‘You’ll write often won’t you and tell me all the news from Earth?’
‘I will, it won’t be long until Samhain and we’ll all be back again.’
‘Next time you come through Glasruhen Gate there will be a proper welcome waiting for you,’ said Elan.
Jack looked at her.
‘Aren’t you coming back with us?’
‘No Jack, I’m needed here for a while. We can write though, you’ll be able to tell me about all the things I’m missing.’
‘But…’
‘I have to stay. Cora and Gwen need me. We have work to do to put Annwn to rights again. When that work is done I’ll return.’
‘How long do you think you’ll be gone?’
‘I really don’t know, but I promise I will come back. Now the portal is open I’ll visit whenever I can.’
Jack felt sad. He’d miss Elan, but he understood why she wanted to stay and put things right. He remembered the gift she’d given him.
‘Thank you for my beautiful golden acorn.’
‘You have proved yourself worthy to wear it. The people will see you one day as you really are. When you return at Samhain, you’ll take your place as King.’
‘Me? King of the Festival?’
‘No just King, the visiting King. You must know by now that you’re The Brenin the prophesy foretells.’
Jack felt confused. Why did they all keep calling him The Brenin.
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I thought you knew,’ said Nora. ‘Brenin means King. You are The One, the King of the Forest.’
‘That’s why you’re able to harness the power of Annwn through your wand. You’ll be able to do the same through your acorn. Arrana gave you her knowledge. Her power is within you, all you need to do now is to learn how to use it,’ explained Elan.
‘We couldn’t have opened Glasruhen Gate without you, we were both too weak, but the power of Annwn is strong within you. Once you’ve been crowned, you can take your rightful position,’ added Nora.
Jack took a deep breath. Elan and Nora’s words had stunned him into silence. There were so many questions he needed to ask but he didn’t know where to begin.
‘It’s time to go,’ announced Nora. ‘You four will have to fly through the portal.’
Timmery and Charkle hovered around Nora’s head.
‘I’d better transform you two first.’
With a flick of her wand the two hummingbirds spun around until two little bats reappeared.
‘I loved being a bird,’ piped Timmery. ‘It was great to be able to see in the daytime.’
Gwillam hugged his sister and patted Jack and Camelin on their backs. Gavin bowed to them all. Elan also hugged Nora, then came over to the branch and stroked Jack and Camelin’s feathers.
‘I’ll miss you both.’
Jack couldn’t speak, he was fighting back tears.
‘Are we ready?’ asked Nora as she picked up the cauldron.
‘Ready,’ they replied.
‘Bye,’ Elan called.
Jack replied as they flew through the gateway. The green glow disappeared as the dark forest greeted them. He quickly looked around. Nothing had changed. His clothes were where he’d left them. Nora crossed the threshold. After she’d stepped off the last branch she put the cauldron down. For one last time they all looked into the green light coming from the other side of Glasruhen Gate.
‘Time to hide the portal,’ Nora announced as she took out her wand and pointed it at the ground before the archway where the branches lay.
The doors swung back slowly and closed without a sound. Then the Sentinel Oaks disappeared.
‘Shall we go and see Arrana?’
They all agreed.
At the edge of Glasruhen Forest, Nora stopped.
‘Listen, can you hear singing?’
It was the saddest song Jack had ever heard. There were no words, just a multitude of voices crying through the night. Nora looked worried.
‘It’s Arrana! We must hurry. Fly on ahead, we have to wake her. She has to touch the acorns and transfer her knowledge, or everything we’ve achieved will have been in vain.’
Jack and Camelin raced through the forest. Their wings clipped branches as they flew. They headed as fast as they could to where Arrana stood. They didn’t see any Dryads, but the closer they got to the centre, the louder the singing became.
They landed in front of Arrana. She was surrounded by every kind of Dryad Jack had ever seen. None spoke to Jack and Camelin, they didn’t take their eyes off the Hamadryad as they continued their sad song.
‘Arrana,’ Jack called. ‘Arrana The Wise, Protector and Most Sacred of All we have come to speak with you.’
‘It’s no use. You’ll never wake her like that. You’re going to have to wait ’til Nora gets here. She’ll have to use her wand to wake her,’ said Camelin.
Jack knew he had to do something. If the Dryads hadn’t been able to awaken her there must be a real problem. She might even have faded away already. He hopped over to her trunk and put his head next to it. He listened. If he’d been a boy he’d have hugged the trunk to let Arrana know they’d returned. He didn’t want her to feel alone. As Jack moved closer his acorn touched the bark. A golden light shone onto Arrana. The singing stopped and the forest seemed to hold its breath. Jack heard Arrana’s voice inside his head. He remembered she’d told him that if he spoke with his heart she would hear him. He closed his eyes and imagined she stood before him. He reached out to her with unspoken words.
‘Arrana, we have the acorns from Sylvana; the forest can be saved if only you will wake and touch them.’
Jack felt a stirring inside the trunk. He hopped back to where Camelin stood. A rapid movement followed. The trunk vibrated rapidly from side to side and when it stopped, in its place, the faint outline of Arrana appeared. It was hard to see any of her at all in the darkness. Jack heard the Dryads whispering then the mournful singing began again.
‘Arrana,’ thought Jack, ‘we have the acorns, hold on a little longer. Nora’s on her way.’
Jack heard Arrana’s voice inside his head.
‘You have done well Jack Brenin, friend to us all and rightful King of the Forest, but I grow weak, too weak to give my knowledge to all the acorns. There is no more time left, come closer, come closer.’
Jack moved towards Arrana, he heard Camelin sob as she bent forward. Her outline had almost disappeared. She pointed her finger at Jack’s chest. A green light shimmered weakly until it hit the acorn around his neck. There was a burst of light, which illuminated the whole grove. The singing stopped.
‘I empower you to do my work. You have the knowledge of Annwn, now I give you my final gift, the spirit of the Hamadryads. Use it wisely Jack Brenin, without you the forest will not survive.’
Jack felt hot. He fought to breathe. The acorn felt heavy around his neck. As the brightness increased it blinded him. Although he couldn’t see her he could feel Arrana’s presence and joy, and then there was nothing. He suddenly felt empty. The light faded and the forest was still. When his sight returned Arrana was gone. He touched the bark of the oak and found it was empty, only a hollow tree stood where Arrana had been.
‘No!’ cried Jack. ‘No!’
The Dryads wailed. Nora appeared and rushed over.
‘What happened?’
Jack choked. He couldn’t speak any more.
Camelin looked at Nora.
‘Arrana’s gone. She’s faded. We were too late.’
Jack cried silently before the empty oak. Nora put her hands on the bark then cried too. Camelin hung his head and put his wing around Jack. There wasn’t another sound from the forest.
Jack had no idea how long they stood before the tree; eventually he became aware of the stillness. Nothing stirred until one of the Dryads stepped forward and bowed.
‘All is not lost,’ she said to Nora. ‘Arrana gave the last of her power to Jack. He can save us all if he chooses.’
‘Is this true?’ asked Nora.
‘I don’t know what happened,’ said Jack shakily. ‘Arrana pointed to the acorn, a light exploded, and then she was gone.’
Nora turned to face the Dryads: ‘Behold, The Brenin has returned, he will restore the Hamadryads to their former glory. You shall not fade away. With Arrana’s gift he can breathe the life of Annwn into the acorns. The forests will flourish once more.’
Jack didn’t understand. He knew Nora was talking about him but he didn’t know how he was going to do all the things she was promising. How could he give life to the acorns?
Nora smiled at him.
‘Don’t worry. You weren’t too late, you woke her in time. Only the true King of the Forest could have woken her without the aid of magic. Arrana gave you her power, she entrusted you to pass on her knowledge.’
‘But I don’t know how.’
‘Tomorrow, everything will be made clear, but now we need to get you home. We don’t want your grandad worrying about you.’
Jack took a deep breath. The Dryads began to sing again, but the song was different. The sadness was still there, but now he could also hear words of joy, about the forests and how the Hamadryads would once again protect the trees and all who lived in them. Nora took her Book of Shadows from the cauldron and tapped it with her wand. She began to read from the page where it opened:
When all is equal, all is done,
And joy is brought to everyone.
The Brenin will be crowned again,
Over the Forests he will reign.
‘That’s you Jack,’ said Camelin.
‘When Arrana’s heirs are ready to replace her and carry on her work, then you will be crowned King of the Forest,’ explained Nora. ‘That’s the last part of the prophesy.’
‘But I’m just a boy,’ said Jack.
‘A raven boy,’ corrected Camelin. ‘And a Brenin. No, you’re not just a Brenin, you’re The Brenin but don’t think I’m going to bow to you, not until you’re wearing the greenwood crown. And don’t you go getting any airs and graces either.’
‘Come on,’ said Nora. ‘I’ve brought your clothes from the gateway; we need to get you home. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.’
Jack could hear Nora talking to his grandad downstairs. He’d said goodnight and gone straight upstairs. He wanted to cry but he couldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t, he ought to be happy he’d woken Arrana in time. He felt exhausted but didn’t feel tired. There were too many questions going round in his head. He was glad Orin was asleep. He undressed and got into his pyjamas. He knew he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. He took out his wand and the Book of Shadows and wrote to Elan. It was late by the time he’d answered all the questions she asked. Eventually he felt his eyelids closing. He shut his book and got into bed.
Jack was nearly late for school again. He promised Orin he’d tell her everything later. There were still some things Jack didn’t understand. He spent the whole day at school lost in thought. He’d no idea what any of his lessons were about. He longed for home time, when he could return to Ewell House. Nora had promised to explain everything when he arrived. He wished Elan was going to be there. It seemed like an age until his class was dismissed.
Once he was out of school he raced to the top gate. Camelin was waiting for him in a nearby tree.
‘Ready?’
‘Ready,’ replied Jack.
He ran as fast as he could down the back lane after Camelin and arrived, breathless, at Ewell House. Nora opened the gate at the bottom of the garden. When they were by the statues she stopped.
‘This is where we need to begin.’
‘Begin what?’ asked Jack.
‘The revival of the Hamadryad Oaks. I managed to rescue some of Arrana’s sisters. They didn’t fade away into nothingness like Arrana; I brought each of their spirits here and sealed each one inside a statue. I hoped one day we would have some acorns from the Mother Oak again. Once they’re inside the acorns they’ll be restored to their former selves. The repopulation of the forests can begin as soon as you empower each Hamadryad with Arrana’s knowledge. She gave you her gift, now I have to show you how to use it.’
Jack took a deep breath. This was a lot of information to take in at once.
‘You mean the statues aren’t really stone?’
‘I think we had that conversation the first day we met. I also said the statues weren’t made from people. What I didn’t tell you was that each of them contained the spirit of a tree.’
Jack went over and looked closely at the statues. Their faces were similar to Arrana’s.
‘What do I need to do?’
‘We’ll need the acorns. They’re in the herborium.’
Camelin flew on ahead while Jack and Nora walked slowly through the garden.
‘Are you alright Jack?’
‘I feel so sad inside.’
‘The last few days have been a strain for all of us, but everything will be put right again. Do you remember the words I read to you last night, the last part of the prophesy?’
Jack didn’t have to think too hard, he’d thought of little else all day:
‘When all is equal, all is done,
And joy is brought to everyone.’
‘I can remember the words but I don’t really understand what they mean.’
‘It means that when everything’s been put right in both Annwn and on Earth, everyone will be happy again, it’s referring to both worlds. Elan will sort out the problems in Annwn and it’s up to you to sort them out on Earth.’
Jack blew out a long slow breath.
‘Can I do that?’
‘Of course you can, you’re King of the Forest.’
Jack laughed.
‘I still find that hard to believe. My grandad and dad are both Brenins, why weren’t they chosen to be King?’
‘It’s to do with the time and place of your birth. Remember the prophesy? You were born in the right place, at the right time. I knew from the start you were The One. I knew you’d save us all.’
‘If Brenin means King, does that mean my ancestors were Kings of the Forest too?’
‘It does, but there’s only ever been one King. It was a very long time ago now, when this Earth was a better place.’
‘What was he like?’
‘When he was your age, he was very much like you, except he wasn’t ready to take over the Kingship until his training finished. You’re special Jack, you already have the power within you.’
‘Special?’
‘Very.’
‘What happened to him?’
‘He took the Sword of Power into Annwn for safety when the Romans arrived but never came back. He chose to live out the rest of his days there in peace. His final resting place is in the mound we passed before we came back through Glasruhen Gate.’
‘He was mortal then?’
‘Yes, if you want to find out more ask your Book of Shadows. Now let’s go and get the acorns, we’ve got a lot of work to do before supper.’
Camelin appeared at the doorway of the herborium.
‘Supper?’
‘Not yet, so don’t you go getting your hopes up. You can’t eat until Jack’s put a Hamadryad back into each of the acorns.’
Camelin pulled a face.
‘You will hurry up, won’t you? I’m starving!
MIGHTY OAKS
The first thing Jack heard when he stepped into the herborium was an angry buzzing. He looked at the jar.
‘What are you going to do with Velindur?’
‘First things first,’ said Nora. ‘Camelin’s been keeping an eye on him all day while I’ve been busy getting everything ready for you. Velindur will have to wait; it won’t do him any harm to stay in there until tomorrow. I’ll drive well away from Glasruhen before I release him.’
‘When will the transformation spell wear off?’
‘We put a very slow release one on him. It’ll be days before he’s a man again.’
&nb
sp; ‘I hope he doesn’t come back,’ said Camelin. ‘He really wasn’t very nice. It would have served him right if they’d made him into a wasp for the rest of his life. That’s what they used to do to invaders you know, Gwillam told me.’
‘You’ll have to tell Jack about it another time, we have more important things to do right now. Wait here. I’ll fetch my wand and Book of Shadows.’
When Nora had gone Jack peeked into the cauldron.
‘Where’s the frog?’
‘In the garden somewhere. Nora said I couldn’t keep it in the loft because it needed fresh air and somewhere nice to live, so it’s looking for a new home. When you’re done will you help me find it? I haven’t had a chance to ask it the important question yet.’
‘What important question?’ asked Nora as she walked into the herborium.
Camelin coughed and shuffled from foot to foot.
‘Er… I was going to ask Jack what kind of a crown he’d prefer. See, neither of us is too keen on mistletoe, not if Hesta and Winver are going to be around.’
Nora laughed.
‘I’m afraid you’re going to have to see the Dryads about that, they decide what to use. But it’s traditional to have at least one sprig of mistletoe in there. I wouldn’t really call it a crown, it’s not like the one Velindur had. It’s more of a circlet with all kinds of things woven into it.’
‘I’ll be proud to wear it, whatever they choose.’
Nora laid her wand on the table. Jack took his out of his school bag and waited for her to tell him what he must do.
‘First I need you to pass me that box.’
Jack went over to the far end of the table where Nora had pointed. He picked up a small rectangular box which was decorated with knot-work and oak trees on its lid and sides.
‘Now open it and hold it steady.’
Jack took off the lid. Inside was a piece of black velvet. Nora untied the leather pouch they’d brought back from Annwn, and gently shook the acorns into the box. They were still shiny and smooth and looked enormous compared to the small golden acorn that hung around Jack’s neck.
‘Shall we begin?’
Nora stood in the doorway with the box in one hand and her wand in the other.
The Jack Brenin Collection Page 38