her hips. She wrinkled her freckled nose and looked down. “For frightenin’ the fays, that’s why. They were gatherin’ toadstools, for dinner no doubt, and you shooed them away.” She sighed, wistful. “Why, I believe I even saw the queen herself there, with her long golden hair a-flowin’ behind her.” She lifted her own bright coppery tresses up over her head and let them float down.
Dylan scrambled to his feet. “ I shooed them away? You were the one hollering for me to come see what you’d found.”
“Doesn’t matter,” she sniffed. “If you were the least bit concerned, you’d have come a whole lot quicker and been a whole lot quieter.” With a flip of her skirt, she turned and stomped away.
“Fays, indeed,” Dylan said, half-aloud. “Well, I’ve never seen one!” he shouted after her. “I think you made it up, I do!”
Maere shot him a look over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed. Without a word, she continued to walk toward home.
The woodsy chiming of wind-rustled leaves brought Dylan back to the present. Would she be the same as that girl? Full of fire and life – a force of nature – she was. When she made up her mind, there was no stopping Maere cu Llwyr. Or had the sisters of the abbey forced the life out of her, made her docile and quiet? The Maere he knew wouldn’t let anyone or anything change her or her mind. Eugis had tried, threatening beatings if she didn’t do as he said. Manfred always stepped in, though, and protected her from his twin. Now it was Dylan’s turn to watch over her and protect her as he had promised.
He swiped at his eyes. There had been so much friction between Eugis and his brother Manfred back when he and Maere were young. Intent on the events surrounding Maere’s birth and the belief she was blessed, Eugis demanded Manfred betroth him to the girl. Ignoring his brother’s desperate bid for more power than was already afforded him as a Dyrrwed high priest, Manfred instead betrothed her to Dylan during the Beltane celebration. The very same night Manfred and Rhea and Fox were murdered.
While Dylan knew in his mind there was nothing he could have done to prevent the slaughter, his heart told him otherwise. And so he grew into a man, his entire being intent on taking back what had been stolen from him. He’d not let Eugis win this time. He would take Maere and her power before her uncle had the chance.
He shook off the thoughts of the past. It would do no good now to ponder what might have been. The day had moved into night and tomorrow would see him at the abbey. Dylan pulled a blanket from his pack and spread it on the ground, on the soft leaf-littered floor surrounding the tree. Lying down, he wrapped the wool covering around his shoulders and forced his body to relax.
Dylan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Another deep breath and he searched his mind. Where was she? Another breath and he moved deeper into a trance. Yes. His spirit found hers. She was asleep. He inhaled again and, as he exhaled, sent his essence to Maere, sent his spirit to her dreams.
Maere slept quietly on the narrow anchorage cot, her chest gently rising and falling. She sighed and rolled from her side to her back. A thin ray of moonlight found its way through the window, carried on the cool night breeze as it pushed and tugged at the curtain.
She sighed again, her full lips parted. A voice entered her dream. I’ve missed you . And in an instant, she was in the forest, near a gentle splashing stream. She kicked the covers away, falling further into the dream.
She knelt at the water’s edge and looked at her reflection. Her long auburn hair fell over her shoulders and danced on the liquid surface. The perfume of night flowers filled the air around her. A dragonfly darted by. Maere held out her hand and it landed on her palm.
Sensing another’s presence, she looked beyond her hand. There, at the forest edge, was the shadowy form of a man. He held his arms out to
Dylan scrambled to his feet. “ I shooed them away? You were the one hollering for me to come see what you’d found.”
“Doesn’t matter,” she sniffed. “If you were the least bit concerned, you’d have come a whole lot quicker and been a whole lot quieter.” With a flip of her skirt, she turned and stomped away.
“Fays, indeed,” Dylan said, half-aloud. “Well, I’ve never seen one!” he shouted after her. “I think you made it up, I do!”
Maere shot him a look over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed. Without a word, she continued to walk toward home.
The woodsy chiming of wind-rustled leaves brought Dylan back to the present. Would she be the same as that girl? Full of fire and life – a force of nature – she was. When she made up her mind, there was no stopping Maere cu Llwyr. Or had the sisters of the abbey forced the life out of her, made her docile and quiet? The Maere he knew wouldn’t let anyone or anything change her or her mind. Eugis had tried, threatening beatings if she didn’t do as he said. Manfred always stepped in, though, and protected her from his twin. Now it was Dylan’s turn to watch over her and protect her as he had promised.
He swiped at his eyes. There had been so much friction between Eugis and his brother Manfred back when he and Maere were young. Intent on the events surrounding Maere’s birth and the belief she was blessed, Eugis demanded Manfred betroth him to the girl. Ignoring his brother’s desperate bid for more power than was already afforded him as a Dyrrwed high priest, Manfred instead betrothed her to Dylan during the Beltane celebration. The very same night Manfred and Rhea and Fox were murdered.
While Dylan knew in his mind there was nothing he could have done to prevent the slaughter, his heart told him otherwise. And so he grew into a man, his entire being intent on taking back what had been stolen from him. He’d not let Eugis win this time. He would take Maere and her power before her uncle had the chance.
He shook off the thoughts of the past. It would do no good now to ponder what might have been. The day had moved into night and tomorrow would see him at the abbey. Dylan pulled a blanket from his pack and spread it on the ground, on the soft leaf-littered floor surrounding the tree. Lying down, he wrapped the wool covering around his shoulders and forced his body to relax.
Dylan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Another deep breath and he searched his mind. Where was she? Another breath and he moved deeper into a trance. Yes. His spirit found hers. She was asleep. He inhaled again and, as he exhaled, sent his essence to Maere, sent his spirit to her dreams.
Maere slept quietly on the narrow anchorage cot, her chest gently rising and falling. She sighed and rolled from her side to her back. A thin ray of moonlight found its way through the window, carried on the cool night breeze as it pushed and tugged at the curtain.
She sighed again, her full lips parted. A voice entered her dream. I’ve missed you . And in an instant, she was in the forest, near a gentle splashing stream. She kicked the covers away, falling further into the dream.
She knelt at the water’s edge and looked at her reflection. Her long auburn hair fell over her shoulders and danced on the liquid surface. The perfume of night flowers filled the air around her. A dragonfly darted by. Maere held out her hand and it landed on her palm.
Sensing another’s presence, she looked beyond her hand. There, at the forest edge, was the shadowy form of a man. He held his arms out to
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