Tuatha's Children By Bert McKenzie Copyright 2011
Chapter 2
"Who are you and why are you here?" the strange shaggy creature demanded in a rusty voice.
Roon and Raven halted in their attempts to climb the wall. "You speak Tuathan?" Roon said as he looked at the shaggy creature.
"Of course I speak Tuathan. What would you have me speak?" the creature said. As the boys looked at him, the realized it was a tall man dressed in ragged clothes. His hair was extremely long and unkempt. Like most Tuathans he didn't have a beard, but his long hair seemed to cover part of his face just because of the mess it was in.
"What are you?" Raven asked timidly.
"What think you I am?" the man said. "I am a man." He stared at the two boys for a time, then asked, haltingly, "Are you...are you children?"
Roon jumped down from the stone shelf and put his fists on his hips, puffing out his chest. "I am Roon, ward of the high king, and this is my friend Raven."
"Ward of the high king," the shaggy man repeated slowly. "Pleased to make your acquaintance your grace," he said with a bow. "I am Rayel and this is my humble abode."
"Why live you here?" Roon asked looking at the man and then wandering around the cave, now that he determined it wasn't some sort of dangerous creature.
"This is close to my work," Rayel replied.
"Work? What work? And why have not we ever heard of you?"
"I imagine most people have forgotten me," the man said softly. "I am studying the fissures in these caves, trying to find doorways to another world."
"Cool," Raven said, fascinated by what the man was telling him. Rayel cocked his head at an odd angle when he heard the young boy speak. "Cool" was an English word, not Tuathan. The man came over and grabbed Raven by the hair, pulling it up and looking at his ears. "Ow!" the boy screamed, terrified by the stranger's reaction.
"Hey, let him go!" Roon shouted.
The stranger let the boy go and fell back onto the stone bench. "You are human!" he said in amazement. "Where came you from?"
"We fell out of that hole." Roon pointed to the hole in the ceiling of the cave.
The man looked up in surprise. "That is where I get my water when it rains, and where the smoke goes from my fire. I knew not that it actually led anywhere. Where came you from beyond the shaft?"
"We came from the palace of Esbereth. We thought the cave we found was a tomb. It was hidden behind one of the old statues in the garden of remembrance."
The man nodded as if he understood. "Strange indeed," he mumbled. "Well, you cannot go back the way you came. You shall have to make the trek with me, up the long road. We had better start now, as it is afternoon and it will be quite a walk." He grabbed a long staff leaning on the side of the cave and began to head back toward the main opening. The boys looked at each other and shrugged, then began to follow him. They went through the outer cave and walked out into the shadows. They looked up and saw they were in a deep ravine between two tall stone walls.
"Where are we?" Raven asked.
"This be the ravine that protects Esbereth," Rayel said as he began to walk along the bottom between the walls. "High above us is the castle, and the drawbridge. Down the way a piece be a road that winds up the side of this mountain and to a bridge that will take us out onto the plains of Morinar and back to the main gate of the castle.
"So you live down here in that cave?" Roon asked. "I think no one in the castle knows you are down here."
"Oh there might be a few who know, but for the most part, I am forgotten," the man replied.
"So what look you for?" Raven asked.
"A way to get back to your world," the man replied.
"This is my world," Raven answered him.
"But you are human," Rayel replied. "I saw your ears."
"I'm half human," Raven said. "My mom is human, but my dad is Tuathan. They met in the other world and came here. They live in the palace." After walking on for a bit Raven asked, "Why want you to find a way to the human world?"
The man slowly answered, "I met a girl there and fell in love. I too had a son, but then I came back here by accident. I could not get back to my son. I have been trying ever since."
"I bet my dad could get you back home," Roon said. "Well, he is not my real dad, but he might as well be. He is the king and he can do anything. Besides, he married a man from the human world."
"Married to a human man? The king is a reversal?" Rayel seemed surprised at this turn of events.
"Yeah, everyone knows that," Raven said. "Scott is the consort of the king. Roon has two dads unlike me with a dad and a mom."
"So want you to have me ask Robin to send you back to the human world?" Roon asked.
"No," the man said gruffly.
"But I thought..."
"No, it must be a secret," the man said. "No one must know I am trying to get back there. The gateways have been closed for many years. If I accomplish this, it must be performed in secret," he mumbled, partly to himself and partly to the boys. "There is the road that climbs upward. Come along, we still have far to go." They began to ascend the winding road up out of the ravine and up the side of the Crystal Mountain.
As the horses crested the last of the low hills approaching the distant mountains, Jeff and Willow saw flashes of bright color as if someone in the mountains was flashing a rainbow searchlight in their direction. "What is that?" Jeff asked as the horses came to a stop at the top of the low hill.
"That is the palace of Esbereth," Rowana answered him. "I fear there are not many who speak your human language. You may find it difficult to communicate."
The two fairies then urged their horses back to a trot and headed down the gentle slope Toward what looked like a distant roadway, with the two visitors following them. As they drew closer the two visitors could make out the palace in the distance. Several tall towers each capped with what looked like a faceted gemstone were surrounded by a wall of white stone. In the distance it appeared like a jeweled crown sitting in the middle of a mountain outcropping. The beautiful castle disappeared behind the rocky foothills as they drew close to the dirt road that followed the contours of the hills that skirted the mountains. Around early afternoon they entered a rocky gorge with steep stone walls on either side. The canyon twisted and turned as it approached the mountains. After a short ride the fairies came to a halt and dismounted. The two travelers did the same. Rowana reached into a small pack that she carried with her and pulled out several strips of fabric. She came to the two men and explained as she tied the cloth blindfolds over their eyes. "The towers of Esbereth have bright reflective caps that send beams of light into the canyon we are just about to enter. The corridor of light is too bright for any eyes but ours. As humans or part humans you may be blinded. It is a defense that keeps all but Tuathans from approaching the palace during daylight. We must even blind our horses to lead them through the corridor of light.
Willow spoke up. "What keeps the palace safe at night?"
"There is a drawbridge that can be raised," Rowana answered.
"What about a cloudy day?" Willow persisted.
"Follow us and keep silent," Melcot growled. He apparently understood and spoke enough English to be annoyed by the continual questions.
"How can we follow you when we can't see you?" Willow asked again.
"I will take your hands," Rowana answered. "Melcot will lead the horses."
"But what about..."
"Willow," Jeff said to his partner.
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
They could tell by the feel and sound of their footfalls when they had left the stone corridor and crossed the wooden drawbridge. When the their pathway turned back to stone, Rowana removed the blindfolds and the two guest finally beheld the palace of Esbereth from inside the surrounding battlements. There were several tall towers and many other lower buildings all apparently constructed from the same matching white stone. Narrow cobblestone lanes wound around and through the various towers and buildings. The stone lanes were populated with many people going about their business, walking here or there from building to building. Melcot remounted his horse and leading Rowana's steed, headed off to the stables while Rowana took their guests up the lane toward a large tower building, bigger than most of the others. This tower looked as if it were capped with a huge faceted diamond. Willow and Jeff followed the girl, looking curiously around at the apparently medieval castle life that surrounded them. They saw what appeared to be friendly, but very curious faces looked back at them from all they met.
"This is the white tower," Rowana explained as they came to two huge, ornately carved doors on the large building. The doors were standing open with guards at either side. The girls stopped for a moment to speak with the guards then indicated that her companions should follow her into the building. "This houses the palace guard, and is the home of the high born," she explained. "The crystal throne of Esbereth, the ruling seat of all Tuatha is here."
Inside the building was a large round chamber with a vaulted ceiling and a wide staircase at the end opposite the doors through which they had entered. They noted other doorways and corridors leading off from the chamber as well, but Rowana lead them directly across to the wide staircase. "Excuse me, ma'am," Jeff said in his slight southern drawl, "but where exactly are we going?"
"I am taking you to meet with Scott. He is consort to the king and also a man from your world. He will know what is to become of you."
Willow and Jeff exchanged nervous glances as they ascended the staircase behind her.
"I cannot locate them anywhere in the white tower," Rood reported as his men began to rendezvous in the main hall.
Robin was obviously angry. "Come along, Alex. You shall help search since you are the one who let them get away." He took hold of Scott's hand and pulled him along, indicating that Alex and the guard should follow him. They walked through the tall, ornately carved doors to the white tower and out into the afternoon sun of the castle courtyard. "You," Robin indicated Alex and Scott, "go search the battlements and check with the guards at the gate to make sure they did not leave the palace. You," he indicated a number of the other guards, "Go question the other tower guards to see if the boys might have wandered into anyone else's tower. I know they are quite fond of several of the merchant guild."
"Where go we, my lord?" Rood asked as he and Akuta stood alone while the others made their way off on their assignments.
"We go to visit Raven's mother. Akuta will explain how Alex let her son wander off with mine."
"I was afraid of that," Rood said, shoving his friend along in front of him. Akuta walked as though a condemned man to the gallows.
"Here is the bridge," Rayel said as they finally came out of the winding roadway to see a wooden bridge built across the ravine. "Come along, it is fast approaching nightfall." The two boys followed the older man across the wooden bridge as the sun slowly began to set in the west. Roon had to look over the side and see how far down the bottom of the gorge was, but Raven carefully stayed in the center of the bridge, nervous about the distance. He had nearly passed out with fear when Roon goaded him into climbing on the walls of the battlements overlooking the same perilous drop. They boy was frightened of heights, but he'd never back down from a dare by his only friend. "Come along," the adult urged them and quickly crossed to the other side and began to follow the trail out of the stone hills toward the grassy plains beyond.
They continued along the trail that skirted the foothill until they came upon a walled opening in the cliffs. "This is the pass," Rayel said and guided the two boys into yet another ravine leading off from the plains toward the castle. The passageway was flanked by stone walls and wide enough for several horses to ride abreast. It wound back and forth between the stone walls until finally opening out in a straight passage ending at a sheer drop off. The ravine was covered by a wooden drawbridge that led from the stone passage into the castle. As night began to deepen and the stars made their first appearances, the drawbridge began to creek and moan as the chains pulled it up, the edge swinging away from the path the boys and their guide were on.
"It is too late," Roon said. "They are raising the drawbridge for the night."
"In my day, they used to always leave it down," Rayel said.
"They have raised it at full darkness ever since the troll attack. That was before we were born," Raven replied.
"Yes, I think I remember something of that," Rayel answered. "No matter, we have to get into the palace. They walked to the edge of the passageway and Rayel cupped his hands to his lips and cried out. "Whoo hoo, whoo hoo!"
"Who goes there?" a voice shouted back from the battlements.
"Just an old man with two lost boys," Rayel shouted back, leaning heavily on his staff.
"Two boys?" the voice came back from the battlements. Almost immediately the drawbridge began to descend again with clanking and rattling. Rayel stepped back from the edge of the chasm, and the wooden bridge dropped with a load thunk right at his feet.
"Come on, across you go," the man said, shepherding the boys with his staff. They slowly crossed the wooden bridge, both thinking of the trouble they might find on the other side. As they came through the gate into the castle, a large party was striding down the roadway toward them. Once inside the drawbridge began to clunk and rattle again as the chains pulled it back up once more.
"This won't be good," Roon wind whispered to his friend and their guide.
"Just don't you tell any of them where you were," Rayel ordered gruffly.
Robin, Scott, Dannemel, Maggie and half the palace guard were about to descend on the trio. Maggie ran out and grabbed Raven, hugging him as tears poured from her eyes. "Well?" Robin said ominously.
"High king," Rayel said as he dropped down on one knee with the help of his staff. "I found these two boys wandering not far into the plain. They were enjoying the evening air and had no idea the lateness of the hour. I thought to guide them back to the castle."
Robin nodded toward the scruffy looking man. "We are in your debt, sir." He looked curiously at the man. "May I inquire from whence came you and what your business?"
"I am just a vagabond, a wandering traveler out to see the sights." Rayel kept his head down toward the ground, as if in deference to the high king. The two boys looked back at the man, amazed at the lies he was telling. They had never heard anyone lie before as it wasn't something that anyone ever did in Tuatha.
"Then come, my friend," Robin said. "We are about to break our fast with an evening meal. You are welcome at our table. But perhaps you would like a chance to rest and refresh yourself first."
"I have no suitable attire, my lord," Rayel replied, still looking down.
"No matter, I can find clothing for him. Come with me," Rood said, clapping an arm around the older man and leading him off toward the tower.
Meanwhile Robin and Scott turned to their ward. "How did you get out of the castle without the guards spotting you?" Scott demanded. He and Alex had already questioned the gate guards to be told the boys hadn't been seen all afternoon.
"We...um...we were playing He Who Must Not Be Seen," Roon suggested. It was the Tuathan version of hide and seek, but with the slight twist of magic to it.
"You won't be seen for quite a while," Scott told his young charge in English. "Your other father is about to lock you in the dungeon until you come of age." Roon just ducked his head and tried to act humble as he followed the two men back up the roadway toward home. Robin didn't say a word to the boy, but wind whispered to his lover that he thought that was a good idea. Meanwhile Raven was dragged up the roadway struggling between his two arguing parents. Dannemel wanted to punish him but Maggie was so grateful to have him home safe that all she wanted to do was to hug him. The boy wasn't sure which would be the less of the two evils. He didn't want his father's wrath, but being smothered by his mother could be equally distasteful.
Sometime later Robin and Scott were sitting down to their evening meal with Roon. There was a knock on the door and Scott opened it to find their dinner guests waiting outside. "Come in," he said politely, standing back as Rood, Sharon, the captain of the guard's partner and court physician, and Rayel, the newcomer stepped inside. Rayel had bathed, trimmed his hair and was dressed in a clean, new tunic provided by Rood. He hardly looked like the same scruffy man they had met at the gate. Roon kept staring at him, thinking he looked a lot younger now that he was cleaned up and his hair had been washed and combed. "Please sit down and share our meal," Scott offered.
Robin uncorked a bottle of mead and poured goblets full for the adults. "Can I have a taste?" Roon asked, then dropped quickly into silence from a stern look by the king. He wasn't out of trouble yet and had forgotten how angry Robin still was with him.
Scott and Robin passed a huge bowl of steaming vegetables cooked together with rice and eggs. "This is one of my favorite dishes," Robin said as he helped himself to a generous portion. "It is a human dish that my love has introduced. It is called 'flied lice,' in English," he said.
Scott and Sharon both broke into laughter. "That's fried rice," Sharon corrected the king. "And it's actually an oriental dish."
Robin smiled and passed another platter. "Well, perhaps you'll enjoy the 'crab gone wrong' and 'keg rolls.'"
Scott just shook his head. "That's crab Rangoon and egg rolls. They aren't really authentic, just our Tuathan version of them. In the human world the crab Rangoon actually has crab meat in it, but these are just an approximation of won tons with something like cream cheese and the egg rolls are pretty close to an actual vegetarian egg roll."
"Well, they taste about as authentic as any I've had in Chinatown back home," Sharon replied. She was also from the human world,
"I am amazed, my lord," Rayel said as he looked at the people around the table. "I had no idea there were so many humans in our land."
"There are not that many," Rood replied. "Just a small handful, five or six here in the palace and one or two out in the countryside. That is not a large contingent when you compare them to the population of our world, or theirs.
"You must not have had much contact with anyone from the palace in a time," Robin said. Since Scott came to be my consort, there has been much talk across the land of human and Tuathan interaction."
"Is that wise, my lord?" Rayel asked.
"I think the few humans that have come here are representative of the finest people from their world. But we have certainly limited our contact with the rest of their land. We want not our people to be subjected to their curiosity. You know most in their world believe not our land even exists."
"And it would be wise to keep it that way," Rood volunteered, glancing at Roon. The boy had often suggested he wanted to see the human world where Scott and some of his other adult friends and come from.
"But tell us of your travels, my lord," Scott said, looking at their guest and trying to change the subject."
"Oh, there is not much to tell," Rayel said, looking down at his plate. "I have wandered along solitary paths just enjoying the land as I might."
After a bit of uncomfortable silence, the evening meal devolved into stories told about the troubles Roon often managed to get into. Sharon and Rood told several stories about their adventures, and Scott told a few tales as well. They all seemed to enjoy themselves, but noticed how silent their guest kept. Scott assumed it was due to his spending time traveling alone. He probably didn't have much contact with others. After the food was finished, Robin brought out fortune biscuits as he called them. It was another tradition borrowed from the human world. He said that Roon and Raven had been kept busy for a fortnight writing the fortunes on little slips of paper to be baked in the biscuits. They weren't exactly like the fortune cookies from Chinatown, but they tasted delightful and everyone laughed over their little fortunes. Only Rayel seemed quiet when they shared the results of their biscuits. When encouraged to share his fortune he read it aloud. "You will soon achieve your goals and travel to a distant land."
"Well that sounds like the perfect fortune for one who enjoys solitary travel," Rood insisted and clapped him on the back. The stranger just nodded quietly and tucked the bit of paper into his tunic to take with him.
"The time grows late, my lord," Sharon said, rising from the table. "I'm sure young Roon will have to clear the dishes and wash them before you send him to bed for the night."
"Yes, an excellent suggestion," Robin agreed and looked at the boy who quickly looked down at the floor, not wanting to meet his foster father's gaze.
"Let us show you to a guest chamber where you can rest and meditate for the night," Rood suggested as he placed a hand on Rayel's shoulder. The man nodded and followed the other two out of the king's chambers.
"Have I really to wash all these dishes?" Roon asked, looking forlorn at Scott.
The man smiled and pulled a cord to signal a servant. "No, but the hour is late. You do have to go to bed."
"But I am not tired," Roon said, trying to stifle a yawn.
"When you turn thirteen, you'll probably never sleep again," Scott said as he remembered his Tuathan anatomy, growth and development class he had taken from some helpful former mothers. "But until then you need your rest. That is the only way you will reach thirteen. Now off the bed with you. March!"
The boy got up and hugged his human foster father, then went over and tentatively hugged the king who was still a bit standoffish. "Robin, I'm sorry I caused all the problems by wandering off," he said.
The king looked sternly at him. "You know not what dangers may have befallen you outside the palace walls. What were you thinking? We were only lucky that Rayel found you and brought you back here."
"I know," the boy admitted.
Robin leaned over and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Now go to bed so you can age faster and never have to sleep again." The boy smiled and ran off to his room.
Scott stepped over to the king and sat on his lap. "And what about me?" he asked.
"I'm afraid you'll always want to sleep. So we might as well go to our chamber and prepare you for that."
"What troubles you, lord?" Scott asked as he looked in his lover's eyes. "I can see there is something bothering you."
"It is Rayel," the king replied. "He refuses to meet my eyes when I have asked him direct questions. That isn't the Tuathan way. If I knew no better I would suspect him of telling falsehoods. But Tuathans always tell the truth because it is so easy to determine a falsehood."
"It is easy to determine if you can look the person in the eyes," Scott replied. "Do you think he has something to hide?"
"I know not what to think. But I may ask Rood to befriend him and keep close watch on him till he decides to move on. It troubles me that he may tell falsehoods yet found our children. Then it may only be my protectiveness where Roon is concerned."
"What about the state dinner you are planning for the morrow?" Scott asked as they moved into their private room while two servants picked up the dishes from the table in the dining area.
"Yes, I must think on that," Robin agreed. "I shall go make some arrangements while you sleep. And I have an audience in the early morning to discuss two travelers that Rowana and Melcot found wandering out on the great plain.
"Well before you wander off to make your arrangement for the morrow, I think you could spend some time making arrangements with me for the night," Scott said as he kissed his lover.
"Ah very well," Robin said wearily and began to remove his tunic.
"If it's such a chore..."Scott began, turning away, only to be grabbed from behind as the king laughed at his lover's response. He quickly removed his clothes and began to tug the garments off his human lover as well, tossing him onto the reclining platform and jumping on top of him.