Grail

Rhys' voice trailed off, as if he were revisiting a painful memory of long ago. His dark eyes were downcast and he clutched the empty water jar tightly.

'A cool place to escape the sun,' I observed, encouraging him to continue. 'It must have been a welcome find.'

He glanced at me and then away again quickly. 'We entered the grove and rode to the pool,' he said after a moment. 'I dismounted and heard a sound… singing – it sounded like someone singing, but though the grove and pool are small, I could not see anyone.' He fell silent again.

'Hiding in the rocks, perhaps,' I remarked.

He paid me no heed, but sat hunched forward, his jaw bulging as he clenched his teeth.

'Rhys,' I said softly. 'Fear for nothing, man. It is Gwalchavad beside you now.'

After a time, he said, 'I knelt to drink. I remember stretching forth my hand to touch the water…'

'Yes? And then?'

He raised his eyes and the fear leapt out in his glance. 'I do not know!' He stood abruptly. 'I reached towards the water and I – when I looked again, it was night and the moon was shining in the pool.'

'Night comes quickly to these glens,' I offered halfheartedly. 'It must have been later than you knew.'

'Am I a babe in arms to know nothing of day or night?' he shouted.

'Calm yourself, brother. I only meant -'

'I remember nothing of what happened in the grove. One moment it was bright day, and the next I knew, it was night -and that far gone.'

I gazed at his anguished expression and tried to soothe him. 'Perhaps you fell asleep. It was hot and you had ridden long. You were tired, and it was cool in the shade. Overcome by your fatigue, you fell asleep, and why not? A little nap is no bad thing. The men with you, did any of them remember falling asleep?'

'No – they remember no more than I,' he said, his voice tense with the effort of holding it steady. 'All I know is that the sun shone as I knelt, and when I stood again, the sky was bright with stars and night was far advanced. We returned at once.'

'It is disturbing, perhaps,' I granted, 'but nothing to worry over. No doubt you make more of it than there is.'

Rhys glared defiantly. 'It is sorcery!' he growled. 'Mark me, something evil lurks there.'

I slept ill, rising at dawn to ride with Rhys to the enchanted pool. As he had said, it was no great distance away, lying in a narrow valley just a hill or two away from camp. A grove of beech trees stood at one end of the glen, dark in the shadow of the hillside. There were six men with us, leading the wagons, for I was determined to have that water, enchantment or no.

We dismounted at the edge of the grove and stood for a moment gazing into its dark-shadowed heart, as into a cave or tomb. It was quiet, but not unnaturally so.

'Do you hear?" Rhys whispered.

'It seems peaceful enough.'

'Aye, too peaceful.' He arched an eyebrow knowingly. 'There are no birds.'

'Well, it may be they have gone – ' I began.

'And this the only water nearby?' he challenged. 'The dell should be alive with birds.'

'Stop whispering!' I told him sharply. 'If there is anyone here, they will have seen us long ago. Come.' I started into the grove. 'Let us examine the pond.'

Night's chill hung in the shaded depths of the grove – as if the sun's warming rays had no power to penetrate beyond the outer branches of the trees. We passed between the leaning boles and ducked under low-hanging limbs, and after a few steps came to the water. My eyes gradually adjusted to the dim light, and I saw that though the pool was not large, it was set in a deep, rock-rimmed bowl. I made my way to the water's edge and looked in, but could not see the bottom.

A grey rock rose from the far end of the basin like a great squatting toad. I heard the slow rhythmic drip, drip, drip of water splashing from the rock into the dark water.

'You see?" whispered Rhys. 'It is just as I told you.'

'It is an unlovely place, to be sure,' I replied. 'But I find nothing amiss here.'

'No,' he answered after a moment's silence. 'Nor do I. Whatever was here is gone now.' He turned pleading eyes to me. 'There was something.'

'I believe you, brother.'

He turned away, stricken afresh. 'I remember now – it was… it was – ' His jaw worked as he struggled for words. 'I was suffocating – as if a hand clenched my throat. I could not breathe. My lungs felt as if they would burst. I remember thinking I must breathe or I will die. And then… nothing -until I saw the moon's reflection there.' He pointed to the centre of the rock bowl and looked up through the branches of the trees as if he thought he might see the moon once more.

I also raised my eyes and scanned the leafy bower above us. The branches of the close-grown trees wove a dense roof over the pool; not a scrap of blue sky showed through anywhere.

Rhys shifted uneasily beside me. 'On my life, Gwalchavad,' he said softly, 'I thought it was the moon.' He paused. 'I saw something glowing in the water, I swear it!'

'Did you say that you had tasted the water?' I asked and, kneeling, cupped my hand and dipped out some water. I raised it to my nose and sniffed, but could smell nothing unusual. I put my hand to my lips and wet my tongue. The water was warm and tasted slightly muddy, but not at all bad for that.

'What say you?' Rhys watched me closely.

'I have tasted worse,' I replied.

Rhys squatted beside me and reached out to cup some water. As he did so, I observed a strange mark on the fleshy part of his upper arm. 'What is this?' I wondered. 'A wound?'

The skin was broken and discoloured – pierced by what appeared to be small pricks at regular intervals.

'It looks like a bite,' I remarked. 'An animal of some kind. A dog, perhaps?'

Rhys looked stricken. 'I remember no bite.'

'Well,' I said, 'it is not so bad. No doubt you have forgotten.'

'Gwalchavad,' Rhys said, his voice thick, 'I would know if I were bitten by a dog.' He craned his neck and held his arm to look at the wound. 'I would remember.'

Once, when I was but a lad, my brother, Gwalcmai, and I had found a cave and entered to find a sleeping bear. I still remember the awful sick dread that overwhelmed me as I heard the slow, snuffling breath, saw the black, shapeless mass of fur, and realized that we had stumbled into a death trap unawares.

I felt the same feeling now: as if we had intruded on something better left undisturbed.

Glancing around quickly, I stood. 'Let us fill the water casks and leave this place.'

As soon as the wagons were loaded, we left the grove and hurried back to find that the Cymbrogi had struck camp and were ready to leave on another day's march. Seeing no good reason to tarry, Bedwyr called the order, and Rhys raised the hunting horn and blew a lengthy, rising blast to signal our departure. The long, disorderly ranks of Vandali began moving once more. I watched for a moment; then, steeling myself for another endless, scorching day in the saddle, I lifted the reins and rode on.

THREE

The only person I ever loved did not love me. I was young then and foolish, I know. I wielded not a fraction of the power I now possess, or things might have gone differently. The arrow was meant for my sister.

Does that surprise you, my sweet? How so? Charis never spared a thought for me. She was already grown when I was born, and though we shared the same father, Avallach the Invalid never spoke two words to me in all the time I lived under his roof.