The Gisborne Chronicles

CHR6/CH1-Auriel is Missed, and Drought comes to The Farm

True to her word, Glenys, along with her husband, and despite the sometimes arduous task of raising her two children, rallied in support of her Master. She carried out any tasks as to the health of any beast that may require her ministrations, both faithfully and efficiently, whilst engaging him in lively conversation whenever the opportunity arose. In return, he was polite to a fault, but her cheeriness fell on stony ground.

She persisted in her efforts however, believing his sadness would abate somewhat as the days passed. She baked his favourite cheese scones, and helped with the little ones, even minding them on occasion when Aunt Gwyneth appeared weary.

If she did not encounter him about the farm, she fretted and sought him out on some pretence or other, until she discovered his whereabouts.

" You'll not mend him," said Aunt Gwyneth, " he grieves for her presence from dawn to dusk, and I hear him pacing the floor at night. She is so much a part of him that he feels incomplete without her, though he hides it from the children as best he can. God knows how he gets through the day with so little sleep taken. Lord  knows what possessed her to visit distant family so late in the year"

And so the mystery was solved, albeit with a lie. That the lie was not believed was evident in Glenys' demeanour, but no further discussion was encouraged.

Then she told another, firstly to preserve the secret of her magic, and secondly to indirectly reward the willing little woman for the concern she so obviously felt.

" I have considered a sleeping draught in his wine, " she said, "but what with the care of the children and this house, I am unable to find the time to gather the herbs required. It is my firm belief that if he could rest, it might ease the burden he is carrying."

Of course, the inimitable Glenys immediately set about making up the mixture, and was more than pleased to hand it over to Aunt Gwyneth some hours later, saying that she had a ready supply of the ingredients required.

"There is sufficient for three days here Madame, " she said, "it is gentle, but will taste a mite bitter, if the Master still takes a goblet of mead before retiring, it is perhaps best added to that. I can make more as required."

Aunt Gwyneth was profuse in her thanks, and Glenys went back to the cottage, safe in the knowledge that her Master would rest well that night, unaware that Aunt Gwyneth had prepared her own magical potion with which to ensure a good night's sleep for Guy.

Unwilling to waste a perfectly good herbal concoction, however, she decided to administer the two mixtures on alternate nights, to enable her to judge which was more efficacious.

She was thwarted in her efforts on the first evening, when Guy declined the proffered drink, and lay in her bed again whilst he walked the night hours away across the boards of his bedchamber.

On the second night he resumed his usual habit, drained the goblet of mead, retired, and was snoring gently a little while after when Aunt Gwyneth passed his door. She reported to Glenys that her remedy had had the desired effect, though Guy had pronounced a slight headache at breakfast.

"It will pass Madame," she said, " but best not to administer it every night or he will be sluggish at his work and may suspect."

"Pfft!" said aunt Gwyneth, " one out of two nights will have to suffice then, better a little rest than none at all."

"It will come right Madame, " Glenys said, smiling gently, "a body can only do so much before mother nature takes over and makes her own adjustment. I said to him this forenoon, that each day that passes brings the day of the Mistress's return ever closer, and he smiled a little as I said it."