Reagan (Hengist-People of the Horse Book 3)

by Jacky Gray

  ‘But …’

  ‘Please Reagan, it’s important. I’ll wake you in a while for something to eat. Malduc will be coming round soon after that. You must ask your spirit guide to let you rest until then.’

  ‘My spirit guide?’

  ‘The white horse. Does he have a name?’

  ‘She. No. At least, I don’t know it.’

  ‘I suggest you ask her name, introduce yourself properly, then tell her you need to rest.’ She picked up all the willow branches, carefully separating out the two from the left.

  Putting the wand under his pillow, Reagan settled back, and closed his eyes. The white horse waited eagerly for him, nuzzling his shoulder. He stroked her muzzle and asked his question. Although she made no sound, her name came into his head. ‘Blaise. That’s lovely. My name’s Reagan and I’m pleased to meet you.’ She nudged him and he knew she wanted to gallop through the country with him on her back. ‘I’m sorry, Blaise, I need to rest for a while. I promise I’ll ride with you as soon as I can.’ He heard the tinkling notes of a beautiful song and turned round to see his willow tree. She spoke to Blaise, telling her about his ordeal and the horse shook her head angrily. The song continued, the melody gently lulling him to sleep. Blaise walked over to the river to take a drink as the rays of the sun folded him into a pleasant warmth.

  11 Crime & Punishment

  ‘So, Reagan. The last time the white horse …’

  ‘Blaise. She’s called Blaise.’

  ‘The last time Blaise came to you was just after your willow-moon dreams at Imbolc two years ago.’ Malduc smiled his encouragement. ‘You have not seen her at all since then?

  ‘Not until tonight when Ganieda gave me the wand.’

  ‘You have been using her sleeping potion?’

  ‘Every moon. It’s very effective. I usually fall asleep before I even finish the beaker of warm milk.’

  ‘Your father said you were sleeping well. I am glad you understood the importance of holding it off.’

  Reagan shrugged. ‘Everyone worried when I collapsed in the council house.’

  ‘True. Your mind and body will be far more able to cope with the stresses of the task now. But as you can tell from the last few days, you will need to take it very slowly.’

  ‘Why does my head start to hurt so quickly?’

  ‘Because the mind-link gift seems to be developing rapidly. It uses a lot of your energy and brain power and if you overuse it, you will become drained very quickly. I will explain more in the coming weeks when you will learn to control and direct your gifts. But for now, I want you to tell me about what happened today from start to finish.’

  ‘What, everything? Like what I had for breakfast?’

  ‘Absolutely every single little detail, no matter how trivial you may think it is.’ The twinkle in Malduc’s eye made Reagan uncertain whether he could be teasing. It took a while, and Malduc wrote some things on a slate as Reagan spoke.

  ‘Sorry about this, my memory isn’t what it used to be. I need to examine each of these points more deeply. You think you cannot possibly remember any more detail than you have given, but be assured you can and you will.’

  Reagan’s eyes narrowed. Could Malduc actually read minds? Because that was exactly what he was thinking.

  ‘And now you’re wondering whether I can read minds or not. The truth is, I cannot exactly read your mind yet, but the connection will be stronger with practice.’ Malduc gestured at the extra pillows Ganieda had provided so Reagan could sit up in the bed. ‘I suggest you lie back; this may cause you to experience some parts of your mind which are not quite ready. You may start feeling faint and may even lose consciousness, although I’m hoping we can re-direct you before that happens.’

  Reagan settled down. ‘If Blaise wants to take me somewhere, do I still tell her no?’

  ‘I think it would be sensible. She will understand. Are you comfortable?’

  Reagan nodded.

  ‘Then we will begin. You did not start with question one on the Worthy paper. Why was that?’

  Reagan closed his eyes and tried to remember. ‘I didn’t want to repeat my answers so I thought I’d write the detail first. When I tried to think of another incident, my mind became blocked. I tried to visualise where I was when I read the book; it usually helps me to remember.’

  ‘And you were sitting by the willow?’

  ‘Underneath it, last Saturnday afternoon. After a couple of hours in the house, I couldn’t remember anything, so my sister suggested getting some fresh air.’

  ‘Well, that explains it. Instead of taking in the information from the book, you went into a trance and received the numbers and symbols you wrote on your paper.’

  ‘And when I tried to retrieve the memory, I got them instead.’

  ‘Precisely. Now, you said Edlyn and Godryk were making the other boys break off the willow branches.’

  ‘Yes. When I held each branch and concentrated, I could sense who took it from the tree and how.’

  Malduc nodded. ‘A common enough effect amongst those who mind-link with trees, but not what I wanted to explore. You said you told the Outils to flee, and they went.’

  ‘Yes. I said they’d be in trouble if they carried on with it.’

  ‘And they escaped through the tree. Tell me, why didn’t Edlyn and Godryk notice this? You said Edlyn became angry when he found out the Outils gone. But they were standing next to the Warriors. Edlyn was watching them, how could he not see the other boys disappear when you told them to go?’

  ‘He didn’t hear me, no-one but the Outils did.’

  ‘Surely you would have shouted to make yourself heard over the noise the Warriors were making?’

  ‘They weren’t making much noise, but I remember raising my voice to make it sound commanding so the Outils would listen.’ He frowned. ‘I don’t understand why Edlyn didn’t hear.’

  ‘Don’t worry, clear your mind. I can see this is taking some effort and I need to try something in a while. I don’t want you to dwell on this, but you said you heard a scream just before you fainted. Are you sure it wasn’t your scream?’

  ‘No. I was determined to make no sound or he would have won. Willow did it to make me faint so they would leave me alone.’

  ‘Alright.’ Malduc asked him for the wand, tuning into it with closed eyes. Returning to the room with a shudder, he explained the technique. ‘I will use this to connect properly to the incident. It’s important you do not confuse it with your own memories, so you must empty your mind of all thoughts before you hold the wand. Close your eyes and only open them when your mind is clear. I will place the wand in your left hand and hold your right hand to complete the circle. If you understand, we will begin.’

  After a few minutes, Reagan opened his eyes and felt the smoothness of the willow in his left hand and the dry, leathery skin of Malduc’s fingers in his right. As when he held the willow wand before, the images flashed through his brain, telling the story in still pictures from when the Outil boy had broken it off until the moment he threw it on the ground. At that point, Malduc removed his hand and the wand and wrote another note.

  ‘Thank you Reagan. It’s obvious you have the ability to mind-link not just with plants, but also with other people. This is a rare gift and can be dangerous if not developed properly.’

  ‘You mean I spoke directly to their minds, not out loud?’

  ‘Exactly that. I’ve never heard of anyone who could do it without training before. I have this gift myself, but it’s very limited and it took years of training before I could do the simplest thing like hearing someone’s thoughts.’

  ‘Could I have hurt those Outil boys?’

  ‘Possibly, although without meaning to. But I think because your intentions were completely honourable, your gift would not have allowed you to harm them.’

  Reagan felt his stomach clench at the idea he could have hurt someone simply by thinking something; it was an awful responsibility. But then he rememb
ered the fear on the boys faces as they contemplated their fate at Edlyn’s hands and knew this power could be put to good use against evil. ‘What will happen to the boys? Will they be in trouble?’

  ‘Which ones?’

  ‘I was thinking of the Outils - they did nothing wrong.’

  ‘Now I know who they are, I will need to get their side of the story. I am, however, convinced they have learnt their lesson. They won’t be tempted to break the rules again.’

  ‘And the Warriors?’

  ‘I will need to talk to them and find out how they feel about the incident and what they think should happen.’

  ‘Why would you care what they think? They’ll probably say they shouldn’t be punished at all.’

  ‘In which case I would not punish them at all.’

  ‘How is that fair?’

  ‘Because they would probably already have punished themselves enough with their own guilt.’

  ‘What if they don’t feel any guilt?’

  Malduc smiled. ‘The punishments young boys invent for themselves are usually far more severe than anything I could hope to devise.’

  ‘What if they admit to being guilty but still don’t think they should be punished?’

  ‘I wouldn’t have a problem with that, but I can see you would, so let’s explore some possible options. I like to make the punishment fit the crime, so first I would have to decide their crime.’

  ‘Breaking the willow branches without permission.’ It seemed obvious to Reagan.

  ‘They had permission. Edlyn told them to do it.’

  ‘But he’s merely …’

  ‘A senior. Would you do something a senior told you to?’

  ‘Yes. Unless I thought it was something against the law I shouldn’t be doing.’

  ‘Breaking off branches is not actually a crime. Someone has to collect willow wands for the moon dreaming. If Edlyn had been tasked with this and asked them to help him, he would have made the same request wouldn’t he?’

  ‘I suppose so. But it wasn’t for that.’

  Malduc held up his hand against Reagan’s ferocity. ‘We know this, but they didn’t. So their crime is not in breaking off the branches. Is it perhaps because they used the branches to whip each other?’

  ‘Yes. Except if you use the same logic, they were only following the instructions of a senior. So that’s not their crime.’

  ‘I think the lashing gave more than enough punishment. I’ve never been whipped with a willow branch, but I imagine it must hurt. You can tell me, does it hurt?’

  Reagan shrugged. ‘It stings a bit.’

  ‘Is that the crime they should be punished for? For whipping you and making you sting a bit?’

  ‘No. They were only doing what he told them to.’

  ‘You’re saying Edlyn should be punished for inflicting these hurts on innocents; is that correct?’

  ‘It would make more sense.’

  ‘So we need a fitting punishment.’ Malduc thought for a moment. ‘Edlyn and Godryk will describe the incident to the parents of all the younger boys. They will explain why they forced the boys to abuse each other and accept any penance the parents decide is suitable for the crime. Is that satisfactory?’

  ‘It’s a start, but would it stop them doing it again?’

  ‘Unfortunately, we can never be sure of that.’ Malduc noted the punishment on his slate with a stern expression. He looked up. ‘Have the Warriors committed any crime?’

  ‘I’m not sure. I’m trying to think what I would have done if I had been in their position.’

  ‘Always a good starting point. But do remember not everyone has the benefit of your well-balanced, sympathetic outlook on life.’

  ‘I would like to think I would never have gone with Godryk in the first place.’ Reagan tried to imagine the scene. ‘I don’t think I would have allowed it to go as far as it did. I would have questioned the sense of being whipped now if I thought there might be another whipping in a few days’ time.’

  ‘Excellent. I like to think I could have remained so impartial and clear headed under those circumstances.’

  ‘Especially because it was Edlyn and Godryk. I have seen their bullying tactics before, and I don’t think I would have gone with them in the first place.’

  ‘Good point. But what if it had been one of the senior boys whose motives were without question, say Archer or Finn? Would you have obeyed then?’

  ‘I’m not sure. I think I would still question it before agreeing to anything like that.’

  ‘But you weren’t there at the start when Edlyn explained the task. The boys could well have had many questions for which he had reasonable answers. And they may not know of his reputation for – shall we say being a little over-zealous?’

  Reagan sighed. This was not straightforward.

  ‘I can see you now appreciate my problem, but you are looking weary.’ Malduc handed him the wand and stood to leave. ‘I think you will need to sleep now.’

  Which is what he did - a deep, untroubled, dreamless sleep.

  12 Dowsing Earth Energy

  Speculation about the incident spread through lehren like wildfire the next morning. After lunch, the upper juniors were gathered in the assembly hall. Professors Niall, Cathair and Sophia, the head professor of the lehren, were sitting on the main dais, watching with stern expressions as the last few sat down on the wooden benches. Niall approached the front and raised his hand; all fidgeting stopped and the room became silent by the time his hand lowered.

  ‘Thank you for coming and apologies to the professors for interrupting their important lessons, particularly with so many preparations. It has come to our attention that a senior and a number of juniors were involved in a serious incident yesterday. You need to listen carefully to the following information.’

  Malduc appeared from the side of the dais, bowing to Niall and the juniors. He spoke in a calm, quiet voice which carried clearly to every person. ‘Dear juniors, I’m sure many of you will be aware of the rumours about the damage to one of our ancient and beloved willow trees. Several juniors did not pay the due and proper respect to the tree before breaking off branches which were used for a purpose they claimed to be related to the forthcoming Imbolc initiation rites.’

  People reacted with a general rustling; many knew this much already. Malduc waited for the noise to stop. ‘I would like to make it clear there is no need for any of you to pick any more willow branches; we have sufficient for the ceremony. Any junior found within fifty paces of the lower river or pulling branches from any willow tree will be severely punished. I ask that you all ensure you understand the basic five rules of harmony in dealing with plants and trees. If you’re not sure what these are or where to find them, you need to ask your professors or any adult.’

  He paused for an instant before delivering the final part of his message. ‘I will be repeating this announcement to the lower years and would ask each one of you to do your part by supporting each other. If you see someone breaking or about to break the rules, you must ensure they know what they are doing and what the consequences might be. Thank you for your patience, and well done to the majority of you who I know would never show anything but the greatest respect to all living things.’

  At the end of his address, Malduc left and Niall directed the fourth years back to their classes. The sixth years were the last to go, and Niall called Reagan over from his place in the line. ‘How are you after everything that happened? I understand it was a distressing experience.’

  ‘I’m fine, sir. Nothing more than a bit of stinging.’

  Niall allowed a small smile at the boy’s courage. In sports, Reagan had never made an impression as someone with a Warrior’s fortitude in the face of adversity. ‘I heard you gave a good account of yourself under extreme duress. I’m proud of you, Reagan. I’d like to think my training can account for a small part of your courage and resilience.’

  Reagan grinned. He’d always found Professor Niall extreme
ly intimidating; sporting activities were without exception his very least favourite part of lehren. ‘No, sir, I would have to disagree with you. Your training accounted for every single part of my ability to withstand the most gruesome torture. I drew on every piece of advice you have tried to force into my miserably unreceptive brain.’

  Niall’s grin widened as he suppressed a shout of laughter at the boy’s nerve. ‘I don’t remember instructing you to grow a spine, young Reagan, but it’s well met. You should go to administration now - I believe Malduc would like to talk to you. It’s a good thing you will be missing my next class, I would feel compelled to teach you a lesson for your insolence.’ He gave a shudder worthy of Molan’s best effort. ‘Talking to a Professor like that. What the younger generation is coming to, I really don’t know!’ He ambled off, shaking his head so the long, sleek hair bound at the back of his head shook like the tail of a pony.

  Reagan’s confidence surprised and delighted him – no longer the timid, deferential boy he’d been three years ago, or even one year ago. Although he could never hope to imitate Archer in any kind of physical achievement, he’d always tried to emulate his hero’s easy-going composure and scrupulous fairness in all disputes. Fascinated by Reagan’s ability to find earth spirit lines, Archer asked him to demonstrate at various locations around the village in an attempt to improve his own abilities. The older boy frequently congratulated his teaching skills, and this, along with his praise of dowsing’s importance, gave Reagan an inner strength and peace.

  Passing by the henge, Reagan felt the subtle vibrations of one of the lines of earth energy which connected many of the spiritual places to each other in a busy network. His mind latched onto echoes of an incident during the preparations for the previous year’s midsummer festival.

  ~*~

  He and Taryn had come across a group of young children with their divining wands, trying to follow the earth spirit lines at the bottom of the outer circle. None of them had much success and one little girl crouched on the floor, nearly in tears. Regan bent down and asked what the matter was.