heard singing coming across from the Village School and Leveret recognised the Samhain songs she’d sung when she was younger. She knew the children would be busy making their papier-mâché crows and skulls ready to hang in the Great Barn in two weeks’ time, and practising their dances and drama to perform to the magus and the rest of the community. Soon each Stonewylder would go down to the beach and choose their handful of white stones ready to mark out the labyrinth on the Green. Leveret loved Samhain and this one should be really special, with the Dark Moon falling as it did on the night of the festival. She was ready to cast her first spell. She smiled to herself at the thought and let Maizie’s scolding pour over her unheeded.
They continued out of the Village and onto the paved track that led to the Hall. The sun had risen higher and now gilded the trees all around them in soft October hues. The air was fresh and pure and Leveret sniffed appreciatively, not hearing any of Maizie’s words. Instead she heard the bright music of blackbirds and the mew of a buzzard overhead, and in the distance the drone of a tractor as the sound of children’s singing receded.
Leveret walked where the fallen leaves were thickest, delighting in the noisy scrunching her feet made amongst the brown, curled leaves, kicking them up to make even more noise. All around her more leaves fell gently from the branches in the slight breeze. She watched in wonder as many of the golden flakes were carried upwards, defying gravity to whirl about overhead. She noticed a jay flying fast through the trees, the distinctive flash of black and white on its rump a contrast to the pink-brown body. A group of magpies screamed and squabbled in the branches, and she thought how inappropriate it was that Magpie was named after such an aggressive and noisy bird. The shy jay would’ve been far more fitting.
‘Stop shuffling in the leaves, Leveret!’ said Maizie sharply. ‘You’ll scuff your boots.’
‘Mother, why don’t you do something to help Magpie?’
‘What? Have you been listening to anything I’ve said? You and Magpie are to stop seeing each other, and—’
‘Jay’s been hurting him again and I can’t bear it.’
She stopped, remembering she mustn’t let on that she’d seen Magpie earlier that morning. Maizie might start wondering where they’d met and it was vital that her visits to Mother Heggy’s cottage remain secret.
‘I’m sorry to hear it, and goddess knows how many times I’ve tried to get them all to show the boy a little more care. But you know as well as I do, Leveret – that family are a law unto themselves.’
‘But they shouldn’t be! Jay shouldn’t get away with hurting poor Magpie and you could stop it.’
‘No I couldn’t. Do you think Old Violet would listen to me?’
‘It’s not his grandmother, it’s Jay. He makes Magpie’s life a misery.’
‘I can’t just march in there and tell Jay off. That’s up to Magpie’s awful mother, Starling. And Magpie’s an adult now, even though he’s so soft in the head. ‘Tis not my place to interfere with what goes on there.’
‘Yes it is, Mother! You’re in charge of Village Welfare, aren’t you? You could say something to the women, even if you don’t want to speak to Jay. Or are you too scared of them?’
‘Don’t be so cheeky! O’ course I’m not scared. ‘Tis just that … well, they do as they wish in that cottage and me going barging in now and telling them how to run their lives would do no good. ‘Twould most likely make things worse, getting ’em all riled up again as it’s done many a time in the past when I’ve tried to put things straight there. You know they’ve never liked me and besides, Magpie’s alright – or as alright as he ever is, being so dirty and simple. The boy is strange and he’s no fit company for you, my girl, as I’ve been telling you for years.’
Leveret kicked angrily at the drifts of leaves, disappointed that as always her mother, the one person in the Village who should intervene, failed to understand what went on in Magpie’s home. She knew her mother was scared of the three women but would never admit it, preferring to turn a blind eye to Magpie’s suffering. She was very good at turning a blind eye to what went on right under her nose,