The Hatchling—2000
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XLI—The Dark Pain of Prejudice
It was just days before the Candlemas Eve observance was to be held at Trillium School, a lovely winter day. A light snow had fallen the night before followed by a crisp, sunny morning. Arnica has hurrying into town. Dark Star, her horn quickly fading from sight pranced along. The hatchling knew that something was bothering Arnica, ever since Holly called from the school.
Sparkles of sun danced on the fresh snow as it clung to the fir boughs. The young unicorn ran about, always invigorated when there was fresh snow on the ground. Arnica was glad for the distraction. This was not how he had intended to spend his day. He looked over to his left and saw the thickening catkins on the hazel trees and let memories come forth…
It was five years ago on Candlemas Eve. Arnica and Holly were in the Stone Circle and the flames in the cauldron spiralled so high that they were frightened. And then, the soil glowing with light, they discovered the egg, which they protected until Dark Star hatched at Eostara!
Dark Star's horn had spiralled nearly five times. She loved her two men. Arnica and Holly provided her with a loving household and certainly, this life she had among mortals had been anything but dull. She looked to her left. Arnica was certainly distracted. The hatchling could tell that he was thinking about that telephone call again. Well, she had her ways.
"What?" Arnica started laughing, his arms flailing to stop the snow from falling right onto his head. Dark Star had jumped up and, with her horn, bumped a fir bough laden with snow. As her human friend wiped the moisture from his glasses, she looked up at him, gazing into his eyes with her most innocent expression. Who could be mad at such a lovely unifilly? "You're right, munchkin, my mind was lost."
Feeling refreshed, Arnica began humming the melody to the chant they would be singing at Candlemas Eve. As the herbalist walked along, only his hand indicated his concerns as his fingers tugged at his greying beard.
Nearing Merrydale, Arnica's hand stroked Dark Star's mane. "I'm going to leave you with Iris," he said.
Dark Star liked Iris and was fascinated with the postmarm's belly. Nearly six months pregnant, Dark Star like to lay her head on Iris' belly and listen to the growing life inside the warm darkness. This manner of human birth may have seemed somewhat normal to her human friends but to the hatchling, it was nothing short of a miracle.
It was a quick walk from the postal shop to Trillium School. Arnica walked purposefully, consciously placing his thoughts toward Jewel's healing. Jewel and her son Dagon were spending the morning with Iris. The tissue from Jewel's mastectomy was healing quicker than the doctors had thought possible. With Dagon nearly five, Jewel was going to manage the postal shop for a fortnight while Merrydale's postmarm became a mother for the first time. There were such joys among their coven!
'And now this,' Arnica thought to himself as he entered the school.
The school's courtyard was beautiful. A couple of small gardens plus the fountain that Jewel's husband, Lotus, had built lent an air of serenity. The courtyard was a place for students to rest their minds. And there, on the long wall in garish yellow spray paint like a vile scar tearing at the gentle fabric of the school, was the message: "I hate loons."
John Trouver, Merrydale's constable, was there taking photographs. Deodar Dolorum, the school's principal was talking to Carlos Santo, who stood near a couple of pails of water. There was no one else in the courtyard which indicated that something was very wrong.
"Arnica," Dolly (as Deodar was known among his close friend) said, "Holly said you would head right into town. I didn't expect you for another twenty minutes."
The older herbalist gave Dolly a quick hug. "Carlos, my friend." Carlos was a good friend. His son Gino was doing well studying with the coven. Carlos and his wife, Rosetta, had done much to help bring the Earthkin school into being but Carlos was more comfortable with a warm handshake.
"Hello, what's this?" Trouver was crouched down near a bay laurel, holding something in his hands. He was soon surrounded by the curious men. Rising to his feet, the constable was opening a small wallet. The courtyard was quiet without even the sounds of Trillium School, subdued by the racist vandalism.
Arnica, Dolly and Carlos watched without speaking. Their emotions were strong. There was sadness and anger that this had happened at all, fear that the special magick of Trillium School might not be enough to protect the students. But there was relief that whomever had committed this graphic violence was careless.
"I know this lad," Trouver said, turning to the three. "His father was active in the Users Party and the boy liked to echo the Users' extremist dogma simply to get attention. His father is still a strong Politico but no longer part of that right wing faction. He's actually grown increasingly open-minded. He's going to have a fit when he sees what his Billy has done."
"Wait," said Arnica. "What if you don't tell his father right now but speak to the boy directly. Do you think that knowing he got caught and that charges could be pressed at any time might convince him to take a close look at where his life is going?"
"I like your idea," Deodar added. "John, can we talk about this?"
It was a good discussion. The men sat in the courtyard nearly an hour. Holly was on break between classes and came out to talk with them and then sought out the view of the other teachers. By the time the impromptu meeting was finished, the situation had been nearly resolved and the energy of the courtyard was again that of Trillium School.
Many of the students and their parents were at the school this crisp morning. Each person had brought a candle to be lit as soon as the first rays of the sun could be drawn down. A touch of frost was in the air but it was early. The sun was just barely rising in the distance over the mountains. In less than an hour it would make its presence known to those in the courtyard.
The friends were standing in a circle about a temporary altar set in the center of the courtyard. Arnica, loved among the townspeople of Merrydale as an herbalist stood with his partner Holly. Holly's ability to teach the students their language skills amazed the parents of his students. Last week the principal of one of the largest public schools came to observe his classes for a day!
Next stood Deodar, the principal and former Kristos minister, and his wife Iris. Iris' role in the school was through her husband. Dolly's becoming principal after leaving the Church of the Martyr and now expecting a child with Iris (both much-loved among the townsfolk) had been one of the most newsworthy events in town history.
Pearl, the art and music teacher, had made them all new robes for this ritual. The coven was so glad she had moved back from Cloverville after Phoenix' passed away. Her gentle, Pictish ways were part of the coven's balance. Flying Raven, who moved this past summer from the Mothervalley to teach science, completed their circle.
Last night at their coven ritual, they remarked about how they could not have expected their role as a group to have expanded to include a new school! Jewel and Lotus sat with Dagon near the fountain. Lotus' work in building the fountain was skilled and artistic. Few realized how much magick had been worked into the sound of the splashing waters! Dark Star was laying next to Gino, Arnica's formula keeping her horn invisible.
The last of the coven, Gino, sat at the courtyard entrance. His classmates would have asked too many questions had he been part of the Circle. His parents, Rosetta and Carlos did the welcoming and guided the students, their parents and some of Merrydale's finest to their seats. In the few months since Trillium School had been opened, the number of locals who were rediscovering their Descendant tribal roots or talking about an interest in the Renaissance Tribe was turning Merrydale into a center of Earthkin activity. When the last of the Candlemas participants arrived, Gino rang a small bell to signal Arnica.
The simple sound began to quiet the gathering in the early February morn. Dressed warmly in their finest, forty or so students and adults were vibrant in the brightening dawn. No matter the hour, it was a lovely time of day.
Arnica and Holly purified and blessed the entire courtyard, creating a large Circle. The first ritual work was to wash the graffiti from the wall. Water was ladled from the fountain into a bucket. At an earlier ceremony Arnica and Holly had added dozens of samples of water from the small bottles of water kept safe in a closet in their cabin, waters collected from sacred sites representing many religions from all over the planet. The bucket was handed to the principal.
The courtyard filled with a gentle yet vibrant energy as voices wove the magick together, "…like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean…"
Deodar knelt before the wall and, with a large sea sponge, began to wash the wall where the painted words spelled their hateful message. To everyone's surprise, including Deodar's, the paint began to dissolve.
And now, the high point of the Candlemas Morning ritual: Dark Star watched closely as Shadow brought a large ladder and set it toward the west side of the courtyard. Wearing his Loon Tribe ceremonial garments and carrying a magnifying glass, he climbed the ladder to the top. The chanting continued as voices began to weave counterpoint and harmony. Shadow Tail, unassuming of stature and quiet by nature, looked so proud and so regal. Holding the glass in one hand he focused the first rays of the sun upon a votive candle sitting in a glass holder, nearly the same iridescent blue as Dark Star.
A tiny wisp of smoke and then the wick burst into flame as those below broke into cheers of joy. Shadow was almost giddy with happiness, this being the first time he'd taken a public role in a ritual. He carried the flame down the ladder and to Arnica, and kissed his herbalist friend on the cheek. Arnica lit a taper from the candle and carried the sacred flame to the left altar candle, to represent the waxing Sun then handed it to Holly who used it to light the right candle for the Moon.
The darkness washed away, soon the flames spread throughout Trillium School's courtyard as each candle was lit, dispelling fear as warmth and the promise of waxing light filled every heart with joy. Dark Star's candle was lit for her. Watching how these humans had transformed a frightening event into healing was very powerful. A tear formed in the hatchling's left eye and began its downward descent but caught Gino's eye. Her young friend leaned over, wiped it with his finger and kissed her.
"I love you, munchkin," Gino whisper in her ear.
XLII—Where Are The Seeds?
"No, you don't need to come into town," Holly said. Troubled, he called his partner Arnica to discuss the curious situation. "I just wanted you to know that the baskets of seeds we brought in for the Sabbat ritual are missing."
Arnica and Holly were the donors of several small baskets of assorted seeds from their magickal gardens for Trillium School's celebration. The weather unusually warm and dry, three baskets had been placed on an outdoor altar built by their coven member Lotus, a skilled woodsmith. That morning when Holly was about to lead the first group of students in a morning invocation for blessings from the Universe and adding good wishes to the seed baskets, they discovered them missing.
"Missing?" Arnica couldn't help repeating the word, his mind mulling over the curious situation. "I'll set some extra seed aside. We have enough." It seemed their gardens always produced an abundance of fertile seed.
"I'll keep checking," Holly said. "I just don't feel that anyone's done anything. The school was locked all night. Since Billy's vandalism last January we're very careful about that."
"My sweet, I'll come in with Dark Star and meet you when school's out."
"How is my munchkin?" Holly asked. He loved the hatchling.
"Dark Star's over there getting in Gino's way. I must give him credit. Other boys might think of this as time away from school but he's taking his horticulture project very seriously and working very hard. I'll see you later."
The missing seed was a distraction for Arnica. Things didn't quite add up. Arnica fussed with his greying beard and headed out to check the new bed.
Gino, who would be fifteen this year, was the youngest of their coven. His school project was to set up a new bed for growing borage—one of Dark Star's favorite herbs. Having cleared a site, he dug down a couple of feet, preparing the earth, removing the roots of all weeds and former plants and working in the composted fertilizer he'd prepared over the past year. 'Unidoo,' he called it—composted unicorn manure. The coven knew it would be very good for the herbs grown in Arnica and Holly's gardens. In writing his paper, however, Gino had to refer to it as colt manure. Despite Trillium School having a 'unicorn' as its mascot and a few who somewhat wondered what there was about Dark Star, her horn was visible only to the coven, thanks to Arnica's formula.
Iris' laughter danced from the back porch out into her small, back gardens. She was on her afternoon break, the post office closed for afternoon tea. The postmarm's belly was quite large. The doctor had told her that her baby was quite large and very healthy. As Merrydale's postmarm and the new school's principal, the expectant parents held everyone's attention. The Beltane baby would be a big event! Arnica and Iris were talking about the coven's Sabbat Eve ritual this Saturday. This was the last Sabbat before Iris was due.
"Can you believe it?" Iris was saying to Arnica, "the men at the auto garage have a lottery! We're not supposed to know, but they're taking bets on just when I'll have the baby!" She laughed so hard she startled the young unicorn, who was trying to rest her ear against Iris's full belly. Dark Star loved listening to the growing baby. Humans were capable of such miracles!
"I saw Billy," Iris said. "He looks quite changed."
"Constable Trouver's 'sentence' was a good one. Billy seems quite past his prejudice toward the Earthkin."
"His parents have seemed genuinely friendly and interested in the baby when they come in for their mail," Iris said. "Their son's vandalism against Trillium School shocked them. They pride themselves on being law abiding, Kristos-fearing citizens. Like so many of those right-wing folk, it's difficult for them to realize the prejudice they create."
"Billy's come by once or twice with some leaves carefully collected from Merrywood," Arnica related. "He's making great progress with his community project of taking a census and identifying all the plant and tree species to help protect them. And he's come to love being so connected with the woodlands. It's changing him."
"Ow," Iris jumped. Dark Star, startled, clambered to her feet. "Baby feet," she said, catching her breath after being kicked.
The hatchling's eyes were so wide. You could see the puzzlement on her face. Dark Star could not believe that the baby growing inside Iris' womb could actually kick.
Arnica reached into his sweater pocket and took out a small cosmetic jar he had recycled into a magickal container. The herbalist carefully massaged some of the ointment into Dark Star's horn. Even though it had been invisible the entire time they were in town, the coven knew this was a secret best kept.
A warm hug with some more humor. It was increasingly difficult to give Iris a hug. There was so much baby in between! The postmarm scratched Dark Star's ears and reached into her apron pocket.
"Look, munchie, I've got a borage flower biscuit for you!"
The hatchling's eyes were filled with awe. How did this woman find such a treat for her when borage blooms were completely out of season!
Arnica and Holly were talking very quietly to each other, not wanting to disturb Shadowtail. Arnica related his conversation with Iris, telling Holly that her father, Ollis Piper, was coming to Merrydale for the baby's birth.
Meanwhile, Shadowtail moved carefully about, drawing upon the tracking skills he learned as a child. Boys and girls alike were taught by their Loon Tribe elders the art of tracking animals.
Arnica was fascinated. Shadow wasn't using his eyes to explore the school's courtyard, he was listening. Moving silently about, Shadowtail would pause and stand there completely still. His hand would slowly raise, his fingers grasping the handle of a dried gourd. Ritually painted with a rainbow, Shadow would gently shake his rattle with closed eyes…and then listen. The small dark man was in a meditative state, in completely harmony with his environment.
Arnica and Holly were now rapt, watching their friend. The voices of young students as they left the school seemed to pass into another dimension. Just as the men felt themselves caught up in the trance, Shadowtail stopped, looked directly at them and opened his eyes but didn't see the two men. Shadow began rattling the gourd, creating a soft yet insistent rhythm with the sound. There was a pattern to the sound of the shaken seed, but not one rising from human experience.
"Skoros," Shadow breathed the sound. He appeared to be invoking that name.
"Skoros," the name spoken so softly, yet emerging from the rhythm of the rattle. Soon a scampering sound as a squirrel scrambled over the edge of the school roof and down some vines, only coming to a stop when it was still, looking directly at Shadowtail. "Skoros," Shadow said with satisfaction.
The rattle's pattern changed and blended with some soft chattering from the squirrel. Arnica and Holly seemed to barely breathe, so enchanted were they with what was unfolding. The squirrel looked at them and scampered away, soon out of sight beyond the roof.
The rattle stopped. It's silence brought them back to consciousness.
"It was the squirrel. Skoros," said Shadow. "He thought the seeds had been placed out for him, for the squirrel gods. I assured him that they were."
Arnica laughed, knowing that there was no other answer.
Shadow continued. "In thanks for the seeds the children of Skoros will watch the school. Surely they can be as effective an alarm as any other!"
It was a great story. The Sabbat Eve ritual complete, the seeds planted in the greenhouse pots, the coven sat around the cabin drinking hot tea made from fresh mint picked that afternoon. They were all there. Deodar and Iris were uncertain whether they would be at Beltane. Only the Goddess knew just when the baby would be ready. Gino sat by the fireplace, leaning against the sleeping hatchling as if she were a pile of pillows. The young unicorn and Gino were great friends. Pearl was putting the finishing touches on a large wreath which would be hung on the school doors to welcome guests to the public ritual in the school's courtyard. Her Pictish fingers moved quickly as she sewed forsythia and pussywillow branches into place.
Flying Raven, the science teacher, asked Shadowtail to pronounce the word skoros again. The older woman was fascinated and wanted to learn how to communicate with the squirrels and with other species as well.
"What if you're late," Jewel asked Iris. "Your baby could be born on Dagon's birthday!"
"I hope not," Iris laughed. "I'm ready."
Lotus was showing Deodar a new staff he was carving.
Arnica and Holly were in the kitchen, starting the washing up. They were pleased when their cabin was warmed with their friends. Tomorrow would be another Sabbat morning with the ritual at the school. Working a public ritual every Sabbat for the students and family of the Earthkin's first school was a lot of work. The older men knew that when their friends were gone, they'd be sleeping as sound as Dark Star.
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