the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes...

[goddessnanshe]

Morning of 21st June

It's still raining, though not as heavily as earlier, but I couldn't wait any longer to come out here and see what has happened. I was wakened in the early hours of Sunday by a strange feeling of pressure and brilliant light, but my cell was completely dark. I walked through the abbey, and all was still and shadowed. Anyone else

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[syl_thorn]

Dunno what th'hell happened last night, but whatever't is woke me up inna cold sweat, m'nose clogged wit' smoke an' m'teeth gritted t'gether. Some kinda major power goin' down, annit left me wit' one helluva headache after't passed. 'nough t'keep me'n bed witta cold cloth on m'head 'til'is mornin'. But somma th'others came by, told me 'bout th'smell'a woodsmoke anna light'n th'sky last night. We's always feared fire...mosta th'camp'd go up like a bloody matchstick if'n't caught...so folks kept watch 'til't died. Whatever't wuz, seemed t'stay'n th'woods

[samuel_durand]

The air tastes somehow different in Excolo. Not in a literal sense (the rain has made sure of that), but there is a palpable tension in the Whitechapel that has me itching to check beneath the dormitory beds: it's a teeth-on-edge wordless anxiety bleeding into the air, the kind I tend to associate with waking on a cold night to discover a viper has sought refuge in my bedroll and twined itself around my feet

[goddessnanshe]

Syl is here, of course. It makes me smile a little.

"So you heard't too, huh?"

"I woke up with light behind my eyelids," I say. I look at the devastation, and reach out and touch a charred tree trunk.

I hear the soft snap of a twig, and I turn.

"Fine morning to find ourselves with a mystery.I can scarcely credit it."

"Gaue-" I begin, surprised, then look again. "I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else." He does look a great deal like my old acquaintance, and my skin prickles a little. I am so much more vulnerable in this body; I am not used to not feeling safe.

[syl_thorn]

She's gotten 'erself dressed pretty inna coat't't's too big for'er anna pretty scarf over'er hair. She's settlin' inta bein' human, I think. Whether'at's a good'r bad thin', ain't m'place t'see. But she smiles when she sees me, an'I smile back. "I woke up with light behind my eyelids," she says, strokin' a burnt tree.

"Wuz smoke'n m'throat fer me," I nod. 'm 'bout t'call'er over, see what she c'n make outta'is...when a snappin' twig catches both 'r ears.

"Fine morning to find ourselves with a mystery. I can scarcely credit it."

Nanshe starts, 'n starts t'say somethin', but she catches 'erself. "I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else."

Ain't seen'is fella b'fore, not 'round town, 'n not on th'Lot. Nanshe looks right nervous, an'I straighten, takin' a step closer. "Ain't seen you 'round b'fore," I says, cas'al. "New'n town?"

[samuel_durand]

The smaller of the two women looks at me with mild shock, and for a moment, something like recognition. She utters something, or part of something, that I do not understand. Phonemes that are assuredly not English, but that I cannot immediately categorize. She recovers swiftly.

"I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else."

"No harm done," I say, as warmly as one can when talking loud enough to be heard at some distance over the low rushing hiss of rain. I wonder who she's mistaken me for. While I don't exactly stick out everywhere I go, my Continental features don't usually lend themselves to cases of mistaken identity half a world from the land of my birth. Another traveler, perhaps?

The other woman stands up then, and she is taller than I expected, not far from my height. It is her footprints I am standing in, unless the other woman has someone else's shoes on and a pocket full of rocks. When she speaks, her consonants tend to leap over vowels entirely and mash each other together, so it takes me a moment to adjust.

"Ain'

[chester_excolo]

what IS it with this town an' explosions a Power? So many in such a short span a time... bet no one gets what that does to the Otherworld an us inbetween folk. Gotta wait til things settle a bit before I c'n travel out to take a look.

Get there an find I ain't the only one's shown up. Glad I picked a nice quiet shadow under a tree beyond the radius of the destruction. I recognize the witch, seen her before in these woods, the other two I ain't sure of. Think I've seen the dame with the scarf somewhere in town, don't know 'er name, though somethin's ticklin' at my memory. Never laid eyes on the fella before. Wonder who he is an why he's interested.

I settle in under my tree to watch. Hunh. Seems like the dames know each other but not the guy. Though it looks like dame number two almost did. She thought he was somebody she knew. I take a second look. Nah. I don see whatever she did. i'm better off waitin' to see if they introduce 'emselves to each other.

[silence_excolo]

Laughing, fire, spinning in the chaos, spinning in my stomach, & my eyes burn as I wake, nauseous. My insides feel stiff, like my skin's too tight, & I'm slick with cold sweat. Something bright & strong, & the Pattern has been stretched. Burnt. But not broken?

I first think of going to see Syl, but I'm sure she already knows. So instead I head out on my own, in a wide circle, as I don't think I can come too near too quickly. The spinning of it is too much.

I see a familiar white tail under a tree. Voices tell me Syl is here, with others. I come up closer to Chester, trying to stay quiet but not wanting to startle him. My head is starting to pound. There is too much, too much darkness here. Madness.

"Hey," I whisper, letting him know I'm near.

[chester_excolo]

Introductions start and yet another person I don't recognize shows up. This thing is pullin' all sorts a folks outta the woodworks. I hear a noise behind me an' tilt an ear that way, catchin' Silence's voice as she whispers a greeting. I turn my head a bit so's I c'n see her but still keep an eye on the main gathering at the clearing.

"Hiya," I say quietly back, "Looks like we're a bit late to the party. You know any of the other guests?"

[silence_excolo]

I look towards the group gathering, but I can't seem to focus my eyes. So I close them & listen to the voices for a moment. I don't dare use my power, not here. The Pattern's too raw.

"No, just Syl," I answer Chester's question, opening my eyes. "And the tall sheriff," I add, seeing him approach. He gives us a bit of a nod but otherwise doesn't acknowledge us.

My head throbs again, but I try to focus on the group standing in the charred circle. Syl, a man in traveling clothes, two women in somewhat exotic attire, I guess. My eyes lose focus again & I swear I see... something. Just out of focus, as if it's a mirage, or an after-image...

"This place," I turn to Chester, blinking the rain from my eyes. "What do you feel?" He might have a better grasp on it than I, at least. "Definitely more than just fire..." And just for a second, I swear I hear laughter, cruel & wild. I shake my head & it's gone.

[al_shairan]

AND there was a great and brilliant light, so that the land quaked; and its fury was pure as morning.

Little Alice, how strong you grow.

I see that Gaueko has helped her; the woods stink of him. We have not crossed paths in some time, my hound and I. All things in their place.

I pick my way through the woods barefoot, feet worn with calluses of someone used to the earth beneath their feet, light cloak around this slender elegant form, hood pulled up against the rain.

There is a little gathering in the woods - Syl, of course, drawn to power as flies to excrement; a man who amusingly has a similar face to my hound - I do hope their identities are mistaken at some point; and a perfectly ordinary woman who, however, makes the back teeth of this body hum.

"Aweh," I say, in polite greeting. I peel a little bark from a burned tree and touch it to my tongue thoughtfully.

[syl_thorn]

"Indeed, madam. I've been here less than a week. I have a bed in the dormitory at the Whitechapel. Samuel Durand, Friar Observant. But I hope you'll just call me Samuel. Or Brother Samuel, some prefer."

Fella talks like a lord, an' bows right pretty. Nanshe introduces 'erself, an'I nod. "Call me Syl," I says t'im. A bloody friar, kissin' th'cross'n all. Nanshe asks why'e ain't't th'abbey, an'I think't's a damned fine question. Seems like a religious type'a fella'd go straight'ere. "Mebbe ye're here t'join th'church?" I says. Know'ere's a Christian church'n town, but ain't never attended, so dunno much 'bout't. But mebbe't's gotten pop'lar 'nough t'start bringin' folk in.

"It seems like half the town's on edge about whatever happened here, so I thought I'd come take a look. I have certain skills that I hoped might be of use.""What skills would'ose be?" I says, cur'ous. Catch more movement outta th'corner'a m'eye...see a tall, dark woman, breakin' offa piece'a bark t'taste. Fleetin' wonder if'n she's a witch...s'a witchy

[goddessnanshe]

. "I spent a lot of my young life cloistered, but I've spent many years traveling, and to be honest, I'm in no hurry to be put walls between myself and the world again. I do intend to pay my proper respects one day soon."

"And you still call yourself brother," I say mildly. "I suppose old habits die hard," and I smile at him.

"Mebbe ye're here t'join th'church?"

"There is a church of Jesus here in town," I agree. "I have visited it; it seems quite pleasant."

"I've a scientific education, knowledge of woodscraft, and a number of experiences that could prove salient."

"Those sound useful indeed," I say, "although I wonder if a knowledge of the supernatural would be more helpful here..."

"Well, 'is thin's surely bringin' in th'strangers, ain't't?"

"Aweh."

I look to where Syl is gazing and see a tall, slender woman, who greets us with a word I don't recognise, but I understand the intent, and so I give her a little bow.

"The woods are crowded today," I say, a little wryly. "Particularly on such a rainy day."

[samuel_durand]

Syl wonders aloud if I've come to join the local church, and Noma finds me continuing to style myself 'Brother' peculiar, given the length of my absence from the cloister. I spare all assembled any number of possible lengthy justifications based in the long history of mendicant orders of wandering friars, or solitary anchorites, and instead just hold my hands with palms up and shrug helplessly. She doesn't seem to mean anything by it, and I return her smile. I even chuckle at her joke, and affect to cast my eyes gently heavenward as though in a good-natured plea for patience. Inwardly I want to groan.

But what she says next draws me up short.

"Those sound useful indeed, although I wonder if a knowledge of the supernatural would be more helpful here..." If I hadn't mastered my emotions long ago, my mouth would be hanging open wide enough for woodland creatures to nest in. As it is, I blink perhaps more than is necessary to clear the rain from my eyes, and let a few beats of silence pass. "Ah. Right. Fair enough. I'm afraid I

[jack_hollow]

Mean, we ain't away, exactly, but it's still a bit fuzzy. Like the time with Miss Lannie and that bastard Donner, 'cept I'm pretty sure it ain't that bad. Damn glad for the rain, for a change, 'cause when I get out ta here I can see what was done--maybe not how--and the thought of all this catchin' and burning...

Well, ain't the only one out here, an' guess I ain't that surprised. See Chester an' a woman with him standing off quiet ta one side, and nod to him, but leave it at that, make my way through the rest of the blast ta the three women and the man standin' there.

"I wonder if a knowledge of the supernatural would be more helpful here..." "Could be, ma'am," I say, coming up. "'magine we c'n manage that," though I don't look over at Chester, 'cause I ain't gonna draw attention ta a deputy who's tryna keep his head down. "Miss Thorn, Brother Samuel, ladies..." Trail off an' I straighten up, getting a look at the two women I don't know, 'cept I think I ought to know one