by Kit Berry
She cleared the trees in the woodlands and hallowed the Village Green and the dancer who moved with such quicksilver grace. She blessed all who celebrated her in hidden places, entwined and enraptured under her dazzling luminosity. She shone onto the enormous roof of the Great Barn where folk gathered together for their evening of crafts and companionship, gladdening their hearts. She brushed the eaves of the Jack in the Green where old men sat drinking tankards of Stonewylde cider and rolling dice. She climbed high in the sky above the Stone Circle, sending her silver beams around the arena to sanctify every tall stone, bathing the labyrinth of Green Magic beneath the earth with her radiant and glorious energy.
The Bright Lady peered through the stone portals of the Dolmen to dust the hare-headed shaman who sat motionless by a fire, journeying through other realms. With paws of silver the grizzled dog lay close by, twitching in moon-blessed dreams. She skimmed above the white canyons of Quarrycleave, still failing to penetrate the darkness there, and danced light-footed over the white disc of stone up at Mooncliffe. She was everywhere at Stonewylde, walking the night on tiptoes of silver, trailing a path of moonbeams and starlight, bringing a gleam to the eye and turning tears to drops of crystal.
An owl hooted long and low from the dark woods. The man climbed the Hollow Hill to the standing stone at its summit and hunkered down, his back against the tall monolith as he gazed out at the distant sea. The silver moon danced over the landscape and glinted in his eyes. He gazed up at the dusty white rainbow arched across the black velvet sky; millions upon millions of sparkling stars, bright diamonds flung on the cloak of night. What was his pin-prick of pain to such a universe?
The hares gathered further down the hill in their timeless moondance. And he felt her come to him, as she’d promised, as she always did. She was here, all around him, beneath him, above him. Once again his Moongazy Girl spread her immortal wings and danced for him, caressing his skin with her cold silver touch.
The man shut his eyes and hugged his knees and felt his heart continue, still, to beat. Up here, by the stone on the hill, no one but his beloved could touch him. Up here, as her brightness once more found his darkness, no one could hear him cry.
Acknowledgements
And now, nine years after that magical experience in a labyrinth of autumn leaves which inspired me to start writing, the Stonewylde Series is finally finished.
These books have changed my life, and nine years on, everything is as different as it could possibly be. I can never adequately thank all the people who’ve helped make this happen. You know who you are, and I hope you also know how very grateful I am to you.
But in an attempt to acknowledge the support I’ve been given, I’d like to thank:
My three sons, George, Oliver and William (oh alright then – Max, Olly and Will) for their constant love and faith, and for putting up with the original obsession that turned their lives upside down while I wrote like one possessed. You were teenagers when I started and are now three young men who fill my heart with pride. Will helped edit this final book and a publisher should snap him up – he’s brilliant. My foster daughter Kirsty came along after the initial books were drafted, and has been such a wonderful support to me ever since. I’m sure all my children will end up writing one day.
My original agent, Clare Pearson of Eddison Pearson, who was fantastic and edited the original three books so patiently and with no reward – thank you, Clare!
My agent for these five Stonewylde books, Piers Russell-Cobb of MediaFund Ltd, who has represented me so well and negotiated such a great deal with Malcolm Edwards of Gollancz (and has taken me to posh watering holes in London!).
The team at Gollancz and Orion including my talented, over-worked editor, Gillian Redfearn, the ever-efficient Charlie Panayiotou, Nina, Jen, Jo, Maggy, Jon and all the people behind the scenes who’ve helped put Stonewylde on the shelves. Also the Art Dept and Larry Rostant for creating the stunning covers. Thanks, everyone.
Rob Walster at Big Blu Design for his original artwork, and for putting together the Stonewylde logo.
All my lovely family, far and wide, and especially my step-father for originally lending me the money to self-publish the first books, and all my sisters for their support and encouragement. Extra thanks must go to Claire for her help with the Stonewylde logo and other beautiful art work, and Kim for her enthusiastic help with publicity.
My friends and ex-colleagues in Dorset who watched their school-teaching friend become a different person, but who all supported me so wonderfully from the start, and still do to this day.
The Hare Preservation Trust (www.hare-preservation-trust.co.uk or see my website) for the information used in this final book about raising orphaned leverets. This is a tiny charity who need support – it was thanks to a hare that I reconnected with nature and wrote Stonewylde.
Most heartfelt thanks go to the huge Stonewylde Community – that band of readers who’ve supported me and the books so enthusiastically. Some joined right back in the beginning, some only recently, but you’re all a great bunch of people and have enriched my life. It’s thanks to you that the Stonewylde books are finding success, and I’d never have believed readers could embrace a series of books in the way you have, and turn the whole concept into something so amazing. Thank you all for everything you do to help promote the books, and for the warmth and friendship you’ve given me and each other. You’re a very special group of people and even though Stonewylde has now finished, our community certainly hasn’t. If anyone reading this has not yet discovered the community, take a peek at www.stonewylde.net and you’ll be amazed!
And at the end, there’s Mr B, the one who’s made my life perfect and my dreams come true. None of this would have happened without your rock-solid love and support, not to mention your wizardry with all things technical. For everything – thank you!
Now Stonewylde is done, but for us, the adventure continues. Where next, Mr B?
Also by Kit Berry from Gollancz:
Magus of Stonewylde
Moondance of Stonewylde
Solstice at Stonewylde
Shadows at Stonewylde
Copyright
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Kit Berry 2012
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 2012 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 2012 by Gollancz.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 0 575 09896 1
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
www.orionbooks.co.uk
Table of Contents
Dedication
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Acknowledgements
Also by Kit Berry
Copyright
