Read Online Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Erskine
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old man. There was no sign of Cenydd. Disappointed, Eleyne closed the door and went to stand near them.
‘Eleyne, this is Einion Gweledydd. As you know, he is one of your father’s bards,’ Rhonwen said.
Eleyne dropped a small respectful curtsey but her curiosity already had the better of her. She loved the bards with their constant supply of stories and music, their recitations of history and the tales of her ancestors. She peered at him, not immediately recognising him. He was a tall, thin-faced, ascetic man, with brilliant intelligent eyes. His long hair was grizzled, as was his beard, and he wore a heavy, richly embroidered gown of the deepest blue.
He held out his hand to her, and hesitating she went to him.
‘So, child. The Lady Rhonwen tells me you have had some strange dreams.’ His hand was cold as marble. It grasped her hot fingers tightly. Frightened, she pulled away. ‘Tell me about them,’ he went on. He had not smiled and she felt a tremor of fear.
‘They were nothing – just silly dreams.’
This time he did give an austere smile, visibly reminding himself that this was a child. ‘Tell me all the same. I like dreams.’
She told him haltingly, her shyness slowly evaporating as she realised that he was listening with flattering concentration to every word she said. By the end of her story he was nodding.
‘What you saw, child, was something which happened here more than a thousand years ago, when the Roman legions marched across our land. Their leader, Suetonius, gave orders that the Druids were to be killed. The Romans came here, to Anglesey, which was, as it still is, a sacred island. At first they were too afraid to cross the strait and attack, for they saw the Druids waiting on the shore. Do you know who the Druids were, child?’ He waited a second, then seeing her nod, he went on. ‘Even their women were there, ready to fight with their men, and the sight terrified the Romans. But at last they embarked across Traeth Lafan, just as you did when you first saw their ships, and they killed all the Druid people, burning the survivors of that battle in their sacred oak groves. They went on and destroyed every oak tree on the island.’
He was watching Eleyne closely. She had gone pale, her eyes fixed on his. It was several seconds before she whispered, enrapt, ‘Was no one left at all?’
‘Very few.’
‘Why did the Romans do it?’
‘Because they were afraid. The Druids were wise and fierce and brave and they did not want the Romans in Wales.’
Still she had not questioned the fact that she had seen these things.
Breaking eye contact with him with an effort, Eleyne walked across to the narrow window. She could see across the pasture to the shore where it had happened and from there across the strait. The mountains of Eryri were shrouded in cloud today; the tide high, the water the colour of black slate.
‘Are you not curious, Eleyne, as to why you saw these things?’ he asked gently.
Rhonwen sat watching them both, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap.
‘It’s because I walked in the place where it happened,’ Eleyne answered simply.
‘But why did you see it, and not the Lady Rhonwen?’ he persisted.
She turned to face him and at last he saw a puzzled frown come to her face. ‘Perhaps she wasn’t looking.’
‘And you were looking?’
‘No. But sometimes I know things are there to see if I want to. I always thought it was the same for everyone, only no one talked about it, but now … now, I’m not sure.’ She looked unhappy.
It had never happened to Isabella. When Eleyne had told her friend about her strange feelings at Hay, Isabella had laughed. She had never dared tell anyone else. Save Rhonwen.
‘It’s not the same for everyone, Eleyne. You have a precious gift.’ He smiled again. ‘I too can see into the past and into the future.’
‘You can?’ Her relief was obvious.
‘It’s a gift of our race. We are descended, you and I, from the
‘Eleyne, this is Einion Gweledydd. As you know, he is one of your father’s bards,’ Rhonwen said.
Eleyne dropped a small respectful curtsey but her curiosity already had the better of her. She loved the bards with their constant supply of stories and music, their recitations of history and the tales of her ancestors. She peered at him, not immediately recognising him. He was a tall, thin-faced, ascetic man, with brilliant intelligent eyes. His long hair was grizzled, as was his beard, and he wore a heavy, richly embroidered gown of the deepest blue.
He held out his hand to her, and hesitating she went to him.
‘So, child. The Lady Rhonwen tells me you have had some strange dreams.’ His hand was cold as marble. It grasped her hot fingers tightly. Frightened, she pulled away. ‘Tell me about them,’ he went on. He had not smiled and she felt a tremor of fear.
‘They were nothing – just silly dreams.’
This time he did give an austere smile, visibly reminding himself that this was a child. ‘Tell me all the same. I like dreams.’
She told him haltingly, her shyness slowly evaporating as she realised that he was listening with flattering concentration to every word she said. By the end of her story he was nodding.
‘What you saw, child, was something which happened here more than a thousand years ago, when the Roman legions marched across our land. Their leader, Suetonius, gave orders that the Druids were to be killed. The Romans came here, to Anglesey, which was, as it still is, a sacred island. At first they were too afraid to cross the strait and attack, for they saw the Druids waiting on the shore. Do you know who the Druids were, child?’ He waited a second, then seeing her nod, he went on. ‘Even their women were there, ready to fight with their men, and the sight terrified the Romans. But at last they embarked across Traeth Lafan, just as you did when you first saw their ships, and they killed all the Druid people, burning the survivors of that battle in their sacred oak groves. They went on and destroyed every oak tree on the island.’
He was watching Eleyne closely. She had gone pale, her eyes fixed on his. It was several seconds before she whispered, enrapt, ‘Was no one left at all?’
‘Very few.’
‘Why did the Romans do it?’
‘Because they were afraid. The Druids were wise and fierce and brave and they did not want the Romans in Wales.’
Still she had not questioned the fact that she had seen these things.
Breaking eye contact with him with an effort, Eleyne walked across to the narrow window. She could see across the pasture to the shore where it had happened and from there across the strait. The mountains of Eryri were shrouded in cloud today; the tide high, the water the colour of black slate.
‘Are you not curious, Eleyne, as to why you saw these things?’ he asked gently.
Rhonwen sat watching them both, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap.
‘It’s because I walked in the place where it happened,’ Eleyne answered simply.
‘But why did you see it, and not the Lady Rhonwen?’ he persisted.
She turned to face him and at last he saw a puzzled frown come to her face. ‘Perhaps she wasn’t looking.’
‘And you were looking?’
‘No. But sometimes I know things are there to see if I want to. I always thought it was the same for everyone, only no one talked about it, but now … now, I’m not sure.’ She looked unhappy.
It had never happened to Isabella. When Eleyne had told her friend about her strange feelings at Hay, Isabella had laughed. She had never dared tell anyone else. Save Rhonwen.
‘It’s not the same for everyone, Eleyne. You have a precious gift.’ He smiled again. ‘I too can see into the past and into the future.’
‘You can?’ Her relief was obvious.
‘It’s a gift of our race. We are descended, you and I, from the
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