by Chrys Cymri
Then James groaned. His face contorted, and his hands clutched at his chest. He stumbled, then collapsed onto the sand. ‘James!’ I found myself screaming. ‘James!’
Peter leapt off his dragon, landing heavily onto the sand nearby. Then he hurried over to my brother’s body. ‘He’s dead!’ he shouted at the gryphons. ‘Your prey is dead. There’s no heart beat!’
Raven pulled up into a hover thirty feet above Peter. The rest of the gryphon clan were flying in, Ercwiff’s large form in the lead. ‘No heart beat?’ she called out. ‘Are you certain?’
The hunters landed near the two men, their necks extended aggressively. My eyes were filling with tears, and I knuckled them away so I could focus on the gryphons. ‘Back,’ Peter commanded them, straddling James’ body with his legs. ‘You, owl gryphon. You can confirm that there’s no heart beat.’
She studied him for a moment. Then she dipped her head in a nod. ‘Indeed. There’s no heart beat.’
‘Then, on behalf of his family, I claim his body,’ Peter told them. ‘Back off. You have no right to his flesh. Back off!’
‘So it was agreed!’ Ercwiff shouted from above.
The hunters bounced away, sand flying from their claws as they rushed to obey their matriarch. I could feel the grief rising in my throat, the blackness building in my chest. I’m sorry, I found myself telling my parents. I'm so sorry. I promised to keep him safe. I’m so sorry.
Peter pivoted, swinging his right leg away from James’ body. Sand crunched as he dropped to his knees. A metal box flashed in the sunlight as he pulled it free from a pocket, and I blinked as he flipped it open and brought out a syringe. He squirted a small amount of fluid from the needle, and then plunged it into James’ arm.
Waves crashed against the nearby rocks, sending spray high into the air. James twitched. Peter said something in his ear. Then, like a dead man walking, James staggered to his feet and floundered his way to the water whispering up the shore. He fell down and rose, fell and rose, knees and shoulders slamming again and again into the wet sand. I barely noticed when Raven landed us near Peter. James fell one more time, stretching out his hands to the ocean. And seawater crept up to caress his fingertips.
Morey landed on my brother’s back. ‘James wins! My grŵp rhyfelwyr wins!’
Only now did I realise that the entire clan stood on the beach, and not one of them had moved to stop James. Ercwiff called out, ‘By courage of will and heart, James White has won the hunt challenge. Congratulations to Trahaearneifion and his grŵp rhyfelwr!’
I slid down from Raven and rushed over to the two men. Morey had hopped off to let Peter turn James over, and my brother’s pale face and laboured breathing meant that I only replaced grief with dread. ‘James, what did you do?’
‘Drug,’ he said weakly. ‘Stop heart. Look dead.’
‘And I injected him with powdered unicorn horn.’ Peter raised hands at my angry glare. ‘It wasn’t my idea, it was all James’s. He said I wouldn’t be able to talk him out of it, so I’d better be ready with the syringe.’
‘Tried to tell you,’ James wheezed. ‘Star Trek quotes. Remember? Kirk and Spock. The Vulcan episode. Bones. Pretending Kirk’s dead.’
‘And now we need to get you to a hospital,’ Peter said. ‘I don’t like the way you look.’
‘Cheers, mate.’
Peter shook his head, and glanced up. ‘Raven? Will you take us?’
The dragon stepped forward. ‘And I’m coming,’ I said.
‘I can only carry two,’ Raven told me.
Peter was already lifting James from the sand. ‘I know where to take him. There’s part of the John Radcliffe which we use.’
‘Then I can take James.’
Arnborg had come over to help push James up onto Raven’s neck. Peter shook his head. ‘Penny, I know exactly which helipad a dragon can use where no one will bat an eyelid. It has to be me.’
‘Then I’ll come on another dragon.’
‘No, you will not,’ Ercwiff said. ‘We need the other dragons to move our camp here.’
And so I could only step back and watch as Raven took them away from the peninsula.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Clyde crawled out of his case and pressed himself against my chest. A wordless tune thrummed through his body, no doubt his attempt to calm me. I took a deep breath, and turned away from the ocean.
The three hunters were lined up nearby. As I trudged up the beach, the gryphons dropped into a deep bow. I halted, and couldn’t help asking, ‘Ydych chi’n hapus nawr?’
‘Of course they’re not happy,’ Morey said, standing at my feet. ‘They lost. But they’re honouring your brother.’
‘Why?’ I demanded. ‘He cheated, didn’t he?’
The owl-tiger raised her tan head. ‘He won through cunning and courage. When he returns to the clan, we’ll make him a blood brother.’
‘He’s worthy of being a gryphon,’ the osprey gryphon agreed.
The eagle gryphon grunted. ‘A hunter lives by wits as much as strength.’
The remaining dragons had set off, along with most of the clan. Only a few gryphons remained, clustered around the matriarch and the hunters. Ercwiff dipped her head in a nod. ‘I’ll summon the Matriarch of Taexali. Now that both Trahaearneifion and Taryn have passed the challenges of their clans, we’ll see them married. Tonight.’
‘Tonight? Here?’ I looked down at Morey. ‘I’d thought you two would want to be married in church.’
‘I tolerate his choice of God,’ Ercwiff said, ‘but I won’t tolerate a wedding inside a building of stone. Gryphons always marry under the stars and sky. However, Father Penny, you may witness their promises.’
Morey flew up to my shoulder. ‘I know you’d rather be with James, Penny, but there’s nothing you can do for him now. Please support me in this?’
I thought of everything I owed my Associate, and I nodded. ‘But as soon as we’re done, I want to go see him. Make sure your matriarch lets a search dragon take me.’
‘And me,’ Clyde seconded. ‘Family.’
During the course of the afternoon, dragons and gryphons erected the camp on the headland above the beach. I took the opportunity to bathe in the ocean. A nice hot bath at home would have been preferable, but at least I managed to remove some sweat and grime. Margh gave me a lift from the beach, and I dug through my clothes to find something which could be even vaguely suitable for a wedding.
Raven and Peter returned as the sun was setting. I hurried past the semi circle of tents. Peter dropped to the ground, and gave me a reassuring smile. ‘Penny, he’s alive, he’s going to be fine.’
‘What took you so long?’ I demanded.
‘James had an emergency MRI scan. There’s no brain damage--’
‘Brain damage!’
‘There isn’t any,’ he emphasised. ‘But his heart has suffered.’
‘So he needs more unicorn horn.’
‘That’s what’s taken me so long.’ Peter sighed. ‘I broke into the vicarage and brought the horn back to the hospital. James held it, and I gave him some powdered horn to drink. But nothing happened. Maybe a horn loses strength over time. Or maybe some damage is beyond a unicorn’s ability to cure. James will recover. But he’s going to need to take it easy for a while, and make some changes in his life.’
I stumbled back. My hands reached out, and found Raven’s foreleg. I leaned into his warmth and strength. How was James going to take the news?
I met Peter’s gaze again, just in time to see his arms dropping away. He had obviously planned to pull me into a hug. We studied each other for a moment, Peter glancing between me and Raven, his forehead creasing in confusion.
A discordant jangle of piercing cries and thundering roars announced the arrival of Clan Taexali. They swept over the camp, the setting sun adding glints of red to their black feathers and fur. Taryn was a small figure at their front, her peregrine head and cheetah body marking her out from the rest of the clan.
‘They’re getting married tonight,’ I told Peter.
‘What, no trudging around wedding venues and deciding a colour theme?’ Peter grinned. ‘Sounds like a great idea. The ultimate destination wedding.’
The clan landed in front of the tents and took positions opposite Clan Cornovi. The two sets of gryphons stood like an honour guard, and despite my worries, I found myself smiling as many of them took a moment to preen feathers and fur into glossy perfection.
Morey’s flight was so fast that he overshot my shoulder and collided instead with Peter. ‘We’re nearly ready,’ Morey said, clinging to Peter’s chest. Everyone’s here. How’s James?’
‘Alive, and he’ll live.’ Peter unpicked the gryphon’s claws from his fleece. ‘We’re coming.’
‘My grŵp rhyfelwyr stands to the left of my matriarch,’ Morey explained as we walked towards the assembled clans, Raven following behind us. ‘I stand in front of her. Penny, you’ll be between the two matriarchs. They know Taryn and I want the Prayer Book vows.’
‘In English?’ I asked. ‘I don’t think I know them well enough in Welsh.’
‘English will do.’ Morey coughed. ‘But Taryn says she won’t agree to obey me.’
‘Quite right, too,’ Peter said. ‘My mum says that Eve came from Adam’s rib, which means husband and wife are meant to stand together as equals. That’s what marriage is all about. Working together.’
We took our places. Peter held Clyde as he stood beside Ercwiff. I took my place between the matriarchs, although my shoulders twitched at the proximity of their sharp beaks. As Taryn and Morey strode up to their clan leaders, I noticed that a jagged tooth hung around Morey’s neck, and a dark feather fluttered around Taryn’s. Marks of their successful hunts?
‘We are in the dark, and we are in the light,’ Ercwiff intoned. Torches and lanterns flared to life, taking over from the dimming sun. A half dozen dwarves stepped back from their work, bowing to the matriarchs before disappearing into the night. ‘Taryn of Taexali and Trahaearneifion of Cornovi chose their grŵp rhyfelwyr well. Through challenges which tested their physical and mental courage, they have proved themselves worthy of marriage. Clan Cornovi commends Trahaearneifion to Clan Taexali.’
Taryn’s matriarch took over, speaking in Welsh. ‘Taryn’s grŵp rhyfelwyr had their losses, and our sorrow for your sorrow. She led them well, and Clan Taexali commends Taryn to Clan Cornovi.’
‘What have you to say to Trahaearneifion, Taryn?’ Ercwiff asked.
The small peregrine head looked up at me. I cleared my throat, trying to both remember the words of the 1662 marriage service and work out how to amend them for these circumstances. ‘Repeat after me, Taryn. I, Taryn of Taexali, take thee, Trahaearneifion of Cornovi, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to defend in hunt and clan, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth.’
I paused every few words, allowing her to echo my words. Then I turned to Morey, giving him a quick smile of apology, as I was about to mispronounce his name for a second time. ‘Repeat after me. I, Trahaearneifion of Cornovi, take thee, Taryn of Taexali, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to defend in hunt and clan, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth.’
‘Do you promise,’ Ercwiff demanded, ‘that you will always raise claws against enemies and not one another? Do you promise that all your hunts will be taken together and all prey shared equally? Do you promise that you will raise your eyasses to honour the traditions of both clans?’
‘So we promise,’ Taryn and Morey said together.
Ercwiff gave me a nod. So I said, ‘Let us pray. O eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all worlds, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life: Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this tiercel and this formel, whom we bless in thy name; that, as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these two may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’
The Matriarch of Taexali spoke next. ‘Upon you is laid this burden, Taryn and Trahaearneifion. To your grŵp rhyfelwyr much is owed, for they have sacrificed much. As you now prepare to create a nest of your own, do not forget those who have brought you here. Honour them with the lives you live.’
‘We will honour them,’ the two small gryphons said together.
And now it seemed to be my turn again. ‘Forasmuch as Taryn and Trahaearneifion have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, I pronounce that they be husband and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder.’
I lowered myself to my knees, and placed a hand on each of their heads. ‘God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favour look upon you, and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen.’
As I struggled back to my feet, Ercwiff declared, ‘The clans are now joined!’
Peter came to my side as the gryphons surged across the space between them. Beaks and claws clacked as they wrestled playfully together, and I winced as writhing legs came close to torches. Then they broke off, and a hundred gryphons leapt into the night, circling and calling out to one another.
Taryn and Morey brushed past me, arrowing upwards to join their clans. Only the two matriarchs kept their claws on the ground, exchanging smug comments about the prowess of their respective clans.
Peter closed the distance between us. ‘What a celebration. Makes a disco at an evening do look quite tame, doesn’t it?’
‘I can’t stand discos,’ I said, watching the gryphons dancing in the sky. ‘I’d rather have a ceilidh.’
‘I agree.’ Something in Peter’s voice made me look at him. ‘Penny, the first time I met you, I thought, “Finally a woman who knows that the Third Doctor is John Pertwee, not Matt Smith!” Then I realised that you’re both brave and funny, and that you’ll do anything for people you care about. You’ve made me laugh, and you’ve given me a reason to care about snail sharks. We both love science fiction, we’re equally committed to keeping Lloegyr safe, and I think we make a great team. Those are just a few reasons why I’m hoping you’ll spend the rest of your life with me. Will you marry me?’
My breath caught in my throat. He placed Clyde on the ground, and I walked into his arms. ‘Of course,’ I said, before pulling his head down for a long kiss.
‘Yes!’ I reluctantly pulled away at Clyde’s shout. The snail looked up at us, and continued, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’
‘He approves,’ I said to Peter. ‘Probably because you included him in the proposal.’
‘I had to. He’s part of the family.’
‘Family,’ Clyde agreed. And he reared back. His shell shifted upwards, exposing a gap between the whorl and his body. And two white wings unfolded, spreading white feathers across the ground. ‘Family!’
The wings fluttered, and the snail rose into the air. ‘Yes! Family!’ He flew around us, then rose high into the sky. The wings folded away, and my heart skipped a beat as he plummeted towards the ground. Then, at the last moment, the wings emerged again, pulling him back up again. ‘Family! Family!’
‘And that,’ said Peter, ‘is no ordinary snail.’
######
Penny White returns in ‘The Vengeance of Snails’
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About the Author
Priest by day, writer at odd times of the day and night, I live with a small green parrot because the upkeep for a dragon is beyond my current budget. Plus I’m responsible for making good any flame damage to church property. I love ‘Doctor Who’, landscape photography, single malt whisky, and my job, in no particular order. When I’m not looking after a small parish church in the Midlands (England), I like to go on far flung adventures to places like Peru, New Zealand, and the Arctic.
Discover other titles by Chrys Cymri
Dragons Can Only Rust
Dragon Reforged
The Dragon Throne
The Unicorn Throne
The Judas Disciple
The Temptation of Dragons (Penny White 1)
The Cult of Unicorns (Penny White 2)
The Vengeance of Snails (Penny White 4)
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