Talibah - The Egyptian
Chapter 14 - Page 1
Promise Made

It had been a cold, brittle day with a wind so fierce it could contend with the howling of a whole company of wolves in the mountains calling in an endless night. And it had been a hard, arduous ride into those mountains, the mountains that stood like a great and giant protector watching over Gwydion's Greathouse, over the countryside and over all Cymru. Snow had fallen the night before creating deep drifts and Jenna, with a small party of Bard and Runners and a warrior or two from Gwydion's Court, navigated with care as they picked their way through. Taliesin had had to spend some time at the Council Seat of Wynseren in especial dialogue and preparation with his Council as Gwydion made battle plans that the Bardic Council would need respond to and discuss. Being that Jenna had remained at Gwydion's Court, for though one of Taliesin's Advisor's she was also the Senior Chief Bard at Gwydion's, Taliesin at length asked Jenna to head on out to Wynseren when she had a firm grasp of Gwydion's plans and could report such to the Council.

Being both one of Taliesin's Advisors and the Senior Chief Bard of a Court wherein she oversaw three other Court Bards, Jenna had found it all rather daunting in her first days as such. For one who had envisioned her life to be that of wandering and some adventure in the greater countryside of Cymru with responsibility only to herself and any immediate Runners, Jenna sometimes found herself in some angst from time to time. Yet, having Taliesin and Dylan's help and companionship made the whole of the situation less stressful, if not less complicated. In that Dylan had been made one of the Chief Bards she was Senior to, Jenna could at least look to him for her greatest support at Court and he duly did so. And Taliesin was always encouraging and helpful even though his own responsibilities were densely complex. And even with Wynseren but a day's ride away, it was never easy when Taliesin had to be there for any length of time. He remained at Gwydion's as much as possible, meeting as he could with Council Members, even leaving certain stratagems and decisions to his Chief Advisor, Gwen; but not everything could be resolved or seen to in such manner.

If it had not been so windy and rather brutally cold that day, Jenna would have rather enjoyed the ride into the mountains. It was so seldom now that she ventured much further than the outlaying villages around the Greathouse. So much to do, to attend, no less her own children and various students under her care. Yet just thinking on the children always caused Jenna to smile with warmth and happiness. Of anything, they and Taliesin made her busy life worth whatever challenge she might face. A caretaker, gentle and loving enough, helped to see to the children, although Dylan always watched out after them as much if not more so. He acted as if he was almost a third parent to them and perhaps he was. His sense of such things was almost surprisingly keen and Jenna sometimes found herself almost counting on it. Of course, no matter, Jenna worried some, she never liked to be away from the children very long, but she at least knew they were in the best of care.

And those said children were growing, too. Soon they'd be in full training, ever removing themselves from their parents' immediate circle and hold. In fact, Jesse, the elder of the two, now did train with the Chief Healer at Court and there was some talk of sending her to the Holy Isle for full Initiation in a couple years or so. It mattered not that such a day was removed yet, it still made Jenna's heart skip every time she even thought about it as the Holy Isle was off the Northern Coast in Gwynedd and as far West as any place in Cymru. She knew it bestirred Taliesin greatly, too, and though Jesse was not Jenna's own child by blood, she surely was by spirit, and such distance between them would make for difficult partings on all sides. Hopefully Lleu would not be as much such a parting. He was now studying with the Sacred Musicians at Court, showing wonderful talent and ability. But at least he was far more like to stay in the area for much time to come, perhaps to even study at Wynseren before he found a troupe or court to become attached to. Perhaps he might even find a place at Gwydion's Court, it would certainly please both his parents and Jenna clutched at some hope of that.

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