Kilgarren's Tale

"When he was four years old he lost his way in the forest. It stormed and raged violently, making it impossible to track him. When I finally found him two days later, he had ensorcelled a small she-wolf which had fed him and protected him."

Kilgarren loved hearing his mother tell that old tale. The children surrounding her knees were silent and wide eyed, looking back and forth from the storyteller to the object of the story. He pulled up a small stool, then settled in for the ending.

"And so I brought him home with the she-wolf following closely and took him to the High Priestess Innis." Siobhan paused dramatically, before continuing on in a lowered voice, "Then he was taken into the coven and the Sacred Blessing bestowed upon him, the first male anointed by the coven, their first warlock apprentice!"

Small oooh's and aaaah's were heard but Siobhan pushed forward with the tale. "The she-wolf, named Luna after the Celestial Mother, became his familiar, and her children serve him still. And when it came to be that Luna was called upon to pass into the next world he offered her up to the Goddess in tribute so that she would have Luna's protection in the afterlife. So when you see the silver ring round the moon, know this, Luna is still protecting the coven and beware! For she watches all that we do."

Siobhan sat back in her chair and rested while the children around her clapped and begged for more. Kilgarren, seeing her fatigue, stood and called the little ones to him.

"Who would like to see the wolf cubs?" Not waiting for their excited answers, Kilgarren led them outside and to the small stable where three young pups rolled on a straw pallet.

His mother often asked him when he would give her grandchildren, but he had many things in his life which were more important. One of those things were his duties and responsibilities to the coven. Until his four warlock apprentices were duly tested and prepared to assist the High Priestess Kalaya in the rituals, his personal life would have to wait.

After the children departed, Kilgarren pondered on the Celestial Mother's design for him. He had mated many times with Kalaya as some of the rituals required, but no issue had ever been forthcoming. And should such a child be born, it would live an exalted life within the coven, born of ritualistic endeavor as its mother had.

He thought over the women he came into contact with daily. There was Gerran, the researcher, an intelligent witch with a knack for spells and very easy on the eyes. Reisa, the herbalist, was a superb healer and soft spoken. Ashte, the potions mistress, would make an excellent mother and life mate. His cousin Brunhilde came from good solid witch stock and got on well with Siobhan.

Kilgarren sighed. The coven had numbered almost a hundred mere days ago until misled by the traitorous witch Losyle. Now, barely forty-four in numbers and most of them apprentice-class at that, Kilgarren shook his head. Fertility prayers and potions were the requirements of the day. He had even heard talk of a spell casting ceremony to lure men to the area for breeding purposes.

Kilgarren shrugged his shoulders for until he was summoned by Kalaya he would put no credence in hearsay. He stacked several pieces of wood by the front door then checked the root cellar for foodstuffs. His mother had given birth to him late in life and was often forgetful when it came to stocking her larder. He gathered potatoes, an onion, a beet, a few soft carrots and several herb pouches before returning to the small cabin he'd grown up in.

"I've brought you the makings of a stew Mother, I'm to town this eve on coven business and won't be back until morning." He placed the vegetables next to the pitcher of clean water and the fresh eggs he'd set down earlier, then turned to leave.

"Give us a kiss, luv, before you go to town." Siobhan leaned her cheek up while he bent forward and kissed her gently.

"If I'm late tomorrow, send someone after Brunhilde to help you with the churning." It wasn't a command, but Kilgarren knew she'd do as he'd asked.

"They won't do, you know."

"Who won't do, Mother?"

"That lot of girls you're pondering over. They're not for the likes of you. The Goddess will send someone special for you, wait and see."

Kilgarren smiled and kissed his mother again, "So mote it be, Mother, so mote it be!"

"The Wiccan Way is not an easy one, but our Celestial Mother watches over all and will not let you down if you serve her true." Siobhan patted his shoulder then relaxed in front of the warm hearth. "Blessed be, my son, peace go with you.

"And with you, Mother."

Kilgarren looped a small satchel over his shoulder and walked down the well-worn pathway into the forest toward town.

As he walked, Rufus padded silently behind him. The large silver and black wolf still amazed Kilgarren every time he silently appeared.

As though understanding Kilgarren's thoughts, Rufus nipped at the satchel playfully.

As sunset neared and the town grew close, Rufus parted ways with the Warlock. Kigarren hoped the beast hadn't planned on waiting to return to the cottage in the glen but ceased contemplation as the wolf trotted back the direction they'd just traveled from.

Just ahead on the trail, a petite woman knelt next to a push cart with a broken wheel. She wore a simple white blouse and skirt with a cornflower blue apron tied loosely at the waist.

As he approached, Kilgarren cleared his throat so as not to startle the woman. As intended, her eyes looked away from the task at hand as she stood from her kneeling position, watching him walk nearer.

The first noticeable thing about the woman was her protruding belly for when she stood it was all one saw; Kilgarren thought she would give birth soon, make that very soon.

He knew things sometimes, and this was one of those times.

"Good woman, where be your husband and kin?" Kilgarren glanced around and noticed no other prints beside the small indent of the woman in front of him.

As her head tilted up, up, up into Kilgarren's six-foot-three frame, her eyes rested in his a moment before answering.

"I am having no husband, nor living kin. But I am needing to reach town this night, kind sir, would you help?"

Kilgarren glanced at the small heap of bundles in the cart, took note of the unrepairable wheel and made his decision.

"Yea, I will help, miss. You will walk and I will carry the bundles."

"Circe."

"Pardon?"

"It's my name. Circe. Seer-cee. Like the ancient goddess, my Father always said."

"And I am being Kilgarren Medecci. Happy meeting, Circe."

"Happy meeting, Kilgarren." The young woman slowly turned and began walking down the dirt track as he retrieved all her belongings.

"Do you head to a friend or distant cousin in town, Circe?" Kilgarren liked the sound of her name on his lips and wondered at her state of impending single motherhood.

"You want to know about the baby." Circe said it more like a statement than a question. Kilgarren nodded.

"I was tricked into believing a boy loved me, but he had no honor, nor did his family and my mother cast a Hex upon his family. When the sickness took every last one of them, my mother admitted that it was she who had wrought such terrible vengeance upon them and we were cast out of the community. She died three months hence we left home an that was five moons past."

"You are eight months along?"

"Oh, nay, Kilgarren. I am going nine months to the day tomorrow with this babe!" Circe rubbed the small of her back with one hand while she held her distended belly with the other. "I am knowing none in town, but surely a midwife lives that will help to birth my daughter tomorrow?"

"Are you fey to be knowing when and what will be arriving?" Kilgarren smiled at Circe as he teased her and she smiled back.

"Many used to say that about me. I know things. I see things sometimes, and sometimes they be coming true." Circe's smile stayed in place, "I knew you would be coming down the trail today. I saw you and a great wolf walked besides. I got that part wrong, I'm thinking."

Kilgarren's step paused for a fraction before continuing steadily forward. "Nay, he parted my company ere we turned the bend in the road an that's where you first saw me."

Circe paused for a moment, holding her breath. The sun was setting and the warmth of the day was giving way to the cooler night air. "Kilgarren?"

"Aye?"

"I am thinking I have a need for the midwifery sooner than tomorrow!"

"Aye?" and then, "Oh! Aye!"

He bent to pick up her small form and shuffled the bundles and his satchel to his opposite shoulder. She was no great weight to his tall, sturdy form and he was able to cover the last mile into town with the need to only stop and rest twice.

He took her straight to the coven, the herbalist would be able to assist him in finding Kalaya, High Priestess and reigning Midwife in Shalad-on-Eirin.

"Circe, do your thoughts tell you to trust my judgement?"

"I see no reason not to."

"Have you a concern for Natural Magic?"

"Witchery? Pah! Idle gossip would say yes but I am not one prone to gossip. A Naturalist is a healer and not one to dabble in the dark arts, my Mother used to say. She was a witch, I am a witch, my daughter shall also be, Warlock."

At Kilgarren's startled expression, Circe laughed wholeheartedly. "You did not think I could not see it, surely?" But Kilgarren's answer never came for at that moment, Circe's water broke and her brow covered in sweat. He rushed the last few yards before he entered Reisa's home and was promptly shown the door once he'd surrendered his charge to the healer.

"Bring me Kalaya from the sanctuary, and Ashte as well, tell them to bring binding and Anointing Oils! And hurry!" With that, the door closed firmly and Kilgarren, covered in birthing fluids, ran as instructed.

Many years later, he would tell the tale to his children's children of that fated day when he had become enscorcelled by his lovely wife on the eve of their first born child's birth.