Solstice at Stonewylde (14 page)

‘She wouldn’t do that!’

‘Well, the poor woman has good cause to.’

‘Aye, but then she’d be no better than those two old hags, Violet and Vetchling, and their nasty brews.’

‘I’d poison him myself if I could,’ muttered Rosie.

‘Rosie! Don’t say such things!’ said Maizie sharply. ‘He’ll get his justice for what he’s done to Yul without your hand in it.’

Sylvie glanced up at them and saw the naked hatred on Rosie’s face.

‘What did he do to Yul?’ she asked. ‘You mean at the quarry last summer?’

‘No!’ said Rosie, almost choking as she tried to explain. ‘What he did at Samhain.’

‘When he took Yul into the Stone Circle?’

‘No, before that, when he had our Yul at his mercy in the byre. He burnt him.’

The group of women and girls stopped their sewing and looked sympathetically across at Rosie’s flushed face. Maizie nodded, her eyes hard and bitter.

‘Round burns the size o’ your little fingernail,’ she said. ‘Jackdaw did it, Yul told us, when we noticed the marks all over his back, his arms and chest – he’s covered in burns. Jackdaw did it just for fun, Yul said. My poor, poor boy …’

Tom’s daughter put an arm around her.

‘Don’t you fret, Maizie. That Jackdaw will be taken by the Angel, you’ll see. There’s justice in this world, and not only at Magus’ bidding.’

‘Aye, and I’d like to see him dead too.’

The women fell silent, bending their heads over their sewing once more as the ripples of this shocking comment reverberated amongst them. Now it had been said openly, and by a woman who’d always loved him. The dark clouds were gathering and Sylvie shuddered, thinking of the pitiful lock of silver hair in the Wise Woman’s withered hands.

Knowing that his mother and sister would be in the Barn for most of the day, Yul slipped out of the cottage to visit Mother Heggy. He wasn’t as strong as he’d thought and was pale and
exhausted by the time he arrived. She fussed over him, sitting him down and making a reviving brew in the old stone mug.

‘You have but two weeks to get your strength back, boy,’ she told him. ‘He mustn’t take her to Mooncliffe this next Moon Fullness for he must be as weak as possible when the Solstice comes in December. So no moon magic this month.’

‘I know,’ said Yul, worriedly. ‘I need to organise it properly this time. Will I be well enough by then?’

‘Aye, I reckon so if you get up to the Circle, my lad. That’ll help, sunrise and sunset and this time o’ year, ‘tis easy enough with the days getting so short. Keep yourself warm, for you’ll feel the cold in your bones for a while yet.’

Yul sat back, closing his eyes. He was so weary, and even when resting and sleeping he worried about Sylvie and the next full moon. He couldn’t let her down again.

‘I can’t take her to Hare Stone, can I? That’s the first place he’d look.’

‘No, you must get her far away, somewhere he won’t find her, but nowhere near Quarrycleave. That’s a place of death and the big stone there at the head of the quarry, ’tis the same as the stone at Mooncliffe. ‘Twill hold her moon magic just like the other one does and ’tis where he got the rock to make those stone eggs.’

Yul felt angry just thinking about the eggs. He’d love to smash the chest open and steal them away – that’d give Magus a nasty shock when he came for a fresh one to boost his dwindling energy.

Mother Heggy chuckled, and patted his arm.

‘Now you’re thinking a-right, my boy. It must be your plan, not mine, and you must use your wits. You may have the Earth Magic in you, but Magus is still bigger and stronger than you. So use your mind to outwit him, get things ready aforehand and think it clear. Use the man’s own greed against him.’

‘What about Jackdaw? He’s very strong and he’s as cruel as Magus. Much as I’d like to, I can’t take both of them on at once.’

‘Those who stand against you will fall, one by one.’

‘You mean Jackdaw?’

She chuckled and shooed him out of the cottage.

‘Go home, sleep, eat and get strong. Make your plans and let me get on with my banishing spell.’

After lunch in the Barn, Sylvie and Rosie along with many of the women went outside for a walk around the Green before resuming the afternoon’s work.

‘I’m pleased to speak alone,’ said Rosie. ‘Yul gave me a message for you this morning. He said to meet him under the tree afore you go back to the Hall tonight.’

Sylvie smiled and nodded, wishing again that he could read and write.

‘I’ve got some medicine from Mother Heggy in my bag for Yul,’ she said. ‘I’ll give it to you to take back for him in case I forget when I see him. He has that effect on me.’

Rosie grinned at this, but then looked serious.

‘Be careful with Mother Heggy, Sylvie. And whatever happens, don’t let on to Mother that you’ve seen her. Mother has a real wasp in her shawl about Old Heggy. She reckons all of this is her fault, ‘cause if Heggy hadn’t made that prophecy, Magus would’ve taken Yul as a Hallchild and wouldn’t have turned against Mother. She’d never have been handfasted to Father and Yul would’ve grown up happy and loved. Mother blames Old Heggy for everything that’s happened and she’s told Yul he must never visit her again.’

Just then they heard a shriek of laughter and Sylvie groaned. Holly and her friends had come onto the Green and were heading their way.

‘Hey, Sylvie! Wait for us! We’d so like the pleasure of your company!’

‘You’d better go back to the Barn, Rosie, if they’re going to join me.’

‘Right enough, miss. ‘Tis not my place to butt into your Hallfolk talk and—’

‘No, no, it’s not that, Rosie! I’d much rather be with you than
any of that lot – you’re far nicer company than them. I’d just rather you didn’t get mixed up in all their nastiness. I’ll see you back inside.’

Rosie squeezed her arm sympathetically and walked off back to the Barn, ignoring the girls’ rude comments as she passed them. Sylvie quickened her pace, continuing the circuit of the Green. Holly came running up and overtook her, capering about in front of her and laughing. Holly was fit and athletic and Sylvie had a sudden memory of her leaping from the apple tree and landing on Yul, wrapping her muscular legs around his hips. She swallowed and kept her head down, forced to slow her fast strides.

The rest of them were coming up behind – July, Wren, Dawn and the group of younger girls.

‘Why are you ignoring me, Sylvie?’ asked Holly. ‘Do you only mix with scummy Villagers now?’

‘Villagers aren’t scummy!’ she said hotly.

‘Ooh! Maybe you should move out of the Hall and live in the Village if you like them so much. You’ve been sitting with Villagers all day, haven’t you?’

‘No,’ said Sylvie. ‘I sat with Hallfolk making rush mats earlier on.’

‘Not for very long. You’ve been with Yul’s mother and sister most of the time, I noticed. You’re very friendly with them, aren’t you?’

‘Not especially,’ said Sylvie. ‘I just preferred making patches for the quilts, that’s all.’

‘That’s a lie – you’re very friendly with them, Sylvie, and you were even walking round the Green with Yul’s sister just now. I heard some interesting gossip this morning. I heard that you and Yul are sweethearts!’

Sylvie’s heart sank. Holly fell into step beside her as the rest of the girls caught them up, and Sylvie felt Holly’s dark eyes watching her, sizing her up.

‘So you’re not denying it then?’ she asked, spoiling for a fight.

‘I’ve got nothing to say to you!’ retorted Sylvie.

‘So
is
Yul your boyfriend? I want to know, Sylvie, and I’ll find out if I have to go and ask him myself.’

‘It’s none of your business!’

‘Ooh! I take it that’s a yes.’

‘Take it however you want, Holly.’

Sylvie strode as fast as she could, not looking at any of them, her long silver hair wafting around her as she marched doggedly on around the Green. She was now taller than Holly by quite a way and despite Holly’s slim fitness, Sylvie’s legs were much longer so Holly had to trot to keep up with her.

‘We’re sick of this, Sylvie,’ said July. ‘You know that Holly’s keen on Yul. Why are you stealing another of her boyfriends?’

‘Yeah, you’re just a prize bitch really,’ said Wren. ‘First you take Buzz away from her – when you didn’t even want him – and now you’re taking Yul away too.’

Despite intending to ignore them, Sylvie found herself drawn into the argument.

‘Have I missed something?’ she asked. ‘Is Yul actually your boyfriend then, Holly? How can I take him away from you if he’s not?’

‘Shut up, you cow!’ snarled Holly.

‘Why? Because what I’m saying is true? I heard Yul won’t go anywhere near you and can’t stand the sight of you. That’s got nothing to do with me.’

‘Yes it has! He was keen enough till you arrived! It’s like Buzz, all over again!’

‘You’re so greedy, Sylvie,’ said Rainbow. ‘First Buzz, then Magus and now Yul!’

‘Greedy for men! She can’t get enough of it!’

‘Stop it!’ said Dawn, frowning at them all. ‘There’s no need for that.’

But they started to chant and dance around Sylvie, taunting and jeering, and she was reminded sharply of her school life in London.

‘I wish you’d never come to Stonewylde!’ cried Holly, skipping along. ‘Nobody likes you! Why don’t you go back to the Outside
World and whatever hole you crawled out from?’

‘Why should I? This is my home now and I’m not going anywhere. Get used to it, Holly!’

‘We don’t want you here! Don’t you realise how unpopular you are?’

‘It’s your fault Buzz was banished! And now you’ve got your hooks into Yul, just because Holly wants him. You better leave off him, Sylvie!’ warned July.

‘Yeah, and Magus too!’ said Wren, still besotted after her stint as the Corn Mother at Lammas.

‘You can’t have them both!’ cried Holly. ‘It’s not fair! Goddess knows what they see in you anyway, a skinny beanpole like you! Does Magus know about you and Yul? I bet he doesn’t! I might just tell him. He’d be furious and it’d serve you right!’

Sylvie stopped. She was almost back at the Barn now and must deal with this situation, although she wasn’t sure how.

‘Look, Holly, if you’re really interested in Yul you won’t repeat any of this to Magus. I’m not the one he’d be furious with and he’ll just take it out on Yul. You must’ve heard what happened at Samhain, so if you like him you won’t say anything. Unless you want him to suffer?’

‘Don’t be stupid, of course I don’t!’

‘Then leave me alone and stop stirring it up!’

‘You haven’t heard the last of this!’ Holly hissed as the crowd of girls swept in through the massive doors.

As the afternoon drew in and the light began to fade, the women in the Barn packed away their projects ready for the following morning. The Barn was used every night by different groups and everything had to be left tidy. The rushes and patchwork quilts were put to one side, along with the flax for spinning and the wool for felt-making. The women bid each other a good evening, and the Villagers hurried home to get the supper cooking. The Hallfolk were not so rushed as the servants had left earlier and would be busy on their behalf up at the Hall.

As they left the Barn the sky was pink and pearly to the southwest where the sun was setting. The birds still sang up in the
great circle of trees that surrounded the Village Green, and Sylvie thought of the professor and all that he’d told her about the history of this part of Stonewylde. She remembered the great carved wooden face set into the wall of the pub, and the photo of Yul the professor had given her back in late summer. That photo was her most treasured possession, capturing something very magical that not many had seen, but Sylvie knew that Yul was the embodiment of the Green Man and all that he represented at Stonewylde.

She smiled to herself, remembering the funny little professor. They’d kept in touch since he’d left in August, e-mailing each other occasionally, and she must write again. He knew nothing yet about Samhain’s terrible events and Magus’ revelation, and she felt he should as he’d made it clear that he was on her and Yul’s side. It was obvious that Stonewylde meant everything to him and she thought again how cruel Magus was, only allowing him back for a few weeks a year. The old man would’ve loved to spend his last years back in the place where he’d grown up and where he belonged. There were plenty of empty rooms at the Hall and he was no burden to anyone. Sylvie vowed that when Magus had gone, she’d make sure Professor Siskin was invited to return to Stonewylde for good.

The sky was now soft violet and grey; the sunset a vivid flamingo pink. The air was quite mild for November and Sylvie stood outside the Barn and breathed deeply. A stable hand had arrived with one of the large painted carts pulled by two horses, which were used to transport Hallfolk between the Hall and Village. Several Hallfolk women climbed in and settled themselves on the padded seats. Sylvie watched the cart roll away across the cobbles, soon overtaking the large group of women who’d chosen to walk the distance up the track to the Hall. She heard the gang of girls up ahead, still making too much noise in the quiet evening, and breathed a sigh of relief.