Dinner with the family

So, how would having dinner be different, if your sister could see the future?
~~~

He nodded in understanding. “Back to the thing that has me the most concerned. Your Majesty, I’m not sure what to say. How do I honor the fallen, without spreading unnecessary fear? How much information is too much? Do we downplay the tech, or try to warn the people about the potential threat? Do you have any advice?”

The King smiled. “I’m not sure if I am the right person to ask. Scions and the Sisterhood have known about it for ages, but it has not, to my knowledge, been a threat till now. Is it a future threat?”

Ivy sighed. “I honestly do not know. I have never heard of tech turning on, let alone causing this much damage. The Sisters I saw at the festival didn’t even mention the tech, just that they were concerned about my injuries.”

Rose cut in. “That is because they are convinced they have a handle on it, just like they’re convinced that they are the only ones who can handle a Far Seer when they go too far.” Her blue eyes became cold and distant. “They think they know what is best for everyone else.” Her eyes widened, unfocused. “They think victory is secure in their numbers, in their toys, but it’s so high up, and they’re so far down, and the fire flies so quickly. They don’t even understand the shear number of tech that they are up against, let alone how to stop it. It is sad what horrors people will let come to be in the name of peace.”

Ivy leaned across the table, placing both hands upon her sister’s squeezing tightly. “Rose, what do you see?”

“Flying low, Targets acquired No targets! Those are just people trying to defend themselves! War party recognized!” Tears fell from Rose’s unblinking eyes.

Willow, obviously scared, grabbed a hold of Rose’s arm. The King put a hand on his daughter’s back, rubbing it gently. Ivy shook her sister as much as she could, from her awkward angle across the table. “Rose! That was me, Rose, that’s in the past. You’re in the past, honey. Try to focus. Focus on our touch, on my voice.”

“It sucks the very life out of you, if you don’t know what you are doing you will become a husk.”

“Rose, honey, we know. I saw. Elliot and I, we both saw.” Ivy sighed, making a decision. “Rose, find now. Can you follow my voice, find now?” Her head nodded, barely perceptibly. “How does Elliot address tech tomorrow? Can you see tomorrow? What should we do?”

Her sister’s pale eyes, fading into white, looked around the room, through them. “Teagan will volunteer, but don’t let him. He has Scion blood, many times removed, but enough. Ben is a better choice. He will collect the tech in his warehouse, to melt it down, but he will not get the chance.”

“Rose. Pull back, honey. Be here, be now, be still.”

Elliot watched as Rose’s eyes returned to their prior blue, and finally slid to focusing. She began to shake, as though shivering, and King Alexander wrapped her tightly in his arms. She shook, and cried silently, clinging to her father. He held her till she calmed down, then asked, quietly, for Willow to take Rose to her room. The young girl’s eyes were wide, concerned and scared, but she agreed. She wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist, taking on most of Rose’s weight, and walked silently out of the room.

As soon as they were gone, King Alexander sighed. “All considered, this was still a good day for her.”

Ivy turned her full focus on her father. “What was with the shaking? I’ve never seen a Seer do that before.”

He shook his head. “She has symptoms different than your mother. There are times when she seems to cut off, to leave her body. She becomes a statue, sometimes even stops breathing, but usually only for a moment. A few weeks before the festival she started shaking when she lost control, a tremor in her hand, a spasm in her leg. Then, when we were having an audience with Duke Shahar… she was barely with us the entire meeting. At the end, she started to shake all over, like she had been swimming in January. She fell out of her chair. Myself, the Duke, and a servant helped to hold her still, until it stopped. After seeing that, the Duke went straight to the council, telling them what he saw. They insisted we hold a meeting, they even interviewed the servant. The council advised me to officially name another heir. That was two days before I left for the Festival.” He ran his hands through his hair, sighing. “The last coherent thing she said, before falling out of her chair, was ‘he can’t set the bones. it hurts so much. It is healing itself oh Goddess it’s firing again.” He sighed, resting his elbows on the table. “I didn't have any idea at all what she was talking about, no one did, not even your Mother would comment on it, but that night, when I heard the explosions, the screaming, I was terrified. And then, when I heard about your injuries…” He shook his head. “Let me guess, Elliot. You don’t know how to set bones?”

Elliot shook his head slowly, partially in shock. “No, sir, but that is a skill I intend to pick up very soon.”

camp Nanowrimo

As I had promised, here is a portion of my writing for NaNo this month. I am not anywhere close to par, so I fear I will not hit 50k words by the end of July, but I have hopes that I will get a lot done this week. Wish me well!
~~~~~

Samuel maneuvered his horse out of the caravan at the road marker showing the boarder of Cynwrig. The winding foothills at the south of the main road were easy riding on his horse. The miles easily disappeared beneath the horse’s stride. The foothills shifted into baby mountains, and the trees changed, from towering conifers to squat fruit trees, all planted in neat rows. Each tree was just above Samuel’s head height, while seated on his mare. The spaces between the trees were recently trampled, the fruit harvest finally complete, making travel easy. Though his friend had only lived here a few years, Samuel didn’t need to direct his steed. She already knew the way to cut across rows till they came upon the main path, two well worn wagon tracks cutting a thick swatch through the trees. A quick turn and a kick at the mare’s flanks, and Samuel headed up the path to center of the orchard.

Two barns flanked a log cabin with a full wrap around porch. The posts supporting the porch roof a lighter tan than the rest of the building, obvious in their newness. The sun reflected off of the windows, turning them into mirrors reflecting the orchard back at him. Samuel dismounted and wrapped the rein loosely around the railing, skipping the first stair and the third to the porch. He stopped at the support post, running a hand across the rough spots on the wood. This had been the first one he and Devon had stripped of bark, they hadn't been sure of what they were doing, and their novice showed in the rough splinters. He would need to sand it soon. He turned to knock, but before he could reach the door, it opened to reveal an older woman.

Her blond curls were striped in a gray several shades lighter than her eyes. Her dress was worn, practical, with a half apron tied at her waist, stained in bright red cherry juice. The creases in the corners of her eyes deepened as she saw Samuel. “Samuel my boy, you’re a day late! You have too much fun in that midway? Perhaps spend too much fun time with that lady friend?” Her eyes tightened, shifting, searching the tree line. “Where is Devon?”

Samuel pulled a mug from his belt, and a green ribbon. He fiddled with both for a moment before handing them both to the woman. She took them in both her hands, eyes not leaving the mug. “Miss Gethin? Ma? May I come in?”

Devon’s mother nodded, shifting back, allowing Samuel to come inside.