The Oak King and the Holly King
A Short Story of the Antrim Cycle
By N.W. Moors
This is a short story written as a sequel to The Black Swans.
Copyright 2015 by N.W. Moors
All rights reserved. Excerpt for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author: N.W. Moors, Portland, Maine
The snow in the parking lot was turning a gritty brown from the sand and rock salt that Martha Bean had spread to keep ice from forming. The ice made walking there dangerous. Nola enjoyed watching the birds hop among the trees lining the back lot and she had hung a feeder for them on the edge near where Martha parked her truck. She walked back there every day to fill the feeder again, so she appreciated Martha's efforts. Right now there were chickadees and nuthatches at the feeder and in the snow beneath it looking for fallen seeds.
Nola rinsed her coffee mug and put it in the drainer. Owen would be home to retrieve her soon. It was the Winter Solstice and they were going out to find a tree to decorate for Christmas.
Wiping her hands Nola turned to check the small kitchen. Living in the apartment on Main Street in Antrim was enjoyable. Nola loved that she and Owen finally had a place they could call their own. It was small, one of two apartments that Martha rented on the second floor over her yarn store, Sheep Knits For Ewe. But the apartment was comfortable and it was easy for Nola to walk to the middle school where she did some part-time music teaching. The school also allowed her the use of a room where she could give private violin lessons.
She would miss this apartment, but she was also excited about her new home. She and Owen had bought a house just a block away. It needed some work and Owen was completing that with the help of her brothers, Finn and Conn. It also had a small barn that they were soundproofing and building into a studio for her violin students.
Nola heard Owen stamping his boots downstairs in the foyer, trying to get the snow off. He would leave them down there and come upstairs in his thick wool socks as quietly as he could in an effort to surprise her. She grinned and wedged herself between the doorway and a cupboard.
The doorknob turned slowly and the door pushed open gradually. Owen peeked his head in, surveying the kitchen, convinced that had finally fooled her. He stepped into the room and Nola jumped out screaming, "Boo!"
Owen clutched at his chest as he spun around to catch her in his arms. She was laughing like a maniac, her black hair falling around her face, and he bent his head to catch her lips in a kiss. That stopped her laughing very quickly and Nola kissed him back, warming his cold lips with her own warm ones.
She pulled her head back. "Gotcha again!"
"You did," Owen agreed, pulling her tighter against him. "That won't happen in the new house. I can come inside in too many ways and you won't be able to guard them all."
"Not long now." Nola smiled at her fiance, enjoying his warmth.
"Yes, just a little over a week. The kitchen remodel is almost complete and so is the upstairs bathroom. I wish we didn't need to take the time to go to Canada."
Nola slapped at his chest and he released her. "You don't mean that. You want to visit your family. We haven't seen them in a while."
Owen took off his coat and hung it on the back of a kitchen chair, then sat down. "I know. I want to see them, but I could get so much done if we spent the time here." He sighed and Nola rubbed his shoulders.
"You're working too hard. We'll get it all done. But today we're going to celebrate the Solstice. After that we'll worry about Christmas, the trip to Canada, and moving into the house."
"I know." Owen took Nola's hand and kissed the back of it. "You're right. We'll have fun today." He pulled her down onto his lap.
"What do we do for Solstice anyway? I don't remember celebrating that with you before."
Nola did not mention that the previous year she and her brothers had been trapped in the land of the Fae, caught in a spell by Queen Maeb. Owen, Taisie, and their friend, Gilly Flowers, had traveled to the Other Worlds to break the curse and free them. There had been no chance to celebrate Solstice even if they had wanted to last year. Before that they were usually on the road somewhere, traveling as the Celtic band, The Black Swans.
"First we'll go into the woods around Gilly's place and find the perfect Christmas tree." Nola counted off on her fingers, remembering the plans and how they had celebrated in long years past.
Owen laughed. "It'll have to be pretty small to fit in here."
"Yes, but it'll be our first tree together. I have decorations and lights. Gilly gave me some cunning dried herb chains that are woven so we can drape them on the tree and they'll augment the pine scent. And Taisie and Gran McDonnell knit little stockings and stars to hang on branches."
"All right, that sounds like fun," Owen gave her a kiss on her forehead, unable to resist her enthusiasm.
"Then we'll cut holly and evergreen branches to decorate with. I have candles for the windows. It will be lovely, Owen, really."
"It will," Owen agreed.
"My brothers will build a big bonfire and we can tell stories and sing songs. We'll welcome the Holly King and drink hot chocolate. You'll love it."
"Wait, who's the Holly King? The rest sounds familiar, but I've never heard of a Holly King."
Nola jumped up. "I'll tell the story of the Oak King and the Holly King tonight. I get to do that as the oldest child in my family."
Owen rubbed his chin. "I'm actually older than you in age-years."
"But I'm hundreds of years older than you technically. I've only started to age again since the curse was lifted." Nola danced across the kitchen and Owen laughed at her antics. He wondered one more time if they could not move the wedding to a closer date. Right now it was planned for April, but he could not wait to have Nola for his wife.
"I think I have everything." Owen broke off from his musing to see that Nola had a pile of tote bags with a folded blanket on top near the door. "You have tools in your trunk, right?"
"Yes, and Gilly and the others will have anything we might have forgotten. We're only going out for one evening," Owen teased.
He put his coat back on and picked up the blanket. He was relieved that there were only two tote bags hidden under it and he slung them over one arm. Nola was back in a cherry-red jacket and hat to match which set off her black hair and bright cheeks perfectly. She gave him a quick kiss, then smacked him on his arse to start him out the door. He was chuckling as he went down the stairs while she locked the door.
Nola clattered down the stairs and took the bags while Owen put his boots back on, then they loaded up his truck. He was proud of his old Chevy. Conn was using the van that the band had purchased for touring, so he had found this vehicle in pretty good condition and was using it for his fledging carpentry business. They pulled out onto Main Street and headed up the road towards Gilly's house.
Owen pulled up her long driveway and parked next to the old band van. Conn and Taisie must have already arrived. Gathering their bags, they headed to the front door which swung open before Owen had a chance to knock. Finn stepped out and swooped up his sister, eliciting shrieks and laughter from Nola.
"Put me down, you lummox!" Owen edged by with his burdens and headed for the kitchen where the rest of the group waited. Gilly was working at her counter while Taisie and Jane, her cousin, sat at the table with hot mugs of tea. Conn and Henry, Jane's boyfriend, were leaning on another counter while they chatted. Owen plopped the b
ags on the floor out of the way and greeted the others.
Taisie popped up to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "What is Finn doing with Nola?" she asked.
Owen shrugged. "High spirits for the Solstice, I believe." His words were proved as the two siblings, the oldest and the second-to-youngest of the four McLaren siblings, entered the kitchen chattering and teasing each other. "Where is Aobh?"
Taisie smiled. "My parents are watching her for us this evening." Conn walked over and put an arm around his wife. Their daughter, Aobh, was nearly a year old, a replica of her red-headed mother and with her father's gentleness. Owen looked over at Nola talking with Gilly and Jane while Finn stood with his arm around his older sister. Finn was a little lost these days. His twin, Conn, had married Taisie and they had Aobh to focus most of their attention. His older brother, Hugh and Nola's twin, was living in the Other Worlds with his new bride, Malwine. That left Nola as the only one left to still cosset her brother. Finn may have been hundreds of years old, but he had some growing up to do.
Gilly clapped her hands for attention. "It will be dark in about an hour. You'd best be about your gathering for the Solstice celebrations. I'll make sure that the fire is ready when you get back."
There was a general bustle as people