After having spoken with Melissa, Kay felt a little bit better. She still felt like somewhat of a freak, and still had far more questions than answers. But Louis deserved an explanation -- and she _had_ promised it to him. *Och, I must be completely daft to be doin' _this_*, she grumbled to herself, wishing that duty and honor didn't demand that she do this. Why couldn't he have agreed to drop the subject and pretend that _nothing_ had happenned ?
Finally she raised her hand to knock on his door. "Hello?", she called, wondering if he was in. The door was opened, revealing a very different Louis. He looked much better now that he had rested. His hair was still wet, indicating that he had just taken a bath, and he had a book in his left hand. "Hello...Oh, it's you! I'm glad you came back...Kay?"
Blushing a very, very bright red, Kay said in a small, soft voice "I'm not quite sure where to begin ... but I wanted to say first that, whatever I did to hurt you (or offend you) last night, I'm sorry and I'd like to make amends for it ... I'm not even completely sure why I came _here_ rather than anywhere else,when I needed _NOT_ to be alone .. and I wanted to thank you as well ... for your kindness and discretion". She sighed, unwilling to admit that she still didn't remember what had happenned between them _before_ she had woken up in his bed that morning.
He couldn't help but smiling. "I...you...I mean...Oh, I'm sorry! Please come in...". Feeling rather confused (and a wee bit hopeful) at his reaction, Kay looked up. "I don't understand", she said, "I thought you'd be offended or angry ... but perhaps your doorway isn't the best place to be discussing this". Gossip was far too popular an on-base recreational activity. If she was going to say anything further, then it would require some degree of privacy. Wishing that there was any honorable way of retreating, Kay stepped into his room.
He closed the door behind her. "Please have a sit...Would like to drink something? Hum...better not, I think. Some water, some coffee?". "Normally I hold my drink MUCH better than I did last night", Kay protested, wondering exactly what sort of silly drunken antics she was guilty of performing. She didn't THINK that she'd seduced him -- surely she'd have remembered THAT if it had happenned. So what had it been ?
Then an idea occurred to her. She sat down on the very edge of the chair, looking as though she'd rather be almost anywhere else. "If you could tell me WHICH of my actions last night were the ones that offended you, then I'll try not to do any of them again", she promised, implying that her lack of a more specific apology was due to socially-ineptness instead of lack of memory.
Louis smiled. "Nothing. You did nothing to offend me." He took two mugs of coffee, gave her one, and sat on the bed. Kay gave him a VERY skeptical look in return. "You're just trying to be polite, aren't you ? ", she accused him. There was a pause, then she continued, "Or are you just a very forgiving person? I _NEVER_ feel guilty over_NOTHING_. And you already admitted that _SOMETHING_ happenned, something other than my turning up drunk at your door and passing out in your chair".
Louis shook his head. "Believe me, I'm just being sincere. I told you something _did_ happen, but it wasn't something that offended me. It just...made me curious". He sipped the hot liquid once or twice before continuing. "Would you be more confortable if I started it?"
"Yes ... please ... if you don't mind", came her reply. Kay was glad that Louis had volunteered to go first. This way, she would have more of an idea of what had been real, and what had been no more than hallucinations (or nightmares). Then she wouldn't be quite so likely to say anything that would get her any deeper in trouble.
Louis sighed. "Well...how can I put this? I...I have always, or at least, since I can remember, had some...strange talents". That sounded promising. Perhaps he _was_ indeed. Doubting that there would ever be a better time to ask, Kay interrupted. "Things that others found oddly-bizarre or weird or freakish ? Things that you never saw anyone else do ? Things that most people didn't want to speak seriously about ?" she asked, giving voice to some of what she'd been wondering about him. Was he or wasn't he ? And if he was, how much did he know about it, and how long had he had it?
He turned to her with his eyes wide, then smiled. "I'm afraid I have to say yes to all these questions. And you seem to know very well what I'm talking about. Actually... I read minds. Not with clear words, usually, and certainly not intentionally. Please, understand that I mean no harm to you or anyone else.", he told her.
Kay stared at Louis' worried face for a moment, then a huge smile spead across her face. "By Bright Brighid's Blessed Bones ! ANOTHER of us --- an' almost right under my nose too !", she exclaimed with a great sigh of relief, "I chose better than I realized ... it must ha' been the Goddess's Hand at work again".
"I know nothing of your goddess", he replied, "but...you have it too, right? I guessed so...Well, as I was saying... when I was younger, I thought I was mad. I can't say how many psychologists and psychaitrists I've visited. Finally, I learned not to mention my talent to anyone."
A silk-gloved hand reached out and gently brushed against his shoulder. "And nary a soul to tell ye the truth ?", came Kay's voice, soft and full of sympathy, "as rough as it was for me, it sounds like you had an even rougher time of it. Your spirit must be very strong, to have survived with both your sanity and your talent intact".
Louis froze when she touched him. He looked at the hand over his shoulder and then at her. He locked his eyes with hers and looked at her as though he couldn't really see her. He seemed to be lost in thoughts. "Er...sorry? Oh...I...I..." He gulped and looked in the other direction. "I also learned to control it, but I still don't know how to use it fully and sometimes ... my control still fails", he continued.
"Like last night, aye ?", replied Kay, pulling back her hand again, "but surely that was as much _my_ fault as it was _yours_ --- like often calls to like. My own control hasn't failed like that in years (and TWICE in one evening, no less)". She paused for a moment, as something occurred to her, before adding "But then again, for much of my life, all those years after Gran's death and before I discovered the Wiccans, I thought I was a unique sort of freak ... and there are very few societies on Terra where it's socially-acceptable to be _ANY_ kind of freak. So, most of the time, I just pretended that I was more shy than I was, or that I was simply far too pre-occupied with our animals (or my studies) to have time to socialize".
Louis had a rough time trying to follow what she was saying. At last, he nodded. "Yes, like last night. I think that's one of the reasons I chose Cottman IV. A workmate once told me that people here have these talents..."
Kay let out a nervous giggle. "Now _THERE'S_ a mighty understatement for you", she exclaimed, "According to my oath-sister Melissa, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of folk on this planet who are part-fey to some degree -- though not all of them are open about having it. This planet was originally settled by (Celts like my ancestors) and Spaniards. And Melissa says that they interbred with a local native race called the Chieri".
With a very wide grin, she continued "My gran thought that the Chieri were this world's equivalent of the Ancient Ones that our oldest tales call the Sidhe or the Faerie Folk. You might want to check the data banks for more info --- alot of what I found out, was stored as if it were fiction. It's mostly filed under folklore and mythology. There's also some if you look at the lyrics of Darkovan folk music -- especially the oldest ones".
A very puzzled look appeared on Louis' face. "Chieri? I never heard of...them", he said, "What were the other names you said? Faerie? Sid...".
"By whatever name different cultures call them, they're aliens ... or to be more technically-accurate, nonhumans who have talents that standard mundane humans do not have", Kay told him, "If you take a look at some of those sources I just mentioned, you'll understand better what I mean". From one of her pockets, she pulled out a notepad and wrote several words on it: Sidhe, Ancient Ones, Chieri, Faerie Folk, and several others he didn't recognize. "You can use these terms as search keys", she added, "but if anyone asks why you're interested, I'd prefer that you claim to simply have a new interest in mythology". He grinned. "It won't be a problem, I do like to know the myths of the places I visit".
"What else have you found out so far ?", she asked, wondering how much more he already knew. She didn't want to repeat anything that Louis already knew, or leave out anything by mistakenly considering it to be common knowledge.
"I reaserched a lot, but I only discovered that these abilities are called laran and are trained at 'Towers', though I still don't know what 'Towers' are. And even this little piece of information took me a lot of time to discover."He paused, sipping his coffee again.
Kay turned a very pale white and buried her head in her hands. A small sigh escaped, then what sounded almost like a prayer. Finally she looked up, saying "Louis, my friend, you are luckier than you know -- your inquiries were likely dismissed as being just typical 'nosy-Terranan-barbarian' curiousity .... unless ...". Her voice trailed off, as an unpleasant thought rose up from the back of her mind.
"You didn't actually _TELL_ anyone on this world about your talent, did you ? Is that why you chose Thendara --- because you wanted to innocently approach a Tower as if such places weren't dangerous ?", Kay demanded, her eyes widening with horror.
Louis blinked in confusion. "Er...no...I did not. Are these Towers ... dangerous places ? I'm afraid I can't explain to you _why_ I came here..."
Kay sighed again, "Can't ?", she echoed, with a small frown, then added "if it is that you do not wish to tell me, then I shall respect your desire for privacy. I, as well, had several reasons for choosing to be posted here, and only one of them is public knowledge". "I mean, I'm not from the planet, so it doesn't make any difference for me if people here have it or not", Louis answered.
This earned him a very puzzled look indeed. "It would make a difference to _THEM_", Kay protested, "once we pass through those gates, the local rules apply to us off-worlders. Do you _really_ want to be sucked into playing someone else's high-stakes game ? Regardless of whether or not you'd rather be left alone ? Without knowing any of the rules ? Or without knowing which of the players you can trust, which ones would use you as a pawn, and which ones would destroy you without no more thought than you would give to an insect you stepped on. If you're willing to accept my help, I can tell you what I've managed to learn. I haven't been here long, so it's not much --- but it's more than you currently have.".
Louis shrugged, then replied, "But, you see, I've always wanted to meet people like me, to feel ... normal...and when I saw my chance, I took it quickly. The funny thing is that I _did_ find someone like me, but NOT where I expected. That person is _you_. _That_ is what you did last night. You reached for me with your mind ... and perhaps I reached for you too? I can't really say, it all happened very fast. I...I sensed a lot of...sadness...and grief...and...I can't put it into words. Well, the fact is that you fainted right after that."
His words served as the memory-trigger Kay had needed. The events of the previous night flooded across hermind. "Normally when I touch someone with my laran talent, it's like _this_ ...", she admitted, again brushing her gloved hand across Louis' shoulder. "Sometimes the person at the receiving end notices it, and sometimes not. I was trying to show you what had happenned to me earlier last night, to explain why I was showing up at your door in such a state".
Kay paused again, sighed, then went on "But my talent must have somehow triggerred yours. And when _your_ talent activated, it was as though I'd reached out and been firmly grasped in return. Nothing like that had ever happenned to me before, and it scared me into a totally-panicked withdrawl. But now that I know what to expect, I doubt that I would react so strongly again".
Unsure of which point to address next, she said "Now that you know _this_ much, there are many other things that it would be helpful for you to know ... and a few people that I would like to introduce to you. My two oath-sisters are publicly-known to be laran-wielders and have proven willing to ...umm .. bend the rules by not reporting having discovered that I'm a talent unknown to those who run the Towers. The others are good people who would help you contact my oath-sisters if you asked it in my name (and can more easily be approached by a male stranger, without anyone getting suspicious): Mestru Cerroil Merrick of the scribe shop named Leaves, Master Tomas Painter who has an art studio, and my oath-brother Gwenn MacConal of the Thendara Guard".
"But for now ... ", Kay suggested, not knowing what else to say. "I need to think about all of this, and I would like for you to do the same. If you decide in the morning that you still want my help, come have lunch with me tomorrow. In the meantime, I would suggest that we both get some sleep, and agree to keep all of this secret between us, at least for now", she finished.
Louis was looking at her in that strange way again. "Oh...oh, sure. A secret, right?". Kay grinned widely at him. "Right", she answered, "Tomorrow, if you choose to hear more, you'll understand why I'm asking you to keep it secret". "Hum...er...right. You sure you don't want to stay? A bit more? Er...why_tomorrow_? Can you tell me today? And how can I find you?", he asked, each question tumbling out as if a floodgate had been opened.
She sighed again, and reached up to rub at her aching temples. "I ... should not", Kay finally replied, with a gentle shake of her head, "I've had a rough few days and everything's moving so fast ... I'm probably in over my head already, and don't want to dig myself any deeper into a hole".
"Please ... I know that you have many questions, and I may be able to answer many of them", Kay explained, "But it would not be ... honorable ... to let you rush into deciding, or to influence your decision in any way. You must make it of your own free will, and only after a reasonable amount of contemplation", she told Louis firmly, hoping he would understand, "I'll not take _that_ responsibility upon my own head".
"As I've already discovered, this kind of knowledge has consequences that change a person's life. And once you know, there's no going back. So I cannot (in good conscience) accept your answer tonight. If you still feel this way in the morning, I'm in the directory ... Kay MacDonald ... or you can seek me in the Records department", she added, "And if you change your mind, then let us pretend that none of this ever happenned". Then she rose to her feet, and bid him farewell.