Follow the Star

By Donna and Abby

Ardeth Bey raced across the desert sands with his fellows.  A sand storm was approaching and though the Magi were good at surviving these storms, they preferred not to deal with the extreme weather if they did not have to. 

But the sand overtook them; Bey and his horse were engulfed and they lost sight of his friends.  This was fairly common, however, and he was not alarmed until it turned suddenly to snow!

His horse snorted as the footing underneath it changed. Ardeth steadied the mare, making a soothing noise. His long robes were keeping him warm enough for now, but it wouldn't take long before they would become soaked through.

Continuing on, he assumed he would get to his camp eventually, though he certainly could not be sure of this, so he went very slowly.  Snow, in the desert?  When the precipitation ended, and the sky cleared, he looked around for something to tell him where he was.

He was used to traveling by night, using the stars as a guide. But as he looked up to the sky, a feeling of foreboding came over him. These weren't his stars! There was one, though - brighter than the rest.  He headed toward it, hoping shelter lay along the way.

It seemed like it was forever before his horse jumped from a deep snow bank onto of all things, a road! Things were looking up. Glancing down, he saw the faint remains of carriage and horses having gone one way in particular, so he turned to head in that direction as well. The star he was following seemed even brighter now.

As he cantered along, his hopes raised, he noticed the object of his search as it rose from the snowy landscape. It was, of all things, a Monastery!  For a Muslim like Bey, this was quite a shock, but he was getting so cold he could not quibble.

He approached the gate at a walk, and was greeted by a brown robed monk as soon as he approached it. When he was asked what he wanted, he told the Christian he was in need of shelter from the cold.

"Of course," said Brother Paul kindly.  "We never turn anyone away!  Please come in.  Our best room is being used right now - new mother and her son - but we have others that, I daresay, are warmer than the elements!"

He thanked the monk as he rode through the now open gate. Someone was at his side right away to take care of his mount, and Brother Paul stood there waiting patiently to show him the way to his quarters.

"New mother, you said?" Bey asked, more to be conversational than anything else.  He was a devout Muslim and a Magi, but he mixed well with other faiths.  Still a Monastery, and the monks therein, made him a little nervous.

"Yes. A Hebrew woman. She gave birth on Christmas Day," Paul said with a happy smile.

"Under a star," noted Bey, pointing up.  Brother Paul looked like he had not noticed it before.  "Funny I should come, as I am Magi."  The Muslim said this casually, but the monk's reaction was anything but casual!

"A Magi?" he gasped. Yet another in a long line of things that could be utilized as *proof* as to the identity of the special babe sheltered within their walls.

"Yes, I was riding with my tribe and a sand storm overtook us.  Then, incredibly, it turned to snow!  And I find myself here."

"We all have been snatched from our old world to come to this place. Come, once you have been warmed by our fires and fed, we will tell you all about this place. It is called Edan."

Bey shook his head when he heard that.  Muslims believed in the Old Testament, too, so the name had some meaning for him.  "I should like to know more of this baby.  Perhaps see him."

"Of course," Brother Paul said. "First you need to eat and warm up though!" Bey of course agreed, being chilled to the bone, and had not been refusing the hospitality at all.

The fare was simple, but nourishing. He had been given warm robes to replace his soaked ones, and while he warmed by the fire, he was told all about Edan.

"Allah be Praised," he said over and over.  "But which way should I face during prayers?"

Brother Paul shrugged. "The sun rises in that direction. We call it east. But neither the Vatican or Mecca exists on this world."

"Then hopefully 'East' will be enough," said Bey, who seemed a little angry about this.  "Now, this child?"

"This way," Brother Paul said softly, leading Bey to the cell where the mother and child were quartered. Leaning up against the door was one of the men that had showed up to witness the birth. "Greetings, Andrew," Brother Paul said. "Is she awake?"

Andrew glanced at the newcomer with his tattooed face. "A magi? How fitting."

"And you are an angel," said Bey matter of factly.  "I have seen you before."

Andrew nodded. "Yes. You have," he said softly.

"I have lost many of my friends in battle," the Magi explained to Brother Paul.  "Angel, is this babe who we think it is? Could this be why I was brought here?  I would be certain," he grinned wryly, "if three of us were brought."

Andrew shrugged. "Even we don't know for sure. But we do know that this child is special. We just don't know why yet."

"I am honored, then, to be brought to bear witness.  It is, however," Bey went on, "not my choice of climate.  Is all of Edan so cold?" 

"No," Andrew chuckled. "Edan is closest to the climate you are most familiar with. I will be returning there soon if you would like to accompany me there."

Bey was confused by the name Edan, until it was explained that a settlement bore the same name as the larger area, that was, as far as they knew, a whole new world.  Once he was no longer confused, Bey agreed immediately to travel the warmer Edan town!

But first he had to see the baby! When the door was opened, he saw a beautiful young Hebrew woman holding a baby in her arms.

Andrew stood by his shoulder, wondering if this "wise man" could tell the true identity of the mother and child.  But Bey had no ability to see the incredible, and only saw what everyone else witnessed - quite probably a miracle, but of course, not a definite one.  Still, just in case, he lowered himself to one knee and prayed in Arabic.

Mary watched, her eyes wide. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she guessed it was important. When he rose to his feet, she smiled softly at him.

Cadfael, who had heard the young man speaking in Arabic, and who had been waiting on the new mother as usual, had sent for Olivier DeBretagne.  When the templar arrived, he served as a translator between the two, knowing both languages well.

Before the night was over, he knew he would have to write this event into the illuminated book that he was maintaining of the story of Mary and her baby! First angels, and now a Magi!