The Hermit of Lammas Wood

by Nathan Lowell

“Can I ask why?”

  Tanyth paused for a moment. “You’re not going to try to convince me that she’s a he or that it’s too dangerous?”

  A hint of her previous smile returned. “No. I don’t think so. I just wanna know why you think you need to see her.”

  Tanyth took a deep breath and let it out slowly through her nose.

  “She thinks she’s going mad,” Rebecca said.

  Tanyth shot a quelling look at Rebecca, who shook her head and threw her hands up in surrender.

  “Well, madness. That’s serious business,” Penny said. “You sure you wanna find the hermit? Lotta people ’round here think she’s mad herself.”

  “So she’s not a he?”

  “Who told you that?” Penny asked, amusement adding a lilt to her voice.

  “Willum Mayter.”

  She laughed again. “Anybody in pants is a man to dear Willum, and I’m sure he’s never set foot more than two miles outside of this town since he’s been here.” She shook her head. “No, he’s just repeatin’ tales. Lotta folks have some strange ideas about old Gert.”

  “So you know her?” Rebecca asked.

  “Well, I know of her,” Penny said. “My mother knew her. Studied with her for a time, as I remember. Back when Papa was still with us.”

  “What can you tell us?” Tanyth said.

  Penny’s eyes squinted a little in the morning sun. She studied Tanyth—measuring her up and down–before spending several long moments gazing into her face. “I can tell you where to find her, but there’s no guarantee she’ll talk to you.”

  “I understand that.”

  After another short pause, Penny said, “So, tell me about this madness.”

  “She’s not mad,” Rebecca broke in.

  Tanyth raised a hand, but Penny looked to the young woman.

  “I said she thinks she’s going mad.”

  “I get that a lot, too. Lots of people think they’re going mad over the winters. Hard to get out. No place to go when ya do. Some of them actually do go around the bend a bit. Might be something I’ve seen myself.” She paused and stared at Rebecca. “You care about her.”

  “I’m right here, you know,” Tanyth said.

  Penny reached over and patted Tanyth’s forearm. “You are. And you’re not mad. I wanna know why Rebecca thinks you are.”

  “I don’t think she is,” Rebecca said.

  “But something’s odd, right?”

  Rebecca shot a quick glance at Tanyth before looking back to Penny. “Yeah. Something’s odd.”

  Penny turned back to Tanyth. “You’re seeing things you shouldn’t be seein’? Strange happenings around you sometimes.”

  “Well, seeing things I shouldn’t be. Yeah.”

  “And strange things keep happening,” Rebecca said.

  Tanyth turned to her. “What strange things?”

  “Storm? Poof? And then a new current? You don’t call that strange?”

  “You keep talking about that storm. I keep trying to tell you it was lightning.”

  “Tanyth? I was in the rigging. The storm was right there. I coulda touched it almost. You were on the deck under me? Remember?”

  “Well, of course I remember. There’s nothing wrong with my memory.”

  “And there’s nothing wrong with my sight or my hearing. I watched you stamping that staff of yours on the deck and then keeling over like you’d been coshed. I’d have seen lightning if it hit ya. I’d at least have heard the thunder.” Rebecca turned her gaze to Penny. “She was out for three days after that. Came to like nothin’ happened.”

  “That’s because nothing happened,” Tanyth said. “You and the Groveses have been trying to convince me otherwise ever since.”

  Rebecca slumped back in her chair and waved dismissively.

  “Seems to me that something happened,” Penny said.

  They turned to her. Tanyth opened her mouth to speak but Penny held up a hand.

  “My turn to talk,” she said. “You’re not going mad. Strange things are happening.” She cocked her head to the right, appraising Tanyth again. “You’re what? Fifty-five winters?”

  “Fifty-four.”

  “And she’s been on the road for twenty of them,” Rebecca said.

  “That right?” Penny asked, turning to Tanyth.

  “Yeah.”

  Penny shot Rebecca a wink. “Glad you’re here. I’d never get anything out of her otherwise.”

  Rebecca’s eyes went wide with alarm. “I didn’t mean–”

  “Oh, shush,” Penny said and turned back to Tanyth. “Change started?”

  “Last fall. Maybe a little before.”

  Penny nodded. “And this all started about the same time,” she said. It was not a question.

  “Yeah. About then.”

  “You need to see Gertie.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Tanyth said. “Think she can heal me?”

  “No.” The young woman gave her head a little shake. “There’s nothin’ wrong with you. You’re just lucky enough to live longer than most. Nothin’ Gertie can do about that–’cept kill ya, and that’s not what you need her for.”

  “What do I need her for?”

  “To explain what’s goin’ on.”

  “You seem to know something about it.”

  “I do. Something, but not enough. Someday, maybe. If I live long enough.” Penny’s happy smile took on a wistful air.

  “Can you tell me what you know?” Tanyth said.

  Penny took a deep breath through her nose and cast her gaze out to the dark pines at the end of the street. Eventually she spoke. “The All-Mother has a plan for all women. Just as the All-Father has a plan for all men. Her plan has three steps—maiden, mother, crone. When she takes away one gift, she gives another to take its place.” Her focus returned to Tanyth’s face. “You understand what I’m saying?”

  “Yeah. I understand,” Tanyth said.

  “That’s why you need to meet Gertie.”

  “Does she have the answers?” Tanyth asked.

  Penny’s smile spread slowly across her face. “Perhaps. But the answers are less important than the questions.”

  “You seem to know a lot about a woman you never met.”

  “I never said I didn’t meet her. Just that I don’t know her.” Penny shook her head. “She’s my grandmother. She moved out into the wood when I was but a wee girl. I remember her as a strong and vibrant woman who loved family and life.”

  “How can you say you don’t know her, then?” Rebecca asked.

  “People change. I’ve not talked to her since she took to the wood.”

  “Why not?” Tanyth asked. “Don’t you know where she lives?”

  “Oh, I know.” Penny paused and gazed out at the trees again. “My mother showed me the way. I’ve made the trip several times. Each time, she’s not there. Just a hot cup of tea and a fresh pastry on the sideboard.” She shrugged and looked down at her hands. “I have no idea why. Maybe she’s just bein’ a hermit.”

  They sat there in silence for several long minutes. The sun beat down on them and Tanyth opened her coat to feel the warmth on her body. She tilted her head back, turning her face to the light like a flower might. Without opening her eyes, she asked, “Will you take us to her?”

  “Audry McGilvry is due in a week. After she’s done, we’ll go.” Penny’s voice came low, barely audible over the rising sussuration of wind in the pine tops. “It’ll take three, maybe four days, depending on how fast we can go. Can you do that on foot?”

  Tanyth opened her eyes and turned her gaze to the young woman. “My dear, I’ve walked a thousand miles or more in the last twenty-odd winters. Three or four more days are a pittance.”

  Chapter Three:

  A Misplaced Corpse

  Every passing day seemed a bit warmer, a bit more welcoming than the last. Within a pair of days, Saul and Benjamin Groves showed up at the inn and invited Rebecca and Tanyth to dine with them.

 
; “We’ll sail with the morning tide,” Captain Groves said, raising his tankard of Perry’s winter ale.

  “To the morning tide,” Benjamin added and held his own tankard up.

  Rebecca and Tanyth clinked cups. “To the morning tide.”

  They all drank.

  Amanda served a huge platter of venison and roasted root crops. The four dug in while Perry and Amanda took care of the dining room around them.

  When the initial flush of food wore off, Rebecca turned to the younger Groves. “So, did you get a good load for the return?”

  His face split in a grin that showed his dimples to good effect. “Should be tolerable.”

  The elder Groves smacked the table and leaned in to speak quietly. “It’s a darn sight better than ‘tolerable,’ you miserable whelp, and you know it.” His wide, satisfied smile belied his gruff words.

  “Yes, Father, I do–but I’d just as soon the rest of the town didn’t.”

  Captain Groves laughed and clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “I’m pretty sure they already know, boy. They’re the ones that loaded it for us.”

  Benjamin stopped chewing for a moment, cocking his head as if considering his father’s statement. “Well, sure. Guess I wasn’t thinking that through.”

  “You just haven’t had enough ale yet,” Captain Groves said. “Perry! More of that miserable swill over here if you can spare it!”

  Perry’s booming laughter joined that of the other diners as he brought a huge pitcher over to refill all the glasses at the table. “You only call it that because you love me,” Perry said.

  “He only calls it that so you’ll keep pouring,” Amanda said as she cleared away the mess of empty crockery and replaced it with a whole pie. Smiling at her husband, she nudged him away from the table with her hip. “Go pour some for the rest of our customers. I’m trying to serve, here.”

  He gave her a kiss on the cheek and hurried off, filling every tankard raised in his direction.

  “Don’t encourage him, Saul,” she said with mock severity. “You’ll have him back on your ship if you’re not careful.”

  Saul’s rumbling laugh made Tanyth smile in response. “He’s got the best berth of his life right here, my dear,” he said. “Nothing I can say or do would persuade him to give this up.”

  Amanda cocked an eyebrow at her husband’s broad back. “Lucky for him,” she said, her mouth twisting into a wry grin.

  “Lucky for you, you mean,” Saul said.

  She gave a little shrug and smiled at him. “Yeah. That, too.”

  The other side of the dining room grew quiet all at once.

  “Can we help you, lad?” Perry asked in the thickening silence.

  A soldier wearing the uniform of the King’s Own stood just inside the door. The boy, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen winters, looked around the dining room before his gaze came to rest on Saul Groves.

  “Message for Captain Groves from the base commander,” the soldier said.

  Perry nodded. “Well, he’s right over there.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” The soldier crossed the room, clearly unused to being the center of attention. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his tunic pocket and handed it to the captain. “I’m to wait for a reply, sir.”

  Saul settled his tankard, wiped his mouth and beard with his napkin, then took the page and unfolded it. His face gave nothing away as he scanned the page a couple of times before passing it to his son.

  “Tell the commandant we’ll be there within the hour.” He waved his hand to indicate the table. “We’re almost done here.”

  Benjamin read the message and nodded without speaking.

  “Thank you, sir.” The soldier turned on his heel and marched out of the inn, pulling the door closed behind him with a thunk.

  Perry glanced at Saul, then poured a tankard for himself. “To the King’s Own!” he said.

  Saul raised his mug. “To the King’s Own.”

  The rest of the diners slowly took up the toast, raising their mugs until all were held high to the King’s Own. Then they drank.

  Within a few moments the room had returned to something approximating normal of an evening, although Captain Groves collected more than his share of second and third looks as the meal ran its course.

  Amanda brought a pot of tea and some fresh mugs to the table.

  When Saul looked up at her, she shrugged one shoulder ever so slightly. “Wash the ale down before you meet with Prince Robert.”

  “Prince Robert?” Saul asked.

  She gave him a faint smile. “That’s just what we call him. With the airs he puts on, you’d think he was a prince.”

  Saul snorted as Amanda disappeared back into the kitchen.

  “Trouble, Captain?” Rebecca asked.

  “Not for us, I don’t think.” Captain Groves gave his head a small shake while he filled one of the heavy mugs with the strong tea.

  “A garrison patrol found a body out on the road. They want us to take his effects back to Kleesport,” Benjamin said.

  “Was it somebody from Northport?” Tanyth asked.

  “Apparently not,” the captain said with another shake of his head. “According to his papers, he was a sailor.”

  “Not one of yours,” Rebecca said, her eyes wide with alarm.

  “No.”

  “He used to be a longshoreman in Kleesport,” Benjamin said, his knuckles turning white around the handle of his mug.

  Captain Saul looked up at that. “You know him, Ben?”

  Benjamin shook his head. “Not well, but I knew of him and his story. It was all over Kleesport just before we left.”

  “Wait,” Tanyth said. “They were talking about something like this back at the Broken Gate. Is this the man who took a deckhand job because he was tired of being a longshoreman? His ship was lost on his first voyage?”

  “That’s him.”

  Rebecca looked from Tanyth to each of the Groveses in turn, her brow furrowed. “How can that be?”

  Captain Groves lifted his mug in salute. “The very question I was thinking.”

  “Shipwrecked along the coast?” Tanyth asked.

  “Possible, but the Calliope was bound for the eastern islands. They left Kleesport well before the Zypheria started blowing. They’d already been reported lost before you got to town,” Benjamin said.

  “And yet his body was found ten miles inland from here,” Captain Groves said.

  “How is that even possible?” Rebecca asked.

  “That, my girl, is what the commandant wants us to explain.”

  “Can you?” asked Tanyth.

  “Not with any degree of assurance,” Captain Groves said, staring down into his tea. “But perhaps our extra cargo wasn’t simply a message that we really needed insurance.”

  Benjamin frowned at his father and leaned over to speak quietly. “You think it was to keep us from discovering something?”

  The elder Groves shrugged. “Maybe we were just supposed to be the diversion.”

  “Diversion? For what?”

  “Now I think that’s the question that Prince Robert should be asking, my boy.” Captain Groves looked to his son. “Don’t you?”

  Chapter Four:

  Bon Voyage

  The ship strained at her mooring lines as if eager to begin the voyage south. Tanyth raised one hand against the glaring sun to watch the sailors scampering through the rigging in preparation for setting sail.

  “I think I’m going to miss that,” Rebecca said.

  Tanyth squinted sidelong to consider her companion. “It’s not too late. You could prob’ly sign on again.”

  The young woman lowered her eyes to the stone pier and shook her head, a smile playing around the corners of her lips. “And miss meeting Gertie Pinecrest?”

  Heavy footfalls on the boarding plank drew their attention. Benjamin Groves joined them.

  “Forget somethin’?” Tanyth asked, with a sly glance at Rebecca.

/>   Groves jerked his thumb toward the aft deck where his father stood at the rail, looking down. “Captain Groves sends his compliments, mum, and thanks you again for your help on the voyage out.”

  “Well, savin’ my own hide was at least part of that, but you’re welcome.” She waved up to the captain.

  “We’ll be back in about six weeks. You’ve got a place aboard any time you want to go back to Kleesport.” He glanced at Rebecca out of the corner of his eyes and kept his hands clasped behind his back as if trying to control them. “Both of you.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Groves. Thank your father for us,” Tanyth said. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be here, but we’ll certainly be on the lookout for you.”

  He stood there for an awkward moment, his eyes alternating between the ship riding high on the tide beside the pier and the stonework at his feet.

  “What’d you find out about that sailor?” Tanyth asked.

  “Oh, yes.” He paused to rub a palm across his lips as if to wipe away a bad taste. “’Twasn’t pretty, mum. Not fit to talk about. Reggie White, right enough. I’d seen his face before—unloading the Call. Nobody can rightly say how he came to be back in the woods up here.”

  “How’d he die?” she asked.

  Groves tossed his head in a dismissive gesture. “Near as anybody can guess, exposure. He wasn’t dressed real warm, and he’d been beaten pretty recently.” He glanced at Rebecca. “Nothing life-threatening. Only what you’d expect if he’d been in a bar fight or something.”

  “So somebody knows he was out there. And there hasta be somebody else out in the woods,” Tanyth said.

  Groves shrugged and glanced once more at Rebecca. “Would seem likely since nobody’d seen him around town. Nobody who’s come forward, anyway.”

  Tanyth held out her hand. “Fair winds and following seas, Benjamin.”

  A smile lit his face as he took her hand in both of his, his calloused palms rough against her skin. “Take care of yourself, mum.”

  “Thank you, Benjamin.” She turned away and stepped toward the ship, tilting her head back to look up to where the white-haired captain stood at the rail. “Fair winds, Captain!” she shouted.

  Captain Groves smiled down at her. “Following seas, mum. Don’t let any bears eat you!” He raised a hand in salute and Tanyth waved in response.