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Journey to Dub: |
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Journey to Dub: |
February 3, 2002Threading my fingers together I am resolved to travel to Dub. I've tried to make this journey a number of times but I have always allowed myself to become distracted. It is a land of ice and snow outside the walls of the monastery. I'm completely unsure why but to this land of white and black, I have chosen to bring a gift of the deepest red roses I can find. Vivienne has agreed to meet me there so that we might do what needs to be done.
At the speed of thought I find myself standing in front of the gate. Vivienne is waiting for me. Dressed in a dark red, with her hair coiffed in an interesting mass of coils and curls. I'm not sure if I can go through with this since she represents so much of the energy I feel I've lost. If I send her away, will I lose even the memory of what I once was?
"Just keep repeating, Oversoul-Bleed-Through, Breda" she says as she take my hand in hers. "We'll make it through this."
Together we reach up and pull the ring set into the stone fence. A bell chimes off in the distance. There is a slight rustling sound and then the gate begins to swing open. No one appears to be there so we walk along the path up to the main door of the monastery. Even in the courtyard the wind seems to whip at freezing temperatures, but who am I to complain about cold at the home of the North wind.
The main doors swing open as we approach the building and we see an interior courtyard. Winter holds sway even here though the wind appears to have gentled down to the merest of breezes. At the far side of the courtyard there appears to be another large set of doors and we head for them.
Vivienne pulls her coat tighter around her and quips, "Well at least they haven't sent us through an ice maze. I have heard the unexpected and the uninvited never reach this far."
Before we can knock at the next set of doors they are opened by a woman gowned and veiled in white. I am surprised to see her in white rather than black. Most inhabitants of the lands tend to wear some variation of their wind color. She gestures us inside without speaking.
"We've come..." I start to say but she shakes her head.
"We know why you've come. Follow me." She seems to glide down the hall ahead of us, and we quickly find ourselves scurrying to catch up. The halls seem to be an endless maze of closed doors and I doubt if I could retrace my steps. I look over toward Vivienne and say "I think we found your maze". With a quick backward look from our guide Vivienne gives me only a nod of her head.
I've lost track of time when we finally stand outside a set of double doors. Our guide says, "The abbess will see you know. You may go in" and then turns and once more seems to glide away from us.
Vivienne reaches for the door but I stop her. "Let me at least get my coat off." I hand Vivienne the roses and remove my coat, scarf and gloves. I have chosen to dress very simply in a dark navy full length tunic dress over slacks. It is a common outfit in Dubh (the land of the Northeast wind) and fails to give any indication of rank or specialty. Vivienne hands me back the roses and removes her red hooded cloak, to reveal a rather clinging black dress. I found myself laughing. She absolutely looked the part of the witch princess. "Are we trying to impress them, Viv? I don't think they pay much attention to fashion."
"Which is why you came dressed like a drudge. Good heaven's woman that's the Dubh equivalent of peasant clothes. Are you trying to tell them I've stripped you of all your personality?" I was shocked to hear some real concern in Vivienne's voice.
"Of course not, silly." I reached for the door and swung it open. "Time to enter the lion's den" I said to her under my breath. The minute we set foot in the room there was a veiled woman waiting to take our coats. Off to the right sitting in an enclosed solarium was a woman in white, with long flowing white hair and a white mask hiding part of her face.
"Come here and sit down. You may call me Abbess White. Abbot Black will be joining us directly.
I handed her the roses and took a seat that seemed to back up into a palm tree.
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Time seemed to stand still in that moment - how could they know that despite my actions, despite coming here that I was not yet ready to let go? The heart knows things the head can't accept.