by Candace Sams
"I expected you'd still be in the abbey with Heather. I hear things are going better than hoped," Shayla said as she looked down at the large man's bowed head. When he looked up into her eyes, she saw the face of a man whose life had been transformed. The worry, anger and defiance had left his dark gaze. In place of those emotions Shayla detected contrition, and there was a sense of deep, abiding peace. She smiled at him, motioned for him to stand and was rewarded with a winning grin.
"I'm sorry I haven't come sooner, Sorceress. My only excuse is that Heather and I have been...well, we've been quite busy."
"Whatever the reason for your visit, you've always been welcome here. And people have been saying good things about her presence in the Shire. The outside world isn't nearly so frightening to many now that she's been introduced."
His guilt increased that much more. "She loves it here."
"Of course she does. This is where her heart lives."
Gryphon knew she was speaking of him as much as anything else. He nodded and prepared himself to bare his soul. It was the only way to ease his mind, and Heather had been in full agreement with his confronting the Sorceress with his declarations. They'd spoken of it at length. So much had happened that he felt he had to make amends for his behavior.
The callous man he'd been no longer existed.
"I take it this isn't a social call?" she asked.
He shook his head. "You know it isn't. I've come to beg your forgiveness for my behavior. I've been a pain in the ass since this whole thing began."
"Oh, you were that and then some, young man." She smiled to take the condemning sting from the words. "I take it being in love has somewhat mellowed your attitude?"
Gryphon smiled and nodded in agreement. "You've still had every reason to punish me. Instead, you've made my dreams come true. I can't think why the Whip Master hasn't paid me a visit. I deserve anything you can think up in the way of punishment."
"I don't want you beaten, Gryphon. What I've always wanted, and still need, are your loyalty and obedience. Those aren't qualities I could instill in you at the end of a whip. With people whose heads aren't quite so hard, that particular punishment might have worked. But not on you."
He sighed. "You and Heather are in total agreement over my stubborn nature. I wish I could say it was the Irish influence. Truth is, I was wallowing so much in self-pity that reason, logic and awareness of what I was doing to myself and everyone around me was unimportant. But you have my loyalty and my obedience from this moment on. I'll never question your motives or actions again. And there are others to whom I owe apologies. Beginning with my parents." He raised his hands, palms up, in a supplicating gesture. "There are no words to...no way I can articulate my shame. It'll take me the rest of my life to make up for my actions. You were right about my distancing myself from everyone. I let a few bad instances in my life negatively influence my behavior and my judgment."
"You weren't entirely to blame. It was wrong of me to ask so much of one man. And wrong of the Order to treat you so harshly. Being different from everyone else on Earth should have made us that much more tolerant of one another." She sliced her hand through the air in a gesture of denial. "That has to stop. If we're to survive, we must unify. Ignore everything but our common goal to perpetuate a way of life as old as time, and all the magic that goes with it."
"I'll do everything I can to help. All you need do is ask. And Heather has promised to do whatever she can."
Shayla saw before her one of the most penitent and ingenuous hearts she'd ever known. Here was the man he was truly meant to be. A warrior with a peaceful heart. She'd heard the rumors that Gryphon had been in the Shire talking with others and gaining acceptance. If bringing in one understanding, gifted outsider could accomplish so much, there was great hope for the future.
"It's amazing what love can do, isn't it?"
"Not to me," he said. "Nothing seems impossible any more. Every day is...I can't tell you how much..." His voice became so thick with emotion it was difficult to continue.
She took one of his hands in hers. "It's all right, Gryphon. I understand. And your apologies are accepted. Now, go back to your mate with my blessings. I'll talk with both of you soon."
Gryphon swallowed hard. "Thank you, Sorceress. You're the wisest of all who've preceded you. You have my eternal gratitude and my love" He kissed her hand, smiled and walked quietly out of the room.
Shayla sniffed back tears and walked to a window. She saw him exit the castle's front entrance and embrace a lithe figure which ran to him in the darkness. Such happiness was the stuff of dreams. But there were others waiting for their dreams to come true.
***
Shayla gazed into the black scrying bowl. Great changes were coming. One of the events she saw made her smile broadly. A tiny white gryphon peeked from around her mother's front claw leg. The larger white gryphon nudged it forward, but it shyly stepped back beneath her again. Other children of the Order beckoned for it to come and play. Gryphon, in his Druid form, strode from the woods. Seeing his mate standing in the Goblin Meadow, he opened his arms wide in welcome. The baby gryphon quickly changed into a sweet little girl with blue eyes and long brown hair. She happily ran into her father's embrace, and he lifted her high into the air before gently lowering her to the ground. Their laughter rang out, the joy on his face would have melted the coldest heart. Heather joined him as she wrapped a soft, blue robe about herself. Gryphon pulled her close and kissed her, slow and long. Then, they walked away and laughed merrily as they tried to get the squirming child dressed. Soon, the little girl joined the other children. Gryphon and Heather sat at the edge of the meadow and watched. Other parents arrived, and it seemed the entire meadow was filled with laughter and song. Twilight came and the summer breeze invited Pixies to make their rounds gathering flower nectar.
The scene faded. But it left the Sorceress with a wonderful feeling of contentment. "That's as it should be." Shayla smiled and murmured to herself. "Now, on to the others. First, there's that matter in New England to take care of. I can't imagine the man doesn't even know he's a member of the Order." She made a risking sound, emptied the water from the scrying bowl and straightened her white robe. Then, the Sorceress of the Ancients royally flounced out of the room, making plans as she did so. She needed to call her advisors together. It seemed that a Sorceress' work was never done. There was so much to do, so little time in which to do it.
Proofers Note
This e-book was edited from an uncorrected text file. All errors are my own since I did not have a copy of the original text to refer to when editing. SFG
