by Jacky Gray
His mentor noticed the gesture. ‘I’m sorry, I have been working you too hard. Malduc will want a complete report of this site, but right now he will be far too busy with the last minute arrangements for Beltane. I think we could both do with the weekend to recover.’
‘Nothing to do with your being in Marlburgh visiting a certain blacksmith?’
‘What a good idea; I might just do that.’
His morning duties completed, Reagan planned to spend the sunny Saturnday afternoon lazing in the dappled shade of his favourite willow. Moments after his arrival, Amiera and Rowena appeared with a request for help in their Beltane preparations.
‘Please Reagan, if you could help us with some ideas to improve our Worthy speeches, it would be such a help.’
‘Or even just watch and make some suggestions. We need a boy’s point of view.’
Reagan smiled a weary smile at the girls’ fervour. They were willing to use every feminine wile to secure his assistance as they each linked an arm and fluttered their eyelashes at him in perfect harmony. Although they were not as experienced as the innkeeper’s daughter, he enjoyed their attention much more; it felt more acceptable.
‘Alright, I give in. Show me what you’ve done so far and see if I can guess who you are.’
Rowena went first, following latest trend of portraying characters in active physical roles. She began by miming sword fighting and hunting in the woods. Reagan and Amiera were her audience and she turned to them with a wistful smile. ‘I had a wonderful childhood. My brothers and I were always in trouble for something or other and I never felt any different to them.’
She threw the pretend bow on the floor. ‘But as soon as I reached my majority, my father was plagued with offers for my hand in marriage from some of the richest men and bravest warriors in the land. Imagine all those fine men wanting to marry me. My brothers,’ she pointed to imaginary siblings, pretending to take a looking glass from one of them and examine herself as she spoke, ‘couldn’t see for the life of them what the fuss was all about. And to be honest, neither could I.’
Reagan and Amiera laughed as she mimed throwing the mirror down and jumping in horror as it shattered.
‘Whoops. That’s seven years’ bad luck for me then. Actually, it was a few more than seven years of peaceful marriage to Menelaus before that big-headed Paris came along saying I was his destiny. Said there was no point fighting it, I had been promised to him by Aphrodite of all people. Or should I say of all deities. Well, you can’t exactly argue with the will of the Gods, can you? And he was absolutely gorgeous: young, fit and very strong.’ She sighed.
‘Such a pity so many people had to die in the Trojan wars, just because of my pretty face. Enough to launch a thousand ships? It might even have been more than that.’ Shaking her head, she looked down until another thought struck her. ‘Also, a really clever bit about a wooden horse full of soldiers.’ She cupped her ear to listen for a sound. ‘What’s that? Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. And don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Sound advice.’ She ran off to the edge of the tree as the others clapped loudly.
Amiera hugged her friend. ‘That was fantastic, you’ve worked really hard to find out so much about her. Well done.’
‘I have to disagree. Not merely fantastic, it was truly brilliant. How you think it can be improved I don’t know. I must confess, I never had much sympathy for Helen of Troy before, but you made her seem really …’ Reagan floundered, lost for words, but Amiera found one.
‘Worthy.’ They all laughed, but then her face fell. ‘I don’t know if I can compete with that, mine’s nothing like as funny.’
‘That’s nonsense. I’m sure yours is just as good.’
Amiera pulled a sceptical face at Rowena’s generosity and knelt down in the centre of the area they were using as the stage. After a moment’s quiet, she crossed herself as she prayed, ‘Dear Lord, please watch over papa tonight as he defends us against the raiders. I pray mama will not worry so much about him.’
Lying down, she mimed being woken from her sleep and fleeing from her house to help put out the fire in the village. Then once more she dropped to her knees. ‘Dear Lord, I pray the people who lost their homes in the fire will find somewhere to sleep tonight. I pray the English heathens will leave France in peace.’
Jumping up in shock, she mimed listening to the voice of God. Bowing deeply, she whispered, ‘Me, Lord? You want me to lead the French army to victory? But I am a girl, and only sixteen; they will not listen to me.’
Her low curtsey to Charles the seventh looked awkward as she predicted a remarkable military reversal near Orleans. ‘Who told me about this, my Lord? Why it was Almighty God. It is part of his plan to free France from tyranny. With your permission I would ride with the army wearing the armour of a white knight. Thank you.’
She walked to the front of the stage area. ‘Of course it wasn’t easy trying to convince anyone to believe in me, even after I cut off all my hair. The Duke locked the gates of Orleans; they called it the siege to end all sieges. But with only one captain and a few soldiers, we captured the fortress of St Augustine’s. I’m told it heralded the turning point – my memories are hazy because of the drugs they gave me for the pain after one of those damned English longbow arrows struck my neck. But I do remember leading the final charge – the siege was over a week after that.’
She walked away then came back. ‘It would be nice to say it all had a happy ending. It did for Charles. He was crowned King; but for me it meant capture, an unfair trial and being burnt at the stake. Not bad for a nineteen-year-old French girl who couldn’t even read or write.’
Reagan and Rowena were quiet for a heartbeat, then they both started clapping together. ‘That was so moving. I don’t know her, but she sounds incredible.’
‘That’s because you’ve been away for a while. Her name’s Joan of Arc, they call her the maid of Orleans. Archer brought some new books and Professor Jadon’s been teaching us from them.’
‘Yet again, I can’t think of anything you could do to improve it. You made her seem brave and humble, but did she really speak to God?’
‘Apparently that’s what happened to her. I wasn’t sure whether to do that bit or not. It might put people off if they think her a bit strange.’
‘No, you must leave it in if that’s what she did.’
‘So you don’t have any suggestions to improve either of them, then?’
‘Maybe a few little things.’ They went through each performance, tweaking a few words here and there to tighten it up and adding some movement and gestures to emphasize the action described by the dialogue.
Rowena finally declared she’d had enough and needed a break. Amiera brought out a hide bag which opened out into a blanket and they spread it next to the willow. Reagan fetched the juice they’d left cooling in the river and they feasted on lemon and ginger cake with dried fruits soaked in honey and spices. Amiera had collected some red berries which complemented the sweetness with a fresh tart flavour.
The girls sat chattering about who they thought would be pairing off with whom at the Beltane feast and Reagan lay down, letting the sun and the food lull him into a doze. After several wild visions involving shapes and numbers, he dreamed about Beltane. Taryn was crowned King of the May, with Rowena as his Queen. But she was only the reserve, how could that happen? His mind however, did not want to dwell on that question as the couple were surrounded by five other Worthies who all linked hands and danced around them singing the children’s rhyme, “Ring-a-ring-a-roses, a pocket full of posies.” But when it got to the line about them all falling down, every person on the stage fell down. When they didn’t get up, Professor Sophia investigated. She recoiled in horror: they were all covered in the dark buboes of the Black Death. As people started screaming, the scene changed to the Beltane bonfire where three couples were lined up to jump over it, a tradition meaning they were going out together. But each couple jumped into the flames instead of over them. As
he got closer, he saw the last couple was himself and Amiera.
27 Jumping the Fire
‘Reagan, wake up.’
‘You’re having a bad dream.’
The voices got louder as he gradually roused from the deep sleep which had captivated him. Opening his eyes, he saw the two girls looking at him with expressions of alarm. Blinking, he tried to rise, but his head was gripped by an iron band of pain.
‘Don’t try to get up, just lie back a while. Rowena, would you take this to the river and wet it please?’ Amiera handed her the linen sack they’d used to keep the juice cool, it had completely dried in the sun. She positioned herself so her body shaded Reagan’s head from the sun, even though much of the heat had left it now. ‘That sounded like a nightmare. Screaming and burning.’
‘Did I talk in my sleep?’
‘Not at the start, but I could hear your dream inside my head. It was pretty horrible.’
‘Oh dear, could you both hear it?’
‘I don’t think so. At least Rowena didn’t say anything if she did. But at the end you started shouting things out loud. I don’t think she knew what you were actually saying, she just looked over when you started mumbling.’
‘What did I say?’
‘Mainly numbers. You kept repeating five, six, then five, six, seven. Then just before waking, you said, “Pentagon or hexagon, which is it?” Or something similar.’
‘How strange.’ He struggled onto an elbow and she helped him into a sitting position. ‘Did you talk to her about it?’
‘No. I got a curious sense it was very secret, which is why I asked her to go and dampen the cloth.’
‘Well, it is. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, but this is council business and I’ve been sworn to secrecy until we know more. You mustn’t say anything to anyone.’
‘But I need to know.’
‘Trust me. You don’t.’
‘I do, Reagan. I saw the last image. With you and me waiting to jump the bonfire.’
‘Did I hear that correctly? You two are courting? When did all that happen and why don’t I know about it?’
They were so absorbed in their conversation; neither of them had heard Rowena’s approach. Amiera blushed.
Reagan couldn’t jeopardise the girls with more discussion of his dream so he took an even bigger risk, catching Amiera’s hand. ‘Because it’s a big secret. Her father thinks she’s too young, but we have felt a connection for some time. You mustn’t say anything to anyone.’
Rowena clapped her hands in delight. ‘This is so exciting. And I’m the first person who knows?’
‘You are the only person who knows about it. And it must stay that way.’ His eyes beseeched Amiera not to expose his deception, but her eyes widened and it appeared her shock might be caused by concern about their supposed tryst.
‘Oh you can trust me with a secret. No-one knows about me and Taryn, we’ve been meeting for …oh.’ She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. ‘That wasn’t very discreet was it? Now you’ll never trust me.’
Concerned about Amiera’s withdrawal into herself, Reagan forced a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure no-one’s talking about me. You’re all too busy with the Beltane preparations and I’m not around.’
‘Right.’ Rowena looked at her friend and visibly put two and two together. Seeking a distraction, she pointed at the sun getting low in the sky. ‘I said I’d help my sister with her garland before dinner, so I’d better go. I’ll see you soon.’ She ran off, leaving Reagan to try and resolve the mess.
Amiera’s eyes travelled down as though she only just realised he was still holding her hand.
Before she could think about pulling away, Reagan took her other hand, compelling her to meet his gaze. ‘Would it be such a bad thing? For us to be courting, I mean.’
When she didn’t answer immediately, he dropped her hands, feeling the blood warm his cheeks. ‘Of course, you must have plenty of boys asking. It was silly of me to even think … I simply got carried away.’
All signs of shock gone, she brought his hands up to her lips, kissing each in turn. ‘If you could see inside my mind you’d know I’ve been waiting for you to ask me for two years. Ever since that day in the librarie when Edlyn bullied Rowena.’
Reagan’s brain jolted into babble mode as he tried to process this. ‘I was scared of him; he’s mean and cruel.’
‘I know.’ Amiera stood and he helped her to fold the blanket back into the hide bag as she explained. ‘It’s what made me notice you. The fact you were so frightened and still stood up to him. That took a lot of courage. And you outsmarted him. Rowena managed to get all the way home before he did. He stayed angry for days afterwards because he couldn’t get back at you when you walked home with the librarian.’
As they packed away the remains of the picnic, Reagan stopped listening to her list of his virtues and the times he’d impressed her. He couldn’t believe he would ever stand a chance with someone as beautiful as her. Her beauty wasn’t just on the outside, but in the way she thought and acted, too.
‘It’s sweet of you to say so.’ Somehow, she’d heard his thoughts. As she stood on the tips of her toes, he felt her cool lips touching his fiery cheek.
Amiera giggled. ‘I’ve never seen a boy blush quite as much as you Reagan; it’s so appealing.’ She let go of his hands and overbalanced slightly, grabbing his arms to steady herself.
Her closeness meant he could smell the scent of her skin, clean and warm with a hint of lemon. Before he realised what he was doing, he was kissing her lips.
28 Five or Six?
The next morning saw a big stir in the village. A new crop pattern had appeared overnight in a field next to the river. Reagan became caught up in the excitement as the news went round that it could be seen from the top of Silburgh hill. Reaching his willow, he realised the pattern had appeared exactly where he lay yesterday. He could see the marshals trying to keep everyone away until it had been properly inspected and recorded. Looking down from the top of the famous chalky mound it seemed the question in his dream had been answered.
It wasn’t a pentagon, which would have been unmistakable, but five equal circles arranged in Celtic cross. Thin lines joined opposite circles, and an extremely thin line connected the centres of the four outer circles. Five. He was right and Malduc was wrong.
POSSIBLY. The word shouted in his mind and Reagan’s eyes were drawn to the centre circle where a solitary figure stood, looking directly at him. Malduc. Come down here, Reagan. The marshal will let you through. This thought was not shouted, but Reagan’s heart jumped and he ran down the hill, the crowds parting to let him race past.
Approaching the pattern, he felt vibrations similar to the spirit lines, but distinctly different. Whereas the spirit lines spoke to him of an aged, calm life force, these were buzzing with the energy and restlessness of a small child. When he entered the first circle, the grand, sweeping layer of corn stalks which curved round the circle in perfect unison, sang a song of peace and unity. He stood on the edge of the flattened circle, reluctant to walk across for fear of damaging the delicate stalks.
COME. The voice commanded and his feet obeyed, walking on them as lightly as he could. Spotting a small hole at the centre of the first circle, he somehow knew to sit cross-legged above it. Closing his eyes, he let his mind and body fill with the vitality of the corn. When he rose to continue, his feet no longer crunched down on the corn stalks; as though the weight of his body had disappeared. He knew without counting that the number of stalks flattened to create the ring connecting the circles was five, but he checked anyway. The radius of the circle measured five paces and the thin channel to the middle circle was barely wide enough for one of his feet, about five inches. The channels were exactly five paces long and a further five paces led to the centre of the middle circle where Malduc stood, his eyes closed and a stern look on his face.
‘What was the question you asked?’
‘Five or si
x.’
‘Now you’ve measured it, you will have your answer.’
Reagan could not bear this any longer. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but have I done something to make you angry with me?’
The powerful elder did not open his eyes or acknowledge the question. After several minutes with no answer, a sense of dismissal came over Reagan, and he was about to move when a hand shot out and stilled him with its steely grip. ‘Do not question my motives Reagan, there is far more danger than you could ever guess. I am merely trying to protect you. You and Kalen will look for the fifth point starting tomorrow, but be warned, there will be many false clues. You must take care and double check everything.’
As the grip on his arm released, Reagan found himself at the edge of the pattern.
‘Are you ready? Is that all you’re taking?’ Kalen looked at the small linen bag in disbelief.
‘I thought we were only stopping one night. I have some bread, cheese and juice. What more do I need?’
‘Clothes. What happens if you fall into a stream?’
‘I’ll get wet. Then I’ll dry off.’
Moments later, they were making their way out of the village, heading toward Windmill Hill. A short distance out, Kalen deemed they were sufficiently far away from the village he could talk. After Reagan’s veiled suggestion Malduc might be suffering because of the recent pressures, Kalen explained he’d asked Ganieda to keep an eye on him. Then he asked Reagan for more detail about the council leader’s behaviour inside the crop pattern, probing for information.
At the halfway point between Aveburgh and Windmill Hill, they stopped and dowsed for the spirit line. Reagan found it first, closing his eyes. ‘It’s very delicate, definitely female. I’d like to walk up to the hill, just to get the sense of her. This will make it easier later on. You could take Philly and ride on ahead to the top if you like. I’ll meet you up there.’
