The Yule Tree
Summary: Bella is a priestess in training; Edward is a woodsman, and they are in love. Edward is given a the task of cutting down tree for the annual Yule Festival. B+E Romance w/metaphysical overtones.
Disclaimer: Ms. Meyer owns the Twilight characters, but this storyline is mine.
A/N: This story takes place back in the dawn of human evolution.
A/N 2: I wish to thank my beta Enchanted by Twilight who somehow is still with me and my inability to understand how grammar actually works. I also want to thank from the very bottom of my heart, heartfortwilight for some wonderful suggestions and especially Gabby1017 who used her wonderful colors between my story's lines. Thank you Ladies!
Definitions:
dry·ad
/?dr?ad,-?d/
noun
(in folklore and Greek mythology) a nymph inhabiting a forest or a tree, especially an oak tree.
yule log
noun
a large log traditionally burned in the fireplace on Christmas Eve.
~o0o~
Edward was so intent on sharpening his ax he was surprised by the sudden blast of cold winter's air that assailed him. Looking up, he saw Bella, the woman he wanted to marry, coming through the doorway, with the deer skin that hung from Edward's door way dragging over her back. He smiled and motioned for her to come and sit next to him at his fire, or what was left of it. His store of cut wood was almost gone. He'd have to collect some more soon, so he could actually participate in the village ritual. Cutting down this tree was more than just supplying firewood, it would have to be a special tree, one that has been blessed just for the Yule ritual. A new man was chosen every year just for this event.
"I'm so proud of you, Edward! You've been selected to cut down our tree, and guess what?"
Edward shrugged. "What?"
"I've been chosen to help you pick out the tree since it'll be good training for me."
Every year for the burning of the Yule log, a priest or priestess was chosen to call down the blessing of fire to set the log alight. Bella also had the sight and could see elemental or spirits of the earth. This allowed her to call out the indwelling dryad from the chosen tree, so that the entity could find another tree or bush and not die when separated from the chosen tree.
"When will you be given the duty of preparing the log?" Edward asked.
"If I do a good job with this one, I'll doing it all next winter solstice. The priestess says I'm quick to learn. She's already got me preparing herbs and simples for the healing rituals."
Edward nodded but did not smile. "Will that mean we cannot marry after all?" He knew that sometimes the priestess who were chosen to serve must dedicate their entire lives to that priesthood. Virginity was kept because not having sexual desires would raise the consciousness of the priest or priestess to the higher level and would allow the forces of Light to flow free into and fill them. Therefore, they would not be able to marry because of the sexual aspect of marriage.
"No, I don't think so. She was married as you know. She still mourns her husband, but she's decided not to marry again. She did tell me that she thought with as strong as my gifts are losing my virginity would not affect my work."
"That's good news!" Edward pulled her onto his lap and kissed her soundly. They embraced for a very short time, then broke apart, and he put Bella back next to him.
"When is the priest coming? Do you know?" Bella asked.
"I went with the priestess this morning to view the standing stone to see if the sun had reached the point for the priest to come, but it looks like a few more days are left, so we'd better get out there and find our tree!"
"I've got my travel pack outside your dwelling, just in case." Her smile was radiant, and it reminded Edward of a sunny spring day when all the wildflowers were in full bloom.
Bella got up and went to the dwelling opening and pulled her travel pack into the hut, opened it and began to put on her travel furs. She started with the boots Edward had made for her last year, then the jerkin leggings she'd just finished as well as another over-tunic of a heavier hide than her everyday inside one. Next, she shrugged on her heavy, long coat of animal fur that was turned to the inside to help hold in her own body's warmth. Last she pulled on her fur gloves and turned to look at Edward.
"What are you doing?"
"Watching you. You are so beautiful it warms me to watch you do everything."
Quickly, Edward donned his own travel apparel and added his two axes, his hunting bow, and two knives and added all except his bow, which he would carry in a separate sack unstrung. He went to the doorway and pulled the covering hide to the side for Bella. And they were off on their search for the Yule log for the coming end of year ritual.
Bella seemed to know what direction they needed to travel without even thinking about it. Edward knew from his lifelong experience with Bella to not question it when she struck off in a direction as she was doing now. The other men of the village teased Edward, saying that Bella was the real hunter of the couple. He didn't mind because he knew his love had the gift of sight and the knowing of where to find things.
Only two hours into their trek, Bella stopped in front of an oak tree that looked to be about 20 years old. She removed her gloves as she walked up to the tree and laid her hands upon it and began to chant, "Spirit of our forbearers...Spirit of the Oak...Spirit of the Air, Fire, Water, and Earth...this our sacrifice for the Yule Fires?"
In her mind, Bella saw the oak bending to her and picking her up in its branches, cradling her to its stout trunk. Her being was filled with love and understanding and acknowledgment of the honor that would be done to it. She then saw the tree sprite that was the life force of the oak. She was tall and slender with huge bright, luminous eyes and hair the color of the golden, autumn leaves. She was adorned in robes of sheer cloth that floated around her in the colors of oak leaves the year round. She, and Bella knew that it was a she that dwelled within the oak tree, pulled herself from the oak slowly and sank back into the earth to await a new oak seed to take root and be ready for the indwelling Earth's spirit
"Thank you, O Great Oak. Your sacrifice will bring blessings to you and your people and supply blessings of light and warmth to my people." She stepped back and dropped her arms, still entranced.
"Bella, who were you talking to?"
In a dreamy voice, Bella answered, "The Dryad that lives in the tree."
Perplexed, Edward asked, "What's a Dryad?"
"They are the soul of the tree. They cannot exist without each other. They are an earth element. To those of us who can see, they are tall, thin with large eyes, and normally very gentle spirits. This one was a female, but I have also seen those that look like males. They are not really easy to see because they are very shy. This one was very friendly and quite lovely. Now we need to get a move on, so we can get back to the village before it gets too much colder."
Edward knew that was his signal to being and took up his ax. He began the task set him by the village elders, priest, and priestess of cutting the Yule log down, trimming its branches, and hauling it back to the village in time for the needed ritual to be performed before its purpose could be fulfilled. He made good progress and felled the tree. Then, he and Bella trimmed the branches and made packs to carry back to the village also to be used to carry the blessed fire back to each dwelling in the village. Edward tied the fallen tree with a leather harness made specifically for this year's end ritual.
On their way back to the village, Bella stopped to cut holly, mistletoe, and cedar branches to add to the priest blessing ritual.
When they arrived back at the village, the people thronged around the couple and added their hands to the tasks needed for the Yule log. The priest and priestess came out of his hut and looked at the fallen oak for a long time. Bella was nervous, thinking that maybe she'd failed in her task. The priestess came up to her and said, "You've done well, Bella, child. The priest and I agree you should begin your training in earnest to replace me when that time comes. Edward also did well. He passed his test also. So you two may become one after the festival of Yule.
Bella thanked both the priest and priestess and ran to Edward to share the good news with him. Had he not been so tired from pulling the long load and the bundles of branches, he would have picked her up and hugged her hard.
The next morning, when the sun arose, Bella, the priestess, and the priest were waiting at the standing stone to see if the sunlight would fall from the hole carved into it upon the marker placed there so many years before by their own ancestors.
The light fell exactly upon the spot. The three of them went back to the village to spread the word that tonight would be Yule Festival. The priest then began the ritual to light the log that had been placed in the center of the village on the stones that raised it from the ground. Next, he and the priestess tied the branches of holly and cedar around the middle of the log.
At sunset, the entire village put out their hearth fires and placed fresh wood out, awaiting the awakening of the new year's fire. Everyone stood around waiting for the priest to call up the fire and light the Yule log.
The priest began to walk deosil chanting in a language that had its root in the dawn of man. After he'd gone around three times, he stopped in the middle of the log and held his hands in front of him, palm down. He raised and opened his arms wide and began chanting different words and calling them out much louder, as if his very soul depended upon them being heard. Soon, blue flames began to stream from his palms into the wood of the log. The priest raised his arms to the heavens, palms up, in thanks for being the conduit for the blessing of the gift of fire.
As he continued to stand there entranced, Bella and the priestess motioned for the ones who tended the hearth for each dwelling to come pick up one of the branches that Edward and Bella had lovingly removed from the fallen oaks body. This continued until all those had chosen the branch to be lit from the burning oak log, then the children of the village were allowed a branch that would be added to the fire to help it get burning well. This would allow them to become more familiar with the year end's ritual.
Bella was the one who knew when the time was right, when the sun passed from one year to the next. All the branches were gone, and the villagers were allowed to go back to their huts where the hearth tenders would thrust the burning branch into the newly laid wood. The families would then relish the light and warmth that their huts were once more filled will.
That night, Bella was allowed to leave her family and move her belongings into Edward's hut where they would live until they were able to build themselves a larger one in which they would take up their lives as a family.
Merry Christmas, Y'all, and have a very Cool Yule!