by Jade White
“Very well. Thank you, my Lady,” he said, bowing his head. To his surprise, she put her hand upon his brow.
“Go in peace and blessing, my champion.” When he looked up, she was gone. Carwin frowned. That had gone much better than he had expected. Ceridwen had not only agreed to aid them, but the price had been more than fair. Just his life. He had already lost everything that mattered to him, so death would be more of a release than a punishment. The whole encounter made him nervous, but there was nothing to be gained by brooding over it. Instead, he knelt down to consider the woman lying prone at his feet.
She was young, barely past her twentieth year, he guessed. Now she was wearing a simple leather bodice and wool dress, the full skirt split for riding, but if his eyes had not deceived him before, her clothes had indicated noble birth. In fact, her dress had been so fine that Carwin couldn’t help but wonder if today had been a special occasion. A wedding? Her wedding, even? She was the right age for it.
Poor girl. As far as he had been able to tell in his brief glimpse, all of her companions had been women and children. Her new husband had probably stayed behind to defend the keep, and undoubtedly, she was now a widow. She shivered, and he chided himself for allowing her to remain on the cold ground so long. If Ceridwen had provided a horse, perhaps she’d provided supplies as well. He stood and turned to his new task with a lighter heart.
*
Eleri woke with a start, blinking as bright morning sunlight assaulted her eyes. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was... Running through the trees, a pain in her side, a stone dragon, her sister calling for her... Her wedding. There had been an attack. They had fled, she was injured, and now? She sat up and peered at her surroundings in growing confusion. This was the same stone circle from before, wasn’t it? Only the stones were scorched bare, and the dragon she’d rested against was gone. Looking down at herself, she could see that her clothes had been changed, and more importantly, her wound was healed.
She didn’t have to look under the bodice to know that—she could tell by the lack of pain—but when she put her hand to her side, there wasn’t even a scab. What was going on?
“You’re awake,” said a voice from behind her. She spun around with a squeak of fright, pulling the coarse blanket over her, scant protection though it was. The man put his hands up, gesturing for peace. “I’m sorry to have frightened you. You’ve been through quite an ordeal, and I’m sure you’re confused. My name is Carwin. Carwin ap Emrys. I swear, I have no intention of harming you.”
“But how did I get here? Where is everyone else? I don’t understand. I thought,” she pursed her lips, fearing she would sound ridiculous, “I was wounded when we fled. I thought I was dying.”
“I don’t know the answer to those questions,” Carwin replied, but she couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t quite meet her eyes. “I came to this place in the night, perhaps chasing the same monsters that you were trying to evade. The stones have a power against the darkness that stalks the land, and I wished to sleep in a place of protection. You were here when I arrived, just as you are. Except for the blankets; those are mine,” he added with a half-smile. “However, this is a place of power, an altar to Lady Ceridwen. Perhaps she has healed you for reasons of her own.”
Eleri gaped at him for a moment. Was he suggesting she’d been healed by a goddess via magic? It was, by far, the most ludicrous thing she’d ever heard, but also the only explanation that made any sort of sense. “You’re chasing those... shadow things?” she asked with a shudder. “Why?”
“The creatures are the servants of a sorcerer called Dywell. He murdered my family, and I have vowed to avenge them. I had hoped that following his minions might lead me to his hiding place. Did you come from the keep to the west?”
She nodded, taking a deep breath to try to hold back the grief and terror she felt at the memory. “Yes. I... it was to be my wedding day. They stormed the keep. There was no warning,” she said, memories of the attack playing in her mind. “I’ve never even heard of this Dywell person. I don’t understand why… what did we ever do to him?”
At that, the tears began to flow. Eleri was not a fool. She knew there was little chance any of the men had survived, but when she thought of her father, swallowed up by the writhing darkness, she couldn’t stop herself from crying.
A hand came to her shoulder, making her look up in surprise. Through a blur of tears, she could see Carwin crouched in front of her. “I am sorry. That must have been terrible and frightening,” he said quietly. “I wish I could offer you more, but Dywell rarely seems to have reason for the things that he does, except perhaps to cause the most suffering.”
She sniffed, dashing away the tears with the back of her hand. “Thank you. I suppose we have something in common. I shall have to learn to carry my grief as calmly as you do.” He moved his hand away as she looked up at him again. “My name is Eleri of Aberderwen. Thank you for watching over me. And the blankets.” After the tales her mother had told her, she felt she ought to thank him for being an honorable man. Alone with him, in the woods, at night—she’d been led to believe that was a one-way ticket to defilement.
“It was my pleasure, Lady Eleri. I could hardly leave you lying there alone. But what will you do now? You cannot go home. The keep is overrun, as I’m sure you guessed. Your companions are long gone.”
It felt strange to be called ‘Lady’ by Carwin. Usually, only the castle servants called her that, and though she knew little about him, it was clear he was no servant. For one thing, he was cleaner and better fed. His blond hair was tied into a neat tail at his nape, and the linen shirt under his fitted leather jerkin was dyed the same color as his eyes, green as a holly leaf. He was, in fact, quite handsome, a thought she felt horrified to be having.
Today should have been her first day as a married woman, but the man who would have been her husband was almost certainly dead. She forced herself to look anywhere but at him, frowning reproachfully at her hands. “I don’t know. I’d like to look for the others. My mother and sister were among those that fled with me, but if they aren’t nearby, I suppose that would be foolish. They were meant to go to my uncle’s. He manages the village for my father. Prenfford, down the river.”
Carwin nodded. “That is in the same direction I was headed. If you would like, we can travel together until we reach the village. The woods are hardly a safe place for a lady.”
That was better than she could have hoped for, under the circumstances. “Thank you. I’m sure my uncle will reward you for aiding me, and if you are after the same people who attacked the keep, he might even lend you some of his men.”
Carwin shrugged. “I will be glad of the help, but I hardly require a reward to escort a lovely lady such a short distance.” He paused, and she knew he was choosing his words carefully. “I hesitate to bring it up, since you have already had such a difficult time, but I think you should prepare yourself for the possibility that the village may also have been taken. The shadows travel much faster than we may, and if, for example, Dywell wished to eradicate all claimants to the noble seat, that would have been the next logical target.”
Eleri took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you for telling me. I suppose there is nothing to be done but to go there and see. In that case, we should leave without delay.” Carwin stood, giving her space to untangle herself from the blankets and get to her feet.
“We should not tarry, that is true, but I suspect it has been many hours since you have eaten. I have some bread, fruit, and cheese here that we can share, and there is a jug of water if you need to wash your face,” he said.
“Thank you. Again. I suppose I must really have received the blessing of the gods to be found alone in the woods by such a gentleman,” Eleri said with a slightly nervous chuckle. This amount of kindness from a stranger seemed unnatural. In her entire life, she had left the keep no more than a dozen times, and never without at least one of her parents accompanying her.
&n
bsp; She had half-expected the outside world to be a terrifying nightmare, with danger and wickedness around every corner. This defiance of her preconceived notions made her feel a bit unbalanced.
“I can hardly imagine doing otherwise,” Carwin replied, his eyebrow arched in amusement and surprise. “I suppose your mother told you that men were ravening beasts who would rob you of your virtue as soon as look at you?”
“Well, yes,” she said, feeling her tension leave her when he chuckled at her admission. After eating the food he offered and slaking her thirst with cold water, Carwin busied himself tending to the horse, giving her a bit of privacy to refresh herself. She splashed water over her face, scrubbing at the smudges of dirt she could see in her reflection, and used her fingers to get most of the tangles from her hair before braiding it tightly down her back to keep it out of the way.
Despite the fact that Carwin seemed like a paragon of chivalry, Eleri couldn’t help but feel nervous. It was highly improper for a young, unmarried woman like herself to travel in the company of a man she hardly knew, and though she didn’t have a better option, she still feared what people would think. Would she be forever dishonored? Did it matter, at this point?
“Are you ready to leave, my Lady?” Carwin asked from the other side of clearing. Eleri stood, smoothing down her skirts, and came to a decision.
“Please, call me Eleri. When you call me Lady, I feel like I’ve become my mother.” Carwin laughed aloud.
“Very well, Eleri. Allow me to help you mount, and we’ll be off.”
**************
“Please tell me we’re nearly there,” she said, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt. Yes, she’d ridden before. Her father had insisted that everyone in the family learn horsemanship, and though Eleri hadn’t known it, he had been going against the fashion of times by allowing his daughters to ride properly rather than side-saddle.
To him, it was a matter of pride as well as safety. The fastest way to get anywhere was by horse, and should his family have to flee for any reason, he would not have them be slowed by an inability to stay on their mounts. Still, Eleri had never spent this long on horseback; the sun was already riding low in the western sky, and they had only stopped once.
“We are,” Carwin answered, looking up at her with concern. He had jogged beside the horse the entire way, and though his stamina was enviable, she felt badly that he wasn’t riding as well. She had thought this might be out of consideration for her comfort, which she’d initially appreciated, but after a few hours of watching him lope along in front of them, guilt made her change her mind.
However, when she’d suggested he ride behind her, he had refused, explaining that the forest path was somewhat treacherous. The horse might be clever enough to avoid the worst of the rough patches, but it would be safer to lead the way himself.
He also claimed to enjoy the exercise, so there was nothing she could do. It was a relief to know that she wouldn’t have to become that familiar with him. “We should reach the outskirts of Prenfford in less than an hour, but if you need to get down and stretch your legs, we can stop.”
“No. I think I can stand another hour or so. I’m simply unused to being this long in the saddle,” she said with a grimace. For the first time in her life, she wished that she was fuller-figured. Perhaps if her backside had more padding, it wouldn’t ache quite so much.
“Well, with any luck, when you arrive at your uncle’s house, you can have a hot bath, and that will soothe most of the aches away,” he said easily. Eleri sighed at the image that brought to mind, a tub full of fragrant water in front of the blazing hearth in her old bedroom, something she’d experienced just the morning previous, and now likely never would again. Even if this Dywell was defeated, she thought it improbable that her childhood home would be in any state to return to.
Carwin interrupted her melancholic reverie a moment later. “We must be closer to the village than I thought. I can already smell the smoke from their hearth fires.” Eleri could smell it too, and at first, she felt her heart leap with joy and relief. But as the minutes passed and the burning smell got stronger, Eleri could see that Carwin’s expression had turned grim. He looked up at her. “I fear the news is not good. I think I should scout ahead to see what the situation is. If we bring the horse too close to the flames, she’ll bolt.”
She made the decision without thinking, her jaw set. “I’ll come with you. I want... I need to see.” To her surprise, Carwin did not argue. He gave her a searching look and nodded, holding his hand up to help her dismount. Her legs wavered like a feast-day pudding, and she almost collapsed, even while gripping his arm for dear life.
“Are you sure you can do this?” he asked as she stretched her aching limbs with a grimace of pain.
“Yes,” she replied stubbornly. “I’m ready.” Walking helped, and though every muscle felt like it was on fire, she was not going to let him leave her here. What if the villagers needed help? Her mother and sister could be there right now; she couldn’t just stand by.
“Stay close behind me,” he said, tying the horse to a sapling before starting down the path. It was only on foot that Eleri could appreciate how truly difficult this trail was; it was barely wide enough for Carwin to pass without his shoulders brushing the trees on either side, and the way was uneven, full of roots and unseen pits.
Though she knew little about woodcraft, Eleri had a feeling this path was more suited to deer than to people. The smell of smoke was only growing stronger, until she was nearly choking on it. A breath at the wrong time had her bent double, her eyes streaming with tears as she coughed.
“Eleri, are you all right?” Carwin asked, his hand steady on her back. It took a moment for her to get enough air to speak.
“I just breathed in some smoke,” she replied in a hoarse voice. “We must be nearly there.”
“We are,” he said, his tone grave. “If you are recovered, just look through this gap in the trees.” She nodded and slid past him to peer around the trunk of a massive oak, but what she saw made her breath stop in her throat.
Prenfford was gone. There wasn’t even fire so much as piles of smoking debris, and as far as her eyes could see, nothing lived. All was ember and ash. She didn’t know what made her do it, but suddenly, she was running, tripping and falling, but still running toward the burned village. Carwin called after her, at first concerned and then more frantic.
After a moment or two, part of her brain was aware of the sounds of him following, crashing down the tree-covered hillside after her, but she couldn’t stop. Maybe they had all escaped, and if she just got to the village, they would run to meet her. Maybe she would find something—instructions, a clue, anything.
She tripped again, falling hard on her hands in the dirt and dead leaves. A sob burst forth, and Eleri could go no further. Tears spilled onto the ground as she realized the truth. They were dead, all of them dead. Her parents, her sister, everyone she’d ever known, gone. Carwin fell to his knees next to her.
“Eleri. I am so sorry,” he said, his hand a warm weight between her shoulder blades. Desperate for comfort in her grief, she flung herself into his embrace. He only hesitated a moment before putting his arms around her, one hand stroking her hair as she wept. “I know there are no words to soothe this pain. There is no shame in grieving,” he murmured against her brow.
His voice calmed her, penetrating her brain enough to remind her that she was uncomfortably close to a man she had known for less than a day. He released her the moment he felt her stiffen, and she sat up, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I know you are hurting, but we should leave the area. The fire is not that old, and I do not wish to meet those who set it,” he said gently, peering out over the burned valley and into the setting sun.
“I suppose not, but I... What do I do? I have no family now, unless by a miracle my mother and sister had not yet arrived here or they all escaped the flames. But even if that’s so, I haven’t the faintest idea where they would
be!” She felt herself on the verge of panic, the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes again.
“I am going to the Temple of Arianrhod, a three days’ ride from here. That is just as likely a place to find survivors as anywhere else, and the druids may be able to provide you other aid. You are welcome to travel there with me,” Carwin said, placing his hand on her shoulder again to steady her.
She didn’t really have a choice, did she? But it was still a generous offer, and somehow, she thought she’d rather be with Carwin in this situation than most other people she could imagine in his place. “Thank you. I can’t really think of a better option. I’m sorry to be so much trouble to you,” she said through her sniffles.
“It is hardly trouble. I’ve been traveling alone for so long, I forgot how pleasant it could be to have someone to talk to. I’m only sorry it is under such terrible circumstances.” He stood and offered his hand, and she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Her legs were still sore and shaking, and now one of her ankles twinged painfully. She winced as she put her weight on it.
