‘Count me in too,’ said Jay, swaying on his feet. ‘I can’t stand her. She looks at me all funny with those nasty green cat’s eyes and it gives me the bloody creeps. There’s something weird about her and she’s always hanging about with that half-wit cousin of mine, which ain’t natural. Magpie’s crazy and so’s she. If she needs sorting out I’ll help.’
They raised their tankards to this and downed what was left. As they waited by the barrels for their turn to refill, they noticed Swift across the floor.
‘Hey, Swift! Over here!’
The slim blond youth somehow heard them over the hubbub and made his way towards them. He was in his last year at school and was clever and quick, having grown up with the run of the Hall where his father worked, seeing and hearing a great deal. He was the mastermind behind many pranks and escapades and lads like Sweyn, Gefrin and Jay treated him with respect.
‘Come and have another tankard with us!’ Jay yelled over the noise. Swift looked at the flushed and bleary-eyed trio and smiled his acceptance, but whilst they downed their cider, he merely sipped.
‘We were just drinking to Clip buggering off next year,’ continued Jay, his bright blue eyes bulging just as his father’s had done. Jay was remarkably like Jackdaw; tall and strongly built with well-developed muscles and a bullet-shaped head. He also shared Jackdaw’s brutish disposition and threw a heavy arm around the younger boy’s shoulders.
‘Come on, mate – drink up! We was thinking on how things’d change when Clip’s gone and Yul’s fully in charge.’
‘If he is,’ muttered Swift.
‘What?’ Jay could barely hear him over the noise.
‘I said “if”. Maybe Yul won’t be in charge.’
The three others stared at Swift in confusion. He grinned enigmatically and beckoned them to move away from the bar and into a quieter spot where they sat down on log stools.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Sweyn. ‘Who else’d be in charge?’
‘I don’t know,’ replied Swift. ‘It’s just something I overheard. Not everyone here likes Yul as much as he thinks they do. Sorry, I know he’s your brother.’
‘Half-brother. Yeah, well, I’m not too keen on him myself, to be honest. He’s never done me no favours.’
‘Nor me,’ agreed Gefrin. ‘Too high and mighty and he treats us like fools. I don’t like him at all but don’t tell Mother that. He’s always been her favourite.’
‘What about you, Jay?’
Jay glared belligerently, his eyes dull with alcohol and a sense of injustice.
‘Old Violet and my Aunt Starling and Granny Vetchling, they told me my father died thanks to Yul. Yul were protected by the old crone Mother Heggy and she helped him become magus. It was her crow as pecked my father’s eyes out up on that bloody stone at Mooncliffe and killed him. My dad was only doing what the old Magus told him – he were Magus’ right-hand man, Granny Vetchling said, and it ain’t true what everyone says about him. So no, I don’t like Yul.’
Swift nodded.
‘Yes, I’ve heard that too. So none of you are for Yul then? If there was someone else ready to step in, you’d support him?’
‘Too right! Why, who is it?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Swift. ‘It’s just something I heard. But we’re ready, aren’t we, if the time comes? I don’t like Yul myself – arrogant bastard. Look at Martin, my father – he’s worked hard all his life and he has to kow-tow to Yul and treat him like the master. My father remembers when Yul was just a Village woodsman. He remembers your father, Alwyn, beating the shit out of him, and the old magus too, both of them having a good go. They locked Yul up in a stable and practically killed him, Father said. Yul was nothing then, in fact he had to answer to my father and it’s not right that my father has to take orders from him now.’
‘Is that what Uncle Martin says? I didn’t know he felt like that,’ said Jay.
‘No, he doesn’t,’ said Swift hurriedly. ‘I mean, I’ve never heard him say that directly because he wouldn’t speak out against the magus. He’s very loyal – too bloody loyal. He should think of himself instead of serving others. He’s just as much right to run Stonewylde as they have, after all. But don’t say anything about this, will you? It’s secret, confidential.’