Spring again. The soft dew made the grass blades sharp and uncomfortable. Cynddylan had risen early to go out to see the sheep. The crowd of fluff huddled around the small groupings of homes set up in the clearing. Cynddylan counted them one by one by touching them on their heads. The soft wool was much nicer than the grass. The little boys fingers picked brambles from the sheep's ears as he counted them. After making sure all eleven were present he could go about his duties.

The first order of business was water. Cynddylan walked for half an hour each morning to get to a place where the water had to drop five feet. It wasn't really a water fall, more like a water step. But it was good for knocking the sleep out of him, and the water was always tasty. Once he arrived he checked to make sure he was alone. His wiry neck turned like an owl as he examined the brush for wolves or worse girls. Satisfied that he was alone. He removed his wool poncho, he set it neatly on a rock that he had cleared of moss on a prior visit. The boy then turned to face the water, it was a chilly morning but this was nothing he was unaccustomed to. He sucked in air and ran into the path of the falling water. He yelped and shivered as he retreated back to his poncho. The fabric felt awful on his wet skin. He picked up the bucket he had brought with him and filled it before leaving for home.

After giving fresh water to the sheep Cynddylan checked his roof for wholes. He lived alone his parents had been dead for two years, he had no siblings and the other villagers tended to give him space. It was rumored in the town that the boy was bad. His spirit was considered by some to be rotten because the fire that took his parents hadn't taken him. They were so sure that he'd died that they made a burial spot for him next to his parents. They found him in the woods ten days later clutching his mothers incomplete charged torso.

Cynddylan now sat in the center of his hut patching up a few spots he thought looked weak. He'd already crushed down the beat he planned to eat for breakfast and he was now waiting for the rock he had set on the fire to become hot. As he wove fibers together for the roof he absentmindedly glanced at the scar on his forearm as he sometimes did when he was bored. The scar was from the night of the fire. The burn had been so deap it turned black. There is still a small indentation on the arm. A burning pole had fallen on him from the roof of their house he was sad to say he'd been able to struggle free at the cost of his arm and the reputation he now possessed.

He threw bits of beat onto the hot rock the reddish brown vegetable sizzled and turned black and dark brown around the edges. His attention was drawn by a sheep knocking into the hut. He walked outside to see to it but was stopped. Outside his hut the villagers were awake and gathered in front of him eyeing his wholeness with fear. The village elected leader stepped forward his was an old man, old enough to be Cynddylan's grandfather. His grizzly brown features were loose and unappealing, yet authoritative.

"You, young boy!" He pointed at him as if he did not already have Cynddylan's attention. The finger was outstretched but noticeably drawn away from his actual personage so as not to catch his curse. Cynddylan laughed to himself.

"Can I do something for you?"

"What aveyou to say for your acshuns in last nights events? Twas a feet not ten men and a horse could hava' dun. Yet ear you stand. In all Gaul the most erfect of ways a boy could be!"

"It were my recalling tat I saved you and your's sir." He looked down at the sheep that bawed at him.

"Twenta men on horses come and try to take er sheep and our personals and you stand up to em wit a scythe? Wut do you do wit yer self all day in dem sheep pasturs? Fight wit ta lambs?"

"Nah, I just know my way around a weapon tat's all."

'You've not foolin us boy you are bad stuff. Er since your mutter and fatter passed you'd been strange and stranger, and where tid you evetun learn to kill a man?

"It just… comes easy to meh."

She grew up in a land completely different from his. Her world was mysterious and colorful, mixed with sexual dances and wild parties filled with drunken singing and embers flying in soft summer winds. Her mother was a whore and she had no idea who her father was. She couldn't care less about her father's past, she had the richest history she could ever want on her mothers side. Her mother was a tall dark woman with hair the color of red satin. She was considered the most beautiful woman in the area she came from, but she never told her daughters where that was. Her mother spoke seven languages and could dance to any song, she sang beautifully and men fell at her feet. She made them pay extra if they liked her too much.

From the day she was born Morganna lived in the world of the practicing witch. Her mother was seventh generation, she was the proud eighth. She was the youngest and the last of the daughters, there was no need for sons since the magic does not pass to men. Her mother often informed her that men did not have to capacity or strength of a woman, nor her ability to cause chaos, that was the witches power and that was what you needed. As a rule of thumb, Morganna was told that witches do not live high, the poverty line or lower was acceptable. Dirt and stink and misery is required to do good magic. Morganna believed every word her mother said. When she was a toddler she rubbed dirt on her face to get ready for the day. The filthier the better. She had six older sisters, two of them were going to become Harpies, three of them would be witches, and one of them, the oldest and Morganna's favorite, she was destined to become a mermaid.

Common folk who listen to Morganna brag about her sisters future lives looked at her and laughed at the cute little fanciful child. Her mother on the other hand, she did not smile, she smirked and winked at the husbands as their eyes passed a curious look at her bossum. "They never laugh for to long baby, they never do." She had once whispered to Morganna.

From as young as three, Morganna had memories of the faces of men who came to her mother for release. Faces of leaders, husbands, sons anyone she could seduce she had. Morganna was frightened by her mother's sounds. She slept in a little stick room with her big sisters cuddled around her. They were warm and peaceful once the client left. Then nothing bothered them in the heavy night air.

Her eldest sister was named Lilith, Morganna spent afternoons helping her with washing. While Morganna herself sat in the wash bucket, she would count the turquoise scales on her big sisters arms. Morganna was still a tiny imp, but her big sister was tall and beautiful. Morgy listened eagerly to her stories of what she would do when she grew her fins. Lilith's other favorite topic was men and their parts which she often gave Morganna quizzes on while she soaked in the bath water. After the bath was over and Morganna had her days quiz over with, she liked to go out into the desert to find little lizards and things to take home.

Once she found a cobra in the sand when they lived in Africa. She brought it home to her mother. Her mother grasped it gently by the body and lifted it up so she could look at the creature in the light. The snake flared and opened it's mouth but did not hiss. Esmeralda flared her nostrils at the beast and bared her teeth at it, the snake leapt from her grasp and slithered away into a hole. When Morganna asked her mother why she scared the snake away, she answered "I don't keep men in the house who can't pay me cash."

Cynddylan left his home the hour after he no longer felt welcome. He had been on the move for eight days now. His belly hurt from lack of food. But he kept hydrated by following a river further and further down stream. He'd heard once that all rivers go to an ocean. He hoped that was true. He'd never been to an ocean.

At the current moment he had stopped where his path intercepted a road. He sat on a log at the junction trying to decide whether or not to go to the ocean or wherever the road lead to. He had no friends, no family, no obligations to anyone. His only baggage was the clothes on his back. He could go anywhere. He waited and thought for a half an hour when a peculiar noise came to his attention. As he listened the noise became louder and he seemed to hear it changing pitch. After a moment he realized it was someone singing. Badly. A man he thought, but it was in a language he did not understand. He also heard another noise, horse hooves and the strange groaning noise of stressed wood.

His first thought was to hide but then he might be mistaken for a thief. His next thought was if this coming man might be a thief, but then he remembered he had nothing worth taking. He calmly stood still as the man approached. Cynddylan saw him first, the man seemed to be singing to the forest and the sky. He had a thick clay flask in his hand which might explain his strange character. Upon further examination he realized the man more closely resembled a goat than a man. He was thick and hairy. His whole body seemed to be covered with a layer a course brown hair. The top of his head seemed to be the only bare place on him. The man wore a strange white blanket around himself and Cynddylan thought him quite under dressed. The man finally seemed to notice him from six yards away. He did a double take before believing that there was really a person in front of his cart. He threw up his hands and bellowed something in his native language. Cynddylan didn't understand him. The man waved his hand for the boy to move to the side. Cynddylan understood that. The man pulled on the reigns of his donkey's to stop his large cart from moving. He pulled his body to face Cynddylan. The man seemed friendly, he was smiling and trying to think about something. Cynddylan walked over and petted the donkey's. The man said something in another language, then another finally he said something Cynddylan understood. "Hello!" Cynddylan turned to face him and smiled.

"Ello" The man smiled and slapped his knee.

"Well I'll be a boy from Gaul, you've made some distance boy, how long have you traveled?"

"Abut eight day." The man frowned and nodded knowingly.

"Haven't quite got the hang of your own language I see. Well no worries, I've got plenty for you to try. Here!" He brought out a sack full of bread and another flask. "Would you like some food? You look ravenous?" Cynddylan nodded egger for the bread, he'd never seen bread before but it looked good. The man handed him the sack and he ate." Mind if we roll a bit I have a deadline to meet?" Cynddylan shook his head as he gulped.

" I'm nut going anywhere, I don't mind."

"Going no where? How can you be going nowhere, you're going somewhere you just don't know where to!" Cynddylan smiled understanding that this was a kind man and he would do well to follow him. "My name is Philo, and I am Greek! Do you know where Greece is?" Cynddylan shook his head. "Well it's a week away from here. That's about what I can tell you without a map. Pity you don't know where the greatest place on earth is…" He trailed off mumbling things about his country. It was clear this man was eccentric after only knowing him for five minutes.

"Cynddylan." Philo looked puzzled.

"What did you say?"

"Cynddylan is meh name." He tried to pronounce everything as well as he could but alas he had a very strong accent and he couldn't help leaving the soft e . The man smiled, his great face bulged to the sides and his eye's seemed to both widen and squint at the same time.

"That's a wonderful name my friend! You see you and I are already like kinsmen. It's as if I've known you all my life!" Cynddylan smiled stretching his face into a jokers grin.

Morganna was barley six years old when her mother moved the family to Egypt. The vibrant culture and warm weather was a plus for the sorceress. She was peaceful there. Her daughters did not complain. Upon arriving Morganna was shocked to see the buildings, building like she's never seen in her life. She trailed closely behind Lilith as they entered. All around them the streets buzzed with activity. The streets were covered with vendors and people trying to sell fabric, phlox, pomegranate, and spices. Morganna covered her nose as the strong smell of the market grasped her. Lilith batted her hand away from her nose. Morganna scowled at Lilith but obeyed. Their mother walked ahead, her presence was dominant amongst the market. Her dark skin and burgundy hair set her apart and made her the object of everyone's curiosity, foreigners were not so uncommon, but these were truly strange guests. In Egypt superstition was a part of life, so was magic. Esmeralda was the manifestation of what they saw in their gods, she was a beacon of respect and fear, though no one knew quite why they feared her.

Lilith walked up to stand at her mothers side, Morganna was dragged along with her. "Mother what city is this?" She touched her mothers shoulder as she spoke. Esmerelda grasped her hand and patted it.

"This is Napata, the current capitol, though I don't know how long that will last."

"Why? Is the king not good?" Esmerelda chuckled.

"The kind has nothing to do with it, no man can control all Egypt from a post so far away from her heart. This new king will learn that, eventually. If not him his family. What was this one's name, Piye? Doesn't matter I'm not here for him."

"Who are we here for mother?" Esmeralda did not answer. Morganna found it irritating but Lilith seemed to understand. The other girls behind them were looking warn out from days of traveling in the Egyptian heat. Esmeralda took note of this and motioned the group aside. They stopped at a small alcove where there was a fountain. The girls flocked to it wetting everything they could to cool themselves. Morganna abstained, though she was still hot, she thought it would impress her mother if she acted like she was fine. Lilith dunked her whole head into the pool. Morganna watched as her sister breathed the water. Behind her ears Morganna could see little flaps of skin moving with the water. Lilith stroked her hair back as she pulled herself away from the water. She made a satisfied sigh as she emerged. Lilith looked to her onlooker. Morganna looked away as if she was not amazed by her sister's powers. Lilith understood Morganna was trying to be tough but she felt bad for her sweltering little sister. She cupped a large handful of water and whistled to get Morganna's attention. Morgy looked back to her just as Lilith threw water onto her head. Morganna squealed and sputtered. The other girls tried to stifle their laughter, they all knew of Morganna's delicate pride. Esmeralda smiled at her children's play. She casually left them to it as she strolled over to speak to the nearest merchant. He was a man she noted, she could get whatever she wanted here, for next to nothing she guessed.

By the time the girls had finished the ensuing water fight their mother calmly strolled back over to the girls with new garments. She held up colorful cotton dresses and beads. She grinned at her girls wondrous expressions. Each of them descended on her trying to get the dress they wanted before her sister.

Morganna got last pick but she wasn't disappointed, her mother had bought only one dress in her size and it was beautiful. A deep brick red would suit her taste fine. Lilith congratulated her on the best outfit of their six. Morganna blushed and disagreed. Lilith was a vision in light aqua blue.