The Blight of Muirwood

by Jeff Wheeler

  “The ruins of Tintern Abbey. This must be Tintern. What do you make of it?” Colvin asked, crouching low next to her.

  “My first thought was it is abandoned like the farms from yesterday, but there is a small garden which looks as if it is tended. And the smoke. This does not make sense. Look how the ivy has crawled on the walls. Normally the servants would have cut it down. Perhaps this is where Martin has taken her, a place hidden where people would not see her. I want to see that garden up close before we decide what to do. It does not make sense to me that there is a garden here. Who would be tending it if the Abbey is abandoned?”

  Colvin nodded and together they stayed low and crept down the final incline, moving from tree shadow to tree shadow to disguise their approach. Other than the thin plume of smoke from the main chimney, there was no other sign of life manifested. How curious, Lia thought. Tintern Abbey itself was carved out of a reddish stone, and it was probably half the size of Muirwood. The thick woods of the mountains provided the necessary cover and they both approached the garden from the outside. The wall was high enough that deer would not be able to vault it. Colvin helped Lia over first and she dropped to a low crouch, watching for any sign of movement. Colvin followed with a soft thud, also dropping low.

  The garden was thick with vegetables, cut into even rows and tethered by stakes and strings. The earth was a rich black loam and Lia pulled a massive carrot from it that was nearly as thick as her wrist. A small patch of strawberries, shrewberries, and blueberries grew along the wall, each with full ripe fruit. Lia snatched one of the strawberries and bit into it. The juice was sweet and tender, perfectly ripe. She stared around, amazed, for the harvest season was over. Juice dribbled down her chin and she mopped it with the back of her hand.

  “Look,” Colvin pointed out in a low voice. In the center of each wall segment on three sides were Leerings carved into the stone. They exuded such quiet power, she had not recognized their presence. They were ancient stones, worn away by storm and snow. “Do you recognize the feeling?” he asked her.

  It took a moment, and she did. “The apple tree in Maderos’ garden. I remember it now. Even though it wasn’t the right season, there were apples growing on the tree. I think the purpose of these Leerings is to preserve food.”

  Colvin nodded. “So maybe the Abbey is truly abandoned. What does the orb do? Does it point towards the manor house?”

  She withdrew the Cruciger orb and held it in her hand. The orb spun lazily and pointed directly at the manor house. Writing appeared on the orb. Excitement burned inside her. Ellowyn was inside. She was certain of it. Looking up at the sky, she noticed the sun starting its downward slope. She did not relish the thought of returning to the mountains in the dark.

  “Maybe they are sleeping,” Lia suggested. “Now might be the right moment to free her.”

  He sat down and snapped a few blueberries off the bush. He ate them slowly, his eyes deep and serious. “I wonder how many men there are.”

  Lia sat next to him, grabbing a few of her own. Their shoulders touched. “I wish there was a way we could find out.”

  Almost as the thought left her mouth, she heard something. It was the sound of a door shutting. The garden had a low wall, but it was not low enough that they would not be seen if someone walked nearby. Thankfully, there were several fruit trees in the enclosure and Lia and Colvin moved quickly through the growth and hid behind the thick mass of leaves and apricots and plums. She snatched a few and stuffed them into her rucksack, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps. She heard two sets. Craning her neck, she stared towards the manor house.

  The first person she observed was a tall, thin man wearing the gray cassock of an Aldermaston but with a dirt-smeared smock over it. There was a pocket in the front of the smock and some wooden-handled objects protruded from it. He was much younger than the Aldermaston of Muirwood, and like Martin had plenty of gray in his dark beard. His hair was thicker, combed instead of untidy. He walked with a serious step, heading towards the gardens, speaking softly to the person beside him. There she was, head slightly bowed – Ellowyn Demont.

  * * *

  “The mind that is anxious about the future is miserable.”

  - Gideon Penman of Muirwood Abbey

  * * *

  CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT:

  Aldermaston of Tintern Abbey

  Colvin approached so quietly, she was startled when she felt his breath against her ear.

  “I can hardly believe it,” he whispered. “The Medium has brought her out to us.”

  As the Aldermaston and Ellowyn approached, their voices could finally be heard. The Aldermaston had a soft voice, one that was slow and rich and full of tenderness. “Are you cold? Do you need a shawl?”

  “No, I am quite comfortable,” was Ellowyn’s meek reply.

  “I told you, child, that no one will make you marry against your will. You fear something that will not happen. You looked so uncomfortable in there, I thought some air might do you good. Or would you rather be back inside with the men?”

  “No,” Ellowyn said, a bit hastily. She glanced back at the manor house and hastened a step. “I would rather be with you. You speak my language. At least…I can understand what you are saying.”

  “I would like you to see my vineyard. The fruit is not ripe yet, so it needs pruning. Will you help me?”

  “I do not know what to do,” Ellowyn demurred.

  “I will show you. It is this way, past the garden.” Their voices faded as they passed the wall and trailed off as they crossed a screen of overgrown alders. Lia could not imagine their luck. No, it was past luck. It was the Medium, as Colvin said. They looked at each other.

  “We cannot take her by force,” Lia said.

  Colvin nodded. “I agree.”

  Lia rubbed her mouth thoughtfully. “Then I will try and persuade him to let her go. It will be dark before long. This is our chance to free her. I feel…I must be the one to speak to him.” She looked down at the Cruciger orb, at the writing still shimmering on its surface. “He will be able to read this.”

  Colvin reached out, touching her hand. He nodded in encouragement.

  Holding the orb before her, she silently crossed the garden and slipped over the wall, following the direction they went. As she drew closer, she could hear their voices again, deep in conversation. After crossing the sentinels of alder trees, she saw row after row of stakes and trellises of a vineyard. The vines were thick, the broad leaves fat and green, the grapes a deep purple color. The sun was slanting down in the western sky, retreating towards the mountain peaks.

  “Why do you cut away so many grapes?” Ellowyn asked.

  Lia could not see them, but she could hear them well enough and saw the vines trembling with their movement. She crept forward soundlessly.

  “The vines produce more fruit than they have strength to ripen,” the Aldermaston answered. “Slice along the stem, like this. Let me show you. See? A little nick is all it takes and the fruit falls. Collect them in your apron.”

  “But which ones do I cut? Which do I spare?”

  “You can guess, of course. That is one way to do it. But I use the Medium to tell me which to cut. It knows which fruit will be the sweetest at the time of harvest. Those are the ones we want to save. Look at this cluster. See how tight they are together? If we did nothing to prune it, the ones in the middle will become misshapen. There are too many here. The whole cluster will be sour. But if we cut, here and here…” Lia edged closer and she could hear the fruit fall with little thumps. “Then the rest will grow and all will be sweet.”

  “You prune the entire vineyard?” Ellowyn asked timidly.

  “Yes. The harvest is worth the work. You could eat these now, but they would not be sweet enough. Culling is an important process. Look at this grape. It will be a strong one. Like you. When it fully ripens.”

  “The Medium does not listen to me,” Ellowyn said softly. “I mean…I cannot even hear it. It is my fa
ult.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “Because I am always fearful. Everything I have been told, the things you have told me, it frightens me to death. I did not realize how severe the Blight will be. I wish I could have warned my friends before it was too late for them. Before all the Abbeys have fallen.”

  “Have you ever seen a forest burn, child?”

  “I have not.”

  “There is nothing left but char and ash. Everything left behind is soulless and void. There is nothing living – or at least that is how it seems. But from the ashes and from the char, new seeds sprout and grow. The forest renews itself. It takes time, but it happens. There is both good and evil in this world. If we did not intervene here, the grapes would all turn wild. They would all become sour, you see. The Blight is merely a culling. A chance for a rebirth. Let me compare what I told you about the Abbeys burning to the vines that have grown so wild and unruly, so untamed that only fire will cleanse the land to begin anew. The Medium curses and blesses. The Blight that is coming…it will destroy everything, much like the fire in the woods I mentioned. After the Abbeys are razed, the Blight will come. That is why you must go far from here – to a land of safety. In the ships.”

  “Where the other Pry-rians have gone,” Ellowyn stated simply. “It is far across the sea. Do you know where?”

  “No. I will not be going, you see.”

  “But why? If you know the Blight is coming, why cannot you leave as you warn others to?”

  Lia could hear the little snips and cuts and fruit fall into the apron. “Because I am an Aldermaston. Tintern is my Abbey, my responsibility, my home. Until another comes to release me, I cannot leave it. One who has authority to do so. And I must stay to warn others. To give them a chance to escape before it is too late. Before the last ships sails.”

  Ellowyn was quiet for a moment. “So you will…die?”

  There was a short little laugh. “We will all die eventually, child. I am worth no more than this little grape. As long as I try to be a sweet one, that is all that I care to do. All the servants and learners have gone already. I would not keep any one of them behind, not when they could save themselves. The final ships are being built, and the rest of the Pry-rians will be told. They will walk away from their lands, walk away from their plows, walk away from their corn. When the time comes, they will all leave.”

  “Except for you?”

  “And the other Aldermastons who will not forsake their oaths. So much is changing in the world. So much attention on the rights and duties of rank. It may be several years before the Blight destroys everyone. It may happen much sooner. Those Aldermastons who have spoken of it, have seen it in vision, have called it the Black Death. A plague that cannot be stopped. A plague that will kill everyone touched by it. A plague with no cure. In another world, Idumea even, it was a flood of water. Only eight souls believed in the warning. The rest were killed by water. But that was a very wicked world. There are many who believe the warning now. Many who are hewing wood to build ships to sail away. As it gets closer, fewer will believe. That is the way of things.”

  Lia’s heart was pounding. She could see the Aldermaston and Ellowyn through the gaps in the vines. Her heart was burning inside her chest and tears stung her eyes. She knew that what he was saying was true. The Medium burned its truthfulness into her heart.

  The Aldermaston stopped. She saw his head bow in concentration. Then he turned and looked her way. “There is someone listening to us.” His voice shifted to Pry-rian. “Who is there?”

  Lia rose from her crouch at the same time as the Aldermaston did, and their eyes met over the row of plump grapes. His eyes were gray and curious, wary. His bearded mouth was frowning – not with anger but concentration. He stared at her hard, his eyes blinking rapidly when he saw her.

  His language remained Pry-rian. “Who are you, child?”

  Ellowyn rose as well and looked at her with shock. “Lia!” she gasped.

  Lia replied in his language, the language of her ancestors. “I must speak with you, Aldermaston. The Medium has brought me here. Brought me to you. I needed to hear what you were saying. I think you are the only one who can read this for me? Will you?”

  Lia ducked beneath the vine leaves, joining the aisle where the other two were. She held the Cruciger orb before her.

  His eyes widened even further. He was stunned. “Where did you get that, child?”

  “It was with me, as a baby, when I was abandoned. The writing is Pry-rian, but I cannot read. It brought me here. To you, because of Ellowyn. But I think it brought me here to learn about the Blight and what form it will take. So I can warn my people about it. I serve an Aldermaston too, in Comoros. The Aldermaston of Muirwood.”

  He stared at her, his eyes suddenly filling with tears. He brushed them away. “Let me see it.”

  Ellowyn looked so relieved, her face was bursting. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she pressed a fist against her mouth, trying to control her sobbing. She was murmuring Lia’s name.

  “What does it say?” Lia whispered, holding forth the orb. It glowed brilliantly.

  The Aldermaston wiped his eyes again and looked at the writing. He studied it closely, his face intense. He shook his head in wonderment. “I can read it,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. He glanced at her. “You had this orb…as a child? In Muirwood?”

  Lia nodded. “What does it say?” she asked desperately.

  His expression paled. “It says…it reveals quite plainly that Ellowyn Demont must go to Dochte Abbey in Dahomey. She must warn them of the coming of the Blight. It will happen before anyone realizes it. This is her task. The Medium wills it. Her name will be spoken of for good and for evil for generations because of it.” The Aldermaston shook his head, stunned. “What is your name, child?”

  “I am Lia Cook from Muirwood. I am…I am a wretched, but I am of Pry-rian birth. This is my homeland. I was sent to protect Ellowyn.”

  The Aldermaston looked even more surprised. “How did you come here? I know the road was being watched.”

  “We came over the mountain.”

  “But the Fear Liath…how did you get past? The Fear Liath lives in the mountain. Only a maston can pass unharmed.”

  Lia swallowed. “Yes.”

  “You are a maston?” he said, clutching her arm in complete surprise.

  “I am,” she answered.

  He squeezed her so hard it hurt. Tears trickled down his cheek. “You must go then. I cannot keep you here.”

  In the distance, a door opened and shut. Voices came from the manor house, speaking Pry-rian. She would have recognized Martin’s voice, but the men were not him. The Aldermaston looked back and then at her. He pulled her down amidst the vineyard. With his other hand, he pulled Ellowyn down too. He took their hands and clasped them together. He spoke in their common language next. “I will delay them. You must go at once. They will not listen to reason. They will try and follow you. Hasten to the mountain. The orb will give you guidance. If the Medium protected you on the mountain, it will do so again. You must go with all haste.”

  Lia looked at Ellowyn and then back at him. “Do you know who I am?” she whispered.

  The Aldermaston blinked back tears. “Yes. I know you, child. I know you. When your task is complete, I will tell you all. Go, child” He grabbed Lia’s cheeks with both hands and kissed her forehead. Then he kissed Ellowyn’s as well. He clutched the surprised girl’s hands with hers. “I Gift you with courage,” he said to Ellowyn. “You will need it in the mountain and on your journey. Now, go. Go!”

  Lia hooked her arm around Ellowyn’s and tugged her with her, staying low so that the vines would shield them. They moved quickly down the row, their footfalls softened by the earth. Voices carried as they approached, the warbling tongue of that country. They were easy in their banter, comfortable.

  “Did you see which way they went, Kieran?” one asked.

  “Nathen said they were going to the v
ineyard. I think it is over there.”

  “No, that is the garden.”

  “Let us check there first. I want some strawberries.”

  Lia panicked. Colvin was still in the garden. She was not sure what to do. The end of the row of vines led up to the woods at the base of the mountains. The garden was off to their left, past the low stone wall.

  As Lia poked her head above the hedge of gravepines, she saw the two Pry-rians enter the garden. They wore leather hoods and vests and each had a gladius at their belt. They approached the cropping of brush where she had left Colvin hiding.

  CHAPTER THIRTY NINE:

  Fear Liath

  Lia bit her lip and held her breath. Sidling up behind a thick pine, she glanced through the maze of trees at the garden at the two Pry-rians. Both were wearing woodsman garb, like Martin. Both had gladius’ belted to their waists and leather tunics with hoods. She stared at them and pressed the thought at them: Find Ellowyn. She is missing.

  “Do you see the size of these? I’ve never tasted one so sweet. Here, try one.”

  “No, I want a plum. They are rare. I want to take a few with me when we go to the ships. I have never seen one so big.” The branches hissed as they were disturbed for the fruit.