The Hatchling—1998
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XXV—The Note In The Candle
Holly sat upright in bed. It was the very middle of the night and something was very wrong. He blinked his eyes, adjusting to the dim night light. Arnica was not in bed and Dark Star was not sleeping upon her rug. Holly climbed out of the warm bed and padded barefoot across the wood floor. As he stepped into his woolen slippers he took down his robe from the peg, quickly wrapped himself in its warmth, and headed out into the cabin.
There sat Arnica in his chair before the fire. Holly's companion was holding his large, crystal orb in his hands and he and Dark Star were gazing intently into its depths. Without even moving his eyes from the quartz Arnica spoke, "Something is not right…can't quite tell…" Holly walked over to the fire and quietly stood there, quickly shifting his mental processes so as to assist Arnica.
"Hello," a quiet voice heralded Lupine's walking softly into the front room.
"I just came out to find Arnica sitting here scrying," Holly said. "Why are you up?"
"I was wakened by a strange dream." There was an odd tone in the younger man's voice. "It left me feeling oddly frightened." Holly was about to ask a question but Lupine sensed it. "No, I can't recall how many years have passed since I had a bad dream."
Dark Star whinnied softly. The Hatchling saw something, of that they were certain.
"Water…water…" Arnica's quiet voice gave only the slightest hint of what he was experiencing. Stroking his greying beard, Arnica sat up, set the orb down and said, "we'll know before lunch."
"Brother, tell me of your dream." Holly's arm went around the dark-haired Lupine and they both sat next to Dark Star on the hearth rug. Lupine's fingers casually braided the hatchling's mane and the unicolt, looking up at Holly, swabbed his face with her wet tongue. The tension in the room was dispelled and Lupine felt ready to speak freely. Arnica sat quietly, listening intently.
"There was a body floating face down in a large pool of water. Some type of wheel was turning and water was splashing about. I don't know what took place before then. These images were so shocking that I awoke, trembling, and all the earlier memories from the dream were gone in an instant." Lupine turned to Arnica. "What did you mean by water?"
Arnica rose from his chair, stretching slightly. His back was no longer young. "I don't know exactly what has happened but Lupine, your dream is speaking of events either taking place or already passed."
Dark Star, now standing on all fours, was maturing yet still had to look up into their faces. She looked anxious. Her horn began nudging at Holly. "What is it, my hatchling?" crooned Holly.
"I think she wants to speak to you through the orb. Dark Star may have seen more than I, for certainly she is closer to the astral than any of us. Here, sit in my chair." Arnica stood aside. Holly began to protest, wanting to care for his partner's back, but Arnica insisted and Holly sat, holding the ball of crystal so that he and the hatchling could both gaze into its depths.
Holly's voice began quietly, speaking from a near-trance as he 'heard' Dark Star speaking to him through the orb. "It's Gino. No, not Gino…maybe his father? Dark Star, is Gino's father in danger? Not seriously…but he must come back to Merrydale soon.…That's it, that's all she can tell us."
They talked for some minutes, but it was growing late. Arnica and Holly went to their bedroom but Lupine decided to roll up with his blankets and pillow and sleep next to Dark Star. Soon the cabin was once again quiet.
The news came the next morning. None of the men were surprised, but it answered their questions. They sat around the kitchen table listening to Pearl. Her dark hair combed back, her fine, Pictish features were striking in the morning light.
"They found Kalven this morning, dead, floating in the mill pond. It's been ruled an accident, but Carlos is unsure. I spoke to Carlos when he called to reassure Gino that everything was fine. Gino had a nightmare last night about his father. It was so disturbing to him that he called me very early and asked me to come over." Pearl chuckled, the sound a welcome music in the midst of this dire news. She looked at Holly and smiled. "Gino's mother was quite taken aback when I showed up at their home at six this morning. She was still in her robe, making her morning coffee. Gino hadn't said anything to his mother, not wanting to worry her and still uncertain whether his dream was to be taken seriously or not. I was there when Carlos called. He asked to talk with me so I could let you know this news."
"What did he say?" Holly's voice was anxious.
"Kalven was at the Cathedral of Thorns, ostensibly working on choir music. Once he found the papers linking that 'Society for the Forest' and sent us photocopies, he was unable to simply let it go. Kalven had felt that working for the Kristos had been an opportunity and did not compromise his sympathy with the Earthkin, but discovering how powerful that secret group of Users was in the administration of the Cathedral gnawed at him. He kept hoping to find more information."
"What then?" asked Lupine.
Pearl's voice lowered. "He never came home last night. None of the men, Gino's father shared the apartment with three men, even noticed until it was time for them to leave for the Mill. Usually Kalven had come out of his room to join them for coffee. One of the men knocked and when there was no answer, they opened the door and found Kalven's bed empty. It was only moments later the police came by. Carlos told me that he nothing to go by, but that he feels that they will all be under surveillance, that this was his last chance to speak freely by telephone."
"How is Gino taking all of this?" asked Arnica. "Does he know his father is in danger?"
Pearl's face paled. "What? Carlos is in danger?"
Arnica explained the visions and dreams which had wakened the house. "We must let him know at once. Carlos must quit his job at the mill and come back to Merrydale at once."
"But he wanted to earn enough money to buy a house for his family," Holly worried. "Do you think he'll understand?"
It was decided. Arnica wrote a note on a small piece of heavy parchment. Written in Ogham, it was simple and to the point. "Grave danger. Must move back to Merrydale at once. Delay threatens your life." Lupine and Holly brought out the mold and melted several old candle stubs. A candle was made with the parchment message secreted in the wax. Pearl volunteered to have the candle sent by courier across the mountains. With luck, and if the weather held out the pass would stay clear, Carlos would have the candle in a day. Her message was clear and would not be misunderstood. Pearl would say the candle was to be burnt that same night for Kalven's soul, saying something about how terrible the accident was. She knew Carlos would find the message as the candle burned down and, after reading it, burn the parchment in the same candle flame. It was an old custom used by the Earthkin in times of danger when messages needed to be secretly passed on and Carlos would remember.
After Pearl left for Merrydale, the men began preparing for Candlemas Eve, just two nights away. Their minds were very preoccupied.
Gino sat on a kitchen chair wearing the lovely robe Pearl made for him back when she was living in Cloverville, before Phoenix' passing. Dark Star was sitting up on the kitchen floor, her lead laying upon Gino's lap. No one had told Gino that his father was in such danger, but Gino knew something was up and was having difficulty preparing his thinking for the evening's ritual. Pearl was helping Lupine set small bundles of candles all about the temple. Dolorum had brought two good-sized baskets of candles. Iris had been quietly collecting them at the post office and was bringing a third basket of candles local Earthkin wanted blessed at their Circle's Candlemas rites. Few knew that they worked as a coven although some may have suspected. They only knew Arnica and Holly as herbalists and healers.
Dolorum was in the pantry with Arnica mixing the ritual water. Over the years, bottles of water had been collected from sacred sites near and far, from both mighty oceans and from all continents save Antarctica. A large basin was filled with rain water into which measured quantities of each of these sacred waters was added. After the Circle was closed, each covener would take home a bottle which they would add to their ritual water for use throughout the coming year.
Finally all were robed and the temple was prepared. All of the Circle were present and now standing snug in the cozy kitchen, holding hands. They calmed themselves and stood quietly. Their breathing gradually shifted until, as one, they drew air together and exhaled together in preparation for the intoning which would prepare them to enter the Temple. No one noticed that Dark Star was not focused with them. Their eyes closed, they could not see that she had turned and was looking out the window.
A tentative knock broke their reverie. Startled, Arnica went to the door. Opening it, there stood Carlos.
"Come in, quickly," welcomed Arnica.
"I came here directly. Pearl," he said, looking at the slender woman in her robe with its embroidered patterns of green silk, "your message reached me in less than a day. The gods blessed us and I was able to catch the train leaving at sunrise."
"Daddy," Gino's voice betrayed his age and he ran to the entry to throw his arms around his father. Part of him was yet a boy and he was so relieved to see his father safely, he had no words, just a warm hug. Gino had grown much since his father went to Mill City to work and had seen Carlos very little. That was now changed.
"I want to thank all of you," said Carlos. "I haven't yet been home and Gino's mother is waiting. I borrowed a horse from a friend and rode here directly. No one else in Merrydale knows that I've left Mill City. There is much I must discuss with you, Arnica, before I make my presence known."
Arnica turned to his friend, the postmarm. "Iris, could we hold a quiet meeting in your home under the pretense of dinner?"
"Say no more. All of you, please come." Iris was one of the most hospitable and gracious of friends. "Carlos, bring your wife."
"My friends, may you be blessed. Gino, I'll see you later tonight." Carlos turned to go out the door.
"Welcome home, Daddy," Gino radiated a joyful energy. "I'll hold you in my heart during our ritual. Tell Mother I love her and I'll be home before too long."
Carlos turned back into the night and the group of friends began their chant.
XXVI—An Egg for the Cathedral
"Look, aren't they beautiful?" Lupine carried a vase filled with tall daffodils, their glowing yellow vibrant against the cobalt blue. His black hair, pulled back into a braid, contrasted with his pale skin as striking as the daffodil and the cobalt.
Holly was kneeling before the main altar preparing for this evening's Eostara Ritual. The crystal chalice, treasured throughout his relationship with Arnica, had begun to emanate a soft, golden glow in harmony with the waxing sun at this solar Sabbat. Holly had set a small glass stand to hold the goblet in the center of a large, crystal bowl where floated a number of bloodroot blossoms.
"El nino was good to our gardens," Holly answered. "I don't recall such beautiful hyacinths in years." Lupine had brought in several hyacinths, yellow upon the east altar, red in the south and blue in the west.
"I can believe it," Lupine answered. Breaking into laughter he said, "I keep wishing there were green-colored hyacinths to complete the cardinal set." He looked to the potted maidenhair fern sitting upon the north altar, then walked over and knelt next to Holly. Resting his head gently upon Holly's shoulder so as not to interfere in his new brother's work, he asked "Where did that chalice come from?"
" Why, Arnica had brought it back from the land of Loriën decades ago. It was hand-carved by gnomes from the same crystal which forms the last step leading to the Temple of Loriën."
"There is so much to learn," Lupine sighed. "Sometimes I think I shall never learn it all."
"Patience,"soothed Holly. They both laugh. "That's Arnica's word for just about everything, isn't it?"
"I do hope he'll be home soon." Lupine smiled. "I've been looking forward to our ritual bath, all three of us together in the hot tub." His voice had a mischievous twinkle.
Just then, Arnica wished he was back at his cabin, safely surrounded by tall fir trees. It was as if he could feel Holly and Lupine wishing him back. The undercurrents of growing political tension had taken away some of the joy from his trips into Merrydale. Arnica told people he was in town planning a 'birthday party' for the hatchling, Dark Star. Three years ago the morning of Eostara Eve a moderate 4.6 earthquake had rumbled through the region. It was then that the large egg hatched, having mysteriously appeared in their stone Circle weeks before as they did their Candlemas Eve ritual.
Dark Star had quickly worked her way into everyone's hearts. What a wonder to have a unicorn living with them. Andrius still came and went, but he was mostly astral, more than able to slip through the veils of reality. Dark Star had substance. It hurt when she accidentally stepped upon your toe with her hoof! A Unicorn was pure magick. Arnica and Holly instinctively knew her true identity should not be known outside their coven. Dark Star had come into town with Arnica, but as always, he had rubbed the elixir into her horn. Made of two gems and four herbs with a pinch of fine gold dust, her horn was now invisible. No one thought twice about the 'pony' other than to note her unusually intelligent eyes. Dark Star was laying upon the living room floor in Gino's home. Gino, a bright lad, was now a coven member. He recognized the hatchling as a Unicorn on their first trip into town, when Dark Star was but four Sabbats old.
Magenta, Gino's mother, was clearing the dishes. Gino got his freckles from her. Quite an interesting lunch, Rosetta was thinking. Here was Arnica, famed Renaissance Tribe herbalist. And sitting next to him was Pastor Dolorum, Kristos minister from the Church of the Martyr. If it hadn't been for the strange events of the past weeks, she couldn't believe this herself.
Over the past two years Gino had been spending more and more time out at the cabin. Carlos had been gone, living in Mill City to earn money to support them. There were few jobs in Merrydale and the big factories were built in Mill City. She and Carlos considered moving but liked Merrydale. "Yes," Rosetta thought, "wouldn't Mrs. Busynose next door just be wondering about both Arnica and Pastor Dolorum here in my house for lunch?"
"That was an amazing memorial service for Kalven," Carlos looked at both men, his voice quiet and deep. Gino's father was glad to be back in Merrydale.
"Kalven provided us with a rare opportunity," said Dolorum. "In confidence, I have been working with Arnica for over a year. You can well imagine the stir this has created even though we are discreet." Dolorum looked, as usual, quite serious.
"I miss him," Carlos mused. "The four of us shared that apartment and travelled back and forth to Merrydale carrying parcels from each other's children and wives. In the past two years we worked and lived together and had begun to feel like brothers."
Kalven's death continued to be the source of much speculation. Despite the 'official' word that the man had slipped and fallen into the mill pond, no one believed it, least of all those in this room. Kalven's job at the Cathedral of Thorns led him to the papers which proved the 'Society for the Forest" was not conservation-oriented but was, in fact, a front for a faction of the Users hoping to bulldoze Merrywood and turn it into a pit mine.
"I admire the work you're doing," Carlos said to Arnica. "Until Kalven made a comment one day, I had no idea that the Users were becoming so powerful. It's difficult to understand their desire to destroy our forest, to take it through deceit. And you, my good man," he said, looking now at Pastor Dolorum, "how can I thank you for finding me a good job."
"It was in my own best interests. I'm under increasing pressure at the Church of the Martyr. The last election of Elders increased the strength of the Users. They've been unhappy ever since I encouraged the congregation to join in Iris' march to Fern Hollow calling for protection of our trees. An ally on the staff would be a blessing."
Gino was getting restless. He took out his prized pocket watch, the one given him by his father. "Dear Sir," he said to Arnica, "I'd like to go to the cabin and help Holly and Lupine prepare for tonight's ritual."
"You're right, lad," Arnica said. "Just one more thing." He turned to Carlos. "We're preparing a traditional Eostara egg but instead of it being hollowed and filled with delight and festivity, information is being inserted that uncovers the Society for the Forest. The egg will be blessed and placed so it reaches the Merrywood Gazette where it will surely be picked up by the wire service."
Stopping at the postmarm's to send a parcel of herbs to a friend, Arnica heard the news. Amethyst and Crystal were there. They looked a bit frazzled.
"Arnica," Crystal's face, usually smiling with its halo of short, fair hair, looked troubled. "We're moving."
"I know it's unexpected," said Amethyst. "I was offered a job in Cloverville. It's a good offer and…" Tears came to her eyes. Amethyst knew that this meant leaving her coven.
"What Amethyst hasn't said is that there's growing pressure at the school." Crystal was a writer for a large magazine. She could work from anywhere. It had been easy for her to move here four years ago to be with Amethyst. "Several of the Users on the school board are trying to have her fired because, well, because we're lovers. And if it comes out that we're not only lesbian but active with the Renaissance Tribes, we're sunk."
Arnica's arms embraced Amethyst. This was hardest on her. Crystal was the stronger of the two women and had been wanting to move to a larger city. Amethyst had belonged to the coven for many years.
Arnica took a deep breath. "Will you tell Holly yourself?"
"We called him earlier. That's how we thought to meet you here at Iris's. We're going to stop by tomorrow for lunch on our way."
"I'm surprised yet not completely," Arnica said. "I've known something was taking place." He looked out the window. Gino was petting and talking quietly to Dark Star. "You'll miss her party?"
"Yes, but here's a present for her. And we're bringing borage cookies with us tomorrow. You know we love you all so much." Amethyst was close to tears.
"O.K., my dears, I've got to be going. Take some time tonight when we're in Circle and be with us in spirit."
Gino thought Arnica strangely quiet as they walked the road from Merrydale to the cabin. Arnica was processing the realization that the persecutions had begun again.
The ritual candles put away, the friends sat about the kitchen. Dark Star sat upon the floor at the table. A large carrot cake sat there, made of shredded carrots pressed together with a little egg and decorated with borage flowers and three lit candles.
"Where did you get borage flowers?" Dark Star questioned Holly in her mind.
Holly, ever more able to understand the hatchling, laughed out loud. "Where did we get the flowers? It's a mystery." The phrase, often used among the friends, caused them all to laugh. Dark Star snorted—a unicorn laugh—so hard that all three candles went out.
Everyone cheered and laughed. The cabin was filled with joy. Dark Star looked so lovely. Three years old. How their lives had changed since the unicolt became part of their household and an informal member of their coven. They feasted on carrot and helped Dark Star open her gifts. She got borage seeds (her favorite herb) and a beautiful, embroidered harness. Pearl's needlework was among the best of the region! Amethyst and Crystal, known for their gems, had found a perfect, egg-shaped geode with an opening. Inside among the little crystals was a tiny, silver unicorn statue.
Dolorum and Iris went to get their woolen capes. The nights were still brisk. "Is there something between them?" Holly wondered. He was certain that Iris called the clergyman 'Dolly' once during the evening.
As Dolorum fastened the buttons of his black cape he went over the plan. "It will be easy for me to place this egg in the mailbox at the Gazette office. They'll find it in the morning. At least one of the staff remembers the folk custom of written wishes in eggs for Eostara so I'm confident it will be opened and the truth found."
"We did our part," said Iris. She felt good about the evening's ritual. "I feel like we've prepared an egg for the Cathedral."
"Well, the 'secret committee' at least will have egg on its face," Lupine rejoined.
Knowing that they were about to fall into a whole series of egg jokes, Pearl and Gino got their wraps as well and soon the night ended. Pearl and Gino walked back to town with animated, quiet conversation. Dolorum and Iris were quiet, their hands almost touching.
Back at the cabin, Holly, Arnica and Lupine were snuggled beneath a large comforter and Dark Star, well, Dark Star was much too happy. She was still in the kitchen, gazing into the geode and asking all of her astral kindred to help bring peace to her loved ones. "When this news reaches the people," she thought to herself, "there will be a lot of political tension," and she didn't want that for her human friends. Not at all.
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