Dance of the Stones (5 page)

3.
CIRCLE TO THE RIGHT

The tall gray stones marched in a curve along the far side of a daisy-studded field. As Holly, Owen and Adam stared, the sunlight seemed to brighten and shimmer around them.

“They are magic stones,” breathed Chantel as she hobbled up behind everyone.

Owen unlatched the gate and they entered the field. He stopped and everyone piled into him. He pointed to the sky.

A small hawk circled above. Closer and closer it flew. A feather loosened from its tail and spiraled to the ground as the hawk glided to the top of one of the great stones. It perched and stared haughtily across the field toward them.

“I bet that's Ava. She's sending another message.” Owen took off, running toward the fallen feather.

Adam followed.

“Wait for us,” Chantel called.

“They never wait,” said Holly. She kept pace with Chantel who grasped her crutches and hobbled as fast as she could over the grass.

Owen picked up the feather.

The hawk spread its wings and soared across the deep hollow behind the stones. It disappeared in a distant stand of trees.

Adam touched Owen's shoulder. “Just coincidence. There must be loads of hawks around.”

“I suppose so,” muttered Owen. He shaded his eyes and strained for a glimpse of the hawk, then tucked the feather in his pocket.

Adam surveyed the nearest megalith. It towered over him. “The stones are humungous. What do you think they weigh?”

Owen's shoulders were hunched with disappointment.

He shrugged. “Tons and tons. They're too heavy to move.

Ava said the stone turned, but no one could turn these.” He leaned against the stone and pushed with all his might.

A strange look came over his face.

Adam wasn't paying attention. He was fooling around the adjacent stone, jumping up to try to touch its topmost edge.

“Here!” Owen's voice was sharp.

“What?” asked Holly as she, Chantel and Adam joined him.

Owen had his hands on the stone. “Feel the stone, and listen,” he said.

Everyone placed their palms on the gray surface.

“What are we listening for?” asked Holly.

“Shut up,” hissed Owen. “Just do it.” He leaned his cheek against the stone and closed his eyes.

Mystified, the other children copied him.

The stone's gritty surface felt surprisingly warm to their cheeks. Each child became aware of sheer bulk, weight and tremendous age. They leaned into the rock and heard and felt a throb, a slow steady pulse beating deep inside.

Everyone's eyes flew open.

“Did you hear it?” said Owen. “Did you?”

“What is it?” asked Chantel.

Owen shook his head, closed his eyes and listened again.

“I know,” said Adam quietly. “I've heard it before, in the rocks beneath Wayland's Smithy. It's the heartbeat of the stones. They're alive.”

*   *   *

The stones quivered with delight. The children were true shamans. They could hear the stones' hearts. They would listen and learn, and once more the ritual would be performed. Then the stones would be strong again and could fulfill their purpose.

As the stones rejoiced above ground, deep beneath one of them, something stirred.

Trapped in an earthen cell, the night-prowling wraith struggled and writhed. It hated the stones. They were its enemy and jailer. But now the old order was changing.

With each dark came a few hours' freedom. Last night's excursion had been special. Extra strength had filled the night air as if a Dark Power were approaching. A little more dark strength and the wraith could throw off the stones' influence and rise from its cell forever. It already had enough power to meld with an unsuspecting child. The stones would then be powerless to stop it entering the magical center. They could hurt and imprison the wraith, but they would never hurt a child!

Children were near. Soon . . . soon . . . its time would come. The wraith shrank into a small tight ball to wait.

*   *   *

Holly danced around the stone. “Magic's working. We are in the right place.”

Adam jabbed her. “People are watching,” he said.

They turned to see a group of people laughing at their antics. One of them was a girl in her late teens with platform shoes, a black Lycra crop top and dark shiny hair hanging down to the small of her back.

Holly stared admiringly at the girl and immediately became more decorous. She dropped her voice. “I wonder if the other stones have a heartbeat. Let's walk around the Circle and listen.”

Owen counted the stones. “There are twelve stones in a curve here, then an enormous gap. A whole bunch are missing.” He pointed across the field. “Those big ones in the middle are on their own. They're not part of the Circle. Where are the rest?”

“Follow the ditch,” said Holly. “Look.” She pointed to the gigantic hollow behind the stones. It curved around and continued after the last standing stone in the line. A path followed the rim. “I bet it goes round in a circle. The stones are set up along the inside rim.”

The cousins followed the path, stroking each stone along the way and hearing its heartbeat.

Holly was right. Even when there were missing stones, the ditch continued to circle. Four times there were entrances punched through the ditch, where two roads crossed the Great Circle. The children crossed the roads. Each time the curve of the ditch continued on the other side, encircling the village, with the stones on guard.

They had almost completed the circuit when the attack happened.

Chantel was lagging behind. It was a long walk on crutches and her leg ached. Ahead of her a hollow in a stone made a seat-like ledge. She sighed with relief. She could rest there.

Chantel limped toward the stone, then paused. She didn't feel good. It was creepy. She felt as though someone was glaring at her, someone who hated her and wished her harm. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. She looked around but saw no one other than her brother and cousins nearby. The nearest people touring the stones were on the other side of the field with their backs to her.

Mystified, Chantel shook her head and started to hobble toward the stone again. Waves of hatred washed over her. She forced her limbs to move. Despite the summer sun, cold sweat trickled down her neck. She swayed with dizziness and drooped over her crutches.

“I mustn't fall,” Chantel muttered to herself. “I mustn't. I'll hurt my leg. If only I can make it to the seat.” Step by step she forced herself to move closer. The waves of hatred seemed to be coming from the stone itself.

She stopped in confusion. If these were Ava's magic stones they wouldn't hurt her.

“Adam, Holly,” she called. “Owen.” Her voice was a croak. Sweat beaded her forehead. Blackness gathered behind her eyes. “ADAM!”

Her brother and cousins turned.

“What is it, Chantel?” Holly ran and put her arm around the younger girl. Chantel sagged against her.

Adam ran and supported her other side.

“Get me away from here.” With a massive effort, and her brother's and cousin's help, Chantel staggered beyond the stone. As she moved away, the awful feeling lessened. By the time she was leaning against the next stone, she was weak and shaken, but the feeling of hatred was gone.

“What was that all about?” Owen asked.

Chantel shrugged. “I . . . I'm not sure.” She tried to explain.

Adam ran back to the stone. He felt nothing. He ran around the stone several times, sat on the ledge and grinned at them. “Goofball, you were imagining it. Too long a walk and too much sun.”

Chantel shook her head. “I didn't imagine it. Be careful, Adam Maxwell. There's something nasty near that stone. It might get you.”

Adam rolled his eyes.

*   *   *

Once more the wraith lay curled in a ball in its cell. The child had sensed its presence and resisted. It must be sure that didn't happen again.

Now its strength was spent. It must wait. It longed for the velvet darkness of a new night and the growing presence of the unknown power. If all went well it could gather more strength and try again.

*   *   *

“Amazing. The ditch is a perfect circle,” said Owen. “And it's big. We must have walked over a mile. But loads of stones are missing. How come?”

“They've fallen down.” Holly pointed to one half-buried in the field.

“Some have,” said Adam. “But Owen's right. It's more than the odd one falling. Some are gone. I wonder what happened.”

“Someone in the museum will know. Let's go there next,” Owen said.

“I can't walk any farther,” said Chantel.

The others looked at her with concern.

Chantel's face was still pale and she teetered shakily on her crutches.

“She'll never make it home,” Holly said. “We should have been helping her instead of galloping ahead.”

Adam looked down at his sister. She was small and slight for her age. “I'll piggyback you,” he offered.

Owen took the crutches and Adam bent down. Holly boosted Chantel onto Adam's back and he carried her to Manor Cottage.

“We've got to find a better way of getting Chantel around,” Owen said as Chantel hopped over to her bed and lay down with a sigh of relief. “We used the pony trap in Uffington.” Owen thought for a minute. “We've bikes. Think we could rig up a wagon to pull between us?”

Chantel rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right!” She waved them away. “Go and explore. I'll read.” She fiddled in her backpack and brought out a book.

“We'll be back soon,” said Owen.

“Better tell Mum where we're going and that Chantel's here,” said Holly as they left.

*   *   *

Chantel snuggled into the pillow. Her eyelids drooped and the book slipped from her fingers.

Child, are you there?
A gentle voice flowed through her dream.

Is that you, Horse?

A familiar feeling of warmth and friendship washed over Chantel. She smiled in her sleep. Equus, the Great White Horse, had come back to visit her. His mane tickled her cheek and his musky scent of horse sweat and hay surrounded her.

I've missed you
, she murmured.

I've missed you too, Chantel. But you needed time to
rest after recovering my talisman. We don't want the burden
to become too heavy.

Oh, Horse.
Chantel smiled again.
We want to help. It's
been hard waiting.

You are ready for the next task?

Yes, yes. Owen is so excited about Ava's star message,
but he doesn't understand what to do.

Tell Owen that Ava will come tonight when he sleeps.

Dreams are the easiest way for children to see and understand.
Chantel frowned.
Horse, why don't you just tell us what
to do. It's hard to figure things out from dreams.

Equus laughed, a whinnying bray.
Yes, child, it would
save much time. But we cannot undo Human Magic.
Humans devised rituals to help them control Earth Magic.
Humans must perform those rituals. Now do you understand?

Sort of,
said Chantel doubtfully.
But if you can't do our
magic, how come the Dark Being can?

Equus blew sadly through his nostrils.
She cannot, but
she will destroy much before she realizes it.

There was a long silence.

Horse
, said Chantel hesitantly,
let's not talk about the
Dark Being anymore. Please, can we go riding?

Of course. Come, child. I'll show you Ava's Great Circle
from the air.

Chantel felt herself rise and there she was, perched on Equus's broad white back. She twisted her hand in his mane and looked down. Manor Cottage and the tiny village of Avebury spread below like a toy model. Around the village ran the deep green ditch and the stones. She gasped.
The Circle is enormous . . . I can see the whole
thing from up here.

Equus gave a whickering chuckle.
It was made that way.

To be seen from the air?
Chantel was puzzled.
Why? I
thought it was made a long time ago. Auntie Lynne said
five thousand years ago. No one flew then.
She hesitated.
Did they?

No
, said Equus gently.
But we were here. We've always
been here.

Chantel smiled with delight.
The Circle was made for
you, like the White Horse carving!

The Circle was created to honor Ava, the White Horse
to honor me.

Chantel stared down while she stroked his neck and mane.
Not all the stones are in a circle.
Chantel pointed below.
I can see two lines of stones winding over the fields.
We didn't notice those from the ground.

That's the Avenue. It runs from the Circle to the Sanctuary.
Equus leaped across the valley to the end of the Avenue.

He landed in a field with several rings of concrete blocks in the center.
This is all that's left of the Sanctuary. Markers
to show where it once stood.

What happened?
asked Chantel.

Equus shook his great head sadly.
It was destroyed by
your people when they discarded Old Magic.

Chantel gazed downward. She pointed to the conical mound in the distance.
Is Silbury Hill Old Magic too?

The horse whickered.
It is one of the greatest places of
Earth Magic. It is the burial place of King Sel, a great king
known for his fairness to his people and for his courage in
battle. The mound was built over him where he fell in his
last battle. King Sel answers only to himself, but it is said
that in times of great danger to Gaia he will ride forth in
golden armor on his horse, Aurora, to confront the evil.