The Undertaker's Brides

Taker remained on his knees before the fire, his pain and guilt unlessened by the tears he had shed. The sounds of Kiri's mourning echoed around him , cutting into his heart because he knew there was nothing he could do to comfort her.

"Is your desire to learn really sincere?"

He looked towards the source of Jean's voice and saw her sitting in a fireside chair. Her expression was watchful but calm as if she were evaluating him while remaining unmoved by his misery.

"Yes," he confirmed. "Please teach me."

She shook her head.

"No. I'm just the messenger for Lord Arawn who's been waiting for you to ask him for instruction. And the lessons will be hard. If you feel you've already reached the limits of your pain and endurance, then think again."

He hesitated for a moment because the prospect of further pain was far from inviting. But then he recalled what Judy had felt during her last moments and knew that learning what Lord Arawn had to teach was something he owed her and the other Brides.

He got to his feet, feeling fear but resolving to face whatever was to come.

"I am ready." he told her.

****************

"Welcome to Caer Pedryvan." the Lady of Annwn said. "Do not be afraid. I brought you here because I wished to speak with you. Come, sit with me."

She indicated a pile of skins on the floor beside her and a bewildered Storm and Kane settled themselves as directed. They didn't feel threatened for all that they'd been transported without warning. But they were aware of the warriors seated on the other side of the hall and the Lady's aura of strength and power was unsettling for all that she was playing the role of the solicitous hostess.

"Where are the others?" Kane asked. "Kiri awoke changed and then she disappeared taking my brother with her. Storm and I were going to look for them."

"Kiri has returned to her Parlor," the Lady replied. "Kaliegh and Taker are with Lord Arawn and the other Brides have been confined to their own, personal dreamrealms. Judy's death has proved that it is too dangerous for them to have unrestricted access to the Dreamworld."

"But it's just as dangerous in the waking world," Storm pointed out.

The Lady gave her a sympathetic smile. "Nobody would dispute that. But the Dark Lords and myself do not wish to expose them to further danger until they have learned to protect themselves ."

"But we did everything we could to keep Judy safe," Kane argued, anger in his tone.

"Everything but remember the rules of the Dreamworld," the Lady said sadly. "What happened to Judy was no different to Kaliegh's death at the hands of Paul Bearer. Judy believed she would turn into a vampire because she'd been bitten by one and her transformation was the result of her own imagination. When Taker ran her through with the spear she was convinced this would kill her and so she she died as she, and everyone else, expected."

"Oh, no," Storm whispered, stricken by the Lady's words. Kane put his arms round her, seeking comfort as well as trying to give it.

"How COULD we have forgotten what happened to Kaliegh?" he asked, pain and guilt evident in his voice.

"Because you were all lost in the delusions of the group mind," the Lady explained. "But you tried to protect her, Kane. For all that your actions were ultimately misguided they were dictated by courage and compassion."

"But can't Judy be brought back the way Kaliegh was?" Storm pleaded.

"Perhaps," the Lady told her gravely. "But the way doesn't always succeed. Even if someone is able to reach her mind before her mortal body dies, a great deal still depends on the strength of her belief. All I can say is that there is still a chance."

Storm stared into the fire, her thoughts dwelling on what she was now remembering about the Dreamworld. And then she realised that one dream of hers could never be fulfilled. She and Kane wanted a child but while they could bring one into being it would be a product of their imaginations, fulfilling their every desire but unlikely to develop self awareness and a will of its own. There was no way she would have a baby under those conditions but her heart, already aching with sorrow over Judy, was close to breaking with the grief of her disappointment.

"I sense that something is troubling you, Storm."

She looked into the eyes of the Lady and felt that despite their differences in origin, this was another woman who could understand. As she voiced her concerns she felt Kane's arms tightening around her and knew that he, too, was upset by the truth.

"You are right in that dream people need the belief of millions in order to reach self awareness," the Lady confirmed. "However, this is not an insurmountable problem where your child is concerned. Although pregnancy and birth would be an experience of your imagination, it could still seem as real as if it were happening in the waking world. And there is no law which says that belief in a dream character has to come from humans in the physical world. Everyone in the land of Annwn will believe in your child as will the other Dark Lords. And there are many others with self awareness too who will be willing to help us in this endeavour. It is something for you to think about but, if you do decide to have your child, I suggest that you wait a while. There is a great deal for you both to learn before you can live in the Dreamworld with relative safety."

"Do you mean that the Dreamworld's always dangerous even if we remember the rules?" Storm asked.

"Of course," the Lady said. "There are beings of formidable power here, many of them created from the darkest aspects of the human psyche. And it's possible that you could attract unwelcome attention because of what happened when you tried to save Judy."

"You mean the vampire colony," Kane said.

"Indirectly, " the Lady told him. "The colony itself would be easy for you to deal with if you kept your wits about you. It originated from a book which never had a wide readership before it went out of print so none of the inhabitants reached self awareness. This meant that Trace really was destroyed and, because humans have forgotten the relevent work of fiction, he was not recreated. The other members of the colony are likely to desire revenge because it is within their natures to do so. But if this results in more of them being destroyed it would come to the notice of the being who is Lord of all vampires in the Dreamworld."

Storm swallowed nervously, refusing to give into fearful imaginings of what could go wrong just in case the very act of picturing the worst scenario could bring it into being.

"I agree we have a lot to learn," she said. "Will you and Lord Arawn teach us?"

The Lady smiled. "Of course. We have always been willing to teach and were only waiting for you to ask. A hut has been prepared for you both and you are welcome to stay in Annwn for as long as you wish."

Once Kane and Storm had left the hall for their new quarters the Lady of Annwn stared into the fire, seeing visions of possible futures. Which ones came into being depended on choices made by the individuals concerned so that while Kane had a destiny he might still fail to fulfill it. But he was a Lord of Fire. Yes, fire could burn and destroy but for many thousands of years it had been the source of heat, light and protection for humans trying to survive in the physical world. The sun, too, had a dual nature. It could scorch the earth and make it barren but it also provided warmth which gave life to the land and all that depended on it. Kane's memories were of the mental, physical and emotional pain of being maimed and disfigured and he had the potential to help others in similar cicumstances. Victims of war, accident and violence could find a haven of peace in a realm where it was always summer and know that its ruler understood their suffering.

Or perhaps not, depending on his choices.

*******************

Taker found himself before a forest, the bare trees on the outermost edge starkly silhouetted in the cold silver light of a full moon. The wind was icy and the ground as hard as iron under it's covering of frost.

"Taker, where are we?"

He turned to see a terrified Kaliegh beside him and he held her tightly, hoping that she wouldn't detect his own apprehension.

"I think we're in Annwn, Kal," he said, forcing his voice to sound calm. "I asked to come here ...to learn. But I don't know why you were brought here too."

A hunting horn sounded from within the forest. Through a cacophony of geeselike yelps they heard the hoofbeats of a horse bringing its rider ever closer.

"It's Lord Arawn," Kaliegh said, sounding relieved. "He's really nice so we'll be alright. And then she gasped in shock as the first of the Cwn Annwn emerged from between the trees.

These weren't the beautiful hunting dogs she remembered. They were far bigger and skeletally gaunt with eyes glowing a cold silver. Their coats were a dazzling white and their ears a vivid red even in the moonlight; they made her think of the elemental forces of winter; the threat of starvation in a season of deprivation; the blood of the kill staining the snow.

Two more hounds came into view, their eyes burning a greenish yellow and she instinctively knew that these were the Alpha male and female who led the pack. Immediately behind them was Lord Arawn on a white horse, his clothing grey and his skin bearing the waxen pallor of a corpse.

He pulled up before Kaliegh and her companion and the hounds, without any visible or audible signal from their master, lay down to watch them with hard, intent stares. Then he touched Kaliegh's mind with words for her alone.

"You, of all people, should have known what was happening to Judy. I saved you from death at the hands of Paul Bearer and my Lady and I taught you everything you and the others needed to know. But all you recalled was how to block your dreams when you wanted to leave for a while after your quarrel with Taker. Everything else was forgotten andyou allowed yourself to merge back into the group mind where one person's belief influenced everyone else's thinking. Remember now and see the price your friend paid because of your carelessness."

She relived recent events with the clarity of returned knowledge.

"NOOOOO!!" she screamed, sticken with horror at what she'd allowed to happen. And then she disappeared.

"What have you done to her?" Taker yelled as he launched himself at Lord Arawn with murder in his heart. He never reached his target because he was hurled back by an invisible force to land in an ungainly, winded heap on the ground.

"She is safe," Lord Arawn told him, his voice as cold and bleak as the winter desolation surrounding them. "I sent her to Caer Pedryvan because she has no part in the lessons which, hopefully, you are about to learn." He smiled mockingly. "And the first is discovering how fast you can run. So, I should stand up and make a start if I were you. I will give you a fair lead but don't waste your time trying to teleport from this realm because it will not succeed."

Taker got up and began running as fast as his long legs could carry him. After it seemed as if he'd covered a fair distance he risked glancing round to see the pack now on their feet but motionless as if awaiting a command. Then the hunting horn sounded and the hounds bounded forward uttering their cries of bloodlust and excitement.

He redoubled his efforts but the yelping and thunder of hoof beats told him that the Hunter and his hounds were fast gaining ground. Two legs were no match for four and he wished that he knew how to abandon his human shape for something more fitting. And, as he wished, he dropped to all fours, his arms transformed into brown, hair covered forelegs ending in hooves of his own. He was now a stag, racing for its life across the frozen plain but the sounds of pursuit weren't any closer and he knew he could match them in speed for a while until his stamina gave out.

He didn't see the river until it was too late. Although he tried to stop, his momentum carried him forward to fall into the icy water where he was swept away by the current. The cold numbed him with its intensity and he felt himself weakening as he struggled to keep himself from going under. He had to get to a bank but there, on the nearest side, was the Alpha bitch keeping pace with him and the other bank looked further than he could manage. He tried to head for it even so but he was sinking now into the freezing darkness.

If only he were a fish so he could swim to safety and escape. He felt himself transform again and now the water was his home. He flicked his tail and set an angled course which would eventually carry him downriver towards the opposite bank but, suddenly, he knew he was no longer alone. Something was coming up behind him. He headed for the surface and the pike grazed his side with a snap of its jaws as he leaped from the water and became a blackbird soaring into the sky.

He needed to get to the forest where he could hide in the treetops and he began the flight back to where the hunt had begun. He saw Lord Arawn and his hounds far below him and he was past them and well in the lead even as they turned to follow him back the way they'd come. And then a falcon screetched from high above him and he barely turned and dived in time to escape the grasping talons which closed only on his tail feathers, pulling some of them out. But it was enough for him to lose control and he fell to the earth although his frantic fluttering of wings served to lessen the rate of his descent so that he hit the ground without too great an impact.

He was back in human form and he got to his knees, feeling bruised and battered even though he'd escaped broken bones. He heard the falcon screetch again and saw a black silhouette swoop to earth where it landed and transformed into the Alpha bitch who began barking excitedly to summon the pack.

He knew that no matter what shape he chose this huntress would match him, pursuing him until he'd reached the limits of exhaustion. The pack, led by the Alpha male, had reached his position and was circling in for the kill waiting only for Lord Arawn to give the command. But he was a warrior and he'd not go down without a fight. He directed a lightening bolt at the bitch who was hurled back but she scrambled to her feet unhurt to leap at him while her mate raced to help her. And then there was nothing more he could do as the hounds closed in to rip and tear at him in their frenzy.

They left him still alive but dying with only the Alpha male standing over him, it's lips pulled back in a snarl of rage. He felt light headed and infinitely tired and he stared back at the hound waiting for it to make its final move. The sealer of his fate filled his vision; the muzzle stained with his blood, the canines sharp as daggers and its front teeth inexplicably missing.

The Alpha bitch prodded him with her nose.

"You've forgotten what I told you concerning Kaliegh's bruise," she said. "So I suggest you start believing that injuries can be willed away in the Dreamworld before it's too late."

"Jean?" he whispered.

"Yes," she confirmed, "I didn't believe your lightening bolt could harm me so I'm still alive and unhurt."

Her standing there talking to him, albeit in canine form, was irrefutable proof of her statement so he forced himself to focus on the idea of being strong and whole. The exercise worked and he sat up, feeling sick and shaken at the thought of how he'd nearly believed himself out of existance.

Then realisation struck him and he buried his face in his hands, trying to blot out the vision of Judy's last moments. He had failed her through his own stupidity and carelessness and what he had felt through hearing Kiri's words was nothing compared to knowing the truth of what he had done.

The snorting of a horse told him Lord Arawn was nearby and he looked up into eyes as cold as starlight.

"You brought Kaliegh back," he begged. "Can't you do the same for Judy?"

"No," Lord Arawn said, his tone devoid of sympathy for his suffering. "YOU will try under my guidance. Come here."

Taker got to his feet and went over to the Lord of Annwn who reached out and touched his forehead.

***************

Kaliegh sat by the Lady of Annwn. The Bride's face was pale and drawn and her hand pulling at the sheepskin beneath her revealed her tension as she waited for news about Judy.

The Lady combed wool ready for spinning; there was no need for such tasks in the Dreamworld but she liked to work with her hands because it helped to remind her of the reason for her existance. She was an aspect of Nature, translated by the human psyche into a form which those living in the physical world could relate to and by conducting much of her life in the ways of the mortal world she was able to keep in touch with her own human side.

She was not unmoved by Kaliegh's misery but there was nothing she could say to comfort her. And perhaps her suffering now would save her own life in the future if it made her resolve to stay aware.

Another part of the Lady's mind was tuned in to what was happening to Taker. Right now he seemed to be taking his lessons to heart but this was no guarrentee that his future was assured. If he continued to grow and build on his experiences he would understand the pain involved in facing one's own weaknesses and failings and be in a position to guide others through similar ordeals. And, through reliving Judy's death and being near to it himself, he could develop the ability to comfort those who were dying and afraid. But again it all depended on the choices he made. He could rule a realm with Kaliegh at his side, a Dark Lord and his Lady. Or he could use the power of the Dreamworld to escape his responsibilities, blotting out unpalatable truths with delusion and make believe. If so, he would be destroyed so that the Undertaker could be recreated.

The Lady ceased her combing and stared into the fire. Her human side hoped that Taker wouldn't fail because of the penalty involved but Nature had a dark face of its own and some of its laws were harsh. Survival was for the fittest and, if it proved necessary, she wouldn't turn away from what had to be done.

*************

Taker saw into the physical world where Judy lay in bed. Her breathing was ragged and her face a greyish white. Under Lord Arawn's directions he reached out with his mind, searching for an opening into Judy's own so he that he could talk to her.

At last he found what he was looking for but her consciousness was dimmed and he knew he had to find something which would gain her attention. Then he remembered her mountain cabin and projected the image, helping her to create a dream of being at peace in her sanctuary. Gradually her breathing became steadier and her pallor lessened.

"How can this be?" she asked. "I'm dead."

He told her what had really happened and, because of Kaliegh's own dream death, she eventually became convinced of the truth.

"Please forgive me and come back to us," he begged.

"Of course I forgive you," she said. "I forgot the rules too so am as much to blame as you. But I don't want to return. Let my dreams be ordinary dreams from now on. My life is in the waking world."

"But I don't understand," he said, genuinely puzzled. "Existance must be so limited there."

She showed him the beauty of the wild places she loved so much and then shared with him some of the things she valued about the physical world. Here even a simple task like making a cake required work and a skill built up through practice but it brought a sense of achievment which conjouring finished items out of the air never could. The ordinary, everyday things of life were truly magical for those who could see beneath the surface and she felt a yearning to explore that part of her nature which was rooted in the Earth.

Lord Arawn's voice came from far away and Taker knew that Judy couldn't hear it.

"If you really care for her you will let her go with love."

Taker knew that that his teacher was right. It was very hard to lose her again but she had chosen her own path and had every right to be allowed to follow it without hindrance.

"Goodbye, Judy" he said. "May your life be happy and your dreams fulfilled."

And then he was back in Annwn feeling tired and drained but at peace with himself.

"That is all for the moment," Lord Arawn said. "Kaliegh is waiting for you."

Taker vanished from the plain.

****************

The pack leaders returned to their human form and Lord Arawn gave them a smile of praise.

"Good work, both of you," he said. "Now it's time to enjoy ourselves for a while."

"I'd like to see Kiri first," Jean told him. "But I'll meet you both somewhere later."

"How about Quark's bar?" Lord Arawn suggested.

She nodded. "That's fine with me."

Mankind looked delighted at the prospect. "Same here." he agreed. "I feel like headbutting Klingons."

The sound of her laughter echoed through the winter's night as she disappeared.

Book Twenty Two of The Undertaker's Brides

© 1998 by The Brides of Darkness

**This story cannot be used in any way without written permission