The Island of Mists

by Wendy Nelson-Sinclair

  “Gabriel…” I started but he raised his long, bone-thin arm and motioned for me to stop.

  “You may still call me Valon. I want you to call me by the name that you know me by. I am glad that you’ve come here, Yvaine. I so wanted to know what came of you and to see your face one last time.”

  “And I you.” I raised his hand to my lips and kissed it. I had only spent a short time with the man lying beside me, but we were friends. Friends who offered the other something that they needed during a critical point in their lives. For his part in helping me to find my way, I would be ever forever grateful. For him, I knew that the feeling was mutual.

  “Yvaine,” Valon said suddenly. “Did Leena ever tell you the truth about your parentage?” He said, startling me to my core.

  “You knew?” I said with disbelief. “How?”

  “When we were sitting by the fire. When we first met, and you treated my leg.” Valon said. “You told me that you were the product of the High Priestess and her Consort. When you said that, I knew exactly who your parents were. I knew that you were Leena’s daughter, not Reena’s.” He swallowed briefly and began to explain himself. “Yvan was Reena’s Consort at the time, but he refused to touch her, let alone share his bed with her. He was in love with Leena but since he was Reena’s consort, he was forbidden to be with anyone else. When Reena learned that Gweneth was dead, she went to the Sacred Island and took Gweneth’s place in the Rites. The man she met there was Aldan, Cal’s father. With Reena gone, Leena and Yvan could finally be together. Since Yvan was my best friend, I acted as a lookout just in case Reena came back early. The two of them spent the entire night behind the bonfire. Three months later, I saw Leena’s growing stomach and the tender way she caressed it when she thought no one was looking. I knew that the Goddess had given them a night to create a bond that would cement them together for all eternity. Both Leena and Yvan were beyond thrilled knowing that Leena carried a piece of them inside of her. They often met in the dead of night at my lodging just so that they could spend time together. Time that was forbidden all because of Reena’s desire to punish them both for loving one another. In the few stolen moments they had, they were happy.” Valon’s rheumy eyes glistened in the candlelight as he spoke. Hearing him made my own grow dewy.

  “But that happiness wasn’t made to last. Reena went into labor just before the sunset. Leena went into labor shortly afterwards. Eweln tended to Leena while the other midwives attended to their High Priestess,” He said the last bit with a bitterness that struck me to my core. “From what Eweln told me, the labors were both hard and difficult. When she escorted me to the misty edge that night, she confessed a secret to me. She told me that Reena ordered her midwife to switch the babies. That a High Priestess could not be seen to have born a dead child while her twin sister’s thrived. Eweln knew that the babies were switched and upon learning that terrible secret, confessed it to Yvan. Eweln told me that Yvan vowed to play along with Reena’s wicked game and that it was his idea to keep it from Leena. Thinking that her child had died almost killed her. Yvan didn’t want to put her through the agony of Reena’s deception because he didn’t think that Leena would be able to survive it. He was always underestimating her strength. As much as he loved her, he never gave her the credit that she deserved. Leena was a magnificent woman. She could weather any storm that blew towards her.”

  “Yes, she was,” I swallowed a sob and furiously wiped my streaming eyes. “Leena told me everything the night before she died. Reena confessed it to her when she was lying on her deathbed. At first, I was angry at Reena, but none of it matters now. The truth is out, and everyone knows that Leena was my mother. They also know that I’m very proud to be her daughter.” I said, meaning every word. Valon reached out and touched my face with one of his fingers. His arm collapsed back upon the bed as what strength he had was spent.

  “It makes me happy to know that they are together again, and that Reena is getting what she deserves.” Valon said vengefully.

  “Tilme, too,” I said suddenly, realizing that the news of her untimely death wouldn’t have reached him. “The man who raped me got her pregnant. The Acolytes banished her after they discovered that she and my attacker had planned everything to eventually take control of the Island. Through my travels, I learned that she gave birth to a baby girl but that she left her to die in the forest. Fortunately, a pair of traveling monks found the innocent baby and took her into their care. Tilme’s body was found by a small band of our traders two days after she gave birth. A wild boar gutted her and left her to die on the forest floor.” I watched Valon’s face relax as he learned of what the sisters here called ‘divine justice’.

  “Thank you for telling me that, Yvaine,” Valon’s body went limp and he slowly released a long, slow rush of air. “Now that I know that she’s paid for what she did to my sister, I can die a happy man.” He said with a fatality that resonated within the marrow of my bones. “I hope that your life is a happy one. That you continue to rise above the obstacles placed before you. You deserve to be happy, Yvaine. And I know that you’ll find it.” Valon said and then stated that he was tired and wanted to sleep.

  I left Valon’s room later that evening, long after the sun had set, and the evening meal was over. The last few hours were spent in friendly conversation. It was the last that Valon would ever have. Dinah came to me the next morning as I had just bent down to begin thinning out the garlic in the garden to tell me that Valon had passed away in his sleep. From the flowers that grew in the fields, I crafted him a funerary bouquet and laid it upon his freshly dug grave in the kirkyard. With no monk around to perform the rites, the Mother Superior spoke beautiful words of Valon’s work, his life, and the beauty of his undying faith. We buried him near the edge of the Christian kirkyard, close to where his long dead lover was buried. Only a broken fence separated them.

  Long after the prayers had been said and the nuns started to leave to go back to their daily routines, I sat beside Valon, quiet and thinking about life and how it was filled with unexpected twists, turns and surprises along the way. I got up from his grave late in the evening and wiped the dirt from my hands. By this time next year, the grass will have grown over the now freshly turned earth. I would make it a point to visit him and lay flowers upon his grave. I would continue to live my new life here at the convent.

  ************

  I remained true to my vow to live my life to the fullest. Three months after I arrived at the Abbey, a small band of nuns arrived, sent to us direction of the Holy Faith’s leader, the Pope. I had just come from applying calendula cream and ground oat paste on an eczema patient when I heard the cart pull up, bearing the three women. One of the nuns, Sister Sarah, asked me to help welcome our new arrivals. I agreed without protest and walked down the cloisters to the front of the Abbey. As we stepped out into the open, I immediately saw the driver helping the last nun down. The other two stood patiently at her side until we shouted out our welcome. The two met us with bright smiles but the third did not. Instead, she and I met one another with shock.

  “Aethyln?” I said, unsure of whether or not I was hallucinating.

  “Yvaine?” She said just as disbelieving as me.

  “I can’t believe it!” I shouted as a spring of joy poured out of my heart. Before I knew it, I rushed across the short expanse of the yard and threw my arms around Archard’s oldest daughter. “Aethyln! It’s so wonderful to see you!”

  Aethyln buried her face into the crook of my neck. “Yvaine,” She said in a warm voice thickened with happiness. “I was sure that you had died with the others.” She gripped me tighter. “I heard that everyone in Porthfoist died from the pox. I just assumed that you and Ralf were one of them.” I felt the sorrow radiate off of her. My maternal instinct was to give this long, lost girl comfort but I knew that Aethyln had come a long way from that angry, vengeful girl that she once was.

  “How did you survive, my girl?”

  “I ran away.” Aethyln
answered matter-of-factly. “When did you learn of their deaths?”

  “When we came back for the next Faire, the gate guard told us everyone had died.” I explained. “I’m so sorry about your father and about Eadlin. I know that you loved them very much.”

  “It’s all right,” Aethyln pulled back, creating a warm and understanding space between us. “I often remember Eadlin in my prayers. I sometimes think of my father too and how we didn’t get to make our peace before he died.” She paused momentarily. “But they are both with God. One day, I will see them again. Right now, I am thankful that I have been reunited with you. After all, you are the reason why I chose this life.” She met my eye with a grateful smile while I stood confused. “That day when you found me behind the pub. Do you remember when you said that it wasn’t your place to judge me? That even though I tried to help Eadhbert in his evil crusade, you forgave me?” I nodded that I did. “Those words stuck with me long after I left to go work on a farm south of the town. It was knowing that I was worthy of forgiveness that spurred me towards a life where I could serve others. I joined the Faith and have been working as a midwife since then. I was sent here because my hands are too crippled and twisted now to be of much good to anyone.” I glanced down and saw the tell-tale signs of rheumatism in the joints of her fingers.

  “But you still have your keen mind and your tongue,” I said proudly. “You can still teach others what you know and assist them as they learn.”

  “And that’s why I am here,” Aethyln declared. “I was told that there is a town within a few days of the Abbey and that there are many farms in the surrounding area. I’ve come to teach the next generation the finer art of midwifery. Now that I know that you’re here and with your healing skills, I have no doubt that the women of this country are in excellent hands.”

  I couldn’t have been prouder of Aethyln and the life she’d chosen. Arm in arm, I escorted her into the Abbey, along with the other two nuns, and Sister Sarah in tow. Once they were shown to their living quarters and met with Mother Adeline, I met Aethyln at dinner and introduced her to Gweneth. The two of us spoke of happier times and reminisced about the good people of Porthfoist. Aethyln’s presence reminded me of all that I had experienced over the last few decades. She reminded me to cherish every moment of life, whether it was good or bad. I continued to be thankful for where I was at and that I was surrounded by such wonderful people. These women didn’t have to show me compassion, but they did. In return, I would continue to dedicate every moment to the benefit of these kind women who offered me succor and gave me the chance to be close to my daughter once again.

  Later that night, I couldn’t help but think of both Ralf and our son. I prayed that Ralf was at peace. I also hoped that Ranulf would soon return from wherever he had gone to and that once he found the ruins of his childhood home, that he would head here, and we would be reunited once more. Until then, I would go about my days just like I did before. Enjoying them, being thankful for them, and living each one to the fullest. And I did. I brought the sickly, weed-stricken garden back to life. I learned how to make wine, ale, and cheese. I got to know Gweneth on an entirely different level. Aethyln and I became close friends. My life was good. Before I knew it, four years had come and gone before I would be met with yet another unexpected.

  NINETEEN

  The Islands demise was something that I rarely thought about. The convent and the lovely women that lived within had become like family and life in the abbey never deviated from its routine. I was forever grateful for it. It kept my mind from lingering too long on things that I couldn’t change.

  Six months after my arrival, Ranulf showed up frantic and beside himself with a mixture of fear and worry. He burst into the Abbey without warning, demanding to see his sister. The other nuns cowered fearfully from the tall, striking man who burst in on them so suddenly. Gweneth and I rushed towards him as he went from room to room. We met him at the end of the cloisters. Upon seeing me, Ranulf broke down sobbing and came to me like a scared, timid little boy. I cradled him in my arms, reassuring him that I was fine and that Gweneth had taken good care of me. Ranulf cried against my shoulder, saying that when he returned to find the Island in ruins, he instantly believed that I was dead. Finding an empty, barren Island, he immediately headed to the Abbey, insistent that Gweneth be made aware of my fate.

  “I’m just glad that you were able to make it out of there alive, Mama,” He clung to me as he sobbed. “I can’t tell you what I felt when I saw the Island. What happened?” He pulled back and met my eye, curious to know how the Island had fallen.

  “Some unknowns got through. They attacked the Island without mercy. Ibira and I were able to escape through the unused portion of the forest and made our way to the Sacred Island. As we were crossing, someone shot Ibira through the heart with an arrow, but they didn’t follow me. I hid in the First Dwelling for days until I sensed that it was safe enough to leave. From that point, I made it to the boundary and found the misty veil gone. Knowing that it wasn’t safe to stay, I came here to be with Gweneth.” I glanced at his sister over his shoulder who gave me a short, understanding nod in return.

  “I’m just glad that you’re all right, Mama,” Ranulf pulled me to him again as if he were afraid to let me go. “Promise me that you won’t ever scare me like that again.” Patting his back, I promised my son that I would do my best to keep his fears at bay.

  Ranulf spent a month camped outside the Abbey walls. To their credit, the Sisters quickly warmed up to him and were often in danger of forgetting their vows of chastity as they swooned over Ranulf and his handsomeness. When it was time for him to leave, he promised that once he rejoined the men he traveled with, he would hunt down those that destroyed the Island and bring them to justice. As we made our goodbyes, I warned him to be careful.

  “No amount of vengeance is worth your life, my dear boy.” I said before kissing him goodbye. Ranulf left with the promise that he would watch out and that we would see him soon. Once he was gone, I continued to live each day, happy and content to be beside my Gweneth. I followed the routine somewhat. Praying when it was time to pray, attending mass when expected to, and living as simply and as wholly that I could.

  As the months ticked away, I watched Gweneth blossom before my eyes, watching her become someone that was not just admired, but someone that the others had tremendous respect for and whose opinion was highly thought of. My heart smiled to know that my daughter would be carrying on the tradition of our line, even if it wasn’t in the tradition of the Goddess. She would be a holy woman nonetheless, just like the generations of her ancestors before her. Her sanctity lived in her ability to heal the sick and wounded. I grew and learned, just as she did, only my lessons were about forgiveness. The act of learning to forgive others, and most of all yourself, is one of the hardest lessons that anyone can face in their life. It took me a lifetime to do it, but I could rest peacefully at night once I knew how. With that knowledge and that ability, I knew that I would be able to live out the rest of my days peacefully.

  ************

  Four years flew quickly by. I was fifty-six and springtime was upon us. Easter had just passed, celebrated just before the Spring Rites. I was out in the garden reading a book on medicinal herbs when I heard footsteps coming across the paver stones that led into the courtyard. Hearing the familiar sound frequently, at first, I did not pay them any mind. It was after noon and after a busy week, I finally found time where I could have a few quiet moments that were just mine. The footsteps stopped just before me and I felt a noticeable difference in the air around me. The scent of woodsmoke and baked bread filled my nostrils. Curious, I glanced up from my book and found a pair of sturdy-booted feet standing in front of me. I remember the smile that stretched across my face as I noticed the shoes that my son had worn for many years.

  “Ranulf!” I said happily and looked up anticipating to greet my son.

  The face that gazed at me was not Ranulf’s. The features were
similar, but the face was older, longer, and its features were sharpened with age. My heart stopped as I locked eyes with the man standing in front of me. My mind could not grasp what I was seeing at first, but my heart instantly recognized who stood before me.

  “You haven’t changed,” Ralf said softly, looking down at me with anticipation that he could barely contain. Even though he popped with nervousness, he remained physically composed and well-restrained. I instinctively got to my feet, dropping my book and forgetting it once it landed at my feet. “Yvaine, have I found you at last?” He reached out and tenderly touched my cheek. I could see his smile; the smile that I dreamt of nightly. The smile that first made me love him. Tears blurred my vision, making him a featureless silhouette. A sob escaped from my throat and I raised my hand to my mouth. Part of me feared that I was daydreaming. I feared that my mind was tricking me. That I had fallen asleep in the gardens again and couldn’t decipher between dream and reality. Or maybe I was dead.

  I reached out to touch him, to see if he were real. He grasped my fingers before I had enough time to react. A second later, I was buried in his arms, back in the arms I loved.

  “No! How can this be?” I pressed myself tightly against him and wept into his chest. “I thought you were dead.” I pressed my head against his, held his face in my hands, all as a flood of relief flowed through me. I clung to him tightly and sobbed into the familiar support of his chest. “I heard them kill you. How did you survive? Am I dreaming? Am I dead? How is it that you are here?” I refused to let him go. I would not let him go. The person that I loved and lost had come back to me. Suddenly, I didn’t care how or why. Ralf was in my arms and I would kill anyone who tried to take him from me again.

  “The men that took me did not try to kill me, Yvaine,” He said as kept my hands held within his. He spoke to me plainly, looking me straight in my eyes. “They were my countrymen. They appeared as the band of marauders that attacked us caught me in a net and had me dangling from a tree. I was moments away from being hung when a group of my countrymen ambushed and killed them.” He continued as my head spun with it all. “I had been shot by several arrows and I had a sword wound to my abdomen.” His hands tightened on mine. “I passed out as they took me back to their camp. They protected me as they nursed me back to health. When I woke up and saw that you weren’t there, I nearly took out twelve men as I called out your name, frantic to find you.” His hold on me tightened and I could feel the faint traces of the horror that he felt run through him. “I asked if they had found a woman, but no one claimed to have seen you—” His words broke off suddenly and I watched him struggle with his emotions. I took my hand from his and touched his face. He grabbed it and kissed my palm. We stood together that way for several minutes, crying and both relieved that we were once again together. “I thought those men had taken you and killed you.” His whisper was so low that I could barely hear him. “I looked for you everywhere. In every place I went, I searched for your face. I asked every person that I came across if they knew of a healer named Yvaine. It eventually got to the point where I decided to leave this country. I went back to my homeland, to try to bury your memory but without you there, it no longer felt like home. This was where I needed to be. On this land where I knew that you had once been. That is how I came here today. At a new settlement that my people recently established, I came upon a young warrior who was sitting at our fire, drinking our mead, and feasting upon our food. I sat quietly, watching him for the longest time when it struck me how much he looked just like me when I was his age. We had the same long, dark-colored hair, the same set to our shoulders. Even his body moved like mine. And then I saw his eyes. That was when I knew why he seemed so familiar.” Ralf smiled down at me and I saw so much of our son in him. Ranulf was the twin of his father except that he had my light-colored eyes.