Pausing again, Soffen licked her lips, trying to ease the sticky dryness that suddenly filled her mouth. "Well, you see, one of my cubs is—"
Stumbling over her words, she allowed the sentence to hang on a long silence.
Concern lit Raffen's eyes. "Soffen, what's the matter? Is one of your cubs ill?"
"Well it's more than an illness really." Again a long pause, then quickly, urgently, "It has pink eyes," Soffen blinked her own heavily, before continuing, "and a pink nose." Her next words were a whispered undertone. "Its fur is white, not the silver-grey that it should be."
Raffen looked startled. "Your cub is disfigured?" she squealed in a rising voice, shaking her head, eyes wide with fright.
A sob caught in Soffen's throat. "Yes." Looking away, she hid her face. "I know that I should have killed it at birth but I just couldn't bring myself to do that." Sniffing back her tears, Soffen searched her friend's eyes for a sign of understanding. "I'm a Healer, I couldn't kill my own cub. They can't expect that of me."
"But you must!" Raffen's voice cut across the space between them with a sharp, hard edge. "When the Custodians find out what you've done, they'll kill it anyway, and probably banish you from Brockenhurst Sett as well." Placing a paw on Soffen's flank, Raffen emphasised her next words with gentle shakes. "Please Soffen, you must go and tell the Custodians at once, for your own sake. They'll understand."
Soffen shook her head vehemently. "No, I can't do that." She stared into her friend's eyes. "And you Raffen?" she asked. "Can I trust you to say nothing?"
Raffen looked away, studying the ground, an expression of discomfort creasing her snout. "It's such a big thing to ask of me," she whispered.
Soffen's stomach lurched as she realised the terrible mistake she'd made. She should have kept her own counsel. Seeking the approval of her friend had been wrong, Raffen would eventually blurt the secret out.
"Soffen, what's happening?" Raffen's voice was edged with fear as she looked up at the rapidly darkening sky.
A deep, unnatural calmness had unexpectedly gripped the forest, and now nothing stirred, even the usually restless leaves hung silently from their branches. The atmosphere was loaded with a feeling of urgency; a heaviness that brought a shortness of breath, a tingle of expectation.
Soffen scented the air urgently. "Quickly Raffen, we have to find shelter. There's a storm coming and no ordinary one, unless I'm very much mistaken."
Discussion about the cub would have to wait until later.
As the two friends collected their plants, the storm grew in strength, its heavy energy swirling in and out of the boiling clouds.
Soffen, through her training as a Healer, was attuned to the forces of nature and able to feel the threat gathering overhead.
The unnatural stillness that had swiftly built around them was abruptly shattered as a wind howled in from nowhere. The whole forest shook with its rage and the branches of the trees began rattling insanely against each other. It became impossible to hear anything above the clacker-clacker-clacker rebounding at them from all directions. The sky darkened even further, its blackness shrouding the billowing clouds. Wind-whipped leaves swirled angrily about their heads, tossed high by the screaming blasts of air.
"Come on," Soffen shouted.
Deep within the forest a tree groaned as, torn from the ground, it slammed into a smaller neighbour, the lighter tree snapping, the earth trembling as the stricken giant smashed its way downwards, before thrusting mud covered roots at the angry sky– a last futile gesture of appeasement.
The terrified badgers hurried through the rapidly building tempest, battling against the wind, thrown first one way, then another. Soffen did her best to fend off the branches and small bushes that were hurled at them by the storm, urgently pulling her friend along the familiar pathways. Fighting the wind, she concentrated her mind on her training, gaining strength from the inner calmness that the Healing gave her.
The wind built to an undulating scream, so loud now, that it even managed to drown out the swelling rumbles of thunder shaking the ground. Bright bolts of lightning flickered and hissed overhead as the two badgers pushed their desperate way through the shaking undergrowth, the storm battering them so remorselessly that Soffen, fearing for their lives, was tempted to use her knowledge of the Dark Healing to protect them.
A large bush, torn free by the rampaging wind, buffeted into the pair, knocking Soffen from her feet. Raffen screamed, breaking away from the path, running headlong into the storm. Soffen scrabbled upright, running after her friend, almost loosing sight of her bobbing figure in the swirling leaves.
She finally managed to catch Raffen, grabbing onto her tail, pulling her into the shelter of a nearby tree. Holding her friend tightly, Soffen tried to calm her, stroking her mud-streaked fur as they lay amongst the tangled roots.
The old tree groaned and trembled above them, its rough bark trilling as the wind raged across its indentations. The tree shifted, as if taking its first tentative steps, the straining roots singing and vibrating as they tightened under the strain. Soffen, realising what was about to happen, shouted out a warning.
With mounting panic, Soffen hauled Raffen away from the thrumming roots and they lurched their way out into the full force of the storm. But before they had taken more than a dozen paces, a long dark shadow claimed them as the falling tree reached out, reluctant to let them go.
For the briefest of instants the tree hesitated, its long flailing branches writhing in the wind. Then screeching one last curse, it slammed downwards, burying the fleeing figures beneath its tremendous weight.
Chapter 3
Grey was worried.
After setting out to get help for the stranger Brock, he'd got caught up in the most ferocious storm. It sprang from nowhere, forcing him to shelter beneath a fallen tree, where he heartily cursed the wind as it tried to suck his breath away.
Curling into a tight ball, Grey did his best to shelter his sensitive snout from the harsh grittiness of the wind-whipped soil, covering his ears against the howling of the wind, trying to think.
What should he do? Carry on and fetch the Healer, or go back and stay with the stranger until the storm had blown itself out? But going back to the sick boar now would be of little use, what did he know about the art of Healing? Cursing his luck in running across the badger in the first place, Grey's mind whirled, trying to find a solution to his dilemma.
Finally the old boar decided that his only choice was to carry on, and hope that he would be able to reach Brockenhurst Sett quickly.
As Grey left the lee of the tree and the full rage of the storm hit him, he was tempted to scurry back into its shelter. It was only the thought of the young badger lying helpless under the mound of leaves that kept him going.
Bending his head low against the fury of the squall, the old boar thrust his way along the path, battling hard to make any progress against the strong wind. A gust caught him off-guard, buffeting him so violently, that he was plucked from his feet and tumbled along by its fury, until his flight was brought to an abrupt and painful halt by a thick bole.
Grey hit the tree with such force that he lay panting in a heap at its base, soil and small stones pounding his body. Gathering his strength the old badger finally managed to struggle to his feet, stumbling into a shallow depression, where he lay groaning amongst the sodden roots, trying to recover his breath.
Grey fought hard to bring his reeling senses back under control, trying to make sense of the whirling, shifting scene raging all round him. Shaking the stinging rain from his eyes, he peered out into the torrent, looking for a way forward through the downpour, his heart hammering in his chest.
The tree above Grey began trembling and vibrating, and all too quickly the trembling turned into wild gyrations that caused a root to snap. The flailing end caught Grey a stunning blow across his exposed flank, tossing him high into the air. He landed on his back with a mind-numbing thump.
Struggling back to his feet
the old badger squinted into the lashing rain, trying to ignore the pain lancing his side, a hot anger seizing him. He would complete the task he had set himself, whatever this confounded storm threw at him. By Homer, he would beat this storm if it was the last thing he did!
The old badger pushed on, time ceasing to have any meaning as all around the wind shook the giant trees with as much ease as a foraging bird might shake a slender plant in its search for food. The branches were alive with terrifying noises– rattling claws stretching out for him, bringing life to dreams best forgotten .
It felt as though the whole forest was about to uproot itself and march against him, but the old boar persevered, pushing himself hard, slowly beginning to win out against the horrendous forces snapping at his heels.
The wind, maybe bored with its game, dropped for a moment, easing the lashing rain, allowing Grey a brief glimpse of two badgers on the pathway ahead. Then, as the rain renewed its fury, they disappeared from sight, but not before he spotted that one of them was Soffen, the Healer.
Not sparing his aching muscles, Grey forced his body forward, adopting a mind-numbing routine that took over his whole being. Struggle a few steps, pause for breath, struggle a few steps, pause for breath– over and over, until his actions had no meaning.
Grey's legs ached almost beyond endurance, his feet constantly slipping in the sticky mud, the muscles driving them weakening. His pace slowed to a crawl and he knew he would not be able to carry on much longer.
There was still no sign of the two badgers he had glimpsed earlier and with sinking spirits, he realised he might have passed right by them in the murky half-light. Tears of frustration filled his eyes.
Somewhere nearby, a tree groaned and Grey halted for a moment, ears cocked forward trying to detect which direction the sound had come from. The rain streamed from his sodden fur, making his skin itch. Suddenly, out of the gloom, branches loomed overhead, rattling loudly, like the limbs of a demented banshee. Grey moved from side to side, trying to guess which way the tree would fall.
As it fell, the tree pulled a smaller neighbour with it and the disjointed staccato noises made Grey wince. Breath faltering, the old badger shook his head, clearing water from his eyes, checking again that he really had seen two badgers break from the base of the falling tree. Dodging through the undergrowth, they had made a mad dash for safety, Grey's warning shouts going unheard.
With a long splintering cry that drowned out even the storm, the dying giant split along the length of its trunk, crashing down through the undergrowth, showering Grey with broken branches. He jumped backwards as a thick branch thudded to the ground close beside him.
Grey's mind refused to work for a moment, then he ran forward, unmindful of the cuts and bruises he was inflicting on himself. Pushing his way into the heart of the fallen tree, he began a frantic search for the two badgers he'd seen.
Hearing a soft cry, Grey thrust himself forward underneath a large branch, his breath catching in his throat. Before him lay the young sow, Raffen, jerking in her death throes, mewling like a newborn cub, struggling weakly to free herself from the branch that pierced her body and pinned her to the ground. Blood oozed from her mouth, bubbling through her lips as she laboured to fill her lungs. She stared straight at him, her eyes reflecting her terrible pain.
Grey battled to free Raffen but only succeeded in adding to her suffering, her impaled body convulsing as he tried to move her. He stopped, tears of frustration stinging his eyes, nuzzling her neck, trying to comfort the dying sow with softly spoken words.
Raffen coughed quietly, then again, splattering Grey's coat with her blood. Then taking a deep, shuddering breath, she whispered four words. "Tell . . . Soffen . . . I'm . . . sorry."
As Raffen's eyes lost the sparkle of life to the totality of death, Grey patted her flank with a clumsy paw, softly calling her name, not wanting to admit that she was dead, but unable to deny the evidence of his own eyes.
The old boar stood alongside the dead sow for a long time, his paw lightly resting on her snout, his head bowed in silence, paying his last respects. Then, with one last glance at the cruelly violated body– the half-closed eyes, the delicate snout, and the small perfect ears– he turned away, thrusting his way back into the storm.
As the old boar struggled his way out of the clinging undergrowth, a voice called to him.
"Please . . . Please help me."
Grey wasn't sure which direction the call came from and concentrated his whole being on listening, the fine hairs on the tips of his ears trembling with the effort.
The words came again, "Please . . . I'm hurt . . . Please help me."
Grey had the direction now. Under the fallen trunk, away on his right. Pushing through the twisted branches, he followed the weak cries until he located the other badger trapped beneath a thick branch.
Working his way closer, Grey saw that it was Soffen.
"Are you all right? Can you move?" he asked.
The Healer shook her head, her snout wrinkling in pain. "No, my leg's caught. I can't move it."
Grey scrambled his way under the thick trunk and saw that Soffen's leg lay trapped between the branch and a large rock. He began digging, his thick stubby claws thrusting the earth aside in large scoops.
Finally Grey managed to loosen the rock enough for Soffen to wrench her leg free. She winced in pain as he helped her up.
"Can you walk? We've got to get you back to the sett," Grey said.
Soffen took a few tentative steps, limping badly, looking back at him. "Perhaps, if you help me."
Struggling clear of the tree, the pair stood in the lee of a bush for a moment, then Soffen's eyes suddenly widened.
"Where's Raffen? She was right behind me when the tree fell. Did you see what happened to her?"
Grey, caught off guard by her urgent questions, was unable to hide his reaction and she clutched at him, digging her claws into his side.
"Where is she? Is she hurt? Tell me!"
"She's dead. There was nothing I could do. The tree crushed her."
Grey's harsh words cut through Soffen, lancing her heart like a sharp stone. Soffen shook her head wildly, denying the words, her huge eyes studying Grey's face, trying to understand what had happened.
Grey cradled Soffen against his flank, whispering words of comfort as she cried. Eventually, wiping away the last of her tears, Soffen looked up at the Custodian.
"Where is she?" she asked.
Grey nodded towards the twisted branches and watched in silence as the Healer made her way into the entangled interior. He waited patiently, thoughtfully, lost in his own grief. Raffen had been a happy, well-liked badger in the sett and her laughter would be missed. And even though he had not known her that well, Grey too would miss her.
When Soffen finally reappeared, a hard determination burnt in her eyes and it was apparent to the old Custodian that something had changed deep within her– something that stirred an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Help me back to my burrow," Soffen said in a quiet voice. "I don't think that I can manage it on my own."
*
After a long and tiring struggle, Grey and Soffen finally managed to reach the safety of her burrow on the outer edges of Low Meadow, and as they pushed their way down into the narrow entrance tunnel, Grey wondered why any badger would choose such a desolate place to live. The air was damp and cold and it was clear that food would be hard to find. Entering the main chamber, he looked about in distaste.
"Soffen why have we come here. Whose burrow is this anyway?"
"Mine," Soffen answered, ignoring the old Custodian's disapproving stare.
Grey turned to her, a look of bewilderment on his face. "But surely your tunnels are in Bell Clearing, just off the main sett?"
Soffen exhaled deeply. "Yes Grey, but this is where I live now. At least for the time being."
Grey looked about with a sinking sensation. The walls were wet, giving an offensive scent to the air, and eve
n though the chamber had been well dug, it still felt unwelcoming. Choosing such an inhospitable place to live made no sense to him.
"But why have you moved to such an appalling place?"
Soffen tipped her head, sniffing the air. "Can't you scent them Grey?" A look of defiance flickered in her eyes.
Grey raised his sensitive snout and there, just beyond the pungency of damp earth and rotting vegetation, he smelt them.
"Cubs," he said, questions flooding his eyes. "But why have you hidden yourself away here and not told the Council? Unless—"
He studied her quizzically, a serious expression creasing his face.
"Unless there's something wrong?" Soffen finished his sentence in a caustic tone. "Is that what you're thinking?" When the old badger failed to respond, she plunged on recklessly. "Well you're right, there is something wrong. At least, with one of them." Standing taller, a challenging tilt to her head, she continued in a defiant voice, "He's disfigured."
Grey's breath hissed across his teeth at her bald statement. "And you haven't informed the Council? You've hidden them away here instead?" He looked about in anger, then caught her with a piercing stare. "You of all badgers should know better. By Homer, you're a Healer. You use The Way like the rest of us breathe. Surely you're aware of how important it is to follow the creed."
Grey's voice grew in volume as he shouted the tenet at her. "All disfigured, malformed or aberrant cubs will be killed at birth. That's the immutable law Soffen. You know that. Think of what would happen if we just did as we pleased. No, we must keep ourselves pure. It's to protect our future, and it's never open to debate."
Soffen's answer whipped across the enclosed space, and as her voice lashed at him, Grey felt its full impact.
"Now you just listen to me." Soffen took a deep breath, trying to steady the tremble that had entered her voice. "Listen to me, this goes far beyond the limited knowledge of your precious Custodians. Further even than the ancient laws of The Way!"
Grey's eyes flared at such blasphemy, the fur along his back rising.
"Something dark and powerful happened out there. Something—"
Soffen hesitated, searching for the right words, "far beyond our understanding. Something stretching back into our ancient past." Slapping her chest in defiance, she let her voice swell. "I am a Healer and I know The Way, have an insight into its intricacies. I know the obvious path is not always the correct path and the traps that wait for the unwary traveller. And that insight tells me, with no room for doubt, that my cub should not be put to death."