Daughter Of The Morning
Beneath The Mountains Of The World

She never knew howlong she knelt there crying, but suddenly a gentle hand touched hershoulder and Ceri turned a tear-stained face to see a priest standingbehind her, compassion in his eyes. Quickly she scrambled to her feet and murmured, “I am sorry, Father, youwill want to perform the last rites-” her voice died away as the figure slowlychanged until it was Herne standing in front of her. She saw pity in his goldeneyes, “Come, my Lady, there will be time enough for grief later. We have much to do.”

Ceri stood up and turned toface Herne, “You knew this would happen, that’s why you wanted me here - youknew!”

“Yes.” Herne replied,“I knew, we must take him and Niniane from this place into one of the AncientHills where they may lie in deathless sleep until they can be awakened.”

“When will that be?” Cerifelt the tears course down her cheeks. The thought of never seeing Ambrosius again was more than she couldbear.

“Someday,” Herne replied, “Hewas the First True High King of all Britannia, and Niniane would have been hisQueen. They have that right.”

Ceri said nothing but thetears that flowed down her face increased in number. Herne put his arms around her and hugged her,“Ssh,” he said softly rocking her shaking figure, “it will be all right, you’llsee.”

Then Herne bent over thesilent figure of Ambrosius and laid a palm on his chest. A glow illuminated it and spread tothe rest of his body, Ambrosius started to breathe again, long slow breaths,like one caught in an enchanted sleep. “I shall see to the King.” Herne saidquietly. “Go and see to the Lady Niniane’s coffin, it should be brought into the adjoining chamber.”

The servants were clusteredoutside the rooms when Cerian emerged, “The King is dead.” she said simply,“The body is being tended; I will dress him in his armour and place his swordin his hand. I came to request the Lady Niniane’s coffin from the Convent ofSaint Peter in Maridunum.”

“At once, your Highness.” Aservant bowed solemnly and then left the hall. Ceri stood wondering where to go when a gentle voice said, “Madam,would you like a cup of mulled wine? Itis a bitter night and you have taken no refreshment since last night.”

“Yes, thank you.” Cerireplied. The girl slipped away andreturned with a wooden cup more than half-filled with a dark steamingliquid. Ceri took it gratefully whileanother servant went to fetch a chair. She sipped the hot sweet wine, and tried to compose herself, she feltnumb, and she couldn’t believe that she would never speak with, or listen, toher father again. She started to cry silentlyand the tears ran down her chin and dripped into the wine.

A hand dropped to hershoulder and she turned to see Gorlois, the Duke of Tintagel standing behindher. “Is there aught I can do, Lady?”

Cerian shook her head,“There is nothing anyone can do, but thank you, Sir Duke.” Gorlois regarded her silently, as the tearscoursed down Cerian’s cheeks. Eventuallyhe coughed and handed her a large handkerchief.

The cup of wine was longfinished when Lady Niniane’s coffin arrived and Father Elias emerged from theCount’s room. He looked down over the balustradeto see a rude wooden coffin being carried in through the doors. “Bring it up to the King’s chamber. I shall place it beside the coffin belongingto the King.” Herne turned to Ceri andsaid quietly, “Would you accompany me, Princess.”

Silently Cerian rose to herfeet and followed Herne into the chamber. Ambrosius lay on the bed, but in the coffin there lay another Ambrosius,white and waxen, Ceri knelt on the floor beside the breathing Ambrosius andbent to kiss his lips but Herne’s hand on her shoulder stopped her, “No, MyLady.”

Ceri looked up and her eyesnarrowed in anger but Herne seemed unperturbed, “if you kiss him, you’ll breakthe enchantment.”

This time Ceri flung herhead back and laughed, “Even my power is not sufficient to raise someone fromthe dead!”

“You still have no idea,”Herne regarded her somewhat sadly, “the crown you wear means that you,above all the Ancient Ones have a power beyond imagining. The coronet you wear is the Diadem of Mithras;the god himself blessed it and conferred the power of the Sol Invictus uponit. You think that you’re the only oneto whom it has been offered - think again, the fact that you wear it, and thatthe crown allows itself to be worn by you means-”

“Means what?” Ceriturned around her eyes blazing, “means I have to abide by your precious rulesjust because you say so! This diadem meansthat I could do anything I choose and you can’t stop me! Perhaps I should set myself up as Queen andcommand all those who swore allegiance to me to follow me, and theywould.” She added turning back to Herne,“they owe me that much, Cernunnos!”

“You will not do that,” Hesaid quietly.

“You can’t be sure.”

“Yes I can. If the Sol Invictus, or Mithras or evenNiniane had suspected that you would seek to set yourself up and wrest powerfrom us by force none of this would have occurred-”

“You can’t saythat,” Ceri replied angrily, “humans don’t behave like that, foronce I would like to defy you all and do something for me - I amsick and tired of doing everyone’s bidding. I was supposed to dosomething for my father - and I haven’t been able to do it. I had to watch him die and you let him!”

“No - I did not let yourfather die -” Herne replied softly, “and had I had a choice I would havespared you this. As for you defying us, I have no doubt that you could and might, but I do notthink our trust in you is misplaced. If it brings you anycomfort, I believe that one day you will take your father’s hand and raise himfrom this sleep, Lady.”

Ceri suddenly felt the angerdrain away, she slumped onto a chair and buried her face in her hands. When she finally looked up at Herne he wassmiling down at her, “I am sorry,” she said thickly, “but I wish I could have donemore, I wish he could have known how I felt about him and I wish I’d saidgoodbye.”

“Lady,” Herne replied, “Youdid do something for him, you comforted him, do you think he did not know histime was near? You offered to heal him and he refused, at least credit him with some intelligence, youeased his passing, your task was to soothe him and what youmust do now is to prepare him for the day when hewill be awakened. Know this too, that heknew that of all the peoples in the world, the one chosen to wear the Diadem ofMithras was his own daughter. Not a man,but a woman. You comforted him and heldhis hand - not even Merlin can say that.”

Ceri sighed and Herne noddedcurtly, “You’ll be all right, for you are Much Loved, and not by me alone. Now come, we have a lot of work to do thisnight and for Niniane I need a woman’s touch.”

Somewhat more at peace withherself Ceri stood up and joined Herne. Their hands rested gently on each other and beneath them a soft goldenlight began to glow, Herne started to chant:

“Recreate in flesh and bone;

And auburn hair of færiecharm,

Sweet Niniane and this spellkeep.

Her safe and blessed indreamless sleep.

So she, until the mountainssing

May dream in peace, besideher King.”

They opened the coffin and awoman lay within it, she wore a nun’s habit and a cross was around herneck. Ceri stared at the face and watchedthe chest rise and fall with the same long, slow breaths that characterised theKing’s slumber.

“We must dress her insomething more appropriate,” Herne said, “this-” he gestured at the habit andcross, “will never do.”

“I’ve never heard you usespells before,” Ceri said as they removed the head veil and wimple, “normallyyou don’t speak.”

“This spell was more foryour benefit, I do not know when the mountains will sing, but until they do,Ambrosius and Niniane will remain asleep beneath the earth.”

“I’ve never undressed anyonebefore, Lord,” Ceri suddenly felt young and alone, “I would prefer not to haveto do this.”

“Yes, I know.” Herne said,“but I should like your assistance and it is not so bad once you have done it.”

Ceri nodded quickly, she wasalready feeling out of her depth and if she spoke she was afraid that her voicewould give her away. Herne gently liftedNiniane, her wimple slid off and a mass of auburn hair was released. Herne laid her on the bed and together theydivested her of her clothes. Ever afterwards Ceri remembered little of the experience and barely heard anything that Herne said to her, but she was aware of his voice in thebackground, and it was gentle and encouraging.

Eventually Niniane lay in anemerald green dress next to Ambrosius. ThenHerne turned back to the empty coffin and made a few passes over it with hishands. Another Niniane appeared lying withinit; Herne smiled triumphantly and then closed the lid. He did the same to Ambrosius’s coffin andthen called the servants.

Ceri touched his arm, “Won’tthey notice them on the bed?”

“No.” Herne assured her, “they will see twocoffins that are to be taken to the unfinished monument for that is what they expectto see. You and I have more importantthings to do.”

The servants entered andbore the coffins away. Ceri left the roomand found the Steward relaying his orders concerning the two coffins. He stopped when he saw Ceri, “Yes, my Lady?”

“I regret that I cannot bepresent for the funeral,” Ceri began, “I must make a long journey and I cannotwait, Merlin will understand, will you tell him that I should have liked tohave been there. Please-” she held upher hand as the Steward made as if to assist her, “do not troubleyourselves. I should like to leavein silence, thank you for your kindness. Fare thee well.”

“May you fare well too,Lady.” the Steward replied but Ceri had already turned around and the darknessswallowed her up.

When Ceri returned to theupper room Herne was already beginning to weave his magic. Without any prompting she moved across tostand opposite Herne, she gazed down at Ambrosius and Niniane and her face wascalm and her bearing queenly, “I hope you are right, Lord Cernunnos, forI would not like him to sleep forever.”

“Even if he did, Princess,it would be no loss to him. For sleepis pleasant and for him it will pass in the wink of an eye. We are the ones who are bound by Time.”

“That’s true,” Cerismiled and then their palms touched, for a moment she felt theworld rock beneath her and fought down the desire to steady herself, she was alone at the foot of the stairs, Galahad and Herne were nowhere in sight. I’vejust been here, she thought puzzled, sohow am I back here?

She felt a hand beneath herelbow and then heard Herne’s voice, “Mea culpa, Princess. You had to see Ambrosius to show him that youwere the one to wear the Diadem, and to comfort him. Once the main task had been accomplished,Time brought you back to your starting point, I helped but really we rode onTime for a while.”

“You might have warned me,”Ceri remarked. She turned to Galahad andtook his hand, “You and I have experienced much, have we not, Mon chevalier?”

Galahad lifted her hand andkissed it, “My Lady, we have realised the impossible! You are my liege lady, now and forever!”

“We are expected in theGreat Hall,” Herne interrupted, “The last part of this begins.”

Slowly the doors opened andCerian saw on the raised dais in the centre the bodies of Ambrosius andNiniane, the floral tributes around them both made it almost impossible forCeri to move through them. Her nosestarted to hurt and tears began to trickle down her cheeks, she stood at their feetand whispered, “I shall come back and take both your hands and lift this sleepfrom you, by Epona and Mithras and by the Light I swear it!”

To her surprise it wasGalahad who put an arm around her shoulders and held her. “We have to take them from here, to anotherHoly Place. Will you be all right?”

Ceri nodded and fromsomewhere she dredged up the strength to stand upright and move away fromhim. Cernunnos had lifted Ambrosius andfor the first time she saw how stricken he looked. “Oh Cernunnos,” she bit her lower lip,suddenly ashamed of her previous anger, “you grieve too.”

“We both do, Lady,” it wasGalahad who spoke, he held Niniane in his arms and her copper hair spilled overhis breastplate.

“I grieve his loss from ourpresence,” Herne said softly, “for he too was one of the Ancient Ones and Ishall miss the comfort of having him around.”

“What must I do?” Ceri smiledat them both.

“The Diadem will show youthe way.” This time Herne’s smile was warm and full, “relax, Princess, let itguide you.”

Slowly, Cerian began to walkthe length of the Great Hall, she paused at the door and carefully removed the circlet, she held it in her handsand then suddenly she flung it into the air, for a moment it glittered brightly, the black stone catching the lights of all thecandles in the hall and then there was a noise, like a soft thunderclap,and before them stood another room, the floor was made of hewn stone andfrom somewhere, although Ceri could not see where, a coolblue light illuminated the place. Tentatively, Cerian stepped forward into the light and Herne and Galahadfollowed her. Then a door closed and thewatchers were alone in the Hall.

Ceri looked around her, thecorridor opened into a large chamber, Galahad and Herne stopped, the room wasfilled with people, all caught in slumber. Ceri saw one that she recognised and her eyes widened and sherecognised Bedwyr, angrily she turned on Herne, “If he was to be sentencedthus, what was the point of my forgiveness, why should the Midwinter Thornbloom if this was what was going to happen!”

To her surprise it was Galahad who replied, “Lady, without yourforgiveness he could not have entered here, he awaits the One who will take him by the hand and raise him and present him to his King - asdo all who sleep here. Come,we must place the King and Queen in their appointed places.”

This time Herne led the way,to a raised dais, carefully he laid Ambrosius down and Galahad placed Ninianenext to him. Ceri stood looking down onthem her eyes dry and scratchy, she felt too weary to cry, she wrapped her armsaround herself and pushed her chin onto her chest in an effort to block out thesight of them both.

She turned and beganto stride down the rest of the hall, suddenly she stopped, there were nomore bodies, caught in slumber, instead there was a small chamberhollowed out from the earth itself, set against the wall waswhat was obviously an altar and sitting on it was the Diadem that Ceri had thrown into the air in the Great Hall at YnysWitrin, she stared at it and then a gentle and very familiarvoice said, “I thought that we would meet again, are you going to takeyour crown?”

Cerian turned to see a youngman standing behind her, he was still dressed like a Roman centurion, he heldhis helmet under his arm, “Greetings,” she said softly, and then curtsied,“Lord Mithras.”

“Lord?” The man’seyebrow lifted a notch and he inclined his head, “Ambrosius always gave me theimpression you were among the most courteous of his offspring - I see that hespoke the truth. Listen to me, I may only appear to you for a short time, by rights I shouldnot appear at all to a woman but you have beenshown a great favour. Lady, the beginning of your quest is almost at an end, with every choice youmake you reject one path and choose another, how things willprogress I know not, but I know this - you of all who have attempted this quest have come farther andaccomplished more than any of the others, when you leave this place go in good heart. Farewell, Lady.”

“Wait!” Ceri cried, “You didnot believe that I would save the Hunter – why should you appear to me now?”

Mithras bowed and when heraised his head Ceri saw a real smile playing about his lips, “The night yourestored Ambrosius to life showed your quality. I admit that I was wrong,Princess.”

He raised his arm in atypical Roman salute and Ceri curtsied solemnly, slowly the man faded fromview. She felt rather than heard Cernunnos behind her, “He called me Princess!”Ceri gasped

“I should hope so,” Cerithought she heard him chuckle, “Are you going to take your crown?”

“I will not wear the Diademagain until my father awakens from sleep.” Ceri said softly, she smiledhalf-heartedly. “Where is Galahad?”

“Beside Bedwyr’s bier.”

Ceri turned to seeGalahad standing at the foot of the dais upon which one of the fairest ofthe knights ever to grace the Round Table lay and saw Galahad’s head fall andwith a startling clarity knew where she had seen that turn of the head beforeand of whom Galahad reminded her.

She walked across to him andlaid her hand on his arm, “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked softly.

Galahad’s face turnedtowards her and for a second Ceri saw the agony in his eyes, she reached up andhugged him to her, “Mon chevalier,” she murmured, “My dearest knight.”It was with a shock that she realised he’d started to cry, for aninstant she was more afraid than she’d ever been in any of her encounters with the Dark and then that feeling too passed and instinctively she rocked him as one rocks a child. When heraised his head from her neck she saw that his eyes were red-rimmed, “I shouldhave known, after all, Bedwyr told me you were his son on The Day Of The Dead,I wasn’t listening.” Cerian said softly, “after all he was the best, thebravest and the most beloved of all knights that ever sat at the Round Table,the love of Gwenhwyfar and beloved of Elaine. He’s your father.”

Galahad nodded, “The AncientOnes say that he will not sleep forever, but sometimes I feel that the worldwill dissolve in fire and wrath and he will dissolve with it. We spent such a short time together on earth andI miss him more than I ever dreamed possible.”

Ceri looked across atAmbrosius and Niniane locked in their enchanted sleep and then she turned backto Galahad, “I know.” She said simply, “It feels like that for me too,even if Cernunnos himself has assured me that someday I shall awaken them, butat the moment I can’t bear to lose them.”

Galahad reached up and withhis thumbs he gently wiped away the tears that trickled from the corners ofCeri’s eyes and when he spoke his voice was harsh, “We must go, My Lady, thetime for the awakening is not yet.”

“I know,” Ceri sighed againand for the last time looked back at the dais, it felt as though her heart wasbeing torn apart but she turned back to her two friends and said, “Let’sgo. The longer we stay the harder itwill be to leave.”

Herne nodded slowly andwithout waiting for the word Ceri led the way, they halted as they reached thesmooth wall. Ceri raised her hands,palms together, as if she was about to say a prayer and drew them apart. The wall opened, but instead of openinginto the hall this time the entrance led onto a rugged hillside. Cropping the grass three feet away threehorses were tethered, one of them raised its head and whickered a greeting.

Galahad stepped forward hisface lighting up, “Crisiant!”

Cerian stepped forward and took the reins of the chestnut mare, ”We shallgive you some time to yourself, Sir Knight,” she said formally, “I hope to seeyou very soon.”

Cernunnos opened his mouthbut Ceri glared at him so fiercely that he shut it again. Cerian mounted and Herne followed suit, theyleft Galahad with his face buried in Crisiant’s neck.

“Don’t say anything,” Ceribit the words out, “not a word. Understand?”

Herne nodded mutely, after awhile Cerian turned to Herne, “All right. Ask your question.”

“Why did you leave him? He might do something foolish?”

“I would have been morefoolish to compel him to come with us,” Cerian replied, “That was the firsttime he’s seen his father, am I right?”

Herne nodded slowly, “Ihoped that he would be so caught up in our ceremonies that he wouldn’t notice.”

“Well he noticed. From thelittle he said he knew about this.”

“Yes. Or rather heknew that his father passed into the Halls beneath the Earth to sleep; until aQueen could raise him.”

“But not where? That I thinkwas stupid. But on the whole, better now than later.” By this time the horses had walked in acircle and they returned to see Galahad trotting towards them. As he reached them they saw his face was morecomposed. He smiled and spoke to Ceri, “Forgive me, Princess.” Then his handgrasped her forearm and he pulled her towards him and kissed her lips.

Ceri’s eyes opened evenwider, she was too surprised to pull away. Then Galahad released her and was sitting back on his horse. From somewhere she found a voice,“You’re forgiven, mon chevalier.” Hereined his horse in to match its pace to hers; they were both so taken aback atwhat had just transpired that neither saw the smile playing about Herne’s lips.

“You know the place we’vejust been could be anywhere,” Ceri remarked, “Wales, Scotland, it could even beparts of France or Switzerland.”

“That’s the beauty of theplace.” Herne replied, “it must be kept secret you see. Not just from the Darkbut from ordinary mortals.”

“Yes.” Ceri mused thoughtfully, “Who knows whatArchaeologists and Scientists and the like would do if they ever discoveredthat Hall.”

Herne shuddered,“Don’t. I have a very low opinion of themajority of your countrymen, Princess, in fact in fourhundred years I have only discovered two who were worth the trust Iplaced in them. It does not say much forthis world once the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve are left to their owndevices.”

“No. No, it doesn’t.”Ceri replied, “But it will be their world and they must make the best of it.”

Herne halted his mount andsaid, “Do you know what you just said?”

Ceri nodded absent-mindedly,“Only that the world will belong to the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.”

“Yes, I heard that,” Hernelicked his lips, “but you didn’t identify yourself among them.”

Cerian turned towards himand opened her mouth and then said, “But I’m not mortal, am I?”

To her surprise, Herne leantforward and hugged her to him, “I know that it is hard to break the ties thatbind you; those of family and home are the worst. By acknowledging yourself and your poweryou’ve taken the first step.”

“The first step to what?”

“I don’t know,” Hernereplied, “perhaps the first step to self-discovery. Perhaps the first hint ofthe greatness of your power.”

They rounded the bend in thetrack and before them the Abbey rose in all its magnificence and Ceri suddenlyfelt a great sense of relief at the sight of such a familiar edifice. Eagerly she trotted towards it.