Gerda’s on her own now. She lost her mate a long time ago and never quite got over it. Nora says she gets very sad some days.’
There was a loud cackling as Gerda waddled by. Jack wondered if she’d overheard Elan. Her beak was full of long green stalks. She seemed to nod her head several times in a kind of greeting.
‘Nora sent her to get some chives from the herb garden. She likes to help and she’s very good at grabbing them with her beak.’
‘How does she know which ones to pick?’
‘Nora’s taught her about all the different plants in the garden.’
It seemed incredible for a goose to be able to understand and follow instructions but Jack had to accept it was true. Not long ago he’d been talking to a raven which could not only understand him but talk back too.
‘Where’s Camelin?’ he asked.
‘He’s in his loft. You’ll be able to see him later. I think Nora wants to talk to you first.’
Jack and Elan made their way back to the house. As they entered the kitchen Nora was chopping the chives and talking to Gerda who cackled happily back. She sprinkled the herbs into a large steaming saucepan that bubbled on the range at the far end of the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked bread again filled the room. He felt so at home in this kitchen. It was like Grandad’s but much more interesting. The large dresser behind the table didn’t have china plates or ornaments on its shelves. Instead it was covered in rocks and fossils. On the work surface two huge pieces of amethyst were being used as book-ends. Gerda waddled out of the open doors and settled down on the patio in the warm sunshine. Jack looked around but there still wasn’t any sign of Camelin.
‘I’ll go and collect the eggs,’ announced Elan as she picked up a basket and headed into the garden.
Jack thought it was probably a good time to talk to Nora now they were on their own.
‘I think Camelin’s probably right. I’m not going to be much help.’
‘Nonsense, you’re going to be just fine. He’ll change his mind, you’ll see.’
Jack hung his head.
‘You said you’d try your best. What more could we ask? You listened to Arrana and agreed to help. Not many boys of your age would have done that.’
Jack shuffled his feet. Nora was waiting for him to reply but he couldn’t find the right words.
‘Now, there are things you need to know. Our first and most important task is to prepare you for the ritual.’
‘I’m afraid.’
‘That’s only natural. You’ve seen a lot of unusual things in the last few days. You’re bound to feel different.’
‘Do I have to be turned into a raven?’
‘You didn’t find that out from your Book of Shadows.’
Jack felt worried when Nora scowled.
‘What has Camelin been telling you?’
‘Not much, but he did say you were going to transform me into a raven and I’d have to be naked.’
‘Yes, he’d take great delight in telling you that. We wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. The ritual is very quick. It involves a walk to the Raven’s Bowl at sunrise on a very special day of the year.’
‘Where’s the Raven’s Bowl?’
‘I’ll show you.’
Nora selected one of the books from the dresser and carefully opened it at the middle page. She unfolded a hand drawn map and spread it out on the table. It was different from any map Jack had seen before. It wasn’t drawn to scale and there were strange words and symbols around the edge. Nora pointed to the top of Glasruhen Hill and then let her finger move slightly lower down.
‘Here,’ she said, and pointed to a craggy rock on the map which was labelled the Raven’s Bowl. ‘There’s a natural hollow in the rock. That’s where we have to perform the ritual.’
‘Will a lot of people be there?’ Jack asked with renewed concern.
‘Please don’t worry. No one will see us and you can have my cloak. I doubt Camelin told you that.’
‘He didn’t.’
‘The ritual is quite easy. You’ll have a few words to learn
There was a loud cackling as Gerda waddled by. Jack wondered if she’d overheard Elan. Her beak was full of long green stalks. She seemed to nod her head several times in a kind of greeting.
‘Nora sent her to get some chives from the herb garden. She likes to help and she’s very good at grabbing them with her beak.’
‘How does she know which ones to pick?’
‘Nora’s taught her about all the different plants in the garden.’
It seemed incredible for a goose to be able to understand and follow instructions but Jack had to accept it was true. Not long ago he’d been talking to a raven which could not only understand him but talk back too.
‘Where’s Camelin?’ he asked.
‘He’s in his loft. You’ll be able to see him later. I think Nora wants to talk to you first.’
Jack and Elan made their way back to the house. As they entered the kitchen Nora was chopping the chives and talking to Gerda who cackled happily back. She sprinkled the herbs into a large steaming saucepan that bubbled on the range at the far end of the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked bread again filled the room. He felt so at home in this kitchen. It was like Grandad’s but much more interesting. The large dresser behind the table didn’t have china plates or ornaments on its shelves. Instead it was covered in rocks and fossils. On the work surface two huge pieces of amethyst were being used as book-ends. Gerda waddled out of the open doors and settled down on the patio in the warm sunshine. Jack looked around but there still wasn’t any sign of Camelin.
‘I’ll go and collect the eggs,’ announced Elan as she picked up a basket and headed into the garden.
Jack thought it was probably a good time to talk to Nora now they were on their own.
‘I think Camelin’s probably right. I’m not going to be much help.’
‘Nonsense, you’re going to be just fine. He’ll change his mind, you’ll see.’
Jack hung his head.
‘You said you’d try your best. What more could we ask? You listened to Arrana and agreed to help. Not many boys of your age would have done that.’
Jack shuffled his feet. Nora was waiting for him to reply but he couldn’t find the right words.
‘Now, there are things you need to know. Our first and most important task is to prepare you for the ritual.’
‘I’m afraid.’
‘That’s only natural. You’ve seen a lot of unusual things in the last few days. You’re bound to feel different.’
‘Do I have to be turned into a raven?’
‘You didn’t find that out from your Book of Shadows.’
Jack felt worried when Nora scowled.
‘What has Camelin been telling you?’
‘Not much, but he did say you were going to transform me into a raven and I’d have to be naked.’
‘Yes, he’d take great delight in telling you that. We wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. The ritual is very quick. It involves a walk to the Raven’s Bowl at sunrise on a very special day of the year.’
‘Where’s the Raven’s Bowl?’
‘I’ll show you.’
Nora selected one of the books from the dresser and carefully opened it at the middle page. She unfolded a hand drawn map and spread it out on the table. It was different from any map Jack had seen before. It wasn’t drawn to scale and there were strange words and symbols around the edge. Nora pointed to the top of Glasruhen Hill and then let her finger move slightly lower down.
‘Here,’ she said, and pointed to a craggy rock on the map which was labelled the Raven’s Bowl. ‘There’s a natural hollow in the rock. That’s where we have to perform the ritual.’
‘Will a lot of people be there?’ Jack asked with renewed concern.
‘Please don’t worry. No one will see us and you can have my cloak. I doubt Camelin told you that.’
‘He didn’t.’
‘The ritual is quite easy. You’ll have a few words to learn