by G L Roberts
The Elf-Sisters were not present, having remained in the meeting house at Bryn’s request. Lady Adhar had finally joined the Elf-Sisters and would return when summoned. For the moment, Gement was the only one outside of the council who remained. Bryn decided that there would be one of the elders present during the informal council gathering. Gement was chosen to attend this informal setting.
Little pockets of conversations filled the small room. The night had turned cold, and more wood was added to the fire in the hearth. The firelight reflected in the jewel at Bryn’s brow. Bryn sat next to Rythale, and the two women discussed the runes and other markings on Rythale’s arms and face. Rythale reached to touch Bryn’s crown only to have Bryn hold her wrist.
“I’m afraid you cannot touch the crown until it becomes cool enough not to burn your fingers.”
“It does not appear to be hot to the touch. The silver looks as cool as moonlight.”
“It may appear so, but allow me to demonstrate.” Picking up a small stick used to kindle a fire, Bryn pressed the stick against the jewel in the crown. Those gathered at the hearth stopped their conversations to watch as the stick caught fire. Rythale gasped.
“How is it you are not burned?” she asked.
Bryn reached up and rubbed her fingers across the jewel and the crown. “I can only think that perhaps my body takes in the heat. Like dark cloth will hold the heat of the sun.”
Rythale nodded. “That I understand.”
Thalynder smiled at Bryn. Bryn could almost read her thoughts. When they were alone in the stone hut, Bryn could control the heat enough to get close enough to kiss. She returned Thalynder’s smile. Thalynder ducked her head, but not before Bryn saw her blush.
A soft knock on the door caused the room to fall silent. Gement rose from his seat to open the door. Kenna entered and threw her hood back. She strode straight to Bryn and knelt, her head bowed.
“Forgive me,” Kenna began. “Our presumption was not intended to usurp your command.”
Bryn touched Kenna under the chin. She raised Kenna’s face to look into her eyes. “Speak no more of this. We are stronger now that you have arrived. Have you had food?”
“I wished to find you first. I feared you would dismiss me from the council if I did not hasten to your side.”
Bryn shook her head. “We are peers here in this council. Here I am Bryn. Besides, you will be no good to any of your friends if you faint away from hunger. I know you rode hard and far with Captain Baendar before coming here on the back of Meydra. You will eat now while we await for one other to join us.”
Gement brought out two trays of fruit and bread and placed them on one of the empty chairs in the room. Bryn kissed Kenna’s cheek and leaned close to Kenna’s ear. “Relax, cousin. You are here and that is what matters most.” Kenna nodded. She rose and went to the chair where she grabbed food and began to eat.
Bryn motioned at Arryn. Arryn rose from his seat and spoke with Gement. After a moment, Gement left the room. Bryn stood, and the others in the room looked up to listen to her speak.
“Meydra tells me that our last rider has just entered the field and will join us in a few minutes. I have instructed Gement to attend to whatever the rider needs before she joins us. He will then bring the Elf-Sisters and those others of the clann leaders who have requested to sit in on this first council. I will introduce all of you to those clann leaders before I will entertain their questions. When they are satisfied with what they hear, we will know if the clanns will follow this council’s lead.
“Some clanns may not wish to immediately join us. Some may wish to choose others to represent them. I intend to keep the Council of Alban to nine members.” Bryn stopped when a steady knocking was heard at the door. Arryn rose to open the door and in walked the last of the nine.
“I am Teela of the Eradani of Erui, dragon companion and sword master,” a young woman said. “The Lady Albistan has asked me to sit on this council.”
Arryn touched his hand to his fist. “Welcome, Teela of the Eradani. I am Arryn of the Epidii, and before you stands the Lady Athebryn.” Arryn moved away from the door to allow Teela to enter.
Teela walked over to Bryn. “You are the Jewel?”
“I am.”
Teela removed her sword from its scabbard. Malcolm reacted quickly and stepped in front of Bryn.
Bryn gently moved Malcolm aside and waited. Teela stood rigid in the fire’s light.
“Lady Albistan asked if I would join this council and represent the clanns of Erui.” She glanced at Malcolm. “I am not a prince.” She looked at Thalynder. “I am not a princess.” She turned to Arryn and the others. “I claim no title. I wield no magic. I am not painted.” Teela knelt before Bryn and placed her sword at Bryn’s feet. She bowed her head. “You have been in my dreams for as long as I can remember. I have always known I was born to follow one who would give purpose to life.” She removed a leather pouch from her belt and emptied the contents onto the dirt floor. Seven round stones, each the size of a hen’s egg, rocked and settled on the floor at Bryn’s feet.
“These are the Stones of the Seven Clanns of Erui. The Eradani, the Ebdanii, the Ulaiden, the Erain, the Duenon, the Fyr Olt, and the Iveri. Each stone carries the carved symbol of the clann. They are given freely to you, Lady Athebryn.” Teela stood up, leaving her sword and the stones on the floor. “We are yours to command.”
Bryn bent over and picked up the sword. She handed it back to Teela. “You will need this in battle, Teela of the Eradani. The Council of Alban welcomes you.”
Bryn placed her hands on Teela’s shoulders and turned her to face the others. With a small nod to Arryn, Bryn released Teela’s shoulders and Arryn stepped toward her. Reading Bryn’s intention, Arryn was the first to welcome Teela.
Bryn stood with the clann stones at her feet. Seven clanns of Erui, she mused.
The others welcomed Teela. When the introductions were over, Bryn asked them to sit and make themselves comfortable. Teela told Bryn she had supped and was ready to sit quietly and await Bryn’s orders. Bryn smiled at the young woman’s brave stance, though she could see that Teela was anxious and perhaps a little overwhelmed. Bryn walked over to Thalynder and spoke into her ear. “Teela looks frightened.”
“She is in awe of the company. Would you like me to sit with her?”
Bryn smiled at Thalynder. “You always manage to calm me, you may be able to do the same with Teela.”
“To please you, Lady Athebryn, I will sit with the young woman. She is quite young isn’t she?”
“Oh, by far,” Bryn chuckled. “I’d say she was maybe one or two, three at the most, months younger than you.”
Thalynder let out a laugh and rose to speak to Bryn’s ear. “Fear not, my Bryn. You know I prefer older women.”
Bryn kissed Thalynder’s cheek. Once Thalynder took the seat next to Teela, Bryn spoke to the room. “As I was saying, some clanns may not wish to follow our lead. Nevertheless, we will not abandon them. This council will choose paths that will lead us to decisions beneficial to the whole of Alban and not just isolated pockets. With that in mind, I will ask the Elf-Sisters and the other representatives of Alban to join us. By this time tomorrow night, we will be ready to leave for Bynack More where our captains will hear our plans.”
“My arrows pierced the beast many times,” the archer told the captain. “Its hide must be especially tough to take those arrows and still be able to fly away.”
“And did you see the beast’s talons?” another man asked. “Those could cut a man down with ease.”
The captain listened as the men debated the winged beast. He would have liked to capture the beast and bring back some proof of its existence to his king. As it was, the only thing he was bringing back was the rotting corpse of the King’s son, Helstun. The captain felt this death was an omen sent from the gods. For who else but a god could contrive of such a beast as the one he saw that day. No, they had not killed it with their arrows. He was sure it was gathering others of i
ts kin to search the shores for him and his men. Disturb a hornet’s nest, and you will be stung, he thought. With every stroke of the oars, the captain breathed a little easier. He must tell his king that the Picts and the Druids had a defender in this beast. And, if the ancient myth was true, there would be a warrior controlling the beasts. A warrior chosen by the enemies of Odin. The captain shuddered.
“Move your arms,” he yelled over the breaking sea. “Move as if the very breath of Rán was on your necks.” The captain stared over the men’s heads, back to the shores of Alban. He stood watching the horizon until the last of the headlands disappeared, and the sun began to rise in the east. Distance calmed his initial anxiety, but not even the vast ocean that now lay between him and Alban could suppress the rising fear in his chest. He lifted his eyes to the fading stars and watched as they winked and disappeared in the rays of the morning sun. “Even the stars know something has changed,” he whispered.
Besides the Elf-Sisters, the council members, and Gement, the others in the room were Jorid, Druid Elder of the Clann Epidii; Pendelin of Dall Mòr, largest island of the Outer Alban Westlands; and Lenyck of Elmet, lesser kingdom located between Wessex and The Realm That Touches Two Seas. Rylan of the Picts was also present, however his presence was as Captain of the Pict army now under the leadership of the council by way of his sister, Rythale.
Bryn started the meeting by introducing the Elf-Sisters to the nine council members. The council members rose from their seats, allowing the Elf-Sisters and guests to be seated. Bryn asked for the visitors to introduce themselves and to state the reason for their visit to the council. Each of the four stated their names and their clanns, telling the council what became a central theme among them. They were all in Skiel to see if Bryn was the Jewel of myth and to hear her plans for Alban.
“I have many plans for Alban,” Bryn began. “The Council of Alban will address many things over many years. Today, we meet so that we can discuss and plan the impending battle with the Norsemen.”
“What makes you think they will return so quickly?” Pendelin of Dall Mòr asked.
“Heardred will come to avenge his son’s death,” Prince Malcolm replied. “There is no doubt about that. When and where he will strike is still an unknown, but he will return.”
“You have intentionally set this country on a path of violence. Is this truly what you want for Alban?” asked Lenyck of Elmet.
“We have held our tempers in check for far too long,” Bryn replied. “We have seen families torn asunder, fields raided of their crops and livestock year after year, and we have been witness to the brutal destruction of whole villages. Men and women slaughtered, young boys and girls taken as slaves. In the past, Alban mounted massive defenses against raiders from the south. So much so that the Gauls of Gallia ceased their raiding of our southern territories and now peacefully live and marry into our cultures.”
“Do you intend to offer a hand to the Norsemen?” Jorid of the Epidii asked.
“The council has not discussed what may happen in the future,” Bryn answered. “Right now, we are concerned with protecting our people from invasion and devastation at the hands of the Norsemen. There may come a time when we can have a peace between the two countries, perhaps even a time when the Norsemen will be welcome on Alban. But that time is not now. Now is the time for a strong offensive posture.”
Jorid’s brow creased. “Offensive, and not defensive. You mean to involve the villagers as well as the armies that can be mustered.”
“It is the only way we will stay the Norsemen,” Arryn replied. “The villagers must take an active part in protecting themselves. A united front must be presented or our enemies will take advantage of our weakest points.”
“Spoken like a captain, Arryn. That is well and good for the armies trained to handle the enemy, but what about the commoner?”
Bryn walked over to Jorid. “Our greatest concern is the common people. Dear Elder, as you know Druids have the deepest respect for all things. Appreciating them for the lessons they teach, and the purpose they serve in the grand scheme of things. I am the last person to wish needless harm to anything. What I wish for Alban is a peaceful coexistence with all the creatures of the earth. To obtain that peace with the Norsemen means meeting them on their terms, as warriors, as defenders of our island and as equals. An offensive posture will send a clearer message. They must consider us to be more than sheep. In time we may become allies in the care and nurturing of this world. I truly believe that a balanced and mutual kinship with the Norsemen is in our future.”
“The path will be long and arduous,” Prince Malcolm said. “We will need allies of our own countrymen first.”
Jorid nodded. “True. The Epidii have decided to join you, this you already know. Whether we choose to accept the leadership of Lady Athebryn is why I am here. There are many smaller and lesser clanns under the current leadership of the Epidii Elders. They will need to be assured that their beliefs will not be supplanted by warmongering elitists.”
Arryn glared at him. “You deem us elitists?”
Jorid motioned around him. “All among this council are dragon riders.”
“No, they are not,” Bryn responded before Arryn could speak. “It is true, the majority of the council are dragon companions. The others ride because the dragons allow it. Aggression is not our nature.” She met the eyes of the others. “What I have failed to make clear is that all of Alban is at risk. Not just the outlying villages, farms, and livestock, but also the kingdoms, inner towns, mills, storehouses, men, women, children, and dragons.”
“Dragons? How could the dragons be at risk?” asked Pendelin of Dall Mòr.
Bryn rubbed the embroidery on her tunic. “We have lost one already.” The jewel on her brow flashed red at the anger she felt at the loss of the Reaper. As the anger turned to sadness, the jewel’s color faded from red to purple, purple to blue, a deep midnight blue, the color of the night sky and the dragon’s final resting place.
“The dragons of Alban only know kindness from humans. Until earlier today, they were not aware that humankind would consider them a threat or a danger. One of our coast watchers was slain by the arrows of the Norsemen and that has sent a ripple of despair through the dragons of Alban. I already fear there may be some of the younger dragons who will want to take matters into their own hands and go after the Norsemen. I have given my counsel to them, asking them to wait until I have gathered the clanns and other peoples of Alban to me. As a united nation, humankind and dragon, we will be a strength the Norsemen would never suspect. We will be a deterrent, and perhaps we can stay their hand and lives will not be lost.”
Jorid rose from his seat to kneel before Bryn. “This is what I was waiting to hear. You, My Lady Athebryn, have the wisdom to value life over all else. To hear you say that you wish for no lives to be lost, even knowing that may not be possible, is the truth the clann Epidii charged me to find. Hear now my pledge that the Epidii and the lesser clanns of our lands accept you as our liege.” He reached out and touched the hem of Bryn’s tunic. “I am at your service, My Lady.”
Bryn placed her hand on Jorid’s shoulder. “Please, do not kneel. I am still much younger than you, my dear Elder. It is I who should be honoring your presence here at this council. I am glad to hear that Clann Epidii and all clanns of the Epidii lands will be at our side when we go to meet the Norsemen. We are the stronger for it.”
Jorid stood and turned to look at the other guests in the room. “We four traveled from the far reaches of Alban to be here at this council, summoned here to determine if our clanns and kingdoms could unite as one under the leadership of a young woman. The Druids know the legend well and have been shown the legend is not a myth. It is truth. The Lady Athebryn is she for whom we have been waiting. The Epidii, the Convori, the Stetanii, the Soluri and the Dryfed clanns will follow her lead.”
The Elf-Sisters nodded. The southwestern clanns were solidly behind the council, as were the Picts and the nor
thern highlands.
Lady Albistan looked at Pendelin. “Are you satisfied Pendelin of Dall Mòr?”
“It is as you said, Lady Albistan. The Isle of Dall Mòr and all her outer islands will benefit from this allegiance. We will join with the mainland of Alban and follow the path of the Jewel.” Pendelin removed his sword from its scabbard and touched the tip to the earthen floor. “I will captain the army of Dall Mòr and pledge to follow your lead, Lady Athebryn.”
She had already discussed Rylan’s position with Gement, so that left only one other voice to be heard. Lenyck of Elmet was silent for many long moments. When he spoke, he chose to look at the Princess Thalynder and not Bryn.
“My father sent me to this council at the request of your father, Princess. I was charged with listening to the speeches and returning to my father’s kingdom of Elmet without promising anything. Being situated between the larger kingdoms of Wessex and Deyra—the realm you call The Realm That Touches Two Seas—my kingdom of Elmet is often forgotten. My father is bitter because of that slight.”
Prince Malcolm took a step toward Lenyck, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. “Your father was given many opportunities to ally with Wessex.”
Lenyck did not move but continued to gaze at Thalynder. “There was always the hope that our two kingdoms would unite through marriage. My father had even considered taking you as his wife after my mother died last year.”
Bryn could tell Thalynder was becoming uncomfortable with Lenyck’s speech by the way she stiffened at Lenyck’s words. Bryn took a step closer to Thalynder and gently rested her hand on the small of Thalynder’s back.
“I know what would have happened if my father had made that suggestion to King Thamen,” Lenyck continued. “He would have been politely thanked for the suggestion, but he would not have been taken seriously. I, on the other hand, would have suggested something completely different. Nevertheless, until my father dies and his heir takes the Elmet throne, Elmet will remain a small, but lively, lesser kingdom.”