A Blink of an Eye

by Troy A Hill

  Gwen had a crinkle of doubt in the sides of her eyes. “What you’ve described are rather advanced techniques.”

  Seren shrugged. “They seem like natural extensions of what you’ve taught me,” she said. “I’ve already put wards against insects on the windows in mother’s rooms. I told them to fade as soon as I had them laid on the wood. We can try here with your door.”

  “But if it doesn’t work, Mair will be trapped,” her mother said.

  “Not if I put it on the door itself.” Seren’s voice was confident. “You can open the door and let her in if I’m wrong.”

  “That’s why,” Gwen said, “we put the glyphs on the thresholds or frames around the windows and doors. If we put the glyph on the actual door, it won’t protect when the door is open.”

  “Let’s try it,” I said. “If it works, we can take time tonight to protect the main parts of the keep when everyone is asleep.”

  I placed my hand on Seren’s as she reached to the door.

  “Pull in some energy,” she said. “I’ll guide and borrow what I need from you.” I activated my connection to The Lady’s magic. My right hand glowed, and the light blended into her hand. Bleddyn gave one of his long whistles.

  Seren didn’t activate her own magical connection. Instead, I sensed her pull my energy to draw the glyph. Our hands, mine pressed against the back of hers, drifted around the wooden door. She left a radiant hue where her index finger traced the intricate design. Once she had the ward completed, she opened her hand. I kept my hand on hers. I felt more energy flow between us. The design faded.

  Gwen came closer and passed her hand over the wood. “Very good,” she said. “The pupil had surpassed her teacher.”

  “Can Mair get the door open?” Bleddyn asked with a wry tone in his voice. “Or is she stuck in here with me until I run out of stories to tell her?” His grin was wide under his thick grey moustache.

  I reached for the door, curious if it would repel me. But I touched the knob without resistance. I swung the door into the room and stepped across the threshold into the hallway.

  “I’m free.” Then I stepped back in and shut the door. “But I’ll be happy to sit and listen to another story.”

  “Perhaps tomorrow,” he said. “Unlike you, some of us need to sleep at night.”

  “We should wait until tomorrow to set the wards on the fort’s main gates,” I said, “when the sun is out and the glow won’t be noticed.”

  “We’ve seen so much of your miracles,” Rhian said, “I forget that the people don’t see such. Let’s not give them cause to be alarmed.”

  “Let’s not give our unknown red pawn a reason to report into his or her master,” Emlyn said. “the less we have these showy miracles in the Caer, the less they’ll report.”

  “And the Guild may have eyes and ears among the people,” Bleddyn said and sighed. “I trust our people, but…” he shook his head. “All it takes is one person with a streak of greed.”

  “How about if” Seren said, “we place them on the keep’s doors and windows tonight. We can do so while the guards are outside on rounds. Everyone else will be in their cottages by now. We shouldn’t alarm anyone with our ‘miracles,’ nor be apparent for the unseen watcher.”

  “Do we know the ward works?” Emlyn asked. “Have we seen it stop the undead?”

  “If you go find a corpse and make it walk,” Gwen said, “we can put it to the test.”

  Seren and I giggled.

  Bleddyn shrugged. “I’d rather not,” he said. “Let’s leave the dead out of our keep.”

  “I’ll go with you ladies in the morning,” Emlyn said, “and show you where along the walls I want the glyphs. When I took this post I expected the worst I’d have to prepare for was an army of the living, and work to make them dead. I never expected that we’d end up facing the dead in battle.”

  23

  Mornings

  Once the great hall was empty and most of the people of the caer quietly in bed, Seren and I slipped about the keep setting glyphs on every door and window. Afterwards, feeling our caer was about as unfriendly as it could be to the undead, we parted to our own beds.

  I found Gwen in our cottage and slipped under the covers to cuddle her for a while. I loved the warmth of her body against mine. This cottage, Caer Penllyn, this land felt like home. Gwen and the others were my family. But especially Gwen. I held her in our bed and stroked her pale golden hair until she drifted to sleep.

  Only then did I rise and don my sword clothes. I waited until I was out of our cottage before I wrapped my sword belt around my waist. The fort was quiet, except the guards upon the walls. I made my way past the cottages and the keep to the practice field.

  While I danced my meditations, my mind drifted to the night Gwen, Seren, and I had sat with the goddess in the underworld. She had warned us of great sacrifices, death and destruction. The goddess had looked at me as she said to prepare. Would I have to make a great sacrifice to protect those I loved? If I had to sacrifice myself, I was ready. Six centuries of life was more than enough.

  Emlyn came two hours before sunrise. We didn’t speak as he lit the lamps around the field. Under their dim yellow glow, we each stayed in our own thoughts as he ran us through a meditation series to loosen his own body for our dance.

  We traded our steel for the wooden practice weapons. But before I could step out on the field, he placed a hand on my arm.

  “I remember,” he said, his voice quiet in the damp night.

  “Remember?”

  “What this goddess of yours told me in that dream…” his voice trailed off. “She said when Maria came to Britain, she… you would complete my soul…”

  I returned his gaze. His words made me think he wanted more of a dance than just with our swords. But his eyes showed another truth. I waited for him to continue.

  “She also said when you came to Penllyn, our land would face its greatest challenge.” One of the lamp wicks popped. Its flame danced before it settled into its normal amber glow.

  “That’s not all she told you,” I said, my own voice quiet. By his look, I was sure there was more.

  “You and I, she told me, are the keys to winning,” he said. He raised one of his two practice weapons between us. “This is the only skill I know that could aid us in a battle,” he added.

  “There is another,” I said as I pushed his hands out of my way and wrapped my arms around him. “Love wins. Our blades and our skills may win the fights, but our love for Penllyn, for the land and her people… that’s what The Lady sees.”

  I reached up and kissed his lips. He returned the kiss, but kept his passion in check. He guided me towards the field.

  “Love may win, but our skills will protect our friends, our family,” he said as he raised his weapons to salute me. I returned the salute and dropped into a ready stance.

  We stayed quiet as we danced. We let our weapons speak for us. Tonight was contemplation, not passion.

  Red light stained the horizon. Neither of us wanted to let the dance go. Even after the sunrise burned away the morning fog, we didn’t stop. We sparred for at least another hour. When Enid and Sawyl arrived for their lessons, they spread a cloak then sat and watched us.

  Finally, Emlyn saluted with his wooden swords. I returned the gesture, then stepped forward. I pulled him in for a kiss. I wanted to enjoy every moment I had with my new family. I would love and be loved. Who knew how much time we had left together? What sacrifices would have to be made?

  He obliged for a few seconds, the whiskers on his face scraping against my chin and cheeks.

  “After your lesson, I’ll meet you and Seren at the keep to set the glyphs on the gate and walls.”

  I nodded, then waved Enid and Sawyl onto the field. As Enid tried to rise, her eyes grew wide and she rolled onto her knees in the grass. Holding her stomach, she heaved.

  “Oh dear,” I said, I knelt and held her hair back. Sawyl and Emlyn had gone pale.

  “De
arest,” I sent to Gwen. “Can you come to the practice field? Enid has the morning sickness.”

  “I’ll be right up.”

  Gwen and Rhian arrived a few moments later. Enid smiled meekly at them, then rolled and heaved again. Gwen bent down to steady her. She moved her hand, glowing white, over Enid’s shoulders and back, and when the girl could sit upright, over her belly. Fortunately, only Sawyl was here, to see it. Rhian was already used to the white glow of The Lady’s magic.

  “She’ll be fine,” Gwen said. “I’ve calmed it for today, but perhaps we’ll need to keep her calm in the mornings.”

  “The herb women make a tea that is good for this,” Rhian said. “I’ll ask them to have some sent to your cottage, dear.”

  Enid bit at her lower lip, which trembled. “But I want to practice,” she pleaded.

  “You need to reduce your activity,” Gwen said, “until your body adjusts. We want to keep your babies healthy, and that means you need to be healthy.”

  Enid frowned. I could tell she didn’t want to stop our lessons, but the reality of her pregnancy gave her no choice.

  Rhian and Gwen helped Enid to her feet and walked her to her cottage. Seeing the emergency was over, Emlyn headed to the keep. I was left with Sawyl, who was staring after Enid wide-eyed and colourless.

  “Let’s do one set of meditations to calm our nerves,” I suggested.

  He fumbled his practice sword and finally stumbled into something resembling the ready stance. His eyes were toward the keep. Specifically at the end where the kitchen was. “Pardon, milady… Do all women get that way with child?” he asked.

  “Some,” I said. “Gwen will look after her.” I raised my blade in salute, but had to wait as his eyes drifted from Enid’s cottage to the keep. I decided not to ask about Haf.

  After our lesson, I made my way to the keep, where I found Emlyn, Gwen, and Seren on the porch.

  “How’s the young mother?” I asked.

  “Just fine,” Gwen replied. “Resting quietly. She didn’t want breakfast, obviously.”

  “Poor thing.” I then sent, “You might want to check on Haf, too.”

  Gwen and Seren swivelled their heads to face me fully.

  Emlyn raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Something I should know?”

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Gwen excused herself and headed into the keep’s great hall.

  Emlyn cleared his throat. “You’re not going to tell me?”

  “We’ll know in a moment if it’s important,” I said with a wink at Seren. She giggled. Emlyn’s frown deepened behind the whiskers that outlined his mouth and chin.

  “Oh dear,” Gwen sent. “I’ll tell Rhian.”

  Seren giggled, which caused Emlyn’s scowl to deepen. Gwen rejoined us. We avoided Emlyn’s gaze as he shifted his eyes between us.

  “It’s not twins, is it?” I teased.

  Emlyn’s eyebrows sprang up as he finally caught on to our secret conversation.

  “No, just a baby,” Gwen said. “Rhian said she isn’t surprised, and wondered if Sawyl would ask Haf in time for the feast day.”

  “Should I order him to do so now?” Emlyn asked. He stepped toward the keep, glancing at Gwen with a rare grin on his face.

  I slapped his arm. “Stop teasing. That’s for Haf and he to work out.” I pointed towards the gate. “We’ve got our own business to attend to. Let Rhian and Haf take care of this.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, your ladyships,” he bowed with an overdone flourish.

  24

  Protections

  “Our first glyph should be on the gate,” Emlyn said. “We’ll work our way around from there.”

  Emlyn was methodical as he led Gwen, Seren, and me around the fort. Whenever we were in earshot of a villager or occupant of the hillfort, he gave us an informative lecture on how the palisade walls were constructed generations earlier. For setting the glyphs, he selected locations where we would be out of sight behind buildings or stacks of wood. There I would pull in The Lady’s magic and Seren would guide our hands.

  An hour later, as we neared the end of our task, I shifted my eyes towards the cleft to the catacombs.

  “Is it possible,” I asked out loud for Emlyn’s benefit, “to set a glyph against shape shifters?”

  Emlyn cocked an eyebrow at me and turned his gaze to Gwen. She gave a slow nod. Seren bit her lower lip thoughtfully, then nodded.

  “Perhaps if we altered the one for animals,” Seren suggested.

  “We’d have to incorporate marks that guard against magic use,” Gwen continued. She grabbed a nearby stick and drew in the bare dirt near the fence. Seren used a pointed rock to add marks to Gwen’s drawing. They shifted to an undisturbed section of dirt and started a fresh drawing as they tried to find the combination of marks that felt right to them.

  Emlyn glanced at me.

  “Do you understand any of that?”

  “No,” I replied. “I think of the good ideas and let them figure it out.”

  “Yes,” Gwen announced. “We believe we know how to build a glyph to stop a shapeshifter. Seren is adept at protection wards and has found a design I believe will work. Where would you like it placed?”

  “Not on the gate or keep,” Emlyn said. “Unless you have a way to let Ruadh in?”

  I pointed across the practice field. “The catacombs. The creature that attacked Bleddyn is still out there. And it appears to grave walk the way we tree walk.”

  “Excellent idea,” Emlyn said.

  Seren laid another glyph at the entrance to the caves below. She placed it next to the undead glyph, and made these two glyphs fade from sight. Once she finished, I reached out and ran my fingers along the rock face.

  “The undead one still holds,” I said. “But I can't sense the other.”

  “I’ll ask Ruadh to check it when he comes back,” Emlyn said. No one was near us, but we still kept our voices low.

  “How are you feeling? Tired?” Gwen asked Seren.

  “I’m fine.” She pointed at the cave. “Until this last glyph, I’ve only used Mair’s energy. None of my own.”

  Gwen’s eyes shifted to me. I shrugged and turned my sight onto the cord that connected me to the Otherworld. It hummed as it normally did in the daytime.

  “Good,” Gwen said. “Then with all our glyphs set, Seren and I will leave for more training.”

  “Other than closing wounds and making glyphs,” Emlyn asked, “have you found out where else her talents lie?”

  “We’re still not sure,” Gwen said.

  “Tree walking is the hardest for me,” Seren volunteered. “I can open the first portal, but I’m so tired by the time we go from here to the lake that Gwen has to take over. I only get about two steps out of the mists before my knees give out.”

  “That’s why we’ll be going to Mechain today,” Gwen said. “We’ll use areas Seren is familiar with near Nant Bywyd. She can practice with shorter trips.”

  “To build up her stamina,” Emlyn said with a nod. “Just like learning a new weapon. You have to sneak up on conditioning the muscles. Good plan.”

  “And if Dewi is away from the brin,” Seren said, her voice quiet and her eyes on her hands, “we’ll place wards on the gates and walls to keep undead out.”

  “Is that likely you’ll find him away?” Emlyn asked. His eyes had gone cold at the mention of Seren’s husband.

  “Mid-week, he takes a ride into the countryside to check on our landholders,” she said. She didn’t say it, but I suspected there were a few widows or young maids anxious for a lord’s attentions along his route. Seren probably realised as well. Her fingers absently twisted a fold in her skirt. “I hope he’s out. We need to set the glyphs. I can’t leave our people unprotected.”

  “What about Mair?” Emlyn nodded toward me. “She may need to visit.

  “I’ve been using her energy enough today,” Seren grinned, “I can recreate the signature feel of it if I want. I definit
ely can set the wards to allow her free access.”

  Gwen looked at her, one eyebrow cocked. Seren smiled back and nodded. I looked at Emlyn and shrugged. Magic of that sort was beyond my ability.

  After Gwen and Seren had left for the grove, Emlyn remained by the entrance to the crypts, staring into the cleft in the rock wall.

  “I don’t know how to fight against magic,” he said. His voice was quiet, sombre. “Emilius didn’t teach me that.”

  I slid an arm around his waist and leaned in for a hug. His arm pulled me in tighter.

  “Any ideas what we’re facing?” he asked, but dropped his eyes to the bare rock, where the two glyphs Seren had laid were hiding.

  “Other than a traitor, a wizard who reanimates the dead to attack our people, and a shifter stalking Penllyn’s borders?”

  “So much magic. What good is a sword against all that? We could reach out to the Witch Hunters,” he suggested.

  “You mean ask aid from a bunch of religious zealots who might kill off your most important assets?”

  “Family,” he said. “You, Ruadh, Gwen, and Seren. You’re family. Not assets.”

  “Thank you.” I sighed and laid my head against his arm.

  “But you’re right,” he said. “Even though the Witch Hunters insist they’re the best at fighting magical beings, it isn’t worth the risk to my family. I’ll trust to my swords — and apparently a lot of glyphs.”

  “And love,” I reminded him.

  25

  Patrols

  That evening Sawyl and Haf approached us as the meal ended, their face alight with smiles.

  “Lady Mair,” Haf said as she held the large guard’s hand, “Lady Penllyn has given us permission to marry on Gwyl Awst, here at the caer. It would honour us if you would lead our vows.”

  “Of course I will.” I smiled and rose to hug Haf.

  Her freckled cheeks crinkled with a grin. Gwen, Enid, and Rhian embraced her as well. Cadoc, one of the few men as tall as Sawyl at Caer Penllyn, pounded him on the back. Even Bleddyn rose to congratulate the couple, moving much more easily thanks to the healing magic from Seren.