Rhiannon could remain silent no longer.
‘Send him back to me!’ she begged. ‘I am here to plead for the life of this honourable man, who died in the service of this community, who protected me and my home with his last drop of blood.’
A witch of the white shadow stands alone.
She should not be concerned with her heart when her soul is what matters.
The White Shadow should be all and everything to her.
Selfish! Selfish!
‘I did not choose this path! I did not ask to be one of your kind!’
Destiny is given and we accept it.
We cannot do what she asks!
To be a witch of the White Shadow is the greatest of honours.
She should be grateful. Should be humble.
Humble! Humble!
Close to despair, Rhiannon shook her head. ‘I will do whatever you ask of me. I will be the witch you say I must be and live my whole life in your service, if you will only do this thing for me. Give him back to me, to stand by my side, and I will serve you the rest of my days. I give you my oath!’
The witches whispered to one another while their faces loomed and receded in and out of the ethereal mist that now filled the croft so much Rhiannon felt she was breathing it in. She saw a woman with golden hair. There was a man with angular features and the colouring of someone from an Arab nation. There was another female face, too indistinct to be sure of. Suddenly, a dark male face became visible. She experienced a jolt of recognition and instantly remembered where she had seen this man before. This was the same vision, the same face that had swum before her eyes,all those months ago when she had been trapped in the well, near death. This had been the face that had given her the strength to live!
‘Will you help me,please?’ she asked, emotion breaking her voice.
The old man, who looked aged beyond all time and yet his eyes were bright and kind, spoke softly. ‘We cannot turn your man from death’s embrace. He has embarked on his final journey, and we are not able to call him back. But, there is a way we can help you, if you agree to be bound by a covenant.’
‘Anything! Yes, anything.’
‘You have already accepted your destiny as a witch of the White Shadow, but this covenant will take you beyond that. If you choose to follow this path, there will be no turning back. You will traverse the centuries to become a Grand Witch, and one day Queen Witch.’
‘Centuries?’
‘You will tread this brutal earth for a thousand years. And through that millennium you will make it your life’s work to fight the Shifting. Your task will be to strive to rebalance the fight between good and evil, tipping the scales away from the darkness, using your power, your magic, your sister witches and your coven to fight in our name.’
‘A thousand years! I don’t understand. How can I do that?’
‘We will grant you that life, if you agree to use it as we have ordained.’
Rhiannon’s mind was racing. She believed these mysterious creatures had the magic to do what they were proposing, so what would that mean for her? Could she really live for so very long? Could she fight for the cause they spoke of? She felt a touch on her arm and looked down to see Mamgi’s tiny hand laid tenderly upon her.
‘Consider well, cariad. Such a life… there are prices to be paid,’ she warned.
Rhiannon looked back up at the old man. ‘Shall I be… young and strong?’ she asked.
‘Your body and appearance will remain as they are this day. Your magic and skills will grow with the centuries of practice you will gain.’
She turned to Tudor, her heart heavy at the sight of him so stricken and still. Continuing to gaze at him, she asked. ‘If I do as you ask, will you send him back to me?’
The oldest of the grand witches explained to her with a soft voice. ‘He is already gone from you, sister witch. You must accept that. But, undertake this bargain with us, pledge us your allegiance and your life, and we willgrant him the gift of being reborn. This knight who you love will be born into another time, again and again, down the years. You must listen for him. You must find him. Each time you must win his heart anew, and then he will be yours.’
She fought to make sense of what she was being told. ‘How will I know where to find him?’
‘You will be a Grand Witch of the White Shadow,’ the old man reminded her with a smile. ‘You will find him.’
