AN - The usual disclaimers apply. I'm not JKR!

All conversations in this chapter are in Elvish.

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 4

"I don't know what I'm going to do Etain," Myrddin sighed as he ran his fingers through his long black hair in frustration. "Harry needs to stay here, and not just for the sake of the prophesy. I'm not going to let him go back to where he was and I still haven't found anything out about his original family!" He turned to look at the old seer when he didn't get a response and was surprised to see her with a small smile on her face.

"I don't think it will be a problem Myrddin." She smiled mysteriously again and took another sip of her tea. "These things have a way of working themselves out."

Myrddin looked closer at his elder and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You've seen something, haven't you!"

"That's neither here nor there." Etain waved a hand dismissively then pulled one of her braids up and started to gently untie it, setting the crystal beads and carved hair ornaments she had worked into the plait onto the table, seemingly oblivious to Myrddin's growing impatience. "What did you have planned for the day, child? Are the preparations for tonight completed?" She smiled slightly as Myrddin growled at her in frustration, but ignored him, knowing it would make him even angrier. "I expect my Circle to be here at midday, so I won't be able to join you for mid-meal. Why don't you take the boys somewhere for the afternoon? I'm sure Harry would enjoy seeing the meadow where you always take Gavin." She laughed gently as Myrddin finally stood with a growled goodbye and left to find Gavin and Harry. "Oh, he's just too easy!"

"...and then, I pulled as hard as I could and the fish flew out of the water and up into the air and landed on Grandfather's head and made him fall down into the water and get all wet and have sea weed in his hair and he looked really funny!" Gavin explained, gesturing with excitement as he told Harry about a recent fishing trip to the coast, nearly knocking a pitcher of apple juice off the dining room table with one wild swing of his arms. Harry laughed as Myrddin tried to deny ever being in such an embarrassing position and took another bite of juicy yellow melon. "Did too, Grandfather!" Gavin insisted, and then giggled as Myrddin started tickling him to distract him from his story, and both of them ended up with juice in their hair when Gavin was caught mid drink by a laugh. Harry grinned as Gavin slid out of his chair and ran shrieking towards his bedroom, his grandfather in close pursuit.

"I think you boys need to take a nap, so you can stay up for the celebration tonight," Myrddin said a few minutes later as he helped Harry wipe melon juice off his hands and face. Gavin lay on his bed watching his grandfather's efforts, his eyes heavy, despite his protests of not being tired. "You can get up in a few hours and join everyone at the village center for evening meal, and if you're good I'll let you help me relight our hearth fire in the morning."

"Yes Grandfather, we'll rest for awhile. I think Harry is tired, so I'll lay with him." Gavin smiled as Harry lay down beside him on the bed, both closing their eyes and seeming to drop into sleep quickly. Myrddin watched from the doorway for several minutes, then left quietly to take care of some last minute preparations for the solstice ceremony.

"He's gone…come on, I need your help." Gavin's eyes popped open and he slid quickly off the bed, followed by a wide awake Harry, and both of them tiptoed to the door and peeked around the edge to make sure Myrddin was really gone.

Harry followed Gavin into his Grandfather's office, and watched as he started sliding desk drawers out, apparently looking for something.

"What are we looking for?"

"A small wooden box," Gavin held his hands out about a foot apart, "with a red spiral carved on top."

Harry moved to the other side of the desk and pulled out the lowest drawer, carefully lifting a stack of parchment to check underneath. "Is this it?"

Gavin quickly moved to look into the drawer, and smiled. "Yes, that's it!"

Harry watched as Gavin carefully lifted the box out, and set it on the desk top, gasping when he opened it to reveal a silver knife with an ornately carved handle nestled in pale cream colored linen.

"What is it?" Harry reached out to touch it, and Gavin caught his hand to prevent him.

"You can't touch it yet! We have to be prepared for the pledge first. It's Grandfather's athame. It's a sacred knife, used only for special ceremonies. We need it for tonight." Gavin carefully closed the box and the drawers he'd opened, crossed the room to a small cabinet, opening it to take a small bottle of what looked like oil out before he led Harry back to the bedroom.

"Won't he miss it? What if he needs it tonight?" Harry asked, uneasy about stealing the knife; he didn't want to do something that would make Myrddin angry with him. In his experience, anger meant punishment and pain, and even if Myrddin seemed too nice to hurt him he wasn't sure he wanted to take a chance.

"No, it won't be used tonight. It's a different type of thing tonight." Gavin pushed the box and bottle of oil under his bed and motioned for Harry to lie back down. "Sleep for now, you need to be strong enough for later." He moved to his bookcase and carefully pulled out the book of legends with the story that had given them the idea for their pledge. "I'll read to you while you go to sleep and then work on what we need to say tonight."

"They sure do look alike don't they," Etain said quietly when she returned to the house sometime later with Myrddin. She smiled, looking down at the boys as they lay curled up together. Identical heads of wildly tousled black hair, and dark eyelashes shading eyes she knew were of an identical emerald green. Their only difference, besides Harry's unhealthy slenderness, was their ears and the small ring of gold in Gavin's eyes. "If I didn't know better I would say they were siblings, if not twins." She smiled slightly and turned to look out the window at the rapidly setting sun as Myrddin looked at her in confusion, wondering at her comment.

Harry was curled on his side, his head tucked under Gavin's chin, one arm across his chest, while Gavin had one leg over both of Harry's, his hand covering Harry's on his chest, both sound asleep, the book laying open beside them. Myrddin carefully picked up the book, closing it and replacing it in the bookcase without seeing where it was opened to, or the scrap of parchment tucked between the pages, and then pulled a light cover over both boys.

"We'll let them sleep for awhile longer, then wake them so they can get dressed. Awel wanted to check Harry again as well." Etain nodded agreement, then quietly left, leaving Myrddin to stare pensively down at the boys. "I promise I won't let them send you back Harry. I'll think of something…"

AN – It's been pointed out to me that alternating "Harry" with "Hari" caused confusion. Sorry!! I've gone back and edited it for consistency.

Myrddin (My + rr + thin)

Etain (Eh + tine)

Awel (Ow + el) or? (Ah + uh + el)