Another soldier approaches Amber, stops and bows his head with his fist to his breastplate, and after she bows her head to to him, he continues on. She kicks off her sandals and walks out onto the grassy meadow. She spots the hill she wants to climb, and heads for it. Time here in Markova's dreams is sometimes comparable to the time she spent on Turtle's back-- always waiting for someone to arrive! She begins to climb the hill now. "Was that THE Cassius-- Claudius' adopted brother?" she wonders. She remembers seeing him the day Markova brought her murderess before her for questioning, and then again when she told Claudius that Claudia was his daughter. He looked different than the other soldiers-- more real, like he had an actual soul.

Her thoughts are interrupted as she finds herself on top of the hill. She takes her hair out of the ornate metalwork it had been swept up in, and lets the wind blow it around her face. She closes her eyes and imagines the soft wool gown the druidic priestess had given her upon her arrival in her ancestor's time two millenia ago, and when she opens her eyes she is wearing it. She holds the flute to her lips and plays the strong, yet slow meditation-chant that she heard the priestesses sing as the sun was beginning to peek up over the horizon-- the song that called the sun-lord home to his place in the skies.

Claudius appears a few feet away behind Amber. He takes a step forward when the song she is playing stirs something within him. His face begins to pale and he shakes his head. "Amber, Amber stop playing that."

Amber stops playing and almost drops her flute. "Ah Gaia, Claudius, ye scared the shit outta me!!" Amber puts her hand over her heart and exhales sharply. She turns to face Markova and brushes the hair out of her eyes. She takes a look at Markova's face and wrinkles her brow. "What's wrong? Ye've heard this song before...or was I playin' badly?" She gives him a little smirk and puts a hand on her hip.

Claudius waves his hand and sits down next to her. Taking the flute from her and resting it at her feet. "She's blinded by those...fools. They are using our daughter against me. By the time she realizes the truth, it'll be too late."
He stands up and begins to pace back and forth in front of Amber.
"She thinks I'm a puppet. That's what they are telling her, Amber. That I'm a puppet. Oh if only I could show her, show her what I have seen and what I've been fighting against she'd understand, she'd learn."
"When she was alive did she ever meet a vampire?"

Amber feels a warmth spread through her when Markova refers to Claudia as "our daughter!!" At last! Some confirmation of his acceptance of her! Amber listens to what he's saying. "A puppet? Where did wee inion get that from? Maybe she HAS been listening ta someone else. Puppet? Puppet of Oblivion, did she mean?" she thinks to herself. Amber suddenly realizes that Markova asked her a question.

"A vampire? A Leech...servant o' the Wyrm? Aye, she used ta fight them ferociously with the caern. One time-- 'twas a great victory-- she an' the caern went ta the east coast o' Ireland because a great hoard o' Leeches were comin' over from bloody England. She an' the caern wiped them all out-- an' two other caerns helped. At that time she was bein' trained ta be a leader at only 19-- they used her battle-strategies ta flush them out! She was injured-- she never told me how-- but she healed up good as new. Too bad a few of our young an' promisin' Garou died. Colm...Danny...Sean..." Amber's eyes unfocus as she starts down the list of the dead.

Claudius' eyes narrow at the name Sean. He turns away from Amber and looks at the sky.
"She never told her mother," he thinks and returns his gaze back to Amber.
"Well then she knows what the world is up against. And it's going to take more than three caerns to do it." He says as he sits back down. He looks at the flute a moment turning it over in his hand.
"Where did you learn that song?'

Amber sits down next to Markova. "Aah, so ye know it, then? I learned it from the druidic priestesses who helped me give birth to Claudia about 2 millenia ago-- they sang it at dawn ta welcome the sun-lord back every mornin'." Amber smiles. "I was hopin' it would work!"

Claudius nods and hands the flute back to her. "Do you think if you talked to her it would help?

Amber takes the flute back and turns it over in her hands-- looking, but not really looking, at the carving-work on it. "It worked some last time, love-- I would dearly like ta give it another try." Amber looks up at Markova. "Ahuru seems eager ta have her see only what he wants her ta see so she'll want ta fight ye, an' he completely hides the good from her. Would that I could ask him why! If he wants ta play that way, I'll be happy ta tell her of the good!" Amber pauses. "Claudius, did she say anythin' nice about ye-- like she believes there is good? I'm not sure where she got the puppet-idea from...what was she referrin' to?" Amber wrinkles her brow and watches Markova's face.

"I'm not sure where she picked up that idea...probably from the damnable bitch." He paces once more, "Yes, she said she didn't want anything to happen to me, she wants to help me. But she said I'm nothing more than a puppet!" He says turning towards Amber again.
"I want you to make her see, she'll listen to you. She's brainwashed against me, but you..."

Amber nods and steps over to Claudius, taking his hands. "I'll talk with her, love. She does listen to me, an' I'll answer any questions she may have." Amber pauses. "She's very stubborn though...I WISH I knew where she got THAT from!" she says, pretending to ponder this in confusion, and then smirks at Claudius and winks.

Claudius narrows his eyes at her and she disappears from view. Turning on his heel he heads back to camp.

Meanwhile back on board the Ulysses...

Memnon nods to the others as he shuffles them out. Closing the door he walks over to Cliodhna. "I'm sorry you were hurt. I should have stayed with you, I should have been by your side. I...I don't know why I left to help Amon."

Cliodhna slumps down to sit on the edge of the bed again. "Ye left because ye're the Guardian, ma lasadh faol. It was yer roll in fate ta follow Amon, an' mine ta go ta my father." Cliodhna pauses. "I...think we are helpless except ta do what we must when the time comes. Not very comfortin', is it, Mem?" Cliodhna holds out her arms to him-- fate may not be comforting, however his embrace would be about now.

He takes her by the hands and lifts her up into his arms holding her tight nearly picking her up off the floor. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I won't leave your side again, I promise."

Cliodhna holds him tightly, closing her eyes. "It's OK, Mem...it's OK...ye just did as fate prompted ye to. If ye had been there, ye woulda been crushed by the ceilin' fallin' in, as well-- an' remember what ye promised about not dyin'?" she looks up and smiles at him. Then her eyes look off and her smile slowly fades.

"Mem...if ye were in my place an' Ahuru was tellin' ye that ye would have ta destroy yer father-- with love, mind ye-- if ye couldna get him ta change, what in the hell would YOU do?" she says, sounding desperate for some insight into her dilemma.

Memnon shakes his head and lays down on the bed patting the side next to him. He stares up at the ceiling.
"I don't know...I can't answer that. I mean Jesus I don't know what I'd do." He leans up on his elbows, "Whatever you decide I'll be behind you all the way."

Ciodhna looks very relieved-- just admitting he wouldn't know what to do in her place shows her that she's not crazy! "Ah Mem! Thank ye so much fer that-- I know when all else fails I can count on ye!! She lays down next to him and rolls towards him onto her side, laying her head on his chest and taking his hand in hers. "Whatever option keeps us together-- that's the one I'll choose."

She pauses to take a deep, cleansing breath. "Thank ye fer bein' truthful with me-- about not knowin' what ye'd do in my place. Whenever I ask someone in the cohort that question, they look at me like I'm a fool...that of course they would destroy Markova! They must think me the most selfish creature in creation..." Cliodhna turns over onto her stomach, folding her arms and resting her chin on them. "...but if ye...had a daughter, wouldn't ye expect the same loyalty an' devotion? If *I* had a daughter, I would hope that she'd want ta defend my life, no matter what anyone told her she should do!"

"They just don't see it the way you do. I trust you, so when you say you see good in him I believe you." he strokes her hair and stares at the ceiling some more.
"They are just worried that he may be tricking you into thinking that. And you have to admit that he isn't just any father."

Cliodhna lays her cheek on her arms so she's facing Memnon, her eyelids starting to droop. "Ye're right...he isn't. Ye're so lucky ta have been raised by both parents, Mem...I was always jealous, ye know. A father...so loved by everyone...who loved ye an Turok...so...much...so...lucky..." Cliodhna's eyes finally close, and Memnon can see the smallest hint of tears clinging to her eyelashes.

Memnon carefully slips his arm out from under her and gently takes her jacket off and undoes her hair. He lays the jacket on the chair. He helps her under the covers and slips in next to her wrapping his arms around her, and watches her sleep.

In the dreamworld...

Amber suddenly finds herself standing in a forest-- feeling completely disoriented and dizzy. "Damn you, Claudius! Ye never give me any warnin' before ye throw me outta yer head!" she mutters to herself. Then she takes a really good look around-- this forest seems�familiar. It's growing dark-- the sun has already set, and the last resonance of rosy glow is starting to depart with its creator below the horizon. Luckily, this makes the fire off in the distance instantly noticeable, and she hurries towards it. She finally steps into a clearing, and her breath catches in her throat.

Before her is the rocky hillside she knows so well with the cave-opening illuminated by a huge bonfire. She has arrived at Two-Feather's caern in France! She blinks quickly and looks around. The caern-members are standing watching the cave-entrance, and there are a group of people in front of the cave facing them-- one member of the group is giving some sort of speech, and the caern cheers every time the speaker pauses.

Amber hurries forward, making her way through the crowd. There is an excitement in the air, and she wants to see what's going on. The cheering dies down again, and the speaker continues with what he's saying. Suddenly Amber stops and narrows her eyes. "No�it can't be�" she thinks as she recognizes the speaker's voice. She starts moving faster until she can finally get a good view of the group everyone's watching, and she feels her heart clench.

There, standing in his usual place of leadership, is Claudius! And beside him is Two-Feathers! The two are smiling-- everyone around them is smiling. Claudius continues to speak.

"And so let our two peoples never lift spear or sword against one another again! With the treaty we have signed today, we are friends and allies evermore!" The caern again cheers, and Claudius turns to face Two-Feathers-- the two grasping each other's arms-- and Two-Feathers says something to Claudius that Amber can't hear, and Claudius laughs and nods.

Two-Feathers steps forward. "This occasion is, indeed, a happy one. Well, my brothers and sisters, let me make it an even more joyous event." Two-Feathers turns to look behind him and motions with his arm. Out of the flickering shadows steps a very large and handsome man who stands next to Two-Feathers, and Two-Feathers puts his arm around him and looks proud. Amber's brow wrinkles-- that man looks so familiar�damn it, who is he?

Two-Feathers continues. "My son Memnon." The caern explodes into cheering and stomping. When the cheering finally dies down somewhat, Two-Feathers turns to Claudius, and Claudius motions to someone standing behind him. Cliodhna steps out of the shadows and stands next to Claudius, beeming up at her father radiantly and putting her arm around his waist. Claudius, in turn, puts his arm around Cliodhna's waist and gives her a little squeeze.

"And my daughter, Cliodhna!" Claudius announces proudly. Again the caern fills the air with cheering, whooping and whistling, and Amber begins to weep-- her hands pressed to her heart. She weeps like she's never wept before-- the years of secrets and pain and longing rip from her soul and fly into the night as her body shudders and the tears cloud her eyes and soak her face. No one hears the sobbing woman for all the ecstatic cheering going on.

Two-Feathers smiles and again waits for the noise to die down. "My son Memnon has asked for Cliodhna's hand in marriage." Two-Feathers turns to Claudius again. "Does your daughter accept?"

Amber can see Cliodhna and Memnon grinning at one another-- seemingly oblivious of everything around them except for each other's eyes-- and she presses her hands to her mouth to keep from making a sound.

Claudius smiles down at Cliodhna, but Cliodhna keeps gazing love-struck at Memnon-- which causes the family and caern-members in front to titter with pleased laughter. "I believe that she does." Claudius says with a laugh. And as the two fathers nudge their children towards each other, the clearing rings out with thunderous applause. Cliodhna and Memnon embrace, and then Two-Feathers and Claudius start clapping. As fresh tears start streaming down Amber's cheeks anew, she sees other women-- and even men-- around her crying tears of joy.

This scene goes on for a bit before Amber's head finally starts to clear. "Amber, ye daft woman, get a hold o' yerself! This is only a dream�" Amber looks at the people she knows so well from life, and can finally detect the 2-dimensionality about them that Markova's dream-soldiers also possess. "This is what my little Cli wants the most," she thinks with a last sniffle. "Would that she could get it�" Amber studies the dream-Claudius, and is suddenly reminded why she's here. "Like Claudius always says, time grows short." Amber lets out a breath, closes her eyes, and concentrates.

Cliodhna smiles joyfully up at Memnon who bends to kiss her. She closes her eyes and turns her face up to his and waits�nothing happens. She opens her eyes slowly, and finds that her arms are embracing the air, and the entire scene has disappeared. She's now standing on a grassy hill. "Ah, no-- come on now, Cliodhna, ye can get it back!" she murmurs to herself and concentrates.

"Cliodhna-" a voice calls from behind her, and Cliodhna's eyelids fly open and she turns.

"Mhathair?" she asks cautiously. It's her mother, all right, but there's�something real about her.

Amber laughs and runs up to Cliodhna, grabbing her in her arms and squeezing her tightly. "Ah ma babe�ma babe�ye aren't hurt! Ye're alive�oh I'm so relieved ta see ye again!! I love ye so!!" she cries, kissing the side of Cliodhna's head and then hugging her even tighter.

"Mother! Is it-- oof! Let up a little, Mum!" she grunts, laughing, and hugs Amber back. When the two finally pull back to look at each other, Cliodhna reaches up and touches Amber's face. "It's really you, isn't it?"

"Aye, Puppy, 'tis me." Amber says taking Cliodhna's arms and looking her over to make sure she's really OK.

"What are ye doin', Mother? I'm fine!" Then Cliodhna squints at Amber. "Are YOU fine, tho', Mother? Father seemed a little�upset that ye'd been keeping my parentage secret. I was afraid he'd hurt ye."

"Ah Cli-- good! Yes, call him "father!" That is good�" Amber says with misty eyes, pausing, and then continuing. "I'm just fine, love. It's true that he wasn't too pleased with me fer keepin' it a secret, but ye both know now, an' that's all that matters."

"Why did ye tell him, Mother? Remember-- ye said ye'd only tell him if ma life was in danger. Ye were right that our enemies would try ta use us against one another-- the second Father found out, everyone else found out. Qin-Shang-- the emperor o' Jade-- tried ta hold me prisoner. Who else is goin' ta try ta use me against Father?" Cliodhna lets out a breath in frustration.

"Well Ahuru, fer one, it appears." Amber says bitterly. "Yer father hates Ahuru an' that Brianna-girl�is that her name? He never calls her by name�he always calls her 'that damnable b-'"

"LADY Brianna," Cliodhna quickly corrects, watching Amber carefully. "An' she's my friend."

"Oh aye, o' COURSE she is, Claudia." Amber says skeptically. "Ahuru- "

"WHAT did ye call me?" Cliodhna asks in a dangerous voice, releasing Amber and moving away.

"Oh fer God's sake, that's yer real name!" Amber exclaims, rolling her eyes.

"My name is Cliodhna. The Italians callin' me 'Claudia' is one thing�me own mother callin' me by that name is another. What-- is Father forcin' ye ta call me that now?" Cliodhna asks icily.

Amber's face turns red and she grabs Cliodhna's arm. "Look, little miss, *I* named ye Claudia! Someone ye don't even remember gave ye the name Cliodhna! 'Tis a beautiful name, ta be sure, but it's not yer real name. I've been waitin' a long time ta call ye Claudia-"

Cliodhna rips her arm out of Amber's grasp. "Ye've changed, Mother." She takes a step backwards. "Why are ye here? HE sent ye, didn't he. Couldna handle facin' his own daughter-- can't stand ta hear the truth�is that it?" Cliodhna watches Amber cautiously.

Amber clenches her hand into a fist, and then drops it down to her side, her shoulders slumping. "This is no good�I need ta turn this around fast or I'm gonna lose her to Ahuru, an' then there'll be no one ta save Claudius!" Amber closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Cla�Cliodhna-- this is not how I wanted this ta go." Suddenly the scenery changes, and Cliodhna finds herself standing in Amber's room back in the Blue Moon Tavern-- Amber sitting in her favorite chair in the corner. "Pull up a chair, love." she says watching Cliodhna.

"I prefer ta stand." Cliodhna says, folding her arms and looking back at her mother with angry eyes.

"Fine, fine, then stand." Amber exhales in frustration. Suddenly she holds out her hand and a bottle of Guinness appears. She pops the top off with her teeth-- Cliodhna lowering her brows in consternation as she watches this-- and takes a couple of long swallows. She exhales in contentment, and holds the bottle in her lap as she gets her thoughts together.

"Didn't have a drinkin' problem, my ass," Cliodhna thinks as she watches her mother and remembers the Lady of Fate's words about how if the British soldiers hadn't killed her mother, the drink would have taken her eventually. She blinks back tears while pretending to look around the room.

"Cliodhna�what are we gonna do, you an' me?" Amber asks, shaking her head. "What a position we're in. Save the world from Claudius, or save the world FOR Claudius. Nothin' in between, aye? At least that's how Ahuru would have ye see it. Black an' white..." Amber takes another swig of her beer. "Well it's NOT black an' white. Yer father is changing-- I can see it. I'm proud o' ye, Cli. Yer very presence is already startin' ta work on him." Amber looks to where Cliodhna's eyes are directed and sighs. "Oh I know-- yer staring at my bottle o' beer with disapproval. Did ye know that when we found Amon the third time we came ta Egypt, he was a worthless drunk? Now look at him! A powerful enemy o' yer father!" Amber shakes her head.

"You don't know how powerful, Mother. He's a god now." Cliodhna says in a quiet voice.

"So�he defeated Mehemet," Amber says closing her eyes. "That's good. Soon he will get his reward an' be outta our hair."

"No, Ahuru says he must face Father, an' THEN he'll get his reward." Cliodhna says, watching Amber's face carefully.

Amber's eyes fly open. "No�" she moans. "No�" she puts her face in her hands. "This can't be�it's�it can't be�Ahuru must be lyin'�no�"

Cliodhna walks over to Amber's side and kneels, putting her arms around Amber. "Mother, I HOPE it's not true. Why would the Lady set these conditions?? She knows how I feel about Amon-- how badly the both of us want him to finally get his reward an' rest! She'll use anythin' ta make her servants do her will!!" Cliodhna's voice begins to rise.

Amber wraps her arms around Cliodhna, rocking back and forth. "Ah girl, we're in a fix�" She holds Cliodhna for a moment and then looks up. "Well, we don't know all the conditions yet fer Amon ta get his reward�do ye remember what I told ye? About Tutenamon?"

"Aye, Mother, I remember. I told Ahuru that if he didn't tell Amon, I would." Cliodhna answers.

"And�? What did Ahuru say ta that?" Amber asks, pausing her rocking-motion.

"That I WILL not tell Amon�that Amon has to believe in what he saw in order to fulfill his role in fate an' get his reward." Cliodhna says in a strained voice.

"An' what is his role in Ahuru's fate, then? Ta kill Claudius??" Amber grips the arms of her chair and her eyes flare with anger. She finishes off the bottle of beer and throws it against the wall, watching it shatter with satisfaction. "Ahuru is afraid o' yer father, so he wants him dead!"

Amber turns her eyes on Cliodhna. "Yer father is a GOOD MAN! Do ye hear me? Don't let anythin' Ahuru or ANYONE says change yer mind on that count!" Amber grips Cliodhna's hands in hers. "Claudius only wants ta use his powers fer good, my Puppy! Do ye remember the story o' the horn-- I was supposed ta blow it an' give my life so the world would re-right itself? Yer father was there! HE re-righted the world, himself! After I blew the horn, I did die. Sanki died months before. He brought us both back ta life-- Memnon would never have been BORN if it weren't fer Claudius! Ye would have been an orphan! Everythin' ye have an hold most precious ye owe ta yer father!"

Cliodhna releases Amber's hands and stands up, feeling dizzy. She walks over to the window and looks out at the familiar backyard.

Amber stands and walks behind her. "I saw yer dream, ma inion. So ye do love Memnon�an' ye do love yer father. I was so h- "

"Ye're not makin' this any easier on me, Mother!" Cliodhna shouts, gripping the windowsill. "Every story ye tell me about Father is like a dagger in me heart!" Cliodhna turns. "Don't ye understand?? If I can't change him I MUST destroy him! If he wins, everythin' will begin ta die until he's rulin' over a planet o' dust! An' then it will be too late!! He'll finally see that he was wrong, an' it will be too late! If I can't change him, I HAVE ta destroy him!" Cliodhna points her finger at Amber. "Why can't YOU change him! Why must it be me?? Ye said he loves ye! Why won't he listen ta YOU!?"

"Oh Cliodhna, I try! I do! But that's not my role! I am the comforter! His long-sufferin' supporter! An' YOUR preserver! Before he knew ye were his daughter, why do ye think he never destroyed ye fer not joinin' him?? I do more than ye think I do, but I cannot argue with him. I will continue ta do what I can, but ye're the one who has the power ta change him." Amber takes Cliodhna's hands.

"I just got through arguin' with him, Mother, an' I didn't make a dent in him! I don't know what ta do!" Cliodhna grips Amber's hands. "He said he never wanted the life of a soldier�I'm tryin' ta get him ta give up his ideas an' not worry about the world anymore. Ta go to his rest�with you, Gaia willin'." Cliodhna turns away again. "I'm not getting' through ta him�but I must not fail�" she says in a low voice, hitting her fist on the windowsill.

"Do ye love him, Cli?" Amber asks quietly.

Cliodhna stays silent for a moment. "I refuse ta answer that question, Mother." She finally answers.

"Perhaps�if ye knew more about him." Amber closes her eyes tightly. "Ahuru�he IS a good man," Amber finally admits. "�but he speaks in riddles. Perhaps destroyin' yer father with love doesn't mean what it appears ta mean at first glance." Amber sighs. "I brought yer father here�he wanted ta see yer room. I told him all about ye-- he must be very proud o' yet, Cli. He's always sayin' how much the same ye both are."

Cliodhna closes her eyes and a tear runs down her cheek. The vision of her father proudly holding her in front of Two-Feather's caern washes over her, and she lets out a sob. "He�he wanted ta see my room?"

"Oh aye, Cli, he did." Amber wraps her arms around Cliodhna.

Cliodhna turns in her mother's arms to face her and holds her close. "Oh God, how I've always wanted a father!! She manages to say between crying. "MY Father�" she cries out, and then she can't speak for a time because of her crying.

Amber holds her, crying silently, herself. "What a mess I've made�" she thinks, stroking Cliodhna's back. "My poor babe�this shouldn't be her fight. She should be livin' a happy afterlife with Memnon, not goin' through all this. This should be my fight�" Amber closes her eyes and sends out a prayer to Gaia. "Great Gaia�if it comes to it, take my life that she might know her father the way I've gotten to, an' live happily with yer child, Memnon!" A calm seems to come over Amber, and she lifts Cliodhna's tear-streaked face. "Would ye like me ta tell ye all about yer father? From the time he was born until he got promoted ta Marshall, himself? When he an' I have time ta be alone, he tells me about his life. Would ye like me ta tell ye his stories?" Amber asks, wiping Cliodhna's tears away.

Cliodhna nods silently, and then finds her voice. "I would like that very much, Mother.

Amber leads Cliodhna back over to her chair, sits in it, and Cliodhna sits at her feet, putting her head on Amber's lap like she always used to as a child. "You an' this bun o' yers!" Amber laughs and unwinds Cliodhna's hair. "Ye have such beautiful hair-- why do ye insist on doin' this, Cli?" she asks exasperatedly. "Maybe if ye hadn't been so severe in yer demeanor, Memnon-- or some other lucky man-- would have found his way inta yer heart when ye were alive. Sanki an' I always thought Memnon had somethin' fer ye, but ye never stayed at our reunions long enough ta notice�always runnin' off to another damned IRA meetin'�" Amber chides.

"That's enough, Mother. Just tell me the stories." Cliodhna says in a flat voice, enjoying the comfort of Amber's hands on her head.

Amber sighs and nods. "All right. We'll begin the story, then. I'll be tellin' it as if I were Claudius, aye?" Amber clears her throat, and when she speaks again, her voice is lower. "Like all things time distorts, I do not remember much of my childhood. I do not remember being born, nor my first thought or word. What I do remember is my home, and my family�"

Claudius Markova's life, part I
Claudius Markova's life, part II

Amber returns from the dream just as she finished the last story. Looking around she finds herself back in the old tavern hearing noise upstairs from Cliodhna's room.

Amber furrows her brow and starts walking up the stairs-- slowly at first, and then faster until she practically bursts into Cliodhna's room.

Amber bursts through the door to find Claudius sitting on the bed looking at several pictures of Cliodhna. Eventually he looks up.
"How did the talk go?"

Amber blinks in surprise as she takes in this scene, and finds herself tongue-tied for a moment. Then she smiles slowly and walks over to sit beside Claudius. "What are ye doin' here, love? Gettin' ta know yer daughter a little better?" Amber arches her neck to see which pictures he's holding, and then smiles and nods. "I was just tellin' her how much prettier she'd be if she left her hair down." Amber sits back up straight and rubs Claudius' leg. "We had a very good talk. Nothin' Ahuru says now will convince her that ye're evil. In fact, I think when she wakes up she'll be talkin' Ahuru and Brianna's ears off about how good ye are! She said that, herself! It seems Ahuru challenged her ta tell him what was good about ye-- as if he thought she couldn't!" Amber shakes her head. "I don't know what that man is up to..."

"I'm glad to hear it. I want her to understand why I must win." he says. Standing up, he puts the picture back on the dresser. He looks at another picture and puts it back on the wall. "You didn't happen to keep a scrapbook of her did you?"

Amber smiles a beaming smile. "Ye ask a Galliard bard if she kept a scrapbook o' her only child?" Amber laughs. If ye want ta see them all, I'll need yer help in carryin' them." Amber motions for Claudius to follow her down the hall to a closet. She opens the narrow door, and Claudius can see the top two shelves of the closet are filled with photo albums of various sizes and thicknesses. Amber turns. "She asked me ta tell her all about ye. I hope ye don't mind-- I re-told her all the stories ye told me about yer life up until ye were promoted ta Marshall...seein' as how she's a Marshall, herself." Amber watches Claudius' face.

Claudius chuckles as he lifts down two of the last books and heads down to the kitchen. He plops them on the table and sits. He opens one and begins to look. "No, you can tell her stories..." He looks up, "What stories?"

Amber laughs and shakes her head, pulling a chair closer to Claudius and sitting down. She takes his chin in her hand and pulls his face closer, giving him a kiss. "The stories ye told me about yer life-- yer first memories...yer family...Marcus adoptin' ye...yer first year in the army..."

"Oh, yes those stories. Of course you may speak to her of that. Tell me what these pictures are from." Claudius stands up and gets the coffee pot and pours he and Amber a cup. Sitting back down he waits.

Amber leans over and looks at what Claudius was looking at-- absent-mindedly thanking him when he hands her a cup. "She was home so rarely durin' this time-period-- not ta mention the IRA wanted her face ta be completely unknown ta her enemies-- so most o' the stuff in these last books are newspaper clippin's as she didn't like me ta take her picture anymore..." Amber flips around in the book. "Here's a family picture-- me, her, my parents..." Amber flips again. "This is the caern at Midsummer...look at her standin' there not drinkin' like everyone else! I think she was afraid we'd knock the bonfire over an' start a BIGGER fire!" Amber makes a sound with her tongue and flips the page again. "Aye-- the rest o' these are newspaper clippin's."

Amber takes the other book Claudius brought down-- moving the first one back-- and opens it in front of him. She flips through the first half of the book, showing him all the pictures and telling him about them. Most of the pictures are of Cliodhna in the armor of a Garou warrior-- her face painted with woad in ancient war-symbols and her hair in a long braid-- and she's standing with other warriors from the tribe, smiling and looking exhilerated. In fact...she seems to be smiling-- or at least looking happy-- in almost all of these pictures. Then as they enter the second half of the book, something seems different about her. Her eyes have lost that sparkle of youth and have taken on a razor-sharp penetrating stare. Claudius is hard-pressed to find anymore smiling-pictures of her, and her hair is pulled back into a tight, braided bun at the nape of her neck. "Poor puppy-- that raid on the Leeches I was tellin' ye about really changed her. She wasn't the same after she got back..." Amber looks at the pictures and sighs.

Claudius looks askance at Amber. 'She really doesn't know,' he thinks.
"Losing friends can do that." He says. He stands up and gets another two books down and brings them to Amber.

Amber ponders Claudius' explanation quietly while he's gone. Then when he returns, she waits for him to open one of the books, and quickly leans over excitedly to describe what he's seeing. "We had a lot o' visits from old packmates durin' this time." Amber glances at Claudius out of the corner of her eye. "Ye may remember Marie an' Jack-- " Amber clears her throat. "Those are their twins with Claudia there. They were a little older than her-- not much older." Amber smiles a wistful smile, wondering how they're doing now. Amber turns the page. "Here's Sanki an' Two-Feathers..." Amber turns and puts her hand on Claudius' arm. "Ye did a wonderful thing when ye brought Sanki back ta life-- I think Claudia will thank ye fer that as long as she exists."

Claudius nods, "I remember that...it took a lot out of me. Why do you say that? Is she especially close with her?" He says as he points to another picture. "Who's this?"

Amber smiles. "HE is the reason Claudia thanks ye fer Sanki's life. Oh, she loved her 'Aunt Sanki,' but that's Sanki's son, Memnon." Amber grins and laces her fingers together contentedly, sitting back.

"I see," he says his brow furrows, "What kind of man is this Memnon?"

Amber laughs. "Sanki an' I always thought he had somethin' fer Claudia when they were alive, but she never seemed ta notice him...bloody IRA..." Amber says in a low voice. Amber clears her throat. "Claudia's not one ta talk about love an' romance, but I can tell she's in love with Memnon. He's with her, protectin' her in the Shadowlands. He was a Garou warrior...not sure how he died. Before he joined Claudia, he was a captain o' the guard, so he must be very disciplined, trustworthy, a good leader...if wee inion likes him, he must be a good man." Amber states simply.

"Hmmm," he says as he looks through more pictures. "Is this her in school?" he says. "There's something about her, Amber, something I can't seem to put my finger on."

Amber looks down at the pictures, and then back up at Claudius. "What do ye mean-- somethin' familiar? Well that's an easy mystery ta clear up! Does she particularly looks like someone in yer family? What about fate? Have ye seen her in any o' yer visions?" Amber props her chin on her hand, trying to think of more suggestions.

Claudius rubs his chin and thinks a moment. "Do you have any baby pictures?" he says as he leans back in the chair.
"How did she react to the stories?"

Amber's about to jump up when Claudius asks her about the stories. She sits back in her chair-- looking at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment, and then back at Claudius. "She wishes badly that she could meet her other grandmother..." Amber smiles grimly. "She said that if ye hadn't killed yer father, she woulda done it FOR ye. I think she regrets that she couldna have been there ta help ye." Amber thinks again. "I think she also mentioned somethin' about killin' yer former Marshall if he weren't already dead." Amber laughs. "My little Claudia's quite the violent one!" Amber thinks again. "She's fascinated with the things ye could do as a Mage...she wondered why ye didn't blast the Leech when ye saw her. She was very fascinated with hearin' about yer army-life and the battles ye fought..."

Claudius nods, "I have a few more stories to tell you, but she sounds like she has a lot of me in her. That's good then. Her mother's beauty, her father's mind," he smiles and goes back to the pictures.

Amber laughs delightedly and blushes. "Ah Claudius! Ye flatter me!" she smacks his leg good-naturedly. "Sometimes I wonder if she DID get anythin' from me!" Amber falls silent for a moment. "A question before I get her baby picture?" Amber takes a breath. "That soldier ye've been addressin' as 'Cassius'-- are we talkin' the REAL Cassius? I saw him when I first joined ye, an' again while I was tellin' ye that ye had a daughter, an' he doesn't look like the other play-soldiers that roam around back at camp."

Claudius nods, "That is my brother Cassius. I...shouldn't have drawn him from his rest. I will send him back when all is said and done. Now let's see the baby pictures."

Amber lowers her eyebrows at Claudius. "Won't that be traumatic fer him, Claudius?" Amber thinks for a second, and then adds, "I didn't know ye could do that..." in a low voice. She pauses again. "Speakin' o' traumatic, what did ye end up doin' with my killers?" Amber raises an eyebrow, looking interested.

"No, he won't remember being down here. I'll make sure of that." he says and after her pause. "Don't worry about them," he says his voice getting an edge to it, "They're gone."

"All right...I'm sorry fer askin'," Amber says, giving Claudius an exasperated look and standing up. She leaves the kitchen and walks back up the stairs to the closet. She opens the closet door and looks at the books without seeing them for a second-- still frustrated with Claudius' little 'taboo-topics-list' that he has for some reason. She envies her daughter's courage to ask Claudius anything without fear!

Finally Amber remembers why she's standing there, and reaches up to grab the first book on the shelf. She walks back down the stairs, plops the book in front of Claudius with a sniff, and then turns to open the fridge and look inside. She grabs a bottle of beer, twists the lid off and throws it wherever, and returns to the table. Pulling the chair out, she sits with one leg hanging over the arm of the chair and takes a long drink of the beer.

Claudius leans back and crosses his arms, "They are in Oblivion's hands now. I don't know why you bring up these topics. Here we are having a nice time of it, and you bring those fools up."

Amber fixes a look on Claudius. "Maybe I'm like me daughter, after all, an' just want ta know that those who deserved it got their punishment. Anythin' wrong with that? God, Claudius, sometimes I feel like I can't just bring up any ol' topic with you, ye know?" Amber takes another swig of the beer and lays her head back.

"Interesting...you truly feel that way?" He says leaning back in his chair taking a sip of his drink.

Amber's head pops back up and she studies Claudius for a minute with narrowed eyes. "Well...yes. Yes I do! Ye get so mad sometimes when I ask ye somethin' innocent! Why is that, hmm?" Amber sits up a little straighter-- her leg still hanging over the arm of the chair-- and points her beer bottle at Claudius, shaking it at him a little. "You an' yer temper, Claudius!"

Claudius raises his eyebrows, "Well everyone has things they do not wish to discuss. Now why don't you show me a picture?" He says leaning forward on his chair and resting his arms on the table.

Amber watches him for a moment, and then finally sits up and puts her leg down-- scooting her chair back over by Claudius'. She looks at him again and leans in, speaking in a low voice. "Not everyone can send a person ta Oblivion with a single thought when they get mad, either!" Amber leans back up and grins. "All right, love, I'll show ye some baby pictures." Amber leans over Claudius and opens the book to the front. "Ye'll notice there are no baby pictures, per say, as we were with the Celts until ma inion was a little over a year old. So these would be the youngest pictures I have o' her."

Amber points to a picture of her holding toddler-Cliodhna and standing between a younger Marie-Claire and a Jack who...well, looks exactly the same! "Jack flew us back ta Ireland after our mission was done-- this is right before they returned ta France." Amber flips the page, and Claudius can see her eyes grow soft and her whole demeanor change as she looks down at a picture. She lets out a little sigh and holds up the book. The picture takes up the entire page. It's 1-year old Cliodhna standing in a field full of heather, clutching some sprigs of heather in her hands and looking at the camera with a serious expression on her little face. She's wearing a white sun-dress, and her black hair curls around her face and neck. Her large blue eyes almost exactly match the heather-blossoms she's surrounded by.

Claudius' eyes widen as he takes the picture in his trembling hand. He walks silently out of the kitchen, down the hall and out the door into the yard. Suddenly storm clouds gather quicker than they should. It begins to rain as tears begin to fill his eyes.
He sinks to his knees and clutches the picture to his chest.
"My mother's eyes....she has my mother's eyes."

Wraith Game 14: "The Evil that Men Do"