The Hatchling—1995
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V—Harvest Days
"Jewel said she's bringing Dagon along. Lotus made a small cart for Jewel and Dagon to ride in so they can make the journey easily." Holly was excited. "I love Harvest Days. It's one of my favorite Sabbats."
"Hah," snorted Arnica, "they're almost all your favorites!"
"I think you're right," Holly agreed, "although this is the most fun for the gardens."
"There'll be a good gathering this year," mused Arnica, as he sat back on his heels, trowel in hand, rubbing the old bones in his elbow. "Amethyst and Crystal are coming. Even Amber's coming down from the River Mountains. She said she was going through the cartons of things from the old Crystal Emporium and found something she 'must' bring for the Harvest."
"Look, there she goes again!" Holly exclaimed, excitedly. The hatchling was playing in along the garden paths, stopping to smell a flower here, taste an herbe there. She had become quite graceful but every so often she'd dash off, friskily, her mouth full of borage blossoms.
The munchkin continued to change and the transformation was both subtle and overpowering all at once. Arnica and Holly talked about it, but many days life just slipped past, the wheel kept on turning and they lived in their new reality. The hatchling had been with them only since Eostara, her egg cracked open during the earthquake. She was no longer a unicolt, but was maturing. Holly commented that it seemed as if she had been with them always.
"Perhaps it's my age," said Arnica, "but it's as if we were placed into a different dimension after she came into our lives." Arnica enjoyed using his age as an explanation for having slippage of his memory.
"How long does it take a unicolt to mature?" asked Holly.
"I don't know," answered his older lover, "I once thought Unicorns aged like horses. I've known Andrius for years but he moves in and out of the Eldritch so easily that I was never quite able to tell. His horn was well-spiralled when first we met…Just look at that—there's borage everywhere!"
Holly laughed. The joke of the summer was their having 'borrowed' a pot of borage seedlings from Lotus and Jewel. Still sitting in the greenhouse at Midsummer, within less than a week of the longest day their garden was a profusion of borage plants. It seemed the old compost must have been rich with borage seed from years before and there were dozens of borage plants coming up in the most inopportune places. In many of their herb beds borage was growing so profusely that it was necessary to remove it to protect the herbs for which the beds were created! Borage, borage everywhere…
Harvest Eve was upon them. All the herb gardens had been readied and were mostly weeded with the soil freshly turned. Holly had brushed the unicolt thoroughly until her coat shone like the finest silk while Arnica set out the candle lanterns which hung along the paths and around the Circle. An altar had been set near the rustic cabin at the head of the path, the censer and chalice polished, the wand and athame filled with Magick.
"Hello you two" called a voice filled with music. Amethyst came first through the gate and held it open for Crystal who carried a huge basket filled with goodies. Amethyst loved to bake. "Guess what we've got?"
"Chocolate chip cookies," both Holly and Arnica answered in unison, then broke out laughing. Andrius' long-established love of chocolate chip cookies was near legend. Although they often brought nice, esoteric ritual cakes made with anise and other carefully selected herbes, there was nothing like a good, old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie!
"But that's not all," said Crystal, removing the lid of the basket. "We brought a Grain Man made from the rye we planted last Eostara. These past hot, sunny weeks helped the grain ripen and mature. We cut it after making love in the gardens at the last Full Moon."
"Crystal," said Amethyst, blushing.
"Well, they're friends and we all know that 'blessing the crops' is an important part of our work, whether we're Descendant or Renaissance peoples! But guess who's coming down the lane?"
"Hello," called out a strong voice. "Blessed Harvest." Lotus came through the gate, giving Crystal a hug and kiss.
"I brought him," Jewel said as she followed Lotus through the gate. She held baby Dagon in her arms, a bright blanket with golden threads woven through it keeping him safe.
As they gathered about the baby and exclaimed over his good looks and healthy growth, a loud voice came from the other side of the closed gate. "Come on, dear ones, move it. You're blocking the path of the Goddess."
Laughter bubbled over like the sound a flock of birds makes when stirred into action. They quickly moved into the yard freeing the space before the gate as it swung open and a tall, handsome woman came through. Her raven-coloured hair was braided tightly and she wore a loose, earth-coloured frock brightly embroidered with symbols and designs.
"Amber," Arnica said, "you made it. How happy we are to see you." And he moved to embrace her with the enthusiasm only friends kept apart can share.
"Let's get on with things," Amber said, "I have much to tell you about the Politicos but I refuse to mention a word until we've celebrated Harvest Eve."
They worked a beautiful procession. Arnica led them, his old, bamboo staff held high with its crystal glimmering almost like a star. Holly danced around his partner, aspurging the path with sacred water from his cobalt blue chalice. Phoenix and Pearl followed, playing their flutes as Amber's voice led the melodies and chants while she scattered tiny gemstones and minerals. Lotus carried the censer as Jewel carried Dagon in his first Lammas Procession. Amethyst, costumed as Mother Nature, led Crystal, who carried the Grain Man. They danced and processed until every herbe bed had been blessed. Then they moved toward the garden Circle to begin the Harvest. There, her mouth filled with the bright, cobalt blue flowers of borage tops, was the hatchling. Their laughter punctuated the evening as the unicolt tried to whinny her delight through her mouth of borage.
They all moved to their respective places about the Circle. Arnica took his harvest scythe and carried it around the perimeter. As he completed the Circle in the East, all breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The tension in the valleys was growing. Old friends were tumbled from office as, throughout the land, Conservers were voted out and the Politicos took their place. Laws were being rewritten every week and the changes created great stress. Their countryside, once considered sacred and preserved by law, was now being placed in the hands of corporate heads, Users who professed their religions but believed it their right to clear the land of all trees, dam the rivers for utilities, and fill every space with factories and houses. But thoughts of the times were now safely kept outside the Circle and they were safely within this garden temple.
As Jewel began to call upon the Creatures of Air, Dagon's little voice cooed and chortled and their hearts felt again light and joyous. After Amber drew down the Great Mother, Arnica brought forth his sacred blade and began the Lammas Walk. He headed toward the East, where grew the bright yellow mullein spears. Lovingly, he cut three of them. Holly brought forth the Lammas basket and they were laid within. In the South, stalks of crimson monarda were cut, their scent strong enough that it quickly filled the Circle. In the west, where a deep pond held fresh water, Arnica knelt on the soft soil and, reaching forward, dipped his blade into the water where he cut loose a single, blue lotus bloom. In the north he cut some ivy from a tall tree.
As remarkable as it seemed, the hatchling sat near the northeast portal, watching with wide eyes. They had never seen her so still yet so alert. The Harvest now begun, it was time to give thanks with the ancient custom. Amber brought forth the large cauldron and Phoenix filled it with fuel from a large flask. When Holly lit it, flames shot skyward. Amber took the Grain Man and told a story of ancient customs. At the end, she held the woven 'man' just above the fire until it burst into flames as she let it go. The hatchling was uncomfortable. She remained sitting upon her haunches, but her quiet whinnying indicated her distrust of fire and uncertainty over this symbolic sacrifice of the woven dolly.
And then they broke into song and rang bells and began to take turns dancing around the Circle to leap over the cauldron in the center. Now the hatchling thought things were more fun and her curiosity won out. She joined in, prancing around but staying close to Jewel. There was always some affinity between babies and animals and the hatchling appeared to be completely fascinated with the human baby, just as Dagon was with her. Her fear of the fire soon passed and then, much to everyone's surprise, there went the munchkin, leaping right over the cauldron.
"Well, my friends," said Arnica, "no matter what's going on in the world, the Mother of the Harvest has shown us that the coming months are ours! Let us break bread and celebrate!"
VI—The Harvest's Weight
"Where's the bag of dried borage flowers?"
"Over here by the comfrey root. How many bushels of apples did we count?"
"I think it was 76, no 67…Rats, I can't remember," said Arnica, "but I wrote it down someplace and the slip of paper is on my desk."
"Do you mean by the paper we wrote the measurements of our land on?"
"Yes, I think it's in that stack of records we have to take with us."
"You know," said Holly, stopping the scurrying pace which had dominated their lives increasingly every day since the Lammas Harvest had begun, "I don't like this, I don't like having to do this at all."
"Easy my sweet," said Arnica, "in principle this isn't so bad a deal. Some of the tithe will go to fix our road out in front and some will go to build a new schoolhouse."
"I know," Holly responded, a bit petulantly, "but in principle it doesn't seem fair that we are required to tithe to a government that is trying to destroy our Motherland. The Politicos have voted to begin cutting down the trees of Merrywood. I don't like it at all."
Both Arnica and Holly had been a little tense since Amber's disheartening news at Lammas. The Politicos had found it necessary to increase their available revenues in pursuit of their plans to remove vast areas of trees and replace them with commercial ventures. The Politicos saw the earth only in terms of usage. Forests were to be cut down for factories and then more woodlands cut down to build more homes. Recognizing that most of the Earthkin peoples did not use money, they devised their taxation carefully. Produce which people grew for their own use was not to be assessed, only what was grown for trade. As a result, people were to measure their harvests and take their counts in for recording. At that time they were to be prepared to pay a tithe on the portion of their harvest grown for trade.
Arnica knew that this year's crop of ginseng and echinacea was outstanding and was preparing to pay their tithe with these roots. It was more than they could carry by themselves, for their herb gardens were what supported them, and Arnica had been thinking of ways to carry the dried roots in to Merrydale. Just then, the hatchling came up behind him and demonstrated her newest trick. She was growing unusually fast in so many ways, even for a Unicorn. Stepping slowly and carefully, she could sneak up behind Arnica without him hearing her and then, ever so carefully, raise up on her hind legs and, with the tip of her horn, knock Arnica's hat forward so it would fall on his nose.
"Munchie, is that you?" Arnica laughed, and just like that he had the answer. "Holly, run to the herb closet and let me know how much male fern we have."
Holly's mind was filled with unasked questions. A tingle danced up and down his spine, a sure indication that Arnica had been touched by the Mother's inspiration. He quickly returned, breathing heavily. "The jar…is two thirds full…from last year's…harvest…looks good…"
"We can do it," shouted Arnica, jumping up in glee so surprisingly that even the hatchling was startled in a delightful turn-about.
"Steady, steady," Arnica cooed to himself as he poured a little of the liquid through a glass funnel into a beaker.
"Oh, it looks wonderful," said Holly, trying to keep his excitement under control.
"Now, get me just the tiniest measure of powdered jade."
"There isn't any powdered…should I mill some?" asked Holly.
"Yes, do, love. Now, what is it I'm missing?" Arnica went to the shelves and took down the dark green jar of black hellebore. Coming back to the work table, he opened the jar, quietly saying his magickal verse to the hellebore deva. Twice dipping his measure into the chopped herbe, he mumbled "I sure wish we had some growing here. It's better when gathered fresh but this is better than naught."
The sound of Holly pounding and grinding the small chips of jade was like background rhythm to the counterpoint of their voices. Holly was chanting the Rune in rhythm to his grinding. Arnica was thinking out loud as he worked on the magickal concoction.
"Now with the male fern," he said, "and are you done with the jade?"
"Yes, here…"
And Arnica placed all the ingredients, two gems, four herbes and a pinch of powdered gold, into their best mortar, one handed down from his great-great grandmother. Picking up the pestle, he mused "we must put our best energy into this. Help me, Holly."
And together they chanted, Arnica circling the pestle and Holly with his hands on Arnica's back and heart, moving energy into his partner. "Now, now…" said Arnica.
Holly grabbed the hot mitt and took the kettle of boiling water off the stove. He lifted the lid and Arnica poured the mix into the steaming water. Holly quickly put the lid on. "Fifteen minutes by the Mother," said Arnica, "then it gets filtered and poured into the extract."
"Will it work?" asked Holly, knowing what Arnica will say.
"Only the Mother knows, and She isn't telling."
"Oh, no, it's fading, no, I mean it's not fading…the, the horn, I can see it again and oh, I'm just so…" Holly sounded like he was about to cry, the despair in his voice betraying his confidence in the power of Magick.
"Hush," said Arnica impatiently. Holly's anxiety would only cloud his access to the Mother's lore. Arnica knew that they could render the munchkin's horn invisible long enough for her to go to town and back with them.
The magickal potion all complete and cooled, they had tested it. The hatchling was brought into the cabin, to sit in the center of their temple. Oh, and how she loved the attention! "Quiet, now, Munchkin" said Holly. Dipping his index finger into the jar, he helped Arnica rub the liquid into the hatchling's horn. Within a couple of minutes, it began to fade from view and become invisible. The problem had been that the invisibility spell only lasted about ten minutes, not nearly enough.
"If we had fresh hellebore…" Arnica sighed but then…"I've got it! Holly, can your young legs fetch about thirteen of the best fern fronds from near the north altar of our garden Circle?"
"Oh, yes," said Holly, as if he'd heard the thought emerge into Arnica's mind, "And I'll bring some bindweed to tie them."
"Bless you, that'll be perfect."
The streets were dusty and the town of Merrydale seemed a little noisier, a little more tense since they'd last been here. Many were carrying large bundles or huge baskets filled with grains, nuts or other produce. One elderly woman was struggling with her crutches as she tried to carry a cage with two roosters. And all were heading in the same direction.
"Look, there's The Crystal Emporium and it's been sold again! We'll have to remember to tell Amber when we see her."
"Ugh," said Holly, "it's been bought by the Users. The windows are filled with the Book of Doom and replicas of the cross of blood. How sad."
"Hush, my sweet," responded Arnica, "this is neither the time nor the place. Turn your mind to getting us out of here quickly."
They walked along the street, the munchkin laden with bags of herbs. The hatchling was unaccustomed to such chaos and her eyes were very wide although she easily carried her packs.
"What a pretty horse…" said a young lad, "may I pet her?"
"Yes, if you walk along with us," answered Arnica, "we're on our way to the Tithing Office as is everyone."
"Oh, let me show you a shortcut," the boy offered, his freckles shifting as his face broke into a great smile. "I can save you a lot of time!"
"Thank you, mother," Holly quietly prayed.
They paid their tithing without incident. The Politico in charge of recording the harvest's weight was too overwhelmed with the enormity of his task. A few things he muttered quietly did not escape Arnica's ears. The man was not happy with the new laws being pushed through by the Users, nor was he happy with the tree cutting. It was nice to know that not all Politico's sought to destroy the beauty of Mother Nature.
The day had passed well, despite the crowded tension in Merrydale. The hatchling's horn remained unseen throughout their journey, although Holly thought that the boy, Gino, may have sensed it. And once he said to the hatchling, "you are so beautiful, you look just like a Unicorn I've dreamt of." When Arnica learned that the boy's mother was an Earthkin of the Descendant Tribes, he told the boy he was welcome to come out and visit them at their herb farm. It was nice to make new friends.
The hatchling's horn began to emerge from the veil of invisibility as they left the last valley of the Merrywood and saw the lane leading to their cabin. "Go, munchkin!" cheered Holly as she ran on ahead, frisky and eager for the safety of their own woods. Holly and Arnica walked quickly but their legs were too tired to run.
"We're home," they both said at once. The hatchling was already laying on the grass near the garden Circle, her horn fine and bright as she tried to munch a few flowering stalks of borage, but they could see her eyes slipping closed. Their Unicorn was having difficulty staying awake. Holly and Arnica set aside the empty bags as they went into the cabin for their evening meal.
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