The Jack Brenin Collection

by Catherine Cooper

  ‘That’s better,’ she said as she shook her shoulders.

  ‘Shall we begin?’ Gwillam asked. ‘I’m sorry about this being a bit of a squash but Jack and Camelin are under house arrest, which is why we’ve all had to gather in here.’

  The two white ravens cawed loudly and fluffed out their feathers. Once they’d settled Gwillam spoke again.

  ‘Winver and Hesta have brought us all an important message from the Queen of Annwn.’

  A low murmur went around the room. When it was quiet Hesta spoke.

  ‘The Queen sends you, her most loyal subjects, a message of hope. By sunset tomorrow there will no longer be a King, his days are at an end. Have faith and soon the rightful sovereign will once more rule in Annwn.’

  There was a loud cheer and everyone started talking at once. Gwillam had to bang his staff again.

  ‘Winver has a message too, for Jack and Camelin.’

  Jack knew that if he were a boy his cheeks would have been as red as Camelin’s. He glided down from the rafter and landed on Camelin’s outstretched arm. A pathway opened for them to approach the white ravens. Winver bowed her head slowly before speaking: ‘The Queen would like to see you both before the trial begins. You will return to the Citadel with Gwillam and enter the palace by the water gate. When you arrive at the jetty, we will meet you and take you to the palace garden.’

  Another murmur went around the room. Jack wondered why they’d been asked to go and see the Queen. No one seemed to know for sure if she was even alive, so why had she sent a message now?

  ‘Will she meet with the Blessed Council before the trial?’ one of the men asked.

  Hesta shook her head.

  ‘She will speak with the rest of you once the trial has ended and you have arrived at your verdict. She doesn’t want to interfere with the Law of Annwn.

  Jack’s heart sank. He’d hoped she might be going to pardon them. They must be in deeper trouble than he’d imagined. It was the only explanation for why she’d asked to see them.

  ‘Can you stay for a while?’ Nora asked the white ravens. ‘I’m sure Jack and Camelin have lots of questions to ask you about Annwn.’

  ‘We were told to return to the palace garden once we’d delivered our message. Until tomorrow,’ said Hesta as she took off and flew out of the doorway.

  ‘Until tomorrow,’ echoed Winver as she followed.

  There was silence until Gwillam spoke.

  ‘Shall we continue our meeting at the Mother Oak? She will give us protection from Velindur’s spies.’

  The assembled Council agreed and one by one filed out of the doorway. Gwillam turned before leaving.

  ‘I’m sorry you can’t come with us. We have important things to discuss before tomorrow. You’ll see the Mother Oak another time. Maybe Nora will let you help collect the acorns after the trial.’

  The room felt empty once the Council had gone. Nora held out her arm for Timmery and Charkle to fly onto and smiled at Jack and Camelin.

  ‘Shall we go into the garden?’ suggested Elan. ‘We can talk in the sunshine and you can tell me everything that’s happened since Nora and I left you outside Glasruhen Gate.’

  They all agreed and followed her outside.

  ‘They can’t lock us up again, can they?’ Jack asked once they’d all finished their account of the day.

  Nora didn’t answer so Jack looked at Elan.

  ‘If the Blessed Council say you’re not guilty, you’ll be freed.’

  ‘And if they say we’re guilty, what then?’ Camelin asked her.

  ‘You’ll have a choice. If you insist you’re innocent and know you are, you can ask for a second trial, not by men, but by the Spear of Justice. It will not harm anyone who is innocent.’

  ‘What happens if you’re guilty and you choose the Spear?’ Camelin asked.

  ‘You will die. It’s a harsh punishment, which is why very few have ever chosen the Spear. It’s instant and final. However, if you prove your innocence and survive, you can demand justice from those who have accused you wrongly.’

  ‘I hope it doesn’t come to that,’ said Jack. ‘I don’t think I could stand there while someone threw a spear at me.’

  ‘They don’t throw anything,’ said Nora. ‘Gwillam, as head of the Blessed Council, has to direct a beam of light from the Spear at the chest of the one accused. Only the Light of Justice can see into someone’s heart and know the complete truth.’

  Jack shuddered. The joy he’d felt moments before, as they all sat around in the sunshine, had been overshadowed now by a feeling of dread. No one else seemed to notice. Timmery and Charkle were flying around the garden and Nora began to gather up the rhubarb while Elan put the destalked Crochan leaves back into the cauldron.

  Jack felt worried. He wasn’t looking forward to meeting the Queen of Annwn before the trial. Camelin had been right about the white ravens so he was probably right about the Queen too. He wondered if all her three heads looked the same. Elan smiled at him but he sighed deeply.

  ‘Are you alright Jack?’

  ‘I’m worried about tomorrow.’

  ‘Try not to worry, I’m sure it will all be fine. Is there anything you want to ask me?’

  Jack smiled. There was one question he really wanted to know the answer to.

  ‘Will Camelin and I be allowed to collect the acorns from the Mother Oak?’

  ‘Of course you will, but only after the trial. We’ll all go together, she’s very beautiful, you know. None may approach her without permission, there’s a strong magic around her. Only the Druid’s are allowed to speak with her. The people of Annwn won’t go near her and they don’t often come to the Druid’s village either.’

  ‘We will get the acorns back in time won’t we?’

  ‘You’ll see. We’ll be home before you know it.’

  ‘Who wants some more rhubarb pie?’ Nora asked.

  Everyone groaned, said thank you to Nora and left the table. They’d all eaten their fill. Jack looked at Camelin, he’d never known him to refuse any kind of pie before.

  ‘What’s wrong? Everyone’s gone and Nora won’t mind if you have some more, not tonight, I think that’s why she left it on the table.’

  Camelin sighed and looked wistfully at the pie.

  ‘It’s not the same being a boy, I don’t feel as hungry.’

  ‘Don’t you like being a boy? I thought this was what you wanted?’

  ‘I thought so too, I’ve longed to come into Annwn for years so I could be a boy again but now it’s happened, I’m not so sure. If I stay like this I’ll never be able to fly again.’

  ‘But once we go back through Glasruhen Gate you’ll be a raven again, won’t you?’

  ‘If I go back. Gwillam says I can stay with him and finish my training if I want to. He’ll let me be his acolyte again.’

  Jack didn’t say anything, he had a lump in his throat. They’d only come into Annwn to have a peek at the fair. He hadn’t thought that Camelin might want to stay with Gwillam.

  ‘I’d be able to visit you, wouldn’t I?’

  ‘Of course you would and I could visit you. Now the portal has been opened it won’t ever be closed again, I’m sure of that.’

  They were interrupted by a rustling from the branches of the tree they were sitting under. Camelin put his finger up to his lips. Jack hopped onto the lower branch to see if he could see who’d made the noise. He immediately thought of Jed and Teg. Had they somehow managed to get into Gwillam’s garden? The sound came again, only closer this time, followed by a high-pitched tittering. Camelin had heard it too.

  ‘Come out,’ he called.

  Jack expected Charkle and Timmery to burst out of the tree. Instead he saw the two white ravens. Camelin had seen them too. He wondered if the Queen had sent another message. The pair hopped daintily through the branches until they came to rest on either side of Jack.

  ‘We’ve heard all about you, Jack,’ said Hesta, moving closer.

  ‘You’re so
brave,’ added Winver from the other side.

  Jack felt very squashed and uncomfortable between the two ravens. He gulped and looked at Camelin for help.

  ‘What you doing here?’ asked Camelin.

  ‘We couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you again,’ Hesta said to Jack, ignoring Camelin completely.

  ‘Since you couldn’t come to see us tonight we thought we’d sneak over here and see you,’ Winver explained.

  ‘That’s really kind but we have to have an early night, we’ve got an important day tomorrow,’ Jack said hurriedly.

  ‘Isn’t he good looking Winver?’

  Winver nodded and cocked her head on one side so Jack could see her bright blue eyes.

  ‘I bet you’ve got lots of girlfriends,’ continued Hesta.

  Jack spluttered and tried to signal to Camelin to rescue him.

  ‘Oh no, Jack hasn’t got any girlfriends, he’s too busy being brave,’ grumbled Camelin.

  Jack suddenly realised Camelin was jealous of all the attention he was getting. This was his chance to turn their attention away from him.

  ‘Camelin’s a raven boy you know.’

  ‘A raven boy!’ Winver and Hesta said together before collapsing in a fit of giggles.

  ‘He’s the best stunt flyer I’ve ever seen,’ continued Jack.

  ‘It’s true,’ Camelin agreed, ‘can either of you fly upside down and do a triple loop-the-loop in the middle of a barrel dive?’

  The two white raven’s beaks fell open.

  ‘Oooh Camelin! Can you really do that?’

  ‘Oh he can,’ said Jack quickly.

  Camelin nodded.

  ‘I’m a brilliant stunt flyer.’

  Hesta and Winver hopped down to the table. Jack breathed a sigh of relief until they started whispering. Unfortunately Jack could hear them and by the look on Camelin’s face he’d heard them too.

  ‘Which one do you want Hesta?’

  ‘I don’t mind, I like them both, which one do you want?’

  Jack coughed loudly. Camelin took the hint and held out his arm for Jack to fly onto.

  ‘I’m afraid we’re going to have to say goodnight,’ said Jack. ‘But thank you for coming.’

  ‘Oh you can’t go so soon, we’ve only just got here,’ said Hesta.

  ‘We’ll see you tomorrow,’ added Camelin.

  ‘Please don’t tell the Queen we came to see you, she doesn’t know. We sort of sneaked out,’ pleaded Winver.

  ‘We won’t,’ Jack assured them.

  They were just about to set off for the house when Elan came out. Hesta and Winver both gave a little shriek and quickly took off. Jack let out a sigh of relief.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Elan.

  ‘Oh nothing, we were just coming in to bed,’ replied Camelin.’

  ‘What a coincidence. Nora sent me to fetch you and bring in what might be left of the pie. We’ve all got a big day tomorrow. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.’

  They followed Elan through two large circular rooms. The last and largest room had many doors. Elan opened one.

  ‘Try and get some sleep.’

  ‘We will,’ replied Jack even though sleep was the last thing on his mind.

  Once they were alone, Camelin lay down on the straw pallet whilst Jack perched on the chair.

  ‘So which one do you like best?’ laughed Jack.

  A pillow hurtled towards him but he ducked before it could hit him.

  THE QUEEN’S GARDEN

  Jack and Camelin sat down at a long table for breakfast. Gwillam was busy giving orders and making last minute arrangements. Elan was nowhere to be seen. Nora brought them both a bowl of porridge.

  ‘Make sure you use a spoon Camelin. Now you’ve got hands you’re going to have to get used to using them. And no licking the bowl.’

  Camelin pulled a face and waggled his head from side to side behind Nora’s back, then grudgingly picked up the spoon. Jack chuckled as Camelin grumbled.

  ‘I wish I had my beak back, food just doesn’t taste the same without it. It’s alright for you; nobody worries about your table manners.’

  ‘That’s because Jack’s always polite, even when he’s a raven,’ said Nora as she returned with a pile of clothes before putting them on the end of the table. ‘When you’ve finished breakfast I want you to go and make yourself look presentable. You want to make a good impression, don’t you?’

  Camelin scowled.

  ‘I’m not going to impress anyone. They’ve all seen me already.’

  ‘But the Queen hasn’t.’

  Camelin’s mouth fell open.

  ‘You too, Jack, go and sort your feathers out, some of them look a bit crumpled.’

  Jack had been so busy worrying about the trial he’d forgotten the Queen had asked to see them. Then he remembered who’d be meeting them. They were going to have to see Winver and Hesta again. He wasn’t sure he was looking forward to that.

  When everyone was ready they set off for the lake. Gwillam led them in the opposite direction to the way they’d come when they’d arrived. At the end of the village was an open space, in the middle of which stood a large stone.

  ‘This is known as The Clearing, the whole of Annwn can assemble here. The stone in the middle is a monolith, a speaking stone.’

  ‘You mean it talks?’ asked Camelin.

  ‘No,’ laughed Gwillam. ‘Whoever lays their hand upon it has the right to speak, everyone must listen until the speaker has finished. No one may interrupt.’

  Camelin stood and looked wistfully at the monolith whilst the others went on ahead.

  Jack flew onto his shoulder.

  ‘That monolith’s huge! I could do with one of them in my loft for when Timmery calls. I’d keep hold of it all the time, then he wouldn’t be able to speak at all.’

  ‘Whilst we’re on the subject of the loft, what was that problem you were going to tell me about?’

  ‘I might have tried a little bit of magic out on my own and…’

  ‘What are you two whispering about?’ asked Nora.

  Camelin’s cheeks went red. He was saved from having to answer by Gwillam stopping and pointing towards another signpost.

  ‘The Eastern Crossroads,’ he announced.

  Again, there were six ways. Gwillam explained where the pathways led.

  ‘The Eastern Gate is straight ahead, the next path climbs up to the mountain, this one goes to the amphitheatre and that one leads to the southern village by the swamp. It’s wet and boggy in the lowlands and floods quite regularly. The houses there are built on a platform with a causeway from the village to the dry ground.’

  ‘Amphitheatre?’ asked Jack as he looked around.

  ‘You can’t see it from here, we’re on the wrong side, but those three great hills in the distance are joined together. The middle hillside has seating cut into it all the way up from the ground to the top. It’s where the final celebrations take place at the end of every festival when all the people gather together. The best performers entertain the crowd with juggling, storytelling and singing. There’s always a mountain of food to share.’

  ‘What kind of food?’ asked Jack.

  Camelin shook his head.

  ‘Is that all you can think about?’

  Jack didn’t get a chance to reply as Gwillam sighed and then continued: ‘It’s all changed now. The people still gather but the treasures aren’t brought out. Velindur has them locked away in his room. The Ceremony of the Parting of the Ways hasn’t been performed for hundreds of years, not since the last visitors went back through the portals. Nobody’s seen the sword, the stone or the spear since then.’

  ‘It’s been even longer since the cauldron was here,’ added Nora. ‘If Velindur knew it was back it would be locked away with the rest of the treasures.’

  ‘Will it be safe in the village? What about Jed and Teg, do they know it’s there?’ asked Jack.

  ‘It’s safe,’ replied Nora and smiled. ‘A little b
it of magic’s hidden it away from sight, I doubt anyone’s going to bother about a battered old kettle.’

  ‘But what if…’ began Camelin.

  ‘If anyone does take a fancy to it they’re going to find they’ve become very attached to it. I’ve applied a little sticking spell to the handle, they won’t be going anywhere if they try to remove it from Gwillam’s house.’

  They all laughed.

  ‘What happens at the Ceremony, and why is it called the Parting of the Ways?’ asked Jack.

  Nora sighed and looked longingly at the three hills in the distance.

  ‘It would start after the festivities had ended, when the light began to fade. It was a beautiful sight. Everyone would light a candle, then the four great treasures would be brought into the arena and their guardians would stand facing in the direction of the gateway to which each one belonged. The guests would rise and make their way to the centre of the arena. They’d stand behind the treasures, and four great processions would make their way to the portals of Annwn. The singing would begin and not stop until the guests were standing in front of their gateway. Anyone who’d accompanied them would say their goodbyes. That was where they would part, until the next visit.’

  ‘Now the cauldron’s back, will they do that when we go home?’ asked Jack.

  ‘Don’t you mean, if we go home? We’re still under arrest remember,’ grumbled Camelin.

  Gwillam put his hand on Camelin’s shoulder.

  ‘Try not to worry.’

  Nora and Gwillam walked on ahead. Camelin sighed and turned to Jack.

  ‘I only wanted to go to the fair.’

  ‘There’ll be another time. We’ll be able to go to the fair at Samhain.’

  ‘It’s going to be too late at Samhain.’

  ‘Too late for what?’

  ‘To sort out my dustbin.’

  ‘What dustbin?’

  ‘I’ve been trying to tell you since we got here. You know that bit of magic I tried, well I’ve got a dustbin in the loft.’