Monday 23 May 2016

The White Horse as published in Tales From the White Horse 2015

    The White Horse
A Short Story
by
Lorraine Poulter 2015

      “At long last we can walk freely among the land.” Lilbet said happily.
     “Too long we have walked in the shadow of Taywan and Theodor.” Saree said.
      “Indeed. My work is done.” Said Lilian. She smiled. Her green brown eyes twinkled with the wisdom of her vast age as her crooked smile lit up her wizened, grey face. “It is time.” She said hobbling painfully holding her hip towards the comfortable chair. Her daughters, Lilbet and Saree knelt by her side.
      Lilian felt contentment wash over her. Lilbet and Saree. How fortunate she was to have them. Her daughters of contrast. Lilbet, fiery flame haired with pale grey eyes. While Saree was dark of hair with eyes as blue as sapphires. As different as they could be, she loved them both without favour.
   “You sense it to.” Lilian said calmly. “Mildreth is coming.”
      The wooden door burst open as the rain and gale forced entry. Lilbet rushed over and closed it firm, turning the key.
      “A locked door will not keep him out, my Lovelies.” Lilian said. “I am ready.” She said. There was sadness in her voice, an acceptance, an underlying uncertainty. She was ready, although no one was ever ready. “Come join us, Lilbet. I have much to tell you.”
       A cruel streak of lightning lit up the room. The yellow flames from the candles danced into the shadows of the dusty hovel caught in the draught from the cracked window. Outside the brewing storm was reaching boiling point. Rain splattered against the window and thunder rattled the roof.
       In that moment Lilian every one of her thousand years fell down on her, crushing her to what seemed half her size. She felt her life being inexorably drained from her. “He is here.”
      Lilbet pulled back the curtain. Through the rain lashed window she could see the distorted shadowy white form of Mildreth. She paled. “Why?” she said her voice breaking. Her face full of puzzlement.
      “Put another log on the fire. The chill is upon me.” Lilian said weakly.
     Lilbet picked up a log and threw it on the fire. They waited for the hissing sap to vapourize and the sparks to settle before they both turned to Lilian.   There was expectation on their faces.
      Lilbet knelt at her mother’s knee and took the cold trembling, and suddenly very tiny, hand.
“It is Twymus night.” Lilian explained. “Two nights before Hallowe’en. The night when all debts will be repaid or your spirit will walk on All Hallows Eve. I have a debt that is in need of repaying. My debt is to Mildreth. I owe Mildreth the debt of years. And I have lived many years. Some would say more years than would be deemed natural. And they would be right. Mildreth gave me those years and now he wants them back.”
         Lilbet let go of her mother’s hand. “You are going with him?”
        “Indeed I must.”
       “No.” cried Saree. “It’s not your time.”
       “My time is long overdue.” Lilian said firmly, the kindness still in her crackled voice. “I have much to tell you. Mildreth and I first crossed paths many, many years ago. It was a time of change, a time when not even the power of a mighty sorceress like myself could influence or alter the outcome of the deeds ordained. Chuem was once a place where we of magic could call home, could be free to perform the magic given to us without fear of retribution. And for many years we lived among the people of Chuem happy in the knowledge that all was safe, that we were safe. King Theodor married the beautiful Princess Esme and together they bore a son, Taywin. A bonny little fellow. However he was born with a defect of the heart.” She felt her own heart race unnaturally as she spoke.“Soon after his sixth birthday he began to show signs of sickness. The court physician was called for. He had vast knowledge of medicine but it was not enough. In desperation Theodor sent for those of us who practised unconventional medicine. In fact it was myself.”
       Lilbeth gave a short intake of breath.
       Saree clutched her mother’s hand. “You never told us.”
       “There was never a reason for you to know until now. Take me to the window. I wish to see Mildreth before I finish my story.” Lilian was led by Lilbeth and Saree to the window, the strength in her was slowly leaving. Through the rain streaked glass she saw the great white horse standing proud and ready to greet her.
         “I was as helpless as the court physician. I could nothold back the hand of fate. In a last ditch effort to save Prince Taywin I performed the Agromento spell. A nasty, difficult spell. It was not enough. Theodor saw me cast the spell and blamed this spell and ultimately myself for the death of his child. I taken to the dungeon and sentenced for using witchcraft for wrongdoing.”
        “But you are a sorceress. Why didn’t you use your magic to escape?”
       Lilian shook her head with sadness. “I too was heartbroken at the death of Taywin. The stars had shown a great future for him. I did not expect my spell to fail. I had never known a spell to fail. Seeing that poor child fade before my eyes was soul destroying. As King Theodor’s accusations grew more intense I began to believe I had, in spite of my best intentions, murdered that child. That somewhere in my heart lurked a darkness I had felt but had yet to discover. And that darkness had killed the baby not saved him.”
       “So you died at the stake? A common witch.” Lilbeth said bitterly.
“Indeed. The physical effort had drained all my energy and life dwindled from me rapidly. The guards found my body in the dungeon the next morning. They knew I was gone and threw me into the nearest ditch. There I stayed. Long dark hours passed. I neither moved nor died. I can only surmise I was somewhere in between the worlds. Hours and hours passed. A lifetime or maybe a whole death had flittered by. A whiteness fell in front of me. At first as a cloud, then it took shape, the shape of a rider less white horse. Mildreth. He shimmered and I did so want to ride with him. “Get up.” He said “Get up.” I stared at him. At the time I believed I was dead and that he had come to take me to the heavens. “Get up!” he ordered. I sat up willingly. Imagine the surprise I had when it was not my spectral being that rose but my whole body. I was alive. You did this? I asked of him. He nodded. “I have need of a sorceress, a good sorceress. I know you to be good, Lilian. I want you to carry out my work while on the earth and prepare the path for the coming of the Mother. Theodor will wreak a swift retribution of those of magic. He will banish all those who practise sorcery.”
     “He is lost to his grief.”
     “His grief has brought about injustice. None less to yourself.With our help his sorrow will mend. But it will take time. I will give you that time. A long, healthy life in exchange for you doing my work.” I was stunned. The guilt of losing Taywin was still very much up on me. I wasn’t sure if I had a good heart or not. But I did want to live. I did not ask the details, nor did I question if he was indeed a bad spirit in the guise of a good one. There on the spot I agreed. He was better than his word. He gave me back my life, a future and a reason to live. Today I must repay my debt to Mildreth.”
      “Still father died. You could have saved him.” Lilbet said angrily. “Mildreth could have saved him.”
       Lilian shook her head. “The power over life and death is not my gift.” She said quietly. “It was his time as it is now mine. Take me to meet Mildreth, my daughters.”
       The years all fell silently and weightily onto to Lilian all at once. She stumbled into Sharee’s arms. Tears ran down Sharee’s face as she lifted her mother into her arms.
      “I am not afraid.” She said in a whisper. “Fear not for me.”
      Lilbeth let out a sob. Together they gently guided Lilian to the door, her strength fading with every step.
       Lilbeth opened the door and the dazzling bright light of Mildreth reached to them. Mildreth stood radiant, white, filled with the twinkling stars of spirits.
      Lilian smiled. “At last.” She sighed.
       Mildreth moved serenely towards them. From him oozed loved, and a sense of reaching out to them. Soon he was in front of the door, calling silently to Lilian. He then bowed, before settling to the ground.
      “Take me to him.” Lilian said urgently. She thrust herself forward with a strength uncommon of the dying. Her hand reached forward and stroked his brow as she leaned against him releasing Lilbeth and Sharee. Her arms caressed his neck and she clung to him in an embrace of assurance. “I am yours.” She said with all her heart.
       Mildreth rose to his feet, with Lilian at his side. Together they walked into the forest, the light following and surrounding them.  In their wake there was nothing but darkness and shadow.
©️Lorraine Poulter 2015

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