Then we stopped at the circle of smooth stone and dismounted. I looked across the empty expanse of stone to the giant wood table at the far end by a carved out portion of the mountain itself which I knew would amplify the voices of the people at the table. Twelve of the seats were already taken by the Mothers of the other bands. Only two chairs remained empty besides the huge chair on the other side that was for the Great Mother, isolated from the rest.
One was for the Lupei. Mother Udele insisted I stand for the Lupei in her stead on this occasion. And the other at the end had been forever vacant for centuries. Everyone took a knee the moment Rain’s feet hit the ground. We slid off our mounts and followed suit. The girls doing an admirable job.
I gleeped when Rain stole Shan from me, placing the girl on her hip as she held her hand out for Misty, who took it. My daughter held her chin high as Rain strode across the smooth stone circle with her in tow.
Rain looked around at everyone, then sat on her chair with Shan on her lap, and she pulled Misty down to sit on the arm of the chair. Then everyone stood. She called out, “Approach.”
And the guards parted as I walked through with Celeste, Corrine, and Elaine in tow.
I hoped I didn't mess this up. Ranelle had gone through this a thousand times with me on our ride to Heaven's Gate.
She called out to the mass of people outside the circle, “Today, the People witness a historic occasion. The reuniting of the lost band of the People into the fold. At long last, our brethren have returned to sit with us at the Meeting Spot, in the shadow of Father Stone. The Cristea have returned!”
I covered my ears at the roaring cheers that echoed throughout the peaks, adding to the whispers as history was made.
She held up a hand, and the crowd fell silent. She asked our group, “Who stands for the Cristea?”
Corrine called out, “Mother Laney stands for the Cristea.”
This caused a ripple of confusion through the crowd and as the murmuring grew.
I stood at the last chair and gripped the back of it and called out, “As Mother of the Cristea, I call Mother Corrine to stand for the Cristea in my stead, as I have been charged to stand as Mother of the Lupei by Udele this day.” It was odd not to precede Udele's name with Mother. I gave Rain a wide-eyed, questioning look and she gave me a reassuring smile. Hey, I told you that politics and I didn't get along.
Then I looked back at Corrine as I held the chair for her to sit while Great Mother Ranelle called out, “Welcome, Mother of the Cristea, welcome home... welcome to Father Stone!” She waved her hand up to the impossibly huge mountain before that towered into the heavens.
The crowd exploded into deafening cheers that went on and on as Corrine sat, trembling then breaking down into wracking sobs as she stared up at Father Stone, a place that was only whispered stories to her people, they had been away for so very long.
Back to the embrace of Father Stone,
whose whispering voice did call them home?
I bent and held her until she could control herself then I moved a teary-eyed Elaine to her side to comfort her as I moved to my seat. I started to sit as Celeste moved to stand behind me and Rain started to lift the big stone on the table. I hesitated, and she did too. I grinned and just stood there in a half sit, teasing the Great Mother of the Mountain Gypsies. Her hand hovering with the rock. She gave me the look I give Misty when she is misbehaving and getting into mischief.
A ripple of laughter came from the crowd.
I crinkled my nose at her then sat very, very slowly, my head cocked. The rock in her hand getting closer to the table. The moment my butt hit the chair she slammed down the stone on the table, sounding like a thunderclap. And she announced while cocking an eyebrow at me for being so silly, “At long last, the conclave of Mothers is complete!”
As the deafening cheers went on, my eyes turned to the West. A tempest was brewing, but we would be there to stand sentinel in New Home and face the oncoming storm.
The End
They stood in fives and braved the fire.
The Grevas bold, in times so dire.
One by one they gave their soul,
That others may live, and the stained did boil.
Back to the embrace of Father Stone,
whose whispering voice did call them home?
In the end victorious she,
one Great Mother in a blood-red sea.
The People saved from those so vile,
she stood with blade, if just a while.
Forever... will the Grevas live.
Remembered all...
for all they did give.
They stood in fives and braved the fire.
They stood in fives...
and braved the fire.
---------------------------------------------
Novels by Erik Schubach
----------------------------------------------
Books in the Techromancy Scrolls series...
Adept
Soras
Masquerade
Westlands
Avalon (2018)
Books in the Urban Fairytales series...
Red Hood: The Hunt
Snow: The White Crow
Ella: Cinders and Ash
Rose: Briar's Thorn
Let Down Your Hair
Hair of Gold: Just Right
The Hood of Locksley
Beauty In the Beast
No Place Like Home (2017)
Shadow Of The Hook (2018)
Books in the New Sentinels series...
Djinn: Cursed
Raven Maid: Out of the Darkness
Fate: No Strings Attached
Open Seas: Just Add Water
Ghost-ish: Lazarus (2018)
Books in the Drakon series...
Awakening
Dragonfall
Books in the Valkyrie Chronicles series...
Return of the Asgard
Bloodlines
Folkvangr
Seventy Two Hours
Titans
Books in the Bridge series...
Trolls
Traitor
Unbroken
Books in the Fracture series...
------------------------------------------------------
Romance Novels by Erik Schubach
------------------------------------------------------
Books in the Music of the Soul universe...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Music of the Soul
A Deafening Whisper
Dating Game
Karaoke Queen
Silent Bob
Five Feet or Less
Broken Song
Syncopated Rhythm
Progeny
Girl Next Door
Lightning Strikes Twice
June
Dead Shot
Music of the Soul Shorts...
(All short stories are standalone and can be read in any order)
Misadventures of Victoria Davenport: Operation Matchmaker
Wallflower
Accidental Date
Holiday Morsels
Books in the London Harmony series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Water Gypsy
Feel the Beat
Roctoberfest
Small Fry
Doghouse
Minuette
Squid Hugs
The Pike
Flotilla
Books in the Pike series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Ships In The Night
Right To Remain Silent
Evermore
Books in the Flotilla series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Making Waves
Keeping Time
The Temp
-------------------------------------------------
Novellas by Erik Schubach
-------------------------------------------------
The Hollow
Books in the Paranormals series...
Fleas
This Sucks
Jinx (2017)
Short stories in the Fixit Adventures...
Fixit
Glitch
Vashon (2017)
Descent (2018)
-------------------------------------------------
Short Stories by Erik Schubach
(These short stories span many different genres)
-------------------------------------------------
A Little Favor
Lost in the Woods
MUB
Rift Jumpers: Faster Than Light
Scythe
Snack Run
Something Pretty
Mirror Mirror On The Wall
Oops! (2018)