The Golden Acorn

by Catherine Cooper

  ‘I don’t think there’s anything else we can do now. Everything’s ready; we just need to wait until sunset.’

  Jack had a long wait for Camelin. When he finally appeared he looked as if he’d had a sleepless night too.

  Later that afternoon Jack and Camelin flew over to the pavilion. They found a good perch which gave them a grandstand view of the whole pitch. Jack explained the game but Camelin seemed distracted.

  ‘Is there anything you want to talk about before we go into the past?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Not really. I’m not looking forward to going back to when it all happened. You know, my bash on the head. I don’t think I’m going to be able to watch what the soldiers did to me.’

  ‘I’ll watch,’ said Jack with more confidence than he felt. ‘We’ll find out what happened and get those plates back in no time.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Camelin replied. ‘You know, I didn’t think you were going to be any use at first but I’m glad you’re The One. You just didn’t seem to fit the prophecy but I realise now you don’t have to be big and tough to be strong and brave.’

  Jack smiled. He didn’t tell Camelin how rude he’d thought he was when they’d first met.

  ‘Do you know what this prophecy says? I tried asking the Book of Shadows but it didn’t give me an answer.’

  ‘It’s written around the bottom of Jennet’s well but it’s so overgrown now I doubt anyone could read it.’

  ‘What does it say?’

  Camelin coughed and puffed out his feathers.

  ‘A Brenin boy you need to find

  Born at Samhain of Humankind.

  The One you seek is brave and strong

  And his true heart can do no wrong.

  The Golden Acorn he will see

  And listen to the Dryad’s plea.

  Underneath Glasruhen Hill

  He’ll make a promise he’ll fulfil.

  When all is equal, all the same,

  That which was lost is found again.’

  ‘That’s me?’

  ‘Hope so.’

  ‘I understand most of it but what does the bit about all being equal and the same mean?’

  ‘That’s the ritual tonight. You know, Nora and Elan, you and me. It’s the only way to get through the window in time. Everything has to be the same.’

  ‘So now we’ve got all that right, the prophecy says we’re going to find the lost cauldron plates. It means everything’s going to be OK.’

  ‘As long as we get them into water once we’ve found them, don’t get caught and get safely back through the window in time, then everything will be OK.’

  Jack realised he hadn’t even considered what might happen after they’d found the cauldron plates. Camelin started shuffling from foot to foot.

  ‘Can we go now? Only if I’m not allowed to have a sandwich I’d rather go back and have a little snack out of my basket. Anyway, I’ve got a surprise for you in the loft.’

  Jack had also lost interest in the game; he’d other more important things on his mind. They raced back to Camelin’s loft and Jack transformed. He sat down on the beanbag after removing the empty doughnut bag and waited expectantly.

  ‘I’ve been practicing,’ Camelin croaked as he hunted through a pile of rubbish. He picked out a worn leaflet and put it at his feet in the centre of the loft. He looked as if he was under a spotlight as sunlight streamed in through the window and illuminated his feathers.

  Jack could see it was the takeaway menu from the Chinese restaurant. Camelin coughed twice before he began.

  ‘I’m not going to read it all, just my favourites,’ he explained. ‘Special Chop Suey, Mushroom Omelette, Sweet and Sour Pork Balls, Pancake Roll and…’

  ‘You’re making me hungry,’ cried Jack.

  ‘But what about my reading?’

  ‘Brilliant, you’re a natural.’

  Jack gave Camelin a clap and congratulated him again.

  ‘I’m impressed.’

  ‘Do you think Nora will be?’

  ‘Of course she will, but we might have to find something else for you to read from. It might be a bit difficult to explain how you’ve got a liking for Chinese food!’

  ‘It makes me hungry too.’

  ‘Everything makes you hungry!’ laughed Jack.

  They heard Nora calling them.

  Camelin was already perched on the back of the chair by the time Jack arrived in the kitchen. His eyes were as wide as saucers. On the table Jack could see all Camelin’s favourite foods, at least the ones Nora knew about. It was a very special meal. Everyone had been invited. Motley and Orin sat at the end of the table on their upturned beakers surrounded by the rest of the Night Guard. Timmery was on Nora’s shoulder and Charkle on Elan’s. Even Gerda waddled in and settled down to watch them eat.

  ‘Just for tonight,’ Nora told Jack and Camelin, ‘you can eat as much as you like. You’ve both got quite a journey before you.’

  When everyone had eaten their fill Elan stepped out onto the patio.

  ‘The light’s fading. Time to go.’

  Nora took the golden acorn between her finger and thumb and held it up high so they could all see it.

  ‘This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, thanks to Jack.’

  Everyone cheered and wished them well. Jack stroked Orin and told her he wouldn’t be gone long, at least he hoped he wouldn’t. On his way up to the loft he took his wand back to his room and put it safely in the spine of his Book of Shadows. He sighed. He felt quite nervous. He had to succeed. This was their only chance.

  ‘Ready?’ Camelin asked when he was in the loft.

  ‘Ready,’ Jack replied.

  They transformed and made their way to the top of Glasruhen Hill to wait for Nora and Elan to join them.

  ‘I want you to promise me you’ll come straight back through the window in time if you’re in any danger,’ Nora said to them both once they were all together again at the summit.

  ‘We’ll stay out of trouble,’ Jack replied.

  ‘Be careful,’ added Elan.

  ‘We will,’ Jack and Camelin said together.

  Nora patted them both on the head and Elan stroked their sleek, black feathers. They all watched as Nora carefully placed the golden acorn on a bare rock in the exact centre of the hill fort before nodding and taking a deep breath. They took up their positions in the middle of each gateway directly opposite each other, Nora and Camelin at one end, Elan and Jack at the other. They watched and waited as the sun began to sink slowly below the horizon. When the sun had almost disappeared Nora and Elan began the ritual. They recited words Jack didn’t understand, words they’d been waiting to say for such a long time, words to send Jack and Camelin back to the right moment in time. Jack listened to Elan; he could hear Nora’s voice in the distance. Both began quietly, almost whispering, but growing louder and louder as the sun sank lower. The golden acorn began to glow brighter and brighter. When the sun disappeared golden rays of light spread upwards from the ground. Jack could see a shimmer in the sky overhead as the light from the acorn illuminated the thin veil of the window.

  It was time to fly. Jack and Camelin took off from the ground, as they’d practised time and time before. They built up speed and rose into the air until at last they were an equal distance from the ground, high above the mid-point. Jack felt the air rushing past his head as he twisted his body; they flew towards each other at speed. In the split second before they flew past each other they pulled their wings in tightly to their bodies. Jack felt the warmth from the golden light of the acorn. He heard Nora calling to them.

  ‘Take care. Come back safe.’

  Then everything went dark. There was a loud crack as they flew into the past.

  It was difficult for Jack to reduce his speed. He’d been too busy concentrating on several things at the same time and hadn’t given much thought to what would happen once they’d passed through the window. He finally slowed and turned, then made his way back towards the cen
tre of Glasruhen Hill, dropping in height as he searched the sky for Camelin. He knew they’d made it. Nora and Elan were nowhere to be seen and the top of Glasruhen was no longer deserted. Jack could see fires burning in the distance. The smell of wood smoke also came from various buildings, which were scattered around the summit. Instead of the usual bracing fresh air he so enjoyed every time he’d climbed to the top of the hill, the more unpleasant hint of a farmyard hung heavy in the atmosphere. The acrid smell of burning reminded him of Bonfire Night, only it was the wrong time of the year.

  He saw a suitable tree for landing and swooped down. Once he was settled on a branch he looked closer at the scene below. Round houses of various heights and sizes were scattered over the hilltop. Lower down at ground level were more of the same. Apart from areas of dense forest the rest of the landscape, as far as he could see in the moonlight, was very similar to the one they’d just come from. The people who lived here were obviously farmers; fences and small fields surrounded each building.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Camelin enquired as he landed next to Jack.

  ‘I think so,’ he replied hesitantly as he adjusted to the different sights, sounds and smells. ‘Is this right? Did we come through at the right time?’

  ‘We did. Can you see the flames in the distance?’

  ‘Yes. Is that one of the sacred groves the Romans burnt?’

  Camelin took a deep breath. There was sadness in his voice as he began to explain everything he could remember about the fire.

  ‘Only one of many they burnt to the ground. I collected the second cauldron plate from the grove you can see burning in the distance, then I made my way back to the sacred grove where Gwillam was waiting, just over there.’

  Camelin nodded towards a dense area of forest beyond where Jack’s house should have been.

  ‘All these oak trees will be gone by tomorrow night,’ he sighed. ‘When the Roman soldier attacked me and left me for dead they torched Gwillam’s grove too. Nora rescued me from the flames. The trees were traumatised by the fire. There was nothing Nora could do to save them.’

  ‘Didn’t the people try to stop the Romans from killing Gwillam?’

  ‘I found out later he’d chosen to stay in the Grove and face the Romans alone instead of putting anyone in the village in danger. Word spread fast that the Romans were only after the Druids; they didn’t damage any of the farms. Gwillam rejected the idea of hiding. Not all Celts liked fighting and the Cornovii, who’d settled here, were a peaceful tribe, mainly farmers and craftsmen. The Romans left them alone as long as they didn’t cause any trouble and paid their taxes. The fortress, not far from here at Viroconium, got most of its supplies from the farmers in this area.’

  It was unusual for Camelin to offer so much information; whilst he was in a talkative mood Jack wanted to make the most of it.

  ‘Were you born into the Cornovii tribe?’

  ‘Oh no, my people were here long before the Celts. The original people of this area were tall with dark hair, like Nora. Long before the first invaders arrived Glasruhen Hill was a place of worship. It only became a hill fort a lot later. All the people from around would gather here on special nights and celebrate together. Marriages would take place and acolytes would be assigned to Druids, but that was all a long time ago. I went with Gwillam to see some of the festivals; we’ll see them again once we get back into Annwn. We were lucky. In those early days the Cornovii were more interested in the land. They didn’t bother our people and they let the Druids continue to tend the sacred wells and groves. They realised how much knowledge the Druids had and allowed them to be their religious leaders. The two peoples sort of became one and the Romans just called everyone in the area Celts.’

  Camelin paused but continued looking sad.

  ‘If only I’d been quicker and got back to the grove before the Romans got there. Gwillam would have been saved. Nora could have re-made the cauldron, opened the portal and we could all have gone into Annwn until the troubles were over.’

  ‘What do we do next?’

  ‘We need to be at the edge of the grove by first light, that’s where I was attacked, and then we can see what happened. With any luck we’ll be back through the window by breakfast time.’

  Jack was glad they’d had such a big meal. He hadn’t thought about food until Camelin mentioned it. No matter what Nora might say it really was hungry work being a raven; since the first time he’d transformed he was ready to eat whatever and whenever he could, as well as his regular meals.

  ‘Speaking of food,’ continued Camelin as if he’d read Jack’s thoughts. ‘I could do with a bite to eat now while we’re waiting.’

  ‘Where are we going to get food from at this time in the morning? We’re not going to find a takeaway here.’

  ‘There’ll be food near the entrance to the shrine. The people looked after the Druids and their acolytes by bringing food. They weren’t allowed inside so they’d leave it by the entrance. Whatever we find there was really meant for Gwillam and me so we’ll not be stealing it, just rescuing it before it gets burnt. The Celts were very superstitious you know; in fact, most Romans were too.’

  They flew towards the grove and just as Camelin predicted, there on a low stone platform, by two large oak trees, was a pile of food.

  ‘It’s not as exciting as a takeaway but at least it’s edible.’

  ‘It’s probably a lot healthier,’ observed Jack as he saw the collection of fruit, nuts and brown bread.

  ‘Oh, by the way,’ added Camelin, ‘Roman soldiers were always hungry too. They’d eat anything they could get their hands on and raven was on the menu!’

  ‘They ate ravens!’ gulped Jack.

  ‘Oh yes. It wasn’t anything personal. They ate crows, jackdaws, peacocks, geese and swans too; anything they could catch. We’re both going to have to keep well hidden and out of range of any arrows. I used to have a really hard time at first when I started flying around the area.’

  Jack and Camelin ate their fill. They found a tree close to where Camelin thought he’d been attacked and settled down to wait for first light. As Jack rested he realised that Nora had been right. Returning to the past might be dangerous; the last thing he wanted was to end up being roasted by hungry Romans.

  REVELATION

  This was the first night Jack had ever spent in the open. He’d never slept on a branch before either. Not only was it uncomfortable but each time he nodded off he relaxed his grip and almost slid off his perch. He understood now why Camelin liked his raven basket so much.

  Jack was still awake when the dawn chorus began. He wondered how Camelin was able to sleep through all the noise. People in the houses below were stirring too and starting their daily chores. He could see a woman in a woollen cloak visiting one of the fenced off areas. She stooped low and opened the door of a small hut; hens scurried out eager to leave their coop. They quickly made their way to the front of the round house and started scratching around a pile of grain. He watched the woman collect eggs from the hut and carefully place them in a basket. There were pigs in an enclosure next to the house and sheep in the adjoining field. He’d seen pictures like this in history books at school but this was real. It was happening before his eyes!

  There was light on the horizon.

  ‘It’s morning,’ said Jack as he gently nudged Camelin.

  ‘I know. I’ve been awake for hours.’

  Jack didn’t think that was true because mingled in with the dawn chorus he distinctly thought he’d heard Camelin snoring. He wasn’t about to argue the point; they’d got more important things to think about.

  ‘What next?’

  ‘We wait. It can’t be long. The Romans will be breaking camp about now and getting ready to march. They’re somewhere in the trees. You’ll see them soon.’

  ‘Now we’re here do you remember anything else about what happened?’

  Camelin took a deep breath and sighed.

  ‘I remember running. I kept off the roa
d and out of sight. I used the tall grasses and reeds for cover but their razor-sharp edges cut into my arms and legs. I couldn’t afford to stop and rest. I had to get back to Gwillam as quickly as possible. The two plates I’d already collected were safe inside my tunic. It was starting to get light when I arrived at the edge of the grove. I knew something was wrong; I’d expected Gwillam to be waiting for me. I kept out of sight and moved as quietly as I could from tree to tree until I reached the shrine. Gwillam was slumped across the well.’

  Camelin stopped talking. Tears welled up in his eyes; he swallowed hard before continuing.

  ‘I was too late. I knew he was dead. I thought the Romans had taken the plate; the whole shrine had been ransacked. I remember sinking to my knees and biting my lip so I wouldn’t cry. I didn’t know what to do next. I couldn’t move or take my eyes off the well. It was then that the first rays of sunlight hit the water and I caught a glimpse of the plate’s reflection. It was still hanging on the sacred tree; they hadn’t taken it. I ran and grabbed it, stuffed it into my tunic with the other two, then ran as fast as I could towards Glasruhen Hill. It was too late to save Gwillam but I knew if I could get the plates to Nora it wouldn’t be too late to save everyone else. I didn’t get very far. As I left the grove I ran straight into one of them.’

  Camelin sighed again and hung his head. They sat in silence watching the trees.

  There was a flicker of movement.

  ‘Look!’ Jack whispered. ‘What’s that over there?’

  Camelin had seen it too, a glint of metal and a flash of red.

  ‘Romans!’ he gasped. ‘This is it. You’re going to have to watch. I don’t want to see what they did to me.’

  Jack didn’t want to watch either but if they were ever going to succeed he’d have to be strong and brave as the prophecy foretold. He had to know what had happened to the cauldron plates.

  ‘Wait here. I’ll go and have a closer look.’

  ‘Don’t let them see you,’ warned Camelin.

  Jack glided down from the tree and landed as quietly as he could on a branch near the entrance to the grove. He felt quite shaken at the sight of a tall muscular soldier coming out of the trees. The leather straps hanging from his belt were studded and tipped with metal. They clinked together nosily as they bounced up and down on his red tunic. Another soldier appeared. He was obviously in command. On his head was an impressive helmet with the red plume of a centurion. In his hand he carried a tall stick with a silver top. Each segment of his polished armour glinted in the morning sun as he paced up and down. The first soldier saluted him. Two more came out of the trees and joined them, one leading a horse, the other a heavily-laden mule.