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Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)


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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The scent of the blood filled Ceit's nostrils as she lapped at it, driving her to drink as much as she could from the cold and partially congealed puddle. When she finally pulled herself away she could feel that the spirit within her had subsided though she did not feel truly sated by the meal. Drinking nothing but this would be like living off nothing but dried and salted meat, she craved something more though she could at least think straight now.

She found the cave much easier to move through now as she started upwards towards the sound of movement. It was still dark though her vision seemed almost as keen as her hearing, allowing her to move at a much steadier pace. Soon she found herself in the main cave where she first met Sileas, who sat on a flat stone as though waiting. Ceit sensed her before she could even see her just as an animal would sense any predator before it was seen, Magda it seemed was not present in the cave at least.

Sileas looked up and nodded at Ceit's presence waving her over to whatever she was working on. "Not very satisfying I know but we'll teach you how to get a proper meal soon. Animal blood does not satisfy our kind like human blood does, though it works in a pinch. Come on over and join me for your first lesson, sister."
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

She moved carefully, getting used to her intensified senses. Scents, sounds, sight. Soon she kneeled before Seleas, moving her gaze from the woman's eyes to whatever she was working on.

"I've learned that much already. There is... a beast, inside my soul. It screamed for release, and it's not beaten back much by the pools." she said, though in her mind she knew Sileas understood clearly.

"But I am ready to learn sister."
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"Sadly the beast is in all of us, it is our primal instincts personified. The urge to feed, to kill that which angers us, and to flee from what would harm us. It can be controlled and sometimes even directed by those of us who have learned how to do such things." Sileas explained as she worked at mashing something in a small bowl. Ceit recognized the scent of blood and she also recognized the plants being mashed into it as woad.

"As I explained before, there are other vampires like us. Yet we are all different, think of us like different branches of the same family. Each has a certain affinity for certain powers and each clan has a different curse given us by the gods. I know little about most of the others but we must stay close to our source of power, the grove. We can travel but it weakens us greatly to be away from our own territory." She finished the mashing and set the bowl between them before turning to face Ceit.

"Did your mother or father happen to teach you about the ancient runes used by our ancestors? One of our powers is a magic based on it called ogham." Sileas said as she put her finger into the woad and began to paint symbols along her arm.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"The sapling I brought back," Ceit said as she listened to each word carefully. It was not surprising to her to learn of other clans, or other gifts given by being taken into the darkness. It was not so different from humans really. And the world was a wide vast place, and Ceit knew very little about it except the forests, cliffs, and the surging sea of her home.

Still. A lack of surprise did not dilute her wonder at hearing about it.

"The sapling. It is my centre. My source of power then?" she continued, thinking of her journey to retrieve the young tree. Young much like herself in the lifespan of a tree. Though, she was younger now. Born again.

"It's Pictish," she said, recognizing the runes, but not their meaning. When next she spoke, she let herself easily slip from Gaelic into that ancient tongue. "I can speak it easily. But the only language I can read and write is Gaelic. Would you, teach me then sister?"

It was an odd relationship, to call Sileas sister, instead of matron. But in a way, it was more comforting. It eased her passing into this new world, to have someone to embrace, and speak with, instead of bowing before.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"Yes, or at least it will be once we plant it in the grove here. Once Magda has returned we'll see to finishing up that last portion of your embrace." Sileas said as she continued to paint the runes upon her own arms. She nodded towards the mixture and indicated for Ceit to do as she did on her own arms as she too slipped into the language of the picts.

"I'm not surprised that you can't read the ancient script of our people, I doubt if anyone now mortal knows more than a few of the runes. Thankfully Magda and I are old enough to remember the days when it was for more than just monuments." While they worked Sileas would point out each rune and explain it's meaning, it was slow work as she studied the old words as she painted them on her arms. She had lost track of the time as she sat there engrossed in learning, realizing how little she knew and must learn was a somewhat overwhelming. Just as she had finished the runes on her arms she heard the sound of soft footsteps near the cave entrance. The footsteps of a hunter like she herself had been, though they seemed loud to her new senses.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"It is good to know someone carries the torch sister," Ceit said, dipping her own fingers into the mixture of blood and woad. She followed Sileas's instructions carefully, watching her arm before staring at her own to carefully trail the ogham paint upon her own skin.

As time slid onwards, more and more runes crawled up her arms, to the elbow, her bicep, each one a new learned piece of a forgotten language. Words and letters being scrawled across her flesh. It made her look less hunter, and more warrior from an era forgotten by most.

As she finished, pulling her fingers away from her arm, her head snapped towards the entrance of the cave. For a moment she thought someone was crashing through the forest, before she remembered her enhanced senses. That person was moving as stealthy as she had before. They were skilled; a hunter of some form.

"Someone is outside," Ceit said rising to her feet, reaching for her sword.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Sileas did not move as a simple smile spread across her face at Ceit's alarm before she called out. "Our new sister has the ears of a wolf, Magda. I don't think even you will be able to surprise her."

Magda stepped from the shadows of the entrance to the cave, looking perhaps a bit miffed at the teasing from Sileas. The look quickly faded however only to be replaced by one more serious as she responded. "Hopefully she has the bravery of the bear and the fierceness of the lion as well. There is something wrong in the village, raiders of one sort or the other. Gird our sister well with the crimson woad, Sileas. There is little time to better prepare for a battle."

Sileas quickly painted some runes along Ceit's forehead before doing her own. Even as Magda painted the same runes upon her own forehead while she told Ceit. "Be careful and stay near Sileas, sister. May we all find glory tonight."
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Hearing of danger in the village, Ceit's fingers curled tighter around the hilt of her sword. She knew that she was supposed to leave her old life behind but... it had still been her home. Her family. So she let Sileas finish her work with the runes, the ogham rune upon her pale skin.

"Andrate's gaze upon us," Ceit said softly, already moving towards the mouth of the cave, knowing her sisters would be with her. She was still in nothing more than her makeshift skirt, but did she really have time to find armour?
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Both Magda and Sileas hurried from the cave behind Ceit a grim smile upon each of their faces as the group prepared to split up. Magda, who was wearing little more than Ceit herself, picked up an old but deadly looking war-axe near the entrance. Once it had been slung over her shoulder she took off at a run through the heavy underbrush.

Ceit looked up at the canopy of trees which blocked out the night sky, the heavy scent of smoke was much easier to recognize now. She had heard tales of protective warrior women appearing from out of nowhere when the village would most need it but the raiders were usually not bold enough to actually mount such a large attack. Sileas nodded in the direction of the village as she handed a sheathed dagger to Ceit before taking off with the fledgling in tow as she said.

"It's silver, in case the raid is being lead by spiral walkers. Avoid the fire, it is bane to our kind. Hopefully it will simply be mortal raiders but stay close just in case, sister."
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Glancing to the night sky, smelling the smoke that reached her even here, Ceit felt something between fear and anger. A strange excitement for the coming fight as old tales came to mind. And she was part of them now. As Sileas spoke, Ceit looked to her sire, a hand out to accept the silver blade, tucking it carefully into her skirt.

"Thank you sister. I shall never be far," she said as Sileas took off at a steady run.

Ceit was not far behind. Her usual confidence in movement was hampered a bit as she got used to her senses in this outside world. Everything so much more intense here than in the cave, but soon she was moving with grace and speed that easily trumped what she held before. All the aches and wounds of her earlier journey forgotten; healed, as she rushed towards what had once been home to her, sword in hand.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit ran a few steps behind Sileas as she led the way back through the dark tangle of trees around her cave. The route they took homewards seemed much shorter than it had in the days before when she had first traveled to her new home. Though her senses seemed overwhelmed at first she eventually grew used to them as they ran through the forest, allowing her to note obstacles in the dark that would slow most mortals. Nor did she feel any hint of weakness or exhaustion from her previous trip, even at this steady pace she felt as if she would be able to run all night long.

Finally they emerged from the trees along the cliffs north of town, Ceit almost felt a gasp emerge from her now dead heart as she noted fire below. A heavy pall of smoke filled the sky along the shores as Sileas lead on towards the village where Ceit had spent her whole life. At least half a dozen ships sat along the shore, she had never seen a band of raiders this large. She hoped that she and her sisters would be enough to drive the invaders off as she doubted the people of the village would stand a chance otherwise.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The first part of the run was dizzying. Colours bleeding together as her dead eyes got used to the night and the shadows. Objects came together and pulled apart as her sight got used to everything. Before they reached the cliff she could see clearly, crisply. And the world was beautiful around her. But she had no time to appreciate it at all.

There were only a few weapons in the entire village, including the axes mostly used for woodworking. And with all that fire, the raiders were likely already within the small gathering of huts. Danes? Norwegians? Who had come to stake their claim and take whatever these people had. Her people.

"We need to hurry," Ceit said, and started down the cliffs, her hands easily finding hand and foothholds along the rock face as she scrambled down, eager for blood.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Sileas did not linger any longer than was necessary as the pair picked their way downward towards the village. Despite the slipperiness of the rocks Ceit found herself moving easily as her anger and fear for family and friends drove her onwards. She hit the sand of the beach a few feet ahead of Sileas, already running towards the village as she landed.

Everything near the shore already seemed to be lit up with flames, a sight which caused the beast inside to try and flee. Choking down the fear and the beast as it tried to take over her body, she continued running towards the sounds of shouting and fighting. Her sword was already drawn as she emerged from a bank of smoke to see a handful of the men from the village fending off a few of the raiders.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

She could feel the beast inside. Roaring, clawing at her conciousness to take over. To flee the wicked flames that roared, spewing smoke up into the dark sky. Blocking out the beauty of the moon. But she resisted, for now. Focusing instead on the raiders. Their hearts beating in their chests, letting blood course through their veins.

These invaders of her lands.

Naked sword in hand, the orange glow of the fire glinting along the blade, Ceit rushed towards the first raiders she saw, bared skin painted with ancient runes. To give her the strength of the ancestors as she brought her blade to bare, swinging to slay the first enemy she came upon. To shed his blood.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The first raider had not even seen Ceit as charged silently from the thick smoke, her sword slashing through his leg where he wore no armor. Dropping with a shout of warning to his companions in the Norse tongue. The other's turned with a shout stabbing with their spears at the charging fledgling, while the men of the village broke off and fled from the scene to aid elsewhere in defense of their village.

Ceit managed to dodge the first two spears but the third caught her squarely in the shoulder. A wound which might have killed her a few days ago seemed to miraculously glaze off her rune covered skin. She had little time to wonder about it though as she closed on the spearmen, her sword hilt dazing one of the men as the others tried to step away. Only to walk into Sileas as she appeared behind the men, her dagger slitting one's throat even as her fangs plunged deeply into the second's throat.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

As her blade sliced through cloth and flesh, spurting blood up the steel, she felt the pointed tip of the spear drive into her. For a second she expected to feel it drive into her, through her, the bladed tip dripping behind her. Instead it scraped over the skin like an errant branch, the pain more an annoyance than anything to stop her.

A few steps and she punched forward, hilt striking just above one man's eye. She could feel the bone breaking, blood flowing from broken skin as stumbled. When Sileas arrived from the smoke, dispatching the others, Ceit turned her attention to the two she had wounded.

She plunged her sword downwards, aiming to cleave into the man's neck, to finish him quickly without concern for armour. But the beast still stirred inside her, the fires keeping its head up. And so the fledgling lunged forward to the raider she had struck, fangs bared, hissing as she grasped at his collar to yank him towards her.

To sink her fangs into the pulse of his throat. To the blood that throbbed in his veins.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The rush of warm blood into Ceit's throat as she tore into the raider's throat sent a thrill of exhilaration through her body. The blood was so much more wonderful than she could have imagined. She greedily began to gulp more as she lost herself in the feeling of feeding, her prey seemed utterly unable to resist as he quietly groaned in pleasure. She could have stayed there all night drinking from the dying men but she felt a hand on her shoulder drawing her away.

Sileas had pulled Ceit away from her meal with a grim smile as she spoke over the sounds of fighting and fire. "Best not to drink too much during battle, sister. I'm sure there will be plenty more raiders to sink our teeth into and replenish vitae as needed.

I should show you how to heal yourself before we go on though. The spear shouldn't have hurt much thanks to the runes but eventually they can add up. All you need to do is concentrate, think about the wound and picture the flesh knitting back together."
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The beast had Ceit baring her fangs, snarling almost as she was pulled back, letting the raider slump to the ground in a limp pile of flesh. As she recognized her sire though, Ceit fought the beast down, regaining control of her mind, and let her lips slide down. She listened. She learned.

Putting one hand gently to her shoulder where the spear had raked across her skin, the fledgling nodded to show her understanding, a grim look on her features as she glanced to the man at her feet, his blood smeared across her face.

"Thank you sister. You are right though. We are far from finished this night," Ceit said, adjusting her grip on the sword as she began to move further into the village. All her story needed at this moment, was a banshee wailing for those soon to die by her hand.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Plunging further through the village outskirts towards the sounds of fighting Ceit and Sileas ran. There was no banshee wailing yet the screams of people and children running from the berserk raiders filled the same purpose. Death had come to the village, already she had seen a number of the dead and dying on the outskirts alone.

The wailing of a small child somewhere in one of the burning huts immediately drew her attention as Sileas rushed to engage another small group of spearmen. Thralls by the look of them, her own people that had been made to slave for the Norwegians who lived in the isles across the sea. There was no one else around who could save the child but her. Yet as she looked towards the flame engulfed hut she felt the beast try to take hold more fiercely than ever. Her limbs seemed petrified as the screams grew louder there wasn't much time left to decide.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"Níl an biest dom. Tá mé Lhiannon," Ceit said, her fingers curling harder around the hilt of the blade as the cries of the child pierced into her ears, the flames flickering. She took a step forward, snarling at the flames, feeling the beast surging inside her. Afraid. Terrified of the harm it would bring to her flesh.

"bás agus onóir. Lámh i lámh," she continued, gritting her teeth as she stepped closer, feeling the heat on her skin. And with those final words, charged forward, fighting both the beast and the heat as she moved to save the child.
 
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