Chapter 1
A/N This is my third story. I hope most of you know me and those who don't I'm pleased to meet you. This story is about why they say that the Copper Isles have bad blood in them, that makes them somewhat crazy. I hope no one else has done this story. Please enjoy. Please watch, there is attempted rape, so ya, sorry! It's kind of dark.
**************************************************************************** **********
Branwen of the Copper Isles ran down the hall way and out the building, towards the fields and freedom on the outside of the treacherous prison. It was so close! She could smell the green fields and rolling hills of the Copper Isles. She would run out and reach the sea, where she would escape. Closer and closer she came to the exit, her feet slapping on the rocks, mimicking the beating of her heart. The door, she could see a light, under the door, with which no candle could create, the light of the sun. Her pale face seemed to radiate; her black hair flowing behind her, never having been cut it rolled in waves along her wake.
Branwen almost tripped, she looked back, hearing the voices of her nursemaid and the guards, and she would do it! She would go Outside. Closer and closer she got to the door. Suddenly she was lying on the floor, unable to move. Her jaw was clamped shut, she could not scream, her eyes were forced open, she could not close them. She was trapped in her home, trapped in her mind.
**************************************************************************** *********
When Branwen awoke, she saw Eira, her nurse, was sitting in the rocking chair by the fire. Branwen slowly stood, she went over and sat in Eira's lap, taking in the smell of the old woman's hair.
After sometime Branwen began to cry slightly, only a small amount of tears, but they slowly increased, becoming a steady river into the comforting white hair of the old nurse.
"What happened?" Branwen asked Eira, tucking her head under the nurse's chin. "Why did I run?"
"It was a relapse in the disease child; you could not help it." Eira said, carefully stroking the raven hair.
"Will you tell me the story? I want to know." Branwen said by habit. All her life, she had wanted to hear the story of her madness her entire life. Eira would only shake her head and insist to wait for another day. Today however, Eira looked up into Branwen's face, blind eyes taking in things that many could not describe.
"How old are you child?"
"I am 15," Branwen said quietly. She had not expected this.
"Then I will tell you, but it is long, and I am old, please, sit on the bed."
Branwen went and sat on the bed. Her pale face rested on the cream pillow of her bed. She propped herself up towards Eira.
"When your mother first married your father, she worried that she would never produce an heir. One day she traveled to the Hills of Gawain, a sacred place. There she spent 15 weeks, where she did not eat but what she could reach, and did not drink naught but what the rain provided. She prayed to Our gods, for a child. On the fifteenth day, a raven came to the watch post at Gawain. A white hawk followed him. Which the hills are named for. The raven lent in on the hawk, whispering something in its ear. The hawk left, wheeling off towards the sky." She sailed her hand up to the ceiling of the ill-lit room, and slowly let her hand open.
" The raven landed near your mother. " Meinwen, Meinwen," He whispered in her ear. "Meinwen, you are hungry. Meinwen, eat." Before her a platter of the most enchanting food appeared. But, your mother had been warned not to eat the food given to her. She simply answered " Your food is the food of war." "Meinwen, it has not rained for days, Meinwen, drink." Before her a flask of red wine appeared. Your mother simply answered "That is the blood of my Allies." The raven became angry. He turned to Meinwen and yelled out. "YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR CHILD!" Meinwen was relieved; she was about to leave when the white hawk reappeared. He stayed Meinwen. "Meinwen, your child is cursed, you must stay another 15 weeks before you leave, and then you will be forever cleansed." Your mother however would not listen. She was hungry and cold and wet, but she was also week. She ate the food before her and drank the wine, and for 14 days, recovered her strength, on the fifteenth, she left, ignoring the white hawks words. And you were born. You were born as pale as chalk, with eyes as black as night, and hair as dark as the bird you are named after. You would have just been named "Bran" if your mother had not intervened she insisted on giving you your name, the name of "Beautiful raven."
Branwen thought this over, she was a curse? She was the result of a curse? Branwen buried her head in her pillow and gave off a bone chilling screech. She pounded he pillow again and again. She was locked in here because she was a girl! She had never seen day. NEVER.
"That is not all child, a mage came, he checked on you when you were little, and he said you ere possessed, by a demon. He said that if you saw the day you would burn the kingdom down. Your father insisted on this prison being built. That child, is why you are here."
"I want to go out, Eira, I want out. I want to see the sky, and feel it's wind and, I want the sea, but mostly I want the sky. Eira help me!"
"I cannot" She lent back in the chair slowly rocking back and forth. Branwen let out another cry, she threw her hands up in the air, head thrown back, she let out a long unwavering note, magic as dark as her hair flew around her. She screamed again. Tears streamed down her face.
Branwen tired and fell in a heap on the floor, crying softly. She fell asleep to the sound of Eira rocking in the chair, a soft, "Creak, thump! Creak, Thump!" That slowly came blurred in dream.
***
In her dream Branwen was in a dark tower, at the top a window lay, sending off a small beam of light, she raced up the stairs heading ever more towards the light. If anything though, the light got farther away. Relentleslly Branwen stomped up the steps, the light just kept getting farther away. Finally she slumped up against the wall angrily beating it with her hands.
"What do you want from me?" Branwen yelled up at the impossible light. "What do you want?"
A dark shape swung down through the window, it swept in, a strange creature, with black body and beak. It had strange wings, and Branwen guessed from what Eira had told her, wings.
For some odd reason Branwen didn't raise her hand to shield her self, but raised her forearm. The creature landed gently on her arm. Intelligent eyes looked her over.
"What are you?" She whispered.
"I'm a raven, I'm you."
"That's impossible, I'm me!"
"Yes, but I'm you to!"
"No! There is only one me!" Branwen yelled angrily.
The bird slashed her face with it's beak, leaving a scar under her eye. It bled, dark blood spilling against her pasty skin. Branwen rubbed it, the blood came off on her hand, like paint on paper, it contrasted more greatly then any could imagine.
"What are you?"
"Who, you mean, I'm Madoc, don't be angry, I'm here to help."
"Help get what?"
"Your freedom."
***
A/N Okay, wow! Long story, what do you think? If you want to know the meaning of the names, go to "behindthename.com" it's a name website and type them into the search bar. Okay I really hope you like this, I don't want it to be to dark though.
Akaara
A/N This is my third story. I hope most of you know me and those who don't I'm pleased to meet you. This story is about why they say that the Copper Isles have bad blood in them, that makes them somewhat crazy. I hope no one else has done this story. Please enjoy. Please watch, there is attempted rape, so ya, sorry! It's kind of dark.
**************************************************************************** **********
Branwen of the Copper Isles ran down the hall way and out the building, towards the fields and freedom on the outside of the treacherous prison. It was so close! She could smell the green fields and rolling hills of the Copper Isles. She would run out and reach the sea, where she would escape. Closer and closer she came to the exit, her feet slapping on the rocks, mimicking the beating of her heart. The door, she could see a light, under the door, with which no candle could create, the light of the sun. Her pale face seemed to radiate; her black hair flowing behind her, never having been cut it rolled in waves along her wake.
Branwen almost tripped, she looked back, hearing the voices of her nursemaid and the guards, and she would do it! She would go Outside. Closer and closer she got to the door. Suddenly she was lying on the floor, unable to move. Her jaw was clamped shut, she could not scream, her eyes were forced open, she could not close them. She was trapped in her home, trapped in her mind.
**************************************************************************** *********
When Branwen awoke, she saw Eira, her nurse, was sitting in the rocking chair by the fire. Branwen slowly stood, she went over and sat in Eira's lap, taking in the smell of the old woman's hair.
After sometime Branwen began to cry slightly, only a small amount of tears, but they slowly increased, becoming a steady river into the comforting white hair of the old nurse.
"What happened?" Branwen asked Eira, tucking her head under the nurse's chin. "Why did I run?"
"It was a relapse in the disease child; you could not help it." Eira said, carefully stroking the raven hair.
"Will you tell me the story? I want to know." Branwen said by habit. All her life, she had wanted to hear the story of her madness her entire life. Eira would only shake her head and insist to wait for another day. Today however, Eira looked up into Branwen's face, blind eyes taking in things that many could not describe.
"How old are you child?"
"I am 15," Branwen said quietly. She had not expected this.
"Then I will tell you, but it is long, and I am old, please, sit on the bed."
Branwen went and sat on the bed. Her pale face rested on the cream pillow of her bed. She propped herself up towards Eira.
"When your mother first married your father, she worried that she would never produce an heir. One day she traveled to the Hills of Gawain, a sacred place. There she spent 15 weeks, where she did not eat but what she could reach, and did not drink naught but what the rain provided. She prayed to Our gods, for a child. On the fifteenth day, a raven came to the watch post at Gawain. A white hawk followed him. Which the hills are named for. The raven lent in on the hawk, whispering something in its ear. The hawk left, wheeling off towards the sky." She sailed her hand up to the ceiling of the ill-lit room, and slowly let her hand open.
" The raven landed near your mother. " Meinwen, Meinwen," He whispered in her ear. "Meinwen, you are hungry. Meinwen, eat." Before her a platter of the most enchanting food appeared. But, your mother had been warned not to eat the food given to her. She simply answered " Your food is the food of war." "Meinwen, it has not rained for days, Meinwen, drink." Before her a flask of red wine appeared. Your mother simply answered "That is the blood of my Allies." The raven became angry. He turned to Meinwen and yelled out. "YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR CHILD!" Meinwen was relieved; she was about to leave when the white hawk reappeared. He stayed Meinwen. "Meinwen, your child is cursed, you must stay another 15 weeks before you leave, and then you will be forever cleansed." Your mother however would not listen. She was hungry and cold and wet, but she was also week. She ate the food before her and drank the wine, and for 14 days, recovered her strength, on the fifteenth, she left, ignoring the white hawks words. And you were born. You were born as pale as chalk, with eyes as black as night, and hair as dark as the bird you are named after. You would have just been named "Bran" if your mother had not intervened she insisted on giving you your name, the name of "Beautiful raven."
Branwen thought this over, she was a curse? She was the result of a curse? Branwen buried her head in her pillow and gave off a bone chilling screech. She pounded he pillow again and again. She was locked in here because she was a girl! She had never seen day. NEVER.
"That is not all child, a mage came, he checked on you when you were little, and he said you ere possessed, by a demon. He said that if you saw the day you would burn the kingdom down. Your father insisted on this prison being built. That child, is why you are here."
"I want to go out, Eira, I want out. I want to see the sky, and feel it's wind and, I want the sea, but mostly I want the sky. Eira help me!"
"I cannot" She lent back in the chair slowly rocking back and forth. Branwen let out another cry, she threw her hands up in the air, head thrown back, she let out a long unwavering note, magic as dark as her hair flew around her. She screamed again. Tears streamed down her face.
Branwen tired and fell in a heap on the floor, crying softly. She fell asleep to the sound of Eira rocking in the chair, a soft, "Creak, thump! Creak, Thump!" That slowly came blurred in dream.
***
In her dream Branwen was in a dark tower, at the top a window lay, sending off a small beam of light, she raced up the stairs heading ever more towards the light. If anything though, the light got farther away. Relentleslly Branwen stomped up the steps, the light just kept getting farther away. Finally she slumped up against the wall angrily beating it with her hands.
"What do you want from me?" Branwen yelled up at the impossible light. "What do you want?"
A dark shape swung down through the window, it swept in, a strange creature, with black body and beak. It had strange wings, and Branwen guessed from what Eira had told her, wings.
For some odd reason Branwen didn't raise her hand to shield her self, but raised her forearm. The creature landed gently on her arm. Intelligent eyes looked her over.
"What are you?" She whispered.
"I'm a raven, I'm you."
"That's impossible, I'm me!"
"Yes, but I'm you to!"
"No! There is only one me!" Branwen yelled angrily.
The bird slashed her face with it's beak, leaving a scar under her eye. It bled, dark blood spilling against her pasty skin. Branwen rubbed it, the blood came off on her hand, like paint on paper, it contrasted more greatly then any could imagine.
"What are you?"
"Who, you mean, I'm Madoc, don't be angry, I'm here to help."
"Help get what?"
"Your freedom."
***
A/N Okay, wow! Long story, what do you think? If you want to know the meaning of the names, go to "behindthename.com" it's a name website and type them into the search bar. Okay I really hope you like this, I don't want it to be to dark though.
Akaara