The Pool of Two Moons

by Kate Forsyth

  ‘I do no’ feel much like chattering,’ Isabeau said, and her voice sounded childish even to her own ears. She made an effort and said, ‘I am sorry, Meghan, it is just ye all seem to have a place here and I do no’. I have been a servant to these courtiers and they treat me so still, despite my mirror image sitting on the throne.’

  The old sorceress sighed and said, ‘If I had only known what would come o’ my climbing Dragonclaw, I would have taken ye with me, Beau, but I saw only danger and death before me. I thought ye would be safe, but ye had to stop and rescue Lachlan! It is ironic, because if ye had no’, he would have been the one in the Awl’s hands.’

  ‘Baron Yutta would have enjoyed that,’ Isabeau answered bitterly.

  Meghan hesitated, then said, ‘There are few witches who could have escaped their grasp, Isabeau. Your powers are great indeed, for they are married to imagination and quick thinking. I want ye to know how proud I am o’ ye.’

  At that Isabeau wept again, though this time there was a little sweetness in the mix. Gitâ flew from Meghan’s shoulder to hers so he could comfort her, patting her earlobe with his little paw. She wept some more.

  ‘Have ye noticed many changes in yourself since your dive into the pool?’ Meghan asked, fixing Isabeau’s face with her piercing black eyes.

  ‘Apart from being able to use my hand a little? No, no’ at all.’

  ‘What about in Bronwen?’

  ‘I have seen her bring a toy to her hand when it has fallen to the floor,’ Isabeau said, ‘but who is to say if that is as a result o’ the water. She called the Lodestar to her hand before she swam.’

  Meghan was silent for a while. ‘Let me hold the babe,’ she said unexpectedly, and Isabeau handed her over gladly. The old sorceress held the baby gently, examining her closely. Bronwen returned her scrutiny with her unusual silvery eyes. She was a solemn baby, but she laughed now and reached for Meghan’s face. She placed one fat starfish hand on the white lock and laughed again. Then she moved her hand to touch Meghan once, lightly, between the eyes.

  ‘An unusual babe,’ Meghan said in a shaken voice.

  ‘Yes,’ Isabeau agreed.

  ‘I am going to tell ye something I’ve told no-one else. Do no’ ask me why. I have always guarded my secrets closely, for I am very auld now, Isabeau, and find it hard to burden others whom I still see as children. Even poor Latifa. I knew her when she was the fattest and most adorable baby you’ve ever seen.’ She sighed.

  ‘Ye must have heard many things about me, Isabeau, which ye can no’ know are true or no’. I canna help ye sort rumour from truth now, for I grow tired and need my bed. This I will tell ye, though. I am four hundred and twenty-eight years auld. Samhain was my birthday, and one o’ the strangest I’ve known in all my long life. I was only eight at the time o’ the last eclipse. That day I had my First Test and saw the moons eaten and the Lodestar created, and found my first familiar. A big day indeed.’

  She paused, grey-faced, and Isabeau rose to pour her some goldensloe wine. ‘Now, I have often wondered if I have lived these many years because I drank o’ the shining water when I was but a bairn. My father had forged the Lodestar in the pool, and I was curious and drank a mouthful—it seared through me like fire. I have often wondered if this long and heavy life is a consequence o’ swallowing that water. Ye must be prepared to accept profound changes o’ one sort or another.’

  ‘Healed or broken, saved or surrendered …’ Isabeau answered, and Meghan nodded.

  The old sorceress rose stiffly and handed back the baby, who tried to catch at the Key on her waist. She hesitated, then said wearily, ‘Isabeau, I know your path was thorny, but indeed things may have turned out very differently if ye had no’ trodden it. I hope the price ye paid was no’ too high, for things have turned out happier than I hoped. The Lodestar is safe and in our hands, Maya is dispossessed and, although the land is riven with war. Lachlan sits on the throne, with two heirs already on the way.’

  Isabeau nodded, knowing the witch meant the words as comfort. Meghan paused and said hesitantly, ‘Beau, look after the babe. I am troubled indeed by Lachlan’s black looks at her, and fear he may wish to do her harm. Jorge tells me he dreams o’ her, and she has a role yet to play in this weaving. I do no’ ken what the future holds for us, but I want ye to have a care for her …’

  Isabeau nodded, kissed the old witch and bid her goodnight. She suddenly remembered what Jorge the Seer had once said to her: ‘I see ye with many faces and many disguises; ye will be one who can hide in a crowd. Though ye shall have no home and no rest, all valleys and pinnacles will be your home; though ye shall never give birth, ye shall rear a child who shall one day rule the land.’

  She caught her breath and looked down at the dreamy face of Maya’s child. Bronwen smiled and reached for Isabeau’s bright ringlets, and a pang of sweetness pierced her heart, sharp as any grief. She rocked the babe against her heart and wondered if Meghan had been right, that only the lame could love, only the maimed could mourn.

  Aedan MacCuinn: the first Rìgh, High King of Eileanan. Also called Aedan Whitelock, he was directly descended from Cuinn Lionheart (see First Coven). In 710 he united the warring lands into the one country of Eileanan, except for Tìrsoilleir and Arran, which remained independent.

  Aedan’s Pact: Aedan MacCuinn, first Rìgh of Eileanan, drew up a Pact of Peace between all inhabitants of the island, agreeing to live in peace and not to interfere in each other’s culture, but to work together for amity and prosperity. The Fairgean refused to sign and so were cast out, causing the Second Fairgean Wars.

  ahdayeh: the art of fighting.

  Ahearn the Horse-laird: one of the First Coven of Witches.

  Aislinna the Dreamer: one of the First Coven of Witches.

  Alasdair MacThanach: the Prionnsa of Blèssem and Aslinn.

  Alba: the ‘mythical’ homeland, the land from which the First Coven escaped.

  Anghus MacRuraich: the Prionnsa of Rurach and Siantan. He uses clairvoyant talents to search and find.

  Arkening: witch who lives in Sgàilean Mountains; a Dream-Walker.

  Arran: southeast land of Eileanan, consisting mainly of salt lakes and marshes. Ruled by MacFòghnans, descendants of Fóghnan, one of the First Coven of Witches. Independent of the rest of Eileanan.

  Aslinn: deeply forested land once ruled by the MacAislins, descendants of Aislinna, one of the First Coven of Witches, but now under the control of the MacThanach clan.

  autumn equinox: when the night reaches the same length as the day.

  Awl: Anti-Witchcraft League, set up by the Banrìgh following the Day of Reckoning.

  Bacaiche the Hunchback: Meghan’s great-nephew.

  Ban-Bharrach River: the southernmost river of Lucescere which, together with the Muileach River, makes up the Shining Waters.

  banprionnsa: princess or duchess.

  banrìgh: queen.

  Beltane: May Day; the first day of summer.

  Berhtfane: sea loch in Clachan.

  Berhtilde the Bright Warrior-Maid: one of the First Coven of Witches.

  berhtildes: the female warriors of Tìrsoilleir, named after the country’s founder (see First Coven). Cut off left breast to make wielding a bow easier.

  bhanais bird: native bird renowned for very long, colourful tail.

  blackbud tree: native to southern Eileanan, small tree with dark blue flowers that form in a tight black bud. In autumn, bears many orange berries. Normal diet of weaverworms.

  blaygird: evil, awful.

  Blèssem: The Blessed Fields. Rich farmland lying south of Rionnagan, ruled by MacThanach clan, descendants of Tuathanach the Farmer (see First Coven).

  blizzard-owls: giant white owls that inhabit the snowy mountain regions; known for silence and superior hunting skills. Sorcha the Murderess had a blizzard owl as her familiar.

  Book of Shadows, The: an ancient magical book thought to be burnt by the Banrìgh on the Day of Reckoning.

  Brann the Rav
en: one of the First Coven of Witches. Known for probing the darker mysteries of magic, and for fascination with machinery and technology.

  Bright Soldiers: name for members of the Tìrsoilleirean army.

  Brun: a cluricaun.

  burn: stream, creek.

  Burning, the: another name for the Day of Betrayal.

  Caeryla: the major town in the highlands of Rionnagan. Built on the shores of the Tuathan Loch, famous for its lochserpent. Ruled by MacHamell clan.

  Candlemas: the end of winter and beginning of spring.

  caravel: a small fighting ship, fast and manoeuvrable, with a broad bow and a high, narrow poop deck. It was rigged with three or four masts, of which only the foremast carried a square sail. The other masts carry triangular lateen sails, making it easier to sail in fickle winds.

  carrack: strongly built, three-masted vessel, carrying two courses of square sails on the foremast and mainmast, and a lateen sail on the short mizzenmast. Such ships were equipped with only a limited amount of armament and were designed primarily for carrying cargo.

  Carraig: Land of the Sea-Witches, the most northern country of Eileanan. Ruled by MacSeinn clan, descendants of Seinneadair, one of the First Coven of Witches. Clan has been driven out by Fairgean, and took refuge in Rionnagan.

  Celestines: race of faery creatures, renowned for empathic abilities and knowledge of stars and prophecy.

  Clachan: southernmost land of Eileanan, ruled by the MacCuinn clan.

  clàrsach: stringed instrument like a small harp.

  claymore: a heavy, two-edged sword, often as tall as a man.

  cluricaun: small woodland faery.

  Corissa: a tree-shifter.

  Corrigan: mountain faery with the power of assuming the look of a boulder. The most powerful can cast other illusions.

  craft: applications of the One Power through spells, incantations and magical objects.

  Cripple, the: leader of the rebellion against the Rìgh and Banrìgh.

  Cuinn Lionheart: leader of the First Coven of Witches. Descendants called MacCuinn.

  Cunning: applications of the One Power through will and desire.

  cunning man: village wise man or warlock.

  Cursed Peaks: what the Khan’cohbans call Dragonclaw.

  cursehags: wicked faery race, prone to curses and evil spells. Known for their filthy personal habits.

  dai-dein: father.

  Day of Betrayal: the day the Rìgh turned on the witches, exiling or executing them, and burning the Witch Towers. Called Day of Reckoning by the Awl.

  Decree Against the Faery: royal decree that was posted soon after the marriage of Jaspar and Maya the Unknown. Stated faeries were abominations and must be destroyed.

  Decree Against the Witches: royal decree that banned witchcraft or any act of magic. A second decree was posted ten years after the first, resulting in a new wave of witch-hunts and burnings.

  Deus Vult: war cry of the Bright Soldiers, meaning ‘God wills’.

  donbeag: small brown shrewlike creature that can fly short distances due to the sails of skin between its legs.

  Donncan MacCuinn: third son of Parteta the Brave.

  Dougal MacBrann: son of the Prionnsa of Ravenshaw and cousin to the Rìgh.

  dragon: large, fire-breathing flying creature with a smooth scaly skin and claws. Named by the First Coven for a mythical creature from the Other World. Since they are unable to adjust their own body temperature, they live in the volcanic mountains, near hot springs or other sources of heat. They have a highly developed language and culture and can see both ways along the thread of time.

  dragonbane: a rare and deadly poison, distilled from the dragonbane flower, and capable of killing a dragon.

  Dragonclaw: a tall, sharply pointed mountain in the north-western range of the Sithiche Mountains. Called the Cursed Peaks by the Khan’cohbans.

  dragon-fear: uncontrollable terror caused by proximity to dragons.

  Dragon Star: comet that comes by every eight years. Also called Red Wanderer.

  dram: measure of drink.

  Dream-Walkers: name for witches from the Tower of Dreamers in Aslinn.

  dùn: hill-fort, city.

  Dunceleste: town on the shore of Tuathan Loch in Rionnagan.

  Dùn Eidean: the capital city of Blèssem.

  Dùn Gorm: the city surrounding Rhyssmadill.

  Eà: the great Life Spirit, mother and father of all.

  Eileanan: largest island in the archipelago called the Far Islands.

  Elemental Powers: the forces of Air, Earth, Fire, Water and Spirit which together make up the One Power.

  elven cat: small, fierce wild cat that lives in caves and hollow logs.

  equinox: when the sun crosses the celestial equator; a time when day and night are of equal length, occurring twice a year.

  fain: gladly, willingly.

  Fairge; Fairgean (pl): faery creatures who need both sea and land to live, and whose magic is strange and brutal. The Fairgean were finally cast out of Eileanan in 710 by Aedan Whitelock when they refused to accept his authority. For the next four hundred and twenty years they lived on rafts, rocks jutting up out of the icy seas, and what small islands were still uninhabited. The Fairgean king swore revenge and the winning back of Eileanan’s coast.

  Fang, The: the highest mountain in Eileanan, an extinct volcano called the Skull of the World by the Khan’cohbans.

  Faodhagan the Red: One of the twin sorcerers from the First Coven of Witches. Particularly noted for working in stone; designed and built many of the Witch Towers, as well as the dragons’ palace and the Great Stairway.

  Feargus MacCuinn: second son of Parteta the Brave.

  Feld of the Dragons: mentor to Khan’gharad at Tower of Two Moons, now lives at Towers of Roses and Thorns.

  fiadhaich: wild, angry.

  Firemaker, The: honorary term given to the descendants of Faodhagan (see First Coven) and a woman of the Khan’cohbans.

  First Coven of Witches: thirteen witches who fled persecution in their own land, invoking an ancient spell that folded the fabric of the universe and brought them and all their followers to Eileanan. The eleven great families of Eileanan are all descended from the First Coven, with the MacCuinn clan being the greatest of the eleven. The thirteen witches were Cuinn Lionheart, his son Owein of the Longbow, Aislinna the Dreamer, Ahearn the Horse-Laird, Berhtilde the Bright Warrior-Maid, Fóghnan the Thistle, Rùraich the Searcher, Seinneadair the Singer, Sian the Storm-Rider, Tuathanach the Farmer, Brann the Raven, Faodhagan the Red and his twin sister Sorcha the Red (now called the Murderess).

  Fóghnan the Thistle: one of the First Coven of Witches. Known for her prophetic and clairvoyant abilities, Fóghnan the Thistle was murdered by Balfour MacCuinn, Owein of the Longbow’s eldest son.

  fraitching: arguing.

  frost-giant: lives on Spine of the World.

  geal’teas: long-horned, snow-dwelling creatures which provide Khan’cohbans with food, milk and clothing. Their very thick white wool is much prized all over Eileanan.

  geas: an obligation due to a debt of honour.

  Ghleanna NicSian: mother of Anghus MacRuraich, and the last Banprionnsa of Siantan. After Ghleanna married Duncan MacRuraich (Anghus’s father), the thrones of Rurach and Siantan were merged into one, and Anghus inherited both. Feeling still runs high about this in Siantan, where most believe a MacSian should rule.

  gillie: steward to laird.

  Gitâ: a donbeag; Meghan’s familiar.

  Gladrielle the Blue: the smaller of the two moons, lavender-blue in colour.

  glen: valley.

  Goat Bridge: a narrow bridge of stone connecting the Whitelock and Sithiche Mountains—virtually impassable, it is one of the few ways to cross the Sithiche range.

  goldensloe bush: a thick shrub that bears sour yellow plums in summer.

  gravenings: ravenous creatures that nest and swarm together, steal lambs and chickens from farmers, and have been known to ste
al babies and young children. Will eat anything they can carry away in their claws.

  Great Crossing: when Cuinn led the First Coven to Eileanan.

  Great Stairway, the: the road which climbs Dragonclaw, leading to the palace of the dragons and then down the other side of the mountain to Tìrlethan.

  greeting: crying.

  greygorse: a sweet-smelling, grey-leaved plant with sharp spikes.

  Gwyneth NicSian: daughter of Ghleanna NicSian’s sister, Patrice, and married to Anghus. Last of the NicSians.

  harquebus: a matchlock gun with a long butt, usually fired from a tall stock.

  harquebusier: soldier bearing and firing a harquebus.

  Haven: large cave where the Pride of the Red Dragon spend their summer.

  holt: place of refuge.

  Horned Ones: another name for the satyricorns, a race of fierce horned faeries.

  Isabeau the Foundling: apprentice to Meghan of the Beasts.

  Iseult of the Snows: twin sister of Isabeau, also named Khan’derin.

  Ishbel the Winged: wind witch who could fly. Mother of Iseult and Isabeau.

  Jaspar MacCuinn: eldest son of Parteta the Brave. Rìgh of Eileanan, married to Maya the Unknown.

  Jesyah: Jorge’s familiar, a raven.

  jongleur: a travelling minstrel, juggler, conjurer.

  Jor: god of all the seas.

  Jorge the Seer: witch who can see the future.

  Khan’cohbans: Children of the Gods of White. A faery race of snow-skimming nomads who live on the Spine of the World. Closely related to the Celestines, but very warlike. Khan’cohbans live in family groups called prides, which range from fifteen to fifty in number.

  Khan’derin: twin sister of Isabeau. Also named Iseult.

  Khan’dica: Isabeau and Iseult’s great-aunt, and pretender to the Firemaker’s position.

  Khan’fella: sister to Khan’lysa, the Firemaker.

  Khan’gharad the Dragon-laird: Scarred Warrior of the Fire-Dragon Pride, lover of Ishbel the Winged, father of Isabeau and Iseult.

  Khan’katrin: Isabeau and Iseult’s cousin, and pretender to the Firemaker’s position.