have realized that it was probably me that gave Fearn the blade.”
“But that doesn’t sound like Penny Royal poisoning. We both know what that sounds like – both Aunties have described it often enough – Wolfsbane! Oh Canya!” cried Niav leaping up to hold her. “You must be terrified. It must have been in the drink Estra mixed for you!”
“That, or on the blade – could it have come into contact with it in the herb basket? Maybe it even got into the Penny Royal somehow when I let the basket crash down like that, but I did check everything very carefully. I have been sitting here trying to sort things out in my head.”
“We will have to get you out of here, whatever happened. Is there anything small you feel you have to take away with you? Be quick – they mustn’t suspect you of anything odd.”
“Just my beads and my best shawl.”
“I think they’d wonder about that shawl – it’s so big. Promise we will give you another three times as nice.”
While Canya went to the back of the room to rescue what items of jewellery she couldn’t live without and secreted them away, Niav took a judicious glance into the contents of the herb basket. All Aunty Helygen’s careful little herb jars were correctly sealed – whoever had doctored the Penny Royal with Wolfsbane must have done it deliberately.
Niav delved gently down to the matting at the basket’s base and pulled the rest of the matting up from what was left of its stitching. No root of Wolfsbane snuggling anywhere. But there were two smallish things, neatly wrapped in fine white leather. She unfurled them to reveal some water-stained bits of wood, not unlike large stoppers from a jar. One of them had a bit of string threaded through a piercing near the top.
She held them in her hand for a minute, puzzling over exactly what they might be. Then her heart almost stopped at the realization.
“Ready!” whispered Canya, and Niav frantically pushed the two bits of wood into her scrip.
“I am escorting you out to the midden because I’m a bit worried about you and we will insist that Aunty Grizzel comes too.”
Their obvious urgency convinced Aunty Grizzel that she had to do what they asked. Once outside the hut, Niav took one glance at the sky and she was even surer that what she was doing was right.
They dashed down the hillside to the river, launched the coracle and paddled desperately for the western shore. The sky opened over them as they headed up the bank. Glancing back through the downpour, they could see no sign that anyone from the other bank was looking for them yet.
***
“Would you like to explain?” asked Aunty Grizzel politely as she stoked up the fire and the rain thundered down out in the compound. “Shall we make a nice cup of tea whist we are drying?”
“Not mint tea for Canya, I’m afraid,” said Niav. “Any kind but that!”
“Oh poor Helygen! Let’s hope she never guesses that it must have been her hand that gave Lurgan what killed him,” gasped Grizzel, once the two girls had explained to her what must have happened. “You are right, those wounds that Fearn gave Lurgan should never have endangered his life – I simply could not understand it.”
“How terrible if she were to realize that Estra meant to kill me – Estra is mad and we have left poor Mother with her,” said Canya, starting to cry all over again.
“Yes, Fearn got it right when he said that it could ruin your life if you came in the way of anything that Estra felt she was entitled to,” Niav said. “I wish I knew if he was talking about his life or yours. He didn’t know that you were pregnant – no one knew what had happened between you. He may have felt that it was safest for you if he removed himself from endangering your life before things got really serious.
“But I’m sorry – when it comes to Aunty Helygen, I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that.” Niav delved into her scrip and produced the two mysterious bits of wood. “You might recognize one of these at least,” she said, holding them out to Aunty Grizzel.
When she saw the piece with the leather cord through it, she started to shake. “I bored that hole and threaded it through,” she whispered.
“What is it?” said Canya, mystified.
“I think you will find they