I was hoping Danu’s Gift might help mitigate those problems. It should, healing the Land was within the purview of Danu’s domain. Her blessings were geared toward life and renewal. And She was most linked as the Mother Goddess of the Sidhe. The Planet considered by some to have been born of her flesh, the life that grew and proliferated made possible because of the connection with her Divinity.

But if her blessing did not breathe fresh life and potential into the land I planned on claiming, I would use the territory as a springboard to expand off-planet. That was assuming I managed to gain control of the Sidhe seat on the inter-galactic council. A seat that was my first order of business once I had established my Kingdom.

I hoped being able to migrate off World would solve any expansion problems that depleted and starved Land that seemed to exist only in those areas considered neutral. The Sidhe had been relegated to Talahm entirely because of the idiocy between the Seelie and Unseelie, and their inability to compromise. They had allowed the spurious argument that the Summerlands had been ceded, and in exchange, we were constrained to Talahm.

That argument may have worked if I hadn’t gained a wider understanding of the multi-verse. But I now knew that those Pantheons that cried poor, that demanded we remain on Talahm because our connection to the Summerlands gave us too much control was circular logic.

They honored our dominion of the Summerlands only until they could find a way to steal that dimension from us. The Tuatha de Danaan Pantheon was limited to this one multi-verse and had to use dreams and shadows to influence any other.

Olympus, Asgard, they were profligate. Expanding and claiming worlds beyond count, in Universes beyond count. Each incarnation of their Divinity able to share information, goals, and power.

I’m not sure who brokered the deal that restrained the Tuatha de Danaan, but whoever it was had screwed us. I thought I’d found a loophole. Technically, only the Gods were bound to Talahm. They could not leave and claim other worlds for their Pantheon. But the rules were made long before the Sidhe had grown to full power.

We had been gifted with the blood and affinities of our parents. And none of the Oath’s that bound Them was enforceable on their children. Not at least until we had Ranked and Leveled up high enough to ascend to Godhood.

I planned to seed this Universe with Sidhe when possible. And as each planet was claimed, I would dedicate it to the Tuatha de Danaan allowing their base of power to expand. Working within the restrictions as the Olympians and Asgardians had to steal and conspire to grow.

I didn’t know if it would work. There might have been something I was missing. When competing with trickster Gods like Loki and Dolus, it seemed unlikely they hadn’t considered this eventuality.

I would need to find someone more versed in interstellar law. It appeared as if they had claimed a galactic voting seat, the Sidhe by treaty would have been allowed to claim worlds that were bereft of intelligent life. The dreaming Tuatha de Danaan Pantheon had negotiated before they entered Sleep, and I didn’t believe for one moment that they had a reason to ensure Sidhe were not bound by planetary restrictions.

The fear of Ragnarok had allowed them some bargaining power, the fear, the uncertainty over what would happen in the aftermath of that battle was like a knife pressed against the throats of the other Pantheons. They could press only so far before the Sidhe Gods would begin the final battle.

The Seelie and Unseelie had squandered their work. Their inability to cooperate, their tireless maneuvering for supremacy had allowed their enmity to be exploited. I had come to believe these manipulations were beyond the means of either Odin or Athena. The Sidhe had done this to themselves. Factional rivalry so intrinsic to the nature of Sidhe that no cooperation was possible.

That didn’t mean that there wasn’t another party involved. A Demon or God from another Pantheon that was scheming, perhaps to force Ragnarok. At the least to foment dissension. War of Gods could create a power vacuum that someone was hoping to fill could take advantage of.

“You want the entire Herd to migrate?” Blayney said asking for clarification.

“I want those looking for a fresh start and a place to live to have that opportunity. Those who yearn for something equitable, or at least fairer than the regime they are living under now,” I replied. “The logistics involved in moving almost ten-thousand people would be a nightmare. But that aside, isn’t it worth the chance?”

“The logistics aren’t that much of a problem,” Una admitted, “we are Kelpie. Well suited for travel. If there is no water for us to swim, there are certain paths for us to run.”

“The problem is asking my Herd to put their faith in another Seelie,” Blayney said holding his hand up to forestall my response. “I believe you are different. That the dual heritage of Seelie and Unseelie has tempered your development so that you can understand better the problems of the lesser fey. But that doesn’t resolve the most immediate problems of migrating with no firm destination or available land waiting.”

“I’m not saying no,” Blayney explained, “I’m simply stating a hard truth. You can’t expect children to run countless miles only to arrive and find poor soil, stagnate waters, and hostile native life.”

“It would make more sense for you to go, find the extent of Danu’s blessing on the land you will rule. Claim your Rank and crown. Place your Sithern. And free your vassals and Irvin.

“Once those tasks are completed, Irvin knows what the Herd needs to survive, have him find a suitable environment, one that can be defended so the children are protected, and then the Herd will follow and bend the knee to you as King.”

“It would make more sense,” Duchess Wynne said agreeing, interjecting herself into the conversation. “Part of the reason my people and I found ourselves in such dire straits is that we set out with no clear destination in mind. No idea where we would wind up or what would be waiting for us. It made it expedient for Haygan and Kel to take advantage.

“The offer of rich unclaimed land was a powerful inducement,” she explained.

“You’re right,” I agreed, “until certain conditions are met, I may be offering Land and Vassalage that is not mine to offer. There are too many unknowns about Danu’s gift.

“And you are just one person. Powerful, yes. But it may become necessary for you to battle or duel. It would be difficult to do so while trying to protect a Herd of Kelpie,” the Duchess warned, “in fact, if Lord Blayney will agree, I would like to leave a few of my people here temporarily.

“Too many of my Knockers have already fought and died that are not suitable for combat.”

“How many would stay?” Blayney asked.

“Of the fifty that have survived, I would leave all but two. I would leave behind most of my fighters to help in their protection, and my best Tinkerer. He may come in handy, especially when a choice on migration is reached,” Wynne responded.

“One point I’d like clarified,” Blayney said after agreeing to Wynne’s suggestion, “you plan on allowing Unseelie to become Vassals, claim land, and grow Sithern to dimensional Kingdoms and establish themselves as Kings and Queens?”

I understood his incredulity. Allowing those considered part of the Unseelie faction to establish a beachhead for invasion seemed the height of ignorance. But from my perspective, there wasn’t much difference between the two factions. The Seelie had simply gotten an early start propagandizing their faction. They seemed to have profited the most from a better marketing strategy. I’m not sure how they became associated with the ‘light’ or ‘bright’ side, but their actions were just as deplorable as the Unseelie.

“I do,” I said answering Blayney’s question. “It was only a fortuitous set of circumstances that kept me from being branded Unseelie after my birth.

“And are the Kelpie any better? Their horse and serpent form have been brandished with ill-intent and barely sentient. You are barely considered part of the Seelie faction. To many Seelie have conflated your actions and woven stories that portray you as monsters that steal children, only to drown them.

“You are all but declared unclean, despoilers of the innocent. Why else would Thom felt secure in attempting to destroy your intellect? To him and many others like him, you and I aren’t worthy. You know as well as I that for a large majority of Seelie, anyone not Seelie, are other.

“If they could cast the lot of us out and declare us anathema and Unseelie, they would. The Unseelie believe they are better than the rest of the Sidhe too. But at least they don’t despise and want to cast out those that are considered other.

“They welcome everyone, in all their monstrous glory. The Night-fliers, Red-caps, Goblins, Hags, and Boggles are accepted, even given voice in Court.”

“Some of the most powerful of the Sidhe, creatures that are battle-tested, that strike fear into the hearts of even the most adventurous Seelie are isolated even among the Unseelie. Creatures so monstrous they must be contained,” Wynne informed us. “Even these creatures you will make welcome?”

“I will,” I declared. “Treaties and Oaths will be required, the same for them as anyone. I have ridden with the Wild Hunt. I have met and spoken to Danu, Beleros, and Cyronax. They are all equal before the Hunt. They are all children of the Tuatha de Danaan. I will treat all of Danu’s children with integrity and respect. And with caution.”

My words were met with amazement. I thought because I had made clear my intention to exclude no being, but that wasn’t the case.

“You have met with Danu?” Una asked uncertainly.

“You had a conversation with the Gods?” Blayney added just as astounded.

“Why do you think he introduced Aspen and Pine as Danu’s children?” Wynne asked perplexed, “did you think it boastful?”

Aspen and Pine didn’t mind as the room focused on them. They had no sense of embarrassment, what did they have to be embarrassed over. They were proud of their lineage and honored to have met and spoken to the Mother Goddess. They were first-generation direct descendants, the Children of Danu, and they secure in who they were and what the roles Danu hoped they would play on Talahm would be.

I knew they would become protectors of the forests on Earth, what that translated to on Talahm I wasn’t sure. I thought much the same, but the forests of Talahm weren’t depleted and destroyed as those on Earth had been. Here nature was respected. What that meant, what they would come to protect was something I would watch. I hoped, where possible, to guide or help them grow into the seeds of change that Danu had cast free during her brief time when her Dream was made manifest.