quiet voice he continued, “I had to focus all my efforts on stopping them from forcing me to strike you. The strength of their combined wills was phenomenal.” His eyes stared deep into the diamond as he relived the memory.
“They pushed me so far back into my subconscious I struggled to keep a footing in this reality. And then I felt your mind, Seb …” his eyes lifted to meet Seb’s with a look of surprise. “I felt you explore, find and hook onto my subconscious and behind you I felt the power of the wolf-stags. I witnessed the shock and anger as first Heath and then Braddock realised what you were doing. Now I had the strength of you and the wolves behind me and I was able to fight back. I was able to force them out of my body.
“But I knew, of course, that all our souls were bound together and that, weak as I was, mine would be torn from my body along with theirs. But I could not let them have the host of a Custodian, so it had to be done. I was ripped from my body with them.” He shook his head, then looked into the fire.
“The power of the wolf-stags exists to protect the Custodians, Seb. To Cue and the pack Heath no longer had that status; the corruption of his soul, the deformity of his mark, made his soul as alien to them as any other malevolent soul and, coupled with Braddock, the two were discarded. What I hadn’t anticipated was that the instinct of the wolves, which was to protect me, would result in my soul being pulled through you Seb, into Cue himself.” He smiled at Seb. “I suppose you were unaware of what you had done.”
Seb just stared in amazement. He had really had no idea.
“Well I never!” Greg West opened his eyes wide.
“But then,” Mr Duir continued, “I was essentially trapped. It is interesting to note the perspective that experience gave me. What was I? Who was I? In all the years since my confirmation I have been Aelfric Duir, Custodian. And now my soul was separated from the host that made me such a person. So if my soul was no longer housed in a Custodian’s form, what did that make me?”
Seb’s mind worked on that question. For him it had been simpler. He had been willing to give up his own host body and let Braddock have his way, until he realised the evil that the wrong soul in that host could do. And so he had chosen to fight to keep his soul in place.
Before Mr Duir uttered his own answer, Seb said, “It made you the soul of a Custodian! It is your intent that made you a Custodian, not a body with a birthmark. The birthmark is just the equipment you use, like a knight uses a sword. But a knight doesn’t stop being a knight because he is disarmed, he just finds another weapon.”
Mr Duir beamed at him. “Seb, you are a wonder. That is exactly the conclusion I reached. But for you to have reasoned that before you have even become a confirmed Custodian …” he paused. “A Custodian is not just a random soul housed in a Custodian’s body – placed there by chance – a Custodian is a soul who desires the balance of all things, wishes to ensure the freedom of souls to visit the realities as predestined by Nature and longs to aid those who are erring back to the path of right. Though Heath still wore a Custodian’s body, his soul had ceased to be such. Nature disavowed him and the wolf-stags knew that.
“What is more Seb, your actions this last night clearly showed what the essence of a Custodian is: you were able to open the Soul Drop and banish the bats and the gytrash without using light on your birthmark; with just your own will you were able to harness the power of the wolves to act as a conductor and save my soul and with that same intent you were able to focus that same power to reunite my soul with my body. When you worked with the Dryads to create the Glacial Trace and channelled the power of the wolves through it, not only did you form the Enduring Diamond, you provided the path to allow my soul to travel back to my body. That is how I am here.
“That you did all this without confirmation or affirmation by the Elders is remarkable and proves to all that it is the soul who is Custodian, not the body.”
“I wonder, therefore, if it would even have been possible for Braddock to take over Seb’s body, then,” Mr West said. “It sounds like Nature would have simply destroyed the equipment Braddock wished to use.”
“Fortunately we do not need to find out.” Mr Duir smiled.
“Cue doesn’t seem any the worse for his experience either,” Mr White said. The beast snorted and shifted his head.
“So what now, then?” Zach asked.
“Now, Zach? Seb needs to be confirmed. And ironically, it is the day. As much as I hastened to bring forward his confirmation it has fallen to the correct time in any case. Maybe I should trust Nature a bit more,” Mr Duir said.
A Binding Pledge
“Why today?” Aiden said. “Why does the ceremony have to happen today?”
“Today, Aiden is the autumnal equinox. It is on the equinox or solstice immediately following the silvering of the new Custodian’s birthmark, that the Custodian is confirmed,” Mr White said.
The Caretaker was busy clearing up and Miss West helped, ordering Zach to assist.
“How come the Guardians get to do the washing up?” he grumbled.
They ignored him and he trudged down to the lake as instructed and filled a bucket with the icy water.
“Other than the confirmation of a Custodian, which happens very infrequently, the equinoxes and solstices are also the time when the Elders offer the Question to End, when each of the old, established groups’ members decide whether to continue in service,” Mr White continued.
“Really?” Scarlet was intrigued. “You can decide not to? What happens then?”
Seb switched off as Mr White explained. He had such a feeling of disquiet he wasn’t sure he wanted any more information. He smiled at the irony: up until now he had been desperate for the teachers to simply explain everything to him, but suddenly he felt explanations wouldn’t help – he had been through too much and just needed quiet.
Weary, he wandered to the lake side. Although he had done some amazing things overnight, he was still concerned that he was the wrong soul in this Custodian host. He remembered the singular moment of clarity when he had tapped into something ancient and enduring and used that to help him open the Soul Drop. That made him think again, but his doubts kept returning. Has Nature made a mistake?
The clatter of dishes, Zach’s moaning and the continued drone of Mr White’s voice were distant sounds. He watched the ripples of the lake, enjoying the solitude.
When his palm began to tingle he barely registered it. Even from where he stood he could see the image of Mr Duir’s death mask within the diamond. He looked into the waters of the lake and watched the tiny water imps playing in his reflection. The tingling grew stronger and now he had to pay attention to it. He pressed his thumb to his birthmark, lifting his eyes as a dark patch appeared beside the diamond.
Not again! he thought as the patch became the familiar ogreish figure rising up out of the water. He felt a slight touch on his arm. Mr Duir stood inches to his left.
“Soon enough we will help that poor soul, Seb,” he said. “But it will be a painful time for you and Scarlet.”
Seb jerked his head up. “What?”
“It is not a coincidence that this soul haunts you.”
By now the ogre had fully emerged and stood, rocking side to side on the water’s surface. The imps seemed happy to support it.
Scarlet and Nat trotted to the lake edge to stand with Seb.
“Please don’t harm it, Seb,” Nat begged and Scarlet too seemed less concerned by this monster.
“Seb, it never actually attacks. Nat thinks it is simply lost.”
Miss West and The Caretaker were totally disinterested in the ogre and Zach followed their lead, remaining with them by the fire. Aiden, chatting seriously with Mr White, glanced over but stayed seated on his rug.
Seb felt the familiarity of confusion crowd his mind. He knew there was some fundamental point he was missing and tried to understand what it was. Alice hovered behind him.
“Are we to stop him?” he asked Dier
ne who had joined Mr Duir.
Dierne shook his head.
“I will do it thank you, Alice,” Mr Duir said, waving a hand. He mumbled a few words and the ogre dropped below the surface. “There is still much instruction you all need. At least, for once, we have time. Come sit with me.”
He led them back to the fire. When everyone was settled he spoke.
“You understand that the aim of trespassing souls is to take over a human host? To those who achieve that aim, for all the ills that brings to the host soul they dominate and those they harm in that lifetime, we can and should do nothing.”
“Why?” Aiden asked.
“The one thing a Custodian must not do is remove a rightful soul from their host and certainly not when invaded by a trespassing soul. It is the one rule we do not break.”
Seb thought back to the events at the Hurlers and Mr Duir’s eyes fell on him as if he knew his train of thought. Seb had done exactly that – he had removed Mr Duir’s soul from his body while it was bound together with those of Heath and Braddock.
“So one of my first acts as a Custodian was to break the one rule we do not break?” Seb said miserably.
“It was different,” Mr Duir said. “Seb, you didn’t remove my soul. What you did was send the power of the wolf-stags to me so that I could cast Braddock and Heath out. I knew I would have to go with them, but it was me who did it, not you. Do not place guilt on yourself.”
Seb nodded, feeling relieved.
“A trespassing soul cannot be removed without also removing the rightful soul. They are bound together until the death of the host naturally separates them. Two souls bound together is an aberration to Nature and the only place they can be sent is the Soul Drop. While the trespasser may deserve that, the rightful soul does not.”
“Why does Nature make it so complicated?” Zach asked overdramatically.
“Human souls make it complicated.” Miss West crossed her arms as though angry. “Not Nature!”
Zach shrugged and prodded the fire with his staff until Miss West took it off him.
Mr Duir continued, a slight smile on his face at the interplay between Zach and Miss West.
“Scarlet, you understand the passage of souls and that our relationships in one visit to this reality do not hold fast from previous visits or for the next?” She nodded, frowning, confused at being singled out. “And Seb, I know you do too. But, I also understand that human emotions, in spite of our best efforts to apply rational reasoning, are difficult to control. You have been through so much pain over the last two days and I would spare you the next, but it is unavoidable if you wish to release your father’s soul from the purgatory it is in.”
Seb shivered. It was strange to picture his father, the man he had worshipped, as an ethereal, substanceless spirit and not only that, one who had trespassed into the body that was meant for Seb’s true brother’s soul. How that meant he was in purgatory though, Seb couldn’t fathom.
A question popped into his head.
“The soul that should have been our brother, where is it?”
Mr Duir’s reply made him shiver again, like a cold hand had run its fingers down the back of his neck.
“It haunts you, Seb.” He let the words hang in the air.
It is not a coincidence that this soul haunts you. Mr Duir had said those words only minutes before.
Seb felt fear spread into the recesses of his brain but he wasn’t sure why.
Scarlet put her hands to her mouth. “Seb, the ogre!”
As if someone had just fitted a key piece of a jigsaw the picture suddenly took shape for Seb – the ogre! How many times had it appeared and tried to approach him? How many times had it been sent away by Mr Duir?
Mr Duir spoke quietly. “Scarlet, Seb, that shape that you somewhat cruelly refer to as ‘the ogre’ is the manifestation of the lost, displaced and frustrated soul that nearly five years ago should have inhabited the host body of your brother.”
“Seb …” Scarlet sobbed.
He couldn’t look at her. All these years he had so desperately wished his dad would come back, would hold him again, play with him again and he had found it hard, back at the cottage, to acknowledge that his father had been there; being held by Seb, being played with by Seb, stealing the cuddles and love and fun that his true brother should have had. But now it was worse – his true brother’s soul had been damned to an existence as an ogreish shape, so desperate to be given the body for which it had been destined it was actually haunting Seb.
Looking at Mr Duir, through gritted teeth he asked, “Did he know? Did our father’s soul know, when he stole that body, what it would do to the soul which should have been our brother?”
“Seb, you know the truth but for some reason your mind is refusing to see it. As a Custodian you have the knowledge. You need to see truly. Remember the images …” Mr Duir said, leaning forward.
The fire crackled and Cue snored but none of the others gathered around said a word, or moved.
Seb frowned and broke eye contact. “Please, can you not just speak plainly?” he mumbled.
Mr Duir waited a second before he replied.
“If that is what you need. Seb it was you who was the catalyst that anchored your father’s soul to this reality, it was only you who could. You said something to your father, the day his body died, or days before, that kept his soul in this reality. From any other son or daughter it would have been sentiment only. But you are an unconfirmed Custodian soul and a pledge to that soul brings service – like the Knights Sentinel.”
Seb stared at Mr Duir. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, exasperated.
“Seb,” Zach said, “the Knights Sentinel swear to protect the Custodian. Isn’t that right?”
Seb’s brain was racing. He nodded slowly.
“These souls, Seb, swear allegiance to a specific Custodian and between them and the Custodian they agree the span of service they wish to pledge.” Mr Duir’s words came back to him.
“So I made my father take that host so that he could stay? Is that what you are saying?”
“No, Seb,” Mr Duir’s voice was flat, direct. “The soul that occupies the body of Adam Thomas is not your father’s soul!”
“Oh my god, Seb!” Scarlet blurted. “He’s trying to tell you, it’s the ogre! Dad’s soul – he’s the ogre!” She was virtually crying.
And at last the final piece of the puzzle slotted into place. The night before their father’s death, as he put down the book he had been reading to Seb, his father had stroked his hair and told him how much he loved him.
Their usual exchange began.
“I love you more than chocolate buttons …” his father had started.
“I love you more than ice cream,” Seb had countered.
“I love you more than Christmas,” his father had answered, smiling and chuckling, waiting for Seb’s next usual response.
But then Seb had asked, “Do you love me more than the baby?”
His father’s face had frozen momentarily and then he scooped Seb up in his arms and hugged him tight.
“Seb Thomas, you are my firstborn son and I will love you until the end of the universe.” His deep voice rumbled in his chest as Seb pressed his ear tightly against it. “Your brother I will love too, and the bonus, Seb is that he will love you.”
Not satisfied with that answer, Seb had pushed his father further.
“Will you stay with me forever?”
His father, placing him gently back down on the pillow had stroked his cheek.
“Seb, I will stay with you, protect you and love you for as long as I can remain in this life, and when I go to whatever is beyond, if I possibly can, I will stay with you, protect you and love you then, too.”
“For a hundred years?” Seb had asked.
His father laughed. “For a hundred years, my wonderful son.”
Blame
Tears ran down
Seb’s cheeks as he looked at Mr Duir who gave a barely perceptible nod.
“You remember,” he stated. Seb nodded and wiped his eyes. “Seb, you were not a confirmed Custodian and Nature’s answer to enable him to meet his pledge was to ensure his return as your brother.” And there it was, the whole picture. His father’s soul was the one destined to be his brother. “Seb, it was a unique set of circumstances. Your father’s soul could not go back to Áberan, he had pledged service to you. His soul should have taken the newborn host of your brother. When that plan was undone by the trespassing soul, his pledge still bound his soul to you. So he remains, in a non-form, waiting to meet that pledge.”
“So this is my fault?” Seb asked, horrified.
“Not yours, Seb. Your father’s pledge was made freely, even if unknowingly. If there is fault it lies with two others: the soul that invaded your brother’s body and …” he paused, looking from Scarlet to Seb, “and mine.”
“Yours?” Scarlet sobbed.
“It was the time of the equinox, Scarlet, a time when we have a responsibility to stand guard. We monitor the ebb and flow of souls and our task is to deal with the increase in the numbers that trespass.” He looked down, pain and regret in his face. “On that particular equinox, five years ago, I was away from my post and this errant soul evaded me.”
Miss West shook her head. “Aelfric, there was far more to it than that,” she said.
“Nothing of import to Seb and Scarlet. All they need to know is that when their father’s soul was at its most vulnerable, I was absent. I cannot have them, cannot have you,” he looked at them, “be unaware of my failure, that has affected you these last five years and will continue to affect the soul of your father for more to come. I was not where I should have been.”
“Aelfric,” Miss Angel said sadly.
“Lily, it doesn’t matter.” He stood up, towering over the rest of them, and in a tone that bordered on anger, he said, “It needs no more discussion. Tonight there will be a partial restitution and this will never be discussed again. Scarlet, Seb, I am sorry.” He turned and walked away. Dierne zoomed after him. Everyone else sat in stunned silence.
“What does he mean?” Scarlet asked, wiping her tears away.
None of the teachers spoke and all avoided eye contact.
“Do you know?” Seb asked Alice.
“No more than you.” He shrugged.
“Will Dierne tell you?”
Alice shook his head.
Mr West was the first to break the awkward silence.
“Seb, we need to give you a few instructions about the Confirmation and then about what to expect during the Question to End.”
Seb shook his head. “I need to speak to him!” He stood up and walked off.
He knew he had been rude but he had to know what Mr Duir was talking about. At the moment he was still blaming himself for binding his father, in ignorance, to a promise that had left him in a living purgatory. Yet it seemed Mr Duir felt himself to blame. Seb needed to know why.
He walked around the lake and found Mr Duir sitting on one of the raised roots of the massive Elder Tree, leaning against its trunk, head