Chapter 1: The Chalice

She was still a tiny slip of a girl, just on the brink of womanhood, when her mother entrusted her with the chalice. It was, her mother said, time for her to understand the mysteries of feminine magic, as her monthly blood began to flow.

It wasn't much to look at, really. Battered, a small amount of decoration around the rim. "A shiny gold chalice would be coveted by non-magical kings and the Christian priests. They have their false grails, and convince themselves of miracles in the name of the Christos."

Years later, she'd wondered who the Christos was - a famous wizard, she knew, but nothing more- but at the time, inheriting the cup, and all that it meant, had been so exciting. She'd carried it, wrapped in a gold-dyed, soft woolen blanket, as she and her mother made their way east that spring, headed to meet with others of their order, for Beltane. Her mother was the leader of their order, but she was growing old and it would soon be Heledd's duty to lead. That would begin with her consecration at the spring celebration, as she took her mother's place on the altar.

They'd been once before in Heledd's lifetime, and it was a magical time in her memory, much more exciting than her life in a tiny cottage, her mother offering up hedge witch cures and charms to locals who had no idea of her actual importance or power. She'd been 8 when last they attended, and of course too young to take part, but even children were part of the event, carrying water to the participants, and watching the festivities.

Heledd's excitement grew as they left the valleys, the land flattening out. Before long, they would meet up with Rhonwen and her mother, a richer but less powerful woman who had married a lord, a man of no magic but great local power. She would have men-at -arms to protect them as they continued the journey. Heledd knew that the four women could protect themselves well enough, but to travel with armed guards would be less conspicuous, and safer. Mostly, though, she was excited to see the friend she had made 5 years earlier at Beltane. She knew from the messages her friend sent her that she'd developed magic too.

When they met, Heledd saw that Rhonwen had grown into a tall, beautiful and intelligent young woman, though her namesake hair had darkened from the almost white-blond wisps she'd had when Heledd had last seen her. That night, they bedded down together in Rhonwen's father's keep, giggling late into the night, whispering about the journey. She plaited Rhonwen's hair into a circlet across the crown of her head, in a style they both thought set off her eyes beautifully, and told her about the chalice.

"You'll be consecrated, then?" asked Rhonwen, eyes huge.

"Yes," Heledd had whispered, a little breathlessly.

"Are you scared?"

"Terrified. I hope my Horned One is young, not like my mother's." Her mother's consecration had been with a man old enough to be her grandfather, though her mother insisted he had been relatively gentle, and his power had been great.

"Young and beautiful!" laughed Rhonwen, and they'd both giggled and taken turns describing the handsome men they'd seen, until they finally fell asleep.