Free The Awakening by Bevan McGuiness Page A

leaving her sleep uneasy and fitful. He had refused to expand on his final statement and had left abruptly when she persisted.
    As always, she knew when dawn was about to break, so, even before the sky began to change, to shift towards the day, she determined to greet it as she should. No matter what anyone thought, the dawn deserved to be welcomed.
    When she arrived, the guards were there as usual. They walked stiffly past her, averting their eyes and muttering quietly. Hwenfayre was oblivious to their reactions. The morning was a beautiful one, and it was going to be welcomed properly.
    She watched the sky gradually lighten. When the sun’s edge appeared above the horizon, Hwenfayre closed her eyes to feel its warmth on her face. Almost unconsciously, she caressed the strings of her harp, forming the sounds that would welcome the morning appropriately. She played the whole song with her eyes closed, feeling the sun’s warmth soothing her body and the flow of the music soothing her soul.
    When the song was finished she remained still, letting the pleasure of it wash over her. It filled her with peace. It eased her fears and cleansed her mind. She felt the tensions of the past few days subside beneath the song’s quiet ebb and flow. Without her being aware of it, a small smile formed on her lips. An expression of harmony and quietude slowly suffused her face as she felt the strength and overwhelming power of the sea fill her.
    ‘You belong here.’
    The deep, strong voice shocked her out of her reverie. Her eyes snapped open. She turned to see theCoerl standing beside her, looking at her with mystery in his eyes. He smiled. It transformed his face from the hard man who commanded men into a kind man called Niall.
    ‘You belong here, Hwenfayre,’ he repeated. She nodded slowly, the feeling of peace fading slightly to be replaced by another, less recognisable feeling.
    ‘I must go,’ she said. ‘I have to be in the market today.’ Without a backwards look, she gathered her skirt and scampered away.
    Two pairs of eyes followed her as she ran, one speculative, one unreadable.
    For some reason the streets, normally dark and threatening, seemed somehow wider, lighter, almost welcoming this morning. Her heart felt light within her breast as it beat fast with the exhilaration of being alive. Happiness stole into her, planting an unexpected seed deep within her. She could not wait for it to grow and bloom.
    Several days later she met with Niall at the Minstrel’s Rest. As a child, Hwenfayre had seen her mother preparing herself for similar meetings with men. It had seemed to her that she spent inordinately long periods of time in doing so. There was the selection of just the right dress, which was not a problem for Hwenfayre as she had but two, and then there were the hours, it seemed, spent in applying face colours and brushing hair. Both of these activities Hwenfayre disdained. Instead, she put on her long dark blue dress, her shawl and her boots. She quickly brushed her hair. On an impulse, she picked up her harp. Hwenfayre then left her home, closing the door behind her.
    It was a comfortable evening. Two friends spending a few hours together, talking, laughing, exchanging small confidences. To Hwenfayre, a new life was appearing before her. A new word entered her mind: friendship. Never before had she spent such an evening. For the first time away from the wall and the sea, she felt alive. She laughed at Niall’s stories, she smiled at his smiles and she allowed herself to fall deeply into the spell of his dark, mysteriously changeable eyes.
    He walked her home. They stood close together at her door. She looked up into his eyes as he smiled down at her. A strange expression crossed his face briefly. She frowned.
    ‘What is it, Niall?’ she asked.
    ‘Nothing, dear Hwenfayre,’ he replied.
    Slowly, he lifted his hand and touched her gently on the cheek. At his touch, she shivered lightly. He made to remove his hand,