When the light of the morning comes I dress myself, leaving my love to her rest. I find the door to the bedroom and walk out into a low wooden corridor. I notice a window and peer out of it. The view is of green forests and a dirt track snakes away from us towards distant hills. From this elevation I see that I am on the first floor of a building and I follow the smell of a newly lit fire down a flight of stairs. It opens into a warm, homely room where Issa and Ruth are talking to a young woman. Issa holds the woman’s hand in his own and is peering intently at her fingers.
‘Just a minute. Just a minute. Got it!’ He holds his hand up triumphantly. ‘A splinter! A big one!’
‘Let me look.’ The young woman takes it from Issa. ‘Gosh. That was in my finger. No wonder it hurt so much. You have very skilled hands, Issa.’
‘I have been a sailor on wooden ships all my life. I am something of an expert at the removal of splinters, though rarely are they stuck in such pretty fingers.’
‘Kiss it better then,’ she says to him and he blushes, but draws her finger to his lips nevertheless.
‘Good morning, everyone,’ I say to the assembly.
Issa jumps up and embraces me. ‘So you are awake now. We have come far, Weed. Almost to Wales. We are at Hereford in the lovely establishment of fair Chloe.’
‘Fair Chloe? You’ll make me giddy. Is this the young gentleman who came in last night?.’ She speaks in a strange accent. ‘We thought you were half-dead when they had to drag you to your room. It was funny! Did you sleep well then?’
‘I am well rested.’ I confess.
‘I should say!’ She giggles. ‘The whole bloody house was on the point of collapse in the early hours. Such a racket you made. I almost had Issa get out of bed to check we weren’t being attacked.’ She puts her hand over her mouth and looks at my friend, who looks to his feet. ‘Sorry. I wasn’t supposed to say that, was I?’
Issa wraps his arms around Chloe ‘No need to apologise, my bird. I for one most certainly am not sorry. It was a fine choice to spend the night at this inn. Who knows what the nights to come will bring?’
She laughs again and stands on tip toes to kiss Issa on his cheek. ‘So. Who’s for breakfast?’
The voice of Jessica is on the stairwell. ‘Perhaps we should go now that it is light.’ I watch as she steps fully-dressed into the room. ‘Although if I may I would like to wash first.’
‘And I would like some breakfast!’ Declares Issa loudly.
‘Follow me then, my butty girl. There is a well at the back. The water’s mighty cold but it’s clean.’
‘Clean is good and the cold suits me fine.’
‘I dare say it was a hot night all round.’ Jessica follows Chloe out of the front door. Once they are gone I am free to speak with Issa and Ruth in private.
‘So how long was I out then?’
‘Three days this time, Weed. Deeper than before; you hardly moved an inch! Wales is a dozen miles or so west of here. But where do we go then? I was hoping you’d be able to tell us.’
‘I’ve been watching the skies.’ Says Ruth. ‘The most part of the birds continue on their disorganised course. Flying here and there in a strange fashion. Except for the wrens. They are all heading northwest at speed. I do wish everything would go back to normal. It makes me feel peculiar seeing everything topsy turvy.’
‘Malina once said to me that the wrens were important to Druids. I have reason to believe that whatever she’s up to is somehow bound up with them.’
Chloe returns from outside bearing fresh bread, milk and cheese, which Issa and Ruth set to devouring. I remember something from my vision and ask our host: ‘Chloe, do you by any chance know of an island in Wales called Mona?’
‘Mona? It doesn’t sound like a Welsh name at all. Unless, perhaps you mean Ynys Mon over the Menai Strait.’
‘Menai! Yes. That was in my dream.’
‘What a strange gent you are to go chasing after dreams. The Menai Strait is what separates Wales from Anglesey. That’s how you call Ynys Mon in English. It’s a terribly well-known place.’
‘Where is Anglesey, love?’ Says Issa in between mouthfuls of cheese.
‘Anglesey is in the northwest of Wales. You really can’t miss it. I should think it would make a very nice holiday destination if that’s your purpose. Beautiful in summertime. Here, Issa, you’ve got the appetite of a champion. I’ll fetch you some more bread.’
‘Thank you,’ coughs Issa through a slug of milk. ‘So that’s your answer, ay, Weed? To Anglesey is it? Have you much of an idea what we’ll see once we get there? Other than a lot of wrens, I mean.’
‘Malina’s going to be there. I feel sure of it.’ Ruth spits the name.
‘Little one. Don’t you trouble your head about it. I’ll make sure that you’re safe and sound.’ Issa tears off a hunk of bread and shares it with the little girl.
‘Thank you, Issa. Perhaps I should carry this bread around in my pocket, then you’ll be sure to protect me.’
Issa laughs. ‘That’s what I like about you, Ruth. You’re wise beyond your years.’ Chloe re-enters with a fresh loaf. ‘Thank you Chloe. This will serve us for lunch as well!’ Issa wraps the remaining food into a package with his handkerchief. He gets up and goes to our host, kissing her once more on the cheek. ‘It was wonderful to meet you, my dear.’
‘The pleasure is all mine. Be sure to pass this way on your return.’
‘That is a promise.’ Issa puts his hand out to help Ruth up. ‘Shall we be on our way? I expect Sirrah Weed is anxious to drug himself once more.’ Issa holds his hands out in front of him and stumbles to the door like a man in a stupor. Ruth follows him outside smirking foolishly.
A moment later, Jessica re-enters from her wash. Her black curly hair glistens and her face is reddened from the cold water. She approaches me, teasing her freezing hand against the nape of my neck, and laughs when I cry out. ‘There are some things that I miss about London. It’s been a while since I had to share a trough with a horse.’ She comes and joins me on the bench and takes my hand in hers. ‘Weed, I have told you that my people are from Cornwall. Our Cornish language is not so unlike Welsh. That’s why when you dreamt of this Bryn Celli Ddu place, I knew that the bryn part meant hill. But I’ve been thinking about the rest. Bryn Celli Ddu, it sounds like ‘hill of a black hollow’ in our tongue. It does not sound very welcoming.’
I gaze at Jessica for a moment, losing myself in her deep dark eyes. I want to reassure her. ‘I have seen visions of a cairn called Bryn Celli Ddu. And I don’t think it is a dark place. It is rather a prism of light. A lens to focus the sun.’
‘You have told me that you were a lens for the sun yourself at Soutra Aisle and in St James’ Park too. Perhaps it is right that you go there.’
‘Connell told me that I would be that lens again.’
‘Hmmm. Connell, the half-drowned Druid.’ She pulls me up from where I sit and whispers in my ear. ‘Come on then, Weed. I hear we’re going to Anglesey now. To see your ex-girlfriend, a witch who corrupts the very heart of nature. Connell, Malina and poor Hannah. And I thought that I had the market cornered on unfortunate choices when it came to selecting lovers.’