by Heidi Hanley
“One more hunting trip, Silas? I expect Cailleach could use whatever we can find.”
“Good idea,” he agreed, picking up his bow and quiver.
After the two had gone, Cailleach invited Briana to join her by the fire. Briana was just getting cozy when Cailleach spoke, not breaking stride with the rocking of her chair.
“Tread carefully with Silas, Briana.” When Briana didn’t respond, she continued, “He’s a bonny lad for certain and anyone with one eye for seeing could tell you have feelings for him. Seems he has some for you, too. But it cannot be, and it’s best to push those feelings aside while you still can.”
Quickly weighing possible responses, Briana chose honesty. “Have you ever been in love, Cailleach?”
“Aye, I have.”
“Then you know how impossible that advice is.”
The witch studied the young woman. “Is this the first time you’ve been in love, lass?”
Briana nodded, looking at the fire.
“Then you don’t know what’s possible. I know it seems unthinkable right now, but for his sake and yours, as well as for Uisneach, you must try and train your thoughts to what your destiny has chosen for you. Trust me, if you don’t, your hearts will be destroyed by what you cannot have.”
When Briana didn’t respond, she continued, “Do you know that I have a sister? Ah, you do know from the history, of course. What you don’t know is that we haven’t spoken to each other since we were young women and fell in love with the same man.”
The witch leaned back in the rocker, but held Briana’s gaze. “Borrum was a druid from the Dromdara line. He was handsome, strong and powerful. I adored him. We were inseparable, and I thought we would be wed the fall of that year. I went away to Uisneach to study for several months. After I returned, I went foraging at the river one day and found Borrum and Ealga in a passionate embrace and kissing. They’d fallen in love while I was gone. I felt betrayed and wouldn’t speak to either of them. Borrum left our village, hoping his absence would help heal the wound between me and my sister. Shortly thereafter, he was killed by a rare bear attack.
“I blamed Ealga and eventually she left, too. We never saw each other again. Impossible love has caused me years of heartache. I do not wish that upon anyone, least of all you. You and Silas are not meant for each other and you must let him go.”
Briana’s heart ached for Cailleach and her sister. “Is there no hope of reconciliation between you and Ealga?”
“I don’t know. We’ve lived separate lives for so long.”
“You just said nothing is impossible, Cailleach. You’re right. The very fact that I’m sitting here having this conversation with you points to that fact.”
“I am old, Briana, and thought I’d experienced everything I must to move on from this life. Perhaps I have not. Separation was a steep price to pay for loving deep enough to be hurt, but not deep enough to forgive.” She sighed. “I suppose I must find a way to forgive my sister.”
Briana smiled and took her hand. “As to Silas and me, I have to tell you, I don’t agree that we are not meant for each other.”
She told the witch about her resistance to any romantic affairs back home, that sense of longing she’d always had, and even the red archer figurine. “Why would Silas be the answer to all that, if we weren’t meant for each other?”
After a few moments of thought, Cailleach shook her head. “I don’t know, but I do know you must marry King Brath and that means you cannot have a relationship with Silas. It really is that simple.”
“Silas said we could be killed for it.”
“He’s right, and I’m relieved to hear that he’s at least thought about that.”
Her tranquility shattered, Briana struggled to get through the rest of the afternoon. Hours passed. When the men failed to return for supper, she and Cailleach ate without them. Cailleach spent the evening knitting while Briana read aloud from The Book of Leaves.
Briana yawned and closed the book. “I guess Sigel and Silas aren’t coming back tonight.”
“They probably decided to camp out and hunt again in the morning.” Cailleach rose and smoored the fire.
“I guess I’ll go to bed. Good night, Cailleach,” she said, patting Dara’s head as she walked by.
“Good night, lass.”
The cabin was dark and silent, the night held together by Cailleach’s rhythmic breathing. Restless, Briana puttered around her room until there was nothing more to putter at. She snuffed out the candle and went to sit by the window. Moonlight illuminated parts of the forest not cloaked in shadow. It didn’t take her long to spot the minstrel sitting under the tree, strumming his guitar and singing softly to himself. Her heart ached. Was he singing about her? A tragedy about a handsome man and a beautiful girl, who, having fallen in love, were held apart by an evil king? She instantly regretted the thought. By all accounts Brath was handsome, kind and beloved by his subjects, a good man and fine monarch. This was no forced marriage; she had accepted her part in this prophecy. Yet, her heart couldn’t help thinking all the things young thwarted lovers think when the object of their heart’s desire is unattainable.
Silas raised his head to the window and their eyes met. Time stopped. Attraction, which in daylight must be hidden, was communicated across the land separating them. She prayed this moment would never end, but even as she wished it, he stood, and with one last look of longing that would stay in her heart forever, silently moved into the dark interior of the forest.
Briana fell into a troubled sleep, haunted by the face in the tree, which was telling her to wake up. She did wake, and in a haze, rose and went to the map, unrolling it on the bed. The tree and the face now had a greenish iridescence hovering over them. Emerald spiraled up from the center of the map and found its way to bare inches in front of Briana before moving away, compelling her to follow. Quickly donning her dress and boots, she followed the ethereal entity. Tiptoeing down the stairs, she walked past Dara, who lifted his head and then stood to chaperone her. Trying to stop him would be futile, so she let him come.
The green spiral led her out of the cabin and into the woods. She followed it, with no concern or caution, in spite of Shamwa’s men camped not so far away; she could feel the shielding of forest magic. The forest was eerily lit by the quarter moon and unnervingly hushed. Owls and insects alike seemed to be on alert to what was unfolding in their home. Woman and dog moved deeper into the forest to the waterfall and down the brook past where she and Silas had spent the afternoon fishing. She paused, lingering on the pleasant memory. Urged on by the green wraith, she eventually came to an ancient yew forest, the trees’ enormous, gnarly trunks and roots spreading out around the massive standing stones placed in a circle. By druids? The brook meandered around the ancient rocks, its musical tinkle adding to the spell of this sacred grove, leading her to the tree she had come to be with. This magnificent ash towered majestically through the canopy created by the yews, made more mystical by the moon’s light through the leaves. Dara whined and lay down. Tentatively, Briana approached the ash tree. A beautiful face peered out of its trunk. Musical chimes emanated from within it. All was bathed in green light. The tree began to tremble and open, allowing the dryad to emerge slowly, separating herself from the trunk. Briana waited, suspended in the moment, breathing in the essence of the creature.
“Hello, Mouse,” the dryad said, in an earthy voice that Briana wasn’t certain was actually audible.
“Briana,” she corrected automatically, then realizing her rudeness, Briana quickly apologized.
The beautiful female spirit had a laugh like bells. “Briana it is. You may call me Nionon.” Now fully formed, she was glorious. Tall and slender, with smooth nut-brown skin and streaming pale golden hair and her branchlike limbs swaying gently around her, she seemed both human and arboreal. Raw, pulsing energy drew Briana into her goddess embrace.
“Is this the Uisneach Tree?” Briana asked, conscious of the peculiarity of the circumstanc
es, yet feeling no insecurity or confusion, only awe.
“Indeed it is, the heart and soul of Uisneach. I am its guardian.”
“Could I travel through this tree back to where I came from, like I did with the oak?”
“I don’t know, but would you wish to?”
It was a good question. The dryad gave her time to consider.
“No, I don’t want to go back. I can’t believe I’m saying that. I miss my mother terribly, but this is my home now.” Acceptance strengthened her and she asked, “Why did you call me here?”
Nionon’s hair danced gracefully about her body. “You’re about to embark on an important expedition, one that will challenge you in every way a human being can be tested. I may be able to help prepare you for the journey.”
“How?”
“First, we must talk of magic. You’re learning that you have some unusual gifts.”
“Like talking to animals, manipulating elements and…”
“Mind-reading?”
Briana’s eyes went wide. How does she know that? She was considering how much to admit when Nionon continued. “Cailleach is a good teacher of the elementals and you are learning quickly. Being proficient is critical to your journey. It may well save lives. Keep studying, keep practicing.”
Briana nodded, having heard this before.
“I imagine realizing that you could talk to animals was shocking.”
“Cailleach believes I have faerie magic. Is that true?”
“It is,” the dryad said cheerfully. “You have that blood in your veins. Your heritage is a key to the reason you are the Mouse of Prophecy. I suspect the faeries will come to you soon and explain this further. What I can tell you is that you are vital to the future of this kingdom. You are the rightful Queen of Uisneach, and its survival depends on you. It’s a responsibility you’ll need to accept if you are to continue on this journey.
“That leaves the question of the connection you and Silas feel for each other.”
Briana groaned. If one more person told her how wrong they were for each other, she’d scream.
“This may be difficult to understand, but the reason you and Silas feel so strongly toward one another is because you share the same soul. That’s why you can communicate without words.”
Not what I was expecting to hear, Briana thought, flinching as a chill rippled through her. And yet…”So, are you saying we’re soulmates?”
“Not exactly. It goes deeper than that. Any two people can feel the kindred spirit of two separate souls, but only rarely do two people come together who share a single soul. You feel like you loved Silas the first time you saw him.”
“Before that, even,” Briana said.
The dryad nodded in understanding. “I have been, in one form or another, with this forest since the dawn of time. And so have you and Silas. Everyone has. We are one with its ever-changing life force. You are eternal and have traveled the Wheel of Life many times, your body regenerated, like the seasons.
“You and Silas are, and have been, inseparable throughout time. Now, you’ve come together for a specific purpose, to share a difficult path that requires tremendous forfeit. In this season, Briana, you hold the key to balancing the Great Wheel. To do that, you will experience both abiding love and terrible sorrow. Loss and gain. Giving and receiving.
“But you are living the dance, dearest, creating with every moment new alchemy, new life, and new opportunities. You have many partners in the dance. Silas is only one of them, with his own destiny to fulfill. This is only one moment in a long migration of your soul. If you both stay true to the path, I can promise that you will create an enchantment so strong no one can ever harm either of you or Uisneach. Perhaps that knowledge will make your way less painful.
“You must live in the moment while remembering it is only one of many, leading to something more important than a single day or a particular opportunity. Imagine a weaver weaving a tapestry. So many threads must go into the creation. Without every single one, the design would be incomplete. You, everyone you love, and even some you don’t, such as Lord Shamwa, are threads in this tapestry.”
“How do I stop these feelings for Silas?”
“You don’t. You must become more aware of what your soul knows: you and Silas live as one, for all eternity. Sometimes as lovers, sometimes as friends, and sometimes as partners serving a higher, holy purpose. That will help you sort out the perdition of your heart.”
“But how?”
“Through love, Briana. Love of not just one person, but love of all. There are so, so many ways to love. The best decisions you can make will be based on the love of everyone and everything in Uisneach, not just you and Silas, and not just in the physical sense. Remember, if Uisneach fails, then there’s nothing for you and the bard in this world. Nothing for anyone. You will constantly be called upon to trust in something beyond yourself and your desires in each moment.”
“It’s a lot to ask of a person.”
The dryad acknowledged this with a slight dip of her head. “Knowing all of this, you must choose between acting for personal happiness or the good of an entire kingdom.”
The dryad gave her time to battle conflicting desires and emotions. Finally, Briana raised determined eyes to Nionon. “I doubt I fully understand what I’m giving up, but, yes, I believe I came through that tree for a reason, and I must honor my role no matter how much it hurts.”
The dryad smiled. “I will not lie to you, Briana. What you’ve been through so far is nothing compared to what awaits you. Grave danger and staggering amounts of loss and grief are ahead. You must understand that when you leave this grove, but also know you have a good many gifted and powerful beings looking out for you. Cailleach has helped you, but she is not the only one.”
“The crow.”
The dryad nodded. “For one, yes. Lord Sigel is another. He may end up closer to you than anyone, in the end. Even King Brath will have something to teach you, something that will enhance your soul’s growth. Many surprising new friendships and relationships will develop that are meant to help you mature. Be open to the wonder and joy of it, dearest. Perhaps destiny will not seem such an enemy in the end.”
It seemed every leaf, nut and drop of water in the forest acknowledged Briana’s decision and offered her their loving embrace, bringing a momentary sense of peace.
“One more thing, Briana. Do you see that stone?” Nionon pointed to the largest standing stone, a gray slab at least ten feet high and half as wide, that stood like a sentinel on a small hill. “Go to it and receive its gift. This will be your own source of protection and magic.”
Briana walked to the stone, its vitality washing in waves over her the closer she got. The forest seemed to pulsate with life, making her dizzy. Laying a hand on the rock to steady herself only strengthened her connection to the stone. She feared she’d be pulled in. She cried out, jerking away as the surface began to shift. A sword emerged, the likes of which she had never seen, and slid into her hand. The emerald light in the forest intensified. A bolt of lightning struck the granite stave. She cried out, then realized she wasn’t hurt. The forest seemed to wrap itself around her as she held the magnificent weapon in her hands, the metal gleaming in the moonlight. Powerful energy moved back and forth between her and the sword. Much larger and heavier than the sword she’d been using, it was not only an impressive weapon, but a work of art, with intricate carvings of the history of Uisneach along its blade. On its point, a faerie tree, then higher, the harbor at Cedarmara with its mighty sailing ships, and faeries dancing in Evalon. Near the hilt was an image of a great castle. Projecting slightly above the center of the pommel was a relief carving of the Uisneach Tree and a mouse. She sucked in her breath.
The dryad now stood next to her.
“It’s beautiful,” Briana said, faintly.
“It is yours, Briana. Once named, it will become a part of you. No one else will ever be able to use its magic.”
Closing her eye
s, Briana felt its magic surge through her, and thought of all the Celtic stories she’d read in her life. The one legend that had always resonated with her was about Nuada, the first king of the Tuatha De’ Danann, a brave and just king who led the old ones into battle against the Fir Bolg. When he lost his hand in battle and it seemed he would be king no more, his physician created a silver hand to replace the missing one. Nuada resumed the throne for many years. His perseverance and dedication to his people was legendary.
Briana turned to the dryad, lifted the sword above her head with both hands and declared, “I thank Maker for this gift and bestow upon it the name of Nuada!”
The dryad smiled, and Briana felt her slipping back into the tree. “Oh, don’t go, Nionon.”
“I must and so must you, Briana. You may never have imagined yourself doing what you are about to do, but you will be triumphant. You must learn though, how to protect not only your people, but your own heart. If you cannot do that, your heart will destroy you and bring an end to Uisneach.”
“I won’t fail,” she promised, unsure how she would safeguard both Uisneach and her heart.
The dryad settled into her resting place as she wished Briana Makerspeed, and became once again a part of the tree, her beautiful face the only thing Briana could see in the bark.
The green light began to recede from the forest and with it waned Briana’s strength. She knelt on the grass next to the Uisneach Tree, helpless. Dara came to her side and laid his nose and paw on her back. Normal noises returned to the forest, the hooting of an owl, scuffing of tiny paws through ground clutter, a slight breeze through the trees and the addition of one unexpected sound: footsteps. All she could do was whimper.
“It’s all right a mhuirnin, I have you. I’ll see you safely home.”
“Silas,” she moaned. “How did you… did you see…”
“Aye, I saw and I heard. Perhaps the message was for me as well, aye? We don’t need to talk now, mo chroi. It can wait.” He pulled heavy twine from his bag, tied Nuada to her side and picked her up in his arms.
