by Kit Berry
Mother Heggy shook her wizened head and muttered. She made the sign of the pentangle and called upon the Moon Goddess as Mother to protect the boy tonight, to banish the black shadow that hovered so close and threatened to summon him. She called upon the powers that were left to her, old and withered as she was, with her magic all but used up since that Solstice so long ago. She rocked in her chair and tried to keep hope alive in her heart. The cat by the hearth turned and stared up at her, blinking its yellow eyes and purring hoarsely.
The raven swooped down to the cliff top again and looked sadly at the figure huddled on the cold grass. This boy was the future, the only one who could make everything right again. He alone could stop the events that would unfold, the cruel times ahead for the folk of Stonewylde. He was the guardian of the Earth Magic, favoured by the Goddess; on his young shoulders rested the future and all bright hope. But he was fading. His hands were bound tightly behind his back and the rope held him fast to the iron ring. His deep grey eyes gazed up at the moon but saw nothing, for his head was an inchoate mass of images, completely out of control. The raven pecked at him gently but there was no response. His heart beat slower and slower in his chest. The powerful hallucinogens from the cakes he’d been forced to swallow crept relentlessly through his body, poisoning his system.
Yul sat near the bright disc of snake-stone as if made of stone himself, slowly petrifying as the night grew colder. Above him the Moon Goddess blazed in silver glory, her magic spent. Beneath him lay the Earth Goddess, her spirals weak at this place of suffering. Nearby stood the Dark Angel, watching and waiting to summon his soul. His heartbeat grew ever more feeble as the stars danced through the night. Slowly Yul’s head dropped to his chest and his eyes fluttered shut. All around him, Stonewylde shivered silently in the silver moonlight …
Acknowledgements
My acknowledgements written for the original, self-published edition of this book still stand. So continued and deepest thanks to:
Clare Pearson, my first agent, for your vision and encouragement.
My three sons George, Oliver and William for your love and support.
All my family and friends, many in Dorset, for your constant enthusiasm.
Sue Andrew and the team at the Three Hares Project for your source material – further information about their research can be found at www.chrischapmanphotography.com.
Rob Walster of Big Blu Design for the original covers.
Mr B – for your unfailing support and passion for Stonewylde.
Now that Stonewylde has been taken on by Gollancz and this new edition published, I must add some more sincere thanks to:
My readers – the thousands of you who bought and loved the original books. Deepest, most heartfelt thanks to each of you for your loyalty to me and enthusiasm for Stonewylde.
My family and friends again – for such boundless love and support from you all. I’m so very lucky.
Piers Russell-Cobb, my literary agent, for being totally brilliant.
Gillian Redfearn, my editor, for your excellence.
My sister Claire of Helixtree and Rob Walster of Big Blu Design for the beautiful Stonewylde logo.
Gillian Nott of The Guild of Straw Craftsmen for your advice and knowledge about corn dollies and harvest customs – more information on this ancient craft on www.strawcraftsmen.co.uk.
Mr B for continuing to ‘do the business’ with such expertise.
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Kit Berry 2006, 2011
All rights reserved.
The right of Kit Berry to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain in 2011 by
Gollancz
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London, WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
This eBook first published in 2011 by Gollancz.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 0 575 09886 2
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
www.stonewylde.com
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