Unlikely Allies

by Davina Jolley

  ‘Shall we?’ Primrose nodded towards the door, ‘Together?’

  Elina nodded in agreement and together they approached the door, Elina turned the handle gingerly, unsure what she was about to find.

  ‘This wasn’t here before,’ Primrose said, ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘Maybe the Tree wants me here too,’ Elina said, ‘Perhaps it wants us to be together. I’m not so sure what to think. What do you think?’

  ‘I think, I will give up thinking, this Tree takes it too seriously,’ Primrose laughed. Elina looked confused.

  ‘You think it and the Tree carries it out. You’ll see if you decide to stay,’ she explained.

  Together they opened the door.

  In front of them, another stairway spiralled upwards. Together both girls, trailing their fingers on the smooth, polished walls, climbed the stairs to find another room. Against the wall, they saw a four-poster bed hung with lemon, gauzy drapes. A homely duvet with yellow and white hexagons adorned a deep, soft mattress and a thick piled lemon carpet cushioned their feet.

  Another set of stairs led to a bathroom with white fixings; once more the wooden floor and walls were polished to a high finish, revealing the real beauty of the Ancient Tree. Thick yellow towels hung on rails and the scent of freesias filled the air - Elina’s favourite scent.

  ‘This place continues to amaze me every day,’ Primrose said seriously. ‘I think the Tree means for you to stay and that you’re not meant to return to the cottage. Something or someone could be waiting for you.’

  ‘What or who on earth could possibly be waiting for me?’ Elina exclaimed with surprise.

  ‘Vile Vi, possibly. Also, I have a letter you need to read downstairs that might explain things,’ Primrose replied.

  As they returned to Elina’s bedroom, it was Primrose’s turn to point. Three items had magically appeared on the bed while they had been upstairs - another Ancient Tome, a letter and a silver bracelet. Elina looked at Primrose, as she gently pushed her towards the bed:

  ‘Read the letter, Lina, meet me downstairs later.’

  Elina sat on the bed, she picked up the silver bracelet and placed it on her left hand and admired the pure diamond that was edged in gold. It resembled the rose she had been named after and it was extremely beautiful.

  She removed her scarf and was amazed to see how wonderfully they complimented each other. Her hand stretched towards the letter. She recognised her mother’s writing and could smell the sweet perfume of roses on the envelope, her mother’s favourite perfume. Finally, she turned her eyes towards the Ancient Tome. It was embossed with gold lettering and runes and titled, ‘Harnessing the Mind’.

  She reached for the letter and opened it with nervous fingers, praying that Primrose was not playing some kind of horrible trick on her.

  Elina started to read the letter.

  Dearest Daughter,

  I love you so much, but I feel so guilty. I should have told you about Primrose and warned you of the magic you might have possessed. What I did to Primrose will weigh heavily on my mind forever. I failed to protect both of you. I was too weak. When I saw you fall to the ground my world collapsed, how could I have not seen the magic growing within you?

  Having you was a blessing, a fantastic surprise for both your father and me. You gave us such joy, such happiness, a chance of motherhood and one I felt I did not deserve. It wasn’t until my death that I remembered our first tragic loss. Your father and I lost our first child in that horrendous flood many years ago, along with your Aunt Evelyn (my youngest sister), who was looking after you that night. Darius, my brother, also disappeared that night.

  Even now, your father doesn’t know what became of our child or Evelyn. We believed them to be safe inside the protection of the Ancient Tree.

  There is so much I should have told you, but I felt you were too young to believe in the magic that surrounded us, as well as the danger that threatened us back then and now.

  All I ever wanted to do was to protect you and keep you safe.

  Be on your guard always my love. Let others earn your trust, and be guided by your inner self.

  As you know, my memory was lost during the flood, so many important things lost and forgotten and for so long. Fragments of my past returned bit by painful bit, a jigsaw of jumbled pieces, but some are still lost to me.

  When Primrose turned up that day, full of anger and contempt, I believed the Darkness was threatening us once more. I panicked and regretfully took drastic action: I turned her to stone.

  Now, I know that Primrose was on the point of ‘flaring’, her Dark Magic was too strong for her to control, and without the proper guidance, she was unable to control her emotions.

  My heart goes out to her, she had so much to deal with and deserved better from Violette and myself. But who am I to criticise? I too, missed your growing magic and your ‘flaring’ - what sort of a mother was I?

  Primrose needed my help that day and my compassion, not an unjustifiable reaction based on the fear of past events.

  Oh yes, Elina, my dearest, I am still close by and my memory is being repaired slowly. Some of the things I am learning about myself are coming as a bit of a shock, but know this one important thing, the love I hold for you is endless and we will see each other again and soon. But at present I am forbidden to tell you how or when.

  In fact, my mother will be annoyed when she finds out that I have written this to you. She will call it a breach of safety.

  If ever you meet Primrose, please ask her to forgive me, tell her I did love her too and that I should have stood up to Violette. I was not strong enough to cope with my fears and the Dark Magic I possessed. Do not be scared of Primrose, I know there is good in her too; all she needs is a good friend.

  Be certain that your father and I love you with all our hearts and souls, even to the furthest stars and back.

  ‘Til we meet again …

  P.S. Wear your bracelet at all times for your protection. When you meet your father again, he will answer all of your questions.

  Read the Tome from start to finish, no skipping, just like we always shared our books together.

  This letter needs to be destroyed or hidden well: rules have been broken: I should not have done this during these dangerous times.

  As Elina gently re-folded the letter and returned it to the envelope, she felt the gentlest of kisses on her forehead, just like her mother used to do and the smell of roses intensified. As tears slowly slid down her cheeks, she looked up and spoke to the air around her, ‘I love you too. I know you always did what was best for me. Don’t feel guilty; just know that I love you to the Milky Way and back again.’

  Looking around, Elina breathed in the lingering smell of roses, comforted in the knowledge that somewhere her mother was alive and watching over her, but best of all her mother was also being cared for by those who loved her. Elina had also made an important decision - she would stay with Primrose, she would give her a chance like her mother wanted, but forgiving and trusting her was a different thing altogether.

  Returning downstairs to Primrose, Elina’s nose caught the appetising aroma of her mother’s hearty broth. She placed the letter and the Ancient Tome onto the kitchen table, next to a steaming bowl of broth and a plate of freshly, baked bread. She smiled warmly at Primrose.

  ‘You OK?’ Primrose asked.

  ‘I’m OK,’ Elina answered, ‘but I think you should read this.’

  Elina gently pushed her letter across the table to Primrose, while Primrose reached into her pocket and gently pushed her own letter towards Elina.

  ‘On the condition you read mine as well. I discovered it on my first day here. I believe there should be no secrets between us now. It will help us to learn to trust each other. But first we eat because I’m starving, just like those two,’ Primrose said nodding at Dilly and Shadow and t
rying to dispel some of the tension that might still linger between them.

  ‘You did all this?’ Elina asked; looking at their meal and the food the wolves were noisily tucking into.

  Primrose raised her eyebrows at Elina and chuckled, ‘I wish! Do I look like a cook? The Tree did it!’ She laughed further as Elina looked dumbfounded.

  A wave of suspicion flickered over Elina’s face; she had nearly been poisoned once. She was unsure whether to believe Primrose or not.

  ‘Now, now, Lina, you need to at least try and trust me,’ Primrose said, pretending to be offended, ‘Test it out, think of a food, remember to ask nicely and see what happens.’

  In the middle of the table, a huge chocolate gateau appeared with a jug of fresh cream.

  ‘Not bad for a first attempt,’ Primrose said approvingly.

  ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t turn black and gooey,’ Elina laughed and then turned serious for a moment, ‘And I agree, no secrets.’

  As they ate, Primrose described how she had met Orion and Ebony, eluded Victor, slept with otters and eventually found and entered her new home.

  ‘Strange about the brown rat,’ Elina said when Primrose finished her tale. ‘When I left the apartment, one nearly tripped Shadow up. It was really funny. Shadow didn’t know whether to eat it or chase it, but the rat just stared at us, showing no signs of distress. It was such a strange moment that even my scarf seemed to give me a hug.’

  It was then that Elina remembered Primrose’s scarf, and she removed her scarf from her neck to show her. ‘My mother made me this, it warned me when Violette gave me that cake, but it acted differently with the rat and when you were close by. My mother also made you one too, my father was supposed to give it to you, but it has disappeared. Dawn said it was beautiful and she was cross with my father for losing it.’

  Primrose was surprisingly touched to know that Briony had made something special for her, especially after the rudeness she had shown her.

  ‘Who’s Dawn?’ Primrose asked.

  ‘A Tawny owl. She is acting as a messenger between everyone that’s out looking for a girl with a stone foot,’ Elina grinned at Primrose.

  ‘It would seem that I’m causing quite a bit of trouble. At first, I was so angry at what was done to me; all I wanted to do was disappear and think of ways of punishing everyone. Now, I’m living proof that some of my wishes can come true: I can disappear at will and go anywhere, and no one will ever see me, but my priorities have changed drastically. Even my right foot starts to feel heavy and begins to ache if I decide to do the wrong thing, so I have to be nice, there’s no way I want that back!’

  Primrose paused for a while, deep in thought, she then continued more seriously, ‘I still want you to read some of my diary. It might help you understand what I was like once, and it might help you to trust me,’ she added, looking at Elina hopefully.

  ‘Talking about how you were back then, my mother’s letter explains why you could have been acting the way you did. Shall we exchange letters?’ Elina suggested gently.

  After reading the letters both girls looked at each other, confusion written across their faces. They swapped letters and laid them down on the table next to each other.

  ‘The writing is the same…’ they both said in unison.

  ‘Who am I?’ Primrose cried, ‘Does this mean Briony is my mother and Violette, my aunt, or is she something else entirely!’

  ‘Primrose,’ Elina said, standing up, and before she knew it she had put her arms around her, to give her some comfort, ‘you are, Primrose. That secret drawer you spoke about will only open for you or your mother.’

  At first Primrose accepted Elina’s attempt to calm her, but then she began to feel a deep sense of confusion and betrayal. She stepped away:

  ‘Perhaps someone is playing with my mind,’ she remarked seriously and looked suspiciously at Elina.

  ‘Remember, Primrose, trust has to work both ways,’ Elina replied, with a slight edge to her voice. Once more Elina reacted without a thought and placed her hands directly on Primrose’s heart, just as she did to the statue on that fateful day not so long ago. Her own heart beat in time with Primrose’s.

  Next, she placed her hands on both sides of Primrose’s head and looked directly into her confused eyes. Elina removed her hands and sat down. She was shaken by what she had seen and felt.

  ‘Well?’ Primrose demanded, mystified and suspicious at Elina’s behaviour, ‘What exactly was the point of all of that?’

  ‘No one’s playing with your mind…’ Elina replied quietly, but could not quite hide a slight smile, ‘there’s nothing there.’

  ‘Not the time for joking, Lina,’ Primrose returned equally quietly.

  ‘Well, sister, you’d better get used to it.’

  ‘Sisters?’

  ‘Sisters!

  Both girls, caught up in the moment, forgot their suspicions and hugged each other tightly. Then embarrassed at their show of emotion, they quickly let each other go. One minute they had been potential enemies and now they might possibly become friends. They laughed awkwardly. Dilly and Shadow picking up on the change in Elina’s and Primrose’s attitude towards each other began to howl happily, if somewhat out of tune.

  ‘But how, what did you see?’ Primrose asked.

  ‘I saw two images and felt one. Violette cast some kind of appearance spell on you whilst you slept in the cradle and then took you from the Tree.’

  ‘And what did you feel?’

  ‘An extremely, strong blood connection. I’m certain we are not cousins, the connection was just too powerful; add that to the image I saw, the letters, the cradle’s secret drawer and the welcome the Tree has given to us both… I can only conclude that Violette swapped babies on the night of the flood and that we are… sisters! You are the child that my mother lost all those years ago!’

  15. The brown rat returns home

  As dawn finally won its battle over the night, the brown rat with the black, beady eyes arrived at Briony’s favourite spot and rested a while beside the river. As colour and light were quickly returning to this world and the shadows were disappearing, the rat could not afford to be late. She sat on her back legs, sniffed the air, looked carefully around, and hastened quickly through the primroses to the granite plinth, where the coffin had once lain. The rat disappeared quickly under the roses and gathered the item it had hidden there earlier.

  Suddenly, surrounded by a blinding, white light the brown rat felt both comfort and love; her eyes unaccustomed to the brightness blinked rapidly. The rat was not at all scared. She knew she was being scanned, as was the custom. Her body, mind, soul and even the pouch fastened to her back were being meticulously checked, along with the last item she had picked up.

  The rat waited patiently for the ritual to be completed. She knew her deeds of the last few weeks were being fully replayed and analysed. If necessary, these would be discussed later. The rat relaxed, glad to be home.

  Home was a safe place, a sanctum for the peaceful souls of five ghosts and one human. A great injustice had been done to two magicians and their two friends many years ago at the hands of the greatest wizard ever to have lived. Since then, they had been banished, as ghosts, to an underworld home called the Sanctum. A human child, now grown, had arrived on the night of the Great Flood and more recently another ghost had arrived on the night of the last Full Moon.

  The soft voice of Forrestiana, the oldest female soul, floated in the air, ‘You may fetch your familiar, Sweet Briar; the scan has been completed.’

  No footsteps sounded as Briony approached the rat. The gentle swish of a long, white dress swept the white, marble floor and an old soul bent down to retrieve the brown rat, her familiar. All magicians had a familiar, an animal that chose to stay and help them with tasks; familiars could also leave whenever they wished. They were allowed to have free choice.

/>   The rat looked adoringly into the bright eyes of Briony, her ethereal form shimmered in the soft candlelight and her beautiful face was framed by a mass of ghostly, shiny curls; her eyes twinkled merrily at her. To the rat, she was the kindest, most beautiful, magical being in the whole world.

  In this world, a soul may be old but outwardly could appear as young as they wished.

  ‘You did well, Sharna, everyone is pleased,’ Briony said gently, ‘now, let’s get you more comfortable.’

  Briony took the package from Sharna’s mouth and undid the pouch from her back. She was amazed to see that Sharna’s teeth had not torn the fine tissue paper that covered Primrose’s scarf. Next, she retrieved the bracelet from the pouch and held it to the light and smiled. She had thought it had been lost to her forever.

  A soft kiss was placed on the rat’s head.

  As Briony was about to place the pouch in her pocket, she noticed something else glint within its folds - a small, silver clasp!

  Resting on Briony’s shoulders, Sharna spoke, ‘I found it at the base of the Ancient Tree and thought it might be of some significance.’

  ‘You were right to bring it, Sharna, the markings are familiar, but my memory fails me - my mother, though, will have knowledge of its creator.’

  Briony walked soundlessly along a white marble corridor lined with pedestals that were topped with cut crystal vases filled with bouquets of sweet-smelling roses. The rat felt her nose tickle with the heady perfume but knew the sensation would cease as soon as they entered the Hall.

  Their way was lit by perfumed candles that flickered happily on silver etched sconces; Sharna’s head started to swim. Briony passed her hand gently across Sharna’s body and the feeling was gone. The rat had not said a word concerning her discomfort. Sharna rubbed her head against Briony’s neck, her way of saying thank you.

  Thirteen chairs were positioned around the outer edge of a large circle in the middle of the Great Hall. The circle was known as the Circlet and possessed great magic. The circumference was decorated richly with ancient Celtic symbols and each chair stood in a magical circle of its own. In the middle of the Circlet was another ornate circle, from which radiated lines to each of the thirteen chairs. Inside that inner circle stood an old oak table upon which a solitary red cushion rested.