Myrddyn was having one of those days, the crazed, rolling on the ground spouting poetry days.The scribes would be busy and the soldiers never fed him. The pig knew it would have to fend for itself today. The Little black pig moved back into the shadows where it would be harder to see him. The pig waited for an opening. Making a sudden high speed dash for the doorway. Barreling past the startled scribes, who had forgotten the pig in their scramble to catch all of Myrddyns words. The soldiers paid no attention to the pig.Thinking of the acorns and good things at the root of the ancient oaks surrounding the cave. The pig snuffled along.
"I Balance On A Blade Of Lightning,
Wrapped Up In A Flash Of Light,
Thunder Holds A Silent Meaning,
A Line Between Black And White,
Morning Calls Me Back From Dreaming,
As The Dain Cracks The Night,
I Balance On the Edge Of Reason,
The Line Between Wrong And Right,
A Choice Between Love And Treason,
Every Rose Has It’s Price,
So I Ride Upon This Blade Of Lightning,
Blinded By Her Rage Of Light,
Thunder In My Heartbeats Meaning,
I Lose Myself In Dains Star Light.
Caer Sidi Spinning, Weaving,
Singing Truth Across The Sky,
The Echo Of Creations Speaking,
Is The Reason For The Rhyme.
The Truth Of Love Is All The Meaning,
A Broken Heart In Sacrifice."
Nimue was of Gododdin. Orphaned by the constant raiding by the newly established Dal Riata kingdoms with The Pictii in the distant highlands far to the north, the Angles to the south, to the west, Rheged.
She remembered Samhain. Nimue remembered the wicker man rising in the fields and the frightening masks of the Druids. She was to be fourteen that year. A legal adult under the Brehon laws. Nimue was amused that boys had to wait until their seventeenth year. The pictii changed all of that. Burning and raiding across the highlands.
Nimue escaped amidst the slaughter of her family by hiding in the wicker man. The superstitious Pictii scrupulously left the Druids and their Samhain preparations alone. Nimue, consumed by shame, fear and guilt, watched as her world burned. Everything she had loved or known destroyed before her eyes.
Nimue fled the destruction once the raiders had moved on. Fleeing into the wilderness. Living in abandoned burrows, caves or hollow logs and tree’s. The herb lore she had learned from her mother and the hunting skills she had learned at her father’s side kept her warm and fed. The weapon skills she had learned from Loeg, her father’s champion kept her safe.
Nimue dwelt apart. Alone, trusting no one. most especially not trusting the large white raven that periodically follwed her and watched her. Nothing good ever seemed to happen when ever that bird was about. The way the white raven studied her made the skin between Nimue’s shoulders itch and crawl. The white raven had been there when she spied the red stag.
Nimue could swear the bird had startled the stag a purpose, causing Nimue’s arrow to miss it’s mark, Seriously wounding the stag rather than killing it cleanly. By the amount of blood, Nimue was sure she pierced the stags lung, so the chase shouldn’t go long. Nimue tracked the stag southward for days before finding it.
Obsessive in her compulsion to find the wounded stag, Nimue had traveled into Lothian. Where she at last confronted the red stag. The stag charged her, goring her chest and breaking her sword arm before tossing her aside like a bundle of rags. The stag dwarfed her as it stood over her.
Nimue lay helpless, unconscious on the forest floor. The white raven, cawing loudly dove upon the stag, attacking until the stag backed away and fled. The Raven landed, kicking ferociously and with much flapping of wings, the White raven covered the unconscious Nimue in a warming covering of leaves. Then Silently, took flight.
“Little pig I am confused. How can you be on Affallon and yet here you are with me?“Myrddyn had heard one of the guards singing of Arthurs great ship, Prydwen and the glory of Affalon.The pig pretended to ignore Myrddynn, snuffling at his bowl of boiled oats and barley.
Myrddyn had “that” tone in his voice this morning. The tone that meant long walks. Which in spring and summer were enjoyable. The pig always found sun warmed mud to roll in then. But it had grown cold, nigh on to Samhain. The ground was cold and hard. Not fun to roll on. Not like the summer mud at all.The little black pig nosed his bowl about. Surreptitiously seeking a likely hiding spot. any way to avoid the cold.
“Thats how I know the singers have it wrong little pig!” Myrddyn exclaimed, ” here you are with me! She...” flapping his hand at the white raven, ” twists truth into lies. anything to get her way! You cannot trust her little pig!” There was no avoiding it. They were going for a walk in the cold. Sullenly the little pig trotted after Myrddyn.
It was the pig that found her. Snuffling amongst the leaves gathered like a blanket beneath the gnarled old oak. The pig squealed retreating behind Myrddyn when the leaves moved of their own accord.Grunting in protest the pig cowered behind Myrddyn as the white raven swept down, landing on the piled leaves. Scattering them with beak and talon. Revealing a filthy bloodied mess of a young woman.
Myrddyn cleared away the rest of the leaves and scooped her up. Cradling her in his arms like a babe. Then he slowly, carefully turned and walked back to his cave. The pig followed watching intently as Myrddyn built up the fire and heated water mixed with herbs. Bathing away the accumulated grime and blood. Revealed an astonishingly beautiful young woman.
The scribes and soldiers argued between themselves. At length deciding to do nothing . Contenting themselves to watch from afar as Myrddynn cared for the woman. Tenderly myrddynn wrapped her in his softest woolen cloak. He combed and brushed the matted knots from her long multi colored hair. Carrying her into the cave proper, Myrddyn laid her on his moss stuffed sleeping pallet piling his warmest furs over her. Not once had she opened her eyes or cried out. Not even when Myrddyn had set her broken fore arm, and wrapped her swollen ankle.
The little pig watched all of this. Understanding that something important had changed. At no time since finding the young woman had Myrddyn spoken to the pig. Addressing only the white raven and the unconscious woman. Murmuring “You are safe and warm cariad” Myrddyn backed away from her sleeping form.
Nimue awoke to the smell of Barley cakes baking on the hearth stone . She found herself wrapped in soft wool, covered by thick furs, and lying on a too soft pallet. She was comfortable and warm. She felt safe. The aches and pain of her body seemed distant, not something to worry about at the moment.
Looking around she discovered she was in what appeared to be a cave of some sort. A tall man moved about, busying himself at the hearth. Once he had noticed she had wakened, he hurried to her side. Nimue found herself looking up into his eyes. Gold flecked with green and blues, she felt as if she were falling upward. Something inside of her changed. In that moment her world altered. she felt safe and warm. She felt as if she had found where she belonged. She felt safe. She knew she was home at last.
The late afternoon sun shone through her hair as it danced about, twisting in the wind. It was like watching the leaves of fall burn in their autumn flames, shifting through every color. She was lost in the rhythmic snicking of blade on stone as she sharpened one of her ever present daggers. Glancing up as Myrddyn shifted, reaching for his harp, her eyes shone briefly with the deep green of her cloak, flashing with golden embers as they caught the fire light. Nimue smiled as she watched Myrddyn resettle himself.. ” Is it a new poem then Myrddyn?“ nodding assent Myrddyn plucked at the strings, singing to her.
"I have felt the truth in your kiss.
The sweet taste of honey and fire,
Having tasted truth from your lips,
Their is no desire in me for lies.
I have felt true love in my life,
The god’s majesty revealed,
Having once felt that power,
Nothing else seems real.
Your very touch is sacred,
My own holy living dream,
A mystery writ in star light,
The truth of sun and stone and sea.."
Nimue had been a gift from the Gods. Within the year since finding her. Myrddyn had begun taking some notice of his surroundings. Talking with her, rambling as she lay healing. Raging at the white raven and arguing with the little pig. Myrddyns world had subtly changed.
Myrddyn remembered none of this however. Myrddyns first memory after Camlan, and seeing Arthur fall with the frankish spear through his chest. Was of Nimue.
She was looking up at him, smiling. Wearing Arthurs old hunting leathers, and high soft deerskin boots. With daggers strapped to her calves. Myrddyn was thunderstruck. Looking down into her eyes, Myrddyn found himself. He saw his heart revealed, living, whole, before him. Looking into her eyes, Myrddyn found himself reflected back, Whole, healed. All of Myrddynns private longings, manifest before him.
“Gwraig, “( wife) Myrddyn relished the sound of the word. The thrill he felt looking at her as he said it. ” Fy Gwraig” ( my wife) He thought, mine, she is my wife. ” Cariad” Myrddyn spoke, Nimue glanced up. Myrddyn stammered, completely forgetting what he had been thinking to say. He became lost in her. Taking a deep breath he looked away. ” How do you do that?” ” Do what mo croi ?” batting her eyes playfully at him.
She went back to polishing her whet stone. Rubbing it with fine sand. ” You take all thoughts from my head! How do you do that?” He demanded. Nimue smiled her secret little smile. Becoming as if a small girl, dimples exploding, eyes batting. ” Do I distract you mi lord?” Nimue loved that she could so befuddle him. Laughing Myrddyn snatched her up, spinning her about and pulling her close. ” Distract me! Gods! Does the air I breath or the Light I see by distract me? Does my beating heart or my only thought distract me?” He said, burying his face in her hair. Nimue smiled, She understood him.
Nimue remembered the first morning she had woken in Myrddyns arms. She had fallen asleep, with her head resting on Myrddyn’s knee. He had been telling her of Caladwylch. At some point, Myrddyn had attempted to put her to bed, carrying her to the pallet. Nimue wrapped her arms about Myrddyn's neck when he lifted her from the floor. When he tried to lay her on the pallet. She had refused to let go of him. Myrddyn stretched out beside her, while Nimue curled into him, clutching his arms tightly. Nimue remembered none of that. She did remember her surprise on waking, her head on Myrddyns chest.
She remembered feeling safe, Warm, comfortable, content. The tightness of Myrddyns arm about her, made her feel wanted. Nimue did not want the feeling to end. She lay there, unmoving, not willing to break the spell. Myrddyn opened his eyes, and smiled at her, his grip relaxing as he did. There was none of the pain or sorrow that had so clouded his eyes before. They shone, clear and bright. Now green, now blue, shifting between. Nimue felt something she had never known before. It frightened her with it’s intensity. But, she knew she never wanted it to end.
That was when the white raven had chosen to return. Swooping down on the sleeping pig. grasping his ears in her claws, flapping her wings and cawing loudly. The terrified pig squealed as it panicked, running to and fro. Upsetting everything that had been up right in the cavern. Only finding the way out after the destruction was complete.
Nimue listened to the noise, her eyes closed, Exasperated. The wonderful spell had been broken. Nothing good ever seemed to happen when that bird was about. Nimue decided that she hated that bird. The white raven was a creature of the Sidhe. The Sidhe could only be trusted, to at best, see to their own interests.
Meeting the birds mistress had been an odd experience. A few days before. This woman had appeared in the entrance way to the cave. She came in silently. The look on Myrddyns face was frightening. He kept looking back and forth between Nimue and the woman. Nimue felt an urge to scratch the woman’s eyes out. The mocking smile and clearly judging gaze of the woman infuriated Nimue. Staring hard at her, the red haired woman was clearly weighing and judging Nimue. Nodding her head once with a satisfied look. The woman turned and left the cave, disappearing down the path.
The scribes and soldiers paid no attention to her. Myrddyn followed her down the path. Leaving an angry Nimue with the pig. When Myrddyn returned, he was coldly angry, refusing to talk about what had happened. Nimue wondered who that woman was. She had felt that same annoying itch between her shoulder blades as that annoying white raven brought when that woman had looked at her.
It was the arguing that brought Myrddyn back from his reverie. ” Why is she here? Who is she? where did she come from?” that was Bedwyr shouting over the scribes as they scrambled to absolve themselves of responsibility. “Trouble, that is what she is . Women are always trouble” The rumble of Gawains voice called. ” Especially beautiful women.” Myrddyn was confused. He had seen Bedwyrs griffin banner fall at camlan. A full head taller than Bedwyr, Gawains shaggy head appeared up the path first. Myrddynn stared. It was Gawain and Bedwyr.
“How? Am I passed into the summerlands?” Looking back to Nimue, Myrddyn bowed his head and knelt. “Milady I did not recognize you, forgive me great queen..” He had been about to reach out and touch her, wondering if she were real, when The voices had distracted him.
“Nae Myrddyn we are not dead! Neither are you,” waving his hand at Nimue, Gawain continued. ” And comely as she is, she is not the queen of heaven.”
" Arthur is in Affalon, he will return from Armorica by midsummer Myrddyn.” Bedwyr drank from his wineskin, “He has sorely missed you Myrddyn.” Myrddyn was stunned. He began shaking and trembling from the strength of all the emotions. Myrddyn was overwhelmed, laughing and crying to himself. Bedwyr and Gawain retreated from Nimue’s fierce glare, as she wrapped her cloak about Myrddyn. Sitting on the ground at Myrddyn’s feet, Nimue rested her head against his knee, she waited until his fingers found her hair, and began caressing her cheek and neck. Sighing contentedly she closed her eyes, and just breathed.
Myrddyn, soothed by her peace. Slowly reassembled his world. Yesterday, he had lost his son, his world. Only to have his son returned to him alive and victorious. Yesterday There had been only emptiness in his chest. Today, he had found his heart, whole, healed and beating again. Myrddyn found himself gazing into her eyes, when feeling the weight of his gaze, she looked up at him. Myrddyn smiled, lost in her again.
The white raven watched silent. pleased. Nimue had been a labor equal to Arthur. Watching Myrddynn smile, His heart healing. His soul soothed. Myrddyn was ready to return to Arthurs side. Nimue, would keep him safely affixed to her plans. She just didn't know it. Aeronowy cawed triumphant, amused, now all she had to do was keep Nimue, focussed, protective, and angry, unknowingly working fates will.
Aeronowy was well pleased.
Nimue, another name from legends, and one that befuddled Merlin.
It's nice to see her get a different treatment here.
Good story and very well written, very Celtic here