Benowyc came down to the Main Hall to join his hosts for dinner. He was
greeted by quite a surprise, his cousin Helga was here. He could he her
voice now, talking happily with the gathered crowd.
Ben smiled. If their grandfather, Bedowyr, had been a surrogate father to Helga, he had been a surrogate brother.
Her reaction was much as he expected when he entered.
"Ben!" She cried. She got up and ran to him throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "I've missed you! Come, sit. There's so much to tell you! A school, Ben! We're going to form a school! Godric, Salazar, Rowena and I. Do you still have those brooms I charmed? They'd be great to survey land sights!"
Ben laughed. "Helga! Slow down! What school?"
She smiled. "Sorry. We want to start a school. A place to teach our young how to protect themselves." Then her face fell. "Like Granda taught us. How is he?"
Ben smiled sadly. "He's holding on. Though I don't know what for."
"Ben! How can you say that?"
"Helga," Godric said kindly. "Bedowyr is over a hundred years old. He deserves his peace."
Helga stood. "Don't talk like he's dead yet, Godric. And he'll want to help with the school."
"We'd be honored to have him." Rowena said.
"And foolish not to seek his advice." Salazar said.
"Tomorrow." Mairead said. "You should take a ride over to see him."
"I think that's a good idea." Rowena said. "You can talk to him, Helga. Get his thoughts on this venture."
***************************
As the sun rose, Helga mounted her horse. It had been a long time since she had traveled home this way.
Home. It hadn't been home for four years. Caer Edyn north of the Celyddon forest was where she was raised after her parents had died. Well, on a cliff in sight of the fortified settlement.
She couldn't stop her family from being murdered. She couldn't stop Robin from being killed. And now she couldn't stop Bedowyr from joining them.
On their horses it was only half a day's ride. Helga held back and let the others lead. Garth, and Rhys were in the lead. Ben and Anya were in front of her watching her out of the corner of their eyes. Helga followed almost blindly.
She enjoyed being outside in the wood. It would be colder the farther north they went but this time of year the air would only be crisp. No matter how far she traveled or where she lived the Hive would always be home. And nothing felt like going home. Even if only to say goodbye.
*************** Salazar and Mairead were alone in the Main Hall.
"Where did Godric disappear to?" Salazar asked.
"He and Ulric went over to see Ravenclaw and then they were going into the town. He only told me they had some business there."
Salazar shook his head. "He treats you as if you were a Muggle woman. Does it never bother you that your husband..."
"Stop right there." She said holding up her hand. "I know what you're going to say, and no. Godric and I came to an understanding along time ago. I don't like going out and about people. You know that. I set the tone in our relationship.
"Even when our friends visit I still let him take the lead. It has built his pride over the years and allowed me to build my strength. I've studied while he goes out to tend to his people. And he knows I'm as powerful as any of you.
"Rowena is my sister. And she knew I would want no part of your school. It is nothing Godric has done. It was my decision."
Salazar sat in awe of her. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Are you really as powerful as your husband?"
"More so I think. Not that I've yet had cause to use my strength."
Salazar smiled maliciously. "Oh I'm sure you'll find a use for it. Maybe sooner that you think."
**********************8
"Helga, have you been able to see grandfather lately?" Benowyc asked.
"It's been over two months." She said. "I've been trying to get my father's clan to all check in with me. I've been trying to keep track of everyone and see who needs what kind of help. Then I've been to check on the related clans and it's just gotten to be so much. I think I finally talked to every witch and wizard in south of the Wall!"
"Always the over achiever, Helga?" Garth said wryly.
"It's called an exaggeration, Garth." Anya said in her friend's defense.
"Rhys, have you ever met, Bedowyr?" Helga asked ignoring Garth.
"Only once," the boy answered. "And I don't think he would really remember me."
"But you remember him?" Anya asked her little brother.
"Oh, yes!" Rhys answered enthusiastically. "How could I forget? He just was so powerful. He didn't really do anything, but still, I could tell."
"There's no one as sure as a nine-year-old." Anya whispered to Ben.
"Well, you can't say he's wrong, can you?" Ben said with a smile.
Anya smiled back. "Father always said Bedowyr was the most powerful wizard of our time. We're a bit biased."
"And we're so neutral on the subject?" Helga said.
"Well, Rhys, I'm sure you made an impression." Garth said ruffling the young boy's hair.
"Yes, I'll have to agree with Garth about that." Helga said.
"Oh no, did Hell freeze over? Did I miss it?" Anya joked.
******************************* "Élan?" Bedowyr asked from the bed where he lay.
Helga smiled at him. "No Granda. Mama died over fifteen years ago. It's me Helga." She took his hand.
"Helga." He said and smiled. "I remember now. Sometimes it gets a bit muddled. You've brought me back, child."
"I'm glad."
"So am I. I can go now." He said.
"What do you mean 'go?'" Helga asked.
"You're the Seer, you tell me."
"Two visions do not make me a Seer, Granda."
He held her hand tight. She felt a warmth and saw a white light emanating from his hand.
"Ben!" Helga called. "Ben tell him to stop!"
"Grandfather you have to save your strength." Ben said.
But Bedowyr just took hold of Benowyc's hand. He felt the same warmth and saw the same light. He felt lightheaded and a bit dizzy. But he also felt strong. Then he realized what their grandfather was doing.
"Granda, no! Helga and I have our own power. We don't need yours!" Ben said trying not to panic and unable to brake the connection.
Helga realized what was happening too. "Granda." She couldn't say anything else. She just wept.
There was a bright flash and Bedowyr lay still.
Ben smiled. If their grandfather, Bedowyr, had been a surrogate father to Helga, he had been a surrogate brother.
Her reaction was much as he expected when he entered.
"Ben!" She cried. She got up and ran to him throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "I've missed you! Come, sit. There's so much to tell you! A school, Ben! We're going to form a school! Godric, Salazar, Rowena and I. Do you still have those brooms I charmed? They'd be great to survey land sights!"
Ben laughed. "Helga! Slow down! What school?"
She smiled. "Sorry. We want to start a school. A place to teach our young how to protect themselves." Then her face fell. "Like Granda taught us. How is he?"
Ben smiled sadly. "He's holding on. Though I don't know what for."
"Ben! How can you say that?"
"Helga," Godric said kindly. "Bedowyr is over a hundred years old. He deserves his peace."
Helga stood. "Don't talk like he's dead yet, Godric. And he'll want to help with the school."
"We'd be honored to have him." Rowena said.
"And foolish not to seek his advice." Salazar said.
"Tomorrow." Mairead said. "You should take a ride over to see him."
"I think that's a good idea." Rowena said. "You can talk to him, Helga. Get his thoughts on this venture."
***************************
As the sun rose, Helga mounted her horse. It had been a long time since she had traveled home this way.
Home. It hadn't been home for four years. Caer Edyn north of the Celyddon forest was where she was raised after her parents had died. Well, on a cliff in sight of the fortified settlement.
She couldn't stop her family from being murdered. She couldn't stop Robin from being killed. And now she couldn't stop Bedowyr from joining them.
On their horses it was only half a day's ride. Helga held back and let the others lead. Garth, and Rhys were in the lead. Ben and Anya were in front of her watching her out of the corner of their eyes. Helga followed almost blindly.
She enjoyed being outside in the wood. It would be colder the farther north they went but this time of year the air would only be crisp. No matter how far she traveled or where she lived the Hive would always be home. And nothing felt like going home. Even if only to say goodbye.
*************** Salazar and Mairead were alone in the Main Hall.
"Where did Godric disappear to?" Salazar asked.
"He and Ulric went over to see Ravenclaw and then they were going into the town. He only told me they had some business there."
Salazar shook his head. "He treats you as if you were a Muggle woman. Does it never bother you that your husband..."
"Stop right there." She said holding up her hand. "I know what you're going to say, and no. Godric and I came to an understanding along time ago. I don't like going out and about people. You know that. I set the tone in our relationship.
"Even when our friends visit I still let him take the lead. It has built his pride over the years and allowed me to build my strength. I've studied while he goes out to tend to his people. And he knows I'm as powerful as any of you.
"Rowena is my sister. And she knew I would want no part of your school. It is nothing Godric has done. It was my decision."
Salazar sat in awe of her. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Are you really as powerful as your husband?"
"More so I think. Not that I've yet had cause to use my strength."
Salazar smiled maliciously. "Oh I'm sure you'll find a use for it. Maybe sooner that you think."
**********************8
"Helga, have you been able to see grandfather lately?" Benowyc asked.
"It's been over two months." She said. "I've been trying to get my father's clan to all check in with me. I've been trying to keep track of everyone and see who needs what kind of help. Then I've been to check on the related clans and it's just gotten to be so much. I think I finally talked to every witch and wizard in south of the Wall!"
"Always the over achiever, Helga?" Garth said wryly.
"It's called an exaggeration, Garth." Anya said in her friend's defense.
"Rhys, have you ever met, Bedowyr?" Helga asked ignoring Garth.
"Only once," the boy answered. "And I don't think he would really remember me."
"But you remember him?" Anya asked her little brother.
"Oh, yes!" Rhys answered enthusiastically. "How could I forget? He just was so powerful. He didn't really do anything, but still, I could tell."
"There's no one as sure as a nine-year-old." Anya whispered to Ben.
"Well, you can't say he's wrong, can you?" Ben said with a smile.
Anya smiled back. "Father always said Bedowyr was the most powerful wizard of our time. We're a bit biased."
"And we're so neutral on the subject?" Helga said.
"Well, Rhys, I'm sure you made an impression." Garth said ruffling the young boy's hair.
"Yes, I'll have to agree with Garth about that." Helga said.
"Oh no, did Hell freeze over? Did I miss it?" Anya joked.
******************************* "Élan?" Bedowyr asked from the bed where he lay.
Helga smiled at him. "No Granda. Mama died over fifteen years ago. It's me Helga." She took his hand.
"Helga." He said and smiled. "I remember now. Sometimes it gets a bit muddled. You've brought me back, child."
"I'm glad."
"So am I. I can go now." He said.
"What do you mean 'go?'" Helga asked.
"You're the Seer, you tell me."
"Two visions do not make me a Seer, Granda."
He held her hand tight. She felt a warmth and saw a white light emanating from his hand.
"Ben!" Helga called. "Ben tell him to stop!"
"Grandfather you have to save your strength." Ben said.
But Bedowyr just took hold of Benowyc's hand. He felt the same warmth and saw the same light. He felt lightheaded and a bit dizzy. But he also felt strong. Then he realized what their grandfather was doing.
"Granda, no! Helga and I have our own power. We don't need yours!" Ben said trying not to panic and unable to brake the connection.
Helga realized what was happening too. "Granda." She couldn't say anything else. She just wept.
There was a bright flash and Bedowyr lay still.
