Chapter Twenty-Nine: Telephone Home

 Sunny, Fury, and their escort rode down the hill into the Thornefield encampment. There were men and young boys to take the horses to the picket line. Orion's reputation had circulated far and wide and it was left up to Sunny to remove the bareback saddle and bridle from Orion. He was given the liberty to graze wherever he liked. He was within sight of the council tent. 

 Nicodemus walked into the tent ahead of Sunny, they were shown to seats just to the right of the where the chieftains sat. As they were seated the chieftains began their work. There were contracts witnessed, marriage agreements signed, there were a handful of disputes that were handled deftly by the chieftains. Then it was over, and everyone filed out and headed back to town to begin another day of festivities. 

 Fury stopped Sunny with a hand on her shoulder. He told the guard to secure the area and allow no one in. The guards nodded, stepped out, and closed the flaps. 

 "I want to ask you something – privately." Once they were alone in the tent Nicodemus turned to Sunny, "We need to ask a few direct questions of Gaddis. Do you think you can 'call' him to you?"

 Sunny sighed heavily. "I don't know how successful this will be," she told him. "But I'll try." She closed her eyes and tried focusing her thoughts. Not having her sketchbook with her, she was not certain she could contact Gaddis on demand. After about a minute she opened her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not sure what exactly triggers the contact. Most of the time I am drawing."

 "This last time, what were you thinking?" Fury asked. 

 "I was watching the men put up the stage and wondering why the same kind of cooperation could not be duplicated in Nu'Ada. Why were they constantly battling one another?"

 "You were drawing the men putting the stage together?" Nicodemus was trying to figure out what her triggers were. "Were you drawing at that point?"

 "No, I was just thinking and looking around for something to draw," Sunny murmured. "Just looking around for something to catch my eye."

 A focal point. Nicodemus thought she needed a focal point of some kind. Then he remembered the fire opal cabochon he carried around in his pocket. He reached into his pocket, drew the large oval stone, and showed it to her. "Try this," he told her. 

 "It's beautiful," Sunny whispered as she took it from him and examined the glitter of color that sparked brilliantly in the dark blue stone. "It reminds me of Orion's hide in the sunlight. Have you ever noticed how the light plays over his hide?"

 "It is a common trait of the Pookah," Nicodemus said, but he did not finish his comment because another spoke from behind him. "It is because a pookah has many translucent hairs mixed in among the other colors of their hide." 

 Sunny looked up and smiled at Gaddis and then at Nicodemus. "He is here."

 Gaddis' golden eyes warmed as he looked at Fury, "We meet at last." He held out his right hand, palm up in greeting.

 Nicodemus hesitated only a moment then laid his right hand and forearm over the Ne'Median's arm. They clasped their forearms briefly. "How can you have form if you are not physically here?"

 "I am real enough for our lady here," Gaddis murmured, his eyes holding hers for a long moment then he drew a deep breath and turned his attention to Fury. "So, I have a physical form. Why have I been called?" Gaddis asked Sunny.

 "Orion told me that you sent him to protect me -- from whom?" Sunny said. "Who is trying to hurt me?"

 Gaddis frowned and then glanced at Fury. He folded his arms over his chest and stepped away from Sunny to take a look at his surroundings. "This I do not know. What I do know is if you are out of the way, the geis is broken and the wards will fail."

 "Aunt Fiona is the standing Dannan," Sunny told him. "And my mother is alive."

 "But if you are dead," Nicodemus said. "Fiona would never be strong enough to hold them back, and Kaderyn would try to overtake the Arch."

 Gaddis grinned wickedly at Nicodemus. He saluted him. "You know more than you let on! Yes, Kaderyn would likely be the one to make the move to breach your wards."

 "Tully mentioned him, why would he try to breach the wards?" Sunny wanted to know.

 "He is my very ambitious commander," Gaddis replied.

 "Why aren't you disposing of Kaderyn?" Sunny asked Gaddis. "You're the sitting monarch of your kingdom."

  "Because many of my people want this as much as Kaderyn does," Gaddis said. "I am alone in wanting to protect you, Siobhan."

 "Why?" Nicodemus demanded. "Why do you go to such lengths to protect her?"

 Gaddis smiled at Nicodemus. "There are secrets that are not mine to reveal. My time with you is over, until next time." He faded away leaving Nicodemus and Sunny alone in the tent.

 Nicodemus got to his feet and began to pace. He was agitated beyond words. Finally, he looked over at Sunny. "Does he always speak in riddles?"

 Sunny nodded and grinned ruefully. "Yes, always."

 "He was speaking to you and all that you've seen," Fury said sitting down next to Sunny. "What conclusions have you come to?"

 Sunny pressed the opal into Fury's hand and scoffed as she got to her feet. "I don't remember! And what I do remember --- I don't know what to think!" She walked through the tent flaps, the canvas slithering back together as she pushed them aside.

  ["I am going to town to call my parents,"] Sunny sent to Nicodemus as he came out of the tent looking for her. ["To tell them that I will not be coming home."] 

  "Are you so surprised?" 

 Nicodemus spun around and went back into the tent. Gaddis stood in the spot as before. Fury looked down at his clenched hand and opened his fingers. The opal glistened with cold fire. He took a deep steadying breath. "No, I am continually surprised by her powers. What surprises me is how you return without Siobhan's help."

 Gaddis held up his hands to examine them, "I am but a shadow." He pointed to the opal in Fury's hand. "It will not last long. As time goes on, she will not need a focal point – soon she will be able to channel her thoughts alone. She can easily be exposed to those with ideas of exploitation." Gaddis told him. "She must be protected."

 Nicodemus closed his fingers around the opal and angled a sharp look at the Ne'Median. "How do you know I will not exploit her for my ends."

  Gaddis chuckled softly. "If I were to discover I was wrong about you; I would seek you out and kill you myself." 

 Nicodemus grinned savagely at the fading apparition. "I would expect no less!"

 Gaddis' laugh echoed back to Nicodemus, and he was once again alone in the tent.

 At the Trickle Bridge

 Sunny slid off Orion and quickly pulled the bareback saddle off and slipped the bridle from the pookah's head. "I'm going into Cluny's Tavern to call my parents. When I'm done, I'll come and look for you."

  ["Will you be safe?"] Orion inquired, his tone of voice sounding worried.

 "I'll be fine," Sunny replied patting his heavily muscled shoulder. "No chance of a repeat of the other day."

 Orion snorted and dropped off the road to disappear into the cover of the forest. Sunny carried the saddle and bridle into town and left the tack in a tight bundle on the bench outside Cluny's bright blue door. The door chimes greeted her along with greetings from Piper from behind the bar. 

 Sunny went to the rail to shake Piper's hand. "I'm going to be making a call overseas to my parents."

 Piper nodded over to the telephone booth. "Everything is in working order."

 Sunny drew a deep breath, went to the booth, and closed the door. She sat down on the bench and composed herself to make the call. She picked up the receiver and dialed the operator. From there she gave the telephone number to her parent's home. It buzzed several times then picked up. 

 "Hello?" came Maire's voice.

 "Hi, Mom!" Sunny closed her eyes and called out over the miles to her mother.

 "Sunny!" Maire cried. 

 Sunny laughed and began her conversation. She caught Maire up since her last call. Told her how much she loved Ballencoo. Maire was silent then was first to broach the subject of Sunny's return. "So, when will you be home?"

 Sunny drew in a deep breath and let it go slowly. "Well, that's why I'm calling, Mom. You see, I've decided to stay here in Ballencoo."

 "For how long?" Maire asked her voice tight with anxiety.

 Sunny closed her eyes again and reached out, "Mom, I've discovered quite a bit since I got here." 

 "Fiona ---"

 "No, Not from Aunt Fiona. I found out on my own." Sunny said, interrupting her mother.

 Maire was quiet for a long moment, then called her husband to pick up the extension. There was another click, and Thomas O'Neil called his daughter. "Hey, sugar!"

 "Tom, Sunny says she's staying longer in Ballencoo."

 "I think Sunny means she's not coming back," Thomas said softly. "Is that right?" 

 "It is, Dad," Sunny said. She heard Maire gasp. 

 "Sunny, are you certain about this decision?" Thomas asked his daughter.

 "I've never been so certain in my whole life," Sunny replied. "And it was made even more evident when Jason showed up here two days ago. Did you know he was coming?"

 "We haven't had any contact with him or Maya since --- well, you know," Maire said. "Are you all right?"

 "I'm fine," Sunny said. "I can't say the same about Jason. I believe the police picked him up a couple of hundred miles away."

 Thomas chuckled. "Are we responsible for any remunerations?"

 "That is not funny, Thomas!" Maire whispered over the receiver to her husband. 

 "No, no remunerations," Sunny replied. "The clans here took care of everything. I believe the cost was five sheep."

 "Be sure to give them my thanks and gratitude!" Thomas said.

 "Sunny," Maire began then stopped. She was trying to figure out how to convince her daughter to come home without using the gift. "Honey, think about this for a moment; you have a wonderful career waiting for you --."

 Sunny felt the tiny little tug and she smiled. "Mom, I know how you feel, and I know how my grandmother felt – but I've made up my mind. I will be staying here in Ballencoo."

 "Oh, Sunny you can't make up your mind so quickly!" Maire's voice was insistent and full of fear. "You are so young!"

 Sunny sighed heavily, "I know how you feel, Mom. But I know in my heart and my mind that this is what I want. I hope you'll come to understand and support me."

 Thomas heard the resolute tone in his daughter's voice and was cheered by the sound. The young woman that had left only a short while ago was gone and a vibrant and independent young woman had emerged. He knew it was going to be hard on his wife, but he also knew that she wanted her daughter to be happy. 

 "Listen, honey," Thomas said. "In a few months, say in late September; your mother and I will come visit you and Aunt Fiona. We'll get a chance to talk and reassure ourselves that you're going to be okay there in Ballencoo."

 "That sounds great Dad," Sunny listened to hear her mother, who was quietly weeping. "Mom? It is going to be fine!"

 Maire sighed and sniffed, and Thomas decided that mother and daughter needed to speak together. "I'm going to hang up now. Sunny, take care. I love you, sugar!"

 "I love you too, Dad," Sunny said, reaching out with all her warmth and love. 

 Maire put her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "Sunny do you know everything? About the ---."

 "Everything," Sunny said. She debated telling her mother about going to Nu'Ada and decided that it was best to leave those details unsaid for the moment. It was enough that Maire knew why Sunny was staying in Ballencoo and would take over from Fiona when the time came. "Don't worry, Mom. Everything will be fine. I am happy here, very happy."

 Maire sighed, the feelings of contentment reached her, and she realized that Sunny was in full control of her gift. She tried to deflect the feelings but could not. She allowed them to wash over her, and she felt her anxiety and worry lift. "I am happy for you, honey. I can't understand why you would want to stay, but I --- Well, in September your father and I will be there."

 "Good," Sunny said. "I can't wait to see you both! I love you, Mom. Take care."

 "I love you, Sunny!" Maire called then the call ended, and Sunny replaced the receiver feeling drained of energy! That phone call had taken a lot from her. She sat in the phone booth for a moment then got carefully to her feet and went out into the pub. Cassie noticed Sunny's ashen face and waved her over to a table. 

 "I'll get you a bite to eat!" Cassie said. "I don't think it's too early to have a pint either."

 Piper nodded, took down a heavy glass, and drew down from the keg behind the bar a glass of dark beer. He brought it over and set it in front of Sunny. "You tuck into that, and Cassie will fix you a plate."

 Sunny nodded her thanks and sipped the beer. "Oh, that's so good!" she murmured.

 Cassie brought over a plate of cheese, sliced apples, and a warm loaf of bread. "Here you eat that," Cassie told her. "You overextended yourself!"

 Sunny cut a large piece of bread from the loaf and broke the slice into several pieces. She took one piece and daubed some butter on the corner. "How do I balance it all out?"

 Cassie smiled and sat down across from Sunny. "Well, one way is to always make sure you have one foot – if not both --in contact with the ground." 

 "Why?" Sunny wanted to know.

 "The land," Cassie told her. "The Dannan is connected to the land. You can draw energy directly from the land. When you get to Nu'Ada, you'll feel it even more. If you can, always stay as connected to the land as possible." 

 "It was difficult talking to my mother," Sunny told Cassie. "She will never accept the geis."

 "No," Cassie whispered. "Colleen was different at first, but as time went on she changed---she would have been so powerful! Maire would have been just as powerful, I'm certain. She had a similar talent of persuasion."

 Sunny chuckled. "Dad always said mom could sell brimstone to the devil!"

 Cassie laughed. "Aye, and the O'Neil clan -- they're all born blessed with silver tongues!"

 Sunny grinned, thinking of her father. "I hope I was able to calm Mom down enough for her to not worry."

 "Judging by the amount of energy you expended," Cassie said giving Sunny a critical look, "I think you did a right fine job!"