Song of Falling Rain was in some pain from wounds taken in the fight against the blood apes and tended them carefully, glad of the years spent perfecting pain relieving salves but less than happy to have to use them on her own injuries. She made sure her bandages were tight and hidden from view under a cloak before she left her caravan and headed for the manse. The ritual was to be held tonight and she wanted to fix as many of the negative changes in the geomancy that Daras had wrought in the little time she had.
Olvir barely felt the exertions of the morning. Though he was hungrier than usual, he realized, as he helped himself to a double serving of steamed breads at breakfast. It wasn’t long before one of the acrobats asked him nervously about the demons and the battle and his regular training routine had to wait as he grinned, happy to tell stories of bashing blood apes into oblivion.
Caelan had returned to camp without a decision made. Being with Ariorn had helped soothe his darker emotions but with his head still full of turmoil he found the daily activities of the circus jarring and spent the rest of the morning sharpening his knives, trying not to dwell on nightmarish scenes of Brightwater, before going to find Selene.
The leader of the circus was organising people for the minor roles they’d play in the ritual that night; all familiar work to most of them but still requiring her calm guidance to keep everything on track. She spared Caelan some time to talk over the morning’s events and reassured him she was well herself, having managed to avoid blood ape fists. He nodded and left her to get on with circus preparations as he found Jeret, and the two Solars took some time to talk.
Caelan asked him how he’d managed to stay out of trouble – under the radar of the Dragon Blooded who’d like nothing better than to send a hunting party after him, and asked what his plans were next. Jeret explained he acted alone and covered his tracks well, and when he dealt with the Dragon Blooded he used the gifts of the Unconquered Sun to further his aims without drawing alarm. Now the Hengethorn threat was dealt with he planned to go back home to Eagle’s Point for a time and continue his work to unseat the plans of the Yozi cult which had now shown itself to be more widespread than any of us had thought. Caelan sought to learn as much as he could from Jeret about the nature of being Chosen of the Sun and Jeret was happy to share what limited experience he had.
In the centre of the town of Hengethorn meanwhile Song was talking to Cold Night. The young man was nervously preparing for the ritual and Song did her best to help him focus and stay calm. She made some notes on the geomancy he’d need to carefully rework later as his full attention was correctly performing the biggest ritual of the year and his first test as village priest.
Being inside and poring over books or pacing the henge boundaries, neither paid much attention to Olvir who, having given up on training for the morning, spent 5 hours attuning to the manse. After he’d ascertained from his earlier flight that the trade caravan didn’t look as if it’d be due until the next day, he knew he had a little spare time. He met up with Song and Caelan with the attunement done and realising he was hungry again, wandered into Daras’s old house to raid the larder figuring since Daras wasn’t the priest any more he wouldn’t use it. Song pointed out it wasn’t Daras’s house any more... whereupon Olvir looked a little guilty, but Teela held on tight to the egg she’d snaffled.
The people of Hengethorn as well as the circus folk gathered as dusk approached and a slightly apprehensive Cold Night stepped forward, though with an encouraging look from Song and a cheer from Olvir he soon gained confidence. Daras was brought out, stumbling a little. We suspected he’d been given a draught of something to stop him fighting, but, still conscious, the guards lifted and laid him atop the henge where the briars rose up to claim him, seizing him by the wrists and ankles and wrapping around his throat to stop him crying out - Song had experimented earlier in the day and found that with the hearthstone, she could command the henge. It raised a few gasps from the crowd but didn’t distract Cold Night too much, who continued with the ritual and at its climax drove a spear through Daras’s body, killing him instantly, spilling his blood over the henge where thirsty thorns eagerly drank every drop. To the sound of cheers the ritual was concluded for another year and the crowd gradually dispersed in a good mood: they’d seen their new priest do well and one who’d wished them ill executed and were assured of another year of bounty. Only the guards were left to show surprise as the henge carefully deposited Daras’s body at their feet (as Song didn’t want them risking climbing the henge to pull the corpse down).
We headed for the Laughing Maiden tavern along with many of our circus companions. Jeret joined us and we chatted casually, enjoying the chance to relax now the ritual was over and spend time with friends. We’d had a few drinks as Selene wandered over to the table and exchanged a few words with Jeret. Song was close enough to hear him enquire after her plans for Moonspire and ask her to promise to visit him next time the circus was in Eagle’s Point. He didn’t notice her alarm - but Song saw Selene’s reaction to the notion of giving him a promise. He did notice Song overhear though, and winked at her. Song smiled, relieved: no oaths were going to be required of any of them.
Olvir bought Cold Night a drink, though he had a few lined up already, and Caelan got another chance to chat to Isdel. She asked him about life on the road, and traded tales of town life compared to travelling with the circus. We enjoyed a merry evening before people began to disperse back to caravans, tents, taverns or homes but before we slept Caelan wanted to talk, privately. The three of us headed to the manse; quiet now with the ritual over and a single guard on duty who gave us a slight acknowledgement. Caelan had been thinking over what we’d discovered and seen, and with Caelan, it was rarely a happy thought process.
He was afraid for what might be happening in Brightwater and though he didn’t say it, a little angry with himself for having fled. He’d been thinking of rushing back, calculating how long it would take, how his Charms could speed Ariorn’s hooves and going over in his mind what might be there for him to find when he got there. But his conversation with Jeret had given him something else to think on too, and that was his companionship with the two Lunars. Jeret had impressed upon him the value of friends and allies who shared a bond of power and understood, at least in part, what it was like to have become Exalted.
He told Olvir and Song about a childhood friend, Eloise, who he’d played with and who’d remained a friend as they grew up, and who’d been the one to secretly visit him to deliver the warning which saw him flee. Since he’d joined the circus he’d written to her a couple of times – Olvir had already known about that but it was news to Song. He’d not heard back, but hadn’t expected to since we were always on the move.
Now he was worried about what exactly had been going on to make her fear for his safety, and knowing there were Yozi worshippers in the Brightwater court he suspected things much worse than we’d found so far. We’d stopped the rot in Jadespike and Hengethorn, but he wanted to return home to prevent whatever was happening there too.
Olvir sympathised, but wisely pointed out if we’d not been in Jadespike we may never have become Chosen and able to defend the jade mine. Plus we already knew why they’d wished Caelan ill – they’d sent people after him to kill him for the hearthstone he carried.
It prompted a question Song knew Caelan wouldn’t like, but needed to be asked. Could his father have known, and could he have been implicit in any of it? Caelan was riled – no, of course not. Song nodded. She hoped he was right and that his father was safe, well and unmolested by Yozi and their followers – but it was good to hear the tone of Caelan’s conviction.
Then there was Moonspire. If it did contain a way of building an airship, perhaps that would be a speedier way of travelling than by horse. We were many months from Brightwater by now and even with Caelan’s new-found powers for sustaining a horse over a long journey it would be several weeks’ ride. Plus, we had no evidence of anything planned for Brightwater nor would we want to incite anything by our presence. We had the hearthstone they sought well away from the city – and it was perhaps better to keep it that way until we’d grown in our power and could hunt down more of the conspiracy.