Ceyrs

A Story by apj1465

A water nymph has a visitor.

Cerys was bored. In fact, she was more than bored she was, well she didn't quite know what she was, but she was definitely it. The idea of striking out on her own like her sister and away from her father's ever vigilant eye had seemed very attractive at the time. She knew what the others got up to, and if she didn't they made a point of dropping some very heavy hints, but being who she was, she was never invited. So all-in-all the idea of moving out into a place of her own, able to come and go as she pleased and generally get up to all the things father's imagine their daughter's are getting up to was very attractive indeed. But like most things the reality fell well short of what she imagined her life would be. She wouldn't say her new home was small, more 'compact,' at least everything was within easy reach which was certainly a plus. And it was all hers, not that a new home didn't come without new responsibilities. For a start she never imagined how long it took to do the cleaning. When one has 'people who do' one tends to overlook such mundane things. Cerys was amazed how there always seemed something to do, it was most annoying, particularly as it seriously cut into her leisure time. This, it has to be said, was more of an abstract complaint as the neighbourhood she was living in left much to be desired. There really wasn't much to do during the day and the night-life was simply too weird even for her. Of course it hadn't been her first choice of place, it wasn't even her second or third, but after their most recent misunderstanding it seemed prudent to place a little distance between herself and 'daddy.'

Upon returning from her morning constitutional walk through the Great Forest she noticed a figure slumped under a tree by the side of the pool that was her home.

' I seem to have a visitor. 'Hello,' she called out and when that didn't elicit a response, 'HELLO!'

The figure under the tree didn't move.

'Oh great, just what I need, another drunk.'

She approached the figure with the firm intention of giving the drunk a piece of her mind, then she realised the figure wasn't drunk but seemed to have black stains across his face and chest particularly over his heart.

At that point the imagination of a more impressionable water nymph would have run away with itself but Cerys, despite her somewhat sheltered upbringing, was a little more practically minded when it came to affairs of the heart. True, the figure was handsome in that rugged, couldn't care less, misunderstood hero type of way. You know, the sort that always break your heart at least twice before going off with their first love who they treated unjustly years ago and now spend the rest of the time running about the countryside trying to redeem themselves.

Cerys looked more closely at the face of the figure.

'Oh!' she said, her heart missing a beat at the recognition.

She soaked the hem of her skirt in the water of the pool and wiped the stains from the face and chest of the North Wind.

'Wake up my lord,' she said softly.

The North Wind opened his eyes.

'I know you.'

'We met once, briefly, a very long time ago.'

'I remember. Your name is Cerys.'

Her heart skipped another beat.

'I remember ,' began the North Wind, his voice trailing off as he touched his face and chest. 'I was wounded by Slouth, but that cannot be?'

'Sloth takes it victims unawares my lord, but its wounds are an illusion, once they are wiped clean, it is as if they had never been.'

The North Wind was embarrassed, 'I should have realised, henceforth I will be armoured against him.'

Cerys nodded her approval.

As he regained his strength the North Wind looked about and did not like what he saw.

'The Great Forest is not a proper place for you. Your father permits this?'

'I live here now,' she said, indicating her pool, 'and do not require his permission for anything.'

'My lady, I have caused offence where none was intended. But I am concerned that you live near the Castle of Unreason. The Dark Lady does not make for a good neighbour.'

'My father doesn't know I am here. ' Cerys sighed, 'he thinks it's about time I was married. He thinks he is being very reasonable about it, the choice of bridegroom is entirely mine, only the date is fixed.'

'And you have other ideas?'

'We live in enlightened times or at least that's what I keep reading. There were words between us, and so you see by before you a barefoot princess. But enough of my troubles, you search for one that is lost.'

'I do.'

'You must go.'

The North Wind took her by the hand.

'I will not forget your kindness.'

With a heavy heart Cerys watched the North Wind leave. As he passed Cerys's pool he breathed gently upon the water.

'We will meet again,' said Cerys trying to ignore the pink flush spreading across her chest.

On an island in the middle of a black moat fed by a tributary of the River Oblivion stood the Castle of Unreason, within Fear, Anguish and Falsehood were in attendance upon the Dark Lady. At her feet Sin slept. In the background the East Wind brooded.

'What if he finds her?' asked Anguish wringing her hands.

'Calm yourself cousin,' replied the Dark Lady, 'she is buried deep.'

'And the North Wind?' asked Fear.

'What say you my pet?'

Sin stirred, raised its many heads and yawned.

'Close,' answered Gluttony, 'by the pool of Cerys.'

'Cerys? The water nymph, what is she doing here?' asked Falsehood.

'She has been here for some time, squatting,' said Avarice.

'She will help him,' said Lust. 'I can feel it.'

'No matter, I will deal with her later. The North Wind?'

'I smothered him in affection,' Sloth slobbered.

The Dark Lady nodded her head.

'Let me finish him before he wakes,' requested the East Wind.

'Not so fast pretty boy,' said Pride, 'your time will come.'

Fear leapt to restrain the East Wind before he could strike Pride. The head that was Anger smiled.

'Am I to be treated thus?' asked the East Wind.

'Restrain yourself my lord,' said the Dark Lady, ' there will be a time and place. For now Falsehood will guide you through the secret ways out of the forest. '

'And then?'

'I suspect Reason will seek you out, she will want to bargain with you to save her precious library from further harm. It will be the first of her many mistakes. For the moment agree to everything she asks, we need time to find the sword.'

The East Wind bowed and left with Falsehood.

'Time to pay my new neighbour a visit.'

Cerys was scrubbing the black stains of Sloth from the hem of her skirt when she paused, closed her eyes and said:

'I know you are here.'

'And you're a long way from home,' answered the Dark Lady appearing behind her. 'You are Cerys I take it, the younger daughter of the Lord of all the Oceans.'

'And you are the Dark Lady.' Cerys curtseyed. 'I expected someone younger.'

The Dark Lady laughed, 'you have spirit child, I will say that for you.'

'My father has other words for it.'

'Fathers are like that.'

'And your father my lady?'

Memories stirred of a time long ago, time even before the Great City came into being, memories the Dark Lady preferred to forget. 'Sometimes things are done which can never be undone, let us leave it at that.'

The Dark Lady stared at her reflection in Cerys's pool. Staring back at her was the image of a young woman.

'Curious. You I do not know. Why are you, alone of all mortals, hidden from me? I must know more.'

She knelt down and leaned forwards to touch the water.

Suddenly there were sounds of tiny wings beating frantically by her ear, distracted she turned to look for the source of' the interruption but all she could see was a tiny bee heading into the distance. When she turned back the figure staring back at her from the pool was one she did recognise.

'A few more lines than I care to remember and is that a touch of grey to the hair? Surely not.'

Cerys cleared her throat. As interesting as this was Cerys had chores to do.

'You are alone?' asked the Dark Lady.

'You expected someone else to be here?'

'Don't be coy with me child, or you may end up like your sister.

'You know what happened to my sister?'

'She came to a bad end. Now where is he, where is the North Wind?'

'Gone. And who can say where, you know how the winds like to travel when the mood takes them.'

The Dark Lady laughed:

'You have feelings for our wayward knight? I cannot hold that against you, he has been known to make a few hearts flutter in his time, but it is folly to meddle in affairs that do not concern you. '

'I will take my chances.'

'Brave, but foolish. Particularly when daddy is not around to help.'

The Dark Lady raised her head as if trying to listen to something far off, Cerys tried but couldn't hear anything. The Dark Lady smiled the sort of smile that seemed to suggest that matters did not bode well for someone.

'Well I haven't got all day to be gossiping with the likes of you,' she said before placing her hand into the water. 'How clear it is.' She tasted some of the water. 'And refreshing too. You have done well.'

The Dark Lady wiped a tear from her eye and flicked into the water, 'a little something to remember our time together,' she said as she walked away.

Cerys watched as the water of her pool turned completely black and became very annoyed.