#the northlands of barley

[thewaywardhealers]

The Dragon of Barley had been considered the most formidable man.

The mystical earth shifting healer saw a different side the day they met, he had been kind and good, charming her.

Eris saw a vulnerable woman, lost to her pain, and grief but discovered someone passionate and just as protective as he.

Their love, witnessed by the majority of the Parker family and a collection of Exene's chosen sisters. Lorna officiating, Juliette standing with her, the union between Eris and Exene was bound into its truest knot.

[theheartofrovan]

Starina Morgose Avery - The Dragon Blood Witch…

Starina Morgose was born one of 4 sisters to a Bene Ferrat witch. Satina, Shalandria and Sirena were her sisters. All the sisters were brought up in the ancient ways of the Bene Ferrat Coven. However, their Mother had left the Coven because of love and everyone knows love is selfish and blind.

The man himself was known by the last name of Montrose. He later became the strange creator of the House of Montrose, but that is another story. He fathered all the daughters but when Montrose became corrupted by power, Star’s mother moved away and hid the girls among the thick forests of Drake land in the Northlands of Barley where she taught them all she knew.

Perhaps it was the proximity to the Never or perhaps it was their Mother’s blood but each girl child held a power. Shala could control and speak to animals and plants. Star could control the weather. Satin could sway the element of water and Siren could hold power over fire. Healing ways were taught to all until they moved to their own paths.

Satina was enslaved by a man that wished only to possess her.

Siren sacrificed herself in the need of a people.

Shala grew sick from an illness that swept the countryside.

As each passed their powers moved to Star. Devastated she travelled the lands looking for a purpose. Until she meandered into a tavern where she met Vyse Avery. They fell madly in love until his own blood would corrupt hers and awaken the dragon blood of Montrose. It had lay dormant until now.

When Vyse martyred himself to save his sister, Star was left alone with a secret and no family. The curse of her corrupted blood made her powerful in other ways, though it thieved the potency of her other powers.

Years turned into centuries before she found herself called to The Order to help Marco and Rosa and she voluntarily allowed Prince Umberto to bind her powers against the royal family so that she could not hurt them while in their land unless she was threatened by them.

And now she found herself a part of The Order. A strange sect of people with their own powers using them to help when called on by the Rovanian Royals.

[thewaywardhealers]

Exene laughed under her breath, watching Juliette peel a whole potato with one swivel of her wrist and knife.

"You will have to admit, one day, that you have been domesticated."

"Bite your tongue!" Juliette quipped at her.

Both healers glanced off towards the changing environment. The air was cold, not just crisp, and soon, the snows would come. They were bundled in wool blankets and fur lined cloaks, with their hair long and loose, swaying with the biting wind.

"Are you sure you want to stay on?" Exene asked, yet again.

Juliette smirked as she looked Exene's way, "These lands remind me of Thrakir..." she began and shrugged her shoulders, "Those memories..." and shook her head, "They do not relive themselves here."

"I suppose that means Lord Cantaville will be staying on as well."

"He will, and I get to smell a whole plethora of men roaming about as well." Juliette added.

Exene raised a hand and two large unpeeled potatoes landed in her outstretched hand. "You will get used to it."

Juliette huffed softly and stared at her friend. It was so different to see her at peace, content even, and half-smiled. "Binding yourself to that always-frowning brute of yours...suits you."

Exene said nothing for a moment, peeling the last of the potatoes and watched as the basket of freshly picked carrots move towards them. "I like what I see when it comes to you and Lex."

Juliette chuckled softly, and bit into the carrot she had just peeled, "Surprisingly....he can keep up."

Exene noticed their men, off conversing quite possibly about them, then glanced to Juliette. "I have liked having you here."

[thewaywardhealers]

Exene never considered herself a fighter. A warrior persay.

The War of Arbor, she had participated in its protection and served as a strong defense, but those days already seemed so long ago.

Now, in the Northlands of Barley, with Eris, bantering and loving, teasing the troop of Parker Brothers, learning politely from their saintly mother, she found a new source to be mindful of.

Exene was no warrior, but she found more reason to love and protect.

[thewaywardhealers]

It certainly helped that the Parker Brothers reacted to her. The greatest sense of amusement filled her, as she teased and taunted Wyatt especially.

Truman, though she had shared a moment with, he would be the one who would bring back living hope to Celia.

Axial had a child, as far as Lorna had learned, and now the task had passed onto the eldest Parker Brother.

[thewaywardhealers]

Exene stared out, noting the craggyness of the mountains and thought of how it had all come to be in the Northlands of Barley.

"Will you stop fidgeting..."

Juliette smirked, "they are simply pants nothing to get so uncomfortable about."

Exene rarely wore pants and even now, she found herself tugging at them, "I do not know how you can walk so comfortably in these, they are so tight."

"They are too tight...." and fell silent at the sight of two of the Parker Brothers.

Juliette chuckled and did her best to murmur under her breath, "you Exene must have the strongest reserve...can not see how you can even walk around here with all these Parker Brothers walking about, looking like they do, especially those two."

Exene and Juliette turned just as Wyatt noticed them, and Bo a little worse for wear after a 'happy' scuffle with one of his brothers. They laughed privately, avoiding conversation, but the smiles were unavoidable.

"I happen to enjoy my Parker brother." And sat back, finally waving a greeting to Wyatt and Bo, who chuckled at the similarly dressed healing sisters.

While the pair watched the brothers disappear downhill, Exene glanced towards Juliette, turning the tone serious. "Have you been keeping up with your practice?"

Juliette averted her gaze to her booted feet, and pursed her mouth, "I prefer practicing with my bow."

Exene watched her a moment and then nodded slowly, "I see..." and brushed her loose black locks behind her ears. "I am here when you decide to try again."

"My abilities are too wild Ex...I am weary of it. "

Fiddling with Juliette's bow of yew, she turned it over and then handed it to her, "That is exactly why you practice. They can be lead by your emotions."

When Juliette sighed and retrieved the bow from Exene, "I just want things to...be peaceful now."

Nodding Exene looked towards the bales of hay she had set up for Juliette, "Your abilities are like the cords of your bow Juliette, pliable and accurate."

Making a face, Juliette looked back at her. "Why do you always have to be right?"

Exene chuckled lightly, "I am just grateful you and Lorna are taken."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I can only imagine if our sweet giving Lorna had met the Parker Brothers before ."

And both laughed, while Exene took hold of Juliette's hand, giving it a squeeze. "You protected me for so long...now we can do that for each other."

[thewaywardhealers]

"Come on..." she pulled at Eris' arm and had them sit out at dusk to watch the sun begin to disappear behind the craggy mountains and let out a sigh of contentment. She laughed when he sighed in a far different way.

"Your woman likes her pink skies....you should know that...you dragon." And squeezed his arm and continued to admire until the skies turned that beautiful inky blue.

[thewaywardhealers]

Lorna had read Exene's missive with a laugh.

"A proper interrogation...." she had uttered to herself, even as she remained in the company of Willa, Erinys, Bast, Ulrich, Xander and Dominic.

Her great big demon and Erinys' golden Wolf had battled, and she saw something she should have not.

Erinys torn between her own self and the unrequited love she was feeling for the Golden Wolf that was Bast.

A wolf eventually to be presented and possibly accepted by his bonded mate, who was not quite yet of age.

Her hazel gaze bounced between the scene before she finally proposed an offer. While she was pleased that Erinys had been more than willing to head off with her, she still noticed in the days that followed how much Erinys remained torn.

Even though she had promised to work on strengthening Erinys' twisted foot once they had arrived at the Northlands of Barley, she sat with her now, trying to distract her, and shook her slightly, "you know he is quite amiable, if you are into great mad beasts like that." and laughed lightly, "Good thing, I am."

Erinys flushed, "What is in the Northlands? Where is Barley?"

Lorna shrugged, "If it is in the North, than I shall assume clear blue skies and cold air. My sister Exene resides there now, with her mate, well..." and waggled her brows and roll of her eyes, "They live in chaste sin, knowing her."

Lorna laughed with Erinys, "But I think you should see more than just all of the Skye's lands. You should meet Juliette, my other sister one day." And wondered if Juliette would cleave her in two if she shared that Juliette's childhood had been one filled with pain, so much pain.

She blinked, "When we return to Hillside, and we will, I will send for her, she knows more about your...ailment than any of us ever could."

Erinys worried her lower lip, "is she....afflicted?"

Lorna shook her head slowly, "No little retributioner, she was not born as such. Hers was done by man..."

[thewaywardhealers]

Juliette, Exene and Lorna, sat together, sharing bowls of stew.

Juliette and Lorna were just as adept a healer as Exene, but Exene proved to be the cook.

"At least I can tell what kind of meat this is." Lorna said with a grimace at Juliette.

Scoffing, Juliette threw her a look, and poked at the bowl, "The potatoes are good." she claimed as she glanced Exene's way.

"I am going to miss you two." Exene admitted.

Arbor was finding its calm again. The last battle had only killed one person; the man who had started it all.

And the 'sisters' had begun to plan.

Lorna was still in no shape to travel, and while she huffed and puffed that she was well enough, even Alden had encouraged her to stay on, at least until she was further healed.

The wound had begun to heal and then fester and it took a more powerful plant, something Juliette had discovered in her travels; jewelweed and the henna plant.

Lorna's wounds remained open and wrapped down in that all too familiar poultice, but finally they had begun to heal.

And while Lorna had yet to put the question to Dom about staying on, she was more than confident she could convince him.

Juliette was more driven than anyone she needed to leave Arbor, not because she disliked the lands or its people, but she was itching to see more, with Lex. Whatever that would mean for them.

Exene was the only one who knew, she was returning to Barley, with Eris and to meet his vast family of brothers and have him finally return to his duties in the Northlands. She had felt guilty for keeping him away for so long.

"You make sure he treats you well Ex." Juliette reminded her and spotted a group of men talking amongst themselves, looking grim which included Eris. "He is all right looking, if you like that sort of man."

Lorna appraised the men, and eyed Eris more intently. "Hmmm...he has a bit of an animal charm. Too much a gentleman for my taste."

Exene blushed, and shoved them both to look away, "Hush...and I like him just fine. Actually, I think...no, I know I love him."

Lorna stared at her, stunned, "You are so sentimental!"

"Ex can not help who she is. That has never stopped her." And wrinkled her nose playfully at her, "Despite always looking like he is gonna bite someone's head off, I know he is good to you." Juliette commented, and finished her bowl, snatching Lorna's who still didn't have much of an appetite.

Lorna smirked. "And when you are not looking, the way he looks after you." And wolf-whistled, catching the attention of The Tree People's men.

Exene bowed her head, smiling gently, before casting one quick look his way. He was standing amongst many of them, yet he stood out. "I really am going to miss you both."

@xxfragilelegacyxx

[thewaywardhealers]

Juliette ran hard, swerving as the collection of trees causing the dirt path to stray one way and then another, jumping over low bushes and jumping down hard and grunting as she pushed her body to keep in pace with the Northlanders.

They were testing her, and while she had earned their trust, she was still the outsider, and had done everything she could to acclimate herself to the lands, and their ways.

Boar hunting was always a challenge, finding a sow meant she would be wild with overprotective rage if they even thought to take one of the piglets, but it was also mating season, and the males were also crazed to mate and angered quickly.

Juliette had already been present when one young man had been killed, during his coming of age boar hunt, he had grown boastful and the boar tore him to shreds. She could still remember him, holding onto his intestines, assuming such an injury was not fatal.

Yet, a ragged boar they hunted, giving chase and attempting to tire the tempestuous tushed swine. Boar spears wounded the animal, but a wounded, cornered one could prove fatal, and not for the boar.

Juliette charged, choosing the bolas instead of her bow, she ran downwind of the boar and swung quickly, waiting for the prime moment, the braided cord swinging atop her head, those two stones sitting in the well worn pocket before she launched them, and the boar was knocked twice in the head, stunning it for a moment, and then...one forceful blow of that boars' spear ended the angry tusked swine's life.

It would serve to feed them all that night, and even enough to begin drying and storing the meat for the coming seasons.

They all hooted and hollered, enjoying the night air, and Juliette joined, flashing a rare smile, and was eventually escorted away by some of the northland women.

"What do you mean? The women have their own rituals after a kill?"

Many chuckled and explained, hunts as great as this one usually proved most productive, and in more than one way.

"We paint ourselves, for our partners."

Juliette blinked, "Paint yourselves?" And smirked looking at the other women as they offered a knowing nod, "Do you mean, to tempt them, like sirens?" She tried to joke.

And they painted her, "It calls our men, and women to us, this is the way."

Juliette decided to participate, and felt them use the blackened ocher over her face, in thin lines and swirls and when they all marked each other, they wandered off, filling the night with animal sounds, while Juliette excused herself and sat out by the river. She rested back on the palms of her hands and dipped her toes in the cool water, utterly amused by the sounds filling the forest and peered up towards the high, bright moon.

[thewaywardhealers]

The Snows had still not transformed the landscape, the northlands were cold, brutal and covered in snow.

Juliette had settled in, making herself known. She was the outsider, not only living on lands unknown to her, but she also had to find ways to earn their trust.

She was not overtly friendly to begin with, so Juliette leaned on one of her skills: archery.

Finding a spot to hunt, with her bow of ash, she trailed her prey and returned triumphant, with the feet of her two hares tied together. Once stewed, she offered the stew itself and the pelts as gifts.

Now, she waited, for opportunities to continue to convince the Northlanders, she was someone they could trust.

And on the quietest and loneliest of nights, she thought of Lex, wondering where he was now, and would she ever see him again.

[thewaywardhealers]

He had left abruptly, yet she had taken it in stride. If the Northlands of Barley were where she was going to live and assist the people, she would. But the second letter caught her off guard, and she clenched her jaw as she read it, thinking about the fact that suddenly her partner would not be returning. She grumbled and shook her head, tossing the letter aside and glancing at the scatters of her belongings in his home. So, she cleared out. And took her satchel, medicine bag and was off. Her own adventure had yet to start.