A Feather on the Breath of Ellulianaen

  Chapter Nine

  Mynowelechw Tyshad

  Chalyom the Gryphon

  Challyomllyn lla Glaifym

  “Make your weary limbs comfortable on the floor, such as it is,” said Chalyom, her talon indicating a patch of stone in front of the fire, and Hwedolyn laid his weary frame down upon it, grateful to find a safe place to rest at last.

  Chalyom gazed at Hwedolyn and said, “Cub, you believe that you are the master of your destiny, a gryphon in command of his fate. But do you not see? You are nothing. You are a feather on the breath of Ellulianaen. You go on a mighty quest, to fulfil your vow. But what if Ellulianaen was the one who decreed that you would make a vow to protect your cousin, and that your passion for revenge should be aroused, so that you would go upon this quest? And what if these happenstances resulted in you coming here? What if you have a destiny? But you are a stubborn gryphon. You will not listen to me.”

  Hwedolyn eyed her with one eye that reflected the firelight, and said, “Surely you will tell me, if you are indeed a forthteller. Why do you say I am stubborn?”

  Chalyom replied, “It says in the ancient Ætmedlalin writings, ‘Gryphon, do not take it upon yourself to repay wrongs. Let Ellulianæn the All-Father repay;’ yet you are determined to repay the wrong that was done to your cousin. I will tell you nothing, for if you do not listen to the Ætmedlalin writings, you will not listen to me.”

  Hwedolyn stood up, his tail flicking to and fro, and pleaded, “I will listen to you! I swear that I will, by the King of the Gryphons! Please tell me. What is to become of me?”

  Chalyom said, “You say you will listen. Hmmp. Then I will take you at your word, gryphon of the vow, though if you knew the Atmedlalin writings you would make no vows, no, not even your first vow, to your cousin! Much is yet to befall you, cub. Aye, it is true, I have seen in a vision the future that awaits you. History and future are a single river that flows along on its course, and we all have a part in events that are yet to come, but your deeds will continue to cause ripples long after the memories of others have perished from the earth. But Ellulianaen knows everything that will be, before it happens.”

  “What part will I play?”

  “Ellulianaen wishes for you to serve Him.”

  “Will I succeed in my quest to avenge my cousin’s death?”

  “Perhaps not. In my dreams Ellulianaen told me nothing about this.”

  Hwedolyn frowned. “But what about justice? Is Ellulianaen’s will not for justice to be done?”

  Chalyom said, “There is little else I can tell you, cub. Serve the King of the Gryphons and the future I have seen will come to pass.”

  Hwedolyn frowned again, “What future is that?”

  Chalyom said, “A battle, many years from now! A victory for the future of gryphonkind, over the powers-that-be, the defeat of the Nomoi Emperor and his minions! But nothing about this elf-mage that killed your cousin was in the vision. That does not mean you will not defeat him – it only means that Ellulianaen has told me nothing of it. Your destiny, perhaps, is greater than that.” Chalyom fixed her gaze upon him and he shrank into the cave wall, for it seemed to pierce his very soul. “In any case, cub, how can you fight an elf-Chancellor? Even were you fully grown, you must needs have an army to fight such a powerful wizard. And you, being little more than a whelp not long out of the egg.”

  Hwedolyn said, “Yet it is wisdom I seek, old gryphon-crone. Tell me how! There must be a way that I can fight him.”

  Chalyom said, “Cub, I know nothing of fighting and ways of defeating elves. Many things I can tell you, many things, but not that.”

  It was only his regard for Gwendolyn that stopped Hwedolyn from leaving the cave right there and then in a fit of wrath, or snapping at the gryphon-crone and telling her it was useless coming to see her in the first place. But instead Hwedolyn bottled up his temper and said, “If you can’t tell me that, then what of the distant future? What part will I play in that?”

  “There is one who can tell you more than I can. You will come with me.”

  Then Chalyom turned to address Gwendolyn. “Gwendolyn, Hwedolyn and I will return forthwith! Fear not, though we be gone more than a week, we will return.” And with that, the forms of Chalyom and Hwedolyn shimmered in the air and vanished from Gwendolyn’s sight completely.