Training Day

Ama found herself showing off her newfound magical talent that evening at dinner. Mae’s hem caught on the door and her skirt tore. Hungry and tired from a long day of training, she let out an exasperated sigh and started to leave to get proper clothes. Ama stopped her, and with a twinkle in her eye said, “Watch this!” She took the torn fabric into her right hand, placed her left on top, and started to sing a soft, lilting melody. Mae’s eyes widened when she saw the rune on the back of Ama’s hand start to glow. “Thank you, Ama! How? Where did you…” Mae stammered. Ama and Jon high-fived each other and walked on in to be seated. Mae stood looking confused for a minute and then followed them in.

Dinner was less of a regal affair this evening. Everyone was largely exhausted from learning the lore and practices of Rhiannon. Well, everyone who had passed the Scrutinies. Ama and Jon were not admitted to them so found their own way to pass the day. Kymeth and Rae both passed and began learning what was appropriate for Initiated to know. Mae was presented for scrutiny and a hawk appeared out of nowhere and alighted on her as she stepped forward. The godtalkers all understood it to be a mark of favor and she was immediately separated for deeper communing.

Katrin, on the other hand, received a much different welcome. As she was presented, clouds gathered and obscured the sun so much that it became as twilight. The horses nearby bowed their heads and looked away. This sign was understood by all without any interpretation needed. Katrin found herself standing alone as the godtalkers left her without saying a word. They only shook their heads. Confused, she walked into the woods and began to cry.

“So, you like to cry alone in the woods, do you? I guess its as fine a place as any to cry alone in. Why, sometimes I’ll find meself crying alone in a pub somewhere with five or six of my brothers and I’ll remember how much I’d prefer to cry alone in the woods. And you know what? As soon as I tell me brothers about it, we all go off and cry alone together in the woods. Together! Now, isn’t that the most splendid thing you ever heard?”

Katrin looked up from the log on which she sat to see a handsome young man standing just a stone’s throw away, leaning on a tree. Dark haired with a wild beard, he spoke with an accent Katrin found strange and couldn’t quite place. “Splendid is not how I would describe it. More silly, I think. Is it the custom in your land to strike up conversations unbidden with women who are not your kin?”

“Well, where I am from, proper young women don’t often wander alone into the woods. So, as I sees it, you are either not proper, you are not young, or you are not a woman. Now, if you are not young and fair as you appear to be, ‘tis surely a powerful bewitching spell you are casting for no lovelier maid had I seen in all of Eire or any of the Isles. Similarly, if you are not a woman you could only be Queen of all the Tuatha De Danann for no other could appear so splendid and perfect in this grove. And so, whether it is true or not, I can only hope to meself that these are true and that as luck would have it, you are as proper as you are not human,” explained the roguish young man.

“Whatever can you possibly mean with all that,” Katrin stammered, feeling herself grow a bit flushed.

“Simply that you are beautiful and if you are one of the Tuatha de Danann, I am hopeful by staying out of the grove where you are sitting that I may yet live out my days plying the seas and not trapped in a fairy circle. If you are human, I am hopeful that you are not particularly proper and might invite me to come sit with you,” he said smiling.

She looked at his smile and found herself lost in it for a moment.

“What manner of man are you that you would present yourself so? You should be ashamed!” Katrin stood up and walked indignantly away from the grove, leaving the young man standing by the tree.

“So, I suppose an invitation to dinner is out of the question?” he called out to her as she left.

She returned to the village and went to the stables. The horses seemed much happier to see her now and she felt less of the earlier sting. An older man was brushing one of the horses and Katrin walked up to him. “It is a beautiful animal. It seems we are to be here at Ty Rhiannon for a bit. Would there be a way you might teach me to ride?”

“Oh, indeed! Young Lady Morgan, it would be my honor. Let’s set to the work once I’ve finished brushing. There’s a saddle and blanket. The day is still young!”

With that, the rest of her day was spent in an exhausting series of exercises and drills…and more than a few falls! As the sun started to sink low in the sky, she thanked the horse master for his instruction and made her way to prepare for dinner. She hurried but she knew she was going to be late.

As she walked in to be seated, she saw her family all together with Mae looking confused and Ama positively radiating smugness. Her mother looked at her impatiently so she doubled her speed to get to her place as quickly as possible. She sat not looking around.

“We have been blessed with a day of Scrutinies and a day of discovery,” the High Priestess intoned. “And it seems Lyr himself has gifted us with someone to help guide the conch bearers to his temple. A long way has Murphy traveled to get here and a long way will he travel before he is home.”

Katrin looked up slowly to see who this stranger might be…knowing already who she hoped it was.

He looked straight at her…and winked.