“It’s not just Hazel we should be worried about,” Bert said, after having a little time to consider the situation. “When Sophia finds out… which she will… life around ere is gonna get a lot more interesting than of late.” He paused. “Ya know how she feels about humans… but more worryingly how she feels about her sister.” Bert then shrugged his shoulders. “Well, we can’t do much about that… but the boy is gonna have to be told.” Ben was too busy scratching to answer but once he’d finished he said, “You’ve seen him… he’s weak and he’s lazy… How on earth is he going to stand up against his mother… let alone what’s to come?” Bert sighed. “Whatever…. It’s not our call… We’re gonna have to tell them… both of them… and soon.”
There was nothing more to be said: the decision was made and it was their duty to ensure it was carried out and also to protect those in their care. Bert looked back at the old oak. “We’ll go to them in the morning,” Ben growled. “No… we’ll go tonight… Sophia and the darkness have the power to know when the old oak has spoken… They won’t know what’s been said but we can’t wait… we must go now… for their safety and for ours.” Ben looked up to face Bert and nodded. “I hate it when you are right,” he mumbled. Bert was right to be cautious. Others were aware that Acca had communicated with him, but fortunately had no idea what was said: the old tree didn’t speak often but when it did, it meant something serious had happened or was going to happen and Lord Trollfern, the shadow master, would do anything in his power to find out.
Sophia stood at the door of the old, enchanted yew tree that she had made her home, taking the time to enjoy the sweet autumn night air. She loved all seasons but autumn was to her the best time of the year. However, like Bert, tonight she didn’t have much time to enjoy the moment, she had urgent work to do. The old oak had spoken and it was imperative for her to find out what it had to say: in her experience, it was never good news.
Sophia lightly touched her hair. Immediately it started to glow, flames dancing through it. As she closed her eyes to whisper an incantation, her hair glowed brighter, now fully aflame. Her eyes remained closed as she concentrated on her incantation. The brightness of her hair intensified until it was too blinding to look at. Once she had finished, she opened her eyes and relaxed, taking deep breaths to help bring her back to normal. The brightness of her hair faded until it was back to normal, a cascade of beautiful, shimmering flames. Without moving from her door, Sophia then turned her attention towards a small gap in the trees that opened up into her clearing.
Minutes passed while she waited: the night was cold but refreshing, with a clear sky. She looked up to the heavens whilst pulling a shawl over shoulders to help fight off the chill night air. No matter how often she looked up at the stars, she never ceased to be amazed by the beauty of the heavens. Being a creature of nature, to her they were almost spellbinding: her powers meant that she could see far better than most and could appreciate the night sky more.
She was still deep in thought, mesmerised by the stars, when signs of movement somewhere within the undergrowth got her attention and interrupted her thoughts. Something or someone very clumsy was moving itself towards her. Knowing who it was, Sophia sighed and waited impatiently: even though she was ageless and had all the time in the world, she was still not accustomed to being kept waiting. Abruptly a large, lumbering figure stumbled into the open. She watched with disdain as the poor, pathetic creature came into the light. Usually she would have no time for such a sorrowful-looking, poor excuse of a man; however, she did have need of him now, and by keeping her updated with the whos, whats and whens of the outside world, he had proven to be useful to her in the past. Besides, he was the perfect person for the job she had in mind.
“Walter,” she said gently. “Walter… I have need of your help today… Will you do as I ask of you?” Sophia had always asked Walt to do her bidding, never ordering or commanding him. She found that the best way to get anything out of him was to use the gentle approach. Walt stood at the edge of the clearing looking expectantly up at Sophia. He was of short stature, but it would be difficult for anyone to know how tall he really was due to the fact he was always slumped over as if he was bowing to someone, a fat, rounded, unpleasant-looking man dressed in an old, unwashed suit jacket and trousers, and a shirt which was open to the waist, revealing underneath the pyjama top that he never seemed to take off, wash or change. He had an unusually oversized head, which was mostly bald except for a few greasy strands of long hair around his ears and neck which stuck to his skin as sweat poured off him. He had a large, round stomach which hung heavily over a thick, weathered-leather belt and always had an unpleasant stale, musty smell about him, and for some reason seemed to always be sweating, no matter what the weather or what he was doing. Even sitting would make him pant and sweat, set within his red-flushed, round, fat face were intense, tiny eyes that always seemed to be moving from side to side, Sophia had never known him to give her eye contact. All in all, a rather unpleasant, untrustworthy individual who, given the chance, would try and turn everything to his advantage, regardless of the consequences to others.
Sophia watched impatiently as he pulled out his dirty hanky from his sweat-ridden shirt pocket and started to mop the top of his head, puffing and panting for breath whilst waiting his instructions from his lady. Sophia never really knew why he would always answer to her call. She suspected that it was out of fear or some kind of misguided love or loyalty for her: whatever the reason, it worked to her advantage and that was all she was interested in. However, she wasn’t foolish enough to trust him: she knew only too well that Walt wasn’t a man to be trusted and would only tell him what he needed to know.
“Walter… I have need of your help today,” Sophia said gently, knowing that he would be willingly do her bidding before she even asked. “I have an important task for you to do… a task that may hold a little danger.” She paused and watched as he gingerly crossed the clearing, now standing just in front of her. Sophia continued. “A task that only you can do.” He stood up a little straighter with pride and gave a toothless smile, having lost all of his teeth years ago as punishment for double-crossing the wrong man, a mistake he vowed never to make again.
Walt nervously began to mop the sweat from his head and neck, and was still desperately trying to get his breath back. “’Course, my lady… I’m yours as always… Just ask and it will be done,” he mumbled breathlessly, followed by nervous laughter. Like Bert and others that had lived in the area all his life, he had a strong local accent, but he also tended to mumble a lot due to his lack of teeth, which at times could make it difficult to understand him. However, Walt didn’t mind his speech impediment as much as most would think: like everything, if he could turn it to his advantage he would, and often used the fact that people didn’t understand him to get out of difficult situations.
“I ave been wanting for you to call me for many months, my lady… thought that you might have no more use of me,” he puffed, at the same time trying to sound hurt. Like most people who met him, Sophia couldn’t find it in her to feel sorry for such a pathetic creature, but despite her feelings towards him, she needed him… for now anyway. She smiled and motioned to him to come closer. Walt did as he was commanded and lumbered towards her, still puffing and grunting. He stopped just a few feet away, wiping the never-ending stream of sweat off his neck and face with his dirty hanky.
“I wish you to find Bert and bring him to me,” she said after a few seconds’ silence. Walt’s face went white with fear at the mere mention of Bert’s name, but Sophia ignored it and continued. “The old oak has spoken to him… which means something is wrong… I want to know what,” she demanded. “Bert has information that is vital to me… information that I need… information that the dark one must never find out… So take care, Walter.” She knew that Walt wouldn’t be too pleased to hear what she was asking of him; she also knew that Walt swore that he would never speak to Bert ever again, and over the past ten years
or so Walt had done everything in his power to avoid him. Bert wasn’t a person to be reckoned with: that alone was bad enough but when she mentioned the shadow master, it took all his willpower not to run off back into the safety of the woodland.
“Walter… will you do as I ask?” Sophia asked softly, noticing Walt’s discomfort. She knew that he was within a cat’s whisker of disappearing into the undergrowth. Walt stood and stared up at her for a moment, not really knowing how to respond. He then looked down at his feet and, with his hanky in hand, started to mop the top of his head again. “Well,” Sophia said, now becoming a little impatient with him. The tone in her voice changed, sounding a little more dangerous, a tone that Walt knew only too well. “Yes, my lady… I’ll do as you wish… I’ll go to Bert and tell him that you wish to see him and ask that he visit you.”
Suddenly livid, Sophia lurched towards him. “Ask… that I wish to see him!” she shouted. “You will go and bring him here to me… Is that clear?” Walt seemed to shrink in size to her outburst, but still managed to hold his ground. Head lowered, he said, “My lady… But Bert is the most stubborn of men… and far too powerful for me to force him to do anything he doesn’t want to.” Sophia knew that shouting at Walt wouldn’t help and was angry with herself for doing so. He was still looking down at his feet as she placed her hand gently on his shoulder. She didn’t like the man but had to find out what was going on, and unfortunately, right now, he was the only one she could rely on to get the message to Bert. She could go herself but that would show that she was too eager, which could give Bert the advantage. Walt looked up at her in anticipation, waiting for her to say something. “Walter… I’m sorry for shouting… it’s not you that I should be angry with… Forgive me.” She smiled. Walt looked down at his feet again, afraid to give her eye contact. “It’s not that I don’t want to do what you ask, my lady… It’s more that I am not up to the task,” Walt said sheepishly. “Whenever I get involved with Bert… I always come out the worse for wear… It took months for my arm to mend last time we met and you know about my teeth,” he continued.
“Nothing for you to worry about, Walter… I have no wish of putting you in harm’s way again,” Sophia said gently. “Just go and tell him that I wish to see him… if he doesn’t want to come… then tell him that I’ll find him myself… That should be enough for him to change his mind.” Walt bowed, still mopping his head and, without saying another word, he turned and walked back the way he had come.
Sophia watched as he disappeared into the darkness and stood a while staring after him, still not sure why he always did her bidding. She wasn’t fond of him, but that didn’t change the fact that she didn’t like to see him get hurt. After a short while she sighed and then turned away and retired to the comfort of her warm living room. She could do nothing more now… except wait.
Henry was still sitting at the kitchen table waiting for his mother to join him. He watched her as she prepared hot milk for them both; nothing more had been said since their exchange earlier, both still wrapped up in their own thoughts. Hazel finished heating the milk and poured it into two mugs, placed them on a tray along with a few biscuits, walked over to the kitchen table, and sat down facing her son. Without saying a word, she placed a mug in front of him, picked up her hot milk and cupped it in her hands, and then blew into the mug to cool it before taking a sip.
After a moment of awkward silence she sighed, placing her mug on the table, and said softly, “Where do I start?” She paused. “I know who you met today,” she said. “Bert… and Ben… and before you ask how I know… Well, let’s just say that I know a lot more of what is going on around here… a lot more than you may think… and a great deal more than most people should.” She paused again and looked down at her mug before continuing. “You may have guessed by now that I’m not like most people.” She gave Henry a soft smile. “But neither are you.” Henry was about to say something but his mother cut him short by making a small gesture with her hand. “You wish to know what happened to your father… and of course you have a right… but…” Hazel choked back her emotions. “I’ve never known how to tell you… I still don’t… but you are nearly a man and I hope you find a way to understand at least some of what you are about to hear.” She paused again. “I don’t expect you to understand everything… not just yet anyway.”
Just then there was a knock on the back door. Henry looked up at his mother. “You had better get that,” she said in a matter-of-fact way. “It’s your two friends… the ones you met earlier.” Henry stared at her with a surprised look on his face but didn’t say anything. Instead he got up and walked towards the door, still staring at his mother, wondering how on earth she knew who it was at the door. His mother was right: when he opened the door, there to greet him was the ragtag couple. He took another glance back at his mother, totally bemused by how she could she have known who was at the door. He stood back and beckoned them in.
“Not even a hello,” Ben mumbled. “See… told you he was rude.” Bert said nothing, just smiled at Henry politely as he entered the room. Henry hesitated at the door for a moment, having no idea of what was going on, but whatever it was, he sure as hell didn’t want any part of it. He watched Bert greet his mother and then watched as his mother greeted Ben by rubbing him on the head as you would any dog, but speaking to him as if he was an old friend. She seemed pleased to see them both, which in itself made Henry more worried than he was already.
“Come and sit,” his mother said as she showed Bert a chair. “I’ll get you both a hot drink,” and then she walked over to the sink to fill the kettle. Henry was still rooted by the back door, when his mother called over to him to shut it. “Don’t be so rude,” she said. “Offer our guests something to eat.” He closed the door but was still holding onto the handle as he looked over to their odd, unwelcome guests. Bert was now seated at the table and Ben sat next to him on the floor. “Do you want anything to eat?” Henry asked, still bemused by their visit. “Can I tempt you with a slice of cake or a biscuit perhaps?” “Nothing for us, thanks,” Bert answered. “Speak for yourself,” Ben injected. “Cake please and make it a nice big slice.”
Henry walked across the room to a large pine cupboard, opened one of its drawers and pulled out a cake knife, mumbling to himself about Ben’s rudeness. “He has the cheek to call me rude,” he thought. He then reached up to the cupboard where the cake was kept, opened the door, pulled out a large tin and placed it on the table next to where Bert was sitting.
“Acca called me today… he wanted to speak,” Bert said out of the blue, “and I’m afraid what he had to say is not good news, my lady.” Hazel froze and stopped what she was doing but didn’t look around. She was aware that Acca had communicated with Bert but had hoped it didn’t have to involve her. “You know what that means… my lady… We’ll need you back.” He then paused to see what reaction he would get, but still Hazel didn’t turn around or say anything. “You and ya boy ere.” This time, Hazel did respond: she spun around to face Bert, her eyes aflame as she stared directly into his, a look Henry had never seen in his mother before. She’d been mad at him many times but never like this… Her eyes had changed from green to flaming orange. Even her hair had changed: it was as if it was almost on fire.
Bert didn’t attempt to look up at her. Instead, he turned away immediately with a brief look of what might have been fear, a look that Henry didn’t miss. Bert didn’t seem the type to be scared off easily, especially by his mother. And why did he call her my lady? “What about my boy?” she hissed. “What about Henry…? Why is he being brought into this…? He knows nothing of any of it,” she continued with more than a little venom in her voice. Gone were the pleasantries of tea and cake: Henry had never seen his mother like this; it was as if she was a totally different person. “Great,” Ben growled. “You had to open your big gob…You couldn’t let things be until we’ve all eaten.” Hazel shot Ben a look but he didn’t seem to notice: he was too busy cleaning his large paws.<
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Henry stood rooted to the spot, looking from person to person, or dog in Ben’s case, and Bert trying his best to avoid his mother’s gaze. Now satisfied his paws were clean, Ben sat up and sniffed at the cake tin expectantly, undisturbed by what was going on around him. Hazel was the first to break the awkward silence, still with a great deal of venom in her voice. “Bert… I want to know what’s been said about my boy… and how on earth things have got so bad for Acca to be involved… I’ve had no indication that there were any problems… Well, at least none that Ben and you couldn’t handle.” Bert turned to face her and stared directly into Hazel’s eyes. “Well, my lady,” Bert blasted out as he got up from his chair, towering over her. “You ain’t been around much of late, ave you…? In fact, you’ve not been around much at all, not since…” Bert stopped what he was about to say and looked over to where Henry was standing.
He took a moment to compose himself a little before continuing. “My lady,” he said calmly. “Hazel… you’ve not been focused… you’ve been too busy trying to hide… too busy hiding from what you really is… You of all folk knows that you can’t hide from yourself.” He paused to see her response, hoping that she would have calmed down a little but unfortunately, she hadn’t. He continued anyway. “My lady… ya knew it wouldn’t last … and now because both you and ya sister neglected ya duties… It’s come back to bite us all on the backside.” Bert was now getting angry himself and building up courage with every word. “Ya can’t hide anymore… and ya sister and you can’t deny who and what you really is any longer… and what’s expected of ya… And more importantly… what’s expected of ya boy.” They were now face to face, neither one having any intention of backing down.
Between Darkness and the Light Page 3
