there's a humming in the restless summer air Who: Sia Vox (npc), Dee, & Maddie What: The Nightsister recruits get some tutelage and find out more about their prospective allegiances. When: Two weeks following this thread. Where: Vox household, Nar Chunna. Rating: W for Witchcraft.
The days in the Vox household passed with some regularity; Esaaj would rise first, and prepare the morning meal. Dee and Maddie were set up in Issan's old room; a tight squeeze, but one that the Vox sisters made work by stripping down the bed in favor of two cots. Sia took them under her wing, at first keeping them solely to mental exercises meant to allow them more control over their new abilities. Afternoons were for more physical practices; Esaaj frowned at a broken pot, while Sia congratulated her students on their progress. Esaaj had cleared the room of most personal items after that, but she corrected Maddie on her posture and gave Dee advice on her hand movements, so it was clear she didn't entirely disapprove of the venture.
Weeks passed without a word from Issan, but Sia reassured both Maddie and Dee that there was nothing amiss. They were to practice and not let worries cloud their judgement; Issan would return in due time. Now knowing all that they did about the secretive witch, it was clear that there were many claims on her time. Sia instead had them focus on their studies.
This morning, Sia sat at the morning table, risen before Esaaj. She held a steaming cup of tea in one hand, her eyes closed. A pot sat to her right with a small cluster of cups. All was still and quiet, the cool morning light streaming in through the windows. The curtains were pulled back; they would be closed before the afternoon heat, but for now, a sense of peace pervaded the small living quarters.
Madalena rose first; not wanting to disturb Dee, she slipped quietly from their room and out toward the kitchen. Barefoot, she padded through the house nearly silently; the only noise announcing her presence was the shush of her hem along the floor behind her.
The cool light filtering into the room reminded her of home. She rose early then, too, waking to watch the world turn blue as the sun rose and gently stirred the forest to life. Occasionally she’d be lucky enough to see a hart lazing near the edge of the clearing.
Seeing Sia there at the table, Madalena pushed the nostalgia aside. “Good morning,” she said, as clearly yet quietly as she could manage. From close behind her came the sound of a barely contained yawn.
“Morning,” Dee said. She shuffled barefoot into the kitchen, her hands deep in the curls of her hair, fluffing it out from where it had been pressed against her pillow in the night. She took up a seat at Sia’s side, where she could look out the window to the alien morning beyond. “The tea smells delicious.” She longed for a splash of bourbon to temper the morning’s drink. Training had been taxing, and she found herself wanting something to take the edge of Issan’s continued absence.
Sia's head bobbed a greeting in return to both of the women, but she made no move to get up or reply. Curls of steam continued to rise from her cup. After a beat, she opened her eyes, taking both Maddie and Dee in with a smile.
"I trust you both slept well," she offered, bringing the tea to just in front of her. "We will fast for today, with exception of a small drink. Help yourselves, but you may not use your hands." As always, the day's training began from the very first moment of waking. Lifting the pot was simple enough, but dexterity and precision were needed to ensure the tea ended up in the cup rather than on the table or, worse, someone's front. Sia took a sip of her own drink, waiting and watching to see who would complete the task first.
Madalena glanced at the two women before looking back to the teapot. This was going to be interesting. She pulled out a chair across from Sia and Dee and turned her attention to the cups. Slowly, one cup slid unevenly across the table to her. She stopped it at a fair distance from herself, already not confident enough in her abilities to pour the tea into it with the cup any closer to herself.
She glared at the teapot, then turned a softer eye toward Sia and Dee, unsure of what she was expecting to see on their faces. Madalena looked back to the teapot, and after a moment it began to rise. Its movement was unsteady and slow, almost as if it were being lifted by a child too weak to support its weight. The lid rattled menacingly in its cradle atop the pot. It began to waver yet again, before clattering back down onto the table with a heavy thump. Madalena heaved a sigh and scowled at the pot.
Dee sighed. It was far, far too early for this, but that was a sentiment she knew better than to put to words. Suddenly the bourbon seemed even more appealing than before. She swept her tongue across the bow of her lips. She looked to the teapot, extending her will out toward it as they had been shown. The teapot rose a small height from the table’s surface. Its lid did not rattle, but it remained too low to be of any use in pouring. Slowly Dee coaxed the thing toward her. The nearer it drew, the more it began to tip. She fought the urge to push her cup beneath its canting spout. She drew her lower lip between her teeth.
Slowly, shakily, the pot began to tip correctly. Tea splashed out, at first too slowly, then with far too much vigor. Scalding liquid flew out in fat, great drops. Dee swore, shaking searing droplets from her hand. The teapot righted, but stayed in the air.
After a moment to compose herself, Dee made the effort again. This time the pour was unsteady, but less intense; it took only three tries to fill -- or overfill, if Dee was honest -- her cup. Somewhat satisfied, she let the teapot drift slowly to the tabletop.
Sia watched the whole exchange with no small amount of amusement, though she kept her smile hidden behind her own cup. She waited until Maddie had also completed the exercise, offering a little help with a nudge or a push here and there; it must have felt like ages for the two women to get something as simple as tea into a cup, but in truth it was only a few minutes. Both of them were progressing quite well, given their age and newness to the galaxy. Having talked with them at length about their former homelands and a little about their former abilities, Sia knew Issan had chosen her students well; both were women of ability, and some previous training. The rift was proving to be a blessing in disguise for her niece.
"Well done," she praised them softly, putting her own cup back down. "Now that your minds are awake and stretched, we will do a little meditation. Then I think we may go outdoors this day, and practice in a wider space. I fear my sister is tired of having her possessions broken." She settled into her seat, though, giving both of her students a moment to rest. "How do you feel you have progressed so far?"
Madalena wrapped her hands around her cup, savoring its warmth. “Honestly,” she said, staring into the swirling depths of the tea, “not well. I’ve never done anything like this, so I don’t have a way to gauge how quickly I should be progressing, of course, but it always just feels like it shouldn’t be quite so hard.” She sighed and took a quick sip of her tea. “I suppose I’ve just never had this much trouble learning something, and it’s more than a little frustrating.”
Dee nodded understanding. “Anything new is hard at first,” she said, more to console Madalena than for Sia’s benefit. Madalena smiled, grateful for the encouragement. “But I’ve trained somewhat similarly before, and I understand the steepness of a learning curve. I know we’ll get there.” Color darkened her cheeks. “Hopefully with fewer broken housewares. I admit I look forward to when I’m more competent with these things. Clearing one’s mind is a harder task than I’d imagined.” She chuckled. “I’m used to having a sword in my hand before or when I do so. There’s a kind of clarity in a straightforward, physical fight.”
Sia nodded in agreement to Dee's words. "Complete control over one's abilities is something most Force users struggle with over their lifetimes. Few, if any, ever truly achieve it. You are both still new; do not be so hard on yourselves." She brought her cup back to her lips, then once more it made the descent to the table. "And do not worry about the broken vase. Esaaj makes a fuss because she has little else to do."
She let the silence fill the space for a moment, creating a comfortable buffer; her eyes drifted toward the windows. Nothing could be seen from them, as they faced an alley directly outside the Vox living quarters. Outside, noises announcing the start of the day for the street-wide market were audible: shouts, the muffled noises of animals, the rattling of tables and coverings being put into place. "You have both made good progress, though. Most start much younger, but you are getting there. The true test will come when you are asked to do something you thought not possible."
She leaned forward, bringing her gaze back to those seated. "Perhaps today we will bring something of the physical into our training; it may help speed your learning. Nightsisters have trained with weapons, including a sword. We have never been the kind to charge into battle, however."
Dee sipped at her tea. It was nearly half gone already, though she had been trying to savor this sole “meal” of her day. “May I ask what the usual methods are?” she asked. “A friend of mine was at one time an assassin. And some of our work, though not much, was done by… let’s call them less than straightforward means. Stealthiness is not my forte, but I’m not entirely unfamiliar.”
Madalena smiled. “I suppose stealthiness isn’t exactly my forte, either. But - as far out of my comfort zone as I’ve been already, it seems one more push away from it couldn’t hurt too much.”
"There were a variety of warriors in our ranks, but yes, stealth was our main asset," Sia confirmed. "We prefer -- and I still do -- to work from the shadows, using surprise to our advantage. It helps that we had numbers, but there were a few of us who also worked alone.
"But there is merit in having different skills in a group," she added. "You must be adaptable in this age. Things are not what they were all those years ago, and I certainly hope that Issan understands that as well. The Nightsisters will not be as they have been in the past. I am sure she will find uses for each of you." A bang followed by a loud came from outside as it sounded as though someone's vehicle backfired, or perhaps a droid malfunctioned. "Sometimes I do miss the quiet of Dathomir, but there is a certain charm to being buried within this city's bowels," she commented, shaking her head as she raised her cup to her lips again.
“It certainly helps in hiding,” Dee said. “Better the crush of people than an empty road, easily seen from a distance.” She frowned down into the liquid in her cup. “I have to wonder how long even that will keep us safe. Issan, and many others, speak of this… man… as persistent and cruel.” She pursed her lips, and twisted a lock of hair tightly around one finger. “Would Dathomir not be better? I’ve read it’s remote. Desolate. Perhaps the First Order would have no interest in it now.”
Madalena frowned. “Despite his cruelty, he seems to be considered quite intelligent. If he’s discovered a connection to Issan, Dathomir would be the first place he would look for us.” She paused. “At least, that’s what I would do, were I in his position.” She did not say that she had been, many times over. She did not mention the traitors she had ferreted out, the revolutions she had crushed under her heel.
"It is hard to say," Sia commented. "In my time, when we first left Dathomir, the Empire watched the planet, ready to destroy any who might resurrect the Nightsisters or any others who lived on the planet. That Issan has been there and lived to tell us news of this is a great feat indeed. I do not know if the Order would have interest in Dathomir, or if the satellites and other sensors the Empire set up around the planet still exist; but Maddie is right in this regard.
"The less the Order knows of us, the better. I suspect my niece has worked hard to keep others from looking too deeply into her past, or her intentions.
"But that is something you can bring up with her, when she next returns," Sia finished. "I do not claim to know her plans." She took another drink, finishing her cup. "You may help yourselves to another cup of tea, but we will have water out in the deserts. It would be suicide not to. Do you have proper clothing for this environment?"
Maddie nodded before looking to Dee. “I think we both do -- we took time to purchase some clothing before we left Naboo.” She’d paid attention to what the people -- was that even the right word? -- around her wore, what the native population chose for their daily activities and had selected similar garments. Hopefully they had made wise selections.
Dee looked up from where her eyes had wandered. She still wore the vestments of her priesthood, and she was grateful to have been allowed to do so. Often she felt they were her final connection to the world she had left behind; now she had to shed even this last of skins, to ready herself for what was to come. She plucked at the purple fabric of her loin skirt. Her mouth had drawn into a frown, though she did not feel it. She tossed back the last of her tea and rose from her seat.
“I’ll go and get ready,” she said. She was plainly distracted; thoughts of the Order and their missing teacher flooded her mind. She nodded gratitude to Sia. “Thank you for the tea. Is there anything else we should do to prepare? Other than the clothing, of course.”
Sia shook her head. "You need only yourselves. Please get ready quickly." She did not move from her spot at the table, already dressed for the day. Watching Dee and Maddie disappear back into their room, she wondered at what was to become of all of them.
* * *
Several hours later saw them coming back to the small house in the center of town, pouring through the door just as a sandstorm was about to strike. Sia had opened the doorway of the dwelling, ushered Dee and Maddie through, and then sealed it behind them, waving her hand over the threshold before turning back to the two women. They were all thoroughly covered in a fine dust, some dirt and sweat; all of it spoke of long hours under a hot sun, although Sia had done her best to find the shadiest spot for them to work in. That had taken some doing; she had led her two students out of town, on foot, keeping their voices low. She'd worn a black hood over her stark white hair; the black cloth was much like Issan's but more finely decorated with silver stitching.
Finally they'd come to a crested hill two miles outside of town, one that offered shade during the middle part of the day. It did nothing, however, for the heat or the wind, but Sia named those elements challenges to Dee and Maddie's practice. They had first moved and shaped sand, and then Sia had produced two daggers. She had bid them practice alone, and then against each other while she acted as a buffer to keep them from seriously hurting one another. She had three skins of water that she shared among all of them, making sure her students drank carefully and not greedily.
Once the sun started to crest over the hill, Sia collected the daggers and had them follow her back to her home. The storm had come up on their heels, dogging them into town and finally falling over the buildings with a scraping roar that seemed louder once they were inside. Sia pushed her hood back, undoing her cloak.
"I will see what Esaaj needs help with; you may go wash." With that dismissal, Sia disappeared into the kitchen. The table that they had eaten breakfast on that morning was covered in strange bottles, with an empty, black plate decorated with etched swirls expanding out from its center placed directly in the middle of the space.
Dee drew her hood down from around her face. Dust fell from its folds; she gave the table a wide berth as she rounded it, loath to sully the table or its settings. Her eyes did not leave the plate in the center of the table until she had reached the doorway opposite, and staring openly at it was a physical impossibility. When she moved into the hallway, her gaze dropped to the floor. Exhaustion had crept into her bones. She flexed her hands -- knuckles raw and wind-whipped, skin chapped and dry -- and was rewarded with a series of sharp little pops.
Inside the washroom, Dee undressed, carefully shaking out the dirt as she removed each layer. She used as much water as she could justify, and after a few careful pours from the pitcher, the water ran off her skin in clean, clear rivulets. She dressed anew in her old, familiar clothing, then slipped out of the bathroom.
Madalena could remember clearly the last time she had felt this tired. It felt like an age ago, like a different life, even. She felt she wore it like a cloak, and she envisioned it as a reward for a day’s hard work. Still, she could not wait to wash away the film of sweat and dirt that stuck to her skin like henna.
The items on the table as they entered had not escaped her notice, though perhaps their importance had. Madalena felt slightly unnerved by the plate at the center but was unable to pinpoint exactly why. By the time she reached the bathroom she had given up entirely trying to decipher its meaning. The sisters would explain it, she felt sure. As she yawned and shuffled her way to the bathroom, she failed to notice Dee emerging from it. Dee raised a hand and gently touched Madalena's shoulder, neatly avoiding running into her.
"You look how I feel," she said, then continued on to the neatly set table. Madalena smiled weakly before continuing into the bathroom.
The Vox sisters remained ensconced in the kitchen, hushed voices talking about things in accented Basic that were not entirely audible to parties in the dining room. Likewise, the bottles and other paraphernalia scattered across the table had not changed nor moved; the bottles were oddly shaped, their contents even more so. Plants and other pieces of unknown objects were peppered throughout the fixtures. The plate, like its brother and sister items, remained unchanged and unmoved, though it did seem to give off a subtle aura, a sort of heat, that warped the air around it.
Dee was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She stopped at the edge of the table, bending down a little on her knees. For the moment she kept her palms flat against her thighs. She knew better than to touch an artifact like that. It exuded something she could not name, but which she recognized by the way it felt; there was power there, and she wanted badly to understand it, to know its means and purpose. She drew her lower lip between her teeth, worrying at it as she stared.
Then she rose with a sigh, her bent back cracking loudly as she straightened. Her eyes remained on the plate, but to busy her hands she plucked one of the bottles from the table, and began following its unusual curves with her fingertips.
Madalena stood quietly watching Dee. She had bathed and changed, her still-damp hair falling loose around her shoulders. She was not a religious person, though she held no ill feelings toward those who were. Sometimes she envied them. Sometimes pitied them. But Dee was different altogether. Dee seemed wholly convinced that whatever deity she served was real and alive and active, and Dee seemed invested in that. Madalena felt now, watching Dee at the table, that whatever was there must hold some religious significance that perhaps her own lack of faith kept her from feeling as deeply as she might otherwise have been able to.
She straightened and approached the kitchen table, quietly announcing her presence. “What’s this, then? Have they mentioned it yet?”
"They are tools," another voice interjected; Esaaj appeared from the kitchen, holding a large bowl on one hip and a stack of plates and cutlery in her opposite hand. She moved across the room to a small table, where she placed both. The bowl offered a selection of greens. She turned, watching Dee handle the bottle. "Some things you may be familiar with, I think, Dee, unless your magick is that different. They all can be used in many ways, though they are mainly for trapping and holding the things we create."
Sia followed on her sister's heels, carrying a plate of wrapped pastries. She smiled to see her two students curious about the table's wares. "Be careful with that one, Dee. It is a poison."
Dee's lips pursed. Gingerly she set the bottle down, tapping its stopper with one finger to reassure herself it was indeed closed. At last she tore her gaze from the plate. She moved to the sisters' sides. She retrieved plates and utensils and began preparing each place setting.
"Some of them are hard to see through," she said, tipping her head to indicate the bottles. "But some of what I can see does look familiar. At home I used a lot of bone and blood in particular. The prayers themselves were the more important element."
Madalena gathered up cups from the kitchen and followed along behind Dee, placing them at each setting. She worked quietly, listening but not commenting; she knew very little of religion -- even less of religions that worked in blood -- and she found herself wary of saying anything ignorant and causing offence.
Esaaj and Sia worked to clear the table of their magick-invoking apparatuses, allowing Dee and Maddie the room to set the table.
"They are meant to be sorted by feel, rather than by sight," Sia explained, bringing her plate down on the table and removing the black one that had dominated the tabletop until that moment. She stood off to the side of the room and seemed to whisper something to it, passing her hand over it; the plate's aura dissipated, and became just another piece of dinnerware. She placed it within the same cabinet as the rest of the paraphernalia, soundly closing the door once she was done.
"But yes, the words and the emotions are important. One must never overlook the benefit of good ingredients," she added, watching her students make quick work of the table settings. "Tell me, what sort of things did you used to make?"
"Mostly components for summoning circles," Dee said. Belatedly, her eyes flicked away from the cabinet where the plate that fascinated her now sat. She stepped back from the table, wiping water from her hands onto her loin skirt. "Charred bone powder, bone chips, and marrow with a bit of blood works especially well. I infuse a bit of both in my incense as well. Anything that will strengthen my connection to N'Rygoth."
Both sisters watched Dee's gaze move back to the innocuous looking cabinet in the corner; Esaaj's frown refused to dissipate, while Sia's smile seemed to grow. The latter sister motioned for them all to take a seat.
"Our spells are not quite like that," Sia explained, picking up utensils and serving herself from the plate she'd set down moments before. "Ours are...augmentations. They can offer different abilities, either to the user or to their enemy.
"We also use them to create artifacts." She put the utensils back on the plate, turning to fill her cup. "Did Issan not speak of any of this before she brought you here?"
“No,” Madalena finally spoke up. She glanced around at the other three women. “At least, nothing I can recall.” Her voice trailed off into uncertainty and she cut her eyes to Dee. Had Issan said something about this? Was she missing something?
Dee gave a quick shake of her head. She pulled her chair in, drawing closer to the table. "We kept more to the why of what she wants to do," she said. "The how didn't particularly trouble either of us, I don't think." She took the bowl as it was passed to her, serving a healthy portion of greens onto her plate. The arduous training had left her hungrier than she'd anticipated. She looked to Sia, who watched her far more warmly than her counterpart.
"Augmentation and artifacts sound very useful," Dee said. "Back home there were books and weapons that might fall under that category. My friend Hannah often used enchanted staves and the like."
Esaaj waited for the bowl to be passed to her, making no comment on the current topic. Sia, on the other hand, was perfectly happy to offer more details.
"The artifacts we create are not typically weapons, though those have been created in the past," she explained, one hand curled loosely around her glass. "More were rings, or other items of jewelry, that offered the wearer particular abilities. One sister was able to turn into a raven."
"And became trapped in the form when the ring was destroyed," Esaaj interjected, her voice flat. Sia glanced at her sister, then back to Dee and Maddie with a smile. The enthusiasm Dee’s face had shown had abated somewhat.
"As with anything, the objects are not infallible. But that gives you an idea of what we focused on within our magicks." She moved her hand to take up an eating utensil and spear a few greens. The utensil was pointed straight up as Sia continued talking. "The augmentation was different, and often applied directly to the person. Such a gambit was used during the last stand of the Nightsisters, on one of the Dathomirian males.
"Unfortunately, it was not successful."
Madalena pushed the greens around on her plate, taking small bites in between the other women’s sentences. She was listening, sure, but also daydreaming about being able to shapeshift. She’d like to be a raven, she thought. Sometimes she wouldn’t even mind being one forever. It really didn’t seem so bad.
“What happened to him?” Maddie asked, carefully stabbing a small pile of greens, folding them until she could eat them all in a single neat bite.
Dee watched the sisters closely. “And what would the augmentation have done? Had it been successful.”
Sia shook her head. "I apologize; the augmentation worked, the gambit did not. The male was imbued with terrible strength and the wrath of the sisters, to better protect them against the oncoming dangers of the Empire. He was killed in a stormtrooper raid, overwhelmed by Empire forces." She took a bite of her food, chewing and swallowing before continuing.
"He did take down a battalion of troopers before he died, however." She waited a beat, watching Dee and Maddie's reactions. Maddie’s eyebrows were raised. ‘Stormtroopers’ might mean nothing to her as yet, but the word ‘battalion’ was a different matter. "The most important thing to note is that our powers and abilities are stronger in groups. Nightsister covens are capable of great and terrible possibilities. This is what caused others to fear us and seek our destruction."
Dee’s lips were parted on a silent sigh. She gave a small, sad shake of her head. “An entire battalion?” She struggled to imagine what it might have been like. The power the Nightsisters must have to enable one to conquer so many was nearly incomprehensible. A quiet voice deep within bid her ask if this power was something so few should have, and keep to themselves. She put the thought aside.
“Strength in numbers,” Dee said. “I understand that. Are there plans to bring more into the Nightsisters, then? Aside from the two of us? If the First Order thinks as the Empire did, I can’t imagine we can go beneath their notice for long. Recruiting and training will become even more difficult over time.”
Sia shook her head. "I would imagine that Issan plans to initiate more than just the two of you, but she has not told me the entirety of her plans. She has always been secretive, but that comes of being one of the last of her kind. She would ensure that her plans are known only to her until it is necessary for others to know.
"But you are right. Eventually the Order will take notice, and perhaps also the Resistance. What little is left of the Republic as well. Other groups in the system will find out. That is why she wishes to ensure that you are both capable of protecting yourselves, and possibly others when the time comes. The Order is the main opponent, and it is difficult to say how they will approach the resurgence of our covens.
"It is possible that Issan is already working to prevent a recurrence of the past, due to her position in that horrendous place." She shrugged. "All of that is but one of many obstacles that you will have to overcome."
“And you think we can?” Madalena asked, the question thankfully not sounding as combative as she feared it might. “Overcome them, I mean. ”
“Wait.” Dee lifted a hand. “Would the Resistance or the Republic be against us as well? They claim to be on the side of good. Granted, so far I’ve seen little of them, and heard even less of what they plan to do. Do you expect them to resist the Nightsisters’ return? Or to actively oppose it?”
"They may," Sia replied carefully. "It is difficult to say. In the past, they may have seen us as a contained threat. We did not leave Dathomir often and had no spacecraft of our own. It was only under Mother Talzin that we became a force worth noticing. And our past alliances, however brief, with the Empire may not allow others to view the group favorably.
"But this is all speculation. I only wish you to be knowledgeable of the task you are undertaking. As you said before, the Order will be your main enemy. It is not unwise to consider other potential threats before one is forced to deal with them."
Madalena nodded. Never let yourself be surprised, she thought.
“It’s appreciated,” Dee said. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve been here long enough that I should know what I’m facing. Other times…” She waved a hand, uncertain how to put her apprehension into words. “It’s like this. But I’m used to watching my back, and my sisters’ backs along with it. This is on a bit of a larger scale, is all.”
Sia's head bobbed in agreement. "You've come from a smaller pond into a larger ocean, I believe it can be said. There are certainly many more dangers here than you may be used to, but Issan picked you for your abilities. If you are to have faith in something, it is in one another.
"The Goddess will smile on you for your fellowship." Her words were warm, and spoken like a true believer; Esaaj made a small snorting sound, but concentrated on her food. Sia chose to ignore her sister's unspoken remarks. Madalena eyed the sisters suspiciously, but said nothing.
"Now, after we eat, perhaps we shall practice a little magick of our own? It will be a nice break from your usual lessons," she offered, excitement making her eyes glint.
Dee’s expression mirrored hers. She forced herself to take a bite and respond only by nodding; it was difficult, though, with the lure of the spellworking materials so nearby, and the promise of new knowledge so close at hand. She shifted in her seat, impatient as a child.
Maddie smiled softly and glanced down to her plate. Her own food was almost gone, but she ate the rest eagerly, ready for whatever lessons lay ahead.
* * *
The meal was cleared from the table quickly, the spell components replaced nearly as soon as the food was gone. Sia laid things out in a neat order compared to the haphazard display Dee and Maddie had seen before.
"Nothing here is an exact ingredient that we would have used on Dathomir," Sia explained, naming each plant and item as she laid it out, "but we have found comparable items that work. It is hard to say if they are as strong as the original recipes, but as you said, Dee, sometimes it is more the emotion, the words, that imbue power -- the parts surrendering to the whole."
She laid out the black plate last, setting it down after whispering something to it. Its aura rose up again, swirling out of nothing to a bare half inch above the plate.
Sia began to pull together a few things, offering out a pestle and mortar to whomever would take it first. "I think we will start with a simple enchantment, something to put enemies to sleep."
Dee moved forward at once. She was comfortable here, even more so than she had been with their earlier weapons training. This was something she understood. She took the mortar in one hand, the pestle in the other, feeling their familiar heft in her hands. She turned the smooth line of the pestle in the loose circle of her fingers.
"Must this be ingested?" she asked. She thought back to her quick -- and admittedly quite lucky -- escape from her pursuer on Naboo. "Or will proximity or inhalation work?"
"Most of what we make focuses on allowing us to keep our distance; that said, either application is viable. Is there one that you prefer? I would pick inhalation myself, though that is a knife that cuts both ways.
"Hmmm," Sia said, her entire response made without looking away from the table. "Maddie, please sort these plants. We only need the leaves, not the stems. There is a fine line between sleep and death, so the amounts must be just right."
Madalena set to work, carefully sorting out the plants as instructed. She smiled at the appellation; no one but Gareth had ever called her that. Thinking of him made her smile fade, and the plants in front of her began to blur. She stopped to wipe her eyes with the backs of her hands and then continued her work.
“So,” she asked. “Is this a targeted creation for a single enemy, or can it be adapted to larger-scale attacks?” She might not be as comfortable with the religious aspect of this task as Dee, but Madalena’s mind was already back in the war room.
Dee moved to her side, peering down at the pulled leaves. They were an unfamiliar variety, though already her mind was at work determining how they might be prepared. Powdered, perhaps ground and boiled if they were meant for the edge of a blade.
Her eyes flickered momentarily to her friend’s face. Her brow furrowed as she noticed the evidence of barely-shed tears. It was unlike Madalena, but inappropriate to mention now; she made a note of it, reminding herself to ask at a better time than this.
"Even before, we limited our attacks to smaller groups," Sia answered. "When Mother Talzin rose to power, the Nightsisters became mercenaries and assassins. We have always focused on pain points, areas of weakness, rather than overt attacks on large groups. But there is always room for adaptation."
She watched Maddie divide the leaves, then motioned to them. "Dee, please grind these. And Maddie, if you will bring the blue vial from the cupboard." Sia herself took one of the rounded bottles and unstoppered it; she set it to the side and then picked up the black plate, bringing it close to her person. She settled it in a clean, open space on the table.
Madalena set aside the leaves and headed for the cupboard. She returned carefully holding the blue vial, as if it contained precious jewels. “Large groups are more in line with my own experience,” she said. “It will be interesting to learn a more targeted approach.”
“There’s good and bad to both,” Dee said. She dropped a handful of leaves into the mortar, then took up the pestle again. As she ground the leaves she caught a hint of their scent; she lowered the bowl farther away from her, being perhaps overly cautious. “There’s nothing quite like getting right in someone’s face. All that blood and sweat and adrenaline. It’s real. You know you did something.” Her gaze grew distant; a darkling smile played on her lips. Then she pulled herself out of her reverie; something like sheepishness showed through her momentary joy. “But it’s not always the best way. Of course.”
Madalena watched her, smiling. She knew that feeling. She missed it.
She looked to Sia, one brow arched. “What do you make of Mother Talzin’s approach? Was she right to… adapt?”
Sia didn't answer immediately; instead she motioned for Dee to move closer, and added a few more items to the curved interior of the mortar. One was a clean, white powder; the second a sprinkling of dark, coarse balls not unlike pepper. She motioned for Dee to keep grinding.
"If she had not, I doubt any of us would be here right now," Sia replied. She took the blue vial from Madalena, holding it between forefinger and thumb. The tone of Dee's response did not go unnoticed, but Sia did not comment; instead, she focused on the vial and the plate in front of her. "Esaaj and I were on assignment when Dathomir was attacked. If our culture had remained as insular as it was, we would likely be dead now."
She closed her eyes, a low humming coming from under her breath. The liquid in the blue vial -- in fact, it was the thing giving the vial its color -- trembled. She spoke again, her eyes still closed and her position unchanged.
"Dee, if you would sprinkle your mixture over the plate -- just a little. Please do so evenly, and try to match your movements to the grooves."
The priestess moved to obey. Every motion was precise, exact; not a flake of the mixture was misplaced. She barely seemed to blink, so focused was she on her work. The weight of this moment was not lost on her. She felt on the cusp of something monumental. The moment the she was satisfied she had done enough, Dee turned her eyes to the vial, seeking any sign of what had changed within it. Still she hovered close to the plate, looking down once more to the surface that had earlier so captivated her.
The humming in Sia's throat grew louder, and the liquid in the vial rose up, drop by drop. Slowly, it hovered around the plate in a complex formation, not unlike a pattern on a star chart. The tone dropped, and so did the drops, mixing with the fragments on the plate. The plate returned Sia's humming, vibrating incrementally in time with the song; suddenly a second voice seemed to join in, and then a third, as the liquid turned to a mist that hovered above the plate. It spun, mixing itself together and turning purple; after a moment, the voices dropped away, and Sia's lone sound coaxed the mixture back into the vial from which it had come. She opened her eyes and corked the vessel, then offered it to her students as she slouched back in her chair.
She made no comment, waiting instead for one of the two women to take the resulting enchantment and examine it for herself.
Madalena glanced at Dee before cautiously taking the bottle from Sia. She popped the cork out of the bottle and wafted the fragrant mixture toward her. She placed the cork back in the bottle. “It smells… nisssss…” Madalena’s voice trailed off as her eyelids grew heavy, heavy, heavy, until she felt she couldn’t possibly hold her eyes open another second. She wavered, but managed to place the bottle on the table and grab a chair before losing her balance completely. “Sleepy,” she mumbled. “So sleepy.”
Dee chuckled. “Effective,” she said. She plucked the bottle from the table and raised it to her eyeline. She wiggled her fingers, watching the liquid inside slosh around. “If that little will induce sleep, how much does it take to kill?” She looked up to Sia, and carefully set the bottle back down. “I wouldn’t want to overdo it,” she added.
Madalena laid her head on the table. “Not much, I should think,” she mumbled. She still felt enveloped by a thick fog, but she could tell it was lifting. Effective, yes, but at least she hadn’t inhaled enough to make the effects last very long.
Sia smiled as well, and shook her head at Dee's question. "It slows the heart and brain functions; more would make the decrease too sharp, and permanent." She leaned back over the table, picking up a few other plants; she plucked some leaves, and offered them to Maddie.
"Chew these. It's an antidote." Maddie took them gratefully, munching them lazily as she listened to the other women.
Dee looked closely at the leaves Sia passed to her fellow student. Every scrap of information was too precious to let pass by, even something so small as this. If the Nightsisters had access to such a poison, after all, someone else might as well.
"The plate," Dee said. "Is it only enhancing your enchantment? Or does it have power of its own?"
"It is a conduit, and one of the last relics from our home on Dathomir," Sia replied, leaning back in her chair. "It assists when we do not have others to aid us. Normally, such spells would be created by a coven, but you know why our numbers are few."
She waited a beat, glancing back to Maddie to see how she was faring. Her question was for both of them. "Did you hear the voices?"
“Voices?” Madalena echoed. The leaves were gone, and so was the fog. She looked at Dee. Back to Sia. Maddy had heard something, to be sure, but she thought it was just the drug-induced haze. She hadn’t been able to distinguish any one voice, or understand any one word. And the more she thought about it, the less certain she was that she’d heard anything at all. It could have been just a lazy daydream.
“I think,” she chanced.
Dee was more certain. "I did," she said. "A song, I think, or maybe a chant. It reminded me of our communal prayers. I assume the song has as much to do with the form the poison takes, or how the ingredients are mixed, as the more technical side of the process does."
Sia smiled at Dee. "Good. That is a good sign. Connecting with the spirits will be an important part of your spellcraft.
"And yes. They are directions of a sort, using the Force to combine items to make a new one."
She sighed, turning tired eyes back at the messy tabletop. "If you will assist me in placing the spell components back in the cabinet, I will answer any questions you have." Sia glanced at the plate, her hands resting on the table a bare inch away from each edge. One hand rose, passing over palm down; she whispered a few words, and once more the item's aura dissipated.
Madalena rose, quietly gathering a few of the items and taking them back to the cupboard. “What does it mean that I couldn’t hear the voices as clearly? Was that only because of the potion?” Before she’d even finished asking the question, she was mentally kicking herself. Good job, Madalena,, she thought. Now they’ll think you weak, they’ll know even you doubt yourself.
Dee followed close behind her, her arms laden with bottles and jars. She heard the self-recrimination in Madalena's voice, could feel it coming off her in slow, steady waves. When she set down her burden she reached out, patting Maddie's arm. It was a small gesture, quickly ended, but she hoped it made her message clear.
"What spirits do you believe in?" Dee asked. "Issan mentioned something about a goddess to you, when we first arrived..." She trailed off, aware of the unspoken accusation in her tone. She chewed her lip. "Who is she? And are there other spirits as well?"
Sia rose from her place at the table, leaving the plate and instead parceling together more of the paraphernalia from the tabletop. She addressed the questions as she received them.
"That you heard them at all is important," she assured Maddie. "There was always variance in our covens; the voices were stronger for some, while others could not hear them at all. Sometimes it required training and practice to allow the connection to be made." Sia lifted the items and brought them to the cupboard, where she began to organize the plants in some unfamiliar pattern.
"The spirits are our ancestors. They are imbued in the plate willingly, a connection for us to the Goddess. They dedicate themselves to her eternal service, and are rewarded in the process." She closed the doors softly, making sure they were firmly shut. Her hands dropped to her sides, and she turned around.
"Your Force abilities are what I believe allow you any connection with them at all; more practice will strengthen that link, and belief will encourage them to help you."
Belief in what, Maddie wondered to herself. At least she’d heard the voices. At least she knew that part was real. “How do you practice something like that?”
"Constantly," Dee said. She leaned in toward Madalena, softly jabbing an elbow into her side. "I've always found meditation helps. Even when I didn't believe, meditation centered me. It allowed me to focus on what was important." She raised one sleeve, flashing a dark bruise already welling up from their earlier weapons practice. "Between that and more practice at what we've already been taught…" She pulled her sleeve down, covering the mark once more. "I think we'll both pick it up. Don't worry."
A grin flashed over Sia's face. "You've already started to. Now you only need to stay with the path, and fully commit." The happy expression tempered with solemnity, hands folded in front of her.
"This is not an easy road, but one that ties faith into power never is. You will have questions that have no answers, and terrible things will be asked of you. But if you listen to Her, she will guide your steps to what you truly deserve." She softened her words with another smile. "You have each other, and that is a boon that most others cannot claim. I am so happy Issan found you; I do not think I can explain fully what this means to me, and to our people."
Madalena grinned wickedly. She was looking forward to growing her powers, by whatever means necessary, and she could already see that having Dee and the other women around her would be the best support system she could ask for. “It means a lot to me, as well,” she said, glancing at Dee. “Issan changed our lives. Maybe even saved them.”
The priestess nodded. Her smile was tempered by Sia's unflinching words; Dee had to wonder what "terrible things" entailed. The fear that she had traded one dark master for another was not a new thing; she had considered the possibility long before she had accepted Issan's offer. But the devil she did not yet know still seemed better than the one she aimed to kill. She nodded again, her mind firmly made up.
"She certainly did," Dee agreed. "And we're grateful."
Silence came down over them for a moment, but it was a comfortable lack of sound; then Sia broke it, moving forward to rest a hand on each student's shoulders.
"I think I will turn in for the night; you should rest as well. There is more training to be had tomorrow. We do not know when Issan will return, but I would have you ready for whatever it is she has in mind."
Madalena bowed her head. “Til tomorrow.”
"Tomorrow," Dee said. Then she slipped her arm in Madalena's, and together they went off to bed.