into action. Grabbing the nearest handmaiden, she spun her round and shouted her instructions. ‘Gather the Pride!’ she yelled . ‘Call them to Council immediately!’ she cried, sending her off with a push. ‘You!’ She pointed her finger at the other. ‘Bring Taliesin to me!’
Next was to tackle Mab who was sitting i n a crumpled heap, head bowed in the middle of the clearing. Gently kneeling beside her, Awel placed a tentative arm around Mab’s shoulders. ‘We are running out of time my Queen. You must prepare your Pride.’ Awel’s voice was soft and gentle, a shelter in the coming storm.
Mab slowly raised her head. Soft lines had appeared on her face, etching crow’s feet at her eyes and deepening the lines around her mouth. She wiped a solitary tear from her cheek and sighed before slowly getting to her feet. ‘I need a moment, Awel ,’ she said, fondly squeezing Awel’s arm in thanks. ‘Go on ahead, they will be already gathering.’
Awel nodded, patting Mab’s forearm reassuringly. ‘If I were you I would take time to set my crown upon my brushed hair, maybe even change into a dress befitting my station before I joined the gathering …’
Mab let out a small chuckle . ‘Oh don’t worry,’ she replied, ‘I will remind everyone who is Queen, including Aeron if I must.’ Squaring her shoulders, Mab left the clearing with regal bearing and slipped from sight.
Awel was left alone to ponder for a brief moment before Taliesin skidded to a halt in front of her, panting and flushed . More like a puppy than a grown man, she mused. ‘Well,’ she said with a raised eyebrow, ‘I suppose you will finally be leaving us.’
Taliesin’s face belied his words . ‘I look forward to seeing my father once again.’
‘Of course you do.’ Awel endured the lie and continued. ‘But your mother must speak with you before you depart. She hadn’t anticipated you leaving so soon. Come with me to address the Pride and then we will go to your mother.’
They made their way together following the path that led to a shaded hollow among the trees. The dozens of lanterns swinging idly from emerald branches that formed the roof had already been lit, the orange glow from the central fire pit flickered and danced, white smoke twined up through the gap in the canopy into the dusky sky above.
Fifteen anxious faces greeted them as they entered the hollow and a hush fell over the gathering as Awel began to speak:
‘My fellow Bwy Hir, my Pride, my sisters of the Summer Realm, I give you thanks for your prompt attendance … As you all know, the Winter King has sounded the call to our brothers.’ There was a murmur of unrest at these words but Awel motioned them to quiet before she continued. ‘We are all surprised by Aeron’s early actions, but despite his impertinence, the Solstice is fast approaching and we must be prepared.’ Awel stole a sideways glance at Taliesin who stood quietly at her side; hopefully he would repeat her words to Aeron verbatim. There were giggles and whispering through the gathered Pride at her jibe at Aeron and she smiled. ‘Your Queen will join us presently, but while we wait she has bidden us to eat, drink and celebrate another successful reign.’ A cheer went up and she closed her speech.
Somewhere in the hollow a flute sprang to life and was quickly accompanied by the beat of a Bodhran. As the merriments began she accompanied Taliesin to his mother’s pavilion. The grand silk tent was held aloft by stout hazel poles braced with barley coloured ropes and staked into the ground with copper pickets. His mother’s richly embroidered tent was the biggest of the Pride’s and placed slightly apart from the rest to safeguard her privacy.
Taliesin presumed the lightly scented climbing roses and creeping ivy decorating the guy ropes were his mother’s doing, as were the night scented stock nestled around the base. The thorn bushes surrounding the tent on three sides were definitely
Next was to tackle Mab who was sitting i n a crumpled heap, head bowed in the middle of the clearing. Gently kneeling beside her, Awel placed a tentative arm around Mab’s shoulders. ‘We are running out of time my Queen. You must prepare your Pride.’ Awel’s voice was soft and gentle, a shelter in the coming storm.
Mab slowly raised her head. Soft lines had appeared on her face, etching crow’s feet at her eyes and deepening the lines around her mouth. She wiped a solitary tear from her cheek and sighed before slowly getting to her feet. ‘I need a moment, Awel ,’ she said, fondly squeezing Awel’s arm in thanks. ‘Go on ahead, they will be already gathering.’
Awel nodded, patting Mab’s forearm reassuringly. ‘If I were you I would take time to set my crown upon my brushed hair, maybe even change into a dress befitting my station before I joined the gathering …’
Mab let out a small chuckle . ‘Oh don’t worry,’ she replied, ‘I will remind everyone who is Queen, including Aeron if I must.’ Squaring her shoulders, Mab left the clearing with regal bearing and slipped from sight.
Awel was left alone to ponder for a brief moment before Taliesin skidded to a halt in front of her, panting and flushed . More like a puppy than a grown man, she mused. ‘Well,’ she said with a raised eyebrow, ‘I suppose you will finally be leaving us.’
Taliesin’s face belied his words . ‘I look forward to seeing my father once again.’
‘Of course you do.’ Awel endured the lie and continued. ‘But your mother must speak with you before you depart. She hadn’t anticipated you leaving so soon. Come with me to address the Pride and then we will go to your mother.’
They made their way together following the path that led to a shaded hollow among the trees. The dozens of lanterns swinging idly from emerald branches that formed the roof had already been lit, the orange glow from the central fire pit flickered and danced, white smoke twined up through the gap in the canopy into the dusky sky above.
Fifteen anxious faces greeted them as they entered the hollow and a hush fell over the gathering as Awel began to speak:
‘My fellow Bwy Hir, my Pride, my sisters of the Summer Realm, I give you thanks for your prompt attendance … As you all know, the Winter King has sounded the call to our brothers.’ There was a murmur of unrest at these words but Awel motioned them to quiet before she continued. ‘We are all surprised by Aeron’s early actions, but despite his impertinence, the Solstice is fast approaching and we must be prepared.’ Awel stole a sideways glance at Taliesin who stood quietly at her side; hopefully he would repeat her words to Aeron verbatim. There were giggles and whispering through the gathered Pride at her jibe at Aeron and she smiled. ‘Your Queen will join us presently, but while we wait she has bidden us to eat, drink and celebrate another successful reign.’ A cheer went up and she closed her speech.
Somewhere in the hollow a flute sprang to life and was quickly accompanied by the beat of a Bodhran. As the merriments began she accompanied Taliesin to his mother’s pavilion. The grand silk tent was held aloft by stout hazel poles braced with barley coloured ropes and staked into the ground with copper pickets. His mother’s richly embroidered tent was the biggest of the Pride’s and placed slightly apart from the rest to safeguard her privacy.
Taliesin presumed the lightly scented climbing roses and creeping ivy decorating the guy ropes were his mother’s doing, as were the night scented stock nestled around the base. The thorn bushes surrounding the tent on three sides were definitely
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