After spending several hours making sure Liliana would be fine … and having to avoid a few snogging attempts, Olivia finally left the Gnarly Tree. Liliana remained there for the night for observation. She seems fine now, but it is always a reasonable idea to keep an eye on someone who has been through extensive trauma. Instead of going home, Olivia found herself helping Natasha carry the collection of crystals, along with the record of names, back to her wagon. "Be careful vit those," Natasha notes. "We don't vant any getting lose ahead of time. Which reminds me; do you know where Leni got off to?"

Olivia does as the Khatta says. "Actually, I haven't seen her. Last I spoke to her, I gave her brother's crystal to her and said you'd help to open it later. Poor thing," she adds in an undertone.

"Mm. She is probably around. Lurking to avoid questions, most likely," Natasha remarks as she pushes aside the curtain separating her bed from the rest of her small home. The Khatta then drags out one of her storage chests, opens it, and starts going through its contents. "I plan to release those trapped at midnight, under the flowing eye of the Procession. It will avoid questions and curiosity seekers," she notes.

Olivia looks at Natasha curiously. "What does 'under the flowing eye' mean?"

"Mythology, child. The Procession of stars in the sky has often been called the 'river of souls that flows through the night sky'," Natasha remarks. The older Khatta turns her head so she can look over at her shoulder at Olivia. She even flashes an amused, almost impish, smile as she says, "I must give you more books to read. You are too isolated from culture in this town."

Olivia ohs quietly. "I see. Well, I don't get to read a lot because I'm working shifts at the Weavers' most of the time, too. I think that journal of Orifice's is maybe the tenth book I've read since I moved there."

"Pity. You should read more. It expands the mind," Natasha comments as she pulls out an old tome and dusts off the cover. As she starts flipping through the pages, she comments, "Mythology and the use of it is what makes magic and ritual mysterious and alluring. It is far more interesting to the populace to speak of the flowing river of the forgotten and resting than it is to say 'the band the the of stars that helps illuminate the night sky.' Technical terms remove all the majesty of living. Besides, I cannot have you ill-educated. It will not do to have the head weaver and artist of my town to be poorly educated."

This makes Olivia's ears perk up. "Oooo, are you actually considering starting a new town with Bravil?" she asks excitedly. "That would be wonderful!"

"North of here, yes. The land is solid and the ruins are not completely beyond repair. It will take time, but it can be done," Natasha remarks. The Khatta then actually sighs and digs in her robe. "I hate getting old," she mutters as she puts a ragtag, overly repaired pair of glasses on top of the bridge of her short muzzle.

"Well, I hate being too young," Olivia responds, smiling. "Most adults don't take you seriously, even when you're right."

"Most adults don't take each other seriously," Natasha remarks. "Do you have your chalk fragment for summoning Buffy? I believe she will wish to attend tonight. I am assuming you do."

Olivia laughs at the comment. "You assume correctly, of course," Olivia says, taking it out of one of her many pockets. "Do you want me to summon her to your wagon? Or elsewhere?"

"Elsewhere. She need not go exploring through my things," Natasha comments. As the Khatta flips through more pages and her brow furrows, there's a sudden and loud commotion right outside the wagon! Olivia knows mad Kadie chitter when she hears it!

Olivia goes quickly through the door of Natasha's wagon and closes it behind her, so the Khatta won't be disturbed. She looks for the source of all the noise…

It's easy enough to define the disturbance. Not five feet from the bottom of the stairs are two small Kadies rolling about in some deranged wrestling match and chittering angrily at each other. It takes Olivia a few tilts of her head for her to realize … oh no, it's Leni and Gunther!

Olivia's brow lowers angrily as she pushes up the sleeves of her shirt. Then she storms over to the fray and with one hand, shakes Gunther by his collar (although it takes her a few tries to find it). She then plants a foot on Leni's shoulder and presses down hard enough to get her point across. Apparently, those years of hauling heavy bolts of cloth around have given the Skeek some strength. "Stop!"

The angry chittering continues on for a bit longer (along with flailing arms and legs), before Gunther finally says, "Lemme at that trespasser! She's some freakish mutant invader!"

"You're a damned loony!" Leni retorts and throws a handful of dirt at Gunther. "I am not a mutant."

"No Kadie has their arms attached to their feet!" Gunther claims.

Olivia glowers at Leni first for the dirt-throwing. "Any more of that and you're gonna find your face in a puddle of swamp muck," she growls. Then to Gunther, she says, "And as for you, I oughta hand you over to Bravil and let him use you as a dishrag! You really need to get out of this habit of fighting first and asking questions later. Now both of you, behave."

"S/he started it!" the two Kadies shout in unison. The pair then blink simultaneously, then growl in unison, "Stop that!"

"Well. I'm ending it," the Skeek grunts, hefting Gunther up and off Leni. She then pulls the flying Kadie form the ground by her arm and pushes her a few feet away from Gunther. "Now let's do this properly, with proper introductions. Leni, this is Gunther Kettenrad Wingnut. He's the weapon's specialist I told you about. Gunther, this is Leni Fliegen-Eichhornchen of the Luftmitfahrer Clan. She's a flying Kadie and not a mutant, so stop calling her that. Now shake hands and no more fighting."

"Kadies don't fly. Well, except my brother and that requires explosives," Gunther grumbles as he continues to glower, even on his feet. Still, the young Kadie manages to stick out his hand.

"Decent Kadies do fly," Leni retorts and grips Gunther's hand.

And there the two stand, glaring at each other. Each of their arms starts to shake and … oh for the love of all that's holy, each is trying to now squeeze the other's hand until one gives up.

Olivia sighs and rolls her eyes heavenward. "Well, at least this is a start. And you can stop trying to pull each other's hands off." To Leni, she adds, "Dame Natasha is preparing for the ritual that will release the souls from their crystal prisons at midnight. Would you like to come?"

"Let go," Gunther growls. "No, you let go," Leni retorts. The 'winged' Kadie then tells Olivia, "Yes, I would. I want my brother freed."

Olivia glowers once again and grips the arm of each Kadie, right at the elbow. Then she digs her fingers into the bundles of nerves there, just as Djivan showed her once.

"Ow, hey!" the pair say in unison. Okay, so maybe that is a bit creepy. The do at least finally let go of each other.

"I said, no more fighting," Olivia reminds the pair, then leads the way into Natasha's wagon.

And of course, both cross their arms and mutter, "Fine" … at the same time.

"So, I hear Leni has met Gunther," Natasha remarks from where she is still sitting and reading. "I believe I have read what I needed to know for the effect I wanted."

"Yeah, they've met… after a fashion," Olivia replies, giving the two another hard look. "Is there anything we can do to keep them busy and out of each others fur before the ritual?"

"Hm. Besides rope?" Natasha asks as she pushes the worn glasses back up a bit.

"I wouldn't say no to that, either," Olivia says, only half-joking.

"How much trouble can they get into? We'll be leaving in an hour. I want to be a fair distance from the town to avoid sightseers," Natasha notes.

"They just tried squeezing each other's hands off when I made them shake hands," Olivia says, as if that will explain everything. "It's either keep them busy or tie them down. Or I could ask Bravil to sit on them until we leave?"

"Hm," Natasha says as she looks up. "Call Leni inside, send Gunther to 'guard' the priest prisoner," she suggests. "He'll just sit and stare at the human, of course … but it will keep him from fighting with Leni."

"Great idea!" Olivia says, then heads off to do just that.

---

An an hour later, Natasha, Leni, and Olivia have headed out on the road, then branched off into the woods. The walk is slow-going, but at least peaceful and relatively swamp free. Once they find the Milk River, they walk along its bank until they reach a small clearing with several large boulders. By now it is nightfall and the air has grown cool and damp. The only light the pair have is the small mage-light Natasha has summoned into existence on top of her staff. "This place will do," Natasha says. "Summon Buffy, please."

Olivia approaches one of the boulders with her chalk and draws a doorway on its surface. Then she says to the air,"Buffy? Are you there?"

"Where are you, Olivia?" comes the voice of the Lapi spirit. "Out in the open?"

"Yes," the Skeek replies. "We're on the bank of the Milk River. We're about to free some trapped spirits and Natasha thought you'd want to be here for that."

"Oh, okay," Buffy agrees, and then appears atop the boulder. Instead of her usual wedding dress, she's wearing a sheer nightgown (which at least isn't as tattered and cobwebby).

Olivia hmmms at the odd attire, then shrugs. Oh well, it is night out here, after all.

"MONSTER!" shrieks Leni … and the Kadie promptly draws out a knife and readies her throw…

"Where?!" Buffy says, spinning around without standing up. "Let me at it!"

"Buffy is an ally," Natasha remarks calmly as she digs in her side-bag and pulls out a container of chalk or flour; hard to tell in the darkness. The Khatta then walks in a wide circle, using the loose powder to draw it upon the ground.

Olivia waves her arms to distract Leni. "No, no, no! Buffy is not a monster! Well, she is a vampire but she's not going to hurt you. Please put down the knife."

Leni looks far from sure, but she still puts her knife away. "How can a vampire not be a monster?" she asks.

"Because she protects our town," Olivia replies. "Has done for a long, long time."

"I'm not really a vampire," Buffy admits, grinning to show her big teeth beneath her glowing red eyes.

Olivia gives the ghostly Lapi a grin. "Then what are you? A really big mosquito with long ears?" she teases.

"I remember you thought I would destroy the spirits trapped by the priest," Natasha comments as she gives a glance to Buffy, "That was never my intention. True, it is a violation of my training … but I see nothing to be gained by destroying them."

"Do you want me to bite your butt, Olivia?" Buffy asks coyly.

"No, not really… although Liliana bit my neck. It wasn't as terrible as people make it out to be," the Skeek answers thoughtfully.

"Freaky!" Buffy tells Olivia. "I mean, you'll let her suck your juices but not give her a kiss?"

Leni remarks, "This town is weird."

Olivia clears her throat an looks embarrassed. "Well, Lili needed the nourishment after all she'd been through… and my neck is really sensitive. Anyway, uh, what else were we talking about?"

Natasha continues her work on the circle that she needs. "Would one or move of you please line the circle I have drawn with the crystals we recovered. They are in the bag we brought," Natasha notes as she works on the more intricate aspects of its styling, the complex runes that work their way inward.

"Sensitive?" Buffy asks, then shakes her ears out. "Oh… ghosts! Natasha's going to let the spirits out, so… I guess if any have questions, I'm here for that."

"Can you restore them to life?" Leni asks. There is a fragile tone of hope in her voice.

Natasha pauses in her work to sigh softly. "No," the Khatta says as she looks down. "I can give them freedom and a chance to be remembered. I cannot give them life. No mage can."

"Well… not exactly," Buffy admits. "I can sort of give them an afterlife. I've got a bunch of kids that I'm watching like that now."

Olivia hurriedly goes to work lining the circle with the crystals from the bag, thereby stalling any more conversation about her… quirks.

"My brother has a kid," Leni comments to Buffy, her voice falling. "It's not fair he won't get to raise him. He never harmed anyone. He didn't deserve to die."

"Well… I don't suppose you have a Godsmith in your village?" Buffy asks the flying Kadie.

"No," Leni notes.

"I was only a shrine maiden, so don't know how to do that whole spirit-binding-to-an-object thing," Buffy notes. "I can keep him going here in Stonebarrow if you want to visit him, but… well, he might not be the same."

"You sat you had children? Maybe he would look after them for you," Leni suggests as she watches Olivia and Natasha lay out the ritual circle. "I just … I want to tell his family his story ended well; that even his death helped someone, I guess."

"Sure, I could use some help," Buffy says. "Is he cute?" she then adds.

Olivia grins and shakes her head as she goes about, putting down crystals.

"Best looking guy in the village!" Leni claims, "And married. So no ideas. I know how Lapi are."

"There, I can begin now," Natasha says as she stands up. "Do you remember what I told you of what a spirit is, Olivia?"

"I happen to be a virgin," Buffy says, crossing her arms.

"Oh, so you're a tease then," Leni claims. "Why else would you care what he looks like?"

"Hey, I'm on duty for another 30 years," Buffy says. "If you had to spend that much time with someone, you'd better hope they were easy on the eyes!"

Olivia tries to think on this – and draws a blank. The insides of her ears turn red. "Sorry, a lot's been going on," she says, by way of a weak apology.

Natasha spreads her arms and rolls her hands. the movement more like a dancer than a mage. "The nature of spirit is under debate, even to this age. Some claim it is a reflection of the soul. Some claim it is the soul. Others claim it is merely an imprint of a violent event on the fabric of magic. Not truly anything living, just an echo. My years have taught me it is likely a mix of all. One thing is certain; a spirit retains much of the memories of the person it represented in life," Natasha says.

"So … even if the spirit isn't the whole of a person, it is an important part. The greatest thing anyone can hope for in life is to be remembered. A spirit is memory. Perhaps it is the world remembering and not wishing to let them go? But, given that … I cannot bring myself to destroy those contained. I am going to return them to the land so that it will not forget them. In time these spirits will make their way home, perhaps. Ten years from now an old friend may suddenly remember some moment, or a loved one left behind may awaken with a smile from a dream," the Khatta continues. "I cannot give them life, but I can give them a chance to touch the hearts of those they once loved."

Olivia does her best to pay close attention, so she won't forget any of this if asked next time.

Natasha's head tilts as she looks between Leni, Buffy, and Olivia. "Will you sing with me?" she asks. "Will you offer your voice as a beacon for the trapped and the forgotten to follow? Will you be their lighthouse showing the way home to a poor soul lost at sea?"

"You're asking me to sing?" Buffy asks, hopping to her feet and clutching her hands before her chest.

"Yes," Natasha says rather flatly.

"I'm a terrible singer," Leni says, "But I will try."

For her part, Olivia scratches her nose and looks embarrassed again. "You do know that I can't carry a tune in a bucket, right?" she asks the Khatta.

"It is not the voice that matters, but the intent of your heart," Natasha tells both Olivia and Leni. "You do not have to understand the words, only feel them."

Olivia takes a deep breath. "Okay. I'll try not to split anyone's eardrums!"

"Watch, listen, then when I indicate, repeat what I am saying. You do not need to understand it, you need to feel it," Natasha explains once more then steps away and back into the circle. A few more steps and she's at the center of her work. Her head bows and she begins a soft, melodic, chant. The words are in no language that any of them recognize, alas, but the Khatta is enunciating clearly and slowly so that they can mimic it anyway. The volume slowly grows as the Khatta puts more power behind her voice. After several minutes, those gathered are able to determine that it's a chant, or a song (hard to tell), of only a few sentences. It shouldn't be too hard to duplicate…

With her (long) ear for music, Buffy has the tune in mind and thinks of how best to compliment Natasha's voice while she waits for the signal.

Olivia starts memorizing the syllables but knows she won't be able to sing them easily. She hopes just chanting the correct words will be enough.

Natasha repeats the words a few more times. The air in the clearing has grown warmer and a soft breeze has begun to blow through. There's even an odd scent on the wind … one decidedly unswamp-like; it's almost like the scent of baking bread. It's now that Natasha nods to the odd group gathered with her.

The first to join in singing is Leni. True to her word, she doesn't sing well, but she does put her heart into it; the melodic words taking on a plaintive tone as her voice joins the Khatta's under the night sky.

The dark Lapi adds her voice to Natasha's, bolstering it with a warm, fluffy undertone.

Olivia takes a deep breath and with as much feeling as she can muster, begins chanting the words as a counterpoint to the others' singing. It sounds rather like something you'd hear in a church, smoothly spoken but not particularly melodious.

The crystals that the group brought begin to flicker in time with the chanting of the menagerie. It's soft and gentle, like a request is being made, or a perhaps a plea, instead of a command. The warmth in the clearing increase. For all those present, each feel it a little differently. For Buffy she feels like she's stepped back into happier times of her life; before her love was cursed and before she nearly died to be with him. For Olivia, it's like being home … except that the tension of her mother is gone. She feels welcome in a place she dearly wants to be in. And for Leni … well, who's to say what comforts the strange Kadie; but with the way her voice cracks, it must be a memory long denied.

Smiling now, Buffy actually starts to dance a little as she sings along.

The nervous tension in the Skeek's neck and shoulders relaxes and so does she. The others can even tell by her voice that she's calmer; she's actually carrying the tune somewhat now.

And so the song continues under the dark sky. One by one, the crystals around them seem t dissolve into a swirl of dancing light. They flow and ebb with the tune, entwining about the singers as water does rocks in a stream as it makes its lazy journey to its ultimate destination at the center of the circle. The touch of the spirits against them is cool, but not overwhelming. Instead, understanding of the song the Khatta sings seems to flow into them. It's a plea to the world around them to remember better days; to remember the happy moments of life. It's a plea to those who have gone to awaken and bring back some life and happiness to these dreary lands. It's a plea to not let misery win out. She's not dispelling the spirits, she's asking the innate magic of the land to help them … and for them to help the land. Perhaps a sharing of the happier times to bring back, even in a small part, some beauty to this ravaged place.

Caught up with it all, Buffy dances with the spirits and even tries to get Olivia and Leni to dance!

Olivia smiles as Buffy dances and allows herself to be whirled about a few times but she doesn't keep up the motions. Instead, she watches the land around her as she chants, to see what it will do for the spirits.

Nothing is ever quick when it comes to these things. Perhaps reality likes to just be frustrating slow due to a perverse sense of humor. Or … perhaps it is simply difficult. It starts almost imperceptibly at first but in time the land around them seems more 'alive'. Spectral flowers sprout and unfurl from trees. The scent of clear air tinted with the pollen of dozens of types of flowers greet their senses. The group could even swear they hear the happy chirping of birds, the bubbling brook of clear water. The river of 'monsters' around them disperse, shaping into after-images of people now long gone. Humans, Kadie, Akwavi, Jupani, even Eeee. So many species, so many people who died needlessly.

Laughing while singing, Buffy urges the shades to join the dance as well.

When you're fixated on the community that you've always known, you forget there were so many other kinds of people before, Olivia thinks, still following through with her chanting.

Leni has joined into the dance, along with the myriad of people. Her partner, though, is a Kadie with marked resemblance to her, except for a streak of red that crosses down over his left eye and cheek. He's laughing and so is she, even with the tears that run down her face. On and on the singing goes. Time seems … well, the passing is hard to tell. One by one, though the spirits around them begin to face away into the landscape. Each time one goes, a new flower unfurls from one of the trees. In time, all that remains is Leni and her brother. Natasha's voice begins to fade and so does the glow of the landscape. The comfortable feeling, though, remains; an oasis of peace in an otherwise tormented land.

Buffy falls onto her butt, still giddy, and rolls around in the energized grass. Being made of spirit stuff, her nightgown doesn't get stained though.

Olivia lets her voice fall along with the Khatta's but her eyes are on Leni and the spirit of her brother. Her gaze seems to tell the Kadie, Time to say goodbye. Make it count.

Try as she might, Leni can't manage to say anything. It doesn't seem to matter, though, as the spirit of her brother leans forward and kisses her forehead. It's him that speaks first, "Take care of my son for me, Leni. Tell him about me; tell him I'm proud of him and I'll always watch over him even if I cannot be there in person."

"You have a choice," Natasha says gently, "You can join with the land and become part of the flow of magic; perhaps even make it brighter. Or, you can go with this bound spirit and help her bring peace to some children who suffered much when they lived. They need more than one guardian."

Buffy hops to her feet and bows to the flying-Kadi. "I'm Buffy," the doe introduces herself. "I sort of run a home for orphaned spirits."

"You're a Lapi," the ghost-kadie remarks, sounding almost amused by it. "Your kind always finds a way to have children."

"I think it would be nice for Buffy to have some adult company, too, if you choose to stay with her," the Skeek puts in, smiling.

"Oh, a Kadie with a sense of humor, is it?" Buffy retorts.

"Uhm, what sort of adult company?" the Kadie asks.

"Someone to talk to, of course," Buffy notes. "And who knows how to handle children."

Olivia nods at that. "Exactly."

"Even if you are an old guy," Buffy adds.

"Oh good, because I'm married and I can't offer more than that. I know the vows are until death do us part … but I promised her I wouldn't even past that," the Kadie explains. "I guess if I cannot be with my family any more, I can at least provide a family to those without one. I'm Rainer, by the way, and I'm not old, I'm just twenty five. Well, was when I died."

"Well, I'm still eighteen, and will stay that way for at least another thirty years," Buffy notes. "And I'm married too! Well… I'm pretty sure it still counts as being married, anyway."

"Long story there," Olivia notes to Rainer as an aside.

"Olivia here… well, she just couldn't wait for marriage," Buffy notes, with a glowing-eyed wink.

"It always is with Lapi," Rainer comments back to Olivia. "I'm … already feeling like I'm starting to fade. I think we need to go soon."

"Already?" Leni says meekly. "You just got back and … I don't want to lose you again."

Buffy goes to where the spirit-door was original drawn, and reopens it. The vineyard and gazebo are beyond it. "Right this way then," she says. "Manifesting is tiring for regular spirits, Leni. He needs to rest a bit."

"You aren't, child," Natasha says gently, "The land will remember him and as long as it does, part of him will always be with his family. You may not be able to see him but when your thoughts are of him you will remember this place and the feeling of being here. It is all I can offer you. I cannot raise the dead, only ensure that their echo endures."

"Nor would you want her to, even if she could," Olivia notes. "Trust me, it's gross."

Rainer places another spectral kiss upon his sister's forehead. "Tell mom and dad I love them, okay. And you take care of yourself. Eh, what am I saying? You can out-wrestle a wild boar and I just bet that Gallisian you kicked in the jewels still talks in a high pitched voice. You'll be fine, you were the scrapper." The ghost then heads for the opened door and as he steps through, he even gives Buffy a playful swat. "Hope you know what you're getting into, us Kadies are a crazy bunch," he jokes.

Olivia rolls her eyes and in an undertone, mutters, "Tell me about it."

"Eep!" the bunny squeaks at the swat. "Well, I've been talking to skeletons for the last seven decades. Crazy will be refreshing… " And then she's through, and the door is closed.

The night seems so quiet now with just Leni, Olivia, and the Khatta standing in the clearing. "I think it is time we headed home, Olivia," Natasha says in a heavy and tired voice. "I wish I commanded enough magic to bring this sense of people to the entire land … but alas I do not. But I cannot complain, being able to offer a moment of comfort is better than none at all."

Olivia nods to the Khatta, then looks at Leni. "Do you have a place to sleep tonight? I could probably sneak you into my cabin at the Weaver's if you don't. Or perhaps Dame Natasha would let you stay in the gypsy camp for a night?"

"Your place is likely safer," Natasha notes, "Since they started the Gunther-watch, at least."

"I can take him," Leni claims, "He's just a guy. Guys suck at fighting."

"He's also our town's weapons expert. If you simply met fist-to-fist, you'd probably be okay. Otherwise, don't bet on it," Olivia tells her. "All right, I'll fix you up a bed at my place."

"Okay!" Leni says, "We can have a pillow fight too! I can show you how even a pillow can be used to disable someone! And, uhm, I snore a little."

Olivia glances sidelong at the Kadie. "Is it bad enough to throw you out or something? Or if I poke you, will you stop?"

"Poking will get me to stop. I might also attack, but I haven't hurt anyone too bad," Leni says with a grin. She puts an arm/wing around Olivia and says, "Let's go home, roomie!"

"Okay, then I'm going to poke you from my bed with a very long stick," Olivia teases back and turns them in the direction of the Weaver's compound.

"Kids," Natasha murmurs and looks skyward. She spreads her arms as if expecting the sky to explain them … but alas nothing comes. So the Khatta shrugs and follows after the pair. It's going to be a long walk.