Shaman of Stonewylde (22 page)

She tried hard to focus on Mother Heggy and call the spirit of the Wise Woman into the pentagram. She hoped for another vision, something that would offer guidance and advice. But nothing came and, after a while of sitting in the darkness, Leveret rose and moved across to the rocking chair. Now she sat here, gently rocking, with Hare in her lap.

Gradually her eyes drooped shut and her hand stilled. Girl and creature dozed whilst the Lady Moon climbed higher, peering into the silvery thatch and through the shadowy casements, brushing an outline of moonlight onto the tiny bent figure in battered hat and ancient boots who stood in the centre of the pentagram watching.

11

L
everet and Magpie, in their battered straw hats, were hard at work in the walled Kitchen Garden. Earlier in the year, Clip had negotiated with Thorn, the head gardener, and they’d agreed on a good-sized plot where Leveret could create a medicinal herb garden. Many of the plants, fungi and bark needed for natural remedies would be foraged from the hedgerows and woods, but some plants must be specially cultivated in larger quantities. Magpie had been assigned to work permanently in Leveret’s garden as he’d proved himself worthy of the responsibility, and Marigold and Cherry were delighted at this acknowledgement of his progress.

The piece of ground that Leveret had been given was slightly tucked away from the busier parts of the enormous Kitchen Garden, in a warm and sheltered spot. Leveret had studied designs of old herb gardens and then planned hers carefully, using every available bit of the rich soil. Many plants were already flourishing thanks to the very warm weather, and Magpie now hoed away the weeds whilst Leveret harvested some bright orange heads of calendula into her wicker basket. In the shade of the high brick wall lay Hare, snoozing in the heat; she was never far from Leveret’s side. Bees hummed busily, their bodies fuzzy with pollen, and butterflies danced in the bright sunshine. In the air hung the aroma of many scented plants – lavender and lemon balm, catmint and clary sage – layer upon layer of fragrance rising from the profusion of Leveret’s medicinal plants.

By the brick arch leading into the walled Kitchen Garden, next to an espaliered peach tree, stood Rainbow, silently watching the pair at work. With their coarse work-clothes and battered straw hats, they could have been from another century. Leveret was chattering away to Magpie and Rainbow drew a couple of sketches, then took her tiny camera from her shoulder bag and quickly snapped the boy and girl as they worked. Magpie looked up and spotted her, and immediately Leveret’s head shot up too. It was very strange, Rainbow thought; as if he’d warned her they were being watched, which of course was impossible.

Now that she’d been spied, Rainbow sauntered over to where they worked, ignoring the other gardeners and a couple of students on work detail. She wore a cornflower blue dress today and Stonewylde sandals and a pretty straw hat, finely made and decorated with ribbons and a flower.

‘Hi!’ she said. ‘You two look so happy working here together. I wondered, Leveret – are you and Magpie going out? I mean walking together?’

Leveret shot her a withering look and shook her head. Then Rainbow noticed Hare and went over to stroke her, marvelling at the creature’s huge amber eyes and finding her twitching nose adorable. This was the perfect introduction to the subject she wished to broach, although she was unsure whether to address Leveret alone or include Magpie as well.

‘I’ve seen Magpie’s beautiful painting of Sylvie up by Hill Stone at the last full moon,’ she said. ‘It’s absolutely stunning.’

Leveret nodded, not wanting to encourage the woman to stay any longer than necessary. She’d ruined the peace and sense of purpose they’d been enjoying.

‘When I leave Stonewylde to go back into the Outside World for a while, I wondered if I might take a few of Magpie’s smaller paintings with me? I’d like to show them around, maybe hang a few in my next exhibition. Would that be alright?’

Leveret frowned, knowing it was certainly not alright.

‘Magpie would hate his paintings to be taken away,’ she said. ‘So no, you can’t.’

‘That’s a pity. He’s so talented and I think he has a great future as an artist. I’d like to be the one to introduce him to the main players in the Outside World.’

‘Magpie isn’t interested in the Outside World.’

‘But he deserves public recognition! He could be famous and—’

‘Why? How would that make his life any better? Recognition here at Stonewylde, where people have mocked and abused him all his life – that would be good and he deserves that. But the Outside World . . .’

Leveret made the dismissive flick sign and resumed her picking. Rainbow shrugged and bent to examine some huge opium poppy-heads. She pulled out her sketchbook and, with a few pencil strokes, the poppies were on her page forever, caught in perfect full bloom before time could ravage them. Magpie was watching her carefully, his turquoise eyes examining her face. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

‘Magpie, I really love your painting of Sylvie in the moonlight with the hares. It’s absolute magic.’

His grin widened and he nodded eagerly. Tentatively he reached out for her sketchbook, which she passed to him. He leafed through it slowly, pausing over some of her fanciful interpretations which seemed to interest him more than the technical reproductions.

‘Would you like to see some of my work?’ she asked, touching his arm. ‘It’s all in Merewen’s studio down at the Pottery. Would you like to come down with me and have a look?’

He nodded, but Leveret intervened crossly.

‘We’re working!’ she said. ‘Stonewylders do have to work, you know, not just swan around all day.’

‘In that case I’ll arrange it through David, when Magpie’s working at his art,’ replied Rainbow smoothly. ‘I won’t take your boyfriend away from scratching around in the dirt with you, missy. We’ll do it later, when he’s engaged in more creative activities. See you later, Magpie!’

Leveret watched Rainbow’s retreating back with a scowl. She disliked everything about the woman, from the golden down on
her
arms and legs to the calculated coquetry of her smile. She was so artful and false, and Leveret couldn’t stand it.

‘If you go down to the Village with her, Maggie, make sure David’s with you. Be very, very careful of that woman, won’t you?’

He nodded, and she sensed from him the image of a rainbow in the sky and dark clouds blowing in to obliterate it. That made her laugh and they resumed their work with renewed enthusiasm.

Later in the day with the calendula picked and ready to be infused, Leveret went up to Mother Heggy’s cottage to begin work. She and Magpie had lugged up all the things that she’d need to make the cottage a working Wise Woman’s place. There was ample firewood, a bucket for collecting water and a cauldron for boiling it, bottles, flasks and jugs, Leveret’s pestle and mortar, chopping knives and mixing spoons, ladles and pipettes, paper, muslin and labels. They’d also brought up a few creature comforts, and the old hovel was now clean and bright, with colourful crochet-patch cushions and blankets on the settle, a small rag-rug on the stone floor and gleaming bottles on the dresser. A jar of flowers sat on the table and a small fire burned in the hearth.

Leveret had found the trickling spring hidden in the bracken and half filled the bucket. This spring-water was now in the cauldron over the fire, and, while waiting for it to boil, Leveret lined up the bottles and laid out all the tools she’d need to make a calendula tincture. She was making an ointment for general skin conditions too, but the tincture was for Clip. He never spoke of it, but she was sure he was suffering from some kind of digestive problem. Calendula was known to be effective for this and she hoped it would detoxify and cleanse his system, and maybe help his body to repair any internal damage. She also had a large basket of lavender flowers for distilling their essential oil; this was good for relieving stomach cramps and colic, and she’d seen poor Clip double up when he thought she wasn’t looking. She’d
tried
to broach the subject and persuade him to visit Hazel but he simply denied any pain and laughed it off; too much fasting, too much food – anything but admit he had a problem. Leveret hoped that her remedies may help, and she poured out a measure of alcohol ready to add to the pile of brilliant orange petals.

Hare was the first to hear the intruder. She was lying on the flagstones by the doorway in a patch of sunlight but suddenly raised her head and lifted her great ears. Immediately Leveret felt defensive; few knew that she had staked her claim to Mother Heggy’s cottage. She thought of the spell of protection she’d cast around the place and hoped it would be enough to repel people like Jay and her brothers. Her glance flicked around the tiny room – the old Book of Shadows was lying on the dresser, the athame was wrapped inside a cloth in a drawer, and the gathering knife was on the table.

Just as Leveret was thinking that she couldn’t hide everything precious every time someone came to the door, she heard a familiar voice call her name and was flooded with relief. She had great faith in the ceremony she’d performed here at the last Moon Fullness, but how the spell would physically stop unwanted visitors she wasn’t quite sure. Hare loped outside to inspect the visitor, and the doorway darkened as Sylvie stood on the threshold and peered inside.

‘May I come in?’

‘Come in and welcome!’ said Leveret, and her sister-in-law came over to give her a quick hug. Their new-found closeness was still recent enough for this to feel slightly awkward, but both were anxious to strengthen the bond.

‘I popped into the tower earlier and Clip said you were up here. Wow – what a transformation! Do you know, I haven’t been here since . . . oh. Oh dear, I wish I hadn’t said that.’

‘It was you and Yul who found her dead, wasn’t it?’ said Leveret gently. ‘He told me about it once, long ago. He used to bring me up here when I was a little girl.’

Sylvie shook her head sadly, and sat down on the chair at the table. Hare came over and Sylvie picked her up. She crouched
down
in Sylvie’s lap and laid her ears along her back while Sylvie stroked her velvet fur.

‘Yes, we came up here at the Winter Solstice, still in our ceremony robes, to tell her that finally her prophecy had been fulfilled. Poor Yul – he was absolutely devastated when we found her. She was sitting rigid on the floor – oh, it was horrible, really upsetting. I loved Mother Heggy too.’

‘I hadn’t realised you’d known her that well,’ said Leveret.

‘I didn’t really, but she took such an interest in me. She thought I was the girl she’d once adopted, Raven, because of my hair and my moongaziness. I’m not sure quite how much her mind wandered, but she was a truly wise old thing and she supported me and Yul long before anyone else did. In those days, any liaison between Hallfolk and Villagers was completely against the law.’

‘I can’t imagine how difficult it all must have been back then,’ said Leveret.

‘It was wonderful in some ways, of course, but very different. Mostly it was just unfair. Poor Yul – he suffered so much. I really must remember that. He had to fight so fiercely just to survive, let alone find happiness . . . Maybe I’m being too hard on him now. It was that steeliness and strength that first attracted me. I shouldn’t knock it now.’

‘Yes, I suppose so,’ agreed Leveret. ‘But Sylvie, it’s not just that. He really has changed. He used to be so kind, so loving – and now he’s mean and cruel. I once loved Yul so much, but I don’t now. He isn’t the same person.’

‘It’s very sad,’ said Sylvie. ‘I honestly feel at times that it’s Magus looking out through Yul’s eyes. He’s always been dominating but, as you say, he’s almost become a different person.’

Leveret thought back to the journey where she’d seen Yul and Sylvie in the Stone Circle together as youngsters, so in love. Something had happened to blight their love and harmony, creating dislike and discord in its place. She recalled the words about taint, and wondered if there were something she could do to remove it and set everything to rights again. She sighed –
making
calendula tincture and distilling lavender oil was challenging enough for now.

‘I’m sorry I can’t offer you anything other than spring water to drink,’ she said.

Sylvie laughed and accepted a ladleful in a cold stone mug.

‘If this drought continues,’ she said, ‘your private spring water could be in great demand. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but in the Village the Bath House has been shut – no baths or showers at all. We’re all washing with a bowl of water – and pouring the slops onto the fruit bushes and vegetables. And once a week we can wash our hair using a jug of water! The Laundry’s really rationing water too and they’re saying not to change clothes so often – make things last a few days if possible. Poor Celandine is quite beside herself. You know what a particular little thing she is.’

‘Well, tell her it’s no better at the Hall,’ said Leveret. ‘Bowls to wash in and we must keep the waste for the Kitchen Garden. Martin patrols the corridors apparently listening out for the sound of running water! Marigold bakes everything now rather than boiling it to save a bit of water. Next we’ll be asked to lick our plates clean!’

‘It can’t go on forever though,’ said Sylvie. ‘It’ll have to rain soon. The river’s so low and an awful lot of the crops are just withering and dying. It’s very sad.’

‘How are you feeling?’ asked Leveret, changing the subject. ‘That Hypericum should be starting to work now, as it’s been a few weeks, hasn’t it?’

‘Yes, I’ve been taking the tincture three times a day like you said, although I think I preferred the infusion. But I know the tincture’s more powerful and actually, I do think it may be working. I feel stronger in myself now, not so panicky and tearful. And certainly I don’t feel as depressed as I was. It may not be only the St John’s Wort of course . . .’

‘No, it may be a number of things, but I’m so glad you’re feeling less depressed. I think you should continue to take it every day in case it is the remedy that’s helping – it certainly won’t
do
any harm. My next batch is almost ready and I’ll add some honey to this lot to make it taste better.’