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Earth - An Unexpected Meeting

Posted June 7, 2021, 4:47 p.m. by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - An Unexpected Meeting

Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Earth - An Unexpected Meeting

Posted by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - An Unexpected Meeting
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Ragna slept for a several long hours, not moving, sleeping mostly peacefully, the sudden storm long gone before she began to stir. Movement was slow, stiff, and aching. The body needed time and sleep to heal, despite the marvels of modern medicine.
Ragna McKenzie

As Ragna slept, the time was not wasted between Seamus and Tara. Discussions, planning, and various times Tara went outside to make calls all served to solidify the McKenzie response to the situation. Additionally, medical reports came into Tara. Angus would be fine, the ram was tough and a few broken ribs were not holding him back form giving the veterinarian a heap of difficulty. Argyle, on the other hand… broken ribs, multiple lacerations, broken jaw, missing teeth, concussion, and ruptured… bits… would have him in the hospital for a week at least. His sisters had been in contact with the police, and an Inspector was due to arrive at the house sometime in the late morning.

As Seamus tended to Ragna, Tara stepped outside to make one final call. Connect me to Cuyler Edman. she said into her personal communicator.

Seamus McKenzie

The console beeped as Cuyler was heading out the door for the day. Helka was already outside trying to entice Aurora, Ragna’s pet fox, into the house. The hyper animal refused to go inside anywhere except Ragna’s old house. And if they couldn’t catch her, Ragna would have to come back and get her. Cuyler saw the identification of the caller and nodded. He was expecting a call at some point. He sat down at the small, for him, table he used as a desk and accepted the call. He had no idea how formal the Lady was but Cuyler was an optimistic and caring man and they were family with much to celebrate, and so he skipped over the pomp and circumstance, but he was also a polite man and never overly familiar with women he didn’t know. “Cuyler Edman. What can I do for you Lady Tara?”
Cuyler

Tara didn’t mince words. “I am speaking to you as relation, not Clan. Ragna has been hurt. She is being tended to by Seamus and our family doctor, and will recover. But there are extenuating circumstances that must be discussed face to face surrounding this. I am not comfortable discussing the matter over communications. If you can and are willing, send me your location and I will have you and your wife and brother transported here immediately. Otherwise, I will send a shuttle. We do not have time for boats and sail.”

Lady Tara

Cuyler’s face went to stone. He didn’t like how any of that sounded. This wasn’t an accident; Ragna had been hurt on purpose. He had many questions, the first being if Seamus had killed the b@$!@rd? “Five minutes.” He gave her the location and the comm went dark. He walked out of the house, reached down and grabbed Aurora by the scruff of her neck and turned tossing her in a small carrier. He grabbed Helka by the shoulders and shoved her inside. “Ragna’s been hurt, get your things, hurry.” He grabbed a massive double headed axe from above the door. He had no intention of threatening Tara, Seamus, or their family, but if he should need to make a point…”ODDVAR!” his voice cracked across the village center, drowning out the sound of hammer and anvil against heated steel. Oddvar stopped what he was doing and jogged across to Cuyler’s house massive hammer still in his grip. “What is it?”Oddvar knew that tone. “Ragna’s been hurt. Get in the house.” He nodded to Devlin and disappeared inside.

Ragna stirred, gasping quietly as she twisted from her midsection and abdominal muscles screamed in protest. She settled back, breathing slowly and discovering if she breathed up into her chest rather into her diaphragm, there was only a small amount of pain. She blinked until her vision cleared, and then everything seemed to flood back instantly from the day before. “Seamus?”

When Tara went outside, Seamus had moved to Ragna’s side. When she said his name, he took her hand and said “Aye, wife. I’m here. Don’t fret yerself none. Everything is ok. I’m here, you’re here. Angus is coming home tomorrow… or maybe sooner. I’m getting the impression the vet isn’t as fond a’ him as we are.” and he chcukled. “And she’s outside. Hasn’t left since she got here.”

She smiled sadly at the news of Angus. The poor beast. She started to speak, and licked dry lips, tongue moving over a still slightly bruised lips. “He tried…to protect me.” She looked at him confused. She? Vague hazy memories. “Your Gran?” She cleared her throat and coughed. She tried to push herself up to sitting but found her abdominals hurt too much for that. She stopped and closed her eyes, taking stock of herself and not liking it. “I’m thirsty.” She smiled a little at him, “Always…asking you…for water.”

Five minutes later the three appeared in front of Tara.
Cuyler and Family

Tara looked at the assemblage and nodded once. “Welcome. I wish out first meeting would have been more… joyous… but we seldom get what we want. She is inside, in bed, resting. One at time you should go see her. Good luck getting Seamus to move, though.” and then she looked at Cuyler. “Go see her. Then we will talk.”

Lady McKenzie

Cuyler shook his head, “I’m not fool enough to get between my wife and her child.” Helka had already moved away and knocked softly at the door. She set her sword down outside the door. “Seamus? It’s Helka, I’d like to see her.” She had only met him briefly but Cuyler had told her all about his meeting with Seamus, and she respected him and his decision in caring for Ragna. Aurora in her carrier, slung over Helka’s shoulder, squirmed and softly yipped as if she knew Ragna was inside.

“Come in, please. You are always welcome in our home.” Seamus said, rising and motioning for Helka to sit. He went and got Ragna her water and brought it back, giving it to Helka and then standing aside… but close.

Helka entered quietly and closed the door behind her. She looked around the house a smile forming. Oh yes, Seamus was a good match for her daughter. She sat at Seamus’s offer and looked over Ragna carefully. A deep steady breath was the only indication of the ache in her heart at the sight of her youngest. “Well Ragna, it looks like you got in a fight again. I’m sure you won, good for you.” She brushed back Ragna’s hair and kisses her gently on the forehead. Aurora was squirming and rolling in the soft carrier. Ragna glanced down and shook her head. “Give her to me.” Helka set the bag on the bed close to Ragna’s hand and unzipped it.

She took the water from Seamus and gently squeezed his hand, with a quiet “Thank you.” Helka was relatively a small woman but strong. She lifted Ragna up gently so she could drink the water. Her clothes, hair, and the bed damp and dirty where Ragna had fallen and been caught in the storm. She laid her daughter back down. She could almost feel the worry rolling off Seamus. “Seamus, how about you hold her in that chair, or better yet I can put something down outside. The fresh air might help clear the cobwebs of the headache and it’s very overcast the light shouldn’t hurt. I’ll change these and then we can see about getting her cleaned up.” Really the man needed to hold his wife, and Ragna needed that just as much. Questions and stories could wait.

Seamus nodded and took one of the chairs and a footstool outside and put them under the shade of the awning and by the rain barrel. Coming back in he looked at Ragna and said “Come love. I’ll heat some water and get you cleaned up. Fresh clothes and a warm wipe down and you’ll feel better. Come on.” He gently reached under her and slowly and carefully lifted her up and cracked her against him. He looked at Helka and said “Clean sheets in the bottom drawer. Her clothes are one drawer up. Would you put the big pot on, please?” and he went out and got Ragna settled in the chair.

Ragna clenched her teeth expecting pain as he lifted her, and there was but there was none from where Seamus held her. “I could walk,” she muttered into his chest. Which was a total lie and they both knew it. She’d never admit it but she felt immensely better in his arms. After he set her down she hissed as she found a position she could sit without aggravating torn muscles. Once she did she didn’t move again.

Helka hung the big pot and began to fill it, pumping water slowly but steadily, she urged the fire up from hot embers and swung the pot into the flames. It was quick work to strip the bed and pile the linens in a large basket, then she rummaged in the drawers for bed linens. Helka finished making the bed quickly and the water was on its way to be heated. She opened Ragna’s drawer and shook her head over it until she spotted the tartan skirt. Then being a slightly meddlesome mother-in-law she found Seamus’s drawer and took a shirt off the top.

She came out and draped a large blanket over Ragna, more because it gave her some privacy while Seamus cared for her. She looked at Seamus, “Water is heating. Here are clothes for her. I figured one of your shirts would be better. Looser so it doesn’t bother all those damaged muscles.” Helka disappeared around the side of the house and then water was heard sloshing about and linens being scrubbed. A black nose appeared over the edge of the stool, and a small domesticated Arctic fox carefully climbed up and laid across her feet, watching Seamus with outright curiosity.

Seamus ignored the fox, concentrating all his focus on Ragna. He went inside and came out with the pot and set it beside her. He then sponged her off with warm water, cleaned her, dried her, and dressed her. He smiled at her and said “You know… even battered and bruised, ya still make me think of all kinds ‘ things I shouldn’t be thinking.” and he winked at her.

Oddvar, with the practiced eye of a hunter took in the scene of the damaged garden and he growled low in his chest. His eyes fell on the cobbles where Ragna had landed and hit her head. Fists flexed and relaxed several times. He glanced at Cuyler once, meeting his gaze and nodding. Cuyler looked back at Tara. “My wife will be a long time in there. Let’s talk.”
Ragna McKenzie
The Edmans

Tara took his arm and half-leaned, half-led him away from the house. She looked back at Oddvar and said “You may as well come too. That way I don’t have to repeat myself.”

She walked them down the worn path towards the nearby ravine and stopped when they were out of earshot of the house. “Now, I do not have all the facts. But there was a fight… a bad one… between Ragna and Argyle, one of my grandsons and Seamus’s cousin. I am sure by now you know of the rift that exists in my family, and I am not going to make light or try to protect him because he is my grandson. He’s a bully, and always has been. That being said; I do not know how it started and I don’t know who threw the first blow. What I do know is that when I arrived, Ragna was near unconscious and Seamus was about to kill Argyle and had I not he would have. And then Seamus would have thrown his life away for filth. Ragna will heal in a few days… Argyle will not. He is cut up on his face and arm… and I am guessing the bloody gardening trowel I washed was what Ragna used. He also has a broken jaw, missing teeth, concussion, broken ribs and a ruptured testi-… ahem… ‘injured pride’, shall we say? Those are courtesy of Seamus. Argyle is in hospital… and the police will be here soon to discuss the matter and his sister’s request.”

Lady McKenzie

Cuyler took her arm and patted her hand, a habit he’d developed to comfort his wife. He and Oddvar listened quietly while she spoke. “Knew I liked that boy.” Cuyler said as Tara described Argyle’s injuries. Oddvar grunted and muttered “Good Girl” at the mention of the trowel. Oddvar watched his brother. He was in a difficult position. “Lady Tara, I wish we could have met under easier circumstances. But please hear me out. I am formally claiming right of retribution against Argyle McKenzie, pending of course that my daughter didn’t start it. But if I don’t, she will. I am willing to wait to see how this plays out for our families. I can’t promise that Ragna will on her own. Now with that formality out of the way. What are we going to do. Because this is no longer an us and them problem.”
The Edmans

Tara shook her head. “No. None of the Old Ways. Not right now, at least. We have police to deal with first and foremost.” She let go of Cuyler’s arm and stepped in front of him and Oddvar. “And lest your forget, your son is in it. The damage he did to Argyle, justified or not, is not going to be forgotten or forgiven. He has set himself squarely in their sights. And if you think they won’t try and get him thrown to the wolves for this, you’re daft. So, before talk of retribution and rites and other archaic notions of justice… we have to turn this situation to our advantage.” and she took a small step back and grinned a grin that had sent chills down the spines of those who were about to feel her wrath.

Cuyler nodded, “As I said I am willing to wait, and Ragna will too as long as she knows her Chief has made the claim. But it stops her and her hot head from saying something she shouldn’t. So tell me what you need.” Cuyler was not phases by the grin though he was glad to see it. He hoped whatever she had in mind was as good as the grin. Oddvar was eerily silent.

“And I have just the wat to do it… but you, Cuyler Edman, are going to have to ask your daughter Revna to do something she will absolutely refuse to do. But if we are to save the McKenzies… it has to be done. Do you understand me?”

Both men snorted. “Don’t you worry about Revna. There is a steel in that girl that makes Klingons cry. What do you need?”

“So tell me, gentlemen… what do you know about the Rite of Reconciliation?” and she grinned that grin again.

Clan McKenzie

Oddvar grunted and muttered in Norwegian “Og hun sier gjengjeldelse er arkaisk. (And she says retribution is archaic.)” Cuyler shot him a glance. Not that he didn’t think Tara was being high browed and dismissive, but judgements were for later. Then again that was Oddvar’s job. To play devil’s advocate, to be the militaristic one, the one who saw everything their way. Oddvar wasn’t really like that, but as klanvakt (clan guard) it was his job to be somewhat confrontational. And it was Ragna who got hurt.

Cuyler raised a brow. “For us, by our laws, it is used only in extreme circumstances. It requires the chief to step down and name a successor, immediately from the assembled clan. Or if the chief won’t stand down, a duel. Historically to the death, but things don’t go that far now. But we haven’t had such a rite in a couple if centuries. And here?”
The Edmans

“The same.” Tara replied. “And if we play our hand well… I can guarantee Argyle and his ilk will call for it. Your job, Cuyler Edman… is to make sure that Michael and Revna are here when that happens… with the rest of my clan none the wiser about it.”

Seamus and Lady Tara McKenzie


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