A Whisper to the North

Chapter XXVIII ✠ Dark Waters

The night had come so quickly. It had grown so dark that Una could barely see her own hand waving in front of her eyes. There was no moon out to light the path. Una had to trust and rely on Gwen to follow the other horses. Gareth had told Una that they were nearly there. They had passed through a few towns, and they were traveling out of the last one nearest his castle. The villages were relatively quiet, being that not a single beggar nor harlot was out this night. Everyone was in great mourning for their beloved fallen king Idris.

Una loved him too. He had been great friends with Cynan, Una's father. Naturally, Una thought of Idris like her own father since she lost Cynan. He was always there for Una. Idris and Una would sit together after their triumphant wins in battle and discuss life. That was the fondest memory Una had of Idris. He didn't want to talk about their next strategy or how they have increased rations of arrows. Idris wanted to know what Una thought and believed. They would sit and drink mead and talk about the lore and legends of old. Una could listen to Idris for hours, and she did on many occasions when he had drunk too much. He would spew about his old adventures with Cynan. He would never mention Cynan for fear it would upset Una, but with his inhibition down, Idris filled the night air with wild tales of beauty and tragedy.

This is how Una got to know her father better after death than when he was alive. Idris was a terrific storyteller. Una loved to hear tales better than reading them. Most texts she was able to access were old canons, which didn't appeal to Una. It was Idris himself who taught Una to read. She didn't know how, but she would be married off to a distant land. There wasn't really a need. When Una became Eurion's right hand, and then Queen, it was he who helped Una.

Eurion could read and write, but he was often off in battle. Una would have to stay behind and run the kingdom, being Eurion's right hand. Idris would come to surprise visit Una and Eurion. If Eurion were gone, he would sit with Una and teach her until her brother came back. It was expected that royals were supposed to read and write.

Idris was knowledgeable, being the most intelligent man Una had ever met. She believed that he was more of a scholar than he was a king. He knew many languages. He even could read runner from the Vikings, which aided in his dealings and travel. Unfortunately, Una was only able to read and write half of what Idris knew. Una's greatest regret was refusing to learn old Norse when she had the chance. If only she knew so she could use it in her travel into the northlands.

"Ugh!" Una grumbled.

Una slid further back into her saddle. Her body ached from the long hours of riding. She was sure for a few moments she had actually fallen asleep to Gwen's gentle gait. Una leaned over the saddle and took her feet out of the stirrups to stretch her legs. The night had a chill to it. However, it was comfortable since Una was wearing the wool peplos Llewellyn gave her. Gareth felt the same way, wearing his long wool cloak snuggly wrapped around his body. Gareth's horse knew the way. He could sense his home from a very far distance. Like Una, Gareth was trusting his horse's intuition. The horses of his personal guards were becoming increasingly restless as if they knew the familiar scent of a home as well.

"I can hear the river!" Gareth exclaimed.

Una peered through the darkness. She could hear the river and smell the musky scent of the mud bank through the breeze.

"The water is shallow up the river so that we can cross it there," Gareth explained as his horse began to become uneasy.

"Easy boy!" Gareth insisted, patting his horse's sweating neck.

"Your highness, there it is!" One of the men shouted as they came out of the forest, and the deafening sound of the river split their ears.

"Follow me, this way!" Gareth shouted, turning sharply to the right.