by G L Roberts
Meydra wrapped her tail around Bryn and touched her back. “Rest then.”
Meydra moved her tail again, and Bryn walked back to the lodge. She waited until Bryn was inside before she lifted up above the village. Meydra did not go out to the hill where the dragons waited. Instead, she flew east toward the Stones.
Inside the stone lodge, Bryn walked behind the center wall in the room and found the stone that covered the entrance to the hidden storage cairn. She brushed the dirt away and pushed at the slab. It slid easily away and revealed the darkened steps that led to the heart of the village beneath the exterior buildings. Bryn stepped into the dark, and the jewel at her forehead grew bright enough for her to see into the underground room. She smiled. “I could have used you to light the night at the Stones. But Meydra is right. I need to rest my mind and my body. The Stones will not disappear overnight.” Bryn walked over to the small niches in the wall. Running her hands over the items, she stopped when she felt something vaguely familiar. Bryn removed the thing from the darkened slot and looked at the smooth surface of what felt to be a highly polished stone. She looked closer.
“It is an egg. A dragon's egg.” Bryn turned the egg carefully in her hand. The egg was as hard as a rock. “An ancient dragon’s egg.” As she turned the egg, she caught glimpses of tiny flecks of light being reflected back at her. Stars, she thought. She held the egg higher, and there in the light of the jewel she saw an inscription. It was in an ancient language long since dead. It was one she learned as a child in her mother’s house. It was the language of the first elves, although the elves themselves had long since stopped using it. Bryn smiled. “In this age, the language is called Pictish,” she said to the egg. “Though to mention that to the Picts or the Elves you risk starting a riot. I wonder now if there is not more to Leus's infatuation with Rythale.” Bryn ran her fingers over the words, and they lit up from within the egg. Bryn read the inscription: I am she who breathes the same air, feels the same wind, embraces the same earth. I am your servant. I am Athebryn.
“How can this be? Was there another named Athebryn? It is the only explanation. Perhaps, there is more to learn at the Stones.” Bryn placed the egg back into the niche then walked back up to the main room. She took the fur from the bench and put it on the floor near the fire. She took another brick of peat and added it to the pit. Bryn walked around the room before taking one last look outside the door to the night sky. The air, so clear in the far North, revealed the clean, bright light of the stars; not often seen by those on earth. The deep blue of the night sky showed more stars than Bryn remembered from her childhood. She looked for the brightest star above her and smiled.
“A friendly face is always welcome.” Bryn always looked for the brightest star and considered it her friend, steady and ever-present. She closed the door and went back to the fur by the fire. As she laid down, alone for the first time in several months, Bryn thought about Thalynder. “I miss you, my Lynder.” Bryn closed her eyes.
Thalynder pulled the covers up over her arms and tried to snuggle down in the bed. She turned over.
“It is no use,” she told the room. “I do not sleep well when my Bryn is away. Even though I know that she rarely sleeps these days, at least she was always nearby.” She took the extra pillow and stuffed it under the sheets and up against her back. She turned away, backed into it, and closed her eyes. She sighed, tossed off the covers, and got out of bed. Thalynder paced a moment, then walked to the window that overlooked the dragon garden. An-Yun was curled up under the trees, her head resting on the grass and her long tail tucked under her legs.
Thalynder looked up at the sky and the stars. The stars glistened as if sitting in a pool of dark water. Thalynder touched the window pane with her fingers. She absently traced the shape of the stars she saw overhead, not realizing she had drawn the figure of a dragon. She turned around and walked back to the bed. She blew out the candle and crawled back under the bed covers. “I will see you soon, my beloved. Stay safe until we meet again.”
King Thamen sat at the small table in his room. He glanced out the window toward the garden and saw the reflected light of the candle in his daughter’s room go out. He leaned over and blew out the candle on his table. He leaned on his elbows to look up at the night sky. So much has happened in such a short period, he thought. The young child Bryn, he took in because of an ancient promise, had grown into a woman and had chosen a path no living human would have dared imagine. Traveling with her along that path was his only child, his daughter, who professed love for this very special druid. Bryn was a strong and capable leader, he knew this now. But The Realm That Touches Two Seas will need an heir for the throne. Thamen knew Thalynder would do as he asked and would marry whomever he chose for her. But should he now ask this of her? He had seen the change in his daughter on the battlefield. He watched her handle a possible kidnapping, even death, with a strength of character he did not know she possessed. All because she followed a shieldmaiden who will become a queen. For Bryn was a queen in all that she did for Alban. And that, the king mused, I cannot deny. My daughter would be blessed to be in Bryn’s care. What then of the Realm? “There are more questions than answers,” he said to the stars.
❦
Meydra returned to the clearing. She had made the trip to Staenis to assure herself it was safe to take Bryn there alone. She knew she could protect Bryn from most dangers, but the Ring of Stones was a place of magic. Anything could happen and catch her off guard. The night passed quietly, but her heart was restless. Something waited on the wind.
Bryn stepped out of the lodge and into the clearing. She stretched and looked up at the sky. “It is a beautiful morning.”
“You look rested,” Meydra said.
“I rested.”
“Do you still wish to go to the Stones?”
“I wish to find answers to the questions.”
“What are the questions?”
“Am I the first Athebryn?”
“You are the only Athebryn I know.”
“That is not what I asked.” Bryn ran her hand over Meydra’s scales.
“Athebryn is an ancient name. You may not be the first,” Meydra replied.
“An ancient name you say. Sometimes I feel ancient.”
“Have you eaten today?” Meydra asked.
“I have not eaten for days. But I am not hungry. And you are changing the subject.” Bryn looked up at Meydra. The jewel in her forehead was bright, and it sparkled in the morning light. “Very well. I will find something to eat. After which, I would like to go to the Stones.”
“Yes, Lady Athebryn,” Meydra replied.
Bryn grabbed a handful of dried berries from the bag she brought with her. She jostled the water bag and heard the water slosh. “There is enough for today’s journey.” She placed the water bag back into her travel bag and walked back out to the clearing. Meydra was there waiting.
Bryn’s jewel captured the light of the sun and sparkled a soft yellow. Meydra’s gem reflected the blue of the sky. “We are calmer this morning,” Meydra said.
“If you mean because neither of us sports a red and angry jewel, I believe you are right. But, I would not say I am calmer. Perhaps more patient this morning would be a better description.”
“Then that is a good thing as well. Are you ready to fly?”
“Mo anam, I am always ready to fly. Take me to the Stones so I may find the answers to my questions.”
“What is on your mind?” Meydra asked as Bryn tied her travel bag under Meydra’s wing and climbed up on her neck.
“Who was the other Athebryn, is one question. Was there another dragon before the first joining? How do I continue to lead when so many choices must be made?” Bryn patted Meydra’s head. “Do you wish me to continue?”
Meydra snorted. She lifted up above the village and flew out over the hill where the dragons sat in the morning sun. Their hearts called out a greeting, and Meydra made a circle around them. She heard Bryn call to the drag
ons and tell them how happy she was to see them. Two dragons at the back of the hill rose into the air and followed Meydra.
“We have company,” Bryn said.
“They are to keep you safe.”
“And you as well.” Bryn leaned down and kissed Meydra’s head. “We are better together. Though I miss Thalynder.”
“Yes, I miss her scent too.”
Bryn laughed. “Is that how you distinguish us? By how we smell?”
“Yes, how do you know each other?” Meydra changed direction and headed east.
“Visually, if there is light. Without light, it would be by sound.”
“And if it is dark and quiet?”
“Then I suppose scent would play a role.”
“We do not need the other senses to know you. I think we are better equipped.”
“For non-humans, you are much better equipped. I must say though, I like being able to know Thalynder with all my senses.” Bryn laughed again, and for a moment, all creatures within the sound of her laughter felt joy.
“When will we know what has happened with Meriel?” Bryn asked. “I cannot sense her thoughts right now.”
“She is quiet to me as well.”
Bryn looked out toward the horizon. She saw the rolling hills give way to wide uninhabited spaces of grass. Closing her eyes, Bryn thought of Meriel. When she opened her eyes, she saw the little dragon in front of her. Her wings beat with the stroke of the oarsman’s call.
“She is beginning to tire. How long can a dragon go without food or sleep?”
“Long enough,” Meydra replied.
“For what? Meydra, long enough for what?”
“For whatever may come.”
Bryn rode silently for the rest of the journey. She kept the little dragon in her mind’s eye, willing her to stay brave.
❦
Thalynder woke from a troubling dream. She looked around the room and shivered even though it was warm enough to sleep on top of the coverlet. Her heart was heavy, but she could not place why. “I am missing you, my Bryn. What are you up to today?” Thalynder got out of bed and grabbed her dressing gown. She threw it over her head, then grabbed the cord on the wall to summon a handmaiden. The door opened almost immediately, and her father entered.
“Good, you are awake,” he said. “Prince Malcolm has arrived and awaits us in the dining hall.”
“Malcolm? This early? What has happened?” Thalynder walked quickly to her wardrobe.
“He says he has news of his father’s legions being made ready for a trip north. He also says he has some questions for you.”
“If you will join him now, I will dress and meet you in the hall.”
“Daughter, look at me.” King Thamen took a step closer to Thalynder.
Thalynder turned and looked at her father. She saw that he was frowning.
“I need to say something before you go downstairs.”
“Father?”
“Do not agree to anything that will cause you to regret it later. Regrets are for old men, not young women.”
Thalynder took her father’s hand in hers. She kissed the top of his hand. She then held his hand against her cheek. “I do love her.”
“I know you do,” Thamen replied. “More importantly, she loves you.”
“The realm needs an heir. I have known my whole life that I would be a ruler. I have an obligation to this realm and to you.”
King Thamen shook his head. “No, my lovely daughter, you are not obligated to anyone but yourself. I learned this lesson just recently, watching you become a woman. You are a woman of strength and courage. A woman with deep feelings for those she loves, including your father and the realm he watches over. But there is something more. I have seen it in your eyes, and I have heard it in your voice.”
“And what is that, most honored father?”
“Your love for Alban and all this land can be for all who call this island home. Bryn has taught you well, though you never knew you were the student. All those years exposed to her subtle but deep love for all things has made a difference in you. And this is one thing I will not try to stop.”
Thalynder let go of her father’s hand and put her arms around him. She hugged him tightly. When she let go, she took a step back to look at her father, the King.
“Malcolm and I have much to discuss, my father. We will find a way for both the realm and the island to prosper.”
“Then I will go now and let you dress for the day. Meet Prince Malcolm and me in the dining hall. And daughter,” Thamen said as he reached out to touch her face, “I am very proud of you.”
Thalynder kissed her father’s cheek. “Thank you, papa.”
❦
Meydra stepped down in the center of the stone circle near to where Bryn accepted her destiny and the Jewel. She waited while Bryn slid off her neck. Once Bryn was on the ground, Meydra folded back her wings and raised her head. She sent a soft low note out upon the breeze, and her voice touched the stones that stood guard around the inner circle. The monoliths began to hum.
“What is this?” Bryn asked.
“This is something we did not have time for the last time you were here. You heard the Stones whispering then, you will hear them speak now.”
Bryn stood still and listened as the hum became speech. The words were in several languages. She closed her eyes and concentrated on one voice, now familiar in her head.
“Welcome back, Athebryn.”
“Queen Athyl, it is nice to hear from you again.”
“You have discovered new questions,” Queen Athyl said.
“I have.”
“You may ask them now. If I cannot answer, others will.”
Bryn hesitated.
“Do not worry, Athebryn. You will ask the right questions.”
Bryn smiled. “I hardly know where to start.”
“The beginning?” Meydra said.
Bryn laughed. She touched Meydra’s chest. “Mo anam, you are a delight. At the beginning then, and that is with the elves.”
“Ask.”
“Are the elves the first race on this island we call Alban?”
“The first race? No, the first race on Alban was the dragons.”
“I thought the dragons did not come until your time, Queen Athyl.”
“The first joining was with me. The dragons were here for millennia before that time. The elves came next and lived all over the island. But you know this.”
“Are the Picts descended from the elves?”
“Yes,” came a voice she was not familiar with. “But their relationship severed thousands of years ago.”
“I suspected as much,” Bryn said. “Are the current inhabitants of Alban also descended from a race no longer on the island?”
“You are discovering much. Yes, is the answer. Those who live in the north, including the smaller islands above Skerrabrae, are also kin to those you call the vík ingr. Both are descended from an older race unfamiliar even to the elves.”
“Again, it is as I thought.” Bryn ran her hand absently over Meydra’s scales as she reflected on the Norsemen and their knowledge of the Jewel legend. “Not all the druids in Götaland were taken by force then. It is why our legends and stories are familiar to the Norsemen. Can you see the future?”
Many voices chuckled and Bryn grinned.
“No, but from what we know of the past we can guide your steps,” Queen Athyl said.
Another voice spoke. “I can feel that this is something which concerns you. You want to know if your future holds promise for Alban. Know this, you will continue to be a source of inspiration. Many will follow the Jewel. Of this, you need not fear. They have before and they will again.”
“Before? How many have borne the Jewel?”
“Before you, one other,” Queen Athyl replied. “She, too, was called Athebryn.”
“I saw the egg back in Skerrabrae. When did the other Athebryn wear the Jewel?”
“It was when the Jewel first appear
ed. Too many years ago for our voices. You will find your answer elsewhere.”
“Is there more to the Jewel than just a commanding presence?” Bryn asked.
“Much more, but you will have to make that discovery on your own.”
“Look to the world around you,” the other voice said. “There is much there to guide you. You were brought up to know the earth, sky, and water, and those things hold the knowledge and the secret.”
Bryn touched her tunic and looked down at the Tree of Life. The dragon in the tree glittered in the sun. “I always believed this was Meydra, but I now think it is another altogether. Is this you, Queen Athyl?”
A warm breeze touched Bryn’s face, and she felt the soft touch of a hand on her cheek. “No, my daughter, the dragon that your mother wove into your tunic is one who resides in memory only. For this dragon was the first to come to earth, long before elves or humans. It has been a long time since any remember hearing this dragon’s voice.”
“I am worried.”
“What has you concerned?” Queen Athyl asked.
“I will be the last of the Brae. I do not intend to marry a man.”
“This, we already know. I did not marry a man. Yet I had a daughter and others came after her. When the time calls for it, you too will have an heir.”
Bryn nodded her head. “Then, I may pursue my heart’s wish?”
“To find love, or to lead and keep safe your homeland?” the other voice asked.
“I have found love. My heart’s wish is to leave Alban in capable hands. I will counsel, but I do not know if I will rule.”
“So long as you are the Jewel, you will rule. So long as you reside on this island, you will find the need to counsel. But, other lands need a leader. You may not always be on Alban.”
“You have placed the seed on the wind,” Queen Athyl said. “Where the seed lands, it will put down roots, and in time it will flower. Other seeds will find the wind. You will tend these seeds.”