Tales of Witches and Wyverns by S. Ramsey

Author:S. Ramsey [Ramsey, S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Reunions

Enid awakened in a bed whose posts resembled living trees. Were those actual leaves? The bedding had the softness of cashmere in shades of green. This didn’t look like Enid’s bedroom at all. Everywhere were green, purple, and wood tones. Her gaze returned to the ceiling, and she noticed more leaves and branches interwoven in a beautiful pattern. Where was she?

Enid bolted upright but instantly regretted moving so fast. Her shoulder ached.

Shoulder ache…

She remembered those terrifying birds. She looked down at the delicate green nightgown she wore and pulled at the neck to view her shoulder. The skin was flawlessly smooth.

“They healed the worst of your wounds, Human,” Aeddan drawled from a nearby chair.

Enid jumped at the sound of his voice. “Where are we? Where is Rhodri? The last thing I remember was that run-in with those awful birds.” Enid fired questions at Aeddan, unable to control a shudder.

“Those awful birds were Queen Rhiannon’s minions. Rhiannon was Malagant’s mother. The raptors were her pets. Some say they were also Rhiannon’s assassins. They must belong to Malagant now and are helping her gather captives,” Aeddan said, his mouth turned down in disapproval.

“So friendliness runs in that family? Wonderful. Where are we now? Is Rhodri okay?” Enid asked, her brow wrinkled with concern.

“After you got wounded, we took a detour to the Ellyllon capital. Rhodri’s mother has a gift for healing, and you certainly needed that,” Aeddan said. He got up and crossed over to the door. He opened it and spoke briefly with someone unseen waiting outside. When he finished, Aeddan resumed his seat.

“So Malagant’s mom kept those awful things as pets? Their birdsong had a terrible effect on you two,” Enid said.

“Yes, their song is famous for bewitching and lulling their prey right before their fatal strike. We got lucky you remained unaffected by it and didn’t run away,” Aeddan said.

“I wanted to run, believe me,” she confessed. “I’ve never been so scared, but I also didn’t want either of you hurt. I wasn’t sure if my arrows would be effective, but I couldn’t think of any other way to shut them up,” Enid finished, biting her lip.

“As I said before, Human, you did well,” Aeddan said.

“You mean I did well for a human?” One eyebrow lifted in challenge.

“No, I mean you did well for anyone in such a circumstance. I was shocked you had some skill with a bow.” Aeddan rolled his eyes but kept his tone patient.

She smiled. “You can thank my dad for that one. He insisted that being good at archery would honor generations of our Welsh ancestors. It’s quite different, though, shooting a living thing versus a target.” Enid’s mouth tightened in distaste.

“I agree with your father. It is good to honor those who came before. He is wise. Unfortunately, sometimes taking life is necessary,” Aeddan said.

Was it Enid’s imagination, or did his eyes just blaze with flames? She almost asked about Aeddan’s fire when he resumed speaking.

“Human, you asked me some questions about my family, and at the time I refused to answer because I doubted your motives.

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