Father of Storms

by Dean Jones

  Mae shook her head and grabbed hold of Seth's arm pulling him towards her then turning to drag him up the hill. She took a couple of steps forward then turned to look at the men who were still examining their feet “well…are you sons of pigs coming or not?!”

  There was a burst of movement from them and they set off to follow Mae and Seth up the hill.

  The day was going well as far as Seth was concerned. Traditions dictated a man should have himself a drink with all his friends and peers prior to the ceremony beginning and Seth had a lot of friends to drink with. He quickly got washed up, put clean clothes on and rushed off to meet them all. As he was running late, he had some catching up to do.

  By the time Mae and his mother collected him from under the oak tree he was very merry indeed and was still singing the drinking song (which was quite inappropriate) he’d been enjoying with his father and uncles as he crossed the field towards his house.

  “Now son, you head around the back, I’ve left a bowl of water there for you to, hopefully, wash the effects of the beer from you.” Seth's mother was rarely stern but when it mattered she could muster a harsh look of warning letting him know he was not being given options.

  “I have also left some clean clothes for you to change into, you can’t meet your bride looking like that can you?” Seth heard the question but was sure it wasn’t one with more than one answer, so he headed off around the back of the house to do as his mother had told him.

  Seth finished washing and was putting on another set of clean clothes his mother had laid out for him when he had the sudden feeling of being watched. He turned to find Mae standing behind him with a warm and friendly smile on her face.

  “Seth, before we head off to meet your bride I wish to speak with you about Ardeth.”

  Seth felt his stomach sink at the mention of Ardeth’s name, he had completely driven the memory out of his mind and here was Mae dragging it back in again.

  “I’d like to tell you how sorry I am you were put in that position and let you know I am indebted to you for saving my old life. Ardeth was always one I was afraid would turn out rotten, which is why I decided to take on the teaching of her so long ago.”

  Mae moved closer to Seth and linked her arm through his and began to guide him towards the front of the house.

  “You see there are those who would have jumped at the teaching of Ardeth, but they would have focused on the negative aspects of Spae which, given her potential, would have been a great worry to us all. So, I taught her but gave her no real insight into the workings of Spae and Frigg’s energy, I only taught her to defend herself and to protect others.”

  They rounded the corner and came out into the open field in front of the house. The sight of all his friends and family gathered caused a lump of pride to appear in Seth's throat. This was indeed going to be a good day.

  “Now she is dead I would pass my role within the village onto you, but I know this is not possible, so I have asked Corey to join me here and take over when I pass into the great hunt.” Seth looked down at Mae with concern, but she smiled back up at him with a glint in her eye.

  “Don’t worry, it’s a while off yet” and she gave him a nudge with her elbow and a wink.

  As they got closer Seth could make out his parents stood by the oak tree and he wondered if anyone had noticed the rejuvenation. If they had no one seemed too impressed.

  Seth waited with Mae beside the tree. A rumble of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from behind caused him to turn. Before him stood a girl wearing a flowing white robe and flowers in her golden hair, as she got closer his jaw dropped. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, even more lovely than the Mara who had completely taken his breath away when they had met.

  Seth moved to stand beside his bride and Mae began to go through the ceremony and was talking to them about the God's will and their responsibilities to each other. Seth could hear Mae was talking and could guess she was expecting him to be listening, but he couldn’t take his eyes from the vision who stood before him. Her blue eyes shone like stars in the night sky and her red lips were begging to be kissed whilst her face longed for his touch. Mae kicked his shin and he turned to look at her and heard his bride giggle as he turned.

  “Well, do you take Meredith as your bride or not?” Seth turned back to Meredith.

  He nodded and let her name roll around his mind; Meredith was a wonderful name.

  “And Meredith do you take Seth to be your husband?” Mae had continued with the ceremony and Seth looked lovingly into Meredith’s eyes and wished Mae would hurry up, so he could take his bride in his arms and carry her away from everyone else and have her to himself.

  Meredith nodded like Seth had “yes, I will take Seth as my husband” her voice was sweet like honey and Seth savoured every word, he knew he would never tire of her voice and would ache if he was not to hear it each day.

  There was a cheer and several people made their way towards the couple but were cut off by Garret and Edith who made a protective barrier for them to be alone in this crowd of people.

  “Hello husband,” Meredith said as she smiled up at Seth. “Your description does you no justice at all, you are the most handsome man I have ever seen,” she looked around Seth's strong face and took in his piercing blue eyes and sandy blonde hair falling about his shoulders, which were as broad as a door. His strong muscular arms pleased her eye and she knew they would provide protection and work the land, so they could eat and never worry about hunger.

  Seth lifted his hands and placed them on her arms, looked deep into her eyes with such intensity she felt him touch her soul.

  “My beautiful wife, I am your servant for now and for the whole of time” she smiled and embraced him. Just like he had dreamed, Seth felt like he was finally home, and he wished that this day would never end and this moment in his wife’s arms would last an eternity.

  Death of A Legend

  Mae sat by her fire working the twine she had collected into the basket at her feet. The night was cold, and she had gathered her shawl around her shoulders. It was still mid-summer, but the cold air had descended on the village as the sun set the day before. Mae knew there was something happening, and she was busying herself while she digested her thoughts.

  A smile broke her concentration as Seth popped into her mind as she considered what was happening. She was deeply proud of Seth and knew him to be a skilled Spae worker beyond even her own abilities. Her teachings had lately become conversations and information exchanges as Seth was drinking all the details of how energy passed through living things and where it pooled in the earth. His mastery was obvious to all who understood the nature of those who worked with the goddess’s energy.

  She had seen his potential in the first moment he drew breath and had decided then she would teach him her ways, even though she knew his father would not agree easily to her request. Seth’s father had been more stubborn about this than he was when he was told he would be married, and she had reminded him of this during their discussions.

  The argument didn’t last long, and she happily accepted the compromise put to her that Seth should be seen to be training with his father to become a warrior and farmer and that work with Spae would be secret, so he wasn’t treated differently by his friends and townsfolk.

  But here she was eighteen years later, and Seth was a powerful man both physically and magically. She had seen him do things with the energies around him she would never be able to contemplate and could not begin to understand. She had seen with her own eyes a bolt of lightning come from nowhere and strike down with unnerving accuracy. A shudder rolled down her spine as she remembered Seth killing Ardeth.

  “He is a very special boy” she mused aloud.

  “He is indeed special, Mae”

  Mae spun from her seat and searched the room for the owner of the voice, a figure moved from the shadows of the corner and stepped into the light of the fire.

  “Corey! What are you doing in my house?�
�� Mae demanded.

  Mae’s shock was clearly visible. She had asked him to take over her role as Spae worker for the area during the wedding day and he had readily agreed but she certainly didn't expect him at her home that night.

  “Hush old woman, I am here to find out more about my new nephew, he is, after all, married to my niece and you know I am very protective of my family…” the hiss in his voice gave Mae no comfort he was here out of any other reason than for his own agenda.

  “Your loyalty to your brother is well spoken of Corey, I know he values your council as much now as he ever has before” Mae was quickly trying to gather her thoughts and composure. Corey had taken her by surprise, she could always feel another Spae worker when they were close, and she hadn’t noticed Corey at all.

  “My brother,” Corey spat, “listens less to me and more to you, I told him the marriage to Seth was not the right decision and yet here we are with them now happily joined…. tell me, old woman, how did you manage to convince my dumb brother this union should take place?” Corey moved closer and Mae could feel the intensity of his aura as he stood over her.

  Even at her full height Mae was considerably smaller than Corey but she had been around far too long to be intimidated by this man, she had seen many like him in her time and all were thirsty for knowledge and power…power most of all.

  “I simply pointed out the benefits of his village being allied with Seth, his father and their town…this is a troubling time Corey, I am sure you have picked up on this?”

  Mae casually picked up her basket and moved it to the table beside the fire. She could feel Corey’s stare burrowing into the back of her head and she could also feel something else, a buzzing in her mind...and thoughts which were not her own. Quickly she concentrated and shut her mind…this was her space and she would not allow anyone else access to it.

  The growl from Corey confirmed what she thought. He was trying to control her mind! This was a development she had not seen coming, Corey a mind moulder, she had never met anyone who could do this, and it had been a very long time since she last heard tell of the ability. She thought back to the tales from her youth, but she couldn’t recall tell of anyone being able to even glimpse another Spae worker’s thoughts never mind try to control them. He was powerful, and she had been wrong to overlook him for so long.

  “So, Corey, tell me what it is you wish to know about Seth?” Mae knew what she must do.

  “I want to know how powerful he is, what stage is his development at? I know publicly he is the model warrior in training and role model, but I can feel the energy flowing from him and Ardeth told me many things about how he had been developing.” Mae’s ears pricked at the mention of her now dead apprentice.

  “I knew I had to see him so convinced my brother to take me along on the hunt.” Mae was in no doubt how Corey had convinced his brother.

  “When I met him and saw the light emanating from his soul…he is different Mae and I want to know how different.” Mae felt the probing in her mind as Corey tried to gain access, but her resolve was set. She would give him some information and make him feel he had dragged it from her. Then tomorrow she would speak with Seth and warn him.

  “You resist well Mae, I can feel the walls around your mind, I can see now where the boy learned to block me from,” his lip curled at the memory of being thwarted by Seth during their meeting. “But you must know I will get the information I want one way or another?” Corey reached out his hand toward Mae and she flinched involuntarily as the strain of keeping this man out of her mind began to take its toll.

  “You seem to be very adept at mind reading Corey, I wasn’t aware you had the skill at all.”

  “Skill? This is a gift you horrible old hag, this is a pure energy and I am the only one apart from the Gods themselves, who has ever developed the ability to control those around me!” Mae knew Corey had an ego as large as his hunger for power and this was how she intended to defeat him.

  “A gift you say, well I suppose there are those who would see it that way. However, there are more who class it as a bane, it’s called Loki’s Curse if I am not mistaken?” The words hung in the air between them and the effect was noticeable, Corey’s anger flared, and she felt him lose his grip on her mind and that was enough.

  Quickly she swung her walking stick and Corey, trying to avoid the blow, fell backwards and struck the door hard. The crack of his skull hitting the wood filled the room and Mae directed all her concentration at the man lying on her floor.

  “Mae…. Please…you don’t understand” Corey raised his hands pleading with her, the man sat on her floor and begged for understanding…Mae could feel her own blood boiling as she looked down on the pitiful creature at her feet.

  “You enter my home, try to control my mind then beg for understanding…you really do not have any conscience at all do you, Corey?”

  Corey squirmed under her gaze and she could see blood starting to stain his cloak and concluded he must have split his head when he hit the door.

  “You want to know about Seth? Let me tell you one thing Corey, he is unique and if Ardeth told you half of what she knew then you are aware of this already.” She moved closer to the man cowering under her stare.

  “Which means you are here for another reason!”

  Mae had spent her life developing her skills and understanding, especially of those around her. She needed to understand people, so she could keep ahead of their needs and ensure she could provide for them. Building up their trust and them knowing she had their best interests at heart was important to her.

  This was what she had accomplished, she had provided a solid service to hundreds of people from small villages to big towns across Mercia and, as her head hit the ground and the air expelled from her lungs, she knew her life had been fulfilling and well spent.

  Corey grinned as he watched the woman fall backwards, she was a fool to get so close he thought as he rolled to his knees and crawled over to the dying woman. He took pleasure in her pain as slowly pulled his blade from between her breasts.

  “I will control him eventually Mae, he is still young, and his power is not fully realised but when he hears of your death, I will be there to take advantage during his grief.” He cleaned the blood off his knife using Mae’s skirts and replaced it into the hidden sheath beneath his robe.

  “I intend to rule this land and I will do anything to make sure it happens…Seth will not stand in my way, once he is under my control then all will fall at my feet!”

  Corey stood, his hatred was written across his face. Mae stared into his eyes and smiled.

  “Why are you smiling, woman?” Corey shouted, “you are dead, I have won, and you cannot stop me!”

  Mae whispered softly, and Corey had to kneel again to hear her words.

  “You have killed me Corey, but it was through my actions that my death has occurred.” Corey looked confused

  “I knew about the knife,” she smiled her best-satisfied grin and then coughed as she found breath was harder to draw into her chest to speak.

  “You think you have won…But what you have done today will add resolve to Seth…you have undone all your work in a fit of anger and desperation…just as I knew you would.” Mae grimaced in pain and then was gone.

  Corey was incensed and drew his knife and plunged it repeatedly into Mae’s dead body hoping each time to kill her again and to see the smile wiped from her lips.

  Covered in blood and breathing heavily he got to his feet and turned to leave the scene of his brutal attack.

  A cold wind blew through the room and he pulled his blood-soaked robe closer to ward off the chill. With one last glance at the corpse on the floor, he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, opened the door and set off into the night.

  Happiness at Last

  It had been several months since the wedding and Mae’s murder. Seth had been upset at the loss, but Meredith had comforted him and they both ensured a proper burial for the woman who had br
ought them together.

  Corey had taken over Mae’s duties and had spent time with Seth in the days that followed the discovery of her murder. He had been keen to have time alone with him to discuss his understanding of Spae but each time the talked, Seth just ended up with headaches from the buzzing in his mind, which he put down to the emotional pain of the discussion. Corey began to distance himself as their conversations became strained, meaning he now rarely saw him.

  Seth and his wife were settling into their daily routines and learning to live with each other in the cramped rooms of their village house.

  It had been a difficult start to their married life as all they wanted to do was spend time in each other’s arms and enjoy the feel of each other’s naked skin. His mother and father had made excuses to be elsewhere, but Seth knew they couldn’t keep leaving, as it was their home after all. It took a couple of weeks but eventually, he found an old house on the edge of the town which had fallen into disrepair, following the death of its previous inhabitant.

  Garret had made the necessary payments to the family, so the house could be taken by Seth and Meredith. It took several weeks of hard work and even with his father and uncles helping the going was slow, but the waiting was worth it as he now lay in his own bed with his arms wrapped around the woman he loved with every bit of his being.

  Meredith stirred, and he released his grip, so she could turn to face him. He did enjoy watching as she rolled over to her side and he felt his arousal as he looked down at her naked body.

  “Now, now big man, I have only just woken don’t be thinking I have the energy to satisfy that,” she said as she looked under the furs at his manhood.

  Seth couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

  “Yet” she added with a smile as she stroked him before placing a kiss on his lips and rolling on top of him.

  Seth was truly happy, for the first time in his life he knew love and felt the luckiest man alive every time he was in Meredith’s presence.