by Kit Berry
‘I’m stuck!’ she wailed at the top of her voice. ‘I can’t get down! Someone help me!’
One of the Hallfolk boys climbed up the ladder and tried to persuade her down through the branches and onto the upper rungs.
‘No! I can’t move! I’m completely stuck!’
‘Holly’s awful!’ whispered Sylvie with a groan. ‘She’s such a show-off. I can’t stand her.’
Fennel said that he certainly wasn’t going up there and Yul grinned at this, remembering how wobbly Fennel was on ladders. July tried to rescue Holly too, shouting at her to just put her foot on the rung and stop being so silly. But Holly wouldn’t budge. Then she started shouting for Yul to come and rescue her. Yul stiffened. He closed his eyes in dismay at the sound of Holly repeatedly yelling his name, insisting he was the only one who could rescue her.
‘You’d better go and help her,’ said Sylvie, her voice small and quivery. ‘She’ll just go on and on and make it worse.’
‘I don’t want to help her. I can’t stand her either.’
‘I know, but she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. That’s what she’s like. Just get her down, Yul.’
Sylvie moved away from him and resumed her picking.
‘Yul! Yul! Come here and help me!’
All eyes, Villager and Hallfolk, were turned on him. Reluctantly he stepped forward and stood at the foot of the ladder looking up. She was high in the tree, perched uncomfortably on a branch and holding on tightly. Her bare legs dangled down and her face was a mixture of imperiousness and discomfort at her situation. Yul shook his head.
‘What a stupid thing to do,’ he said.
‘It’s not my fault!’
‘Yes it is. There aren’t even any apples up there. You climbed that high for no reason other than to show off. Didn’t you, Holly?’
‘No! Just shut up and rescue me, Yul.’
‘Not until you see how stupid you’ve been. Else you might do it again. I’m far too busy to waste time rescuing silly girls who don’t know their own limits.’
The Villagers and Hallfolk alike laughed, many pleased to see Holly getting her come-uppance. Everyone was looking up at her and she flushed.
‘Come on, Holly,’ said Wren. ‘It was stupid. Just admit it and he’ll come and get you. I’ve had enough of this apple picking.’
‘Me too. Just agree with him, Holly. He’s right; you are stupid sometimes,’ said Rainbow.
‘Okay, I was stupid,’ yelled Holly. ‘Now get up that bloody ladder, Yul, and help me down!’
He climbed up and edged towards where she was perched, until his head was level with hers. Her knees brushed against him and he pulled away. His face was closed and cold as he looked around, working out the best way to get her down. She gazed at him speculatively.
‘Since when did you become so masterful, Yul?’
He shrugged, not even bothering to reply.
‘Did you enjoy humiliating me just then? You’re so unfriendly nowadays. I remember how you used to be at the ceremonies and in the Great Barn afterwards, dancing and messing about with me. Do you remember?’
‘That was all a long time ago.’
‘Not that long ago. In fact it was the last Equinox, as I recall. I went off with Buzz and his gang and you got upset. And then they beat you up and you got into trouble with Magus.’
At this he looked her full in the face, his grey eyes blazing. She recoiled slightly, quite shocked at his intensity. She noticed how handsome he was, with his high cheekbones and chiselled nose and jaw.
‘I remember, Holly. I remember your part in it all, and how you found the whole thing so funny and flattering, with no thought of the consequences for me. And now I’m grateful to that moron Buzz for showing me what a waste of time it was. Even the punishment from Magus was worth it, to see you for what you really are.’
She flushed at the insult of his words and the contempt in his voice.
‘Shut your mouth, you stupid Villager, and get me down from this bloody tree!’ she hissed. ‘And don’t you dare speak to me like that again! Remember your place or Magus will hear about it and then you’ll suffer.’
He shrugged at this, indicating his disdain for both her and Magus.
‘Slide along the branch here and then slip off and stand here, where I am now. You can’t go down the ladder facing that way, so, as you slip yourself off, twist around and I’ll guide you down.’
He edged away giving her space to move along. Down below the onlookers had lost interest. The Villagers were loading their maunds into the newly arrived cart. The Hallfolk were now busy picking again, as the cart driver had brought a message from Stag. Magus had left instructions that they couldn’t go home until they’d picked at least one tree. The only person still watching was Sylvie. She couldn’t quite hear what they were saying up there but she could see them looking into each other’s faces, and Holly’s bare legs touching Yul. Sylvie’s throat was tight and aching and she had an urge to climb the ladder herself and give Holly’s ankle a hard tug.
As Holly slid her bottom off the branch, Yul braced himself to balance her. He put his hands round her waist, ready to twist her so she faced the right way. As he touched her Holly gasped and stared into his eyes, now only centimetres from hers. She felt the energy inside him; the pull of his being and the sheer magnetism flowing through his strong fingers. There was something in him – something powerful and thrilling. She could sense it dancing just behind his eyes. She was washed with a wave of desire for him and wobbled on the branch. He grasped her more tightly, thinking she’d fall. His body pressed against hers, both of them balancing precariously on the branch. She closed her eyes and swallowed.
‘Yul, Yul, please.’
‘What’s the matter?’ he said coldly. ‘Hold on to the branch for Goddess’ sake or you’ll fall. Hold on! Stop leaning into me.’
‘I can’t help it,’ she whispered. ‘I want you. I’m sorry, Yul, sorry for everything. I was wrong. I made a mistake about you and I want to go back to how we used to be together.’
‘You made a mistake alright, but there’s no going back now, Holly. Let’s just get down to the ground.’
‘Wait!’
He’d started to move away, now that she was facing the right way. He planned to guide her from below onto the rungs of the ladder and get down as fast as he could. The last thing he wanted was Holly making a play for him, especially with Sylvie watching. He caught a glimpse of Sylvie’s face down below them, white and pinched. He couldn’t blame her. He knew how he’d feel if he was on the ground watching her and Buzz up in a tree.
‘Hold on a minute, Yul,’ Holly said quietly. She closed her fingers around his wrist, looking at him with an expression he’d never seen her wear before.
‘Let me go,’ he said. ‘I’m not interested, Holly. That was in the past.’
‘Please listen, Yul. I’ve just made a decision. It’s our Rite of Adulthood at the Winter Solstice and it’s only three months away. If I can’t have Magus, I want you to be my partner at the ceremony.’
She gave him a little smile and cocked her head. He stared at her, a dangerous glint in his slanted eyes.
‘Oh really? Well understand this, Holly. I don’t take second place to anyone, not even Magus. Besides which, I have other plans for the Winter Solstice and they certainly don’t include you.’
She gasped at the harshness of his words and the pitiless look in his eyes. She recalled the fun-loving Villager from six months ago, the boy who loved to leap high during the dances in the Stone Circle and gallop around with her in the Great Barn afterwards. The boy who used to show off and try to impress her with his antics. She’d never seen this side of him and she shook her head, bewildered by his curt rejection.
‘I don’t understand, Yul. You’ve changed. You used to be such fun and you’ve always liked me. Remember how we’d play together and get up to mischief at school, before I went to the Hall School? We used to be friends, Yul – a bit more th
an friends, even. Why are you so cold to me now?’
He sighed and gazed up through the branches above their heads, not even wanting eye contact with her.
‘It’s hard to know where to begin and I really can’t be bothered anyway. Just accept that I’m not interested and leave it at that. Now let’s get down from this tree. You’re fooling around and I should be working.’
As his feet found the upper rungs of the ladder and he began to climb down, she spoke once more in a voice which quivered dangerously.
‘No I won’t leave it at that! How dare you treat me like this? You should be honoured that I’m favouring you. I’ll speak to Magus about it and then, believe me, you will partner me at our Rite of Adulthood.’
‘Only in your dreams, Holly,’ he said, with a harsh laugh. ‘Remember what happens to Hallfolk who try to force Villagers? Now get on the ladder and stop wasting my time.’
He grasped her ankles quite roughly, not wanting his actions misinterpreted, and pulled her foot onto the rung. He slid down the ladder quickly and stood below, watching her descent. But when Holly was only halfway to the ground she stopped and turned around precariously, now facing outwards. She smiled down at Yul, and they both remembered when he’d done the same thing in the Stone Circle climbing down the bonfire.
As the thought raced through his head he took a step back, but then, without warning, Holly launched herself off the ladder and leapt straight at him. He caught her full on and staggered under her weight, only just managing to keep his balance. She clung to him, her arms around his neck and her bare legs wrapping around his hips. She kissed him hard on the mouth. He pulled his head back sharply but she clung to him like a limpet. Then she let go and sprang back from him, landing lightly on her feet, and he remembered how agile she’d always been.
‘Thank you for rescuing me, Yul,’ she said brightly. ‘I owe you.’
15
Yul was aware that Sylvie had turned on her heel as Holly clung to him, and was now disappearing amongst the apple trees. He was desperate to run after her and stop her, and stood indecisively as Holly began throwing apples straight into the maund. The Hallfolk were picking away at their tree and putting in a little more effort now. He turned back to his own tree and found the Villagers had finished and were now following the cart back to find Stag and ask him where to go next. Yul decided Sylvie was worth getting into trouble for, should Stag notice his disappearance.
‘I’ll be back soon!’ he called to the rest of his group and hared off through the trees and the other apple gatherers. The orchard was very busy, full maunds on the grass, ladders and people everywhere. Horses and carts trundled about and children skipped around, their work mostly done for the day. Yul dodged through the lot, but by the time he caught up with Sylvie she was almost out of the orchard. There were so many people about and he despaired of talking to her alone.
‘Sylvie!’ he called. He slowed down as he approached her, not wanting to attract too much attention. ‘Sylvie!’
She turned slightly and saw him, but carried on walking away.
‘Wait! Please stop!’ he said, catching her up and touching one of her wrists. He longed to grab her and spin her around to face him but could only risk a surreptitious tap. She shook him off and marched on grimly.
‘Just leave it, Yul,’ she snapped. ‘I’m going home. I’ve got a headache.’
‘Please listen, Sylvie. Just listen and then you can go home.’
Reluctantly she stopped and turned to him, but stared down at the grass. Her face was tight and closed and she stood stiffly. Yul was acutely aware of all the people milling around them. If they’d been alone he’d have taken her in his arms and kissed her jealousy and anger away. As it was, his hands were tied and there was nothing he could do. She wouldn’t even look him in the eye.
‘Sylvie, I understand why you’re cross, but believe me, I wanted nothing to do with her. I can’t stand her.’
‘I know.’
‘I hated having to rescue her. I never wanted to go up and help her.’
‘I know.’
‘I told her I wasn’t interested in her.’
‘Oh, so you discussed it then?’
‘Well, not exactly …’
He decided it wouldn’t be wise to tell her about Holly’s plans for their Rite of Adulthood, or that he’d once liked Holly.
‘I just want to get home, Yul. Forget what happened here, as I intend to.’
‘But you’re angry and upset! I swear to you, Sylvie, there’s no need for it.’
‘I know. Really I do.’
‘Good. What happened with Holly was nothing.’
‘Well, hardly nothing. In fact it was pretty full on.’
Her cheeks were now flushed and her mouth grim. She fiddled with a strand of her hair, wrapping and unwrapping it tightly around a finger.
‘Yes, but—’
‘And she was so intimate with you up in the tree, so close to you, all that whispering to each other and—’
‘And I hated it! I nearly fell out of the tree trying to get away from her.’
‘Well you obviously didn’t get the message through, did you Yul?’
‘Oh Sylvie, you’re being silly now. I didn’t encourage Holly – how can you think that? You couldn’t hear what we were saying, and if—’
‘Whatever it was, she feels in your debt now. “I owe you!” And I’ll bet she’s just longing to pay up!’
‘Sylvie, why are you being like this? Nothing happened, I can’t stand Holly, and it—’
‘But the way she wrapped herself around you when she jumped down, and then she kissed you … How d’you think I feel? I’m not even allowed to talk to you in public, but Holly can kiss you whenever she likes!’
‘But I didn’t want her to! It was horrible. Please don’t be upset.’
‘I can’t help it. I asked you at Beltane about Holly, and you said there was nothing between you. Now it seems there was something after all, and she obviously thinks there still is, the fuss she was making about you today.’
‘That’s ridiculous! I swear to you, Sylvie, that—’
‘Alright, I believe you. Now let me go – I’ve had enough.’
‘Just show me you’re not angry with me. Please, Sylvie.’
But she couldn’t bear to look at him.
‘All I want is to go home, but you’re making a big deal about this when I just want to forget it. Leave me alone, Yul, and keep out of her way.’
She marched off, close to tears, her annoyance with Yul all the worse for knowing that her jealousy was unwarranted. He gazed at her retreating back with dismay and exasperation.
‘Yul! What are you playing at? Get your arse back over here, boy! You ain’t finished yet.’
‘Sorry, sir. I was just coming.’
With a sigh, Yul stumbled over to where Stag stood by the horses and carts puffing on his clay pipe, his face screwed up sourly.
‘Course you were. Get down the Cider House now and put in a couple o’ hours on the apple mill. Woodruff’s been up there all afternoon. You can knock off to eat when the others go home for their supper but mind you come back straight afterwards. Edward said I can have you all evening if I want, so you’ll be working in the Cider House again. The old cheese needs taking apart tonight. You know how to do that?’
‘I think so, sir. Unscrew the press and pull out the old sacking and pomace.’
‘Aye, but make sure you do it proper. Those apple cheeses are rock-hard once the juice has been squeezed out of the pomace. You need three bins – one for the straw, one for the sacking and one for the dried up pomace. Don’t mix ’em up, boy, and make sure you leave it all clean and tidy. I want it done tonight so when Bewald comes in first-light tomorrow morning ‘twill be ready to build a new one. I don’t want the old bugger moaning at me. You don’t go home tonight till that cheese is completely cleared and make sure you do a good job of it. Understand me, boy?’
‘Yes, sir,’ said Yul weari
ly.
Nearly three hours later, Yul stopped to go home with the other Villagers for a meal. He was bone tired, his body shaking with exertion and fatigue. He’d fed hundreds and hundreds of apples into the mill, scooping them down from the apple loft into the large funnel that led to the mill. Turning the great iron handle that operated the mill, crushing and chopping the apples until they were macerated into a lumpy pulp, was hard work. The muscles in his arms, chest and shoulders screamed for mercy. He’d been up and down the ladder continuously, pulling a barrel in place, opening the valve to let the mashed-up pomace slide out, scraping out the mill, and then starting the process all over again. The mountain of apples in the loft that had greeted him on arrival was now considerably smaller. He surveyed the many barrels of pomace he’d made, which would sit for a day or so before being packed into a new cheese. A job well done, Yul thought, and nodded to himself in satisfaction. Neither Stag, Old Bewald nor Magus himself could accuse him of slacking.
He was very pleased to drag himself home and be greeted by a smiling Maizie and a hot supper waiting on the range. The three younger children were already asleep upstairs, and the two older boys were in the Village School with their friends making new rabbit nets. The atmosphere in the cottage was peaceful and calm, and Yul enjoyed sitting with his mother and sister listening to their chatter. Rosie had put the ordeal with Buzz behind her and was much happier since he’d been banished.
‘Not walking with Robin tonight?’ Yul asked.
‘No, I’m helping Mother with the spinning,’ she replied, rummaging in the dresser. ‘And he’s busy too, helping his father make a new pig-pen. One of their pigs made an escape the other day – must’ve realised we’re coming into autumn already!’
‘Ask Robin round for tea on Sunday,’ said Maizie. ‘I like the lad and now you’re sweethearts, ‘tis right he should spend some time with your family.’
‘I will, Mother,’ Rosie smiled, her pretty face dimpling. ‘His family have invited me to visit too, and I were going to ask if that’s alright by you.’
