Tree Slayer

by Harriet Springbett

  “The sheep don’t need me. They’ve got Patou. I’m coming with you,” he said.

  The word ‘boyfriend’ kept popping up in his mind. It distracted him from arguing his case and from thinking of the consequences of her not needing him for the rest of her mission. Of course she had a boyfriend, even though she’d never mentioned him. But he, Eole, was her soulmate. A soulmate was more important than a boyfriend. He belonged with her, because if he didn’t, where else could he belong, apart from on the top of the mountains where he wasn’t needed? Not at home, and not at university, yet.

  She demanded directions to his house, and he reluctantly explained. He wouldn’t get out of the car there. She couldn’t force him.

  They stopped in the yard. Rainbow jumped out and opened his door. Darwie escaped with a yelp, ran around sniffing places and then came back, wagging his tail. The fencing equipment was still piled beside the barn. Alexandra came out of the cheese room and said hello to Rainbow, who explained she’d brought Eole home.

  He sat in the car.

  Alexandra came around to his door and talked at him. Rainbow explained that he’d got it into his head that he was coming home with her. Alexandra put on her surprised face, followed quickly by her disapproving face.

  “Eole can’t travel. He’s–” she paused. “Special. He’s not ready to go anywhere he doesn’t know. Come on, darling, out you get.”

  He stayed where he was.

  “Listen, Eole,” said Rainbow. “We can talk on the phone. I can come back to visit you. We’ll see each other again.”

  He looked at his twitchy feet. He could feel imaginary roots curled up under the soles. They started to uncurl and creep towards the earth.

  “Just look at those fencing posts,” said Alexandra. “They’re dying for you to deal with them.”

  “I’m going with Rainbow to her commune,” he said. “I’m her soulmate. I must stay with her.”

  “Darling, you live here. You wouldn’t be happy with people like that. It’s ungodly.”

  “Very ungodly,” said Rainbow. “And totally unscientific.”

  Alexandra continued: “Not to mention that you’d have to live with a group of people you don’t know. You’d be lost without your routines. We’d worry about you. And I’m sure they couldn’t take Charles.”

  “Who?” asked Rainbow.

  “Charles. His dog,” said Alexandra, which made Rainbow smile. Darwie had come back to the car and was sitting on the ground with his head on Eole’s lap.

  Eole didn’t care if the commune was ungodly and unscientific and full of strange people. His place was with Rainbow, like Darwie’s place was with him. Alexandra opened her mouth to pile on more reasons for him to feel sweaty, so he quickly intervened:

  “They have lots of animals so Darwie will be fine, and I’ll stay in my tent so I won’t have to live with strangers, and Domi will tell me where the voices come from and I don’t need to ask your permission anyway because I’m eighteen and I’m adopted, now you’ve finally told me the truth, so I don’t belong here, and anyway you don’t have any legal authority over me and you can’t stop me – so, Rainbow, get back in the car because we need to get going, and–”

  Rainbow was making the T-sign, but he’d been staring at Darwie’s grainy black nose while she spoke, and he only noticed when he looked up. Alexandra’s mouth made an ‘O’ shape.

  “Darling, the voices come from God and this is your home. You belong here. Stop being silly. That’s enough, now. You must let this young lady go.”

  Rainbow drummed on her chin with her fingers.

  “It’s true that Domi could hypnotise you and find out why you hear voices,” she said. She glanced at Alexandra and added: “Maybe he would confirm that it is God.”

  She gave a long speech about Domi’s ‘inner voice’ courses, and took a flyer from the glove box and gave it to Alexandra. Alexandra shoved it into her apron pocket without reading it.

  “This is ridiculous, Eole. You were perfectly happy here until this girl came along. Now get out the car.”

  She nudged Darwie away with her leg, reached forward, and put her hand firmly on his arm.

  He didn’t mean to do it.

  He didn’t do it.

  It was his arm that shook her off and made her sprawl backwards onto the ground. He knew his arm had done a bad thing, but he didn’t care, and he heard Rainbow gasp and he heard her help Alexandra get up, but he couldn’t see anything because his eyes were squeezed closed and he was trying to pull up the roots and trying to send them deeper into the earth at the same time, and it was too difficult to do both, and Rainbow was talking about someone called Guillaume who’d stayed in the commune, and Alexandra went quiet and Rainbow told Alexandra that she’d look after him and that she’d call when they arrived and that Alexandra could come and get him in a few days, and Alexandra used her steamroller voice and argued and said nasty things about influence and taking advantage and soulmates and hypnotism and spiritual people, and she called Rainbow bad names, and Rainbow’s voice was like an icicle down his back, and Darwie jumped into the car and sat on his feet and licked his hand and Alexandra shouted, and then Rainbow sat beside him again and muttered swear words under her breath and she leant across and shut his door and the engine started and his roots were wrenched up by the movement of the car as it screeched out of the yard, and he felt too tired to continue monitoring everything, and …

  Chapter 16

  Rainbow drove gently around the Val d’Azun bends so as not to wake Eole. She was still trembling. She hadn’t expected Eole to be so violent, especially with his own mother – even if Alexandra was a narrow-minded, interfering busybody. She felt sorry for Alexandra: the adoption was obviously a thorny subject, though part of her – the Mary part – thought it served Alexandra right for lying.

  It wasn’t a bad idea to take Eole with her for a few days. She could make sure he kept his promise not to conjure up a storm. At Le Logis he wouldn’t suffer from the stupid stares he’d had from people on the campsite. And Domi might help him understand the source of his voices.

  Eole slept for most of the journey northwards past the increasingly devastated woodlands, which gave Rainbow time to open the box in her mind and peep at Christophe and Thierry. Chris had made a mistake. Anyone could make a mistake. The important thing was that he still loved her. Their ten-day break may even have been good for them, and now he knew he didn’t love Emilie, things could go back to normal. This was less likely to be the case with Thierry, who’d probably found someone to replace her. She left Thierry in the box and let Christophe creep out. Everything would be fine, and in a few hours she would see her gorgeous Apple and Acorn.

  They arrived in Cognac at lunchtime. The sight of the stormravaged trees shocked her once again, especially now she knew the source of the storm – and though she pointed out the damage his gale had done, Eole didn’t respond. It was appalling to think that all this destruction had been caused because one boy lost his temper with a chestnut tree that hadn’t even chosen to fall on Tintin. Such huge power shouldn’t be allowed in one person, even if it was the Tree Slayer and not Eole who’d caused the damage. He mustn’t ever lose his temper like that again.

  Christophe’s motorbike was parked at the commune, which meant he hadn’t brought the kittens. Now she was so close to seeing him, she was nervous – as was Mary. The apprentice’s shadow hung over them. Even if Christophe regretted his decision, he’d still chosen Emilie over her. Could things ever be the same as before?

  She waited while Eole unfolded his long legs and ventured out of the Mini. He immediately dived back inside. She was about to encourage him out when she realised he was simply getting his headphones.

  “OK?” she asked.

  “A bit better.”

  He dragged out his rucksack and held it close to his chest. She suggested he take off the headphones to meet her family, but he refused and put on his rucksack. Darwie looked happier than Eole, running backward
s and forwards, cocking his leg in the hedgerows and then trotting back to Eole. They walked around the building towards the back door, stopping for Rainbow to stroke the silver maple and tell him that Mary had disappeared here.

  It was Monday and the children, except a sick-looking Sandrine, were at school. The adults had finished lunch and were sitting around the outside table, under the parasols, drinking coffee. Christophe jumped up, sat down, stood up slowly, and finally came towards her and Eole, his hands shoved into his pockets. He looked as awkward as she felt. He was probably surprised to see her with another boy.

  “This is Eole. I’ve brought him to consult Domi,” she said quickly.

  Christophe relaxed his hunched shoulders, said hello, and held out a hand to shake Eole’s.

  Eole ignored it.

  Rainbow wasn’t sure how to greet Christophe. Should she kiss him on the lips as if nothing had changed? Or just on the cheeks, like with any friend?

  He ran his hand through his hair. He was probably asking himself the same question. She took a step towards him to kiss his cheek.

  He touched her arm and murmured an apology about his stupid choice, and then he looked into her eyes. She couldn’t resist the heat of his gaze. She didn’t want to resist. She told him they’d talk about it later, slid her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the lips. He held her tight. Mary’s happiness saturated her. Things felt exactly the same as before.

  By the time he released her, the other commune members had arrived – and Eole had retreated. She let go of Christophe, joined Eole, and whispered that everything would be fine.

  “Hi, everyone,” she said. “This is Eole and his dog, Darwie. They’re going to camp in the garden for a few days, and want to be left in peace. Eole will come and say hello to you in his own time.”

  There was a chorus of greetings, they returned to the table, and Rainbow told Eole to wait there while she said hello to everyone individually.

  Mum hugged her and told her she was looking more confident and complete.

  “What do you mean?” asked Rainbow.

  Mum shrugged. “It’s just an air about you,” she said.

  Rainbow smiled. She did feel more confident. Mum looked different too, as if Rainbow hadn’t seen her for years, not days. She seemed older and yet more childlike, and Rainbow had a flash of premonition in which she saw Mum as an old woman.

  Christophe took her arm before she could return to Eole’s side. “Is Eole the shepherd you went looking for?”

  She hesitated. If she told him she hadn’t found her soulmate, he would presume the whole vision had been a hallucination and try to discourage her from returning to the Val d’Azun to continue her search. And she’d promised not to tell anyone about Eole’s special skill.

  “Not exactly,” she said. “He’s kind of involved with the Tree Slayer. I’ll explain once he’s settled, OK?”

  She led Eole into the kitchen, where she poured him a drink and filled a dog bowl with water for Darwie. He still wouldn’t put down his rucksack. She showed him around, and when they went past Alain’s workshop he stopped and stared.

  “Can I go in?” he asked.

  “If you really want to. It’s just oily machine bits and mechanical stuff.”

  She hovered in the doorway with Darwie while Eole walked around touching the dirty tools and examining the chemistry equipment. He obviously liked the dingy workshop. She would introduce him to Alain, and then she could leave them together here while she went to see the kittens and Thierry.

  Christophe sat with her and Eole while they ate the leftovers from lunch, and she told him about her trip. Domi joined them while she was raving about the beauty of the mountains. He welcomed Eole to the commune, and when he asked if he could shake hands with him, Eole accepted. They looked into each other’s eyes. Rainbow remembered the moment she’d first met Domi and how safe his hand had felt. Did Eole sense this too? Neither of them said anything.

  Rainbow briefed Domi about the voices Eole heard, and Domi asked Eole a few easy questions about his home, his studies and his age. Eole answered with single words.

  “I’m free this afternoon, Eole, so come and see me when you’ve pitched your tent and had a rest,” said Domi. “Rainbow, can I have a word?”

  Eole watched Rainbow go into the house with Domi. His feet wanted to follow her, but she’d told him to stay and talk to Christophe. It wasn’t a suggestion, like for his headphones earlier on. It was an order.

  He hugged his rucksack between his knees and looked at the squat boy with dirty fingernails who smelt of metal and grease, and who stroked Rainbow as if she were his dog. He wished this boyfriend would stop touching his soulmate.

  “I’m Rainbow’s soulmate,” he said.

  Christophe laughed, then stopped and frowned.

  Eole felt as if he’d made an unexpectedly good chess move.

  “That’s not what she told me,” Christophe said. He flexed his biceps and stretched. “So, you’ve left your sheep to come and consult Domi, have you?”

  “Yes.”

  This Christophe obviously wasn’t very bright, because he’d listened the whole time Rainbow had explained to Domi why she’d brought him here. Rainbow was as illogical as Hestia in her choice of boyfriend. Eole considered explaining everything again, but decided against it. The more you said to the boys at school, the more ammunition you gave them to mock you. Obviously Christophe didn’t know Eole was her soulmate, because Rainbow wouldn’t tell a boyfriend something so important until she knew him well. Boyfriends only lasted for a few weeks, whereas soulmates lasted forever. And soulmates didn’t touch each other all the time, like Christophe kept doing with Rainbow.

  “Rainbow isn’t a dog, you know,” he said.

  “Um … Yes, I do know that,” said Christophe. “So what makes you think you’re her soulmate?”

  “Because I am. She told me.”

  Christophe smiled. “She did, did she?”

  “Yes.”

  Eole was pleased with his flexibility in getting into such a good conversation rhythm with a stranger. But it was pitiful to see how Christophe had to have everything repeated.

  “Look: she drew me,” he added.

  He took out her drawings from inside his Multiverse Theories book and handed them to Christophe. They showed him lying on his back, shaping clouds; directing Darwie around the flock; spraying Dizzy with antiseptic. The last drawing was an imagined one, because it showed him standing on the mountain pass blowing away storm clouds, and she hadn’t seen him do that.

  Christophe’s smile disappeared.

  Checkmate, thought Eole, and his chest swelled, even though he wasn’t breathing in.

  “The drawings are all right, I suppose,” he added, pleased he’d managed to consult Hestia about them.

  Christophe’s eyebrows shot up. “They’re a lot more than all right.” He dropped the drawings onto the table and strode towards the house.

  Rainbow wondered why Domi wanted to talk to her alone. Was he angry that she’d brought Eole without warning him first? The Mary side of her was protesting that they didn’t need Domi to tell them off. Rainbow ignored her protests: Mary was bound to dislike the person whose advice was to keep tight control of her. Domi was Rainbow’s guru. She trusted him.

  She followed him into his room, closed the door behind her, and asked what he wanted.

  “I’d like to know how you got on, and how you’re connected to Eole,” he said.

  She told him everything about her trip, apart from Eole’s secret wind gift. She didn’t mention how she’d considered pushing Eole off the mountain, either. She was too ashamed. Instead, she told him Eole’s theory about the Tree Slayer being a wind spirit that had taken advantage of the gale.

  “I can’t explain more because I promised Eole I’d keep his secret,” she said. “But I can tell you that he’s linked to the Tree Slayer.”

  Domi nodded, even though there was no way he could understand without knowing about E
ole’s incredible lungs.

  “He has a powerful aura around him,” he said. “It’s so compressed that it’s black.”

  Rainbow gasped. “Is that an aura? I saw it. I even drew it. But I didn’t know what it was. Do you think it’s the Tree Slayer’s mark?”

  “It could be,” said Domi.

  Rainbow clasped the arms of her chair, struck by a horrific thought. Her tree gift was due to a part of Amrita being inside her, so could a part of the Tree Slayer be inside Eole? Instead of being an external wind spirit, the Tree Slayer could be inside him. It would explain the black aura.

  This was far worse than she’d imagined. The Tree Slayer might be lying dormant inside him, waiting for the right moment to destroy the One Tree. As soon as she found it, the Tree Slayer would strike.

  “His inner voices might be the Tree Slayer,” she whispered.

  “Perhaps,” said Domi.

  Thank goodness she hadn’t told Eole about Koad, or about the rest of her mission. From now onwards she must be careful not to reveal anything. Or, even better, she could try to entice the Tree Slayer out and then kill it before it could creep back into Eole. Was it a malevolent spirit that possessed people, like the ones Aziz exorcised for the commune clients?

  “We must exorcise it,” she said. “Then I’d truly vanquish the Tree Slayer without hurting Eole. I bet my soulmate will only appear once I’ve got rid of the Tree Slayer. We’ll get Aziz to exorcise it, and then I can go back to the Val d’Azun and find my other half.”

  Domi was shaking his head.

  “One thing at a time, Rainbow. I’ll know more when I’ve examined him, but I won’t be able to tell you anything about my discoveries. I have to keep my sessions confidential, remember? Whatever happens, it’s important that you trust your intuition. If you keep your mission in mind and remain open to signs, you’ll make the right decisions. Talking of which, how are things with Mary?”

  If Rainbow’s suspicions about the Tree Slayer were true, she and Eole had more in common than she’d thought. She had Mary inside her, and he had the Tree Slayer.