A Hope for Rauri Ch. 04

"Why did you come today?" Rauri asked, "It is seldom that any visitors ever come to the hall."

"I think," Shauna began a little cautiously, "that Cliodnha wants us to take you away from here, back to where we live, so that you can actually have a life someplace. She says that you're not happy here."

Rauri looked uncertain for a moment, "It is truth. I have never been happy here. Queen Cliodnha has always been kind to me, but she is always so busy.

But, ... what am I to do where you live? Do they need Bean Siths there? It is all that I know to do."

Shauna shook her head, "No, but at least one furry girl could use a new friend. Wes and I work together back home. Maybe after I get you used to living there, we can find you a better job than always crying over somebody that you don't even know. I don't - well, we don't have many friends, Wes and I. We know some people, but, ... well, they get old and we don't so we can't really know anyone for long.

It'll be great just knowing somebody else with the same kind of life."

Rauri looked uncertain again and Shauna thought that she knew why. "You'll need to get over that unsure way that you're looking right now, Rauri. If you're going to come with us, you'll need Wes just about as much to help you get started. He's not as ..."

"Fierce," Rauri offered, and Shauna nodded, "Yeah, he's not like that. He's more ..."

"Hungry-looking," Rauri said, sounding a little amused.

"Well yeah," Shauna smiled around a mouthful of potatoes, "You can trust him. That's not something to be concerned over. He's just ..."

"Behind you," Rauri chuckled as she pointed.

Shauna looked up and over her shoulder, following Rauri's gaze and she saw Wes there.

She began to tell him to take a seat and then she noticed by the way that Rauri was now laughing as she watched Wes stealing a pair of Shauna's biscuits. She slapped his hand.

"As I was saying," she grinned, "you can't trust this bugger around any type of food."

Laughing herself now, she pointed to a chair, "Sit your ass down and I might let you have a little of this.

I was just telling Rauri that we might take her back with us -- if you can both agree on it and if I can get her over what was her nervous feeling about you. But that was before you showed her the harmless idiot that I know and love. She knows that it wasn't you who killed her lamb.

From what she's told me, I think that it just might have been the one who bit you."

Wes sat down and looked across the table, "I am sorry about what happened. Could you please tell me what you saw? What he looked like?"

Rauri tried to remember for a moment, but she just said, "I am sorry, but that one looked to me as you do. It was why I thought that it must have been you. Also, I was ... I do not think that I was myself at that moment. How could I have even thought to run that way? I should have run away, yet I ran screaming toward him and he left. He turned and he was gone so quickly.

Why do you wish to know of this?"

Wes looked down, "I didn't know the one who bit me, and I never knew why he or she didn't kill me as he killed the others in the forest like me. But after a time, I learned that what I got from him or her in the bite made me far stronger than the others that I ever saw.

Many of us seek to stay alone. Shauna and I do not, but then we were like this before we met, and even so, we spent a lot of time as just human people.

Sometimes, I've run into other werewolves. I would never attack for no reason if they had done me no harm. But many of them just attacked as soon as they knew what I was. I learned then that I am much more than they were, so it made me want to know more of the one who made me."

He looked at Rauri a little more searchingly, "Are you thinking to come with us? You would need to learn so many things, but Shauna is good at teaching. She teaches me all the time."

Shauna smiled, "He's confusing teaching with giving him a piece of my mind, since he needs that once in a while and I have lots to spare."

"No I'm not," Wes chuckled, "Will you come, Rauri? You just have to know that I'm not much different than any man."

"That means that he doesn't usually wash his dishes until he needs something to eat from," Shauna said, rolling her eyes.

Rauri laughed a little when Wes said, "Unless I use my head and invite Shauna over for dinner. If I'm lucky then, she'll do them. I just have to hear about it for a little while first."

Rauri said, "My queen told me that I should ... I cannot say it, ... That I should try to seek your heart, but ... "

She looked down for a moment and then back up with a sad expression, "I cannot even think in that way. I only see my lamb lying in my hands."

He reached across the table, "Forget it. Don't worry about what she said. I don't really know everything or why she seems want for you to know me like that.

All that I know is that someone like Shauna ... someone like me needs help. She didn't say it all, not everything. ... I know that now. I just know that we need to get you away from here. You need to live for yourself.

You can't go on the way that you've been living here. Just come with us. We'd love to even know someone else who lives long. I'll help you and I know that Shauna will want to help you even more."

Shauna turned to look at Wesley with a slightly startled expression and he only said, "That song is still in my head. I guess there must be more than a little truth in it, so I'm a kind of determined not to let it happen. I'd value a friend more."

"How will we go there, where you live?" Rauri asked. It brought her a lot of answers that she couldn't understand, such as flying when one has no wings. Explaining that was a lot easier than the questions that came to Wesley's mind.

"How are we gonna get her on a plane? She doesn't have any ID, no passport, no visa, nothing."

"I dunno," Shana smiled, "But I can see that you're a little inspired and I know that when that happens, it's always more interesting than sitting at home, filing my nails. I might have to take a ship back and smuggle her in my luggage. I'll figure something out, Wes. I always do, don't I? I'm more concerned about Sam."

"That guy you saw last night?" Wes asked and she nodded.

"After listening to Cliodnha, I don't really know what to think anymore. I thought there was maybe something there, the way that I felt.

I mean, Cliodnha might have come out of the gate in a sort of strange way and she kind of creeped me out to begin with, but the more that I think about it, the more I'm inclined to trust her."

Rauri touched Shauna's arm, "You may trust Queen Cliodnha. She always has many cares which she carries, but I have never seen her do anything to cause harm -- unless one has it in their minds to begin. What did she say, if I can ask it?"

Shauna told her about the conversation over the Cu Sith and Rauri sat back then and nodded slowly. "To many here, he is not trusted. It is known that he does not want to be here. He yearns to work for his queen in her hall. It is thought that he is here only to spy for her."

Wes looked away for a second and seeing his expression, Rauri glanced at Shauna, "What is he doing?"

Sauna grinned and pointed to her own head, moving her index finger in a circular motion.

Rauri raised her eyebrows and blinked, "He has madness?"

Shauna laughed a little, "Close, I meant that the little wheels in his head are spinning. It's probably nearly the same thing."

Wes swallowed a last mouthful of the food as he began to stand up, "I need to find out the rest of this story. Could you take us to the throne room -- or whatever it's called?"

They walked back along the passageways as Rauri led them. As they drew closer, they heard the sounds of the angry discussion in the distance.

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"I did what must be done, since you have not in so long. She should have been in the earth hundreds of years ago."

They walked into the hall as Cliodnha looked to be ready to explode. "No, you have not. You have been MEDDLING in the affairs of my hall again as you often so often do!"

Nicnevin saw the others and raised her hand in a summoning gesture. The opposite doorway darkened and then the Cu Sith walked in.

Cliodnha spun on him and he fell on his back in flames which singed him and then disappeared, "I know whence the queen comes by her knowledge of what happens in my hall. You will be gone from here and never return before I have my next thought of you or it will be your last moment, spying hound."

"He will be gone in a moment," Nicnevin smiled, "as he takes that one," she said, pointing to Shauna, "to be the next milkcow.

And if you cannot control your tongue, Cliodnha, you will no longer be the Bean Sith queen! I want one here who can do as she is commanded."

"TAKE IT!" Cliodnha screamed, "Take it from me, this useless mantle which forces me to serve a worthless queen such as you."

The Cu Sith stepped forward, laying his ears down as he made low rumbling sounds toward Shauna. She stepped toward him with an unreadable expression, thinking of Wesley's words.

"Will you be mine there?" she asked and he shook his head and proved that he could indeed speak in the animal form.

"You will come and I will leave you there."

Before he could even register her movement, she tore the side of his singed face halfway off with one slash of her claws, and his yelp was more of a pained scream.

"Try harder." Shauna grinned, "That didn't work."

The beast stepped back, looking burned, confused, and bleeding profusely.

Nicnevin seemed not to have noticed it right away.

Wes saw the slight delay as did Cliodnha.

Nicnevin had spoken the words which removed Cliodnha's standing and was already well into speaking the words to cause Rauri to complete the change to Baobhan Sith.

As she began the last phrase, while Rauri was on the verge of collapse, she turned to look at the ex-banshee queen with a smug expression.

What she noticed was that Cliodnha wasn't there.

Another split-second of delay.

She looked around and then up, hearing the thin scream from above her. She raised her arms, but it was a little too late as Cliodnha, now looking more like Rauri and even then some, crashed against her, driving her to the floor.

Wes and Shauna stared wide-eyed as they watched Cliodnha rip into Nicnevin with long claws which weren't there a second before. There were other features which they saw on her now, such as the leathery wings, the long teeth and the cloven hooves.

"Rauri!" she cried out in a voice which sounded far different, coming from the angular face, "Help yourself now. Come and help me kill, Daughter!"

Rauri ran to the spot and they saw that her change was nearly completed, since she looked so much like this new Cliodnha. She didn't even hesitate.

She sank her claws in deep and began to tear pieces off as quickly as she could.

The Cu Sith seemed to wake up from his stupor and he sprang to help his queen in answer to her anguished call.

But Wes clotheslined him and he fell on his back with a crash.

Before Wes had even struck him twice, Shauna was in there too and a few seconds later, she had him disembowelled and emasculated.

The bloody pulp heaved one last breath as Wes tore in again just before he sank his teeth deep into the black throat to rip it out. After that, there was only the final, wet exhalation from the carcass.

"Quickly Rauri," Cliodnha hissed, "drink the blood. You must take a deep draught if you can and then leave some for me. It is our last hope."

Rauri moved aside and gnawed into the already bleeding carotid artery.

Cliodnha saw a spot for herself on the other side and began as well. As Shauna and Wesley got to their feet, the only sounds were the groans and the frenzied sucking and lapping. Nicnevin fought only slowly as her blood left her and her movements grew ever more feeble.

Eventually, there was no more blood which could be gotten and Rauri turned to move away.

Cliodnha rolled the body onto it's face and in seconds, she held up a kidney. "Eat," she said, There is more here."

After eating one kidney each, they flopped the body onto it's back and Cliodnha had the heart in her hands. "Take half if you can. I will eat the rest and this one will never rise again."

When it was done, they rose to their hooves and stood dripping gore as they looked at the others.

Rauri shook her head at Shauna, "Sorry. ... I am sorry."

"No time for that now," Cliodnha said, pulling Rauri toward the fountain, "Wash and quickly.

We must leave," she said to Wes and Shauna, "All of us. We must get out. I am no longer queen here. We must leave before we are attacked."

"Why?" Shauna asked.

"If I am no longer queen, then you both are not guests anymore. You are intruders, and, ..." she sighed, "I have no wish to harm the ones who have served me for so long."

As Rauri lifted her face from the water and climbed out, she stepped very hesitantly toward Shauna. "I am sorry. I have never done that before. Are you ... "

"Impressed," Shauna nodded with a smile, "Holy shit, Rauri, that was something."

Cliodnha got out of the water, leaving it stained red for a time until the flow cleansed it once more, "Come. Follow me."

"Hey, is there any way we can get our clothes back?" Wes asked, "That was a two hundred dollar shirt and the keys to the rental car were in my pants pocket."

Cliodnha pointed to the throne, "They are on the shelf at the back."

They ran out of the hall with Cliodnha leading two minutes later. The only opposition that they met who was at least a little prepared was the lone guard in the passageway As he began to challenge them, Cliodnha passed her hand in front of his face and he fell asleep.

She urged them forward, telling Rauri to lead them while she hung back for a few seconds to listen and try to sense for any pursuit. They made really good time, considering that the werewolves weren't bounding on all fours.

The passageway opened before them and Cliodnha passed by above them on her wings.

"Hey," Shauna puffed at Rauri, "can you do that too?"

Rauri looked over for a second and shook her head as she ran.

When at last they came to the door to Underhill Farm, Cliodnha said, "We will come out at Backhill Farm. It saddens me, as I would wish to say goodbye to the Hobbs one last time. But I do not wish to risk having to hurt those two if they know of the changes."

"How would they know?" Shauna asked.

"The guard knew and no one had come to tell him," Rauri said, "The call has gone out. I heard it in my mind also."

They stopped to listen for a moment to a dull booming roar from far behind them.

"Run!" Cliodnha shouted, "The passage closes. Run!"

They ran.

They ran for three minutes with Cliodnha telling them every hundred yards or so not to look back.

What she wasn't telling them was that she did look back now and then and she could just see the hallways disappearing.

And the rapidly closing seam was gaining on them.

When they got to the right door, she hustled them through it and jumped after them just as the now very loud roaring came to an abrupt halt.

Wes was standing out in the dark and Shauna was lying on Rauri, who had fallen as she cleared the doorway.

There was no floor. There was only soft grass and moss under them.

"Look here," Cliodnha said with a relieved smile. She stood holding the open door, which hung over nothing but the darkening evening air. They were at Backhill farm, such as it is and not as it was. Through the open doorway, they saw only gray rockface.

When Cliodnha swung it shut, the door disappeared and there was nothing at all there.

"That way," Cliodnha said, pointing and they began to walk on the grass.

By the time that they reached the car park, there was a tow truck just pulling in to hook the rental up, but with a lot of fast talking and a little money, Wes sorted it out and the tow driver left.

Wes unlocked the car with the remote and they all piled in -- all but Cliodnha.

"Get in," Wes said, but she shook her head.

"I will make another deposit in your bank for your time and to help with any costs for Rauri. I have perhaps a little less than a hundred thousand in American dollars of my own, after the exchange I would guess. Please take good care of Rauri for me."

Rauri sat in shock, shaking her head and wanting to get out. Shauna was trying to frame her questions as she hung onto Rauri to prevent her leaving.

Wes opened the driver side door and sort of half-stepped out. He shook his head, "It must be the way that American English doesn't come across that well sometimes. What I said was get in the car.

If you think about it, it wasn't a request.

Look, I know you a little now. You're trying to manage something that's not manageable for the moment at least. I was there, remember? If I'm right in what I think that I was watching, you're not the queen there anymore. You've even said it. To me, that means that you DON'T have a place to go, AND you might have somebody on your tail looking to do you hurt.

Hey, I'm just an American werewolf. I just call it the way that I see it, so for at least until we can figure things out, you've got a pair of us watching your back.

For that to happen, you need to be at least within arm's reach, so listen carefully; Get ... in ... the ... car.

Uh, please."

Cliodnha stepped forward and pulled open the door as she sat down and Wes started the car.

"Where?" she asked.

"To the hotel," Wes smiled, "I happen to know that the closeness of the place to the main motorway means that the restaurant there is a favorite among the road truckers, the ones who do the long hauls, anyway. The hotel kitchen closes stupid early like ten, but they keep their diner kitchen open all night.

I don't think I've lived a more odd day than this one. I mean, I know we've been far away and back again, but it seems like the whole day went by in about an hour and maybe a bit.

So I'm uh, ... I'm hungry again.

I just don't know what you can still manage for yourself, you and Rauri, that's all. Can you still make up clothing, or is that a stupid question? You're awesome to me like that, but you'll stick out a hell of a lot in a place like that over dinner, and Rauri will be even more of an eyeful, since she's not wearing a damn thing, as uh, pleasant as that is to some."

Cliodnha turned to look at Wes and she nodded, "We might be able to manage something a little less, ... spectacular, won't we, Rauri?"

Rauri was happy again that Cliodnha hadn't abandoned her and she answered that she could wear a dress.

"What happened back there?" Wes asked, "I think I can follow it a little, but at some spots, I guess that I just lose the trail of bread crumbs. Why did you look like that?"

Cliodnha now faced the curious glances of all three and she just began to explain, "I was the queen of the Bean Sith. My subjects were all of the kinds which there are. I was what I was for a long time, and ... well, one cannot really be the queen if one does not know what they all are.

So to BE the queen, I had to learn to BE each one. It served my purpose at the time to be Baobhan Sith, only without the little detail that they are all dead -- since I am not. But I can be as one, as you saw.

Rauri was nearing the edge of going over as Gyre-Carling commanded. I had a problem, because just before that, she reft me of my queenhood and I lost much power in an instant.

I needed to stop what was happening and I also needed power if only to get you all away. Rauri needed the power and ability to stop what was going on inside of her.

To do all of that, we both needed her blood.

That was not really Gyre-Carling. I know that you saw it also. We did not really kill her."