Na Cailltean

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2019 @ 10:10pm by Brigadier General Nathan Wolf

Mission: The Lost Boys and Girls
Location: P3X842
Timeline: Concurrent with "Once More Unto the Wormhole"

Isbeil of the Picts, the red haired, blue-eyed girl with the body of a fourteen year old who was the leader of Na Cailltean (the group name was in the language of the Picts because Isbeil was their leader) was the first to hear the gate activate. She she quickly got everyone’s attention.

“Cumail!!” she barked. “An Geata!”

Estin of the Bretagne, a blond haired, blue eyed boy, also with the body of a 14 year old, Isbeil’s second, nodded. He called out to the other’s in the mix of tribal languages they’d developed over many cycles of the moon they had lived here together since “An
Breoiteacht Mhór” as the Eriu called it or as the Picts might say, “An Tinneas Mòr” or for the Demetae “Y Salwch Fawr” forced Daoine An Éan to separate the eight children, four boys and four girls for the safety of other tribes. The shorthand mainly consisted of a mix of the languages of the Eriu and the Picts, since that seemed to be the easiest to follow. Frankly, most of Na Cailltean just nodded and smiled when Morgaine of the Demetae attempted to speak to them in the tongue of her people, which was nearly unintelligible to anyone who wasn’t born or at least raised Demetae. Estin, who was Isbeil’s partner, most frequently spoke the language of the Picts instead of his native Breton, so much so that he had almost completely forgotten it.

“Armachd!” Estin ordered as he adjusted his belt to move his dagger into an easily reachable position and picked up his spear.

Around their encampment, Na Cailltean stopped what they were doing and armed themselves. All but the youngest had a dagger and either a spear or a bow. The littlest ones only had daggers, but years of experience had made them deadly enemies to any and all that would threaten Na Cailltean.

When Isbeil saw that everyone was ready she nodded to Estin. Estin nodded back.

“Gluais a-mach,” he said. The group began to move stealthily through the forest towards the gate, hardly making a sound. A machine had come through An Geata not long several days ago. No people had followed. Na Cailltean had attempted to strip the machine of useful salvage after An Geata had closed , but all they could do was cut the the substance covering the wheels when Morgaine of the Demetae suggested they could use it for the soles of the boots they made from animal hide. Perhaps people were coming through next? Perhaps Daoine An Éan were returning? Perhaps they had found a cure for An Tinneas Mòr? If not, perhaps these travelers had something useful to trade for. Na Cailltean could afford to offer ridiculously good deals when trading because they knew that everything they gave away would come back to them eventually.

When they got closer to the clearing where An Geata stood, they took up positions and observed the people come through. The strangers brought through a machine similar to the first one, this one loaded with...something. Trade goods perhaps? These strangers seemed to have some kind of weapons with them. Na Cailltean used to strip weapons from strangers after they finally succumbed to An Tinneas Mòr. But no one had come through An Gaeta in many, many cycles of the moon, and weapons they had scavenged from dead strangers had long since stopped working.

Na Cailtean settled in to see what the strangers would do next. So used to moving through these forests were they, that they left practically no trail sign, and even their scent blended in with their surroundings. Silent and still except for the occasional hand sign, the Lost Children waited and watched.