by Lowri Thomas
‘Is it a Hanner-Bridia?’ Anwen mumbled through her fingers.
‘No.’ Gwrnach shook his head. ‘But that makes no difference, Hanner-Bridia or not, it is still my first child and very precious to me, but it is in grave danger.’
Anwen dropped her hands and looked into Gwrnach’s huge, pale eyes. What she saw was an honest pain. ‘Why are you telling me this?’
‘Because this is why you were summoned.’ Gwrnach looked to Taliesin who had dropped his head. ‘We need you to wake them, all of the Pride so they can return here safely.’
‘I don’t understand, what am I supposed to do?’ Anwen glanced at Taliesin and for the first time felt not love, but rage building up inside her. ‘You want me to use a Cerdd Carega,’ she said flatly and Gwrnach nodded his huge, shaggy head. ‘How? I’m not Bwy Hir. Why don’t one of you do it?’ She said the name with scorn.
Elder Tomas spoke up. ‘But, my child, as I understand, you carry a drop of Bwy Hir blood within you and that means you should be able to use the Cerdd Carega with a bit of training and then go and wake the Pride. A male Bwy Hir cannot use the Cerdd Carega to enter the Pride’s lair, only a female can.’
‘Why are they in danger? Why can’t you wait until Spring?’ Anwen was becoming angry, she was being used.
‘Because, as I said before, there is a problem with travelling via the mirrors and now, apparently, the Cerdd Carega.’ He pursed his lips trying to find the right words so as not to frighten the girl. ‘Ysbrydion are lurking in the ways we use to travel … if they break into the Pride’s lair, well, they will be unable to defend themselves.’
‘And so you want me to travel somewhere full of dark spirits and then wake up a whole host of sleeping giants.’ Anwen’s voice dripped scorn. ‘And then what?’ she said with growing suspicion, ‘I can go home? If I do this you will let me go home?’
‘One step at a time, Anwen Morgan.’ Elder Tomas tried to evade the question. ‘Let us first rescue the Pride.’
‘And if I cannot?’ Anwen pressed the Druid. ‘If I can’t use the Cerdd Carega? What then? Can I go home?’
‘Anwen,’ Elder Tomas cast his eyes to Taliesin. ‘The future has not been determined. First let us see whether you can actually use the Cerdd Carega.’
‘And if I refuse?’ Anwen folded her arms and shot a glance at Taliesin.
‘You cannot refuse.’ It was Taliesin who answered, ‘My father demands it.’ He met her glare with a blank stare of his own and she looked away, furious.
‘When?’ she asked Elder Tomas, pointedly ignoring Taliesin. ‘Now,’ he answered gently, ‘he wants you to begin now. Can you stand?’
Anwen swung her legs off the side of the bed, turning her back on Taliesin. She pulled down the long shirt the physician had given her to wear and slowly she stood up, wincing at the pain shooting though her calf muscle.
‘It is quite a long walk to where Aeron wishes you to attend. May I carry you?’ Gwrnach offered as politely and as un-gruffly as possible.
Anwen shook her head. ‘No, I will walk.’ She shot another glare at Taliesin. ‘Can I at least have my clothes back?’
The physician, who had been loitering in the background, retrieved her neatly folded but still soiled clothes and brought them to her. ‘Can I have some privacy while I change?’
The men all shuffled back and Elder Tomas pulled the curtain closed giving her the privacy she requested. They all stood in silence, all feeling a tangle of emotions that no one voiced. Elder Tomas felt sorry for the girl. The physician admired the girl's strength of will. Taliesin felt sick to the pit of his stomach and Gwrnach, well, he felt relieved that they were one step closer to rescuing the Pride.
Anwen finished dressing. Her jeans leg was stiff with blood and had two holes either side of where her injury throbbed mercilessly. Her jumper was muddied and stained with grass as were her trainers, but she felt more comfortable in her own clothes, more confident somehow.
She took a moment to gather herself, she felt hurt, hungry, thirsty, sleepy and tired. Her leg throbbed and she felt stiff and achy, but she tried to stand up straight. She would not let any of them see how vulnerable and fragile she felt – especially Taliesin. She gritted her teeth. When this was over, she was going home. She would raise her child herself and she never wanted to see Taliesin or another Bwy Hir for as long as she lived. Whatever happened, she was going home, whether they liked it or not.
She steeled herself, clung on to her resolve and with grim determination she stepped from behind the curtain. ‘I’m ready,’ she said with as much grit as she could muster.
She limped towards the doors of the Infirmary, brushing away any offer of assistance. Elder Tomas held the doors and they left together, making a slow but steady progress towards the Hall of Mirrors.
Nothing could have prepared Anwen for the long walk towards her fate. She was overcome by the sheer scale of Maen-Du; the cavernous halls spanned off in every direction. The height of the ceilings lost in the gloom that the brightest of sconces could not illuminate.
Druids scurried past as the procession edged ever closer to the Hall of Mirrors, some Druids ignored her completely, others craned their necks as she passed, keen to catch a glimpse of the strange, hobbling female being escorted by an Elder and two Bwy Hir.
As they entered the Hall of Mirrors, Anwen’s breath was taken away by what she saw. Rank upon rank of mirrors lined each and every wall, illuminated by gigantic chandeliers hung from enormous chains, their candles dripping wax and adding their odour to the cloying haze that hung in the air. There was an air of anxiety and haste exuding from the small army of Druids that filled the Hall, rushing back and forth, some bent over the tables as they scribbled and scribed.
Aeron was unmistakable and Anwen felt a bolt of fear as she looked up at him. He was as magnificent as he was colossal. He stood stooped over a gaggle of Druids as they talked up to him, craning their necks to look into his face. His hair was snow white and hung down his back and yet, he did not look old, he looked muscular, young and beautiful, and then he turned towards her and Anwen swiftly changed her opinion. His face was flawless and beautiful, but the cast of cruelty was unmistakable, he looked cold, calculated and merciless: Winter incarnate.
He strolled over to her and then stood with his feet apart and his arms folded. His expression was a mix of indifference and something else – revulsion? Anwen felt like shrinking away and hiding from him but she did not, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, meeting his gaze. Aeron smirked. ‘You do not bow to your king?’ His voice was cold, aloof.
‘You are not my king.’ Anwen’s wavering voice belied her brave stance.
Aeron’s smile deepened. ‘While you are in my domain, I am your king and you will bow.’ His eyes penetrated hers. She felt her knees grow weak and she dropped her head. He was satisfied. ‘Gwrnach, take Taliesin and our guest to the Dell. Have her instructed how to use the Cerdd Carega. I want the Pride awake as soon as possible. If she succeeds, bring the entire Pride back here.’
They had been dismissed and Aeron turned back to his study of the mirrors. Anwen felt like a fool – an inconsequential fool. She limped after the towering Gwrnach and a chagrined Taliesin and she seethed at her own stupidity. Mary had been right.
She kept her head down as she followed them, fighting back tears of self-pity that threatened to spill at any moment. She would not cry.
She almost bumped into Taliesin’s back as they arrived at the Reception Hall. Huge standing stones took centre stage and Anwen felt minute in comparison to them. Taliesin handed her a bracelet that he removed from his wrist but she refused it. ‘Please. Wear it. It will protect you,’ he implored her.
She stared down at his outstretched hand and then snatched it from him, thrusting it over her hand to hang of her wrist alongside the gold chain with the acorn that matched Mary’s. I should have listened to her, she thought again.
‘Take my hand.’ Gwrnach interrupted her self-chastisement. Sh
e limped forward and placed her tiny hand into his huge paw. Taliesin offered his hand to her as well but she tried to ignore him. ‘Take his hand,’ encouraged Gwrnach, ‘it is better we travel together.’
She lifted her hand, but still refused to look at him. He took it gently, feeling Anwen’s fear as her hand shook. ‘It’s easier the second time,’ he whispered to her and she nodded once, steeling herself.
White light filled her vision, filled her head and the same terrible dragging sensation pulled at every fibre of her being, but Taliesin had been right, the second time was not as painful as the first and they emerged in Gwydir forest, not many miles from where they had first met. ‘It is a short walk to the next Cerdd Carega that leads to the Dell.’ Gwrnach started off, Taliesin and Anwen rushing to keep up.
There was snow on the ground, Anwen hadn’t realised it had snowed at home. As they skirted the edge of the forest Anwen instinctively looked towards the farm. If she ran, she could be there in no time. Her heart lurched with homesickness. ‘You will see them soon, I promise.’ Taliesin still had hold of her hand. She shook it free.
They turned into the forest and shortly arrived at another Cerdd Carega in the centre of a clearing. ‘From here we travel to the Dell … you’ll have to hold Taliesin’s hand again.’ Gwrnach tried not to smile; this girl was spirited.
‘Why did we not travel straight there?’ Anwen asked.
‘Ah, so here is your first lesson.’ Gwrnach knelt down and picked up a large stick, although in his hand it looked no more than a small twig. ‘Imagine this line as a Human road.’ He drew a line in the snow, brushing away the odd pine needle that stuck up through the blanket of white. ‘Just like one of your roads, we use the lay lines to travel from one place to another … the Cerdd Carega are like road turnings: to get to a certain place you must follow the roads and sometimes turn off onto a new road to reach your destination.’ He dropped the stick. ‘This is one of those road turnings. We need to turn onto a new road that leads to the Dell. Do you understand?’
‘Kind of.’ Anwen looked down at his drawings. ‘But how do you know which way to go?’
‘Ah, good question!’ Gwrnach stood up again and brushed the snow off his knees. ‘Some of it can be taught, just like you know how to get around your village – yes?’ She nodded. ‘And other times, you have to feel your way.’
‘You mean guess which way?’ Anwen stared up at him.
‘No. I mean feel your way. Sometimes you have to hold the place you want in your mind and feel the right way there.’ Gwrnach pulled at his beard. ‘It is difficult to explain. Here let us go to the Dell and then see if you can bring us back here. It is a short journey and a good place to commence your training.’ The three of them joined hands and vanished.
The Dell was beautiful. Not only did it look beautiful, it felt beautiful, peaceful and calm, as if the world’s troubles could not penetrate. Anwen had no time to explore the beautiful vale; Gwrnach was keen to commence with training. ‘Come, let us see if you have a feel for this while Taliesin goes and sees if any of the Tylwyth Teg can be found.’
‘Faeries?’ Anwen asked incredulously. Gwrnach looked down at her. ‘If you say so, yes,’ he replied. Anwen’s eyebrows were as high on her forehead as they could get.
‘I’ll meet you in the Dell.’ Taliesin walked away from them leaving footprints in his wake.
‘So, let us begin.’ Gwrnach was pulling at his beard as he gathered his thoughts. ‘Put your hand on the Cerdd Carega – that’s it – flatten your palm against it.’ She followed his instruction. ‘Can you feel anything?’
Anwen concentrated. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of the cold stone on her open hand. She could feel the rough texture of the stone, the coldness leeching into her fingers and then she felt something else: a pulsing sensation, a throbbing of … something. There was also a sound, distant and low, like an un-tuned radio in another room. ‘I feel it!’ she whispered, her eyes squeezed shut.
‘Marvellous! Wonderful!’ She felt Gwrnach take her free hand. ‘Now, picture where you want to be – back in Gwydir forest.’
She brought the image in her head. It was clear in her mind, every tree, the path where she first met Taliesin. ‘Okay.’
‘Now, push yourself there. Hold the picture in your head and push.’ Gwrnach’s voice sounded distant, the throbbing of the stone pulsed in her ears.
She pushed against the stone, both with her hand and her mind and then it began. White light, the pulling sensation, the keening in her ears and then it abruptly stopped. She staggered as she opened her eyes. ‘I did it!’ she yelled excitedly, ‘I did it!’
‘Yes you did!’ Gwrnach was laughing. ‘You did it, you clever girl! Now again, back to the Dell.’
The way back was much more difficult. She had to use all her mental strength to push her way back, but she succeeded and Gwrnach was delighted. ‘Come, let us tell Taliesin the good news!’
Anwen’s smile vanished. ‘Why are you so angry with him?’ Gwrnach asked as they made their way towards the Dell. Anwen’s leg throbbed painfully and her limp enhanced as she followed Gwrnach’s huge strides.
‘I don’t know.’ Anwen swallowed a wave of blubbering. ‘I just … I thought … I’m angry with both of us.’
‘Ah,’ Gwrnach said, as if he knew exactly what she meant; he didn’t, but he let it alone.
Taliesin was waiting by the fire pit in the Dell. ‘No sign of anyone. Mine are the only tracks, the place is deserted.’
Gwrnach looked around. The place was indeed deserted, not a living creature stirred. ‘Taliesin, Anwen did it – she can use the Cerdd Carega!’
Taliesin smiled at Anwen, but his heart held sorrow. He’d hoped in a way that Anwen would not succeed in using the Cerdd Carega and thus keep her from harm but on the other hand, he was pleased that she would be able to reach the Pride. ‘I’m happy for you,’ he said to her.
‘Happier for yourself,’ she snapped back. ‘So, Gwrnach,’ she said in a sweeter tone, ‘where is the Cerdd Carega to the Pride?’
‘Come, I will show you, but please let me carry you, the snow is deep and your leg is hurting you.’ He stepped towards her and carefully lifted her in his arms. He set off towards the far end of the Dell with Anwen nestled safely in his arms and Taliesin trailed behind them, his head low and his shoulders slumped.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The car journey to the mountains of Eryri had been a nail biting ride. Glyn-Guinea did not appear to know where the brake pedal was and there had been a number of bends in the road that Dafydd could have sworn would have been the end of him, but they had survived. Two near misses and a number of swerves later, they arrived at Pen y Pass. A solitary snow covered car park surrounded by the desolate grasslands greeted them.
They left the Land Rover and began trudging up a steep path towards where Glyn-Guinea swore there was a door leading to Maen-Du: Halls of the Druid.
It was tough going through the snow and yet, Glyn-Guinea the oldest of the three, ploughed on ahead, stabbing his stick into the snow and blowing bellows of smoke from his pipe as he led the way, Bara happily trotted alongside Dafydd.
‘Where’re we headed?’ Gwyn called between panting.
‘We’re heading for the Pyg Track but we’ll be veering off when we get to Llyn Llydaw,’ Glyn-Guinea answered in a puff of smoke.
‘The lake?’ Gwyn shoved his hands in his pockets, he was getting cold, he’d been outdoors all day. ‘Is it far from there?’
‘Nope.’ Glyn-Guinea continued his march up the pathway, his boots leaving their mark in the snow with Dafydd’s and Gwyn’s adding to the impressions, marking their path.
It was hard going but eventually they crested a hill and looked down onto the murky lake nestled in the valley, a backdrop of craggy outcrops led the eye upwards towards the mountain tops covered in ice, snow and shrouded in mist.
Glyn-Guinea paused a moment to relight his pipe before pointing into the valley. ‘There�
�s a cave just up there.’ He pointed to a gap in the crags above the lake, well away from the path. ‘It’s going to be tricky in the snow, but once we’re inside all we have to do is find the bell.’
‘The bell?’ Gwyn almost laughed out loud. ‘Ah, come on, Glyn, who you trying to kid? I’m not in the mood for messing round, so come on and just tell us where the entrance to Maen-Du is.’
Glyn-Guinea inhaled another puff of smoke and turned to Dafydd. ‘Problem with the young’ens today is they have no imagination.’ He began the descent up to the cave mouth and pointedly ignored Gwyn. ‘Not long now Dafydd,’ he called back, ‘we’ll see what’s what soon enough.’
Dafydd followed as did Gwyn who was struggling with finding a safe purchase for his feet, and he noted that Glyn-Guinea was having no such problem. Dafydd surefootedly trudged behind Glyn-Guinea, lost in his own thoughts – thoughts of Anwen, thoughts of Bryn-Wisgi – was he gone or did the Druids have him safely on their side of the mirror?
Dafydd shook his head; what was he thinking trudging up a snow covered mountain in search of an entrance into Maen-Du? What did he think they were going to do, just hand Anwen over with an apology for treading on the toes of the Chosen? ‘Bah!’ he barked. ‘What the hell are we doing?’ He stopped in his tracks and the others stopped for him.
‘Problem?’ Glyn-Guinea pulled the pipe from his mouth.
‘What are we doing? The village is in uproar; the mirrors are dangerous – dangerous and sitting in our houses, Ysbrydion are lurking behind the glass, waiting.’ He shivered. ‘Bryn-Wisgi is either dead or missing and here we are traipsing up a mountain to find a door that may or may not be there, in the hopes that the Druids will hand Anwen back so we can all go home.’ He panted as he finished his speech.