Anthracyda and Andra's Hill

This novella is cozy fantasy slice of life - no sex, violence, great stakes or chosen one.

On the cusp of the English civil war, amid a climate of witch hunts, the remote village of Andras Hill is forced to accept there is a hillside spirit deep in the neighbouring hills. The villagers try to understand the benefits and dangers of having a supernatural neighbor and how that impacts their own relationships within the village. Some struggle more than others to define their relationship with that reality. For a few, it is an Outside Context Problem for their world view. For others, it is Tuesday.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of one or more of the people in the village with the exception of the ballad Song of Anthracyda, reproduced in the Prologue in modern english with chords. The ballad recounts the story of a shepherd meeting the small god (or hillside spirit if you choose) Anthracyda in a blizzard on Winter Solstice, December 21, 1641. It is told again from the shepherd’s point of view in the Shepherd’s Tale in the second chapter of the Prologue.

You can also download it as a pdf here and as an epub here.

Thank you to my sisters Patty and Erin for their interest, reading, editing and research, without whom this would not have been written. Also thanks to my daughter Colleen for her pointers on psychological drivers for some of the characters. Finally, thanks to my wife Shirley for keeping me sane.

Prologue

Song of Anthracyda

The original ballad

Shepherd’s Tale (Duncane Lyfelde) (December 1641)

The shepherd’s version of the story told in the Song of Anthracyda.

Hannah Malison (December 1641 - Spring 1642)

Duncane talks to his girlfriend, Hannah Malison, a fisherman’s daughter, about Anthracyda.

Elspet Malison (Spring 1642)

A short note by Hannah’s mother Elspet.

Main

Broken Blessings (Fiona Rede and Alastair Cullane) (May 1642)

Sometimes couples are a bad pairing.

The Well (Fiona Rede, Sussana Beckworth, Clarice Malison) (May 24, 1642)

Gossip at the well.

The Vicar’s Tale (June 1642)

The vicar attempts to exorcise Anthracyda.

Elspet, Dauy Malison and Cait Rede (June 10, 1642)

Elspet Malison and Cait Rede (Fiona’s mother) discover they share a secret.

The Vicar Returns (July 10-27, 1643)

The Vicar returns to Andras Hill with a secret weapon

The Publican’s Tale (Gilbert Blexham) (July 10-11, 1643)

The Publican’s version of the story told in The Vicar Returns.

Marion Blexham (July 12-23, 1643)

The Innkeeper’s wife, Marion Blexham, plan to meet the ’neighbor’.

Mathilda Potter (July 23, 1643)

Schoolmistress Mathilda Potter’s diary of the events so far.

Marion Blexham (July 25, 1643)

Marion’s version of meeting the ’neighbor’.

Andrew Dericote (July 25, 1643)

Yeoman at the Inn when Marion et all return from meeting the ’neighbor’.

Women’s Meeting (July 25, 1643)

Report out to the rest of the village women.

Mathilda Potter (July 25-28, 1643)

Mathilda Potter’s version of meeting the ’neighbor’ and subsequent solo meeting.

Rachel Dericote (July 27-28, 1643)

Lucy Valcar takes Rachel Dericote and Sarah Gaynesford to meet Anthracyda. Marion and Rachel answer questions and convince the village women to meet Anthracyda.