Marion Blexham

There was still a little bit of arm twisting that went on over the last few days, some by me, some by Rachel, some by Rachel’s husband Andrew. I expect some even went on inside some cottages. By this morning, we had convinced most everyone that it was in their best interest to come. We decided that the hunter Philip Ruderfurd would stay in town just in case of any mischief. He had already met Anthracyda and didn’t have any family to bring up the hill.

As people gathered, Brice Rede pointed out that this was the first time the entire village had been together since the last church service back in June of last year. Today was Saturday. If we were doing this tomorrow, I’m sure some families would have decided to sing hymns as we walked up the hill.

My husband Gil walked from family to family, making sure that everyone had either a water bag or cups to drink from the couple of streams that we would cross. It appeared that everyone had brought food with them, so we wouldn’t have children crying about being hungry. Of course, we’d still have children crying about being tired.

We’d had rain two days ago, but it looked like no rain today. For a moment I wondered whether anyone had told Anthracyda the village was coming today, but then decided that it probably had birds that acted as sentries this side of the Stones.

Hume Valcar and Andrew got everyone’s attention, then led the way to the trace into the hills. With all the comings and going the last three weeks, it was beginning to look more like a trail than a trace, but still required single file much of the way.

Lucy Valcar and I were last in line to ensure no stragglers. We were joined by my eldest daughter Jenefer and Sussana Beckworth, who had been falsely accused of witchcraft last year. My other two children could be relied upon to be wandering back and forth in the line from one family to another. Gil would be keeping track of them.

One could argue that the false accusation was the pebble that started an avalanche, resulting in ousting the Vicar and, eventually, this outing by the whole village. Her parents were somewhere up ahead in the line. If I know her overprotective mother, they would be between us and Laetitia Forgell, the girl who had made the original accusation that the Vicar had taken up. Stupid teenage girls and their fights over boys.

Sussana looked at Lucy and me, “Is it scary to have something in your head?”

“It’s certainly not something that’s ever happened to me before. So it’s surprising but not scary.” I looked at her and smiled. “It can’t be as scary as being accused of witchcraft.”

She replied. “No. I can’t think of anything that is as scary as that was. Well, maybe childbirth. I remember hearing Mrs Rawson screaming in pain and threatening her husband. And she’s the village midwife. That was scary too.”

“Yes, childbirth can be painful. But it’s worth it.” I gave Jenefer a shove on her shoulder.

“Just remember, Mother, you’ll need me to take care of you when you get old.”

I laughed.

We stopped at two different streams on the way up. That provided water for those who only had cups, allowed those with water bags to refill them, and allowed the old and young to take a short rest. Finally, we got to the top crest and started down the other side, then walking through the tall grass meadow to the Stones themselves. Although everyone in the village knew the Stones were here, this was the first time most of them had actually seen them for themselves. Many families, holding children’s hands closely, walked around the circle. No one ventured into the center.

Andrew Dericote was just in the process of telling everyone that they might as well sit down when “Welcome everyone” sounded inside my mind. Again, there was a sense that I could feel colors inside my head as Anthracyda talked. Blueness, greenness, sparkles and just a hint of feeling yellow.

I looked around at all the mouths gaping from my neighbors. A few who had not sat down previously suddenly did so, like they had lost the support of their legs. More than one stammered “Witchcraft”.

I thought, in my mind, back to Anthracyda “Does everyone have this sensation of being able to feel colors?” “No. Some people like you are just more sensitive to this form of communication.”

Andrew was just as startled as everyone else who had not experienced Anthracyda before. It doesn’t matter what you tell someone, until you experience a voice in your head, you are not prepared. However, since he wanted to be the leader the village didn’t have, he decided to speak up.

“You asked us to treat you as a neighbor and requested the village introduce itself to you. Since you are unable to travel to the village, we have brought the village to you, walking the hillsides for hours to get here. I would like to present…”

“There is no need for you to present each family individually.” Anthracyda then said directly to me, “I think it is probably easier and faster for me to talk to everyone individually at the same time. Each person will only hear their own conversation with me.”

I could hear everyone babbling at once, responding to whatever Anthracda was saying to them specifically. As I watched, a few looked like they were starting to talk to Anthracyda by just thinking their response. As more started to do that, the babble lessened, but more than half were still talking aloud. It was strange to hear only one side of a conversation, and even stranger to hear only one side of many conversations.

Jenefer caught on to just speaking in her head quickly, which made me proud. Sussana was a bit slower.

I looked around and spotted Rachel and started walking to her. She had a look of fierce concentration on her face and waved me away. I turned away and decided to find Gil instead.

“Gil, you might want to talk to Andrew about whatever young people here were going to be leaving the village.” The feeling of colors in my mind came back, this time with a sensation of Gilness as well. “Marion, Gil. There are four that expect to leave to seek better fortune. Their remembrance of this day will be a bit different than the rest of the villagers. When they hear villagers talking about this day, they will think that their fellow villagers are talking about fairy tales that were shared on the hill.”

I could hear Gil in my mind responding, “That will make Andrew happy. Have you told him?” at the same time I’m sputtering “What, how?”. “I’m repeating what Gil is saying to me so that you hear it as well. This is not something you can do at home.” Then Anthracyda responded to Gil’s question “I’ve told both him and his wife. They both seem very keen on the topic.” I felt its attention return to me and it said “I’m carrying on forty conversations. But this is easy compared to talking to bee hives. That took me 10 years to learn.” I said, mentally, “I thought you were a god.” There was a mental chuckle. “Small hill god remember. No omniscience or omnipotence. I have to learn just like everything else. I’ve just had 110 million years of practice.”

“What? The earth is only a few thousand years old!” I felt Gil’s shock the same as mine.

“Let’s not worry about that. Just accept I’m older than your village and can do some things you can’t. At the same time, you can do some things I can’t, like move around past these hills.”

I’m not sure I know how to deal with this information. What would Mathilda Potter, our petty school teacher and daughter of a curate, would think about it being 110 million years old.

I was about to ask if Anthracyda was an angel when I realized that angels would be visible and they can move around. So, not an angel. That still left me with the question of how a small hill god can exist for longer than the life of the heavens and earth. Worry about that later.

“Have you met everyone then?”

“Yes. Like every other kind of being, everyone is different. Some are curious, some are frightened, some are angry or tired. Some are focused on wealth, some are just worried about their next meal and sleep. If more of you thought about supporting the village and neighbors, fewer people would be frightened or worried. But most seem to think only about themselves or their immediate family. If fewer people were worried or frightened, there would be fewer fights in your inn. Pity.”

Fewer fights in the inn? Some people do get drunk or angry and start fights. Sometimes people or furniture and crockery get broken. That is just part of the life of an innkeeper. Would life be better with fewer fights? Yes, of course it would. Another thing to think about.

I looked at the sky. More time has passed than I expected. Rachel was staring fixedly at some crows. For some bizarre reason she had fed them bread. Who ever heard of a farmer feeding crows? Gil and I looked for Andrew to see if we could get people moving and start home. He looked like he had reached the same decision. “Everyone. It is time to start home so that we get to the village before nightfall.”

Most people looked bemused. Anthracyda seemed to have somehow reassured the ones crying about witchcraft. Whatever Anthracyda had said to them had not scared them and they had gotten over the shock of something speaking to them inside their heads. Even the children looked quiet. I didn’t hear any crying or complaining all the way down.

Andrew Dericote

“Welcome everyone” I felt my jaw drop as the voice sounded inside my head, and apparently everyone else’s heads as well.

I spoke out loud, for the village, “You asked us to treat you as a neighbor and requested the village introduce itself to you. Since you are unable to travel to the village, we have brought the village to you, walking the hillsides for hours to get here. I would like to present…”

“Thank you for leading everyone up for introductions.”

I tried to remember what Rachel said, that you could just think your response. Since it was already in my head, I decided to try honesty.

“Believe me I would rather have let things continue as they had been. We leave you alone, you leave us alone. That worked for hundreds of years.”

“Since we’re being honest with each other, that worked until the Vicar decided to try to demonstrate his power and authority and publicly failed. Now he’s gone, you can’t ignore the fact that I exist, the village is leaderless, and you are stepping up to the responsibility.”

“The Vicar was only the leader in church matters. I’ve always been the leader in other matters. Well, leader of the village council, which makes me the leader.”

“Ah, the village council composed of the five landowners.”

“Yes.”

“Most of the village rents their land from the Bishop. How does the council get its authority?”

“The Bishop is not here. We represent the village to the Bishop and, to the extent he does not act, it is only right for the landowners to lead.”

“Why does landownership make a difference in who should lead? Tell me, which person is more worthy of respect and honor - one who people want to follow because of their actions, leads by example and who demonstrates their care of their followers or one who has a more handsome face?”

“Obviously the one who leads by example. A handsome face is worth nothing.”

“Why is wealth different from a handsome face?”

“God bestows wealth on those he favors.”

“But gives handsome faces to those it does not? You inherited the land from your father. Why should god favor your lineage? What do you do to keep god’s favor? Or is there a divine right of landownership as there is a claimed divine right of kings?”

“I can see in your mind that you have a hope that the village can become obscured from the Bishop’s taxes and rent because of the death of the Vicar and current events. That would lead to the benefit of everyone in the village. Landowners and tenants alike. That is what makes you worthy of being followed. Continue to demonstrate that the entire village benefits, not just you, and they will always follow you.”

“I have made your task slightly easier. There are four young people that expect to leave to seek better fortune. Their remembrance of this day will be a bit different than the rest of the villagers. When they hear villagers talking about this day, they will just think that their fellow villagers are talking about fairy tales that were shared on the hill.”

That was helpful. I did not know who would be leaving the village in search of jobs. My wife had pointed out the danger that they would talk of the hillside spirit and draw attention to the village. It would not do to get the attention of the witch hunters who seem to be infesting Northumbria.

“Thank you. Are you talking to everyone at the same time?”

“Yes. One of the benefits of being what I am.”

“And what is that?”

“Titles don’t matter to me. Call me a small hillside god or spirit if you like. I’m not an oracle or omniscient or omnipotent. I’m not looking for your worship or adoration. You need not worry about angering your god in that respect.”

“Let me know when you have introduced yourself to everyone and I’ll lead them off your hillside.”

There was a smile in my mind, “So we can go back to ’you won’t bother me and I won’t bother you’.”

“Exactly.”

Rachel Dericote

“Welcome everyone.” At least I was prepared for the internal voice this time. Focus on the goal. Find who is leaving the village and get the spirit, sorry, Anthracyda, to cloud their memories about it.

“As you requested, Marion and I have convinced everyone to come and meet you. I’m not sure of all the young people who will be leaving. Since you are looking into everyone’s minds, can you do that?”

“Yes. There are four.”

“Hmm. I expected two or three. Thank you. Are your feathered friends here today? I brought more bread.”

“They can be here shortly.”

I focused on feeding crows. After about 10 minutes, two descended from the sky and landed on one of the stones. I sat down and ripped two pieces of bread off a loaf I was carrying and raised it in my hand. They glided down and landed right in front of me. I solemnly handed one piece of bread to one and the second to the other. They bobbed their heads and flew back to the top of the stones.

“Do they have names?”

“Nothing that you can pronounce.”

“We, all of us, appreciate your assistance in reducing the chances of bringing witch finders down on us.”

“Or tax collectors. I do know what you’re doing. At the end of the day, everyone in the village is better off if your plan works. Even my feathered friends here. If your plan just aided you and your husband, we would be having a different conversation.”

The feeling of being watched disappeared. I really don’t like something that can read my mind, so I just watched the crows intently until Andrew called for everyone to pack up and get ready to leave.

I joined Andrew and Hume Valcar at the head of the line. As we cleared the final crest and headed down to the village, I told Andrew “That is the last time I’m going back there. Use Marion instead.”

Andrew looked at me, surprised, “Why?”

“I hate having something in my head!”

Valcar asked, “Because you hate having something in your head or because it knows if you’re lying?”

I huffed, “How dare you!” and turned away, continuing into the village and towards home.

Henry Dericote

Most of the village has walked into the hills for this stupid ’Meet the Neighbor’ idea of my parents. An invisible something is supposed to talk inside our heads once we get up to the Standing Stones. I expect something, because too many men have said they talked to it, but if it can’t help with the planting and harvesting, I really don’t care.

“Hello.”

And here it is. “So. I’m here, you’re here. Impress me.”

“Why should I impress you? Is that something you typically demand of neighbors?”

“You wanted to meet. I have a lot of work to do. What about you makes it worth my while to walk all the way out here? Either impress me or I’m leaving.”

There was a chuckle in my mind. “Ah, the impatience of youth. We could discuss crop rotation. Or you could take a step down.”

“How can I take a step down? I’m already on the ground!”

“Are you?”

I looked at my feet. They were solidly planted a foot above the ground, but still below the height of the meadow’s tall grass. How did that happen? I gingerly reached out and down with my right foot and yes, I reached down to the ground. I stepped down with my left as well.

“You’re in my mind. You could just make me believe I was standing in the air.”

“True. Or you could have been standing in the air. A conjurer’s trick.”

“Illusions are not worth my time.”

“As I said, we could talk about crop rotation.”

“We already use the best three crop rotation. A hillside spirit would not understand the best ways of farming.”

“Suit yourself. We’ve now met. You have fulfilled your parents’ request.”

Geoffrey Gaynesford

I’m in the camp of ’We leave it alone and it leaves us alone’ but Rachel Dericote has a point. The Vicar’s failed attempts to exorcise whatever the spirit is alerted the entire village that something is here. Young people leave the village every year and, if they talk, it could bring witch finders down on the village. Even if Andrew Dericote’s idea of trying to hide the village from the Bishop’s tithe and rent takers doesn’t come to fruition, witchfinder attention would never be good. Rachel thinks the spirit could cast some sort of spell on those who would leave, so they do not remember or think it’s a fairy tale or something like that. If it works, good. But if it doesn’t work, the entire village could be hung for witchcraft. Damn the Vicar.

My wife Sarah and the children accompanied me on the village walk into the hills. The children visit with their friends in the line and that distracts them from complaining about the long walk. I’ve never actually been up here, so seeing the massive stones in the far meadow just over a crest was a little impressive. I have no idea how the pagans would have gotten the stones up here. We found a comfortable place to sit and started unpacking our luncheon.

“Hello.”

Everyone was looking around frantically, but as we had been warned, there was nothing to see.

My wife said, “It is good to meet you, neighbor.” I tried to think the same thought in my mind.

“Welcome to the beginning of my hillside.”

“Is it true that this is as close as you can come to the village?”

“As close as I can come, yes.”

The thought flickered in my mind about Sarah telling me about Lucy Valcar’s comment to Rachel about Anthracyda being able to throw things long distances. I felt rather than heard a snicker. “Can you do that?”

“Yes. But we can talk of more useful things.”

Much to my surprise, the conversation evolved into a long discussion on crop rotation and planting turnips and clover instead of letting a field be fallow for a year or two. If that worked, it would be even better than Andrew’s hope of being forgotten. It would be an advantage compared to other farmers, both inside and outside the village. I’ll not commit all my land to this idea, but try it for half and see the results. There might be other fruitful discussions with this Anthracyda in the future.

I could hear my wife talking out loud to Anthracyda saying something about love, handfasting and abuse. I quickly racked my brain about anything I had said or done to her. “No, she is not talking about you. Others in the village.” Ah. Good. That sounds like a woman’s conversation I do not want to be part of.

I turned over the different points we had discussed about crops in my mind until everyone decided it was time to leave.

Mathilda Potter

Six days ago, Anthracyda had asked me what a human is and I couldn’t say. I was taught humans are different from animals and had authority over animals. But that is a distinction. It doesn’t say what we are. Anthracyda is clearly not an animal, but just as clearly doesn’t fit into the bible anywhere. Unless, maybe it is a demon playing a very subtle game? But they are not known in the bible for their subtlety. What do I tell the children at school when they ask what Anthracyda is?

“You can just tell them I’m a hillside spirit and leave it at that. Right now they’re more interested in whether I can teach them how to talk mind to mind because they want to talk without an adult listening in. They’re disappointed that they can’t.”

“So you are talking to the children right now?”

“Yes. I’m calming the frightened, telling stories about rabbits to the very young, and suggesting to the curious that they ask you questions and see what you have to say.”

“What kinds of questions are they asking?”

“Can I make the stones dance? Am I a ghost? Where did I come from? Do I know everything? What is a demon? The questions of children are endless and can keep you occupied for the rest of your life.”

“So what are the answers to those questions?”

“I can make the stones move around, but they are not bendable, so it doesn’t look graceful like a dance. I’m not a ghost because I’m not the spirit of someone who was alive and has died. My bible says that I came from the EverChangingIs, but your bible doesn’t mention me at all. No, I don’t know everything. Finally, I have no idea what a demon is.”

“I don’t have an answer to your question about what is a human. We are created by God to be above animals, but that doesn’t tell me ‘what’ we are.”

“The hawk that flies in the sky is ’above’ you.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it. I mean we are superior to animals and birds and fish. We are more important and have authority over them.”

I could feel Anthracyda laughing at me.

“Does the hawk know you have authority over it?”

“Lords catch hawks and use them to hunt, so that shows humans have authority over them.”

“Almost all the villagers are within my reach right now. I could prevent you from going home. Does that give me authority over you? No. That would be a ’Might makes Right’ sort of thinking. Mathilda, you can do better than that sloppy thinking.”

The tone was gentle, not angry. I felt like I was a child and had just disappointed my father at my studies.

“I have the Bible and the philosophers. What else do I have?”

“You have your own mind. Don’t just accept what others have told you.”

“But the Bible is the word of God.”

“I have my bible. You have yours. They say different things. That is not to say that mine is right and yours is wrong, or yours is right and mine is wrong. Do you explain something to a small child the way you explain something to an adult? No. Do you read a book the same way as a child and as an adult? Again No. You think too little of your god if you believe it meant for your bible to be understood only in a childishly simple way.”

“Come back later when you think you have a better answer on what is a human. Also think about what it means to be human. Those are not the same questions.”

Yes, Hamlet was right when Shakespeare had him say “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” I can’t place Anthracyda in the Bible. I don’t know how to explain it.

Laetitia Forgell

My parents told me that I had to go on the walk into the hills with the entire village. Everyone still looks at me with suspicion. Someone even threw a rock at me last month. I don’t care. I’m leaving next week to go to Kendal where I’m to assist the upstairs maid in a large home. I suppose I can now say that I’ve actually been to the Stones, but people just told children’s stories about what they had heard from their parents; the Stones are empty, the Stones had a demon once, the Stones were a pathway to the Queen of the Fairies Court. Then we went home. A very long walk for nothing. I can’t wait to leave.

Fiona Rede

Before the Vicar decided his foolish attempt to exorcise Anthracyda last year, only a few villagers knew of it. My parents were two of them. After the Vicar’s stupidity, the entire village knew of it, but very few had actually met it. Again, my parents were two of them. Not that I had ever been told. They did tell make believe stories about an invisible dancing master that would teach the Standing Stones to dance, but that’s all they were - make believe stories for children. I didn’t get the normal village stories told to children about blood sacrifices. That should have told me something.

I was introduced to Anthracyda earlier last year when a man twice my age thought I would make an appropriate wife. My parents thought a six-hour walk in the hills would ensure that by the end of the day we would both hate each other and that Anthracyda would introduce itself to me. They were successful on both counts.

After the Vicar’s second failed attempt to exorcise Anthracyda, the entire village decided to publicly agree to be peaceful neighbors and went up into the hills en masse to meet it. So here we are. Anthracyda, whatever it is, somehow has private conversations with everyone at once. I decided to ask about the original stories my parents told me.

“Do you actually teach the stones to dance?”

“No. I can move them around so they seem like they are dancing, but they are not ’alive’ to teach.”

“That makes sense. What about music? What tunes are played while you make them dance?”

Anthracyda chuckled in my mind. “There are bird songs, or I can think of music in my mind. A long time ago, as you count the years, there was another village closer to here. They would come and dance in the meadow. Sometimes I hear shepherds playing in the hills, but I do not know what you would dance to or even how you would dance in your village.”

I suddenly had a thought. “No one has ever heard the music the pagans used to play or dance to. Could you make it so I heard some of their music in my mind?”

“Yes.”

I spent the rest of the time on the hill listening to my own private concert as Anthracyda played strange dance music that only I could hear. It was wonderful.

Sussana Beckworth

I was talking with Jenefer Blexham at the Inn and lost track of my parents in the gathering. I finally saw them well ahead in the single file line going through the bushes and up the hillside, so decided to stay with Jenefer, her mother and Lucy Valcar. Lucy is a hunter, married to a hunter, brother of another hunter and also is the butcher for game. I don’t think anyone would cross her. She would just stand there and look at you, unblinking, and you would find yourself slowing backing away. I wish I could be as brave as she is.

Jenefer’s mother is the wife of the Innkeeper. She can deal with the drunks almost as easily as her husband can, but she also can listen to your problems, at least if it isn’t busy in the inn. Jenefer as well.

I wish I could be as brave as all of them.

I brought a cup, so I got drinks of water from the two streams we passed on the way up. They said it would take three hours, but it seemed longer. I was tired when we got to the top. There, down a little ways and off to the left, in a meadow of tall grass, flowers, bees and butterflies, were the Standing Stones. I knew they were there, of course, but this was the first time I had actually seen them. Everyone started across the meadow and I found myself looking at the variety of flowers, more than I would have expected in a single meadow. Other than looking at them, I left the bees and butterflies to their business and they ignored me.

We finally got up to the Stones and people started settling down in the grass and unpacking the food they had brought. I found my parents and sisters and joined them. We had just finished eating and were wondering what would happen next when “Welcome everyone” sounded in my head. I think I shrieked. All around me was stammers and yells, gasps and gulps.

“No need to be frightened.”

My heart was racing. “Uh. Hello.” I stammered.

“Just think what you want to say. It will be quieter that way.”

“Umm.”

“You looked at the flowers in the meadow.”

“Yes. I’ve never seen so many different types in one place.”

“Did you think about why they normally don’t grow together?”

“Well. I saw some that I see only in the woods and others that I’ve only seen next to streams.”

“Yet here you see them out in the open meadow.”

“Yes. How does that happen?”

“Because I want it to. I care and cajole them into being successful here.”

“So you’re like a gardener? Of flowers?”

There was a feeling of a smile in my head that somehow made me more relaxed. “Yes, you could say that.”

“Can I do that?”

“Not the same way I do it, but yes, you can learn what plants and flowers need. Some need more sun, some less. Others need different types of dirt. Some need more water or less water. Others want to be near specific other types of plants or animals. You need to keep your eyes open and look for all the differences you can think of between one place and another. It’s the same for crops and trees as well. You can talk to farmers about how they know what crops to plant where.”

“What about people and animals? Is it the same with them?”

“Maybe. It’s not as obvious as dirt, water and sunlight. And I don’t see people in different surroundings, only when they come up here. So that you would have to discover for yourself.”

“How do you read our minds?”

“You know how you make sound when you speak?”

“Yes”

“Inside your body, you create little sparkles When you think, even as little as just deciding to move your finger. I can sense the sparkles and have learned to read them.”

“Do animals have the same sparkles?”

“Yes.”

I found myself distracted, watching a ladybug climb a stalk of grass, reach the top, then fly away. This was a nice meadow. I wondered what kind of sparkles Anthracyda saw in the ladybug.

I was a little startled when my father touched me on the shoulder and said it was time to go. Everyone around was brushing themselves off, picking up children or packs or water bags. As we started back out of the meadow then onto the track leading back to the village, I started wondering about whether I could come up here again. Not if Laetitia Forgell was around. But Jenefer had said Laetitia’s parents were hinting that she was being sent south to Kendal. Maybe after that.

High above, a black crow sailed.

Next - Marion, Cait and Sarah Talk About Courtship Advice (August 3, 1643)

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