learn.”
“I’d love to teach you…Elaine’s foster daughter. If you ever need anything, want anything, you can always come to me. Your aunt is very special to me,” Uald told me with a smile then pushed the wide barn door open. I led Kelpie inside. The other animals neighed excitedly at the sight of a stallion. My horse, smelling the mares around him, pranced and snorted. I grinned at the lot of them and then put Kelpie out to pasture to meet his new friends.
We left the horses to their prancing and went into the smithy. Uald had been busy hammering spoons and swords. Metal tools hung from the walls and rafters and equipment sat lined up neatly on a table. Carefully piled wood and kindling for the large fire pit lined the wall.
“I sell some of what I make in exchange for the things we need,” Uald said, then lifted a sword off her workbench. It was a fine weapon. The hilt had been decorated with engraved leaves.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I made a dagger for your father once. It must have taken me a hundred casts to get it right. I molded a small raven figure to sit on the hilt. Did you ever see it?”
I thought back, scant images of my father bubbling up in my memory. I did remember him having a fine dagger he wore on his belt. “Maybe…”
“I always wondered what happened to that dagger. I hoped you had it. Perhaps it will find its way home to you some day.”
I smiled. It was easy to see why Madelaine, who, like me, had grown up with genteel ladies, liked Uald. I doubted that she had any patience for talk of babes and sewing. “Did you know my father?” I asked.
Uald smiled, her lips pulling into a smirk again. She looked away from me and stared out into the forest. She smiled then nodded. I could tell her mind was busy. “Boite the raven. Yes, I knew him well, but that’s a tale for another day. Come on,” she said, then led me back to Epona’s house.
The sky was turning red. I couldn’t believe the day had passed so quickly. Night was coming, and I could feel it in my bones. The puppy scampered from the door frame of my new home. I picked her up and carried her to Epona’s house.
Sid emerged from her cottage. She had rid herself of her furs and wore a plain gray dress that was far too large for her. Her hair, however, remained as I had seen it earlier. I set the pup down and joined Uald in washing my hands in a basin near the door. The fuzzy pup went to Sid.
“Oh my, oh my,” she said as she bent down to scratch the pup’s head. “Better get a talisman,” she said to Epona who stood in the open doorway.
The white-headed woman nodded.
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh, the little meddlers are always up to mischief,” Sid said then scolded her shoulder. “No, no, not you.”
Inside, Ludmilla, Druanne, Aridmis, and Bride had already seated themselves. I sat beside Sid. Her face looked quite sunken, and her body was very thin. Despite her peculiarities, or perhaps because of them, I found I liked her both instantly and intensely.
Epona, who had taken the head seat, looked at each of us and then bowed her head. I followed her in the gesture.
“Mother, we thank you for providing us with food, and we thank you for bringing our ninth to us. Guide us in your will. Protect Tully, who is far from us. Use us, Mother, for your ends. We are your daughters. Blessed be.”
The women stirred, and I opened my eyes. I was filled with warmth and light, the comforts of the hearth. They passed flatbread and crocks of stew around the table. Honeyed butter perfumed the room. Everything looked and smelled wonderful.
“I hope this meager food is to your taste, My Lady,” Druanne said then.
At first I did not realize she was speaking to me. Everyone at the table grew still. I looked up to find Druanne’s eyes on mine.
“You must be used to more sophisticated tastes,” she added. She smiled weakly at me, but her eyes were cold.
I saw Uald shift uncomfortably. She passed a glance to Epona, but the
“I’d love to teach you…Elaine’s foster daughter. If you ever need anything, want anything, you can always come to me. Your aunt is very special to me,” Uald told me with a smile then pushed the wide barn door open. I led Kelpie inside. The other animals neighed excitedly at the sight of a stallion. My horse, smelling the mares around him, pranced and snorted. I grinned at the lot of them and then put Kelpie out to pasture to meet his new friends.
We left the horses to their prancing and went into the smithy. Uald had been busy hammering spoons and swords. Metal tools hung from the walls and rafters and equipment sat lined up neatly on a table. Carefully piled wood and kindling for the large fire pit lined the wall.
“I sell some of what I make in exchange for the things we need,” Uald said, then lifted a sword off her workbench. It was a fine weapon. The hilt had been decorated with engraved leaves.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I made a dagger for your father once. It must have taken me a hundred casts to get it right. I molded a small raven figure to sit on the hilt. Did you ever see it?”
I thought back, scant images of my father bubbling up in my memory. I did remember him having a fine dagger he wore on his belt. “Maybe…”
“I always wondered what happened to that dagger. I hoped you had it. Perhaps it will find its way home to you some day.”
I smiled. It was easy to see why Madelaine, who, like me, had grown up with genteel ladies, liked Uald. I doubted that she had any patience for talk of babes and sewing. “Did you know my father?” I asked.
Uald smiled, her lips pulling into a smirk again. She looked away from me and stared out into the forest. She smiled then nodded. I could tell her mind was busy. “Boite the raven. Yes, I knew him well, but that’s a tale for another day. Come on,” she said, then led me back to Epona’s house.
The sky was turning red. I couldn’t believe the day had passed so quickly. Night was coming, and I could feel it in my bones. The puppy scampered from the door frame of my new home. I picked her up and carried her to Epona’s house.
Sid emerged from her cottage. She had rid herself of her furs and wore a plain gray dress that was far too large for her. Her hair, however, remained as I had seen it earlier. I set the pup down and joined Uald in washing my hands in a basin near the door. The fuzzy pup went to Sid.
“Oh my, oh my,” she said as she bent down to scratch the pup’s head. “Better get a talisman,” she said to Epona who stood in the open doorway.
The white-headed woman nodded.
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh, the little meddlers are always up to mischief,” Sid said then scolded her shoulder. “No, no, not you.”
Inside, Ludmilla, Druanne, Aridmis, and Bride had already seated themselves. I sat beside Sid. Her face looked quite sunken, and her body was very thin. Despite her peculiarities, or perhaps because of them, I found I liked her both instantly and intensely.
Epona, who had taken the head seat, looked at each of us and then bowed her head. I followed her in the gesture.
“Mother, we thank you for providing us with food, and we thank you for bringing our ninth to us. Guide us in your will. Protect Tully, who is far from us. Use us, Mother, for your ends. We are your daughters. Blessed be.”
The women stirred, and I opened my eyes. I was filled with warmth and light, the comforts of the hearth. They passed flatbread and crocks of stew around the table. Honeyed butter perfumed the room. Everything looked and smelled wonderful.
“I hope this meager food is to your taste, My Lady,” Druanne said then.
At first I did not realize she was speaking to me. Everyone at the table grew still. I looked up to find Druanne’s eyes on mine.
“You must be used to more sophisticated tastes,” she added. She smiled weakly at me, but her eyes were cold.
I saw Uald shift uncomfortably. She passed a glance to Epona, but the
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