SOUL MINER
VII
FIN
“Well another day of digging in the ground is done. I am ready to rinse some of this dirt and dust off my aching muscles so I can sit down to one of Annwwyl’s hearty meals.” Einion said loudly to his son and friends.
“I agree father, I wonder what Deilwen has prepared for myself and Aylwyn this day?”
“Truly you are the son of this one, food being foremost in your thoughts.” With this all four men began to laugh. Laughing always felt good after a hard day at the mine.
“Spurius, earlier today my mind wandered back ten years ago for some reason. Do you ever think back on the battle for Rhos?”
“To be true , less and less as the years pass by. I think that is a gift of time passing, at least on the memories of less happy times. It can be a curse as well, if we do not remember the happier ones as easily as we forget those of conflict and strife.”
“Speaking of happier ones, is that Seren I see running toward us all smiles and bright blue eyes.” With this all four men looked up the path before them to see the young girl with her pup beside her and stopped to watch her approach them jubilantly.
Once Seren stood within a hands reach of them, she put her hands on each side of her small 8 year-old hips and looked up with her young playful scorning look and said. “Father there is some stranger waiting for your return to the glen.”
“And do we know the name of this stranger, little miracle?”
“No, he did not say but that he was looking for Father Spurius. Mother sent me to tell you, she said you should all be on your way home anyway.”
“As we are, now would it please you to ride on my shoulders the rest of the way back?”
“Yes please, I hoped you would ask me that.”
Spurius bent down and lifted the small happy waif over his head and onto his shoulders all a giggles at the hoisting up. Her puppy, Delwyn, jumped to reach her but fell in beside Spurius when he could not.Then everyone started walking again in the direction of the glen, but now all quietly pondered at what stranger would be awaiting there for Spurius by name.
Once there they saw a man sitting by one of the trees, dressed in a black robe and hat, identical to the one hanging in Sprius’s house. Sprusius put Seren down and she ran for her door singing with Delwyn bouncing as much as running at her side. Spurius took the remaining steps to greet the stranger alone. Einion, Sullien and Cawrduf remained standing still, since they were only steps away from where the man sat. It would have been rude to confront him like an unwanted guest.
“I am Spurius, called Father Spurius on religious days for several years now. Who, may I ask are you Father Priest, or so it seems by your dress?”
“You are Father Spurius? I did not know what to expect, or even if you were still alive, since you have not been heard from for many years now. I am glad you are though, it means I can complete my promise to Father Halarius and return to Gaul. I am Father Theodulus.”
“Welcome Theodulus, these are my friends Einion, Sullien and Cawrduf. Most days we work a mine near here together, for the greater good and taxes to the Gwynedd King. How of Father Hararius, I still think of him often with love and reverence?”
“I am so sorry to be the one to tell you, but he went to our Lord a few months back. It is that and a promise he had me make that bring me here, seeking you out.”
“A promise you say, what kind of a promise? I know he is at peace with our Lord now and that is a comfort to know. He lived a good and righteous life.”
“Would you rather not we speak in private, no offence meant to your friends. It is a very private last message he entrusted me with on his death bed.”
“None will be taken, but we have no secrets here. We are all family, even if not purely by blood. How did you know I was here?”
“I begged an audience with King Gunedda in Rhos and he told me how to find you in this area, and bade me give you good tidings when I did. He said it had been far too long since he had the pleasure of conversations with you.” Theodulus looked around at all four men as he spoke and continued, “Then I saw the woman sweeping at the door to what I supposed was your chapel and asked of you from her. She then sent her daughter to find you. She said it was about the time you and your friends usually returned from working nearby.”
“Ah, then you have already met my wife, Bloderedd and daughter, Seren.”
“I am sorry she did not say she was your wife or that the beautiful little girl is your daughter.”
“No, I guess she wouldn’t, it would be right for me to tell you. I think it would be better if we four cleaned up first and then you could give your message to us all, after a good meal. You are hungry I would expect? I know we all are and I would like to properly introduce you to everyone. Sullien, could you go and bring Deilwen and Aylwyn to join us here at my house it has more room for everyone? We can make it a small welcoming feast for Father Theodulus.”
“Of course Father Spurius, we will be back here as quickly as we can. I am sure Deilwen would not miss this honor.” And the young man left for his house a short distance away.
“What do you and Cawrduf think, Einion?”
Both men shook their heads affirmatively and headed for their respective houses.
“Come Father Theodulus. It is time you met my wife and daughter properly.”
Once in the door and introductions made Spurius knelt down to Seren. “My little miracle do you think you could go on swift feet to your uncle Gwydderig, Aunt Nant and your two cousins asking them to join us all here for an evening get together as soon as they can. Tell them of Father Theodulus and that I hope they will join us for food, drink and talking. Take Delwyn with you, he could use another good fast walk.”
“Yes Father, we will race there and back.”
“Not too fast Seren, remember he is young like you, but you could outrun him yet.”
“I know father.” And with that she ran through the door calling her puppy, who was now sitting next to his father the large wolf dog now showing gray on his muzzle. The smaller version of Rollo sprang at her calling his name.
“You will find, Father Theodulus, that my husband shares everything with our families, the good and the bad are shared here equally. We work, we live, we cry and we laugh together always. To us family is everything and to have family is to love openly.”
“I did not know such as this would be at my journey’s end. But am most honored by your welcome of a stranger such as myself.”
“You are no longer a stranger here Father Theodulus, you were a friend of Father Halarius and as such friend to my family. Sit and rest yourself, here have a cup of cool water.” Spurius said as he handed the man an earthen cup.
As the sun was setting over the ridgeline to the west everyone was finishing their meal and the women were removing the bowls and remnants of the evening fare off the tables. Undeg was nursing her newborn boy, or she would have been right in the middle of helping, as she was most familiar with Bloreredd’s house and storage locations since she now taught the young to read here several times a week. She had married Bran two Lughnasadhs back and they lived close to Gwydderig, but he worked with Alban at becoming a blacksmith as he was Ceirios’s nephew.
“I believe we are all more than anxious to hear your message from Father Halarius, Father Theodulus if you will. You will have our complete attention.” Spurius said to the stranger among the many of them.
“As you wish Father Spurius. But first let me thank everyone here for all the kindness they have shown me. Then I think I should tell you first of things that have happened in Lutetia since you left there. I came to serve with Father Halarius about a year after you had left on your mission here in Britannium. And one day not too long after I was there a traveling merchant, well known to him, came to see him as soon as he was ashore from a ship at the cities docks. I was not at their conversation on that day, but Father Halarius told me of it sometime later.” Theodulus paused and drank a sip of water for his cup and then continued. “The merchant had just returned from traveling around Brittanium and had what he thought might be news the father would wish to hear. It seems he had heard stories being told in the western part of the country here, of a black robed Roman priest who had helped some Druid Priests stop a battle on the battlefield between two kings before the battle started, the Roman priest’s name was not remembered exactly but those telling the stories all gave it as Roman and starting with an s.”
“How did Father Halarius take this news?”
“At first he was both glad to think it was about you, but then he became concerned, if such a tale made it to Rome itself and other ears.”
“The merchant said he would tell no one except Father Halarius. But that on future trips he would keep an ear open for news of you. Then a couple of years later this same Merchant was in Lutetia again. This time he told us (by now the Father had taken me into his confidence, just in case I heard anything as well), that he had heard of another battle in Gwynedd. But this time the name Spurius was used about being in the battle where Niles of the nine hostages was defeated and sent scurrying back to Hibernia where he came from, less many men and ships. Now none of these stories had made it to Gaul except for with this merchant, who swore to tell no one else.” Again Theodulus paused taking yet another drink as he looked around the room at everyone’s rapt attention before continuing. “There were other names in the last story and details of which I have less clear memory now, only that your name was used, but without the title of Father preceding it. After that no such news ever came to the father again, as far as I am aware of.”
“Well I assume these tales never made it to Rome, or some other cleric would have been here looking for such an irreverent priest before now. Most of us men here, Father Theodulus, were at both of those battles you heard of and all of in three after that, that you did not. Although we have lost some friends in those and others scarred from them, as a whole we have weathered all well comparatively. In part due to sage advice we took heed of at Rhos. There was a small cadre soldiers with us at that part of Rhos where fought and after the battle they encouraged us to partake in what is called the spoils of war. In that I mean we gleaned the fallen enemy of any and all better weapons, armor (both leather and chainmail), helmets, anything of value in a war for ourselves. It was sage advice and made us much better equipped when it came time to be called by our king into battle again. In fact King Gunnedda was pleased enough by the outcome, that at those later occasions he mustered the same soldier force with us at them. Now for the last three years he has assigned those same men with a small post close to us here. They serve as his tax collectors to us and as the men with whom he entrusts law abiding peace in these parts of his kingdom. In truth they have become friends to us all and are accepted here as welcome as any. I know this is not the way everywhere. ”
“I suppose no word ever reached there as well and have heard of this practice on the battlefield myself. So now I come to the death of Father Halarius and the message he begged me to relay to you in person. He told me many times of how you were taken in as orphan, being left on the parish steps as a babe, with no explanation as to your name or parentage. He also spoke of him being the only father you ever knew and glad he was of that. He also said you were well aware of his affection for you, and your knowledge of his wife having gone to the Lord before you came into his life. He spoke proudly of your training for the priesthood in Rome (just I had done only shortly after you) and of your accepted appointment to come to Brittanium and bring the gospel here. But I know he missed you like a rib pulled from his chest.”
”As I have missed his companionship and council. No man had greater influence on the man I have become than he.”
“Nor would he be displeased I think, from what my husband has told me of his adopted Father, if only adopted of the heart.”
“He was not displeased by what he heard of you at all, this I know for sure. If anything he was even prouder of you for it. The story of your being left an orphan on the parish steps is true , as far as it did not tell the whole truth of it. You see according to the Father his wife had not died when everyone thought she had drowned in the Seine, instead that was a ploy the two of them came up with when they found out she was with child. Rome already had many wanting to institute celibacy for the priesthood and the Father did not want his wife subjected to criticism by anyone. So they let everyone think she was dead, and Father Halarius played the role of mournful husband. In truth he went to see her often in a quiet hamlet nearby. Unfortunately she did die in childbirth at a time when Father Halarius was not with her. She is buried in the local cemetery where she was living.”
“What of the child, did it die also? I never heard anyone speak of Father Halarius being a father to a child.”
“That was what he considered to be his greatest failure. The child lived and he felt he could never acknowledge the child as his, for the same reason that he and his wife had decided to allow everyone to think she had drowned so many months earlier. So the midwife cared for the child until it was healthy enough to withstand being left on the parish steps in the dark of night just before dawn.” The priest stopped talking hear and let the fullness of truth sink into all there’s awareness.
“Are you saying that my husband is the actual son of Father Halarius and his wife?”
“Yes I am, that is what the Father swore me to secrecy in pledge to find Father Spurius and tell him. He was in hopes that the knowledge would salve any old lingering doubts about his parentage. His only final hope was that Father Spurius would not think any less of him in death with this knowledge, than he did in life, by his cowardice at never proclaiming him son of his blood.”
“I find no cowardice in this, I am glad to know he was father to me in blood as well as heart. He has and always will be my father. I just wish he had known Bloderedd as my wife and that he had a grandchild in Seren.”
“He would have relished in that knowledge, I am sure.”
“There is one other thing I am pledged to give you.” While saying this Theodulus pulled a small worn leather wrapped object from his cassock and handed it across the table to Spurius. “I think you knew that Father Halarius’s father was a tradesman in a southern Gaul village. But maybe not that his wife, your mother, was the only child of a merchant in the same village. It is how they knew each other and then married. Nor that Father Halarius had an older brother who died in battle many years before his own parent’s death.”
“I knew of the brother and his wife’s parents. He had talked of them years ago, before I went to Rome for training to enter the priesthood.”
“I am glad of your knowledge. Then this present should not be of so much a surprise, it is your inheritance from your parents. All that was left to each of them, he took years back and had made into this object while you were in Rome.”
Spurius gently unwrapped the worn leather ties and unfolded the leather wrap to reveal a small solid gold crucifix encrusted with a small ruby set into its center. He gasped at the beauty of the inlaid workmanship and it’s heft for such a rather small sized cross.
“Husband this is beautiful and of quite a value.” Bloderedd said in a reverent tone, as those within sight gave hushed sighs of appraisal and everyone else stood enough to get glimpse of the prize as well.
“Yes, my wife, it is of fine workmanship, we will keep this in a place of safety and yet reverence. Thank you Father Theodulus, you have brought us much to be thankful for.”
“You are all welcome and I thank you again for the warmth and kindness you have shown to me. On the morrow I will start my return journey to Gaul, my parish and home. Know you that I will tell no one of where you are. I can see you are all good people and a family anyone would be proud of. You have no need for intervention by outsiders.”
“We will all be in your debt for that confidence, thank you Father Theodulus.”
The next morning, after heartfelt goodbyes and well wishes, Father Theodulus walked out the glen on his return journey to Gaul. Spurius walked with him, to show him a shorter route to the River of the Goddess with Rollo at his side. The two men talked much along the way and during the evening before sleep that first night. The next day Spurius introduced the priest to his brother-in-law Brychan, who would ferry Theodulus across the river to the Powys side where he could begin making his way to the port of Lundein and gain passage back to Gaul.
A day later Spurius and Rollo walked back into the glen, being greeted with excited yells of glee from Seren and puppy yelps from Delwin. Bloderedd hugged her husband as he neared their home.
“I am glad you are home, Husband, you can see you were missed.”
“No more than I missed the two most beautiful ladies of Gwynedd, neigh all of Britannium. Yes, my wonderful Bloderedd, I am home.”
FIN
