"Ye ha' it too -- the mark of the fey !", she exclaims in her normal voice, then clasps both hands across her mouth in sudden horror. Goddess have mercy, what was to become of her ? Someone else now knew it was laran that was the source of her talent. Perhaps her parents had been right to warn her not to come to this world. This man now held her very life in his hands.
Kay had heard many tales about the fate of those who were discovered practising laran without the knowledge-and-consent of those who ruled the Towers, and how 'wild talents' were forced to choose between two equally-unpleasant-sounding alternatives. Melissa had claimed that things weren't like that anymore, but that wasn't much reassurance -- she seemed to only see the good in anything.
Ceroill felt the tingling almost-shock as well. The only time in many years he had felt a rapport like this was when he finally went to be tested. And there was no matrix involved here. Even without her speaking, he now KNEW who this person was, and what had happened ealier this evening. Pictures had flashed silently through his mind like a series of photgraphs. He also now knew that the bird had been bonded briefly and ached for such a thing again. With his own mind, he had somehow felt the owl's patience and determination as well as its desperation.
As he looked into Kay's eyes, he found only one thing to say, a quotation from his translating of Shakespeare. "Oh, what fools these mortals be", he almost chuckled with a rueful half smile. They had now shared more deeply of each other than he had with anyone. He knew the same was so for her. *Avarra,Mother of Mercy*, he thought to himself, *Let this not make things worse*."
Kay had feared/expected many possible reactions. But his amusededly quoting a famous Terran poet was NOT one of them. Faced with THAT, she burst into a loud flurry of laughter rather than the panicked hysteria that had threatened to swallow her.
When she could finally catch her breath (and stop her heart from racing quite so quickly), Kay scolded him "By all that's holy, Mestru Merrick, ye nearly scared the very life from my poor self. And now ye laugh and quote the Bard of Stratford to me". But the effect was partially spoiled when the absurdity of the whole situation then dawned on her, and she began to laugh.
Kay's laughter was a bit contagious, and Ceroill found himself grinning, and leaning against the alley wall, some of the tension leaving him. "Never has a man lived who spoke more tellingly of life and trial than good William."
But all her mirth slowly drained away as she suddenly realized the implications of such casual and easy-going acceptance. By doing what he had done, and by being what he was, Mestru Merrick had now become ensnared into this mess. And so she now honorably owed him one last chance to disentangle himself if he wished to do so.
Turning more solemn again, Kay took a deep breath, whispered softly "O Blessed Mother of All, I ask your blessing. Please grant strength and guidance and protection for myself as well for these who are also Your beloved children", before addressing her human companion in a formal manner. It mattered not to her that she still sat upon the ground. This was a much more stable than a standing-upright position and would better allow her to conserve her strength.
"Just as it was told to me many years ago by my teacher, the Wiccan Wise Woman Aine, a Priestess of the Great Goddess who is Mother of All", she began. "So do I now tell you that only two paths lie ahead after you have touched a non-human mind and it has expressed a desiring to make a claim upon you. You must choose between going either forward into a lifetime soul-bond (and potential danger), or backwards into self-denial ...".