The Queen's Curse (45 page)

‘It was given to you by nature. Sempervirens on the other hand eventually would grow old and in her eyes ugly and feeble; she was still mortal and would die one day,’ Tirsa answered. ‘If she had not found a way to barricade her beating heart with a wall. With it she was indeed immortal. She had to use powerful magic in order to maintain her beauty as well. I think she admired you people very much in an odd, sick way; but to her it was a special way, unlike how she would treat a human. Artride and I had much hardship whilst in her home; she played with our minds, bodies and souls, driving us slowly insane. We were beaten, tossed and turned, tricked, starved and imprisoned literally. And oh yes, she did feed us and we had some luxuries; but only when she tried to persuade us to stay. I think your people might have been better off, from what I’ve seen; she tried to keep you as pets or objects of beauty. Servants yes, slaves to her whims, but she never knew kindness herself, so in her world she perhaps didn’t mean bad. To have you around her must have reminded her of her own natural youth and innocence. Perhaps it became sometimes a little too much; therefore the cruelty and her own dreadful past taught her nothing but cruelty. Indeed you had casualties so I’ve heard and I’m sorry.’

The girl lowered her head, but nodded with respect. She understood what Tirsa had tried to say.

‘We shall tell you all you want to know,’ Artride added. ’So it will not be forgotten.’

‘Katasha Amanthi,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

‘What’s your name?’ Artride asked her.

‘Mhaari.’

‘Pleased to meet you, Mhaari.’ And she lightly shook hands with her as only a queen could do.

‘You have a rich life.’

‘Don’t you, where you live?’ the girl asked.

Artride’s smile vanished thinking about her home; her riches and wealth, but then she thought about the beauty of the land
, and the harmony she could create there now with a different law system, and she smiled.

‘We people tend to forget what we’ve got or what we could have if we wanted to. We are not
as harmonious by nature as you are. But perhaps we could learn and should try harder to create a paradise like this.’

‘It’s hard to change people and their lifestyles,’ Tirsa added. ‘Especially if they
have been living it a certain way for generations.’ And she thought of the dialogue between Artride and the sorceress about throwing water on a fire. ‘Habits, traditions are always hard to change; even if many people are doing it and in fact are bad. It all starts from within and we should teach our children a better way and give them a good example; so that they can grow up in a healthy, harmonious society, free from hate and violence.’

Mhaari smiled at them. ‘If humans were all like you it could certainly happen.’

Music started to play near the fire. A small group played on their instruments; drums, flute and a harp. It sounded harmonic and joyous. Many stood up and started to dance; inviting others to join, and clasping hands everyone formed an enclosed spiral that moved round and round each other and danced forward and backwards in a well trained balance. And of course the women were invited as well and soon took up the pattern of the dance.

It was a long
, enchanting dance and the fire was warm on their bodies, and the laughs and shouts were cheerful and many. The full moon rose soon and shone its white light on the group of TalamhClann; her children.

After the tiring
dance they seated and Roalda appeared again. She had not joined the dance, but had talked to Eolas instead. Together they made such a lovely couple, Artride kept thinking.

She stepped into the circle again
, and after all was still again she said in a kind voice,

‘We are gathered her
e tonight, not only to celebrate this monthly Moonfest, but to thank and honour our new friends, Artride and Tirsa.’ She left out their titles deliberately since it had no meaning here.

‘They set out on a perilous journey and
continuously risked their lives for freedom and justice. Their quest was for the Dominator to ask her for a counter spell, which she could easily have made for them, especially after all the tests they endured and passed. Instead, she decided she wanted to keep them to add to her collection. Having met Eolas they found out about her sad history. They faced another quest which was entangled with their own and even more dangerous. Their love for life chased away evil and they’ve proven that love always conquers in the end; always!’ And she spread her arms widely so that the orange yellow light of the fire curved her feminine body, which seemed to glow instead of being white, with pure fire now; a warm, friendly and welcoming fire.

Everyone clapped and cheered loudly
, and looked at the two women with sparkling, loving eyes. Roalda too, smiled at them with love and respect; beckoning to them to stand and join her, which they did.

She grabbed their hands and held them high and an even louder applause sounded in the nightly wood.

She gestured at Eolas who stood, carrying something in his hands that looked like a piece of flat wood.

‘Eolas.’ She bowed lightly for him and stepped back a little.

‘Right, now my turn to thank you,’ he spoke as he came in between them. He stared at his hands and lifted them. He turned to Artride and handed her carefully, as if it was alive, a slab of wood. She took it and stared at it.

‘This, my friend, is what you came for. What you searched high and low for.’

Artride swallowed away a lump in her throat and felt tears swelling in her eyes. This was such a big moment …

And of course they knew what he was about to say, ‘It holds the counter spell for the curse.’

She stared through misted eyes at the flat, striped piece of carved wood about as big as her hand; it felt warm and smooth in her hands and had small black letters that looked as if they were burned in. She could not read the words for the tears streaming over her cheeks. All she could think of was her father who died for it and all those years, all those people who had lost their lives to the curse.

‘Thank you, Eolas
,’ Artride managed to say, and felt Tirsa’s hand in hers behind Eolas’ back.

He touched his heart and bowed, stepping back again. Roalda stepped forward, giving her a moment. The crowd was silent too.

‘It wasn’t that arduous to find an appropriate gift for you two; one that will stay with you throughout your life. And it will be most helpful in times of need
and
speed.’ She winked.

Artride and Tirsa exchanged a confused look.

‘You have already helped us and … Kasching and Eolas did,’ Tirsa stammered.

‘We have only guided you.’

‘But we are here and we’ve got the counter spell. That is the biggest gift of all, really,’ the queen stated and glanced around at the lovely beings she only dreamed of until now. And she touched the slab of wood lovingly.

‘That is really all I came for.’

‘True, however you did more and so you shall be rewarded properly; something truly for yourself, something you do not have to share …’ Roalda said.

‘That’s too kind
–’ Tirsa muttered.

‘You still do not comprehend the magnitude of your doings.’ Roalda smiled. ‘You have set out to restore the freedom and justice of your country. We
, ourselves, never had that much luck, not even with all our powers, right here in Dochas. Every quest we set out to the cave to rescue our kind was doomed to be a failure. That you of all people succeeded is something we should be envious of. Being human was an advantage for sure; she wanted you to come
to
her, despite her distaste for mankind. She much expected it from the TalamhClann to outwit her, so she was on her guard all the time. She underestimated you, but perhaps deep down she wanted to heal; to change for the better, which almost happened. Well no doubt we’ll hear the complete story from you later on. But I only know that no one else could have done what you have accomplished. Therefore, our gift …’ and she walked around the two women and touched their backs softly. They felt a tingling, sensational electrical shock through their body and a sudden itch on their back. Glancing backwards they saw nothing; although it felt as if they were given a new body part.

Roalda faced them again and said loudly so everyone could hear, ‘I give you the power of flight; Wings of our gratitude.’

CHAPTER 23

My heart beats with yours, though we are apart

Your pulse hums the song that calls for the start

of the wish to forget the days I have mourned

Celtic poem

At a loss for words they just stood numb, sensing something growing on their backs. It was a twitching, almost itching, tingling feeling, and even if they could not see their wings, they sure were there.

The sensation of the invisible wings felt a little odd; new and strange at their backs, but it wasn’t so much of a weight and hardly noticeable at all when they did not think about it; but how could they not?

‘Use them wisely and carefully,’ Roalda spoke. ‘It is not meant for human eyes to see you fly. So we ask for caution and secrecy. For all we know your kind would be knocking on our doors asking for wings!’ and she seated herself among the Woodchildren.

The TalamhClann laughed.

They both thanked her, overwhelmed by this unique gift, which would be an ability they could only have dreamed of before. Both women, in fact, always had had dreams where they could fly freely. One could describe that as the wish to be truly carefree and above all responsibilities, which of course at times was true. But for now it meant most of all that they didn’t have to worry about being back on time to lift the curse to prevent Elimar’s death sentence. And they didn’t have to worry about obstacles on their way –mountains, swamps, ravines. They were literally above all that now.

‘Normally wings are not
given lightly,’ Eolas spoke to just the two of them a little later on.

‘Woodchildren only receive
them after a major accomplishment of the soul. You see; you can posses a certain knowledge, but to act like it shows a great amount of true insight and wisdom. You truly have just that. Your joined effort has also proven again and again what a powerful team you are. To be honest, I think Sempervirens suspected that only together you could make a powerful friend or foe. She must have been intrigued; her curiosity was also her downfall. ’

Tirsa embraced Eolas
, hiding her tears in his black cloak. He held her long and caressed her back.

When she withdrew
, Artride fell into his arms and thanked him.

Music was heard again and they s
at down and listened as they took it all in; the rhythmic beat of the drum, which was joined by the sound of flutes, the dancing and playing Woodchildren, the colours of their skin and clothes, the warm bonfire and the pale moon. The scents of the night and the drinks, the soft scent of the TalamhClann which tasted like earth and leaves on their tongue. And then the new idea of having wings to fly, it overwhelmed them to put it mildly.

The night passed by and new members came as did some Windchildren. They’d lost many of their kind to the sorceress.

Kasching was among the small group. His pale eyes shone brightly in the dark and his fair hair stood more erect than they remembered. He held a large instrument which hung from his shoulder; a sack with pipes attached; something both women had never seen and had no name for. He looked amused and clasped the hands of many Woodchildren, his closest relatives, as did the other Windchildren. They talked and laughed with many hand gestures as they spoke.

Artride and Tirsa also spotted another familiar face; it was another pale lad. They’d seen him in the cave in bed with the sorceress! He stood alone and had a numb look on his face. Nobody seemed to care for him; until one of his kind, a pale girl brushed his arm and led him over to sit by the fire.

It was clear he was still confused and needed time for his recovery.

‘Should we go and talk to him?’ Tirsa asked Artride.

‘Better to ask one of his kind what they see fit.’

But now that most were there, they needed to tell the story of what happened in the cave.

Briefly, Artride told about the difficulties on their way towards the Domain of Sempervirens they had faced, before Tirsa began telling about the dark tunnels and all the enchantments of the sorceress to test their worthiness. Including the demon, their captivity and escape, the wonders and illusions, the magical mirror, and the living curtains. They listened with awe and amazement.

Artride told about meeting the Dominator
, their conversations and their final test. The finding of the spell book and meeting Eolas was already known to most, and the outcome, but Artride told on to teach them more about the sorceress.

‘She really was a victim herself
, and her grief, remorse and wrath was something too great for her to carry on her own. Eolas was too close, too dear to her to help her. And too involved and blinded by love for her. She needed love of course, as we all do; we need to love and to be loved. But her heart was too hurt for that, she had built an almost unbreakable wall around it. The tragedy that befell her, led to making new victims. It was all she had ever known. Your kind was a triumph for her and she envied you highly; your beauty, your innocence, your kindness and oneness with everything,’ and she glanced to one of the Windchildren. ‘Your immortality … It was a strange way of showing her appreciation, I know, but she had nothing personal against you really. It was humans she despised and hated in truth, and it was them she wanted to conquer in the end; if she was to live longer. That would have been her greatest victory.’

‘But humans have no magic,’ a greenish looking lad with scarlet hair said, wondering. ‘At least, usually no ordinary humans and
they are normally weaker than us. She got most of her magic from Eolas, after all, so why did she not start with humans?’

‘
They
are human too and they conquered her,’ another said, nodding at the two women.

‘That must mean they are greater than her.’

‘She was perhaps preparing herself for the ultimate revenge,’ Artride answered. ‘I suppose no real magic was needed in our case. We reasoned with her, showed compassion for her and softened her heart,’ Artride said. ‘It is true it would have been easier for her to use and misuse other humans instead of you,’ she admitted. ‘
They
had hurt her to begin with. Not the whole human race, but still, it would have made more sense. But she was preparing herself for them and sort of trained and gained power with you; even extracted energy from you, your magic. However, she was hardly human herself anymore, but mostly she forgot what it was like to
be
human. Moreover, she failed to understand humans in all their complexity. She at least knew you better; your good side, which is obvious. She studied you properly since there were rarely human visitors. From humans she knew only the dark side, which meant pain; or that was perhaps merely the only thing she was able to see. She therefore could not fathom there was a good side in humans too, also in herself. It is true humans stand further apart from nature; but we’re still mammals, even if we do walk on two legs. She did not seem to see, or want to see the good side in humans; which is not all hating and destroying and molesting and using others. No it is loving and nurturing and caring and respecting others. That is why she would have failed in conquering them.’

They were silent, thinking to themselves.

‘Seeing us, watching us all through our hardships in trying to find her,’ Tirsa took over. ‘we reminded her of herself and her own better human side, which she had abandoned or never was shown. Whichever way you want to put it. It led to her downfall. Artride showed her the will to help her, despite all the cruelties of the sorceress towards us. It seemed to work at first; even tears flowed and she let her come near her. But the sorceress still disbelieved that our intentions were genuine. Well, we did try to take her life, so who could blame her,’ Tirsa said with a hidden sneer. ‘Instead she wanted to kill us, until it was too late for her and the knife had already plunged through her heart.’

‘You did that?’ a girl asked with no judgement in her voice, just wonder.

‘When I saw it was going nowhere – she never would have let Artride help her – I pushed the knife in that Artride already held to her chest to ward her off.’

Artride smiled at Tirsa about her wording. ‘The only right thing to do, although at that time I wasn’t so sure.’

‘Later on Eolas told us, it was really the only way; it was too late to change her. She was too set in her ways, too hurt, too stubborn. Artride softened her heart, broke down the wall so to speak, so that she was vulnerable and … mortal. We took her life at the right moment.’

Sighs of wonder and amazement were to be heard in the nightly woods.

Then it was time to relax and they drank some of that wonderful, pleasant flower drink and answered the questions the TalamhClann had.

Tirsa, however
, had plenty questions for them, and now she finally had the chance to get them all answered. She asked them about their origin and their lifestyle, their wisdom and magic.

‘We are perhaps in some ways like you,’ a bluish girl told her. ‘We live side by side, but you hardly see us, for we can make ourselves invisible to your eyes if we want to. That’s much fun really.’ And she laughed. ‘But it’s safer for us to stay away from you people, because your negativity affects us and we can get ill from that.’

‘We live in another dimension,’ another Woodchild explained. ‘And see things differently; we see the souls of all living things, their auras extended and mingled in every way possible.’

‘We are related,’ again another said. ‘And we developed side by side; being intelligent beings on different planes, however
, we stayed connected with our mother, while you people kept using her and returning little or nothing, forgetting to worship her and worse … neglecting and using her; stripping the earth bare, building your cities where once proud forests stood.’

‘We are caretakers. We nurture the plants and surround the trees with love. We hear their voices
,’ another said.

Artride suddenly remembered the entrapped people in the trees on their way to the cave and she asked them about their fate
, and was told that their souls had at last found their way to the peace of death with the passing of the sorceress.

‘They could not return to their human shapes, being too old for that.’

The women listened to their stories and learned to understand their way of life, which was like the waxing of the moon; forever changing gradually, like everything in nature. And in a way they reminded them how they would like to live themselves; or should have if the circumstances would have been different. They got offers enough to stay and though tempting, they could of course not accept, at least not now. Their heads were tilting with all the knowledge they’d gained.

And their own story wasn’t over by far. There still was a
law book whose curse had to be lifted with the given counter spell and a brother who had to be freed. And the most challenging was for Artride alone; to set up a whole new law system for Ceartas. She would need lots of advisers and all of her wits about her in order to do that.

But that seemed so surreal and far away yet to Artride
, whose mind was with the party, and she tried not to think about her coming task and most of all … the passing days. She danced with members of the TalamhClann and with Eolas and Roalda. She hadn’t had the chance yet to dance with Tirsa who looked carefree and joyous as well, clapping her hands and feet at the rhythm of the drums, laughing, swirling around from here to there, taking it all in. She seemed to glow like never before; happy.

She seemed to fit in here. Artride knew that in her heart she perhaps wanted to stay, although she would never admit to that; still dutiful and true to her
queen and country. But would she stay that way ; would she change to her old unhappy, bitter self once they got back? Artride feared she would. She didn’t want to see her unhappy ever again. So she wouldn’t blame her if she did decide to return after her brother was freed …

Artride’s
eyes followed her around with a warm glow in her heart, and she smiled sitting down for a moment. She thought about ways to thank her once home; but she still had to come up with a proper gift. She knew Tirsa didn’t care about titles and honour, so it had to be something else … something – ‘It has no birthplace, nor does it die anywhere,’ a deep rich metallic voice suddenly rang in her ears. She turned around and stared into the pale blue eyes of Kasching. He smiled at her, perching down beside her. ‘It created deserts, sank ships, felled entire forests, but carries leaves and seeds as well. It blows through cities with music and strange voices. It has no limits …’

Artride wanted to smile at him, but realised he was stating a riddle for her and she narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t tell me it’s you who was in fact that creepy little tree creature with his riddles?’

He started laughing and threw his head backwards.

‘What would you do to me if I had been?’

‘Rip your head off?’ she smiled sweetly and innocently at him.

He could not stop laughing, not in a mocking way; but in a genuinely amused way.

‘I’m sorry to say we are not acquainted. I would have like to see you do that. I’ve heard stories about that creepy tree guard. He is gone now, rest assured. He was an old trapped soul himself, working for the queen.’ And he got up, bowing before her.