Page 20

The Village of Sligeach

Maiwenn introduced Issylte to her grandson Branoc and his wife Dierdre, who lived in the village of Sligeach on the tidal bay.

The couple lived in a wooden house with a gabled roof in the center of the bustling village, with Branoc’s blacksmith shop attached to the side of their residence.

There, he shod horses, crafted tools and plows for the local farmers, and made wheels for the wagons needed in town.

He forged hammers, nails, and hardware for builders to use in construction.

He created arrowheads, daggers, and swords, and because he was also a skilled armorer, he configured chain mail, metal plates, helmets and shields for the knights who often stopped into the port during their various voyages at sea.

A man of average height and stocky build, Branoc had kind eyes that reflected in his warm smile.

He was dark-haired, with enormous arms and brute strength, thanks to the heavy hammer, anvil, and bellows he used every day in his forge.

His wife Dierdre was in her early twenties, like her husband, but unlike him, she had red curly hair, green eyes, and freckles dusted across her face.

Issylte found Branoc friendly and outgoing, yet his spouse seemed reserved and scornful.

As the months passed, no matter how many times she and her Tatie stopped into the shop for a friendly hello, nor how many Sunday afternoons they spent sharing the delightful meals in Maiwenn’s cottage, Dierdre never seemed to warm up to Issylte at all.

This afternoon, they were all seated together enjoying baked trout from the lake and vegetables from the garden. Branoc was informing his grandmother about the recent increase in activity in his blacksmith shop.

“I’ve taken on two more journeymen and four new apprentices, Mamie!

It seems that King Donnchadh is building new lodges at the castle for hundreds of knights.

They’ll all be needin’ armor, and weapons, and of course, their horses will need to be shod.

The farmers’ll be needin’ more plows, and tools, to feed all those hungry soldiers, and I’ll be busy craftin’ all the locks and doorknobs that they’ll be needin’ for the new structures.

The Goddess be praised, I’ll be busy for the next two or three years, at least! ”

At the mention of her father, Issylte nearly choked, but with great difficulty, managed to hide her distress.

Maiwenn smiled warmly at her grandson. “That’s wonderful news, dear. The Goddess be praised indeed!” Sipping her tisane, Maiwenn met Issylte’s gaze as if to remind her to keep her composure and remain calm.

Deirdre continued, picking up the thread of conversation.

“There’s talk in the village that it’s really the Queen who’s orderin’ the lodges to be built and wantin’ all the knights to come live at the castle.

They say that Black Knight of hers, the one they call the Morholt, is reinforcin’ the castle and buildin’ an army.

Well, whatever it is that they’re doin’, we’re surely grateful for the extra work, and that’s a fact. ”

Maiwenn stood, clearing the dishes from the table, and said to Issylte, “églantine, would you please fetch the tarte aux mirabelles?” Turning to Branoc, she grinned from ear to ear. “I know it’s your favorite, dear. And there’s fresh cream to top it off!”

Everyone loved the delicious pie—the perfect ending to the wonderful meal—and, after Branoc and Dierdre had returned home to the village, Issylte was finally able to relax and unburden her troubles to Maiwenn.

“Oh, Tatie, when they mentioned my father, I nearly choked. I miss him so much!” She turned her face away to hide her tears as she dried the ceramic plate and stacked it in the cupboard.

“I wonder why the queen is building new lodges for so many knights. She must be planning something. What do you think?”

Maiwenn frowned as she washed a cup and handed it to Issylte to dry.

“Perhaps they want to reinforce the defense of the castle. It’s a show of strength that we have a fine army.

The Goddess be praised, Branoc will have lots of new orders and will make a fine profit.

When we go into town this week, we’ll ask around.

See if anyone has heard any more news. But for now, there’s no use worrying.

Come, let’s give these scraps to Florette and the hens. ”

That Saturday, when they went into town for their weekly excursion, no one in the village had heard any new developments from the castle.

So, for the time being, Maiwenn and Issylte continued cultivating herbs, harvesting bark to prepare potions, picking fresh mushrooms and berries, and stocking up for the approaching winter.

The fairy witch taught her how to smoke fish and salt meats, how to preserve fruits by making jellies and jams, how to store nuts and grains which they would need when the weather was too cold or the snow too deep for trips to the village.

When winter finally did arrive, they kept the animals in the adjacent stone workshop.

The stable door allowed the bottom half to remain closed, preventing Florette and the hens from coming into the cottage, but Maiwenn kept the top half open so that the heat from the fireplace could keep the stable warm.

Branoc visited the cottage every week throughout the winter when the weather was too cold or the snow too deep for Maiwenn and Issylte to venture into town.

Arriving on horseback, he brought supplies from the village, often bringing the fresh catch that the local fishermen had been selling, chopping firewood, and bringing feed for the goat and hens.

When Issylte had first come to live at the cottage, Maiwenn told Branoc that Issylte had come from an abusive family and needed shelter.

Although he knew that Issylte was not truly his cousin, everyone—including Dierdre—believed that églantine was a member of the family who had come from Bretagne to live with Maiwenn, her sole surviving relative.

Maiwenn had explained that she needed Branoc to keep up the pretense for the safety of the young woman she was protecting.

He had promised his grandmother that he would.

Two years passed as Issylte developed her powers of healing, learning to wield the herbal essence of the forest under the loving tutelage of her Tatie .

During the summer, they harvested fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables, going frequently to Lough Gill, where Issylte learned to swim.

Maiwenn taught her to row the small canoe which she kept near the water’s edge so that they could fish toward the center of the lake.

They feasted on fresh shellfish, wild berries, mushrooms, and nuts, with an occasional tarte aux mirabelles— Issylte’s favorite dessert.

During the winter, on clear days, when the sun reflected off the snow and the weather seemed warmer, the two women often ventured into town.

They were able to continue harvesting shellfish throughout the colder months, since the estuary and bay did not freeze, thanks to the salt content in the water and the continuous movement of the tides.

Now in her third year of living with Maiwenn, Issylte saw another winter pass, and with the return of spring, the salmon were once again abundant in Lough Gill.

With the lake finally thawed after winter’s deep freeze, the fairy witch and her protégée were once again able to catch and rediscover the pleasure of eating the delicious pink fish, along with the ever-present trout, perch, and pike which they ate year-round.

One Saturday, as they were preparing for their usual weekly excursion into the village for supplies, Maiwenn remarked, “We’ll need to purchase some fabric, églantine, to make you two or three new dresses. The bodices of these are now much too tight.”

Maiwenn’s large brown eyes twinkled, her cheeks crinkling in a grin. “You, my dear princess, have blossomed into a woman.”

Issylte’s cheeks heated as she smiled back at the loving, knowing gaze.

In the village, the fabric merchant, knowing how much Issylte loved the color green, showed them a beautiful deep emerald fabric, which Maiwenn purchased with a few jars of salves.

Upon their return home, the two women began sewing, and soon finished two simple gowns.

Clad in darkest green, so dear to her heart, the forest fairy was once again the Emerald Princess.

As spring gave way to another summer, Issylte often ventured into the forest, collecting herbs, berries, and mushrooms. Sometimes, she would find a garland of lovely wild roses, the églantines for which she’d been named, a gift of nature from the Little Folk of the Hazelwood Forest.

Today, as she meandered in the woods, she noticed a trail of the pink flowers, beckoning her to follow the stream. Just like the églantines I followed to find the cottage !

She sensed the pulse of the forest, the need to heed the call of the woodland creatures.

Keeping to the edge of the stream, she soon came to a beautiful waterfall, cascading over a ledge of smooth rocks, the roar of water splashing furiously into a deep pool in the midst of the stream.

The forest air was thick and humid, fragrant with the crisp scent of dense oaks and rich, fertile earth.

The midsummer sun was beating down through the canopy of leaves onto her scarf-covered head.

She’d been walking for hours and sweat trickled down the back of her bare legs.

The cool ebullient water was so inviting, Issylte just couldn’t resist.

She took off her scarf and unbraided her long hair, shaking it out vigorously in wild, joyous freedom. She disrobed, laying her dress and chemise on a nearby rock. Stepping cautiously into the water, she waded out deeper and slid down into the refreshingly chilly pool.