The Gisborne Chronicles

CHR12/CH2 - The Plague Comes to Wales Part One

It was decided that when their children returned from their lessons that day, it would be unwise to allow them to continue, until the sickness, whatever it might be, had run it's course.

In the days that followed, though glad to have her family safe about her, Auriel began to dread each new dawn. In a much crowded house, the relief of sending five of her eight children off each morning for several hours had felt like a blessing.

But now their multiple presence, together with such restrictions as Guy could reasonably enforce, tried her patience.

As they all lived cheek by jowl, the children, unable to be at their play, either outside in the yard, or the surrounding farm buildings, because of driving rain, it became apparent that some diversion or other would be required, and Edmund stepped up with a plan.

"A Treasure Hunt!" he exclaimed, " as a boy I often took part in such things. It will need thinking on, and some treasure or other will be required as reward for their efforts, but it will pass a few hours, and I will attempt to insert learning of some kind or another in the game."

The next two days were a flurry of activity, Edmund was often to be found surrounded by parchments, some covered with his distinctive script, and some empty waiting to be filled.

Aunt Gwyneth busied herself with finding suitable 'treasure', with Gethin and Ewan tasked to hide it wherever the written cryptic notes might lead.

This was dependant on Edmund revealing to them the meaning of such 'directions' because neither of the two farmhands had received much schooling, and were almost illiterate.

The sons of a long time widow, their education had never been their mother's first concern. Two strapping lads required much feeding, and there had never been coin to spare for such things as schooling.

The day of the Treasure hunt was fast approaching when word came  from a neighbour, standing at a fair distance from the farm gate. The news was dire, and brought even more dread and fear to the family.

" Almost five hundred dead in Llanlivet," the man shouted, "our boy sent word via some travelling folk, who left a written message from him at our door. That was five days since, so God knows how those poor folks are faring now. It seems there is no cure to be had, it is relentless."

" Whole families wiped out they say, and bodies piled high and rotting in the streets."

Guy attempted to speak to the man further, but he was eager for his bed, and was soon out of sight.

Supper was a sorry affair, well prepared  as always, but none at the table had an appetite for it, save the children, who were unaware of the tragedy occurring a scant seven miles from the farm.

The first sign of danger was heralded by Gethin, who spied strangers on the road toward the farm. He was settled in a tall oak, the better to see all around, and raise the alarm. His shouts were heard in the farmhouse, and Guy ran to see what was afoot.

He now carried his sword about him always, and had done so since  word had first come, word of what was now termed the Plague by any who spoke of it.

No one knew precisely what the sickness was, or what form it took, but the title seemed appropriate given the numbers of the dead and dying.

As he came close to the gate, Guy could see that the group approaching the farm were likely a family, there being both adults and children in their number.

They were filthy, much travel worn, and seemed to have no sense of where they were. Guy shouted that they must not approach further, and they halted in their tracks, seemingly mystified at his words.