Notes: The music from these stories comes from two CD’s I play constantly. Dancing with the Moon uses music from Waters of Life and ‘Everything has a Purpose’ from The Moon on the Lake. Both Cd’s by Caiseal Mor (Australian artist). Sorry you can’t hear it but just imagine lots of Celtic harp, violin, Irish bagpipes, flute and drums. This is his website:
http://www.home.aone.net.au//caismor/moon.html
if you’d like to find out more about this man, his music and his books (he’s also a great author!).
Warnings: Almost some violence in this one.
The days continued to pass quietly for a town like Four Corners. There was the usual bar room brawl and liquored-up cowhand but every outburst of violence was efficiently controlled and despatched by the Seven.
Tel Macloud let herself drift into the background while her friend, Loren, happily became the centre of attention in the small town.
"You’re going to wear yourself out at this pace, Loren" Tel said to her one morning.
"Nonsense! There’ll be plenty of time to rest … later" she replied before turning a concerned face to her friend.
"What about you Tel? It’s not like you to be this quiet"
"There’s a purpose" Tel answered.
"There always is – but I still don’t like it"
Tel didn’t say anything more, instead she reached for the gift that Loren had brought on the stage for her and lifted it gently from the trunk where it was kept – the same trunk that had been the apparent target of the outlaw gang’s attack on the stage just a few days previously. It was a harp, made by a Master Harpmaker in Ireland some hundred years or so ago. Tel rubbed the ancient wood in appreciation of its age and quality then settled in to start tuning it.
"You spend more time with the harp than me" Loren teased. She’d known as soon as she’d seen it, sitting dusty and unused in the corner of her cousin’s room that her friend would treasure the instrument. So she’d cleaned it up some and had it repaired – had even attempted to play it for her sick relative.
"I didn’t know you played Loren"
"I don’t. I have a friend who does though"
"Is this the friend you travel with?"
Loren nodded, "She can make an instrument sing" she sighed. She missed her friend, and her music – Tel could make two sticks clapping together sound good.
"There’s a history to this harp you know" her cousin said, "It was given to our great grandmother for safekeeping by a friend. When she died it was passed on to grandmother and so on, to me, waiting for the day the friend would return"
"This friend would have to be pretty old by now" Loren said, half-jokingly.
"She was a special friend… the story is that this friend was a woman with raven black hair, and when she played the harp it was like listening to the angels in heaven, and when she sang – magic happened."
Loren stopped strumming on the strings.
"What was her name?"
"I don’t know – strange that the story is remembered but the name forgotten."
Later the same day, Loren was again sitting with her ailing cousin reading out loud when the woman spoke again about the harp. Loren had left it sitting by the bed and a breeze from the open window close by caused the instrument to make its own music. The effect had been very relaxing for the woman who lay dying and she felt an immense peace and acceptance settle around her.
"When I die, Loren, you must take the harp with you. I was endowed with the sacred trust of caring for the instrument. You are my closest living relative – I give that trust to you."
A few days later, the woman lay on her bed, alone. The curtains of her window pulled back to let in the morning sunshine. The window open to let in the breeze. The sun shone in and sparkled on the silver bands of the harp. Each band was decorated with an ornate circular design that seemed to undulate and pulse. The black stone in the centre of each band glittered in the morning light and then began to glow.
As the woman watched enthralled, the breeze plucked at the harp’s strings playing a living melody that embraced the woman. She felt suddenly very happy and smiled as the happiness spread to every cell in her body. At the foot of her bed a ball of dark energy grew, its outer edges flickering with colour and light. The darkness grew but the woman was not scared. Nor was she scared when a low voice came from the centre of the darkness calling her name.
"Its time" the voice said
"Time?"
"Step into the darkness, my friend. Its time to come home."
The woman’s joy became so great she thought she would burst. She climbed from her bed and stepped into the darkness, "Home!" she cried.
Loren heard the music as she walked past her cousin’s room. Knocking softly, she entered and gasped, one hand lifting to her cheek.
The sun shone in from the open window still, its rays falling across the body of her cousin. The dead woman’s face was lit up with pure happiness and peace. A butterfly, its wings iridescent in the sun, rested gently in her open hands.
Loren had carefully packed the instrument in the trunk she’d purchased especially for the purpose and had told the man behind the counter it was to carry an inheritance of some value. When she’d finally been able to show it to Tel, the other woman greeted it like an old friend – happy and sad at the same time. She’d spent the next few hours polishing and tuning the precious gift.
Now, as Loren remembered her cousin’s last few days, Tel began to play a strangely familiar tune and, as the harp strings intertwined with her memories, Loren quietly began to cry.
+ + + + + + +
It was eight days since the attempted stagecoach robbery, ten days since the full moon, and Josiah had still to meet the woman who had brought Buck Wilmington back from the dead. He suspected the woman was deliberately keeping a low profile to avoid the inevitable questions but today Josiah was determined to catch up with her. So he waited propped up on a chair outside the saloon where he had a good view of the town’s main thoroughfare and the livery. It seemed the mysterious woman spent most of her time riding in the hills. Sometimes accompanied by Vin Tanner, other times Miss O’Neill but mostly by herself – and her dogs. Speaking of dogs. A flash of black and white raced into the stables followed by another. If they’re back, she’s back. Sure enough, the elusive Miss Macloud came riding into view.
Josiah stood and headed in the same direction reaching the stables as Tel was unsaddling her horse. She looked up as he entered and walked over to her lifting his hat in greeting.
"Afternoon Miss Macloud. Nice day for riding"
"Afternoon Mr Sanchez, it certainly has been"
"You’re a hard woman to catch Miss Macloud"
She turned towards the preacher, extending her hand,
"Call me Tel".
Josiah shook her hand, "Josiah" he stated.
"So, what do you want Josiah" Tel asked him while reaching down for a curry comb.
"Jus’ wanted to say hallo…" he started to say, "and thank you for what you did for Buck"
"Well, I wasn’t ready for Buck to depart this world just yet" she told him.
Josiah had removed his hat from his head and now stood fiddling with its brim.
"Anything else I can help you with Josiah?" Tel had finished with the horse and was now turning her attention to the two dogs. She brought a small brush from her coat pocket and started giving them a quick brush down as well.
"Good dogs ya got there"
"Lively dogs is what I got" she said as they wiggled and squirmed away from the brush.
Josiah leant down to pat them, smiling when they tried to jump on him. When he straightened up he had a slightly far-away look in his eyes.
"You think too much Josiah"
"Perhaps."
"Stop thinking on things so much and just let them be."
Josiah looked quizzically at the woman.
"Go with the flow Josiah. There’ll be plenty of time for analysin’ later."
With that final observation, Tel stood herself and made to leave. Josiah was still staring at his hat. Tel patted his back,
"Go with the flow" she repeated and then left the man to his thoughts.
That evening, after dinner at the restaurant, Loren O’Neill and Tel Macloud decided to visit the saloon. The bar was crowded when they walked in. Ezra Standish was at his usual poker table charmingly winning the money from a small group of newcomers. Two of that group had just dejectedly left the table, their pockets much lighter than when they’d first sat down.
Ezra greeted the two women with a smile, he’d been spending some time with Loren over the last week and welcomed her company once again.
"Miss O’Neill, Miss Macloud. Your presence lights up our rather dingy surround. Would you care to join us in a game of chance?"
"Why Mr Standish, how kind of you to ask" answered Loren and she sat down at one of the recently vacated chairs.
"Miss Macloud?" Ezra prompted.
"No thanks, Red. I’ll sit over here and watch" she replied, that teasing note back in her voice. Tel sat down at an empty table behind Loren and watched as the gambler deftly dealt out a new hand. She observed the faces of the players. None of them looked terribly excited with their hands but she’d heard about Ezra’s many skills and wasn’t surprised. By the way her friend was sitting though she could tell that her hand must be okay. Helps to be close to the dealer.
The rest of the seven men were seated at their usual table, except Chris who was at a table by himself, a half empty bottle of whisky in front of him. Tel watched him for awhile then quietly stood and walked over to join him. The other men watched her go. Nathan tried to head her off but Vin put a hand on his arm to restrain him.
Tel sat quietly beside the morose gunfighter for a few moments.
"They don’t blame you, why do you blame yourself?" she asked him in a low voice.
He continued to stare at the bottle, "Don’t recall invitin’ ya to set" he growled in reply.
"Well no, but I could see you wanted to" she quipped back at him. Then in a more serious note, "You taint their memory with this self-torture"
Chris turned towards her, fury in his face, "And what would you know about it?" Tel didn’t flinch but she could hear chairs scraping on the floor behind her as some of his friends stood to intervene. She stood then and glared directly into his eyes. She could see the pain and guilt of his loss and the self-loathing he felt reflected in those green orbs. She almost felt sorry for what she had to do to him but it was the first step in getting him off this path he found himself on, and had to be done.
Her face turned hard, her voice just as harsh as his could be,
"Life’s a bitch Chris Larabee! Stop feelin’ sorry for yourself and get on with it!"
Larabee hadn’t expected a rebuke and for a split second was stunned by the outburst. Then his ever ready temper took control. He leapt to his feet in a rage, knocking his table over in the process smashing the bottle and glass to the floor.
Tel had expected that reaction, was waiting for it, but before it could go any further she suddenly felt a tingling sensation start at the back of her neck, a sensation that quickly spread over her entire body. Shit!
As the enraged man stood the woman whipped her head round towards the card table where, by the look of the angry faces, a situation was about to occur. She put her hand up to stop the oncoming tirade from the gunfighter then slowly, carefully crossed the room stopping behind the angry card players.
"Now, now gentlemen. I assure you there is no need to resort to violence…." Ezra was saying.
"YOU DONE TOOK EVERYTHIN’ I GOT" one of the men yelled at the gambler. The irate man leant towards the gambler jabbing his finger into the man’s chest as he continued, "YOU’RE A LOW-DOWN, DIRTY CONNIVIN’ CHEAT!" he bellowed.
Ezra remained calm.
"I was not, nor do I have the need to resort to trickery of any kind. If you find yourself in such a deplorable financial position then it is entirely due to a certain ineptness on your own part" Ezra raised one eyebrow slightly but continued looking, rather blandly, at the inept card player in question.
"Perhaps the gentlemen would prefer to leave the table" Loren's suggestion was immediately met by a tirade of insults by the furious player, which were cut short when Tel stepped forward and grabbed him by the ear forcing him to stand.
"You’ve got a foul mouth mister" she hissed into his ear. He didn’t appear to notice the menace in her voice as more insults spewed forth. The pain that suddenly came shooting from his ear made him shut up though and finally recognise the threat. His hand fell towards a knife in his belt but before he could get it loose seven guns were drawn, cocked and pointed directly at his chest.
One of the man’s companions spoke up in an effort to diffuse the situation.
"Like the gentleman said, there’s no need for violence. Dex didn’t mean to offend anyone, jes got a little hot under the collar is all." He looked around nervously, "We’ll be on our way now." He started for the door but stopped when Dex hadn’t followed, he was still being held in place by the tall woman. The man gulped, he’d never seen a woman as dangerous as this one looked.
Tel felt the man relax a little in her grip so she let go his ear. He started to follow his friend out the door but turned at the last minute.
"This ain’t over" he threatened. Tel didn’t say a word, just glared at him then deliberately turned her back to him and sat down in the now empty chair. She heard the batwing doors swing open then closed and the sound of footsteps receding down the walkway.
Loren stared at her friend in surprise at the display of callousness and temper she had just witnessed. Everything has a purpose. The words echoed in head. But what can be the purpose be in this?
Tel looked from her friend to the gambler who was calmly putting away his gun. He was taking his time about it in an effort to recollect himself having more than a little trouble connecting what he’d just seen with the friendly, easy going woman who now sat opposite him. He was sure that she would have killed the man given the chance, and though he knew all about her part in the stagecoach rescue, he was still stunned. Ezra looked up to see that she was watching him and quickly put on his best poker face. She smiled then and said,
"Deal me in, Red"
The other six men came over to the table then not sure of what was going on. First, she’d been provoking Larabee into a rage, then she was threatening to rip some guy’s ear off and now she was calmly playing poker.
"Have ya lost ya mind woman?" Buck asked in astonishment, "He was going to stick ya with a knife!"
"Knew you were there" she replied very casually glancing at her cards. Vin sat down at the table and nodded to Ezra, whereupon he was dealt a hand as well.
"Would any of you other gentlemen care to join us?" They all shook their heads and returned to their own table.
"Why d’ya think she did that?" Nathan asked the others once they were all seated, "I would’na picked her to be vicious at all"
"People can be many things" answered Josiah, "Her more than most I think"
"So ya sayin’ she’s complicated?" asked J.D.
"Very" Josiah said reaching for the bottle and refilling his glass.
Chris had sat down with them no longer feeling the need to be alone. He pushed a glass across to Josiah for filling. He was a little bemused as well, when she’d put her hand up and turned away all his anger had just disappeared.
"I think she was actin" he commented watching her playing cards. The other three at the table now appeared more tense than she was.
"Aw c’mon Chris. That was no act, she looked really pissed" Buck said.
"I thought she was gonna rip ‘is ear off" J.D. laughed.
"Ya really think it was an act Chris?" Nathan was curious about the man’s comment.
"Yeah, I do. The whole thing, including when she was spoutin’ off to me"
"Why would she do that?" Nathan asked again.
"Don’t know" Chris answered, wondering why she’d deliberately goaded him. Why would she do that?
"Ya think she’s had another one of those visions?" Buck asked quietly. Just thinking about his brush with death made him feel a little queasy – like he was standing on the edge of a cliff only barely able to keep his balance and knowing that any second now he’d fall, and keep falling.
"Don’t know Buck but I get the feelin’ she’s waitin’ for somethin"
Sound of the World Turning [Next]
