Yggery-Pokery

A personal prayer to the Unicorn from Constance, daughter of Julian, pt 18

William was called back to the main body of the army and left me in Command of our small forces and the onwards journey to Ygg. DeLambre is to report to me which leaves Havelock, Margrath and Lord Hector. We broke camp early and I carefully followed the Ravens as they shifted shadow in the skies above us.

I know my breath caught when I first caught sight of that tree. The tree. That tree. The archetype!

Nothing could compare. Not the trees deep in the Arden I am familiar with. Even those closer to Amber. Ygg is a source of spiritual power. Real in a way that no other tree can be. I confirmed it with Pattern Sight. There was a good dose of reality. We came closer and I realised just how vast it was. 500 feet perhaps from the edge of the foliage to the trunk and such foliage. This was a sight for my poor Rangers eyes. And the scent revived me. This made the journey worth it.

There were three figures standing outside a hovel near the tree. My armour appeared and I asked their names politely and they were the Norns and I knew their names from Dworkin’s Opera. They each spoke to our group. The first was for Margrath I think.

Urdr, who spins the thread:

“There were seven in the bed

And the Arachnid said

‘Roll over! Roll over!’

So they all rolled over

And the Serpent fell out…”

Verdandi, who measures the thread:

“Well done all for / coming thus far.

‘Neath shady Ygg / thou’rt half way home.

Better the sweat / of hopeful stride

Than the kenning / of arrival.”

Skuld, who cuts the thread:

“A new king is crowned

But does he have a kingdom?

Forever Amber…?”

Skuld. We shall see what we shall see.

The Ravens invited us to meet Muni and the colony of red ravens that has made their home in Ygg. She is a truly ancient Raven and the sister of Hugi, who left with Corwin for the Courts. She is old. So old and sightless but sight is not the only way to understand the world – and very wise. She, the matriarch, along with those others who inhabit Ygg, and the Norns, had survived the remaking of the World and to us she talked about Faith. Just having Faith rather than the object of that Faith. I have faith and belief and left her feeling more centred than I have for… who knows how long? I have belief and I know it to be a vital part of my being. I thanked her and she was escorted up into the tree. I will also ask Prince Corwin about the fate of Hugi.

I contacted and gave a report to my Lord Warden and turned so he could see Ygg behind me through the Trump. Those injured in the recent attack were to be brought forward to us with Princess Fiona who would heal with Pattern and Lady Rachael to give additional aid. A company of mixed rangers and marines were to be sent through as guards. I ordered the preparations for their arrival.

I also spoke to Margrath about how to communicate with Ygg. I could not do so directly and my attempt to climb up the trunk was met by a clear ‘off’ as my hands began to burn. Margrath started to rack a spell.

I drank long and deep of the stream that runs alongside Ygg.

I took a group of my Rangers foraging as I was now free to shift Shadow. We needed protein and the verdant Shadows after the World Storm provided us with some 20 deer and sufficient firewood over which to cook them. I elected to leave someone else’s kill. A beast akin to an elephant which had already had a large cut of flesh removed from its rump. Its killer stood frantically gesticulating with a flint headed spear on the other side of the ravine. We left the kill to its owner. We have access to more, and infinitely more advanced, tools available to us and I saw no reason to order the death of the prehistoric man opposite us.

I discussed matters with Margrath and he brought Princess Sand through to join us. She spoke, no, communed rather than simply spoke, with Ygg and I saw her so happy, maybe less depressed as she communed at length, and I do mean at length, with Ygg. Her mood may plummet after this and I will try and monitor it or nudge her son to do so.

Margrath persuaded Ygg to provide us with food. He was led under the roots of Ygg and taken to an apple tree that had an abundance of fruit. Margrath re-emerged carrying his gown filled with apples from this tree which were crisp and delicious and I shared mine with Morning Star, whispering promises of better things to come. I mused on the extent of Ygg underground and couldn’t help but wonder if there might somehow be a fast track back to Amber. If not that, then perhaps Princess Sand could persuade Ygg to allow a Sorcerer to tap into her, its?, power source so we could be Gated home? I’ve asked Margrath to discuss this with his mother.

Sand asked me to move the cooking fires from under Ygg’s branches so we relocated our cooking a good way out from under the tree but still on the side facing Amber.

I Trumped William and 18 venison carcass were taken through to feed the main body of the army. William supplied me with a couple of horse carcasses in return to thank the ravens for their assistance in getting us to Ygg.

I contacted Flora to inform her that Princess Sand was now with the forward party and she was unconcerned and disinterested. Not even the reminder that Hector was also through with us was a sufficient enticement. I probably bored her with my enthusiasm over Ygg but I do wish my Aunts were less disparaging of each other.

I spoke briefly to Corwin about Hugi and he plainly said that he’d needed the energy and had eaten the Raven to get it. Then he raised my rudeness to Dara and gave me a stare. I acknowledged that and said that I regretted it but there we are. I’m not playing the game of ‘she said’ and ‘’she did’. Much as I did not appreciate Dara’s assumption of me at the time I am not proud of my response. I am no paramour and if I had a ‘type’ I am certain that would not be Mandor.

I slept – and it is good to be sleeping outside under a tree again – and I washed before taking over watch from Margrath. He looked perplexed. He had just had a visit from Dworkin and, sure enough, when I examined the ground near the fire there were signs of his presence by the fire and a set of footprints that evaporated into nothing.

Margrath went to his bed to wrack another spell. I looked out across the camp. The new arrivals settled themselves down for the night. I sat for a while on my own and brought up Pattern, checking for anything unexpected among the camp’s inhabitants. I was hoping that Torc might have been among the rangers now with the forward command and I hope even more that he is not among the lost Ranger Patrols. He has the Trump Merlin drew of me if he needed to urgently contact me. I need to speak to Prince Bleys about his possible presence so arrangements can be made to keep him safe and get him safely home.

I Trumped my Lord Warden to formally report and wish him good night. He was deep in dream, fighting someone. I write fighting but I may mean duelling. That someone fought with my style and it looked like a rapier I would use. I withdrew before he noticed me in his dream. That would never end well. My fear is that his mistrust of what he terms ‘my Fey blood’ will grow to a mistrust of me and I know that in his duty to Amber he would not hesitate to remove me from my Command or simply kill me if he deemed it necessary. He would deal with the Constance problem. I have to temper my love for him with duty to him. Nothing else will do. Torc said that I was really a Fey. My fear is that I am not really an Amberite. But then, who exactly am I?

But I have Faith. That stands.