by Lowri Thomas
Taliesin was familiar with charms and the uses of herbs, indeed some of the Grimoires had aided him in the creation of the new ateb. However, what Taliesin was unfamiliar with was the concept of evil: what was it exactly? He hoped to find the answers in the book he was studying.
The question had been niggling at him for days. Was what Anwen and I did considered evil? Even if the act was an act of love? Am I evil because of what I am? Were all Nephilim considered evil? What was evil?
The Grimoire had described evil as “profound immorality, especially when regarded as a supernatural force. Evil is the dualistic opposite of good. Evil is conscious and deliberate wrongdoing designed to harm others, wicked destructiveness with malicious intentions.” Did that describe him or his intentions in any way? Taliesin thought not – hoped not. He was tying himself up in knots and was increasingly worried by the recent events that had marred his father’s reign. Was he to blame? Were the Nephilim being punished for his actions? Should he confess to his father, about Anwen, about the ateb, about Cadno?
Taliesin felt bile rising from his stomach. His father would be furious. Taliesin had forgotten to mention the streak of light from the Dell’s Cerdd Carega – had that been Cadno? Why had he forgotten to mention it to his father? Did he subconsciously not want to tell his father so Cadno could escape and take his secrets with him? Am I evil?
‘Well you look like you’ve lost an arm but found your finger!’ Celyn-Bach said as he took a seat next to Taliesin. ‘What is the matter with you?’
Taliesin sighed. ‘Nothing and everything … am I a bad person, Celyn-Bach? Am I evil?’
Celyn-Bach was taken aback by the weight of Taliesin’s question. He saw how unhappy Taliesin was and so he answered with gentle consideration. ‘I think you are the most un-evil being in this entire mountain,’ Taliesin smiled sadly. ‘Taliesin, how could you ask such a question? What is wrong? You can confide in me and I am a good listener. Come, tell me what is wrong.’
Taliesin looked into the sincere eyes of Celyn-Bach and for a moment he nearly told him everything that was bottled up inside him, but instead he said, ‘I think Cadno may be hiding in the Dell, will you come with me to check?’
Celyn-Bach’s brow furrowed. ‘Why haven’t you told your father?’
‘He has enough with Afagddu and I did not wish to send him chasing into the Dell if my guess is wrong.’
Celyn-Bach studied Taliesin a moment longer. ‘Alright, we shall go and investigate. Gwrnach should come too, just in case. I shall fetch him – meet us by the Cerdd Carega within the hour.’ He squeezed Taliesin’s shoulder as he left in search of Gwrnach. Taliesin closed the book and returned it to its shelf before strolling to the Reception Hall.
Taliesin met Celyn Bach and Gwrnach in the hallway and they walked to the Cerdd Carega together. ‘I am glad to be away from these halls for a little while,’ Gwrnach said, as he traipsed beside his brothers. ‘Your father is up to his neck in Druids while they pore through the scrolls in his chambers. Llud and Bran are questioning Afagddu and Madog but getting nowhere, they will not surrender their secrets until they are put under pain of torture. They should be handed over to the Druids for questioning and be done.’
They reached the Cerdd Carega and one by one they travelled to the Gwydir forest. The sun was directly overhead in the forest and they each squinted as they arrived, their eyes adjusting from the gloom of the halls to the bright sunshine filtering through the overhead canopy.
‘Are we allowed to travel into the Dell?’ Gwrnach asked, ‘I mean, without invitation?’
‘There is no-one to ask,’ Celyn-Bach pointed out, ‘the Pride slumbers, only the Tylwyth Teg will be there – they should not mind our intrusion.’
Gwrnach nodded and they set off towards the Dell. It was only a short walk and soon they had arrived at the Cerdd Carega that led to the Dell. One by one they vanished, arriving in an instant in the Dell of the Pride.
The three stood on the grassy knoll above the Dell awaiting the arrival of the Tylwyth Teg to greet them but none came. ‘Strange,’ commented Taliesin, ‘they are always here to greet a guest, the place is usually crawling with them … where are they?’
‘A gawn ni fynd i mewn? May we enter?’ he called across the hollow, but received no reply.
‘This is definitely strange.’ Taliesin was growing increasingly worried. ‘Something is wrong, I can feel it.’
Gwrnach pulled at his beard as he scanned the hillsides. Nothing moved, the place was completely deserted.
‘They should be here.’ Taliesin’s voice held a note of concern. ‘They are always here, even when the Pride sleeps.’ He pulled at Celyn-Bach and Gwrnach’s sleeves. ‘Come.’
Hesitantly they made their way into the Dell. The fire pit was cold and empty lanterns swung idly from the boughs, creaking in the afternoon breeze. The place was deserted.
On they walked through the Dell and onto the pathway that led to the tents and pavilions that housed the Pride during Spring and Summer, but they had been stricken and packed away, only brown grass marked their previous positions. The whole Dell was barren of life, even the birds did not sing in the hedgerow.
Gwrnach’s hand kept straying to his belt knife as they searched the hillside for anyone, anything, but their pursuit was fruitless and so they finally sat down upon the grass and deliberated.
‘You are sure the Tylwyth Teg are here during Autumn and Winter?’ Celyn-Bach asked Taliesin.
‘Yes. I have been here many times during the Pride’s slumber, the Tylwyth Teg are always here. I have returned during the snows to retrieve a book or clothing I had left behind and they are here – waiting. The fires are lit, the place is teeming with them … something is wrong, Celyn-Bach … do you think Cadno has something to do with this?’
Celyn-Bach shrugged his shoulders. ‘How could he? An entire race disappears and he is to blame? No. There is something amiss here, but we cannot blame Cadno for everything.’
‘So where are they?’ Gwrnach rumbled. ‘And where is Cadno?’
Celyn-Bach slowly rose to his feet. ‘Cadno will be with Atgas, of that I have no doubt, but as for the Tylwyth Teg, I have not the first idea, unless …’
‘Unless what?’ Gwrnach felt uneasy. ‘Speak brother, unless what?’
‘Y Tylwyth Teg have some sort of infinity with the Pride – what if they are with them? What if they are with the Pride?’
‘For what reason?’ Gwrnach dismissed Celyn-Bach’s reasoning. ‘The Pride slumbers.’
‘They do indeed slumber and therefore are defenceless … what if the Tylwyth Teg are with the Pride to protect them?’
Gwrnach jumped to his feet. ‘Protect them from whom? Protect them from what?’
Taliesin remained seated, but his eyes were wide with fear; he had grasped Celyn-Bach’s trail of thought and was worried. ‘Y Gwag is contaminated, evil stalks the mists.’ Taliesin’s voice was no more than a whisper. ‘The Pride is defenceless if the Ysbrydion breaks through.’
‘Oh no, no, no!’ Gwrnach began pacing. ‘Could that happen? Oh, no, no, no – we must wake them! We must wake the Pride! I’ll not have my child threatened!’ He was shouting, rambling, ‘How do we get in? How do we wake them? Oh, Oli!’
Celyn-Bach’s eyebrows climbed his forehead. ‘What did you say, Gwrnach? A child?’
Gwrnach stopped dead in his tracks. ‘Uh oh.’
‘What is going on?’ Celyn-Bach looked between Gwrnach and Taliesin. ‘What don’t I know?’ Gwrnach was gritting his teeth, his head slowly sinking into his shoulders. Taliesin’s mouth had dropped open – they had been caught out thanks to Gwrnach’s inability to keep anything secret. ‘Well?’
There was a moment of awkward silence, Gwrnach shuffled his feet and Taliesin sat with his eyes as wide as his mouth. Gwrnach huffed and stammered and then he blurted, ‘Olwyn is pregnant with my child!’
Celyn-Bach stood with his arms crossed, a look of disbelief evident on his face. ‘How is that even pos
sible?’
‘The new ateb,’ Gwrnach said, ‘the one I told you about, well it works, it produces babies and Olwyn is pregnant with my child.’
‘You are sure?’ Celyn-Bach couldn’t believe his ears. ‘There is a Bwy Hir child on the way?’
‘Yes, I am sure, Olwyn herself told me, the Pride are ecstatic.’ Gwrnach beamed but then his face grew serious once more. ‘Can they be woken?’
Celyn-Bach shook his head. ‘The Pride differs from us, Gwrnach. They slumber together, unlike us who drift apart after the Solstice to sleep alone … only a female Bwy Hir or one of the Tylwyth Teg can enter their den through the Cerdd Carega in the centre of the Dell. No male can pass through.’
‘But the Tylwyth Teg are not here!’ Gwrnach began pacing again.
‘As I said, perhaps the Tylwyth Teg have already travelled through to protect the Pride.’ Celyn-Bach watched his brother pace up and down.
‘And if they haven’t? The Pride will be defenceless. We must get through.’
‘We cannot,’ Celyn-Bach replied calmly, but inside he felt a worm of worry in the pit of his stomach.
‘There are two children, not one.’ Taliesin finally stood and met the inquisitive stares of his brothers. ‘I know of one who can pass through the Cerdd Carega.’
‘What nonsense is this, Taliesin?’ Gwrnach stopped his pacing. ‘All the Pride have gone through and now slumber, there are no others.’
Taliesin felt a mixture of relief and anxiety as he began to speak. ‘As I said, there are two children due to be born to the Bwy Hir, one is Olwyn’s and Gwrnach’s, the other is mine.’
Gwrnach snorted but Celyn-Bach held up his hand. ‘Let Taliesin speak,’ he demanded.
Taliesin inhaled and exhaled slowly under the gaze of his brothers. ‘I met her in the Gwydir forest. She was so different, so alive, so beautiful … she knew who I was, or at least what I was and a friendship began … then more than friendship, I fell in love with her.’ His brothers remained silent as he unfolded his tale. ‘We kissed and I felt the first thrill of love, but I – I couldn’t display it, you know?’ They nodded. ‘So I created a new ateb and it worked!’ Taliesin blushed.
‘You created the ateb?’ Gwrnach asked incredulously.
‘Yes it was I,’ Taliesin sighed, ‘I didn’t think she would become pregnant–’
‘Who is she?’ Celyn-Bach’s eyes glittered. ‘Tell me it is not Atgas?’
Taliesin screwed up his face. ‘No! It is not her … it is Anwen Morgan of Ty Mawr, daughter of the Chosen, Dafydd Morgan.’
Gwrnach and Celyn-Bach were shell-shocked and stood in silence, reeling from Taliesin’s revelation. ‘You are telling me that you have caused a Human to carry a Bwy Hir child?’ Celyn-Bach said flatly.
Taliesin was quick to defend himself. ‘It was not deliberate! I did not know she carried Bwy Hir blood in her veins!’
‘What?’ Gwrnach stepped forward. ‘What nonsense is this? Have you banged your head? Bwy Hir blood is poisonous to Humans, we all know that!’
Taliesin shook his head, he was growing defensive and flustered. ‘It is true, you ask Awel!’ he shouted.
‘How?’ Gwrnach snorted. ‘Awel is stuck on the other side of y Gwag!’
‘Enough!’ Celyn-Bach shouted over the ensuing squabble. ‘We must speak with Aeron. This has gone far enough.’
Taliesin groaned and Gwrnach huffed. ‘He will be enraged, Celyn-Bach, enraged when he finds out what has been kept from him … if what Taliesin says is true, well, I would rather be in my shoes than his.’
‘Gwrnach, Taliesin, you must see that we cannot keep silent,’ Celyn-Bach said solemnly, ‘the Pride may be in danger. I saw the Ysbrydion myself when I opened the Morgans’ Dderwydd Ddrych, we must advise Aeron, there is no other way for it.’
‘But I committed a sin!’ Taliesin moaned, ‘I mated with a Human. I will face the R’hela for what I have done, and Anwen Morgan? What will become of her? My father will kill us both!’
Celyn-Bach reached out to Taliesin. ‘Calm down, so this was the cause of your melancholy in the library. This is why you asked if you were evil.’ Celyn-Bach smiled sympathetically. ‘You are not evil, Taliesin, misguided and naïve, but not evil. You are young yet, your father will see that your actions were not malicious or wicked ... as for your mate, well, without her the Pride may well be lost to us, she is our only key, your father will see that too.’ He turned to Gwrnach. ‘As for you, well, Aeron will be displeased at your secrecy, but we all are as guilty as you, for we all knew … Come, the only way to slay this beast is to attack it head on, we must return to Aeron.’
Celyn-Bach took the lead and they made their way back to the Cerdd Carega. Taliesin trailed behind, his head bowed and his shoulders slumped as he dragged his heels. He didn’t relish his meetings with his father.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Anwen was building up the courage to ask to use Mary’s house phone. She’d toyed with the idea of using the phone when Mary had gone to bed, but that had felt dishonest and sneaky, so instead Anwen was trying her best to be pleasant and helpful while waiting for the right moment to ask. ‘Can I get you some tea, Mary?’ Anwen asked as Mary read in her usual spot by the window.
‘No thank you.’ Mary didn’t even look up from her book.
‘Anything that needs doing?’ Anwen tried to make her voice light. ‘Ironing, dusting, anything?’
Mary peered over her book. ‘Why don’t you just ask me?’ she said in a bored tone which made Anwen grind her teeth.
‘Can I use the phone to call home, please?’
Mary smiled. ‘Yes, you may.’ She returned to reading her book. ‘Remember the rules, Anwen, you don’t say where you are or who you are with.’
‘Fine.’ Anwen turned her back to Mary and picked up the phone, she dialled the number and waited anxiously for an answer.
‘Hello,’ a familiar voice said.
‘Dad? Dad is that you?’ She was so excited to hear his voice.
‘Anwen, Cariad,’ he replied excitedly, ‘By god, it’s good to hear your voice. Are you well? Are you safe? How are you?’
Anwen laughed through her tears. ‘I’m fine – homesick but fine. How are you? How’s Gwyn? Any news of Nerys?’
There was a pause. ‘Gwyn’s fine, although he’s losing weight, he’s missing your cooking, Anwen. Are you safe Anwen, are you happy?’
‘I want to come home, Dad.’ The tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.
‘Best you don’t for now, Cariad.’
‘Why, Dad? I’m sorry for what’s happened – I just want to come home, please Dad?’ Anwen was desperate.
‘You’ve nothing to be sorry about, love.’ Dafydd’s voice cracked. ‘No, it’s not about you, there’s some trouble up here and so you’re best away from it, at least for now Anwen, oh, please don’t cry. Who are you with, can I speak to them?’
Anwen turned to Mary who was watching from her chair. Anwen placed a hand over the receiver and said, ‘He wants to speak with you.’ Mary shook her head and gave Anwen a warning glare. Anwen scowled back and returned her attention to the phone. ‘Sorry, Dad, I can’t say where I am or who I’m with … When can I come home?’
‘Soon, Anwen, soon.’ Dafydd sniffed and cleared his throat, ‘Listen, Cariad, just you stay where you are, and keep in touch … if you need anything … stay safe, Anwen and I’m sorry for the way I behaved. I love you and that’s all that matters … Hang up on me, Cariad, I don’t want to be the one to hang up first, silly I know … Keep in touch.’
‘I will … I love you too Dad, and Gwyn, tell Gwyn … bye, Dad, bye.’ Anwen reluctantly hung up the phone and then she burst into tears, flying from the room to shut herself in her bedroom.
Mary sighed. She needed a cup of tea after all. She slowly closed her book and went to make a pot of tea for two. Hopefully Anwen would come out of her room and talk to her. What a mess, she thought to herself as she made her way down the hallway and into the kitchen.
Mary had made a call to the valley herself only this morning to advise on the runes she had found on the Ysgrifennu drych. She had only mentioned her mirror, she’d said nothing about Anwen owning one, and she was still waiting for a call back on what to do. What a mess, she thought again, Mae'r holl beth yn llanastr. Mary stopped what she was doing. ‘My goodness, I’m speaking Welsh after all these years!’ she said out loud. ‘Who’d have thought.’ She smiled to herself as she filled the kettle and switched it on to boil.
It had been years and years since she had spoken or even thought in her native language and it felt good somehow. Anwen was obviously having an effect on her, this new embroilment with the young girl and re-established communication with her childhood village had brought her memories flooding back, she even found herself longing for the Welsh hills, after all these years in the English capital city! ‘Well, well,’ she muttered, ‘maybe after all this is over … maybe.’
She set the tea tray and filled the teapot before calling Anwen to join her. Anwen emerged from her bedroom puffy faced and red-eyed, but at least she had stopped crying, ‘Paned: tea, Anwen?’ Mary asked.
Anwen nodded and Mary poured. ‘Mary?’ Anwen, ‘My father says I should not return home … but I’ve just had this message.’ She outstretched her hand and passed Mary the Ysgrifennu drych. Mary pulled her glasses down and looked into the mirror. The writing was perfectly formed in italics and it read: “Anwen, you must return. The Pride is in danger. Hurry. Taliesin.”
Mary passed the mirror back to Anwen and pressed her lips together in thought. She turned her back on Anwen and looked out of the small kitchen window, over rooftops and gardens nestled under a grey, drizzle filled sky.
‘Mary?’ Anwen’s voice sounded small and distant as Mary continued staring into the sky. ‘Mary?’
Mary finally answered Anwen, but she didn’t turn around to face her, she instead kept her face toward the window. ‘I made a promise long ago, Anwen, a long time ago. You see, when I was growing up in the village there wasn’t much call to educate a young girl … but I had a thirst. You know there were only three books in our house? One was the bible, one was a book of poems and the third was titled “The Book of Home Remedies and Herbal Cures”, and that book, that very book inspired me to train in medicine. My father wasn’t interested in my chosen vocation and besides my parents didn’t have the money to send me off to colleges and university, so that was that – Only, that wasn’t that. My mother saw I was bright and so she arranged for me to be schooled by a very special person: Awel Chan y Bant herself, and school me she did … long and short of it, I got a scholarship and I was off out into the wide world and I never went back, Anwen. I never went back.’