Empress of Wolves (8 page)

“
The One knows, I will not give up my dogs. We need them for hunting,
” Pryderi replied. Ignoring Manawydan's advice he rode forth into the fortress. Once inside he found neither man nor beast, but only a fountain with marble all round it and a golden bowl fastened to four chains set over a marble slab. Captivated by the beauty of the gold and the craftsmanship of the bowl, Pryderi walked over to touch it. No sooner than his hand touched the bowl then he found himself stuck fast, unable to move or speak.

Meanwhile, Manawydan waited patiently for Pryderi's return. Day turned to evening and still his companion had not left the fortress. Finally he decided to return to the court. As he entered, Rhiannan looked to him and asked, “
Where is your companion and where are the dogs?
”, wherein he told her the whole story.

“
The One knows,
” she replied, “
You have been a bad companion and lost a good one.
” With that she set out for the fortress. When she arrived she found the gates open and nothing concealed. Entering, she found Pryderi were he stood, stuck fast to bowl and stone.

“
Alas, my son, what are you doing here?
” she cried. Then she too reached out to touch the bowl and likewise became a statue even as Pryderi was, unable to move or speak. When night full fell, thunder rolled across the land and a dense mist descended over the fortress. It vanished and they within with it.

When Cygfa, Pryderi's wife, found that she and Manawydan were alone in the court she became afraid, though she had known him for many years. Noticing this, Manawydan said, “
The One knows, you are mistaken if you weep for fear of me. I swear that you will find no truer friend than I and no harm will come to you from my hands. Between the One and myself, even were I still in the prime of my youth, still I would be loyal to Pryderi. For your sake too, would I be true, so do not be afraid.
”

“
The One knows, that is what I was hoping to hear,
” Cygfa replied and she took comfort in his words and grew more cheerful.

“
Well, we cannot stay here. We have lost the dogs for hunting. Let us return to Rang'moori. It will be easier on us there,
” Manawydan said. Cygfa agreed and so the two found themselves once more in Rang'moori. Manawydan again took up the craft of a shoemaker. After a year had passed, it came once again that people would buy no shoes if they could not be bought from Manawydan's shop and again he and his companion found their lives in danger. Frustrated, the pair returned to Dyfyd, this time bringing with them a load of wheat.

They once more settled in the court of Alberth and, though it was hard at first, they soon began to support themselves with such fishing and hunting and planting as they could. With the wheat Manawydan sowed first one croft, then a second, then a third. The wheat flourished under his loving care and soon it came harvest time. Seeing that the wheat was ripe he said to himself, '
I will reap this tomorrow.
'

The following morning he returned to the first croft with the grey dawn, only to find the wheat gone. All that was left were the broken, stripped stalks. He marveled at this and went to check the other crofts. Finding them still safe and moreover, just as ripe, he resolved to reap the second one the next day, but when he returned to the croft the following morning he found it to be just as the first had, stripped and broken.

Checking the third croft once more, he found it still intact. '
Shame on me,
' he thought, '
If I do not stand guard this night. Whoever destroyed the other crofts will certainly return to complete their work this night. I will watch and find out who it is.
'

Manawydan gathered his weapons and set himself to watch the croft. Towards midnight he heard a great uproar and, looking out, saw an immense host of mice, numberless as the stars of the heavens. Before he could do anything, the horde swept down upon the croft and began to carry off the ears of wheat, leaving only broken stalks behind. Angered and dismayed, Manawydan rushed in among the mice, but he could no more focus on a single one than if they had been gnats. One mouse, he noted, was slower and heavier than the rest. He chased it down and caught it. Thrusting the squirming creature into his glove, he tied the opening shut and returned home, where he hung the glove up on a peg.

“
What is that, Lord?
” Cygfa asked.

“
It is a thief I caught stealing from me,
” Manawydan replied.

“
What sort of thief is it that could fit in a glove, Lord?
” she asked, wherein Manawydan told her the whole tale of how the mice had come and ruined the crofts.

“
One of them was very heavy and I have caught it; it is now in my glove and I will hang it tomorrow. By the One, had I caught them all I would hang each and every one!
”

“
Lord, that would not be strange,
” Cygfa said, “
but it is hardly proper for a man of your rank to be handling that sort of creature. Do not bother with it, rather let it go.
”

“
Shame on me if I did not hang them all- but I will hang the one I did catch,
” Manawydan said.

“
Well, Lord, there is no reason I should plead for its life, save to prevent your being dishonoured; therefore do what you will.
”

The next morning Manawydan set out with the mouse. Reaching to Gorseth Alberth he began to construct a tiny gallows. As he did so, he saw a scholar coming towards him along the road, dressed in old, worn clothes. This disturbed Manawydan for this was the first person other than his own companions to have been seen in Dyfyd in many a long year.

“
Lord, good day to you,
” the scholar said as he drew near.

“
The One be good to you and welcome. Tell me, where are you going?
” Manawydan replied.

“
Lord, I come from Raven's Rock. Why do you ask?
”

“
Only it is that there have been no other people save myself and my companions in this land for the past several years, not til you have shown up just now,
” Manawydan said.

“
Well, Lord, I am merely passing through on my way to my own country. But what sort of work is it you are about?
” the scholar asked.

“
Hanging a thief I caught stealing from me.
”

“
Lord, what sort of thief. The creature I see in your hand is but a mouse and it is scarcely fitting for a man of your rank to be handling such a beast. Let it go.
”

“
Between the One and myself, I will not. I caught it stealing and I will punish it appropriately.
”

“
Lord, I will give you this
sork
I received in alms if you will but let it go,
” the scholar said.

“
Between the One and myself, I will not let it go, nor will I sell it,
” Manawydan replied.

“
Very well, Lord, do as you like. If it did not seem degrading to me to see a man of your rank handling such a creature I would not trouble myself,
” the scholar said and went about his way. Manawydan continued his work, but soon enough another traveler came down the road. This time it was a monk riding a shaggy vykr.

“
Greetings, Lord, and good day to you,
” the monk said.

“
The One be good to you and welcome. I would ask your blessing,
” Manawydan replied.

“
The One's blessings upon you, Lord. What sort of work are you about?
”

“
Hanging a thief I caught stealing from me.
”

“
Lord, what sort of thief. The creature I see in your hand is but a mouse and it is scarcely fitting for a man of your rank to be handling such a beast. Let it go.
”

“
Between the One and myself, I will not. I caught it stealing and I will punish it appropriately.
”

“
Lord, I will give you three
sork
if you will but let it go,
” the monk said.

“
Between the One and myself, I will not take any price in place of what it deserves, which is to be hanged,
” Manawydan said.

“
Very well, Lord. As you will,
” the monk said and rode off. Once more Manawydan set about his work, drawing a string about the mouse's neck and preparing to hang it, when a priest came down the road. The priest stopped near his work.

“
Priest, I would ask your blessing,
” Manawydan said.

“
The One's blessings upon you,
” the priest said. “
What sort of work are you about?
”

“
Hanging a thief I caught stealing from me.
”

“
But is that not a mouse I see in your hand?
” the priest asked. “
Here, I will give you seven
sork
if you will but let it go. It is not seemly for a man of your rank to be seen destroying such a worthless creature.
”

By this point Manawydan was growing angry with the constant questioning. He did not know why it should be this day, of all days, when people should finally decide to travel through his deserted realm, nor why they should care so much about his business.

“
Nay, I will not let it go,
” he said.

“
If you will not let it go for that, I will give you twenty-four
sork.
See here, I have it now,
” the priest said.

“
Between the One and myself, I will not let it go, even for twice that amount. I have no use for money.
”

“
As you will not take that, I ask you to name your price,
” the priest said.

“
I wish for the return of Rhiannan, my wife and Pryderi, my close companion,
” Manawydan said.

“
You shall have that.
”

“
Between the One and myself, that is not all.
”

“
What else?
”

“
The removal of the enchantment over the cantrevs of Dyfyd.
”

“
You shall have that also, only free the mouse,
” the priest said.

“
Between the One and myself, I will not. I wish to know what this mouse is to you.
”

“
She is my wife- otherwise I would not ransom her.
”

“
How is it that she came to me in this form?
” Manawydan asked.

“
Plundering. I am Lloyd the Sorcerer and it is I who enchanted the cantrevs of Dyfyd.
”

“
To what purpose?
”

“
In revenge. Pryderi's father disgraced and dishonoured my brother. When my company heard you had returned once more to this land, they asked to be changed into mice in order to destroy your crops. On the third night, my wife and her ladies asked also to be changed and this I did. My wife is pregnant. Had she not been you would not have caught her.

“
I will give you Pryderi and Rhiannan and I will lift the enchantment from Dyfyd. I have told you who the mouse is- now release her!
” Lloyd exclaimed.

“
Between the One and myself, I will not,
” Manawydan said.

“
What more do you wish?
”

“
I would have your promise that there will never again be any other enchantments cast upon Dyfyd.
”

“
You shall have that. Now release her!
”

“
Between the One and myself, I will not.
”

“
What else would you have?
”

“
Your sworn word that no revenge will ever be taken on Pryderi, Rhiannan, Cygfa or myself, nor any of our descendants, because of this,
” Manawydan said.

“
You shall have all that you have asked for. The One knows, that last was a good thought, for otherwise harm would have come upon you,
” Lloyd said.

“
Yes, I figured as much. That is why I protected myself,
” Manawydan replied.

“
Now release my wife!
”

“
Between the One and myself, I shall not. Not until I should see Pryderi and Rhiannan before me.
”

No sooner had he spoken than Pryderi and Rhiannan appeared. Manawydan greeted them, overjoyed to see them safe and sound.

“
You have all that you have asked for. Now sir, free my wife,
” Lloyd said once more.

“
Gladly,
” Manawydan replied and set the mouse down. It ran over to Lloyd and the sorcerer struck it with a magick wand, turning it back into the loveliest young woman any had ever seen.

“
Look around you and you will find all as it once was,
” Lloyd said as he and his people disappeared. They looked and found the dwellings, people and animals restored and the land once more flourishing and never again was Dyfyd troubled by any kind of magick.

Kalla bowed to her audience, earning applause and the crowd began to disperse.

“You would make a fair good Harper, Lady Kalla,” Harper said. She inclined her head to him.

“Thank you,” the Healer replied, working to stifle a yawn. She knew Aleister was getting sleepy and from the new link she shared with Manny she could tell that he, too, was drowsy. Beyond that she could vaguely sense his Magister, though it was nothing to what she, Vander and Aleister had shared. Wylsin himself lead them up to their rooms. Kalla smiled to herself- the innkeep hadn't missed the rings she and Aleister wore, nor the fact that she had asked for five and not six rooms. Accordingly, he had put their stuff together in the same room.

Though Justina had parted ways the very next morning, Kalla was pleased to find that she had guessed correctly, and was able to break all of the bonds easily. Her group continued on its way towards the Deep Forest, with Vander teaching Manny and Lukas how to work together. They came across more victims of sabre wolf attacks and in each case, Vander insisted on taking care of it himself.

Towns gave way to wilderness. Each night from there on out, the magi set up reinforced wardings. Though they saw the glow of the sabre wolves' blades at night and heard them all around, the creatures never bothered the travelers.