by G L Roberts
“Do you intend to return to Elmet, relate what you have heard here to King Edmund and not join our cause?” Arryn asked.
Lenyck smiled at Arryn. “I merely stated what my father asked me to do. My own intentions are quite different.” Lenyck glanced again at Thalynder and bowed his head slightly. “Forgive me, Princess, but I do not think you would care to live in Elmet.” Lenyck addressed Malcolm. “Fear not, kinsman. I am here at my father’s bidding. I stay of my own accord.” Lenyck faced Bryn. He removed his sword, knelt down on one knee and laid his sword over his knee. He bowed his head and without raising it, said, “I am your servant, Jewel of Alban. I will send word to my father. Alban will need the armies of Elmet and I intend to lead them for the Lady Athebryn.”
Chapter Nine
The council had talked long into the night, and the members were now asleep in soft beds while the long night marched toward the dawn. The sky was still dark and obscured by rain clouds. Bryn stood in the lightly falling rain waiting for Meydra to descend. Several hours remained before dawn broke, and she and Meydra had an errand to run. The news of the egg, the disquiet of the dragons after the Reaper’s death and the sense that time was running short kept Bryn from sleeping. As Meydra touched down and lowered her head, Bryn kissed Meydra on the cheek.
Meydra met Bryn’s eyes. “Already the hatchling is attempting to find its way out of the egg.”
“We go now to Skerrabrae. Summon all dragons to the Cairn of the Ancients. There I will hear their words while we wait for the birth of the little one.”
“It may not happen while we wait,” Meydra replied. “I cannot risk the birth around the other humans.”
Bryn searched Meydra’s heart. Waiting for her there was the memory of Meydra’s own birth. A dragon, as Bryn learned, is born with an emptiness that can only be filled by the bond with its human companion. Meydra’s heart had reserved this place for Bryn long before she met the humans destined to be the center of her life. Bryn’s grandfather was the first. Bryn for the briefest of times, and then by a turn of circumstance, Thalynder. Meydra’s memories flooded Bryn’s heart and filled her with unconditional love. Yet, there was something else lurking just out of reach. A sense that Meydra was hiding something important. Something Bryn needed to know. Bryn closed her eyes and searched deeper still into Meydra’s thoughts.
Bryn opened her eyes and looked at Meydra. “Yes, there is always the possibility that you may die before me. But how can you know that the hatchling will bond with me after you are gone?”
“She will bond with you before I am gone,” Meydra replied.
“I have never heard of a companion with two dragons.”
“It is there in Athyl’s memories. Once the jewel is uncovered, it must be protected for as long as it is visible. If I were to die, you would continue to live and you would need a dragon to companion you. My hatchling was conceived for this purpose. You will have two or more dragons before your life ends.”
Bryn weighed those words carefully. She took a step back from Meydra. “What are you not saying?”
“My little Bryn. You were born to walk this earth until the last dragon returns to where we were first born among the stars. You are like the dragons. It will take more than a mortal hand to separate you now from this earth.”
Bryn backed up another step. Her eyes welled with tears, and she felt the crown grow cold. Blinded by her tears, she tripped over a stone and fell against a linden tree. The branches of the tree reached down and steadied her step. Bryn leaned her back against the tree and began to weep, deeply and silently. She was aware her life had changed back at the Stones of Staenis. There were many things that had changed and would continue to change, and she was prepared for those changes. But not this. Not a life without Thalynder or my family. Or my friends. The thought that she would live her life long after all those she loved were dead, never occurred to her. She suddenly felt utterly alone.
“Why?” she asked. “Why was I not told this before I accepted the jewel?”
“Would you have declined?” Meydra asked.
Bryn turned to face the tree and wept against the bark. The tree wrapped its branches around Bryn and held her close. Meydra moved to wrap her tail around the tree and Bryn. Together they held Bryn as her tears fell upon them.
Meydra had put off this news for as long as she could, hoping the battle with the Norsemen would have been fought and Bryn was safely back at home with Thalynder. She could have broached the subject at that time with the help of Bryn’s mother and father. But the urgent need to assure there would always be a dragon for Bryn’s protection moved Meydra to mate with IronHeart sooner than was originally planned. Arlendyl and Brymender had placed this burden upon Meydra the morning Bryn and Thalynder set out on their original journey.
After a long while, Bryn’s sobs subsided and she grew quiet. Backing away from the tree, she stared up at the sky. Her eyes, though swollen from crying, were cold. Bryn did not look at Meydra. The jewel at her forehead felt as cold as ice. “There is much in the ancient memories of the Stones that I have yet to fully digest.” She wiped at her face with the sleeve of her under tunic. “You are right. I would not have declined. Come, we have few hours left of the night and we must retrieve the hatchling. Where will it live while it is young?”
“At our side, My Lady.” Meydra stepped away from the trees and lowered her head so that Bryn could climb onto her neck.
“Have you called the other dragons to the Cairn of the Ancients?” Bryn asked as she climbed onto Meydra. She did not touch Meydra’s cheek as was her usual custom before mounting the dragon’s neck.
“They await us now except those whose companions sleep here in Skiel.”
Bryn gazed at the field and the other dragons who rested in the cool grass. Without raising her voice, she spoke to the other dragons. “Follow us. I desire a meeting with all dragons of Alban.”
IronHeart raised his head and looked toward Bryn. He stood and lifted silently into the sky, quickly followed by the others that lay in the field. Had any in the town been awake, they would have seen the stars overhead obscured by a mass of shadows. For not only did the dragons of the council members follow Bryn and Meydra, so too did those dragons who now followed the Jewel.
Heardred grew impatient. The ship he sent to find his son should have reached Alban by now. Soon he would know what fate had befallen his son. He walked out of the longhouse and over to the edge of the high ground that looked out over the inlet. Secluded at the back of the small bay, the tribe was well defended from seagoing invaders. It was high enough too, that an enemy approaching from land would have to deal with the terrain of rock cliffs and swift moving fjords. Still, the king was uneasy. He stared at the coming dawn and the wide open expanse of sky above his head and shivered, haunted by visions of birds so large as to block the light of the sun, his waking thoughts turned ever skyward. The stuff of childish nightmares, he mused.
The eastern sky began to brighten, and a swift sunrise approached. It would be a clear day, warm with the last of the sun’s summer rays. With the summer solstice behind him and the high mountain harvest nearing, most of the king’s subjects would be busy with the harvest and the preparations for the long winter. To take the men from the kingdom early would be a hardship. The kingdom was used to sending the men on raiding parties once the nights grew longer than the days. To send them early meant that the rest of the winter preparations would be carried out by the women, children, and slaves. All were accustomed to fishing and hunting. All were capable of drying and storing the meat for the long winter, and all were fierce defenders of their homes.
Heardred could spare the men, provided they would return. His choice was to either send all his men if his son was dead or send just enough to teach the Albans a lesson. His heart, already heavy with the thought that his son and heir had died, cried out for revenge. His mind, the more practical of the two, reminded the king that he needed some men to remain behind. Heardred had one other item to
consider. Without his true son as heir, his stepsons would eventually rule his kingdom. The bitter taste of that knowledge rose in his throat. In his mind he heard the taunts of his forebears, the cries of anguish over the loss of their homeland to outsiders. He turned from the still dark western horizon and looked to the east and the rising sun. If his true son could not rule, he thought, neither would a stranger. Whatever the outcome of this search for his son, the two who would strip his forebears of their eternal rest would board the next ship to leave Götaland. If there was now an enemy capable of taking the life of his beloved Helstun, it was also capable of delivering the same blow to Hygid and Heoroth.
Heardred sighed. “Odin,” he whispered. “What have I done to displease you?”
Bryn glanced at the eastern horizon. The sun was still hidden though dawn was quickly approaching. She held the hatchling in her arms while Meydra flew them back to Skiel. The egg had broken open the moment Bryn called to the baby dragon.
“Meriel,” Bryn stared into the green eyes that now looked lovingly up at her. “Keep no secrets from me and I will give you all of my heart.” Bryn kissed Meriel’s forehead. “There were many new dragons at the Cairn tonight,” Bryn said to Meydra. “I was not aware that so many dragons existed in Alban.”
Bryn knew Meydra could feel her anguish as keenly as if her own. It was the nature of their bond. Meydra felt her pain with every beat of her heart. She could not hide from Meydra how hurt she was by the fact she was not first told of all she would have to give up if she accepted the jewel. Meydra would know she felt betrayed. To live a near mortal existence—without family and friends—would take time to accept. So would the knowledge that her dragon kept something important from her. She heard Meydra sigh.
“Not only do you draw all the dragons of Alban to your side, but there are others from the near shores of the continent that feel the desire to be with you.”
“How long before Meriel can fly on her own?”
“She will be ready to fly before the Norsemen reach Nis. Until she is ready, she will ride on my back with you. Or if you prefer, she can ride on the back of another.”
“That won’t be necessary. She can ride with me and we can get to know each other. How long before she can bear a rider?”
“One year. Am I being replaced already?”
“It may be useful to have two dragons to carry me.”
“That would never be a problem,” Meydra replied. “Any dragon would carry you.”
Bryn glanced back at the dragons who followed behind Meydra. So much power, she thought. An army of winged warriors. No, she reminded herself. No, I will not bring the dragons to fight humans. Bryn squeezed Meydra’s neck with her legs. It was the first show of any emotion since she had been told about the true meaning of Meriel’s birth. Yes, she had been hurt by Meydra’s words, but more because Meydra had held back the truth, not by the truth itself. Meydra would not have kept the secret if it had not been for the Elf-Sisters and her own parents’ wish to keep her from questioning the choice to accept the jewel. The silent ride back to Skiel allowed Bryn to come to terms with why Meydra kept the secret. Each new revelation served to harden Bryn’s resolve. The jewel at her forehead remained cold, but her eyes softened and so did her heart.
“It will be fun to show off this new little one to Thalynder. She will be jealous.”
“Meriel will have many who would covet her companionship.”
Bryn frowned. “Wouldn’t that put her in danger? Perhaps we should not introduce her to the company.”
“If I may suggest, Thalynder and the other of the company should be told that Meriel is bonded with you so that there is no misunderstanding.”
Bryn shook her head, feeling the sadness settle deep in her heart. “I cannot yet tell them why.”
“No, the time is not right, but they will understand the need for you to be protected. That is Meriel’s purpose.”
“Very well. I will introduce Meriel to the company. And Meydra?”
“Yes, My Lady?”
“I know you would have been open with me if you were allowed to be.”
“I was under an old oath,” Meydra sadly replied.
“Yes. Is there anything else hidden away for another day?”
“There will always be new discoveries for you. When they happen, I will guide you.”
“No more secrets?” Bryn asked.
“No more secrets.”
Meriel snuggled up against Bryn and began to purr. “Feel better little one?”
Yes, came the reply.
The gatekeeper watched Bryn and the other dragons land. He opened the door as she approached. Just inside, Arryn stood and waited. Bryn entered and approached him, handing him a bundle wrapped in cloth. She whispered, “Wake the others. We ride in one hour.”
Arryn looked down at the bundle. He peeled back a layer of cloth and saw several stones, all carved with ancient runes and clann symbols. Recognizing the stones as those that sat on the hidden hearth in the Cairn of the Ancients in Skerrabrae, he realized Bryn had been abroad while he slept. He raised his head and frowned as he noticed the jewel in the crown was dark. Something was bothering Bryn.
“You should not travel alone,” Arryn said.
“I had the dragons with me. Besides, I needed the time alone to think.”
“I would prefer you find another way to think where you don’t have to leave the company. Do I have to scold you?”
“No, Sir Arryn. You do not have to scold me.”
“I know there will be moments when you will wish to be alone, but for now will you at least inform someone of your whereabouts?”
Bryn started for the meeting house. “If it is in my power, I will do as you ask. Give me a few minutes alone with the Elf-Sisters. Find the others and bring them to the meeting house. I will take the stones.”
“Very well, My Lady.” Arryn handed over the bundle.
Bryn went to the small room near the meeting house and woke her mother.
“My daughter, is there anything wrong?” Lady Arlendyl said as she awakened.
“I wish to speak with you alone before I speak with the others. Please, Mother, will you dress and meet me next door?”
“I will.” Arlendyl rose from the bed.
When Arlendyl entered the meeting house, Bryn was standing before the hearth, running her hands over the stones Teela had brought from Erui. Each stone was intricately carved with the symbol of a particular clann. The ancient stones she had retrieved from Skerrabrae were placed upon the hearth. Arlendyl approached her daughter and touched her hand as it lay upon the center stone on the mantle. The stone of the Brae.
“I see you have been back to Skerrabrae.”
Bryn continued to look at the stones. “Yes, I was there last night. I wanted this.” Bryn traced the Triskele and the tree of life symbols adorning the rounded stone.
“What has happened?”
“Meydra has revealed the curse that you meant to keep from me, Mother.” Bryn swallowed hard trying to keep the hurt and anger inside.
“How can you call this a curse?” Arlendyl touched Bryn’s chest. Her hand rested on the Tree of Life symbol on Bryn’s tunic.
“I am to live my life, however long the years, with the knowledge that I will outlive all I love, all who love me. You think that a gift?” The jewel began to pulse a dark red, turning the stones the color of blood. “Did you have so little faith in me that you had to conceal this one crucial fact?”
“We decided it was not necessary for you to know beforehand,” Arlendyl replied.
“Who decided this? Who dared presume to make a life-changing decision for another? The Elf-Sisters? The king? You and my father? Who believes themselves to be wiser than the stars? Mother, you have misjudged me. I am stronger than I appear. I always have been. Meydra knew it long before I left your womb. Athyl knew it when she became the dragon and left her seed with her daughter, our half-elven ancestor. You and those before you bred with only those you d
eemed pure enough to add to the bloodline. I am the result.”
“It was what we believed to be best for our race.”
“And Jorid dared to call my company elitists.” Bryn laughed. “How little he truly knows. Isn’t that right, Mother? The men you chose to strengthen the line were only chosen for their fluid that may carry a trace of the first elves. You bred yourself into your own elitist existence. Jorid too. High Elder of the Epidii.” Bryn spat the words.
“You are angry because you are the nearest thing we humans have to immortality.” Arlendyl remained calm. “Your own offspring will be stronger still. Would you deny them the bloodline we have struggled to bring them?”
“My offspring? How could I wish this on children?”
“The elves have lived with it. The half-elven have lived with it. Queen Athyl lived with it. Why not you and your children?” Arlendyl asked. “Why is it such a terrible thing?”
“Because I did not choose it. You and Father prepared me for much while I was a child. I can read the forest and know what has passed within. I can smell the air and know what is borne on the wind. I appreciate all that lives on this earth and beyond. Mother, I can hear the stars singing to me at night. The dragon song that was mine before I was born. All this is precious, but to live it alone? Why do you think Queen Athyl did not remain human? Why do you think she chose to become the dragon and not simply bond with it? To be the mother of a new race when you have to watch it from afar, watching as generation after generation struggle to become what you and your ‘Sisters’ have designed. How many generations are needed still to fulfill this plan of yours? You have designed me to be a breeder. Like cattle or sheep.”
“No, not like cattle or sheep,” Lady Anestar said from the doorway.
“You!” Bryn shouted. “You wanted this for your own daughter. Would this have pleased Kenna?”
“No. She would have reacted as you have. In the end, she would have not wished to live. The Stones, the Elders, the Stars, and the Dragons chose you. Why do you think they did not choose someone from an earlier generation?”