Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3070000" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 170, “Mother Jaminez‘s Words", Sunday, March 26th, 1882, 11:15 AM After she left Mr. Gonzales' rooms Kate dressed in her black riding leathers and went downstairs.  She asked Dorita to have Chester wait for her when he arrived, then found Estaban. "Would you mind walking me across town? I just need to run a short errand, then I'm coming right back here."  Estaban indicates that he will happy to escort Kate wherever she wishes to go. He adds "Pedro told us about that Johnny Ringo threatening young Ginnie, we will all do what we can to watch our for you and your little one."Kate looked up at him with a heartfelt smile. "Thank you. You've all been... How did I ever get so lucky?" She slipped her arm in his, followed Mr. Gonzales' directions to the house where Mother Jimenez lived and she knocked on the door.   The door opens. A very old wood elf woman stands before her, the human equivalent of eighties or perhaps nineties. The woman's clothing looks to have been made from hand-spun threads, the clothing consisting of a plain chemise top, multi-colored hand-dyed vest and long skirt matching the vest. Her feet are bare. The single-room adobe building is sparsely furnished, with a straw mat atop the dirt ground, three large overstuffed pillows with pillowcases that match the woman's clothing, and two wooden chairs. Wooden bookcases line two of the walls, although the shelves are all filled with plants, herbs and ceramic containers rather than books. One corner of the room has a corner cabinet on which sits a brazier and other items similar to those in Gonzales's workroom. The woman exchanges words with Estaban in a language that Kate concludes was the original Elvan tongue spoken in this region before the Spanish conquerors forced their own language onto the people. Estaban says, "You will be safe." He departs as the woman gestures for Kate to enter. She then gestures to both a chair and a pillow and says, "Please sit on whichever you wish".Kate looked around the colorful room, so much different than what she had expected. "Ah, thank you," she said uncertainly, choosing the pillow on the floor. She had always liked sitting on floors, and since she was wearing her riding clothes she could do it without being indecent. "I'm sorry to disturb you, I won't take up much of your time. You... you already know why I'm here?" she asked.As soon as Mother Jimenez closes the door Katherine feels a wave of calm wash over her. Feelings of confusion and doubt that she has had seem to evaporate. But she senses that it is not from the woman but the room itself that has brought this calming effect. It is a similar feeling to that which she felt earlier today when in Gonzales's rooms, which she credited then to the feeling of safety and familiarity of the place, while this room she had never been in prior to now.  Jimenez sit on one of the other pillows and a period of silence passes before she answers Kate's question. "Mr. Gonzales asked me to speak to Mr. Booth on your behalf. I assume that is why you are here. Have you changed your mind? Do you wish me to stay away from him now?"  Kate answers, "No, I am grateful to you for going to him, I know I cannot ease his pain. Your knowledge may be able to do that. And I of course would not interfere between a teacher and a student.  I am here because I heard last night that Conrad was ill. I wanted to check on him myself, but I wasn't sure I would be wanted. I only wanted to know if he is alright, or will be alright. I am curious about what he had told you and how he feels, but I understand he may have spoken in confidence."Mother Jimenez replies, "You are asking if Conrad is ill? In part yes, he suffers from the same ailment that most of the town is now under, namely the divine influence of the Greek Priestess. One unintended consequence of the Earth Spirits involvement here a few months ago is that this area of this world has now drawn the attention of other deities. You personally are a direct recipient of this, but so too is this Priestess whose Goddess has granted her favor. She seeks to bend the will of this town to her desires and beliefs whether they wish it or not.”Kate states, "I don't quite understand. The only priestess here is Miss Florencia, and she reveres Minerva, and has for many years. Is there another priestess?"   Kate was quiet for a minute. "I am not surprised the Greek gods and their servants have little interest in the town's willingness to follow them. It is not the first time I have been caught in such a thing. Is there anything to be done, or must we just weather this storm?" Jimenez states, “I have erected clerical wards to shield his home from these outside influences just as I have here in my own home, which will enable him to reflect now with his mind rather than with his emotions."   Kate says, "I felt the difference when you closed the door. So Conrad's feeling for me were, how do I say, exaggerated, or perhaps not even of his own soul?" she said uncertainly.Jimenez states, "Yes, there is another Priestess. Had I meant your friend I would have identified her with the Roman Pantheon, not the Greek. There is a Priestess of Aphrodite who also holds Sunday services in this town. Nearly half of this town's population attended her services today. Aphrodite is not an evil Goddess, just a vain and selfish one. She demands the worship of herself at the exclusion of all others. To this end she has used and misused her gift of love to distract the other six priests who reside within a mile's radius of this community. Only I have been immune to this, as my power is sufficient to ward off these, plus I am well past the years where affairs of the heart control my actions. Conrad does not need outside influences to feel love for you. Due to what I have explained to him he now believes the truth of the miracle that the gods have bestowed on you.”  Kate says, "So at least his mind is more at ease. Thank you." Jimenez continues, “But along with that belief has come an irrational jealousy caused by Aphrodite, as that is another of her talents. While you wear Aphrodite's token around your neck he cannot but help to by influenced by her when he is near you. For that reason I have told him to stay away, and not to speak to you of feelings and futures until you are free of her control."Kate pulled off the olive leaf necklace and held it away from her as if it were a snake. "I went with Miss Florencia and Ruby to give Diana thanks. The ritual also thanked Minerva and Aphrodite, who has recently touched Ruby. I have never seen Ruby so happy...."  Her eyes narrowed as her fist clenched around the pendant. "Will they never stop trying to take me against my will? My ring, is it still safe to wear? Is there anything we can do to break Aphrodite's hold and bring people back to their senses?"The wood elvan woman states, "Your ring is safe, it is a combination of wizard magics and those bestowed by the gods of nature. Gonzales does not even know it but that ring and its counterpart on his other friend were both created by myself nearly a half-millennia ago. It will bring safety to you and your child.”   "I thought it would only protect the baby?" Kate said while removing her wedding ring. "But the ring I meant was this one. It was also used in the ritual.  Jimenez states, "Leave it with me. I can strip Aphrodite's influence from it."   Kate handed the old woman her wedding band as well as the pendant. "I know it will only be an olive leaf, but Miss Florencia felt it was a symbol of the bond between the three of us." Jimenez continues, “As for your friends....getting them to part with those tokens will not be easy. Three of the priests I spoke of a moment ago are close friends of yours, your ranch co-owners and the Roman Priestess. You have already seen how Aphrodite has distracted them and set them both towards and apart from one another. Priestess Florencia seeks to hold a Festival to honor the Greek/Roman Pantheon which plays right into the hands of Aphrodite, who will use it to permanently ensnare this community. While the Priestess wears the token it will continue to allow the Love Goddess to over shadow the Goddess who the priestess is named for. She has also manipulated emotions to keep your friend Nanuet from seeking his mentor while simultaneously keeping Sonoma away from this town and her mentor, myself. Kate says, "Nanuet is going to Kajika today, and taking Priestess Florencia with him. I will be at the ranch today, and can ask Sonoma if she would accompany me back. We are not going about alone right now, for other reasons."   Jimenez replies, "Nanuet's mentor has the power to shield them both from this Priestess's influence, especially if they are a distance off. But while that may be what they plan to do I doubt those events will occur unless you help to make it so. You must be careful how you go about this, they will not be inclined to believe what I have shared with you. Love is an emotion that transcends logic." Jimenez adds, “Two of the other priests, Thomas Valdez of the Mexican and Celtic Church and Nils Thorrsohn of the Norse Church are now caught up in a love triangle with one of the Priestesses acolytes and I fear that violence will soon follow.   The other priest of this area....he...well...that man she seeks to destroy completely and she has already set the events into motion to bring that about."   Jimenez replies, "So my friends are the only ones I'll be able to help at all? And who is the other priest?"She replies, “Among the Greek Pantheon there are many opposites and among those are Love and War. And as you may have observed, quite often opposites attract. Aphrodite and Ares once had a love affair which ended rather badly. To this day their followers seek to destroy each other. This Priestess of Love has managed to help influence the most strong-willed of this region, including yourself, to violently oppose the Priest of Ares, who you know as the man named Johnny Ringo.""Ringo," Kate said, shaking her head. "You know that we can't leave him to his own devices. I'm sure Ares is playing his games as well, and it involves the deaths of my friends and I. But how is it possible this priestess has affected us; I don't even know who she is?   I will do my best to make sure Minerva and Nanuet go to Kajika. I won't tell them what I've learned, hopefully our need to get information about the Cowboy Gang will give them enough will, along with my prodding. I will leave it to Kajika to tell them the truth, it will be easier for them to believe."Jimenez replies "The Priestess uses distraction and misdirection. As long as her enemies, potential rivals or those with strong enough willpower to resist her are fighting with each other they leave her free to act. The Ares priest appears to be obsessed with this town, which is irrational. With the Earps after him the smartest course of action would simply be to leave. But he is drawn to this place it as a moth is drawn to a flame, and that I suspect is due to her influence over him.""I have something he wants. Books we took the first time we encountered members of the Cowboy Gang. Books with dangerous knowledge that must be kept from him. I don't think that's enough to fascinate him, but I'm sure it's a factor.   I'll do my best to wake my friends to what is going on. But who is the Priestess? I know how to break her influence for my friends, but how else do we lessen her influence?"Jimenez says, “She is at the Palace Saloon, she has made that her Temple to Aphrodite. Her influence grows as her church grows, while the distracted priests are allowing their followers to turn elsewhere."   Kate says, "I understand. I will try to bring the priests I know back to their senses. Subtly, of course.  I should go, I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. And for helping Conrad. I'm very grateful." Kate pushed herself up off the floor to stand. "Estaban went back to the El Parador. I suppose I will have to go back by myself, I'll just have to hurry."   Mother Jimenez opens the door and heads across the way, pounding on the door. Alfredo Garcia opens it The woman says, "You take Mrs. Kale back to El Parador...NOW!" He does as instructed."I, ah, thank you," she said again to Mother Jimenez before she walked away with Mr. Garcia, a regular at the Lucky Lady. She chatted pleasantly with him about his luck at cards, and in a few minutes she was back at the El Parador.   Kate looked around for Chester, but he was not there yet. It wasn't quite noon, Miss Florencia's services might not be over yet. She took a seat downstairs in the Cantina and ordered lunch.Over at the church, after the services end, Chester pulls Nanuet aside. "Nanuet. I had a terrible dream last night. I couldn't remember it until I saw you." Nanuet grabs Chester shoulders. "Slow down. Remember the mediations I taught you." Chester closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He releases it and says, "I saw you riding out of town. Out of nowhere came Johnny Ringo surrounded by hundreds of cowboys. He had a Gatling gun and before you could run, he cut you down. You can't leave town. It's too dangerous."</blockquote>

Verification