Across the Sea (Islands in the Mist Series Book 2)

by J. M. Hofer

  Lucia was not surprised on either count—Islwyn’s desire to teach the boy, or Elffin’s refusal to part with him.

  “I overheard you speaking to Elffin,” Lucia admitted. “You said Taliesin was born of the gods. Which gods?”

  Islwyn shook his head. “I said that in a manner of speaking,” he explained, fumbling over his words a bit. “He has gifts far beyond any child I have ever known.”

  “Except Gwion,” Lucia mused. “Gwion had deep wisdom beyond his years. Taliesin reminds me of him.”

  Islwyn smiled. “Yes, they have much in common.”

  “Surely, a bard as talented as Teirtu has much he can teach the boy, at least for the next few years, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes, but I could begin guiding him in the mysteries right now. I can see the boy is already hungry for them! If Elffin would agree to let me apprentice him, I’m certain he would grow to manhood with an understanding of the mysteries far greater than any druid who has ever walked the earth.”

  They rode in silence awhile, each absorbed in their own thoughts. After weighing all of the possible consequences, Lucia decided she would tell Islwyn about what she had experienced on the Path of the Moon, and the truth about why she had left the Isle. I can trust him. He’ll know what to do.

  Near midday, the clan pulled off the road and circled the wagons to take a meal together. Lucia noticed Islwyn walking toward a wooded area by himself. She took a loaf of bread and some cheese with her and followed him, seizing the opportunity to speak with him privately.

  She sat down on a large rock nearby and invited him to sit next to her. “Come, eat with me,” she proposed, breaking off some bread and holding it out to him.

  Islwyn sat down and took the bread with a gracious nod. “Tis a beautiful day.”

  A faint breeze whispered through the tree tops as if to agree with him. Long stalks of flowering yarrow swayed in the field around them.

  “So, my queen, what do you wish to say to me? You have wanted to say it for a few miles, now.”

  Was it so obvious? “Yes,” Lucia confided, glancing toward Bran, who was laughing with Maur some distance away. “Something I haven’t told Bran yet. Only Aveta and my grandmother know of this.” She could tell by Islwyn’s face that he did not judge her, and it put her at ease. “I met a boy named Taliesin in a vision,” she began, “and I’m certain he and the babe were—” She stopped for a moment, confused. “Are one and the same. He came to me with a very disturbing message while I was walking the Path of the Moon—one that has only gotten more disturbing since I left the Isle.”

  Islwyn’s brows were knit, his eyes trained on her. “Go on,” he prompted.

  Lucia pictured the boy in her mind. “He was about fifteen, I would say. He addressed me as Queen Lucia. He told me Bran’s village had been attacked, and that he and many others had been taken captive. He didn’t know who his captors were, except that they sailed under the sigil of a raven with an amber Hagalaz runestone in its beak.”

  Islwyn nodded, but did not comment, except to say, “And?”

  “He also mentioned the twins. He said, ‘the twins and I have been captured,’ and begged me to deliver a message to Bran and his father, Lord Elffin. Last year, when Bran first mentioned Elffin’s name, I was suspicious and asked if he had a son. Bran told me he had no children, so I dismissed my worries. Now, knowing he is foster-father to a child named Taliesin, I can no longer ignore them.”

  “This is why you left the Isle, then?”

  She nodded. “It is. I couldn’t continue on the Path, thinking Bran’s people had been attacked and that I held the knowledge that could save them. I asked the Great Mother what to do. She told me to trust her, but I didn’t—I broke my oath.”

  “And, for that, you were sent away,” Islwyn concluded.

  “Yes.”

  Islwyn offered Lucia a comforting hand. “Well, the good news is that Taliesin’s destiny lies with our people, after all. I’ll pray to the Guardians that I can be a part of it.”

  “But what of the bad news?” Lucia countered, feeling a wave of anguish. “What of my children?”

  “Bad news?” Islwyn queried, smiling at her. “We’ve been blessed with a warning of an attack fourteen years in advance. I wouldn’t call that bad news at all!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Call of the Crossroads

  Taliesin grew ever more masterful at poetry and music, and surpassed all that Teirtu could teach him by the age of four. He began wandering about the village to satisfy his insatiable curiosity, speaking to everyone he met. He enjoyed visiting the house of Mabyn, the village healer, the most. Sometimes, she would be making tonics and salves when he would come knocking and let him help her. He liked that. If Maybn was not at home, he would visit the sheep in the fields, or the horses in the stable. Sometimes, he would walk down to the seashore to see if the seal was there. She was often playing in the waves just off the shore. He loved running out into the surf and swimming with her.

  When the men began building a new ship, Taliesin went to the shipyards instead. He stayed out of their way, except to gather up discarded pieces of wood. He took them just outside the yard and made toys out of them.

  One day, while building himself a toy boat out of the wood he had found, he had an exciting idea. I’ll build a boat big enough for me! I’ll sail out to see the seal and visit other lands, like the great giant, Tegid Voel.

  Every day, Taliesin went down to watch the men in the shipyard. He often ran errands for them, bringing food and ale, or fetching tools they had forgotten. Because of this, they let him come and go as he pleased, patting him on the head in encouragement as he worked on his little boat.

  Moons passed. When the ship in the yard was finished, Taliesin’s little boat was too—exactly like the one the men had built, but sized just for him.

  “Would you look at that?” Master Eurig cried, beholding Taliesin’s work. “You’re a wee master shipbuilder, you are! You must get your father to let you study under Master Irwyn!”

  Taliesin looked up at him. “I want to sail it. Will you help me?”

  Eurig grinned down at him. “Let’s get it into the sea, then. See if your work is sound.” He called over a few of the others who helped him hoist it up. “Come along, then, lad!”

  It’s happening! It’s happening! Taliesin’s heart fluttered in his chest like a hummingbird. I get to sail my ship!

  The men carried it down to the seashore and into the shallow surf.

  “Would you like the honors, little man?” Master Eurig asked.

  Taliesin ran out into the water and proudly pushed his boat toward the waves. The sea was calm, as if holding its breath, allowing him to play. The men waded out with him. When the water got too deep for him to stand, Master Eurig lifted him up and sat him within his craft.

  The men gave a cheer. “It’s sound, lad! You’ve done a right-good job, you have!”

  Just when Taliesin thought he could not be happier, the seal showed up to greet him. “Seal! See what I’ve done? Do you see? Like my father’s ships!”

  The seal swam around his boat playfully, nudging him this way and that.

  Master Eurig laughed. “The sea loves you, lad! She’s sending her creatures to play with you!”

  Taliesin took up the double oar he had made and rowed about, talking to the seal. “What a splendid job you’ve done!” she said to him, bobbing about the prow. “I’m so proud of you!”

  All the men left except Master Eurig, who stayed with him until the day grew long.

  “You must go home now, Taliesin,” the seal counseled. “Until next time, my love.” She nudged his little boat and disappeared beneath the waves.

  As if Master Eurig had heard her, he said, “Come now, we must get you home.”

  Taliesin rowed his boat to the dock.

  “We’ll tie it up right here.” Master Eurig took a long rope and tied his boat fast. “Tomorrow, promise me that you’ll bring your father and show it
to him.”

  Taliesin nodded.

  Master Eurig helped him out of the boat. “And promise me you’ll never take it out alone.”

  Taliesin did not reply.

  “Taliesin?”

  He looked up at Master Eurig, who had a very stern look on his face. After a moment, he nodded. “I promise.”

  Master Eurig smiled and tousled his hair. He took him by the hand and then walked him home.

  That night, Taliesin dreamed of a great tree. Her branches reached out farther than he could see, holding all the stars, and her roots twisted down to the very ends of the earth, buried deep in the darkness, clutching eternal silence.

  He longed to climb into her branches and explore the worlds they held, but when he got close enough to touch her, a river rose up. It carried him away, flowing swiftly through the land, until it flowed into the sea. There, his friend the seal was waiting for him. Put your hands around my neck, she said. He held onto her, and she swam him to shore.

  ***

  Night after night, Taliesin had the same dream. After a moon, he knew every inch of coastland, every landmark, every curve of the river, and every plant that grew upon the riverbanks between the sea and the grove where the tree towered.

  He woke up one morning and thought, I must tell Lady Mabyn. She likes to talk about dreams. Maybe she knows where the Great Tree is.

  He crawled out of bed and marched down to the village, picking flowers along the way. He had a nice bunch gathered by the time he rapped on Mabyn’s door.

  The door creaked open, and a round face smiled at him. “Well, look who’s come to visit! Come in, child! I was just about to have some breakfast.”

  Taliesin walked in and held out the flowers.

  “Gods, but you’re a sweet lad.” She beamed at him and laid the blooms in a basket by the window. “Does your father know where you are?”

  Taliesin shook his head.

  “Well, then it will need to be a short visit. Now, sit. Tell me what adventures you’ve been having.”

  “I have the same one all the time. When I sleep at night.”

  Mabyn’s face changed. “In your dreams?”

  Taliesin nodded.

  “Ah, I see.” She set some bannocks in front of him with a bowl of honeycomb. “Tell me about this adventure you keep having.”

  Taliesin told her every detail of his dream. When he was finished, he looked up at her, his eyes wide. “Do you know where the tree is? I want to see it.”

  Mabyn nodded her head. “Yes, child. I know. It’s called the Sacred Oak. It grows in the Grove at the Crossroads, not far from where Lord Bran’s clan lives. Master Islwyn watches over it.”

  “I want to go! I must see it!” Taliesin could scarcely manage to stay on his chair.

  “Well, the next time your father travels to see Lord Bran, ask him to take you along. I’m sure Master Islwyn would take you to see the tree.”

  Taliesin jumped up to embrace her tightly.

  “Ooof!” She laughed, squeezing him back. When he pulled away, she knelt down and looked him deep in the eye. “The Guardians have blessed you, sweet lad. They are speaking to you in your dreams. You know this, right?”

  Taliesin nodded. “They talk to me a lot.”

  Mabyn laughed. “Good, good! That’s very good! You must always listen to them. Promise? They have important things to tell you.”

  “I promise.”

  ***

  What Mabyn did not know, was that the Guardians had told Taliesin to leave Caer Gwythno.

  So well had Taliesin come to know the way to the Crossroads from his dream, that he left alone, taking nothing with him but his harp. He thought back on his promise to Master Eurig that he would not take his boat out alone. But I’m not alone, he reasoned. The Guardians are with me!

  He ran down to the dock before the sun rose and jumped into his little boat. He rowed it out to sea, determined to find the river he knew so well and follow it to the place he belonged.

  It was not long before the seal found him. She swam alongside him, day and night, until he reached the mouth of the river.

  “Good-bye, Seal! I must go up this river, now.”

  “Yes, you must. The salmon will look after you from here.” She threw a few large fish she had caught into his boat as a parting gift.

  A great many salmon swimming upriver appeared alongside his boat. Together they fought the current, making their way inland, until Taliesin reached the bend in the river where he knew he was to disembark. He pulled his boat upon the riverbank and soon found the familiar path he had traveled so many times before. As it had in his dream, it led him to the Sacred Grove, where the Great Tree was waiting for him.

  That night he slept beneath her sheltering limbs, as he had dreamed of doing for so long. Her leaves played him a lullaby upon the wind, and the stars twinkled at him from between her branches, whispering, “Welcome, Taliesin.”

  ***

  So it was that Taliesin came to live at the Crossroads. Islwyn immediately sent word to Elffin that he was safe. Elffin could no longer deny that his son’s destiny had wound away from him. Though it grieved him, he finally agreed to Islwyn’s long-standing request to apprentice him.

  When Taliesin was not busy studying or playing his harp, he followed the animals that wandered into the Grove wherever they led him. He followed deer, foxes, rabbits, and even birds that would play with him.

  So often did he follow the creatures of the forest, that, over time, he began to feel as they did, think as they did, and see as they did—until they, too, began to speak to him of the secrets they kept from the world of men.

  One day, a dog came bounding into the Grove and ran up to Taliesin, eagerly jumping up to lick his face. Taliesin gleefully followed him through the trees until they came to a meadow at the edge of the forest. The dog broke into a joyful run, bounding through the grass and flowers. Although Taliesin had been told not to leave the forest, he ran in pursuit. Exhilaration filled his heart and he let out a robust howl. The dog barked in response, running across the meadow to where two young children were playing.

  Curious, Taliesin followed his new companion until he came face-to-face with a boy and a girl, both about his age. An elderly woman slept under a tree nearby.

  “Hello!” the girl said to him, cheerful and breathless. “What’s your name?”

  Taliesin smiled. “Taliesin. I live with Master Islwyn, in the Grove.”

  “I’m Arhianna,” she said, panting, “and this is my brother, Gareth.”

  PART II

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Something in the Woods

  “Come on! We’re armed!” Arhianna insisted.

  Gareth often allowed his sister to talk him into what he knew were risky adventures, but this time it was different. They had been waiting for Taliesin in the meadow when they spotted what appeared to be a bear, skirting the edge of the forest in the distance. They often tracked animals for fun, seeing how long they could follow them without being detected, but something about the way the animal moved caused Gareth’s instincts to recoil. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Oh, come on! Don’t be such a baby!” Arhianna goaded.

  Gareth could not deny he was curious. In truth, he wanted to follow the creature as much as she did. The problem was not his misgivings, it was that she did not share them. She was oblivious to the world’s danger, and it made her vulnerable and often foolish.

  “Please?” she entreated. “I promise I’ll do exactly as you say.”

  “Fine.” He sighed. “But we keep our distance, and we’re not going without Taliesin—and if he thinks it’s a bad idea, we find something else to do.”

  Arhianna gave him a sulky look. “Fine, but he won’t. He’s not afraid of anything.”

  “I am not afraid.”

  I’m not. Gareth frowned. Not much, anyway. It was his concern for his sister’s safety that was the true source of his apprehension, but he knew if he were to say so
, she would say he was making excuses to mask his cowardice. So he said nothing. His sister’s headstrong nature often rubbed him the wrong way, but her company was worth routinely ignoring her attempts to rile him.

  They had come to an age where they were allowed to roam freely as long as they were together. Most afternoons, they met Taliesin in the meadow and spent a few hours riding horses, following animals, playing music or swimming in the river when the weather was warm. When the shadows grew long, Taliesin returned to Master Islwyn in the Grove and they headed home. Their mother insisted on them being inside the village walls before dark, and gods help them if they were not.

  “Finally!” Arhianna cried in exasperation.

  Taliesin emerged from the forest. As usual, he held some kind of animal in his arms. Gareth looked eagerly at the furry bundle, wondering what it would be this time.

  Arhianna’s irritation vanished. “Oh! A baby fox!” She cooed with delight, peering into Taliesin’s arms.

  “You have the same color hair,” Taliesin observed, stroking the fox tenderly.

  “Where’d you find it?” Arhianna hovered over him, her fingers fidgeting to hold it.

  “Wandering. She lost her mother.”

  “Ooooh! You’re going to keep her, then?” Arhianna’s green eyes widened with delight.

  Taliesin stroked the fox’s ears. “She can stay with me as long as she likes.”

  Just when Gareth was sure the baby fox had eclipsed Arhianna’s interest in following the creature they had seen, she looked up and blurted, “Oh! We saw something at the edge of the woods—we want to track it!”

  The smile disappeared from Taliesin’s face. “What did you see?”

  “At first we thought it was a bear, but it didn’t move like one,” Gareth interjected.

  “I don’t think it was a bear,” Taliesin said quickly.

  “You know what it is?” Arhianna was more interested than ever.