Aelswyn and the Angels

Chapter Eight - Hasty Departures

A/N: THIS CHAPTER IS NOT EDITED AS I WANTED TO GET IT OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NANOWRIMO BEGINS, AND I DID NOT WISH TO LEAVE YOU ALL WITHOUT AN UPDATE. PLEASE FORGIVE ANY ERRORS, AND KNOW THAT I WILL BE GOING BACK AND FIXING THEM WHEN I HAVE TIME. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS INSTALLMENT OF TRYSTYN AND AELY'S STORY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. :D

876 AD, HRAEFENGEAT (Ravensgate), WIGHTSHIRE, ENGLAND

From the parapets, Aelswyn looked out to the ship that would take her away from Hraefengeat, and the only life she had ever known. Hafoc sat on her shoulder, rubbing her cheek with the top of his feathered head. Leaning into him, she sighed deeply, tears coursing down her cheeks.  She wasna crying just because she was leaving her family and her home; she was weeping with guilt and remorse for the harm she had inadvertently caused her husband, yet again.

When she had opened her eyes, Trystyn’s form had been sprawled on the floor o’ the church and no amount o’ trying, caused him to awaken. The twins had carried him to his temporary chamber in the keep, and laid him across the bed. As his bonda, Aelswyn followed them, but she was afraid to touch him. Leaving him to her mother’s care, she had made her escape. Not even Gabriel had come to find her in the last hour, and she was grateful for that.

Too much had happened in the past days, and here she was getting some much needed solace. She watched as the wagons carrying her belongings, made their way down the trail. All would be ready for husband to awake.  The thought took her by surprise. She was a married woman now, and life as she had known it would be at an end before the day was out. She could hear his heart beating steadily in her head. He wouldna be happy when he woke, and she was afeared he wouldna wish to touch her again, e’en wi’ her gloves.

Her first kiss had gone completely awry. The sensation had been wonderful for the brief moment their lips had met. Now, she was a jumble of emotions, and as the tears continued to fall freely, Aelswyn found herself wishing she was just a normal girl for the first time in her life. She yearned for the love she had dreamed about since the day she had escaped her nurse and met both Gabriel and Trystyn in the wood. She had foolishly allowed herself to believe that the problem had been solved by a simple covering, but her gloves didna solve the problem, only masked it. They were just an illusion of normality, when she desperately wanted the real thing with Trystyn.

She didna understand why he was the only male around that she couldna touch, couldna have, and yet the only one she truly wanted. Brushing the wet from her cheeks, she struggled to stop her mangled emotions from taking over. Hafoc cooed to her and brushed against her again. She could feel his sympathy and took comfort from it. Never had she felt so withdrawn and devoid of joy.  

“Enough with feeling sorry for yourself, my child.” Gabriel seemed to come out of nowhere. Never before had he come upon her without some sign he was on his way, and she was startled and confused. “You cannot sense me, child, because you have lost your focus.”

What Gabriel said made sense, and she despaired that mayhap her power and purpose were gone. “What can I do, Gabriel? I feel naught that is familiar. I canna e’en hear ye in my head. I canna sense ye, atall.”

“I know, Aely, you have allowed despair to steal your joy. Trystyn matters to you, too much, child. It is he that causes this problem between you, though he knows it not. You cannot tell him that, either, or he will deny it and reject you further. You will have to be patient.”