Cybella is back through the veil

Cybella was still immersed in faery glamour when she came out of their realm. She was wide eyed and yet blind to this reality and had very little idea where or when she was. The fae at the request of the Queen of the faeries had taken Cybella to a much later in human time than when she had left. A full 40 years later. The area to which she returned was farther south and slightly to the west. Many people in this area appreciated the talents of healers and mystics and would be kinder to Cybella and her unborn child. This above all else was the wish of the faery Queen. She was after all, who would one day benefit from the child (Genevieve) yet unborn.

The fae also saw to it that there was transportation and housing available in a new caravan and a lovely dapple donkey, as well as a playful yet watchful hound to accompany these favorites of the fae on their journey in the human realm.

And so Cybella healed of mind and body, stronger, wiser and determined climbed onto the seat of the caravan and called to her donkey to take them to where they needed to be. The lovely chestnut colored hound jumped up on the seat and nestled herself into the small space left on the driver’s seat and they were off. Cybella would be so surprised to know that both the donkey and hound were in fact, fae given and would keep her from harm until such time as the Queen called them back through the veil.

The three beings became four in the spring, under the light of a crescent moon in the month of April. Cybella had been asleep, was awakened by the labor pains and feel into a trance. Would that all expectant mothers could be attended to by the fae and never remember a part of the work that had to be done to bring a child into the world. This was yet another gift from her rescuers.

The child was a big girl, dark of hair, and very vocal. She latched onto her mother’s breast immediately and seemed very aware of her surroundings. This child who was destined to be someone the fae would call to do the bidding of the wronged, the downtrodden, and put upon. This wonderful, beautiful gift begotten from misery into a shining star for others would, in fact, live out the legacy of hope.

As one would surmise, the travels of Cybella and her daughter Genevieve were both charmed and magical. They both were “called” to heal people and beast. The two would heal an animal or person and be asked to stay in whatever district they were in. They did have to move on, but always left friends behind. The peasants and gentlepeople were all very fond of this pair of good people. So much so, that they lived a very good life and gave away much of what given to them to others who they met who had little. The bounty of their goodness just increased as they gave it away. Life was good and full.

As Genevieve left childhood behind and became a young woman, she was called time and time again to women mostly. She was kind, gentle and understanding far beyond her years. She delivered babies, helped woman with miseries, listened to their heart aches and helped to ease the pain of those whose time had come to cross the rainbow bridge. All this was done with love and dignity.

It was at this time that Cybella left Genevieve alone at a villa to travel to a section of the property not far away to aid the landowner in ridding his land of unwanted rabbits and gophers. Cybella felt very much at ease at the departure of her mother. After all, this was a place she had been so many times in their travels.

She continued her call to nurse an old woman servant of the landowner, who owned the largest amount of land in the district, and a very good friend to her and her mother. She saw the young man, Jacques in the court yard playing ball with her lovely hound Merchas. Jacques, who was slightly older than she, remarked that since the women’s last visit which had been at least two years hence, the hound did not seem to have aged at all. Still a puppy at heart Merchas had never seemed to age. This was something that Genevieve just took for granted but now that the young man had mentioned it, neither had her darling dappled donkey. Both seemed to be ageless and happy all the time. Both she and the young man enjoyed their play with Merchas.

Jacques and Genevieve had so much to talk about. They had known each other since both were but toddlers. She always secretly thought he was the best looking boy in the realm. And unbeknownst to her, he was smitten with her as well. They would remain close friends for the rest of his life. He would not be the only royal with whom she would be smitten in her life.

There was a great commotion in the courtyard and chickens and geese scattered as the huge carriage came roaring onto the flagstones that made up the center of the keep. Inside of this carriage were a man and a very young woman, only a child really. The young woman was gently guided down from the carriage and it was apparent that she was great with child and in an uncommon amount of distress. The man yelled at the servants to fetch a healer immediately. When they produced the young Genevieve this man went into a tirade and started beating anyone within his crops length, including Genevieve.

“What manner of joke is this? How could this mere child be the healer?”

At this point Merchas could take no more and lunged at the wild and out of control man. Grabbed his arm and held on to stop the attack of her mistress. The end came swiftly and with such cruelty that all in attendance to this horrendous death gasped with the execution of the hound. The landowner’s son sent servants to call his father and Genevieve’s mother back to the keep. He also tried to talk some sense into the man but was met with only hostility and a well place crack on the head.

“Free this pitiful woman from her pain”, screamed this hellacious man, to Genevieve. And under threat of death itself, with grief in her heart for her beloved Merchas, fear for her friend Jacques, Genevieve helped the woman/child deliver a ruddy faced, screaming boy after hours of horrible labor.

When Genevieve took the baby outside to show his father, her stomach turned at the sight. Her dog’s carcass had been strung up on a pole and the man was drinking and singing with the driver of his carriage. Too drunk to hold the baby, he waved her away and continued to hand out his verbal abuse to any and all in the vicinity.

Unable to help her beloved hound, she rushed to where her friend lay and ministered to his head wound. He would be fine but was very groggy and ashamed at not being able to save either of them. Genevieve comforted her old friend until she was called again to attend the young mother. Because of the severity of her labor the young woman was bleeding profusely and ultimately died of her child’s birthing. This was Genevieve’s first encounter with Beau, his father and the very young woman/child who had given her life for him in childbirth. Beau and his father, in their later encounter with Genevieve, will pay for their deeds in ways neither could have comprehended.

In the morning, the landowner and Cybella returned to the mayhem and the horrendous sight of blood and death. Luckily, Boucher des Enfants, as he would henceforth be called, was hung over and slow in his response to being shaken awake by the Landowner and his men. He and his carriage driver were put in chains and lead away to be held in the horse stalls until they could be sent on their way safely.

 Unfortunately, it was no crime to beat subordinates, or kill animals or rape a child and take the offspring to raise as your own. It was, however, a crime to be drunk in public and abusive to someone of the same class and so Boucher des Enfants, would never be allowed to associate with the gentlemen or landed of the district for the beating of Jacques. They would be ostracized for the rest of their lives.

Cybella and Genevieve buried their hound behind the cook’s house where she had loved to stay ever so close for a handout. She had been such a lovely companion in their lives and the women and the donkey would miss her lovely, sweet affection very much.

This part of the story brings you, the reader, to the beginning of the story of the how Cybella met her end at the hand of Boucher de Enfants and his evil wife, stepmother to Beau, the abuser of the three women.

There are many more encounters with human and animals and a life filled with joy and love between Cybella and her daughter Genevieve. And perhaps there will be another time to tell more tales. But as we sit around the campfire tonight, I should like to tell you that these women are all made up of parts of you.

I know that because you are; Strong, loving, caring and loyal, Friends and helpers to others, Healers of hearts and souls, Lovers of goodness and happiness, Woman who take an active part in living and precious souls, Each of you is represented in the very essence of these characters.

Looking around the campfire I see each of you smiling, laughing, crying and knowing how special you are not only to me but to all of that which we call life.

Loueza, Cybella and Genevieve all bid you fare thee well for now and yet there is still the tale of how Genevieve gets back to the fae…..perhaps at Midsummer the tale will bring you back to my campfire.