Red Solstice (Alfheim Book 1)

by Unknown

  Okay I have thrown the proverbial cat into the proverbial pigeon loft of my grandmother's court and yes I am smug and self satisfied at this moment but I know the storm to come is slowly brewing and I will need more than myself to rely on if I am to keep John and Aylsa safe, as well as my little ones. At the other end of this spectrum I had to make sure that he was alive and at least nominally well. I knew I had sent him back into what could have been a disastrous situation, and judging now from first hand what a high handed, temperamental, monster my grandmother could be, a matter of life or death depending on her whim. I was glad that I had not seen him at the court as it would have unnerved me to be in such close proximity after all this time. Despite everything, I still wanted him and, so much so that, it could be almost on any terms. I laughed at myself and decided I needed to see about getting laid sooner rather than later before flights of fantasy really took over.

  I am back at Hilda's for some strategic planning. Although I am on a high after my fun with grandmother, I am not so stupid as to let it colour my actions in the long term,

  Hilda's youngest son is employed by Lord Caranthir, the high lord with whom my mother has been placed, and she has asked him to act as an intermediary regarding his Lord's reaction to either allowing me to meet with my mother or himself. I had also gathered that he was not quite so proactive an opponent as my grandmother seemed to be. Obviously like all of the inhabitants of Alfheim , he does have his own agenda, but his primary drive is to achieve an heir to save his lands from falling into a major conflict with his neighbours, and not to further any political leanings like my grandmother. I was also told that he was a very strong elemental and therefore one that was treated at present with great respect due to this. Having now established my own natural abilities, I hoped that he would be one of the most likely people, in this stupid hotch potch of chaos, to listen to me and possibly offer some aid.

  My mother is with him due to her mother's insistence that she could be the one to bear an heir for him. He might be desperate for an heir, due to his age, and lack of issue, despite various relationships with compliant females from other fortresses, as well as his own, but, all honour to the man, he had not wanted to take advantage of a woman, who was not only already married, but also in complete despair at being taken from her husband and family. He had in fact offered my mother protection from her mother's machinations whilst carrying on the pretence of considering Chandrelle's offer. This alone made me feel that he would listen, at least with sympathy, to my pleas for my family to achieve some resolution.

  We had also established, through Hilda's son, that my father was working for grandmother on a series of hall mounts and screens which depicted aspects of her reign. She had him firmly bound in a geas that left him unaware that he had family or even contacts outside of her court. However, according to rumour she had not managed to seduce him to her bed. Also it had been remarked on, by those that did not mind gossiping behind her back, that he had a habit of including some flower motifs in each piece, notably the rose and the lily. It argues that, despite her efforts to block out his memories, some portion of my father still remembers his wife and daughter.

  So there are possibilities and hope for some closure on all this madness. I just had to have the patience to wait. I hoped that I also have the time to wait before all hell is unleashed. Luckily hell appears to be closed for renovations at the moment because Dwyed, Hilda's second son, turns up to say his lord is willing to talk with me. It is imperative that I go there as quickly as possible but first I want to see how the land lies and so whilst he visits with his mother, I embark on a vision quest to the glade and sing him to me.

  I have constructed it as I remember it, before the storm last year destroyed its beauty, and he pauses to take this in as he comes into view, astonishment written on his face. He appears at first puzzled and then slightly outraged as once more I face him across the glade. “What in hells name have you done with your hair now”, he exclaims. No mention of my ability to call him to me. No pleasure at my handy work on the glade. Not even a thank you for getting me off the border patrol. I guess it could have been worse like the 'Ill met by moonlight bit from Shakespeare'.

  “It is fashionable in some parts of my country and now I am affronted to say the least”, I reply, “and anyway where is your red fringe”.

  “That is not suitable for a guardsmen”, he states pompously.

  “Has my grandmother let you out to play again?” I enquire, my eyes twinkling.

  “Was that your intention?” he countered looking a little sideways at me.

  “Did you know the way to hell is paved with good intentions”, I smile at him.

  “I would rather you did not smile at me” he says and closes his eyes for a moment.

  “I guess I wanted to know what your intentions are before, I make decisions”.

  He looked straight at me now. “They are mine?” It was forcefully said but still a query.

  I swallowed, “And how many god damn members of your species are there over here on vacation at any one time”.

  He laughed bitterly, “Probably not enough to satisfy you”.

  I can count to ten but hey “You so speak the truth” I said, and I am smiling again.

  “You, had better find a hole to hide in bitch because I am coming after you and I am not going to leave those innocent children in your ramshackle care.”

  “Of course not darling, you are going to hand them over to my bed hopping, grandmother so she can sell them to the highest bidder like she has my mother, and would me, if she got the chance.”

  He growls and lunges but I am already more than half gone.

  “He is definitely coming for my angels”, I confide in Hilda, I am not smiling but at least I am not crying either. “At least Aylsa and John will now have a chance of escaping this stupidity as I am once again the prime target.”

  She looks worried, which ages her face briefly, but then her face brightens somewhat and she says “I have every faith in your abilities, I just hope it works out well for all of you. You know that I will do all that I can as well.”

  That does cause a few tears to gather and I have to admit to myself, at least, that I am terribly tired of all of this, “You have done so very much for, not just me, but, all of us and I will always be grateful for everything. To be totally honest you do not deserve to have had this thrust into your life. I will never be able to thank you enough.” I hug her at this juncture.

  Then, without any further ado, I return with Dwyed and we materialise in Lord Caranthir's hall.

  Lord Caranthir's Keep

  It is hard to tell his age but his face holds a lot of wisdom and I feel instantly at home with him. He takes my hand and kisses it, but more than that I know he is testing how strong my elemental ability is against his own. I smile, “I am only a learner at the moment, sir”.

  “But I have heard a talented one”, he says, answering my smile with one of his own. He calls for refreshments and then asks if I want to talk first or meet my mother. It is hard to make the decision but time is too precious so I ask him if we could talk.

  “I do not wish to cause any trouble to you or your people”, I start, “but I believe that you have kindly shielded my mother to an extent and I need to ask if you could extend that shield to myself and my babies”.

  “it is true then that you have birthed twins?”,

  “Yes, there are definitely two of them.”

  “And you have achieved everything this far without your lord's support?”

  “Their father is not a lord,” I reply. “He is the Hunter that my grandmother sent to fetch me to her. She had a soothsaying that one of her grandchildren would bear the next heir before the year was out and wished to arrange a marriage for me.”, I clear my throat and continue. “I did not wish to be taken to her against my will, particularly after I heard that she had worked to separate my mother and father. I also felt responsible for my brothers who would possibly be more vulnerable t
han myself. Well the eldest at least, as he has little magic in his veins.”

  “And this Hunter, how did the relationship come about? Did he force himself on you?”

  “Well it was a little more distorted than straight forward,” I say trying to put it in moral terms and finding it makes an awkward fit. “Something happened, a sort of reaction between us and I sang to him and he sent for me and it was a vision, but somehow I was pregnant”.

  He chuckled. “So why do you now need my help?”

  “My grandmother has heard that my elder brother has married and that his wife is with child. It was only a matter of time before she found out that I had the babies. I cannot vanish and leave my brother defenceless in the face of her adepts. I cannot stay and also protect two small children and my brother. I have been to visit her and she is now fired up to pursue me once again. This will either be with yet another Hunter but I suspect that she will use their father and send him on a quest as is his right. If I hide here they are somewhat thwarted whilst I think things through and plan a follow up.”

  He looks at me as if I am a rare object. “It would not only be an honour to serve you but also most amusing , child, and certainly your babies will be safe with me. I am sure your mother will be over the moon once she gets past the shock”.

  Damn, I had not thought of that.

  I sip a glass of mead whilst he talks about the keep and his family. He is the last male heir and there has been very few progeny so it is mostly his loyal followers and himself although he seems to be content . He certainly marches to a different drum to my grandmother and her power lust. He was not the original heir and he also talks about that quite matter of factly.

  “My father's first wife died in the birthing of their second child and unfortunately that child lived only five days. My brother was the heir but father felt that he would try again so he remarried and I am his second son. In keeping with tradition I trained as a strategist and warrior whilst my brother went through the basics of court life and ruler ship. He was talented in the family use of energies as am I, but I guess he was also more prone to over indulge himself on many different levels. I believe he found the courtly way of life a little stifling and so he frequented ale houses and taverns to gamble and enjoy the wenches.

  It had been agreed that he would be married to the lady Chandrelle and to this end we set out one summers day to visit his betrothed. There was a lot of feasting and other pleasures on offer. I was a more reticent soul back then but one young lady sought out my bed and I would have happily taken her on a more permanent basis but she in truth was looking for a landed lord and not the lesser brother so we parted amicably.

  Despite the obvious beauty and wit of his betrothed my brother could not help himself but to sneak out and sample the local wares and it was in so doing after indulging in a fair amount of mead that he forgot himself enough to be stabbed to death in a tavern brawl. It could have come to war between us but Chandrelle found herself to be with child, your mother in fact, and she was content to stand alone and rule by herself.

  I found myself then in the unenviable position of learning state craft and courtly ways. I had a few amorous adventures but none seemed to result in a child and there did not seem to be one woman that I cared for enough to commit my life to. I do take marriage very seriously. On the other hand, I do need an heir. I could suggest that we pool the lands and place your mother and her family at their head but I do not see that this would sit well with Chandrelle as she likes the world to dance to her own tune. It is possible that with your twins a compromise could be reached and each take one as its ruler. However, I would not push for this against your wishes. I am old but not as old as some who are just entering the marriage market and there is still some time left if the goddess allows. I am so far frustrated by the way my life has been spun but I am not without hope.” he smiles wryly.

  “You certainly deserve far more than you have had so far,” I say.

  “Do you now wish to meet with your mother?” he asks.

  “Not at the moment ,” I reply, “I have things to prepare and people to inform before I can come back here and I need to do everything at speed. Can I leave the telling, just a little to you?”

  “As much as I know I will tell her, he says “And I will certainly look forward to your return as no doubt will she.”

  “It may only be a day from now”, I laugh and open a portal.

  Having taken my leave of him, even if briefly, my next step is to talk to John and explain what I intend to do. I have left things up to this point as I know he would have tried to talk me out of what I have so far set up and all honour to him he believes that he is capable of protecting us. I love him and Aylsa too much to place them and their coming child in jeopardy. At least Hilda understands and will stand firm with me if it comes to that. I also need to get some more photographs from him as I am sure my mother will love to see what changes the years have made to us .

  Taking Leave Again

  I have a backpack with the babies things in it and also a holdall with some of my necessities. I had thought of carrying them in slings as well but I am starting to look rather like one of the bag ladies you see on the city streets outside our town! Not that they tend to be carrying babies. So I have compromised and am taking them in a buggy that Benjamin and Truthy have bought back from one of their driving expeditions. I am wondering if I can manage my mandolin as well when Benjamin turns up also with a back pack and his guitar. “I can see you need someone to be your porter,” he laughs.

  I smile at him and laugh too but I am concerned that he might be endangered by coming with me. Then again I am taking two babies, so why not my mad brother. Hell we have been through worse, at least I hope we have. I throw him the holdall.

  So a last goodbye to Hilda and babies in hand we go through the portal into Lord Caranthir's hall.

  My lord looks quizzically at Benjamin but the lady standing next to him utters a cry and rushes for us. I am not certain if she is laughing or crying. I know that I am crying and Benjamin seems just a little in shock himself. It has been some eight or almost nine years since we have seen our mother and she has not aged by a day in that time whilst we are fully grown. Mother stops wringing her hands for long enough to formally introduce Benjamin to Caranthir and then she falls to her knees to view the babies. They are so charming in their own right that I know she will instantly love them but I do get a look as if to say why could you not have waited until you were safely married.

  Others have entered the hall and now we are led away to rooms that have been prepared for us and mother is almost dancing as she accompanies us. We are due for a long talk but first the little ones need to be tended to and their belongings unpacked. There seem to be no end of ladies queuing up to take care of them and a small squabble takes place before some priority order is restored. My jeans and T shirts seem to be also a cause for concern and I dread to think what they plan for them. Some hours later we are back in the hall and seated for dinner.

  Caranthir is interested in the musical instruments we have brought and after eating my brother and I play a few of our folk tunes for him and the delighted audience. It would seem that they prize music as much as we do but have not had such gifted a player as my brother, in their midst for many long years. When Caranthir finds that Ben is able to play more than the guitar he brought with him he drags him off to view their collection of instruments. My mother, meanwhile demands that I tell her all and at the same time bemoans my creative hairdressing. I am very open in what I say to her regarding Red, and also about the hard work I have put into learning magic. She is genuinely surprised that I have managed to work out using song to send a geas and also at the speed with which I have forced myself to create sufficient guards to keep my brother's safe. I admit that much has come to me through my contact with Red and that he has similar powers, a fact which also surprises her. I am just starting into how I visited grandmother when Caranthir returns with an excited Benjamin. She ask
s me to repeat my encounter with Lady Chandrelle for his amusement and this I do.

  He for his part assures her he has already found me to be amusing and he is looking forward to a long visit from us. Unfortunately, by now, I am exhausted so I am shown back to my bedroom. The little ones are well asleep themselves and I fall into bed for the first time in ages feeling totally safe.

  Early the next day another flourish of ladies come to show me the bathing facilities and to feed and dress the twins. I could get used to this but it is a little overpowering. I am then measured for what they are calling suitable clothing. This seems to mainly consist of skimpy silk things that show a fair amount of leg. I protest that I would prefer tunic and leggings of some sort and if I have to have dresses may they be longer and not quite so immodest. I do not know if I made any major headway with these requests, but at least I tried and I also refused to let them destroy my jeans and T shirts resisting this delight to the point where I started to glow slightly which convinced them that I was not joking. They then start on my hair, deftly removing hours of painstaking plaits and braids until I am left with a rather long red fuzz that requires oils and other fun things to bring it into line with their concept of beauty. Once finished with I am exhibited to my mother at breakfast for her approval. I really do have to explain to her at some point that I am a mother in my own right now and no longer the nine year old she left behind.