Merlin's Blade

by Robert Treskillard

  “A vision is a great mystery. Perhaps but chaff blown to ya from God to reveal the deep things of the world. And so heed the vision and beware! Ya think the Stone is slain, but ‘tis not so, for the Stone is not what it appears to be.”

  Merlin rose, and looking upon the cherished face of his mother, he embraced her. “Father died,” he choked out.

  “I know. But ya canna hold me. I was changed by the Stone to serve it all these long years, and though I am free, I must go back to the lake. I am bound to live here amid the waters until the day God takes me home or changes me back.”

  “And I … we must go.”

  “There is little time. But I must lay charges upon ya. First, protect the babe and ensure he is taken to safety. Then, and only then, go to my father Atleuthun’s fortress in the kingdom of the Guotodin and undo that which has been done.”

  “How will I know what to do?”

  “Ya will know.”

  Merlin nodded.

  “Ride now and do not delay!”

  She kissed him and smiled at Natalenya, then dropped below the waters until no trace of her remained.

  The bushes clawed at their faces and arms as Merlin and Natalenya pressed through to reach the horses. Troslam stood ready with his spear, while Colvarth and Garth held the reins of their mounts.

  “You have been … slow, and we must flee!” Colvarth said as he handed Arthur to Natalenya. “Many leagues must separate us from … Vortigern before we make camp.”

  “I beg your forgiveness, bard, yet I have one last thing.” And turning to Troslam, Merlin said, “My sister is running loose, and Mônda cannot take care of her. Would you and Safrowana find her and see that her needs are met?”

  Troslam bowed to Merlin. “Colvarth has temporarily put into my care the two orphaned daughters of Uther and Igerna — to keep them secret while you flee with Arthur — and we will have little room in our house. Yet you have saved our village, and I will do so as if she were my own daughter.”

  “Here is my father’s money. Take it for Gana, and her mother if need be. Here also is my father’s ring. If necessary, use it as proof that I’ve given you authority to take care of my sister.”

  Troslam nodded.

  The small group led their horses through the trees and brush until it thinned enough to mount. Since the horses were all stallions, bred and trained for war, they needed a firm hand to get them to obey. Riding hard, the company turned north upon a track that followed the dwindling stream, and they stayed to this path until it ended at the main road, which ran through the northern part of Kernow. Here they turned east.

  When they were far away from Bosventor, and no sign of pursuers had been seen, Merlin finally breathed easier and knew that it was time. He leaned over and tapped Garth on the shoulder.

  “You know, I’ve never left Kernow before.”

  “Me neither, at least if you don’t count boatin’ for fish.”

  “Garth … I have something for you.”

  “For me?”

  “How would you like this back?” And Merlin handed over the woolen sack he’d kept carefully tucked under his arm since they’d left Bosventor.

  “What’s this?” Garth asked. He set the reins down on his horse’s mane and opened the bag. His eyes squinted in the darkness, and he blinked. He looked at Merlin. He looked in the sack. “Oh, my bagpipe! How did you —?”

  “My father bought it from the merchant —”

  “Oh, my bagpipe!”

  “— before he left the village.”

  “Oh, my bagpipe … Thank you, oh, thank you!” Garth dug into the sack and began assembling the instrument. Suddenly he shouted.

  Colvarth and Natalenya turned and looked.

  Garth beamed at all of them. “Look at this everyone!” And there in his hand he held two perfect chicken eggs.

  Setting them in the hood of his cloak, he put the drone to his shoulder, filled the bag with air, put it under his arm, and began playing the two chanters until his face turned red.

  So they went, sqwonking and squeaking, down the road.

  And Merlin smiled.

  EPILOGUE

  Bedwir turned the body over — already stiff and reeking — and pried open the man’s bag to see if it contained any valuables. Finding nothing but dried, dusty meat, he kicked the sack away and wiped his hands. He hated the job of sorting through the belongings of the dead. Especially when wolves and crows had been devouring the bodies. Yet the morning sun had barely risen when Vortigern had ordered everyone to search the dead from the previous night’s battle.

  So here he was at the cursed circle of stones, grubbing through the clothing and bags of dead druidow. And if Vortigern himself had not personally come to bury Uther, Bedwir would have begged off the gruesome task and found someone to fix his boot instead.

  But Uther! What a calamity for the druidow to sacrifice him on the Stone. If only Vortigern had known. If only they hadn’t waited for nightfall but attacked sooner. Who would have guessed?

  And the loss of young Arthur was almost more than he could bear. Sydnius delivered the news just an hour since that they had found the High King’s family slain and buried on the island. For the first time in his remembrance, Bedwir had witnessed Vortigern weep. His sister, nieces, and nephew all shared the grave, but who buried them, nobody knew.

  Colvarth was surely dead too, but no one could figure out where his corpse lay. Drowned in the marsh, some said.

  In love for his lost lord, Vortigern and some select warriors picked rocks from a wide area and built a mighty cairn over Uther south and west of the circle of stones. All while Bedwir and the other luckless warriors dealt with the dead.

  Ah, these druidow held curious possessions. If Bedwir found one coin for every five carved stones or oddly painted strips of bark, he was lucky. And the weapons were mostly useless. Once upon a time, some would have been fine instruments of war but were now chinked and rusty with old handles. These proud people had become destitute.

  He found a pile of three men and began separating them. The bottom man had a long char-colored beard and was dressed differently, brightly. Must be Eirish. Maybe a chance to find something useful. First Bedwir took the wiry silver torc from the man’s neck and then pried the sword from his hand. It was beautiful! Gilt, with flashes of small gems in the hilt, and a sharp edge.

  Using the sword, Bedwir cut the man’s bag from his belt and shook it. The sound of coins jingled, and he pulled the bag strings open.

  The man moaned, and Bedwir jumped back. The man’s fingers twitched, and he looked up with a yellowed eye. The Eirish warrior was alive.

  “Help me …” he whispered, but a gaping hole bled from his abdomen, and his embroidered shirt was covered in blood.

  Bedwir stood. “Vortigern! One of the Eirish warriors is alive!” Only Vortigern was just out of earshot, and another passed the word on to him.

  Everyone rushed over, and when the battle chief arrived, he drew his sword and held it near the man’s throat. “What do you know of the death of the queen?”

  The man opened a bloodshot and shrunken eye. “Just planned to take … king and the child …”

  Vortigern pushed the blade against his skin. “And the child? Where’s his body?”

  The man’s eye flitted back and forth.

  “Tell me!”

  “Alive … taken by …”

  Bedwir gasped. Arthur was among the living?

  Vortigern kicked the man. “Who? Who took him?”

  “A boy. Garth … Garthwys … stole him from us … and ya … yar the —”

  Roaring in anger, Vortigern drove his blade into the warrior’s throat, silencing him forever. He turned to his massed warriors. “Have you seen anything unusual? Anyone riding off?”

  One of the warriors recruited from the village stepped forward. Rondroc by name, if Bedwir remembered. “Last night I was stationed at the camp and heard horses beyond the lake.”

  Rewan thumped the man on the
chest. “The horses were everywhere, blast you! It took hours to gather them.”

  “But I saw people, and strange lights. I heard them riding off to the east. My father even told me that Merlin was there.”

  Vortigern shoved him against one of the massive stones. “Is this truth?”

  The young man nodded and was knocked to the ground for his answer.

  Vortigern unclasped his horn and blew it loudly.

  “Everyone get mounted! We’ll find those who took Arthur hostage — and then I’ll have my justice.”

  PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

  The following helps are for British names, places, and terms and do not apply to Latin. If you find an easy way to pronounce a name, however, feel free to ignore the following. Your first goal is to enjoy the novel, not to become an expert in ancient languages.

  Vowels

  a short as in far, long as in late, but sometimes as in cat

  e short as in bet, long as in pay, but sometimes as in key

  i / y short as in tin, long as in bead, but sometimes as in pie

  o short as in got, long as in foam

  u short as in fun, long as in loom

  Consonants — the same as English with a few exceptions:

  c / k hard, as in crank, not like city

  ch hard, as in Scottish loch, or sack, not like chat

  f f as in fall, sometimes v as in vine

  ff f as in offer

  g hard as in get, not like George

  gh soft as in sigh

  r lightly trilled when found between two vowels

  rh pronounced as hr, strong on the h sound

  s as in sat, not with a z sound

  GLOSSARY

  Pronunciation Note: The goal is for you to enjoy reading Merlin’s Blade, and so, where possible, easier spellings have been chosen for many ancient words. For instance, the word gorseth would more properly be spelled gorsedd, with the “dd” pronounced similar to our “th.” This is also true of the decision, in some words, to use “k” instead of “c.” The goal is readability. A pronunciation suggestion has been provided for each word. Again, please relax about how you say the names. If you are a language purest, then indulge the author, knowing he is well aware of the depth, history, and complexities of the Brythonic and Goidelic languages represented here.

  Also, since this spiral of Arthurian stories begins and ends in Cornwall, Cornish has been chosen as a basis for many of the names and places. Though Welsh, Irish, or Scots Gaelic could have each served for this purpose, Cornwall is the nexus of the story line.

  Historical Note: Although many of the following explanations are based on history and legend, they are given to aid your understanding of Merlin’s Blade, and thus are fictional. If you feel inspired, you can research Roman, Celtic, and Arthurian literature for a deeper appreciation of how they’ve been uniquely woven into the entire Merlin Spiral series. An asterisk has been placed next to those words that will yield a wealth of information.

  Agricola* — (ah-gri-CO-luh) The Roman general who conquered much of Britain. His full name is Gnaeus Julius Agricola.

  Allun — (AL-lun) The miller of the village and owner of Plewin the mule.

  Anviv — (ON-veev) The son of Mórganthu, Mônda’s brother.

  Armorica* — (arr-more-EYE-kah) The Roman name for the northern and western provinces of Gaul, including the interior. This includes modern-day Brittany, France.

  Arthur* — (AR-thur) The son of Igerna and Uther and heir to the High Kingship. His sisters are Eilyne and Myrgwen. He is one-and-a-half years old in Merlin’s Blade.

  Arvel — (AR-vel) During the prologue of Merlin’s Blade, he is a young hunter on the moor who witnessed a meteorite crashing to earth. Literally “one who is wept over.” He is later named Muscarvel.

  Atle /Atleuthun — (AT-lee / at-lee-OOH-thun) The king of Guotodin in the far north when Owain visited there; his fortress was at Dinpelder. He is Gwevian’s father and Merlin’s grandfather. In legend he is known as King Lleuddun*.

  Aurelianus* — (ow-rell-ee-AH-noos) The former High King, Uther’s father, and Arthur’s grandfather. He slew Vitalinus Gloui to revenge his father’s murder.

  Bedwir* — (BED-weer) A chieftain under Vortigern.

  Bel’s High Day of Fire — The druid rite performed near the beginning of May each year. Also known as Beltayne*, it is dedicated to the druid god Belornos.

  Belornos — (bel-OAR-noss) An ancient god of the Celts, personal god of Mórganthu, and god of the underworld. In Merlin’s Blade he is represented by the moon in the night sky. Normally spelled Belenos*, here his name is embedded with lor, which means “moon,” and nos, which means “night.”

  Boscawen* — (boss-CAW-en) Kernow’s most sacred circle of stones. It is the home of the arch brihem, Trothek’s friend. Near modern-day Penzance*.

  Bosvenna Abbey — (bos-VENN-ah) An abbey of the Celtic church, which was created by the missionary efforts of early Christians in Britain, Ireland, and Scotland — Pádraig (Saint Patrick) being one of the first. Bosvenna* (or Bos-menegh) means “the abiding place of monks.” There is another older abbey to the west established by Guron.

  Bosvenna Moor — (bos-VENN-ah) The highland area in central Kernow, covered with forests and marshes. Before the monks came, it was known as Tir Gwygoen, “land of the woodland moor.” Today it is called Bodmin Moor* and is cleared for grazing.

  Bosventor — (bos-VEN-tore) The village and fortress built upon the slopes of the mountain called Meneth Gellik, it was established six years after the abbey. South of modern-day Bolventor*, Cornwall, an actual iron-age village and fortress existed at this exact location.

  Brihem — (BRIH-hem) The order of judges within the wider order of the druidow. There are five regular brihemow, and one arch brihem, making a total of six who vote. The arch druid and arch fili also vote. In olden times, the chief bard and High King were included in the vote, if present, but these offices have been abandoned by the druidow because they fell into the hands of the Christians. Alternative spellings are Brithem* or Brehon*.

  Brinnoc — (BRINN-ock) Trevenna’s uncle, who lives in Oswistor.

  Brioc — (BREE-ock) A shepherd and farmer who lives in the village of Bosventor.

  Britain — (BRIH-ten) The land occupied by the people who speak various forms of the ancient Brythonic* language south of the River Forth*.

  Brunyek — (BRUN-yeck) An oat farmer in the village.

  Bysall — (BY-sall) A small coin of Kernow, usually a ring of brass or iron. Bysallow is the plural, and it takes eight to equal one silver coynall.

  Caygek — (KAY-gek) A fili loyal to Trothek who does not follow Mórganthu. He leads a secret resistence. He is named Cai* in the Arthurian legends.

  Colvarth — (COAL-varth) This is the name taken by the Chief Bard of Britain, who serves High King Uther. Colvarth, which means “criminal bard,” was originally meant as a druid epithet against him after he converted to Christianity. He took the name as his own, however, to remind himself of his culpability before God. His given name is known to only a few.

  Connek — (CON-neck) A young thief who hangs around the village. Owain and Merlin recently caught him stealing and sent him to Tregeagle for judgment.

  Constans* — (CON-stans) A former High King. He is Uther’s grandfather and father to Aurelianus. Murdered by Vitalinus Gloui for the throne of Britain.

  Coynall — (COIN-all) A single sided coin of Kernow made from silver. It is worth eight bysallow, and it takes three coyntallow to make one screpall.

  Crogen — (CROW-gen) The head scribe at the abbey. He is a bit portly. Becomes the new abbot.

  Crom Cruach* — (crom CREW-ack) An ancient Celtic god of sacred mounds. He is represented by the sun.

  Culina* — Latin for “kitchen,” from which we get the word culinary.

  Denarius* — A small silver coin of the Roman empire. Equivalent to a Kernow screpall. Denarii is the plural.

  Dinas Crag — A rocky hillfort in Rheged, north o
f Kembry, where Owain is from. His father was once the chieftain, but now his older brother, Ector, rules there. Modern-day Castle Crag*.

  Dinpelder — (din-PELL-dehr) The abode ruled by King Atleuthun when Owain visited there. This is east of Dineidean (Edinburgh*) in modern-day Scotland and is known today as Traprain Law*. Dinpelder means “fortress on a steep hill.”

  Dintaga — (din-TA-guh) The fortress of Gorlas, king of Kernow. Dintaga means “the strangled fortress” and is modern-day Tintagel*.

  Dosmurtanlin Lake — (doss-mur-TAN-lin) A lake north of Bosventor, on the other side of the Meneth Gellik. Legend says that when a portion of the Dragon Star fell, it gouged out the earth, and the water filled in the crater, forming the lake. Dosmurtanlin means “the lake where a great fire came.” It is the same as modern-day Dozmary Pool*.

  Dragon Star — The comet that Arvel saw in the night sky seventy years before the story’s beginning.

  Druid* — (DREW-id) The order of priests within the wider order of the druidow. They also carry out the laws as set forth by the brihemow judges.

  Druidow — (DREW-i-dow) The plural form of druid, this term can sometimes refer to the wider order of all the druidow, filidow, and brihemow judges combined.

  Dubrae Cantii* — (DEW-bray CAN-tie) Dubrae is a city among the Cantii tribe south of Lundnisow. This is the primary area where the Saxenow were invading. Some of Uther’s warriors come from this area. It is modern-day Dover*.

  Dybris / Dybricius* — (DIE-bris / die-BRIK-ee-oos) A monk who recently joined Bosvenna Abbey. He brought Garth, the orphan, with him from Porthloc, a small village on the northern coast of Difnonia. He is known today as St. Dubricius*.

  Dyffresin — (die-FRESS-in) A guard at the Tor who works for Tregeagle. He is loyal to Uther.

  Difnonia — (dife-NO-nee-ah) The kingdom to the east of Kernow, today called Devon*. Ruled by the Roman-established town of Isca Dumnoniorum (modern day Exeter*).

  Dyslan — (DIE-slan) Natalenya’s younger brother.