Ashen Blair-Dorne

[ILLYRIAN]

The Women of Ashen Blair-Dorne Part 1
When the day had finally arrived for the move for Hank and Joyce to move the family away from the house the family had rented near the beach. They moved out of the city and passed along the city roads towards where the countryside began. Being able to see where they were going was a hopeful consideration, worthy of their promise of a good future. Hank had bought a farm of fifty acres over the crest of the apex over the hill.

Moving the car from road to road until Hank eventually recognized where they were and he started to grin as the terrain began to seem more familiar to him. Driving the incline which now seemed familiar Hank remembered where the turn off to the farm would be, a mere few hundred meters ahead and he saw the name on the signpost on the road side for Ashen Blair Dorne, the Ashwordly Farm. Hank pointed to the sign for the benefit of the family.

“There is the turn off my dears, not far to go now,” he announced and soon he began to slow the family car, ready for the turnoff. Turning off from the smooth tarmac onto the loose sandy gravel of the track to the Ashwordly Farm. Hank drove the car for a further two kilometers before he slowed the car as they approached a heavy wooden farm gate with the name of the farm on the top rail. Hank stopped the car a couple of car lengths before the gate and waited, he turned to face his wife.

“So Joyce, are you going to get out of the car and open the gate for me?” he asked smiling to her.
His wife Joyce replied to him.
“Really, do you hope that I want to get out of the car and walk to the gate? The countryside is not that nice to look at about here,” said Joyce.

After getting his wife’s refusal he turned to face his daughters Dawn and Buffy.
“What about you Dawn?” asked Hank. She smiled to him.
“I will do as my mother stated and decline your request,” she said.

Hank looked up into the rearview mirror to his daughter Buffy, he was quite hopeful that she would help him.
Buffy was a bit of a daddy’s girl. He smiled to her as Joyce glanced to him.
“Do you want me to unlock the gate for you?” she asked.

Hank started to nod his head as Buffy returned the smile to her father then opened the back door of the car.
She got out then closed the door behind her and began walking towards the wooden gate.
As she held the latch mechanism of the gate it was the first time she considered the suitability of her choice of clothing,

the very short jean skirt felt a little out of place.
A longer skirt would have helped her to feel better and instead of the tight 'T' shirt she
would have liked to be wearing a button up work shirt.

As soon as she had opened the gate and glanced around her she noticed three large dogs in the undergrowth,
they appeared to be staring right at her. Buffy felt a small amount of fear when she saw each of them staring at her.
Her confusion settled in as soon as she noticed that their tails were wagging.

Buffy watched as her father drove the car passed her before she started to close the gate
having waited until the car was a cars length passed her before she began to close the gate.
When the gate was closed Buffy closed the latch to lock it, looking into the undergrowth
to where she had seen the large dogs but now there was nothing there.

She wandered back to the car and onto the back seat. Being glad the large dogs had gone she was more dubious of them.
Getting to the car she acknowledged her sister on the back seat then after clambering onto the seat herself she put on her seat belt.
Hank continued to drive along the lane, eventually he reached the parking area beside the high hedge at the side of the farmhouse.

“Here we are,” announced Hank.
“Joyce, will you take the girls down the path to the front door, I’ll go to the back door?”
Joyce smiled to him then ushered their daughters onto the path.

Following their mother to the front door of the house Dawn and Buffy exclaimed their pleasant surprise
when they saw the old cow’s bell attached to the wall near the front door.
“I’ve never seen a door-bell like that before,” said Dawn.

She rang it a few times, then smiled at the sound.
Buffy pressed a more traditional electronic doorbell hearing a satisfying ding-dong for her effort.
Joyce looked incredulously to each of her children.

“How could you both be so stupid? One of you rings the cows bell, then the other presses the electronic push button door-bell?
Now don’t get me wrong both bells did sound delightful but the thing is we traveled here as a family to our new home,
so if there are three of us outside the front door and your father has gone to the back garden, who pray tell me is going to answer the door?” asked their mother.

But when front door began to open Joyce stepped back and let out a shocked gasp.
Hank was stood in the open doorway. Seeing the surprise on his wife’s face Hank explained himself to her.
“When I met the solicitor’s assistant here and told him that I would buy the house he told me he would leave the back door key under the potted Rose near the rear door.”

Hank pulled the front door completely open so Joyce and their daughters could wander into the main hall of the house.
As soon as they were all in the hallway Buffy heard their father tell her and her sister to go in search of a bedroom.
The girls wandered to the bottom of the stairs, then looking up Dawn declared it a wonderful sight, and that the top would probably be the attic.

“If it is good up there I say that should be our bedroom,” said Buffy.
About to go up the stairs they heard their mother tell them she'd let them know when their friend Willow got there.”
“So lets go and see if the attic is right for us,” said Buffy.

Dawn smiled and agreed with her sister, they ran up the stairs to the top landing.
About to open the door and go in Dawn pointed to the highly polished floor. The sisters smiled too each other.
“This is what I hoped we would find,” said Dawn.

Buffy followed her into the attic, they smiled to each other as they noted all the boxes at the outer edges of the room.
Dawn opened a box declaring she had just found something of use. “Here beside this crate are two bed frames.”
Buffy went to where Dawn was standing and saw the bed frames, Buffy agreed with her sister.

After moving the bed frames she saw several other crates contained the mattresses, sheets blankets and pillows.
Dawn moved some large boxes aside and found a bookshelf.
In the box beside it she discovered a large collection of books which she started to put on the bookshelf.

“Look at these ones sis, each of these three books is by our father on the subject of witches who lived in this area.”
While they were looking at the books Buffy told her sister there as a woman watching them,
"Though from her clothes I'd say she is from a time gone by."

Dawn replied, “I didn't think our father knew anything about witches yet these books imply that he was quite knowledgeable on the subject.”
Buffy looked out of their new bedrooms window at the figure who was stood in the field looking towards them.
As the sisters looked at the woman they heard their mother calling up the stairs to them.

“Come downstairs you two, the man from the solicitors is here and so is your cousin Willow,” called Joyce.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Women of Ashen Blair-Dorne part 2

Buffy and Dawn carefully ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where they saw a stranger sat at the table
with their mother Joyce, she smiled to them. “This is Mr. Bentham he is from the solicitors office,” said Joyce.
She was making a frothy cup of coffee for each of them.

Mr. Bentham handed Dawn two sheets of paper, he also gave a single sheet to their father then handed a couple of the forms to Buffy.
“When you have signed each one of them will you hand them all back to me?” asked Mr. Bentham.
Hank stated he could understand why he had been handed the forms but he was not sure why Buffy had only been given one sheet.

Before Mr. Bentham could reply Hank sat upright, he clearly saw the girl who was now stood in the open of the doorway
at the back of the kitchen before he smiled to her. “Do I get a cuppa?” she asked.
Both Dawn and Buffy looked to see who it was who owned the voice.

Neither of them recognized it, Joyce looked and happily smiled to the girl.
“What is it you two, don't you recognize your own cousin Willow,” asked Joyce.
“In our defense it has been a while,” replied Buffy.

“You picked a good time to present yourself, all kinds of weird things have been going on here,” said Hank.
Willow grinned knowingly to him. “Well hopefully I will be able to tell you all the answers you need,
I studied long and hard about this place ever since I learnt that you were seriously interested in buying this place,” said Willow.

Willow smiled to Buffy and Dawn's parents. “I already knew a lot about this place
so when I learnt that you would be buying this farm I began to study as much as I could to learn
nigh on everything I could about this farm.

Then I learnt why the women from this farms coven are not your normal sort of witches,” continued Willow. Hank agreed.
“It is true, I found when I wrote my books of those women who resided here they were not your normal the normal type of witch.
The witches who did live on the land here had gained the usage of the better quality of the elements,” said Hank.

Joyce started to laugh. “Which is it, are the women who live here witches or not?” she asked.
Hank wrote that the women who lived on the farm were not your normal type of witch yet they are referred to as a coven of witches.
“Does that mean that the witches are or are not of a coven?” asked Joyce.

Buffy thought about her answer before she smiled to her mother.
“There is no way that you could ever be considered to be one of those witches as none of the women of this farm are of a coven.
Many people have welcomed them, while others who traveled here are more known to be far more than the normal type of witch,

the ones here are known to belong in the Ashen Blair-Dorne. The women here are famous amongst those of the known craft.
Those women are known to have more power than others as they have no specific religion to adhere to,” said Willow.
“What do you mean by that?” asked Joyce as she shrugged her shoulders to Hank.

Willow responded to her saying, “There is a graveyard at the top of the hill that has been set aside to be used
only for those who are of the women of the Ashen Blair-Dorne. Should a person, unknown to those who reside here,
wander in or be in close proximity to the graveyard a warning will sound

though not one of those folk who reside in those graves here will know what the warning is or who it protects,”
Willow said that knowing that no living person would likely understand her.
“No matter how it might be known to be weird,” added Willow.

“Yet I know that stranger things have happened, a strange thing once happened to me here,
when we first got here as I was about to close the wooden gate on the driveway I saw three large dogs staring at me from the undergrowth,” said Buffy.
“Now that might well be an answer in itself although it may allow for even stranger things for the people here to learn of.

At the top of the hill is a chapel, the chapel that was built in 1637, then thirty eight years later in 1675 when a woman was found
to be the leader of the women here. Each woman she represented was said to possess of one of the elemental powers,
then after leaving a message to greet the other women of her kind whose chose to live here,” stated Willow.

“Does that mean Buffy and Dawn have been chosen or did they choose to be holders of one of the power here?” asked Hank.
Mr. Bentham slowly began to nod his head, he pointed to the track that led up the hill to what he would describe as the chapel.
“Normally I would say that the women who live in the graves at the chapel are not your normal kind of witch,

because for those ones who do they have the ability to use one or more of the elemental powers.
The folk of the kind who live here have the ability to possess a high degree of control, likened to that which is found in nature.
The power each of the women has have been referred to a pure natural element of nature in itself.”

“So if they are not witches what we classify them as? Also about the large dogs I saw, do they protect us from the truth,
the truth that all the others know?” asked Buffy. Willow smiled to Buffy and to the woman who now stood near them,
those who had just come from the field. “Her name is Victoriana, she can be and is a friend,” said Willow.

“And about the large dogs you saw Buffy you should refer to them as Werewolves for that is the closest description of
what they are,” said Victoriana. “Now that you have mentioned about them, when I saw them Dawn was in the rear of the car,
she was looking out of a side window as the car was passing by me, could it be that they were looking to her as well?” asked Buffy.

Victoriana grinned, “Both of you,” she said. “Although nothing should be taken from that as being it was correct
as the werewolves had been watching both of you girls.” Willow then suggested that they go to see the woman,
“To ask her why Dawn was taught to control the elements, she needed to give herself the power to possess the gifts she was expected to know.

Also why should she be found to not possess any of the powers she could have taken into her being, from her depths of learning,” continued Willow. Buffy and Dawn with Willow then ventured across to the top of the hill to meet Victoriana who was now walking towards them.
When Victoriana stood in front of them Willow feigned surprise.

“Now that sounds as though it could come from an element of one of the old elemental forces,” said Willow.
Victoriana stated about herself, “I have control over most facets of the mind yet I also have the ability to heal.”
Victoriana turned to look straight into the eyes of Buffy and Dawn. “Do we have powers?” asked Dawn.

Victoriana began to slowly nod. “Dawn, it is said that you will be able to control all the facets of Astral projection at will,
plus you will be able to control the weather at will. Buffy, it is said that you will have the powers to control the curse,” said Victoriana happily.
Buffy looked interested then thinking about what Victoriana had just said she was sad,

“I am not sure I like that, how could I bear the responsibility to curse a person?” asked Buffy.
Victoriana smiled to Buffy, “It seems as though you think that to curse a person is only to be considered a bad thing,
what you need to be aware of Buffy is that should a person who might be in great pain could be the target of a curse to remove that pain.

The target of the curse would be the pain, would that make you see the curse as being something of wonder?” asked Victoriana.
Buffy began to see that she could do a much greater good, “Thank you,” said Buffy.
“There are many wonderful traits that we possess, those traits will be presented to you as and when they are needed,

for now though you need only to see what we can do. “A person we are about to meet is the grounds person for the chapel.
The grounds of the chapel incorporate the graves, it was from a grave that Guinevere's eyes were once filled with grains of soil.
That was two years ago, since then and during that time she was been unable to use her sight, what I want you to do Buffy.

I want you to direct your powers of the curse onto the grains of soil, that way your curse will be directly responsible
for Guinevere to be able to see again,” said Victoriana. Buffy began to know her gift of the curse could be something of value.
“When you have done what I want you to do then you will allow Guinevere's sight to return,” added Victoriana.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Women of the Ashen Blair-Dorne Part 3


Buffy stood beside Willow as they leant against the fence next to Victoriana who Buffy now thought of as a friend. Buffy asked Victoriana if she thought anyone would be venturing across the field while they were looking. Victoriana motioned to Buffy to for her to glance to the side. Buffy turned to face that way and saw a figure wandering towards her.

Looking at Victoriana she asked, “Do you recognized who it is,” she asked. “That is an old friend, oh hang on, when I say she is an old friend I did not mean she is old I simply meant that I have known her for several centuries plus I didn't mean she is simple,” said Victoriana who graciously smiled to wards her.

“Her name is Marion, she used her power as a shapeshifter when she was a witch several decades before she was sired. That caused many variations to the lore about vampires especially when she changed to be a werewolf, not that it happened very often as Marion preferred to be seen as being a vampire,” said Victoriana as she squinted to see into the corners of the field.

“Abigail is liable to be joining us soon, Abigail's gift was the use of telepathy, she has often used her powers for hers or anyone one else’s benefit, anyone that is one of us that is.” “Technically you could refer to us as powerful wizards although you should ignore all names that others who are not magically inclined might limit our abilities to.

We all are capable when we join together to possess any power to an unlimited degree,” said Victoriana. “When will we start to be of help to people?” asked Willow. Once again Victoriana grinned to Buffy who felt her warm gaze. “One day soon you will get to meet Guinevere when you do you will learn you have already helped her.

I did tell you how you could help people didn't I, no? Well what I didn't tell you was that you were doing what the curse might be. I did not tell you as I wanted you to be happy knowing what you could do, not worrying about how, or worrying that you might get it wrong so now you should have to confidence you are good.”

Buffy stared open mouthed to Victoriana. “With your gift of controlling curses with Willow's gift of controlling all facets of the power of electricity and my gift of control of anyone's mind or to heal a person and Dawns control of each aspect of the Astral Projection, together we will do good,” said Victoriana.

That evening they each sat around an open fire, prepared and cut the vegetables then added them to and made a thick sauce which was boiled in a big cauldron on the fire. When the wind increased to an unpleasant rate and it became problematic for them they joined hands and with outstretched arms they kept the winds away from the flames of the fire.

Once Willow had spoken to the Gods of the four winds and asked them to help them settled down for a restful meal and get some sleep. Victoriana woke up when the sunlight invaded the camp fires surroundings, she looked at the landscape around them. “It does make for a pleasant time when we can control the elements and have the air be warm,” said Victoriana.

Buffy grinned happily to them, “With our new friends we will look forward to the day when you have explained to me how the control of a curse could be considered a gift?” she asked. “Well I can answer that one,” stated Willow, “That does depend on what the reason for the curse was and who did the curse in the initial place? It might be your friend who did the curse.

With a friend being in control of the curse, you're being able to remove it will be of benefit to your friend,” said Victoriana. Buffy smiled as she heard she might be responsible for aiding her friend. Victoriana then stated that, “Niamh possesses the gift of Invisibility.” At the top of the hill the girls saw a cabin from where an entity watched over the lands of the graveyard.

Dawn said “Right,” as though it meant something, “So the closer we get to the graveyard the more likely we are to hear the warning.” A peel of a churches bell’s began to be heard on the wind. “Is that is the warning?” asked Dawn. “From what I know that is the first of the warnings, they do get worse, much worse,” said Victoriana.

Heavy rain was heard on the leaves that cushioned the ground and thunder began to echo all around them. “How could that be described as increased warnings?” asked Buffy as a flash struck the side of a tree. Buffy gasped as the lightening passed down the trunk then along the branches before the bolt of electrical energy passed into the ground.

“I do like watching how the vast energy of that lightning of electrical energy just flowed into the graves of the others.” Victoriana wondered if the lightening could be a catalyst for the powers of the others to be even more varied than she hoped they would be when it had passed through all of the graves even the empty ones.

As Willow, Buffy and Dawn with Victoriana wandered down a short flight of steps that led onto a stone spiral staircase they thought they had gone down half a levels before they all wandered onto a cobblestone floor. “This way,” said Victoriana as she led the small group along a tunnel towards the first of the domed rooms.

Around the walls the group could see up to the base of where each one of them stood. “I do not understand it, we were told about them being buried upright,” said Willow, “to stop the grains of soil getting in their eyes yet here we are at the bottom of their graves, there is no earth here,” said Dawn. “I don’t know where that woman might live

but I can see a woman walking across the field though I cannot see where she might have come from,” said Buffy as she noticed them wandering across the field getting closer to her “It looks more like an animal than a person,” said Buffy. Victoriana remembered what Joyce had once said to her, “If my daughter is going to be a witch I hope she will be in this coven.”

That still made Victoriana smile, Willow glanced at Victoriana and seductively rolled her eyes before returning the smile to her.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Women of The Ashen Blair – Dorne Part 4

“I was worried about my girls being witches but as you say they are not, that does make me feel a bit better,” said Joyce. “Shame about her feelings for Buffy,” said Willow. “Well she is the elder of her and Dawn.” “I do not think that either Buffy or Dawn are witches,” said Joyce. “They aren’t, it was the original owner of the house who was a witch,” said Willow.

“But why do you still consider Hank to be some type of witch?” asked Joyce. Willow faced Hank. “The farm and the house are in your name.” Joyce looked to her husband, “When did you become a witch,” she asked him. He rested his head on his hand. “When I was writing the books about this area, one of the women I spoke to said I would buy the farm, I think it was then that she had me be a witch,” said Hank.

“There is one more test, that is from those who reside at the graveyard,” said Willow. “Even with all this talk about witches I am still not convinced that witches are real,” said Joyce. Joyce continued to smile to her. “From what I have heard about the graveyard you just need to wait until we are there.” “So where is this graveyard?” asked Joyce.

“I saw it on the way here, it was at the top of the hill and there is a dry stone wall around the graveyard,” said Willow. “On the hill is where I have read of it, so let us go up to the top of the hill.” Leaving the house they walked up the hillside to the top of the hill to its crest, at the top they saw the stone wall with the stone wall archway. A plaque on the wall stated The Ashen Blair-Dorne.

Revealing herself Victoriana said, “I want someone who is not connected with the women of the coven to try to go in first.” “Why?” asked Hank. “I read that there is some kind of warning sound, I would like to herar it.” said Willow. “So let me go in first,” said Joyce. “No, it might ruin your disbelief of the craft.” stated Willow.

Joyce ignored Willow and put a foot under the archway and into the grounds of the graveyard. As soon as she did a bell began to loudly toll and there was the sound of heavy rain on the leaves covering the ground. Joyce puts her other foot onto the land of the graveyard, bolts of lightning began to flash in the sky then the thunder rolled over the hills towards them.

Hank told his wife to look up at the sky, “Do you see the blue sky, there are no Storm clouds anywhere, plus what or who is the warning is for?” he asked. “It is for she who protects those in their grave and for any of them in their grave who can hear it,” said Willow. Buffy faced Willow, “Then there is the question what is the warning?” “It is to let those in the graves to know there might be a problem.”

“Willow, how do you know so much about all this and about those in their graves?” asked Joyce. “I have read a lot of books about the coven, but to be honest I know very little about the women who are in the graves,” said Willow. “Wasn't any records kept of those who died and were put in the graves?” asked Joyce.

Willow faced Victoriana, “There lies another hindrance from what I have read about them,” Willow turned to face Victoriana who began to nod. “None of those in the graves here are actually what you would know as having completely died, how else could they be able to rise up?” asked Victoriana. Stunned by that revelation Joyce and Hank began to shake.

“She is right, each of them was buried with their head tilted down to avoid getting grains of soil in their eyes.” Willow gleened how much she had wanted to be in the coven, not because she wanted to be a witch with them but because she wanted to be known as one of the most powerful on the planet.

Knowing that I would not be known as a witch I did hope that one day I would be allowed to join The Ashen Blair-Dorne,” said Willow. “With Buffy by your side in the coven can you tell us when the coven would be at its full strength?” asked Joyce. As Joyce began to leave the graveyard Buffy stepped towards the entrance and entered the graveyard.

Willow pointed to the top of the circular grave nearest them. “Why is it that grave circular?” asked Joyce. “From what I know it means, those who were buried here were all buried upright so they could tilt their heads down.” “Right stated Buffy, avoiding the grains of soil from getting in their eyes, I dare say it would be enough of a chore returning to life without having to get some soil out or your eyes.

"They didn't have saline solutions to relieve the pain caused by grains of soil in their eyes in those days,” said Buffy. So who are they known as?” asked Hank. “And who are the others and what should we refer to them as?” asked Willow. The woman in front of them slowly walked ahead of them, around the large pond then into the graveyard.

“Why did she walk so slowly?” asked Joyce. “I think she walked that slowly so none of us would get lost as we tried to keep up with her,” replied Willow. Each of the family, Hank, Joyce, Buffy and Dawn watched as the women rose from their graves and walked into the forest. “I would like to know more about those women?” asked Joyce.

“If you are sure I will tell you more of the history of those women. The first to rise up and join us was Angharad she was born in the year 1487 not long after the year I was born, her ability is what we know of now as a telepath. “The next woman who rose up and stepped towards us is Brayleigh she has the ability to track through water she gained the ability to do that after the villagers tried to drown her.

She thought it was fun though it came in handy for finding friends who had been tortured for being a witch, the next one is Niamh, she is one of a group of sisters to Niamh, her ability is tracking a person through the air, she and her sister were born in the 1520's.

Victoriana put her arms about Christiana's shoulders, "Christiana has the ability to heal a person’s skin and their broken bones, just by gently holding the affected area. She heralds from Westhampstead in the year 1630 not very far north of London, the area made famous because of one of the few female highway robbers once lived there.

The next one to rise was once known as a Goddess Ka-im, her actual name was Ka-im. She has a third pupil which appears in her right eye. That trait was of the girls born in Illyria, the area became Yugoslavia several decades later. Ka-im though born there grew up in Wheathampstead, she is also a healer, though just as in nature itself she can cause either life or death.”

Victoriana stood near the front door of someones home as a woman walked from the house with out opening the door, stunned by what she saw Joyce asked Victoriana. “How did she walk through the door?” asked Joyce. “I've seen them do that trick so many times before, a friend opens the door for her,” said Victoriana.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Ashen Blair-Dorne Part 5

Placing a foot on the first step she looked at the stone wall beside the spiral stairs. Victoriana led them down the curved flight of steps towards the bottom of that flight of steps. It was when they got to the next level that they saw the floor was built out of cobbled stones. Buffy looked at where she stood on the floor, she had a compass in her hand.

“This does seem odd, at the top step I looked to see what direction we were headed, after coming down the steps which I felt that I had gone in a circle twice, so I should be facing the direction that I was facing at the top step but I am headed in 90 degrees to the right. In front of me along this passage are two doors.

Willow opened the door on the left and they all went into that room. “What kind of room is this one it appears empty,” said Dawn. Buffy asked Willow to look at the dimensions of the room. She looked at them quite closely then at the width of the room, about to head to the wall on her left through the darkness she bumped into three trolleys with Dawn was beside her.

“Er guys these are not the type of trollies one might find in a hospital to move a living person about from ward to ward these trollies are more suited to move a coffin on and if you note the construction of the coffins on two of the trollies they are more suited for the dead that might need to breathe. The handles on the coffins are all hollow.

Does that mean they are built that way so that air can get to the contents or that the contents can breathe?” asked Dawn. A woman got out of a coffin and stood up to face them. “Coffins with air vents, what sort of dead person am I that I need to keep breathing?” asked Marion. “The type of dead person who is still alive and needs the oxygen,” said Buffy.

She then opened the other coffin to check on that body. “As I suspected, neither of them are what you might refer to as dead . . . . yet,” said Buffy. “Are these young women to be disposed of here or are they taken to another place where they are buried?” asked Willow. The woman in the first coffin stood up Buffy looked and spoke to her.

“As I thought you are not dead would I be right to think you are a witch,” she said. “What is it about me that would make you even think that I am a witch?” the woman asked. “In much the same way that I knew you were when we first met,” said Willow. “So what else do you know about these women?” she asked.

Buffy looked to Willow and grinned, “The ones in these coffins are like the others Victoriana spoke of just that these ones have a different manner of travelling, it'd be nice to know their names and what abilities they have.” Victoriana leant over her shoulders, “Her name is Melissa, she is a very capable healer.” “That's nice,” stated Willow.

Buffy was surprised by how she looked, “Is she a faith healer?” asked Buffy. Victoriana grinned, “No, she is just a plain healer she has no faith, therefore her ability as a healer he energy comes from nature. A person of her kind is often referred to as having a green thumb or green fingers, one who continues to develop the ability like the entity of nature itself can get a tree to be born and grow from a seed.

Though she might want to wait several years,” she said. Willow went to the back of the house, from there she could see the circular areas of broken soil. Willow pointed at the areas of broken ground. “What are they for?” she asked. “If you had counted the coffins we found before you’d have noticed there were only twelve.” Willow was puzzled. “What does that number refer to?” she asked.

“You are the thirteenth of the craft, though you are not a witch, I am here to help you all to become understanding of the time you are in, as some of the craftier ones have come from a time that has been several centuries in the making,” said Victoriana. Willow looked at the countryside that surrounded the house, she studied the view from various places and looking to the views from several directions.

Eventually she asked Buffy to stand beside her and pointed to the direction that she first looked in. Buffy saw the stone archway over the entrance to the graveyard, she asked Willow if that was what she wanted her to see. They both went down through the low undergrowth to where the archway was. They wandered through the greenery of the shrubs, bushes and grasses.

Their friends were surprised when Willow pointed to the other women who were walking behind them, towards them. “They are those who were from the coffins the bodies being named being Carissa and Marnie.” As they reached part way across the lawn, they went to join the rest of those there and greeted each other with a the traditional greeting for the witches, Bless-sed Be.

Willow informed the newcomers who she was and what connection she would have with them. Buffy explained to the women that they were required the begin the trail of those who had left no trail and to discover the whereabouts of the them. Willow invited each of them into the house and suggested they each choose a room to use as their own while in this time.

While the women were in the house a commotion was heard coming from the back of the house. Willow watched to see what the noise was about, they found four more coffins were being taken into the rooms. Willow noted that each of the coffins had a pipe coming from it. “There was a living breathing person in the coffin, and when I say person I do mean a witch,” said Buffy.

Victoriana took the writing book from her jeans pocket. “Of those who are missing it could mean that those in the coffins are them,” said Buffy. She was glad they could all live in a house that they could all refer to as home. Willow directed them to a large room where she opened both of the roller doors to let the light into the room.

She waved everyone’s attention to the woman by the pillar between the doors, to let the light in and for them to see the woman who was by the pillar. “This is Marissa, you should regard her as the one who we follow, that is until we get a suitable title for her position,” said Buffy. Marissa stepped forward towards the door dragging a small chair with her.

She is not in an official role in here though her role is important, she is someone that each of you should try to be a friend to, she will always be available to any of you to tell you how to live in this time. Though she is not a witch or a wizard, she is the fourteenth member of us. And should we need someone to transport us to or from a place she would be able to provide that transport.”

“All she requires to know is the location of where you are, for that some planning will be needed, each group that goes from here will need a telepath or one who can travel through the element you are near,” said Willow. Melissa told them that a record of each of their abilities was logged so that in the event of any difficulty help could be provided.

The women first sought to involve themselves from the college of one of several girls who had studied the craft at an Asian restaurant, though nothing of the Asian culture could be factioned in the case. A group of women had lost their freedom and they were being kept on the back of a truck that was being taken to the premises of an import/ export business.

The business was located on an estuary that flowed from the coast. A few of the rivers dignitaries had made false claims on the shipping manifests for that ship. Though the river police did not know what the girls were going to be used for there was hope that someone would and that someone would inform them about the girls.

It was presumed that the girls had been loaded onto a boat and registered as freight. Victoriana called upon Brayleigh, Angharad and Revenar to try and locate the whereabouts of the missing. Guessing which ship the girls were on Brayleigh was called upon to follow the ship through the water then Angharad would be sent there to locate the missing girls.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Ashen Blair-Dorne Part 6

“Victoriana was with one of the young women of the Illyrians persuasion, she could project her thoughts into another person’s mind to tell them how to help, or direct them to another person’s psyche to force them to stop doing what they were doing. Victoriana watched as a young woman floated on the surface of the water.

Then she began to move over the surface of the water very fast, together they set about tracking where the ship had gone. Not knowing if Willow wanted to tell the truth of what was, Buffy thought of what the alternatives might be she told Willow she would do the best she could. Melissa was able to find where they were going with the knowledge taken from the fires of divination

plus with the help of the women of nature the future direction of the boat could be plotted. The parents of the girls were notified where they were headed though they were asked not to interfere with the ongoing rescue attempt. Laying on the decks of the surf boards the young women were able to keep a low profile and remain unseen

by those they followed then heard a voice asking “Which way are we going to be headed?” “That is up to those in the water, Kaim and Brayleigh,” said Buffy. As soon as he had said their names the ship began to move into the center of the channel, going towards the sea. Curious about the ships movement Brayleigh looked over the stern of the ship.

She then looked up and saw that no sail had been unfurled. It was at that point he started to realise that the witches Mikey had spoken of were effective and probably as powerful as Mikey had said. He began to smile, he felt the girls would soon be freed. What was not considered was what would happen to those who had taken the choice to trap and capture the girls.

“In time, after the ship is boarded by the police they will become puzzled as to how the girls came to be locked in a room when the lock was on the outside yet no crewmen was to be found alive on the ship.” A few of the crew had been taken to the home of the women, deep under the home a cavern had been created for the men.

A woman had already been called to dispose of the men, a task that Maria was looking forward to. A young woman was hung, burnt then buried by a crowd who had accused her of witchcraft. Unfortunately for the crowd Maria was so powerful and made herself vanish. The man who was left to torture her caused was forced to pay the price for his misdeeds to her,

Maria made him appear as she had been, accused and tortured so he fell foul of his own misdeeds then died. Another of our women was brought to here, she can change a person’s mind to be whatever she wants, this time she convinced one of the crew to look and behave like a vampire. Can you imagine the strange sight the police found

discovering all of the crew that remained on board had died by what looked like teeth marks from what was likened to a vampire, those missing crew were not aboard the ship which bore the name Vesta. It was wondered if any of those who originally found the ship realised that was the name of the ship that supposedly took Dracula to England at the start of the nineteen thirties.

Did any of them wonder about how the Asian girls had been locked into a hold where the lock was on the outside of the door. It was suggested to Marissa that a message was left for the rescuers telling them how the Asian girls had been left in the hold. Stood by the roller doors in the back room of their home each one of them were delighted at the sight of the countryside,

even though several of them were from other countries. The look of the topography of the ground was the same even though many of the trees looked different. Melissa suggested that a building should be erected for them all to see as home. Conversations were made and eventually an agreement was reached, a chapel would be built.

On a hill not too far from the house the wooden chapel was built with many of the advantages that a building built by witches might bring. A larder that never ran out of food as long as the provisions requested were written on the order pad. Even the cooker could heat the food perfectly as long as that was what the food wanted

or if the food didn't want to be cooked it was written on a pad and left on the table. Even the chapel’s bell would be rung when the hour was full, even though the chapel had no bell. The women were so happy after specifying that all members of the coven were to meet at the back of the house where when they entered the room the closure of the doors was evident.

Chairs were positioned facing where the meeting was to be: facing a wall that could be used to highlight a needed film. One of them was called upon to announce to each of them the importance of helping all other members of their society there to promote future benefit for all. When Marissa called the meeting to order and explained why they were there

they agreed in unison that knowledge of the future of the coven should be needed. Melissa stood, she promised to each of the members of the coven that the promise would be done. When it was explained that long ago there was a one from another coven who had been accused of being a witch because she had been seen to cause one of the accuser’s daughter to die.

Members of the coven were chosen to plead she was not guilty in court. A Druid who owed Melissa a favour had produced a spell on her that caused her to become a vampire at will, consequently when the woman was presented to the court and the charges read out to her, she gave the proof that she was a vampire.

The magistrate did not appreciate there being a vampire in his court he had to pronounce the vampire innocent of being a witch. That gave rise to further complications when each of the coven had the ability to be born yet after two decades the witch could present herself as a vampire. That Druid was found to have copied one of the last vampires

meaning that none of them could be able to make new versions of itself. Having stated that the time was right for them now to change, the transformation from being witch would take place at the Manor. A plethora of vehicle’s pulled up in the parking are opposite the steps to the impressive front doors.

Of the thirteen young women who entered the stately home each of them had directions given to them in the vast room by Marissa. Inside the room a great many shelves adorned the walls, on which a plethora of books filled each shelf. Mikey beckoned to each one of the young women to sit on one of the chairs provided.

“Ladies it is in your best interests to listen as carefully as you can to what you are about to be told. There is a few shelves near the door that will tell you about the countryside we are now in, initially you will be taught a few old beliefs from about this area. It is rumoured that you might even see people, beings or witches from times gone past.

Marissa said the intention was for the Druid who caused all of us to be was able to pass to here.” She beckoned Willow to join her as she led her to the empty room at the back lower levels at the back of the house, to one of the doors. After opening the door Marissa had Willow look to the gardens then they walked along the paths between the flower borders.

Marissa told Willow to look underneath the paths. Marissa was informed to get the physical knowledge of what lay under the paths. Though she was amazed to see that the discovery was of a series of upright empty graves. Considering how to provide those rooms Willow agreed to call on the magical community rather than to call on teams of builders,

there was no need to let those outside them to know what they were doing. Taking their agreement to Melissa a clearing was obtained and a wooden church like construction erected to house them all, with rooms provided for entertainments and a kitchen created for meal times and the hoarding of foods and for whatever utensils might be needed.

All heating and lighting was to be provided from natural sources, be they natural sources from the earth or from the universe. Melissa deemed it necessary that the coven was to seek any information it could about those who sent messages with no reference to who they were from. Willow suggested it would be for anyone in the coven to seek who might be responsible.

Melissa said what they should seek the message that caused the offence then back track to who was responsible for the infringement. Not seeking any real argument she left the social media forums.

THE END