Solstice at Stonewylde

by Kit Berry

  Finally she opened a little black box and removed the figure, taking it into the circle with her. She pursed her lips and summoned the crow, who hopped delicately inside with her, sitting at the head of the star. Mother Heggy picked up the bowl of salt and, muttering her incantations, carefully sprinkled it in an unbroken circle onto the circumference marked out on the flagstones. She was now protected within the circle from any malignant forces abroad tonight, anyone who might wish to harm her with Dark Magic. Then, with great difficulty, she sat down on the cushion in the centre, feeling her ancient joints and ligaments crack in protest. She lit the taper and reached to light the five candles in the points of the pentangle. Now she could summon the elements. Now the ceremony could begin.

  ‘We’re approaching the Hall now,’ said Magus. ‘We’ll collect the girl and go straight up to the cliff-top.’

  ‘Nice pile,’ muttered the heavier man in the back seat of the Land Rover, eyeing the grand stately home. ‘Very nice.’

  Magus pulled up and led them inside, heading straight upstairs. The two shaven men in full combat gear were incongruous in the mediaeval setting of the Hall, but the place was deserted with everyone at the Stone Circle for the sunset ritual to mark Winter Solstice Eve. Magus imagined Clip there now, ready to lead the chanting and ceremony as the sun descended behind the stones. Magus hurried up the stairs, unlocked the door to his apartments and ushered the men inside. He was annoyed to find Sylvie wasn’t on the sofa where she should be, and called her angrily.

  Then he tripped over Martin’s unconscious body lying in the shadows, and switching on a lamp, he saw the great lump on the side of the man’s head. He cried out in fury and ran through the rooms shouting for Sylvie. When he realised she wasn’t there and saw the door from her bedroom to the outside corridor standing open, he paled and let out a bellow of pure rage. As he raced back through to the sitting room where the men were waiting, the intercom began to buzz.

  ‘YES?’ he yelled.

  ‘Sir, Magus, ‘tis the boy Yul!’ began Tom, relieved that at last the master had returned so he could put his part of the plan into motion.

  ‘What about him?’ shouted Magus. ‘Is this Tom? Have you seen him?’

  ‘Aye sir, he’s been here in the stables and he’s took Nightwing. He—’

  ‘WHAT? Why did you let him do that, you bloody fool?’

  ‘He said you gave permission, sir. I weren’t sure and I tried to phone you to check, sir, but you been away. I kept trying.’

  Magus slammed his fist on the desk, white with fury. He took a deep breath.

  ‘Alright, Tom, he’s taken Nightwing. Did you see Sylvie? The young girl?’

  ‘Aye, sir,’ said Tom quickly, adjusting the plan to cope with the new train of events. ‘She were with him. He took her on the horse too.’

  ‘I don’t believe I’m hearing this! And you didn’t think to stop them?’

  ‘He told me he had your permission, sir. And seeing as how he’s your son, and she’s Master Clip’s daughter, I didn’t think ‘twas my place to say—’

  ‘I’ll deal with you tomorrow, Tom, when this is all over. Saddle another horse for me! I’m on my way down now. I’ll find them at the Hill Stone, no doubt.’

  ‘Well, sir, I were just about to say, I think I know where they’ve gone.’

  ‘Why the hell didn’t you say so? Where?’

  ‘Well, they was arguing, sir. Miss Sylvie said she wanted to go to Hare Stone, wherever that is. Maybe she meant Hill Stone? But young Yul, he weren’t having none of it. He said they were going to Quarrycleave.’

  ‘Quarrycleave?’

  ‘Aye, sir, he definitely said Quarrycleave. I were standing right with them while they was talking. Felt awkward, I did, listening in. He told her there was a special stone up there that she could dance on just for him. They argued a bit and she cried and he shouted at her. Quite harsh he was with her, and she were very upset. Then she said alright, she’d do it for him as ‘twas his birthday, just the once. Those were her very words, sir’

  ‘The sly, cunning, little bastard! All that crap he gave me yesterday and he wants her moon magic too! Don’t worry, Tom, I won’t need a horse. I’ll drive up there in the Land Rover.’

  Quivering with anger, he smashed the phone down. His eyes flashed dangerously as he spoke to the two men.

  ‘Change of plan! We’re driving up to the quarry. The boy’s on horseback and he’s got the girl, and he’ll take her to a tall stone at the head of the quarry. Under absolutely no circumstances are you to approach that stone or touch the girl. Do you understand? I want the boy captured as we discussed before but more than ever now I want to kill him myself, so don’t shoot at him or anything like that. Your job is to catch him and restrain him. Now come on, let’s get a move on – the moon will be rising soon.’

  Edward surveyed the crowds gathering for the ceremony. Still they poured into the arena from the Long Walk, Villagers and Hallfolk mingling, their numbers swelled by the many extra visitors. Wearing his best ceremony robes, Edward took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. His heart pounded with anxiety, not only at the prospect of leading the sunset ritual tonight as Clip had requested, but also at what would happen at moonrise.

  Everything was at stake now. Should Yul fail, the future of all those who’d supported him would be bleak. Although, thought Edward grimly, that meant almost every Villager on the estate and Magus would have a hard job punishing them all. But he put those thoughts aside; of course Yul would triumph tonight just as the prophecy had foretold. So why, he wondered, was he so very scared? Why did he feel this terrible draught of fear breathing down his neck?

  *

  Old Violet crouched amongst an outcrop of boulders on the hill. A thin plume of acrid smoke rose into the clear pink sky as she muttered under her breath. The black horn-handled athame she clutched in her dirty hand swept through the air as she directed the elements to witness her intent. Vetchling assisted her in the invocation and Starling looked on crabbily, her belly rumbling.

  ‘There,’ said Violet finally, ‘’tis done.’

  ‘And this is the place, sister?’

  ‘Aye, and now ‘tis marked. We must get up to the stone at the top now to cast our circle there. That moongazy maiden will find her path blocked, should aught go wrong at Mooncliffe with Magus and my dear son. ‘Twas ever the women as put things right, and we done a fine job here.’

  ‘Will it take long?’ asked Starling. Violet eyed her niece balefully, gathering her bits and pieces and stuffing them into an ancient bag. She left the small fire smouldering and rose creakily.

  ‘’Twill take as long as it takes, so no fussing and fretting from you, woman. You know well what’s afoot tonight. Magus will take the maiden on the snake stone, and with all that moon magic inside him he’ll kill the dark brat. Old Heggy’s spell ends tonight and that’s been a long time a-coming. ‘Tis our task to blight this place, mark it as ours, and if that maid does break loose and somehow get here, we’ll be waiting for her!’

  ‘Aye, sister,’ cackled Vetchling. ‘She’ll be ours for the taking. We’ll blight her an’ all and that’ll be the end o’ these moongazy maidens.’

  ‘Waste o’ time,’ muttered Starling under her breath as she trailed higher up the hill behind them. ‘She’ll be on that snake stone tonight and giving our Magus what’s his by rights. Don’t know why we’re messing about up here alone.’

  At Woodland Cottage Miranda sat, hugely pregnant, in an armchair by the fire watching her daughter pace the room. She and Clip had discussed Sylvie’s terrible revelation about the hired men, but realised there was nothing they could do as it was now impossible to get in touch with Yul. They had to trust in his strength and ability to take care of himself. Both wanted to help the boy and they considered sending reinforcements, but rejected the idea. They knew how adamant he’d been about engaging with Magus fairly, one to one; unfortunately his father didn’t share his scruples. Clip looked out of the window.r />
  ‘Sun’s going down,’ he announced. ‘We’ll go up there soon, Sylvie.’

  She nodded, the tension becoming unbearable. She tingled and prickled and her feet moved of their own accord. She wanted to get out, to go up high and dance with the hares.

  I must spread my wings and fly, fly round the spirals, feel the moon magic in my soul and dance for Stonewylde!

  She rushed to the door and tried to wrench it open.

  ‘Steady, my dear,’ said Clip, taking her arm. ‘You need to wrap up warm first.’

  She turned her face to him but her eyes were completely blank, the pale grey irises with their dark rings suddenly looking unworldly. She was listening, but not to him, and tried to push past him. Miranda heaved herself out of the chair and put the scarlet cloak around Sylvie, fastening the clasp. She tried to put gloves on her but Sylvie pulled them off angrily.

  ‘Go, go, go! I must go!’

  ‘Is she normally like this?’ asked Clip. He’d only ever seen her up at Mooncliffe which was somewhat different, especially when she’d been hypnotised.

  ‘Yes, she is,’ replied Miranda, remembering all the incidents in the London flat when Sylvie had been frantic to get out onto the balcony and she’d feared for her daughter’s life. ‘She loses all reason just before the full moon rises.’

  ‘Come on then,’ said Clip, taking Sylvie’s hand in his and lifting the door latch. ‘I have no idea what time we’ll be back, Miranda.’ He paused and looked down at the red-haired woman and the blond-haired girl. ‘It’s a pity we can’t take her together, isn’t it? It’d be fitting, given the circumstances. Still … I’m honoured to be entrusted with her, after all I inflicted on the poor girl before.’

  ‘You know you’ve been forgiven for that,’ said Miranda, peering out into the darkness and shivering. Clip patted her arm as he led his daughter outside.

  ‘Remember there’ll be several Villagers outside keeping an eye on you, Miranda. Edward will be back after the sunset ritual, and Greenbough and his men are patrolling the area so you’re not alone. Don’t worry, everything will be fine, I promise.’

  They walked rapidly up the path towards the woods, Sylvie tugging impatiently at Clip’s hand.

  ‘Quick, quick, quick! The hares are gathering. Hurry!’

  Up at Quarrycleave, Yul was alone and more scared than he’d ever been in his life. He’d ridden up here very fast. Earlier, at the stables, he’d whispered to Nightwing and without protest the great stallion had allowed the boy to mount. They’d flown to the quarry like the wind, pounding swiftly along the miles and miles of ridgeway. Silhouetted as the sun sank lower in the sky, the dark boy and the dark horse were as one; sweat and muscles flowing and stretching, hearts pounding in unison. Yul had glanced down at one point and seen the impossibly long and magical shadows of horse and boy racing along beside them; it was the stuff of his dreams.

  Yul dismounted at the quarry mouth, landing on light feet, his thighs trembling from the exhilarating ride. He tethered Nightwing loosely to a stunted elder tree and glanced around. They were close to the caravans where Jackdaw had taken such pleasure in humiliating him. He smiled grimly; that all seemed so long ago now. Yul caressed the horse’s long head, his hand gentle on the velvety nose. He whispered into Nightwing’s flickering ears and the great black horse dipped his head in compliance. He’d crop the grass and wait quietly here.

  The quarry was a place of brooding and menace in the day time; at twilight it took on an even darker atmosphere. The stone was pale and seemed to glow slightly in the half-light. It was impossible to see from one side of the horse-shoe shaped quarry to the other, for the rock had not been blasted out entirely. There were channels and walls, cliffs and mounds, great boulders lying tumbled everywhere. The place was a massive labyrinth ripped and gouged into the land, a wild jumble of fossil-encrusted rocks and half dressed blocks of stone. Great twisting ropes of ivy snaked up the cliff faces, the glossy leaves covering cracks and crevices and hidden recesses. Yul remembered climbing up those faces in the summer and hacking away at the sinuous ivy.

  Debris from the stone work done under Jackdaw’s command lay everywhere. Yul knew, through the Village grapevine, of the deaths that had occurred just after he’d left Quarrycleave. Somewhere under tons of fallen rock lay the men’s bodies, the same men who’d thrown their empty beer cans at him and laughed as Jackdaw forced him to further degradation with each new day. He shivered at the thought of those recent corpses.

  Yul looked up at the hill above the quarry and took a shuddering breath as a sudden breeze chilled his sweating skin. The sun was dropping rapidly towards the horizon and Yul felt a strange tug inside. He thought of the tiny Wise Woman and the immense power she must once have wielded, to protect him from a man as determined and ruthless as Magus. Without her Yul would’ve died – he knew he owed her his life – and sending her a message of love, strong and heartfelt, he vowed that her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain. Tonight he’d do what had to be done and rid Stonewylde of its bad master.

  The golden ball slipped down below the horizon in molten glory and it was finally sunset on the eve of the Winter Solstice, the moment Yul had waited for all his life. And now, for the first time since his birth, the binding spell was broken and Mother Heggy’s magic no longer cloaked him in protection. He truly was alone. Yul peered into the shadowy labyrinth ahead and remembered the creeping, deadly lure of the quarry. Standing at the mouth of the Place of Bones and Death, he knew with certainty that Quarrycleave’s terrible hunger would soon be fed. Here, tonight, somebody would die.

  20

  The drums had quietened to a soft throbbing heartbeat as the Stonewylde folk gazed silently at the darkening skies. The sun had set on the Stone Circle leaving only a pale pink whisper. The Winter Solstice Eve ceremony had been subdued, led ably enough by Edward but somehow lacking its normal thrill. It had been replaced by a dreadful sense of anticipation, as if the whole community, Villager and Hallfolk, held its breath.

  ‘Bloody typical,’ Holly muttered bitterly as she looked around the shadowy Circle. ‘At this rate I think all of us due for our Rite of Adulthood tomorrow will have to postpone it. This should be one of the most important occasions of my life and it’s not fair to have it ruined like this!’

  ‘Don’t worry, darling, we’ll speak to Magus later on and arrange everything,’ said her mother, immaculately turned out and wearing a smart cloak. ‘We can’t let this silly business with that dreadful girl spoil your special day. William’s told us all about her, ghastly creature. Clip’s daughter indeed! And I can’t believe that Magus was so harsh with you just because you pointed out a few home truths to her. Is there something wrong with him, do you think? I’ve heard some rumours and one does wonder …’

  ‘Well they’re saying lots of things, but mostly that Magus may not even be the magus by tomorrow,’ said Holly. ‘And really, maybe it’d be better if he weren’t, now he’s so cruel and peculiar.’

  ‘Ridiculous nonsense all that gossip!’ growled her father. ‘As if some bloody Village peasant could oust Magus! I don’t know – Stonewylde isn’t what it used to be. Some damn fool’s even got the Altar Stone image wrong for the Solstice festival. I don’t like being led in a ceremony by a Villager and I don’t like the atmosphere here tonight. There’s no respect and no deference. Magus will have to deal with this swiftly if he wants to maintain the status quo.’

  Holly’s parents linked arms and joined the masses leaving the Circle. Holly trailed behind with her friends, who crowded around her in support.

  ‘So Yul won’t be your partner tomorrow night, then?’ said Rainbow innocently.

  ‘For Goddess’ sake, don’t wind her up!’ groaned July.

  ‘It won’t be any of the three I’d originally have liked, now that Buzz is gone and Magus has disappeared,’ said Holly. ‘Not that I’d want him any more. Where is he tonight anyway? He can’t just disappear like this.’

  ‘He announced at lunch that he’d
be elsewhere tonight, didn’t he?’ said Dawn. ‘Though what’s happened to Clip I don’t know – he was meant to be leading the ceremony. Doesn’t it feel weird this evening? There’s a horrible brooding feel, like something dreadful’s about to happen.’

  ‘I think it is,’ said Rainbow. ‘I think everything they’re gossiping about really will happen. We all know how Magus has completely lost it. I think Yul‘s going to kill him and take over and we’ll all be chucked out.’

  ‘Rainbow! Don’t even think it!’ said Wren in horror.

  ‘Wouldn’t surprise me,’ said Holly. ‘Ever since that little cow turned up things have gone wrong. She’s ruined Stonewylde – it’s all her fault.’

  ‘Nonsense!’ said Hazel briskly, coming up behind them. ‘If there’s anything wrong at Stonewylde it certainly isn’t Sylvie’s fault. You need to look to the top to find the cause.’

  ‘Yeah? With loyalty like that I’m not surprised Magus is having a hard time,’ said Fennel belligerently. ‘Have you switched sides, Hazel? Fancy yourself as a rough Villager now? Pity your hair’s the wrong colour and you’ve got a brain in your skull then.’

  ‘And it’s youngsters like you who prove just how flawed this whole feudal system is,’ retorted Hazel. ‘It’s about time other qualities were recognised and rewarded at Stonewylde. You may well find your blond hair a bit of a curse after tomorrow, young man!’

  As the light thickened and the first stars began to peep, Yul ran lightly along the paths of the steep-sided labyrinth. He twisted his way from the shallow end at the mouth where the quarry was only just below ground level, to the far end of the vast horseshoe where the sheer cliff face led straight up to the top of the hill. His journey through the canyons of stone may have seemed random, but like most aspects of the landscape at Stonewylde, nothing was without significance. This was not a structured, seven-coiled labyrinth but nevertheless, the journey through its paths was ritualistic. Yul’s feet trod the ancient passageway as so many others had before, and in doing so the spell was woven, the summons completed, and the beast animated into voracious life. Yul was heading for the Snake Stone.