Daughter of the Lake

“I closed the gate behind me. “See you later!” my mother called from the door.
“Bye!” I called back.
I was taking my usual route to school; turn left at the end of the street and continue down the hill to maybe catch my friend if she was walking. I was really grateful for my thick winter coat and black uniform on this cold day, but nothing could dampen my spirits. It was eight days until Christmas, but there was something I was more excited about; I would turn 15 in exactly a week! Yeah, I know, my birthday is Christmas Eve. What does it matter? I was still a normal person with a birthday, even if it was the day before Christmas.
Oh, I suppose I should tell you about me. Well, I have long blonde hair that was tied up at that moment and olive green eyes. I didn’t exactly get either of them from my parents. My mother’s Welsh and she has the normal dark hair and eyes, while my dad is the normal Saxon light hair eyes being English. I am of average height and weight and have fair skin.
Also, I love mythology and music. I have studied Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse and Celtic mythology. I am also a grade seven flautist, I sing and I play piano and harp. I also have a keen love for history which really goes hand in hand with mythology, and I love studying languages. I can speak both English and Welsh fluently, while I am learning Italian, French and Latin.
Anyway, I was taking my usual route to school when I noticed something different. I knew that one of the houses on this street was up for sale, but it was not in the best place and the front wall was in ruins. I was not expecting it to sell very quickly.
It turned out I was wrong as the front door was open and there was a car parked outside with its boot open to reveal boxes. As I drew level, a man came out, picked up a box and started inside, but he must have tripped over something. The box slipped out of his hands and I only just managed to catch it before it hit the floor. As I went to hand the box back to the man, I noticed a symbol on the side, but I didn’t have chance to see what it was.
“Thank you” the man said, taking the box from me.
Now I stopped to look at the man. He was very tall, probably over 6”, with white hair, stern amber eyes and a beaked nose that reminded me of a bird of prey. He was wearing a tweed suit and I got the impression that he was a teacher.
“No problem. Would you like a hand?” I asked, seeing that my friend was not waiting for me.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” he asked, before pausing and adding “But I would appreciate some help.”
With that, he handed me back the box and picked up one for himself. He guided me inside the house and told me to put the box on top of one that was already there. I know, this guy could have been anyone, but I felt like I could trust him and I have learnt to follow my instincts over the years.
“My name is Merriman, and you are?” He asked as I walked back outside after we had moved all of the boxes. This had probably only taken about two minutes between us as there was only about four boxes left.
“Eirwen,” I replied without hesitating.
“Well Eirwen, thank you for the help. Now, if you will just wait there a moment, I have something for you.”
“It’s perfectly alright, you…” I started, but he had already gone inside.
When he came back out he handed me a silver brooch in the shape of a circle quartered by a cross. “Here, take this as a thank you.” He said, holding out the broach.
“Thanks, it’s beautiful!” I exclaimed, for it was. Where each arm of the silver cross met the ring, a different colour gem was set; an amethyst at the top, a garnet on the right, an emerald on the bottom, and a crystal quartz on the left. In the centre was a round flawless turquoise. The middle stone seemed to glow slightly at my touch.
“Put it somewhere safe. Now, don’t you need to be going?” He asked.
“Yes, I do. Thank you again.” I said as she continued her journey to school, fingering the brooch in her pocket.

I couldn’t sleep that night. I kept tossing and turning, but no matter what I tried dreams eluded me. Eventually, it got to the point where I gave up, so I took out the brooch I had been given that morning. Again, the blue stone in the middle faintly glowed, casting a faint light around my room. It was odd, but it passed from me mind as I stared at it.
Then, something strange happened; I started to hear something. It began as a faint whisper, and then grew to someone calling my name asking me to join them. For the first time I realised that me eyes where shut so tightly that my eyes hurt.
I quickly opened them as the sound grew to a shout and found a man dressed all in black standing over me, his piercing blue eyes the only relief in the darkness. He started to reach forward, but stopped and looked at something in my hand. A look of disbelief crossed his face and a sudden flash of turquoise light forced me to close my eyes…
I suddenly snapped them open again. It was just a dream, nothing but a dream. I looked at around the room just to check and something caught my eye; I was still holding the brooch and the glow I had dismissed now seemed to be brighter, but fading slowly. Knowing that there was no way I would get any sleep now, I decided that some air would do me some good. So, I got up, changed into something warm and went out.
Careful not to wake my mother, I sneaked out of the front door, out into the orange glow from the streetlight outside my home. I started walking not really knowing to where, I just let my feet take me where they wanted to go. Eventually, I stopped wondering where I was. I had a vague idea of where, but it did not matter, I knew enough to find my way back. Again, I started walking. This time I had an idea as to where. The remains of a castle stood on a hill in the direction I was walking, that was where I was going.
“Welcome” said a tall man as I walked up the last few meters of the hill and to the ruins. It took me a second to realise who was talking.
“Merriman?” I asked, unsure what was going on. I looked around and saw that there were about twenty other people on the hill besides us.
“Yes…”
Then someone else came into view on the other side of the hill, the side that was a steep incline. A woman dressed all in white must have climbed up that side, but she didn’t even seem slightly out of breath. Darkness seemed to seep from her, making what was a clear moonlit night nearly pitch black.
“What on earth…?” I exclaimed. Everyone on the hill moved at once, seeming to take up rehearsed positions. Quickly, a circled was formed around me with everyone holding hands.
“Stay inside the circle no matter what, understand?” Merriman demanded and I could only nod. Then something unexpected happened, the woman started singing. It was just a hum at first, but as it developed it became a flowing melody.
“What are we going to do?” asked a grey haired man next to Merriman, his voice sounding strained as if he was putting all of his energy into something else.
“Like must be fought with like.” The phrase had slipped off my tongue before I knew what I was saying.
“Yes, now we must…” but Merriman was cut off.
“He was young and he rode along the river, raven haired.” Unsure as to how, I started singing. The words and melody seemed to come from nowhere as I had never heard the song before.
As I continued to sing, I grew in confidence while the woman in white seemed to falter. “She rose before him like the ice before the spring, and was a queen…” With that I stepped out from the circle and stood in front of Merriman.
“No…” started the grey haired man next to him.
“Leave her,” whispered Merriman.
“Their touch was like a lover’s, clear and sweet.” The woman standing before them had started to look tired, the strain of what she was doing showing on her face.
“They’d stand together in what destiny would bring and crown a king.” As I finished the woman vanished in a cloud of darkness.
“Nimueh?” Merriman said into the resulting silence.
I turned around, feeling slightly light headed and very confused. Merriman stepped towards me, breaking the circle. Suddenly, horses hooves behind me. I spun around quickly and found myself being lifted into the air.
What happened next seemed to be in slow motion. I saw Merriman trying to make his way towards me, but he seemed to be battling against a strong wind. The grey haired man that had been standing next to him was fighting something invisible, while everyone else was gone. I was pulled to sit behind the rider of the horse, but twisted away, falling until I landed on hard ground and blacked out.

Here is the song that she sang. Lady of the Lake by Heather Dale The video belongs to me, but not the song.