A Hope for Rauri Ch. 04

Cliodnha stepped back and Shauna stepped a little closer as she watched the banshee slowly walk and climb where she had to in order to get to the top.

Once there, she drew out the rag from the steaming bucket and began to wash a part of the rock. It took her a few minutes, and then she set the bucket and rag aside.

"It is to wash her place and also, she tries to warm the stone," Cliodnha said quietly.

Shauna's eyes widened as Rauri sat down on the wet rock and reached for the pinnacle, a slightly taller part, about three feet higher. Rauri pulled herself a little closer and held on, closing her eyes for a time. There was a bit of a gap between the girl and the pinnacle. A few inches away, there was a smaller pinnacle and Rauri held onto the large one so that she could rub herself a bit on the short, thin one.

Then, as Shauna stared, Rauri lifted herself up and slowly sank down onto what she'd been rubbing against -- a single stone spike which was shaped like a phallus. Once there, she sat with her eyes closed and for a moment, they watched as a soft smile came to that face where something such as that almost never appeared.

Then, a little at a time, and only by a small amount, Rauri began to use the stone phallus to ease her need and help her to forget her troubles for a short time.

Shauna turned away then, and seeing Wesley looking, she reached for his arm and turned him away as well. "Hey, that's a private thing, ok? I'm sure that she doesn't know that we can see her there. Let her have her moment, alright?"

He nodded and they looked at Cliodnha, who stood looking back at them in a slightly different way. She smiled then.

"Thank you.

Thank you both for what I see in you here. Most would have wanted to stay and look on for as long as it went.

That place and what she sits on, straddling the rest of the slope on both sides, that is all that Rauri has - all that she ever has had for herself. No one will speak with her much. So she holds no one but the Cu Sith as her friend, and that is only very lately and it is not much, other than as companions when they walk together to foretell of a death. I am not certain that they even speak to one another."

Wes looked at Cliodnha and decided to ask what he now needed to know. "Tell us why you're doing all of this, Cliodnha. What's really going on here?"

She looked very uncomfortable as she thought for a moment and then she looked up, "I do not think that Rauri is causing the shift in herself. I believe that another could be responsible.

For myself; what I want -- if it can be done, Wesley, is for you both to take her away, and I have a hope that you can help her to have a life for once, instead of an existence.

My hall has been her home for so long, but now I fear that if she stays, she will end her days soon and go to her grave. All that I have done would have been for nought. I might as well have allowed her to perish not long after she met you. It leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth and a very bad feeling in my breast.

She has been a Bean Sith to me, when I did not need her to be. I have always had others. For her to have served me for so long to no end for herself feels so wrong to me. With your help, it might be changed before it is too late.

That was my hope."

"Cliodnha, I don't know how to give her a life outside of here," Wes said, "I don't know if you're very much aware of things in the human world, but to live there, you need papers and an identity, and, ... well, it gets complicated pretty quickly."

"My problem -- at least one of the first ones, "Cliodnha said, "is to find out what it happening to Rauri and why.

This, ..." she waved her hands as though swatting at a midge, " ... identity business cannot be truly impossible for you if I can manage my part of things, Wesley.

I happen to know of two creatures who must already be able to do something like what Rauri will need, since you both live longer lives that any human and you seem to have been able to manage things well enough."

Shauna smiled and nodded to Wes -- who blinked once in thought and then chuckled, "Touché."

She turned and led them on, appearing not to wish to speak of much more at least for the moment, and a few minutes later along the winding, twisting, and generally upward-sloping passageway, she stopped to speak with a guard who rose from a seated position. The guard bowed and they walked past, with Shauna and Wes looking aside to return the curious look which they received from the man.

"You said that you only rule some," Wes began, "by that, I take it to mean that you rule over banshees as I read. But the old folks back at the farm and that guy with the sword and the bow, ... they don't look like that to me."

"I am the queen of the banshees," Cliodnha nodded, not turning her head, "but there are other sorts of the Sith in my hall who are bound to me alone. Not many, however. Gate watchers and a few fighters, for the most part. A few servants also."

Shauna saw an opportunity to ask something, so she took it then, "Who is the one that you think could be making Rauri change?"

Cliodnha stopped then and they knew that they were back to whispering.

"I have asked for my queen to come today, if she can find the time for it. I called to her and she answered that she would try to come. She is The Queen of Elfhame to some, and the Queen of Faerieland to others, depending on their perceptions, I will not name her here, this close to my hall, not unless I stand in the heart of it."

"I know her name," Shauna said, "I can't say how I know it, I just do. There's another name -- "

Cliodnha nodded, "Aye, there is.

To men and others, she is called Gyre-Carling. That is little more than a name. It is the other which I will not invoke here. At certain times, to speak it can also bring her husband, who wonders why she was called. I can only prevent it if I stand at the seat of my own power."

"Who's her husband?" Wes asked, but Cliodnha only shook her head and smiled with what might be termed -- if it was indeed that -- a slightly affectionate look.

"Come now, Wesley," she smiled, "If I am loth to speak her name, then you might guess that I am also even more so to say his. To have only one of them in my presence is a trial for me. I have no wish to see them both together, if you don't mind."

She turned to walk on. "Americans," she said very quietly, though it was said in a way for them both to hear it, "Always inquisitive; always needing to know everything at a glance and all at once. It is a quality which can rouse my ire at most of them.

But not you, I find. Not either of you."

She smiled, turning her head just slightly so that they could see it, "From either of you, it is a charming trait to me. I wonder what is wrong with me that I allow it and even like it so."

"Well, we're just likeable," Shauna said with a little grin.

"Yes," the queen sighed as she led them on.

They passed another guard and then they were in the center of Cliodnha's hall. With a wave of her hand, she caused the fire which was burning low to leap up and illuminate the whole hall.

They saw that on her face, she wore a slightly pleased expression which seemed to say 'There now, that's more to my liking.'

But there was a shift in it which was immediately covered with a respectful look as she turned and saw who it was who sat on the throne -- her throne, in her hall.

She dropped to one knee then and bowed her head, "Nicnevin, my Queen."

The woman sitting there in very fine clothing raised her head and nodded to Cliodnha just once and only very slightly before she turned her head a little to regard the visitors.

"Why do you bring dogs into your hall, Cliodnha? Surely you have enough of mine here if you wished to see one. This is your hall and you may do as you will in it, certainly. You could even bring hounds to keep them if you had a wish to hunt. Why bring these strays in?"

Her gaze turned icy cold as she glared at Wesley and Shauna, "This is a Sidhe hall and stronghold. You are not of the people. Truly, you are not people at all to my eyes. I see a pair of abominations who do not belong here.

You would do well to bow at this point."

Shauna wasn't sure just what to do and she looked over at Wes, and watched as a tiny little crooked smile wandered onto his face a little slowly.

She knew that smile. It caused her to want to groan.

From as far away as she stood from him, a matter of some three or four feet, she already knew.

Wesley's inner smart-ass was about to be unleashed.

He barely nodded to the other queen -- barely.

"Please forgive us, your High and Mightiness. We're Americans."

She nodded, "Which makes you buffoons and loud ones at that."

Wes still wore the same smile as he nodded, "It might. We tend not to be too big on queens a lot of the time. I'd be more inclined to bow as I have for Queen Cliodnha, if it weren't for the fact that all that I can see of you is your regal ass with your head firmly stuck in it."

The reaction was subtle, if it was there at all as the woman on the throne spoke in a low and menacing tone, as soft as it was, "Show yourself, dog. You look absurd to me as you stand on your paws. I wish to see the entire silly business."

Their clothing disappeared and both Shauna and Wes shifted instantly to cover their nakedness.

"Now go and lie by the fire, like a well-behaved pair of hounds."

No one moved.

The queen's eyes opened a little after a moment and she raised her hand threateningly, "I commanded you to go and lie down."

"Fuck yourself," Wes chuckled, "You're nothing to me, you're not even half-assed funny.

Actually no," he said, changing his mind, "Please DON'T do that. How about you just shut the fuck up if you can't manage to show the courtesy of a queen?"

He turned to look at Cliodnha, who was still on one knee and openly gaping at him in a little horror now. "Can we just get on with this? I'd just love to have you show me around this wonderful place of yours -- that is, if I haven't offended you too much, and if I have, then please accept my apology."

He looked at Nicnevin once more, "Where we come from, the term 'fairy queen' carries a much more pleasant connotation to my mind -- well, unless one of them gets all pissy over something.

I've got no time for THEM then either."

"Rauri is in her chamber. Down that passage, the only one on the left," Cliodnha said quietly.

They turned to go, but the queen on the throne almost sputtered, "I gave no leave for you to go. You will -- "

"I'll go where I want; when I want to, Tinkerbell," Wes said with the slightest tone of condescension. "You ought to be pleased. I know I will be.

Since I won't be looking at you, you can take the opportunity and fuck yourself while we're gone."

Nicnevin stared at their backs in disbelief. Neither of them even looked at her as they walked off.

"Before I give in to the growing wrath in me, Cliodnha, rise and come to me so that we might speak of why you called to me -- unless it was to rid your hall of this, ... collection of creatures here."

Cliodnha nodded and got to her feet to walk over.

Down the passageway, Shauna looked over at Wes, "You came on just a little full-bore back there, didn't you? I mean, she's as pleasant as somebody else's used minipad, but ..."

Wes laughed softly, "Sorry, I'm not about to be talked down to by nobody."

"Uh, you mean 'anybody'."

He shook his head, "No, I'm pretty sure I had it right. I'm not part faerie or Sith or whatever the fuck you gotta be to get spoken to a little politely around this oversized anthill here. She's no god to me, and she sure isn't a queen. She's fuck all.

And I didn't go full-bore at all. I didn't even hit her, though it's what her momma should have done a lot more of."

He sighed then, "Probably too late to try to play catch-up now."

He looked over and spoke a little softly, "Hey, I'm sorry if it's a side of me that you don't like to see, but I don't believe in magic. I'm aware of certain anomalies that I haven't got answers for, like why I am what I am.

But that sorry piece of shit back there?" he gestured with his chin, "Same as a ghost to me. I don't believe."

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Rauri looked up from where she sat on the bed at the sound of the polite knock on her door. She stood up and walked over to open it and a second later, began to sorely regret doing it.

She recognized the female from the previous day at the cemetery, but the sight of the large male upset her instantly.

"Y --You, ... you are the one who killed my Blackie!"

Wes tilted his head, "What? Who's Blackie? I didn't, ...

Rauri, look, it's me, Wesley. I just look different now. I don't know what you're -- "

But Rauri was already backpedaling, trying to get away from him. It had already come to her that she now knew what that strange quality that she'd thought she'd seen in him the previous night was.

"No! No, get away!"

Shauna shifted then and began to try to calm the distraught banshee. "Get out of here, Wes," she said, "I'll try to calm her down if I can. Just go for a walk or something, ok?"

He nodded, seeing that his standing there wouldn't do any good and he turned away and walked.

It led him to a few doorways, some of them guarded by Sith who wouldn't speak to him or answer his questions with other than stony silence. He went down none of the hallways, since the guarded ones were clearly not accessible to him and he didn't know where the others went, so he just walked on.

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Rauri stared at Shauna, "Who -- who are you?"

Shauna tried not to roll her eyes, "Look, you might not believe it, Rauri, but I'm here as a friend. Try to calm down. Tell me about Blackie."

Rauri stood in the corner with slightly wide eyes even still, but she tried.

"Blackie was my young little lamb. He was just a new spring ram and, ... "

She looked down for a moment, "He trusted everyone and he followed me anywhere that I went. I only stepped away for a moment ..."

She pointed, as though Wes hadn't left the chamber, "That one killed Blackie. I just did not know him for what he is. And you are the same, though you stand here as a naked woman."

Until that point, Shauna had actually sort of forgotten, being more concerned with the sudden upset in Rauri. She had an idea and asked, "When did this, uh, ... killing happen? I'm sure that there's some mistake."

Rauri shook her head, "No, there cannot be. I was twelve. I did not see it happen, though it was only just before, since his little body was very warm. I surprised the beast and he backed away and left. But I know it was him."

Shauna touched Rauri's arm gently, "Hey, try to calm down. Wesley knows that he saw you for the first time when he asked you for some food because he was so hungry. I've heard the story for over a hundred years from him. I know that he saw you in 1307. How old were you then?"

Rauri thought about it and answered, "I was twenty then, but -- "

Shauna still held her arm and she shook her head, "If you were twenty in 1307, then you must have been twelve years old in ... 1299.

In the year 1299, Wes was only thirteen years old and he lived in England. The first time that he set foot in anywhere in Scotland was the year that you met him, Rauri. I also know that until only maybe a week or two before then, he was human. He was bitten near someplace called Clatteringshaws Loch and he never saw the one who bit him, either. It's always been a mystery to him.

I guess that it might have been that one who was around where you were and killed your lamb. After you met, Wes did kill some sheep, but he told me that he was careful not to take any that he thought might have been yours. He said that he went miles to hunt sheep because of that -- and he never took any lambs. I know that because he told me.

You don't know him, but I do. He's my best friend and we've known each other for a long time. We each owe our lives to the other so many times over. He won't even have lamb for dinner at an inn."

"Where do you come from?" Rauri asked, "You speak ..."

Shauna shrugged, "I come from a lot of places. I was born in Ireland and moved to America, deep down in the south," she smiled as her voice shifted to reflect a Louisiana accent, "Then I went west and eventually, I met up with Wesley and we've been close friends ever since. We live in a place called Wyoming now, still in the west, but farther north.

My name is Shauna, by the way," she smiled.

Rauri looked to be trying to understand what had been said, since she'd never heard of America. "He is your man?"

Shauna shook her head, "He has been, I guess. Now and then, anyway. We've both never found the right person, him and I. We've each fallen in love with others once in a while, but ...

because of what we are, it never lasts a long time. The few other werewolves that we've met have either not been what we wanted, or they've just been nuts, so we don't try much anymore. Wes and I get along really well, but it seems to make more sense to us just staying friends.

Rauri seemed to remember something then, "I was thinking to go to the kitchen of the hall for something to eat. It must be time for the middle day meal by now. Would you come with me and ... have you hunger? Your talking interests me and, ... I would hear more of it if I could."

Shauna nodded, suddenly reminded that a fair amount of time must have gone past and she'd only had two slices of toast at the hotel. "Yes, I'd love to eat something -- if it's allowed. But I'm um, ... I'm not wearing anything. There's some other queen with Cliodnha now. She took our clothes.

I could change back, but I've just met you and I wouldn't want to frighten -- "

Rauri smiled then, surprising Shauna, until she remembered that Rauri didn't really have any friends and the smile made sense to her then.

"Please do it then," Rauri nodded hopefully, "More than anything, I wish to see you like that once again. I do not think that I would be so frightened now. This last while, I seem to have been changing or ... I do not know, really. But I have just met a girl who can change too and ... "

She nodded, "I think you make me feel a little better for it."

She stood up, "Do you wish to go now?"

Shauna nodded and reached out, "Here. Take my hand and hold on while I change. Maybe it won't be too bad if you're touching me as it happens."

Rauri grasped Shauna's hand and her mouth opened in a huge smile as Shauna shifted a little slowly anyway.

"Now you," Shauna said, "I'd like to see you as you change, if it's alright."

Rauri nodded and began to shift, still holding Shauna's hand. It seemed to be happening to a slightly greater degree each time now. Until right then, it had caused Rauri nothing but more and more upset. But now ...

They looked at each other and began to laugh. Rauri was now fur-covered nearly to her shoulders and her eyes were a little different as well, though neither of them knew quite in what way.

"God, you're amazing to look at," Shauna chuckled, "I really like it!"

"I am finding now that it is not such a struggle to control," Rauri grinned, "It was terrible at first, but now I find that it is easier to stay one thing or the other."

She led them to the door and out into the passageway, and then they walked off together, smiling as they went, and still holding hands because it felt so good and it obviously gave Rauri a lot more confidence.

There were some strange looks cast their way when they reached the kitchen. They were the same looks that Rauri had always gotten which had always reminded her that she was not considered a Sith by anyone here but a few.

But today, Rauri didn't mind. Indeed, she didn't care at all, and in moments, they were sitting at a table and eating. The area for it was a little like a very small school cafeteria in a sort of medieval sense and appearance with long tables and many chairs, all hewn out of wood. No one sat near them, and they liked that even more as they chatted.