Daughter of the Gods: Sentimental Journey
by
Moon Mistress
a/k/a
Lisa Beth Darling

Chapter Six

And the sign said;
"The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
The Sounds of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel

The walk was long just as she feared it would be and the woman walking with her was oddly silent on their journey. The further down they went the colder and danker it seemed to become, Calla wished she brought the coat with her. It was cold and she started shivering.

“You don’t say very much, Calla.” Nimue said quietly while they rounded a corner and Calla shifted Excalibur to the other hand. “Do you not like it here?”

“It’s cold,” she said softly. “Is Daniel on his way?”

“Soon,” Nimue said with a smile. “This is Avalon.” She reminded her companion.

“Yes and if I know my Husband he has many questions. Daniel loves to ask questions. He’s very intelligent and very inquisitive.”

“Is he? Well, that’s too bad because I’m confident they aren’t allowing him time to enough ask them. Morgan and Covetina have their own questions.”

“Ones which must be answered.” Calla said as though finishing Niumue’s thought. “Still, it’s not fair. Daniel is a good man and being in Avalon no doubt means a great deal to him.”

“Such concern for your Consort….”

“Daniel is not my Consort,” Calla said quickly. “He is my Husband.”

“I beg your forgiveness, Lady. I meant no offense.” Nimue offered sincerely. “Such concern is touching.” She finished.

“He will show the same for me.” Calla stopped walking. “Daniel will tell them this and I will tell you, Maeve and Poseidon sanctioned our marriage, so did my Father. You’ve no cause to separate us under such circumstances.”

“You are so convinced we wish to part you from him or should I say that you seem to fear this?” Nimue asked slowing her pace.

“Being away from Daniel is my greatest fear. I love him and he loves me.”

“I understand that,” the older woman said with a smile.

“No, you do not.” Calla said pushing her graying hair behind her ear. “Dan—n—I” She stopped and recovered. “I was very stupid recently and because of it Daniel suffered and we spent a great deal of time apart. I will not allow this to happen again. The experience was dreadful and it taught me that I am where I belong only when at his side.”

A sly smile turned up the corners of Nimue’s mouth. “We’re here.” With a slender fist Nimue knocked upon the heavy door. “Gupp, it’s us, open the door, Callest….Calla has returned Excalibur.”

From deep inside the room came a shuffling sound which turned into a bumping sound and then finally the door opened and the craggy old gnome smiled up at them. “Well, don’t stand out there, come in, you’re letting the heat out of my hovel.”

Calla was first through the door and greeted by a roaring fire. Rather than going over to the large touchstone and replacing the sword within she went to the hearth and warmed her chilling bones. “I should have had some of the stew, it smelled very good.” Calla said wistfully as she stared into the flames. “I’m sure Morgan made it herself….”

“She did.” Nimue agreed taking a seat at a table of rough wood and chairs which were only slightly uncomfortable but not at all like the grand seats in the banquet hall where Daniel and the others were engaged in conversation.

“It was rude of me, I will apologize to her before we leave.” Standing in front of the fire it seemed she’d been too long without warmth the heat was not penetrating her body at all and she was gaining no warmth as she rubbed her hands over her arms and moved even closer to the flames. “Perhaps she might offer me another bowl.” Daniel didn’t like lamb so she never cooked it. That was strange since The Avalonians, Maeve, Duncan, not to mention all of the Olympians loved lamb in whatever form they could get it. On tiberia there was no such animal or even anything like it. She gave up her chance to have her first delicious taste of it in many years just because Callestah wanted to prove an unimportant point. It would have meant far more to all of them and gone a longer way toward mending fences if she’d taken the stew rather than turning her nose up at it.

“I’m sure Morgan will appreciate that.” Nimue intoned looking at Calla with wonder. “Sit down.”

She was cold and the chairs were far away from the flames.

“Gupp, don’t you have anything warm to drink down here?” Nimue asked the old gnome.

“Aye,” the old man with the crooked nose and who, himself, was nearly bent into nearly the shape of question mark disappeared only to reappear a few moments later with three steaming mugs of cider. “Here help yourselves, ladies.”

“Thank you,” Calla said taking one steaming cup. The warmth of it felt good on her cold hands. “Shall I put this back now?” She held up Excalibur.

“If you wish,” Nimue took a tentative sip from the hot sweet mug. “Very good, Gupp, I see you haven’t lost your touch.”

“Me? Lose me touch? Ha! Never.” He quipped. Both he and Nimue sipped cider while they watched Calla slip the sword back into the touchstone.

“There. It’s done.” Calla proclaimed when she turned back to them. She felt as though a heavy load had been lifted from her shoulders. “May we go now?”

“Not yet. Come and sit with me, talk to us.” Nimue invited. “We want to get to know you.”

Pulling a chair closer to the fire Calla sat down and picked up her mug of cider. “What do you want from me?”

“What has happened to you?” Nimue countered softly. “Your hair, you look older than all of us yet you are younger by far. Did that happen when you lost the child you carried?”

Calla looked away and took a long sip of hot apple cider. This wasn’t a subject she wanted to talk about not with people she didn’t know. Not when the pain was still so fresh and new. Not when she still had thoughts of the needle and spoon dancing in the back of her mind. “Before.” She muttered and took another drink. “This is very good.” She earnestly to Gupp. “It’s not hard is it? I’ve promised Daniel I wouldn’t drink.”

Nimue, who had been telepathically listening in on the conversation taking place in the grand banquet hall, thought of how odd it was that Husband and Wife should say exactly the same thing on this subject. “Is that how you lost the child?” She asked. “To drink?” Though Nimue was fairly certain the woman before her was not a drunkard.

“No.” Calla put the mug down on the table. “I was not strong enough to hold on to our Son. I failed my Husband and my Family.”

“Is that so?” Gupp asked. “Where were they?”

“Searching for me.”

Still Gupp’s turn. “Why were you not with them?”

“Eros tricked me. I…was foolish.” Calla picked up the warm mug once more and took a deep sip, it really was very good. “Weak.” Another sip and she was starting to feel a little warmer but still it was very dank and damp down here. “Do you want to talk to Callestah again?”

“No, I’m enjoying our conversation, aren’t you my dear?” Nimue asked with a soft smile. “Don’t be nervous, besides, Callestah is a bit rude and well, let’s face it, she has a chip on her shoulder.”

“Does she?” Calla asked herself more than anyone around her and then thought about the question while Nimue and Gupp watched her. “I suppose…” she said slowly, “…that she is angry. Perhaps this accounts for her less than agreeable disposition?”

“Perhaps it does.” Nimue agreed. “What would she be so angry about?”

Taking down the last big gulp of cider she put the mug down on the table and went to the fire again. “I don’t know.” Calla mumbled while she stared into the flames But she did know what made Callestah so angry. Truth be told, the very same things that made Callestah so incredibly filled with rage also ticked Calla off but she saw no sense in railing against the past nor wallowing in its sorrows as it could not be changed. “Did Daniel see her? Is he all right?”

“You mean did he see you, all of you, in your true form? The answer is yes he did and he seemed quite taken with what he saw.” Nimue said while looking at Calla from over the top of her mug and taking another drink. “I assure you he is completely unharmed.” Calla frowned deeply and sighed even deeper. Her entire demeanor just seemed to deflate. “Why does this make you sad?”

“I never wanted him to see her.” Calla sad absently.

“Why not?” Gupp asked and poured another round of cider. “I mean other than, obviously you were probably afraid that it would kill him to look upon you in all your Splendor.”

Calla looked around the large but not-too-large room to see who else might be around and listening. “She smiled at him, I felt it.” Her brow furrowed and the lines there became deeper. A tear dripped down her cheek and she wiped it away. “He thinks she’d beautiful and wonderful.” Her vice kept growing more absent more casual. “She’s always said how she dislikes him, that he isn’t good enough for us but that’s not true. I always knew if she ever saw him, really saw him the way I do that she would fall in love with him and he with her.” Wet eyes looked over at her companions. “Where does that leave me?” Her voice growing thinner more distant she didn’t wit for them to answer. “There is no room for me there. I will go away, Daniel doesn’t need me, especially not when he has the chance to love her.”

Nimue spoke in a clear but gentle voice. “Are you telling me that Callestah no longer wants Ares?”

“No,” Calla answered. “But it is possible that she’s beginning to see things the way I do. All it took was one look and everything I’ve worked for…is about to vanish. Its not fair.”

“I think that’s just an irrational fear, my dear.” Nimue soothed and was surprised by the young womans’ words. “Callestah has long loved and wanted Ares, her heart cannot be turned so easily.”

“Can his?” She asked without missing a beat. There were other women, several other women, not the least of them the Grand Dame Sha’re herself. Surely Callestah could turn his heart away from Calla if she wanted. Could turn his eye, his body. All these years Calla convinced herself that as long as Callestah wanted Ares—and Calla fed that want she encouraged Callestah to flirt with Ares—so long as that desire was then Callestah would not turn her attentions to Daniel and she would hold onto him unchallenged. “Is my love enough for him?” Calla sat at the table and held out her palm for reading. “Please, Nimue, tell my future. I must know. Will she take him from me? Will I fade away into oblivion? Will my children miss or will they, like Daniel, love her more and never think my name?”

“So much doubt,” Gupp chided. “So unlike a child of Ares.”

“You really do fear losing Daniel, don’t you child?”

“He’s all I’ve ever wanted.” Calla confessed still holding out her hand for reading.

Nimue hesitated, the Ladies had discussed this situation in depth but the subject of palmistry did not arise and therefore Nimue was unsure of what they would want her to do. Silently she communicated Calla’s desire to the others who were telling Daniel Jackson that Callestah wanted Ares. Before they could answer her Nimue’s practiced eye fell upon the open hand and she reached out to close it. “One shouldn’t know too much about their own fate.” She said holding onto Calla’s closed fist. So many X’s she’d never seen in one palm before. Each one denoted a different task in the younger woman’s life, one that Fate assigned to her and that she could not escape. A small daisy chain of x’s made a path starting at the plain of Mars just below her ring finger it went down the entire length of her palm, over the line of the head, down to the line of the heart and crossing the line of fate, over to her life line and continued down her wrist.

It was the big X in the center of Calla’s palm, the one that cross her life, head, heart and family lines. The one with four smaller x’s connected to it that bothered her most. Calla would never escape the fact that she was forever tied to Daniel, Nicholas, Colleen and Ares. Who was that last x? Nimue did not know though if she’d left Calla’s hand open a little longer she was sure that she would have seen that person’s identity. How could one woman be asked to take on so much in the space of just one lifetime? Even if that lifetime did last a few thousand years it was still too much.

“It’s that bad? He is going to …what will become of me?” She asked drawing her hand away. “I can’t even die. I’ll just fade away to nothing.” Sitting there nearing tears once more she thought about David and the hell it must have been for him to have sit inside Daniel’s head with no body of his own looking out through Daniel’s eyes and living a life that wasn’t his own. One that he had no control over and could only watch as though she were nothing more than some mildly interested spectator. Could he feel with Daniel’s hands? Did he smell what Daniel did? Taste what Daniel did? Maybe that’s why David was here so she could ask him these questions and she would be prepared when she too wandered off to oblivion.

“There is much strife ahead of you still,” Nimue reached out with her free hand to trace the outline of Calla’s cheek. “You have endured so much already but that has made you stronger. There are many secrets many lies between you and Daniel, aren’t there?”

“A few.” Calla said biting down on her bottom lip.

“Then perhaps it is best if light is shed on them. If your love is as strong as you believe it to be then you will come through this too.” Calla shook her head and let out a sorrowful sigh. “Look at me, Callestah may come to respect and even like Daniel Jackson one day but she will never love him the way you do. He will see that.”

“Will we have more children? Did you see?” Calla asked quickly and so much hope it pulled at Nimue’s heart strings. Before she could stop herself or think better of it Nimue answered.

“Two.” She said. “At least.”

“Two more children?!” Suddenly the voice which had been so distraught and sad was now lighter than air. “More than I hoped. Are you sure?”

Now she was second guessing herself but Nimue could not take back what she’d said. “Quite sure that you and Daniel will raise at least two more children.”

“Soon?” Her hand caressed her empty belly. Such a short time she’d carried their Son but it was long enough for him to become an eternal part of her. Calla would always miss him and want him, a new baby couldn’t change that or take his place but…

Now Calla’s eyes were absolutely beaming with hope. Who was she to dash it? “Sooner than you think.” Nimue said in what she thought was a light voice but the foreboding hung in the air around them. The woman with the emerald eyes and auburn/gray hair had a true Destiny and she would fulfill it come hell or high water, Calla had no choice.

“You swear it? I will carry another child? You’re not just telling me what I want to hear?”

“Oh, no.” Nimue said in a soft whisper not knowing how much detail to go into. “I swear by the end of the year you will be full with child again.”

A terrible thought struck fear in Calla’s heart. “I won’t lose it this time, I will carry, I will hold this baby and he….or she…will live a long life?”

“I promise, your palm does not lie. This is all you really want, isn't it Calla?” The thought was most surprising. An Olympian that did not want accolades, worshipers, servants, and an entire entourage of those ready and willing to do their bidding? How odd. Then again, perhaps this more Mortal aspect of the woman was really the true Mother Goddess. She wanted not for fame or glory or money or men but for a home, a small plot of land to call her own and a loving family to fill it. She was a very complicated young lady and Nimue hoped there would be centuries ahead of them so that she could work on figuring her out.

Calla felt so happy she thought she’d jump up and down and start doing the Happy Dance. There was a steady rap at the door, Gupp stood up at the sound of Morgan’s voice telling him to open the door. When Daniel walked through Calla went to his side. “You all right?” He asked very concerned, she was shaking as she put her arms around him. “Here, I brought your coat.” Daniel wrapped it around her shoulders. “Come back to the fire.” He coached guiding her over to the hearth and kissing the side of her head. “When they said we were coming down here I knew you’d be cold,” he looked down at her, “and a little scared?”

“Perhaps a little.” She agreed keeping him close to her. “But Nimue and Gupp have been very kind during our visit.” Calla assured him. “They’ve given me wonderful news. I’ll tell you when we get back to the house.”

Daniel looked over at the large touchstone with the sword jutting out of it and to him it looked like their work here was done. “Wonderful news? We could use some of that. I take it you’re ready to go?”

Calla thought about it for a moment. “Might we stay just a little longer?” She asked gazing up at him with wide hopeful eyes. “I’d like to have a bit of that stew before we leave.” Calla explained. Nimue, Gupp and Covey watched as Morgan smiled. “I was very rude before please forgive me.” Calla said peeking around Daniel’s side to look at Morgan Le Fey.

“It’s still warm.” Morgan said happily. “You are, of course, forgiven. It’s been a very long and arduous few days for you. Warm meal would probably do you good.” Nimue and Gupp rose from the table. “Where do you think you’re going?” She asked the gnome.

“I thought I might have some of that stew it does sound so awfully good.”

“The sword cannot stay here unguarded.” Covey reminded them.

“Does that mean I can’t eat???” Gupp complained bitterly. “Oh, please, I’ve been stuck down here for decades without company or even sunlight. Please, Mistresses, just a few minutes out of here to sit and talk over a hot meal.” He begged.

The Ladies of Avalon looked from one to the other before making a decision. “Daniel Jackson,” Morgan Le Fey said in a stern and commanding voice. Daniel looked over at her immediately. “Pull the sword from the stone.” She ordered.

“Are you kidding?” Daniel asked and then looked down at Calla who was suddenly very worried. Her brow was creased and she’d already raised her thumb to her lips and was biting on the nail.

“Try.” It was the only word she uttered to him though she wasn’t sure it was the right decision.

Leaving her by the fire Daniel strode over to the large touchstone and placed one hand on the hilt of Excalibur. To him it looked like the damn thing was in there fairly well and he’d never pull it out. All eyes were on him now and he certainly felt the weight of their stares. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Two hands on the hilt and the sword encased in solid stone slid free, sparks flew from the metal as it scraped against the rock. “I’ll be damned.” He whispered holding the fine weapon in his hands. Calla smiled up at him and so did other Ladies.

“I guess you can have your stew, Gupp.” Nimue said lightly.

“I guess you might see the sunlight again.” Covey replied.

“Take it with you Daniel Jackson. You are the new Keeper of Excalibur.”

“It’s mine?” Daniel asked in an amazed voice.

“Yes, I believe Excalibur has found a new Master.” Morgan Le Fey said to him. “Now both of you come with us and we will enjoy that pleasant meal we planned on earlier.”

The stew, hot apple cider, warm soda bread, fresh churned butter and cherry cobbler were all delicious. Even Daniel, who did not like lamb, had a second helping of the stew Morgan prepared. After the meal the five of them wandered around Avalon for a while, the Ladies showing Daniel some of its many treasures and he making mental notes of everything he saw so that he could make written notes when they got back to the Manor House.

They even took him to the room where Calla slept as a baby. Everything was still there the crib she slept in, the toys she played with and even the books they read to her. Morgan Le Fey very proudly showed off a beautiful blue/green and gold dress that Calla had worn and Morgan lovingly preserved. Morgan and Covetina captured Callas’ attention and a few moments later Lady Nimue captured that of Daniel Jackson as they stood off in a quiet corner observing the ladies in the room.

“You must tell her.” Nimue said without looking at him.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as his skin prickled with electricity. “Tell her what?”

“Don’t be coy. You must tell her the child is yours.” Nimue turned her deep doe eyes to him. “She will understand.”

“How can she understand?” Daniel asked in a bewildered but quiet voice. “I don’t understand.” A thought came to him; maybe he had a way to get a leg up on Ares. “But you understand, don’t you? You know.”

It seemed there was more to the story than Calla’s palm told. Some of that tale was reflected in his eyes. “All I know is what I saw in her palm; that there is a girl child who is yours but not hers.” At first she thought the conflict within him was over whether or not to tell Calla this bit of news but now she saw there were other questions he was wrestling with. “I know what I see your eyes, someone does not want you to tell her. Ares perhaps?”

“Perhaps.” He returned watching Calla across the room. “And perhaps he’s right. As your friends were quick to point out to me, she” Daniel gestured toward his wife, “can be very fragile. More so now that we just lost a Son, in the wake of that how do you expect me to tell her that I have a Daughter? One that I can’t even explain how she got here.”

The Ladies were ending their little trip down Memory Lane or perhaps one was just starting their company was required, either way their attention was turning toward Nimue and Daniel who stood talking by the window. “She is fragile but she will understand if you give her the chance.”

“This might push her over the edge.” He said out loud to no one. Who knew maybe she would understand, eventually anyway. At what cost? It seemed that all the prices she paid lately were far too high, not the least among them was the price she paid for his Immortality. Daniel couldn’t ask her to keep paying to keep giving and not get anything in return.

“Have you ever seen a photograph of her when she was a baby, Daniel?” Covetina asked as they wandered their way back around the large warm room that had been Calla’s nursery, a room that in fact was still set-up, ready and waiting for a baby to come and stay.

“Photograph?” Daniel asked bewildered. “Ah, n-no, I haven’t.” Ares had shown him an image of Calla when she was somewhere around 11 or 12, an image that came from his mind and which he projected into thin air but that was different from a…. “Excuse me, I’m sorry, did you really say photograph? I thought…..”

“Magick is convenient, Daniel.” Covey said in a sly voice, “but many years ago a man named Eastman gave me a camera and showed me how to work it. It’s much more challenging and fun than projecting memories into the air. Would you like to see?”

“I’m sure he’s not interested.” Calla mumbled.

“Well then you’d be wrong,” Daniel said looking down at her. “I’d love to see them.” He said to Covey who just about gushed with pride when she pulled an old scrap book from an even older dresser drawer.

“Come and sit.” She said in a delightful voice as she nestled her ample frame on the plush deep green couch. “Everyone,” Covey said looking up at all of them. “Come and look.” Those who could not find space on the couch sat on the floor while Covey showed around pictures of an infant Callestah. Some of which were even the proverbial naked baby on a white bear skin rug.

Daniel giggled at the pictures and said how cute she was and the women around him recalled fond memories of having her here just as Duncan MacLeod had done a few months before. Little glimpses like this into his Wife’s past were always treasured moments to him, she so rarely spoke of any type of life before he came along and took her away from Kanan. These little treasures couldn’t be held or carried away with him, they couldn’t be measured in weight or gold. But they meant so much more to Daniel than all the jewel encrusted artifacts the Ladies had shown, even more than being the new Master of Excalibur. Then again, Calla meant more to him than all of that put together anyway. It seemed to him that Calla had touched many lives in a very positive way she was loved more than she knew or felt worthy of being. “Colleen looked just like you when she was a baby.” He remarked. “Would you like to see?” Daniel asked the women around him. “I mean, while we’re showing photographs?” The women nodded and Daniel pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “That’s Colleen our Daughter and her Brother, Nicholas.” He showed them pictures of the twins as babies and then as adolescents and finally their graduation photographs. “This is our Granddaughter, Lilly. Well, Calla Lilly is her full name.” Daniel explained and the Ladies oohed and ahhed over the pictures. “Our new daughter in-law, Annie.” Just like all the beautiful Ladies around him, Daniel felt very proud.

Tongues tired, bellies full and hearts lighter it was time for Daniel and Calla to leave. “Would you like to take one with you, my dear?” Covetina asked pointing to the photo album.

“Oh, no you keep them. What would I do with it?”

Daniel started to speak but Morgan cut him off. “Perhaps your Father would like to see a photograph or two. Even Ares never saw you this young.” She reminded Calla. That was not the objection Daniel was going to raise but it did work.

“Perhaps just one.” Calla said. “Father might like to see it I suppose.”

Covetina picked out two photographs and handed them to her. “There you go, my dear. Just in case Ares wants to keep one, you know how he can get sometimes. This way you’ll have one to put in your own family album.”

They certainly had plenty of family albums back home maybe one picture of her as an infant would make a nice addition. “Thank you.”

“You will come back and visit us, won’t you?” Nimue asked as they all walked to the shore.

“Yes,” Morgan agreed. “And you will bring your family with you next time so that we can meet them.”

“One day, yes I will.” Calla told them. “Thank you for your hospitality and your kindness.”

So gracious and graceful. So unlike the Lady Callestah who resided within her. “You are most welcome.” Morgan hugged her tightly. “If you ever need us just call.” She whispered in Callas’ ear. “We’ll be there before you can blink.”

End Chapter Six Of
Daughter of the Gods: Sentimental Journey
Continue to
Chapter Seven

This story and all stories in the Daughter of the Gods series are copyrighted to Lisa Beth Darling these stories may not be transferred outside of this URL in any fashion.