by Jade White
“But it is not the only way,” Rhiannon interjected, her expression more severe than usual. Eleri wondered if there had been a disagreement. “If you find the item that Dywell used to bind the pouca, you can use it to reverse the spell. Free from mortal constraints, I believe the spirit will return to the Otherworld, where it may one day be able to recover from the trauma inflicted on it.”
Eleri could tell without asking that Carwin didn’t like that idea. It did sound like there was a higher risk of failure, but she still wanted to try. “What is it? The magical object, I mean,” she asked, despite Carwin and Manwydan’s nearly identical scowls.
“It is a wand. My wand,” the Lord of the Sea said gravely. “The Silver Branch, from Rhiannon’s most prized tree, whose apples ring with the sound of bells. That spirit stole it from me to give to Dywell, and it got what it deserved for such thievery.” Eleri raised her eyebrows, surprised that Manwydan would be so vindictive, especially for something that had happened at least a hundred years ago.
His wife laid a hand on his arm, which seemed to cool his anger somewhat. “But Rhiannon is right. The Silver Branch can unbind the pouca, and it is possible that, with time, it could be redeemed. But there is a risk that freeing the spirit will only make it more powerful and difficult to slay. If it does not return to the Otherworld, who knows what havoc it could wreak?”
“Do you know which method you would prefer?” Rhiannon asked, and for a moment, Eleri thought she saw a hint of calculation in the eyes of the goddess, though she couldn’t imagine why.
“I think we should try to free it,” she said, just as Carwin said the opposite. They turned to each other in surprise.
“Don’t you realize what kind of risk we’d be taking?” Carwin said, a bit louder than was necessary.
Eleri crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t you think the pouca deserves a chance for freedom and healing?” For a moment, they stood in tense silence, frowning at each other.
Manwydan cleared his throat. “It seems you two will need some time to talk things over. I’ll send someone to guide you back to your quarters.”
“Whenever you’ve made a decision, just let someone at the gate know,” Rhiannon said in a gentle tone, and Eleri realized that the goddess had known they would disagree. She must have wanted them to work it out before they left, a sentiment which Eleri appreciated.
They returned to the cottage without speaking, and since it was early afternoon, they found lunch waiting for them. Eleri sat down at the table with a sigh. She hated arguing with Carwin, but this was something she felt strongly about, and she wasn’t going to give in easily. He approached her chair without meeting her eyes.
“I am sorry, beloved,” he said, crouching down and taking one of her hands in his own.
She frowned at him. “We’re having a disagreement, Carwin. There’s no need to apologize.”
“But I shouldn’t have shouted at you. Especially not in front of other people. That was shameful of me.”
“Well, I suppose it is a bit ungentlemanly to shout at a lady,” she said with a chuckle, “But I wasn’t upset about that. I prefer it when you’re honest with me, rather than lying to me to spare my feelings.” He looked shocked and more than a bit guilty before sighing and laying his head in her lap. She stroked his hair, Of course. He still hasn’t told me about his bargain with Ceridwen. He has no idea that I already know. “Let’s not stray too far from the subject. We do need to make a decision.”
“I know,” he replied, looking back up at her. “I just think trying to free the pouca is too dangerous. We could make things worse for everyone. You could be killed by that thing.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do. How do you think I feel, knowing that no matter what we do, defeating Dywell means losing you?”
“How did you…?” he said, his expression equal parts stunned and ashamed.
“When I drank from the Well, I realized it wouldn’t make sense for us both to ask the same question. I didn’t have anything prepared. The Well chose to show me the bargain you made with Ceridwen to save my life.”
Carwin’s whole body sagged until he was seated on the floor with his head in his hands. “I am so sorry, Eleri.” She sat down next to him, putting a soothing hand on the back of his neck.
“You should have told me before,” she said. “But in a way, I guess I’m glad you didn’t.” He looked up at her, stunned once again, and she couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not sure I would have mustered the courage to kiss you if I’d known, and then I doubt you would have asked me to be with you on Calan Mai. That’s something I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on.”
Even he had to smile a little at that. “You’re probably right, but I still should have told you. You had a right to know what you were getting into. I just didn’t want you to feel guilty about it. When I found you, I had nothing else to live for. Ceridwen’s price seemed more than fair. After a century as a statue, death felt like a relief.” He met her gaze, and she saw the emotions shining in his leaf green eyes.
“Now, I would give almost anything for more time with you. You deserve to be happy, to have a family and a comfortable life, and I can’t give you any of those things. I can’t believe that you knew, and you still chose to bind yourself to me with the apple.”
“But Carwin, that is why I wanted to give you the apple,” she said, shaking her head with a chuckle. “I was afraid Ceridwen would whisk you away to the Otherworld forever. Now, we can never be truly parted.” Eleri realized by the widening of his eyes that he was surprised. “You should have let me tell you what it did instead of just jumping right in. I hope you aren’t upset.”
“No,” he said breathlessly, pulling her into his lap and practically crushing her to his chest as he kissed her. “I am astounded that you would do something like that for me, Eleri. And honored. You are an amazing woman, and I don’t deserve you.”
“Well, now you’re stuck with me,” she said, smiling up at him and caressing his cheek. “And you can stop feeling guilty about it.”
“An unimaginable fate, and quite undeserved, as I said. As far as feeling guilty, I can’t help it. I hate the thought of leaving you alone.”
“But I won’t be,” she said quietly. “Even after you...” she swallowed, unwilling to say the word aloud, “Rhiannon said we will always be together in dreams.”
“And I will wait for you and watch over you. No matter how long it takes. I didn’t even think that Ceridwen might try to claim my spirit, and now you have freed me from that. You have done so much for me and never asked anything in return. If you really want to try to free the pouca, then that is what we will do.”
“You’re sure?” she asked, peering up at him incredulously. “I think it is the right thing to do, but I suppose it’s a bit selfish of me to say. It is your quest, after all.”
“It started out as my quest, but it is ours now,” he assured her. “I hope you don’t still think you are a burden to me, Eleri. Without you, I wouldn’t even be here. I think we should have them make the blade, in case the plan doesn’t work, but I am willing to try.”
“Thank you. After what that creature has suffered, I don’t want to kill it unless there is no other choice.”
**************************
They returned to the palace in the evening and told the Lord and Lady their decision. Both Rhiannon and Manwydan seemed a bit surprised that they had managed to come to a reasonable consensus so quickly, but both appeared pleased with the outcome. Manwydan explained that it would take nearly a week to make the blade, but because of the magic of Afallach, only a day or so would pass in the outside world. They could hardly ask for more, but the god and goddess also repaired or replaced all their clothing, weapons, and armor, and replenished their supplies.
Manwydan used his magic to search for his missing wand and found that it had never left Dywell’s castle, a formidable fortress in northern Gwynedd. This wasn’t ideal, but Carwin at leas
t knew the location and the basic layout of the defenses. All they could do was wait for the enchanted weapon to be ready. They made sure to get the most out of their time together, but all too soon, it was time to leave.
They stood on the very same beach where they had shared the apple. The waves were lapping gently over the stand, and Carwin was already in his dragon form, looking magnificent with the sunlight glittering on his scales. Eleri thought he was beautiful, although it felt strange to admit. Manwydan and Rhiannon came down to the shore to wish them farewell.
“You remember the spell I taught you, Eleri?” the goddess asked, holding her by the shoulders.
“Yes, it seems simple enough. I’m still skeptical that I’m going to able to do magic,” she replied with a half-smile. “I’m fairly ordinary, as people go.”
“I disagree,” Carwin said for her ears alone.
“I think you do yourself a disservice, Eleri,” Rhiannon said with a gentle smile. “Not many mortals have come to Afallach or passed the trials of the Well. And now you will go into terrible danger, just to remain at Carwin’s side until the end. You would face down Ceridwen for his sake, I think, if you thought you had any chance of winning. That is far from ordinary.”
There wasn’t much she could say to that. She ducked her head to hide her embarrassment.
“Thank you. Thank you both, for everything.”
“We did very little,” Manwydan answered. “You have earned all that we provided, and more, if you rid the world of Dywell. He is a danger even to us. We have done what we can to aid you, and now we can only hope that you succeed.” Eleri climbed onto Carwin’s neck and clipped herself to the saddle.
“Farewell,” Rhiannon said, waving. “I hope you both find the happiness you seek.”
“Thank you,” Carwin said, opening his wings and flapping them a bit to stretch them out. “You have given me a gift I can never repay, so I hope I will prove worthy of it.”
“I have no doubt that you will,” Manwydan said, and the god and goddess stood back to give them room. Eleri held tight to Carwin’s neck as he crouched and launched himself in the air. Then they were soaring into the sky, away from Afallach and toward Dywell. One way or another, their journey was about to come to an end.
CHAPTER 13
, and the moat was dry. Carwin climbed through a crack in the stone and slid into the gully below. There was no change in the sounds coming from the gatehouse, so he felt confident that he hadn’t been seen, but creeping through the courtyard to the keep itself was another matter.
He felt exposed and vulnerable, and it was all he could do to still his pounding heart and race through the shadows until he reached the front door of the castle. It was broken, hanging lopsidedly off its hinges and swaying in the wind. He slipped into the keep, but he couldn’t see a thing. It was blacker than the bottom of a well inside.
“Damn,” he muttered. He didn’t want to risk lighting a torch. That would give away his presence to anyone who looked. But that meant he would have to wait until morning, and he would need a somewhat secure place to sleep. He felt around the walls with his hands.
From what he remembered of this place, which was admittedly not much, there ought to be a small storage room near the doorway for keeping wet cloaks and muddy boots. He nearly fell into it, but to his great relief, it seemed empty, and the door was intact. A few moments later, he settled himself in for what he knew would be a very restless night.
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“So, Rhys has been Dywell this whole time?” Eleri said, shaking her head in confusion. “And that’s why everyone has been acting so weird? He’s confusing them with magic?”
“Well, I assumed he was just a normal man at the wedding,” Megan admitted, “But there’s no way to be sure. He found us in the woods, just like I told you, and at first I was thrilled that someone had survived. Still, my thoughts always seemed to slow around him, and Gwen never trusted him, not really. She kept saying something was wrong. It wasn’t until we got to the temple that I knew she was right.”
“You went to the Temple of Arianrhod, too? We must have just missed you. I can’t believe the archdruid never said anything,” Eleri said with a sad frown.
Her mother laid a consoling hand on her arm. “Lord Rhys claimed to be following the trail of the evil sorcerer, and we arrived at the temple a few days after the attack. However, we never went into the Temple proper, but joined a group of refugees from nearby villages who were camped outside the gate. I thought it strange that Lord Rhys seemed loathe to go inside, although after I heard some reports about the druids having a pet dragon, I was a bit nervous as well. We only stayed for two days. After seeing the dire straits that some of the villagers were in, I felt badly for taxing the resources of the temple and suggested that we go stay in the village inn while he gathered soldiers from his father. He was eager to agree to that, but as we were leaving, one of the younger druids gave us some charms of protection. As soon as I touched it, I knew that Lord Rhys was up to no good.”
Eleri sighed and shook her head. “If you had only gone into the temple, instead. I was there, with Carwin. We fought in that battle and left about two weeks later.”
Lady Megan smiled knowingly. “So, about this Carwin...” Eleri felt her heart plummet. Now she was in for it. “He’s not just anyone, is he?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said in a squeaky voice. Gwen leaned forward with an eager smile, and Megan shook her head.
“Goodness, Eleri, I’m not blind. Anyone could see that you adore him. Your eyes light up like candles every time you speak his name. And even though he was being affected by the magic, he was struggling against it. He was concerned for you, at the very least.”
Eleri ducked her head, both to hide her shame and to try to stem the tide of tears that were about to spill out, but her mother laid a hand on her knee. “My child, I don’t plan on scolding you. We have all been through a terrible ordeal, and you’ve spent months on the road, thinking your whole family was dead. He was certainly handsome and skilled, and if he cares about you half as much as you do him, you would have been foolish not to love him.”
At that, she burst into tears. “I do love him, and I know that he loves me, but if Dywell isn’t dead, that means he’s going to need my help. I have to find him before I lose him forever.”
Lady Megan embraced her daughter, patting her back as she hadn’t done since she was a child. “Maybe you’d better tell me the whole story.”
It took hours to relay the tale, but her mother and sister never interrupted or made any sound or gesture other than that of encouragement. Eleri left out nothing except the more intimate details, and the fact that she suspected she was pregnant. It was too soon, and she felt that if it was at all possible, Carwin should be the first to know.
Finally, she sighed. “And then we saw you on the road. You saw what happened. I guess the spell will wear off after a while since Dywell isn’t around, but that means Carwin will surely come back here. I don’t know if there’s any way for him to overcome the magic, and he’ll never find the Branch or be able to fight if his mind is that clouded.”
“It didn’t seem to be affecting you as much as it did us, before we had the protection charms,” Gwen said. “But you’re right. He was definitely under the spell. You’d think his goddess’ magic would have shielded him.”
“Maybe it would, if he was in his dragon form. But that wouldn’t be very helpful for finding things or stabbing people. I’m not sure what would have protected me. I have apples from Rhiannon, and I also have Manwydan’s dagger, so I suppose it could be either of those things.”
“What about your necklace?” Gwen asked. “I don’t know why, but it feels to me the same as the charms we have.”
Eleri blushed again. “It’s... it’s one of Carwin’s scales. He had it carved for me, as a gift. I suppose it could have some power of its own. He told me that dragons are creatures of magic.”
M
egan shook her head and chuckled. “If I hadn’t seen him with my own eyes, I would have said you were hallucinating. But I didn’t only see him in the clearing, when he scared us half to death. I saw you fly overhead on the road, probably on your way to Afallach, and I saw you fly over the village yesterday. Of course, I had no idea it was my own daughter riding on her lover’s back, but news of the dragon bothered the false Lord Rhys so much, I could only assume it was a good sign.”
“He must know Carwin is after him,” Eleri said, shivering. “I can’t stand not knowing if he’s all right. I have to figure out some way to help him.”
Lady Megan nodded. “It is very late, so we should rest, but tomorrow, we will start working on finding a way to aid your love in defeating that monster, and then you can be reunited with him. I must say, I never thought I’d have a chance to have a dragon as a son-in-law.”
