woods and glens. Fox-friends, fish-friends, bird-friends.
‘How long have you been living here with the wise women, Silva?’ I asked.
‘Two years.’ She did not offer any information about her life before that.
‘Guid place, this,’ Whisper put in. ‘But you canna keep it up on your ain, lassie.’
‘I must. There’s nobody else.’
We fell silent for a while. Today had been a nightmare; what I had seen, smelled, touched would be forever imprinted on my mind. For Silva there had been last night as well – the screams, the smoke, the terror. She’d been as close to those women as a sister. How could I expect her, so soon afterward, to make wise decisions about the future? Besides, in a way she was right. Someone had to feed these animals. As for the ritual . . .
‘Silva, I need to explain to you why Whisper and I are here. Perhaps we can help you; perhaps you can help us.’
A nod. She sat hunched in her cloak, staring into the fire.
Information was dangerous; that was a lesson we rebels learned early. Anything we passed on could be repeated. The Enforcers would think nothing of torturing a child to extract what they wanted. So I did not talk about the rebellion, only told Silva there were other people in Alban who wanted to see change, so that folk like her could observe the old rituals without fear. I told her I had the ability to see and speak with the Good Folk. That Whisper and I had come to the east to find the White Lady so that I could spend the winter months with her, learning. And, though it felt risky, I told her about my conversation with the invisible presence in the beehive hut.
Silva listened wide-eyed. When I was done, she said, ‘Maeva said she was there. Maeva can – could – hear her voice sometimes.’
‘Did Maeva ever talk of seeing anything?’
‘Only the wee insects that fly around in that place. Like moths or grasshoppers, only brighter. Maeva said not to swat them away, because they were the Lady’s messengers.’ She fell silent for a little. ‘I thought it was only a fancy.’
‘No fancy, but simple truth,’ I said. ‘Silva, I need to be plain with you. If anyone discovers that I’m here, not only will I be in great danger, but so will a lot of other people. While Whisper and I are in this area, I’ll need to be down in the beehive hut every day. Even with Whisper keeping watch, it will be risky for you and me to keep going openly between the Beehives and this place. If I hadn’t seen you with the other women performing the ritual, I’d be suggesting Whisper takes you away to a place of safety we know.’ He could transport Silva to Shadowfell quickly, using his magic. I could not see the girl as a rebel fighter, but she could set her hand to helping Milla and Eva with the myriad tasks that went into running the base. She would be safe there. ‘I’d be saying set the animals loose to find their own food and shelter.’
‘No!’ Silva exclaimed. ‘I can’t go away! There’s the ritual –’
‘Yes. And that’s important; perhaps more important than even you realise. What she said – the Lady – was that the Beehives are the last place in the east, and perhaps in all Alban, where folk still perform the seasonal rites. If the practice comes to an end, nobody will be able to find the White Lady any longer.’
Silva made a little sound of shock and grief.
Whisper’s eyes grew still rounder. ‘You mean . . . you mean if the lassie stops doing this, the Lady will be deid ?’
The wee fire sparked in the chill evening breeze. The smell of burning flesh hung close even now; I wondered if I would ever be clean of it. ‘She implied that the last of her is in those tiny glowing beings. And she needs the ritual to keep her there. I don’t know if she would die. But I believe the parts of her would be scattered so they could never be put together again. That is almost worse than death.’
The silence stretched out. After a while, Silva buried her head in her
‘How long have you been living here with the wise women, Silva?’ I asked.
‘Two years.’ She did not offer any information about her life before that.
‘Guid place, this,’ Whisper put in. ‘But you canna keep it up on your ain, lassie.’
‘I must. There’s nobody else.’
We fell silent for a while. Today had been a nightmare; what I had seen, smelled, touched would be forever imprinted on my mind. For Silva there had been last night as well – the screams, the smoke, the terror. She’d been as close to those women as a sister. How could I expect her, so soon afterward, to make wise decisions about the future? Besides, in a way she was right. Someone had to feed these animals. As for the ritual . . .
‘Silva, I need to explain to you why Whisper and I are here. Perhaps we can help you; perhaps you can help us.’
A nod. She sat hunched in her cloak, staring into the fire.
Information was dangerous; that was a lesson we rebels learned early. Anything we passed on could be repeated. The Enforcers would think nothing of torturing a child to extract what they wanted. So I did not talk about the rebellion, only told Silva there were other people in Alban who wanted to see change, so that folk like her could observe the old rituals without fear. I told her I had the ability to see and speak with the Good Folk. That Whisper and I had come to the east to find the White Lady so that I could spend the winter months with her, learning. And, though it felt risky, I told her about my conversation with the invisible presence in the beehive hut.
Silva listened wide-eyed. When I was done, she said, ‘Maeva said she was there. Maeva can – could – hear her voice sometimes.’
‘Did Maeva ever talk of seeing anything?’
‘Only the wee insects that fly around in that place. Like moths or grasshoppers, only brighter. Maeva said not to swat them away, because they were the Lady’s messengers.’ She fell silent for a little. ‘I thought it was only a fancy.’
‘No fancy, but simple truth,’ I said. ‘Silva, I need to be plain with you. If anyone discovers that I’m here, not only will I be in great danger, but so will a lot of other people. While Whisper and I are in this area, I’ll need to be down in the beehive hut every day. Even with Whisper keeping watch, it will be risky for you and me to keep going openly between the Beehives and this place. If I hadn’t seen you with the other women performing the ritual, I’d be suggesting Whisper takes you away to a place of safety we know.’ He could transport Silva to Shadowfell quickly, using his magic. I could not see the girl as a rebel fighter, but she could set her hand to helping Milla and Eva with the myriad tasks that went into running the base. She would be safe there. ‘I’d be saying set the animals loose to find their own food and shelter.’
‘No!’ Silva exclaimed. ‘I can’t go away! There’s the ritual –’
‘Yes. And that’s important; perhaps more important than even you realise. What she said – the Lady – was that the Beehives are the last place in the east, and perhaps in all Alban, where folk still perform the seasonal rites. If the practice comes to an end, nobody will be able to find the White Lady any longer.’
Silva made a little sound of shock and grief.
Whisper’s eyes grew still rounder. ‘You mean . . . you mean if the lassie stops doing this, the Lady will be deid ?’
The wee fire sparked in the chill evening breeze. The smell of burning flesh hung close even now; I wondered if I would ever be clean of it. ‘She implied that the last of her is in those tiny glowing beings. And she needs the ritual to keep her there. I don’t know if she would die. But I believe the parts of her would be scattered so they could never be put together again. That is almost worse than death.’
The silence stretched out. After a while, Silva buried her head in her
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