ADULT: Meeting Of Minds - Part 20 of 25+
Dana Short (DanaShort@aol.com)
Sun, 30 May 2004 15:20:49 EDT
Sorry this is late, I made some changes and wanted to get it proofed
before it was sent out. I should post the next chapter on time
tomorrow, but still haven't gotten the proofed version back yet so I
won't make any promises.
Also, I may as well let you know now, that I will suspend posting at
the end of Act 2. I don't intend to start posting Act 3 until it is
all completed, and considering that only the end, and little pieces
of the middle of it are written, that may be a while. Expect it by
the end of the Summer.
This story may be concidered PG-13 due to both the situation, and=20
the occasional use of profanity (Chapter 11) when a char was upset.
Please direct flames/comments to DanaShort@aol.com=20
Please note the story title in the subject line, or your message will=20
be lost to my SPAM filter.
Dana...
Legal Disclaimer: See first post, or visit the URL below for full=20
disclaimer. Just let it be known I don't own this universe.=20
Archive only according to rules mentioned in full disclaimer.=20
I hope you enjoy the story.
Fully formatted text of Chapters 1-20 available at:=20
http://www.DanaShort.com/HL-MOM.htm
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Chapter Twenty
Regrets And Memories
Sue was crying softly as she sat in her old bedroom. The sky blue=20
walls were covered here and there with boy-band posters, and other=20
posters and pictures of interest to her from when she was growing=20
up. Outside, a gentle rain was falling, punctuated occasionally by=20
distant thunder.
Eadgils knocked on the door, and poked his head inside. "Sue?"
=20
She looked up and nodded, motioning to a spot beside her on the bed.
=20
Eadgils took a seat beside the quietly crying Sue, and reached an arm=20
around her, offering a hug.
=20
"He, he really wasn't my Dad, was he?"
=20
"Of course he was. Sue, when you were little, who held you when you=20
were scared, who bandaged your wounds? Who taught you the ways of the=20
world, protecting you all the time, wasn't it your Father?"
=20
Sue nodded. "Yes."
=20
"Then he was as much your father as if you had sprung from his loins."
=20
"But, it, It was a lie. I really wasn't his daughter. She died, with=20
her mother."
=20
"Sue, in my life I have seen many wonders, and many mysteries. Where=20
we come from is one I have never heard of being answered, and trust=20
me, many of us have tried to find our origins. But there ARE powers=20
in this world greater than ourselves. I can easily believe that we=20
do not come without a purpose. Tell me, Girl, what would have=20
happened to your father had Methos not acted as he did?"
=20
"He would have been alone."
=20
"Exactly. Even had he known your origin, do you really think he=20
would have loved you any less?"
=20
"I, I don't know. He might have. Especially if he knew what I was."
=20
"Really? Do you in your heart, where you keep his memory, truly=20
believe that?"
=20
Sue took a deep breath then let it out again, reaching up to wipe the=20
tears out of her eyes. Finally she said in a small voice, "No."
=20
"Then in every way that counts, he was your Dad. He loved you, and=20
you him. That is the secret of a family, not the genes or blood; it=20
is the love that ties people together. Cherish your memories of your=20
father, and the stories he told you of your mother as well, for she=20
certainly would have loved you as well. Besides, as Adam said, you=20
have her eyes. Who is to say that somehow, you aren't truly the=20
child born of their love. No one knows how we come to be; perhaps=20
some power, seeking to save you from the accident, acted in some way=20
we can never know? It makes as much sense as anything else."
=20
"I suppose. It is possible, as much as anything else, I mean. At=20
least I can believe it, because even though I never met her, it would=20
hurt to lose my mother as well."
=20
"Then don't lose her. Keep her in your heart, along with your=20
father. That way, they can be together, for eternity."
=20
"Yes. Thank you Ed." Sue said, sitting up straighter finally.
=20
"You are welcome. I'll leave you alone, for a while. I'm sure you=20
can find me if you need me."
=20
Eadgils got up, and walked out of the room, as a ray of sunlight came=20
through the window, and a bird began to sing in the yard outside.=20
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Eadgils sat in the Dojo of the Mind, his sword across his lap, and he=20
contemplated both his current situation, and the stories he had heard=20
that day from Adam/Methos/Death. Perhaps not Death, the man he had=20
met today was not the person Cassandra had told him of all those=20
years ago. Death would not have risked anything to swap out a dead=20
baby for a live one to help a mortal for any reason. Death would=20
never of spent time training Sue in the use of the foil. Death=20
surely wouldn't have traveled all this way just to check on some=20
potential Immortal, and make sure they were all right. He would have=20
killed them long ago, and taken their head.
=20
Based on his own experience with Darius, both before and after=20
his 'Conversion', Eadgils could understand how the death of his=20
Teacher could have so completely altered Death. To some extent, he=20
wondered, was Ralas still around, inside Methos, acting as a=20
conscience, much like he was haunting Sue's mind? On one level, he=20
would like to believe so.
=20
Eadgils rose at a sound behind him, and turned around, expecting to=20
see Sue. The image of Cassandra standing before the open,=20
uncivilized eastern European plains of millennia past surprised=20
him. "Cassi?" he asked, hesitantly.
=20
"Eadgils. Where is the child?"
=20
"Last I saw her, she was in her room" he replied with a grin for his=20
old student and lover.
=20
"Her room?"
=20
"Yes. She was still adjusting to what Methos told me today."
=20
"What was that?"
=20
"The story of how a Dr. Robert Helm came to switch the stillborn=20
corpse for a newly found Immortal infant, to give a man who had just=20
lost everything something to live for."
=20
"How did he know about this, was it in a Chronicle?"
=20
"No, Methos WAS Dr. Robert Helm before he joined the Watchers as Adam=20
Pierson ten years ago. Quite a change from the Death we knew here."=20
Eadgils said, sweeping a hand across the open expanse, light now by=20
the afterglow of a recently set sun, the plants disturbed=20
occasionally by the drifting breeze.
=20
"I would say so. He does seem different. I understand now why=20
Duncan asked me to spare him."
=20
"Did you know him well, this Duncan?"
=20
"He still lives. Duncan MacLeod can be found in Paris, or in=20
Seacouver, depending on the season."
=20
"I never met him. I crossed paths once with Connor, but never with=20
Duncan. Probably for the best; despite his protests, I still think=20
he has to be some sort of really clever Headhunter. Instead of going=20
looking, they come to him. I have heard of too many Immortals losing=20
their heads around him to ever feel comfortable."
=20
"Duncan is a good man, Eadgils. He has honor, and will only fight=20
when challenged, or to defend others. It is his reputation which=20
draws the Headhunters to him, no deliberate act of his own. He even=20
changes addresses fairly often, just to try and find some peace."
=20
"If you say so, Cassi, I will believe you. You said you knew him as=20
a child, so perhaps you are not the best judge; but he seems to be=20
friends of friends of Sue, so he may not be bad after all. Who=20
knows, if Methos, the Pale Rider himself can change from being a=20
sociopathic killer, to a man worthy of friendship and trust, then=20
anything is possible."
=20
"I don't know yet that Methos, or Adam is worthy of the trust others=20
place in him, but from what I have seen, I think I am willing to give=20
him a chance. I hadn't considered it at the time when I was standing=20
over him with an Ax in Bordeaux a few years ago, but he could have=20
killed me in Seacouver, or let Silas kill me in Bordeaux, yet both=20
times he acted to save my life. He even told me I should not blame=20
myself for having thought I felt something for him, he even reminded=20
me of the Stockholm syndrome, where prisoners come to associate with=20
their captors. It was like he wanted to help me heal my wounds. And=20
as I stood over him, he himself made no plea for his life; he just=20
knelt at my feet, awaiting my judgment and sentence. It was after I=20
had returned home to Glenfinnan that I was able to reflect on things=20
more rationally, and I realized he may have WANTED me to kill him. I=20
realized that by letting him keep his head, I may have been punishing=20
him even more."
=20
"I don't claim to understand, but I do think you are different=20
yourself from the woman I knew three thousand years ago. She was=20
cold, and haughty. She hid herself behind a shield of self=20
importance, and she almost never laughed or smiled. I have seen you=20
do both. The Cassandra I knew would have killed Methos for making a=20
joke at her expense at dinner last night, but you, you almost played=20
along."
=20
"I think I have changed. I hope I have. A life lived for vengeance=20
is not a life lived at all. Duncan told me that once, after=20
Bordeaux."
=20
"Great wisdom for one so young," Eadgils said, giving Cassandra a hug.
=20
"It is so good to find you again, Larar."
=20
"No one has called me Teacher in the old tongue for thousands of=20
years, Cassi."
=20
"You should teach it to your student."
=20
"Sue can not be my student, Cassi. I am dead."
=20
"You seem pretty active for a ghost." Cassandra said smiling up at=20
him.
=20
"But that is all I may be. That or a demon, possessing this poor=20
young girl's body."
=20
"You're not a demon," came Sue's voice from behind them on the hill,=20
as she walked through the soft grass, climbing to join them at the=20
top of the gentle slope they realized they had been standing on for=20
some unknown time.
=20
"How do you know what I am? Methos's story showed what happened the=20
last time, insanity and death. Why that hasn't happened to you yet,=20
I have no idea, but my fear is that it is only a matter of time."
=20
"What you are Eadgils, is my friend, and my teacher. De bent Eadgils,=20
Larar duen mi."
=20
Eadgils stood in shock as Cassandra giggled at the ancient title=20
falling casually from Sue's lips.
=20
"I guess you don't have to teach her the old tongue after all,"=20
Cassandra said.
=20
Sue looked at Cassandra and asked her, "What language is that,=20
anyhow? It sounds like German, but it isn't."=20
=20
"It had no name. It was a mixture of many different languages, some=20
of which later evolved to Latin, Greek, even German, English, and=20
French have echoes of it today." Cassandra replied.
=20
"How do I know how to speak it? I never even heard it before=20
Cassandra called you 'Larar'," Sue asked, diverting the subject=20
slightly.
=20
Eadgils tried to explain, "I'm not sure. It could be because the=20
information, like everything else I know or remember, is actually=20
inside your head, you just need to figure out how to access it. I=20
know when I'm awake, I know things only you could have known, almost=20
like an echo of you from the back of my mind. When you're awake, it's=20
more like I'm just watching a movie or something. I know what's=20
going on; I can see and hear everything you do, but I can't do=20
anything. I've even tried to shout at you at times, but you never=20
seem to hear me."
=20
"I never shout at you. I don't seem to be able to even think when you=20
are awake. For me it is like I just wake up, remembering what you=20
did as though I was the one who did it, but I wasn't really there at=20
the time at all. Does that make any sense?" Sue asked in confusion.
=20
Eadgils looked to Cassandra then back to Sue. "Not to me. Cassi, do=20
you have any ideas?"
=20
Cassandra looked over at both Sue and Eadgils, then slowly shook her=20
head. "I've never heard of an intermingling of minds and souls like=20
this before. About the closest similarity I have ever heard of would=20
be a Possession, although I never personally encountered one of=20
those. I do know this though, when I first met Sue, she had the=20
Quickening of a newly awakened Immortal. When I felt Eadgils=20
yesterday, the Quickening was significantly stronger. That's another=20
development I've never heard of before. I leaned long ago the basics=20
of sensing, focusing, and shaping my Quickening, I taught the basics=20
of those skills to Eadgils even as I figured them out myself back=20
then. But I have never been able to suppress or hide it, and that=20
would be a useful skill, if I had any idea how such a feat could be=20
accomplished. =20
Cassandra shrugged and went on, "Since your Quickening seems to=20
change, you are either doing so subconsciously, or you are truly two=20
separate people in a single body somehow. If that is the case, one=20
explanation could lead from the fact that this is Sue's actual body. =20
Perhaps since her memories are native to it, Eadgils can read them,=20
but since Eadgils's memories are not native to the body, they are=20
only slowly seeping into the shared brain for Sue to access. As for=20
why Eadgils can view Sue's waking hours, but Sue can only remember=20
them, I am not sure. I would almost expect it to be the other way=20
around, and it makes no sense to me. Then again, I don't even=20
understand how I can be here, wherever this is. I'm not a=20
Dreamwalker, yet somehow I have ended up here twice now."
=20
"So neither one of you have any answers. Great!" Sue grumped, sitting=20
on the mat in the Dojo, and laying her Katana across her lap.
=20
Cassandra looked down as she realized she was now holding her own=20
blade casually in her right hand, and Eadgils was holding his as well=20
as he stood beside her on the mat. She looked around at the dojo=20
which had reappeared as suddenly and unnoticeably as it had vanished=20
when Sue showed up. "Does this happen often?" she asked Eadgils.
=20
"More than you even notice, around here. I tend not to pay attention=20
anymore, myself."
=20
Cassandra looked again at her blade, then at Eadgils's, and=20
grinned. "So, mein Larar, shall we spar?"
=20
Eadgils nodded slowly. "It has been a long time."
=20
Eadgils and Cassandra took up positions on the mat well away from=20
where Sue sat watching them, and began to fight.
=20
Cassandra noted that she did not seem to tire, that when she was cut,=20
she did not bleed, but that it did hurt. Especially when Eadgils=20
suddenly stepped in and moved in a way which seemed impossible, and=20
his heavy blade sliced swiftly through her neck, in what she was=20
positive was a terminal blow. Yet aside from the pain throughout her=20
neck, there was no apparent damage. "That was, interesting."=20
Cassandra said.
=20
"Yes. You should have seen me the first time Sue did that to me=20
here, when I was training her in handling the katana instead of a=20
foil. It was the second time I expected everything to be over, and=20
nothing happened. But it simplified training. She didn't have to=20
pull her blows, and I could train her reflexes until she took the=20
swings without hesitation. The girl is good, and she tends to 'kill'=20
me more often than I do her anymore."
=20
"How long - how long did you spend training her?"
=20
"Only night before you fought her the other day, but time is=20
different here. I don't know if you have noticed it yet or not, but=20
we could stay here fighting for hundreds of hours, and never tire. =20
While I've only had two nights to work with her here, if it was in=20
the real world, it would have been several years of lessons. I think=20
I have spent more time sparring with her here than I did with you=20
those first hundred years."
=20
Cassandra looked speculatively at the girl sitting on the mat, the=20
katana cradled in her lap, then nodded. "She fought well when I=20
tested her. I was shocked; I expected an easy victory so I could=20
show the upstart child just how much she needed my help; instead I=20
awoke on the floor, killed by a blow I hadn't expected, from a blade=20
I had barely had a chance to see."
=20
"I taught her that trick," Eadgils affirmed.
=20
"It was not the only one she used in that fight. As I said, I was=20
shocked by her skills. I was almost more shocked to see Methos's=20
moves from her. But if you had long enough here to train her, added=20
to what her 'Adam' showed her before she first died, it makes sense=20
that I underestimated her. My ego is no longer quite as bruised."
=20
"You should work with her though, I am sure there are things she=20
could learn from you I would never know to teach her. Would you=20
mind?" Eadgils asked.
=20
Cassandra looked at Sue, who looked back at her silently from her=20
seat on the floor.
=20
"I would not mind, but would she learn, that is the question. The=20
child told me in no uncertain terms she didn't need me as a Teacher."
=20
Sue finally spoke from her position on the floor. "I'm sorry,=20
Cassandra. I already apologized to Eadgils last night for how I had=20
behaved towards him the night before we met. I think my bad mood=20
carried over to you as well. I had been feeling more than a bit out=20
of control with my life at the time, and I was rude at best. Please,=20
forgive me for my attitude towards you. If you are willing to help=20
teach me, I am more than willing to learn."
=20
Cassandra looked thoughtfully at the girl seated at her feet, then=20
looked back at Eadgils, and finally nodded. "Ok. Stand up, and let=20
me take your measure again. I will see what I can teach you of=20
fighting. Then, if we still have time, we will start on seeing what,=20
if anything I can show you of using your own mind."
=20
As Sue stood up and faced Cassandra, Eadgils grinned and slipped back=20
into the shadows of the Dojo of the Mind, where he could watch his=20
two students meet one another in combat, his first and his last.
=20
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Sue sat before the campfire on the plains, listening to the voice of=20
Cassandra speaking softly in her ears, and tried to visualize her=20
Quickening as a field spreading out from her body. Eadgils had=20
slipped away sometime after Cassandra had tired of sparring endlessly=20
with Sue, stating that it was time to teach her other things. Things=20
more difficult than merely hacking and slashing with a metal blade.
=20
Sue was having little luck with sensing her Quickening though, and as=20
she tried it occurred to her that perhaps this was not a lesson which=20
could be learned here. She had not felt Cassandra's approach here,=20
nor had she ever felt Eadgils's. "Cassandra?" she asked finally.
=20
"I told you to be still, Child. You will never be able to feel your=20
field if you keep interrupting instead of meditating."
"I am sorry, Larar. But I had a question. Can you feel your=20
Quickening here?"
=20
Cassandra was silent for a long time, only the crackling of the fire=20
and the stirring of the soft winds disturbing the night. Finally she=20
spoke in a soft voice, "No. I can't."
=20
"Then perhaps I am not such a total failure after all," Sue said,=20
sitting up and looking across the flames at the woman seated=20
there. "This might not be something I can learn, here. I'm sorry for=20
wasting your time."
=20
"It was not necessarily a waste, Child. Perhaps in the daytime, when=20
you are moving around in the real world, you can try to apply these=20
techniques I have tried to teach you this evening. It may be that=20
this time we have spent fruitlessly will instead have been little=20
more than an investment. You seem to understand the principles, it is=20
the applications you fail at, and if that's because this realm causes=20
you to fail, then you may well have learned what I tried to teach, if=20
you applied it in the waking world."
=20
Sue nodded, and was about to answer when a distant alarm bell began=20
to jangle.
=20
Cassandra looked around in surprise, asking, "Do you hear that sound?=20
It sounds familiar."
=20
Sue nodded, and said "I think I know what it is, this has happened=20
before now." Even as the fire faded, letting the darkness close in=20
while the distant bell grew louder and louder.
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To be continued in Chapter Twenty One - "Cowboys=E2=80=A6", Coming 5-31