Twice Upon a Soul

by Deborah R Stigall

  “Blessings to you in the dream-plane child,” Zelda replied as she softly closed the door.

  ~*~

  A bright light seemed to be beckoning for her to follow…to make her way through the swirling fog…a beacon of safety in the distance. That sound…what was that sound….familiar, yet she couldn’t quite place where she’d heard that sweet lilting flute before.

  “Welcome, child…come closer so that I might see how ye have done since your rebirth.” A warm soothing voice seemed to be coming from the center of the light…a feminine voice so comforting and inviting that Taylor didn’t hesitate to make her way toward it.

  “Aye….ye’re as beautiful as the lad said ye were….he begged the Furies to ask me to save the form in which yer soul first came to be.” Finally coming into view was a beautiful woman with flaming red hair. Much taller then Taylor, muscular and strong…her skin as smooth as alabaster, the woman moved as gracefully as a butterfly; her long delicate fingers reaching out to draw Taylor in closer.

  “Who are you?” Taylor breathed, mesmerized by the vision before her.

  Smiling gently, the woman ever so slightly bowed her head in a movement that was both humble and yet proud. “Some would know me as the Goddess Brighid…but I have been mother to many names.”

  “You’re real?” Taylor caught her breath through her slightly parted lips as though afraid the Goddess might disappear if she were to startle her with any sudden moves.

  At this statement the fiery haired beauty laughed, her eyes twinkling with love and amusement at Taylor’s innocence.

  “Aye child, I’m verra real and I’ve been watchin’ over ye for longer then ye know.” Brighid gently pushed a tendril of curly blond hair away from Taylor’s eyes, nodding wisely as she continued. “I decided to visit with ye upon the dream plane…since it seems ye’re havin’ a bit of a time adjusting to the changes within your life.”

  Looking up into Brighid’s clear blue eyes, Taylor shook her head with despair. “I can’t believe I’ve gotten myself into such a mess…I’m usually always so…careful.”

  “Just because this time in your life is quite different from what ye’ve always known…doesna’ necessarily mean ‘tis a mess…ye’ve just taken a different path at the crossroads.” Smiling knowingly, Brighid gently patted Taylor’s shoulder as she motioned to a shimmering pool of water with her other hand. “Look into the water….tell me what ye see.”

  Taylor’s eyes followed the path of Brighid’s hand as the surface of the small pool of water slowly began to ripple. Gradually, images slowly began forming on the surface, eventually becoming clear and sharp in every detail. As she watched the pool, Taylor saw a small child…a toddler of perhaps two years. The child’s head was covered with silvery curls that glistened in the sunlight. Laughing heartily, the baby was clambering over a reclining panther, it’s ebony coat being pinched and pulled as the child wallowed all over the great cat. Eyes half closed, the gentle cat affectionately nudged the baby’s rump with it’s nose to help the child make the steep climb over the great beast’s sleek back. Eye’s widening in amazement, Taylor turned to Brighid. “Who is that child? What does this image mean?”

  “That child,” began Brighid as she slowly waved her hand over the waters. “Is one of the many possibilities awaiting you in the future.” As her hand crossed over the pool, the image immediately changed. This time the image of a frail old woman sharpened into view. She sat in the corner of a filthy stone room, her bent arms wrapped around her bony legs as she curled up into a pitiful pile upon a tattered blanket. The white haired woman’s eyes were dull, staring sightlessly into the darkness barely held at bay by the light of a flickering candle.

  “Who is she?” Taylor asked as she stared at the woman, barely breathing as she awaited Brighid’s answer.

  “She is you,” Brighid quietly replied. “After ye made foolhardy choices in yer life.”

  “Well what are you telling me?” Taylor cried, turning away from the desolate image of the lonely old woman. “Are you saying that I should choose to live as Quinlan’s wife even though I don’t remember him? Am I going to end up old and lonely in this place if I don’t go along with whatever he wants?” Taylor wiped an escaped tear from her cheek, not wanting to believe the last image was even a possibility.

  “Ye must learn to listen to your instincts…trust them for they willna’ lie to ye.” Brighid slowly waved her hand over the pool, dissipating the disturbing vision. “Ye must learn to forgive and look beyond first impressions…ye must look for the reason behind the actions.”

  “I thought loving Quinlan was supposed to be MY choice?” Taylor hugged herself as she turned away from the Goddess. “I thought it was up to me if it was meant to be….you seem to be telling me to quit wasting time and get on with my forgotten marriage.”

  Her voice growing stern as she turned Taylor to face her, Brighid barely touched one finger to Taylor’s chest. “I’m merely tellin’ ye to listen to your heart…ye will find all the answers within.” With that said, Brighid’s form slowly began to disappear, the glowing aura surrounding her slowly dimming. As she faded from view, Taylor felt the warm touch of Brighid’s hand lightly upon her head. “Ye have been well blessed, Taylor…in this life, in your past life and ye will be blessed in lives yet to come. Dinna make the mistake of taking those blessings for granted.”

  With those words, the Goddess was suddenly gone, leaving Taylor standing alone in the swirling fog. “Don’t leave!” Taylor shouted into the mist, as it seemed to grow heavier upon her body. Pushing at the fog, Taylor grew frantic…fighting against the clammy mist.

  “Awaken! Ye’re but ready to leave the planes of your dream!” Zelda’s musical voice opened Taylor’s eyes to the sunlight streaming through the bedroom windows.

  Slowly pushing away the covers, Taylor struggled to sit up in bed, rubbing her face with her hands. “No more night time elixirs…okay Zelda?”

  “Her didna’ find peace within her dreams?” Zelda frowned as she continued tying the tapestries covering the windows to one side to emit the brilliant sun.

  “I don’t think I’m going to be finding any peace for a while,” Taylor mumbled as she slid to the side of the bed.

  ~*~

  Having picked at her breakfast beneath Zelda’s disapproving gaze, Taylor had decided to explore the interior grounds rather then repeat yesterday’s freezing trek through the woods by stumbling around in circles. Drawing her cloak closer about her neck, Taylor made her way into the interior courtyard of the castle. Surrounded by the twin towers and high stone walls, very little wind made it’s way inside the snowy gardens.

  Lining the stone walls were several small buildings, reminding Taylor a great deal of storage sheds or lean-tos. Each building was made of squares of sod, then smoothed over with a thick layer of mud. The roofs were made of tightly woven thatch, piled so thickly there was no chance of a leak ever finding its way through to the inside.

  Slowly pushing open the door to the first building she came to, Taylor cautiously peeped inside. Waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior, Taylor strained her ears to detect any sounds from within. Finally convinced that she was the only one inside the room, she closed the door behind her.

  As her eyes adjusted and forms began to take shape, Taylor made out the silhouette of an oil burning lamp sitting in the center of a small table. Carefully running her hands along the top and sides of the table, Taylor finally found the small flint and tinderbox neatly tucked inside a small drawer. Locating the small hearth and neatly stacked tinder and wood in the corner, she quickly started a fire.

  “I guess those years as a Girl Scout are actually paying off.” Humorlessly snorting at her own sarcastic thoughts, Taylor drew a rush from the low ceiling and transferred a solitary flame to the wick of the lamp. Adjusting the wick, the room was soon illuminated in the warm yellow glow and Taylor could finally look around.

  Stacked all along the opposite wall were trunks resembling
those that sat in Taylor’s bedchamber. Unlike the spotless trunks in her room, these were covered with thick shrouds of dust. Eyeing the trunks with mild interest, Taylor carefully slid the table with the oil lamp across the floor. Her hands on her hips, Taylor tilted her head, wondering which trunk to explore first. In a passing comment, Quinlan had told her she had the run of the castle….at least that might keep her from wandering off into the woods…he’d added under his breath. So, surely he wouldn’t mind if she did a bit of snooping. He hadn’t acted as though he had anything to hide.

  Trying the lid on the trunk nearest her, Taylor was pleased to find with a little well-placed nudging that she was finally able to see inside. Pulling the lamp closer to light the interior of the trunk, she was almost startled by a brilliant spark of light rising from the center of the truck. Carefully reaching down into the velvety folds of a small pillow, Taylor gently lifted the shining crystal necklace from its bed. The long silver chain glistened in the lamplight as though it had just risen from the jeweler’s polishing cloth. The links of the chain were heavier then usual to support the weight of the teardrop shaped crystal hanging from its length.

  Raising the necklace higher, Taylor was mesmerized by the crystal….the rainbow shafts of light dancing along the walls as though they were delighted to finally be free of their dark tomb.

  “Twas your mother’s.”

  Whirling so fast she nearly lost her footing, Taylor laid her hand to her pounding chest. “You scared me to death!” Slamming the lid shut, Taylor perched on the edge of the dusty trunk in an effort to calm her startled nerves.

  “I thought surely ye knew I was in the room…did ye not hear me open the door?” Quinlan squatted to poke at the dwindling fire in the hearth, struggling to keep a smile from his face.

  “You know very well I didn’t hear you. I was too absorbed in….going through this trunk.” Taylor ended the sentence a bit sheepishly, realizing she might have been pushing Quinlan’s offer to explore the grounds a bit far when she’d decided to rummage through his storage trunks. She felt like she’d been caught going through the medicine cabinet in the bathroom of a friend instead of minding her own business.

  “’Tis all right that ye go through the trunks. These are the things that belonged to your mother. Zelda’s had them stored here…kept safe…until ye finally made your way back.” Rising from the hearth, Quinlan helped Taylor off the trunk, motioning to the necklace with a nod of his head. “Zelda can tell ye the history of that necklace. She once told me of the great magic your mother could do with the crystal.”

  “She wasn’t my mother, Quinlan.” Taylor replied softly, gently rubbing the smooth surface of the crystal with her thumb. “My mother’s buried in a cemetery in Kentucky….finally at peace from her pain.”

  “Constance was your mother from your second life….I was referring to your original mother….Brianna.” Quinlan folded his arms across his chest, adamant that Taylor somehow grow to accept the concept of reincarnation.

  Frowning, Taylor held out the necklace to Quinlan, her lips pursed into a firm line. “Here…this doesn’t belong to me….maybe you should give it to Zelda.”

  “Aye….it does belong to ye….watch and see.” Quinlan took the necklace from Taylor’s hand. As soon as he held it within his hand, the chain turned sooty black with oxidation. The crystal immediately lost its luster, turning as gray and dull as a chunk of limestone. “Now…take the crystal back into your own hand.”

  As soon as Taylor held the necklace aloft between her two hands, the crystal burst into a brilliant play of light almost as though it were bursting into song. The silver chain glistened once again as though it had just been scrubbed and polished within an inch of its life.

  Stepping behind Taylor, Quinlan reached around her shoulders and gently guided the necklace over her head. “Wear it close to your heart…’tis a fine and beautiful thing…and it belongs around the throat of a beautiful woman.”

  Touching the crystal lightly with her hand as it rested between her breasts; Taylor turned, her eyes watching the crystal as the rainbow of lights danced upon her chest. “Thank you….Quinlan?” Her words stopped in mid-sentence, as Taylor realized Quinlan had left just as quietly as he had come.

  ~*~

  Rising from the steaming water in the tub, Taylor shivered as Zelda quickly wrapped her body in a toasty towel. “I could’ve stayed in there forever…that water is so wonderful.” Taylor nearly purred as she dried off beside the fire. Making her way quickly to her chambers before the heat from the water or the fire wore off; Taylor scurried to the warm fire awaiting in her bedroom.

  “Her must hurry now…. Zelda tarried and allowed Her to idle too long.” She dropped the clothes down upon the couch and briskly began toweling Taylor’s long damp hair. Finally drying it enough to suit her, Zelda called her instructions from the doorway as she hurried from the room. “Her must dress…Zelda must see to preparations…then Zelda will come back ta’ lead Her ta’ the hall to see the guests.”

  “Lead me to the hall?” Taylor repeated aloud. Hands on her hips as she circled the room, she shook her head with dismay. “What has Quinlan got up his sleeve now?” she muttered aloud to the empty room.

  Picking through the clothes with interest, Taylor was surprised to find rich velvets and silks instead of the rough linen and wool she’d seen so far. Smoothing the deep burgundy velvet over her head, Taylor couldn’t resist a shiver of appreciation as her hands sank into the soft plush folds of the skirt. Finding the odd metal rod the Zelda had placed upon the couch, Taylor soon discovered its use after nearly dislocating her shoulder while trying to fasten the hooks running the length of the back of the dress. Slipping the hooked end of the rod down the row of hooks, she found she could neatly fasten each hook if she gently twirled the rod at the designated spot.

  The white silk hose felt exquisite, warm and sensuous against her legs still soft from her lavender scented bath water. As she smoothed her hand slowly up her leg, Taylor smiled to herself at the ribald thought that Quinlan didn’t realize how much silkier a woman’s clean-shaven leg felt under the touch of one’s hand. She slid her stockinged feet into the soft kidskin slippers; the leather worked to a velvety softness then dyed to match the rich burgundy of the dress.

  Finding the tortoiseshell combs and brush on the table between the couches, Taylor brushed her long blonde hair until it shimmered in the candlelight. Braiding it into a heavy braid then coiling it about her head, Taylor slid the dark combs into her hair, securing it snugly into place. Walking over to the huge polished shield hanging beside the bed, she eyed her image with appreciation, amazed out how clear the reflection was in comparison with the mirrors back home.

  She returned to stand in front of the fireplace to await Zelda’s return, positive that the affectionate sprite would be quite pleased and probably somewhat irritated at Taylor’s own handiwork. As Taylor wondered what Quinlan would think, she sternly reminded herself that it didn’t matter. But as she sat staring into the flames, she grudgingly admitted her anger was fading considerably. She found herself smiling at the memory of Quinlan’s face when he’d burst into the bathing chamber, eyes alight with panic, positive she was about to do herself harm. She also hadn’t missed the look of terror when he thought she was about to be the leopard’s next meal. Gazing down at her fingers spread in the plush folds of her dress, Taylor slightly tilted her head to one side. “He still lied,” she reminded herself, the words echoing through the empty room.

  Growing impatient for Zelda’s return, curious as to why she’d gotten dressed in so much finery, Taylor rose from the couch with a huff, her velvety skirts rustling their own impatience with the silk petticoats underneath. Finally making up her mind that she could find the hall by herself, Taylor left the warmth of her chamber in search of the mysterious guests which Zelda had mentioned in passing.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Finally reaching the end of the hallway, Taylor groaned as she discovered the stair
way only leading up to the next floor instead of the downward direction she sought. Hands on her hips, she turned and stared down the long hallway; the lights of the flickering torches doing little to give her a clue. Backtracking past her bedroom chamber and the bathing chamber as well, Taylor finally found a winding stairway leading downward. Not remembering if this was the one she’d taken on her way up, Taylor shrugged her shoulders deciding that surely she couldn’t become any more lost then she already was. She’d never had a good sense of direction but she eventually always found her way.

  Unfortunately at the bottom of the steps was a great bolted door she hadn’t remembered passing on the way up. There was no adjoining hallway leading away from the door, so after carefully knocking and receiving no response, Taylor pulled the bolt to the side and pulled the door open to a surprising blast of icy air.

  To her amazement, sitting patiently in the courtyard was her new found friend the snow leopard. “Well hello there,” Taylor called out to the cat. “I thought you’d gone back to the woods.”

  At the sound of Taylor’s voice, the great cat rose and gracefully padded over to greet her. Butting his head against her outstretched palm, he replied with a throaty, “Rowrrrrrr.” The cold wind biting at her bare shoulders, Taylor quickly drew back inside, her furry friend following closely behind her. Closing the door behind them, Taylor crouched down to rub his velvety ears. A deep rumbling purr was soon vibrating off the stone walls, as an expression of sheer ecstasy spread across the beast’s face. Studying the massive head held between her hands, Taylor smiled at the slits of honey colored irises as the cat grimaced in pleasure.