Shadows at Stonewylde (54 page)

‘Put it on the table, Leveret!’ he whispered helpfully, worried that she was becoming overcome with nerves. ‘Remember? “
The Corn Spirit has survived the winter and is with us at Imbolc
–
soon she will return to the land
.” Say the words!’

She managed to repeat this, with a little more prompting from Kestrel, then everyone donned their cloaks and went out onto the Village Green for the archery displays. It passed in a blur for Leveret. The trees appeared to be moving around the Green, engaged in their own Imbolc dance. She sat on a special carved chair that had been set up on the little dais, pale-faced and impassive in her white and silver robes, the great head-dress giving her a regal aura. She attracted a great deal of attention for she looked so lovely and many people hadn’t seen her transformation at the Outsiders’ Dance. Celandine came up shyly and told her she was the most beautiful Maiden she’d ever seen, but Leveret could only gaze down at the little girl with unfocused eyes and Celandine crept away, disappointed.

As the morning wore on she felt more and more surreal. People were moving strangely, their voices coming as if from the end of a long tunnel. Faces loomed suddenly in front of her, mouths stretched in odd grimaces, and then disappeared again. She looked at the arrows arching through the sky and saw rainbows trailing from the fletchings, each arrow briefly silhouetted against the cold, grey winter’s sky. Finally the competitions came to an end and she must present the winners with their silver trophies – a miniature bow and arrow mounted on a piece of yew. She stood and the world swam sharply around her, faces and trees and lots of green grass. Silently she handed out the trophies, feeling as if she were balancing on stilts and scared she might topple over.

Rufus won in his age-category and came up to the dais to collect his trophy. Like Celandine, he smiled shyly at Leveret remembering their conversation that day in the Dining Hall.

‘Thank you, Bright Maiden,’ he said, lowering himself to one knee before her as was the custom. Prompted by Kestrel, she handed the boy his trophy but didn’t say a word, looking straight through him with no recognition at all. His face fell.

‘Excellent bowmanship!’ said Kestrel kindly, trying to compensate for his partner’s increasingly worrying behaviour. ‘I shall have to watch out for you, Rufus – you’ll be challenging me soon.’

Everyone then moved indoors for the lunch laid out on long trestle tables up and down the Barn. Leveret, whose outer robes had now been removed, sat at the centre of the top table with Kestrel by her side. She looked down at the plate in front of her in surprise; it appeared to be spinning around very fast. People were putting bizarre objects in their mouths and making a lot of noise. Maizie, frantically busy helping organise the food, appeared at her shoulder.

‘What’s the matter, love? Have something to eat, for goddess’ sake – you look so pale. You got all the dancing and chants to do this afternoon, Leveret. ‘Tis your busy time so keep your strength up, my girl.’

Kestrel tried to make conversation but she merely stared at him. Her pupils were enormous, like a cat’s eyes in the dark. Her brothers had always said she was weird and they were right – she was making him feel uncomfortable and he couldn’t understand how the shy but competent girl he’d rehearsed with had turned into this silent automaton. He spoke to Faun instead, on his other side, Rowan having somehow secured her daughter a place right next to him at the top table. Faun was in her element, tossing back her blond ringlets and flashing her dark eyes at him, loving every minute of his attention. She flirted quite outrageously in a way an older girl couldn’t have done, but at the same time played on the fact that it was her thirteenth birthday which she said made her feel very grown up all of a sudden. She also made much of the fact that she was Magus’ daughter and had true Hallfolk blood in her veins. Then she began to make funny comments about the unresponsive Maiden seated next to him, who stared around her slowly in unnatural wonder. Before long Faun and Kestrel were roaring with laughter at their oblivious victim.

The feast was well underway when the Barn doors were thrown open to the cold and in came three unexpected visitors, cloaked against the wintry weather outside. There was a ripple of shock – it was a long time since Violet, Vetchling and Starling had attended any ceremonies or festivals. They kept to themselves in their cottage at the end of the lane and conducted their own private rituals to mark the turning wheel of the year. But they were perfectly entitled to join in if they wished and, with a bit of disruption, space was found for them at the end of long table. The two crones hobbled towards their seats, muttering and casting malignant glances all around as people stared at them. Starling waddled along in their wake, more used to contact with the community as she was a frequent visitor to the food stores in the Village.

They established themselves around the end of the table with much fussing and grumbling. Starling began to eat steadily while the crones sucked and smacked their gums on whatever soft morsels they could manage. Everyone was speculating about their unforeseen attendance but kept their glances surreptitious, not wanting to be caught by the crones. Marigold hovered protectively by Magpie whom she’d seated near the kitchen entrance where she could keep an eye on him. She was so proud of him, sitting up at the table using his cutlery with reasonable accuracy for the very first time at a public festival. He looked clean and smart, his face glowing and hair glossy, and she wasn’t going to let those evil witches spoil his day. He’d jumped up in fear when they’d entered but Cherry and Marigold had pulled him back down in his seat, soothing him and promising that nobody would let the three women take him back to the hovel at the end of the lane.

Leveret had stared in horror as the three black birds hopped down the Barn to sit at the far end. She could see them pecking at their food, gobbling and squawking. Then she noticed her brothers and Jay sitting further down another table but constantly looking her way and laughing. Jay caught her glance and raised a hand in greeting, grinning from ear to ear. She saw his face splitting open like an over-ripe peach, all red inside, and she gasped in horror and made the sign of the pentangle on her chest for protection. Several people nearby watched her in fascination for she was acting very oddly indeed.

Kestrel was feeling increasingly uncomfortable about her behaviour and looked around for somebody he could voice his concerns to. She’d not eaten or drunk anything and barely said a word to him, and what had started out as funny behaviour was now becoming serious. He could see Maizie but she was very busy, as were many of the older women, bustling about with large plates of food and jugs of drink and making sure the tables were well stocked. Sylvie was sitting far away with all the little maidens in their white dresses and Yul was over by the bar. The whole Barn was alive with movement and merriment but there nobody he could confide his misgivings to. He even looked about for Hazel but she was nowhere to be seen. The afternoon was going to be long and arduous and he couldn’t see how Leveret would cope. He wished that the bubbly and vivacious Faun could take Leveret’s place. They should never have chosen her as Maiden.

Finally the feast ended. The tables were cleared and stacked away and the floor prepared for the afternoon’s events. Many people went outside onto the Green for a stroll and some fresh air and some even went home to their cottages for a rest. Kestrel rose and looked down at Leveret, who still sat bolt upright staring blankly ahead as if she were in another world. He shook his head in despair – he had a horrible feeling she was going to make him look like a fool this afternoon.

‘Up you get, Leveret,’ he said, putting a hand on her arm and encouraging her to rise. She gazed up at him and he was shocked at the vacancy in her eyes. She stood, swaying like a sapling in a gale, and he grabbed her to stop her falling.

‘The birds are coming in to roost,’ she mumbled. ‘All the birds are gathering.’

Faun caught his eye and burst into peals of laughter.

‘It’s not funny, Faun,’ he said desperately. ‘I’ve got to dance with her. What the hell am I going to do?’

‘I should’ve been the maiden,’ she murmured, rubbing against his arm. ‘I wouldn’t let you down.’

Maizie was still occupied organising the clearing up. Sylvie had gathered some of the little girls at one end of the barn and was going through their lines with them. People were milling around everywhere moving furniture and benches, all busy and engrossed in what had to be done and looking forward to the afternoon’s events. Kestrel glanced around frantically for someone to help. Yul leant against the wall watching the scene with a dark scowl and Kestrel managed to catch his eye, signalling his urgency. Yul strode over to where Kestrel stood holding Leveret upright.

‘Yul, I don’t know what to do! Look at her – she’s on another planet.’

Yul frowned at his sister, tipping her chin so he could look into her face. He saw her deathly-white demeanour and glassy eyes, the pupils huge and black, and his face darkened.

‘Sacred Mother! What the hell’s the matter with her?’

Kestrel shook his head hopelessly.

‘She’s been like this ever since we got here. She hasn’t eaten or drunk anything and she keeps saying strange things.’

‘This is bloody
typical!
’ Yul spat. ‘Leveret up to her dramatics again, letting people down and ruining her mother’s day. She looks like she’s taken drugs.’

‘Where’s Hazel?’ asked Kestrel, scanning the crowds.

‘Not here today – she stayed on duty at the Hall with some of the sicker folk in the ward. She’s really needed up there as one of them isn’t expected to last the day.’

He grasped his sister’s slight shoulders and shook her.

‘LEVERET! Pull yourself together, girl! You’re the Bright Maiden, remember? You’re letting everyone down!’

She stared at him.

‘The darkness within you is too dark now – it’s a black evil and staining everything.’

‘DON’T TALK RUBBISH, GIRL!’ he shouted in her face. He turned to Kestrel. ‘Goddess but I’d like to shake her! How
dare
she do this today of all days?’

Just then Sweyn and Gefrin came up, having spotted the huddle around Leveret. They’d left Jay with his trio of women in the corner where they’d firmly ensconced themselves, marking out their territory.

‘Is something the matter, Yul?’ asked Sweyn.

‘Leveret’s looking a bit odd,’ remarked Gefrin.

‘Too bloody right she’s a bit odd!’ snapped Yul. ‘She’s out of her bloody head and I don’t know what to do with her! She must’ve taken something – her damn mushrooms again, I shouldn’t wonder.’

‘Shall we take her outside for some fresh air?’ suggested Sweyn. ‘We could walk her round the Green a couple of times – maybe that’d clear her head.’

Yul glanced at him gratefully. Sweyn reminded him forcibly of his brutish step father but the lad couldn’t help that and maybe Maizie was right – these two gormless half-brothers of his seemed to have improved with age.

‘Excellent idea! Thanks. March her around and try to sort her out, would you? And keep her well away from Mother – I don’t want her upset today.’

‘No – Mother was so excited about Leveret being the Maiden.’

‘I know,’ said Yul gloomily. ‘I said this damn girl should never’ve been picked. Look at the state of her!’

‘Don’t worry, Yul, we’ll deal with her,’ said Gefrin.

‘Try to get her to eat or drink something if you can. Kestrel says she’s had nothing at all.’

‘We’ve got just the thing,’ said Sweyn, smiling slightly.

‘And take the head-dress off – she’s too conspicuous like that. Find something plain to cover her up with so nobody realises it’s her. I’ll get Rosie to keep Mother out of the way.’

Gefrin nodded eagerly and Sweyn took his sister’s arm.

‘Come on, Levvy – let’s go and sober you up.’

Wanting only to be shot of the embarrassment, Kestrel was more than happy to let them lead her away, one on each side holding her up. He turned to find someone a little more amenable to his charms than this awful partner who’d been foisted on him. He saw the delightful Faun now standing amongst a group of giggling girls and made his way over to them. Faun was much too young for now, but what promise for later!

Leveret was hustled into a small side room where the boys quickly snatched off the snowdrop and silver wicker head-dress, flinging a plain black cloak over her beautiful white dress and pulling the hood up. They had to get her out quickly before Maizie could come looking, and hoped Rosie would keep her away. They managed to get Leveret outside unnoticed and bundled her onto the Green, through the throngs of people milling around and towards the denser trees at the far end. Before they’d got half way Jay had run up behind them laughing in triumph.

‘Got her out, then?’

‘Piece o’ cake!’ cried Gefrin, nearly wetting himself at his own joke.

‘And better still, that murdering bastard is pleased with us for doing it!’ said Sweyn, tugging at Leveret’s arm beneath the black cloak as she stumbled along beside him. ‘He actually thinks we’re doing him a favour.’

They all laughed at this.

‘Let’s have a look at her, then,’ said Jay, trying to peer under her hood.

‘Wait till we’re under the trees,’ said Sweyn. ‘We got plenty of time. After all, they can’t start the festival without her, can they?’