WritingCamp 2021- Hurt

- Isla MacKinnon Muir is a woman bearing a curse: she must live an eternity by the side of her lover and husband Duncan Muir- who has no idea who she is. -Wed in the late 4th century, they ran afoul of the tempers of a (druidic priest?/one of the fae?) as they traveled from the estate of Isla's parents, to the one belonging to Duncan. (research clan structure of celts between 4th and 19th centuries, look into offensive gestures according to historical record of celts/druids/the Fae) - curse: lovers separated while side by side, Isla is bound to not reveal her identity by ancient magic. Duncan can not rest until he finds the wife wrested from his grasp after so short a time. However, the centuries have turned him cold and cynical, and he has all but given up. Instead, he has decided he will destroy everything for the life he lost. - Setting: fantasy steampunk, 1800s UK/Europe. (look into prominent historical figures and events circa 1830s) - the goal: Isla is now on the clock, she must find a way to reveal herself to Duncan before he can set the world ablaze with his pent up wrath. she must team up secretly with a small band of adventurers, including a distant relative in Clan MacKinnon, to lead him on a chase straight back into her arms. Duncan wants nothing more than his wife back in his arms, but something about Isla is so alluring. She almost reminds him of her. He must resist his feelings, to break the curse and find his beloved- or so he thinks. Part One Isla is minding the alchemy/chemist store front in London owned by Duncan and herself. We see a few brief customer interactions, establishing them as well known community members of (supposedly) the second or third generation owning the shop. Once she closes up and begins cleaning up, her mind wanders to where Duncan might be off to and how they found themselves in their present situation. Here there is a flashback to the weeks after their marriage as they traveled the Scottish highlands in spring to her new home. A young Duncan, in his late 20s, grievously offends (priest/fae) not far from their destination. Having also accidentally given their true names to the (priest/fae), he left them vulnerable to a powerful curse. When they awoke in the morning, Duncan no longer remembered who Isla was and frantically began a campaign to find his wife. Returning to the "present," Duncan enters the shop with a package under his arm and beckons for Isla to follow him up to their home over the shop. We are introduced around this time to the pair's acquired magical abilities, including the ability to change their appearances when Duncan demands Isla once more change hers for his newest plan: the systematic decimation of the British Isles in order to flush out the (priest's descendants or clan/the fae) who cursed them. Failing that, he explains that he plans to place himself on the throne and begin amassing power for a grand-scale takeover ("What use is living forever if I can't have some fun?"). Slowly, he begins networking with powerful (and rather unsavory) supernatural beings across the UK. Isla, knowing she is powerless to reveal herself to him outright in order to stop his madness and unable to directly defy him, finds herself in a tough spot. How can she pull him back to her and save her beloved homelands? As she is pondering her predicament and running his 'errands,' she receives a letter from a relative in the Isle of Skye. Having not heard from her Clan in more than fifteen years, she immediately rips it open to find a summons- the elderly matriarch of the MacKinnons is on her death bed and wishes to see her. Part Two Having convinced Duncan to allow her to return home by citing the benefits of having eyes and ears in Scotland, she rushes to the side of her elderly descendant. Aileen, one of the few of Clan MacKinnon who know of Isla and her misfortune, is suffering from a flulike illness that in her advanced age is incurable. She wished to perform the necessary 'ritual' to pass on knowledge of Isla and Duncan in order to continue to help their ancestor and alleviate some of her troubles. The relative chosen is an energetic and bright young woman, Tiva, who has fought the Clan's wishes and become a Wanderer along side her twin brother Teran. Upon completion of the ritual, Tiva being magically bound to the same secrecy as Aileen and the others before her, Isla now reveals what she knows of Duncan's plans and her concerns of her ability to break the curse alone before it's too late. Aileen declares her confidence in Isla's new confidant doubly, calling it fate that things had come about in that way. As a Wanderer, Tiva has access to resources unavailable to those who knew of Isla and Duncan before. Also, with the new information, Aileen can now condone clan interference- no longer dubbing it a problem solely for the ancient lovers to deal with. Excitedly, Tiva expresses the skeleton of a plan beginning to form to lead Duncan on a chase straight back to Isla's waiting arms. Meanwhile, Duncan has been busy in the supernatural underbelly of London's higher circles. A number of non-humans have infiltrated the British Parliament and are selling information and forming alliances in hopes of a coup to usurp the very human government and monarchy. Using his abilities and his centuries of amassed wealth, Duncan has managed to make significant headway on the coup. A young nobleman, secretly a shifter, recently found himself with a seat in the House of Commons and on the favorable side of the ancient scotsman. News of a continually increasing displeasure with the current ministry under King William VI, the new whispers of Lord Melbourne replacing Lord Grey as PM, and musings of succession have been growing louder. Sensing his time may be coming to make a move, he sends a letter to Isla in the north detailing both human and supernatural clans in Scotland and Ireland that would happily see the downfall of the current monarchy. Instructing her to offer various valuable items and information, he insists that she gain him audiences or direct correspondence with each of the Lairds and Taoiseach. As he works his way up the ladder, those already successfully seated in power begin to catch on to his rather meteoric rise and grow wary. Supporters of other opposition, and of the king himself, begin to hire companies of Wanderers to look in to- and interfere in his plans, camouflaging the movements of Tiva's own party. Carefully, Duncan skirts and thwarts several attempts to steal information or prevent his deals while communicating with Isla (who is mostly successful in his requests, upon the instruction of Tiva). Finally, in one last letter, he gives her a date and time when he should arrive by rail in Inverness and what inn to find him in. Part Three After a few operations and close calls (including an injury to Isla herself), it is decided that Tiva's companions (Teran, a shifter called Letticia "Letti" Dunn, and a mage called Kieran McCall) should also take the rite of silence so they can be fully aware of their situation and better contribute as things grow more difficult. Working through some feelings of betrayal and upset, the group finds themselves at a loss upon the discovery that Duncan is already on his way to the Highlands. After some discussion, it is decided that Letti and Kieran will also make their way to the inn with Isla while Tiva and Teran follow their lead to the hideout of (the fae/the druid's descendant). Posing as a couple passing through the city, Letti and Kieran settle themselves in the tavern with eyes and ears open. After a brief wait, Isla (on the other side of the wide fireplace from them) is joined by Duncan who has used his abilities to disguise himself as a man in his late fifties. Isla gives a subtle signal that it is indeed who they have been waiting for. Meanwhile, Duncan and Isla discuss their path across Scotland and into Ireland, as well as the plan based on who they rally. It is decided that they leave for the first clan just after dawn. Their visits being relatively uneventful, things take a turn as the disembark in Ireland. A young boy shows up at the inn looking for Isla, actually sent by Tiva and Teran who have made contact with (the fae/descendant). Making a show of trying to 'hide' her activities, she agrees to leave the inn after midnight to meet the boy and follow him to meet with the one who 'sent' him. Duncan, suspicions aroused, follow them. Isla soon finds herself face to face with (the one who/the descendant of the one who) had cursed them so long ago. An argument with the haughty (creature/person) ensues, and the (creature/person) taunts Isla with her centuries of torment at the hands of her own husband. At such a point, Duncan emerges from the shadows having heard the entire exchange, now knowing that his feelings for his companion were no trick or the encroachment of time- and realizing he had been by his wife's side the whole time. There is a surge of power as the curse is finally shattered and Tiva & co also emerge from near by. Realizing what has happened the (fae/descendant) chuckles with amusement and takes his leave, reminding Duncan to be wiser with both his name and his words in the future. Pushing the reunion of the now happier couple aside, Teran points out that there is still the matter of the coup/uprising to deal with. Working along side the party of Wanderers, Isla and Duncan now shift the goal of his plan. Now, they must fight against time to undo the unrest he built up and place a successor on the throne. END- prep for sequel "Mend" to place Victoria on the throne and end series.