Chapter Four
The girls were given a room on the corner of second floor, an L-shaped room, with two broad windows letting in red and golden light from the setting sun. A small room beside it was prepared for Rosie. The books that had followed them lined a ledge that ran around the inside wall, and Erin's gym bag lay on a small table next to Rhian's backpack. The walls were a soft blue, strangly painted in varying shades, giving the feel of sunlight water; the two beds, dark wood carved with vines, were draped with sheer, shimmering curtains of white cloth. Two gowns of soft, rippling silk were already layed out; one of brilliant emerald green, the other of delicate sky blue.
"Lookit!" Rosie called from her little room. For her there was a white dress of soft linen, with a ruffled hem and a white satin sash. Erin put it on her, and Rhian combed out her curls, tying them with another white ribbon. Then she sat on Rhian's bed while the two sisters got ready. Rhian wore the green dress; the sleeves opened at the elbow, and the waist was bound with a slender golden cord. Her hair she brushed out, and wore a gold circlet to keep it from her face. Erin wore the blue gown, similar in style, but girdled with silver. She braided her hair, with Rhian's help, and then a knock sounded at the door. It was Aria, come to fetch them downstairs.
"And now, Lady Rhian," Elrond said, much later that evening, "perhaps you will favor us by continuing your story." The tables had been cleared, and Rhian stood up blushing from her seat between Erin and Pippin.
"If my lord wishes," she said, echoing her previous words.
"He does!" said Merry and Pippin, at once and together. There were cries of agreement. Rhian stepped into the center of the room, her look becoming concentrated as the story began to take shape in her mind. Rosie, knowing her role in things, took a cushion from her chair and sat on it near where Rhian stood.
"I have told already the tale of Princess Briyann and the dragon Raygen, the serpent who was slain by her hand. But I have told only half; now I shall tell you the rest, of the dragon-"
"Shayam."
"...and the troll king-"
"Dreego."
"Shayam was close kin to Raygen, and when she heard of his death by Briyann's hand she vowed vengeance; she flew northward, to the land of Briyann's father, King-"
"Arthur."
"...and besieged the castle-"
"Camelot."
"...sitting upon the great gates so that the king and all his knights were trapped hopelessly within. When Briyann returned and heard of this, that her father was prisoner in his own hall, she charged Shayam with lance and spear, raising her shield against the dragon's fire. Shayam for her part fell on Briyann with tooth and claw, until the maiden's blade tore the flesh of the dragon's wing and she retreated. At this King Arthur unbarred his gates and gathered his daughter in his arms, vowing her the most valiant of all his sword-sworn, but lo! even as Shayam tended her hurt she sent for her ally the Troll King-"
"Dreego."
"...to come to her aid, for he owed her servitude. He was covered with thick green skin, not easily pierced by blade or bow, and carried in his hand a huge ax, but Briyann, when her eyes fell on him, did not flinch but sent her father and all his company from Camelot, bidding them wait on her time. Such was the king's faith in her that he did what was asked of him, taking all the court into the hills, leaving Briyann alone before the dragon Shayam's wrath and power. Knowing she, wounded still, was no match for the Troll King's strength, Briyann retreated within the castle and barricaded herself within the tall tower, with her bow and sword beside her. Whenever he approached she fired on him from the windows arrows dipped in flame, so that he could not come near. And so for many days they remained thus, until Shayam, healed of her hurts, returned from her place of solitude and prepared to force Briyann from her place in the tower. But before the deed could be carried out, from behind the dragon came a shout of challenge. For the Prince-"
"Chiarlon ."
"...had heard from afar tales of a lady as valiant as she was fair, and as true of heart. So entranced was he by these tales that he came many miles across the mountians seeking her, and, having heard from the knights of her father how she held the castle alone, had sworn himself to come to her aid. So now he waited answer to his challenge, and Shayam gave it. In the same manner as Raygen had set upon Briyann, in the selfsame manner of all dragon kindred, she set upon Prince Chiarlon with wing and fang and claw, while he hewed her flesh with the blade of his fathers until the very stones were stained with red, and when night fell both retreated back under the sky shadows. Dreego the Troll King was kept from interfering by Briyann's keen aim, while she also was kept back by his broad ax. And so when the sun rose golden the next day Prince Chiarlon and Shayam met again, and again wing and fang and claw met with ancient steel guided by strong arm and true heart, and when the sun sank that night it was Shayam who retreated first into darkness. While the shadows reigned in the time before dawn, Prince Chiarlon slipped along the palace walls, silently as the stars in their motions above, until he came to the place where Dreego slept on guard. He took from the Troll King's hand his ax, and this he threw into the moat. In the tower above Briyann heard him, and coming to the window saw the Dreego heard him too, for he was waking. She called to Chiarlon in warning, and let loose her bow, an arrow burying itself in Dreego's thick skinned shoulder, scorching the green flesh. Chiarlon, turning just as the sun rose, caught sight of Bryiann in the new light, and saluted her, for never had he seen a lady so fair or so bold, and she responded in kind, before he returned to the gates, to face Shayam for the third and final time. Now new love for his lady guided his hand, and he struck with even greater force than before, so that the dragoness fell back before him, until with a mighty blow he drove the great blade to the hilts in her chest, and she lay still on the stony ground. As they fought Briyann's arrows had kept the vengful Troll King at bay, but now her quiver was empty, and Dreego armed with a thick staff set out to wreck havoc upon her champion. Briyann, seeing this, took up her sword and met Dreego within the gates, while Chiarlon yet remained without, and smote him once, twice across the shoulders before he returned the blows, and this weakly. Again she struck, thrice, until the hideous head came free and rolled upon the cobblestones, and the creature slumped to the ground. And then did she go out of her father's liberated gates to meet with her prince upon the field, and tend his hurt, and send for the king's return."
Rhian stopped. Rosie, curled up in a red-topped ball, was nodding into sleep quickly.
"'s a nice story 'Ian," she mumbled.
"Yes, very nice," Pippin grinned.
"Nothing like a good story," Merry agreed.
Erin looked knowingly at her sister. "There's more, isn't there? I can see it brewing in your eyes now."
"Yes," Rhian admitted. "There's more. But," she added, "I think it will have to wait." She scooped a drowsy Rosie into her arms.
"'Ian," Rosie said into her shoulder, "where's Daddy an' Jon-jon?"
Rhian stopped and looked at Erin, her eyes wide. Where were Bryan and Jonathan?
The girls were given a room on the corner of second floor, an L-shaped room, with two broad windows letting in red and golden light from the setting sun. A small room beside it was prepared for Rosie. The books that had followed them lined a ledge that ran around the inside wall, and Erin's gym bag lay on a small table next to Rhian's backpack. The walls were a soft blue, strangly painted in varying shades, giving the feel of sunlight water; the two beds, dark wood carved with vines, were draped with sheer, shimmering curtains of white cloth. Two gowns of soft, rippling silk were already layed out; one of brilliant emerald green, the other of delicate sky blue.
"Lookit!" Rosie called from her little room. For her there was a white dress of soft linen, with a ruffled hem and a white satin sash. Erin put it on her, and Rhian combed out her curls, tying them with another white ribbon. Then she sat on Rhian's bed while the two sisters got ready. Rhian wore the green dress; the sleeves opened at the elbow, and the waist was bound with a slender golden cord. Her hair she brushed out, and wore a gold circlet to keep it from her face. Erin wore the blue gown, similar in style, but girdled with silver. She braided her hair, with Rhian's help, and then a knock sounded at the door. It was Aria, come to fetch them downstairs.
"And now, Lady Rhian," Elrond said, much later that evening, "perhaps you will favor us by continuing your story." The tables had been cleared, and Rhian stood up blushing from her seat between Erin and Pippin.
"If my lord wishes," she said, echoing her previous words.
"He does!" said Merry and Pippin, at once and together. There were cries of agreement. Rhian stepped into the center of the room, her look becoming concentrated as the story began to take shape in her mind. Rosie, knowing her role in things, took a cushion from her chair and sat on it near where Rhian stood.
"I have told already the tale of Princess Briyann and the dragon Raygen, the serpent who was slain by her hand. But I have told only half; now I shall tell you the rest, of the dragon-"
"Shayam."
"...and the troll king-"
"Dreego."
"Shayam was close kin to Raygen, and when she heard of his death by Briyann's hand she vowed vengeance; she flew northward, to the land of Briyann's father, King-"
"Arthur."
"...and besieged the castle-"
"Camelot."
"...sitting upon the great gates so that the king and all his knights were trapped hopelessly within. When Briyann returned and heard of this, that her father was prisoner in his own hall, she charged Shayam with lance and spear, raising her shield against the dragon's fire. Shayam for her part fell on Briyann with tooth and claw, until the maiden's blade tore the flesh of the dragon's wing and she retreated. At this King Arthur unbarred his gates and gathered his daughter in his arms, vowing her the most valiant of all his sword-sworn, but lo! even as Shayam tended her hurt she sent for her ally the Troll King-"
"Dreego."
"...to come to her aid, for he owed her servitude. He was covered with thick green skin, not easily pierced by blade or bow, and carried in his hand a huge ax, but Briyann, when her eyes fell on him, did not flinch but sent her father and all his company from Camelot, bidding them wait on her time. Such was the king's faith in her that he did what was asked of him, taking all the court into the hills, leaving Briyann alone before the dragon Shayam's wrath and power. Knowing she, wounded still, was no match for the Troll King's strength, Briyann retreated within the castle and barricaded herself within the tall tower, with her bow and sword beside her. Whenever he approached she fired on him from the windows arrows dipped in flame, so that he could not come near. And so for many days they remained thus, until Shayam, healed of her hurts, returned from her place of solitude and prepared to force Briyann from her place in the tower. But before the deed could be carried out, from behind the dragon came a shout of challenge. For the Prince-"
"Chiarlon ."
"...had heard from afar tales of a lady as valiant as she was fair, and as true of heart. So entranced was he by these tales that he came many miles across the mountians seeking her, and, having heard from the knights of her father how she held the castle alone, had sworn himself to come to her aid. So now he waited answer to his challenge, and Shayam gave it. In the same manner as Raygen had set upon Briyann, in the selfsame manner of all dragon kindred, she set upon Prince Chiarlon with wing and fang and claw, while he hewed her flesh with the blade of his fathers until the very stones were stained with red, and when night fell both retreated back under the sky shadows. Dreego the Troll King was kept from interfering by Briyann's keen aim, while she also was kept back by his broad ax. And so when the sun rose golden the next day Prince Chiarlon and Shayam met again, and again wing and fang and claw met with ancient steel guided by strong arm and true heart, and when the sun sank that night it was Shayam who retreated first into darkness. While the shadows reigned in the time before dawn, Prince Chiarlon slipped along the palace walls, silently as the stars in their motions above, until he came to the place where Dreego slept on guard. He took from the Troll King's hand his ax, and this he threw into the moat. In the tower above Briyann heard him, and coming to the window saw the Dreego heard him too, for he was waking. She called to Chiarlon in warning, and let loose her bow, an arrow burying itself in Dreego's thick skinned shoulder, scorching the green flesh. Chiarlon, turning just as the sun rose, caught sight of Bryiann in the new light, and saluted her, for never had he seen a lady so fair or so bold, and she responded in kind, before he returned to the gates, to face Shayam for the third and final time. Now new love for his lady guided his hand, and he struck with even greater force than before, so that the dragoness fell back before him, until with a mighty blow he drove the great blade to the hilts in her chest, and she lay still on the stony ground. As they fought Briyann's arrows had kept the vengful Troll King at bay, but now her quiver was empty, and Dreego armed with a thick staff set out to wreck havoc upon her champion. Briyann, seeing this, took up her sword and met Dreego within the gates, while Chiarlon yet remained without, and smote him once, twice across the shoulders before he returned the blows, and this weakly. Again she struck, thrice, until the hideous head came free and rolled upon the cobblestones, and the creature slumped to the ground. And then did she go out of her father's liberated gates to meet with her prince upon the field, and tend his hurt, and send for the king's return."
Rhian stopped. Rosie, curled up in a red-topped ball, was nodding into sleep quickly.
"'s a nice story 'Ian," she mumbled.
"Yes, very nice," Pippin grinned.
"Nothing like a good story," Merry agreed.
Erin looked knowingly at her sister. "There's more, isn't there? I can see it brewing in your eyes now."
"Yes," Rhian admitted. "There's more. But," she added, "I think it will have to wait." She scooped a drowsy Rosie into her arms.
"'Ian," Rosie said into her shoulder, "where's Daddy an' Jon-jon?"
Rhian stopped and looked at Erin, her eyes wide. Where were Bryan and Jonathan?