The Gathering (18 page)

Sean, the Turners and the Levines arrived.
 
Sean leaned in and gave Janeen a nudge hello.

She turned and smiled, giving him and their friends hugs.
 
In turn, Janeen’s wife, Connie, appeared with a cart of ale.

“Did I count right?”

“How many did you get?” asked Aaron.

“Umm, thirty I think.”

Janeen nodded and leaned in to kiss her partner, while the others laughed.

“Yeah, Sweetie, I think that’s enough.”

Sean took the cart from Connie, reached in, grabbed the steins and passed out the ale, first to the ladies and then the men.
 
The music stopped with the last stomp and the crowd erupted in applause.
 
Alia walked forward to one of the microphones, lifted her arms and turned to the children and the other musicians and bade them bow.
 
She then turned back to the crowd and spoke.

“Good Evening.
 
To all of our guests, welcome to our home.
 
For the next ten days, it will also be your home.
 
The rules of the Gathering are now in place, please abide by them.
 
Now, as the sun has set, it is my duty as ruler of the host village to officially start the Gathering.”

An eruption of applause, hollers and whistles came from the village.
 
Amongst the crowd were patrons of the village with carts like Connie’s and they were handing out steins of ale and wine and juices.
 
Several were handed out on stage and one was given to Alia.
 
She looked around and after several minutes, when she saw that no one else needed a beverage, she raised her cup, followed by all in the village like a great wave.
 

“To those who are no longer among us, we remember.”

The crowd whispered, “Remember.”

“Why we are here today, we remember.”

The crowd responded again.

“Let us be tolerant and patient.
 
Let us refrain from anger.
 
Let us live in peace.
 
To the ills of the past and how they came to be, we remember.”

“That is why we Gather,” came from the crowd.

“So we toast one another, our past and our future.
 
Welcome to the Gathering!
 
Let the festivities begin!”

A great swell of energy came from all over the village as everyone cheered and drank as fireworks exploded overhead.
 
Alia downed her stein and gave the cup back to the porter.
 
She turned to her youngest children when the show had ended.

“Alright, rules.”

Amanda raised her hand.

“Yes, Little Miss?”

“I’m not to go off by myself and I am to be in bed no later than ten pm.”

“Very good.
 
Lisa and Brandon?”

“We are to stay near you or the ladies and we are to be in bed no later then eleven pm,” said Lisa.

Brandon was fooling around with his flute.

“Brandon?”

He looked up with a vacant look on his face.

“I’m staying here.
 
I’m going to play.”

James patted him on the back as he continued to conduct the musicians now playing.

“Ok, but when it’s time to go to bed, you will go.
 
Understand?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Alright, kisses, please.”

They all embraced and laughed.
 
Alia stood up and motioned to the nannies.
 
They walked over and she spoke to them briefly and they all nodded.
 
She then looked for Sean and the others.
 
Finding them, she jumped off the stage and came through the crowd.

Janeen reached into the cart and grabbed a cup.

“You looking for this?”

Alia took the cup and kissed Connie hello.

“Yes, I am.”

She raised her cup.

“To friends.”

“To friends!”

They all drank and began to chat.
 
Grant Turner grabbed Alia’s hand.

“How about a dance, Old Girl?”

“You got it, Good Looking.”

Sean, taking the cue reached for Lorraine, and subsequently Janeen grabbed Connie and Aaron looked at Ellen.

“How about it?
 
Care to trip the Jew fantastic?”

Ellen laughed and pulled Aaron out to the dance area.

Off to the left of the stage, a wooden deck rose about four feet off the ground and had a railing along the edge that led to the stone wall.
 
Slowly the young men fascinated with the younger Stark women made their way to the wall.
 

Sam had taken his ale over to the deck to watch Coeli, followed closely by Scott.
 
They sat, hanging over the railing watching the stage.
 

Vance walked up behind them and took a seat to Sam’s right.
 
Sam glanced over at him and put out his hand in greeting, as did Scott.

Ian also wandered over to the deck and leaned against it on the other side of Vance.
 
They too shook hands.

Vance looked at them.

“Ok, which ones?
 
Not mine I hope.”

Sam rubbed his bottom lip with this thumb.

“Coeli.”

Scott was still staring at the stage.

“Sara.”

Ian looked at the oldest Stark girl and sighed.

“Kaley.”

Vance looked over at Ian.

“Yeah, that one I knew.”

Ian smiled and Vance laughed and then looked at Sam.

“I thought you liked Sara?”

Sam turned and looked Vance.

“I thought I did, too.”

“Transference?”

Sam raised an eyebrow.
           

“That's Scott's theory.
 
How’d you know?”

“I thought I loved Kaley for two years.
 
Followed her around like a puppy.”

“I remember that,” Ian said, folding his arms in front of him.

Vance smiled and slapped him on the back, making him smile, too.

“I was pathetic until Alisha turned seventeen.
 
Then I realized.
 
It wasn’t Kaley... it was Alisha.
 
I looked back and realized that I only followed Kale when Alisha was with her, but I had this thing that she was too young or something like that.
 
Weird feeling, huh?”

Sam looked back at the stage.

“Yeah, but I think I’m getting my head around it.”

Sam could feel his heart beat at the thought of touching Coeli’s hand or kissing her, but how could he be sure?
 
Just yesterday he had the same thoughts about her sister.
 
He rested his chin on his hands, which were now on the bottom railing, and watched her play.

Sean had been watching the young men with interest, and now the Hearsts and Forresters had joined the party.
 
Sean stood off to the side, but was soon joined by Larry.

“Sean?”

Startled, Sean turned and smiled, shaking Larry’s hand and hugging his old friend.

“What are you doing over here?”

“Watching your kid and some other boys who are obviously lovelorn over the Stark women.”

“Well,” Larry leaned in and whispered, “looks like you have something in common with them.”

Sean smiled slightly and turned his head to look at Larry.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Not to most, but I’ve known you for twelve years, Sean.
 
In all that time, the only one you look at twice is her.”

“Yeah, well, you can’t control who you love.”

“Don’t I know it… maybe you should go and commiserate with them.”

Sean turned away from the boys and grabbed Larry around the neck, which caused a wrestling match to ensue.

The women stopped what they were doing and looked over.
 
Alia watched for a minute and then shook her head and turned back around, and the other women followed suit, except for Connie, who joined the men, laughing and cheering them on.
 

All across the village, people were enjoying themselves.
 
Yet unbeknownst to them all, from the trees outside the village, those gold and blue eyes glittered in the night.
 
They watched until a falcon flew overhead and then they disappeared with a flash.

The falcon watched as well.

23

Stephan Merganser sat in a lounge chair by the window, reading his bible and looking for answers.
 
He knew that he and Alia Stark were destined to be together, but that captain of hers, Sean Lantry, must be a servant of Satan.
 
His constant temptation to sin was more than her frail constitution could withstand.
 
He would have to save her from herself and he had seen in a dream brought by God’s very own angels that they were to be one.
 
He could not understand why she fought it so?

Paul Stark had failed to bring her back to the flock of Christ, but Stephan would not be deterred.
 
He had been watching things all day.
 
He read slowly through the Corinthians, looking for the answer as he prayed for guidance, as well as a way to remove Lantry from the picture.

A knock on the door startled him.

"Yes."

The door opened and in walked Elian.
 
Stephan smiled as his son walked towards him.

"Why are you here?
 
You missed the opening ceremonies."

Stephan held the bible and took off his reading glasses.

"The Lord has sent me to save the soul of Alia Stark, Son.
 
Her heathen ways are an abomination and God has sent his righteous angels to bestow on me the trial of saving her."

Elian looked at his father.

"Father, if you pursue this endeavor, they will have you leave.
 
Justin and Tawny need you here with them to represent Crystal Shade."