I went down the hill and crossed the yard, heading straight for the kitchen again. I needed to talk to Mam and try to sort things out.
CHAPTER
4
DECISIONS
'Your master took it very badly,' Mam said when I went in. 'Even worse than I'd expected.'
'He's gone back to Chipenden, Mam. He said that if I wasn't back there in three days, then it would be the end of my apprenticeship.'
Mam sighed. 'I was afraid of that. But you got on quite well with Bill Arkwright, I believe.'
'Who told you that, Mam?'
'People tell me things all the time, son. Either that or I find them out for myself. Let's just say I know what happened. You got off to a bad start but things sorted themselves out and he trained you well. If John Gregory won't continue as your master,' Mam went on, 'then you'll have to make do with Bill Arkwright. I need him too. I've already sent for him. I hope he'll agree to join us and come to Greece. He should arrive sometime tomorrow to talk it through.'
'What do you want him to do in Greece, Mam?'
'He's a good spook, but above all he used to be in the army. We're facing a tremendous battle and I'll need Arkwright's strength, fearlessness and military tactics. I've told him it's vital that he comes with us – he'll be able to strike a bigger blow against the dark there than he could in sixty years of service to the County.'
It would be good to work with Arkwright again, I thought. He'd toughened me up a lot during the months I'd spent with him north of Caster; maybe I could continue the physical side of my training. If it hadn't been for what he'd taught me, that maenad assassin would probably have killed me. On the other hand I was really going to miss working with John Gregory. He was my real master and also my friend. It was sad to think that I'd never be his apprentice again. The house at Chipenden had become my home. Bill Arkwright, for all his qualities, couldn't replace that.
'Can't you tell me more about your enemy, the Ordeen, Mam? What makes her so dangerous that you need to defeat her in battle?' I asked. 'What's the threat we face that we need help from so many people?'
Mam bowed her head for a moment as though reluctant to speak, but then she looked me in the eye and seemed to find her resolve. 'The Ordeen has a terrible thirst for blood, son. And when she visits our world, those who accompany her through the portal in her great citadel, the Ord – daemons, fire elementals and vaengir – are similarly thirsty. Thousands of innocent people are slaughtered – men, women and even children. She's growing in power and each visit she makes to our world is more devastating.'
'She sounds even worse than the Fiend.'
'No, son, the Fiend is far more powerful but he doesn't flaunt his strength. His aim is a slow accumulation of power, gradually increasing the evil that makes the world a darker and more dangerous place as he tightens his grip upon it. His plans are long-term – eventual total dominion.
'By contrast, the Ordeen has no long-term plans other than to drink her fill of blood and instil terror into everyone she comes in contact with. Many victims simply die of fear and are easy pickings for the maenads that swarm in her wake. She's a powerful servant of the dark – nothing compared to the Fiend, but we can't hope to confront him yet. For now we must concentrate on the immediate threat before us, and destroy the Ordeen before she widens the range of her portal.'
'What do you mean, Mam?'
'The Ordeen has been visiting Greece for thousands of years; she materializes only on the plain before Meteora, where thousands of monks have their homes. Her visits take place every seven years, and each of these is more devastating than the previous one. The monks use prayers to defend their monasteries, and try to bind the Ordeen within the confines of the plain. But gradually she's grown in power, while their effectiveness has declined. And now that the Fiend is in the world, she can count him as her ally and the dark is much more powerful. Under the direction of the Fiend, more and more flying lamias have joined her: this time, it seems certain the Ordeen will use them to slaughter the unprotected monks in their monasteries high in the rocks. That done, the prayers that have helped to keep her in check will be no more. She'll be able to go forth and devastate other lands.'
'They've been able to contain her just with prayers? Prayers really do work then, Mam?'
'Aye, whoever offers them up, if they are uttered selflessly and with a pure heart, the light is strengthened. So, although in decline because of the dark's growing power, the monks at Meteora are a great force for good. That's why we must strike now before they're overwhelmed. Prayers alone are no longer any match for the Ordeen and Fiend combined.'
'So that is where we'll be travelling to – her citadel near Meteora?'
'Yes – the Ord, her citadel, always materializes through a fiery portal south of Meteora, near a small walled town called Kalambaka. Every seven years – give or take a week. We must stop her this time once and for all. If we fail, next time she'll be so powerful that nowhere will be safe. But it's the County that will be most at risk. I am the Ordeen's old enemy. If I fail to destroy her, then she'll obliterate the County in revenge. The Fiend will tell her that my seven sons – all that I hold dear – are in the County, and she will eradicate it. Her murderous followers will hunt down and kill every living person. That is why we must defeat her at all costs.'
At supper, Mam sat at the head of the table. We tucked into her delicious lamb stew and she seemed happier, less troubled, despite all that we would soon face in Greece. I remember it well because it was the last time all of us – Mam, Jack, James, Ellie, little Mary and I – ever sat around the same table together.
I'd spoken to Ellie and James earlier. My brother had seemed content enough but Ellie was a little reserved, no doubt because of the witches camped out in the south meadow. Now, at supper, I could feel a tension in the air – much of it seeming to radiate from Jack.
Jack said grace before the meal, and we all, except for Mam, answered 'Amen'. She simply waited patiently, staring down at the tablecloth.
'It's lovely to be back with you all,' she said when we'd finished our prayers. 'It's sad that your poor dad can't be with us too, but we should remember the happy times.'
Dad had died during the winter of the first year of my apprenticeship. He'd suffered from congestion of the lungs and even Mam's skills as a healer had been unable to save him. She'd taken it hard.
'I wish that my other sons could have visited too,' Mam continued sadly, 'but they have lives of their own to lead now, with their own problems. They're in our thoughts and I'm sure we're in theirs . . .'
Despite those sad absences, Mam chatted away cheerily, but the tension in the room was growing and I could see that Jack and Ellie were uneasy. At one point, through the open window, we heard what sounded like chanting from the direction of the southern meadow. It was the Pendle witches. Mam ignored them and carried on talking but poor Ellie shuddered and looked close to tears. Jack laid a hand on her shoulder and stood up to close the window.
James tried to lighten the atmosphere by telling me about his plans for the brewery he hoped to start the following year. But it remained a tense, uncomfortable meal. Eventually we got through it and it was time for bed.
It was strange to spend the night in my old room again. I went and sat in the wicker chair and stared out through the window across the farmyard and hayfields, beyond the north pasture towards Hangman's Hill. The moon was bright, lighting everything to silver, and I tried to pretend that I was back in the days before I'd ever become the Spook's apprentice. I brought all my memory and imagination to bear, and for a few moments managed to convince myself that Dad was still alive and Mam had never left for Greece; that she was still helping with the farm chores and working as the local healer and midwife.
But I couldn't block out the truth. What was done was done, and things could never be the same again. I climbed into bed with a strong sense of loss and grief that brought a lump to my throat. It was a long time before I managed to fall asleep.
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Bill Arkwright arrived late the next morning. His huge black wolfhound, Claw, bounded across the yard towards me; her half-grown puppies, Blood and Bone, scampered along at her heels.
I patted her while the pups circled us excitedly. Arkwright was carrying his huge staff with its big sharp blade. He walked with a swagger, and his closely-shaven head glowed in the sun. He looked a lot friendlier than the first time I'd met him and his face lit up with a warm smile.
'Well, Master Ward, it's good to see you again,' he said. But something in my expression made his smile fade. 'I can tell from your face that something bad has happened,' he continued, shaking his head. 'Am I right?'
'Yes, Mr Arkwright. My mam's made an alliance with some of the Pendle witches. She's had to because she needs their help to fight the dark in her homeland.
She wants me, you and Mr Gregory to go with her back to Greece to fight the Ordeen. My master was furious when he found out about the alliance and stormed back to Chipenden. He said that if I didn't follow him, I could no longer be his apprentice. I feel torn between them, Mr Arkwright.'
'I'm not surprised, Master Ward. But I can understand Mr Gregory's reaction. What your mam's asking goes against everything he believes in.'
'Well, I've had to choose between what Mam wants and what Mr Gregory wants,' I told Arkwright. 'It wasn't easy but my first loyalty must always be to her.
She gave me life and I was her seventh son. So she has to decide what's best for me.'
'You've had a very difficult choice to make but I think you're right, Master Ward. As for myself, I've a decision to make too, it seems. I'm going to listen to what your mam says with an open mind. I must confess that it's a challenge – it would certainly be exciting to travel to such a faraway land. So, for now, I'll not say yes and I'll not say no. I'll wait to hear more from your mam's own lips. An alliance with servants of the dark, you say? Well, sometimes we have to compromise in order to survive. Neither of us would be here now if it wasn't for the witch assassin, Grimalkin.'
That was true enough. She'd fought alongside me in the marsh, and together we'd defeated Morwena and a host of water witches. Without her I'd have been killed. Servant of the dark or not, the alliance with Grimalkin had been worthwhile. It seemed clear that Bill Arkwright didn't have the same scruples as my master.
We found Mam talking to James behind the barn. When she saw us, she took her leave of my brother and came to greet our visitor. 'This is Bill Arkwright, Mam,' I told her. 'He's come to hear what you have to say.'
'Pleased to meet you, Mrs Ward,' Arkwright said, giving a little bow. 'I'm intrigued by what your son has told me and would like to know more.'
Mam turned to face me and gave me a warm smile.
'I'd like to talk to Mr Arkwright in private for a few moments, son. Why don't you take a walk to the south meadow where the campfires are. There's someone there who'd like a word with you.'
'What? One of the witches?' I asked, puzzled.
'Why don't you go and find out?'
I wondered why she couldn't just discuss things with Arkwright while I was there, but I nodded and left them to talk.
The campfires were scattered across the big field next to land belonging to our neighbour, Mr Wilkinson – half a dozen of them, with two or three witches around each fire. Who could want to talk to me? I wondered. As I walked across, I could see food cooking, and once again there was a tantalizing aroma of stewed rabbit.
It was then that I heard footsteps behind me and turned quickly, my mouth opening in surprise. Facing me was a girl of about my own height. She was wearing pointy shoes and her black dress was tied at the waist with a piece of string.
Alice.
CHAPTER
5
ALICE DEANE
'Missed you, Tom Ward,' Alice said, tears threatening to fall. 'Ain't been the same without you.'
She came towards me and we hugged tightly. I heard her sob and felt her shoulders trembling. As we pulled apart, I was suddenly filled with guilt.
Although I was now delighted to see her, I'd spent long weeks obeying the Spook and turning away each time she'd tried to contact me.
'Thanks for using the mirror to warn me about the maenad, Alice. She would have killed me but for you.'
'I was scared you wouldn't listen, Tom. I've tried to contact you before but you always turned away.'
'I was just doing what the Spook told me.'
'But couldn't you have used it one more time after I warned you? Just to let me know that you were all right? Worried sick, I was. Your mam told me she was meeting you here when she contacted me with a mirror and asked me to join her. So I had to assume you were all right.'
I felt a little ashamed but tried to explain: 'I can't use a mirror, Alice. I've promised the Spook I won't.'
'But that's changed now, ain't it? You don't need to worry about Old Gregory any longer, do you? Going to Greece, I am, with you and your mam. We'll be together again at last. And I'm glad he decided not to come with us. Won't have him looking over our shoulder, will we?'
'Don't talk about the Spook like that!' I snapped angrily. 'He's worried about me. Worried that I'll be compromised and drawn towards the dark. That the Fiend will win me over to his side. That's why he won't let me have any contact with you, Alice. He's trying to protect me. Anyway,' I continued, 'how do you know he's not coming? Were you spying on us?'
'Oh, Tom, when will you learn that there's not much I don't know?'
'So you were spying.'
'No, actually. Didn't need to. It wasn't hard to work out what was going on when we all saw him storming back to Chipenden.'
For a moment, despite my hot words, the thought struck me that if the Spook stayed home in Chipenden, then there really was nothing to stop me being with Alice. But I felt another strong pang of guilt and dismissed the idea instantly.
'Look, it'll be good on this journey, Tom. Your mam thinks differently to Old Gregory. She doesn't mind us being together and she still stands by what she said last year. That together we can defeat the Fiend—'
'Your own father, Alice!' I interrupted. 'I found out your dark secret. The Fiend is your own father, isn't he?'
Alice gasped and her eyes widened in surprise.
'How can you know that?'
'He told me himself!'
She looked shocked. 'Well, ain't no use denying it. But it weren't my secret, Tom. I didn't know until he visited me the night before Old Gregory sent me away. Terrified, I was, to be face to face with Old Nick, and it was even worse when he told me I was his daughter! Can you imagine what that was like? Thought I belonged to him. That I was on my way to Hell. Going to burn there for all eternity. I felt so weak in his presence that I had to do anything he told me. But as soon as I was back in Pendle, your mam contacted me using a mirror. Told me I was a lot stronger than I thought. Gave me new confidence, she did. I've come to terms with it, Tom. So I'm going to fight him. What else can I do but try?'
A mixture of thoughts and emotions churned within me. Mam and Alice had been in contact using mirrors in the past. Clearly it was still going on. And that made me very uneasy.
'I still can't believe that Mam's made an alliance with witches!' I said, gesturing at the campfires around us.
'But all of them witches are sworn enemies of the Fiend. Twenty-Five or more of 'em are coming with us. They know it was a big mistake to bring him through the portal, 'cos now he's trying to make 'em all do his bidding. So they're fighting back. Destroy the Ordeen and it's a big blow against the Fiend. Some from each of the main clans are coming with us. Your mam's organizing everything. It's just exactly as she wants it. Glad to be here again, I am, Tom, away from Pendle.'
Only last year the Malkins had abducted Jack and his family, Mam's own flesh and blood, but now here she was, commanding the Malkins and the other Pendle witches, forming an alliance with them to help bring victory. It was hard to take in. And then there was Alice – what had she been up to back in Pendle? Had s
he moved closer to the dark again?