A Witch Alone

by James Nicol

  In the midst of that dark night, it made Arianwyn think that everything might be all right.

  Chapter 39

  REUNION

  t was more than a week later, an icy-cold morning. Life in Lull seemed to have returned to something like normality.

  Arianwyn had just opened the Spellorium, waving to Millicent Caruthers as she hurried along Kettle Lane to open her boutique. She had a mug of tea on the counter and was enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet before the day got busy.

  The High Elder had returned to Kingsport and there had been no further news on her search for the traitor in the council. In fact, there had been no news at all.

  Gimma was recovering slowly – after a few days’ rest her skin had started to regain its colour. The charm seemed to be working, halting the further spread of hex, though the thick black ridges still ravaged her hands, and the strange swirling patterns still marked her arms. She had not left the mayor’s house since that night.

  ‘We should go and see Gimma later,’ Arianwyn said to Estar as he came down the stairs, Bob close behind. ‘I want to replace her charm before the spell degrades too much.’

  ‘A wise precaution.’ Estar smiled.

  Arianwyn took a sip of her tea and turned to retrieve something from the shelf behind the counter. As she did she heard the bell charm sing out as the door opened. ‘I’ll be right with you,’ she called brightly, lifting down a small box of charm components that had been delivered the day before but she hadn’t yet got around to unpacking.

  As she turned back to the counter she saw a tall woman with long silver hair standing in the doorway, two suitcases at her side and a bright yellow scarf thrown over her shoulder.

  ‘Grandma?’ Arianwyn gasped, unsure for a moment that she wasn’t actually seeing things.

  Grandmother smiled. ‘Hello there. I thought I’d surprise you!’

  It felt as though it took an age, but it must have only been seconds before Arianwyn threw herself into her grandmother’s arms, squeezing her as tight as she could.

  ‘Oh, now then,’ Grandmother chuckled. ‘That’s a welcome and a half!’

  She smelt of lemon soap and books and warm sunshine. It took Arianwyn back to a thousand happy memories. ‘Oh, Grandma,’ she sobbed, unable to hold it in. ‘I’ve missed you so much. I didn’t think you were going to be back for another few weeks.’

  ‘The High Elder asked me to come back,’ Grandmother said calmly. ‘She told me about the book, and all about poor Gimma. It’s just awful. I hear she’s already launched a full investigation. Oh, hello there, Estar.’ Grandmother bowed gracefully to the blue feyling and then bent to scratch the moon hare’s too-long ears. ‘Yes, I’ve missed you too, Bob!’

  ‘Who do you think would do something like that?’ Arianwyn asked as she lifted her grandmother’s suitcases over the doorstep and carried them to the counter.

  ‘I really don’t know. There are several newer members of the council who I don’t know so well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be one of them. I think everyone is under suspicion.’ She pulled off her jacket and scarf.

  ‘But not you, surely?’ Arianwyn asked.

  ‘Everyone is a suspect. Unless Gimma can identify the witch in question, which if they are using a glamour charm or spell will be nearly impossible.’

  ‘And Gimma is terrified,’ Arianwyn said quietly.

  ‘Well, I’m not surprised.’ Grandmother settled herself in the seat next to the small pot-bellied stove which was lit, warm flames dancing inside. ‘Now, I have something for you, but I want you to remain calm,’ she said, her voice suddenly very serious again. Arianwyn didn’t like it. ‘This arrived just before I set sail for Hylund. I wanted to deliver it to you myself.’ Grandmother pulled a small square of paper from her jacket pocket and handed it to Arianwyn. ‘I gather the High Elder herself pulled some strings on our behalf.’

  Arianwyn recognized the shape of the telegram. Her heart paused for a second, fear gripping it in tight hands. She took the slip of paper and gazed down at the boldly typed letters:

  (PRIORITY COMMUNICATION)

  MADAM MARIA STRONELLI,

  C/O HOTEL GALLOZI, 39 VIA ROSA, SAN SERENO, GRUNNEA

  VERIFIED – SGT. OLIVER E. GRIBBLE S/KD6911779 LOCATED AND ALIVE FURTHER DETAILS TO FOLLOW

  T.S. MORTIMER-GREAVE, SECRETARY OF WAR

  It felt as though her heart was about to burst from her chest. The room seemed to spin and pitch for a second.

  Her father was alive. They had found him and he was alive!

  She looked up at her grandmother who was beaming from ear to ear, her own eyes wet with tears. A small sob, followed by a laugh escaped Arianwyn’s mouth. ‘He’s alive!’ she called.

  ‘And will soon be on his way back home, I believe. I need to make more enquiries.’

  ‘Oh, Grandma.’ Arianwyn buried her face into her grandmother’s jacket and sobbed. She cried with happiness for the news of her father coming home, she cried for poor Gimma, she cried thinking about the new riddle of the glyphs and how on earth she was ever going to work out how she could discover the truth of them. She cried for all that and a dozen small and big things besides. There, in her Spellorium with her grandmother’s arms wrapped tightly around her, she felt safe enough to let go.

  ‘So did you find any other witches . . .’

  ‘Like you?’ Grandmother asked as she sipped on her tea. She watched Arianwyn carefully over her mug, then sighed. ‘There were rumours, but I only managed to go round in circles. Not that I suppose it really matters now anyway, without the book.’

  Arianwyn glanced quickly away, unable to meet her grandmother’s eyes. ‘Oh, I should show you these new charm globes I’ve started using,’ she said quickly.

  ‘What is it, Arianwyn? I know well enough by now when you’re keeping something from me.’

  Arianwyn looked at Estar, who smiled and bowed his head.

  Then she smiled at her grandmother, took a few steadying breaths and eventually said, ‘What if the book wasn’t lost? What if it was never even a book we should have been looking for in the first place?’

  Chapter 40

  A NEW SPELL

  arly the next morning Arianwyn stood at the edge of the Great Wood. The trees were white with frost. The qered herd moved about the meadow, calling happily back and forth with their long low song. Grandmother, Colin, Salle and Estar stood behind her, all bundled up in coats, hats and scarves. Arianwyn glanced over her shoulder. ‘I’m not sure this is a good idea . . . what about the hex?’

  ‘It’s safer to try this out here than in town.’ Grandmother smiled.

  ‘But we don’t even know if this is going to work. I might not be able to find the glyphs without the book.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Estar said quietly, peering at Arianwyn down his long blue nose. ‘But you won’t know until you try.’ He smiled.

  He was right, of course. Even though the book had gone, there was still a way to discover the quiet glyphs. And Arianwyn was the key to that. She had the glyphs within her, somehow, buried in her mind or soul. She still didn’t quite understand it, and if she tried to think about it too much, it gave her a headache.

  But it didn’t matter. Every day there were more sightings of dark spirit creatures at large across Hylund – and Arianwyn had to find new ways of protecting people.

  ‘Well . . . maybe we should go back to town and leave you and Estar alone for your discoveries?’ Grandmother smiled gently. She gave Arianwyn the briefest of hugs. ‘It may be safer for everyone else . . .’

  Arianwyn took a deep breath. She felt suddenly unprepared and horribly nervous, like a nest of worms was writhing in the pit of her stomach.

  ‘Do you want us to stay?’ Colin asked.

  ‘Yes, let us stay?’ Salle pestered.

  She really did want them to. She was nervous, even with Estar to help her. But it really wouldn’t be safe for them to be anywhere near, just in case the first new glyph she summoned, assumi
ng she could do it, turned out to be something worse than the shadow glyph.

  She shook her head. ‘I don’t think that’s a very good idea.’

  ‘Understood.’ Colin smiled, his hair flopping across his eyes as it so often did. ‘We’ll see you later then, at Bandolli’s for lunch?’

  Arianwyn nodded.

  ‘Oh, potato dumplings?’ Grandmother called, getting another nod in reply.

  ‘Good luck, then,’ Salle said, squeezing her friend into a tight hug. As she drew back, she pressed a small item into Arianwyn’s hand.

  Arianwyn gazed down to see it was the luck charm she had made for Salle for her audition in Flaxsham over the summer, the thyme leaves all dried and curled up, the veren stone still glistening. The magic had long since faded, but it didn’t really matter. ‘Thank you, Salle,’ she replied.

  ‘Oh and we got you this,’ Colin blushed as he handed her a small parcel wrapped in bright tissue paper. ‘We know we missed your birthday, Wyn . . . sorry.’

  Arianwyn pulled the tissue paper away and stared down at the small leather notebook that nestled in her hands. The glyph of silence was embossed on the front.

  ‘We thought you could use it to record the new spells,’ Salle offered with a broad smile.

  ‘Thank you,’ Arianwyn said. ‘It’s beautiful.’

  She watched as Grandmother, Salle and Colin made their way back towards Lull, leaving her alone with Estar at the edge of the Great Wood. The nearby hex charms still emitted a faint glow, but how long would they work for? she wondered.

  ‘Come along then,’ Estar said gently.

  They walked on into the wood, soon reaching a small clearing. The high walls of Lull were still just visible through icy branches.

  There was no sign of hex nearby.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Estar asked.

  ‘Yes, I think so.’ She felt her pulse quicken and her throat tighten.

  ‘Close your eyes,’ Estar said softly.

  Arianwyn’s other senses suddenly took over, and she felt as though the quiet woodland was suddenly alive with the sounds of hundreds of animals and birds all scrabbling about, calling to each other, and generally making a distracting racket.

  ‘Somewhere in your mind, the glyphs are waiting,’ Estar said.

  Her mind suddenly conjured all the cardinal, secondary and quiet glyphs at once – they seemed to swoop and zoom behind her eyes. She could feel their individual powers brush her consciousness, and she felt the air around her crackle and spark.

  But there were no other new glyphs waiting there. A sudden squawk from a nearby bird distracted her. Her eyes flew open and she looked down at Estar. ‘I can’t do it here, there are too many distractions. I can’t . . . clear my mind enough for this.’

  ‘Well, who on earth said anything about clearing your mind? What a preposterous notion.’ Estar sniffed. ‘You humans do have the strangest ideas when it comes to magic, you know.’

  ‘But I thought—’

  ‘Clearing your mind is all well and good when you want it empty for something else, but you need to find something buried in your mind, in your soul! Quite a different process, believe me. Embrace the chaos, Arianwyn!’

  She angrily brushed her hair out of her face. She stretched and yawned, frustration bubbling inside her. Then she closed her eyes again and this time she let all her thoughts rush at her at once. Gimma, the book, the High Elder and the darkness that appeared to have crept into the Council of Elders. Then she was thinking about what she would have for her lunch, then she thought about Colin and his dark floppy hair. She could hear Salle laughing. She saw her grandmother framed in the doorway of the Spellorium. She saw her father wounded but coming home. She saw her mother smiling down at her as she tucked her into bed. A memory, or maybe a dream – she wasn’t sure any more. In amongst all of this, the glyphs swarmed and drifted like bright flakes of snow.

  But she hadn’t seen a new glyph. Not one. Not yet.

  ‘Open your eyes!’ Estar said quietly in her ear.

  Her eyes fluttered open. She hadn’t realized she had raised her arm, and quite unconsciously in the air before herself she had drawn a shape.

  No not a shape. A glyph!

  A new glyph!

  The shape was pale blue and it curled and twisted in a way that was both familiar and so very strange. Arianwyn could feel its power already, though what it could do she had no idea.

  ‘Is it . . . ?’ she asked Estar, scared that by speaking she would somehow chase it away. She stared hard at the new glyph, tracing the shape with her eyes. Something was missing. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did.

  She raised her hand and in the air before her she carefully completed the new shimmering glyph.

  With the last curl of its shape, it flashed brilliant pale blue in the air before them.

  From somewhere nearby Arianwyn detected the pull from a seam of magic. It flowed speedily, easily towards the glyph, like water rushing around rocks and stones. For a moment nothing happened. And she thought she had surely made a mistake.

  But then the glyph burst into light, a light so brilliant and bright that Arianwyn had to shield her eyes.

  The new spell was formed.

  GLOSSARY OF GLYPHS

  Årdra is the fire glyph. Its strength is immense, as is its ability to destroy at the hands of an inexperienced witch. It also contains properties for light and protection.

  Briå, the air glyph, is summoned for spells that require delicacy. It is used in broomcraft and for transformation. Its defensive properties are limited but can be wielded by a witch with high skill.

  For spells of strength and protection it is best to use Erṯe, the earth glyph. Strong and resourceful, it is the easiest of the glyphs to summon but the most difficult to master.

  Ḁluna is the water glyph, useful for spells of healing and for those skilled in the arts of divination. Like water, it can appear weak but has a hidden strength.

  L’ier is the banishing glyph and contains at its heart a sliver of dark magic for it summons a small rift, opening a portal from the human world to the void to which a dark spirit is returned.

  ʘru is the simplest glyph to summon and creates a light spell orb. It is usually the glyph and spell a witch would first learn, before the age of five.

  SPIRIT CREATURE GLOSSARY

  Extracts from

  A WITCH ALONE: A MANUAL FOR THE NEWLY QUALIFIED WITCH

  FEYLINGS

  These rare magical creatures feature heavily in the mythology of the Four Kingdoms and beyond but no two descriptions ever match. Some believe they are a cross breeding of spirit and dark spirit creatures – others believe they are something altogether different.

  GANT

  Standing at over seven metres tall, Gants are gentle spirit creatures that live primarily along coastal regions. They use their two long trunks to communicate and find food, mostly crustaceans and seaweed. Their dung can be utilized for various magical purposes.

  HARVEST BOGGLIN

  The skin of these dark spirit creatures, that have not been seen for seventy-five years, is toad like and camouflaged, though their bright red eyes will often give them away. Extremely territorial, they are known to claim whole fields, preventing crops from being harvested.

  MOON HARE

  These rare spirit creatures were once a common sight across the Four Kingdoms and beyond. They are neither male nor female and are believed to be born from eggs. Partly scaled and partly covered in pure white fur they are naturally shy but incredibly intelligent.

  NIGHT GHAST

  No recorded sightings for nearly a thousand years. These extinct dark spirits stood at over three metres tall, with a single orifice serving as eye, mouth and nose. They were extremely violent and hungry for living creatures, possessing a distinctive insect-like call.

  PANGORBAK

  Pangorbaks are dark parasitic spirits that thrive on attention. When they attach themselves to a host, they resemble a slug. Over the course of
a few hours they will grow tentacles and expand rapidly. If they are not removed quickly they can cause serious damage or death.

  QERED

  Standing at over three metres tall, these horse-like spirit creatures are scaled with long flowing manes and tails. Gentle herbivores, their call is similar to that of whales and can carry for over seventy miles. They live in large herds and mate for life.

  RAZLOR

  These rarely seen dark spirit creatures are winged, dog-like beasts, with oily black skin and bony but strong bodies. They are expert hunters and usually do so in small packs of three to five creatures. They were once hunted for sport.

  SKALK

  No recorded sightings for seven hundred years. Adaptable to most conditions, these dark spirit creatures were easily identified by their large bony beaks, dark matted hair and scuttling movements. They were fast and incredibly dangerous.

  SNOTLINGS

  Common and pesky dark spirit creatures that build hibernation nests in shadowy, sheltered places. She-snotlings have thick crests of spines, are generally larger than the males, and can deliver a sharp and painful bite. If you spot signs of a nest it is best to deal with it at once.

  STAGGET

  These sacred spirit creatures guard forests and moorland and generally live in large herds. They resemble deer and are often mistaken for them, but they are much larger and their antlers are usually gold or silver.

  VELASTAMURI commonly referred to as ‘shrieking ritts’

  These spirit creatures have small bird-like bodies, but a massive three-metre wing span. They emit a high-pitched shrieking noise whilst in flight, which is often mistaken for their call, but is actually a result of the air passing through their wings.

  WILD BRUNKUN

  These gentle spirit creatures grow to no larger than ten centimetres in height and nest in thistle patches. Wild brunkun are entirely covered in thick brown hair, which they shed and regrow every month. They have a fondness for sugar.