Chapter 1: Ash & Elm - The Choice
A large, dark castle tower loomed over the misty countryside looking like the fin of an ancient sea creature as the local birds began their morning chorus while the sun rose in the sky.
From out of the mists two riders galloped towards the dark tower and having arrived there they dismounted. They wore armor under their thick cloaks – they stopped and looked around.
‘Is this it?’ the shorter one asked.
‘What did you expect?’ replied his taller, female companion.
The Shorter one shrugged ‘Something more impressive, not this ruin.’
‘Lady Raven ordered us to come here so here is where we are meant to be. You must have missed something, Ash.’
The knight known as Ash walked up and down the ruins searching – first one way and then back again returning to his companion.
He shrugged ‘I see nothing Elm.’
Elm sighed ‘Then try looking with your other senses – if you have any others.’
Ash looked round again and then stopped, his head on one side.
‘I hear a choir singing a madrigal.’
Elm scoffed ‘A choir in this ruin – have you been drinking?’
‘It is what I hear, various entwined voices, singing – look, there is a smaller tower in the corner to the right.’
‘I don’t hear anything Ash.’
‘Come on Elm, hurry!’
Ash ran across to the smaller tower, far from the large tower and opened the door with a kick from his foot – the glorious singing Ash had heard stopped as suddenly as it had begun then a flurry of birds escaped from inside the room – knocking him over in their flight – Elm laughed.
‘This is what you get for listening to fairies.’ She told him.
Ash looked up at her from the damp ground ‘They were real Elm whatever you say.’
Elm rolled her eyes ‘Not this again – stick to our mission.’
They were about to leave the ruined castle when Ash became distracted again – this time by a large hawk who had remained in the room perched on a candelabra – regarding them intently with its yellow eyes.
Ash walked up to it and held out is arm towards it, then the bird without hesitation climbed up his arm to his shoulder and nibbled his ear.
‘Hello my lady’ he said to it stroking its back ‘you’re a magnificent creature, aren’t you?’
‘Great you’ve found a companion, let’s go!’
The bird fluttered its large wings causing a flurry of winds and then standing there instead was a tall (taller than Elm), elegant woman – with eyes like a hawk’s dressed in pale grey silk embroidered with clouds – the two knights knelt to her.
‘Greetings welcome knights.’ She said in a voice like honey bowing her head to them by way of a greeting.
They stood in silence.
Elm found her tongue first ‘Are you the lady we seek?’
The woman shrugged ‘I would assume so – but come, let us breakfast together.’
‘My lady’ said Ash bowing again ‘do you promise to do us no harm nor to put us under an obligation with the offer of food?’
The woman placed her hand over her heart ‘I swear the Cauldon of Xandermid, the spear of Philynaea and the crown of Zazyr – you shall leave this place as you are now – satisfied?’
She led them through the hall into another room and presented them with a magnificent breakfast.
Once they had finished eating and drinking, she led them into a third room beyond the second – neither Ash or Elm could work out how all these chambers fitted into this small tower – this new room was a long library containing many collected objects and sculptures and here they sat by a roaring fire in plush chairs.
‘Now let us begin’ began Lady Hawk swirling her glass ‘many have attempted and failed at the first test. Some have continued and failed or become distracted or enchanted. Few have passed through the second ordeal unscathed but none have yet tried the third test – will you enter the game?’
‘I don’t understand a word you’ve spoken lady,’ said Elm.
‘Weren’t you told anything – look I’m all for mystery but this ridiculous’ Lady Hawk breathed deeply then counted to ten then resumed ‘there is a realm in peril, it’s fate hangs on the edge of a precipice will you aid it?’
Ash jumped up instantly ‘I will do it!’
‘What about Lady Raven?’ Elm grabbed his arm.
‘She has a thousand knights in a court – she won’t miss me, and I am the lowest and newest of her knight, except you’ Ash shook her off and reached out for Lady Hawk’s hand ‘I will do it.’
Once more Elm held back Ash’s hand from taking the ladies hand and fixed her eyes with her own. ‘What more can you tell us?’
‘It is a variation of an old tale – King and Queen longed for a child; eventually through magic they attained one, but they did not respect the powers that granted their wish. Said powers in anger took matters into their own talons, so to speak, and cursed the child they created.’
‘To sleep for a hundred years?’ asked Ash
‘How do you fit into this story?’ inquired Elm.
‘I, that is my sisters and I, are his god-mother’s - we presented him gifts him at his birth.’
‘And you are?’
‘One of the 13 Sisters of the Temple of Avalon, known and respected throughout the 25 realms and even to you two, I trust?’
Elm had not heard of them so Lady Hawk turned back to Ash and continued her story.
‘Try five hundred years but yes that is the spell. Now lad, will you free the land which longs for its King?’
‘I will,’ said Ash trying to stand tall.
‘Can we see this, Prince?’ asked Elm at the same time.
‘I don’t see why not’ shrugged Lady Hawk ‘it’s done even in the best circles - go over there to that wall of running water and wait.’
They slowly walked over – from her chair they saw Lady Hawk cast a spell with a weaving of her hands and behind the wall of water stood a young man, tall like Lady Hawk - he was golden like the sun, improbably hansom and well-built with green eyes and full pouting lips.
‘Who calls me?’ he asked in a deep voice.
To Elm, there was something in those eyes and mouth, something sad and arrogant which she did not care for but then she turned round and saw that Ash had been shot by Amor’s arrows so she rested her back against a wall with a deep sigh and folded her arms and watched events unfold.
‘I… I call you’ replied Ash turning red and bowing. ‘I would break your spell.’
The prince smiled at him sadly. ‘The way will be hard and dangerous can you face the danger?’
‘You are in need, and it is my duty to help those in need.’
The Prince’s smile widened ‘You have my thanks.’ He bowed back. ‘I will see Dame Fortune strews your path with flowers. What is your name Sir-Knight?’
‘I am Ash.’
The Prince made to clasp the name to his chest ‘A good sturdy name, for I hope a good sturdy man and a poet too?’
‘I try, I will improve, if you like poetry?’
‘I do!’
There was a pause as they looked at one another hungrily.
‘Can they kiss’ asked Elm of Lady Hawk feeling the sexual tension had gone on long enough.
‘I don’t see why not – better to find out now if they aren’t sympathetic don’t you think?’
She waved a hand and the water stopped.
They kissed – it went on for quite a while.
‘I think we can say sympathy is obvious’ said Lady Hawk and waved her hand again. ‘Stop now!’
The water resumed its flow and the lovers parted – the Prince waved his hand to Ash who waved back as the Prince vanished into the darkness.
Lady Hawk rubbed her hands with glee.
‘Well then – you love our Prince and he you. Yes?’
‘I will go on this quest.’
‘And you Elm?’
‘I had better keep an eye on you Ash.’
‘Thanks!’
‘Now to minor matters’ Lady Hawk picked up a sandalwood box from under a table and tapped it. ‘Inside here are three objects; you must choose one each and one only, to aide you on your quest – you can never choose again.’
She opened the box
‘You first, you are the true quester after all.’ Elm nudged Ash forward.
Inside on a red silk cloth rested three items; a large dark sword around which a jade dragon curled, with a star ruby at the hilt and star sapphires at either end of the pummel; a lute carved of ebony and covered in swirls of red gold and a large, thick, leatherbound book.
Ash picked up the sword first but found it was too heavy for his grip, however the moment he grasped the hilt, he knew it would never fail its master’s wish and remain at his side to death and it would destroy all his enemies, for as long as he honored and cleaned it.
Ash knew with this sword he could become a new Arthur, a new Charlemagne, a new Aeneas, but – there would be a price, there always would be – too hard a one for him to pay, and so he put it back.
Next, he examined at the book – somehow unprepossessing - the leather cover felt like human skin and Ash understood from the runes on the cover that what was written inside would always come to pass – it could alter reality to suit its owner – but again there would be a price and Ash also knew that the book in the wrong hands could corrupt and twist the reader and he put it back.
Finally, he examined the Lute: also, somehow easily overlooked – yes of course there would be a price, but for that he could bring joy and peace and calm to the world and there was precious little of those things in Ash’s home world as everywhere else, also it felt right in his hand.
‘I choose this.’ He held up the lute.
‘Good choice’ Lady Hawk nodded smiling ‘one of Orpheus’s creations – that lute has had many adventures and a right fit for you – now you’ this last was to Elm.
‘I?’
‘You go with your friend, make your choice.’
Elm selected the sword without any hesitation and swung it in the air so the metal and jewels glistened like lightning, ‘I choose this!’
‘Why does no one ever choose the book?’ Wondered Lady Hawk aloud.
‘The price is too great’ replied Ash. ‘What now?’
Lady Hawk indicated another door ‘Go that way, go to my sister – Lady Swan at Maestown – Fortune be kind.’
And they went then came back through into the room without turning round.
‘I have forgotten something’ replied Lady Hawk.
She came over and plucked a single hair from Ash’s head and strung it to the lute – making it six strings.
‘There, you and it are now linked together. It will play only for you and it will play you only, now go on your way.’
This time she pushed them out the door and closed it behind them.
Within seconds a lark appeared from outside and perched on the back of a chair its head one side, its black eyes gazing quizzically.
‘What is it sister?’ Lady Hawk demanded of the bird.
‘Two knights want to visit us.’
‘Two knights? But I thought they were…’ realization dawned and she giggled ‘bollocks – well he chose, they chose, we’ll see what the Fates decree.’ She finished her drink trying to look guilty but instead looking amused. ‘I need a lover to relax me, send one to me in the rose garden the other you can have sister.’
The Lark fluttered delightedly ‘thank you sister. How do you rate the others one’s chances?’
‘They were chosen by fate, so better than most, but not as good as those chosen by the gods.’
‘But fate and narrative are capricious sister.’
‘Indeed – I will observe them later. Will you join me?’
The Lark bowed her head ‘Always sister. Is there any drink left.’
‘You can get a bottle from the cellar sister.’
‘Very good sister.’
