Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog. All characters and general story line belong to Saban. This story line however, is my own, and I hope that you all enjoy it.
Authors Notes: Portions of the Imbolc ritual that you will read here are gathered from various websites. However, due to FF dot net's coding issues, it doesn't appear as if I am able to actually link or, at the very least, name those websites here. So, if you are interested in the websites I used, feel free to PM me, and I will get them to you. Apologies to those owners of the websites - I truly am not meaning to plagiarize or in any other way not offer credit where it's due - but FF dot net simply won't let me.
Chapter 7
The clash of steel against steel could be heard throughout the castle courtyard as Angus parried yet another attack from the Temran soldier he currently fought. A grunt, a step to the right, and a well-placed kick to the knee of the other man sent him to the ground, and Angus pushed the tip of his freshly sharpened blade against the man's neck, just enough to make a point.
"Yield! I yield!"
Angus stepped back, only just then hearing the smattering of applause that surrounded him as he looked up and saw Rohan, Dierdre, and soldiers from both Kells and Temra cheering the fight. He grinned and offered a hand to his opponent and lifted him up. "Alright, who's next?"
"No one's next," Rohan chuckled, hopping down from his position on the steps and heading Angus's way. "We have the Imbolc festivities to prepare for, which means we all need to get ready." He watched as Angus looked down at himself and pre-empted any retort from him. "That means getting yourself down to the lake and bathing.; it's Imbolc, Angus," Rohan lifted his eyebrows. "We have to all be clean and purified before the fires tonight."
Angus grumbled. He whined. He moaned. But, he gathered up his belongings from the side of the rampart walls and trudged begrudgingly back up the steps, following the other soldiers who would also be making the mile or so trek to the lake to wash up. "Oy, what about you?" Angus suddenly turned and glared at Rohan, who grinned up at him.
"I bathed last night."
Angus sniffed. "And her?" He pointed at Dierdre, whose eyebrows nearly flew straight off her forehead. "You don't mean to say I should go with you and the soldiers?"
"You'd be nice company, princess-"
He barely finished the sentence before both Dierdre and Rohan made to lunge at him. But, being a thief and used to disentangling himself from rather uncomfortable and life-threatening situations, he danced away and catapulted up the stairs, nearly knocking some of the men off into the bails of hay that sat in wagons against the walls beneath, much to their displeasure. As soon as they got their bearings, Rohan and Dierdre watched as they clamored up and after Angus, shouting threats and obscenities his way. The princess shook her head, an exasperated look on her face. "You would think he would have learned by now…"
"Angus learn something?" Rohan shook his head, grinning. "You know Angus, Dierdre; there's something about learning the hard way that seems to work with him." The young lord set to picking up miscellaneous swords, daggers, and staffs that lay strewn about the court yard, and it wasn't until a few moments later that he realized Dierdre was still with him, doing the same. "Princess, you should go bathe. I'll have water brought up to you and heated." Dierdre paused for a just a moment, a quirked smile coming to her pale, freckled face.
"No need to make such an accommodation for me, Rohan. I'm happy to go down to the lake once the boys are finished."
But Rohan was having none of it. "I want you to play a certain role in the proceedings tonight," he explained, his fingers toying with the handle of a sword in his hand, "that is if you'll accept." Rohan stole a glance up at her, saw that he had her attention, and cleared his throat. "When we march to the bonfire and set it aflame, I'd… like for you to be the one to light each point." He snuck a peak at her, gauging her reaction as he continued. "North, south, east, and west, and then stand in the light of the north and begin the Chant to Brigid. We will all join you after the first verse, and once that's done, I'll say the prayer rights, give the offerings, and we'll recess back to the palace."
Whenever Dierdre remained quiet, Rohan had the uncanny reaction of silent, yet intense panic mixed with anticipation. He studied her as she pursed her lips, and now he saw that it was her turn to idly move her fingers about one of the staves she held. Her forehead was crinkled ever so slightly, indicating deep thought, and he knew to simply remain still, to let her work out in her mind whatever it was that was giving her pause. She would tell him eventually, as she always had.
"You know that will create some… questions," she finally breathed.
"Questions."
"About…" Dierdre rolled her hands, one over the other, and Rohan found that this was likely the first time he'd seen her at a loss for words, unable to properly verbalize her thoughts. He couldn't help but grin as he watched her, and when Dierdre happened to catch his face, the indignant fire she was so well known for made an appearance.
"Find my stuttering funny, do you?"
"No! No, not at all," he had the good grace to duck his head. "I just…would that be so bad?"
Dierdre bit her lip.
"I mean," Rohan continued to move about the court yard, casually checking the archways, windows, and crevices to ensure their privacy, "it's not as if it's an announcement of courtship. You will be the most senior royal in attendance – actually, the only royal in attendance – and you're representing the family of Kells." He gathered about five swords into his arms before offloading them onto the nearest wagon and turning to her. "It would be an honor for you to fulfill this charge, and if you're worried about deniability then-"
"Then that's the explanation," Dierdre nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "Rohan, it's not that I don't want to."
"I know."
"It's not that I don't feel that way about you."
Rohan looked at her. "I know."
"It's… just…"
"Politics?"
Dierdre winced, their conversation on the castle ramparts from a few days ago still fresh in her mind, and his, apparently. "That, but more so I don't want my father hearing from another country that his one and only heir and daughter is rumored to have begun a courtship without his knowledge or consent."
It was a stand-off of sorts between the two of them. "I'll not make you, Dierdre, you know that. I couldn't even if I tried," he smiled gently at her. "I thought to ask you, and I want you to perform the rights, but if you're truly uncomfortable with the idea, one of the chieftains' wives will serve." He continued to watch her until her expression settled into one of resolve, the touch of a smile just barely touching the corners of her lips.
"I brought a white gown with red sashes with me; it'd be a shame to waste it."
Mystic Knights
Night had fallen on Temra, and with the setting of the sun came the hour that would begin the dedication rituals to the goddess Brigit. As twilight began to fall, dignitaries from all of the villages, save Kork and Hearth, had gathered just outside the front gates of Temra Castle. Chieftains, their wives, spiritual leaders, and members of their council were grouped together in an orderly fashion, lined up village by village, with nearly all the men holding brightly lit torches. It was a beautiful sight, really, and one that Rohan believed he could get used to. He'd found over the past year or so that fire brought him a peace he wasn't all together familiar with, but that he surely craved. There was a purity in the element that lacked in any other.
Perhaps he was biased though, as he glanced towards the doors that led into Dierdre's chambers. It was possible that the air held the same pure essence that his own gifted element did. Surely it had to with her wielding it.
He bounced against his heels for a few moments, a quick stab of anxiety rushing through him before he forced himself to regulate his breathing and settle down. Not long now, not long, just be patient, he recited to himself, but he continued to stare at the doors before him, as if doing so long and hard enough would magically open them and reveal the princess inside. And timing seemed to be with Rohan, for as soon as he stopped his rocking, he heard the bar which locked the door from the inside lift, and the entrance opened.
Rohan, he would admit later, may have forgotten how to speak. It wasn't that he hadn't seen Dierdre in official regalia in the past. He had attended many a formal meal in Kells castle and seeing the princess in a new dress or styling a new crown wasn't foreign to him, but this – this was different. Perhaps it was because she was dressed in the white gown she'd mentioned previously, a color he hadn't seen against her skin before. Or, maybe it was the same golden tiara that rested on her head, but which had elegant and complicated fire red braids and curls covering it, making it appear as if the crown had been installed into her hair after it had been styled, rather than before. Since her tresses had gotten longer over the seasons, she'd had enough to weave the tiara into the styled tendrils and still keep the lower half of her hair down, loose – a halo of fire to frame her face.
Or, still, perhaps it was the new, noble red cloak that fell gently from her shoulders to pool at her feet. Rohan didn't know what it was specifically; likely, it was all of them together, but the woman that appeared before him now was a far cry from the girl princess he'd left in Kells those months ago. He wasn't sure why, but it was in that moment that Rohan realized just how much Dierdre had grown, matured.
She was a radiant beauty, a fit look for the goddess Brigit herself.
And Dierdre seemed to know it too. A smile, just short of being a smirk, played on her lips as she took in Rohan's reaction. It was one that she'd been hoping for, she couldn't lie about that. But she also couldn't help an explanation. "It would be a fib if I said I hadn't been hoping for an occasion to wear this." She continued to look at him as he eyed her up and down, and she could tell he was trying to find his voice. "I take it you approve?"
He nodded silently, still trying to find his voice. Dierdre chuckled, taking a few more steps towards him. "Rohan, you know you'll have to speak once we get outside, right?"
"Yes! Yes, right. Well then –" The knight cleared his throat and stepped to the side, offering her a hand and motioning towards the stairs. "No need to keep the lads downstairs waiting then, right?"
Mystic Knights
The procession to the bonfire lasted around 15 minutes. It wasn't an especially large contingent, but 40 to 50 or so members of various villages, combined with armed soldiers made for quite a sight as the group traveled across freshly dewing grass to end at a large mountain of sticks, large tree branches, and split logs. The wood had been stacked high and tightly together atop a stand, encircled with rocks to keep the flames from traveling along the ground. Though it was dark, the stars and moon were bright enough to light their way, and when the group reached the area they would consecrate and celebrate in for a brief time that evening, they formed a wide circle around the bonfire, grouping by village, and waiting for Rohan to begin the proceedings.
Dierdre and Angus followed a few paces behind the new lord as he made his way forward, and when Rohan turned to face the village in front of him, so too did Dierdre and Angus, and Rohan couldn't help but toss a smile Dierdre's way as he caught a glimpse of her, all in white, pure as the fire she was about to set. She stood quietly behind him, holding a cross of the goddess Brigit made from straw that she would carry with her as she lit the corners of the bonfire.
"Welcome all, to this celebration and ceremony of thanks to the great goddess, Brigit, queen of healing, of fertility, of arts and smiths. Tonight, we honor the Daughter of Dagda, and pray that she will bring us bountiful harvests in the coming months and purify our land, our hearts, and our very souls." Rohan cleared his throat as quietly as he could before looking at Liam and signaling the leader of the village Kinvara forward. "Liam, Chieftain of Kinvara; what offerings do you bring the Daughter of Dagda?"
The older man stepped forward. "Kinvara is humbled to present this gift of water, gathered from the lake near our village, to the goddess Brigit. Goddess, bless us with pure drink and fruitful harvests, as we humbly beseech your praise and favor."
And so it went on, one village after another. Offerings of herbs often used for healing, candles, and various grains were placed within the stone circle that separated those gathered from the flames of the future bonfire. Once all of the offerings were made, Rohan turned to Dierdre, motioning for a soldier carrying a torch to come forward, and signaling one of the spiritual leaders from Kinvara as well.
"Dierdre, the Princess of Kells, will complete the rites by lighting the corners." Rohan stepped away enough so that the priest, a man whom Rohan thought resembled Cathbad rather well, could take his place and provide blessings to Dierdre before she began her duty.
"Dierdre, Princess of Kells, daughter of Conchobar, take this fire in the name of our goddess, Brigit." The guard, now standing next to Dierdre, handed off the torch to the priest, who in turn, passed it on to her and stepped back. "Brigit, Goddess of Healing, Goddess of Medicine, Goddess of Fertility, Goddess of the Harvest, accept this child whom we present to you, this child who lights the fire of purity before these gathered here before you, which will allow the light of our faith to shine on all who are here present." He nodded at Dierdre, stepping back towards his village delegation, and she hefted the torch up a bit higher, taking a breath and turning around to face the mountain of lumber before her.
"Brigit, Come to Us! Brigit, Be with Us. Brigit, Be in Us. Welcome!" She stepped forward and held the flame in front of her as an offering before turning to the right and walking around the bonfire, making a circle and continuing to invoke the goddess. "Circle of Brigit power, Circle of Brigit light. Circle of Brigit magick, Circle of Brigit, bright."
Once she reached her original starting point, Dierdre stepped forward and dipped the flame towards the wood, waiting for it to catch as it licked this way and that against the timber. "Lady of the sacred flame, bless us as we call your name; Brigit." She vaguely heard the crowd around her answer her call with one of their own, shouting the deity's name into the night sky, but she did feel Rohan come to her side. She knew his presence as well as she knew her own; she would recognize it anywhere. And just as he'd told her he would, he stood with her, chanting with her as she lit each point, north, south, east, and west. Each time her torch tipped forward to light another corner, she said the appropriate prayer aloud and all gathered answered her.
Finally, what had begun as something akin to a small camp fire now roared with heat in the stone enclosure that held it. The bonfire danced against the darkness, bathing everyone who surrounded it with warmth and a flirtatious light that bounced about on each person's face. As Dierdre once again reached her starting point and lowered the torch, Rohan understood just how mesmerizing the fire could be; he almost forgot that he was supposed to lead the blessing until he caught Dierdre looking at him. He assumed his place just ahead of and in front of her, and raised his hands, his straw cross of Brigit high in the air.
"Behold the God and Goddess, Lord of the Forest and his Bride. Once again, the Earth is blessed with life anew inside. Seeds shall soon begin to sprout,and creatures shall young bear. For this is the Promise, the Cycle of Life, that is born of the love They share."
He paused for one moment, seeing that Dierdre, who had by now handed over the torch back over to the guard, was now lifting her cross of Brigit to the flame, and bowing her head, Angus following her example. He didn't have to look at the crowd to know that they were doing the same. This was an ancient right, one done for centuries before his birth and one that would be performed centuries after. It made him realize just how insignificant he was in the grand scheme of things in that moment.
"Though you leave this circle tonight, Water, Fire, Air, and Earth, Your symbols shall linger on a while, blessing my home and hearth. The herbs that scent this land tonight, were chosen with loving care, to bless me, my family and my friends, and my sisters and brothers everywhere."
"I honor Thee, Maiden, most blessed Bride, as your fire burns through this night, and thank you for the renewed life you offer us all, as you emerge from the dark to the light."
Rohan stepped back, lowering his arms and feeling a sense of relief flow through him almost immediately. His first ritual as a true lord was complete, and it had gone off without a hitch. His introspection was interrupted as he felt a heavy slap on shoulder, and he knew without looking that it was Angus.
"Y'never looked so regal, Rohan," his friend grinned at him.
"Thank you, Angus," and Rohan truly did look grateful, if not just the slightest bit exhausted. The adrenaline and excitement were beginning to wear off, something that Dierdre seemed to instinctively realize as she came alongside Rohan opposite Angus.
"Let's get the Lord of Temra something to eat."
