different. Come.”
She walked on. I stood for a moment, wondering at all the people who had once lived in this countryside. Romans, ‘old people’. Some in large cities, some in small villages. When I lived in ‘my world’ I did not know of these places, nor of the people who once lived in them. I pictured the posters in my school – ‘Before was Chaos. After was Order.’ - and – ‘That was NOT then. This is NOW. That will NOT be.’ It seemed to me that these things were so wrong. It had not been chaos, but a different kind of order. My ‘now’ – the ‘now’ of my world – was only one of many. There had indeed been a ‘then’. A ‘then’ with people who made huge cities and small villages. Who probably did not think that their great stone buildings, or their small ones, would one day collapse into ruin, then decay away to nothing. What would be the ‘wall’ that would be left of my world, I wondered. I could not think of one.
Musing on this, I walked straight into a motionless Eluned. As I apologised, she pointed ahead. Between us and the wall which had grown as we approached it, there stood a figure, facing in our direction. My first reaction, as always, was panic. The vagabondi had found us. The one I thought I had killed was alive. They knew they were looking for at least one young woman.
“Is it them?” I blurted.
Eluned turned to me and smiled. “No, my lady. It is our final guide. It is Gwenllian, last high servant of the lady. She who dwells in Uricon.”
The figure drew nearer. Just like Ceridwen, the Keeper of the Dyke, she was very tall and clothed all in red. While still some distance away, she spoke.
“Welcome, Eluned Llyn Y Gadair. Welcome Expected One. Long has been our waiting. Uricon welcomes and awaits you.”
Her voice was deep and magical, her words resonating through the air.
We had at last arrived in Uricon.
PART TWO
Uricon
Chapter 15
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
I stared at him. “You sound just like Eluned.” I was about to laugh, but the look on his face stopped me.
“That I take as a compliment. Eluned is of the old people. They know much that we have forgotten. You would do well to remember that.”
These many weeks after we had arrived at Uricon, there was still much I had to learn about this young man. We were sitting, uncomfortably, each on one of the small pillars of bricks that lay around. Before us loomed the vast, broken wall built, so it was said, by the old Romans. Each time I saw it I wondered at the mind that encompassed such an undertaking.
Unusually, the sun was shining and the air was warm. I had pulled the skirt of my shift up over my knees. The slight breeze cooled my calves. I knew Nefyn did not like to be up here in daylight, especially a day as bright as this, but I missed the warmth of the sun.
“Your legs are well-shaped,” he said. “You should discard this dress. Wear trousers. They would be better.”
I smiled at him. “Better for what?”
He looked at me, then looked away.
I knew he would not answer my question. “Besides, who would give me trousers? You?”
Even though I was considered to be tall for a woman, Nefyn stood head and shoulders above me. His legs seemed to reach up to my arm pits when I stood next to him.
“You should ask your tailor.”
“My who?”
“Your tailor. Ignoramus. The one who makes these shapeless garments you wear. They do not grow on trees.”
“She wouldn’t know how to make trousers. It’s easy to make one of these.” I stood up, dropped my skirts and twirled about.
“You could try asking her.”
I left him and wandered over to the enormous ruined wall. It soared upwards and off in both directions. Straight in front of where I stood now, there was an equally massive gap in the wall, as if someone had designed a doorway, but never found doors
She walked on. I stood for a moment, wondering at all the people who had once lived in this countryside. Romans, ‘old people’. Some in large cities, some in small villages. When I lived in ‘my world’ I did not know of these places, nor of the people who once lived in them. I pictured the posters in my school – ‘Before was Chaos. After was Order.’ - and – ‘That was NOT then. This is NOW. That will NOT be.’ It seemed to me that these things were so wrong. It had not been chaos, but a different kind of order. My ‘now’ – the ‘now’ of my world – was only one of many. There had indeed been a ‘then’. A ‘then’ with people who made huge cities and small villages. Who probably did not think that their great stone buildings, or their small ones, would one day collapse into ruin, then decay away to nothing. What would be the ‘wall’ that would be left of my world, I wondered. I could not think of one.
Musing on this, I walked straight into a motionless Eluned. As I apologised, she pointed ahead. Between us and the wall which had grown as we approached it, there stood a figure, facing in our direction. My first reaction, as always, was panic. The vagabondi had found us. The one I thought I had killed was alive. They knew they were looking for at least one young woman.
“Is it them?” I blurted.
Eluned turned to me and smiled. “No, my lady. It is our final guide. It is Gwenllian, last high servant of the lady. She who dwells in Uricon.”
The figure drew nearer. Just like Ceridwen, the Keeper of the Dyke, she was very tall and clothed all in red. While still some distance away, she spoke.
“Welcome, Eluned Llyn Y Gadair. Welcome Expected One. Long has been our waiting. Uricon welcomes and awaits you.”
Her voice was deep and magical, her words resonating through the air.
We had at last arrived in Uricon.
PART TWO
Uricon
Chapter 15
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
I stared at him. “You sound just like Eluned.” I was about to laugh, but the look on his face stopped me.
“That I take as a compliment. Eluned is of the old people. They know much that we have forgotten. You would do well to remember that.”
These many weeks after we had arrived at Uricon, there was still much I had to learn about this young man. We were sitting, uncomfortably, each on one of the small pillars of bricks that lay around. Before us loomed the vast, broken wall built, so it was said, by the old Romans. Each time I saw it I wondered at the mind that encompassed such an undertaking.
Unusually, the sun was shining and the air was warm. I had pulled the skirt of my shift up over my knees. The slight breeze cooled my calves. I knew Nefyn did not like to be up here in daylight, especially a day as bright as this, but I missed the warmth of the sun.
“Your legs are well-shaped,” he said. “You should discard this dress. Wear trousers. They would be better.”
I smiled at him. “Better for what?”
He looked at me, then looked away.
I knew he would not answer my question. “Besides, who would give me trousers? You?”
Even though I was considered to be tall for a woman, Nefyn stood head and shoulders above me. His legs seemed to reach up to my arm pits when I stood next to him.
“You should ask your tailor.”
“My who?”
“Your tailor. Ignoramus. The one who makes these shapeless garments you wear. They do not grow on trees.”
“She wouldn’t know how to make trousers. It’s easy to make one of these.” I stood up, dropped my skirts and twirled about.
“You could try asking her.”
I left him and wandered over to the enormous ruined wall. It soared upwards and off in both directions. Straight in front of where I stood now, there was an equally massive gap in the wall, as if someone had designed a doorway, but never found doors
Similar Books
