselves on it. In fact, I got a new bottle in last week.” He pointed at the antique box. Henry nodded.

Kevin opened it and they put in any electrical devices they had. Kevin pulled a wand and swept his father and Henry. When he finished he handed the wand to the chieftain who then swept him.

Ben went to his desk and pushed a button and a hum filled the room. “What would you like to drink?”

“A case of Si’s if you got it,” Henry replied.

“Shit,” Ben scowled.

“I’ll take whatever you have handy.” He pulled a fifty out of his shirt pocket and laid it on the desk as he sat down. “Here put this toward the kitty. I’m sure she hasn’t been fed for a while. I know how our friends are.”

Ben beamed. “Well, thank you. See Kevin. That’s a true friend for you. While I’m here what do you want, Kev?”

“A Mt. Dew if you have one.”

Ben shook his head. “I have a Coke.”

“Umm ... Beer?”

“Sure,” Ben grabbed him one then served Henry and himself as he sat down. “So what’s up?”

Henry said: “As of right now, we are underground. Completely underground. No satellite calls, No clan meetings, No Rider meetings. Get every property you have prepared for raids by any and every branch of the federal government. Until we get sorted out we’re jumping in a hole and pulling it in after us. Ben, do you still have that casting furnace in your shop here?”

“I do.”

“Good. Before I leave, we’re going into your shop and turning our satellite phones and chips and dongles to slag. You need to get out your list of anything else on your properties that need to go. It has to be done today.”

Ben grimaced and said: “What the hell happened?”

The Chieftain took a deep breath then said: “Our man in the F. B. I. was compromised. They figured out he was the one that leaked the hacker’s location. They cornered him in his house. His last message was AMF.”

“AMF?” Kevin asked.

“He got it off that stupid A-Team movie. Alpha - Mike - Foxtrot. It stands for Adios, Mother Fucker. It means capture is unavoidable, and extraction is impossible. Suicide is the only option. Michael killed himself. He killed them too. He blew his house to high heaven.”

“Oh God, any family?” Ben asked.

Henry shook his head. “His wife divorced him when he took this assignment. They never had any kids. She remarried inside the clan. He never remarried.”

“How did he get in the F. B. I. With a Rider brand?” Kevin asked.

Henry answered. “He didn’t have one. Not all of us are Riders. It doesn’t mean they are less loyal to the Clan than we are. Some can’t join for religious reasons or one thing or another. We are all still Clansmen.”

Ben said: “I understand why he blew the house, but damn. If they were mad before they’re out for blood now.”

“Yes, Sir. it happened a few hours ago. I’m unsure how they’ll play this, but they know he’s from here. So we have to be lily-white.” Henry stood and stretched. “So we better get started. Any clan business will be handled by the council members assigned to those families. Anything higher will either wait or be handled by me.”

The Dream Time

The faint light of dusk and the thick fog made it almost impossible to see in the old-growth forest. Branches whipped her face and scratched bloody streaks into the olive skin of her arms as she ran. She stifled a scream as her bare toes drove into old gnarly tree roots. She cried as she picked herself off the ground and tried another direction. Horrendous growls and howls from the wolf pack forced her back onto the faded trail. As she stumbled into a clearing an incredible weight hit her back and slammed her into the ground. Meghan screamed as sharp teeth shredded and tore her body apart. Her last sight was a wolf’s maw as it bit her face.

Meghan sat up breathing hard and searched the meadow. It’s morning? In the meadow with her was a gorgeous pale skinned woman with a sprinkling of faint freckles on her face. Her long, abundant, fiery red hair plaited. The sun reflected off of the exquisite gold necklace she wore. A simple but elegant golden dress completed her look.

“It’s all right. They’re gone now.”

“I’m not dead?” Meghan asked.

“Yes and no. You are here, but you will go back.”

“Where’s here?”

The woman smiled and said: “You are at the very edge of my kingdom. It’s called Fólkvangr.”

“Why am I here? I was with the ladies then the wolves were chasing me. I thought they ate me and now I’m here. I don’t understand.”

“You’re here because your gift became a curse and was killing you.”

“What gift? I don’t have any gift.” Meghan said.

“The dreams and visions that drove you to drink. You are an adviser. The dreams and visions are tools to help you help others. Instead, they nearly destroyed you. Your heart is so twisted and ugly now. The Ladies and I are helping you fix it.”

Meghan rolled her eyes. “Like you could.”

The red head’s eyes glittered with malice. The air around her crackled as sparks dance around her in a corona. “I am almost as old as time. I’m making allowances due to your ignorance and illness. Do not provoke me.”

Meghan drew back as her eyes widened. “Yes, Ma’am. I’m sorry. May I ask your name?”

“I am Freyja. I taught All Father the Seidr. Now, I will teach you. But first we have to heal some of the damage you have.”

Meghan shouted “What the HELL!” as her arm and hands twisted and her spine forced her to hunch over. Her once perfect skin wrinkled and spotted.

“This is how your soul appears,” Freyja said. “As we work together, it will heal. I will make some adjustments now, and we will meet periodically for more. You will have work to achieve on Midgard to help yourself heal.”

“Midgard?” Meghan asked.

“Earth is what you call it,” Freya said. “Let’s start with the worst bit. Your John was a great and honorable man. I knew him.”

“You did?”

Freyja nodded. “I go to Midgard occasionally for entertainment. I met him in a tavern when you were out selling yourself. We had a few drinks, and he bought me dinner. We had a few drinks, and he bought me dinner. I could see the pain and loneliness in him and his hunger for me yet, he wouldn’t budge. When I asked why. He said the only woman he would ever be with was his Meghan. He said that knowing what you were probably doing as he said it.”