The Wise Women

Part 2: Chapter 10

They'd been travelling all day now and Nesta's backside ached from the sitting. The tree shadows that fell across their path were starting to lengthen and the light was beginning to dim when, in the space of a moment, the atmosphere changed.

Everything around her was suddenly infused with a sparkling, effervescent kind of energy. She felt like a child, waking up with a tingling heart on Winterfest morning. Tarthian legend had it that the Winter Fairies came down on Winterfest Eve and released magical balls of light which bounced around and entered into the heart of every man, woman and child, filling them with joy and peace.

A bright expectancy hung in the air. It was clear the horses felt it too; they sped up from a walk to a trot. Nesta turned to look at Leonia. Her eyes were bright. 'We're nearly there. Can you feel it?' Her eyebrows arched, an excited smile played on her lips. 'They'll be outside waiting for us. I sent a dove this morning.'

The horses rounded the next corner and it was then that Nesta's eager eyes saw it. The trees opened into a large clearing, a few acres wide. At the end of the road ahead of them stood a dozen or so cloaked figures holding lanterns. There was just enough light for Nesta to observe that the cloaks the older women wore were long and twilight blue, while the younger women and teenagers wore shorter green cloaks.

'Acolytes wear green cloaks,' Leonia had told her while they travelled, 'When their training is complete they're inducted into the order in the Cloaking Ceremony. They swear the Wise Women's Oath and the Burned One bestows the blue cloak on them.'

Each of the women wore a welcoming smile, their eyes shining in the lamplight.
Behind them in the clearing stood a series of round wooden huts with conical roofs arranged in concentric circles around a bigger, hexagonal-shaped hut with a taller wood-panelled roof shaped like a six-sided pyramid. Beyond the outer ring of huts were the gardens. In the fading light Nesta could make out pumpkin patches, fruit trees, berry bushes and beds of herbs interspersed with barns, chicken sheds, stables and patches of pasture where horses, cows, sheep and goats grazed languidly.

They came to a halt and several of the blue-cloaked women stepped forward and reached up to help the visitors dismount and unsaddle the horses.

The cats jumped down from the cart as soon as they'd stopped and raced off into the village as if they knew exactly where they were going.

'Well met, sisters!' a deep voice boomed and Nesta turned to see a short, stout, elderly woman with long white hair down to her waist, wrinkled brown skin and sparkling chestnut coloured eyes. She was wearing a pure white cloak and had her arms spread in a welcoming gesture. Nesta knew without being told that this was the Burned One.

'Which of these two is Ada?' the Burned One asked, indicating the two white horses who were now surrounded by a crowd of delighted women, all eager to stroke them or just stand close by in their powerful aura.

'Stand back, sisters,' the Burned One instructed. 'Give them some space.'

As the women withdrew Nesta saw something which made her think she was hallucinating.

The horse closest to her jerked its head back and snorted. Then reared up on its hind legs and, as she watched in astonishment, it started to reduce in size. Its muzzle shrank back into itself, liquid brown eyes drew closer together, lightened and transformed until white surrounded green irises, black pupils at the centre. Pointed ears reshaped themselves into round flesh shells, hair retracted into skin, mane grew longer and twisted itself into a messy blonde plait. The animal's body diminished and changed shape and before she knew it, she was no longer looking at a horse, instead she was looking at Chesterley's very own scatty librarian - Ada.

'Ah, I knew it was that one!' the Burned One clapped her hands together and bounced in the spot.

What Nesta saw next almost convinced her that her eyes were playing tricks on her.

This time, the other horse reared up on its hind legs, whinnied and pawed the air with its front hooves. In the space of a few seconds, a pair of white-feathered wings sprouted on its back and grew outwards, forcing the Wise Women to stumble backwards into each other. The wings kept growing, larger and larger, until their span was as wide as the horse was long. A tiny silver horn spiralled out from between its eyes and a little above. It glinted in the moonlight as it twisted upwards, piercing the air until it was as long as Nesta's forearm.

A unicorn! she blinked in amazement. They really do exist!

With a shake of its head the unicorn brought its front hooves down. The Burned One stepped forward and caressed its mane.

'Thank you for helping us, dear one. Go in peace. Go with our blessings. Goddess protect you.' The unicorn nuzzled her wrinkled face, turned around and galloped back into the dark of the forest.

Nesta watched spellbound as a moment later, a spiral horn pierced the tree line and the unicorn's form rose up, vast wings outspread, hooves treading the air, and soared into the velvet blue sky. The Wise Women stared in hushed awe until all they could see of the unicorn was a black silhouette against an orange full moon.

'Sisters,' the Burned One's sonorous voice broke the spell. 'Margery and Elaine will show you to your huts. I'm sure you'll want to wash in the river after your long journey. We have prepared a feast to welcome you in the dining hall. Join us when the gong sounds.' She bowed to them. Leonia, Theresa and Ada bowed back and Nesta followed suit, her stomach rumbling the mention of a feast. Their lunch of soda bread, cheese and apples seemed like a long time ago.

Two of the green-cloaked acolytes led them down a path between two rows of huts. Nesta jogged to catch up with Ada. Since she'd come to Chesterley, Nesta had been a regular visitor to the library and had got to know the librarian quite well. They'd recommended books to each other and bonded over a shared love of old Quainian poetry.

'Ada!' she grabbed her arm from behind. Ada turned and Nesta saw that the familiar mischievous features were suffused with happiness. Her eyes were half closed, her smile stretched from ear to ear. Joy seemed to be flooding out of her. Nesta couldn't help but feel lifted by it.

'Nesta!' she cried with delight, enveloping her in a hug that nearly knocked her off her feet. 'I'm so happy you're here. I've always known you were one of us. Isn't it great to be home?'

Nesta had a million questions but Ada's mood was so infectious that all she could do was giggle like a child, spread her hands and say,
'You turned into a horse! There . . . there was a unicorn!'

Ada laughed back and took Nesta's arm as they walked. 'So much to tell you, dear!

'I'm a Shifter. I can turn into animals.'

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