INTO THE PAST

When they were sure that Pycroft had gone everyone spoke at once and continued chatting until Elan shook her chestnut fur and shapeshifted back.

‘That’s better,’ she said as she stretched her arms and legs. It’s almost midnight. Shall we go over to the hole and wait for the Spriggans?’

They didn’t have to wait long for no sooner had they rounded the corner than the first head poked out of the hole, followed by another and another until twelve Spriggans almost filled the kitchen garden.

‘The Bogie returned your property?’ Chief Knuckle asked as he bowed low.

‘I have it back,’ confirmed Nora. ‘Would you like to shrink Grub down to size?’

The Spriggans shuffled over to Grub who was sleeping soundly. They made a circle around him and started joining hands. Once the last pair were clasped together a series of small explosions began from inside the ivy that surrounded Grub. He woke with a cry and struggled to free himself from the tangle of leaves. He began to shrink rapidly. Whiff threw him the end piece of their rope and he tied it securely around his waist.

‘Please accepts my sincere apologies,’ the Chief said as he bowed again. ‘I hopes this is an end to the matter.’

‘It will be when you’ve left my garden and backfilled the hole,’ Nora replied.

‘Before we goes, you haven’t seen a Dragonette anywhere have you? One of my bands seems to have lost one and they thoughts it might have been in your garden.’

‘We’ve only got ravens, bats and a goose at the moment. I expect your Dragonette went back to its roost. Have you any idea where that might be?

The Chief shook his head, ‘Sadly no,’ he replied before shouting to three Spriggans who stood near the hole. ‘Digging party, makes good.’

It was impressive how quickly they all disappeared through the hole. Earth from inside the tunnel appeared and when Elan pushed the turf back into place it was hard to tell anything had ever disturbed the ground.

‘We’d better all get off to bed now,’ said Nora. ‘You two have an important flight tomorrow.’

‘I wonder where Peabody is?’ Elan said as they made their way back to the kitchen.

‘Here,’ a small frightened voice replied from the shadow of the house.

‘Step forward where I can see you,’ Nora commanded.

Peabody stepped into the light from the kitchen. He had a scarf wrapped around his face to hide the shame of his shrunken nose. His knees began to knock loudly. Everyone stared at him.

‘He wouldn’t listen to me,’ he sobbed. ‘Pycroft never listens to me, always thinks he knows best, said he was keeping the acorn for good and no one would ever find out where he was going to hole up. Even I couldn’t find him or I would have come and told you, and now it’s too late.’

Peabody began to sob even louder when he saw Nora raise her wand slightly.

‘I’m sorry. I couldn’t find him. I came in through the tunnel but now that’s gone I’m trapped. I can’t get out of your garden.’

Nora held her wand high and pointed it down at Peabody’s nose. His teeth began to chatter and tears soaked into his scarf.

‘You’ll be glad to know we found your brother and I now have my golden acorn back. I think we’ve both been misused,’ she said kindly. ‘You shall have your nose restored.’

A green light flashed from the end of Nora’s wand. There was a crackle and Peabody squealed excitedly as his scarf began to stretch. He quickly unwound it.

‘My nose, my nose, my distinguished wonderful nose,’ he cried as he jumped up and down. ‘Oh thank you great Seanchai, thank you. I’m forever in your debt. If there’s ever anything I can do, you only need ask.’

‘I think I’d like you to leave my garden,’ Nora told him as she pointed her wand at Peabody’s feet and raised him into the air. When he was level with her face he began thanking her again.

‘Oh great Seanchai, oh Mighty One, thank you, thank you.’

They could still hear his voice in the distance after Nora had transported him to the other side of the hedge.

‘What will happen if Pycroft finds out Peabody’s got his nose back?’ Jack asked.

‘Unless Pycroft wants a pig’s snout for a nose for the rest of his life he’s going to have to start treating Peabody better, and everyone else he comes into contact with for that matter,’ replied Nora.

There was a grunting sound. Everyone turned to where the noise had come from.

‘Camelin!’ Nora chided, but Jack could see she was trying not to laugh.

Jack flew back to the loft with Camelin and transformed.

‘Are you worried about tomorrow night?’ Camelin asked Jack again before he left the loft.

‘A bit but I feel a lot better now Nora’s got the golden acorn back.’

‘Are we still going to watch that cricket match you wanted to see tomorrow afternoon? There’ll be lots of sandwiches.’

‘We are, but we’re not going to steal anything. Besides they’ll be watching out for you.’

Jack could hear Camelin grumbling to himself as he left the loft. When he finally got into bed he couldn’t sleep. This time tomorrow he might still be in the past searching for the lost plates. He had to succeed, but what then? Once the cauldron was restored Nora would reopen the portal. Would he be left on his own again? Would he ever see any of his friends once they went back into Annwn? It would be painful to say goodbye. It would be worse if he failed. He’d never had this kind of responsibility before. He was afraid but he’d keep his promise. He’d do his best.

It was late when Jack woke the next morning. The sun was already streaming in through the curtains. He listened but couldn’t hear anyone else moving about in the house.

He found everyone, apart from Camelin, sitting in the garden.

‘Breakfast?’ asked Nora.

‘I’m not very hungry. I’ll wait for Camelin.’

‘Are you OK?’ Elan asked.

Jack nodded even though he didn’t feel too good. His stomach was churning.

‘Is it all right if Camelin and I fly over to the Cricket Club this afternoon? There’s a match I’d like to watch unless you need us for anything else.’

‘I don’t think there’s anything else we can do now. Everything’s ready; we just need to wait until sunset.’

Jack had a long wait for Camelin. When he finally appeared he looked as if he’d had a sleepless night too.

Later that afternoon Jack and Camelin flew over to the pavilion. They found a good perch which gave them a grandstand view of the whole pitch. Jack explained the game but Camelin seemed distracted.

‘Is there anything you want to talk about before we go into the past?’ Jack asked.

‘Not really. I’m not looking forward to going back to when it all happened. You know, my bash on the head. I don’t think I’m going to be able to watch what the soldiers did to me.’

‘I’ll watch,’ said Jack with more confidence than he felt. ‘We’ll find out what happened and get those plates back in no time.’

‘Thanks,’ Camelin replied. ‘You know, I didn’t think you were going to be any use at first but I’m glad you’re The One. You just didn’t seem to fit the prophecy but I realise now you don’t have to be big and tough to be strong and brave.’

Jack smiled. He didn’t tell Camelin how rude he’d thought he was when they’d first met.

‘Do you know what this prophecy says? I tried asking the Book of Shadows but it didn’t give me an answer.’

‘It’s written around the bottom of Jennet’s well but it’s so overgrown now I doubt anyone could read it.’

‘What does it say?’

Camelin coughed and puffed out his feathers.

‘A Brenin boy you need to find

Born at Samhain of Humankind.

The One you seek is brave and strong

And his true heart can do no wrong.

The Golden Acorn he will see

And listen to the Dryad’s plea.

Underneath Glasruhen Hill

He’ll make a promise he’ll fulfil.

When all is equal, all the same,

That which was lost is found again.’

‘That’s me?’

‘Hope so.’

‘I understand most of it but what does the bit about all being equal and the same mean?’

‘That’s the ritual tonight. You know, Nora and Elan, you and me. It’s the only way to get through the window in time. Everything has to be the same.’

‘So now we’ve got all that right, the prophecy says we’re going to find the lost cauldron plates. It means everything’s going to be OK.’

‘As long as we get them into water once we’ve found them, don’t get caught and get safely back through the window in time, then everything will be OK.’

Jack realised he hadn’t even considered what might happen after they’d found the cauldron plates. Camelin started shuffling from foot to foot.

‘Can we go now? Only if I’m not allowed to have a sandwich I’d rather go back and have a little snack out of my basket. Anyway, I’ve got a surprise for you in the loft.’

Jack had also lost interest in the game; he’d other more important things on his mind. They raced back to Camelin’s loft and Jack transformed. He sat down on the beanbag after removing the empty doughnut bag and waited expectantly.

‘I’ve been practicing,’ Camelin croaked as he hunted through a pile of rubbish. He picked out a worn leaflet and put it at his feet in the centre of the loft. He looked as if he was under a spotlight as sunlight streamed in through the window and illuminated his feathers.

Jack could see it was the takeaway menu from the Chinese restaurant. Camelin coughed twice before he began.

‘I’m not going to read it all, just my favourites,’ he explained. ‘Special Chop Suey, Mushroom Omelette, Sweet and Sour Pork Balls, Pancake Roll and…’

‘You’re making me hungry,’ cried Jack.

‘But what about my reading?’

‘Brilliant, you’re a natural.’

Jack gave Camelin a clap and congratulated him again.

‘I’m impressed.’

‘Do you think Nora will be?’

‘Of course she will, but we might have to find something else for you to read from. It might be a bit difficult to explain how you’ve got a liking for Chinese food!’

‘It makes me hungry too.’

‘Everything makes you hungry!’ laughed Jack.

They heard Nora calling them.

Camelin was already perched on the back of the chair by the time Jack arrived in the kitchen. His eyes were as wide as saucers. On the table Jack could see all Camelin’s favourite foods, at least the ones Nora knew about. It was a very special meal. Everyone had been invited. Motley and Orin sat at the end of the table on their upturned beakers surrounded by the rest of the Night Guard. Timmery was on Nora’s shoulder and Charkle on Elan’s. Even Gerda waddled in and settled down to watch them eat.

‘Just for tonight,’ Nora told Jack and Camelin, ‘you can eat as much as you like. You’ve both got quite a journey before you.’

When everyone had eaten their fill Elan stepped out onto the patio.

‘The light’s fading. Time to go.’

Nora took the golden acorn between her finger and thumb and held it up high so they could all see it.

‘This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, thanks to Jack.’

Everyone cheered and wished them well. Jack stroked Orin and told her he wouldn’t be gone long, at least he hoped he wouldn’t. On his way up to the loft he took his wand back to his room and put it safely in the spine of his Book of Shadows. He sighed. He felt quite nervous. He had to succeed. This was their only chance.

‘Ready?’ Camelin asked when he was in the loft.

‘Ready,’ Jack replied.

They transformed and made their way to the top of Glasruhen Hill to wait for Nora and Elan to join them.

‘I want you to promise me you’ll come straight back through the window in time if you’re in any danger,’ Nora said to them both once they were all together again at the summit.

‘We’ll stay out of trouble,’ Jack replied.

‘Be careful,’ added Elan.

‘We will,’ Jack and Camelin said together.

Nora patted them both on the head and Elan stroked their sleek, black feathers. They all watched as Nora carefully placed the golden acorn on a bare rock in the exact centre of the hill fort before nodding and taking a deep breath. They took up their positions in the middle of each gateway directly opposite each other, Nora and Camelin at one end, Elan and Jack at the other. They watched and waited as the sun began to sink slowly below the horizon. When the sun had almost disappeared Nora and Elan began the ritual. They recited words Jack didn’t understand, words they’d been waiting to say for such a long time, words to send Jack and Camelin back to the right moment in time. Jack listened to Elan; he could hear Nora’s voice in the distance. Both began quietly, almost whispering, but growing louder and louder as the sun sank lower. The golden acorn began to glow brighter and brighter. When the sun disappeared golden rays of light spread upwards from the ground. Jack could see a shimmer in the sky overhead as the light from the acorn illuminated the thin veil of the window.

It was time to fly. Jack and Camelin took off from the ground, as they’d practised time and time before. They built up speed and rose into the air until at last they were an equal distance from the ground, high above the mid-point. Jack felt the air rushing past his head as he twisted his body; they flew towards each other at speed. In the split second before they flew past each other they pulled their wings in tightly to their bodies. Jack felt the warmth from the golden light of the acorn. He heard Nora calling to them.

‘Take care. Come back safe.’

Then everything went dark. There was a loud crack as they flew into the past.

It was difficult for Jack to reduce his speed. He’d been too busy concentrating on several things at the same time and hadn’t given much thought to what would happen once they’d passed through the window. He finally slowed and turned, then made his way back towards the centre of Glasruhen Hill, dropping in height as he searched the sky for Camelin. He knew they’d made it. Nora and Elan were nowhere to be seen and the top of Glasruhen was no longer deserted. Jack could see fires burning in the distance. The smell of wood smoke also came from various buildings, which were scattered around the summit. Instead of the usual bracing fresh air he so enjoyed every time he’d climbed to the top of the hill, the more unpleasant hint of a farmyard hung heavy in the atmosphere. The acrid smell of burning reminded him of Bonfire Night, only it was the wrong time of the year.

He saw a suitable tree for landing and swooped down. Once he was settled on a branch he looked closer at the scene below. Round houses of various heights and sizes were scattered over the hilltop. Lower down at ground level were more of the same. Apart from areas of dense forest the rest of the landscape, as far as he could see in the moonlight, was very similar to the one they’d just come from. The people who lived here were obviously farmers; fences and small fields surrounded each building.

‘Are you all right?’ Camelin enquired as he landed next to Jack.

‘I think so,’ he replied hesitantly as he adjusted to the different sights, sounds and smells. ‘Is this right? Did we come through at the right time?’

‘We did. Can you see the flames in the distance?’

‘Yes. Is that one of the sacred groves the Romans burnt?’

Camelin took a deep breath. There was sadness in his voice as he began to explain everything he could remember about the fire.

‘Only one of many they burnt to the ground. I collected the second cauldron plate from the grove you can see burning in the distance, then I made my way back to the sacred grove where Gwillam was waiting, just over there.’

Camelin nodded towards a dense area of forest beyond where Jack’s house should have been.

‘All these oak trees will be gone by tomorrow night,’ he sighed. ‘When the Roman soldier attacked me and left me for dead they torched Gwillam’s grove too. Nora rescued me from the flames. The trees were traumatised by the fire. There was nothing Nora could do to save them.’

‘Didn’t the people try to stop the Romans from killing Gwillam?’

‘I found out later he’d chosen to stay in the Grove and face the Romans alone instead of putting anyone in the village in danger. Word spread fast that the Romans were only after the Druids; they didn’t damage any of the farms. Gwillam rejected the idea of hiding. Not all Celts liked fighting and the Cornovii, who’d settled here, were a peaceful tribe, mainly farmers and craftsmen. The Romans left them alone as long as they didn’t cause any trouble and paid their taxes. The fortress, not far from here at Viroconium, got most of its supplies from the farmers in this area.’

It was unusual for Camelin to offer so much information; whilst he was in a talkative mood Jack wanted to make the most of it.

‘Were you born into the Cornovii tribe?’

‘Oh no, my people were here long before the Celts. The original people of this area were tall with dark hair, like Nora. Long before the first invaders arrived Glasruhen Hill was a place of worship. It only became a hill fort a lot later. All the people from around would gather here on special nights and celebrate together. Marriages would take place and acolytes would be assigned to Druids, but that was all a long time ago. I went with Gwillam to see some of the festivals; we’ll see them again once we get back into Annwn. We were lucky. In those early days the Cornovii were more interested in the land. They didn’t bother our people and they let the Druids continue to tend the sacred wells and groves. They realised how much knowledge the Druids had and allowed them to be their religious leaders. The two peoples sort of became one and the Romans just called everyone in the area Celts.’

Camelin paused but continued looking sad.

‘If only I’d been quicker and got back to the grove before the Romans got there. Gwillam would have been saved. Nora could have re-made the cauldron, opened the portal and we could all have gone into Annwn until the troubles were over.’

‘What do we do next?’

‘We need to be at the edge of the grove by first light, that’s where I was attacked, and then we can see what happened. With any luck we’ll be back through the window by breakfast time.’

Jack was glad they’d had such a big meal. He hadn’t thought about food until Camelin mentioned it. No matter what Nora might say it really was hungry work being a raven; since the first time he’d transformed he was ready to eat whatever and whenever he could, as well as his regular meals.

‘Speaking of food,’ continued Camelin as if he’d read Jack’s thoughts. ‘I could do with a bite to eat now while we’re waiting.’

‘Where are we going to get food from at this time in the morning? We’re not going to find a takeaway here.’

‘There’ll be food near the entrance to the shrine. The people looked after the Druids and their acolytes by bringing food. They weren’t allowed inside so they’d leave it by the entrance. Whatever we find there was really meant for Gwillam and me so we’ll not be stealing it, just rescuing it before it gets burnt. The Celts were very superstitious you know; in fact, most Romans were too.’

They flew towards the grove and just as Camelin predicted, there on a low stone platform, by two large oak trees, was a pile of food.

‘It’s not as exciting as a takeaway but at least it’s edible.’

‘It’s probably a lot healthier,’ observed Jack as he saw the collection of fruit, nuts and brown bread.

‘Oh, by the way,’ added Camelin, ‘Roman soldiers were always hungry too. They’d eat anything they could get their hands on and raven was on the menu!’

‘They ate ravens!’ gulped Jack.

‘Oh yes. It wasn’t anything personal. They ate crows, jackdaws, peacocks, geese and swans too; anything they could catch. We’re both going to have to keep well hidden and out of range of any arrows. I used to have a really hard time at first when I started flying around the area.’

Jack and Camelin ate their fill. They found a tree close to where Camelin thought he’d been attacked and settled down to wait for first light. As Jack rested he realised that Nora had been right. Returning to the past might be dangerous; the last thing he wanted was to end up being roasted by hungry Romans.