Anna’s face flushed pink, “Yes… Carwyn explained it to me. You’d think a flash wizard like you could figure out a better way than a sorry little pot in a dark corner.” She teased, “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, Emrys.”
Emrys grinned, “If you were here all the time, I’d have an incentive to do some home improvements. I spent all my time here doing research or travelling. Mundane things like chamber-pots didn’t even register on my radar I’m afraid.”
Anna smiled at Emrys, admiring the way his intense eyes sparkled in the candlelight. Turning to go to up the stairs to look for a book, she only made it one step up before Emrys arms encircled her waist, kissing her neck tenderly and murmuring in her ear, “You are precious to me; I never knew how empty was my soul until you filled it.”
Anna leaned back onto him, her legs suddenly weak. Turning she pressed her nose into his neck, breathing in the fresh woodsy, smoky scent that was uniquely Emrys. Turning her head slightly, Anna found his soft lips waiting for hers, their emotions finally finding release in a kiss that was both tender and fierce with silent promise.
Anna pulled back, breathless, her eyes hooded with passion, “You need to have your meeting… and I… I need to read, and think or something.” Anna stammered, her emotions in turmoil and her legs suddenly shaky.
Correctly assuming Anna’s mind would soon be filled with doubts, Emrys whispered, “Think with your heart, Anna - not with your head.” He cautioned softly, “We will talk about this together later tonight. Don’t panic, please. I have waited too long for you…far too long.” Emrys gave her a gentle kiss before returning to his quests.
Anna stumbled up the stairs and eventually found a suitable book in Emrys library. It was harder than she’d expected as most were written in languages she didn’t recognise let alone understand. She chose one that had beautifully drawn illustrations of plants and their medicinal uses. She thought wryly it might help distract her from the alarm bells that were starting to go off in her head with increasing volume.
Back in her room, Anna laid the large tomb on the feather bed, it’s pages yellowed with age, it fell open to a place held by some sort of dried herb as a bookmark. The beautiful illustrations of fungi and mushrooms were amazing, but as hard as Anna tried to concentrate on the extraordinary hand drawn images, she just couldn’t focus; her was head buzzing with erratic thoughts and worries.
Finally giving in, Anna rose to look at herself in the hazy mirror, “How can this be real?” she said aloud, talking to her own reflection by the light of the flickering candle.
“We’ve really only just met, and talk about obstacles! Its’ MERLIN, for Gods sake! How would it ever work?” She stood and began to pace in an Emrys-like fashion, “My parents would think I’ve lost my mind. And what about my brothers...” Anna smiled for a moment imagining Andy giving Emrys ‘the eye’ as he explained the time continuum, and the thought of Emrys telling new doctor Alex that everything he knew about DNA was wrong, made her shudder in horror — oh yeah, that family introduction would go well.
As she paced, she tried to think rationally about what it was she loved about Emrys. Break down the pros and cons, as she would do with any dilemma.
On Emrys plus side there was his protective nature, his kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, intelligence, and let’s get real — he was beyond hot; with those flashing grey eyes, sculpted physique, cheeky grin and Captain Jack Sparrow hair, add to that, when he touched her, even casually, she went limp with desire. Seriously, that had never happened to Anna before, with any boy or man. That had to mean something really big was happening... right?
With a lopsided smile, Anna considered the challenges they’d face as a couple; firstly, he was Merlin. Yeah that was a biggie. Secondly, she was having a hard time reconciling just how a girl in the 21st century could make a relationship work with a fifteen hundred year old wizard from an Arthurian legend. Reality struck. Hard.
Anna frowned, her doubts kicking in full tilt, she played with the notion that she'd have to walk away; from Emrys, the impossible down-the-rabbit-hole adventures and the crazy feelings that had her stomach in knots. Anna shook her head, even the casual thought of a life without him made her body clench in denial, and her spirit plummet in despair.
No, that wasn't going to happen, she couldn’t and she wouldn’t, walk away from him.
For what ever reason or circumstance that brought Emrys into her life, Anna wasn't going to let a few little ‘concerns’ like dimensional travel, and his celebrity status as Merlin, get in the way of what she now accepted was as true a love as any portrayed within her favourite romance novels.
Oh boy, she thought miserably, she was in trouble, because she’d just realised she was truly, madly, deeply…in love.
Anna collapsed on the bed, her head spinning and slightly dizzy. She curled on her side with the book near her head and the shawl wrapped tightly around her body, “Oh, God... I do love him...” She thought both happily and miserably as she closed her eyes.
Anna awoke, her eyes still closed, she reached a hand out to blindly search for Emrys beside her, realising she was alone, Anna's eyelids drifted open to see the cracked ceiling of her old apartment above her. She stretched, yawning, "Emrys?" She called sleepily, expecting him to answer from the other room.
No answer from Emrys, but a plaintive meow from Py, indicated he was happy to have her awake, gathering Py into her arms, she looked into the small kitchen, no Emrys there either.
As Anna stroked Py, she thought Emrys absence was strange, hadn’t he said he wouldn’t leave her side until the danger he’d described was past? She dropped Py onto the bed and headed to the bathroom. Next to the door she caught her reflection in her mirror and stopped — she was still wearing the gown she'd worn in Emrys time.
The celtic belt was still cinched at her waist, her linen gown and slip still crisp and beautiful, Anna looked in wonder at the intricate tatting. As her fingers examined the delicate needle work, tears sprang as her eyes fell upon the ring shining on her finger; Emrys ring, the one he’d tenderly kissed into place. "Emrys... She whispered, "Where are you?"
CHAPTER TWELVE
Plans
"The battle between you and the druid witch ten years ago was the strongest magick any of us have ever witnessed either then or since.” Cador said remembering the fierce battle, as the other men nodded bleakly, “We saw blinding flashes, back and forth between you and Nivane in the distance and I knew the moment when you began to weaken…” Cador continued, his eyes haunted with the memory, “But try as we might, we couldn't come to your aid, Nivane’s druid soldiers fought us back, many men fell to them that night — none knew how to fight against their dark powers.” He rubbed his hand over a jagged scar on his chin, "Most of the men had axes and clubs, some were fairly good archers, and a few had old broad swords that had belonged to their fathers from the battle of Camlann." Cador remembered sadly, “But none had training as soldiers, not that it would have helped against the druid's magick, most of the men were just farmers and fishermen. It was a slaughter, Emrys… fourteen men and boys lost their lives that terrible night.”
Emrys face was set in a grim line, "It wasn't your battle, Cador. You should have left me to my fate with Nivane.”
Blaise's fist abruptly pounded the table making the mugs jump and startling the men. He turned, facing Emrys, "Those men were honourable and you were one of them, a part of this village. They would never have left one of their own to such a fate and you know it. You'd have done the same if it had been any one of them against that witch. Their memories and sacrifice deserve more from you!" His anger subsided slightly, continuing in a softer tone, "You were never alone, Emrys. You secluded yourself in this crannog to study the arts, and science I began with you. You were... are loved here." He sat back down, his eyes focused on Emrys meaningfully.
Emrys nodded with regret, "I know, Blaise... You’re right, of course." He turned to Cador, "I'm sorry. I spoke only from guilt
that it was my actions that brought so many good men to their death at the hands of the druids."
"It's all right, Emrys." Cador reached out to grip Emrys shoulder, "I understand, you were young, talking about it must bring back painful memories. We all remember you courting Nivane, she was beautiful. I don't think any one of us could have withstood her attention if she'd favoured us. No one blames you, no one knew how dangerous she was or what she really was.” The other men nodded in agreement.
"I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I accept it and honour the sacrifice of those who fell that night and after.” Emrys held his fist over his heart as he bowed his head in respect.
"Raise your glass to the fallen!" Alun lifted his goblet as the other men followed suit.
"Our honour of those who were lost will be much better served in vanquishing the evil that has befallen their families since.” Anyon said quietly, "We have all lost someone to this scourge. Two of my children are missing. My wife took ill shortly after." His face, normally creased with lines of laughter, was haggard with grief. He sat back down, shoulders humped in misery, "I can think of at least a dozen families with similar losses. They will want to be a part of any retaliation against the dark druids."
"We will do what we can to help you and others who've suffered, Anyon. We will find a way to restore peace to our village and if possible, your children will be found." Emrys stood, briefly laying his hand on Anyon's shoulder, "I need to know what has happened since that battle, after I was taken." He smoothed the rough map of the valley before him.
"At first we were not sure it was the druids." Alun began, "Our crops, once rich and bountiful, became sparse." He pointed a finger to a corner of his land where his wheat had become too sparse to even harvest, he continued, "The lambs that survive are born small and weak. Most of our cows can’t seem to produce enough milk, even for their own calves, let alone for our uses. Then the sickness began about four years ago, it’s a strange malady that seems to have no cure. People just stopped..." He searched for the words to describe it, “stopped being themselves and just wasted away, wouldn't eat, wouldn't talk — just spent their last days looking off into nothingness." His eyes reflected the sadness he'd seen, "Finally, after weeks of not responding to anything or anyone, they'd stop breathing too. We've lost twelve people — good men and women, in the last four years alone.” Alun’s watery eyes looked sadly at Emrys, “Carwyn's sister too… She just faded, the colour in her skin, even her eyes changed; no life in them, and finally no life in her. I didn't think my Carwyn would recover from the loss." His eyes shadowed with loss, "We can't fight something like that…can we, Emrys?"
"We'll find a way, Alun, we will find answers.” He patted the old man’s hand reassuringly, looking at Blaise, "Do we know it’s the druids, could it be something else?”
Blaise shrugged, “It could be anything, but the evidence points strongly to the druids, whether or not they’re behind all the trouble with the crops and livestock is unclear as of yet. The village elders sent for me a fortnight ago. They found a sacrificial mound and runes in the forest, and…” His voice lowered, "Human remains… adults." He quickly added, as Anyon let out a breath of relief, "It is the dark druids, I recognised their symbol on the altar and their craft. Dark magick, darker than I've seen in many years, and I fear they’re gaining in numbers and power too. Perhaps some people have adopted an ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ sort of philosophy, I don’t know.” He picked up a sharpened piece of charcoal and drew a symbol, finished he slid the drawing across the table to Emrys.
Emrys looked at the sketch and frowned, looking up at Blaise's face, he asked, “Are you certain?"
"Yes, I found that rune etched into the sacrificial stone in the centre of the fairy ring." Blaise's inscrutable expression gave nothing away to the others around the table, “I believe it is Sidhe rune of procurement — an energy symbol."
Emrys nodded, agreeing with Blaise's interpretation. He rubbed his temple, trying to recall his obscured memory of his time in the Sidhe dimension. A powerful realm, he knew Fairy to be a zealously defended dimension. Ignoring the world of men in most instances, Fairy, or the Sidhe as they were often referred, kept to themselves except when humans interfered with the thin membrane that separated mankind from their dimension.
“To clarify, this rune was found etched into the stone altar at the centre of the fairy ring — is it possible the druids inadvertently stumbled onto the ring, or don't know it is there?" Emrys asked hopefully.
Blaise shook his head, "I doubt it. It would be too much of a coincidence given the purpose of the rune. If you recall, one of the only routes from our dimension into Sidhe is via a fairy ring."
Emrys turned to the other men to explain, "A fairy ring is a fungi organism with a root system that taps directly into natures power, a sort of tap into the Sidhe realm's strongest magick.”
Alun, Anyon and Cador nodded as one, but the expressions on their faces remained confused.
Emrys turned the map over so he could illustrate on the back, he quickly drew a rough sketch of a fairy ring, "At first glance, a fairy ring appears as no more than a circular bed of fungi — mushrooms." He explained, "But, what you can’t see from the mushroom caps above ground, is beneath the surface of the soil, there are a network of threadlike mycelia." Emrys indicated to the thin interconnecting lines he'd drawn between the mushroom caps, "So, as you can see, the ring is in fact a huge web of connected threads hidden in the soil — making it one giant organism just under the surface. It is this enormous, insentient life-form, that acts as a conduit into the dimension of fairy — tapping into the core of the Sidhe’s energy, and the most powerful nature magick known."
Alun face brightened, realisation dawning, "So, this 'nature magick' may account for the crop failures, and even the weakening herds?”
Emrys answered,"Yes, that may be so, and the other malady as well; the strange illness of malaise affecting perfectly normal people." He stood, his brow creased in thought.
As Emrys began to pace, a worrying thought came to him, he turned to Blaise, "A malaise of healthy people that results in a sickness that seems to suck the very life from them. That is the hallmark power wielded by a very powerful fairy, Blaise - Aine of Knockaine, the queen of all Sidhe in fact." He mused, "She can be a vengeful creature, and her most powerful magick is disrupting life forces... could the mysterious malaise be her doing?" Emrys paused, turning to look at Blaise questioningly.
"We cannot assume anything, Emrys. It seems unlikely that Aine would conspire with the druids. Although the druids and fairies are both protectors of nature, Aine would consider any humans, even those who practice druidry, far beneath even the lowliest fairy. In other words, what would be in it for her?" Blaise asked reasonably.
Emrys nodded, agreeing with Blaise's train of thought, "So either Aine doesn't know and the druids are stealing power from her realm, or she is consorting with them for reasons unknown."
Nodding, Blaise added, “I seriously doubt Aine would associate with the druids in any way. Think about it; why would she suddenly have become interested in the mundane human lives of human druids or villagers?" He reasoned, "But I agree with you, what I know of her magicks and the power of Sidhe, fits in with the symptoms of the people who have fallen ill, and the crops and animals too." Blaise scratched his head, “Perhaps what should worry us more, is Queen Aine may not know she is being used — the druids may be sourcing her power through instruction by your nemesis, Nivane or one of her high priests, and when Aine finds out...”
Emrys face was a grim mask, ”If your theory is true, you’d be right; we’d have a much bigger problem then we first thought.” He turned to explain to the other men, “If the druids, led by Nivane, are stealing Sidhe power, the Queen's retribution would be swift, and she wouldn't care if her aim was precise, she'd decimate a wide path to eliminate the threat to her kingdom." Emrys pushed the map towards Cador, "Where is the altar and ring?”
Cador tu
rned Emrys sketch over to reveal the map again, "Here." He said pointing to a glade near a cave, "We can go there in the morning, at first light. The darkness now belongs to the druids. I'd not risk lives unnecessarily." Cador stood up, "We should go, it is late and we'll need to leave at dawn to get to the glade early."
"I've secured a small company of the Kings soldiers to accompany us, we don't know what dangers we may face." Blaise added as he too stood.
Emrys walked with the men to the door, "You're right, Blaise. We need to be prepared to defend ourselves, although we shouldn't run into the druids early in the morning at this time of the moon's cycle."
Cador nodded in agreement, "First light, by my reckoning, is in about six hours time."
Enough time to get Anna home and secured before they left in the morning, Emrys thought as he opened the door, “Blaise, you're welcome to stay, I have a small fisherman's cottage next to Alun's. I'd have you stay here but Anna is in the guest room at the moment." Emrys gave his mentor and teacher a grateful hug, saying privately, "Thank you for coming to the aid of the village so quickly, it means so much to me."
The Dreamweaver Page 10
