The four adults doted on the young girls yet never spoiled them. They comprised a solid core of love in
which Ælfwynn and Ceinwen thrived. This core was, in turn, supported by a wider circle of affection from
the faeries. All the others in their lives, while not cruel, concerned themselves more with what was proper
than with being affectionate.
As she grew up, Ælfwynn's name became more appropriate than anyone could have imagined, for she was
the joy in the elf bard's life. None of the fae folk had seen the wordweaver so happy since the deaths of
her wife and daughter three hundred years earlier. This was especially true when Ælfwynn proved gifted
with a voice as silvery-beautiful as the elf bard's own. And well it should be, for Ælfwynn was a
descendant of the wordweaver through her father.
With her father's duties at court keeping him busy, the faery woman saw to the young girl's musical training.
In no time at all, her fingers flew over elf-gifted harp strings like a master. She soon spent her days forging
songs for Ceinwen's eternal delight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day when they were almost sixteen, Ælfwynn and Ceinwen were walking along in the woods hand
in hand. The spring sun shone down on the light green of leaves and grass. Birds chirped in the boughs
overhead, and rabbits hopped along the twisting pathways.
The two girls looked like sunlight and shadow as they walked along. The princess was fair with hair equal
parts light brown, golden and strawberry. She had deep brown eyes that reminded one of a fawn in their
softness. Those eyes now danced in merriment. She wore a long light blue dress edged with silver
knotwork embroidery.
The young bard stood slightly taller than the princess. Long waves of ebony hair so dark that it shone fell
from her head. Her eyes, slate-grey and often thoughtful, would flash with fire when she sang, seeing
worlds that existed solely because of her imagination. For now they drank in everything around her...all of
her senses absorbing every detail of the day, storing them until such time as they could be transformed into
bits of music or story
They stopped by a small stream where solid beams of sunlight fell upon the great moss-covered rocks.
They were talking about their upcoming birthdays.
"Have you chosen my present yet?" the princess asked innocently.
The songsmith's deeper voice queried, "Why? Is there something in particular you crave?" Seeing the
brown eyes sparkle, Ælfwynn smiled wryly, "Let me guess...another song mayhaps?" Ever since they were
five, Ceinwen had always asked for a song as her gift, though she would get the song and other presents as
well from her friend.
The autumn-gold hair swayed from the princess' shake of her head. "No, this time I want a promise. I
want you to swear that you'll never leave me, Ælfwynn."
The bard looked in surprise at the suddenly solemn expression. She stood quietly for a moment, her face
growing sad, "You know I'm going to become a journeyman soon...I'll have to leave."
"No, you won't. I'll have my father assign you to court.?
Ælfwynn bowed her head and spoke in soft, sorrowful tones, "A promise like that won't matter in a few
years' time.?
"What in the world do you mean by that?" the princess asked with an incredulous look on her face.?
"Ceinwen," her friend tried to make her understand, "you're going to be the queen someday. I'll just be a
bard."
"That didn't matter to our fathers." Seeing the pain in the shadowy bard's expression, Ceinwen stepped
back, suddenly unsure. Her words came out in a whisper, "Or is it that you want to leave? Does your
heart long for adventure??
Reaching out a hand, Ælfwynn raised the sunlight princess' chin. "No, I don't want to leave. I'm afraid that
you'll forget me...."
"Promise me. Please," pled the higher voice of the princess.
Ælfwynn looked at her friend and knew that she could not refuse her, nor did she want to. Nodding her
head, she agreed, "All right.?
Ceinwen's face broke into a smile as she reached up and placed a light, quick kiss on the bard's lips.
Ælfwynn glanced up in shock at the warm touch. The sunlight, it seemed to her, sparkled in the brown
eyes a bit differently than it had before.
In her excitement over the promise, the smaller woman grabbed Ælfwynn's hands and hopped over the
trickle of the brook. She smiled and urged her friend, "Promise me. Promise that you'll never leave me."
Ælfwynn caught and held the gaze before her. "I swear by the air, land and sea that I shall never leave you,
Ceinwen. I will always play for you. Even if I should die, I'll find a way to bring you music.?
Ceinwen gazed up at the songsmith. She spoke her own vow with conviction, "And I swear to you,
Ælfwynn, by the air, land and sea, that I shall never forget you. When I am Queen, I will not ignore you.
You'll always be first in my heart."
"And you'll be first in mine," the silver voice added softly. "And if I should be forsworn, then may the sky
fall down upon me, may the earth swallow me, and may the sea rise up to drown me."
