Shaman of Stonewylde (59 page)

‘Wolfsbane? No! I don’t want to die!’ bellowed his brother. ‘How could you have tricked me like this?’

He lurched forward, kicking over the small red glass jars and flickering flames, and grabbed Clip wildly. He gasped for air, clawing at his face, then doubled up again in agony.

‘My guts are turning inside out!’ he cried and Clip held him in a tight embrace, the two silver heads and black cloaks joining as one.

‘So are mine,’ whispered Clip. ‘The serpents in our bellies writhe and uncoil and flicker their forked tongues. Come, my brothers, it’s time. The Dark Angel is close and my silver wolf awaits me.’

Together they sank to the ground by the Altar Stone in a dark, groaning heap as the black shadow moved in and hovered over them. Engulfing the three brothers in his deep, cold wings, the Dark Angel silently ushered them to the Otherworld.

28

I
t was the Dark Moon of December, falling towards the beginning of the month, and Leveret was on her way to the Great Barn with her mother. Maizie had tried to stop her going, but Leveret was determined to bring some normality back into her life.

‘Oh look, here comes Sylvie! Why’s she heading for the Hall? Doesn’t she realise ’tis Dark Moon?’ said Maizie, tugging at Leveret’s cloak slightly to straighten it. ‘She should’ve stayed down in the Village today.’

‘Blessings!’ said Sylvie, bending to pat Shadow’s head. His tail flickered in greeting but he stood solemnly by Leveret’s side, no longer the carefree pup he’d been before Hunter’s Moon.

‘Blessings, my dear,’ said Maizie, kissing her daughter-in-law. ‘Not joining us in the Barn?’

‘No . . . I have so much to do at the moment,’ said Sylvie, ‘I really can’t spare the time. Now that all the stuff’s been sent off to Aitch and our contract fulfilled, I don’t feel it’s strictly necessary. But it’s good to see you going down there, Leveret.’

‘Well, I don’t want everyone gossiping and saying that Jay did get me after all,’ said Leveret. ‘Mother’s done her best to stop me today, but I keep telling her that I really need to be up and about. I’m healed as well as I’ll ever be, and it’s time I began to live a normal life.’

‘It can never be normal,’ said Maizie sadly. ‘Who’ll look after you in that tower? I must be—’

‘Mother, please! You know it’s all arranged. Magpie will have the ground floor room where you are now, I’ll stay in Clip’s old bedroom in the middle, and I have Shadow too – you know how he looks after me. Between him and Magpie I’m smothered with care and attention. I’ll go to the Dining Hall for my meals and Magpie can fetch me things on a tray from the kitchens if necessary. Please – I want you to go home to the Village now. I’m sure Sylvie and the girls need you back in the cottage, don’t you, Sylvie?’

‘Oh yes, yes we do!’ she agreed quickly. ‘I’m really struggling with the range, the chickens aren’t happy without you – they’ve practically stopped laying – and you know how the girls love your cooking. I’m useless! Please come home, Maizie.’

‘Well . . . if you’re both sure ’tis the best choice.’

‘Yes!’ cried Leveret and Sylvie in unison.

Leveret and Maizie continued on their way to the Village. Finally they entered the Barn, rosy cheeked from the cold December wind that whipped along the cobbles and sighed through the skeletal branches all around the Village Green. They were late arriving and most of the menstruating women were already there, sitting around knitting the special socks for Yule and making decorations and crafts for the festival. As they walked in, with Shadow close by Leveret’s side, there was a moment of silence, then a great cheer rose to the rafters. Maizie burst into tears and Leveret stood uncertainly, suddenly scared but unable to move. Rosie came rushing over and enveloped her in a great hug, leading her little sister, with their mother in tow, over to a comfortable corner. Another woman brought them tea and sticky buns. One by one, during that morning, most of the people in the Great Barn came over to pay their respects to Leveret.

Shadow too was subject to a great deal of fuss and petting, and Meadowsweet in particular was delighted to see him.

‘How he’s grown! What a lovely boy he is. Oh Leveret, I can’t tell you how glad I am you have ‘un. He’ll be such a help, won’t he?’

‘Yes, he will. Hazel was going to arrange for someone to train him, but I don’t think he needs it. He already seems to understand what to do.’

‘I told you he were clever, didn’t I? Father’s so proud that he’s yours and not drowned.’

‘Having my Shadow has made everything seem possible,’ said Leveret simply. ‘Without him, I don’t think I’d feel half as positive.’

She stood up, and immediately Maizie heaved herself to her feet.

‘No, Mother. I need to do this for myself. I’m only going to the privy and I’m a big girl now.’

Hesitantly, she turned towards the back of the Barn and began to walk towards the lavatories. Shadow was by her side, moving at her shuffling pace, nudging her gently. Women silently moved aside as Leveret’s long blackthorn stick tapped carefully in front of her, and eventually she reached the door. She was shaking from fingertip to toe, knowing all eyes were on her, desperate not to trip over something and make a fool of herself. But she made it, and taking a deep breath, she told Shadow to sit and stay as she fumbled for the door handle.

That evening Maizie packed up all her things from the tower and returned to the Village, with promises from Hazel, Marigold, Cherry and Miranda that they’d check regularly on Leveret and make sure Magpie was looking after her properly. After her trip down to the Village, Leveret felt exhausted and unable to face the Dining Hall, so Hazel and Magpie between them brought supper trays to the tower, which Hazel stayed and shared with them.

She watched Leveret carefully eating the food that Magpie had cut up for her and praised him for his care, knowing it wasn’t that long ago he’d been unable to use a knife and fork himself. He beamed at this, then added a log to the fire, ensuring the guard was in place afterwards.

‘The boys have fixed up your intercom now, Leveret,’ said
Hazel
. ‘You’ll need to learn which button is which, but you’ll be able to buzz me, the kitchens, Miranda’s rooms and Yul’s office if you need anything. I think you’ll be fine – you’re a brave girl.’

Leveret grimaced at this.

‘Nothing brave about it really. I’m blind, that’s all there is to it.’

‘But you could’ve taken a lot longer to come to terms with it.’

‘I have Magpie and Shadow – they’re my eyes. I’m luckier than most.’

‘Hardly lucky! That Jay—’

‘Hazel, I could’ve died or been paralysed. Losing my sight seems a pretty lucky alternative to me.’

‘Malik says he’s coming to visit you soon. I know we’ve explained the prognosis for optic nerve damage and he’s pretty sure that nothing more can be done, but—’

‘Oh Hazel, you silly thing – it’s not me that lovely doctor wants to visit! I’m just an excuse.’

Hazel was quite relieved that Leveret couldn’t see her blush at this, and quickly changed the subject. They spoke of Leveret resuming her studies, particularly as Rufus was keen to work with her and willing to read aloud. They weren’t sure if it would be successful, but it was a start.

‘The main thing is that I continue all the things I promised Clip I’d do. I won’t let him down, not after the sacrifice he made for us all.’

Her voice broke and she stopped, the pain of losing him too intense. Hazel sighed and squeezed Leveret’s hand. Like everyone, she was still reeling from the shock of Clip’s death less than six weeks ago. When his and Martin’s bodies had been discovered in the Stone Circle the morning after Samhain, the entire community had gone into mourning. Clip had been well loved by almost everyone at Stonewylde. Leveret had been spared the horrific news for a couple of days, but as soon as she returned to Stonewylde from the hospital, she had to be told. Her reaction – on top of the news that she was highly unlikely ever to regain her sight – had been to retreat into herself. She refused to eat or
talk
for a while, remaining silent in her world of darkness and despair.

Sylvie had tried her best, but it was Yul who’d hauled her out of the slough of hopelessness. He’d sat with her and insisted on reading aloud the letter that Clip had left for her explaining his actions and saying goodbye. Until then she’d refused to let anyone touch it; she couldn’t bear to hear what Clip had wanted to tell her. As Yul read falteringly the words intended for Leveret alone, his voice had broken, and he’d struggled to reach the end of the eloquent, loving farewell. Together they’d wept, holding each other tightly in a way they hadn’t done since she was a small child. The letter was heart-breaking, all the more so because when Clip had written it just a few days after her accident at Quarrycleave, he’d had no idea that Leveret would never read it for herself.

It was now common knowledge that Clip, after finally visiting a consultant during the trip to London, had been diagnosed with advanced cancer. He had little time left and would never roam the world as he’d hoped. Clip had understood what was happening with Martin – he’d been shown this during his journey at the Hunter’s Moon, but had suspected it much earlier. Unless Martin was stopped, Magus’ spirit would be made flesh and the shadows at Stonewylde would become deeper and darker, engulfing the community in a long winter of tyranny.

Leveret could understand this, but what added to the pain of losing Clip was the knowledge that it was she who’d prepared the Wolfsbane that killed him. He’d mentioned this in the letter, saying how Mother Heggy had directed her to prepare it especially for him and for this purpose, knowing how fast-working and final the poison was. Yul spent a long time reassuring Leveret that it wasn’t her fault, and preparing the Wolfsbane had not, as she feared, put the idea into Clip’s head. She had simply followed Mother Heggy’s bidding and made the whole thing quick and simple for him.

Yul too was deeply affected by the death. He’d been the last person to see Clip alive and he remembered the glorious gong
playing
. All the time he’d been with Clip in his tower, his uncle had known he was living his last hours, and yet he’d wanted to do something special for Yul. What finally made Leveret rouse herself out of her depression was Yul imploring her to resume her mantle of Shaman and Wise Woman, because that was what Clip had wished for above all else. He’d entrusted Leveret to continue caring for the folk and she mustn’t betray that trust, else his death would have been in vain.

As Hazel watched Leveret, who, with no obvious damage to her eyes, looked so normal, she again felt a surge of respect for the young girl who was determined to honour her promises to Clip. What Leveret hadn’t told anyone – for who could possibly understand? – was what had happened when she first came home to Stonewylde and Magpie had come to visit. He’d walked into her little room in the hospital wing, and the nurse and Maizie had left them alone for a moment of privacy. At the sight of her, bandaged around the head and with her wrist strapped up, Magpie had fallen to his knees by the bedside dissolving into the terrible sobs that overwhelmed him at times of great distress.

Leveret had struggled in her darkness to sit up and locate him, and found his arms and head resting on the bed as he knelt on the floor.

‘Magpie, please! I’m alive and I’m not going to die, so you mustn’t cry like this. You saved my life, dear Maggie, and now we’ll always be together, you and me, just like I’ve always said we would be. You’ll be my carer, won’t you?’

He’d grabbed hold of her good hand, tears streaming down his cheeks and completely beside himself with emotion, and as they held hands, suddenly . . . there’d been an explosion inside her head. She saw the bed with its pretty cover and the hospital room. She saw herself, small and very bruised, her head a funny colour where she’d been painted with antiseptic, stitches in her wounds, bandages wrapped around and some of her hair shaved. And in that moment she realised that she may have lost her own sight, but when she held his hand, she would always have Magpie’s to share.

Three people were leaving Stonewylde to live in the Outside World, and they were going before Yule. At the Council of Elders meeting just before Owl Moon in November, Rowan had announced that she and Faun were moving to London, and were taking Swift with them. It transpired that Rowan had been in close touch via e-mail with Rainbow, Buzz and Holly, as had Swift and Martin.

It had been a difficult meeting, with two key members now absent and Sylvie acting as if she wished Yul weren’t present either. By common consensus, the great carved chair had remained empty in honour of Clip’s memory. Christopher, the lawyer, had sat in Martin’s place and gently explained some of the intricacies of the new regime. The charity was now in existence and after Yule, surveys of the buildings and facilities would begin as a first step towards setting up the healing centre at Stonewylde. At Miranda’s request, Christopher had also joined the Board of Trustees in an administrative role, for she knew the minutiae of the legal side of things were beyond most folk’s understanding, herself included.

With Martin gone and everyone feeling the loss of Clip, it should have been a less confrontational meeting than usual. But Rowan had been rather aggressive when she made her announcement, and had refused Christopher’s offer of advice about Faun’s share of her father’s company. She said that Buzz had it all in hand and she trusted him more than she trusted any friend of Miranda’s. Faun was to attend a drama school and Rowan was very excited about this. Dawn was concerned about Rowan, knowing that for all her success at Stonewylde, she’d struggle in the Outside World.

Dawn feared it would all end badly, and mentioned this when she, Miranda and Sylvie met at a later date. The three women sat together in Sylvie’s office. Dawn was heavily pregnant with the baby due between Imbolc and the Spring Equinox, and although she still taught at the Village School, nowadays she was more involved behind the scenes. Rowan leaving so suddenly would
have
a big impact on the Nursery and they needed to recruit someone to step into her shoes; nobody who currently worked there wanted the responsibility of leadership. David still had contacts in the Outside World and the interviewing process must begin soon; it was always difficult to find teachers who were not only talented but also in sympathy with the Stonewylde ethos. As a long term solution, Sylvie realised that it would be helpful to encourage more of their school-leavers into teaching careers.