The Journey From Oidhche Shamhna

Disclaimer: Not Mine.

The Journey From Oidhche Shamhna

Chapter 17

Student Lists and Magic Wands

Helga, Rowena, Salazar and Erwin sat in the kitchen at the same wooden table where Erwin had first fed Helena. She now nursed at Rowena's breast as the others ate the meat and onion pie Helga had prepared for them. Rowena's pie was unflavoured and bland, Helga allowing her no onions and or even the salted parsnips roasted in the fire.

"The prophesy at the circle referred to the changing of our world." Rowena looked around the table at the others. "This is not just our world we have lost."

"I would not be worried about sending a child to school, I would be worried about staying alive and finding a place to live." Helga put another hot pie into the centre of the table. "All this seems so foolish now."

"No, Helga," Salazar said. "We can offer a place to hide the children while they find a safe place to live. This is more than a school."

"I agree with Salazar, only we must find them." Erwin said between mouthfuls. "I will leave first thing in the morning."

"You have already gone once." Rowena turned to him, holding the baby a little too tightly, causing Helena to start crying. "And how will we find others like the ones that came here? Surely they are not the only ones that have made it to these islands."

"We will talk later, Rowena - now is not the time."

"But it is. Let the others go." She stood up and stepped away from the table, her voice becoming frantic. "Let the ones that you have just given a home go and find them. They have nothing to do. Let them go."

"They had to cross the water to get here, they do not know our lands, and they would only stumble around and get caught."

"No, you can tell them where to go. I can make them maps. Salazar, tell him to stay, please, it is not safe yet."

"I cannot, nor would I, tell him what must be done." Salazar raised his eyebrow. "He is not here to teach or to help in the building, and we must find the clans, or what is left of them. It would be most logical for him to go, you can see that."

Rowena turned and fled from the kitchen, running up the stairs to the ground level. She wanted to run to the west tower, her new quarters. She wanted to hide from the stares and looks they were giving her.

He was leaving again. She could not look at him with the others sitting near, could not show them her tears and let them hear her voice as she begged him to stay. She knew whatever she said would make no difference. He would leave her again. He would leave her as the men in her clan would leave to be gone longer each time.

She walked through the room at the top of the kitchen stairs, feeling the eyes of the strangers follow her from the table they shared. She wanted to rage at them for bringing the news of the world to them. She wanted to send them away and go back to yesterday. Yesterday he did not want to leave. Yesterday he was happy to be home and did not talk of going away.

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"Well, are you going after her or just sit there pouting?" Helga leaned over the table and glared at Erwin.

"I will wait until she calms down." Erwin looked up from his plate and then leaned back in his chair. "Don't start, Helga. I am going and that is final."

"It is not me you have to convince." She sat down and folded her arms.

"Salazar, when you looked in their minds, did you see Gryffin at all?" Erwin looked at him oddly. "We have heard nothing of him and then our guests just show up saying that he sent them."

"I spoke to Hanson. He saw Gryffin in battle at his crossing, and then met up with him later." Salazar shrugged and poured more mead into his cup. "I would imagine that we cannot count on Gryffin while there is fighting. Until he has avenged Lara he will continue to fight."

"Fourteen came today. Was not the prophesy about the fourteen?" Helga wrinkled her brow and thought.

"Fourteen months were given for the fourteen tribes. And even Slytherin had already decided that only fourteen families were to come north, the rest to return," Salazar said.

"Fine, more riddles." Erwin laughed. "Now that the prophesy is here we will no longer have to build fourteen fires for Oidhche Shamhna. Perhaps there are to be fourteen more riddles. No wait, maybe only nine more if we count out all the fourteens we have had so far."

"Gryffin must have realized that something was amiss to send those others here," Helga said. "It does not seem like him to give up our valley to strangers."

"We can just hope he is safe, and that his sword serves him well," Erwin said.

"He will be fine. He is a fierce fighter and has honed his skill." Salazar locked eyes with Helga. "Watch what you say to the strangers until we know more. I am sure when Gryffin is done with who destroyed his village he will be home."

"He does not even know who it was," Helga said.

"He will know." Salazar looked to Erwin and stood to leave.

"They carry souvenirs, Helga." Erwin looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "A shawl, the combs from a woman's hair, or one of her braids tied to his belt. Gryffin will know."

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Rowena refused to walk Erwin to the pass in the morning. She could not watch him walk away and had feigned Helena's feeding as an excuse. He was angry with her for begging him to stay, and she was angry with herself for acting like a child and his refusing to give in. As soon as she had seen him walking down the slope from the school she had thrust Helena at Helga and ran to the north tower without stopping to put on her shoes or taking her cloak. Riding the spiral staircase, that was now finished to the top, she hurried to the window that faced the pass.

She sat and watched as he grew smaller, until she could no longer see his outline, then laid down her head and cried on the sill.

"He is a good man." A voice behind her startled her into standing and turning quickly around, scrubbing her eyes dry with her hands.

"What... what are you doing here?" Rowena said, looking at the old witch that they had allowed to stay.

"I am looking for a place to set up a library and came across this emptiness," she said. "How can you have a school with only what I saw below?"

"A library?"

"What? Are you a bird to repeat all that I say or a lovesick fool?" The crone smiled at her. "I am Emila, of the old Slytherin Tribe from the two rivers, of the Wayst Clan."

"Here your name will be Emila Wayst." Rowena said flatly, wanting this witch gone. "We no longer have clans and will not teach clan law here."

"That is why you need a library, Rowena of Raven, whose mother came from the northern clan of Claw. We cannot forget the old ways." Emila looked around the circular room and frowned. "I am an old woman, Rowena Ravenclaw. Everything I know I have learned from books, books that are now gone. We must replace them and fill this school with the old knowledge because it is upon the old that you will build the new."

"And you are willing to do this? We cannot pay you."

"I expect nothing more than a place to live. And yes, I am willing to do this." She smiled and walked over, placing her hands on Rowena's shoulders. "The library was destroyed, but the books were hidden. Many were dark and carry curses, but all have knowledge that should not be lost."

"We do not want the dark arts here."

"Dark was not always so. Not until recently have they been considered dark, and I will hazard that when the spells we use now are misused they too shall be looked on as dark. Your very bonds at marriage are seen to be barbaric in some quarters. Even now the fidelity spell is being cast off in the south."

"I will talk to the others." Rowena looked around at the empty room. "I always thought this room would be a place for solitude, a place to oversee the school."

"Then we shall find another. In the meantime I shall work here."

Rowena went to the steps to leave but turned back to see the old woman already bent over a piece of parchment where she sat on the floor. "Did you have a prophesy? About coming here?"

"We all did, child. Our prophesy was to help build a school. She will bring together from all the people those that will help. You must be who it spoke of."

"No, we were told that our world would change." Rowena wrapped her cloak tight against the sudden cold. "There was no prophesy of me."

"And so your world has changed." Emila laughed and turned back to her work. "So it has."

Rowena walked down the stairs, slowly chewing on her lip. She had a sudden thought for finding the clans. She stopped, turned, and walked back up the stairs.

"Emila?"

"So, you already have need of the old ways?"

"I am not sure. I think there may be a way." She walked over, sat on the floor opposite Emila, and picked up a quill.

Pulling over a piece of parchment, she held her hand over it and used the quill point to puncture her finger. They watched as a single drop of blood fell and splattered on the parchment. Emila looked up at her and frowned.

Rowena waved her hand over the parchment and whispered an incantation that formed the splat of fresh blood to the sign of Odin, a raven in full flight. Looking at Emila, she handed her the quill and waited while she did the same. A snake appeared and wrapped itself in a coil around the raven's legs.

"Now we are both assured the other has not lied about their heritage," Emila said flatly, as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes, but if I had a drop of your husband's blood would I need your children's blood to identify them as yours?" Rowena chewed her lip and stared at the parchment. "Could I not know if the line continues? Could I not know when a clan goes on or dies out? Could I not charm this parchment to show me the name, and the where? Could I not find the blood that carries the magic?"

"You are asking for a blood spell." Emila looked at her and scowled. "You are looking for the blood to divine the future."

"No." Rowena looked up and met her eyes. "I am asking to find the children so Erwin may come home."

"Blood spells are linked to the dark, and watched closely." She shrugged. "This too is what has changed with the new god and the men who say they drink his blood. Our blood spells are dark, theirs holy."

"You said you could find the books."

"You would need the blood of every clan, and at least of every family in that clan."

"We have the number or one hundred ninety-six. The families of each tribe."

Emila looked back at the parchment. "Three hundred ninety-two. Clans will now be marrying with Muggle. You will need both male and female."

"Muggle?" Rowena looked up.

"Non-magical men." Emila smirked at her. "We call them Muggles, their blood is muddied."

Rowena looked back down at the parchment. "Three hundred and seventy-five. There are already fifteen families here."

She stood and brushed off her robes. "I will need what you can find on the blood oaths and spells."

"It will take a while, but I will do what I can. Issa has contacts, if they still live."

Rowena nodded and left for the west tower, now having something to busy her mind. She was determined to find a way to locate the families and call Erwin home. She walked with her head down and arms wrapped around her middle, lost in thought, and almost collided with Helga, who was struggling down the hall pulling a trunk behind her.

"I will not live near those stairs." She glared at Rowena. "You may think it was a great idea but I will have nothing to do with them."

"Helga, it is the only way to use all the space and still let the light in from the top floors."

"I don't care." Helga looked at her, blinking back tears. "I just hate them. All night long I hear the shifting and grinding."

"Helga, they make no noise."

"That's worse, then. The tower is falling and we can't hear it."

A deep laughter made them both turn around to see Hanson leaning against the wall, smiling at them. "Here I thought I was the only one that did not feel comfortable near the stairs.

Here," he said, walking toward them. "At least let me get that trunk for you."

He reached down to pick it up only to slowly set it back down. "What have you packed? Stones?"

Helga reddened. "Only two."

"I was joking." He looked at her, trying not to laugh.

"I use them behind my door at night."

"I think it would be easier to learn a new ward."

"She has trouble with wards," Rowena said. "They don't hold but a short time."

"Let me see your wand," he said, holding out his hand. "Perhaps the core is wrong. Temin and his wife can make you a new one."

"Rowena?" Helga looked at her with large eyes.

"You know the goblin way?" Rowena stepped closer and put her hand on his arm.

"Temin and his wife are from Damascus, they have travelled the farthest. It is said that there the goblins still work closely with the magical." He smiled, seeing their faces, then reached over and touched Helga's chin. "I was like you when I heard. It took me a full day to close my mouth."

"Leave the trunk," Helga said, grabbing his hand and pulling him behind her. "We need to find Temin. I know just the place for a shop."

"Helga," Rowena called after her. "What of your trunk?"

"I am taking rooms by the kitchen," she yelled back over her shoulder. "I will sleep in the dust bin rather than up there."

"You really hate the stairs so much that you would give up the tower to live on the ground?"

"I shake when I use them. Like crossing the ridge. If I did not look down, I could do it. Only, as soon as I get on the stairs and think I should not and I look down all the faster."

Hanson laughed at her. "So, you will be in charge of the kitchen?"

"I imagine, until we have students." She looked up at him and grinned. "Have you ever had an elf?"

"No, mine was a small clan. Much too poor for an elf." He frowned at her.

"Aye, I come from a small village as well." She bit her lip and looked down the hallway as they walked, not wanting him to see her sudden tears. "With elves the work is light in the kitchen."

"Someday perhaps you can go back?"

"No, the war has come there as well. My village is to the south."

"I am sorry, Helga."

"Here," Helga said, suddenly stopping and opening a door. "It was to be used for lessons. Until the children come it may be used for wands."

"I will talk to Temin. We will need supplies, I am sure."

"Is he still in the Grand Hall?"

"No, he took his wife out walking."

Helga shot him a look, then turned red and hurried out of the room. "That is no way to talk to a single witch."

"Helga, what did I say?" he said as he hurried after her.

"Telling me that, and me a stranger." She put her hands on her hips, paused and then clamped her hands over her mouth.

"Helga?"

"Nothing, I did not say anything."

"Helga?"

He watched as she hurried away, almost fleeing down the hallway. He quickly closed his eyes to ask forgiveness only to find he did not know what he had done. Instead, he asked for wisdom and thought the gods may be satisfied with that.

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Rowena shook her head and watched as Helga dragged Hanson down the hallway in search of a shop for the wands. Looking at the trunk sitting in the hallway, she could only sigh. With Gryffin's rooms sitting empty in the west tower, and she in the east, she was cut off and alone. She thought of Erwin and felt tears behind her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and sought a god to hear her prayers.

She gathered her robes in her hands and began to run. She ran out of the tower and down the sloped lawn, trying to fill her lungs to ease the burning. She ran without stopping to the lake, kneeling in the mud and putting her hands down to the earth. She sat back on her heels, closing her eyes and holding her muddied fists up to the sky. She prayed and cried and demanded to know why. She wiped her muddied hands across her face to mark her grief and ripped her robe down from her right shoulder.

She fell forward, still on her knees with her forehead resting in the cool mud, reciting the prayers Elbragh and taught her and the ones she used to trust. Laying full length on her stomach, she stretched her arms out from her shoulders, and faced the earth in complete subjugation.

As the sun started to slide down behind the summit of the furthest mountain, and the air became too cool, she felt arms lean her up and gentle strokes on her back.

"Come," was all she heard as one arm slid under her knees and one went behind her back as she was tenderly carried back to her chambers. She turned her head and let tears mix with the dried mud on her face, knowing that her gods had not come. Leaning her head back against the arm, she felt the blackness come and welcomed it.

Marcus had sat and watched her until he knew it would soon be too cold to leave her alone. He had not wanted to interfere between her and her gods as she had prostrated herself before them. He knew to stop the prayer was wrong and would demand his own penitence. He also knew that her gods had left her and would not return. The gods of her clan had banished her as surely as her clan had erased her name from their songs.

He carried her up to the school and to her quarters. Sending his Patronus for Helga, he stood watch until the witch arrived, then stayed and waited for Helga to cast cleaning and warming spells.

"Her mind is not well." Marcus folded his arms and looked down on the pallet.

"She will be fine," Helga said as she pulled off Rowena's cap and used her wand to clean it as well as her hair.

"She is praying to her clan's gods and waiting for them to answer. She is a teacher, and an elder, she should know better."

"It is a lot for her to give up." Helga met his eyes. "She knows they are not here, yet she still looks for them."

"Let Milt talk to her. He too was banished."

"Milt? Banished? He seems godly."

"He is, he has accepted the gods of my clan, and them him." He nodded to Rowena. "She needs to learn how to do the same if she is ever to find rest."

"What did you do? Before all this?"

"I was a trader. Just a small place at the river." He leaned against the wall and looked down at her. "Hanson said he came from a small village. He kept the herds and watched the field. Temin and his wife you already know."

"And Milt?"

"Milt is too young. He has yet to settle and only struts in front of the witches." He smiled at Helga.

"Thank you for bringing her back." Helga looked over to Rowena. "She will be fine. She just needs time."

"I hope you are right." He pushed away from the wall and started to leave. "Is it true she is the one that did the stairs?"

"Don't. She is very defensive about them."

"Goodnight, Helga." He chuckled as he headed to the stairs for what he knew would be another stomach-lurching experience.