The Journey From Oidhche Shamhna

Disclaimer: Not mine.

The Journey From Oidhche Shamhna

Chapter 5

The Test

On the valley floor that lay stretched out ahead of them were dozens of tents, all in different colours and each flying a banner with a clan's symbol. The cloaked figures moving between them and across the fields numbered far more than Rowena had ever seen. What astounded her and made her catch her breath was the circle of stones that stood in the middle of the tents. She had never seen a complete circle; her own clan's stone monoliths were only a memory of what they had been, and not nearly as large or as complete as these.

Looking at Erwin, she saw him again point to the right, and atop the next rise where the testing centre stood. The centre, constructed of logs erected in a circle, mimicked the ring of sacred stones. Inside the circle were planks of wood set atop smaller logs, to be used as tables. The circle looked austere and solemn.

"This is where we leave you." Erwin looked at her tenderly. "The testing starts today and ends on Oidhche Shamhna. I do not want to see you until then."

"Erwin, you can still change your mind." She bit the inside of her lip, watching his face.

"Let no one know that we are running." He reached to touch her hair, only to drop his hand to his side. "If they know what we are doing, that you are claimed and travelling with me, it could mean banishment from this place."

Rowena nodded as he walked off, knowing the humiliation of banishment would make it impossible for her to complete the test, and could result in cruel punishment for Erwin. Even though he had done no more than hold her as she slept, she was another man's wife and the laws on this were sure and harsh.

She also knew elimination before Oidhche Shamhna would be unbearable. The clan still talked of the one unnamed that had not returned to the clan when he had failed on the first day. To make it through the second was to succeed, but to make it to the Oidhche Shamhna celebration would raise the clan's standing in their world. Rowena had no doubt that Elbragh had prepared her well enough to finish through the second day, but worried as to the third. Watching Erwin walk away, she knew their future depended on her.

Rowena and six of her travelling companions walked to the wooden circle and stood at the entrance, waiting for the first test, which was permission to enter.

"Who asks to be admitted?" A cold voice spoke from under a black hood.

"I, Rowena of the Clan of Raven, descended from Odihinn of the North, and his son...," Rowena began her lineage, the first of the tests she was to take. It took her a full forty-two minutes to recite her lineage from both her father and her mother's side. Once done she put out her left hand, palm up, and waited to be accepted.

The wizard in the black hood walked to the centre of the wooden circle and picked up a small glowing ember from the fire that burned there. Returning, he placed it in her hand. The ember did not burn her flesh, as it had not burnt his, attesting to the truth in her words and giving her access to the centre of learning.

"Enter, Rowena of Raven." He stepped aside, allowing her to pass as he went on to the next student who waited. Helga stepped up and became the next, and only one from her clan to enter thus far. Placing the ember in a copper bowl, Rowena took up a handful of elderberry leaves and covered the still-glowing cinder, closed her eyes and waved the smoke of the smouldering leaves towards her face, praying for the spirits of all those that had come before her to enter her soul and open her mind.

She was then taken to a table on which a calendar was laid out. A different wizard, also with his cloak pulled low over his face, pointed to different days and waited for the prayer of the day's god to be spoken. Rowena did not hesitate as the songs came forth clearly, and loudly. She recited twenty-two prayers before she was handed three small chips of blue stone and moved on to the next table.

The stones were to be used for the healing rituals. Incantations whispered while casting the stones could cure many diseases, and the passing of one's hands over a body while holding them could show what needed to be done. On the table were small pieces of things she could also use: phoenix feathers, a small vial of unicorn blood, a sliver of dragon heartstring, and a length of centaur muscle.

The stones were taken from her when she had completed her test, and she was moved on to the table of mirrors. Positioning one mirror to align with the fading sun, Rowena paused, knowing that it was too late in the day to capture the amount of light she needed. Raising her hand, she cast a small orb of light and positioned it to the east. Readjusting the arc of her self-made moon, she placed the second mirror to capture its light. Then, looking hard at the flickering reflections on the table, she spoke of the future.

She knew she was finished with the test when a hand took hers and squeezed it. Looking up she saw the dark cloak of the test giver pulled back and an old face leaned into her own. Seeing the sky now full black, she realized much time had passed.

"Your trance was deep," he whispered, "and disconcerting. Have you talked to the men of Rome?"

"Rome?" she questioned. "No, Teacher, it is forbidden in my clan."

"Why did you cast into the moon phase?" He pushed back his hood to better see her face. "You were taught to toss to the sun, were you not?"

"Yes, Teacher." She looked down at the table, feeling fear grip her heart. "I needed more light. The waning moon pulls its light from the sun. I thought to use it."

"Why did you not merely enhance its light?" He continued to look at her closely.

"It is the end of the cycle." She looked straight at his eyes. "The moon should be at the brightest it has been for many centuries. I just thought to capture it, and thought it wrong to use the last of the year's sun."

"Go, then," he said stepping back. "We begin in the morning."

She left the circle of wood, and was directed to the students' sleeping quarters where Helga found her not long after.

"Rowena!" Helga took one of her hands and pulled her to her feet. "My mother's clan has sent a student for the testing. Come, meet him."

Rowena laughed and let Helga pull her along, following her to the back of the sleeping tent.

"Here she is." Helga beamed. "You should have heard how quiet it got when she was telling of the mirrors."

"I hear you did quite well. It took much strength and courage to cast an orb and a seeing spell at the same time. I have heard of nothing but the young cheeky girl that is teaching the Elders," the sandy-haired man said. "Your name will be spoken of tonight at many fires. I am sure your Teacher will be proud."

"I am sorry." Helga blushed. "Rowena, this is Gryffin, my wonderful cousin. He is of the Godric Clan."

Rowena's eyes fell to his hand and, seeing the fresh cut, she smiled and looked up to his face. "I see you are celebrating more than Oidhche Shamhna this year. May the gods bless your binding and hold it fast."

"Gryffin!" Helga squealed, grabbing his hand. "You said nothing!"

"You did not give me a chance," he laughed. "Her name is Lara and she is the prettiest, kindest, sweetest, most amazing witch. She is ..."

"Fine, Gryffin," Helga said, laughing. "I get it."

"Now," he said with a slight blush on his face, "as I was saying, everyone is talking of you."

"I could have failed," Rowena admitted, looking at Gryffin. "I should have been more careful. Elbragh, my Teacher, will not be pleased that I took a risk that great. He will say I am impatient and careless."

"We are not only judged by what we know, but how we use it." Gryffin stood and brushed off his robes. "You have a good chance of making it to the end."

"Gryffin told me his friend is here, someone from the Slytherin Clan." Helga smiled at Rowena. "His name is Salazar, his father is the clan's head."

Together the three new friends sought out the fourth, walking back to the testing centre and smelling the night meal in the air.

"Oh, my." Helga rolled her eyes. "This is the worst part, I think... I don't know if I can make it."

"Salazar may be able to help out a little." Gryffin winked at Rowena. "Nothing says you have to feel the hunger, tradition just says you must fast."

"You are not hungry?" Rowena asked, amazed.

"Not at all." He grinned a lopsided grin and then winked. "Wait, there he is, just coming out now."

Rowena saw Salazar walking toward them. He was of medium height, and reedy, with dark hair that curled at the ends, and dark green eyes that sparkled. . He strode up and pulled Gryffin into him, slapping him on the back and smiling all the while.

"My friend." Salazar smiled. "I looked for you all last night. I thought perhaps your Teacher had decided to pull your clan out of the competition."

"Why ever would he do that?" Helga asked, horrified at the thought.

"Gryffin must pass by the Roman towns on his walk here," Salazar said seriously. "These are dangerous times. They want to do away with the old ways."

"Across the water it has already started," Rowena said thoughtfully. "I have heard that the old temples have been destroyed, and new leaders are put in the place of their kings."

"Yes," Salazar said, nodding, "we have developed ways to shield our villages from sight, but not all others believe this to be best."

"We cannot shut our lives off from the rest of the world," Gryffin said. "We need to find a better way. We need to have a meeting with them and set boundaries."

"The Druids are all but gone," Rowena told them. "They will only show themselves in secret, and fear for their lives if they are found out. The Romans have set up their own temples on top of the old, and now the people of the one god are pushing even them out."

"They have done so in the south as well," Salazar said. "We are next. They are steadily encroaching on our world. The mountains east of the waters are the only thing that has slowed them and they will soon find a faster way through them."

"What of the clans of the south?" Helga asked softly.

"There have been many battles. The clans have been mostly destroyed, the woman taken as slaves. Mostly by the Ostmen, but of late they are seeking in the north," Salazar said with anger evident in his voice. "Our Elders are already talking of moving further north, or crossing the waters east then going to the warmer waters there."

"That would put your people closer to the Romans," Rowena said, confused.

"We would cloak the cities, and protect our lands." He looked at her oddly. "After the new gods have destroyed the old it is not as bad. The new god has been near the warm waters so long we may actually be safer as they will not be looking for us there again. They will think we have already left."

"Oh my," Helga said with her eyes glistening with tears. "I don't understand this at all. I don't understand why they cannot leave us to our ways and they can keep to their own."

"We should band together," Gryffin said, standing up. "We should gather the clans and..."

"For what?" Salazar said. "We could not defeat everyone that is set against us. We are not organized, and never will be. Clans such as Helga's would be no use in the fighting. Their men will not use magic and their women still keep seid."

"That is changing," Helga spoke up. "My own father will now use magic to call in the herds, and many men use simple charms."

"Maybe some day." Salazar ran his hand through his hair. "However, tonight we sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow."

"Gryffin has news for you." Helga smiled.

Gryffin held his hand out for Salazar to see and felt rewarded by his friend's wide smile.

"Lara?" Salazar asked, smiling.

"Yes."

"Good for you. May the gods bless you and may you have many sons." He pulled Gryffin into a hug.

"You two do know that if only sons were born this world would end rather quickly." Helga stood with her hands on her hips.

"Yes," Salazar said with a chuckle. "But the first should be a son."

"My own mother now cooks for a husband and ten boys, I am sure she would have preferred the oldest to have been a second pair of hands to help her." Helga added.

"Lara." Salazar shook his head and grinned. "She has been after you for years. So, she let you catch her did she?"

"We just did this two days ago." Gryffin ginned. "She is already angry because I left her."

Helga grew quiet as a vision flashed to her eyes. She looked off into the night to hide her face and fear. She wanted to tell Gryffin to call Lara to him, to run home, to hold his wife close. What she did was to keep her silence, knowing it was too late and too far and the time for saving past. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the sky praying that the vision was wrong or had an interpretation she did not understand.

The next day was long and gruelling. Rowena was handed a scroll and told to read aloud. She looked at the cloaked figure oddly. This was the history of her own clan. She did not need to look at the runes to recite this story. Sighing, she lowered her head to the parchment and began.

As the first scroll was finished, another and yet another were put before her, each scroll going back to a previous time. The third and the fourth scrolls were unfamiliar to her, and she read the new information with delight. The fifth scroll was laid out with great care, and two other cloaked men came over to the table.

"Take your time." She heard Elbragh's gentle voice, and smiled at his presence.

The runes were more ancient than the goatskin they were written on. She had heard that scrolls like this existed, and had dreamed of one day seeing them. Now, here before her was one older than her very clan. This must have come down from the North eons ago. This was the book that bound all clans together, one that was full of prophesy and promise.

Waving her hand to cast a glowing orb to shed more light on the ancient scroll, she began reading in her soft voice, not noticing the hush that had come to the test centre as everyone stopped to listen. This scroll was not part of the test for Teacher. This scroll was offered to those who had completed the first part flawlessly, and would give her the right to be an Elder.

"You did well," Gryffin grinned when she left the test centre that day. "We will both be in the ceremony tomorrow."

"We still have the tests tomorrow," she sighed. "How did Salazar do today?"

"Salazar has been prepared since birth," Gryffin laughed. "His parents were even chosen to marry because of their shared wit. It is no surprise that their off spring would make it to the end."

"And Helga?" Rowena asked, frowning. "She seems unsure of herself."

"Not at all." He continued to smile. "She is shy, and would rather be sewing and cooking than be out in the world, but the girl used to be the smartest girl I knew. It is unbecoming in her clan for a mere witch to be better than the males so she acts the part."

"Used to be?" she asked, alarmed that perhaps the fasting had dulled Helga's wit.

"Yes, are you looking for compliments?" He threw his head back and laughed at the horror that came to her face. "I am joking, Rowena. I am sure you know how smart you are, and the telling of it is more the truth than it is a compliment."

Just to be sure that the compliment would not turn her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and whispered a prayer, hearing Gryffin's laughter as she did. Then, out of habit, she added another one so if she called him the name she was thinking, she was already protected.

The four sat that night, thankful for the hunger-less spell that Salazar had cast on them, watching as great pits were filled with fire, and great piles of food were prepared for the feast the next night. Women had made sweet cakes, roasted nuts, dried berries coated with hardened honey, and the smell of savoury meats filled the air.

"Even if I do not make it to the end," Helga said, sighing, "at least I will get to eat."

"Did the spell wear off?" Salazar was alarmed that he may have made an error in casting such a simple charm.

"No," she sighed sweetly, "I just so love the taste, the texture, the aroma, the ... well, the eating."

Rowena and Gryffin joined Salazar in his laughter, and then they grabbed Helga, walking with their arms laced with hers, and returned to the sleeping tent to ready for the final day. Rowena lie long into the night with her eyes full open. She wanted to go to Erwin, to make sure he still waited, that he still meant what he said. She wanted to see his face and feel his arms and his kisses. Finally, as the moon was lessening, she fell asleep, seeing his face on the back of her eyelids.

Only seven had made it to the training circle in the morning. The ones that had made it through the second day with high scores had been awarded the right to teach. It was only the seven, and only if they got through the day, that could now vie for the right to hold the circle on Oidhche Shamhna, and build their own circles if the clans had need. They would become Elders, and Teachers of the Teachers.

After the first test, of Transfiguration, six were left, and after Potions, only four. The four new friends looked at each other and nodded their greetings as once again they approached the tables. Rowena bit her lip and hesitantly joined the rest, knowing that something was strange that the four of them should all have made it this far, and thought to cast to the mirrors to find the meaning.

Each were given the same set of numbers, and then the same set of runes, potions and stones. They computed the crops cycles, the phases of the sun, and the full moons of the nineteen years.

Rowena concentrated as she felt her head spin from lack of food and, looking around the circle, saw that only she and Salazar remained. Smiling at him, she returned to her work and completed the full nineteen-year moon cycle, which would place the full moon over Orion's left shoulder only fourteen months from now.

Looking up at the cloaked wizard before her, she frowned and looked back at the table.

"Your premise is wrong," she said hesitantly. "This is three days off. You must have had someone else copy the problem."

"And why would three days matter?" he asked slowly.

She looked up at him, worrying her lip, and wanted to tell him to go three days more without food if he needed to know what three days could do.

"Three days now would multiply to twenty-seven in the next cycle. That would throw off the solstice, the crops, and the tides would..." She paused. "The prophesy, sir, it was in the prophesy from yesterday, about the three days that would change our world. This is the computation of the last three days that you have given me."

"Yes, Elder." He smiled at her. "You are correct."

Rowena stepped back from the table, shocked at the news that the days were now known. The exact time that would destroy all she held close. The title that had just been bestowed on her went unheard as she spun around, looking for Salazar at the table behind her. She saw only the cloaked testers watching her as she ran from the circle in tears to find Erwin.

She ran from fire to fire, searching and calling his name. He was the only other one from the clan so the waving banners meant nothing to her. Hearing her name, she spun around and saw him walking toward her with Elbragh by his side. Elbragh stopped Erwin, and spoke to him quietly. Then, as the younger wizard walked away, he continued on to Rowena, walking her back to his fire.

Yes," Elbragh said to her quietly, after hearing her out. "When you cast your Fylgie into the mirror it was revealed that the error in date was intentional. This was written years before our clan moved to this island. The error has been found before many times, with no understanding of why, until now."

"What will happen?" she questioned.

"I am no longer your Teacher, Rowena." He smiled sadly. "I am afraid we all must decide for ourselves. We will take this information home and see what is decided."

"Erwin, I must speak to him." She looked around Elbragh's fire again. "Where is he? I need to see him now."

"No." He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a small shake. "Stay away from him until I speak to the gods for you."

"You know?" she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"He had to tell me. You want me to stand in the circle for you?" He shook his head. "I cannot say I approve of what you do. However, I cannot see you wasted on a hearth in the home such as that one. He is known for his cruelty."

"I would rather die than be with him," she said honestly. "Please, I want you to understand how it is with us. We were to be joined before ..."

He laid his finger on her lips, silencing her. "Now go. Enjoy this time, as the time of your test will always be in your memory."

Rowena searched out the three she now considered her friends. They talked until the setting sun signalled the beginning of Oidhche Shamhna. Their old Teachers brought new robes, each a different colour, for the four new Teachers that would all too soon to be Elders of their people. They were led to the circle of stones to welcome the Old Ones back home, and to send prayers up to the sky.

Helga magically stitched their clan signs onto the robes, keeping watch of the horizon. Once the sun had set below the thin line that separated this world from the next and Oidhche Shamhna started, she would not have her magic to use for two full moons, and as this was the last spell she would perform she did so with a flourish. Rowena looked down and again saw the Raven, sitting upon a claw on her blue robe, and smiled at Salazar, dressed in deep green with the figure of a snake curling on his chest. Gryffin was dressed in red, a golden winged lion adorning his chest. As the last ray of the sun fell, Helga stopped before finishing her own.

"Oh my," she said, looking down at the bushy tail she had just managed to finish.

"It is fine, Helga." Rowena tried not to laugh. "It looks like a water rush just opening, or maybe a night flower."

"More like a dead flower," Gryffin laughed, and then looked with the others toward the circle as torches were lit and the trumpeting of the sacred instruments sounded.

Oidhche Shamhna had begun.

The four newest Elders stepped into the inner circle, walking to the middle. Then, turning their backs to each other, they faced the four directions and offered up the opening prayer. Around the circle, fourteen fires burned as tradition required, only now Rowena knew the reason. Fourteen was the number of moons they had left. Fourteen was the number of clans that would survive. Fourteen was the number of families within each clan. This was the last Oidhche Shamhna that would be celebrated in this circle that was ancient when her ancestors had come to this island. Her world would now end, as had the world of the original builders.

She raised her arms to the dark sky and invited the Old Ones to return. She offered them savoury meats, and roasted nuts, sweet cakes, and mead. She chanted the prayer of the dead, and asked them to share their knowledge of the afterlife and begged them to keep the evil away. She prayed that the last harvest on her clan's land would be fruitful, and asked that their world be saved, and above all, she prayed for wisdom to understand why and the faith not to ask.

One at a time new fathers brought up the babies born during the year. Holding them up to the stars, the four new Elders introduced them to the gods, and listened as witnesses as the father spoke their names aloud for the first time. Rowena smiled when occasionally she would feel magic flow into the baby's soul and know that the child, although mixed in different clans' blood, or from the non-magical world, had been accepted by the gods.

When the moon reached the highest point, the bones of the dead were bought forward and as the babies were introduced, the dead were told goodbye. The clan's Elder would take the bones into one of the many earthen mounds around the perimeter of the clearing and lay them next to members that had come before.

Now that the ceremony was over the music started, and the feast began. Rowena turned to Helga, who was already hurrying to a table laden with food.

"I guess she is hungry." Gryffin grinned.

"I should think so." Rowena pulled him with her as she followed Helga.

She picked up a joint of meat, as Gryffin grabbed a jug of mead. They found a place on the ground to sit, and laughed when Helga came over with a bowl piled high with berries, sweet cakes balanced precariously on top.

They feasted quietly, each thinking of the day's events and the prophesy that had been revealed. Hearing the sounds of the celebration all around them, they felt out of place and alone.

"I don't understand," said Helga. "What will happen? How can they celebrate, knowing that in fourteen months we could no longer have a home?"

"Salazar says the clans will have to disband," Gryffin said solemnly. "We will scatter, and make it harder for the Romans to find us."

"What of the teaching?" Helga asked. "How will we do it then? If everyone is scattered, what will we do?"

"We will find a way." Rowena smiled. "What of Salazar?"

"He was called to his clan's tents," Gryffin said. "His is a wealthy clan. Over thirty of their tents are here."

Later, as the music was slowing and couples had long since paired off and disappeared into the darkness, Salazar found them still sitting on the ground' their bellies full and memories of the fasting quickly disappearing.

"It has started," he said, nervously looking around to make sure he was not overheard. "Half of the Slytherin clan is going directly from here to the north. They have land there, and have protected it with wards. They leave with the sun."

"Salazar?" Gryffin said his name as question. "What of the others? What of your family?"

"They will go to the warm waters between the Greek and the Romans." He ran his hand through his hair. "My father is preparing to leave at once. I have not yet decided to join them. I can stay here with the rest if I want. I have appointed the next family to lead them."

"Have you heard of my family?" Gryffin asked again.

"I don't know," Salazar said, looking at him seriously. "There has been no word from Godric in three days."

"You will both come with me," Rowena said, standing up. "We will go north, to the new lands."

"Rowena?" Helga said, worrying her lip. "I will come to help. You will need someone to prepare the food, and take care of you."

"I am sure we will not starve." Rowena looked at her angrily. "I do know how to cook. You still have a clan, Helga, you have a place to go."

"You can't cook like her." Gryffin tried to make light of their spat. "And not without magic."

"How long would you think a clan that keeps seid can last?" Helga asked, holding her chin up and locking her eyes on Rowena. "They will be safe. I have seen it. Before I came, I knew something would happen, just not what. I am not to return."

"Fine," Rowena said. "It is settled. We leave at once."

"Do I have a say in this?" Salazar asked, raising his eyebrow and smirking.

"No," three voices answered him at once.

"I will need to go home first." Gryffin looked at Salazar. "If no word comes tonight I will leave in the morning."

"If we are to stay together you will need to know my story." Rowena held her head high, then turned to them and told her story of her forced joining and of her flight. She made it as brief as she could, and as truthful, waiting for the looks of rejection. When she was done, she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at them boldly.

"I needed to tell you this before we left," she said, refusing to look at the ground. "Erwin is a good man, a faithful and trustworthy man. If you come with me, if you accept me, you accept him as well."

"Well," said Salazar, standing up and planting his feet apart as the thrust his hands on his hips. "Vortigern is a Roman, or close enough, a non-magical ... at least not true magic. The old laws would have banned your union. We would not consider them valid in Slytherin."

"I agree with Salazar," Gryffin said, standing up as well. "What he did was not a binding but a rape."

"Helga?" Rowena asked softly.

"I am sorry for you, Rowena." She looked up, tearful. "Your gods have been offended. Whatever will you do about the binding? I know it is wrong, and he should be stoned, but still ... it was done."

"Come then, if you will, come and witness." Rowena looked at each in turn. "My Teacher will enter the circle for me. He will ask the gods to undo the binding and let me accept a new husband."

.

.

.

Elbragh did enter the circle for them on their first Oidhche Shamhna without a clan. He stood alone in the cluster of stones and raised his arms to the sky, and offered payers to the old Gods of Odin, and to Odhinn before him. He asked for their grace, to release Rowena from her bindings, to allow Erwin to walk with her, and to pledge their lives together.

As the bonfires raged, and burning embers rose to the sky, he closed his eyes and saw what was to come, and heard the gods' caution. He cast an orb of light from the palm of his hand, sent it to the stars, thereby accepting the terms set out, and with a sad sigh, lowered his arms.

He turned to leave the circle and saw Rowena and Erwin standing together watching him, with three of Rowena's friends standing behind them, as the gaiety of the night played around them. Fires burned and tables laden with food crowded the space between the tents set up to hold the sleeping children. Flute and harps and deep-toned drums beat out ancient tunes, all unheard and unseen by the couple that he sought.

He walked to them as others took their turn in the circle and, taking up Rowena's arm, he led them away from the festivities and her friends.

"Teacher," Elbragh said, the first to use her new title. "I am proud of you."

"Elbragh." She said the name slowly, being able to say it for the first time. "What of the gods? What did they say to you?"

"Child, you and Erwin have their blessings to make your journey and find a new home together," he said, not wanting to complete the information.

"Elbragh," Rowena hissed. "Tell me all of it."

"Child." He tried to deflect the news. "You can marry in one of the many Roman villages."

"Elbragh," Erwin said gruffly. "Tell me what it is, old man. I am losing all patience with you."

"The binding will hold." Elbragh turned to Rowena. "A child will be born, a female child. She will break your heart. And in many centuries her line, that from Vortigern and of his son Vortimer, will join with the Slytherin clan that comes from the Moorish people of the south, and will again rip your world apart."

Erwin, hearing the words, reached for her and pulled her close. He placed his hand on her stomach and looked closely at her.

"It changes nothing, do you hear?" He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "She will be born at my hearth, you will feed her, I will take her to the naming, and she will be mine."

"That is many years away, and Rowena, you know not all predictions come true," Elbragh said lightly and then turned and waved to the festival behind them. "Now let's eat, and drink our fill."

"Is that all you saw?" Rowena said, for the first time not trusting the old man. Erwin put an arm protectively around Rowena's shoulder, fearing to hear more.

"I am an old man that has never been further from home than this," he sighed, shaking his head. "I have never entered a Roman village, and would not live in a home of stone and brick. I would be afraid it would fall around my ears." He laughed at the thought and then grew quiet as he put his words together.

"Rowena," he said softly, "our world is fast disappearing. We have spoken of this before. You live at a time of great adventure, and will do great things. If I had your wit, and your youth, I would join you."

"Where should we go, Teacher?" she asked, knowing he would say no more.

"I have always liked the cool air that comes from the north," he replied, raising his eyebrow, and his blue eyes twinkled. "Now, enjoy Oidhche Shamhna, and then go and find your new students, for they will come from all over, thirsty for what you know."