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Subject: {ASSM} Marie's Solstice 05/14 Marie Part Three (revised, new, unfinished) TBD
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Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 06:10:02 -0400
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Marie's Solstice 05/14 Marie Part Three (revised, new, unfinished) TBD
---

With Writer's Block available again, I have access to the final
versions of everything I had posted before I retired.

This version is the complete text of what I had done when I decided to
post it, unfinished
---

Marie's Solstice
Untitled
Marie 1/3 (unfinished)
---

I had my head down, and was dozing, when I heard someone call me.

"Hey, Big Girl. Easy there. It's ok, it's only me. Just turn your head
a little, and you'll see me, and what I have. You like roses? Most
mares do, so I bet you do, too."

I brought my head up, sniffed carefully, and gently ate the roses I
was offered.

"See? I know it's a little silly, but I even made sure all the thorns
were gone."

He reached, and when his hand touched my forehead, the memories
returned with a rush. "Ted?"

"Easy, Marie. You back, finally?"

"Yes. You don't look too good. Anything I can do to make you feel
better?"

"You look worse."

"I do?"

"Yeah. You still trust me?"

"Yes. I don't trust myself, any more. I really, really fucked us over,
didn't I?"

"Shh... Had to happen. I... I've been unfaithful."

"Lib?"

"Yes."

"Good. I hoped it would happen."

"Yeah. She made sure I knew how you felt about that."

Then, finally, my mind woke up. "What time is it?"

"About three AM."

"Cameras?"

"Better or worse, Marie. No hiding."

"Ok. Before I let myself go mare, in my head, I had an insight."

"Important?"

"Yeah. Very important, to us, personally."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh. Lib told me that Vix thinks of her and I as complete equals."

"I'm not surprised."

"I wasn't, either. But, buried in that, was a personal message, to me
and you."

"There is?"

"Yes. Lib is completely unblocked, right?"

"She mentioned that. Yes."

"Good. I checked, and so am I."

"That's important to us?"

"Sure is. Means I don't have to keep fucking us over, by staying
linear, and letting the Bardic stuff be more important than our
relationship. Ted, if you want to pick a place, I'll take us there,
and we can take as long as we need, to... Make sure *I* don't blow it
like that again, for a long, long, time."

"I thought we aren't supposed to time shift until after we graduated,
or something."

"That's what I thought, too, but... Fuck this Bard crap. We go
somewhere in time, we can be a real couple, without needing to let
this shit get in our way. I've decided you're more important to me
than making sure the world does what it's supposed to."

He nodded slightly. "It will still be here, waiting."

"Sure, which is my point. We can take all the time we need to figure
out what we want to do about that, *after* we take time for *us*. You
in?"

"Can we take Lib with us?"

"Should I ask for your reasons?"

"No."

"You want her, and she agrees, no problem."

"I'll call her and find out."

Suddenly Lib appeared next to Ted, and then she went dog. "Sis, get
your head down here, so I can nuzzle you. Ted, put a hand on my head,
and think about where you want to go."

He did, she did, and suddenly we were all standing in an open field.
There were trees in the distance, and it was early morning.

Lib pulled away and sneezed her amusement. "Ok. I'm going to go
explore."

I lifted my head and looked around. "When, and where?"

"I told Lib to take us to the family farm, before there were people
here."

"Ok. You have any idea about what she thought was funny?"

He surprised me by blushing. "Yes."

"Be nice to know how you two scored on me, other than you getting her
to shift us, so I wouldn't break my word."

"Umm... You really don't know?"

"No."

"Well... Lib said you've been so busy, you must not have noticed it.
The Singing Palomino is in estrus."

"Uhhh... Crap, and all that. I thought all the euphoria and stuff was
because I'm married and all that normal stuff. Lib do any explaining?"

"Some. During the afterglow. Soo... That explains why you were so...
Monique?"

"Yeah. Makes you feel any better, Lib can be worse. We don't know the
reason it hits her more than it does me. Sorry, Ted. Wish I'd
remembered to mention that. Doesn't make all that crazy flirting,
right."

"I'm mostly ok with it, Marie. I should have figured it out. I've seen
mares do that stuff to get the stallion she really wants, all excited
so he eventually drives the others away and mates with her. I wasn't
expecting to need to do that crap with you, ya know?"

"Ted? Are you ready to tell me what fucked you up, if it wasn't my
flirting like I was in heat and wanted to get fucked by anyone who had
balls big enough to ask?"

He sighed, and something in it made me really study him. That was when
I realized I'd been so intent on my misery and other stuff, that I
hadn't noticed his new guitar was slung over his back.

I stopped and shifted back to myself, then caught up with him and
touched his arm. "Hey, Cowboy. Sorry I pushed. Sing to me."

"Sing?"

"Sure. You got your guitar, and I'll assume you have your harmonica,
because I think you'd forget to get dressed, before you'd leave it at
home. So... It's only me and Lib, and you love both of us. We already
know what your main talent is, so... Oh. Shit. There I go again. Never
mind. You're a singing cowboy, Ted. Serendade your wife. Tell me how
you feel, with your music, and if you're angry, or hurt, or
whatevever, I need to know, ok?"

He flinched, then glanced at me before he grabbed his guitar. He was
idly tuning it when he sighed. "Know what pissed me off? You nailed
how I was feeling, then casually told the world and expected Mark to
use that in a show. That country bumpkin stuff hurt, Marie. Never
expected you to be that casual about someone's feelings. Hear it a lot
after people find out where I'm from. It's not a joke to me and Julie,
ya know?"

"So... Shit. I'm sorry, Ted. Real sorry. I let my enthusiasm do my
thinking for me. Could have used better words, too. Plus, our family
is used to that sort of casual honesty when we're relaxing. Anything I
can do, to work on an apology, other than making sure I tell Mark to
come up with something else for a show?

"Oh. I guess I need to apologise to Julie, too?"

"I don't know what you can do to make me feel better about it, right
now. You didn't make Julie look like an uneducated idiot, so maybe
she's ok with it. I'll let you know when I figure out what you can do.
A lot of it was probably the stuff from being in heat, right? Just
like a guy and doing your thinking with your cunt?"

"Yeah. Usually, I notice and deliberately stay mare as much as
possible, so it's over with pretty quick. Don't get around people,
either, because I know how I get."

He strummed a discordant chord and sighed. "Ok. Stupid question. Lib
said at least she can lick herself off when it happens, and that seems
to help. What about you?"

"No clue. Never thought about having someone get me off, to get rid of
the edge when I'm human. Always thought of it as something I'll have
to live with the rest of my life, just like my regular periods."

"Umm... Julie and I have talked about that stuff. Since you shift back
and forth, and it sounds like the time you spend as a mare affects
things, does it work that way for the real you?"

"Thank whoever you want, for a big blessing. No. I keep a diary, and
so far, I'm regular, with real small variations sometimes, that I
think are caused by stress."

He looked at me and smiled. "So... You be ok with me setting up some
alarms on my phone, after you tell me the next time you expect to
start your period?"

I blushed, then got serious. "Thanks, Ted. Maybe my stallion teased me
into an early one. I was due to start in the next few days. When they
hit me at the same time... I get horny. Umm... *Real* horny."

"I'm not ready to make love to a mare, Marie."

"Wasn't going to ask."

"Thanks."

We walked in silence for a while, and I was content to let him pick
the directions we headed.

Eventually he focused, and started playing his guitar, without
singing.

He hit me with all of it.. His shock, hurt, confusion, even the pain
I'd caused him. I knew I'd earned every note, so I kept silent and
when he glanced at me to see how I felt, I usually nodded slightly and
gestured for him to keep going.

Sometimes Lib showed up. She watched him briefly, then nodded her head
slightly before she vanished again.

Each time it happened, his playing got a lighter, and slightly
cheerier tone to it.

It hurt, to hear him get better for my sister, instead of me.

Eventually he put his guitar away and moved until we were next to each
other, then he surprised me by putting his arm around my waist. "You
feel better?"

"Me? What about you?"

"Yeah. I'm better. Thanks for listening. About you?"

"I don't know. Hurts, to know that Lib was able to help you, and I
wasn't. Didn't have a clue, so I decided to let you get better with
her help."

"I wanted you to hurt, the way I did. Stupid stuff like that, at
first. Once Lib told me you were hurting that bad, she kept an eye on
us, and told me when I was doing stuff to make you feel better. I... I
don't know exactly how I did it, Marie, but I used my power with the
music, to help us both. All Lib did was tell me when it was time to
make us both feel a little bit better than we were, until..."

He stopped talking, and I realized we were headed for some trees.
"Until what?"

"Until she figured we're both ready to settle in the shade so we can
enjoy each other's company again."

"Again? This will be the first time we've been together and able to
relax without knowing the world is watching."

"Yeah. Point. You mind if Lib stays bitch and joins us?"

"No. I told you we've shared before. Sure, she's always been herself,
but sometimes, I think for her, it doesn't matter what form she's in,
any more."

"What about you?"

"I don't think it's the same. More like going mare is a way of
dressing special, to go out. Being Monique... Julie was right, but she
wasn't, too. Monique really has been a way for me to be the me I would
have been, if I hadn't learned how to do the stuff with power, but
she's also been... That, plus that part of me that's always been a
show off."

Ted picked a tree, settled so he was leaning against it, then I
stretched out so my head was on his thigh and I could look up at him.

He stroked my face a for awhile, then he idly wound my hair around his
fingers and just...

Did the silly lover stuff I'd always dreamed would happen to me,
someday.

Lib showed up and settled with her chin on his other thigh, and Ted
used his other hand to pet her head. "I should have kept walking with
Tom, last night."

Lib kept quiet, so I grabbed his hand and stilled it. "Guess he was
helping?"

"Yeah. He said something weird, that made sense. Too much sense, and
that... Twisted my head quite a bit."

"Go on."

"You ever wonder if it's normal for guys to get involved with two
serious relationships at the same time? Maybe monogamy isn't right for
most of us?"

"Never thougth about it before."

"You haven't? Sounds weird, considering how comfortable you and Lib
are, with sharing."

"Never thought about how the guy felt, other than asking first. Never
met a guy that wasn't willing to have two girls at the same time.
Always figured it was hormones."

"Maybe. No, likely, right now. Look at Tom and his grrls. Or Merlin,
Vix, and Kay. It's like three people makes the relationship strong
enough to last... Forever."

"Don't know, Ted. Lib?"

"Don't know, Sis. Ted's more comfortable with me as a bitch, so I'll
stay like this until he wants me in some other shape. That three stuff
sounds possible, but I'm pretty sure that I'll be just like you once I
link with my life mate, and want him for myself, at first."

I sighed. "Pay attention and make sure you don't fuck him over, like I
did Ted. I thought I'd driven him away and that... Hurt. I was ready
to walk away from all of it."

She sighed. "It's the damn Zeitgeist, you guys. Vix and Kay gave me a
lot of stuff while they were teaching me how to be a flying unicorn. I
think Kay knew more than she admitted, because she told me I should
pass a lot of it on as soon as I could, without letting the world
know."

Ted shifted slightly, so I let him take over. "Kay's a seer, right?"

"Yes."

"So she and Vix must have been up to something serious, when they took
you wherever they took you?"

"Stonehenge. Yeah. Marie added the piece I needed, to get my head the
rest of the way around what they did to me. So much is happening, that
Vix is near *her* limits, and they were doing something about it, so
she doesn't overload in the middle of all this."

"So... I shouldn't feel bad about losing it and wanting to run and
hide for awhile?"

"Definitely not. If you can name *one* guy, who could have all that
shit happen to *him*, and not go apeshit long before you did, you're a
better judge of people than I am, because I don't think either of our
brothers, or Mark, could have handled being as in the middle as you've
been."

"Thanks, Lib. Means a lot. Never looked at it like that. All I knew
was that Marie... Is my wife, and she'd just... Taken over and wasn't
consutling to see how I felt."

Lib lifted her head, to look at him, I guess, then she turned it and
sneezed softly before she put it back on his thigh.

"Tom get a chance to tell you about how the Zeitgeist likes to work
when someone is new to the job?"

"Fuck them over? Yeah. He was still trying to explain it when I
decided I'd heard enough and wanted some time to think about it."

"I think it's like a stress test. Happens before the shit gets really
deep, so he knows our limits."

"This isn't deep?!"

"Nope. I gotta admit it's never happened to me, so I don't know what's
out there waiting for me. Thing is, you didn't break. Sure, you bent,
but... You're still here, and you and Marie are working damn hard, to
get it behind you, ya know?"

He sighed and stayed silent for a long time, while he went back to
petting both of us.

Finally he sighed and spoke softly. "Looks like she's out of it."

I laughed. "She's a bitch. Goes to sleep whenever she feels relaxed."

"I noticed. Thanks for not pushing. One reason she's bitch, is because
I asked her to stay that way until I was ready to have her around as
herself."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh. See... Like I told you, I've been raised old fashioned. One
on one, when it comes to the serious stuff. This way, it's you and I,
with a real smart dog as a pet. Gives me a chance to sneak up on the
way I feel about her."

"So... Someday?"

"Yes. Oh, I'd be able to fuck her again, but my head says that's not
right, because I really do love her as more than a casual fuck buddy.
I just need time to figure out how to handle it all. I always figured
that once I fell in love and got married, I wouldn't feel the same way
about anyone else."

"Too much, too soon?"

"Yeah."

"Ok."

I managed to reach and lightly stroke Lib's head. "I'm not asking for
details about what happened between you two. It's pretty obvious that
whatever it was, it left you two with a serious connection between
your hearts, and the feelings that come from some shared afterglow.
I'm glad, for both of you Sounds shitty, but since it happened, I know
it was something that had to happen. The Zeitgeist works that way, a
lot. We don't have to like it, but generally, after the fact, we get
time to come to terms with it, before the shit hits us again."

"This sort of stuff is going to keep happening?"

"Yeah, but not very often. Some of that stuff it sounds like Tom
didn't have time to tell you. We're pretty specialized tools, so once
the Zeitgeist is done making us, we usually only get used for what we
were designed for. Most of the time, we can be ourselves and live
pretty ordinary lives."

"That isn't what Tom told me. He said that once we're hand picked,
everything we do is job related."

"He's right. Thing is, most of the time our job involves us living our
lives as we want. It's that living the life and leading by example.
We're human, and yeah, we have some stuff we have to keep in mind
because we're Bards, but the rest of it really is being able to relax
and be ourselves."

"Huh. Be nice, if I knew who I am."

"You still trust me?"

"Yeah, Marie. Strange as it sounds, I can't imagine not trusting you,
even after you've done something that fucked me over."

"Makes you feel better, I expected you to stick around and see if we
could work past it. Never allowed for the differences in the ways we
were raised. I'm not used to being around a guy who was raised to hold
it in and not open up. That thing you did when Lib helped you to bed,
and you said she's softer than I am, hurt a Hell of a lot, even though
I knew it was the truth."

"What?! I knew I was out of it last night, but I don't remember saying
that. I *never* thought I'd do anything to hurt you like that!"

"You were zoned, and we both knew it. Lib was helping you, and you
said she was just like me, only softer. Freaked us both, but it was
right, so I didn't make an issue of it. Only mentioned it now, because
it has to be in the open, if we're going to stay honest with each
other."

"Shit. And you think I was right?"

"I do."

"Well, I don't. You're more impulsive than she is, I think, but that
has nothing to do with how 'hard' either of you is. I really said
that?"

"Yes."

"I need to learn how to pick my words better."

"You going to explain it?"

"Give me a few minutes so I can make sure I use the right words, this
time."

I laughed. "As long as you need, remember? Time doesn't matter to us,
any more."

"Are you really as comfortable with that as you sound?"

"No. That reminds me that there's another aspect to this, that I was
told will take me a long time to get comfortable with."

"Oh?"

"Yes. We only have to eat and stuff like that, if we really want to.
Tom calls it being manifested energy, just like Mahika and the other
elementals are. Another part of that is that we can be hurt, but we
can't be killed. Worst that can happen is that we'll be forced to go
back to linear time, and once we're back, we'll be over whatever
happened, except for what we remember."

"What happens if we forget we're not in linear time?"

"Not sure, except we'd be functionally immortal."

"That's weird. Sounds like we could stay here and live past the death
of our real bodies, but we wouldn't die until we returned to them, and
lived our real lives."

I laughed. "I don't have a clue. I think that's the advanced course or
something. Either that, or nobody has... Tried it, yet.

"You duck something?"

"In a way. Just a strange thought, that if someone tried it, and it
worked, the rest of us wouldn't know they'd done it, until they
suddenly showed up after they died. Everyone else I know who can time
travel, is also immortal in linear time, so that makes me think
someone who isn't immortal, wouldn't be able to live past the death of
their real body, even if they were able to overlap."

"You're making my head hurt."

"Sorry. I'll shut up and let you think."

I felt Lib move, and when I looked at her, she smiled. "I was awake,
sort of. I know we don't need it, but I'm feeling good about life, and
I want to share that over a cookfire, later. So, I'm going to go
hunting. Must be something around here, somewhere, that would taste
good after it's been over an open flame."

I thought about it, then grinned. "Kay get to you?"

"A little. See you when I get back."

She got up, stretched, then I guess she was feeling a little perverse,
because she flagged Ted before she ran off and got lost in the grass.

He was still blushing when I checked out his face. "She got you, huh?"

"At least she's not in heat, yet."

"Oh. I wasn't paying attention. Am I, as a mare?"

"Definitely. I think they call it 'pungent', don't they?"

"Nobody has mentioned that, so I can't tell you. I notice it because
it messes with my emotions quite a bit."

"I hope you don't get upset when I say living in non linear time is
really, really, strange. Seems like it should all work, or not.
Instead, it's a mix."

"I know. Be nice, if I could turn that off sometimes, just like I
control my fertility."

"Since you taught me how to control mine, it shouldn't be a problem,
right?"

"As long as one of us thinks about it, it won't be."

"Point. That stuff you said when you were making those suggestions to
Mark had to be more than helping him get started, right?"

"Sounds like you want to mix our professional lives into our personal
ones."

"Got no choice, since I want to talk about how we both managed to fuck
up without realizing it was happening, until it was too late."

I winced and he touched my face lightly. "Relax. I'll get used to it.
At least we can make time to deal with things, instead of letting them
happen, then try to fix the results."

I sighed. "Yeah, now.

"Ok. So... If you had been the Journeyman, with the rest of us as your
apprentices, and you had to do something that got all of us and the
audience involved, while keeping it to something that was within our
skills, what sort of show would you have come up with on the spur of
the moment?"

"If I had all your skills, and you only knew what I knew?"

"Yeah. Add that you knew you had to get us out of the habit of being
impulsive. It was past time to get serious, and get us thinking about
what we were doing, instead of treating it like a big party."

"I have a bunch of talented amatuers, and somehow, I need to make them
into instant professionals?"

"Or, at least, keep it so they don't get so discouraged they quit. You
need us, Ted, and you know it, but you can't add that pressure to our
thinking, yet."

"Lib said something about a cusp."

"Sandy's pretty sure it's a major one, and that ALL of us are the lead
in for the main act. I didn't know that, at the Mall. Only thing I had
was that I have to consciously think of the effect I'm having on local
and world opinions of power handlers and shape shifters, every time
I'm in public. It was a lot easier to do, when I was The Singing
Palomino, and nobody knew it was me."

He nodded. "Yeah. Part of it is obvious. Whatever it is, it needs to
give Mark a chance to convince himself he's just as much a Bard as the
rest of us, in spite of him not having a lot of the stuff he will
eventually learn. Whatever I come up with... Yeah. Ok, I can see it
now. You told him what he had to work with, then got out of his way
and let him create the show, instead of trying to do his job for him.
This time, he can be... A playwright, instead of improvising. He's
damn good, Marie, but... Yeah. If he has time to think about it, and
know who he's writing each part for... Sneaky, Marie. That bit about
the inept unicorn wasn't for Lib, was it? It was for Mark, so he could
make mistakes and not feel guilty."

"It was for both of them. I never thought we'd be able to time slide
to give ourselves a chance to come to terms with all of it."

"You did mention we might do it for the shows."

I winced. "Ok. Got me, and I should have realized that as soon as I
knew things were way out of my experience, it was time to call Vix and
ask for her advice. If I had, maybe I wouldn't have done the stuff
that... You know."

"Like they say, shit happens, and for us, we need to internalize that
when it happens that fast, we'd better go with the flow, because it's
a good bet *none* of us knows the full picture."

"That's a real good way to think about it, Ted. There's another aspect
that takes getting used to. You saw part of it when Kay and Merlin did
that stuff with Excalibur."

"Oh?"

"Yes. When you're being used by the Zeitgeist, everything you do makes
obvious sense, so you don't realize everyone else can't follow your
thinking. You called me impulsive, and I am. I think I'm supposed to
be, because it makes me go along when I'm being used. That's the first
time I've been used, and... I didn't feel used, Ted. It's only now
that I have time to think about what happened, that I know that wasn't
really me doing a lot of that stuff. I know better ways to say that
stuff, and that what I did with those guys at the mall hurt you, but
at the time it was... Fun, and it felt right, so I did it."

He idly worked my hair again, then he sighed. "So... Sometimes I hate
*not* being that dumb hick. You think the Zeitgeist picks us for
something in our personalities, so when he needs to, he can emphasize
that instead of forcing us to do something against our basic nature?"

"Makes sense. Any idea what you got picked for?"

"Isn't it obvious by now?"

"Not to me. Guess I'm too close to the problem to see it."

"Ok. You sing, which means you use words to get people to understand
stuff. You talk to their emotions and heads at the same time. I know
it's more complicated, but that's my best guess right now."

"Ok. Keep going."

"Mark gets people to see things, so he can show them stuff that they
may never experience any other way, kind of like going to a movie,
except the movie is interactive."

"What about Julie?"

"What she already does. She makes people aware of the connections they
have, and how important they are in everyday life."

"That leaves you."

"I know. Scares me, Marie, because I think it makes me the most
powerful of all of us, and I *need* to have it under control before we
go back."

"Well, Lib and I will do our best to help you."

"I make people feel, Marie. I do it directly, without any need for it
being translated, like it has to be when you guys do it. If I feel
happy, they feel happy. Sad, sad. I can get people to feel anything I
want to, and... If you're right, someday I'm going to be used to turn
people's emotions on, or off, and I won't be able to stop it from
happening."

"Shit. No wonder you were zoned last night."

"Yeah. It was bad then, because I was already freaked from you telling
me to stop making love to my harmonica, because all the women in the
area were getting off from it. You had 'the look', Marie, and so did
Sis. Scary, to know I'd put it there just by breathing into my
harmonica. What would have happened if I'd actually played something?"

I giggled and he stared at me. "Gods, Ted! I wanted you to! I almost
orgasmed, and a lot of me wanted to go the rest of the way. If we'd
been alone, I would have told you to keep going."

"Oh. Like what I did to Lib, but a lot better?"

"Lots and lots better. I didn't check out the guys, so I don't know if
they felt anything."

"I didn't check them out, but I never do. All I was doing was
appreciating how good the new mouth organ is, and dreaming about what
I could do with it."

"Lots, Ted, Lots, and a big part of being a Bard is learning how to
control that stuff so it happens only when you want it to."

"Good, because after that happened, I realized that being able to
pretty much do whatever I felt like doing to people... Got real in way
it hadn't been."

"So... You afraid you might start a riot?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we had help keeping one from starting, so maybe that's what
we'll be used for, someday. I hate to say it this way, but for us,
there's a lot of truth in that stuff about learning to enjoy being
raped. About all we can do is accept that whatever it is, when it's
over, we'll be able to live with doing it, because if we'd been asked
to do it, we would have agreed."

"If we would have agreed, it wouldn't be rape, would it?"

"I don't know a better way to say it. Tom thinks that sometimes things
have to happen so fast, the Zeitgeist doesn't have time to be gentle
and let us figure it out on our own. Me, I think that he's a lot like
us, and either doesn't see it coming until the last minute, or..."

I giggled and waved at the field. "Maybe he's lazy and impulsive."

"Leaves things to the last minute, or doesn't deal with them until
he's forced to, like that running joke you have about Lib being lazy?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for distracting me. It helped."

"Wasn't planned."

"Made it better, and I helped. That stuff about you being softer must
have been my emotions talking."

"Rather have you honest, and hurting me, than lying because you think
it will help."

"Yeah. Good point. Anyway, you and Lib are pretty focused on what you
see as your life's work, and that makes you seem a lot harder than you
are. I should have seen how painful it must have been for you to admit
you're just another plain girl next door, at heart, and that the stuff
you do as a Bard, is written into the job."

"Thanks, Ted. Means a lot, that you can see the real me, in spite of
everything else."

"Welcome. So calling you harder like that must have been because of
how you grabbed our lives and made them tools without consulting with
any of us. In a way, we'd already agreed to let that happen, because
we agreed to be Bards, right?"

"Maybe. Normally, apprentices aren't as high profile as you guys are.
I should have expressed it differently. Another thing I should have
done is opened with something that emphasized I wanted a feel good
romance, or something else that made everything positive, and that if
it was going to be funny, it should be the kind of funny that isn't at
someone's expense. What you guys got to hear was the kind of casual
stuff that should be kept in private, instead of said in public."

"Verbal shorthand?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I should have been paying more attention to the context, and
something Vix said before she went home from the BBQ."

"You just lost me."

"She said that someday I'm going to have to do to her, what Lib does
to you, to keep your head straight."

"Ok... And like you and Julie already do for each other?"

"Yes. I guess you don't see it?"

"No."

"Huh. Some of it's husband and wife stuff, but the other is the same
thing Vix wants. If I'm supposed to keep her straight, it makes sense
that I need to do it for *any* Bard, who is at any rank, right?"

"Oh. That. I'm so used to thinking that way, I never thought you
wouldn't know it."

"I should have got in your face when I first had questions, right?
Instead I went along, because I was raised to keep my head down, and
you acted like you had a clue, when... You lost sight of how what you
were doing was affecting the people closest to you. You thought about
everyone but us, didn't you?"

I closed my eyes and actually whimpered, "Damn, Ted. You're right.
Then Lib comes along and makes a special effort to ask you, before she
does anything. Anybody would seem softer than me, at that point."

"Uh huh. You back, now?"

"Yeah, and hurting. Power corrupts, Ted. Does it so you never notice,
when you're on the inside. Thanks for bringing me back."

"What? Where'd that come from? You were being used, right? Can't be
that. It was something else that did it."

"You got a weird way of seeing it. If it wasn't that power stuff, what
was it?"

"Something you couldn't avoid. Didn't you tell me something about the
only time Bards can be irresponsible with power?"

"I did. I'm human, so that doesn't apply."

"Shit, Marie. Guess I need a bigger hammer to get you to see it. When
The Singing Palomino is in estrus, she fucks you over emotionally,
even when you're human, and you admitted you can't block it."

"Shit! If he had balls for me to kick, I wouldn't hesitate to try and
put them up his throat. He hit me with all of it at once. The power
corrupts stuff, the lack of control during estrus and... He fucking
used that because... Oh... Damn..."

"You going Bard on me?"

"Yeah. Big time. He's using all of us, not just me. I suppose he let
most of it hit me, so you guys wouldn't freak. Hell of a way to let me
know he trusts me. That isn't what has me worried, now. Suddenly, I
can forgive him, a little."

"Yeah? Give me a reason to."

"Sure. Sandy and her thinking we're at some sort of major cusp, with
us being the lead in people that are preparing the world for something
major like a cultural shift, or global attitude change."

"What are we? Test cases?"

"Ummm... I think it's more than that. Nobody knows who it's going to
be, but whoever it is, they're going to get hammered in ways that make
what just happened to us seem trivial, I bet."

"That sucks, but I know life can be a lot harder than what we've lived
through, so far."

"Yeah. I think we're being... Groomed, trained, whatever you want to
call it, to be part of the support for whoever is coming."

"Support? What the fuck can we do? We lost it once already. I sure
wouldn't want to stress us more, any time soon."

"We didn't lose it Ted. Sure, we both got pretty fucked up in our
heads, and *almost* broke, but neither of us broke completely. I bet
when the time comes, this person is going to need people they can
depend on, to wade in while they *know* how tough it can get. Plus,
they'll need people they know can relate to what they've been through,
to put them back together."

"Pretty serious stuff, Marie."

"I know. We've got as long as we need, to get our heads around it
before we go back. Maybe I'm full of it, and one of us will figure out
how the pieces really fit together."

"I think it fits. Sounds like a more intense version of what happened
with me and Connie, when I asked her to keep my head straight. Makes
sense to work up to something like that, instead of trying it cold."

He suddenly stiffened, then spoke so softly I had to strain to hear
him. "Oh. Duh. That's what Tom was trying to tell me!"

"Was I supposed to hear that?"

"Yeah. I was bitching about how fucked over I felt, when he asked me a
question I thought had nothing to do with it. 'If a tool could feel,
would it enjoy being tempered?' I thought it was a dumb thing to ask,
because tools don't feel anything."

I winced. "And we keep talking about all of us being tools. I'm still
sorry about what I did, Ted. The Zeitgeist is damn chincy with things,
if he's willing to use me to help temper you guys, while he's
tempering me."

Ted sighed, then stroked my face and laughed. "Well, I guess that
means you must be harder than the rest of us in some way. I still
think that overall, you're softer than Libby."

"You have a way to explain that, yet?"

"Maybe. First, you're both focused on a bigger picture than most of
the world can see. Someday, I'll have my own version of that vision,
so it doesn't matter. What stands out to me, is that while neither one
of you shies away from doing what has to be done, if you know how to
do it, Lib jumps in and does it, while you tend to back off and get
more input, to make sure you haven't missed any options that would be
better. That makes you softer, because most of the time you don't
assume you have the only solution that will work."

"So you think this time was some sort of special case?"

"Yes. Now that we know it can happen, we can pay better attention, and
hopefully, prevent it from happening again. Besides..."

He shocked me when he grinned. "Unless they have to be rebuilt, nobody
retempers a tool that's been declared fit for what it was designed to
do, right?"

"Umm... I don't know if you're insane for coming up with that, or I
am, for thinking you're right."

I rolled to my knees and started stripping. "Come on, Cowboy. We've
talked enough. Let's do and feel, for awhile."

He watched me, and when I looked up, he smiled slightly. "Do I need to
keep my boots on?"

"Ted, I don't care, as long as I can feel your naked body against me
while we make love to each other."

"Right. Boots off."

I moaned suddenly and Ted stopped stripping. "What's wrong?"

"I have to make a confession now, so it doesn't fuck us up later."

"Sounds serious. I thought we had it all out of the way."

"So did I, for a few minutes. First, Did Lib tell you I have to be all
those people?"

"If she did, I was too zoned to remember it."

"Ok. First of all, I'm seen as the first fully Terran Bard."

"Right. We covered that already."

"Sorry. I don't want to miss any of this. Because I'm officially the
first, I have to be like some sort of universal Bard who can do it
all. Sucks, but I'm setting the example everyone has to live up to, or
beat. Stupid, but it's been a fact of my life ever since Vix took me
on."

"Makes sense. Sucks, though, and it's really, really, stupid. Lots of
extra pressure, right?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't be there on Rabelaisia. Plus... It's way, way worse,
because I'm the first non Rabelaisian Vix has ever tapped as a
personal apprentice."

"Shit. We have guilds and stuff, too. When someone gets tapped like
that... Yeah, their life sucks, no matter how good they are... Oh,
shit. Can't be a coincidence that we met and all that. Passing on the
heritage and all that crap... Yeah. Lib tell you I was pretty zoned
when she helped me get undressed and into bed?"

"Yes. She said you mumbled something about 'he must have known'. Can
we put that on hold until I confess? I'm afraid if I don't finish
this, I'll be too scared to go through it again."

"Ok. Don't let me forget to tell you about it, because it's something
that really fucked with my head last night. Anyway... There's more
than you needing to be the ultimate Bard?"

"Yes. That Bard stuff is obvious, even though it fucks with my
personal and professional lives. The other thing... Is personal, and
it just proves I really fucked up. It's more of that estrus triggered
stuff."

"I guess I'm ready."

"Don't bet on it. Remember asking me how I helped stop those muggers,
and you wanted me to tell you later?"

"Vaguely."

"It was how I distracted them, Ted. I was unfaithful before you were,
and I didn't realize it until later."

"That's... Weird. How?"

"Remember how I fondled you with power?"

"Yeesss..."

"Right. Let me tell you all of it, before you go ballistic on me.
First, after the fact, I think it was something that had to happen,
for Julie's sake."

"I don't see the connection, yet."

"I didn't either, until I had time in the back yard, to think about
all the ways I fucked us over."

"No wonder you looked like shit."

"Yeah. Ok. No more ducking. Sandy and I spotted those muggers almost
at the same time. I don't know why, but they focused on me for some
reason. I called Sandy off, because I had something I wanted to try
out, to see if I could use it to distract them from bothering us. What
I did, was figure out where their dicks were, and used power to jerk
them off, until they forgot about us. I really freaked when Sandy told
me that what I had done made them realize they were bi, instead of
het, and they decided that since they were already well hidden, they'd
get physical about it.

"Ted, I freaked, because Sandy made it sound like I'm some sort of
weird universal emotional catalyst that gets people to learn stuff
about themselves. She laughed that off, and called me a Bard who has a
sense of humor that is as bad as Vix's at her worst.

"Anyway, it was later, that I realized I'd let my craziness make me
forget something like that was being unfaithful, in a real serious
way. Tell you the truth, I was more worried about you, because when
you asked me... I didn't need to see your aura to know things were
really, really fucked up between us. I thought we'd sort it out after
we got home, but Lib met us and things changed."

He finally sighed. "Done and there's nothing we can do about it. Glad
I didn't know when my head was fucked up. That mean I have the same
option, or are we going to back off and use more conventional ways to
stop people?"

"Can we table it until we both know we have our heads right? We aren't
rushed any more."

He looked at me in a way that told me I'd made a mistake, so I sighed.
"Sorry, Ted. We come from different worlds, and my thinking isn't as
human as it should be. I wasn't ducking. You can handle problems *any*
way you feel they have to be handled, and I'll back you up. If I have
any problems with it, as me, or as a Bard, I'd lke to be able to get
them in the open as soon as possible, after we know the original
problem is taken care of. I'll stop being creative, and do the normal
stuff when I have to stop someone in a hurry."

"Thanks. I'll do the same thing, unless we consult. Easy, now that we
can time slide, right?"

"Yeah. That *will* get rid of a lot of the pressure."

I shivered and sighed. "One more thing, for now. Tom tried to tell me
how it works, when you get used. Runaway train. Deer in the
headlights. Non thinking impulsiveness to the max. Rampant ego.
Inside, you *know* you're doing what has to be done, and it's right,
but there's no time to explain it."

I looked at nothing in the distance and shivered again. "It's the kind
of mental rape a woman fears, Ted, because it happens so fast there's
no time to really know it's happening, then, when it's over, it all
catches up with you. I don't know what makes the Zeitgeist do it that
way, the first time he uses someone. That stuff you said about being
uppity? I think I know how you feel, but it isn't that. It's more
like... Maybe he grabs whatever is handy, instead of taking the time
to get a real hammer, when he needs one. Sucks, but I did say I'd do
the job. If it fucks up my personal life so it can't be fixed...

"Sorry, Ted. I'm a Bard, and sometimes shit happens. In the bigger
picture, I agreed to help the world reach a goal. I didn't say I was
going to be selfish, or think about myself first."

He pulled me into a hug and held on until I stopped shivering. "I
didn't walk away, Marie. Never thought about it. I just wanted some
time to think, and for us, instead of the world. Tom was working on
me, but... I should have kept talking to him, until the stuff he was
telling me sank in. I was programmed to put my wife ahead of myself. I
couldn't tell you no."

After I nodded slightly, he sighed again. "Ok. Let's ignore the fact
I'm tired of not being able to see the same big picture you do,
because by the time we get past this, I'll be able to see at least as
much as you do, ok?"

"Yes, Honey."

"Thanks, Love. Hey, Marie?"

"What?"

"You want to take that break, before you hear what I need to say? Your
head's really messed up, if you forgot we kind of decided that all
this shit has been some sort of crazy way of tempering us so we don't
break, later."

I thought about it, hard, then shook my head. "Since we're started and
all that, if you're up to it, I'd like to get it all out of the way,
so we can move on. That's a personal thing, not because I'm a Bard."

"Ok. You going to tell me how that stuff you did to the muggers
relates to Julie?"

"Remember when I asked if anyone had been doing stuff to keep track of
what was going on around us?"

"Yes. She said she noticed a couple people with a strong sexual
connection."

"Right. They were the muggers. She didn't notice them when they were
thinking about robbing us, so it was like a test, to see what her
threshold of awareness is. Once I tell her what was really going on,
it will be like what Lib did with you. She'll know she can do it, so
all she has to worry about is the practice."

"Marie? That sounds a lot like justification after the fact."

"I know. I suppose it is, in a way. You have the pieces. Guess I'd
better help you fit them together. First, nothing, absolutely
*nothing* that happens to us is a coincidence. It had to happen, even
if we can't figure out why."

"Sounds like what Tom was trying to get me to see, that once we agree
to do the job, everything is job related."

"Yep. Now, the... Part that sucks. If something bad happens to us, no
matter how bad it fucked up our lives, it must have benefited someone
else at least as much. It's balance, Ted, and... If you think of it
like that, we're the pivot sometimes, which means we get ALL of it at
the same time. Joy and pain at once, but since we tend to focus on
only one part, we don't realize it until it's over."

"Which means... Are you saying that when something real intense
happens to one of us, someday we'll get the opposite, just as
intensely?"

"No. There will be times when we get what you can think of as a bonus,
for being good at our jobs. Or... He really is damn sorry when he's
fucked up, so his apologies can get intense. The good stuff happens
far more often than the bad stuff, so when you try to add it up, the
normal 'pay', plus the perks, make the job worth doing.

"I said rape, but... Sometimes, it's a shitty, fucked up job, and all
you can do is endure whatever happens, because you gave your word, and
once it's over, you'll never have to do it again, because you know
that it all had to happen, to do the job right the first time. Only
complaint I really have, is that I wish he'd learn how to ask, instead
of just grabbing people and flailing away."

Ted studied me a long time, then he sighed. "Marie? I'd call you
crazy, but you're so damn serene about it, that I have to believe you
really are that comfortable with it all."

"You are, too, Ted, you just haven't fully realized it consciously."

"I am?!"

"Sure. You nailed everything that justifies putting up with all the
shit and stuff, when you told your dad that for a Bard, everyone in
the world, is one of their children. Thing is, for the three of us,
there's something more."

"More?"

"Yes. There's a special name for tools that are under the direct
control of the Zeitgeist. You and I, and probably Lib, are Avatars,
Ted. That means every living thing on Earth, is one of our children.
*That* is the big picture we're expected to keep in mind."

"That's it?!"

"Yes."

"Gotta be a catch, if it sounds that easy."

"Couple of them, that I know of. We're not allowed to act on the petty
stuff that we know about, unless it's a normal part of being a Bard.
Mostly, we'll be so busy with our real jobs, that stuff will be things
we deal with casually, as part of the main job."

"You've managed to avoid telling me what the main job is."

"Tom and the grrls are special, so folks don't see them as real
people. That's why we got tapped, Ted. We're a bunch of kids, and
we're growing up, and into our adult lives, as fully Terran power
handlers. With the Rabelaisians here full time, it's time for the
power handlers of the world to come out of the closet, so we can show
everyone we're people, just like they are."

He stared at me, then shook his head slightly, before he looked
around. After he got back to me, he sighed. "That's it? We're first
out of the closet, and all we have to do is be ourselves?"

"Yep. Circumstances make us special, of course, because somebody has
to be first, but other than that... We can be as normal as possible,
all things considered."

"So we gotta be special, so everyone else can be ordinary?"

"Exactly."

"Awesome. That just made all this other shit mean something to me, so
I can live with it."

He seemed to remember he wasn't completly naked yet, so he finished
stripping, lay down, then invited me over so we could wrap each other
up.

"Thanks, Marie. That makes it a lot easier for me to deal with what
I'm going to tell you."

"I'm listening."

"Thanks. I guess it's obvious that people in my family have always
been musicians, singers, or both. Julie and I grew up with that, and
while most of the women and girls sing and dance, few of them get
serious about playing anything other than tambourines and stuff. Just
the way it is, and as far as I know, nobody thought about questioning
how come it was always like that.

"It was the same way for the guys, and I was normal about it, so I
learned to sing by the time I could walk, I guess. Dad gave me a toy
banjo, but all I ever did was pick at it and beat on it. Instead, I
was fascinated by my uncle Nathan, and how he could do so much with
his mouth organ. He gave me one of those real small toy ones, and I
drove everyone crazy with it, I guess. Finally, uncle Nathan gave me a
bigger one, showed me a few things, and I learned how to do more than
inprovise stuff on it.

"I don't remember how old I was when 'it' started, but I must have
been pretty young, because it was on my ninth birthday that he made a
ceremony out of giving me that old mouth organ."

He went silent for awhile, so I waited until I was sure he wasn't
coming back soon before I nudged him. "Ted? Made it real special?"

"Yeah. Wasn't really much, now that I look back. It was pretty simple.
'Theodore, When this was given to me, I was told I'd know when I met
the next person who should use it. Someday, you'll get to pass it on.
Don't worry about it right now. Be a long time before you decide to
give it away.' Then he sorta smiled weird. 'It's a special one, and it
will help you play a lot better.'

Ted laughed softly. "It did help me play better, but it was because I
got even more serious, and practiced more, so my uncle would be proud
of me."

"Sounds like your uncle was a pretty smart man."

"Yeah. He was impressive, too, because while my dad just stood there
and played, mostly, uncle Nathan was obviously enjoying himself, and
he expected us to help him out, by having fun, too. He'd dance jigs,
and move around and get in funny positions sometimes and just keep
playing. Once in awhile he'd twirl his harmonica in the middle of a
song, and never miss a note. He was a showman, Marie, and he used to
let any of us kids join him, no matter how good or bad we were.

"It wasn't until we moved here and I had net access, that I found out
he'd toured as a pro when he was young. I was searching for something
to do with mouth organs when I stumbled on a picture of him holding up
*my* harmonica. The article mentioned how it had been in the family
for generations, and was always passed on to someone who could play it
the way it was meant to be played, and that someday, he'd know when it
was right to give it to someone in the next generation."

He sighed. "Marie, I wasn't any better than a lot of kids. Worse than
quite a few, since I'm being honest about it. Yet, he picked me, and
now...

"Here I am."

He rolled away and dug in his pants. When he rolled back, he was
holding both of his mouth organs. He put them together and studied
them for a long time. "You know, they really don't look all that
different."

He played a few notes on his old one, and nothing happened. He
swapped, played tha same notes on the new one and I shivered. "My God!
Can't you feel the difference?"

"Huh? No.... Are you ok?"

"I'm *fine*. Too fine. I don't get it, Ted. Neither of those is the
original. Both of them are back home, in your pocket. Yet... Same
notes, same feelings, I assume, and... Remember that stuff you talked
about, when you were picking your guitar?"

"Yes."

"Good. It's like that mouth organ is part of your soul, somehow... Oh.
Sure. Duh. Phil has been letting you play it once in awhile, right?"

"Yeah. I don't do it very often."

"Probably a damn good thing. Do you remember if you were the first one
to play it?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely. I had to play my heart out on mine, before Phil
let me handle it."

"We need to consult with Vix after we get back, because I have this
crazy idea that somehow, you imprinted that thing. Stuff can absorb
impressions of things that happen around them. Unfortunately, I
haven't learned how to read all of them, yet."

He looked at me, then at the mouth organs. "So you're saying that the
only person who would be able to get people to really feel things with
my old one, would be whoever it was that first used it?"

"I'm not sure, Ted. Maybe if your feelings were the same as theirs
were, it would come close. After all, you did make me and Lib zone
with it."

He winced. "And that entire block and all the animals in the area.
So... Somehow it's keyed to love?"

"I know it sounds stupid. Umm... I can't see any lines of power, so,
if you're willing, I'd like to try an experiment."

"I gotta know."

"Ok. Use the old one to tell me how upset you were."

"Are you sure? You were pretty messed up while I was using the
guitar."

"We gotta know, Ted. Just do a few notes, like an opening."

He did, and then he waited.

I thought about it. "I could feel something, but it was... Not vague,
just enough that I could tell the real stuff was worse."

"Ok. Now, you want me to use the new one?"

"Shit, Ted. Let's think about this before we get in too deep. We
already know you can turn on every female who can hear you play it. If
you can make me feel the way you felt, with just as much intensity..."

I shuddered. "No. Forget it. Unless you want to make love to us, don't
even think about playing it while we're here. We need Vix, Kay, and
maybe the whole crew, to set up some very heavy shields so you can be
isolated, and then the rest of us can sort of listen and feel while
the shields are slowly reduced."

He looked at me, and finally nodded before he put it back in its case
and handed it to me. "Seal it somehow. Make it so I can't get it open
unless you're there, because I know I'm going to want to play it,
eventually."

"Ted? It's not the real one. If I were to destroy it, the original is
still going to be ok when we go back."

"Are you that afraid of it?"

"I'm not afraid of it, Ted. I'm terrified of what might happen when
you play it around me. You'd have absolute control of my emotions, and
there'd be nothing I could do. We've already proved you can play it
and I won't remember what we did. Once is luck. Let's not push, ok?"

"And I'd be able to do the same thing to Lib, again. Will you let me
link, so I can see how you do it?"

"Sure. It's gonna hurt, emotionally."

"Better that, than using it to really fuck us up, right?"

"Your point."

I studied it before I sighed. "Touch my forehead. That way, if it gets
too painful, you can break the link."

He made the link, and I took the time to figure out what I wanted to
do. "Ted? You be ok if I make it into something else? I was thinking
of making one of those split lover's medailions, so we'd have a
reminder that we don't always jump into things and totally fuck it up
for us."

"Would we be able to take it back with us?"

"Not directly. We could leave it somewhere, then go get it in linear
time."

He laughed. "So Lib could bury it somewhere, then place slide, dig it
up, and bring it to us?"

"Yeah. That should work."

"Make it three pieces, instead of two."

"Romantic."

"Country boy, Can't be anything else."

"Damn, Ted. You scored again."

"We keeping count?"

"Never."

"Good. Do it."

"Umm... Hold it, Ted. I'm having second thoughts."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Definitely. Check me on this. If we're manifested energy, the
stuff we have with us, like our clothing, and your harmonica, must be
manifested energy, too."

"I guess that's true."

"Let's assume it is, and see if I'm thinking, for a change, or being
paranoid. Excalibur is manifested energy."

"Definitely."

"Ok. When Kay changed it to the Medallion of Truth, she changed how
Excalibur looked, but it was still able to do what it was designed
for."

"Yeah... Oh. Destroy that thing, Marie, then we'll bury the remains or
something... Can you change it back to raw energy?"

"I'll have to do it a little bit at a time. I'm not good enough to
handle the power released if I tried to do it all at once."

"What about Lib?"

"Have to ask her when she gets back."

"Can you shield it so nothing I can do would make it do... Whatever?"

"Yeah. Good thought. Ok... One lump, coming up."

When I was done, I had a small object in my hand, that looked like the
stuff you get out of a fireplace. I shielded it, then handed it to
Ted. "I'm not being nuts. Just blow at it and think about making love
to me."

He did, and I felt something that was a lot less than with his usual
harmonica, so I figured I'd done it right. "Ok. Somehing was there,
but it was a lot less than what you did to me that first evening, so
I'm pretty sure we don't have to worry."

He surprised me by glaring at it, then he laughed. "Sorry. I couldn't
focus enough to do anything serious. No way I can 'make love' to a...
Klinker."

"Klnker?"

"Yeah. Reminds me of the lumped together ashes I'd get out of the wood
stove we used for heat during the winter."

I stared, then laughed with him. "Crazy. We think alike. That's what
it reminded me of, too, but it's what we get from the fireplace, not a
stove. I couldn't remember the right word for it."

He handed it back. "Ok. Put it away, I guess."

I started to reach for my purse, when I realized I didn't have one.
Instead I set it on my clothing and went back to studyng Ted. "This
is... Odd. Do you realize we've made love to each other, and given
each other baths and stuff, but we haven't been naked together and
just taken the time to take each other in?"

"We... You're right. Hey! You know how to swim?"

"Sure."

He looked around, then pointed sort of northeast. "We go that way a
few miles, there might be a creek with a couple of deep spots. Feel
like skinny dipping with me?"

"And since we're both naked, we can take turns lagging so we can check
each other out?"

"Busted."

"All for it. We don't need clothes, so let's leave it all here, except
for your old harmonica and the guitar. Don't worry. I'll put a shield
around it all, so critters won't be able to do anything with it."

"What about Lib?"

"Silly. She has a nose that works fine, and I guarantee she knows what
we smell like, by now."

I waited until he was nice and red all over, then I grinned. "Nice
blush. Can you make it redder?"

It got a real dark red, then he laughed. "For my wife, yes."

It was my turn to blush.

We eventually recovered, and I was thinking about getting up, when I
realized I was... Damn horny, but not ready to get fucked. "Ted? Just
lie there, and... Let me see if I can make up for those handjobs."

His dick twitched, so I knew he was interested. "Yeah? Sounds like you
have something in mind?"

"Of course. Let's see if I can be impulsive, and smart at the same
time."

"You're ducking."

I worked my way over until I could get my face near his crotch, then I
inhaled through my nose. "Yep. You're Ted. Easier to tell, when I'm a
mare, during a head hug, ya know? Anyway, if you think that was
ducking, it was only until I could do..."

I swallowed his dick. {{This. I don't think I'm real good at this. but
I bet it won't matter, if I can do this the way I want to...}}

I created a sort of liner in my mouth, that was made of power, then I
linked it to my head and started doing all the usual blowjob stuff.

He arched into my mouth. "Jeezus, Marie!"

{{Got it right! Good!}}

"Ahhhh.... You ever do this with another guy, right now, I'm going to
be *seriously* jealous, and *pissed*!"

{{I can't. No other guys around, Just Lib, so relax and enjoy.}}

"We'll talk about it later... Yeah! Go! Go!"

I guess it was the relief that we were still a couple, that helped us
relax into me sucking him off.

I wanted to make sure he knew I was sorry for being so stupid, too,
and... For me, anyway, I knew there wasn't an audience, so I could
realy be myself for Ted, finally.

Anyway, I was having so much fun I missed the signs, and wound up with
his semen choking me, spurting from my nose, and dripping from my
mouth.

After he finished, I came off and grinned at him. "Fun, huh?"

He grinned back. "Must have been that stuff you did with power. I've
had some good ones, but that one... It was the best. Hey, wish we had
a camera. You look like one of those sluts in the pictures a lot of
guys jack off to."

"Thanks. Nice, to let go. I'll be your slut, from now on, ok?"

"You are absolutely crazy, Marie."

"Yep! First time I've been in love, horny as a mink, and with a guy
who I can be myself with."

I licked my lips and got what I could, then deliberately used my hand
to spread the rest of his semen all over my face. "I've always wanted
to find out if semen is a good skin conditioner."

He shook his head. "Be like a mud pack, once it dries."

"Hey, maybe it will work as an insect repellent, until I wash it off
in that stream."

"Yep. You're crazy. So am I, because I want to return the favor
somehow. Get up here and sit on my face, ok?"

I giggled. "You going to try and add some power to your tongue so you
can get real deep?"

"Not this time. I was figuring I could try turning one of my fingers
into a long dildo, so I could move it around and... Ummph!"

He had to shut up, because I 'd moved so I was over his face, then
lowered myself until he'd had to reach and stop me.

"No talking. Do it... AHHHH!!!"

When I recovered from the jolt of pleasure, I fought for breath and
managed to gasp out my question. "What are you *doing*?!"

He shoved at me to get me off his face, I guess. "Power gloves. Didn't
know if I could do it. Sort of made my sexual energy go from my dick
and balls until it surrounded my hands and fingers like gloves. Like
it?"

He moved his hands over me and I shivered from the sensations.
"Yeah... I like it. A LOT!"

"Good! This is payback for those handjobs those guys got..."

He brushed his thumb over my clit real light, but it didn't matter,
because the power went through it and I felt like he'd managed to
trigger every good feeling at once...

And before I could say anything about it, I orgasmed, and kept
orgasming, and kept orgasming and...

For the first time in my life, I passed out, in the middle of an
orgasm.

* * *

I woke up to the sensations of a long tongue washing my face. "Umm...
Didn't Ted tell you I wanted to leave that stuff there until I could
wash it off?"

"He did. I can tell you one thing, though, it's not an insect
repellent. More like an attractant. He's been busy keeping the flies
away while you were asleep, and wanted a break."

"Ohhh... I wasn't sleeping. I passed out in the middle of a lot of
multiples. Happened so fast I never thought about trying to count
them. You done, yet?"

"Guess so. I cheated and went human so I could make a carry sack and
clean what I caught, before I went bitch and brought it back. Ted
built a fire circle for us, then I lit the fire. He's keeping an eye
on the food until I can go back."

I stretched, then opened my eyes after her aura moved away. When I
found Ted, he was watching me and grinning. "We're even."

"Umm... If you say so. Don't do that in linear time, unless I don't
have to do anything right away. How long have I been out?"

"Hours, I guess. Sun's almost down."

"Oh. Hey, Lib? How about a shield to keep us warm? I'm still pretty
hazy, and I know I can't focus."

She sneezed at me. "I'm busy. Have Ted help you over so you can settle
next to the fire and do something without power, for a change."

"Evil woman."

"Yep. Been busy, too. Went linear and talked to Chrys. She's going to
take Mark and Julie nonlinear until they're full journeymen."

That was news I'd been sort of expecting, but the surprise didn't do
more than get me to reach languidly for Ted's hand when he held it
out. "Fine. Worry about the details later. A LOT later. Help me up so
I can stagger over and watch Lib do something useful."

She sneezed again. "I see you haven't forgotten how to be sarcastic.
Was starting to wonder if you were a changed woman, after Ted worked
you over."

I leaned on Ted, and after he eased me down, I watched the fire for
awhile. "Gods, Lib. I think he tried to kill me."

"Yeah? He said what he'd done, sorta. I think he was holding back.
Said something about power gloves, and petting you."

"Petting. Heavy petting. He stroked my clit with power, and I *think*
he used a finger to fuck me and do the same thing to my g-spot. I
started orgasming, and they kept hitting me until I passed out in the
middle of a big one. Ted's going to have to tell us what happened
between then, and you getting back."

"You didn't pass out. You zoned, I guess."

"Sure felt like I passed out."

"Well, you had multiples, but you kept begging me to keep going, so I
did, until you collapsed on me and I had to shove you off my face. You
were... Demanding, and got upset when I told you I was to tired to
keep going with my hands."

"Then?"

"You had me lie on my back, you got on my dick, and... Rode me until
*I* passed out, before you did. I came out of it just before Lib got
back. She looked at you, laughed, and told me to let you sleep it
off."

"I think you left something out."

"Couple things. I *couldn't* get soft, because you did something with
power that kept me hard after I orgasmed. You also did something to
yourself, so it was like you did during the blowjob. I *think* you did
something to me so there was power wrapped around my dick, but I was
too far gone to notice, or care, after my first orgasm."

I sighed. "Oh, great. I figure how to do all that, and I can't
remember any of it."

Lib sneezed at us. "You know you can do it, so now it's practice, Big
Sister."

"Thank you, very much. I suppose you want him to do it to you,
someday?"

"No. I think I'll remember it's possible, then have my first life mate
do it to me. Sounds pretty special, and in case you haven't noticed,
You and Ted aren't linked, your fields are merged, just like Tom and
his grrls."

Her matter of fact observation got me to focus on her, instead of keep
savoring my afterglow. "That sounded a little too casual, for you to
be the sister I've grown up with. How long were you non linear?"

"Couldn't tell you, because we didn't keep track. Call it at least
thirty years, and probably a lot more. It was enough time for them to
give me all of it, and enough time for me to earn a Master's ranking."

"Got it. I wonder if her 'unreasonable reasons' was a hint that this
would happen?"

"I don't think so. I just think it was more of her admitting that on
Earth, we have to bow to some of the perceptions, and let's face it,
we're all precocious and it will be awhile before we have the maturity
that should go with what we know how to do.

"I'm not leaving you out, Ted. You already know how to do stuff it
took us years to learn how to do, and you're coming up with ideas we
never thought of."

He stared into the fire before he spoke. "Yeah, ok, I guess. Thanks
for being polite with that 'we'."

"I wasn't being polite. We kept ourselves isolated most of the time.
Plus, I still have to suffer through all the social and physical stuff
while my body grows up in linear time."

She sat, then spent some time staring at the fire. "All that knowledge
in my head, and the only time I can use it without asking someone to
turn me on, is in non linear time. I'm going to be real happy, when I
won't need to beg, to be myself back in linear time."

"Beg?"

"Sorry. That's the bitch talking. All those years, and nothing we did
ever let me see the controls that I know are there, somewhere."

"Sucks, Lib."

"Yeah. I know. You folks ready to eat? Rabbit's done cooking. Serve
yourself."

I giggled. "Now, I know you're my sister. You're being lazy."

"True, but you have to admit I'm not built right, to be a hostess most
folks would feel comfortable with as a server."

"We're not most folks. C'mon, Ted. Lib's head is pretty fucked up, so
let's give her time to figure out who she is and what she wants to do
about it."

We grabbed some of the food, and after we resettled to eat, Lib
studied me. "Marie?"

I swallowed, then nodded. "Yes, Liberty Anne?"

"Mind telling me how you did that?"

"Did what?"

"Put your finger my problem. I have enough life experieince to be our
grand mother, and you just made me feel like you were my mother."

I touched the side of my head. "Something in here, I guess. Definitely
a mix, in your case. We've been sharing things since we were kids, so
that was most of it. Then there's the fact I've been watching you all
the time, while you were an unofficial apprentice. I got to know you
pretty good because I had to be able to read you so I'd know when to
do stuff. Some more of it was from being around Chrys when she's in a
similar mood, because she does, sometimes, miss being around other
morphs. The rest of it was from being a Bard at the Mall. All those
kids and adults I've been asked to help in some way. I got a pretty
good handle on how body language can tell what a person is thinking
and feeling."

"Oh, yeah. Makes sense, now. Chrys warned me about something, too, and
now, even though I knew it had to happen, it pisses me off."

"Yeah?"

"Same problem you guys, and Mark and Julie are going to have when this
is over. Worse for me, because I didn't share it with a mate."

"What's that?"

"We did some social stuff, of course, but I finished growing up in a
culture different than the one I should have. We go back to being
linear, I know way too much, and it's the wrong stuff to help me fit
in with my friends and just be... A teenager trying to figure out who
she is, and all that stuff."

I thought about it, then shook my head slightly. "Maybe not."

"Oh?"

"Sure. Tom and the grrls are so old they lost track, right?"

"Millions of years in non linear time. Yeah. So what?"

"So all that experience should make it almost impossible for them to
function, or they'd be real obvious, if they'd lived those years in
linear time. Sure, get Tom in one of his moods, and you can see it in
his eyes, but he has to be really, really in his past for that to
happen. Not saying you look like that, but before you fuck your head
up more, try thinking about it like you read a long series of novels,
or whatever. You do that all the time, and that hasn't really done
more than make you a romantic at heart, right?"

"You think this will be like that? All that stuff I experienced won't
get in the way of going back to being who I was, before? Right now, I
feel like trying to get along with all my friends will be like some
sort of weird pedo."

"Don't know, Little Sister. Only thing I know for sure, is that I hope
you meet your life mate or someone you can get close to in linear
time, real soon."

"We agree on that."

"Uh huh. One more ting."

"Yeah?"

"Learn from my fuck up. As soon as you guys know you're life mates,
and you're turned on, both of you go non linear and don't come back
until you both feel you're ready to. Be best if you stay long enough
that your mental maturity is the same, so you feel like you're with
your equal, and he doesn't feel like he just married an older woman
he'll never be able to match, for experience."

"I get it. Never thought about he'd feel, when he finds out I sorta
grew up in my head, before my body did. Thanks."

"Welcome."

She dipped her head, then created a dog comb. She looked at it for a
long time, then focused on Ted. "You up to working all the junk out of
my hair?"

He flinched, then looked at me worriedly, so I smiled and nodded. "She
needs a man's touch, and she needs it now."

"Yeah, I can see that much."

He focused on Lib. "I've seen my sister like this, Lib. You want me to
wrap you in a hug like I'll never let go, once we agree I'm done
grooming you?"

She picked up the comb, then walked over and offered it to him.

He took it, looked at it, then at her. "That's a yes, and you want to
be a real bitch for awhile?"

She nodded her head, then moved so he could start combing her.

He started combing her, and she braced, then closed her eyes and
started the rumbling groan that let us know she was enjoying the
experience.

I finished eating, then, after I wiped my hands with some grass, I
resettled so I could stare at the embers of our fire and let the
drifting sparks take my thoughts wherever they decided to go.

* * *

Movement brought me out of my contemplation, and when I looked, I
realized they'd shifted so Ted could hug Liberty while they were lying
down.

They were facing each other, and...

Oh. No wonder she was moody. She was going into an early heat.

I thought about it some more, sighed, and did something I hadn't done
in over a year.

I went dog and became an Irish Setter bitch, then sneezed. "Hey,
Guys?"

Ted spoke without looking. "Yeah?"

"I bet some of that stuff Lib is supposed to pass on, involves
teaching you how to shape shift, right, Lib?"

"Sort of. He's supposed to learn before we go back. Doesn't matter who
teaches him."

"Good."

"That was pretty damn smug sounding, but there was something else in
it."

"Yeah, Lib. You might say that. Your head's fucked up, because you're
going into heat early. Sound familiar?"

"Damn."

"Uh huh. I wanted to do it, but that's stupid right now, because Ted
has a better rapport with you, than he does me. I can't see any point
in fucking with that, so... Do us all a favor, and start working with
him on learning how to shape shift. Probably be best if you start him
out as a dog, since you're here to act like a pattern for him."

"What about you?"

"Your nose quit working?"

"What's that have to do... You've gone bitch! That's not good, Big
Sister."

Ted shifted so he could look at me. "You're... I thought Monique was
beautiful, but now... God, Marie. You umm..."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sexy, but at least I'm not in heat, yet. Should be
a long time, because I seldom go bitch. At least a few months, so I
have some control back."

"So what's not good about it?"

Lib touched his cheek with her nose. "You going to be ok with her just
telling us to work on your shape shifting?"

"Huh? Maybe. I thought it was going to be her, because she said she'd
work with me, but... Yeah, Lib. We trust each other, but... I'm still
too close, and I don't know how I'd handle it, if we had some sort of
disagreement. Be easier to take critcism from you, because I'm not as
in love with you, and you haven't hurt me, yet. Plus there's the
apprentice stuff, and I know she has to make that sort of decision
sometimes. So, it hurts, but I'm pretty sure it's right."

"Ok. Marie's pretty laid back, and it's not all because she's a Bard."

"So?"

Lib sighed. "When she goes bitch, it's because she needs to really get
some distance from something that's been tearing her up inside.
Usually, she's... Dumping the responsibilities for awhile."

"Yeah? Some symbolic stuff?"

"Umm... Let me put it this way. Her name now, is Atlanta. Means 'a
huntress'. I guess the best way to put it, is that she needs to go
kill something, real bad, and silly stuff like what happens in video
games won't cut it, ya know?"

He studied me, and I nodded. "Yep. You'll understand it better, once
you've learned how to become some sort of predator. Ain't no such
thing as morals, ethics, or right and wrong, once I decide to go after
something. You needed to see me like this someday, Love, because you
need to know that somewhere inside me, lives a killer, and when the
stress is bad enough, it... Needs to get out and kill something."

I turned away, then looked back at them. "I'll go get us something for
breakfast."

I heard Lib's voice. "Like I said, when she's a bitch, it's not good
news."

* * *

After I'd run a couple miles, just to stretch the kinks out, I got
serious, and let myself go pure bitch, with an attitude. I was
sensible about it, and shielded myself so I wouldn't get hurt, but
that was it.

As far as I was concerned, the next living thing I saw that was bigger
than a mouse, was going to die, if it wasn't a porcupine or a skunk.

As it turned out, it was a ground squirrel I caught away from its
burrow.

It was a quick kill, and I savored it before I left it on the ground
for the scavengers.

It felt good, to be a successful huntress!

Now that the edge of my attitude had been blunted, I decided to just
run and explore my new territory.

It was near dawn when I realized something was hunting me and waiting
for me to enter their ambush, so I slowed my headlong rush, and took
the time to find out what I'd run into.

It was a pack of dogs, and their thoughts told me they'd turned feral
after something had killed the humans they'd lived with.

To them, anything they found in their territory, was food, and I was
in their hunting range. Worse, so were Ted and Lib.

And I... I was a huntress. I was also protecting my pack. The decision
to attack, and kill, was an easy one.

The battle was a glorious one, and after the few survivors limped
away, I pissed next to one of the bodies, then, filled with pride, I
ambled off in search of something I could kill and take back to my
pack mates for breakfast.

A few miles later I surprised a family group of rabbits, and managed
to kill one of them.

I grabbed it, then, head high, I ran back to my pack.

* * *

Lib spotted me first, and watched me until I dropped the dead rabbit
in front of her. "Breakfast."

She sneezed. "So I see. You're covered in blood. What happened?"

"Ran into a pack of feral dogs. Since they figured anything that lived
in their range was food, it was worth my time to convince them they
needed to move somewhere else."

She sighed. "How many did you kill?"

"No idea, and some who managed to get away will probably die from
their wounds. I had more important things to do, than track them all
down and do some mercy kills. For one thing, I was late getting back
with breakfast."

She looked at Ted. "Get used to it, because once *you* learn how to
let go, you'll be the same way."

"Scary, Liberty."

"Yeah. Pretty extreme for Marie, but I've been there, so I know that
when it's over, it's over, and a person can live with it."

Then she pointed with her nose. "Stream's about a mile that way. You
need a bath. Ted and I will take our time, and bring all our stuff."

"Got it. I should be down from the high, by the time you guys show
up."

I turned and trotted in the indicated direction.

* * *

I was still splashing and enjoying my bath when they showed up.

Lib laughed. "Looks like she's feeling better. You up to joining her
and working the rest of the blood out of her fur?"

She bent her head until her nose was almost on the ground, then she
sneezed. "So I like to play, too. Here's a bottle of biodegradable dog
shampoo."

By then I was settled on my haunches and watching them.

Ted finally picked it up and looked at it, then sighed. "Someday, I'm
going to be as casual about being around the two of you. But, right
now..."

He sighed again and looked at me thoughtfully, and there was something
in his eyes...

That said he'd learned something about himself and it bothered him.

I tilted my head slightly. "Ted? Think of it like... Hell. I don't
know. I'm still me, no matter what I look and feel like. Just try to
remember that all of my alternate bodies are still virgins, and...
Hey, guy! You got a harem, for variety.

I sobered suddenly. "You got more experience than I do, too. Be
gentle, huh?"

He sighed and joined me in the water. "Marie?"

"Yeah?"

"Lib became a mare, and helped me become a stallion."

"So? You figuring out that shape doesn't matter?"

"She said it was ok."

I nudged his hand with my nose. "Put some of that on my back, then
work it in. Quit talking, and do. Sometimes our heads need time to
catch up with our emotions, and we need to... Focus on something else
while it happens."

"Umm... Ok. You be ok if I zone?"

"Ted? You're my human, right now, and you're going to give me a bath,
and tell me with your hands, how much you care for me. Zoning is
normal, right?"

He suddenly laughed. "Yeah. You're right. Used to happen all the time,
back home."

He worked the soap in, then, lIke I figured he would, he must have
lost himself in the experience as much as I did, because all of a
sudden I was clean, and he was standing there watching me... And
smiling a little oddly. "You ok?"

"Umm... Yeah. I'm back, now. Let me wade back to shore, then I'll
shake before..."

"Before what?"

"Can I get you to comb and brush me before I switch to something else?
I could dry myself, but I'm feeling lazy..."

He looked at me for a long time, then he nodded. "I don't know which
of you is worse when it comes to wanting attention..."

Then he laughed. "Relax, Love. Lib taught me how to make a slicker
brush, and a mat cutter for the tangles. I was hoping you'd ask."

I stared at him, then glared at Lib. "Somebody knows me too well."

"Yep! Almost as well as you know me!"

I sneezed at them both, then got out of the water and stood so I
wouldn't get Ted wet when I shook myself.

Lib was slower than usual, because I'd started shaking when she
suddenly realized she was going to get soaked. "Hey!! Don't..."

I turned my head and tilted it slightly. "You were going to say
something?"

"Nothing. You shouldn't have wasted time bracing yourself, though. I
had time to set up a shield."

"Aren't you supposed to be reheating my breakfast or something?"

"It will be ready when you are."

She turned, stepped, and screamed at me when her feet sank until her
chest was in the mud puddle I'd created behind her. "How dare you?!"

"Easily."

She grumbled a bit, then ran past us and jumped into the water so she
could rinse herself off.

She paddled around a bit, then came back to the shore and carefully
shook herself before she sighed. "I thought *I* was supposed to be the
sneak."

I flopped on the blanket I'd created, then rolled to my back and
closed my eyes. "She can wait her turn. She may be a sneak, but *I* am
supposed to be a Bard. She knows it, so she has no excuse for not
paying attention, right, Lib?"

"Umm... Big Sis?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we declare a truce for awhile?"

I sighed. "Sure. Hi. I'm Marie, and I'll be graduating at the end of
next semester. Sorry, about that puddle. I didn't think you'd step
into it like that."

She came over and settled on her haunches to watch us. "Hi, Marie. I'm
Liberty Anne. Lib, or Libby to my friends. I guess you know that I've
had a lot of things happen to me recently, and I'm still internalizing
them. Vix can really get intense, can't she?"

"Intense? She was never that way with me. Sure, she can focus on
stuff, but I never felt like she was intense about it. That's if you
mean 'intense', like she was applying some pressure."

"Pressure? Yeah. Enough of it that Kay had to get in her face and tell
her that we had all the time we needed, so she should to back off and
relax."

"Shit."

"Yeah? You see something I can't?"

I opened my eyes and watched Ted, then I sighed. "Sorry, Ted. Once you
decide you're done grooming me, I'll go back to being myself, and then
I'm going to forget all the power stuff and just be your new
girlfriend and all that, until you're ready to think about learning
more, ok?"

He worked the comb through a tangle, then he nodded slightly. "I guess
you want me to get in your face when you forget?"

"Both of you, please."

"I'll try."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome.

Lib sneezed at me. "You're fast, Sis. I should have seen that we were
still pushing when we don't need to."

I opened an eye and studied her. "You can quit worrying about not
fitting in when you go back and stay linear. Or, did you already?"

"Nahh... I went back, fast talked Vix into going non linear so we
could talk, then, as soon as we had, I came back."

"Well, at least I'll know what to expect."

"Marie? That was so damn Bardic, I felt like I was hearing Vix."

"Sorry. You have all those years, and you're mentally a Master,
right?"

"Restating the obvious."

"Yeah, I know. Well, I think if you'd picked up that knowledge the way
I have, in linear time, you *would* have figured out that we're still
pushing and thinking in linear terms. That you didn't, tells me that
you have book learning, mostly, and you'll need a lot of time to
internalize it so it's there for you, the way it is for me. Now that
you've done it, and I've seen the results, I'm hoping Ted and I can
keep that in mind after we go back to being linear, and we need to
internalize all this."

She thought about it a long time, then sighed. "Book learning. Well,
at least I'm going to have lots of company when I screw up, because
you guys are all going to be just as bad, right?"

"Probably. Don't count on being a graceful flying unicorn, after we go
linear."

Before Lib could say anything, Ted roared with laughter and had to
stop grooming me.

We waited him out, and he finally slowed down, then pointed at Lib.
"Flying unicorn. Graceful. I'll be the dumbest hick in the world, to
see that! Coincidence? Hah! Whooee!!"

And he was off again.

Lib finally sneezed at him when he started slowing down. "Ok. I've
been scored on. Will someone tell me *how*?"

My brain finally figured out what Ted was talking about, and I started
giggling. That sent Ted into chortles, which made me start laughing
hysterically...

And he whooped again and started laughing... Then he bent down and
hugged me and I managed to lift my head and lick his face
enthusiastically, and he tried to grab my nose but I squirmed free and
got to my feet and started dancing around him and going for any part
of him I could get to and...

Lib, somehow, managed to wait us out, until we resettled.

"Ok, guys. What just happened?"

I leaned against Ted. "You figured it out, Love. You get to explain
it."

"Will one of you *please* tell me what's going on?!"

Ted wrapped an arm around me, and sobered up as best he could. "Marie
fucked me over, because you need a chance to internalize how to be a
flying unicorn during the show tonight. Balance, Lib."

She stared him, then sneezed again. "What balance?!"

"Sorry. When Marie told Mark what kind of show she wanted him to come
up with, she asked him to make it about a country bumpkin who meets
two girls. One of them acts ordinary, but she has a secret wicked
side. The other one is so far out of his experience he fixates on her,
and eventually wears her down until she admits all the weird stuff is
overcompensation for being so ordinary it's painful to watch her admit
it."

She finally nodded. "You, Julie, and Marie, right? What did she do to
*me*?"

Ted grinned. "After that, she casually told Mark to find a way to work
in a slightly hapless flying unicorn who means well, but doesn't
always get it right, so folks could believe you were acting, and not
learning. I felt fucked over, because she nailed how I was feeling,
then didn't bother asking me if I was willing to act out a cliche' I'm
sick and tired of hearing, every time people find out where I'm from!"

Her head tilted while she studied him and thought about it, then she
sighed. "That's... Too damn fast, even for my sister. Sure, as far as
any of us knew, Mark needed to come up with something in less than
twenty four hours, that all of us could have a chance of doing without
rehearsing it. I can even understand matching the roles to our basic
pesonalities, to make it easier..."

She sighed and sneezed her disgust. "She even set it up so *any* of us
can make mistakes and still feel good about what we are doing. That,
alone, tells me the Zeitgeist was using her, big time, because she and
I know that he has a very nasty habit of making any of our mistakes
work, as if they were supposed to happen. Hasn't happened to us
before, but we've had Tom tell us about some of the mistakes he and
the grrls have made, and how fast they were turned into things that
worked."

I felt Ted stiffen, so I looked at him. He was looking up, and glaring
at something, before he brought his head down and looked at me.
"Well... Shit. If you were a cutting mare, and he was a bull, I'd cut
him out of the herd and tie him so fast it would be a world record!"

I let my head tilt while I thought about his comment, then I spoke
softly and slightly questioningly. "Ted? Is there something you'd like
to tell me about your past? Something to do with lassos and those
horses you grew up with, maybe?"

He blushed. "Oh. Well... I'm not trying to duck when I admit Julie is
better at it than I am. I think it was because she cheated and used
her matchmaking stuff to pick the horse she used."

"Better at *what*?!"

"Umm... Barrel riding. Steer roping. That sort of country type stuff.
I bet she's already shown Mark all her trophies and ribbons, that she
beat me out to win."

Both of us stared at him, and Lib got there before I did, "So... You
came in *second*, to your sister?"

"Yeah. Some of the guys always teased me about it, because some of
them had sisters who teased *them*, with proof that a girl could be a
better cowgirl than any of us could be cowboys."

Something he'd said made me stop what I was going to say, until I
could figure out what it had been.

When I realized what it was he'd said, I grinned at him. "Umm... Ted?
Did Julie ever take the time to match you up with the horse you rode?"

"Yeah. We both tried all of our horses, but eventually we had our
favorites, and they were the ones she'd first picked for us."

"Got it. Now, I have a loaded question, and I want you to do some
serious thinking about your answer, ok?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. Was your favorite a mare, and was she one of the mares you
think might have... Winked at you? Just to make you feel a little
better about that, did Julie usually ride a stallion, and did he
sometimes drop for her?"

"Marie!"

He glanced at Lib, who managed to keep quiet and just watch him, with
her ears perked in his direction.

He finally sighed. "That's... Yeah. Weird. How'd you figure it out?"

"You told us."

"I did not!"

"Sure you did. You said you thought Julie cheated by being a
matchmaker, when she picked the horse she rode, then you said she
picked one out for you. Let's say her heart was in the right place,
the rest is unintended consequences, for both of you. That mare loved
you, and if you'd been zoo, she would have been perfect for you. Same
for Julie and her stallion, of course."

"Crap!"

"Maybe. It just means that Mark is probably going to favor being a
stallion, once he learns how to shape shift. It probably helps explain
how come you and I work so well with each other, when I'm The Singing
Palomino. There's something in you, Ted, that's already a stallion,
and we unconsciously linked on that level."

"Uhh... Yeah. Whatever. My turn. If that's the case with me, what on
earth made a girl who has parents who like to be wolves, and a sister
who prefers to be a bitch, decide to be a *mare*?"

Lib laughed derisively. "She hates pain, and she's too soft hearted to
nip gently, to get her point across."

"Huh? Do you realize how insane that sounds, after she came back with
our breakfast and she was covered in blood because she destroyed
almost an entire pack of feral dogs?!"

I sneezed, to get his attention. "It's not as crazy as she makes it
sound. Atlanta was my first choice when I started shifting. The only
problem I had, is that Little Pest, over there, and her brothers, were
a lot littler, and all of them thought it was great fun, to pull my
tail, and tug on my ears when we romped together. They also figured
out that if they screamed real loud when I gently closed my jaws on
their hands or whatever, mom or dad, and sometimes both, would come at
a run, and check on things. Naturally, they found out what the truth
was, but I got tired of that situation, so I decided that since we had
the room, I could go mare, and keep my tail out of reach. There was
also the sudden advantage, unplanned, that they got a *lot* nicer and
gentler, because if they weren't, they didn't get rides."

I sneezed my own disgust. "Then, when I started learning how to sing,
things got weird and my voice as a mare turned out to be... Perfect.
Vix decided to take me to the mall with her, so I could get used to
singing in public, and the rest... Surprised both of us, at first.
Would you believe I developed Monique as a way to get away from being
The Singing Palomino, without revealing who I really was, and *she*
got away from me, too?! I'm still a little shocked that nobody ever
linked The Singing Palomino and Monique, because Monique only showed
up on the same days I was there as a mare!"

Ted's jaw had gone slack, then he slowly closed it and stared at me,
but spoke to Lib. "Is she right, about the rest of you bugging her and
making her decide to be a mare instead of a bitch?"

"Yeah. Can you imagine what happens when three brats are also able to
use power? Even though it was four against three, things could get
pretty wild. I think it took less than a month of *that* before mom
and dad had someone teach them now to selectively cut the links
between us and Marie or them, and keep *us* from cutting their links
to Marie. We never did learn how it was done, which was definitely a
good thing for the first couple of years."

Ted thought about it, then smiled. "So you and your brothers ran your
parents, Marie, and Vix, ragged? After the way you jumped in during
the assembly, I can believe it!"

"Umm... It wasn't Vix, it was Wolf who wound up spending a lot of her
time helping keep us under control. She usually did it by distracting
us somehow, so the other three could at least take turns and get some
breaks, until we were turned off for the night."

Ted finally turned his head so he could look at Lib long enough she
sent her ears backwards. "Umm... Ted? The last time you looked like
that, I wound up adopting a Paparazzi."

He flinched, then sighed. "Sorry, Libby. First Marie, and now, you.
Both of you make me think Wolf was some sort of super bitch, or
something weird."

"Huh?! Oh! Mahika taught her how to use power, to play, and I guess
she went from there and somehow figured out how to time travel, and
place slide. We have a lot of real strange pictures and movies of that
stuff, after dad figured out a way to mount a cam on her collar. I
guess she picked up something from all of us, but... I think she keyed
on mom and Marie, and decided the rest of us were like puppies who
should be watched all the time, and she did her best to keep us out of
trouble."

She suddenly giggled. "She sure didn't let me get away with anything
after I learned how to be a bitch! Would you believe she could ignore
all the power being tossed at her, and just grab us and carry us
around like we were puppies? I think she put me on more timeouts than
mom and dad *ever* did, until I wised up and got serious about using
power, instead of playing with it all the time. I'm sure I didn't help
any at first, because I tried to make her life miserable by messing
with her all the time, since I couldn't do anything to mom, dad, or
Marie."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, Ted. Real serious. Wolf was damn special, to all of us, and we
all miss her, but I think I might miss her the most, since... Oh,
Hell. The family knows it, and I guess someday the world will find
out. When you see me like this, you're looking at a bitch who is
Wolf's twin. Wolf taught Marie and me everything we know, about being
real bitches. Even the killing stuff, when we went camping. I guess I
really sucked it up, and became her spiritual daughter, or something
like that. Ever since she died, I haven't felt right when I try being
some other breed, so now, this is the only form I use when I go
bitch."

Ted started to say something, then he closed his mouth and frowned
before he went and dug out the klinker that had been his new
harmonica.

He studied it, then looked at both of us before he set it on the
ground. "Something doesn't make sense."

He was looking at Lib, sort of, so I kept quiet.

She tilted her head slightly. "What doesn't make sense?"

"That lump used to be my new mouth organ. We decided it was too
dangerous to keep it around."

"Yeah? So one of you slagged it? That's pretty extreme."

"I know. We figured it was safer to do that, than keep it around
intact. I would have eventually played it, and Marie is terrified of
what I can do with it."

"Terrified?!"

I nodded slightly. "Definitely! That thing is like some sort of
emotion amplifier, back home. He can use it to make me feel anything
he wants me to feel, and I can't block it. At least, with his guitar,
I can think at the same time he takes control of my emotions."

"Got it. Ok, Ted. Keep going."

"So, if what Marie told me is right, this thing is a copy, and the
real one is still in my pocket, right?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Worry about it later. So, when Wolf did her thing, her collar and
the attached camera were copies, and they were really manifested
energy, right?"

"Yes."

"Ok. My stupid question is real simple. How did the images and stuff
get transfered so they were on the original camera, so you guys could
see them and tell she'd been time traveling?"

Lib started to say something, stopped, looked at me and perked her
ears at me, then waited.

I thought about it, laid my ears back, and sighed. "And I told you we
couldn't take the medallion back with us. Maybe... I have a real
stupid sounding explanation. Maybe it happened that way, because Wolf
didn't know it's supposed to be impossible."

I took the time to grin at Lib. "Don't you be thinking *we* can try
some experiments! We're immortal here, but, as far as we know, we
*aren't*, in linear time. Let's be smart, and turn the problem over to
Tom and his grrls. Maybe, they've already figured out an answer we can
understand."

Libby studied me thoughtfully, then sneezed. "Oh, I get it! Ted's
harmonica represents a *lot* of energy. We screw up, and we could blow
a good chunk of the city away."

I sneezed. "I was thinking in terms of going back and having Ted
discover his mouth organ is part of him. Good point. When we're ready
to go back, you handle it, ok, Lib?"

"Yeah. No problem. We done with thinking, for awhile? You done sucking
up attention, and ready to eat?"

I stood and stretched, then went human and smiled. "I'm ready to eat."

Lib laughed. "I'll release the field that's been protecting our food
and keeping it at the right temp, without over cooking it."

* * *

We'd finished eating and cleaned ourselves up again, then settled
against a tree to relax together for the rest of the morning and most
of the afternoon, when Ted brushed the back of his neck and frowned.
"Odd. Both of you are in front of me, but it felt like someone was
touching my neck real lightly."

Lib sneezed. "Pretty good imagination, Ted, since you're propped
against the tree."

"Yeah... Oh."

"What?"

He pointed. "We have company."

I turned my head and sighed. "They're not being sneaky, so I think we
can relax, a little. I'll maintain a shield, while you do the talking.
I've been told translation and stuff is built in, so don't worry about
being able to communicate. Lib. I think you should be a guard dog of
some sort."

"Got it."

She rolled to her feet, raised her hackles, and started a low
rumbling, like she was letting us know we had possible enemies nearby.

Ted reached and touched her. "I see them. Thanks."

She stopped, then stayed alert while we waited

When they were about fifty feet away all of the men squattted and
waited.

Ted broke the silence. "We didn't know there were people in the area.
If we are in your territory, please tell us of a place where we can
go. We are visitors and have no intention of settling here for more
than a couple of seasons."

The leader gestured at one of his people and that man took a bundle of
furs off his back and set them on the ground. "We thank you, for doing
what we could not. These pelts are rightfully yours, and we wished to
meet and thank the one who owns such a great warrior dog."

"Oh. She was hunting for our breakfast and must have done that before
she came back with the hare she caught and killed."

"A bitch? Where is she? The fur we found was as red as freshly spilled
blood, not the gold of the Sun."

"Ahh... She's busy."

I sighed and touched Ted's lips to silence him before I rolled to my
side and studied the small group.

"I'm not that busy."

I ran my fingers through my hair and smiled. "Is this the red you
seek?"

They stared at me, and I nodded slightly. Then I got on my hands and
knees and became Atlanta. They all flinched, so I spoke soothingly.
"My name is Atlanta, The Huntress. Ted seeks himself, and is my
apprentice in matters of the spirit realm. You are in no danger,
warriors. The pack was feral, and their thoughts spoke of no humans
who controled them. They sought to treat me as prey, and later, would
have treated my companions as prey. I did what had to be done, to
protect us. We have no need of those pelts, so you may keep them, and
use them as you wish."

"We? Are all of you sprit people?"

"Yes, we are. We are young, and seek to understand mortals, as you
seek to understand us, so we may better serve, when we are called by
The Great Spirit. If we have intruded where we should not, we
apologize, and will move somewhere else, if that is your desire, for
the desires of mortals defnie who we are."

Lib sneezed in my head. {{Smooth, Sis. Don't overdo it, though.}}

{{I'll try not to.}}

"You are very beautiful, Atlanta. Are you destined to be a Totem
Spirit?"

"Perhaps. For now, my duty is to my companions."

"You do not intrude. We have a saying, that before one is allowed to
understand, they must become part of what of what they seek to know.
Will you join us for a time, so you may live as mortals do?"

"And you wish a chance to live with some Spirit People, so you may try
to understand *us*?"

"Of course. A good warrior seeks to know all there is to know, so he
is not surprised, later."

"I see. Very well, we will abide with you for a time of our choosing."

"Thank you, Atlanta."

"You're welcome. Tell me something. Is there a reason you hunt afoot,
instead of astride?"

He sighed. "Astride? We have heard rumors there are people who use
large beasts to aid them."

"It is no rumor. The beasts are called 'horses', and once they are
convinced a partnership is good for them, they become life long
companions and will defend you as they would their own people."

"Truly?"

"Yes."

{{Ted? Lib? Go with the flow, ok?}}

Ted sighed. {{Stallion and mare, right? Can you do somthing about
being in estrus, so I don't lose control?}}

{{I''ll block the odor and keep the fluids inside, then get rid of
them like I do so I don't go in public.}}

Lib sneezed, {{And what about your attitude? This sounds like you
needing to show off.}}

{{Yeah, I guess it is. What about your attitude?}}

{{Vix taught me some new tricks. I'll be fine, now that I've been
reminded that I know them. Let's get moving, and I'll pass them on to
you guys.}}

"My companions have not been as active in the mortal realm as I have
been, and they aren't as used to living in many of the shapes
available here. We will change ourselves so we may carry the five of
you back to where you live, if you desire the experience."

He finally laughed. "Spirits who offer to change shapes and return us
to our people, instead of take us away from them. Someday, you will
become Totem Spirits of great worth, to they whom you choose."

I laughed, then went mare and pointed my nose at him. "Since we are
the leaders of our groups, it is fitting that I choose you as my
rider. The rest of your people may decide if they wish to ride a mare,
or a stallion. Ted, help this warrior to my back, then you and Liberty
may decide who will ride you. We will walk, until all of us are
comfortable with the situation, then we will... Move a little faster."

{{Very little, Marie. I can trot, barely. No way I want to try
running, yet.}}

{{No problem. Plead inexperience in the mortal realm, and I'll take
them for rides, later. At least, this way, you can make mistakes and
people won't think you're stupid.}}

{{Yeah. Thanks for that much.}}

We finally realized I was being stared at, so we waited for him to
come out of his trance.

When he did, he spoke reverently. "You are the Sun, come to Earth. It
is a gift worthy of a Chief, and you have chosen to give it to me, a
warrior."

Lib sneezed, startling all of them. "Someday, mares and stallions such
as she will be available for anyone who desires to ride them, and they
will seem ordinary, and unremarkable."

"You can speak!"

"Of course."

She shimmered and became a paint pony mare, then bobbed her head at
the others. "I am smaller than my sister, but just as strong. I will
carry two of you. How you decide which two, is up to you. Later, I
will carry you one at a time, so you may learn what it is like, to fly
over ground you have only been able to cover at a walk, or run."

The shortest man looked at her with a hunger that was obvious. "Are
you... My Totem?"

"Perhaps. Someday we will leave, and all you have will be memories,
until a new Totem Spirit enters your life."

"May I touch you?"

"Yes."

He walked over and started running his hands over her, and she started
shivering.

{{Lib! Control!}}

{{Uhhh... Damn! I can't! The links are too strong!}}

I sighed to myself, then spoke calmly. {{Admit you see them, and...
Give permission.}}

{{Yeah. Shit! It's never been like this! No wonder you love the
attention when we groom you!}}

She turned her head and nudged him. "You are My Warrior. Your touch
speaks of your hidden desires and that the shape I wear is not
important to you. I am a female. You are allowed to be a male in my
presense, if you desire to be one."

She raised her tail and flagged him. "I desire to explore ALL of what
it means, to be a mortal female!"

Ted laughed suddenly. "If your culture permits mating with those who
appear to be animals, you may do as both of you desire. Stallions are
much larger, of course, but... It is equally obvious that you are
willing to compare yourself to one of them!"

"She is My Totem! To mate with her is an honor beyond anything I
expected from her! I hope..."

He suddenly looked down and whispered. "I hope I do not fail her."

Lib nudged him. "You will fail me, only if you do not do what we both
want!"

He looked up, then sighed. "You are too tall."

She bobbed her head. "I have heard that many who live in this realm
say that all men, and all women, are the same height when they are
lying down."

She collapsed, then rolled to her back. "Let's find out if that is
true, for a man, and this mare!"

His eyes widened, he looked at his leader, who nodded slightly, so he
moved so he could explore, and eventually bury his penis in her.

He came quickly, and when he started to withdraw, Lib spoke urgently.
"Your hand and arm! Use them inside me! Quickly!"

He stared at her, then moved and worked his hand into her and began
fist fucking her.

"AHHHH!!! YESSSS!!!

When it was over and he'd removed his arm and hand, the other warriors
were looking at the two of them with awe.

Ted laughed. "I do believe you were worthy. Perhaps too worthy, and
your wives are going to feel neglected if we decide to live with you."

Lib groaned, then got to her feet and wobbled a little before she
turned her head to study the now slightly embarrassed warrior. "Until
we leave, I will be your Totem Spirit. Ted? Help this man and a
companion get on my back, after you help their leader get on Marie."

Ted pretended to think about it. {{Marie? It's late for this, but I
thought we weren't going to be doing the power stuff.}}

{{I did, too. I think I was at least thirty miles away, and probably
closer to fifty when I took on that pack. I wasn't really doing
anything more than maintaining an awareness of what was around me, but
I distinctly remember that I never felt anything human in the area.
All that happened just before dawn, so that means these guys somehow
discovered the bodies, skinned them, then made a special effort to
track me so they could give us those pelts. I had to think real fast,
to find a way we could refuse, without offending them. Plus, I
wouldn't be surprised if they sent the meat home. You ready to eat dog
meat? Since we're supposed to be spirits, at least we can eat grass as
horses, or refuse the food we're offered, because we don't need it.}}

{{Ugh! I didn't think about that! Ok. Anything else?}}

{{Yes. Until we know more, I think you'd better do some of the
traditional 'man-is-boss' stuff to reassert your manhood, then take
charge.}}

{{Got it. I'll put you in your place, then we'll see what happens.}}

He glanced at the man next to me, then sighed and walked in front of
me.

He bapped my nose. "Have you forgotten the way we are supposed to act
while we are here? A man who leads should ride a stallion, not a mare.
I will use you to show them all what we have learned, about how humans
get on horses, then I will teach his people how to assist him, until
he learns how to get on with more dignity. After he gets on me, the
two who do not ride Liberty will get on you. Then, we will leave. Do
you understand?"

"Yes, Ted, I do. What of the material things we have gathered?"

"I will put them on the blanket, make a bundle, then we will figure
out a way for you to carry it. The guitar, I will entrust to my rider,
as befits his status."

"Very well. I will try to do as humans do, and let you make all of our
decisions for us. Perhaps, this will make it easier for me to
understand their ways."

Then I laughed in his head. {{Show off! I bet you enjoyed that!}}

{{I sure did, and their leader was nodding his head when I was putting
you in your proper place, so I think I just managed to gain some
points back.}}

{{Good!}}

He focused on the leader. "My apologies. Our ways are not as yours,
when we are at home. We are supposed to be living as you do, so we may
better understand the ways of humans. You will give no offence if you
or your companions correct us when we do something that is not the way
you would do it."

"You are Spirits. We do not expect you to live as we do. The Medicine
Man will want to spend much time with all of you. I think his desire
to understand the Spirit People is at least as great as your desire to
understand us."

Ted laughed. "We will share what we are allowed to share."

Then he grabbed my mane. "Watch carefully. It will look easy, but it
takes much practice, before a person can feel they are doing it
properly. You have to pull with your arms while you jump, then turn
yourself in mid air so you are facing forward when you land on the
horse's back..."

He jumped, and after he settled he patted my neck. "Not all horses
allow a human to get on them, then cooperate with them. We are not
real horses, so you won't have to worry about all of the things a
horse can do, to show their displeasure with their rider!"

He chuckled. "For example, they can rear, and force you to slide off
their back, if they are feeling only mildly upset with you. Marie?"

I reared and they gasped, then laughed when Ted landed on his feet
after he slid off. He then slapped my rump. "She likes to show off.

"However, since we don't have time for you to practice very much,
there is a less dignified, but surer way to get on a horse. Come over
here and grab her mane."

He did, then Ted bent and linked his hands. "Now, put your outside
foot in my hands. When I say 'up!', jump and I will lift you at the
same time. It's ok if you let yourself fall forward on her back, then
work yourself on, until you feel you can push yourself upright.
Dignity will come with experience, of course."

The man laughed, then placed his foot and nodded at Ted.

"Ready? Up!"

He got partway on, then started to slide off. Ted managed to get there
in time, so he could stop the slide, then shove until he got his leg
over me, and managed to find his balance. He gasped for breath, then
pushed and sat up.

He looked around, and started laughing deeply. "I can tell that this
will be great amusement, until we know what we are doing."

He pointed at one of his warriors. "He with the biggest grin, can be
next to try this new experience!"

He looked at Ted. "How do I get down from this place that makes me
feel as if I am a god who is surveying his land?"

Ted was smiling. "Grab her mane again, then swing a leg over her back
so you can slide down her flank."

By the time Ted was satisfied, all of us were laughing, and their
leader finally sobered slightly. "It is a good thing, that we were not
seen while we made fools of ourselves. If the Spirit People are ready
for the journey, I say it is time we went home."

Ted looked at Lib. "Liberty?"

"Ready!"

"Marie?"

"Of course I'm ready."

"And I will be ready, after I make our things into a bundle you can
carry."

He handed his guitar to the leader, who examined it carefuilly. "What
sort of magical device is this?"

Ted finished tying the bundle, then took his guitar back from him. "It
is related to the bows you carry, but is used to make music when we
sing."

He strummed it a few times, then plucked some notes before he handed
it back. "I will do more, after we take you to your homes."

The leader was staring at Ted. "It spoke to my heart!"

Ted sighed. "Yes, it did. It is not alive. It... I use it when I have
no words that would say what I want to say, or I wish to add feelings
when I do sing with words. Usually, I remain silent, and let someone
with more skill, sing while I add the emotions we want others to
feel."

"It is... A Medicine Man's Tool?"

"It can be, yes."

"Are you, then, a Medicine Man, in the Spirit Realm?"

Ted sighed deeply, then nodded and gestured at each of us. "Yes. I am
new to the job, and they are my teachers. We were sent here, so we
could learn what we need to know, before I take my place at their
sides."

There was a long silence, than a slow nod. "I am not certain which is
more surprising. Medicine Men are encouraged to learn from all, so it
makes sense that a Sprit Medicine Man would learn from women who have
the knowledge he seeks. What surprises me is that there is no Sprit
Medicine Man with you."

Ted nodded. "There are two Spirit Men who have the knowledge I need,
and one of them has been teaching me. We are considered old enough to
be sent into the world on our own, so neither one of them came along.
Marie is... More of a Medicine Woman, than she is a Wise Woman, so she
was placed in charge of our adventures, when there is need for
decisions to be made that affect more than us."

The leader smiled. "So, your women are allowed to openly admit they
have more control than most men are comfortable with admitting?"

Ted shrugged. "Yes. There is a saying in our land: 'Women and Cats
will do as they will, and Men and Dogs should get used to it'."

He stiffened, then roared his amusement before he sobered. "The other
thing I find surprising, and it makes me uncomfortable, is that your
companions are... Spirit Medicine Women, and privy to the inner
secrets, instead of being Wise Women, with inner secrets they do not
share."

Ted thought about it, then he sighed. "I am not as experienced as they
are, with putting on different mortal bodies. However, I think it
would be best if I try to give you an example, to explain some of the
reasons we so freely share the inner secrets."

He went mare, then looked at the man. "If we are to be the best
whatever we choose to be, we need to know that form's inner secrets.
If I did not know the inner secrets of being a Mare, I could not be
the best mare possible. It is the same way with all the other aspects
of our lives. Marie, and Liberty could choose to be Medicine Men, but
their basic aspect is female, so they choose to learn, and act, as
Medicine Women, instead of Wise Women."

Ted went black stallion, then bobbed his head. "Thus, since my primary
aspect is male, unless there is great need, I choose to wear the male
form of whatever I choose to be. It is our mind that determines who we
are, so we seek to understand that, without letting the body it wears
tell us what the mind should be like."

He finally sighed and nodded back at Ted. "We are Warriors, and you
three are more properly the sorts of problems the Medicine Man and the
Wise Woman should deal with."

Ted bobbed his head again. "Then let one of your warriors help you get
on my back, before they choose whom they will ride, so we may take you
home, and become someone else's problems."

While everyone was deciding what to do, I laughed in Ted's head.
{{You're pretty good at ducking. Get lots of practice?}}

{{Yeah. Weird, when I look back on it. Thanks for letting me do all
that by myself. Now, I know what you've been going through. Makes me
appreciate how good Mark is, too.}}

{{Yeah. Hey, there aren't any predators we have to worry about, so you
can figure out a way to make putting you between us a position of
honor.}}

{{Oh, thanks... Hmm... Let me try something else.}}

After everyone was settled, Ted turned so he could watch his rider.
"Since we are here to learn your ways, I will appreciate it, if you
determine our positions as we return you to your home."

The man looked around, thought about it, then shook his head slightly.
"We usually walk close enough so that we can see each other. I feel as
if I am in the sky and looking down on the world. With the feral pack
destroyed, there is little that we must worry about, except for snakes
and small stinging creatures. I think..."

He suddenly straightened and gestured at his men. When he was done,
our riders asked us to move so we were about fifty yards to his and
Ted's flanks, then there was another series of gestures and we started
moving, with Lib and I even with Ted.

After I was certain we were in our proper positions, I spoke to Ted.
{{You set the pace, ok?}}

{{Thanks. This feels about like the best I can do for now, and I can
tell he needs a lot more time to get used to moving with me. Doesn't
help, that I have to think about what I'm doing, sometimes.}}

Lib laughed in our heads. {{Just remember to watch out for holes and
stuff. You're doing fine, Ted. Sis? Keep an eye on us?}}

{{Sure. Main thing for both of you to remember, is that nasty bit of
reality called 'inertia'. That's especially true for you, Lib, because
if you don't pay attention, you'll wind up using your canine muscle
memories.}}

{{Yeah. I got bit by that, a lot, when I was with Vix and Kay. Still,
I do have the right muscle memories there somewhere. Umm... Are you
going to get upset if I do some non linear exploring while we're
walking?}}

{{No. I'd like to know where the tribes are, who already use horses. I
can't believe I was dumb enough to ask them about that, before we
found out more.}}

{{Yeah. Ted? Let's stay away from things like saddles and all that
stuff..}}

{{What about hunting from horseback?}}

{{If they suggest it, let them figure out everything, and tell us what
they want done. How good are you riding bareback?}}

{{Ahh... I can do ok, but that's on a horse I've worked with a lot, so
we are used to each other.}}

{{Got it. Let's duck and say we've watched from a distance, and only
done slow stuff like this.}}

{{Avoid it all?}}

{{Definitely!}}

{{Got it. Hey! If we're Spirit People, we'd better have a good reason
for being so comfortable in human bodies, right?}}

Lib let us hear her sigh. {{Big Sis? I guess that's your problem,
since you seem to have a knack for improv on short notice, right?}}

I sighed. {{Oh, thanks. After fucking me and Ted over once, you want
me to take a chance of doing it again... Umm... Crud. Let's hold off
and see what happens in the next few minutes. We got company coming in
at a run, on my right flank.}}

Lib turned her head slightly, so she could look in my direction.
{{Yeah? I can't see anything, or feel anyone out there. Ted?}}

{{Nothing.}}

{{Ok. Sis? Are you sure someone is out there?}}

{{Wish I wasn't. Just go with the flow, and let whatever happens,
happen. Ted? If they spot anything, tell your rider to relax, because
no matter what these two look like, they're really Spirit People.}}

{{Yeah? Who are they?}}

{{Mahika, and Sandy... Shit! Lib! Tell your riders to relax! You've
got a raven diving at you, but he's no threat!}}

{{Where?! I can't feel a thing!}}

{{Directly at you, from your left flank, and at about eleven
o'clock!}}

{{Spotted! Shit! He's dive bombing me and I can't stop him!}}

{{Figures! Damn show off!}}

{{Who is he?! Oh! Duh! Tom, right?}}

{{Yeah. Ted? All stop, and tell your rider that these are some of our
Elders.}}

{{Got it. Should we clump?}}

{{No. Lib? You face Tom and I'll face these two.}}

{{Got it!}}

We all stopped moving, set ourselves, and by then my riders had
frantically searched for, and found what had caught my attention.

"Wolves!"

I bobbed my head slightly. "Two of our Elders, who have chosen to
manifest as mortal creatures."

Before I could say anything more, we heard two war cries, then Lib
laughed in our heads. {{These two are *fast*.}}

Ted laughed. {{We saw it. My rider is not sure how to feel about what
happened, other than relieved the raven avoided the arrows. He also
hopes his warriors have not offended the Spirit, by attacking him.}}

{{Reassure him, that the attack will be praised.}}

Then I focused on the two wolves who had settled on their haunches, in
front of me. "Hello, Elder Ones. I greet you."

Mahika tilted her head slightly. "Which of you startled Thomas, by
spotting him before he wished to be noticed?"

"I did. I do not wish to offend, but perhaps he forgot that as long as
I am awake, I am aware. The three of you... Seldom travel as less than
three."

"True. We will talk of this, and other matters, later."

"As you will, Elder Spirit."

"Of course."

She studied my passengers briefly, then stood and stretched in a
formal bow. "Well done, Warriors. As it will be with the Spirit
Children, so will it be with you and your companions. Many things will
be spoken of, when the time is right."

Then she left us and headed for Ted.

We were moving again, with our escorts, when Sandy got around to
speaking.

{{How? Tom had blanked himself to the inner vision.}}

{{And we were supposed to be distracted by a couple of wolves, and
searching the ground?}}

{{Yes.}}

{{I could say I'm familiar with your games, but I'd be lying about how
I spotted him. I felt the shift in the currents. Plus, he didn't do
anything to keep the insects from noticing his passage. Their
awareness of his passge was... Intense.}}

{{So it was a double disturbance?}}

{{Yes. And of course, he was visible to ordinary vision. Because I am
a prey species, attack from above is something that I remain on the
lookout for. Vix made sure my situational awareness was constant, and
all encompassing.}}

She sneezed suddenly, then glanced at me. {{It was not supposed to be
a test of your abilities, only a means of seeing how aware your
companions are.}}

I laughed at her. {{Did they pass?}}

{{Yes.}}

{{My turn. Ok, I blew it when I asked why they weren't riding when
they found us. They have heard rumors of horses, so I decided we would
be Spirit People, and give them a sample of what it's like to ride.
Other than that, anything else will be their ideas, and we have
already told them we are young, and learning human ways.}}

{{We know. You told us about it when you returned to being linear.}}

{{Ok. So you're here because we said you'd showed up?}}

{{Yes. Thomas decided he'd see if he could keep you from spotting him,
even though we knew you had.}}

I sighed. {{So we're in the middle of some more 'has-to-happen'
stuff?}}

{{Yes. Go with the flow, Marie.}}

{{Shit. I should have expected this. Julie, Mark, and Vix are waiting
for us, aren't they?}}

{{Yes. How did you figure that out?}}

{{Liberty's head is pretty fucked up, about her growing up away from
all her friends and stuff. Vix knows it, so it would make sense that
when she took Julie and Mark non linear, she'd arrange things so all
of us meet somewhere, and become a family group. Since the three of us
went non linear first, the logical thing to do would be to set up a
'chance' meeting that reunites us. It doesn't explain you folks, but I
long ago quit trying to keep track of the way you figure out where you
should be.}}

She mentally sneezed her disgust. {{This time, you told us where we
had to be, eventually. Chrys and the others added some more details,
and here we are.}}

{{You ducked. Was I right, about Vix?}}

{{Not quite. When they were asked, Julie decided that she wanted to be
someplace near the family farm, so she and Mark had some time for
themselves, before they ran the risk of running into you folks. They
were in an earlier time, so we figured out when they should show up,
and where, then gave Chrys the location before we did our thing.}}

I sighed. {{Anything else?}}

{{You don't have to worry about trying to come up with a believable
story about who the Spirit People are, and how we live. Mahika
strengthened her link to Mark, and he's... Doing some inspired
improv.}}

{{Thanks!}}

{{You're welcome. Oh. You can relax, about Ted. Tom and he have picked
up where they left off.}}

{{Good. I think we had that mostly taken care of, and now all we need
is some time for us, to let it sink in.}}

{{That's why we're here, so you can 'learn how to be humans', and
pretend you don't have any responsibilities, other than growing up.}}

{{Yeah. Right. Well, I guess we survived it all, so I'll try to relax.
Which one of you is in charge?}}

{{Tom. The three of us are being tribal elders.}}

{{Got it. Umm... What about the others?}}

{{Chrys, is being... Chrys, and Thomas is going along with her.}}

{{Don't ask?}}

She audibly sneezed her disgust. {{Yes. Mahika and I got told to get
used to being supporting actresses in some Rabelaisian Improv.}}

{{SHIT! She's being whimsical!}}

I got an ear focused on me after that comment. {{The situation means
something to you?}}

{{Huh? Are you trying to tell me you guys have never seen her like
this?}}

{{Yes. I'm guessing, when I say that Tom probably knows what's going
on, because of their link. Neither one of them has shared anything
with Mahika and I.}}

I got real, real serious. {{Several years ago, when Lib and my
brothers had been exceptionally creative brats, in her presence, I
asked her the obvious question: 'How do you cope when a situation
overwhelms you?' She gave me what was, at the time, an answer that I
really didn't analyze, because I thought I knew what she meant. She
said that the few times it's happened, she fell back on 'Experimental
Jazz', until she solved enough problems she could see the larger
picture again, and go back to being a True Bard.}}

Sandy went to the heart of it. {{She's overwhelmed, knows it, and is
now in coping mode and wants the rest of us to stay out of her way,
until she has a handle on her responsibilities again?}}

{{Yeah. She's one seriously stressed Bard, Sandy.}}

I opened myself to Ted and Libby. {{Hey! Guys! Time for us to
seriously chill and be normal. There's an overwhelmed and seriously
stressed Bardic Master ahead of us!}}

Lib reacted first. {{Vix is being whimsical?!}}

{{She told Sandy and Mahika they're supporting actresses in some
Rabelaisian Improv. What's your call, since you know her better than I
do?}}

{{She knows we're coming?}}

{{Yes.}}

{{Ted? Do us all a favor, and let her focus on Mark and Julie, unless
she deliberately deals with one of us. Umm... I have a real stupid
question. Do we know if she's in heat, back in linear time?}}

Sandy sighed. {{Yes, and she's recently done enough non linear stuff
so she's definitely on the edge, in her non linear body. The effects
are rapidly multiplying each other, instead of being additive.
Apparently the rules are slightly different for Rabelaisians. Expect
Thomas to go Rabelaisian Hare in the very near future.}}

{{Thomas?! You're using his full name? Oh... Crap! Hey. Maybe we can
help her out. Marie? Do you think you can link with Ted and rebuild
his new mouth organ?}}

Ted jumped in. {{Lib?! Are you INSANE?!}}

{{Desperate, Ted. I've seen her in a normal heat, and helped Kay deal
with that.}}

I sighed. {{So you want me to rebuild it, so Ted can use it to make
love to her? You up to shielding the rest of us?}}

{{Yes. Ted? Start working on Tom, so he... Oh. Their link. Never mind.
Marie, rebuild his mouth organ, so after we show up, he can dig it
out. She's going to be suspicious when she sees it, so just hit her
with that 'You told me to get in your face, when I felt you might be
making a serious mistake. Then, hit her with some improv that tries to
capture Tom's love for her. Make it... Damn sexual. You focus on her
and Tom. I'll deal with shielding everyone else.}}

{{Marie? I thought we weren't going to do any of this stuff, until I
could control things better.}}

{{Sometime in the next day or two, Vix is going to make Monique look
celibate, and she's from a culture that takes using sex to get rid of
the edge, for granted. She also won't care who is there, and there's a
good chance Tom alone won't be able to satisfy her. We're hoping that
if we add you to things, her emotions will be satisfied enough that
Tom can satisfy her physical needs without help. Plus, it *has* to be
us who get involved, because she'd probably kill any normal humans
that try to help.}}

{{Oh. Hit her fast, and hard? No warning, because of her link with
Tom?}}

{{Exactly.}}

{{What if I hit them with what I did when I expanded Lib's aura?
Sandy? Do you think Tom will let me manipulate him like that?}}

{{He will, so you just focus on their emotions.}}

We heard his sigh. {{This is some more of that Zeitgeist fucking with
us, isn't it? What's going to happen to Vix in linear time?}}

Sandy laughed. {{Merlin is going to be damn busy. Chrys has been
teaching him how to let go, so he can satisfy her. Tom sandbagged them
last Winter Solstice, and gave her conscious control of her instincts.
None of us expected something like this, because she seldom goes non
linear.}}

Ted laughed. {{Some more of that obvious after the fact, stuff?}}

{{Yes. Also, it's some of that 'no such thing as coincidence, when
you're an Avatar'. Welcome to the ranks, Theodore. Relax as best you
can, and enjoy the ride, because it's going to be a wild one!}}

{{Got it. Ok. Do it, Marie. I'll tell Tom that since everyone is here,
I want to get some help learning to get that stuff with the mouth
organ under control, once everyone is ready to help.}}

{{Ok, Ted. I can feel the klinker, so if anyone feels anything, you
handle the explanation.}}

I focused, and spent the next mile or so using his and my memories,
plus the memories in the klinker, to recreate his mouth organ.

After I finished, Sandy sneezed in my head. {{Good job. Any reason you
didn't ask me to go linear, and bring back a copy?}}

{{Oops! I'm not used to this stuff. I didn't think of that solution.}}

Then I narrowed my thinking. {{Ok. You haven't said anything, so did
we do everything we told you we'd done? Nice job of avoiding letting
us know that Tom will let Ted manipulate him, because he's expecting
it to happen, and that will let Ted overwhelm Vix's normal defensive
spells, which are going to be pretty frayed, if she hasn't already
lost all control of them.}}

*That* assessment got me both ears, and a casual study after she
gunsighted me with her nose. Eventually she faced forward again.
{{Marie?}}

{{What's wrong?}}

She hit me from a direction that left me confused. {{May i have your
permission to install a block? We need to talk as Alphas, and I need
to make sure that what we discuss doesn't get away from us until it's
time for the others to know it. More specifically, I need to hide what
we know from Tom.}}

{{You... Want me to help you hide something from Tom?!}}

{{Yes. I'll also put a block in place in linear time, once we return
to it.}}

I studied the raven who was riding on Mahika's back, while I thought
about what Sandy was asking. {{Sandy? If I ask you a serious question,
can you remove my knowledge of what your answer is, just before we go
linear, so I don't remember it after we go back?}}

{{Remove, and not block?}}

{{Yes, because I was already planning on asking it on Solstice, which
is a better time for me to find out what I want to know.}}

{{You feel things have changed enough you need to know the answer,
now?}}

{{Yes.}}

{{I will do as you ask.}}

{{Thank you. Are you Wolf?}}

{{Yes. Each of you must discover that knowledge on your own.}}

{{Damn. I was hoping I was wrong, even though I'm relieved. Do
whatever you feel you have to do, Wolf.}}

{{Thank you. I will not abuse your trust again, unless the Zeitgeist
forces me to.}}

I sighed. {{Yeah. That idiot and his fucked up way of using us is a
given. So... What the fuck is going on, that you need to open up to
me, before you and I figure out the new context?}}

She sneezed, then sighed. {{You are what's gong on. You have a
situational awareness and adaptability that is at least as fast as
Tom's is. It is innate, and not a result of you being used.}}

{{Lib was wrong?}}

{{Yes, but do not tell anyone she was.}}

{{I thought it was part of being a Bard.}}

{{It is, but in you, it's exagerated.}}

{{Are you saying I've been bred to be this way?}}

{{Exactly. I just took the time to go check out your ancestors, and
found a surprise that explains some things, but forces some changes in
our planning. It also forced me to install the block and hide my
knowledge from the others.}}

{{Before we get involved in that, Wolf, tell me how you betrayed my
trust, because I never thought you did. As far as I knew, you died of
old age. I was ready for it, even though I didn't want it to happen.}}

{{When all of you linked with me, so I could show you some of what I'd
been doing when I traveled, I deliberately held back quite a bit. I
was already thousands of years old mentally, and Tom had just forced
me to realize that my powers and experience had made me the Alpha of
our family group.}}

{{More?}}

{{Yes. I did not accidentally find the arrow shaft that led to the
'discovery' of that Native American site, and the income that made it
so none of you will ever need to worry about money, even if you hadn't
become power handlers. I knew what I was doing, even though I hadn't
been in contact with Mahika and Tom since she'd given me the ability
to use power.}}

{{I think I get it. You feel you betrayed our trust, because you
manipulated us into not needing to worry about money, then you
willfully deceived us when you were acting as a conscious Alpha.}}

{{Yes.}}

I thought about it, then let her feel my sigh.
---

End Abandoned work: Marie's Solstice Part Three 

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