Solstice at Stonewylde

by Kit Berry

  ‘Because I don’t want you to be punished again, Yul, although it would be nice if she got into trouble. I could tell Magus—’

  ‘NO! Don’t, Holly, please, you mustn’t say a word to him.’

  ‘What’s it worth?’

  He shrugged, at a loss to understand what she wanted from him.

  ‘You’re very slow aren’t you, Yul? I want you to kiss me like you kissed Sylvie.’

  ‘No! I couldn’t kiss anybody else like that!’

  ‘Try, Yul. I’ll be patient with you. Come on, it’s not much to ask in return for keeping your secret. Not when Magus would be so very angry with both of you. My silence in exchange for a little kiss, just for old times’ sake. You were keen enough once and I haven’t changed. Come on, Yul.’

  Reluctantly, knowing this was madness but unsure what else to do, he allowed her to link her hands behind his head and pull him down. Her lips fastened onto his and she kissed him. He remained passive, not responding in any way, and she pulled away from him.

  ‘What’s the matter with you? It’s only a kiss, Yul, and Sylvie will never know. Kiss me properly or I’ll go straight to Magus the minute he gets back and tell him everything.’

  So he did, hating himself for it and hating Holly even more. It was mechanical and soulless and she felt horrible and tasted different. Finally, unable to endure it any longer, he wrenched himself from her clinging grasp. He stood up again, wiping his mouth hard with the back of his hand in the ultimate gesture of disgust.

  ‘Alright, I’ve done it! Now let me go home, and leave Sylvie alone, Holly. If I hear you’ve been upsetting her …’

  ‘Yes? You’ll do what, exactly? Don’t threaten me, Yul! Or I might tell Sylvie what we’ve just been doing, and she wouldn’t like that, would she?’

  The light from the pub just illuminated her face as she looked up at him. Her eyes glinted and her smile was triumphant.

  ‘That was very nice for starters, Yul,’ she purred. ‘Although a little more passion next time, I think. It’s not long till our Rite of Adulthood, remember, and I’m looking forward to it.’

  He turned on his heel and strode off, ignoring her laughter. He’d betrayed Sylvie and hated himself for it, realising he’d made a stupid mistake by giving in to Holly but also seeing it was too late to go back now. He must just make sure it never happened again. He crashed into the cottage, the door rattling on its hinges as he flung it open, and Maizie and Rosie exchanged worried glances. It was a while since they’d seen Yul in one of his terrible black moods.

  Yul left his cottage the next morning whilst it was still dark, wrapped warmly against the chill November air. He started up the track that led to the Long Walk and the Stone Circle and was surprised to find Edward, the farm manager, waiting in the tunnel of bare trees.

  ‘Blessings, sir!’ said Yul, taken aback.

  ‘Blessings to you, Yul.’

  They fell into step together. Yul was pleased to see that he was now almost as tall as Edward, although he had a long way to go to match the man’s huge physique.

  ‘Why are you up here this morning, sir?’ asked Yul. He kept an eye on the sky through the trees, not wanting to miss the sunrise.

  ‘To look after you,’ replied Edward with a smile, thinking the lad would resent this.

  ‘But … but I …’

  ‘Mother Heggy’s orders. She says you need the Earth Magic and you must come here every day, sunrise and sunset. If Magus realises what you’re up to he’ll send Jackdaw to stop you. ‘Tis why I’m here for there’s nought I’d like more than a fight with Jackdaw. So no arguing, young man – I’m coming whether you like it or not. We need you strong, Yul, as there’s a lot of folk counting on you.’

  Yul was silenced by this. He knew Edward to be one of Magus’ staunchest supporters and wondered what had brought this change about.

  ‘Thank you, sir, but I hope you don’t mind. This must be a busy time of day for you.’

  ‘I’m happy to do my bit. We need to hurry now, ‘tis almost sunrise. And Yul – up here, you can drop the “sir”.’

  They entered the Stone Circle and, despite himself, Yul began to shake uncontrollably. This was his first visit since the night of Samhain, though he came here every night in his sleep. The Stone Labyrinth haunted him in his dreams, when he was most vulnerable and unable to fight back. The crows and skulls were still painted on the stones and would remain so until the preparations for the Winter Solstice. In the centre the ashes from the pyre marked a darker spot on the earth, although all remains of the fire had been cleared. The black stones and tiny red candles had gone and every trace of the labyrinth had vanished.

  But still Yul felt sick with dread, remembering so vividly the stalking Dark Angel, the white corpses on the sleds and his own drugged paralysis. He knew that but for Raven’s help he’d certainly have died in this place. The Stone Circle had always been a magical, beautiful place for him, somewhere that brought solace and harmony. Lately it had become the place where he received the Earth Magic from the Goddess, and the knowledge that he was destined to lead Stonewylde. But now, not only had Magus and his four acolytes poisoned his body here, they’d also poisoned this magical place for him, turning it into somewhere evil. He really didn’t want to be here at all. He shuddered and Edward put a strong arm around his shoulders in an unexpected, almost fatherly, gesture.

  ‘You were very brave that night, Yul, braver than any of us would’ve been. Accept what happened and put it behind you lad. Come on, up on the Altar Stone and forget about death. Think o’ life – the life force o’ the Earth Goddess.’

  Yul nodded gratefully, unable to speak as the emotions choked him. He clambered up onto the stone, not yet strong enough to leap as he usually did. Immediately he felt the throbbing, pulsing energy of the earth pushing up through the molecules of stone, channelling into his body. He felt it building as the sun came closer to the horizon. It was cloudy and grey but the sun was approaching whether or not the human eye could see it. The magnetic solar energy slid into alignment with this spot where the magnetic energy of the earth was strong and focused.

  The sky remained a dull pewter grey, but Yul knew the precise moment when the sun appeared over the horizon for he felt an almost orgasmic jolt to his body. He stood with outstretched arms and the energy flooded through him, into every atom of his being, electrifying in its intensity and power. He felt filled, charged, fired up with the Earth Magic. He took a deep breath and relaxed, letting it saturate him. Gone were his fears and terrors. Suddenly he felt he could slay any foe who dared to challenge him.

  About ten minutes later, when the sky was much brighter, he opened his eyes. He smiled across at Edward who stood some way off, leaning against one of the great stones. Edward was silent and strangely subdued as they walked back towards the Village, and after a while Yul broached a subject which was preying on his mind.

  ‘You were angry with me in September, at the Apple Harvest, for speaking against Magus. Yet today you say everyone’s counting on me. Why your change of heart?’

  Edward looked at Yul, tall and filling out with hard muscle, but all said and done still a boy and not a man. The long dark curls and slanted grey eyes had masked his heritage, but now it was plain to see. He was so clearly his father’s son, powerful, strong and a natural leader. The air around Yul crackled, although the boy didn’t seem to be aware of it, nor of the tiny sparks arcing from his fingertips. There was absolutely no doubt that the Earth Goddess blessed Yul with her green magic. Edward felt completely over-awed at what he’d just witnessed.

  ‘I used to admire and respect Magus with all my heart,’ Edward began. ‘And in many ways I still do. He saved Stonewylde and made it a great place again, after all the years when the land had been abused and everything left to rot. But somehow Magus has missed the true path and gone wandering up one that’s leading us all to a precipice.’

  ‘What makes you think that?’

  ‘I’ve heard about his plans for
Stonewylde and I don’t like ‘em. I’ve young children and I don’t want them growing up in a place that’s gone bad, where us Villagers are nought but servants. More Hallfolk coming to live here, new houses to be built for them and us Villagers having to serve ’em all. That’s how it used to be in the old days, my father says, and ‘tis not what Magus always promised us. Seems to me he’s abandoning all we hold sacred. He wants to increase the harvest from land and farm more aggressively too, and I can’t hold with that. The Earth gives us what she can and she mustn’t be forced.’

  Yul nodded as this was one of the most fundamental principles of honouring the Goddess in the landscape. Take and enjoy her bounty, but never be greedy.

  ‘And there’s the matter o’ Jackdaw,’ Edward continued, an edge to his voice. ‘Lily was my cousin. We all trusted Magus to punish Jackdaw fairly for killing her, and his banishment was just. But Magus has gone back on that and not even had the decency to explain why. I don’t feel I can trust the man any longer, especially a man who tried to burn his own son alive.’

  He glanced across at Yul, still bearing a haunted look of suffering, but also surrounded by an aura of energy that danced about him like a cloud of gnats.

  ‘And then, Yul, there’s you. You’re the one who receives the Earth Magic now. Greenbough and Tom both told me so afore and I believed ‘em, for they are good men and always speak true. Now I seen it with my own eyes I’ll tell others too. ‘Tis not us but Stonewylde herself that chooses the magus. You’re chosen, Yul, and after what I just seen this sunrise, ‘tis my honour to support you. I’m behind you every step o’ your path.’

  They reached the Village and with a farewell salute, Edward mounted his great grey mare and rode back to the farm.

  Before joining the fertile women of Stonewylde for the second day of menstruation, Sylvie went first to Hare Stone for the sunrise and then a walk along the ridgeway. She found she was increasingly able to sense the serpent lines of energy in the earth, just as Yul could feel her silver moon energy.

  Walking along the Dragon’s Back, up high in the hills, was exhilarating and set her spirit soaring. She could literally see the bigger picture when surrounded by the great sweeps and swathes of green hills and valleys, the recumbent form of the Goddess in the land. Sylvie walked along the green spine of the earth feeling the late autumn wind blow away the cobwebs, breathing deeply of the magical essence of Stonewylde and feeling herself restored by it. Arriving late at the Great Barn, all eyes turned to her as she made her entrance, windswept and rosy-cheeked, her eyes sparkling and hair whipped into silver tails. She resolved to spend a peaceful day in the Barn and try hard to avoid any trouble.

  At the end of the day Sylvie watched the girls get into one of the carts to go back to the Hall. She savoured the peace once they’d left, standing amongst the trees and looking up at the bare branches feathery against the pale mauve sky. A blackbird sang sweetly, the liquid song pouring into the clear evening. Sylvie closed her eyes for a moment feeling a thrill of pleasure at the thought of seeing Yul. She walked across the grass and waited under the yew tree for him to return from the Circle. She was alive with excitement, longing for him to join her in their special place.

  He arrived silently, appearing under the boughs in the shadowy enclosure formed by the yew. They gazed at each other, suddenly shy. Yul held back, crawling with guilt at the kiss with Holly. Sylvie was overwhelmed by his presence, feeling the difference in him straight away since his visits today to the Stone Circle at sunrise and sunset. He buzzed with energy, his eyes sparkling and long fingers plucking at the bark of the tree.

  ‘It’s because I haven’t been up there for so long,’ he explained, taking her hands in his. ‘It’s always stronger then. After a few days, it’ll settle down.’

  Sylvie was a little scared of him when he was like this, restless and vibrant with life and almost ready to explode with the magic. His eyes seemed to pierce her and he overflowed with power and energy; she felt it tingling in his fingertips. When he tried to take her in his arms she pulled away, apprehensive of the strength of the Earth Magic that hummed within him.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, stroking his cheek. ‘You’re too much for me tonight, Yul. It’s as if anything you touch will burst into flames. You set me on fire as it is; tonight you’d consume me completely.’

  He smiled at this and contented himself with running his hands through her silky hair as they stood close, all the time watching her for signs that she’d heard about his kiss with Holly. It seemed the girl had kept it to herself and he prayed she continued to do so. He considered confessing to Sylvie now, to come clean and feel honest again, but when he thought of how angry and hurt she’d be he decided not to.

  He was edgy and nervous, fiddling with her hair and shredding slips of yew, scuffing his boot on the ground. They talked of Magus’ and Jackdaw’s imminent return to Stonewylde and how careful they must be not to attract attention. But without warning, just as Sylvie started to explain about the banishing spell Mother Heggy had made on the night of the Dark Moon, Yul lost his temper. He was furious when he heard Sylvie had searched Magus’ rooms. He swore vehemently and kicked hard at the soft earth beneath the tree with barely suppressed aggression.

  ‘Mother Heggy had no right to put you in danger like that!’ he snapped. ‘Don’t ever put yourself at risk like that again!’

  ‘There wasn’t any risk. Magus wasn’t home so he couldn’t have found me there.’

  ‘He could’ve come back unexpectedly. And he still may find out what you’ve done. Sylvie, please don’t do anything to make him angry with you. He’s so cruel, so sadistic and I can’t bear to think of him hurting you. Goddess, I can’t believe Mother Heggy made you take a risk like that! How dare she?’

  ‘Yul, she didn’t make me do anything,’ said Sylvie in a placatory voice, anxious to calm him down. ‘She asked me to help and I agreed. I want to do my bit to defeat him. It’s not just your battle; we’re all in it.’

  ‘Yes but you’re more at risk from him than anyone else.’

  ‘We’re all at risk from him, Yul. Everyone at Stonewylde who crosses him is at risk.’

  ‘So don’t cross him!’

  ‘I will if that’s what it takes to stop him. I want him gone as much as you do and I have every right to help in the fight against him.’

  ‘Sylvie, I’m the one who’s going to overthrow him, not you! It’s not your fight, it’s mine. You keep well out of it and leave it to me!’

  Furiously she turned and walked away from him, unable to believe what she was hearing. Besides which it was almost dark and she needed to get home.

  ‘Don’t turn your back on me!’ he snapped, eyes flashing in the gloom. ‘Come back here – I’m still talking to you!’

  ‘Don’t speak to me like that!’ she retorted. ‘You sound like your bloody father!’

  He marched after Sylvie and tried to grab her.

  ‘Sylvie, don’t go! Look, I’m sorry, I …’

  She shook him off, running from the shelter of the yew tree onto the Green where she knew he wouldn’t risk anyone spotting them together.

  ‘Think about it, Yul! If you end up just like your father, what’s the point in having a new magus?’ she said, over her shoulder. ‘I’ll see you around, when you’ve got your arrogance under control.’

  *

  Yul was so angry after she’d gone that he didn’t know what to do with himself or his rage. He didn’t want to go home and upset his family again with his bad temper, so he decided to visit Mother Heggy and speak his mind, especially as this was her fault. He reached her cottage quickly and stormed in after a cursory knock.

  ‘Blessings, Yul,’ she wheezed from her rocking chair by the fire. ‘Close the door. ‘Tis cold out there.’

  ‘Mother Heggy, I—’

  ‘Come and sit awhile, boy. I hope Edward found you out today at the Circle?’

  ‘Yes, thank you but that’s not why I’m here. You had no right to
send Sylvie snooping in Magus’ rooms for stuff for your spells. NO RIGHT!’ He slammed his fist on the table. ‘She’s not to be put in danger. I will fight Magus, not you or Sylvie or anyone else. It’s between me and him, and I won’t let you interfere or put Sylvie at risk. Do you understand?’

  He quivered with anger, grey eyes flashing, and glared at the old crone who was not much more than a bag of wrinkles and whiskers. She peered up at him blindly and smacked her gums together.

  ‘Spoken like a true magus.’

  He glared even more fiercely, his breathing harsh.

  ‘Do you understand, Mother Heggy?’

  ‘I take orders from nobody,’ she muttered. ‘We’re in this together and we must all do what’s needed. You love Sylvie and want to protect her, I know, but she has a part to play in his downfall and you can’t deny her that.’

  ‘But I don’t want her taking unnecessary risks and I don’t want your spells either! I want to deal with him myself, one to one!’

  ‘And you shall. But ‘twill help weaken him, and it gathers the people behind you. Everyone knows I’ve cast a spell – Cherry and Marigold have seen to that. Never could hold their tongues, them two. The folk will all look at him with new eyes, watching for weakness or strangeness. ‘Tis part of casting off an old magus and adopting a new one. Keep your temper under control, Yul, and save it for them that deserve it, not we who’re on your side.’

  He hung his head, curls falling over his face, trying to calm his rage. He was so full of passion at the moment, and Mother Heggy continued rocking as he fought to contain himself. After a few minutes he looked up.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, his eyes no longer sparking fury. ‘I’ve no right to order you or anyone else around. But please, please, don’t put her in danger. She’s the most precious, most special, most …’

  He stopped, choking on the words.

  ‘Aye, but she’s also brave,’ said Mother Heggy, ‘which is why she’s a worthy partner for you. She might look like a delicate flower but she’s not made o’ petals and she certainly won’t take no bullying from you.’