The spells in the story aren't all mine. Some I got off a story from another author here called Calliann. Some spells are from Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic by Scott Cunningham and Everyday Magic by Dorothy Morrison. Other spells I borrowed from the writer Patricia C. Wrede, and still others are from a videogame-I don't know the game's name, but I got it from some sort of game. Some rewritten spells are from Green Magic: The Sacred Connection to Nature by Ann Moura. A few ARE mine though! Part of a chant is from Lady Alexia V and her story Dark Red. Some of the Dark Gods are from a web page As always, King Arthur isn't mine and none of the characters are mine either. They are all apart of the Arthurian Legends. I am only using these characters as a fun activity in my spare time so please, don't sue me!
The Knights listed are TRUE Knights of the Round Table-I found the names of all the Knights listed on different websites!
The Union of Avalon and Briton 6
Arthur's emerald green eyes blinked blearily and stared uncomprehendingly into the dense greens, browns, and blacks of the forest. His mind was still in between the world of dreams and the world of wakefulness. As he yawned loudly and tiredly sat up while he scratched his lower back, he glanced around. As his sight returned to the treetops, he blinked stupidly for a second and turned his head back around very quickly for a double take on what his sleepy mind thought it had seen.
When he found his prey he smirked. Isolde was currently snuggled up into Tristan's side and her arms were tightly wrapped around his chest. His smirk grew when he spied Tristan's normally stoic face and saw a tiny grin gracing his scout's lips. Also, Tristan's arms were wrapped securely around his cousin's body. In fact, Tristan's face was tucked neatly in Isolde's curly red hair. He bit his lip when Tristan actually sighed contently and pulled Isolde, his cousin and the eldest daughter of his aunt Niniane, Priestess of Avalon and Lady of the Lake, closer to his chest as if he was attempting to shield her from all the ills of the world.
A loud yawn next to him dragged his attention away from the touching, although blackmail-type, scene. He glanced to his side and smiled. It was Lancelot. He shook his head as his friend rubbed the sleep dust away from his eyes like a child would, making him look years younger. When Lancelot pulled his hands away from his eyes and opened his mouth to ask a question, Arthur quickly placed a hand on his mouth to silence him. Arthur felt Lancelot's mouth pull down into a puzzled frown, so he tilted his head to the left and winked.
Lancelot's eyebrow rose drastically as he attempted to decode his friend's actions. Unfortunately his mind was still to befuddled by sleep to make heads or tails out of anything, so he shrugged and looked in the direction Arthur had bid him to do.
If Arthur's hand hadn't been placed firmly on his mouth, he knew for sure that his yelp of surprise would have definitely awaken their silent, yet always alert, scout. As it was, Arthur's hand, which was covering his mouth, muffled the loud yelp of surprise and Tristan continued to sleep undisturbed.
He looked into Arthur's eyes and nodded. He knew Arthur would understand-he was calm now and didn't need the hand on his mouth.
When Arthur's large, calloused hand was removed, he licked his dry lips and asked in a soft whisper, all to aware of Tristan's ability to wake up at the slightest sound, "When did THAT happen?"
He watched his friend shrug and reply just as softly, "Probably sometime during the night. Don't you remember, she was sleeping awfully close to him when we settled down to eat."
Lancelot nodded and rolled his head. He sighed as his bones cracked, relieving the backaches that formed by sleeping on the lumpy ground. As he stood up, he glanced about the campsite and felt a large grin form on his lips once again. Because he had been somewhat prepared by Tristan and Isolde's compromising position, he wasn't to surprised to find this either-Galahad and Aithne.
He placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder, placed his finger on his lips, and tilted his head to the right in the opposite direction of Tristan and Isolde. He observed his commander as Arthur's green eyes reached the youngest knight. Arthur's lips quirked up and his eyes sparkled in that special way that made you feel all warm and comfortable inside. Lancelot knew then and there that despite the fact that he would deny it so otherwise; he supported the two blooming romances. He bit his lip and thought with a bit of hope perhaps, he'll even support me when I ask to court Elaine!
Arthur stared at Lancelot with a weird look on his face. Lancelot was staring out at nothing with a goofy-happy grin on his face. Arthur had never seen that look on his friend's face before and wondered silently about it. Lancelot had always had a goofy thing to say to make a bad situation better, but Lancelot had never revealed such 'feminine' emotions to the world. Mayhaps, the conversation last night changed a few things for him! He certainly hoped so because he knew that Elaine loved Lancelot, and he hoped Lancelot's waning faith in himself was restored so he could be a strong man for his baby sister.
Lancelot shook himself out of his thoughts and found himself staring at Arthur. He felt a blush cover his cheeks when he realized Arthur had been staring at him because he was STILL grinning like and utter fool.
He watched Arthur shake his head with a tiny grin on his face and nodded obediently as Arthur commanded, "Lets get everyone awake. We still have a lot of ground to cover."
As he made his way to Tristan and Isolde, he said easily over his shoulder, "By the way, try not to alert Galahad-I want to tease him horribly for this!"
Tristan's gray hawk-like eyes immediately settled on the imposing figure of his commander and for a brief instant he thought something awful had happened during the night because Arthur was frowning at him with a somewhat troubled look in his green eyes. It was then that he felt a body on his own. His eyes widened in shock and then calmed down once again as he remembered the night before. Isolde had come to him for comfort the night before because of the pain of losing her mother. He had held her as she fell asleep and when he made to move her back to her bedroll, he found that she had an incredible grip on him. So, he had simple rolled onto his back and held her as they both slept soundly throughout the entire night.
As he opened his mouth to explain this to Arthur, Arthur put his hand up and said strongly, "Tristan, ready yourself, we leave in fifteen minutes."
Tristan bit his lip as he watched Arthur's stiff back walk away from him. Is he really that mad at me? He did just give me his back…but he also talked to me in his strong yet warm tone like always…I'm confused…
Lancelot went to Galahad's side and bit his lip so he wouldn't laugh. He glance up and found Arthur standing over Tristan and Isolde-also biting his lip to prevent the chuckles from leaving his body.
Lancelot turned his head back down and took a deep breath. He almost felt bad for waking the two up, but they DID need to get moving. He just hoped Galahad wouldn't punch him in the face for waking him up and for ruining his sleeping arrangements. He placed a hand on Galahad's shoulder and shook it. He sighed in relief when Galahad's sleepy, unfocused grass-green eyes met his own.
As he tilted his head in question and Lancelot replied gently so he didn't startle the young woman stirring in Galahad's arms, "It's time to wake up, pup. We still have a long way to go."
Galahad's muddled brain was still struggling to remove itself from the clutches of sleep, when Lancelot's words finally made themselves known. His eyes widened in horror as his teenage, hormone-driven, body alerted him to the soft FEMININE body resting on his.
He heard soft laughter coming from above him and he glared, unsuccessfully mind you, at the First Knight and his lieutenant. He cleared his throat uncomfortably as Lancelot's twinkling black-brown orbs stared at him and more horridly the tent in his trousers.
He felt a small burst of terror enter him as Lancelot's head shook left to right teasingly as he said, "Tsk, tsk, just wait until Arthur sees you. You'd better hope he's in a good mood pup, or you're in for a world of pain."
Galahad looked down onto his chest and felt a burst of manly pride swell in his gut despite the horror he might face when he found himself on the wrong end of the legendary sword, Excalibur.
This beauty, this treasure that he had unwittingly stumbled upon had trusted him to such an extent that she had fallen asleep on him while they had been talking last night. He couldn't help but smile as she sighed and snuggled deeper into his chest. His breath was literally stolen from his lungs when he felt her thigh shift on his leg and slide closer to his more sensitive anatomy. He bit his bottom lip and groaned quietly as the sensations racked through his already raging emotional body.
He cleared his throat and said softly in a whisper as he placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently, "Aithne (Ah-Thy-knee), wake up."
Aithne yawned softly and blinked owlishly at the grass-green eyes above her. She blinked again and thought oddly what…who is this!
Then her sleep addled brain kicked into high gear once more and the memories from last night revealed themselves to her. She sighed in relief and then blushed hotly. She wasn't sure, but there was a hard rounded object poking her in the inner thigh, and by Galahad's quickly burning face, she had a good idea that her suspicion was right. She slowly removed her thigh from her sleeping partner's leg and rolled over with a quick and quietly whispered, "Sorry!"
Galahad sighed and rolled to his feet. He froze when his eyes met those of his commander's. He watched apprehensively as Arthur simply raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head. He wasn't sure what to make of his commander's response, but he was very glad that he hadn't received Arthur's back to his face. That, more than anything, was what he had been afraid of. At least when Arthur's yellin' at you, you know he still likes you. If you get his back, he's very angry at you and most likely will never talk to you again! Thought Galahad in relief as he stumbled on stiff legs to his horse.
He grumbled as the snickers of the other Knights reached his young ears. I'll never hear the end of this…NEVER!
Lancelot spun around quickly as Galahad's eyes widened in pure horror and panic. He knew that if he stayed where he was, he'd burst out laughing and ruin Arthur's plan.
As his eyes roamed across the campsite, his glittering eyes softened when they rested on his own desire-Elaine.
He sighed as he walked over to her. He glanced around once more to make sure no one was looking at him and was happy to see that only Arthur, Tristan, who was looking around the campsite in panic and trying NOT to meet Arthur's eyes, Isolde (I-sol-day), Galahad, and Aithne were awake.
He placed a gentle hand on her cheek and softly caressed her cheek along her high cheekbone with his calloused, by war thumb. Her skin was pearly and white in the pocketed early morning light as it burst through the holes of the forest canopy. Elaine sighed contently and her head tilted down into the warmth of his hand. He smiled and placed his other hand on her forehead. He tenderly brushed aside a few strands of her lovely golden blond hair, and leaned down so he could awaken her sensitively, "Elaine, it's time to wake up, love. Come on, wake up!"
He watched with passion-filled eyes as her inky black eyelashes fluttered on her pristine, rosy cheeks. She sighed and shifted closer to him.
He bit his lip, leaned down, and whispered into her delicate ear, "Elaine, it's time to wake up, we need to leave, so we can make it in time to say farewell to your aunts!"
He watched with slightly sad eyes as her eyes opened immediately and settled on him. He smiled lovingly at her and felt a sudden burst of warmth flood his entire being. He smiled brighter at her and said, "Time to get up!"
Elaine groaned but allowed Lancelot to help her sit up. She grumbled as she rubbed her lower back. She heard some snorting above her and glared at the owner of the snorts-Arthur.
She growled out, "And what's so funny?"
Her brother's green eyes twinkled as he answered, "Just you and your grumbling. You never did like sleeping outside did you?"
She snorted and said sarcastically, "Nah, really! Yah, think! I hate it! I always get pains in my back that never go away until a week or two later!"
She stiffened in surprise as Lancelot placed his large hands on her lower back and said in a hushed whisper into her ear, "I can help you with that."
She trembled in excitement, but hoped that her friend mistook her trembling as chills and not desire as she nodded.
Arthur rolled his eyes. Elaine and Lancelot had forgotten he was even there. He turned back to his Knights and grinned at them. They returned his mischievous grin and Tristan and Galahad looked like Christmas or Yule had come early.
Galahad cleared his throat and called out happily, "Oh Lancelot! Elaine! I know the two of you are close and all but, don't you think you should save that kind of stuff for the cover of night when you can be alone, you know, in your beds?"
Lancelot's hands froze at Galahad's voice. His cheeks burned bright red when he looked over his shoulder and saw EVERYONE smirking and or smiling at him and Elaine. He gulped, slowly pulled his hands away from her back and hips, and scrambled to his feet. In seconds flat, he crossed the entire campsite and jumped behind Arthur so he could regain control of his emotions.
Elaine's groan froze in her throat as she heard Galahad's voice, but her throat locked up tight when Aithne and Isolde's mental voices teased her lightly in her head 'That's SOOO sweet! Don't you think so Aithne!'
'You got that right Isolde! So, how did it feel to have Lancelot's hands on your hips so close to your maiden hood?'
She jumped to her feet, ran to her horse, swung into the saddle, and replied with a mental glare to match, That's NONE of your business!'
Arthur shook his head in amusement as his cousins giggled to themselves. He cleared his throat and said dryly, "We still have to eat, sister, or did Lance's massage turn you head into a pile of mush just like he did to your body?"
He watched both of them, Elaine and Lancelot, burn red once again and couldn't help it. He laughed! It was loud and boisterous-much like Bors'. I haven't had this much fun in a while! It's so obvious that they love one another…if they'd only get it together already!' He thought with a large smile as Isolde silently handed him a bowl of oatmeal and a water skin that Tristan had been considerate enough to fill for them all. Although, from the sheepish glances the scout sent him, he was rethinking the considerate part. Perhaps, Tristan did it to apologize to me?
When they were finished, Elaine, from her seat on her white horse, said commandingly, "Now, everyone get on your horses, we're going to have to cast the spell once more."
She smiled as the Knights groaned but mounted their horses.
From her side, Aithne clucked her tongue and said sweetly, "Do not fear my Brave Knights, the spell has already been cast once upon you. You won't be affected this time around."
Lancelot cast a suspicious glance from Arthur to Elaine and noticed their twinkling eyes-like they held a funny secret all to themselves. He glanced to his friends' cousins and noticed the same twinkling gleam in their jade green and aquamarine eyes as well.
He bit his lip and said in a reluctantly accepting tone, "What's going to happen to us this time? I can see the gleams in all your eyes. What aren't you telling us?"
He watched the four cast looks at the other and the three women in their group cast commanding eyes on his commanding officer.
Arthur felt his shoulders raise up to hid his head as he said in a pouty mock child's voice, "We cannot stop this time once the spell's been cast. It can only be cast safely two times in succession, otherwise the person could be stuck in the spells' power and their entire life could be in an endless spiral of fast paced events."
Dagonet rode forward and prodded as he stopped in front of the three Priestesses, "And…"
Isolde smiled at the gentle giant and answered gently in an attempt to soften the blow, "And you'd age twice as fast as normal."
Dagonet nodded and Bors shot into the discussion, "Will we be able to eat?"
Aithne looked at the large food-loving Knight and said soothingly, "The oatmeal we served to you is a special blend unique only to Avalon. Three spoonfuls equals that of a full meal. We gave each of you enough for six meals. You will not feel the pains of hunger this time around."
The Knights glanced at one another and shrugged as one. So far, the only thing the Priestesses had against them was the fact that they hadn't told them of the side-effects of the Time Traveling Spell the first time around. Other than that, they've been kind, honest, and giving to them all.
Gawain, nodded and said surely, "Well, let's get going, we have a long way to go and not a lot of time to do it in."
Isolde smiled at them all and as she dismounted with her cousins, she carefully ignored both Tristan and most importantly Arthur. She had been horrified to wake up to Arthur's frown, but she also knew Arthur wouldn't say anything against her actions. She WAS the elder of them after all, but she hated feeling like she had disappointed Arthur somehow. She didn't feel any regret by sleeping in Tristan's arms, but just one look into Arthur's dully shimmering green eyes froze every thought and feeling in her soul. Sometimes, she hated Arthur's eyes. They reminded her of her Aunt Igraine's-not the color of their eyes but the effects-and more importantly, her mother's, Niniane's. Despite the fact that Arthur was not trained in the magical arts, he did have some control over the power in his veins. Just by looking into his eyes, you could tell what he thought, and that was all because of Viviane's teachings.
When the Knights had gathered once again in a circular cluster, the three Priestesses surrounded them in a triangular shape, reached into the tan dyed pouches on their hips, pulled out a handful of white Avalonian sand, lifted it arm height, and intoned as the sand flittered through their fingers by the wind's delicate power,
"Great Mercury hear our plea,
We these sisters three.
Let time stand still about these earthbound men,
Until we reach magic's den.
Let their feet travel quick as sand,
Trickling through your mighty hand.
Avalon has called us home,
For it is to Avalon we now roam.
Guide us on the path ahead,
Lead us quickly to our dear magic's den!"
Just as before the Knights watched on in awe as the sand instead of falling gently to the ground, floated around them in a protective circle. They, once again, watched with wide eyes as the sand shined a soft yellow color and then the yellow aura broke away from the sand and fused with both them and their horses. Then the sand glowed light blue as the aura and sand glided and coated both man and beast. The second the gleaming sand touched their skin, the aura vanished and the sand fell innocently to the earth.
Isolde nodded in satisfaction and said commandingly as the three mounted their pure white horses, "Aithne, bring down the protective circle."
The Knights, who had witnessed both Isolde and Aithne casting the defensive circle last knight, observed the youngest priestess intriguingly as she walked her horse over to the perimeter of the circle, placed her hands securely on the wall they knew to be there but was invisible and state calmly yet impressively,
"Here goes the power back unto mother's soil,
Let these protective magic's dispel with naught a foil,
That as I will,
So mote it be!"
The air shimmered a soft yellow and right before their eyes, the protective magic that had surrounded them in an invisible warm bubble all night long, exploded gently into yellow glitter and vanished just before each shimmering dot touched the green earth below.
Elaine nodded and said, "Let's go!"
Arthur glanced around at his Knights and was proud to see that each and every one of them was sitting tall and proud on their warhorses. None of his famous Sarmatian Knights were ill looking and all of them were watching as the scenery passed by at speeds they had once thought of as impossible. Also, he was somewhat surprised that his Knights were so quite. Normally, if they weren't on patrol or fighting against the Woads, they were loud and rambunctious. He thought for sure that they'd be talking and laughing freely because of this new experience. Why are they all silent?
Lancelot gazed around his horse and body in awe. Now that he wasn't sick to his stomach or fighting a loosing battle against a headache, he could understand why the Priestesses of Avalon liked to travel this way. It made traveling easier and you could get to different places in less than half the time that you could normally. He bit his lip as he gazed at Elaine and Arthur riding together and talking softly to one another. He, normally, would have joined in, and they had sent him an accepting look, but he shook his head and continued to look around him. He was sure that they thought that he was simply looking around this time since he couldn't the first time because he was sick, but he wanted to do some private thinking about his relationship with them both. He loved Arthur. He was also IN love with Elaine. Unfortunately, he was also known to sleep with other women when things got stressful. It wasn't that he meant to commit adultery, in his mind, with another whilst his love and heart pined for Elaine, but with her living on Avalon for eleven of the twelve moons each year, it was hard to keep his desires to himself.
He also knew that Arthur and Elaine KNEW of his fleshy forays, and he couldn't help but wonder how they continued to befriend him. He shook his head and thought strongly, No, I won't think like this again! I KNOW they love me for myself, they told me so last night! I MUST trust in this…
He wanted to love Elaine with all he had. If given the chance he'd happily give up his Sarmatian heritage and bonds, just so he could gain higher standing to be politically worthy of Elaine's heart. It was at times like these that he wished he were something more than an enslaved Sarmatian conscript. He sighed as he gazed at the one person he loved most in the world. The greens of the forest landscape created a wonderful imagery to him and with Elaine's profile highlighting the scene to perfection, he wished he had the artistic skills of Arthur. The greens naturally accented Elaine's pure emerald orbs and her golden brown hair shined radiantly against the shadows of the forest giving her a truly angelic appearance. The picture he would draw of her would eclipse any and all before him, as he would have drawn the daughter of Igraine with pure love.
Bors, while he would normally talk very loudly, was oddly silent as he gazed all around himself and the other Knights. He'd also be chatting with Dagonet about his newest child, number three, and the other two, but he wasn't. He glanced at his tall giant-like friend and frowned in thought. In fact, Dagonet's been silent a lot more often than normal too. Whilst the other Knights didn't see it, he had effortlessly because he was the closest to Dagonet. What is bothering you Dag?
Dagonet saw the question in Bors' eyes and shrugged in response. In truth, he was nervous. He was excited about being able to see Lunete again, but she was also well above marriage age. Could she be married to another man already? Did she have children of her own? Would she be happy to see him once more? He didn't know any of the answers to his questions, and he wanted those answers-desperately. Unfortunately, his legendary courage as a Knight of the Round Table had failed him, and so he remained even quieter.
Agravine, Percival, Beveidrere, Lucan, and Uriens, whom were grouped together, as normal, were watching all of them with well-practiced eyes. While Tristan was the scout, they were the protectors of their unit. They were the ones who watch out for the other Knights in case they needed a rest, or if they were too angry to settle an argument calmly.
Agravine sighed and said to the others, "Well this is a mess of horse dung, if I've ever saw one."
Percival nodded and said softly so the other Knights closest to them wouldn't hear them, "Arthur is to wound up with his sister and his cousins to notice, but the other Knights are either frozen by fear of unrequited love and to scared of Arthur to admit it!"
Lucan added, "Did you see Tristan's reaction to Arthur this morning? I thought for sure that our scouting friend would have tossed Lady Isolde off of him and into a tree, if it got him Arthur's love back."
Uriens snorted and replied, "Tristan's all knowing eyes failed him this time though because he let his emotions cloud the truth one could see in Arthur's eyes. Arthur still loves Tristan-he was just acting the part of an overprotective brother-cousin."
Tristan, who was watching both the sun, the land, and Isolde all at once, commented blandly to his brothers-n-arms, "We are covering a lot of land. If we had been traveling under our own power we would still only be one day from the wall. But now, we are at least ten days journey from the wall. We should be arriving sometime after the night has fallen and the sun has risen once again."
Isolde blinked at the Knight she had been admiring from afar, and said as she commanded her horse, Purity, to run alongside his, "You are timing this journey well."
She bit her lip and asked hesitantly, "How was your sleep last night?"
She watched his face blank out, but his eyes betrayed him. He glanced fearfully yet hopefully to Arthur as he replied, "It was restful. And you?"
She sighed and replied as Arthur turned to them with a curious uplifting of his eyebrow, "It was one of my most restful sleeps in a long time, my friend. I thank you for comforting me during my lapse in emotional pain."
Tristan's eyes widened in happy shock as he spied Arthur's eyes upon him and the gentle smile on his commander's face. He non-hinderingly watched Arthur observe them. If he hadn't been watching his commander's face for even the slightest hint of positive emotion, he would have missed the proud look in Arthur's eyes as Isolde talked to him. He felt a swell of relief enter his heart as he thought he still cares! I did not earn his hate by sleeping beside Isolde!
"You are welcome Lady Isolde." He replied with a tiny smile.
He glanced to Dagonet and frowned a bit. His friend had been very silent on this trip. Not that it was unnormal for the gentle giant to be silent, but his silence reminded the scout an awful lot of his own unique silence.
He turned towards Isolde and asked very bluntly all too aware of the fact that Dagonet could hear him, "And what of Priestess Lunete? I am most anxious to see her again."
Aithne beamed from Galahad's side, and replied with a friendly, happy lilt in her maturing voice, "She's very happy and excited to see you all again! She married a nice man by the name Kearney. She has a four-year-old daughter by the name Lorna, and she has a two-year-old son named Ronan. She's pregnant again and is expected to give birth in the next year!"
Elaine had seen Tristan's look when he asked the question, and she had also seen Dagonet's face pale at his friend's words. Then she remembered, Arthur writing to her once about how taken in with the Priestess Dagonet was and felt sympathetic towards him. She knew exactly how he felt. Every time Lancelot took a bedmate, she felt a jolt of hatred and jealousy. Doggedly she always pushed it away because she and Lancelot were not together, nor did she have any say in his activities since they weren't even courting. That was one of the flaws she hated about him, but she loved him still all the same.
She gnawed on her lower lip thoughtfully and added as she noted the falling sun, "She's also a bit sad. Kearney, her husband, was killed out right in the attack in which Aunt Viviane and Aunt Niniane have befallen as well. We had to bury him with many others that day and she mourns his passing."
Dagonet felt a deep pain in his soul, but selfishly he also felt a jolt of happiness when he heard those words from his commander's little sister. It's not that he was glad that his fancy's, Lunete's, husband was dead. He was glad because it meant that she was no longer attached and he could, maybe, in the future have a relationship with her.
Lancelot was silent during the entire conversation. He sympathized with Dagonet and could only count his blessings, thankfully, because Elaine was still unwedded and pure.
As he looked out across the slowly clearing forest that gave way to the pure springtime emerald rolling plains of the British isle, he had a sudden thought and said out loud by mistake, "We'll arrive on Beltane!"
Arthur looked at his second strangely for a moment, but realized he was right. He glanced to his sister and cousins and saw their heads bow in pain.
He bit his lip and said commandingly, "Why are the Aunts wanting to die on the day of life?"
He watched Isolde struggle with an answer that would satisfy him and observed as her entire body language gave way to pride, honor, and truth as she responded; "They wish to see you once more. It was a mere coincidence that their deaths will befall the day of Beltane. But, since they knew they would die on this day, they, instead of feeling bad, feel more alive than ever before. The day of Beltane is to celebrate life Arthur, and in our ways, to die is to be reborn once more! They said they feel a sense of completion since both of them were born on days of life such as Beltane and Imbolc! They told us to perform the Funeral Rites, but we are to continue with the celebrations of Beltane as if nothing were amiss!"
Arthur nodded and asked a bit hesitantly, "Who is to portray the Goddess this year?"
All three looked at one another with pale faces. None of them wished to reveal that because they knew it would send Arthur into such frenzy that he'd attempt to protect the Goddess incarnate. All three of them winced as he pierced them with one sharp command from his eyes.
Aithne bowed her head and whispered along the wind so everyone could hear, "Elaine."
Arthur's face grew dark and blotchy red with anger.
Elaine's face remained impassive. She was honored that she had been chosen this time around; but she also knew her brother would have serious problems with the Temple's choice. She didn't want to have to deal with his temper while also dealing with her aunts dying, so she'd have to talk to him sometime in the near future. Instead of looking at him and watching his face turn blotchy red, she cast her gaze upon her favorite site-Lancelot. Perhaps, he can join in on the hunt this year…She grew excited as she continued her train of thought mayhaps he'll be chosen as my God! Her head tilted in thought why is he so pale…then she bit her lip as her eyes soften I hope he isn't sick!
Lancelot's face was white as snow. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. No! It can't be! She's to become the Goddess during the celebrations! But, but, she'll have to mate with the man who wins the hunt! A stranger will take her from the paths of the maiden! A stranger will transform her from maiden to mother, and she'll be lost to me…forever!