The Bwy Hir Complete Trilogy (14 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Gwrnach paused as he appeared in the Reception Hall. Stepping away from the Cerdd Carega
he checked to make sure his clothing was all in place before blowing out the candle of the lantern and returning it to its home among the shelves of other lanterns standing in patient rows awaiting use.

Gwrnach wiped the silly grin off his face when he became aware of how quiet it was. Where was the usual din? Where were all the
Druids? There were always black clad men shuffling about the hallways, even in the dead of night, so why was it so quiet?

‘You’ve missed quite an evening,’ Cadno said from his hiding place among the shadows. ‘The
Druids have been sent to bed with no supper!’ He laughed as he sauntered into the light where Gwrnach could see him.

‘What has happened?’ Gwrnach asked
, concern lacing his deep, rich voice.

Cadno’s grin was full of mischief
. ‘Aeron threw his weight around in the Council Chamber. Something to do with them intending to punish his creepy little Councillor, anyway, the long and short of it is they are all in purgatory at Aeron’s pleasure and the only one still creeping around is Afagddu.’ He threw his head back and laughed. ‘Oh how they must all hate y gigfran right now! I don’t fully understand why Aeron did it, but with Aeron it’s never the reason you expect.’

‘I have little care what happens to the
Druids.’ Gwrnach shrugged his shoulders. ‘Is there anything else I’ve missed?’

Cadno folded his arms
. ‘Why do you ask? What have you been up to?’ His eyes were slits as he looked Gwrnach up and down for any clue, his grin deepening.

‘Nothing, I’ve been up to nothing!’ Gwrnach felt his face flush and turned his back on Cadno while he fussed with the lanterns making sure they were set straight.

‘I see … so why are you blushing? What are you guilty of?’

‘I’m guilty of nothing,’ Gwrnach bluffed, ‘it’s cold out there tonight, my face is wind chapped, that’s all.’

‘So where have you been?’ Cadno teased.

‘Out on the mountain filling my lungs with fresh air, these halls are stuffy and dank, too long have I been cooped up inside
. I needed fresh air and so I took some, lung-fulls of it and now I am refreshed. Does that satisfy your curiosity?’ Gwrnach growled, ruffled at Cadno’s persistence.

‘Peace brother!’ Cadno chuckled while slapping Gwrnach on the back affably
. ‘I meant no offense. I too am bored stuck here waiting for the Solstice.’

Gwrnach gave a noncommittal grunt and Cadno tipped his head to one side
. ‘You are not looking forward to the Solstice, Gwrnach?’

‘I look forward to the Great Hunt more.’

‘You surprise me brother, I thought you would relish a bit of procreation.’

Gwrnach sighed
. ‘Do you wish there was another way, Cadno? That the Solstice was less … barbarous?’

‘Barbarous? Ho Gwrnach, you’ve been thinking on this long and hard! Barbarous!’ Cadno jeered before realising how serious Gwrnach had become. ‘Yes Gwrnach, I wish the Solstice was different
… I wish the Host and Pride could live as one, I wish we didn’t need the Druids’ ateb, I wish for a lot of things, but we are what we are and I know not how we can change what we’ve become.’

Gwrnach fought inside himself, but he pressed his lips together and remained silent, brooding.

Cadno was intrigued. ‘I am riding tomorrow with some of the brothers. The dragons are restless and could do with a few practice flights before the hunt. Why don’t you join us and we can enjoy some fresh air together?’

Gwrnach brightened
. ‘I would enjoy that. Yes, I will come.’

‘Good
,’ said Cadno as he flung an arm around Gwrnach’s neck, ‘then you can tell me what you’ve been up to!’

Gwrnach threw Cadno’s arm away from him gruffly, Cadno skipped back to avoid a blow, laughing and hooting.

They walked together up to the Bwy Hir quarters on the upper floors, directly below Aeron’s chambers.

Gwrnach pushed open the heavy door leading to the main chamber where the Host assembled to relax and while away time.
Gwydion, Gryff, Brenig, Llud and Celyn-Bach were all lounging in front of a roaring fireplace. Gwydion and Brenig were throwing dice, Gryff and Llud were talking quietly between sips of mead. Celyn-Bach was typically reading, he didn’t even look up when Gwrnach and Cadno entered.

‘Ho, brothers!’ Gwydion calle
d. ‘Will you join the game, although I must warn you I am winning.’

‘Maybe later
.’ Gwrnach stood rubbing his hands in front of the flames that danced upon a colossal log in the fireplace. Cadno made himself comfortable and sat down among his brothers, filling a goblet and draining it before refilling it once more.

‘Ready to ride tomorrow?’ Gryff asked Cadno.

‘Ready and willing,’ he replied jovially, ‘I can’t wait, both because Gwrnach will be joining us and because he has a secret to tell.’

‘I do not!’ Gwrnach snapped spinning from the fire to confront a band of curious faces. Cadno sniggered in his goblet and Gwrnach blushed again. ‘I do not!’
he rumbled, clenching his fists.

Celyn-Bach, the smallest of the Bwy Hir with snow white skin and soft long hands folded his book carefully and set it aside. ‘I shall not be riding with you tomorrow, so why not tell us now what mystery makes you so prickly and have done.’

‘There is no mystery! Cadno you are a poisonous worm – look what you’ve started!’

‘Now we’re all intrigued!’ Gwydion left his dice game and sat up. Gwrnach huffed and rebuffed, evaded and beseeched, but the battle was lost.

‘I made a promise!’ Gwrnach moaned, ‘the secret is not mine to tell, I promised my silence, can’t you leave me be?’

‘Oh, stop your bleating!’ Brenig rolled his eyes
. ‘You know as well as we do, Cadno will have it out of you sooner rather than later, so put yourself out of your misery and tell us.’

‘If I tell you, we must keep it between ourselves, no
-one else must know, not even Aeron and especially not the Druids – do you promise?’

And so huddled around the fire Gwrnach whispered his secret, swinging his head from left to right to ensure no eavesdropping. He shushed their whoops and howls, calmed their excited bobbing and bouncing as he unravelled his tale, embellishing his performance, leaving no delicious detail unspoken.

‘I don’t believe you!’ Cadno threw himself back and snorted. ‘If your story is true, why would the Pride pick you for such a task, instead of me?’

A raucous laugh went up and cushions were hurled at Cadno as they jeered. Gwrnach swelled with satisfaction when he realised Cadno’s jealousy. ‘They picked me because they needed a stallion and not an ass!’ Gwrnach flexed his muscles and the band renewed their laughter.

‘You sound in good spirits, may I join you?’ Taliesin said as he peeped his head around the door. There was a short pause before Celyn-Bach waved him over to join their huddle. ‘Yes, come and join us, Taliesin. Gwrnach was just demonstrating how much bigger his muscles are than poor, weedy Cadno’s!’

Gwrnach lifted his arms and flexed his muscles, smiling at Taliesin, nodding at him to come and feel his bicep. Taliesin
’s head only came up Gwrnach’s chest and he had to reach to grab Gwrnach’s flexed arm, pinching the brawn between his overstretched thumb and fingers Taliesin shook his head and said, ‘You think you’re magnificent, Gwrnach? You have a long way to go until you are a match for me!’ Then he flexed his own much smaller arm muscles encouraging whoops and laughter from all.

The camaraderie continued well into the night. Perhaps it was the fact that he was Aeron’s son, or simply because he hadn’t blossomed yet, but Taliesin had the niggling suspicion that he hadn’t quite been accepted yet, that something was being kept from him, but he enjoyed their company none the less and they served to fill the gap his father left by his aloofness.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Olwyn had substituted wine for water as she ate her breakfast of berries and roasted trout. The
Tylwyth Teg
that had served her blinked once at her choice of beverage, the gesture equivalent to fainting in
Human terms.

Awel came and sat beside her as she finished her meal and set aside her plate. ‘Good morning to you Oli, Mab has requested you visit her this morning, she waits in her pavilion.’

‘Then lead the way, Awel. It has been long since I visited our queen.’

They strolled side by side through the hollow, giving greetings to all they passed. On arriving at the pavilion Awel called out to Mab as they both entered the outer chamber and Mab called them to enter her inner chambers.

Mab was all smiles as she greeted Olwyn and motioned for her to sit beside her. The three made themselves comfortable and Mab got right down to business. ‘So, tell me Oli, how was your evening?’

A smile split Olwyn’s face and she gushed, ‘Oh, it was wonderful, wonderful!’

Mab was taken aback by Olwyn’s wistfulness and shared a look of wonder with Awel. ‘You … enjoyed it?’ Mab inquired with as much subtlety as she could.

‘Oh yes! It was
… wonderful!’ Olwyn heaved a contented sigh.

‘Oh for crying out loud!’ Awel barked
. ‘This will take forever at this rate! Oli will you just explain what happened last night, every detail, but please spare us the moaning and sighing!’ Awel rolled her eyes and admonished herself for using so many Human maxims lately, but she was getting so frustrated.

And so Olwyn described her encounter of the previous evening, described Gwrnach’s gentle touch and heavy passion, the thrill and satisfaction, her longing to join with him again
… and again.

‘Yes, we get the picture!’ Awel said
, flustered and uncomfortable, squirming in her seat as if she would be anywhere else but here listening to Oli’s exploits.

‘And you didn’t take any tincture before the meeting?’ Mab asked.

‘Oh, no, I took nothing and I’m glad I didn’t. I wouldn’t want to have dulled the experience, especially not with Gwrnach.’

Mab was perplexed
. Did the ateb really work this well, and if so how could they keep such a boon from the Bwy Hir? Why should they wait?

‘Mab,’ Olwyn’s voice was soft and quiet, ‘
can you see if I’m with child?’

Mab raised her eyebrows, the chance of Olwyn conceiving was doubtful, only one Bwy Hir child had been born in the last twenty
Summers and that was Taliesin. ‘I will try Oli, but you know the chances–’

‘I know
,’ Olwyn cut in, ‘but I just wanted to see ...’

Mab squeezed Olwyn’s arm and smiled
. ‘Then let us see.’ Mab closed her eyes and forced her awareness up and away from her body, her breathing slowed, her eyes flickered beneath their lids. She felt alive, truly alive and at one with her surroundings, every blade of grass, every pebble, every leaf; all felt connected to her and her with them. Mab focused and concentrated on those closest to her. She could sense Awel, feel her steady heart beating in her chest, she felt Oli’s laboured breathing, sensed her anticipation, her hopefulness and then she forced her concentration to focus deeper.

Her surprise nearly flung her back to her own body. There in the safety of Olwyn’s womb was the palest flicker of life, a tiny pulse of existence nestled fast and sure, throbbing, thriving.

Mab’s eyes snapped open. ‘Oli …’ she whispered.

‘What is it Mab, what’s wrong?’ Awel was panicked at Mab’s sudden alarm.

‘Olwyn is pregnant, only just, but I feel it.’ Mab’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Awel looked at Olwyn in disbeli
ef. Olwyn looked at Mab in rapture. Mab looked towards the horizon, her eyes fixed and unmoving. There was a brief silence in the pavilion, each woman cosseted with her own thoughts, until Awel broke the trance. ‘Why are we sitting like loons? Should we not be celebrating such welcome news? Come here Oli, let me be the first to congratulate you!’ She grabbed Olwyn and gave her a heartfelt embrace.

‘Thank you!’ Olwyn’s quivering voice radiated through the folds of Awel’s robes
. ‘Oh thank you, thank you for this, thank you.’

‘We cannot keep this secret
,’ Mab said firmly. ‘The Pride members selected for the Solstice have already been chosen and are written in the Chronicles surrendered to the Host. We will not be able explain away Olwyn’s pregnancy without telling the truth of how she became pregnant in the first place.’

‘Gwrnach must be told he is to become a father!’ Olwyn said
, pulling herself from Awel’s slackening embrace.

Mab lifted her hand to signal silence. ‘Olwyn, firstly
, I too must congratulate you. However, you are to mention this to no-one until I next summon you. Gwrnach must of course be told of this glorious news, but you must grant me time to make sure we reveal the new ateb properly and protect those, including yourself, who have sacrificed so much in bringing this ateb into fruition. We do not know how all will receive this news or whether all will be prepared to break tradition and change to an ateb that is widely untested and strange to them.’

‘But I am pregnant, Mab!’ Oli cried
. ‘Surely all will embrace the new ateb?’

‘Will they? Could your pregnancy be nothing more than a coincidence, could it not be argued your pregnancy would have happened at the Solstice should you have been selected? Do you know how perilous our position is? We created an
ateb, we used it without consulting the rest of the Bwy Hir, the Pride alone may well be furious at the snub, we coerced one of the Host into our scheme and now that it has been a success we are stuck in a difficult position. We must reveal ourselves, but how we do that is vital.’

‘She is right, Oli
,’ said Awel as she pursed her lips, ‘leave us to find a path through the brambles and I shall send for you as soon as I can, but mark my words Olwyn, you must keep this to yourself for now.’

Oli nodded, making promises of silence
. Awel trusted her wholeheartedly. Once she had left, Awel and Mab began to plot, throwing ideas around until they had a scheme they were satisfied would work.

‘I don’t know how I’m to get word to Tali and Gwrnach without the rest of the Host or those damn
Druids finding out,’ Awel grumbled, ‘and I hate travelling to that damned Druid pit.’

‘I have a gift I would have you take to my son in readiness for the Great Hunt.’ Mab stood and went to her trunk placed at the foot of her cot. Opening the lid she produced one of her most prized possessions, a gold inlaid hunting bow
: a gift from her late father.

‘You are sure you would part with that?’ Awel asked.

‘To none but my son. It is a fitting gift as I feel sure he will blossom while we slumber and I would see him have it for when it happens.’

‘Then I shall take it to him gladly, along with his mother’s blessing and
a message of my own, if I may?’

Mab smiled
. ‘Take it now Awel, before I change my mind.’ She handed Awel the bow and closed the lid of the trunk.

‘I go this very instant.’ Awel trudged up the hill towards the
Cerdd Carega, she clutched the beautiful bow in her hand and ordered her thoughts as she walked. Reaching the Cerdd Carega she forced the image of the Druids’ Reception Hall to come to her mind and touched the stone.

With a flash of brilliant light s
he reappeared in the Reception Hall deep within the Eryri Mountain. The startled Druid on duty snapped to attention as she landed in the hall; a member of the Pride was not a frequent visitor to the mountain. She glared down at the guard when he asked whom she wished to see. ‘I am Bwy Hir,’ she boomed, ‘you will bow when you speak to me.’

Remembering himself
, the guard bowed deeply before asking in a much more servile tone, ‘Honoured lady, to whom do you wish to speak?’

Much better
. ‘You will advise Taliesin ap Aeron Ddu that Awel of the Pride bares a gift from his gracious mother Mab Rhedyn Haf, Queen of the Summer Realm.’ Her voice was haughty and cold.

Awel waited impatiently in the Reception Hall.
This place stinks
, she thought to herself as she wrinkled her nose at the stench of torches and candle wax mixed with the reek of stale cooking and man-sweat that assailed her senses, making her feel nauseous.

‘Awel, what a lovely surprise!’ Taliesin beamed as he skidded to a halt in front of her and threw his arms around her. She held him in the embrace and whispered quickly in his ear, he nodded that he understood, although he was surprised at her request.

She pulled away from him and dropped into a mock curtsy. ‘Your mother requests you accept this gift to mark your forthcoming blossoming.’ She held the bow up and presented it to him.

‘This is my grandfather’s bow!’ Taliesin held it up to the light to admire its beautiful inlay
. ‘This is a splendid gift indeed, please thank my mother and send her my deepest respects and love?’

‘As you command.
’ Awel said with a side smile before turning to the Cerdd Carega and disappearing.

Errand accomplished, she made her way back to the hollow and found something to eat and drink before seeking out Mab
. ‘Your son sends his thanks, deepest respects and love,’ Awel repeated as she entered the pavilion.

‘Is he well?’ Mab asked anxiously.

‘You’ll see for yourself soon enough. We meet this evening in the Ty Mawr Forest.’