Song of the Pendragon: The Last Pendragon Saga, #3

By Sarah Woodbury

He is a king, a warrior, the last hope of his people-and the chosen one of the sidhe ...

Faced with the unleashed might of the Underworld, Rhiann, Cade, and their companions travel to the world of the sidhe. And it is there, in the heart of Arawn's domain, that Cade finds himself finally able to grasp the reins of his own power to become the Christian king and pagan hero that has always been his destiny.

Song of the Pendragon is the third book in The Last Pendragon Saga.

 

The Complete Series reading order: The Last Pendragon, The Pendragon's Blade, Song of the Pendragon, The Pendragon's Quest, The Pendragon's Champions, Rise of the Pendragon, The Pendragon's Challenge, Legend of the Pendragon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Morgan-Stanwood Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540173935

Sarah Woodbury

With over two million books sold to date, Sarah Woodbury is the author of more than fifty novels, all set in medieval Wales. Although an anthropologist by training, and then a full-time homeschooling mom for twenty years, she began writing fiction when the stories in her head overflowed and demanded that she let them out. While her ancestry is Welsh, she only visited Wales for the first time at university. She has been in love with the country, language, and people ever since. She even convinced her husband to give all four of their children Welsh names. Sarah is a member of the Historical Novelists Fiction Cooperative (HFAC), the Historical Novel Society (HNS), and Novelists, Inc. (NINC). She makes her home in Oregon. Please follow her online at www.sarahwoodbury.com or https://www.facebook.com/sarahwoodburybooks

Book preview

Chapter One

Rhiann

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"Rhun tells me you can shoot a bow?"

Rhiann looked up from her mending to see Bronwen looking down at her. She was trying to be helpful, but any distraction from the basket of torn clothing at her feet was welcome. Did he?

Bronwen smiled. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean. How did you learn?

Rhiann rested her hands in her lap, wondering how much she should reveal, and then decided to accept the friendship Bronwen offered. It was rare in her experience. When I was a young girl. I dreamt there was another mother and father somewhere in the world, missing me. For a while, I examined every family that entered my father’s hall for the possibility that they were my parents. But I was small, skinny, and shy, and never even had the courage to approach a likely couple. Instead, I would behave foolishly to gain attention, laughing too loudly at a joke perhaps, or chasing one of the kitchen cats around the tables, getting underfoot, to the point that, invariably, my nurse would send me to my room.

That’s not so unusual. All girls behave in such a manner, one time or another.

Perhaps. All I know is that I would go, protesting, to fall sobbing on my pallet. My life changed, however, when the captain of my father’s guard, a man named Owain, befriended me. Although my father’s desire for me to learn the bow was not meant for either Owain or me to take seriously, not really, Owain did—or at least took it seriously enough to encourage me to keep trying. Rhiann gave her a rueful smile. After my first lesson, which I’d participated in under protest since I deliberately did everything in my power to displease my father, I surprised myself by waking early the following morning and putting in an appearance at the archery range. I remember walking down the path to the clearing near Aberffraw, dressed in a boy’s breeches and linen shirt. The mist had been hovering just above the grass, so I couldn’t see the targets. It occurred to me that I should have stayed in bed.

But you didn’t give up.

"I can hear my instructor now: Imagine them. There will come a time when you’ll be able to close your eyes and loose your arrow and find that you hit your target. This won’t be because of luck or a magic arrow. It will be because you have practiced every day until your arms trembled. Your skill will have grown with you, and the bow will come so naturally to you that you cannot miss."

Instead of looking askance, Bronwen smiled. Rhun says much the same. Already, Cador begs his father to take him to shoot, even though he is only big enough to hold the smallest possible bow.

Cador loves his father. He wants to please him.

Yes.

Rhiann thought back to that long ago day. "It was the same for me. For the first time, I had someone who genuinely cared about me. I’d been such a lost and lonely child; I hadn’t even known I was capable of feeling love and certainly hadn’t ever had it returned. For the first time ever another person had seen me, Rhiann, as a human being rather than a burden, or a bastard princess, or an embarrassment. I was someone worthy of his attention. From then on, I went to Owain with all my girlish sorrows and foolish complaints. All he’d ever do is pat me awkwardly on the shoulder and hand me my bow and quiver. Let’s go shoot, he’d say, and off we’d go to spend an hour in peace."

Rhiann paused, remembering the comforting routine of practice: Press, loose. Press, loose. After Owain had died when Rhiann was fifteen, she’d found solace in her bow, spending hours at the range. But then she’d made the mistake (not intentionally, of course) of blossoming into a woman. The difference between fifteen and seventeen was the difference between her father ignoring her and suddenly discovering that he had a valuable commodity on his hands. Rhiann had even heard him comment to one of his advisors, a gleeful note in his voice, that his ugly spit of a girl had turned into a beauty.

Rhiann hadn’t necessarily believed him. He had a vested interest in her looks since it raised her selling price. Unfortunately, one consequence of his interest was that, in the subsequent years, Cadfael more closely scrutinized her actions. While he hadn’t actually forbade her from continuing her archery, she’d kept it as much to herself as possible. He’d caught her three months earlier, coming back to the fort adorned in her usual male clothing, the sun high in the sky. Quoting the Old Testament, he’d cursed her for bringing disgrace upon his house and confined her to her room. Her clothes had disappeared into Alcfrith’s trunk, although Rhiann hadn’t know that at the time. Her father burned her bow and wouldn’t allow her another.

With this, the distance between them had hardened and then become permanent. By the time Cade came to Cadfael’s court, Rhiann had not spoken more than four words to her father in months (those words being no, yes, and my lord). In retrospect, it was no wonder he’d wanted to sell her as bride to a Saxon, if only to be rid of her somber presence behind his chair. And now he was dead. It occurred to Rhiann that someone ought to send word to Alcfrith that she was a widow for the second time, and more free than she’d ever been.

With that task on her mind, Rhiann took leave of Bronwen, whose attention had been caught by Cador, and entered the great hall to find Cade and many of his companions slumped in chairs around the fire. They’d been conversing, but stopped as she appeared.

What is it? Rhiann looked from one to the other. I can tell by the way you suddenly stopped talking that something’s happened.

Dafydd had stood at her approach and now indicated that she should take his chair.

Rhiann smiled at him, a little nervously, and sat.

I made a mistake last night, Cade said. My friends are impressing upon me the error of my ways.

Not that some good hasn’t come of it, mind you, Rhun said. You saved a life, learned humility, and we know more about Teregad and Mabon than we did before.

Cade bowed his head gravely. Thank you, Rhun, for that small consolation.

What mistake are you talking about? Rhiann said.

Goronwy spoke: Our most noble lord took it upon himself to attack a large encampment of Teregad’s men all by himself. I hate to think what would have happened if we hadn’t arrived in time to rescue him.

Rhiann looked over at Cade who actually looked sheepish. It’s true. I’ve apologized profusely and admitted the error of my ways. No need to pile on.

There probably was a need, but Rhiann let it go. Now tell me of Mabon and Teregad. What have we learned?

We know that they are less confident in their powers than they want to be, Bedwyr said. They sent men to camp on our ridge because they want Cade dead. They’ve given up on the idea of bringing him to their side and want to kill him instead.

Rhiann stared at Bedwyr. That’s the good thing to come out of this?

Taliesin smiled. Mabon already admitted Cadwaladr’s power when he asked him to serve him, and now, with this action, Mabon has acknowledged that Cadwaladr will never submit to him.

Since Lord Cadwaladr escaped from Caer Ddu, Mabon has been worrying that Cadwaladr has resources greater than his own, Siawn said. He doesn’t understand how Cadwaladr escaped—who could have helped him or why—and now Mabon’s only thought is to destroy him.

Mabon’s a god, Rhiann said. The son of Arawn and Arianrhod. How can Cade be more powerful?

Cade offers the people of Wales exactly the opposite of the gods: order, reason, justice, Taliesin said.

"And I’m sidhe, Cade said, in case anyone had forgotten. That makes me stronger than any human."

Which Mabon doesn’t know about, Rhun said, especially as we have so far killed anyone who might report it to him.

And all of this is important—why? Dafydd always seemed to be able to ask the questions that Rhiann was to shy to put forth.

Because it clarifies what we must do, Cade said.

Right, Goronwy said. We must stop Mabon. He can’t be allowed to continue interfering with our world and loosing more demons among us.

I thought only Arawn could release the demons, Rhiann said.

It seems Arawn is humoring Mabon, Cade said.

Humoring him? Rhiann’s voice was full of indignation. Even though he’s a grown—man, god, whatever he is—his father does whatever Mabon wants in order to make him happy?

Exactly, Cade said.

It’s one thing to challenge Mabon, Rhiann said. It is quite another to fight Arawn. He’s the Lord of the Underworld!

We know that, Rhiann, Cade said. But our choice is to do nothing, or to do this.

Our path is laid before our feet, Taliesin said. Regardless of our numbers, regardless of which other lords support us, we will ride to Caer Dathyl and descend beneath it to the entrance to Annwn. If it’s there, of course.

And we will close the cauldron before Mabon turns Wales into his personal playground. Rhun nodded. Sounds straightforward.

That broke the tension in everyone’s face and they laughed. Then Goronwy turned serious again, focusing on Cade. Or we’ll die in the attempt.

Cade nodded slowly. Yes. Or we’ll die in the attempt.

* * * * *

The journey from Bryn y Castell this time was very different. Before leaving the fort, Cade, Rhun, and Taliesin had spent many hours talking together, and afterwards they sent riders to all the principalities in Gwynedd. They decided that they weren’t just going to make war on Caer Dathyl. In this, Rhun’s view had won out: Cade was going to declare himself before his people. He would claim the throne of Gwynedd, lay the foundation for his ascension to the crown of the High King, and ask for the help of Gwynedd’s other kings in defeating Arawn.

Before traveling to Caer Dathyl, the companions would go to Aberffraw. And Cade would see his mother.

The company stayed a night at Dinas Emrys on the way. As they navigated the harsh terrain, Rhiann thought back to that first day with Cade, and shook her head in amazement at how far she’d come in so short a time. Am I even the same person? The garrison welcomed them, having heard and seen nothing amiss since they’d left. Dinas Emrys, for all its mythical significance, was only important to Cade and Taliesin, not Mabon.

By the next evening, the company had reached the Menai Strait. Once again, the experience was very different from before, although the boatmen at the ferry were