Merlin's Daughters
by
Meredith Rae Morgan
Copyright 2010 Meredith Morgan
All Rights Reserved
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Chapter 1
The Fairy Queen stood at the window of her bedchamber with her eyes closed and her Soul reaching out into the moonless night. There was a disturbance somewhere far away that she could feel even in the Fairy Realm. She enlarged her Soul further until she could sense the outline of the Tor of Avalon and hear the Druids and Priestesses chanting antiphonally. Their music was plaintive and desperate. That alarmed her because the Druids only invited the Priestesses of the Grail to join them in prayers when they were afraid. She stilled her Soul, enlarging it as far as she could, and listened to the chanting. She sensed trouble and could feel the fear emanating from both the Druids and the Priestesses. Gwyneth knew that when the ordinarily serene inhabitants of Avalon were worried, something was seriously wrong.
She could sense no immediate danger to the Fairy Realm, but something was clearly amiss beyond the Druids' Tor. Something in the Human Realm was disturbing Avalon, and its effects reached as far as her palace, deep in the Fairy Realm. To her knowledge no Human disturbance had ever reached that far into the Nether World.
Gwyneth knew in her heart that whatever was going on had to do with Excalibur's disappearance, although she tried to block that thought as too horrible to contemplate.
“Damn her, anyway!!!”
Gwyneth turned away from the window and dropped her night wrapper, summoning her chambermaid in the silent language of the Fairies. The maid materialized in front of her queen holding a travel gown and a warm cloak. Gwyneth said, “Have the Boatman prepare my vessel, and send a message to the Druid that I am coming.”
The chambermaid bowed and disappeared. Gwyneth dressed quickly in her traveling clothes, a shimmering gown woven from spider webs and a black hooded cloak that had been treated with a magic spell, rendering it warm, waterproof – and invisible, if necessary. Gwyneth usually preferred to walk through the palace, visible to her Court, in order to be approachable to anyone who might wish to speak with her. That evening, she embraced the sanctuary of invisibility as she flew toward the dock at the portal to the Fairy Realm.
The Boatman was waiting for her on the dock; her Oarsmen were already seated in the boat, poised and ready. As soon as the Queen's second foot landed on the deck, the boat glided forward – and disappeared. A moment later it appeared beside the dock at the portal to Avalon. The Boatman of Avalon greeted Gwyneth with appropriately respectful words due one of her station, but he said them with the irritating air of superiority and condescension exhibited by most of the inhabitants of Avalon. Gwyneth felt the urge to cast an itching spell on him, but she resisted, and locked her mind and Soul to deny him the pleasure of discovering how much he annoyed her.
He informed her that the Druid was waiting for her. She ignored him and hurried up the path toward the residence of the Sorceress.
A young priestess fell in beside her and chuckled, “The Druid will not like being kept waiting, Your Majesty.”
Gwyneth smiled and winked, “The Druid will get over it. Is the Sorceress available?”
“Yes, Milady, she's waiting for you.”
“What's going on?”
“I don't know. The Druids have been very worried. Of course they don't share what they know with us. We, being merely women, are unworthy of their confidence. The Sorceress met with the head Druid this evening. Perhaps she knows more now.”
Gwyneth muttered, “Damnable Druids!”
The priestess' laughter tinkled like a wind chime, “That seems to be a fairly widely held opinion outside of Avalon.”
Gwyneth raised her eyebrows and asked, “And upon the Isle of Avalon?”
The priestess laughed, “Well, Your Majesty, the Isle of Avalon is occupied by Druids, Priestesses of the Grail and those Human Christians over by the portal to the Human Realm. I'd say that your opinion is shared by two out of three of those groups.”
Gwyneth smiled with her mouth but there was no mirth in her eyes, “Unfortunately the Tor itself is in the hands of the Druids, so you have to tolerate them.”
The priestess nodded. The sorrow in her eyes tore at Gwyneth's heart. Gwyneth raised her hand in blessing. The Grail Priestesses were being pushed back into a smaller and smaller corner of Avalon by both Christians and Druids. On several occasions, Gwyneth had offered them refuge in the Fairy Realm. The High Priestess said she would consider it if a safe hiding place could be found for the Holy Grail. Gwyneth took that as a (justifiable) swipe at her for losing Excalibur. She would have taken offense, but for her own self-flagellation and guilt at the very thought of being responsible for the loss of the Nether World's most precious treasure. She forced herself to re-focus her thoughts on her meeting with the Sorceress.
At the clearing surrounding the Sorceress' cottage, the priestess stopped, “Will you visit the High Priestess while you are here?”
“I don't know. I hope I will be able to stop by to see her when I have finished here. I do so enjoy her company – and her tea cakes!” She grinned and then turned toward the Sorceress' dwelling, saying over her shoulder, “I don't know how long this will take. I suppose it depends on what kind of news the Sorceress has for me by way of the Druids.”
The priestess disappeared and Gwyneth walked toward the cottage, her bearing regal and showing no sign of the nervousness she always felt in the presence of the Sorceress of Avalon. The door was opened for her by an invisible hand. After she passed through, the door swung closed behind her and she ascended a long stairway leading upwards, deep into the Tor. Gwyneth followed the stairway which was lighted by glowing walls that shimmered, first pink then gold. The light became brighter the higher she rose into the Tor. Just when its brilliance became almost uncomfortable to her eyes, she passed into the Sorceress' Chamber, a simple room that throbbed with magical power.
The Sorceress sat in a low seat by a grate where a small charcoal fire flickered. She motioned for Gwyneth to join her. A round wooden table that stood between two chairs was set with a snack of olives and bread with a pitcher of wine. The Sorceress poured Gwyneth a cup of wine and invited her to refresh herself. A maid appeared with a bowl of warm water and a towel so she could make her ablutions. Gwyneth washed her hands and face, and then dried them on the towel. The maid bowed and withdrew. Gwyneth turned to the table and ate a few bites of an olive to be polite. Having gotten the preliminaries out of the way, she looked at the Sorceress and raised her eyebrows.
The Sorceress laughed, “Gwyneth, you simply must learn someday to play by the rules.”
“And just why should I do that?” She tried very hard to keep the laughter out of her voice, but she was aware that the Sorceress knew her well enough to know that she was not annoyed at the very old joke about her brusque manner, which many in the Nether World viewed as rude.
The Sorceress made a face and ignored the rhetorical question. She sighed, “Okay, since you refuse to make all the preliminary opening statements that are supposed to happen before important conversations, I'll get right to the point. The Druids are very worked up....”
Gwyneth snorted, “When aren't the Druids worked up about something?”
The Sorceress raised her eyebrows and said softly, “Careful, my dear. The Druids are everywhere on this isle.”
Gwyneth looked alarmed, �
�They have invaded your private space?”
The Sorceress shook her head and then she paused for a long time, switching to the silent Fairy language as a precaution, “Not yet. At least I don't think so.” She waved her hand as if to erase the thought and went on, “But that is a conversation for another day. A conversation that will take place at your palace to be absolutely certain we are not overheard.
“Sadly, the issue that has the Druids worried now is a matter of true concern for both Humans and all the folk of the Nether World.”
She paused and took a sip of wine, broke off a piece of bread and, then, instead of eating it, she proceeded to break off tiny pieces and squeeze them into balls. The Sorceress was nervous! Gwyneth had known her for hundreds of years and had never before seen anything phase the Sorceress of Avalon. Gwyneth struggled to contain her growing alarm. The Sorceress continued, “It appears that Excalibur has surfaced in the Human Realm.”
“What?! Where is it? How could that have happened?”
The Sorceress raised her hand to halt the torrent of questions, “We don't know how it happened exactly, although I would be willing to wager that the Black Fairy had something to do with it.” She probed Gwyneth with her eyes and her Soul for a reaction; Gwyneth steeled her body and Soul, and did not react, but she sensed the Sorceress knew her heart was pounding in her ears and it was all she could do to maintain her seat.
The Sorceress continued, “Anyway, we don't know how it happened but Excalibur has been substituted for the Pendragon sword in the stone at Londanum. Excalibur is evidently not happy about being so exposed on the one hand and so trapped on the other.”
Gwyneth stood and whirled around, her emotional anguish causing physical pain. She doubled over and for a moment she feared she might be sick. She swallowed and took a long, slow breath. Then she straightened herself, pacing back and forth across the room a few times, breathing deeply in a desperate effort to calm herself. The Sorceress waited patiently, munching on an olive, until Gwyneth collected herself sufficiently to take her seat again. “I apologize for that outburst, Milady.”
The Sorceress dismissed that statement with a wave, “You handled the news better than I did when the Druid told me. I think the Druid learned some new swear words, in several languages.” She paused and sighed. “Anyway, Excalibur is stuck in a stone in Londanum and is crying out for someone to free it.”
Gwyneth chimed in, “Someone like a little boy who has no idea of what Excalibur is nor has he any training in the use of his own power much less the incredible might of Excalibur.”
“That would be our guess. The Druids fear that that Arthur might inadvertently remove Excalibur from the stone. That would be a disaster. Excalibur is capable of doing both good and evil. It must be wielded carefully and by someone who understands its Magic. We, of course, wish to ensure that Excalibur will only be wielded by a being of good character.”
The Sorceress paused to allow Gwyneth to digest those ideas, and asked, “What do you think we should do?”
Gwyneth giggled, “Before I try to figure out what I think we should do, tell me what the Druid wants to do.”
The Sorceress closed her eyes and her lips twitched, “Only if you promise not to destroy my house with your reaction.”
“That bad?”
The Sorceress nodded, “The Druid wants to call Merlin.”
Gwyneth almost fell out of her chair laughing. She had to take a sip of wine to get rid of the hiccups. “Merlin!” She interrupted herself with another fit of laughing, this time tinged with a hard edge, “Merlin's meddling in Human affairs is the cause of most of this trouble in the first place.” She paused, “Merlin's the cause for Arther's predicament. Pray tell, Milady, what in the name of all of Earth's Realms does the Druid think Merlin can do to help?”
The Sorceress said, “Actually, he thinks Merlin should become Arthur's Mentor. The knights who have raised Arthur are good folk and by all accounts they are giving him the appropriate training for a future knight, but they are not training him to rule a kingdom, even by Human standards. The Druid thinks that Merlin could help open Arthur's eyes and heart to the whole Earth and make him understand that his future decisions as High King will affect not only his Human subjects but other Realms as well.” She paused and folded her hands in her lap.
Gwyneth looked into the fire, and said more to herself than to the Sorceress, “To be perfectly honest, I wanted to kill Arthur before he was born. I offered Igraine an abortion potion but Merlin and/or Uthur had filled her head with ideas about what a great king Arthur will be, so she refused. Personally, I have no interest in Arthur's future or anything that might happen in the Human Realm. My only interest is in keeping Excalibur out of the wrong hands, and bringing it back to the Fairy Realm where it belongs. However we go about it, we must prevent Arthur from unwittingly unleashing Excalibur's power.”
She stared into the fire clasping and unclasping her hands in her lap, “Perhaps sending a Teacher to Arthur is a good idea. Arthur's Human pedigree is almost as good as it could possibly be. There can be little doubt he could be a High King of the first order.” She grimaced and winked, “At least as good as a Human monarch could be!
“Arthur would benefit from a Teacher who understands Power and Magic. I like the idea. What I don't like is assigning Merlin to such an important task. Surely we could find someone else!”
The Sorceress sighed. “If you can think of someone else for the job, I'm sure the Druid would be delighted. You know how terrified he is of Merlin's magic.”
Gwyneth made a face. “The Druid operates under the delusion that Merlin is a god. I hope Merlin never finds out about that, or he would truly make the Druids lives miserable. You know what a prankster he can be.”
The Sorceress looked as though she had tasted something sour, “That isn't exactly the word I would use to describe him. You know how I feel about Merlin.”
They were both quiet for a long time. Gwyneth tended to forget that the Sorceress had a history with Merlin, too, although Gwyneth did not know exactly what it involved. She understood that the Sorceress was as conflicted about Merlin as she was.
Having wracked her brain, Gwyneth sighed, “Arthur's teacher has to be a male. My Fairies can change into lots of beings, but we can't change gender. What about an Elf?”
The Sorceress shook her head, “You know how the Elf King hates Humans. He would never help Arthur.”
“How about a Dwarf?”
“I don't know very much about Humans but it is my understanding Uthur would be unlikely to approve having a Dwarf – or a Troll before you suggest it – to become Arthur's mentor and tutor.”
Gwyneth twitched as though waving away a fly, “Humans are so shallow and narrow-minded; they get way too caught up in appearances!” Her voice trailed off and she stared into the fire looking annoyed, “Oh, alright, let's say for the sake of argument we do call Merlin to be Arthur's teacher. How is that going to help with the immediate problem of Excalibur?”
“We were actually hoping you might have a suggestion about what to do about that.”
Gwyneth pondered the problem for a long while. The Sorceress waited patiently. Eventually, Gwyneth cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, “Does your Magic work in the Human Realm, Milady?”
The Sorceress raised her eyebrows and turned her palms up, “I don't know. I've never been there.” The tone of her voice made it clear that she would prefer to keep it that way. “Why?”
Gwyneth leaned forward and stared into the fire, her voice low and almost chanting, “We need to free Excalibur from the stone. It would be best if we could find the Pendragon sword, but I'm guessing that my sister has hidden it away in order to use it someday for some nefarious purpose. We don't have time to search for the real one, so we have to make a replica. Perhaps we could have an Elf make it – if we don't tell him what it's for. You must go to Londanum and exchange the replica for Excalibur. Someday Arthur will claim h
is Pendragon birthright, but it will be with a safe sword, not one with the dangerous magic of Excalibur.”
“Assuming my magic works in the Human Realm and assuming Excalibur is willing to let me handle it, where would I hide it?”
Gwyneth tapped her chin, “You know I'd prefer you to bring it home to the Fairy Realm, but there are several reasons I don't think that's wise. I think you should hide it in the Human Realm.”
The Sorceress thought about that for a while and said, with the same low-sounding sing-song voice, “I think the time has come for me to leave Avalon. The Druids have seized control of the Isle, and I no longer feel safe here. They are looking for the Grail treasure and they are digging tunnels throughout the Tor. I'm afraid they'll tunnel right into my home one of these days. The Priestesses are terrified they will find the Grail.
“As much as I fear venturing into the Human realm, I will go and find a hiding place and then, if Excalibur will permit me to handle it, I'll guard it until it is either safe to return it to the Fairy Realm or a worthy knight arises who can wield it safely.”
Gwyneth hissed, “Humans! They are constantly pushing their boundaries and causing no end of problems!” She shook her head and re-focused her attention on the immediate problem. She did not look at the Sorceress. They were both looking at the future in the fire. Gwyneth said softly, “You must go into exile to the Human Realm to become Excalibur's guardian and protector. Merlin will be Arthur's.”
The Sorceress squinted as if trying to see more detail in the fire, “What will you do?”
Gwyneth sighed from the bottom of her Soul, “First, I will help the Priestesses find a new place to hide the Grail Treasure. Second, I will free Merlin from his cave and send him to Arthur.” She shuddered and rubbed her temples at the very thought of having to deal with her father. After a long pause to collect herself, she said in a voice that echoed with pain and dread, “And then, when the time comes, I shall deal with my infernal twin sister.”
She turned and looked at the Sorceress, with love streaming from every pore, “We probably shall not see one another again for some time, Milady. May I ask you a personal question?”
The Sorceress smiled, returning Gwyneth's smile with similar affection and humor, “Certainly.”
“What kind of a Being are you and where is your Realm?”
The Sorceress chuckled, “Actually, I think I may be the only one of my kind. My mother was a Witch and my father was a Human. I have no Home Realm other than Avalon. I was born here and have never ventured elsewhere. A Human is not safe in the Witch Realm, and do you have any idea what Humans do to Witches?” She shuddered, and fell silent.
“Your powers make you equal to Queens and Kings in all the Realms.”
“Either that, or I have fooled you all.”
Gwyneth looked startled for a moment at that thought, then she realized that the Sorceress was teasing, and she smiled, “In any case, now you have the chance to prove your worth, and demonstrate the extent of your powers.”
“Do you think I can do it?”
Gwyneth smiled, “Oh, yes. Magic like yours can't be faked. You certainly have all the power that might be necessary here in Avalon. The question becomes whether or not it will work in the Human Realm. We'll only know that when you go there and try it.”
The Sorceress changed the subject, “Do you want to meet with the Druid?”
“Frankly, I'd rather not. You have given me his news. I would prefer to visit the Grail Priestess and discuss what we can do to protect her treasure.”
“That's certainly more important than pandering to the ego of the Druids. I'll make some excuse. He'll be annoyed but he's such a prickly bastard, I'm used to him being annoyed about something almost all the time.”
The women stood and bowed to one another. Gwyneth said, “I'll send one of my most trusted Fairies to be your companion and a messenger to me. She must know where you decide to hide Excalibur so we'll know where to look for you when the time comes to return Excalibur to its rightful home. I swear to you, no one will know other than the three of us where you are hiding.”
She bowed low to the Sorceress, who was the only being in any Realm to whom she had ever made such obeisance, and walked down the stairs, her steps slow and regal but her heart heavy and sad. Once outside, the young priestess who served as her escort rejoined her. Gwyneth asked, “Do you think the High Priestesses could spare a moment for me?”
“She is waiting for you in her house.”
The girl led her to the High Priestess' house and left the women alone. The High Priestess of the Grail rose and genuflected to the Fairy Queen. Gwyneth raised her with a quick motion, sat down and invited the High Priestess to sit as well. Gwyneth said, “I have come from a meeting with the Sorceress. She tells me that your Treasure and your very lives are no longer safe here on Avalon.”
The Priestess' eyes filled with tears that spilled over and ran down her cheeks. She made no effort to wipe them away, saying in a bitter tone, “She's right. I live in fear for the safety of the Treasure as well as the safety of my priestesses, both of which it is my sacred duty to protect. Druids are supposed to be celibate, but there are more of them every year, and not all of them are as true to their vows as they should be. So far I have managed to protect my priestesses, but there have been too many close calls. To make matters worse, Christians have moved to Avalon, starting with a monastery housing only a few old, dried-up monks, but now there is a whole village over by the western portal. Not all of the residents are monks, if you know what I mean.
“I fear that neither my Treasure nor my priestesses are safe in Avalon any longer.”
Her misery was evident as she looked into Gwyneth's eyes, imploring, “Your Majesty, wherever can we go?”
Gwyneth pondered that question for a long time. “Your Priestesses are all Human, is that correct?”
“All are Human but two. We have one Dwarf and one Witch.”
Gwyneth looked confused, “Why would an Dwarf and a Witch care about protecting the Grail? It's a Human treasure, isn't it?”
The Priestess said, “Well, we like to think that the Grail brings blessing to all of Earth's Realms, but it originated in the Human Realm and I know how beings in other Realms often dismiss items of Human origin. Those two came to us for their own reasons, but they are now part of us and we will not go anywhere without them.”
“That means you can't go back to the Human Realm. I don't think you can bring your Treasure into the Fairy Realm because it was made by Human men, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have to find a place in the Human Realm to hide the Grail Treasure. You and your Priestesses can then move to the Fairy Realm.”
The High Priestess nodded and said, “I know a place far to the North in the Human Realm where we can hide the treasure. There are four of us who have transcended our Human origins and achieved the status of Immortals, but we can still pass for Humans. We will go with the treasure and protect it it. The rest can go to your Realm. Will the Fairies accept them?”
“Fairies are generally afraid of Humans, but we'll build them a convent in an out-of-the-way place where my Fairies can avoid them. They will be safe.”
“That's all I can ask. When do you think we should to leave?”
“Hide the Grail according to your own schedule. Let me take one of your priestesses with me now to find a place to build the convent. When she has the place ready, she can come back for her sisters.”
The High Priestess nodded. Both women stood, embraced and felt the enchanted world of Avalon crumbling under the pressure of Human aggression. The High Priestess called the young woman who had been Gwyneth's escort, and said, “Viviene, I want you to go with Her Majesty to the Fairy Realm and find a beautiful place for you and your sisters to live. When you have a convent ready for them, come back and take your sisters to their new home. The Fairies will keep you safe.”
Viviene did not
ask any questions or object. All the Priestesses of the Grail had been expecting such a thing for some time, and she bowed to her superior's orders without question or pause. Her aura darkened to the point she became all but invisible in the inky cloud of her sorrow. Gwyneth and the High Priestess embraced once more, in the knowledge that this would be their last meeting. Gwyneth turned and beckoned to Viviene. The young woman followed her to the portal to the Nether Realms, her sorrow spilling over into Gwyneth's heart. Or maybe that was just Gwyneth's own sorrow welling up on its own.
The Queen's Boatman assisted the women to board the vessel, and the Oarsmen propelled it silently out onto the water, where it disappeared.
Merlin's Daughters Page 1
