by Jacky Gray
The chief raised his head and looked at his former friend, shaking his head slowly. ‘No.’
Talnach did not register the refusal immediately, then stared in disbelief as realisation struck him. His tone was wheedling. ‘I don’t think you understand, magister, unless I hear the message I cannot advise you. You must tell him to let me hear it.’
‘No. I will tell you what you need to know.’
‘You may not hear it all and leave out important facts.’
‘You must leave the room now so the boy can give me Albion’s message.’ Although Roldan’s expression was benign, it was not as docile as when he entered the room.
‘But I cannot leave you alone in the room; he may attack you.’
An edge of annoyance crept into the chief’s voice. ‘Am I not able to defend myself against a tethered lad?’
‘N-no sire, I did not mean …’
‘Leave us, shaman. I will be perfectly safe with this envoy. You can watch from the doorway if it pleases you.’
The dismissal was so absolute that the disgruntled priest could do nothing but bow and retreat with a stiff back, trying to retain some dignity.
This was the one part Lunella had not explained in detail and Slater trembled as he tried to think of something convincing to say. But there was no need for further fabrication. Something magical happened.
The chief seemed to grow several inches in stature, and his face took on an exact match with the man Slater had rescued from the burial cave. He spoke with a gentle authority. ‘Thank you Slater, I believe I owe you much gratitude for your part in my rescue. Lunella could not have done so well without you.’
‘I knew only that she needed time in your presence; I have no idea what she has done or how.’
‘Talnach has been controlling me with enchantments for many years now, and I was not aware of the suffering he has caused my people to endure.’ He stood. ‘Where are my manners? We have not been introduced.’ The chief bowed and put his hand on his heart. ‘I am Roldan, son of Rogan.’
Slater echoed the salute, pleased to have his suspicions confirmed. ‘I am Slater, son of Mason.’
Sitting back down, the chief glanced at the doorway where the shaman was watching every move and straining to hear. ‘Tell me your message.’
‘But – I don’t …’ Slater paused, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. His body was charged with heat which warmed his throat and radiated into the room. ‘Albion says there will never be peace in this land until the tribes of Durren and Kenit are united.’ Slater had no idea where these words came from, it was like a story he had known all his life. Roldan gestured for him to continue.
‘The chief of Durren must marry the priestess of Kenit. To seal the union, she will bring huge stones which will be used to build a temple to Solah and Lunai. This temple will be more magnificent than any in the land and will outlive man itself.’
Nodding wisely, the chief turned to look into the shadows on the side opposite to the cage and gestured Slater should come closer. The rope binding Slater’s ankles loosened, allowing him to stand in front of Roldan, who lowered his voice further. ‘I know your words are true. This is a dream I have seen many times since I was a young boy of your age. But my people would not help in such an endeavour after the way I have treated them.’
‘But it was not your fault, Sire – if you explain to them that Talnach was making you do these things, I’m sure they will understand.’
‘That is because you are young and optimistic with a good heart. I’m afraid the Durren people have known many hardships because of his greed; they will not be so ready to forgive. Am I not right, dear wicce?’
Slater gasped as Lunella stepped forward from the shadows, but the chief had cleverly positioned them so she would be hidden from sight of the doorway.
It wasn’t just that she was free, but her appearance was totally different – the matted hair was now smooth and shining, although she quickly covered it with a shawl to better blend in with the darkness – and her face …
As the wicce and chief plotted, Slater realised that although they bore strong resemblances to the people he’d met before, there were subtle differences. This was not the same Lunella he had known, but like Roldan, a descendant. A thought niggled at the back of his brain, but refused to come forward, so he focussed on the discussion of how they would orchestrate the merging of the tribes in a manner acceptable to both peoples. Their plan would reveal the shaman’s wicked misdeeds in such a way that the Durren folk would be receptive to the new order. But many of the suggestions involved harsh ordeals for the chief to undergo to prove his worth.
Slater was moved to object as the chief outlined his latest idea. ‘I think you judge your people too harshly, Sire. I am sure they would not need to see you suffer in that way. All they want is a leader they can trust and believe in and to live in peace and harmony, with their families around them and a full belly.’
‘You should listen to him Roldan, he is wise beyond his years.’
‘But how can they trust me after the terrible things Talnach has done in my name?’
‘If you show them you are a man worthy of their respect and provide them with a good reason to unite with Kenit, I’m sure there are many from both tribes who would be prepared to stand by you.’
‘You are right Lunella, this boy has the wisdom of an ancient. But now you must return.’
Even before his words were out, there was a commotion at the door and the shaman appeared with a number of guards escorting four strangers.
‘It is a trick. The wicce has kept us distracted here while her thegns have come prepared for war.’
Slater had barely time to notice there was once more a bound, hooded figure in the cage, before Roldan stood and mocked in a clear voice, ‘Thegns, Talnach? You see thegns dressed for war? I see two elders and two women who come in peace.’ He bowed to them. ‘Friends, you are welcome here.’
The shaman looked as though he had been slapped in the face and he approached Roldan, muttering under his breath. Slater was horrified to see the chief’s eyes glaze as though he was once more succumbing to the enchantment. It was broken as a huge man rushed in, shouting that the whole of the Kenit tribe approached from the north.
Roldan held up his hand to stop the unrest amongst his men. ‘Maxoli, will you show our esteemed guests to the temple and sound a horn to call our people too. I have an important announcement to make.’
The giant bowed low, obviously pleased to recognise the lord he once knew and Slater could have sworn the man winked at him before he turned.
Roldan bowed again to the Kenit group who had been watching the exchanges with interest. ‘My friends, will you go with Maxoli? I have a small thing to deal with, then I will be with you.’
‘What about Lunella?’ There was a hard edge to the voice and Slater realised that the female who spoke was a lot older than she looked, and was actually in charge.
Smiling, the chief assured her he would bring Lunella with him. After a brief discussion, the four gave small bows and turned to follow the giant.
‘What are you doing?’ hissed Talnach. ‘You cannot let her go. She will command her tribe to destroy us.’
‘Silence Shaman, or would you prefer her people knew how cruelly you have treated their leader?’
Once the group left the meeting house, Roldan directed four of the guards to release the cage and he personally cut through the layers tethering her until only the wrist bindings and gag remained. He gently freed her hands, then bent over one and kissed it, apologising for the harsh treatment she had endured. She responded by slapping his face, to the amusement of his men.
Shrugging, he carefully slit the leather thong around her mouth and as he pulled out the wad silencing her, she spat in his face. Resisting the strong urge to wipe away her spittle, he bowed low as though they had just been introduced. ‘I am Roldan, son of Rogan and chief of Durren. You are most welcome. I am sorry about the misunderstanding which l
ed to your mistreatment and offer my body if you should wish to take vengeance.’
‘I cannot think of a use for your body right now, but I may think of a suitable punishment in time.’
There were a couple of delighted gasps from the guards as Lunella continued. ‘Unlike some of your evil people,’ she glared at the shaman until he looked away, then turned to each of the men who captured her, none of whom would meet her gaze, ‘we want nothing more than to live in peace with our neighbours.’
‘I am happy to submit to any punishment you require, but for now, will you come and talk to our peoples?’
Inclining her head slightly, she took the arm Roldan offered and allowed herself to be led out to the temple. They were followed closely by the disgruntled shaman who showed his irritation by pushing roughly past the guards and banging his staff on the doorway.
As one of the men cut his bonds, Slater listened to the excited discussion of the chief’s new-found compassion and humility. Lunella’s show of aggression was having the desired effect.
27 – Two Tribes
The sight which met Slater’s eyes was vaguely familiar, but also very different. Crowds of people thronged amongst the stones, but even with everyone from both tribes, there were nowhere near as many people as at the solstice celebration. The arrangement of stones was not what he remembered with two bluestones crescents, approximately where the sarsens would be, but aligned with the midsummer sunset instead of the sunrise. The entrance at the end of the avenue was almost completely obscured by a complex arrangement of posts giving a wide doorway through which he assumed only the most important people like the chief and the priests would enter. This was aligned with the solstice to frame the rising midsummer and setting midwinter sun. Either side of it were two entrance corridors with the roof timbers set low so that the people would have to bow down as they entered to show their respect.
Small fences guided a path round the outside of the crescents and this seemed to be exclusively for the men and boys. Several paces beyond there was a further line of fencing and he could see this was keeping the women well away from the central area. Moving round, he saw another entrance to the south where they were filing in with the girls and toddlers.
The centre of the henge was dominated by a tall dais with just enough room for two people. Talnach was mounting the steps, but the chief called him back and escorted Lunella to the top.
When everyone had settled; he stretched out his arms in welcome. ‘People of Kenit, thank you for making the journey to our lands, we are privileged to have you here. I would particularly like to welcome you to our temple and hope you will respect that this is a place of worship.’ He paused to take a breath and a murmur buzzed around the crowd so he held up his hand for silence.
‘People of Durren, thank you for coming to the temple, you are all very welcome here, I hope you will join with me in offering a handclasp of peace to the person next to you, whether you know them or not.’ He took Lunella’s left hand in his, covering it with his right hand as he raised it up to his heart, then carefully released it. After a moment’s hesitation, several of the men and almost all of the women copied his gesture. There was a tangible lightening of the mood as smiles appeared on faces all around.
Turning back to Lunella, he gave a formal bow and gestured that it was her turn. She responded with an even deeper bow, then addressed the crowd in a strong, clear voice. ‘People of Durren, we thank you for your welcome and would like to return with our own greeting of peace.’ Placing the tips of her fingers on her heart, she lifted them to her lips and placed them over his heart, then reached up and touched her left cheek to his for a brief instant. Smiling at the shocked look on the faces of the men closest to her, she chuckled. ‘You do not have to do the second part if it makes you feel uncomfortable.’
The murmuring was louder and most of the women were quite happy to copy her actions, but the Durren men were not so keen, even as they watched Kenit men bumping cheeks amid much laughter. When the movement and mirth began to quieten, Roldan again held up his hand. ‘For many years there has been bad blood between our tribes and today is our chance to put it right.’
At his gesture, Lunella picked up the tale. ‘Many lives have been lost because of this feud and it is made worse as each tribe strives to build a bigger and better temple to rival the other. The Kenit temple is now complete and our people are free and willing to help build Durren’s new temple.’
‘We don’t need another temple. We’ve had too many changes already.’
‘But are you happy with the changes we have made?’ The chief directed his question at the complaining man who glanced nervously at the shaman and said nothing.
‘No we’re not happy.’ A woman shouted from the back.
‘We’re not allowed near the temple any more.’
‘How are we supposed to get the benefits if we can’t approach the stones to collect the healing water?’
Many voices joined in the uproar and Roldan let it continue for a few moments as he beckoned Maxoli over and whispered some instructions. These were relayed to the guards who made gaps in the fences and helped the women through. Others lent a hand and when one of them pointed to the inner fence, the chief smiled and nodded. With a cheer, the rest of the men joined in and soon the men and women were mingling freely around the temple. Eventually, they settled and waited for the chief to speak.
‘I am sure there are many more ways that I can give back to the people of Durren some of the things my foolish decisions have taken away. But in the meantime, I would ask you listen to Lunella.’
She stepped forward. ‘I understand life has not been easy in Durren, but I am sure with every man, woman and child in both tribes working in harmony, we can change that.’ This raised another cheer, but they quickly responded to her raised hand. ‘Today, an envoy was sent from Albion to help us unite the tribes. His tale speaks of an ancient Albion who led your chief’s forefather to the healing stones which form your current temple.’
‘Aye but the priests cannot decide how they should sit.’
‘And it’s more work for us each time.’
Lunella acknowledged their displeasure. ‘I know. Each time the stones are moved to a shape which honours only Solah or only Lunai, it damages the natural balance. Only when the temple honours Father Sun and Mother Moon and all men and women are allowed to worship freely, will the natural order be restored and peace brought to the land.’
‘The old temple was for both, so why did they change that?’ A tall man, wearing a sheepskin jacket which had been dyed a dark blue, spoke for the Durren folk.
Roldan answered. ‘The old temple stood for many years, but the people found other ways to work out the seasons and the moons, so it was not used as much.’
Lunella added more. ‘When the temple was not used, it began to lose its healing power, for most of that comes from the loving energy of the people.
Roldan nodded. ‘And this made the people lose even more faith and use it even less. Until eventually, it was only used for midsummer and midwinter.’
‘Will it ever work again?’ A woman in a pale shawl voiced the concerns of many and the wicce smiled.
‘We can restore the power by building something so magnificent that people will always be filled with awe when they see it. The healing power will be so strong that people will come from all over to use it.’
‘Do we have to go across to Dyfed for more stones? That will take many lifetimes.’ Blue jacket appealed to the rest who nodded their agreement.
Lunella let them grumble for a while before continuing. ‘There are stones nearby, just north of Kenit. Many stones, as tall as five men.’
‘How could you move stones that big? We do not have enough men to pull that.’
‘We move stones like this to our temple at Kenit. We would help you.’
‘She is lying.’ Talnach’s voice rang out and was greeted with silence. He had been watching with dismay as the chief had all his fencing p
ulled down, but he spoke up now. ‘There are no stones that big in Kenit temple. I have seen it.’
‘Your shaman speaks the truth.’ By agreeing, Lunella robbed his accusation of its damaging power. ‘Our tallest stone is only the height of two men, but the method is the same. We use aurochs and logs, and whenever we can travel on spirit lines, it moves faster.’
Talnach stamped his staff. ‘Do not listen to her. It is just a trick to lure our men away from the village so they can steal …’
‘What? Your crops?’ One of the Kenit men shouted and others agreed with him. ‘We have more than enough to last for this winter and the next, but your fields seem empty and dry.’
Roldan had watched the exchanges quietly, trying to assess the mood of the two tribes. He sensed the shaman’s words were designed to anger and cause disruption, so he stepped in quickly. ‘I think we would enter into any arrangement with careful planning, but it does seem like a good offer.’
‘Too good maybe. How do they benefit? Do they all want to come and live here?’ Talnach continued to gripe.
Lunella spoke in a calming tone which seemed to wash the anger away like gentle summer rain. ‘We would benefit from aiding our neighbours and forging an alliance which would make us both very powerful. In return for giving you the stones and helping you to build the temple, we would ask that we would be allowed to use it for worship and to benefit from the healing.’
‘Is your own temple not good enough?’
‘Of course it is. That is why our crops are so good. We would be willing to share them, freeing your farmers to help with the work.’ This caused a stir among the Durren folk who were preparing for another long hard winter. The Kenit people smiled their agreement.
‘Our serpent temple is aligned on the Beltane and Lughnasadh sunrise; we also worship there for sunset at Samhain and Imbolc. You would of course be welcome to join us at these times, and if you have never witnessed the power of the serpent energy, it is an incredible spectacle.’