The Aebeling by Michael O'Neill

already participated in their ceremony to celebrate the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. According to Conn’s understanding of the Meshechian calendar, today would be the equinox.
    All of Meshech divided their year into two halves of six months, with each month containing three weeks of ten days. The last month of each half had extra days until the solstice. It seemed a reasonable system. Conn recalled that the Egyptians had something similar. These extra days were festival days – and they had spent the last three days celebrating the end of the ‘death’ cycle, as ‘life’ would start soon – probably today. Their year started with the spring equinox.
    Abrekan told him it was introduced a thousand years ago by the Casere. It increasingly seemed to Conn that the Casere was a very insightful person.
    They waited and within moments the shine from the sun started creeping over the mountains. They glued their eyes to the gap in the mountains and like a bolt of lightning a single beam raced past them and hit the slab of rock behind them. It hit the bull’s eye.
    ‘There.’ Derryth was proud. ‘It is today. Another ‘life’ begins and...’
    Derryth stopped suddenly, and they all silently watched the beam light up the wall and then just as suddenly flicker out as the sun moved on. However, instead of a golden beam it was almost red.
    ‘Well, that is interesting – but then I guess I already knew that. The red indicates a new beginning – not just a new cycle.’
    ‘You seem to know a lot about it’ Conn noted.
    Elva nodded. ‘Did you not know that Derryth’s father is the Wothbora; but his vision didn’t steer him that way – instead he became a wiga.’
    ‘All of my ancestors have been Wothbora,’ Derryth added, ‘and I am only the second not to follow the path of my father. My father was not disappointed – his apprentice is my younger brother. It is not often that we have more than one child – but my father’s path chose him to have two sons.’
    ‘But you still have the Wothbora’s skills?’ It was a strange question but it had suddenly occurred to Conn as he watched the ray of light traverse the wall of the cave.
    Derryth smiled wryly. ‘I am not initiated, so although I think I can hear the Gyden speak – just like my father – they do not speak directly to me – and I have no right to hear their voice.’ Derryth moved on. ‘Okay; time for breakfast. I’d say first one down the mountain gets a double serve – but I’m sick of losing. That horse of yours is an unfair advantage.’
    With that he wielded his pony and gently led the group down to the village; where Conn later returned to work with his increasingly large herd of horses. He had decided to give the pinto mare to Caewyn, and she was so delighted that, despite her not being a true Elfina, she insisted on giving Conn fifty mares in return. The pinto had a foal – a colt – and Caewyn was determined to breed more Elfina. In Halani society, every gift had to be reciprocated; and Caewyn deemed that the pair was worth fifty of her horses. Consequently, he had a horse breeding program underway with his three stallions – his sixty as well as another fifty that Caewyn wanted bred to his Anglo-Arab stallion. She had big plans for a small girl; and whatever she wanted, everyone did for her.
    Derryth found him in with his horses.
    ‘Brina wants to see you.’
    ‘Now? That’s unusual – it’s mid-morning. Is something the matter?’
    ‘Not that I know. She asked to see Abrekan as well.’
    They collected Abrekan and returned to Brina’s longhouse. Inside the now smoke free room because of the new fireplaces that Conn had painstakingly constructed – it needed three – Brina was waiting with her Elders, as well as Caewyn and Elva. She directed them to sit down and offered them a drink.
    ‘Thank you for coming, Conn il Taransay.’ Brina started rather informally which also surprised Conn. ‘Over these weeks, we