The Dark Age (36 page)

‘So in answer to your question, “where am I now?”' he sat upright, ‘in angelology terms I would be known as
a master, as say the Master Buddha before he moved on in his journey toward awareness. This be the last level of consciousness where I may still function in a physical body. Beyond the understanding I have, there are only two higher realms of awareness that exist in the etheric world — Lordship and Godhood.'

‘The sixth and seventh planes …' Tory uttered, as she attempted to digest his story. ‘So what you're telling me is that you are a real, honest to god angel!'

‘Angel, deva, etheric world intelligence, whatever you want to call it; as is everyone and everything that has a soul, to differing degrees and polarities.'

Tory was fit to faint. ‘But how? Taliesin, you must have been human once, how did you become so aware?'

‘Well, to tell you the truth, it was a bit of an accident really, and a very long story …'

‘Please, Taliesin, I would love to know, if you are in any way disposed towards enlightening me,' Tory pleaded, using her big green eyes to her best advantage as she knelt down beside the fire.

‘Well, if you really want to hear it.' He reclined on the bed to tell his tale. ‘I've lived many different lives, just as you have, not consciously recalling one from another, until I was born in Britain, the son of Gwreang of Llanfair who named me Gwion Bach. This was about the same time the great Pyramid wars were taking place in Egypt, and here in Britain, it was a time of great sorcery, to be sure!'

‘But that was four thousand years ago! I didn't realise Britain was even populated then, by civilised folk anyway.'

‘Oh yes,' Taliesin assured her. ‘What of Stonehenge and the Glastonbury Zodic? Under the roads built by the Romans during their invasion, there are tracks dating back thousands and thousands of years. The Middle East was not the only area to which the Atlanteans fled,' he explained before returning to his story. ‘It was here in Gwynedd that I met a High Merlin, through whom I was eventually introduced to the great Goddess, Keridwen.'

‘Your mother?' Tory was confused already.

‘My spiritual mother. She transformed my consciousness and thus I was reborn and proclaimed my true name, Taliesin. Keridwen was once a guardian of Britain, as I am. I inherited the position, so to speak. And although she now resides in the Otherworld, she still sees and speaks through the more enlightened souls who remain here in the Middle Kingdoms.'

‘I don't understand. What do you mean when you say Keridwen transformed your consciousness?'

‘Ahh well, that's where the mistake comes in. You see, I was assisting in an experiment, the creation of a brew of knowledge that was intended for her son. Keridwen had many children, two of which were twins, a boy and a girl as it happens. Her daughter, Creirwy, was a raving beauty, intelligent and perfect in every way.'

‘But he was just the opposite, right?'

‘Right. Monfan, which meant great cow, was nicknamed Afagddu, meaning utter darkness.'

Tory burst into laughter, but her expression reflected disgust. ‘Didn't have much of a chance either way, did he?'

‘Not really, no. He was so ugly that no man would fight him at the battle of Camlann, mistakenly thinking he was the devil. Hence with her brew, Keridwen sought to make Monfan wise, to overcome his other more obvious disadvantages.'

‘You didn't drink it, Taliesin?'

‘No, but just as the cauldron had almost burnt dry, after a year and a day of careful tending and stirring, one drop of the three that remained accidentally splashed on my hand, and I was rushed by waves of knowledge for which I was totally unprepared. Needless to say, Keridwen's potion was ruined.'

‘She must have been furious,' Tory said, fascinated. ‘What did you do?'

‘What did I do? I changed into a hare and fled as fast as I could.'

‘Can you really change form?'

‘Even Maelgwn could change form when he was a child, and was well practised at it. I learnt the craft from a High Merlin way back in the early days of my youth as Gwion Bach. In any case, I needn't have bothered. Keridwen caught up with me in no time.' Taliesin came to sit by the fire with Tory. ‘The Goddess knew it hadn't really been my fault, yet I did pose a problem. A soul mind as naive as mine was then wasn't ready for the wealth of knowledge that had been bestowed on it. I became, as most who delve into mysteries and powers beyond their understanding, prone to be led astray by negative or dark forces, like Mahaud, for example.'

‘Mahaud!'

‘Yes, but I shall speak of her another day,' Taliesin said quickly, as they had already moved too far from what he'd really come to say.

‘So how did Keridwen expect her son could cope with all this knowledge?'

‘She intended to mould him over the years, and was not so inclined towards awarding me such time and attention. Yet, she did not want to waste the knowledge I had gained. What happened next is hard to explain. She swallowed my soul, and it was how it might feel to you when she takes over your body: purifying, exhilarating, enlightening! She stayed at one with me for nine months.'

‘You must have been completely wiped out.'

‘Well I was! When I emerged from the daze I was unrecognisable and remembered little. I was sent as a bard to the court and service of Elffin, a distant ascendant of Maelgwn's great grandfather. The rest is history really. In time, I discovered that I had transcended death. I was free to explore all the realms of time and space, those to which one can transport a physical form, that is. I'll grant that the thought of being immortal, free from disease and death for all time, was rather daunting at first. Until I discovered that it was just one simple step in many during my soul mind's evolution.'

Tory leant back against a chair, her brain on overload. ‘Is there a reason why you're telling me all this now?'

‘Yes there is,' he confessed, not feeling as eager to be out with it now.

Tory closed her eyes, already knowing what Taliesin was about to say. ‘I knew it, I should have died at Arwystli.'

‘Indeed.'

‘So I'm immortal, am I!' She scoffed at the notion.

‘Haven't you noticed that your body is no longer scarred or blemished, and all those aches and pains you used to have are gone?'

Tory couldn't dispute this. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know anymore, but she had to ask, ‘How, Taliesin?'

‘An immortality potion of the ancients. I have been saving it for eons.'

Now Tory really was confused. ‘Well why didn't you just give the potion to Sorcha when she was dying? It would have saved you all this trouble?'

Taliesin was somewhat disconcerted by the question. Tory sensed this and what's more, he detected her doing so. ‘It wasn't meant for Sorcha, the ancients intended it for you.'

‘But why me? Are the Gods following the development of everyone on this planet as closely as they have apparently been following mine?'

‘Yes they are, as a matter of fact.' He bowed his head to confess what he must. ‘I have been deceiving you, Tory Alexander.'

Tory was taken aback, as a white light began to exude from his body and a transformation began. She stopped breathing as the Merlin's hair, skin colour and very form changed before her eyes. Staring back at her was a totally different man.

‘Teo.' Tory beheld her
sensei
of many years. He was, besides Maelgwn, the only man she'd ever slept with. ‘God, no.' She rose to her feet, scared of the feelings the sight of him aroused in her. ‘It isn't true.'

‘Tory, be calm.'

But she turned away, not wanting to look into those dark eyes so full of reason. Unfortunately, Teo had a body and face that would shame Adonis. His long dark hair fell in a braid to his waist and his smooth olive skin had never known a blemish.

‘I knew he was too perfect to be real,' she exclaimed.

‘This is how I appeared when I was Gwion Bach. Teo was one of my earthly incarnations, long before I ever met with Keridwen. What I felt and did when I was Teo was very real, to me anyway.'

She raised her hands to block her ears, for it was Teo's voice also. ‘So why the disguise? Why did you allow me to fall in love with Maelgwn, if you only intended to haunt me thus? Or is this your revenge for my decision, when it was you who served me the ultimatum?' Tory burst into tears.

Taliesin took hold of her arms, his energy calming her at once. ‘Listen to me, I did not assume this form to deceive you. With all my travels through time I found a disguise necessary. I have bumped into many of my past-life incarnations in different periods of history, and it saved me from being confused with them, or giving them heart failure upon meeting themselves. Maelgwn is your destiny, I know that now. Please believe I am beyond the concept of earthly love, as you and
Maelgwn know it. I flourish, as do we all, on the pure energy your devotion for each other creates. The last thing in the world I wish to do is to divide you.'

‘I did love you, Teo. I remember everything you taught me.' She drew enough courage to reach out and hold his face. ‘I always thought you had the makings of an angel, and now you are.'

‘See, you made the right decision after all. If you'd stayed with Teo, you wouldn't have ended up here.' He let her go and took a few steps back, resuming his normal form. ‘I can be of much greater assistance to you now than I could ever have been then.'

‘You are. I want you to know that, no matter how I do challenge you at times.'

‘I know.' He put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze of assurance as he led her back to the fire.

‘You still haven't explained why the Gods chose me.'

‘Why do they choose anyone?' he answered. ‘All shall be made clear to you in time. As I have had to seek my own truths, so must you seek yours.'

Tory resumed her seat on the large floor cushions, with Taliesin beside her, finding his reason of no comfort. ‘Well how are we going to break this to Maelgwn?'

‘A good question, but you must decide the answer on your own, I'm afraid. Although, I will say this, if you wish it, Maelgwn and indeed all around you may witness you age gradually. You can appear to be whatever image you choose to project, as I do. You shall simply outlive everyone and move onto new realms and
adventures. But you won't have to die in between, and you won't lose track of your accumulated knowledge.'

‘I will see everybody die.' Tory was saddened by the thought.

‘And reborn again.'

She tried to comprehend his words, but the concept was too overwhelming to cope with in a second. ‘You will always be here?' she asked, seeking some sort of stronghold in the universe she now seemed lost in.

‘For some time yet.'

Tory exhaled deeply and her thoughts turned back to the King; this was a tough one. ‘I have always been honest with Maelgwn. But I dare say, if he finds out you were an old flame, past incarnation or no, we'd have Buckley's chance of you ever being allowed to teach me anything.'

‘Now did I say anything about instructing you?'

‘Come on, Taliesin. I may be naive but I'm not stupid. Isn't that what this is all about? You'll want to move on eventually, as Keridwen did, and seek another to take your place.'

Taliesin didn't have to confirm her query, as his grin gave him away. ‘Perhaps that is the way of it, but only time will tell.'

Tory and Taliesin talked well into the evening before he bid her farewell. The High Merlin still had much work to do before summer solstice, when he would attempt to send Tory home. Taliesin swore he would return with Selwyn before Beltaine, May first, to celebrate the feast of the Goddess, and indeed his own birthday, with all at Aberffraw.

As predicted, Brockwell, Tiernan and Vortipor returned to Aberffraw within the month, eager to resume their training and the company of their close circle of friends.

The winter cold was well upon the isle, isolating it from the treachery and strife of the outside world. Those staying at the castle were more than thankful for the time to recuperate; their peaceful interlude would span near one third of a year.

B
y spring the snow had passed and torrential rain had transformed the pure white fields into dirty brown puddles of sludge. It wasn't until late April that the sun really burst through the clouds, awakening the land from its sleep. With the days growing longer, farmers began ploughing their fields, and the animals were freed from their winter confinement. Trees and flowers were budding, and it seemed the whole land was crying out for joy in the warmth of the sun's rays.

The soldiers who'd left Aberffraw for the cold spell, now returned to their posts. Lady Gladys and the young Earl of Penmon arrived back earlier than expected. The suspense of waiting to hear what had happened at the castle over the cold seasons had become too much to bear. Bryce was particularly eager to get back to all the action, and had been so for months. Lady Gladys was overjoyed to learn of Calin's intent to wed Lady Katren,
and the old schemer acted completely surprised when he told her. But when Calin sprang on her the news of his Princedom, the old lady became so excited, she fainted. When she was revived the courtiers all teased her by threatening not to tell her the rest of their news as they feared it might be fatal.

Bryce could hardly contain himself when he learnt he was to be a prince, and was addressing Calin as father by the end of lunch. Likewise, the child was thrilled to know that Lady Katren would soon be his mother. He had wished for nothing more since the day they'd first met, and quite openly stated as much. The young Earl of Penmon, unlike his father, had no problem expressing his emotions.

Jenovefa and Rhys introduced Lady Gladys to their new son, Gawain, and she eagerly embraced him.

Amidst all the stories of creatures, sorcery, villains and battles that were being sprung on the wide-eyed boy and his grandmother, Cara and Vortipor brought the whole room to silence with the announcement of their engagement.

Vortipor apologised for having to steal such a lovely lady from the household at Aberffraw, but he could not bring himself to leave without her. The couple planned to leave for Dyfed before Beltaine, also wanting to wed on the feast of the Mother Goddess, but in accordance with the traditions of the Desi Clan. King Maelgwn congratulated his friend, expressing his heartfelt disappointment they would not be able to attend, with Calin and Katren's wedding the same day in Gwynedd. Vortipor understood and promised he would stay with
them until after Calin's inauguration, two weeks hence.

 

In the short time that was left of their winter training, the masters began to practise in the wide open spaces. Tory held kata on the beach, which was quite a spectacle for the locals. Stories of the masters' escapades had spread throughout the land over the long cold months. Common folk and soldiers alike had begun to gather at dawn to observe the band as they practised the art of the Goddess. Within a few days, Tory noticed that some of the onlookers were trying to grasp the movements, especially the children.

This pleased her very much, as the work on their school was nearly complete, and it was obvious that the youngsters would take to the training as ardently as had Bryce. Alma was appointed to instruct the local children in self-defence and meditation over the warm seasons. Angus was training the men at Aberffraw, so the pair could still work together.

The female hall was only weeks away from opening — Old Hetty's girls and the young maidens throughout the kingdom would be able to take up residence after Beltaine. Ione would be their instructor. She was to sort out the warriors from those who were more domestically inclined, and thus develop the girls' individual interests and talents. The maidens who opted for domestic training would be assigned to Lady Gladys and the head maid, Drusilla, for some of their instruction, but all would be taught basic self-defence.

Ione was now enjoying a vastly different lifestyle and outlook. She strutted around dressed like a man, as did the Queen more often than not, her sword at her hip and her head held high. Men who had once abused and looked down on her, now praised and adored her, for she was the woman who had defeated Ossa, Warlord of the Saxons, in armed combat. This was a formidable triumph for any warrior. So Ione, who claimed to be totally disinterested in men, had more suitors than she knew what to do with, though Tiernan wasn't one of them. The gift of speech didn't seem to make it any easier to express her true feelings; after eleven years without words, they did not come easy.

The other masters were basking in the notoriety, as everywhere they went people stood in awe of the uniform bearing the Dragon. No one could understand how such a small group of knights, half of which were women, could seize a whole kingdom. It was said the divine was upon the order and thus everyone wanted to be part of it.

Grading was held two days before Calin's inauguration, and all the students managed to achieve a whole grade this time. The masters could now wear their uniforms of black, for they departed the room as teachers, until next autumn when they would again return to Aberffraw to resume their training.

 

The males of the household at Aberffraw were joined by the knights and landowners of Gwynedd, as well as the heads of State and noblemen of Powys, to bear witness to Prince Brockwell's inauguration. King Catulus of Dumnonia had made the trip especially and brought
with him old King Caninus of Gwent Is Coed, who hoped to gain a further insight into the ways of his ancestors.

Tory waited patiently for Katren to wish Calin farewell. By the time she did finally part with him, some of the men had already begun to leave. As Calin ran to his mount, Tory called after him, ‘Calin wait.'

He paused, one foot already in the stirrup. ‘Majesty please, I shall never get out of here.'

Tory ran to catch him up, pulling out from behind her back Brian's leather jacket. ‘I just wanted to give thee this, for good luck.'

Calin was truly touched and took hold of the jacket as if it were a great treasure. ‘But this was thy brother's, all thou hast to remember him by.'

‘I have thee,' she proffered assuredly. ‘Besides, it was Brian's lucky jacket. Saved his butt so many times thee would not believe! Take it, it belongs to thee.'

Calin removed his woollen cape and pulled on the jacket, which fitted him perfectly. ‘This be truly remarkable,' he exclaimed, as he admired the workmanship.

‘It will help to keep the rain out, too,' Tory informed him with a pat on the back. ‘Good luck on thy quest bro, though I know thee will not need it.'

‘Many thanks.' Calin unexpectedly hugged her tight. ‘I do love thee, Tory,' he whispered.

She pulled away from him, rolling her eyes that were now moist with tears. ‘Men!'

They both laughed and with another embrace, Calin finally mounted his horse.

‘I shall see thee soon.' Tory held out her hand for a high-five in parting.

Calin slapped it. ‘Count on it.' He dug in his heels and was away after the others.

No sooner had the last man departed, than Tory found Jenovefa at her side. ‘Majesty, I have had the most wonderful idea.'

‘And what might that be?' inquired Tory, as if she couldn't guess.

‘Well, as the men will be gone for the next few days, and I am much recovered from Gawain's birth, I thought that perhaps I could train with thee and the other girls, just to see how I fare.' Her large eyes that looked up at Tory were so filled with ardour that the Queen could hardly say no.

‘Thou hast discussed this with Rhys?'

‘Nay,' Jenovefa replied, disappointed. ‘Not since before the birth, and then he refused to so much as consider it. But, Majesty, thee said …'

‘I know what I said. It be your choice, Jenovefa, and I will train thee. But thou must take responsibility for thy own decisions, speak up for thyself. And if thy husband does not like it … then … then, I shall talk to him,' Tory resolved, knowing she was destined to get the blame anyway.

Jenovefa was so ecstatic that she hugged the Queen. ‘Oh how can I thank thee, Majesty?'

‘Talk to thy husband.'

‘I will Majesty, I promise. As soon as he returns.' Her excitement waned a little. ‘Still I fear his response will be the same.'

‘We will see.' Tory seemed so confident that Jenovefa's spirits lifted, and she escorted the Queen to the gym.

 

To prove his worth, Calin was sent on an errand to Dalriada, lower Scotland, to see a man by the name of Fergus MacErc who had arrived in Dalriada from Scotta (Ireland), only a decade before. He had established his dynasty at Dunadd with the aid of a mere one hundred and fifty men and his two brothers, Loarn and Aengus. Although the MacErc clan had yet to come to power, it was known to the Goddess that every great Scottish king would be derived from their seed.

The task assigned to Brockwell by the Goddess proved not so daunting as first expected. The leader turned out to be an old ally of Vortipor's kindred, and thus the protector of Dyfed had written a letter of favour sealed with the mark of the Desi. With this letter and a copy of the pact, which now also encompassed Powys, Brockwell climbed upon the griffin and flew off into the sunrise. He was to deliver a message from the Goddess to the Clan MacErc. The message was a warning and pertained to the fate of their descendants and of Dalriada, if they did not heed her call. For as history stood, the Scots, as they were to be known, would spend the next five hundred years trying to establish their kingdom while fending off Viking, Anglo-Saxon and Norman raiders, to whom they would eventually lose not only Dalriada, but their homeland of Scotia as well. Brockwell was to inform the MacErc of the victories the pact had already won and invite the
leaders of the clan to the next meeting of the alliance, to be held in the middle of the month-long festival of Lughnasa, at Arwystli in Powys.

 

The inauguration party arrived back from Llyn Cerrig Bach two days later to feast and await Brockwell's return.

Selwyn accompanied the men back from the temple ruins, where he'd assisted Taliesin in performing the initiation rites. The young musician was truly beginning to look like a bard after spending the winter with the High Merlin. He had a kind of windswept and mysterious look about him, and he appeared not at all like the boy who'd left Aberffraw less than six months before. Selwyn rode back into town on a handsome white horse, his mule lugging his harp and other possessions behind him.

Not in the mood for feasting with a bunch of guys still tripping out on one of Taliesin's concoctions, Tory suggested to Selwyn that they sneak away to her chambers where it was quieter and they could talk in peace. Maelgwn joined them by the fire for a time, and Tory was gratified to see that the King no longer addressed Selwyn in the manner he had when the boy was his page.

Selwyn marked the change also as he excitedly conveyed to Maelgwn the tales of his adventures inside the Merlin's labyrinth. For the first time, His Royal Highness was listening with interest to the boy's words, laughing in delight and recognition at his stories.

Maelgwn had never known anyone, apart from himself and his mother, whom the Merlin had taken
under his wing, and he understood all too well the standards that Taliesin expected. If the High Merlin was tutoring Selwyn in the mysteries, the boy must be a fine scholar indeed and no doubt had an important role in Taliesin's scheme.

Maelgwn had acquired another young page to order about in Selwyn's stead. He went by the name of Tadgh, and had served Sir Gilmore before his untimely death. Tadgh seemed too light-hearted to succeed as either a scholar or a soldier, as he was more like a court jester. He was frightfully amusing at times, very polite and entirely trustworthy. Still, the King was disappointed that his new page was not musically inclined like Selwyn. He'd been trying to ignore the humour of his new aspirant, but Tadgh was proving far too likeable. He was determined to win the King's favour and no matter how short Maelgwn's tether, Tadgh kept his good spirits and employed a quick wit. A little smaller than Selwyn and of slight build, Tadgh was aged four and ten. He had waves of thick dark brown hair that fell to his shoulders, green eyes, rosy red cheeks, and was of a fair complexion.

The page was pouring mead while Tory and Maelgwn listened intently to Selwyn tell the tale of how he'd come by his horse. But the enchanting anecdote was cut short by an impatient pounding on the door.

‘Please, make haste if thy matter be so pressing,' Maelgwn instructed, not really wishing to be disturbed.

Sir Rhys entered holding a hand over one eye, and he appeared extremely angry as he stormed towards
them. ‘I am sorry to disturb thee, Majesty.' The knight was so enraged that he had to grit his teeth to articulate his words. ‘But I demand to know what thy Queen hast done to my wife?'

The King remained seated as he addressed his knight, sounding not in the least bit bothered by Rhys' foul mood. ‘Something vexes thee?'

Rhys' hand half covered his face, as he turned to the Queen. ‘Why be my wife practising mastery techniques in our chamber? She near took my eye out when I entered.' Rhys divulged his afflicted eye, which was inflamed and beginning to darken to a bruise.

The King couldn't refrain from laughter, and Tory, Selwyn, and even Tadgh collapsed into hysterics.

‘This be no laughing matter,' Rhys beseeched them, indignant. ‘Jenovefa was perfectly content to be my wife before she met thee, Your Majesty. To love and obey, that be what our vows stated. Thus, I
forbid
her to train under thee.'

Maelgwn felt Tory's patience snap and he rose to intervene if necessary.

‘Then I shall divorce thee.'

They all turned to find Jenovefa standing in the doorway.

‘Better a life without love, than a life without freedom,' she resolved, solemnly.

‘I thought I told thee to wait in our room.' Rhys moved to physically remove her.

‘Art thou not listening! I shall leave thee, Rhys, and then thee will have no say in what I do.' She avoided him and made haste to the side of the Queen.