LOST

Seven years had passed since Thórólfr died and two years since Myrddin disappeared just as mysteriously as he entered the lives of Modeos and Xamn. Along with three others from Thórsholr, the two boys, now men, created Hringr Ljóss, The Circle of Light. Brandr and Tófa were a young couple about the same age as Xamn and Modeos. Astrid was a young woman whose parents Xamn was working up the courage to talk to in order to ask for her hand in marriage. The five of them, Brandr, Tófa, Modeos, Xamn and Astrid made up the group considered by the village to be the spiritual protectors of Thórsholr. They performed rituals to bring them good harvests and concocted healing brews for the sick. Myrddin had taught them many things about the universe, nature and life. What he taught them, however, was just the tip of the iceberg.

Zachary was Astrid’s adopted brother. He had been found wandering in the woods when he was eight years old and brought to Thórsholr to live with Astrid’s family. At the time, Astrid was two years older than Zachary and he became infatuated with her, dangerously so. As the years went on, his adopted father grew so concerned that he threatened to take him to a monastery in Wales, where he said he was from. Zachary promised he would do better. When Astrid and Xamn made their feelings for each other known, Zachary became enraged. He knew that if he attempted to harm Xamn in any way, the rest of the Circle would come after him.

Skinny and on the small side, Zachary knew he would not be able to take on the whole Circle himself, not in a straight-out fight. After contemplating, he came up with a plan. There were two brothers in the village that Zachary knew to have issue with the spiritual work the Circle did for the village. He spoke to them in private and they agreed to help him with his plan. The Spring Equinox was approaching and the Circle would be performing their ritual at their sacred site just outside Thórsholr. Zachary and his two helpers cut down a large tree and hauled it to the clearing the day before the Circle’s ritual. They stripped the cut log of all its branches and erected it in the center of the clearing, placing additional wood around the base. On the path leading to the clearing, they set several bear traps in the middle of the walkway and covered them with leaves and small branches.

The morning of the ritual, Zachary briefed his two henchmen of the plan. “Go to the clearing and wait them to set off the traps. I will stay here and distract Astrid. I will bring her to the clearing myself.

“Brandr is bringing the mead,” Tófa told Modeos and Xamn as she came out of her house carrying a basket with bread and small urns filled with herbs.

“Good. Xamn and I will bring everything else. Have you seen Astrid?”

“I think I saw her talking to her brother.”

“Hopefully, she won’t be long. I do not like him.”

“I can feel something different in the air,” Tófa noted. “Something strange. Have you felt it?”

“Could be a thunderstorm approaching,” Modeos replied, glancing up. “Skies are dark in the south. We should hurry.”

Zachary’s two brutes, Halstein and Vidar, sat in the shadows in the trees beside where the traps were set. They were prepared with clubs to knock them unconscious, rope to bind their hands and cloth rags to put in their mouths to keep them from screaming for help. Brandr and Tófa were the first to approach. They had set eight traps and arranged them all in a group within an area of roughly six square feet. Avoiding them was impossible. Tófa was first to be ensnared. Brandr was caught as he went to her side. Halstein jumped out and grabbed Brandr from behind and wrestled him to the ground. Vidar ran towards Tófa but tripped, nearly stepping on a bear trap himself. Quickly righting himself, he puts her hands behind her back and a rag in her mouth.

“Bastard!” Brandr yelled. “Let her—” Halstein had forgotten about the gag but immediately remedied that. Vidar and Halstein hit them both over the head, knocking them out, and dragged the two off the path so the rest would not see them.

Xamn held the handles of the cart carrying items for the ritual—candles, ritual sword, chalices and firemaking tools. “I don’t know what thunderstorm you’re talking about. All I see are the usual gray clouds.”

“I think the dark clouds I saw must have moved west,” Modeos surmised. “I’m glad. We can take our time now. I still feel a strange energy in the air, though, just as Astrid said.”

“Speaking of… Where is she? Perhaps she’s already there with Brandr and—Agh!” Xamn stepped on a trap and collapsed to the ground. The cart rolled to the side and dumped all the tools onto the dirt path.

“What happened, Xamn? Did you hurt your ankle?” Modeos asked, running toward his brother.

“Don’t move, Modeos!” Xamn warned. “Bear traps,” he continued, wincing in pain. “I think there are more.”

Vidar tackled Modeos from behind and, once he had him on the ground, hit him hard in the jaw. Halstein picked Xamn up and attempted to bind his arms behind him. Xamn met his attacker’s chin with an elbow. Halstein stumbled but held on to Xamn’s arm and came back around with a right hook, catching Xamn on his temple. Xamn and Modeos unconscious, Zachary’s men took them to the stake in the middle of the clearing.

“What about Astrid?” Vidar asked.

“What about her? Zachary said he would be bringing her. Finish tying up these two to the stake and I’ll get the others.”

“Do you mind if I walk with you to the clearing?” Zachary asked Astrid. “I was told bears have been seen in the woods recently. They must be awaking from winter sleep. I wouldn’t want you hurt.”

“I suppose father would approve,” Astrid sighed. “I wonder if he knows. Once I join the others in the clearing, though, you come back here.”

“I promise,” Zachary smiled. “Is there anything you’re required to bring? I could help you carry it.”

“No. The others didn’t leave anything for me.”

“Alright, then. How are you and Xamn getting along, anyway?”

“We’re fine. He is meeting with father tomorrow to discuss marriage arrangements.”

“Really? Are you planning on midsummer?”

“No. We want to have it during Thrimilci. We would like our ancestors to be there and take part if they wish.”

“Thrimilci? I dislike that festival very much. I do not like the idea of the dead joining us for dinner.”

“It is a celebration of the return of spring, abundance of food. Our ancestors are apart of that abundance because they taught us what needs to be done. They should have a part in the celebration, as well. Do you not think?”

“Well, I don’t have any ancestors around here, so…”

“You do through your family. We might not be… Zachary? Where did you go?” She felt a hand come from behind her and cover her mouth. She tried to scream but the hand was holding too tight. She clawed with her fingernails to try and loosen the grip but to no avail as her arms were wrenched behind her back.

“Easy, Halstein. Not so rough.”

Zachary! She had recognized his voice, though, she could not see him standing behind her. What are you doing? she thought. She saw the rest of the Circle tied to the wooden beam in the center of the clearing, still unconscious, and, as the hand was removed from her mouth and replaced with a rag, a feeling of dread washed over her. She had had similar feelings before, when she knew she was about to be punished by her father. This. This was so much worse. These friends she had spent the last few years with, learning, growing. Xamn, her would be future husband, her love.

“Astrid. I will give you one opportunity and that only. You and I can run away. We can run away to Wales where I was born and you can be my wife. We can run away to anywhere you want. Or… you can die next to your betrothed. It is entirely your choice.”

The gag still in her mouth, she could not respond but she made what sound she could and Zachary could tell by the down turning of her eyebrows and the redness in her face that her reply was not a positive one.

“Just so there is no misunderstanding, nod for yes and shake your head from side to side for no.”

She violently shook her head and the rag opened enough so that she could scream his name, hoping someone would hear and, as he was standing only an arm’s length away, she spit in his face. Zachary smiled as he took the rag that hung from the corner of her mouth and wiped the spittle from his cheek and mouth. “You know, there really is nothing more personal than the sharing of bodily fluids.” He turned to Halstein, “Tie her up and light the fire.”

Vidar helped Halstein bind her next to Xamn, the other three tied in a circle around the wooden stake. Halstein stooped down and held a large chunk of flint with his left hand. Taking a dagger out of the sheath on his side, he struck it on the flint. A couple sparks flew but they failed to light the dried leaves they had gathered. He struck the flint again, sparks again flew, this time lighting the leaves. They smoked for several seconds before a flame appeared. Vidar brought more small kindling and the fire was started. Xamn’s eyes fluttered open. Just a couple seconds later and he was aware enough of his surroundings to know what was going on. Halstein was still crouched, making sure the fire was going to stay lit. Xamn attempted to kick him but realized his legs were bound.

As the heat intensified, the others began to come to. “Brandr!” Tófa screamed. “What’s going on?”

“I believe we’re being executed,” Brandr snarled.

“That’s right, Brandr,” Zachary replied snidely. “You and your… Circle… are an abomination. You must be punished for your sins.”

“That’s not why you’re killing us,” Astrid shouted. “Your lust for me—that’s the reason for this. You should be punished for your sins!”

“Everyone has their own opinion,” Zachary said, smirking.

Xamn was hurrying to try and loosen the ropes tied around his wrists. The flames started to come up and meet them. His rage masked the pain as he pulled. The fibers of the rope began to weaken as they burned. The blaze rose higher, the group screamed with agony. Xamn reached a hand out but Zachary was too far away. He was able to pull his legs free, too, but his entire body was on fire. He stumbled toward Zachary anyway.

The ground trembled and a large, translucent bubble rose out of the dirt, forming a dome that covered the entire clearing. Halstein and Vidar ran back down the path toward Thórsholr. Zachary stood in bewilderment at the spectacle. Xamn fell at Zachary’s feet and grabbed hold of his pant leg.

A raven flew overhead and just as it broke the plane of the bubble, the orb burst with a force that sent everyone to the ground. Sparkling mist rained down. The raven was gone and Xamn was no longer at Zachary’s feet. Brandr, Tófa and Modeos sat up, realizing they were still alive. Their clothes were mostly burned off but their bodies were unharmed. Astrid lay dead, burned to death. Zachary looked at the three that remained, his eyes wide with terror at the thought of what just happened and what they might do to him if they were able to catch him. He turned toward the woods and ran. As soon as he breached the tree line, his form disappeared into a flock of ravens that quickly dispersed into the darkness of the evening.

What happened in the clearing that afternoon would take more than twelve centuries for what remained of the Circle of Light to figure out.