Brigantia

By Judith Kaethe Bern

The Island of Eslandelle has been put under the curse of eternal winter and it looks like it is going to stay that way forever. But Branthur the Great Mage of Earandelle, the very mage who cursed Eslandelle, is wise. He knows there will come a day when Light sends its child to free Eslandelle from the curse and subsequently from Earandelle. Branthur, of course, has no intention to let that happen.
This is the story of the Child of Light.
This is the story of Brigantia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Judith Kaethe Bern
• Release date: Mar 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310080364

Judith Kaethe Bern

Judith Kaethe Bern loves swimming, reading and travelling. She loves writing too and has penned several stories for her personal enjoyment. Her first published books, Brigantia (2014) and Eira and the Noble Phoenix (2018), are taken from her personal collection.Feel free to follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagramhttp://Instagram.com/judithkaethe

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Brigantia

Judith Kaethe Bern

Copyright 2014 Judith Kaethe Bern

All rights reserved

Edited by Lee Viesnik

Cover Design by Yvonne Less

License Notes

No part of this publication may be shared, used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, for commercial and non-commercial use without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Dedication

To my beloved aunt OMK

The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons; living or deceased, names, events or places is purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Delivery

Chapter 2 Her Name is Brigantia

Chapter 3 The First Twelve Years

Chapter 4 The Thirteenth Birthday

Chapter 5 The Glowing Gemstone and Grandmothers

Chapter 6 The Silhouette in the Gemstone

Chapter 7 To the Sea

Chapter 8 The Scorching

Chapter 9 What Archibald concluded

Chapter 10 The Parting

Chapter 11 Brigantia goes to Efrandelle

Chapter 12 The Hungry Bird and The Radiant Lunch Meat

Chapter 13 The Bee Farm in a corner of The Forest of Foyn

Chapter 14 The Bright White Light

Chapter 15 A Year Later

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Chapter 1 The Delivery

Eslandelle, The Forest of Foyn, western edge

It was the mid-point of the coldest season of the year. The trees and the forest floor were still covered in snow and ice that had not yet shown any signs of melting or thawing soon even though it had reached the point of the year when the days started to lengthen again. It was well past midnight and all the inhabitants of Eslandelle were fast asleep, when a sliver of light, golden and dazzlingly bright, shot from the sky towards the little forest in the northernmost part of the island where Everott, the spring of everlasting fire could be found.

Eslandelle, The Forest of Foyn, eastern edge

Briallen woke with a start in a cold and dark cabin as the fire had gone out when she was asleep. But the biting cold was not what had startled her awake. It was the dream. The strangest dream she had ever had. Something bright had darted from the sky, landed on the snowy ground in the grounds of The Honey Hut, her home, and glowed. In her dream, she went closer to the tiny glowing bundle on the snowy ground, had a slightly timid but good look at it, and recognised the very thing wrapped in the bundle for what it really was immediately.

It couldn’t be, she thought, dismissing the dream as something stirred from her memory. A picture of a lovely woman with ebony black hair and bright blue eyes popped up in her head.

There will come a day when Light sends its child to you, said the lovely woman seriously. It’s all written in the stars. You have been chosen and Light has its own reasons.

Mum. The word escaped from Briallen’s mouth unwittingly. She shook her head and drew the blue blanket up to her chin, shivering and trembling all the way. The cold had got to her bones.

I need fire, she thought again, still shivering and trembling as the thick blue blanket could not warm her up. She got up and put on her only mantle. She was still feeling cold. She was used to cold weather but that night was the coldest night she had ever had to endure.

I won’t last till morning if I don’t get fire immediately, she thought, now wrapping the thick blue blanket around her body, over the mantle. She then put on her thick wellington boots and slowly felt her way towards the door.

Earandelle, The Rock of Shadow

It’s happening. I can feel it, thought Edkai uncomfortably, getting out of his bed.

He put on his robe, went into his study on the top floor of the tower and peeked into the heavens using the large stargazer. He took his eyes off the instrument and looked towards the curtain-less window. He could see the stars but no moon and nothing unusual with the naked eye. He went to the window, opened it, and stuck his head outside, feeling the wind. A cold wind slapped him hard in the face and he closed the window right away despite the enchantingly nice scent in the air.

Another blizzard just missed Eslandelle and is going south. At least its wind will keep Eslandelle in deep snow and ice for another fortnight, he thought, now moving towards his desk.

But what a lovely scent it was, whatever it was, he thought again, remembering the pleasant scent brought by the passing wind.

He rummaged in the only drawer and a few seconds later found what he was looking for, a chain with a small rectangular-shaped medallion dangling from it. A tiny shape of a yew tree with four leaves was carved into the medallion. He put the chain on around his neck and went down the circular stone stairs towards the tower dungeon.

Earandelle, The Castle Chameleon

Prince Percival turned over in his bed and went on snoring, blowing his thick moustache up and down over his thin lips every time the unpleasant sound escaped his mouth. He slept soundly and was not disturbed by any dream, cold or sudden premonitions.

The Strait of Girbadelle, The Falme Warrior

The old man was steering The Falme Warrior, the ship of which he was the proud owner, towards the west of Eslandelle when a ray of bright light fell from the sky towards the island.

What on Weltedellen is that? He thought curiously. He racked his brain for any information whether secret or general knowledge, that his late master Obremann had ever told him but could not link the bright light to any of it.

From The Falme Warrior, he watched the snow storm barely miss the island of Eslandelle and head south while the passing wind brought with it the cold air and a pleasant scent which blew away the nasty smell of salt water.

Something’s happening. No moon. A very nice scent in the air … And what was the bright light? That was not the Brolea Lights, that wasn’t, he thought, gazing towards the starry sky. The old man had a pair of bright blue eyes, an almost bald head and a muscular body.

It’s time I visited Frodry and my new grandson, he thought a little while later. For some reason he suddenly had a strong desire to see his family. With that thought he confidently changed the ship’s direction and steered The Falme Warrior towards the Happa Harbour on the east coast of the island of Eslandelle.

Eslandelle, The Forest of Foyn

The Honey Hut which Briallen had called home all her life was situated in a small clearing on the eastern side of the Forest of Foyn. It was actually a small cabin made of logs, with twigs and leaves woven neatly for the roof. On its grounds, Briallen had a small garden where she grew vegetables, fruit and herbs enough for her everyday use all year round and a small bee farm from which she harvested honey to sell in the town nearby. She bottled the honey and stored it in the small honey-shed next to the cabin. She went into the town only once or twice a year when she had enough honey to fill the big cart.

The Honey Hut, like every house in every town and village on the island, depended on Everott for the fire needed to light the fireplace, candles and lanterns, and to cook food over. However, no