The Golden Acorn

by Catherine Cooper

‘A golden acorn.’

  ‘I knew it!’ Nora said as she took Jack’s other hand and shook it vigorously. ‘I knew you were The One.’

  ‘Er…. I don’t understand.’

  ‘There’s a prophecy, which was given to us. It tells of a mortal boy who can see the Druid’s Acorn,’ explained Nora.

  ‘That’s you Jack,’ continued Elan. ‘No other mortal can see it’s made of gold.’

  ‘You’re The One. I knew I was right. You’ve been chosen,’ continued Nora.

  ‘Chosen to do what?’

  ‘Help me,’ said a voice from the doorway that Jack thought he recognised.

  As he turned around his mouth dropped open. There in the doorway was the raven from the Cricket Club. He looked at Nora, then Elan. Could they see and hear the talking bird too?

  ‘Is it real?’ he asked nervously.

  ‘Of course I’m real,’ the bird croaked.

  ‘I believe you two have already met,’ said Nora.

  The raven gave a rather loud caw as it made its way across the stone floor. There was a lot of wing flapping as it passed Jack but his head never moved and he watched Jack with a jet black eye.

  ‘Let me introduce you to Camelin.’

  ‘Don’t see the point of introductions,’ muttered Camelin. ‘He’s not going to stick around long enough to help. Look at his legs. They’re trembling!’

  ‘Camelin, that’s enough,’ Nora chided. ‘I’m sorry Jack. Camelin forgets himself sometimes and can sound quite rude. He’s not used to visitors but I’m certain you two are going to get along just fine.’

  A grumpy sound came from Camelin’s direction and Jack tried a smile but without any conviction.

  ‘Nora sent Camelin to put the acorn where we hoped you’d see it,’ explained Elan. ‘You passed the test when you picked it up.’

  Jack frowned and looked directly at Camelin. ‘I bet Nora doesn’t know the acorn was bounced off my head,’ he thought to himself. He suspected the talking bird had done it deliberately.

  ‘We can talk when we get back from Glasruhen, when Jack’s been introduced to Arrana.’

  ‘If you think I’m rude wait till you meet her,’ Camelin grumbled.

  ‘Oh!’ exclaimed Jack, looking worried, ‘who is she?’

  Nora gave Camelin a reproachful look then turned to Jack.

  ‘Arrana is a Hamadryad. She lives in the oldest oak tree at the heart of Glasruhen forest. She’s very old now and doesn’t always appreciate being disturbed by visitors, especially not ravens with sharp claws, but I’m sure she’s going to like a polite boy like you Jack.’

  Camelin began muttering to himself again.

  Jack stared at Nora in disbelief. His mum used to tell him stories about nymphs and dryads, but they were only myths, not real life. He wished he could go back to Grandad’s but he wasn’t going to be able to excuse himself, not so soon after arriving. He wasn’t sure he ought to go into the forest. Grandad said it was all right for him to visit Nora and Elan but he didn’t know anything about the talking raven. He should have told Grandad. If he had, he wouldn’t be in this mess.

  ‘Shall we go?’ Nora asked, and without waiting for anyone to reply she strode off towards the bottom of the garden. Jack walked with Elan a few steps behind.

  ‘Some of us don’t need to walk through bushes,’ croaked Camelin loudly. He flapped his wings noisily before taking off towards the forest.

  ‘Just ignore him,’ said Elan. ‘He’s always grumpy.’

  When they reached the hedge Jack wondered how they were going to get through. There was no sign of a gate or gap in the thick prickly Blackthorn. Nora stood very still. She brought her hands together then raised them in a circular motion. There was a faint rustling, then a louder scrunching kind of noise. To Jack’s amazement the hedge parted, creating a dense tunnel as far as the eye could see. Jack’s knees began to wobble; his heart pounded wildly in his chest. He felt very sick. He could hear the raven above the trees; he knew it was laughing at him.

  ‘It’s OK,’ whispered Elan as she gave Jack’s hand a squeeze.

  It was anything but OK, only Jack couldn’t find his voice to protest. He obediently followed Nora onto the path. He heard the rustling and scrunching as the gap in the hedge sealed again behind them. He was trapped in the tunnel and had no other choice but to follow Nora into the depths of Glasruhen.

  GLASRUHEN FOREST

  The tunnel felt airless and gloomy. No one spoke as they made their way along the path. Even though there wasn’t any breeze each tree they passed swayed and rustled its leaves. The next tree did the same, then the next.

  ‘They’re sending a message to Arrana,’ explained Elan. ‘She’ll know we’re on our way soon.’

  Jack watched the message being passed from tree to tree. It quickly disappeared deep into the forest. Once it was gone the trees became still.

  ‘Can they hear what we say?’ whispered Jack.

  ‘Oh yes, trees see and hear everything, which is why Nora is so well informed. Poor Camelin can’t do anything without her knowing.’

  Jack wanted to ask Elan if Nora was a witch but didn’t want to appear rude. He hadn’t realised she could speak to trees as well as birds.

  ‘Nora’s a Seanchai,’ explained Elan, lowering her voice.

  Jack had never heard of a Shawna-key before. He plucked up courage to ask Elan the question that had been bothering him.

  ‘Is that a kind of a witch?’

  ‘Oh no!’ she laughed. ‘Nora’s a Druid. She’s the guardian of the sacred grove, the keeper of secrets, and she knows the history of every tree in the forest. It’s too complicated to try and explain everything now. Wait until you’ve spoken to Arrana.’

  Jack was relieved Nora wasn’t a witch, but was being a Druid any better? Elan didn’t seem to mind. He began to worry again. He hadn’t realised he was expected to speak to Arrana. What would he say? How could he even be contemplating talking to a tree? It was ridiculous but then, until today, he’d never met a talking raven before either. He must be having a bad dream. He’d wake up soon and find himself in bed at Grandad’s.

  ‘Not far to go now,’ announced Nora.

  For the last ten minutes they’d been walking uphill and the end of the tunnel was in sight. It stopped abruptly at the edge of a dense forest of massive oak trees. Their branches were laden with leaves; their trunks gnarled and twisted. Jack felt as though he was being watched by hundreds of eyes. Trees appeared to be swaying of their own accord and he thought he could see faces peering down at him through the leaves. He could definitely hear whispering. It grew louder as they began to snake their way through the gaps in the trees.

  Nora came to a sudden halt and everything went quiet. Jack looked ahead. There in the centre of a circular clearing was the largest oak tree he had ever seen. Its canopy spread out to touch each of the other trees that surrounded it. The tree was magnificent. As they walked underneath the branches and moved closer towards the base of the trunk, Jack felt more curious than afraid. He had an overpowering urge to put his hands on the rough bark but before they got any closer Nora stopped again. She raised her head and began speaking in a loud voice.

  ‘Arrana The Wise, Protector and Most Sacred of All, we have come to speak with you.’

  ‘When you address a Hamadryad you have to use their full name or they don’t realise you’re talking to them,’ explained Elan in a soft whisper. ‘Nora has to shout; Arrana’s so old now she spends a lot of her time sleeping.’

  ‘I’ve never heard a name as long as that before,’ replied Jack.

  ‘Names are very important and powerful things, you can learn a lot from them. Arrana was given hers in Annwn before she came to Glasruhen.’

  ‘An-noon. Where’s that?’

  ‘It’s sometimes known as the Otherworld.’

  Jack shook his head. He’d not heard of this place either.

  ‘Annwn is a land in another world, a place of peace and happiness, where it’s always su
mmer. There used to be portals on Earth, secret gateways which could only be opened in certain ways at special times of the year. Only Druids had the knowledge and skill needed to perform the rituals that opened the gates. They each possessed a golden acorn. Without it they couldn’t pass between the two worlds. The one in your pocket is very special: it’s the only one left.’

  All the time Elan had been whispering Nora had waited patiently before the great oak. Nothing happened and Jack began to wonder if they were playing a joke on him after all. He put his hand in his pocket and felt the warm heavy acorn. What was he supposed to do with it? If all this was real how could he possibly be The One? He wasn’t special; he had no powers.

  There was a sudden movement. A gasp seemed to echo around the forest. Jack watched in fascination as the trunk of the massive oak began to waver and shimmer. It was a small movement at first but gathered momentum quickly until the whole tree was in motion and eventually became a blur. When it stopped the gnarled trunk of the oak had transformed itself into the most beautiful woman Jack had ever seen. She was also the tallest. He had to tilt his head right back to see her face. Her copper coloured hair flowed down in beautifully groomed tresses. Her skin was nut brown and smooth. He knew he should be frightened, it wasn’t every day you came across a woman as tall as this, but instead he was fascinated. Jack wasn’t sure what he’d expected Arrana to look like. Maybe small and wrinkled, especially since he’d been told she was very old. Camelin described her as bad tempered but she looked kind and gentle. This wasn’t a trick, it was really happening. How was he supposed to speak to her, he couldn’t even remember all her names, and what should he say? He realised he was staring and managed to close his mouth but his feet were rooted to the spot.He wasn’t able to break free from the Hamadryad’s gaze.

  ‘I’ve been expecting you,’ began Arrana.

  She spoke slowly in a deep, striking voice that sounded more like singing than speaking.

  ‘Step forward Jack Brenin and show me the sign.’

  Jack’s rigid body went limp and he suddenly felt afraid. Nora hadn’t prepared him for this. What should he do? He looked at Elan, then Nora, but they both nodded their heads encouragingly and smiled. He took a couple of hesitant steps towards the gigantic Hamadryad and felt compelled to bow. As he stood up he held the golden acorn out on the palm of his trembling hand. He raised it as high as he could so Arrana could see it.

  A long willowy arm reached forward but Arrana didn’t take the acorn. Instead she gently placed a slender finger in the centre of Jack’s forehead. He immediately felt her presence. He knew she could read his thoughts and sense how he was feeling.

  Arrana gasped.

  ‘It’s true! This is the mortal boy the prophecy speaks of. There’s hope for us all now.’

  Jack wasn’t sure if she’d spoken aloud or not. He should have protested. He wasn’t who they thought he was; they’d got the wrong person. He didn’t want to believe what he could see and hear but Arrana’s touch had taken away any fear or doubt he’d ever felt.

  ‘If you speak with your heart I can hear you Jack,’ Arrana’s voice told him. ‘Don’t be afraid.’

  ‘I’m not,’ replied Jack truthfully, although no words left his mouth.

  ‘We need your help,’ Arrana continued. ‘You are our last hope.’

  ‘I’m not The One. I just found an acorn in the grass.’

  ‘If you hadn’t picked it up we wouldn’t be speaking now. The other signs cannot be wrong. You were born at sunset on the first day of the New Year in the shadow of Glasruhen Hill.’

  Jack felt a sudden relief. His birthday was in October not January.

  ‘Our new year begins at Samhain,’ Arrana’s voice continued, ‘as the sun sets on the last day in October.In other words the day of your birth.’

  Jack couldn’t speak. He was trembling again.

  ‘We need your help. The time for my eternal sleep approaches. Unlike other nymphs I’m not immortal. I need another to take my place before it is too late and I fade away into nothingness. Without a Hamadryad’s protection this forest will not survive. The dryads will disperse and leave behind them hollow trees. Glasruhen is the only refuge left on Earth where the old ways exist. We are eternally grateful to Eleanor, Keeper of Secrets, Custodian of the Book of Shadows, Guardian of the Sacred Grove and friend to us all.’

  From behind the trees Dryads stepped into the clearing, their anxious faces watching Jack expectantly. He could feel the sorrow in Arrana’s heart and see the looks of sadness in every pair of eyes.

  ‘How can I help? I’m just an ordinary boy.’

  ‘Journey through the window in time with Camelin into the past and find what was lost. Eleanor needs it so she can re-open the portal and return to Annwn. Only the Mother Oak there bears the Hamadryad acorns she must collect.’

  ‘It’s impossible to go back in time.’

  ‘There is a way. Eleanor has the knowledge and power, but without your help she too will soon die. Each year a Druid must drink a potion brewed from the leaves of the Crochan tree which grows only in Annwn. All Eleanor’s leaves are gone. She must return. Her cauldron has to be re-made before the ritual can be performed. We only have until Samhain. Time is running out for us all. If the portal remains sealed we are all doomed.’

  Jack looked at Nora. She smiled and nodded again. Could she hear what Arrana said? He didn’t think so.

  ‘You won’t be alone Jack. Eleanor and Elan will guide you and Camelin will teach you all you need to know. You are the Brenin we’ve been waiting for. What other proof do you need? You have the Druid’s token. How many other mortals do you suppose can see or hear the spirits of the trees?’

  Jack didn’t answer. He knew if he told anyone what he’d seen or heard in the last few hours no one would believe him.

  ‘Before you decide, you ought to know that there may be danger. You’ll need courage and strength…’

  ‘There isn’t much of that around here,’ Camelin muttered as he swooped down and landed by Nora’s feet.

  Jack felt his face redden. He was angry with the talking bird. How long had he been listening? It was obvious he could hear Arrana. A sudden determination filled Jack’s heart. He might not be very big and he certainly wasn’t very strong but there were other things he could do. He always kept his promises and tried to do his best; they had to count for something.

  ‘I’ll help you,’ said Jack loudly so everyone would hear his decision.

  Camelin choked back a caw, Nora and Elan hugged each other and Arrana smiled. The forest filled with song, the most beautiful music Jack had ever heard. He wished he could join in. Singing was something he did well, something he doubted Camelin could do at all.

  Arrana addressed everyone when the singing stopped.

  ‘This is our only chance to succeed. Everyone must help.’

  She bent over and presented Jack with a gnarled twig. It wasn’t very long or impressive but he accepted it with a bow.

  ‘This will help you. Use it wisely Jack Brenin. Carry it always and a part of Annwn will be with you. Keep it close.’

  ‘Thank you,’ he said solemnly.

  ‘We will meet again,’ Arrana said sleepily inside Jack’s head before she began to shimmer and fade back into the trunk of the oak.

  The whispering began again; one by one the Dryads disappeared back into the trees.

  Camelin hopped around Nora’s feet and cawed loudly.

  ‘Why should he get a lath? Only the Druid’s acolyte gets a lath.’

  ‘I don’t understand,’ replied Jack. ‘It’s only a twig.’

  ‘Only a twig! Only a twig!’ spluttered Camelin. ‘Just you wait till you see what that twig can do.’

  ‘Camelin,’ snapped Nora, ‘you heard Arrana. She said everyone must help Jack and that includes you.’

  Camelin turned abruptly and waddled off before he could be chided again. Jack could still hear him muttering to himself as he flew away.

  ‘I’m sor
ry Camelin is so rude,’ said Elan. ‘He feels responsible for a lot of our problems and helpless to do anything about them.’

  ‘Once he starts to teach you to fly he’ll feel important and won’t be so grumpy,’ explained Nora.

  ‘Fly!’ exclaimed Jack.

  ‘All in good time,’ said Nora. ‘I think we should be making our way back now for tea; it’s been quite an afternoon.’

  Jack felt light-headed after his experience with Arrana. Nora had started talking in riddles again. Why did he need to fly? Camelin would never be able to teach him. He was terrified of heights. Even if Nora wasn’t a witch, if she thought he was going to sit on a broomstick she was mistaken. He would have to ask her later what she’d meant. Right now he needed to know more about the lath. It was obviously very special. His head filled up with questions.

  ‘What’s a lath?’ he asked Elan as they walked back through the forest.

  ‘Lath means wand, but once you’ve empowered it with your symbol it will become a hudlath, a magic wand. That’s why Camelin is so upset. A mortal can only be given a lath by a dryad. Your wand is very special. It’s from the Hamadryad Oak and contains all the magic of Annwn.’

  Jack’s mouth was open again, only this time he didn’t close it. He was too busy trying to think about the ordinary looking twig in his hand. It was only when they came to a clearing and he felt the sunshine on his back that he realised they’d taken a different route. They entered a large meadow full of knee-length grass and tall buttercups. It looked like a golden carpet in the sunlight. Nora stopped in front of an open well. A crystal clear stream ran down from the hillside and trickled into it. Pieces of rock, covered in moss and strange carvings, surrounded the well. The clearing was almost circular and looked as if some ancient building had once stood there. Nora knelt down and put her lips to the water. At first Jack thought she was drinking but then he realised she was speaking.

  A multitude of bubbles broke the surface and a mass of long dishevelled green hair, entwined with waterweed, old twigs and some dead leaves, rose from the water. Underneath the tangle was a pale green face with strange slanting eyes. The creature shook its head and sent a spray of water everywhere. Jack could see its ears were pointed and it had unusually long arms. The foaming water clung to its body like a gown. When Nora said he might see some strange things in the forest she’d not been wrong. This was the strangest creature Jack had ever seen.