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August 23, 1999

The Hatchling—1998

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XXIX—The Lammas Fires Burn Bright

Tongues were busy in Merrydale. Politics topped the list. The scandal which broke last winter over the 'Society for the Forest' had not quite died down. Bishop Miter was diverting attention from his own involvement by blaming the Earthkin for a list of purported evils, even insinuating that it was the Earthkin's acceptance of racial and sexual diversity which was causing global warming. But there was more. The new sapphire on the postmarm's finger had been noticed. The residents of Merrydale thought highly of the pastor from the Church of the Martyr, quite liberal in his views for a Kristos minister. Iris, although a government employee, was a known activist for Merrywood ever since organizing a public march to keep Fern Hollow from having its trees logged. Although no one really knew, everyone assumed that she was of the Earthkin. What would Bishop Miter think of one of his clergymen actually marrying outside his religion? And to an Earthkin no less?

"Oh, Dolly, the ring is so beautiful." Iris sat in a large wicker chair on her back porch, Pastor Dolorum in a chair at her left. She held her left hand so the sun sparkled upon the faceted stone, her right hand idly scratching Dark Star's ears. The Hatchling was spending a couple of days with Iris while Arnica and Holly were at Mill City, attending a press conference called by Parliament. She looked at Dolorum. "I'm sure everyone knows we're engaged. But what will your parishioners say?"

Dolorum took her hand and held it. "My people have known where I stand on things. Fifty of them came with me to march with you to Fern Hollow two years ago. You know, since seeing the fire in your eyes and your passion for the trees there has been no other woman for me."

"But what if Miter has a fit over your marrying me?" Iris knew that their marriage could end Dolorum's career as a Kristos minister. Bishop Miter was not a tolerant man.

"Iris, I'm not that concerned." Dolorum's voice was gentle.

Sensing that the energy of the situation was changing, Dark Star stretched herself up and took a few steps and sat herself in front of Dolorum. She laid her head in his lap. Her horn was becoming visible and she needed Dolorum to rub Arnica's magick ointment upon it. Merrydale was not ready to discover a unicorn in its midst. Dark Star loved her privacy.

As he gently rubbed the ointment of male fern and powdered gems into her horn, Dolorum spoke to Iris. Tending the hatchling made it easier for him to speak. He breathed slowly and deeply, his finger counting the spirals of Dark Star's horn. Already three and a half turns. At Lammas in just two days, Dark Star would be three and a half! Dolorum's gaze turned to Iris.

"I think of myself more as Dolly, now, than as Pastor Dolorum. The passing of my mother nearly two years ago opened many doors for me, the most important of which brought me to Arnica, Holly and the Grove. It's not easy for me living this double life. The part of me which is increasingly filled with joy is the man who sits in Circle with you. My religious life in our coven is more important to me than that of my former Kristos beliefs."

"I've wondered," Iris murmured.

"My work as a clergyman allows me to reach people. And I know I've made a difference. But it's become more and more clear that I can help my people just as much—perhaps more—if I set aside my Kristos' robes and make a public statement. If Bishop Miter acts against me, it may set me free but certainly cannot harm me."

Dolorum's talk was interrupted by the bell.

"Excuse me," Iris said, "Someone's at the post counter." The post office was attached to the front of her house.

Dolorum sat there, sharing thoughts with the young unicorn. No words were exchanged, but he felt assured by Dark Star that what he was saying was a truth. What Dolorum must do was beginning to take shape in his mind.

"Dolly," Iris said, coming back through the door, "look who's here."

"Pearl," Dolorum and Dark Star both jumped up. They were both delighted to see their Pictish friend. Although small in stature, Pearl was a dynamo of energy.

"Have you heard?" Pearl said. "Parliament has decreed that there are to be no Lammas fires this year. Holly called early this morning and told me they're on their way home. He and Arnica will be back late this evening."

"What?" Both Iris and Dolorum were shocked. This was a strong political move and sure to cause civil upheaval. "Sit down, please," Dolorum said.

"Weren't you sitting there?" Pearl was always gracious, her manners as fine as her skill with needle and thread, for which she was well known.

"I can sit here by Dark Star," he offered, sitting on the porch near Iris.

"Now that's a thought, having my husband-to-be at my feet," Iris started laughing. Dolly only blushed. "But tell us, Pearl."

"Word is spreading fast. The Politicos majority maintains that our constitution makes us a Kristos country. A battle of words took place in Parliament with the Conservers losing. The more the Conservers spoke about religious equity for all peoples, the more riled up the Politicos became. The Users have been gaining strength and are using Bishop Miter's current plight to build support. Fear is a powerful weapon." Pearl fell silent.

"You know there will be fires despite any decree," Iris mused.

Dolorum was silent and deeply troubled. It was obvious that Miter was a major force in this decision. The Users had been growing in number and organizing to pass laws to make it increasingly difficult for the Renaissance and Earthkin Tribes to practice their own religions. If the Users had their way, they would outlaw not only all other religions but probably the liberal Kristos churches as well!

Pearl spoke again. "Arnica said that there are plans for a very large, highly visible fire where the trees in Merrywood were clear cut. It's safe yet also highly visible. Once lit it can be seen by everyone but no one will be needed to tend it. On my way over I stopped to talk to Carlos. People are talking about 'fighting fire with fire.' Many will be lighting small fires in front of their homes on Lammas Eve."

"That's what I will do." Dolorum spoke suddenly, obviously thinking out loud.

"I must head home. I'm still sewing the grain man for Lammas Eve. I think I'm going to place some extra magick into it this year!" Pearl kissed Dark Star on her horn, then hugged Iris. Dolorum was still sitting upon the porch, completely lost in thought.

"They've taken the majority of the school board and Dad said they're going to require we take an oath of allegiance to country and to their god before we can register for school." Gino had been helping haul branches all day, packing them on Dark Star's back and taking them to the growing pile for the great fire. "Arnica, can they do that?"

Arnica was gently packing their ritual things into a basket to take back to the stone circle. "Morally, no. Legally? It's possible but will take a challenge in the courts. You hauled a lot of brush, my young friend."

Gino's face looked bright. He was very proud to be treated like a young man at the Grove. "We got the entire pile of last winter's pruning. Poor Dark Star, she was tired…But I'm not," he added a bit too hastily.

"Why not go over and hold her for a bit. See if you can merge with her unicorn dreams to prepare yourself for the ritual." Arnica knew what he was suggesting. It would be only a few minutes and the lad would be sound asleep with the hatchling beneath the lilac.

"Open." Holly came up with a large, juicy strawberry in his hand. Arnica opened his mouth and Holly popped it in.

"Almost as good as a kiss," Arnica teased.

"Hey, that was a kiss," Holly responded.

Energy was very intense for this Sabbat Eve. All the plans were in place. Their coven ritual would begin late. At sunset the great fire would be lit. Carlos, Gino's father, had volunteered. He said he wanted to do it for his friend Kalven, who had been working at the Cathedral and was about to make public information he had uncovered. Kalven's body was found in the mill pond last winter.

The Wheel would definitely be turned this Sabbat!

Robes and bare feet dancing about a cauldron of flame, they held hands and raised the cone of power as the fire swirled up into a spiral. At the very height of the chant, Pearl held the grain man above the cauldron until the dried straw caught some flame. She dropped it into the fire below and they all sat upon the soft fir needles in the stone circle.

Even through the trees they could see the glow on the hill a few miles distant where a large bonfire raged against the Politicos' decree. Jewel's russet hair spilled out of her hood. Lotus had stayed home to sit with Dagon. A toddler now, they felt it best on this night of fires to keep Dagon at home. There was no telling what might happen with such tension in the air. Gino sat by Dark Star. The nap had done both the boy and the young unicorn some good and they were enjoying being in the stone circle on this night. The brightness of the fires was exciting but they were little concerned with the political ramifications.

Iris leaned her head against Dolorum's shoulder. She would be attending his church this Sunday. Dolorum was going to take a public stand, announcing his engagement and offering his resignation. He wanted his church to know that the fire burning in a large cauldron in front of the Church of the Martyr had his support. "People have taken note," his sermon would say. "I believe people should be judged by their actions, not their words. I urge you to take a stand for equality. "

"Over forty fires around Merrydale alone," Holly mused. The response to the decree was amazing.

Arnica was quiet. Would it take fire to save the forests of Merrywood? Although the ruling party in Parliament was hoping for the upper hand, what they may have done was to empower all who felt close to the earth. This would not be an easy autumn.

XXX—Of Harvests and Hearings

Holly and Arnica were in the gardens, preparing for the Autumn Eve ritual. Dark Star, their unicorn who had magickally appeared in their lives three and a half years ago, was lolling about, nibbling at the late borage blooms, her favorite herb. Just then, a large 'V' of geese flew overhead, their honking cutting through the quiet glade where the two men grew their herbs. It was a joyful sound but an odd quality echoed with it.

Arnica looked up. "The geese portend some major changes."

Holly looked startled. "Could you hear that in their calls?"

"No," mused Arnica, pruners in hand as he cut back the towering elfwort stalks. The herb's seeds gathered, it now was ready for its winter dormancy. "I'm not logically certain why I said that, but I know it to be true."

"Haven't we had enough excitement?" asked Holly. The younger man was digging iris to transplant to a large, new bed. Holly sat back and reflected. "Ever since Dark Star came into our lives, it's been one adventure after another." At the sound of her name, the hatchling's ears perked up, she nimbly leapt to her feet and trotted over where she licked Holly right on his ear. Laughing, he wiped his ear dry as Dark Star dropped to the ground and lay her head right in his lap.

"But we're in for more. It will take many years for this political climate to settle down. The Users are in control of most of the Kristos churches and hold the majority of the Politicos seats in Parliament, even though the Conservers did gain some. A growing population, the instability of the world economy and the changing climate make people very nervous. The Users would like nothing better than to prey upon people's fears so they could impose their sense of order upon as much of the world as possible."

Holly looked pensive. "We've a long struggle in front of us, don't we? It was just two years ago that Iris organized the march to save Fern Hollow as Dolorum offered his support and mobilized much of his congregation."

"Well, those trees were saved but it came with a price. Honestly, my love, I don't see Pastor Dolorum continuing at the Church of the Martyr much longer. He's publicly come out in opposition to many of Bishop Miter's views, his religious views could be perceived as increasingly Earthkin…"

"Well, that Kristos clergyman is part of our coven," interjected Holly laughing.

"And once the word spreads beyond Merrydale of Dolly's engagement to Iris…"

"Do you think a public Handfasting could happen?" Holly was having fun with this.

"There's such a growing fear among the Users. It's common knowledge Carlos' friend Kalven was murdered to protect the Users. We don't know what information he found while working at the Cathedral, but it had to have been very important. And when there's fear…" Arnica's voice drifted off as his mind sifted through the events.

"Do you think the school board will enforce that damnable oath?" Holly wondered aloud.

Meanwhile, Gino was again at his school, trying to enroll for the coming year. This was to be his first year in Merrydale's junior high school. Gino, the youngest member of the coven, had grown more confident since his mother allowed him to begin studying the Renaissance traditions from Pearl. Gino spent a lot of time with Holly and Arnica and had become a very good friend with Dark Star. In fact it was just three years ago that he recognized Dark Star to be a unicorn even though Arnica had used his herbal potion to keep her horn invisible.

The school board, under great pressure from the Politicos and Kristos, had adopted an oath of allegiance. Gino heard about this just before Lammas, but had forgotten. When the counsellor asked him if he believed in the 'one true god,' Gino was visibly upset and excused himself, saying he needed to go home and get his mother. They sat there in the head principal's office.

"What do you mean, he can't register?" Gino's mother was very uncomfortable dealing with authorities. Her fingers nervously twisted the handles of her bag. She wished Carlos was here, but he was up on a large farm in the upper plains, helping with the wheat harvest.

"Ma'am, I did not say he could not register." The administrator was frustrated. His face was flushed, looking as if his starched collar was too tight. "But the school board passed a resolution that every student must take an oath of allegiance to God and to Country. After all, we live in a Kristian land."

Rosetta quickly stood up. Her usual shyness flung aside. Gino stared at her with his mouth agape. "Sir," she said, " This country may have been founded on Kristian principles but those founding fathers from the Old World offered us a country with religious freedom. Gino, come with me. You deserve a better education than this."

As mother and son abruptly left the administrator's office, the man offered a quick prayer. He knew the school board's decision would provoke controversy and in his heart he agreed with the boy's mother. Yet, he could not defy the order of his superiors. He hoped that this would not be the worst year of his career.

They were seated around several portable tables set next to each other and covered with several large tablecloths. Bowls of grapes and apples were the harvest from Arnica and Holly's gardens. Ears of maize and strawberry corn were braided together, adorned with spears of millet. Each centerpiece was decorated with small corn dollies. The conversation was intense and lively, yet frequently punctuated with loud gales of laughter. These people truly loved being together. All the humans were upon chairs and Dark Star, the unicorn gaily trotted about enjoying each one of the guests.

Arnica sat at one end of the table. To his left sat Iris, Merrydale's postmarm. Her long, thick braid lay over her left shoulder, small bright marigolds woven into the dark hair. At her other side sat Pastor Dolorum, although the title 'Pastor' was likely to soon be deleted. Dolorum (Iris calls him 'Dolly' and the nickname was catching among the coven) was dark complected. They were a very striking couple and obviously very much in love.

"I know my mother, Mildora, would be so proud of us." Dolly's eyes sparkled as he looked at Iris.

"We've talked about it," said Iris. "It's going to be a Handfasting, but not open to the public although we are certain that they will learn about it."

"I've been at the Church of the Martyr nearly three years. It's not a long time." Dolorum's dark countenance had led many to believe he was a puppet of the Users but he had proved to be a renegade. During the months his mother lay at home dying, he discovered his Descendant Tribe heritage and just the year before last he worked with the Earthkin to mount a wonderful Yule/Christmas celebration. The people of Merrydale had grown to love him but his superiors found him unwilling to accept the increasing dominance of the Users, the right-wing faction within the Kristos which was trying to take control of the Politico Party.

A sound like many little bells filled the late-afternoon clearing. Dolly turned the crimson color of embarrassment. The tinkling of silverware against the water glasses grew louder. Finally Iris rose to her feet and the bell sounds were silence.

"My friends," she said, "why we're only making plans for our wedding. This isn't fair."

"Bless the crops for us," Lotus called out. Seated near the other end of the tables, he held Dagon on his lap. Dagon was just over three years old. Jewel, her russet-colored hair perfect for Autumn, tugged at Lotus' sweater.

"Sweetheart," she pleaded, "you're embarrassing them."

"You win," Dolorum said. "And I'm trying to relax my old Kristos ways." And with that he took Iris in his arms, swooped her backwards and gave her a long and passionate kiss. The gardens were filled with cheers. Dark Star began trotting around them all. As the couple came up for air, Dark Star nuzzled up to them, wanting something.

Holly's face always looked ready to smile. "Dolly," he asked. "Tell us all about the Synod. We've heard the rumors."

Dolorum's energy quieted as Iris sat back down. "My friends," he began, accustomed to speaking before a congregation. "As you know I have been called before a Synod. Bishop Miter has recommended that I be fired. Several members of the congregation have been asked to testify as well and a ruling will be issued sometime next month."

Carlos leaned over to Rosetta. "I knew about the Synod, but not that old Miter would be so foolish." Carlos and Rosetta thought highly of Dolorum.

Dolly cleared his throat quietly which brought everyone to attention. "What Bishop Miter doesn't know is that my resignation will be read aloud tomorrow morning at Sunday services. This will be my last 'duty' as a Kristos minister. I cannot ethically allow this to happen." Considering the gravity of his statement, Dolly and Iris looked positively radiant. Dolorum turned toward Pearl. "Pearl, would you please make the announcement?"

"First, Arnica, I want to thank you for a beautiful Harvest Ritual this afternoon. What a joy to be in your gardens. Holly, this year's fresh grape juice is the best ever. What magick have you put in it?" Holly laughed. Pearl looked at her coven mates and the other friends and guests. "Now you know. Dolly will be pastor no more after tomorrow. But other events have happened as well. Near three years ago I accepted a young lad as a student. That was before I took Phoenix to Cloverville for his last months. Gino is now old enough to begin junior high school but not even Rosetta could convince the school to let him register unless he took that oath."

Dark Star snorted her displeasure bringing welcome laughter to the group.

"Many of you may not know it, but I have an education degree. Until I met Phoenix I had once hoped to teach school. Dolly and I intend to begin with a home-schooling program this year and possibly expand it into an actual alternative school where children are taught to respect our Mother Earth and where Earthkin ways are considered as healthy as any religion."

Pearl's voice was lost amid the cheering. As she sat, Carlos stood up. Had his dark hair not been cut so short it would be quite curly.

"Pearl, Pastor Dolorum, friends…" Carlos was an outgoing man and loved this moment. "Arnica, thanks for letting us come to the celebration. My wife and I have learned a lot from Gino and we're very comfortable with the Renaissance Tribal ways. You may not know it but Rosetta and I have been talking to many of our friends in town. I don't know if you can handle it or not, but among our friends are seventeen children, grades three through ten, who would be in your school as quick as you open a door. And we would all pay for the privilege of getting our young ones a real education!"

"I don't know if we can handle that many," Dolorum said.

Just then, Dark Star, who had trotted off to the gardens, came back now with a couple stems of bright blue asters. She laid them on Holly's lap. Everyone turned to look at Holly. He stood to take his turn speaking. He was so loved and people easily smiled in his presence.

"Arnica and I have been talking. You know that I once taught third grade, long ago, until the school board was infiltrated by Users. It's time for me to come out of retirement. If there's a need, I've kept up my certification." Holly reached over and took his partner's hand.

Arnica rose to his feet. "Dear Ones," he said, "I've known this to be happening and we've been doing some checking. There's a building available which meets the code. It could be converted into as many as four classrooms although right now we have three of our coven who are certified as teachers: Holly, Pearl and Dolly. I know that we could accept as many as twenty students but this move will bring controversy to Merrydale. It's a small town and we'll be more conspicuous than we've been to date."

"Dagon will be ready for your school in just a couple of years." Jewel said. "Let us know what we can do." There was a rush of excitement throbbing around the tables.

"Trust me," said Arnica, the serious tone in his voice bringing people back to realty, "we will. There's a meeting here in three days, for we must be completely organized and legal before any public announcement can be made. We'll finalize our decision at that time. Dear friend Dolly, thank you for all you are doing. Our blessings will be with you tomorrow. And now, it's time to play ring toss!"

Loud cheering filled the gardens. Dark Star was so excited and danced back and forth. Ringlets of leaves would be tossed at her horn, the 'winners' given one of Dark Star's kisses and the hatchling getting a borage treat in return. Much fun would be had by all.

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