The Jack Brenin Collection

by Catherine Cooper

  Jack looked at Nora and Elan but neither spoke.

  ‘You can open the portal can’t you?’

  ‘We can, with your help,’ replied Nora.

  ‘I’ll do whatever you want,’ said Jack.

  ‘We owe both of you a great deal and there are many who will be grateful to you forever,’ added Elan as she exchanged glances with Nora. ‘There’s something important we have to discuss.’

  The tone of her voice told Jack that something was wrong.

  ‘We’ve had to change our plans, we can’t wait until Samhain.’

  Camelin hopped around excitedly.

  ‘So when are we going?’

  ‘We’re opening the portal tonight. It couldn’t be more perfect, they’ll be celebrating Midsummer in Annwn.’

  ‘A festival!’ cried Camelin. ‘How long can we stay?’

  Nora sighed.

  ‘I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to go.’

  ‘What d’you mean, I won’t be able to go? You promised. It’s not fair if Jack gets to go and I don’t. Not after all we’ve been through together.’

  ‘Jack can’t go either.’

  There was silence. Jack wanted to ask why. He too wanted to say that it wasn’t fair, but he could see the pain in Nora’s eyes. Elan reached over and gently stroked Camelin’s feathers.

  ‘We’re sorry, but if we don’t go soon it will be too late.’

  ‘But why can’t we come with you?’ asked Camelin.

  ‘Only the Fair Folk or Druids may enter Annwn without permission. Mortals are only allowed to pass through the gate at Samhain, it’s the law and we have to obey it.’

  ‘It’s a stupid law,’ grumbled Camelin.

  Jack couldn’t speak.

  ‘If you turn over that last page in my book Jack, it might help to explain.’

  Jack raised his wand and turned the page. He couldn’t see to read for the tears which had welled up in his eyes. Elan took the book from him:

  Between the archway will be seen,

  A gleaming gateway, tall and green,

  No humankind may enter here,

  Except at Samhain every year.

  The Law of Annwn does decree,

  For trespass there’s a penalty.

  For crimes committed in the Land,

  Before the Council you must stand.

  ‘We can’t wait until Samhain. We’ve got to collect the acorns tonight. Arrana is fading fast and my magic is almost gone, I need to drink the elixir. Elan must renew her strength too before it’s too late. You do understand don’t you, we’d take you with us if we could.’

  Jack nodded. Nora and Elan turned to Camelin. He hung his head, and then slowly nodded too.

  GLASRUHEN GATE

  ‘It’s lucky we didn’t have too much trouble getting the plates back this afternoon, we’ve got a lot to do before sunset,’ said Nora. ‘We’re going to need you both to help.’

  Camelin’s head slumped. He shuffled down to the end of the table and turned his back on them all. Nora sighed and continued speaking to Jack.

  ‘I know it’s a lot to ask, but we’re not going to be able to open Glasruhen Gate without you. I need to have some magic in reserve to make the elixir once we’re in Annwn.’

  ‘Will you open the gate for us?’ asked Elan.

  ‘Me! How can I open the gate?’

  ‘You have all the power in your wand. It began life as an acorn from the Mother Oak in Annwn, the portal will recognise its power and will open to it.’

  ‘So why won’t your wands do the same, they came from Annwn didn’t they?’

  ‘Ours are earthly wands. Mine’s from the hazel tree and Elan’s is birch wood,’ explained Nora.

  Camelin slowly turned.

  ‘You mean my wand’s better than yours?’

  Nora laughed.

  ‘Yes Camelin, yours and Jack’s are both better than ours. Now we’ve got lots to do. First, Jack will need to go home and ask his grandad if he can stay till later Tell him we’re back from visiting and we’re going to have a barbecue.’

  ‘A barbecue, a real barbecue?’ croaked Camelin as he skipped over to Nora.

  ‘A real barbecue, but not for everyone, just for us. We’ll celebrate properly when we get back with the acorns. We’re not eating until everything is ready, so you can come and help me cut some rhubarb. Elan can go with Jack.’

  ‘Oh great, I love rhubarb pie.’

  ‘It’s not for us, I haven’t got time to make pies tonight. It’s to take into Annwn. We have to take a gift of something they don’t have. They only grow apples, any other kind of fruit is most welcome. The cauldron is the only way of transporting things from this world into Annwn. It will have been a long time since they’ve had any rhubarb.’

  Jack smiled when he saw Camelin begin to sulk again. They parted ways at the dovecot; Nora and Camelin went off to the kitchen garden, while Jack and Elan went down to the hedge.

  ‘I’m really sorry you aren’t coming with us,’ said Elan as they walked through the yew tree tunnel from Ewell House to Grandad’s.

  ‘You will come back, won’t you?’

  ‘I will, but there are things I have to do in Annwn. I might not come back with Nora tonight, it depends what we find. I might have to stay a little while.’

  ‘I’m not going to see you as you really are now, am I?’

  ‘You will at Samhain. Once we’ve opened the portal I’ll be free to come and go between Earth and Annwn. Both you and Camelin can visit in October. It’ll be a great birthday present for you.’

  ‘Is it really as wonderful as Camelin says?’

  ‘Even Camelin will be amazed when he sees it. The Citadel and the Palace stand in the middle of a lake, each of its four towers are made of glass and you can see them glinting in the sunlight for miles.’

  ‘Is it true about the white ravens?’

  ‘Yes, it’s true. They live in the Queen’s garden at the Citadel.’

  Jack sighed. The four months before he could go and see everything for himself would pass very slowly. As they emerged from the hedge Grandad looked up from where he was planting peas.

  ‘You’re back early. I wasn’t expecting you ’til supper time. And you’ve brought Elan with you.’

  ‘Hello Mr Brenin. I’ve come to ask if Jack can stay a bit later tonight, we’re going to have a barbecue. He’ll be home about 10 o’clock, if that’s alright?’

  ‘Of course he can, but you’ll need to change out of your school clothes, Jack. You don’t want them smelling of smoke for school tomorrow, do you?’

  Jack left Elan with his grandad in the garden and went upstairs to change. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

  Jack saw Camelin waiting by the rockery when they came back through the hedge.

  ‘You took your time,’ he croaked.

  ‘Is there anything we need to do?’ asked Elan.

  ‘Naw, we’ve done it all. Nora said we could start the barbecue as soon as you got back so come on, what you waiting for? It’s grub time.’

  Camelin took off and flew towards the house. As Jack passed the herborium he noticed a huge bundle of rhubarb, which had been neatly cut into sticks of about the same length, sticking out of the cauldron. By the time they reached the patio Camelin was arguing with Nora.

  ‘But I want to,’ he croaked.

  ‘It’s too dangerous, you’ve not had any practice. Let Jack do it.’

  Camelin turned to Jack.

  ‘She won’t let me light the barbecue. I can do it, I know I can. I’ve watched you make sparks and I’ve already made some. Please Jack, please let me try.’

  Nora shook her head and looked at Jack. He raised his hand to the tiny bald spot, where his hair used to stick up.

  ‘It’s OK with me if Camelin wants to do it, as long as he points his wand towards the barbecue.’

  ‘Aw Jack, you’re a real friend,’ said Camelin as he hopped around Jack’s legs before diving into the kitchen
. Seconds later he was back with his wand.

  ‘Stand back,’ warned Nora.

  Camelin flew onto the picnic table and then shuffled into position. Jack smiled when he heard Camelin’s muffled command.

  ‘Fire one!’

  Nora gasped as a great flame shot from the end of Camelin’s wand.

  ‘Make it smaller!’ she shouted.

  ‘Why? I thought you wanted the fire lit?’

  ‘We do, but not like that! I think I’m going to take charge of your wand while we’re gone, it’ll be safer.’

  Camelin was about to start sulking again but then he caught sight of the tray of sausages in Elan’s hand.

  ‘Sausages, my favourite!’

  ‘What happens at the Midsummer Festival in Annwn?’ asked Jack.

  ‘It’s like any other fair,’ replied Elan. ‘There’ll be a big market with lots of stalls and fun things to do. All the best storytellers gather there and try to out-do each other. I remember last time there were jugglers, stilt walkers, all kinds of things.’

  ‘See, I told you,’ said Camelin as he landed on Jack’s shoulder. ‘Tell us about the food.’

  Nora laughed.

  ‘Is that all you ever think about? Well your supper’s ready when you are. You certainly got the charcoal good and hot. This lot’s cooked in no time.’

  Just before the sun began to sink, Nora made one final check to make sure they’d got everything they needed.

  ‘It’s time,’ she announced. ‘We need to go.’

  They set off for Glasruhen Forest. Jack and Elan carried the cauldron between them. His wand and Camelin’s were inside it next to the rhubarb stalks. As they passed the hedge Nora picked up a large bundle of branches.

  ‘Oak, beech, willow, birch and pine, for the ritual,’ she explained.

  ‘Where exactly is Glasruhen Gate?’ asked Jack.

  ‘That I don’t know,’ replied Nora.

  ‘But how will we find it?’

  ‘My Book of Shadows will guide us to the right place. It’ll be somewhere in Glasruhen Forest. It didn’t always move about, but when the troubles came the Blessed Council decided, for the safety of Annwn, that the gateways mustn’t remain fixed. Only the Sentinel Oaks know the position of the portals.’

  ‘Sentinel Oaks?’ asked Jack.

  ‘They guard the four gateways into Annwn, one on either side. It’s their branches which form the archway we’ll need to pass through.’

  Jack didn’t really understand what Nora was talking about. When they had left the yew tunnel behind and were approaching the edge of the forest, Nora stopped.

  ‘Here we are, time to swap over. You take my Book of Shadows and I’ll carry the cauldron with Elan.’

  Jack took Nora’s book and she passed him his wand. The two trees on the cover shimmered. They looked alive, more alive than some of the trees in Newton Gill Forest.

  ‘Use it like a compass,’ Nora told him. ‘Follow the pull, it’ll feel like a magnet.’

  The book felt as if it had a life of its own and Jack let it lead the way. They went deeper and deeper into the forest. He could feel a hundred eyes watching. Occasionally he caught a glimpse of a Dryad but no one blocked his way or spoke to him.

  The book stopped pulling and Jack looked up. He was in front of two ancient oaks. Their branches touched each other, making a natural archway.

  ‘I think we must be here,’ he said.

  ‘Well done Jack! I knew you could do it. Now, let’s get started, the light is fading fast.’

  ‘But the book said there’d be a tall gleaming gateway. There’s nothing like that here.’

  ‘These are the Sentinel Oaks,’ said Elan as she laid her hand on the nearest tree trunk. Once upon a time they would have greeted us, but they’ve been asleep for so long now it would take an age to wake them.’

  ‘Does that mean we can’t do the ritual?’

  ‘It’s not a problem, don’t worry Jack,’ Nora assured him. ‘With your magic we can open the gateway. Once we’ve performed the ritual all will be revealed.’

  It was alright Nora saying don’t worry, she’d performed lots of rituals. This was Jack’s first and he didn’t want anything to go wrong, especially since so much depended on him getting it right.

  Elan put her hand on his shoulder.

  ‘If it doesn’t work the first time we can try again. It’s not like the window in time. Now you’ve found it we can keep trying until it opens.’

  ‘Now if you don’t mind Jack, can you ask my Book of Shadows for the instructions to get this gateway open?’

  Jack’s wand felt familiar in his hand now. He pointed it at Nora’s book and commanded: ‘Show me the instructions for opening Glasruhen Gate.’

  The pages turned. Eventually they lay still and Jack read:

  Instructions for opening a Portal into Annwn

  To open up a Portal wide,

  Into Annwn’s fair countryside,

  The sacred Treasure must be sought,

  Then before the Sentinels brought.

  ‘We’ve done all that,’ complained Camelin. ‘What’s next?’

  ‘It’s alright Jack, don’t take any notice of him. What else does it say?’

  First put five branches in a row,

  And say the ritual words you know.

  Hold the Treasure from the shrine,

  Then let the golden acorn shine.

  Jack felt worried.

  ‘I don’t know any ritual words…’

  ‘I do,’ interrupted Nora. ‘All you have to do is will the gateway to appear, I’ll say the right words. Just keep concentrating and pointing your wand at the archway. We only want light, no sparks, is that clear?’

  Jack sighed.

  ‘I’ll try my best.’

  ‘Now Elan, take the five branches and lay them in order, starting from the other side of the sentinels, oak, beech, willow, birch and lastly the pine.’

  Elan laid the branches in between the two trees, making a green carpet on the bare forest floor. Nora passed Elan the acorn and she laid it in the centre of her open palm.

  ‘All is ready,’ announced Nora. ‘Let us begin.’

  Jack pointed his wand and willed the gateway to appear with all his might. Nora whispered some words Jack didn’t understand and a soft golden light began to glow from Elan’s palm. The harder Jack concentrated the brighter the acorn grew. He tried to keep a steady light at the end of his wand, but his hands were trembling. Without warning it seemed to erupt and a blinding light forced Jack’s eyes to close. He blinked then opened them again. Before him rose a pair of tall green doors. They were covered in golden carvings, which gleamed as brightly as the acorn.

  ‘You did it!’ cried Camelin. ‘You did it!’

  ‘What a welcome sight,’ said Nora. ‘I’d begun to worry that we might not see Glasruhen Gate again.’

  ‘At last!’ sighed Elan. ‘Well done Jack, now there really is hope for us all.’

  Jack couldn’t take his eyes off the doors, which filled the archway between the two Sentinel Oaks. He’d never seen anything like them before.

  ‘What happens now?’ he asked.

  ‘We go through into Annwn,’ replied Elan.

  ‘We won’t be long, we’ll be back in a flash so you can wait here for us and then we’ll get you back home before 10 o’clock,’ fussed Nora. ‘I think we’ll take your wand with us too Jack, just in case. We don’t want any accidents, you really shouldn’t use it unsupervised.’

  Nora and Elan picked up the cauldron and stepped forward. As Nora passed Jack she paused and waited while he put his wand and her Book of Shadows inside the cauldron, next to Camelin’s wand.

  ‘Be good,’ she said as they stepped onto the first branch.

  A low rumbling noise filled the forest. The two doors parted and a green glow shone through the crack. When they stepped onto the second branch the doorway opened wider, then it creaked loudly, and finally swung open completely. Nora and Elan stepped onto the beech
branch then disappeared.

  ‘Where’d they go?’ asked Camelin.

  ‘They just vanished.’

  Camelin hopped over to the first branch and peered into the greenness. Jack couldn’t move. He was still shaking.

  ‘What can you see?’

  ‘Nothing, come on, let’s go and have a look, just a quick peek, it won’t do any harm.’

  Jack wasn’t happy.

  ‘We can’t, we promised.’

  ‘Now that’s where you’re wrong, we didn’t promise anything.’

  ‘Weren’t you listening? It said in the book that we can’t enter until Samhain. If we do we’re in trouble.’

  ‘I was listening but it didn’t say anything about ravens, did it?’

  Jack shook his head and tried to protest, but Camelin continued.

  ‘Naw it didn’t. And we won’t have to walk over the branches we can fly through. What d’you say?’

  ‘Nora will be back soon. We’d better wait here as she asked us to. What would happen if she came back and found us gone?’

  ‘I want to go to the fair!’

  ‘So do I,’ piped a familiar voice.

  ‘And me too,’ said Charkle.

  ‘You followed us again,’ snapped Camelin.

  ‘Nobody said we couldn’t. You were supposed to come and tell us when you were going on another adventure,’ Timmery replied. ‘Don’t forget, we have secrets now.’

  Camelin frowned at the little bats.

  ‘Maybe my family went into Annwn, through one of the other gateways before they got closed. I can’t rest until I’ve searched everywhere. I’d like to go and look for them.’

  ‘Come on Jack, we can say we were helping Charkle. You did promise him that when the cauldron was remade we’d help him.’

  ‘I did,’ agreed Jack. ‘But…’

  ‘No buts, let’s transform now. We can leave your clothes here; no one’s going to find them. Close your eyes everyone.’

  Jack shook his feathers. He still wasn’t happy about going through Glasruhen Gate, even as a bird, but the green glow from the gateway did look inviting. And he too wanted to see the fair.

  ‘You promise we won’t be long, just a quick look. I told Orin I wouldn’t be late tonight.’