Rhiannon: The Mother
Rhiannon was young and dazzlingly pretty; she seemed all white and gold, her skin pale as ivory just stained with coral, her eyes palest blue, her hair long and dark and shining through the mist like living gold. She wore a long white dress, which she was trying unsuccessfully to hold out of the water. And somehow she seemed to shed tears without any ugly distortion of her face, so that, weeping, she only looked prettier than ever.
The mist held on to the lower half of the convent hiding it from view, but a great steeple topped with a cross stared at the travelers with great condemnation. Ellipses was old, and in her aging face were the signs of wisdom. She greeted the small Rhiannon with a hug and two kisses on her cheek. Then she picked up the child's bags and helped her inside, giving two gold coins to the ferryman that Rhiannon had crossed the mighty lake with. Although the walls were bare of decoration and not much light was being produced in the room, Rhiannon welcomed the warmth of the new place, trading away the cold of the road. Her tears still fell down her ivory cheeks but she did well to wipe them now.
"Dear child," said Ellipses, she had helped the girl with her cloak and saw how the child wept. "What is the matter?" a pause told the woman that the girl was sent to the convent of Glastonbury against her will. "Well, I'll have none of it." The lady put her hands onto her fat hips and looked down on the girl with a stern, but compassionate look. "It'll do no good. And, who is to say that you won't like it here?"
"May I have a drink, the road was long and hard to travel?" The girl said after brushing the tears away from her eyes.
"Why, I've forgot me my manners!" Said Ellipses with wide eyes, she hurriedly rushed out of the room soon returning with a goblet of wine and a small cutlet of bread. The girl feasted on the morsel. "Now child, do tell me why y'r father sent you into the holy mother's care?"
Rhiannon looked up from her bread. "Father says that I will be damned. I am unholy with." she got quiet as if she had the most enticing secret in all the world. "The Sight. As well was my sister, but she went with the Lady of The Lake, only across the sea from here."
Ellipses looked at the tiny child before her. Rhiannon was used to these inquisitive looks, she was only seven and yet had the power to see a great deal into the future. Two more women entered the small hall, one carried a pile of cloth the other held a satchel. Ellipses blinked back into reality.
"Follow us, we shall lead you to your rooms." Ellipses said standing and brushing dust from her skirts. Rhiannon shuffled down the narrow passages of the church. She was quite tired now, and night was coming quickly over the Summer Sea. The church was located on the coast and rarely did the women leave, except to become governesses or wives to the small children and their fathers of nearby kingdoms.
Upon entering the room Rhiannon fell onto a large pile of straw in the corner of the room. There was only a thin wool blanket shielding her body from the pointy straws. She closed her eyes as soon as Ellipses had fasten the big cedar door, and Rhiannon reflected on her journeys and all the things she had left behind her.
Rhiannon was young and dazzlingly pretty; she seemed all white and gold, her skin pale as ivory just stained with coral, her eyes palest blue, her hair long and dark and shining through the mist like living gold. She wore a long white dress, which she was trying unsuccessfully to hold out of the water. And somehow she seemed to shed tears without any ugly distortion of her face, so that, weeping, she only looked prettier than ever.
The mist held on to the lower half of the convent hiding it from view, but a great steeple topped with a cross stared at the travelers with great condemnation. Ellipses was old, and in her aging face were the signs of wisdom. She greeted the small Rhiannon with a hug and two kisses on her cheek. Then she picked up the child's bags and helped her inside, giving two gold coins to the ferryman that Rhiannon had crossed the mighty lake with. Although the walls were bare of decoration and not much light was being produced in the room, Rhiannon welcomed the warmth of the new place, trading away the cold of the road. Her tears still fell down her ivory cheeks but she did well to wipe them now.
"Dear child," said Ellipses, she had helped the girl with her cloak and saw how the child wept. "What is the matter?" a pause told the woman that the girl was sent to the convent of Glastonbury against her will. "Well, I'll have none of it." The lady put her hands onto her fat hips and looked down on the girl with a stern, but compassionate look. "It'll do no good. And, who is to say that you won't like it here?"
"May I have a drink, the road was long and hard to travel?" The girl said after brushing the tears away from her eyes.
"Why, I've forgot me my manners!" Said Ellipses with wide eyes, she hurriedly rushed out of the room soon returning with a goblet of wine and a small cutlet of bread. The girl feasted on the morsel. "Now child, do tell me why y'r father sent you into the holy mother's care?"
Rhiannon looked up from her bread. "Father says that I will be damned. I am unholy with." she got quiet as if she had the most enticing secret in all the world. "The Sight. As well was my sister, but she went with the Lady of The Lake, only across the sea from here."
Ellipses looked at the tiny child before her. Rhiannon was used to these inquisitive looks, she was only seven and yet had the power to see a great deal into the future. Two more women entered the small hall, one carried a pile of cloth the other held a satchel. Ellipses blinked back into reality.
"Follow us, we shall lead you to your rooms." Ellipses said standing and brushing dust from her skirts. Rhiannon shuffled down the narrow passages of the church. She was quite tired now, and night was coming quickly over the Summer Sea. The church was located on the coast and rarely did the women leave, except to become governesses or wives to the small children and their fathers of nearby kingdoms.
Upon entering the room Rhiannon fell onto a large pile of straw in the corner of the room. There was only a thin wool blanket shielding her body from the pointy straws. She closed her eyes as soon as Ellipses had fasten the big cedar door, and Rhiannon reflected on her journeys and all the things she had left behind her.