The Festival of Fire
Scotland- 804 AD
“There, all done,” Tualla said as she finished weaving the last primrose into Elspeth’s hair. “Give me a twirl.”
With a big grin, Elspeth spun around, her skirts flaring out as she did.
“You look beautiful.” Tualla’s heart swelled with pride though her eyes glistened with sadness. She’d miss them. But Tualla decided to cherish every moment.
“How do I look?” Beathan asked.
Pulling his small body into her arms, Tualla ruffled his hair. “Like a fierce warrior.” She tickled his tummy until he squirmed beneath her, giggling in delight. A quick glance at the door told her it was almost time. "Are you ready to go?"
Both children nodded and raced outside. Before Tualla left, she doused the fire with dirt. Tonight, the flames would be rekindled as they asked the gods to protect them.
By dusk, the entire village had gathered waiting for the festival to begin. Yellow flowers and hawthorn garlands decorated the village, including the people and their livestock. Rushlights lit up the surrounding trees and bonfires waiting to be set alight were dotted around the town. Out of all of the festivals, Beltaine had to be Tualla’s favourite.
When the druids arrived, they began chanting incantations around the central bonfire. Said to be more potent, the druids created fire from two pieces of wood by rubbing them together. Once alight, flames from the central fire were used to light the others, and the villagers brought their own torches to relight their hearths at home.
The first part of the evening was all about rituals; driving cattle through the smoke and out into the summer pastures, making offerings to the gods in exchange for prosperity and protection.
“I’m bored,” Beathan said, pouting his lips.
“Shall we go see what Mumma is doing?”
They found Dena by the Talla Mòr, helping to prepare the feast. Beathan ran to her for a cuddle before poking his nose over the table, ogling the delicious treats. Dena swatted his hand away when he reached for a slab of bannock cake. Chuckling at him, she cut two slices and handed them to her children, who proceeded to stuff their faces.
As they washed it down with a serving of cawdle, they watched villagers dancing between the fires, taking turns to leap over the flames.
Beathan tugged on Tualla’s dress. “Can we do that?”
Tualla smiled at Dena, remembering how excited she used to get. “Okay, but only with that little fire over there.”
Beathan groaned and began to pout.
“I mean it,” Tualla said with the stern gaze she’d learned from Dena.
“Alright.” Beathan skulked away, until Elspeth ran past him. Tualla chuckled at the pair as they elbowed each other, fighting to be first. Elspeth won, hitching up her skirts and hopping over. Seconds behind, Beathan followed before queuing to do it again.
A young couple joined the queue, holding hands as they made the leap. On the other side, they shared a passionate kiss. Under different circumstances, that could be her with Aedan, announcing their love and commitment to the rest of the clan.
“You’re thinking about him again.”
Tualla smirked, she couldn’t hide a thing from Dena. No one had seen him since and she had to admit, that worried her. Anything could have happened between here and Elnwich.
“He’ll be okay," Dena told her. "That lad won’t go down easily.”
She knew that deep down, but she didn’t feel any better.
“It’s never easy choosing between love and duty. I’m proud of you, Tualla, and your mother would be too.”
"I just wish I could make things right with him."
"Sometimes you can't and sometimes that's how it's meant to be. Aedan has never been one to hide his emotions, especially when it comes to you." She glanced at the far end of the table where Uncle Keavy gorged himself on snacks, stopping as he noticed them watching. "Me," she said, raising her brows. "I prefer a simpler man."
They both laughed as Keavy stumbled their way.
"There's my beautiful woman," he announced, coming up behind Dena. He inhaled her hair, snaking his hands around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Do you remember our first Beltaine?”
“You won't let me forget.” Dena giggled and slapped his roaming hand.
Keavy held Dena's hips and pulled her closer. "I'm getting worked up thinking about it." His hands slid up her sides and cupped her breasts.
Averting her eyes, Tualla smiled and left them to it. Beltaine brought out the romance among lover's and as the evening wore on, more and more couples disappeared into the nearby fields and woodlands. Tualla wouldn’t be here to see the results in nine months time.
She focused on the children, watching them chase each other between the fires. Beathan and some of his friends ran up to Tualla with something hidden behind their backs. They beamed with mischief as she knelt down in front of them. “What have you got there?”
“Now!” Beathan shouted and they all threw the contents of their hands at her. Pelted with yellow petals, Tualla made a playful growl causing the children to scarper. She chased after them, catching Beathan and tickled him until he was close to tears. The other children soon piled on, wrestling Tualla to the ground. They didn’t show any signs of slowing down and she wondered how they still had so much energy left.
“Okay, okay, you win,” Tualla said, laughing as she tried to sit up. Out of breath, Tualla decided to sit out for a while and moved to the sidelines when something caught her hand and pulled her into the shadows.
Digging her heels into the ground, she used her free hand to swing at the dark figure in front of her.
“Ouch!" The dark figure let go and rubbed his head.
"Aedan?"
"You hit me!"
"What do you expect when you go around scaring people?" She crossed her arms as their gazes locked. He stepped closer, causing her pulse to race, and her breath faltered. Unable to control the fire burning inside, she slapped him again.
"What was that for?”
"Where have you been? I've been worried!"
"I'm sorry," Aedan said, rubbing his face. "I needed some time to think."
"Well, thanks for letting us know."
"I said I'm sorry. What more do you want?"
Tualla huffed and crossed her arms. "Why are you here?"
"I'm not done fighting for you."
She sighed as he reached for her, taking hold of both her hands.
"Run away with me, Tully. We can leave tonight."
"Have you lost your mind? I'm not running away with you." Something about him didn't seem right, putting her on edge.
"Think about it. There's a whole world out there. We can go wherever we want, with no one telling us what to do." He held on tighter as she struggled to free her hands, dragging her further away. "We need to go."
The desperation in his voice terrified her. "Let go of me, Aedan!"
He paused as though he'd realised how ridiculous he was being and released her.
"What is wrong with you? You're scaring me."
She looked into his eyes, seeing his shame and pain, but he wouldn't speak.
"Aedan?"
Tualla felt her hair stand on end and shuddered as a sudden sensation of wrongness crept in. Her vision seemed to dissolve in front of her, replaced by a scene of horror.
Fire.
Everywhere.
People were screaming, running in every direction through the hazy smog.
Beathan and Elspeth! She could see the bonfire but no sign of any children.
Tualla screamed their names, but no sound came out. She scoured the village searching for them. Where were they?
Getting desperate, she racked her brain, thinking of where two scared children would go… Their mother!
She raced to the last place she saw Dena, the Talla Mòr.
No Dena, and no children.
Instead, she saw a woman on her knees, backing away from an attacker. With a swing of a sword, the woman collapsed to the ground, lying motionless.
The killer spun around and looked straight at Tualla, a menacing grin spreading across his face as he strode towards her.
Though she tried, she couldn't move.
Tualla screamed as the man drove his sword into her chest. But she felt no pain.
Something landed by her feet and Tualla followed the man's gaze down to it.
Oh gods, no!
Dena!
***
"Tully! Tully!" Aedan's voice came into focus along with her surroundings.
Confused, shivery and achy, Tualla forced herself to sit. “What happened?”
“You passed out and started screaming, calling out for Dena.”
At the mention of Dena’s name, Tualla’s gut contracted. Everything she’d just seen flashed through her mind. Looking around her, the village seemed as it should, the children were still playing by the fire, the adults still enjoying the celebrations. But not for much longer.
She climbed to her feet, using Aedan for support. “I need to find her.”
“You’re weak. You need to rest.”
“I’m alright,” Tualla said. Other than being a little light-headed, she felt fine. “We’re about to be attacked.”
“What? How do you know?”
“I saw it.”
Aedan’s face paled as he realised she’d had a vision. His eyes darted around as if the enemy would somehow reveal themselves. Shaken, he stared at Tualla like he’d seen a ghost. “By who?”
“I— I don’t know. I didn’t see.” A grinning face came to mind, but she’d never seen him before. “We need to warn them. There isn’t much time.”
A swarm of flames whistled through the sky above them, illuminating the village. “It’s started.”
"Where's Dena?"
"By the Talla Mòr. That's where I saw her."
“You get Elspeth and Beathan to safety,” Aedan ordered. “I’ll find Dena and we’ll meet you in the woods.”
Tualla nodded. “Warn as many as you can.”
That’s when they heard the first scream.
Author's note-
Who do you think is attacking?
What do you think is about to happen next?
Can Aedan get to Dena in time?
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks again for reading and please consider leaving a vote or comment if you enjoyed it.
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