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Updated: June 25, 2025
"Truly ... you will come?" said the dying youth, whom the promise seemed to render happy; "will you come ... to-morrow?" "To-morrow, by Hesus.... I swear to you, Armel, I shall come." The eyes of the whole family turned to Julyan at hearing the promise, and looked lovingly upon him.
Happy at being able so soon to join his friend, Julyan was about to leave Karnak, when he saw the stranger, who had been the guest of Joel and who now returned from the Isle of Sen, approaching through the forest in the company of Talyessin. The latter said a few words to the other druids, who forthwith surrounded the traveler with great eagerness and marks of respect.
At every thrust, brilliantly made, or dexterously avoided, the men, women and children in the audience clapped their hands, and according as the combat ran, cried: "Her ... her ... Julyan!" "Her ... her ... Armel!"
Upon entering the house, and even before embracing their mother, the new arrivals stepped to the altar and approached their lips to the seven small twigs of mistletoe that stood dipped in the copper bowl on the large stone. They there noticed a lifeless body covered with oak branches, near which Julyan still sat. "Good evening, Julyan," said Mikael. "Who is dead?"
All wore woolen caps, long hair cut round, and bushy beards. The last two to enter held each other by the arm; they were especially handsome and robust. "Friend Joel," inquired the stranger, "who are those two young fellows? The statues of the heathen god Mars are not better shaped, nor have so valiant an aspect." "They are two relatives of mine; two cousins, Julyan and Armel.
"Brother Armel," said Julyan to him in a cheerful voice, on his knees beside the prostrate Armel, "do not break down for so little.... Each has his day and his hour.... To-day you were wounded, to-morrow will be my turn.... We fought bravely.... The stranger will not forget the young men of Karnak and of the family of Joel, the brenn of the tribe."
Margarid raised her distaff and gave the signal for the combat to begin; the lowering of the distaff was to be the signal for the combat to end. Julyan and Armel stripped down to the waist, preserving their breeches only. Again they clasped hands.
The pyre of Julyan and Armel burned until the flames had nothing more to feed upon. Again profound silence fell upon the crowd. Hena, the virgin of the Isle of Sen, had ascended the third pyre.
My family was starving in the hut. I saw no way of prolonging their existence. The thought then occurred to me: 'Last night the abominable food that I carried to my family from Gregory's human charnel house kept them from dying in the agonies of starvation. My grandson is dead. What should I do? Bury the body of little Julyan or have it serve to prolong the life of those who gave him life?
Julyan was then seen ascending with radiant mien the pyre where lay the body of Armel, his friend his pledged brother. Julyan had on his holiday clothes: a blouse of fine material striped white and blue, held around his waist by an embroidered leather belt, from which hung his knife. His caped cloak of brown wool was held by a brooch over his left shoulder. An oak crown decked his manly head.
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