jangeo Pinkerton

Excerpt From:

The Templar Knight, Book One:
A Witch Spell
by jangeo Pinkerton

 

Chapter Fourteen
All Hallows Eve

 

1302 October 31

Twilight on All Hallows Eve, Bret stood on the hill near his cottage. “Lo, I love this hill, and looking about at the countryside,” he said. He closed his eyes, and once again the strange feeling about Briana overpowered him. The celebrations were already beginning for Samhain, and an unpleasant sentiment drifted through the evening air.

Bret remembered Alpin’s warning the night before. Harboring such thoughts, Bret wanted to stay in a sober mood. “But can I? All Hallows Eve, my birthday—and the new wine all awaits me.” He imagined the wizard was at his cottage studying his divination, and natural magick of the heavens and earth. 

Alpin’s voice went through Bret’s mind. Beware! On this night, the veil between the physical world and spiritual world will be at its thinnest. Bret felt the presence of someone, and jerked his head around. “Wizard Man.”

“‘Tis known among the ancients that on the night of Samhain, the dead walks through the veil to enter our world.” Alpin said. He climbed the hill with his walking stick.

Josephus approached, carrying two silver goblets, a small platter of pastry, and two skins of wine draped over his shoulder. He handed Bret a goblet. "Why all this talk of the dead, Magick Man? Have the spirits got you restless on this eve?" He bit into a strawberry tart with his strong teeth, and chewed the pastry.

 Bret reached for the other tart, then grabbed the skin of sack to pour some wine. “’Tis nothing here to concern spirits, he said. He shook his head. “Nay, Magick Man. The dead have no business here.”

“Agreed my knight, but demons and devils do,” Alpin said. “Indeed they do. They are always busy going about to stir things up—wicked things.” He raised his head to the sky, then pointed his staff. The blue crystal ball at the tip lit up, and Roman the dog barked loud.  “Aye, a sign from the Merlin. See before you now, a sign of great trepidation,” Alpin announced.

Bret and Josephus looked at the sky at the wizard's request. "I see only the first star of the night breaking through the dim sky to reveal its tiny light," Bret said.

 “’Tis the first star wizard. Nothing more,” Josephus insisted, and reached for another pastry.

“Nay, Sir Knights. ‘Tis the last star of the night appearing as the first. ‘Tis not Phosphorus, the evening star. Nay, this is the last star to appear on the night sky,” Alpin said. He pointed his stick again. “Lo, there! The Dog Star, Sirius . . . it, moves beside the last star now.” He turned to the knights. “Can you not see this?” he asked. “Oh, dear me, the whole land of Egypt will be out of order this night.”

The wizard’s eyes grew big with wonder, and his voice trembled. “This night is hexed, and I fear this whole village is cursed.” Alpin the Wizard clutched his staff. “I must make haste to the cottage to act upon me alchemy. I fear the witch Zarelda is behind this,” he said. He trotted down the hill. “Oh, indeed she is.”

“By the Greek gods!” Josephus declared his mouth full of pastry.

          “Fear not,” Bret said. “Alpin loves to be surrounded by his written works, and chemical mixtures.” Bret laughed. “’Twill make his evening more exciting.”

Bret turned to face the tiny twinkling stars, and felt as if a knot tighten inside his gut. What was Zarelda up to now? He wondered. Nevertheless, she was not that powerful. Bret doubted she could handle more than a few simple love potions, if any. Or could she?

Josephus read his kinsman’s mind. “Remember that night at Zarelda’s cottage?” he asked. “A demon, in the form of some dark spirit was summoned up.”

    "I forbid her to . . ."

  

© 2000jpinkerton

To read more about Bret de Colville you can order the book, The Templar Knight, Book One: A Witch Spell, at the following:

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PublishAmerica.com

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http://www.jcpinkerton.com 
angelfire.com/zine2/pinkerton 
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