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August 27th, 2001, 12:19 PM
Angus
Once, long ago there lived in a village a young man called Angus. Now he was a handsome lad and many a maiden in his village and others surrounding it had surrendered the flower of youth to him, but none could win his heart. Angus thought the maidens worthy but knew that someday he would find the woman who would have his heart. Having been unable to find that woman in the villages around him Angus set off one day to search for his true love. It came to pass that Angus found himself in a small village on market day. As he strolled through the market he stopped to listen to the village Druid tell of the Witch Bronwyn. Angus was spellbound. "The witch lives deep in the forest and none has ever seen her, but, it is said that no woman can match her beauty, said the Druid. She runs through the forest as fast as the stag and is a great huntress with a curving, rams horn bow. She has hearing like a cat that none may approach without her being warned. She has never been with a man and is said to be waiting for him, but she knows not who he'll be." After the Druid had finished telling of Bronwyn, Angus approached him. "Master, he asked, is this story true? Does the witch exist?" "Aye young lad, she does, but it will take better than you to catch a glimpse of that maiden." replied the Druid. Now Angus always ready for a challenge and intrigued at the thought of the witch went into the great forest outside the village. For days he traveled, deeper and deeper into the woods, so deep that the great trees did not even bear the gifts of the Druids. But still no sign of Bronwyn. Finally, exhausted and frustrated from his fruitless effort Angus lay down to sleep in some bushes. When he first began to awaken he thought he heard something. Holding his breath and being as still as possible he opened his eyes. Through the leaves he could see a young maiden, she was dressed in a gown finer than he had ever seen, deep red, with trim of white and gold. Her hair was long and red, loose, not braided or bound up. But what transfixed him the most was her beauty, never had any man seen one so beautiful, her beauty surpassed even the legendary Emer. Angus watched as she gathered herbs in the forest. Bare of foot, she almost seemed to dance as she went. The sight of her deft movement was to much for Angus and a sigh escaped from him. Instantly Bronwyn whirled around at the sound and looked to where Angus hid. Her eyes which Angus now saw where the greenest of green looked directly at him and he felt as if an arrow had shot through his heart. Then faster than a deer Bronwyn was gone. Angus cried out to her, his heart ached, he needed to gaze upon her beauty again. Angus wandered through the forest for days calling for Bronwyn but never was answered. Finally broken of heart and spirit Angus returned to the village of the Druid who had spoken of Bronwyn. He found the Druid and told him his tale. The Druid silently listened, nodding his head. Angus asked the Druid, "How can I find her again I must see her, my heart is no longer mine and she is the cause. Is there no help for me?" Now the Druid thought for some time on the matter and then told Angus. "In your present form you cannot catch her, nor can you be quiet enough to approach her unawares. But I think that perhaps if you ask the Goddess Airmed for her help you might be able to see her again." "But how can I find Airmed?" Angus asked. "Go to the forest and call to her. If she is interested in helping you she will come, she asks no favors in return for her help so it can not harm you to try." he told Angus. Angus went once again into the forest, finally coming to a small stream which raced through the deep woods. Sitting on a rock by the stream Angus called out "Airmed, I beseech you, hear my call, aid me in my cause to see the one who has taken my heart." Now Airmed had heard the call of lovers before, calling for her aid in lost causes of the heart but this one intrigued her. Airmed decided she would help. Before Angus' eyes the stream began to boil and from its depths arose a woman of fine beauty, blonde of hair, a fine white dress and a torq of gold around her neck. She stepped from the stream. "I have heard your call fair Angus and I will help you. she told him. Now tell me what is it you seek." Angus told Airmed of the witch Bronwyn, of his love for her and his aching heart, of his desire to see her once again. Now Airmed knew of the witch Bronwyn, knew of her beauty, her fleetness of foot and the keenness of her hearing. "You must become the great stag, Airmed told Angus. Only the great stag is quiet enough to approach her unheard and only he can catch her." Before he could speak Airmed cast her spell and Angus was transformed into a great stag. "Go find your love, and when you have caught her the touch of her hand will return you to your old form." Angus nodded his great horned head and sped silently off into the forest. Now several days later as Angus quietly patrolled the great woods he spied Bronwyn. He followed her till she came to a stream. Bronwyn followed it upstream until it entered a deep sharply walled valley, narrow and filled with large boulders. At the end of the valley was a waterfall and shallow pool. Angus silently followed Bronwyn as she made her way up the valley, staying high up on the steep sides, moving from one dense patch of cover to another. Angus watched as Bronwyn reaching the end of the valley went behind a large rock and out of his sight. Moments later she reappeared and Angus' heart leaped for now Bronwyn had put down her rams horn bow and removed her gown. Skyclad she walked into the stream and below the waterfall began to bathe. Angus was stunned by her beauty, long finely formed legs, the thighs well muscled. Her back was like the curve of a harp, shapely, the strings of which Angus longed to play. He thought of the sounds she would make as he caressed that back. As she turned Angus caught sight of her breasts, full and tipped with nipples like the sweetest berries, he wanted to taste of them. Between her legs, a tiny patch of fine hairs, soft as the fur of a kitten. He watched as she washed herself with cleansing oils and extracts of the plants she gathered on her walks through the woods. Not thinking, lost as he was in her beauty Angus stepped from his cover. Now Bronwyn looking down at the water saw the reflection of the great stag above her. Large and powerful looking she was impressed by his beauty. Angus watched as Bronwyn now finished with her bathing slowly walked to the rock to dress. She disappeared from his sight, Angus, straining to see her, stepped farther from his cover. Suddenly, swiftly Bronwyn appeared from behind the rock, in her hands the rams horn bow, an arrow already nocked and drawn. Before Angus could react she let fly the arrow and his heart was pierced for the second time by her. Bronwyn approached the now fallen stag, its eyes still seeing but dying quickly. She reached out to touch it and as she did Angus returned to his old form. Bronwyn, startled, jumped back. It was the man she had been caught by in the forest weeks before. She saw that he was handsome and fine of form. She touched him again and as he died he smiled at her. "He loved you dearly." Bronwyn jumped back and spun around to see Airmed standing over the sad scene. "He told me that you had taken his heart when first he saw you, he wished only to see you again, to gaze at the beauty which had taken his heart. she told Bronwyn. I gave him the means." Bronwyn looked at Airmed and thought for a moment. "Then I must give him back that which I took." she told Airmed. "It is to late Bronwyn, your arrow has pierced his heart." Airmed replied. "Then give him mine," she said. "It is done." and with those words Bronwyn died and Angus opened his eyes, the heart of Bronwyn now beating in his chest. "You won the witches heart Angus. Airmed told him, now what will you do with it." Angus looked down at Bronwyn, the heart in him ached for him and her, but then he heard the voice of Bronwyn whisper to him from inside. He smiled, reaching down he picked up her body. Angus buried Bronwyn by the stream. He returned to his village sometime later, never to marry but always smiling. The folk said he was mad for he often was said to talk to someone when he was out walking. But Angus was never again alone.
Copyright 2000 by Michael St. Germaine author retains all rights to this work
Once, long ago there lived in a village a young man called Angus. Now he was a handsome lad and many a maiden in his village and others surrounding it had surrendered the flower of youth to him, but none could win his heart. Angus thought the maidens worthy but knew that someday he would find the woman who would have his heart. Having been unable to find that woman in the villages around him Angus set off one day to search for his true love. It came to pass that Angus found himself in a small village on market day. As he strolled through the market he stopped to listen to the village Druid tell of the Witch Bronwyn. Angus was spellbound. "The witch lives deep in the forest and none has ever seen her, but, it is said that no woman can match her beauty, said the Druid. She runs through the forest as fast as the stag and is a great huntress with a curving, rams horn bow. She has hearing like a cat that none may approach without her being warned. She has never been with a man and is said to be waiting for him, but she knows not who he'll be." After the Druid had finished telling of Bronwyn, Angus approached him. "Master, he asked, is this story true? Does the witch exist?" "Aye young lad, she does, but it will take better than you to catch a glimpse of that maiden." replied the Druid. Now Angus always ready for a challenge and intrigued at the thought of the witch went into the great forest outside the village. For days he traveled, deeper and deeper into the woods, so deep that the great trees did not even bear the gifts of the Druids. But still no sign of Bronwyn. Finally, exhausted and frustrated from his fruitless effort Angus lay down to sleep in some bushes. When he first began to awaken he thought he heard something. Holding his breath and being as still as possible he opened his eyes. Through the leaves he could see a young maiden, she was dressed in a gown finer than he had ever seen, deep red, with trim of white and gold. Her hair was long and red, loose, not braided or bound up. But what transfixed him the most was her beauty, never had any man seen one so beautiful, her beauty surpassed even the legendary Emer. Angus watched as she gathered herbs in the forest. Bare of foot, she almost seemed to dance as she went. The sight of her deft movement was to much for Angus and a sigh escaped from him. Instantly Bronwyn whirled around at the sound and looked to where Angus hid. Her eyes which Angus now saw where the greenest of green looked directly at him and he felt as if an arrow had shot through his heart. Then faster than a deer Bronwyn was gone. Angus cried out to her, his heart ached, he needed to gaze upon her beauty again. Angus wandered through the forest for days calling for Bronwyn but never was answered. Finally broken of heart and spirit Angus returned to the village of the Druid who had spoken of Bronwyn. He found the Druid and told him his tale. The Druid silently listened, nodding his head. Angus asked the Druid, "How can I find her again I must see her, my heart is no longer mine and she is the cause. Is there no help for me?" Now the Druid thought for some time on the matter and then told Angus. "In your present form you cannot catch her, nor can you be quiet enough to approach her unawares. But I think that perhaps if you ask the Goddess Airmed for her help you might be able to see her again." "But how can I find Airmed?" Angus asked. "Go to the forest and call to her. If she is interested in helping you she will come, she asks no favors in return for her help so it can not harm you to try." he told Angus. Angus went once again into the forest, finally coming to a small stream which raced through the deep woods. Sitting on a rock by the stream Angus called out "Airmed, I beseech you, hear my call, aid me in my cause to see the one who has taken my heart." Now Airmed had heard the call of lovers before, calling for her aid in lost causes of the heart but this one intrigued her. Airmed decided she would help. Before Angus' eyes the stream began to boil and from its depths arose a woman of fine beauty, blonde of hair, a fine white dress and a torq of gold around her neck. She stepped from the stream. "I have heard your call fair Angus and I will help you. she told him. Now tell me what is it you seek." Angus told Airmed of the witch Bronwyn, of his love for her and his aching heart, of his desire to see her once again. Now Airmed knew of the witch Bronwyn, knew of her beauty, her fleetness of foot and the keenness of her hearing. "You must become the great stag, Airmed told Angus. Only the great stag is quiet enough to approach her unheard and only he can catch her." Before he could speak Airmed cast her spell and Angus was transformed into a great stag. "Go find your love, and when you have caught her the touch of her hand will return you to your old form." Angus nodded his great horned head and sped silently off into the forest. Now several days later as Angus quietly patrolled the great woods he spied Bronwyn. He followed her till she came to a stream. Bronwyn followed it upstream until it entered a deep sharply walled valley, narrow and filled with large boulders. At the end of the valley was a waterfall and shallow pool. Angus silently followed Bronwyn as she made her way up the valley, staying high up on the steep sides, moving from one dense patch of cover to another. Angus watched as Bronwyn reaching the end of the valley went behind a large rock and out of his sight. Moments later she reappeared and Angus' heart leaped for now Bronwyn had put down her rams horn bow and removed her gown. Skyclad she walked into the stream and below the waterfall began to bathe. Angus was stunned by her beauty, long finely formed legs, the thighs well muscled. Her back was like the curve of a harp, shapely, the strings of which Angus longed to play. He thought of the sounds she would make as he caressed that back. As she turned Angus caught sight of her breasts, full and tipped with nipples like the sweetest berries, he wanted to taste of them. Between her legs, a tiny patch of fine hairs, soft as the fur of a kitten. He watched as she washed herself with cleansing oils and extracts of the plants she gathered on her walks through the woods. Not thinking, lost as he was in her beauty Angus stepped from his cover. Now Bronwyn looking down at the water saw the reflection of the great stag above her. Large and powerful looking she was impressed by his beauty. Angus watched as Bronwyn now finished with her bathing slowly walked to the rock to dress. She disappeared from his sight, Angus, straining to see her, stepped farther from his cover. Suddenly, swiftly Bronwyn appeared from behind the rock, in her hands the rams horn bow, an arrow already nocked and drawn. Before Angus could react she let fly the arrow and his heart was pierced for the second time by her. Bronwyn approached the now fallen stag, its eyes still seeing but dying quickly. She reached out to touch it and as she did Angus returned to his old form. Bronwyn, startled, jumped back. It was the man she had been caught by in the forest weeks before. She saw that he was handsome and fine of form. She touched him again and as he died he smiled at her. "He loved you dearly." Bronwyn jumped back and spun around to see Airmed standing over the sad scene. "He told me that you had taken his heart when first he saw you, he wished only to see you again, to gaze at the beauty which had taken his heart. she told Bronwyn. I gave him the means." Bronwyn looked at Airmed and thought for a moment. "Then I must give him back that which I took." she told Airmed. "It is to late Bronwyn, your arrow has pierced his heart." Airmed replied. "Then give him mine," she said. "It is done." and with those words Bronwyn died and Angus opened his eyes, the heart of Bronwyn now beating in his chest. "You won the witches heart Angus. Airmed told him, now what will you do with it." Angus looked down at Bronwyn, the heart in him ached for him and her, but then he heard the voice of Bronwyn whisper to him from inside. He smiled, reaching down he picked up her body. Angus buried Bronwyn by the stream. He returned to his village sometime later, never to marry but always smiling. The folk said he was mad for he often was said to talk to someone when he was out walking. But Angus was never again alone.
Copyright 2000 by Michael St. Germaine author retains all rights to this work