The Bwy Hir Complete Trilogy (11 page)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ty Mawr was suffering from an impasse. Anwen refused to accept the new guest and Nerys was refusing to take notice. Anwen stalked around the house like a territorial cat and Nerys trampled on all of Anwen’s objections like a blithe bull. Dafydd and Gwyn sensibly did not get involved and spent as much time as possible away from the house and concentrated all their efforts
on finishing the barn.

Anwen had finally returned to her work at the bakery, leaving Nerys free run of the house in her absence. Nerys had spent her time changing as many things as possible
; small things such as exchanging white toilet paper for rose pink, switching the order of the cutlery draw and her most triumphant adjustment was claiming Anwen’s favourite armchair as her own. Anwen seethed and Nerys was winning.

By the time Anwen returned home from work, the men had already finished their labours on the barn and were waiting patiently at the table for supper.

‘Hello!’ she called from the hallway, as she hung her coat and bristled at the aroma of perfect cooking coming from the kitchen.

‘
We’re in here waiting for you, Anwen!’ Nerys called sweetly.

Swearing under her breath
, she fixed a fake smile on her face and took her seat at the table. ‘How was your day? Dad? Gwyn?’ She pointedly ignored Nerys.

Both men noted the slight and mumbled ‘fine’ or ‘great’ or something equally positive
while keeping their eyes fastened on the meal that was presented to them.
Is that a radish shaped as a flower?
Anwen stared at her plate.
This woman is really starting to irritate me.

Dafydd was the first to break the silence
. ‘So Nerys, just to let you know that Gwyn and I will be off to The Eagles tonight to meet some of the lads before we go to the Farmers Union Conference next week.’

‘Oh, you’re off to the pub, is it? Lovely, Anwen an
d I can spend some quality girl-time together this evening, won’t that be nice Anwen?’ Nerys’ voice dripped honey.

‘No
,’ Anwen replied bluntly.

‘For cryin’ out loud!’ Dafydd pounded his fist on the table causing the plates to jump
. ‘You will damn well apologize to your aunt right now, Anwen. I am sick of your rudeness!’

‘Really, there’s no need, Dafydd.’ Nerys placed a hand on Dafydd’s arm.

‘There damn well is, Nerys! I’ll not stand for it!’ he shouted gruffly. Anwen’s bottom lip began to tremble. She pushed herself away from the table and yet again sought the sanctuary of her bedroom.

‘Guess I’ll be doing the washing up. No need to get Anwen to do it
,’ Gwyn babbled into the awkward silence.

‘Good lad
,’ Dafydd murmured. ‘I’m sorry Nerys, I don’t know what’s got into her.’

‘Oh, Dafydd, don’t mind Anwen, she’ll come round. I’ll speak with her this evening. Why don’t you both go get ready? I’ll do the dishes, Gwyn. Off you go now and stop your worrying, leave Anwen to me.’ Nerys watched them leave the kitchen and Bara wagged her tail as scraps were scraped into her bowl.

It was time for Nerys to have it out with Anwen, the girl would learn to bend her neck whether she liked it or not, especially if she wanted Taliesin’s message that Nerys had not long collected.

Dafydd and Gwyn shouted their goodbyes from the back door and made their way down the lane with Bara trotting beside them. Dafydd wasn’t as big a drinker as Gwyn, but he was looking forward to a good stiff snifter after the troubles at home.

‘Do you think it’s safe to leave those two alone?’ Gwyn half joked.

‘Safer than being stuck in the middle of it!’ Dafydd replied.

The evening was drawing in. Both father and son pulled their jackets tighter, stuffed their hands in their pockets and hoped they’d be in the village and out of earshot when the ruckus began.

Nerys waited until she was sure Dafydd and Gwyn would not be returning before climbing the stairs. She did not slip into Anwen’s room this time, instead she threw open the door, pulled herself up to her full height, put her hands on her hips and shrieked, ‘By the gods Anwen Morgan, if you weren’t pregnant I’d box your ears!’
Anwen was gob-smacked.

She’d recoiled when the door opened so violently and Nerys’ declaration had left her thunderstruck.

‘Well?’ Nerys snapped, ‘what do you have to say for yourself young lady?’ Anwen sat on her bed with her jaw flapping soundlessly. ‘Well, cat got your tongue? You usually have plenty to say with that peevish mouth of yours!’ Nerys was on a roll. ‘How dare you upset your father, insult me and make your brother feel uncomfortable, all because you’re nothing more than a nasty, devious little liar!’

Anwen couldn’t take any more and she began to bawl, her head buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking in great wracking sobs. Nerys let her cry until she judged the moment right before she finally sat beside her grandniece and folded her into her huge arms. ‘There, there, Anwen. I’m here now and if you let me I can be a great friend and ally, but only if you let me in.’

‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!’ she blubbered, ‘I’m so scared Aunty Nerys, I’m so scared!’

‘Well of course you are
,’ Nerys soothed. ‘Who wouldn’t be? But chin up now, we have a lot to talk about before your father and brother get home.’ She handed Anwen a cotton handkerchief drawn from her dress pocket and Anwen wiped her eyes and nose, snivelling and sniffing. She looked up at her aunt with huge, vulnerable eyes and Nerys felt a flush of affection for this difficult young woman who was in more trouble than she realised.

‘First things first, how pregnant are you? How many cycles have you missed?’

‘Um, coming up for two now.’ Anwen’s face crumpled and she began crying again.

‘Have you told anyone yet?’ Nerys wished for a negative answer.

‘No, no, not even the father knows,’ Anwen sobbed.

‘Of course he
doesn’t – not that it’ll help you any.’  Nerys clucked as she pulled out a slightly crumpled note from her pocket.

Anwen took the note suspiciously
. ‘Is it from him?’ she asked, holding the note preciously.

‘Well, it’s not from me!’ Nerys
retorted.

Anwen began to unfold the paper carefully, before pulling it to
wards her chest and scowling. ‘How did you get it? Did you read it?’

‘Yes I read it,’ Nerys replied honestly, ‘and I understand
its message and a lot more besides when you’re ready to listen.’

Anwen frowned but opened the note fully and began to read, her m
outh silently forming the words:

“The Bard’s sun is dawning, stay steadfast and let not the black fires burn.”

She read and reread it, over and over again. A tear fell upon the creamy vellum and Anwen whined, ‘I don’t understand what it means.’

‘Why do you think I read it?’ Nerys asked patiently
. ‘Now then, pass it here and we’ll go through it together step by step.’ Anwen passed the note to Nerys and sat crestfallen and dejected at having to have the message explained.

‘Typical man
...’ Nerys criticised as she fished her glasses from her pocket.
Her pockets must be bottomless,
Anwen thought to herself,
what else has she got in there? ‘
Leaves a woman in the lurch and all he can muster is a handful of words, as if that will see her through, bah!’

‘The message?’ Anwen prompted.

‘I’m getting to it.’ Nerys unfolded her glasses in one hand and slipped them onto her nose, moving the note nearer and further away from her face until she found her focus. ‘Right we are then … let us begin with the first line,
“The Bard’s sun is dawning” …
there was a famous bard called Taliesin … sun is obviously son … dawning signifies beginning or maybe dawn is used as “it dawned on him,” so reading between the lines he’s saying “he knows you carry his son.”’

‘Oh, he
does
know! Am I having a son then? The baby is a boy!’ Anwen cried excitedly, throwing her arms around Nerys and nearly causing them both to fall onto the floor.

‘Steady girl!’ Nerys huffed as she righted herself
. ‘There’s more yet, and I wouldn’t be knitting in blue until the babe is here.’ Anwen sat on her hands and wriggled, desperate for her aunt to continue. Nerys waited for Anwen to stop fidgeting before speaking. ‘“Stay steadfast” … I’d wondered about this one; does it mean wait for him, be loyal and keep this secret, or does it mean stay at Ty Mawr and he will ensure the child “follows in his stead”? I’m not one hundred percent sure but I think it means “wait for him and keep it secret”. What do you think?’

‘He wants me to wait for him!’ Anwen was elated
, Taliesin
did
love her.

Nerys sighed and shook her head
.
Oh, the poor deluded child.

‘Quick, tell me the rest!’

Nerys peered over her glasses at Anwen and paused tight lipped.

‘Pleeaase!’ Anwen flashed her best smile.

‘That’s better. There’s no call to lose
your manners. So, here’s the bit you should worry about as it’s a warning.’ Nerys wagged a meaty finger. Anwen stilled, a worried frown creased her face and her lips quivered. Nerys patted her knee soothingly. ‘I’m here, Anwen, I’ll keep you safe … but you must heed this warning and understand the hot water you’ve dipped your toes in. “The black fires” mean the Druids. You know who they are, don’t you?’

Anwen nodded her head, ‘A bit
… a lot, let me show you.’ She stood up and quietly left the room, motioning for Nerys to remain seated. Nerys heard the creak of the stairs and the squeak of the kitchen door, another creak on the stairs and Anwen reappeared carrying a small leather notebook. She handed it to Nerys and sat waiting.

Nerys carefully opened the leaves of
the book, flicking through them one by one, her eyebrows climbing higher and higher. ‘Where did you get this?’

‘I’m not supposed to know about it, Dad hides it away, but I found it and read it
. That’s how I first met Taliesin, in the woods by the big stone, he was waiting there and so I said hello. He was angry at first but I told him that I knew what he was, that my family were Chosen. He was surprised at first, but we started talking and …’ Anwen shrugged her shoulders.

‘And that was that!’ Nerys finished for her
. ‘And now you’re two months gone and haven’t a clue what you’ve got yourself into or who Taliesin really is.’

‘Yes I do!’ Anwen bristled
. ‘He is a Bwy Hir, a prince no less, and he loves me, and I love him!’

Nerys snorted
. ‘Oh well, I’m glad to see you’re so well informed. This should turn out fine then, never mind Taliesin isn’t even fully grown yet, that rutting a Human is forbidden, never mind you’re carrying a Halfling child; a near impossibility, never mind how you’re going to explain all this to your father, never mind anyone else!’

‘Taliesin will look after me!’ Anwen yelled, anger flushing her face.

‘Oh, yes,’ Nerys threw up her hand., ‘I’m sure the vicar will be more than happy to marry a local girl to a seven foot demigod, I’m sure he won’t bat an eyelid!’

‘He’s not seven
feet tall! Shows what you know!’

‘He soon bloody will be, same as the rest of them. Shows what you know, you fool
, girl!’

‘Don’t make fun of me!’ Anwen yelled
. ‘He
will
take care of me and our child!’

‘If the Druids don’t take care of you first!’ Nerys yelled back.

An awkward silence followed, for all their attempts at friendship Anwen and Nerys were right back where they started, two adversaries glaring at each other over their barricades.

Nerys was the first to offer an olive branch
. ‘I’m not making fun, Anwen,’ she said calmly, ‘but I need you to realise the trouble you’re in. Taliesin cannot help you from where he is, likely as not you won’t see him until Spring, maybe even Summer. You won’t be able to hide the child all that time, you’ll be close to delivering by then, and the child will be in danger too. How do you think the Bwy Hir will take to a Halfling? It’s unheard of! And the Bwy Hir are not so different from us, there are good ones and bad ones, honest ones and liars, and the Druids? Well, let’s just say I’ve never heard of a decent one … Oh, Anwen, you and Taliesin are worlds apart, and if you’re going to see this through, you’ll be doing it alone unless you let me help you.’

‘What am I supposed to do?’ Anwen cried, ‘Tell me what to do, Aunt Nerys, but don’t make fun of me, I know I’ve been stupid, but I do love him and I want our baby.’

Nerys could have cried for the poor young woman standing helplessly in front of her,
but tears never mended a broken pot
. ‘First things first,’ Nerys sighed, ‘go put that book back from wherever you found it and put the kettle on while you’re about it.’

Anwen
’s shoulders slumped as she retrieved the book and returned it to its hiding place. Nerys sat on Anwen’s bed looking out of the window at the waning moon. She returned her glasses to her pocket and brushed a small tear from the corner of her eye. ‘By god, Emily,’ she whispered to the sky, ‘I’m not sure how we’re going to get her through this one, she could do with you here and I’m getting too old for this kind of palaver.’ Nerys smiled a sad smile, and, blowing a kiss to the heavens, she hoisted her bulk off the bed and down the stairs to join her grandniece in the kitchen.