A Vision in the Mist
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Near the very end of Winter, 1225, on a cold and foggy morning, Gwenever
was gazing out the window while her husband performed his morning ritual
of parma magica. In the swirling mists of the Dragon's Breath, a vision
began to take form.

It seemed as if the mists parted to reveal snow-capped mountains to the
north- an unfamiliar landscape, since the covenant is located near the
north coast of Wales. In the foreground, there appeared through the mist a
mighty ash tree. Curled around the tree's trunk was a red dragon.

From the East, a fierce eagle swooped down and attacked the dragon. The
two fought heatedly for a few moments before the eagle emerged
victorious. The dragon, beaten, slank down among the tree's roots, curled
up, and went to sleep.

The eagle preened itself on the branches of the tree, but it looked
somewhat the worse from its battle. After a short while, it flapped
wearily off toward the South. The dragon opened an eye to watch it fly
off, but remained still.

After a pause, a huge, hairy spider arrived from the South and began
building a web in the tree. The dragon watched sleepily, but remained
still. The spider's web covered three of the tree's four main boughs. Just
as the spider was about to extend its web to the fourth bough, a second
eagle- smaller and lighter-colored than the first- flew in from the South
and began harassing the spider. The spider paid it no heed.

Frantic for a way to attack the spider, the eagle circled the tree,
shrieking. It darted off to the South, then returned, still alone. As the
eagle circled, a flock of small birds- sparrows, larks, and the like-
gathered around it. There also came a large, black raven, nearly as large
as the eagle. Together they swarmed over the spider, but many of the small
birds were caught in the web. The spider began to devour them, though the
harassment of the flock was clearly hindering it. Finally, the dragon
awoke, reared up, and crushed the spider with one bite of its mighty jaws.
Then it consumed the web in a blast of flame before settling back down to
sleep.

The eagle, the raven, and the flock of small birds gathered in the
scorched branches of the tree. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed- a
storm was gathering. From the South came nine more eagles, each
different in appearance, but none as large or glorious as the first
eagle of the vision. The new eagles circled the blasted tree as rain
began to fall. The raven stretched its wings to shelter the small birds,
and even the second eagle took cover under its wing.

The rain was hard, but brief. When the sky cleared, the scorched tree
sprouted new foliage and the ten new eagles came to roost alongside
the raven.

All was quiet until one of the new eagles, a red one, noticed the dragon
sleeping at the base of the tree. It raised a loud cry, which was taken
up by first one eagle, then another, then another. Nine of the eagles
flew from their perches and attacked the dragon, which fought briefly,
but was overpowered and driven away. The eagles then returned to the
tree, where the raven still roosted.