“Latest reports on the regrowth of the Caledonian Forest, my lord. Rory Carver is doing an excellent job, if I may say so, my lord.” The man carefully places a bundle of parchment onto the King’s already over-full desk.

“Thank you, Stephen.”

“And Caitlin of Tiree will be here to see you in about three hours, my lord. The runner got here not ten minutes ago.”

“Thank you, Stephen.”

“And the Lord of Edinburgh wants to know when the wood for the replacement fleet will be arriving, my lord. I told him not earlier than three weeks, unless there’s been any change.”

“Thank you, Stephen.”

“And, uh, we’ve had some more complaints about High King Geoffrey getting into the wine cellars again, my lord. I’ve put on extra guards and also set aside slightly more for his personal stock, my lord.”

King Andrew sighs, pushes the hair back from his brow and sits back in the large chair behind the even larger desk.

“Thank you, Stephen. Was there anything else?”

“Well, there was one thing. It’s the bears again, my lord.”

“The bears. Of course. What have the bears done now?”

“They’ve come back, my lord, and they’ve brought some wolves with them.”

“…”

“If you remember, my lord, the bears escaped after we shipped them back from the Empire. The priests recaptured most of them, but then they-”

“They escaped again a week later, yes, I remember what happened to the bears, Stephen.” Andrew takes a deep breath and sighs again. “And now they’ve come back. With wolves.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Are they attacking anyone?”

“No, my lord. They seem friendly. But the bears have lost their armour; must be somewhere out in the woods.”

“Then get the priests of Artio to get them under control. If they have willingly returned, then hopefully they’ll be sticking around this time.”

“Very well, my lord.”

Stephen bows and then backs out of the room through the large oak door, closing it gently behind him.

“Bears and wolves,” Andrew mutters to himself as he leans back over the documents on his table. “Wilfrida give me strength.”

Although her reign as Monarch of Scotland was short, and her time as an ascended god even shorter, there is little doubt that Wilfrida Hunter, later God of Hunt and Battle, had a great impact on the world. Though her birth and early years remain shrouded in mystery, her rise to the throne signalled the beginning of a long era of peace and stability for a united Scottish mainland. She was also the first mortal to ascend to godhood in several hundred years (the first saint was St Jutte; see ch. 4). With no one alive who could recall the rites, she must have had immense faith and dedication as she sacrificed her mortal body in order to better serve her country and her people - for there is no doubt that she did it for them rather than for the sole purpose of obtaining power for herself.

This is clear when one examines the events of only a few years later, when she volunteered to guide the Lady Esus (for clarity: the great ark, not the goddess herself who had passed her power to the Lord Shipwright; see ch. 7) on its journey to the heavens. Her heroic sacrifice - for the second time, no less - was ultimately what saved the world from the threat of the Ichor (known elsewhere as the Totalising Will (Peters), the Still (d’Uscaret & Jones), and the Darkness (Hall & Eversham)). While it is true that there were many who may have taken up the task at the time, it was Wilfrida who did, and her final act was to be remembered for centuries.

Even though she was gone from this world forever, there still remained pockets of those who remained dedicated to her for many years to come, particularly in Scotland and Ireland. The continued worship of an entity who would not - could not - answer is a great testament to the legacy that she left behind in the hearts and minds of Britain.

- Extract from Gods and Saints: A History, by Marceline Fair