more than just playing with magic. I am, among other things, the venefical protector of the Wessex Celts and that means engaging with anyone who would seek to damage them or this region.’
‘Who did you engage with a few days ago that were rabid killers of innocent people?’
‘A raiding party of Viking came from the sea and killed two hundred villagers in Lyme Regis.’
Desmond’s eyes opened wide in disbelief.
‘Two hundred in Lyme Regis! My little troupe and I have entertained there.’
‘Well, now they are all dead, and the settlement has been burned to the ground,’ said Twilight gravely.
Desmond Kingdom Biwater went very quiet for a while as he digested this news.
‘Will my animals be able to stay with me?’ he asked eventually.
‘Of course,’ replied Twilight. ‘Unless I transform them elsewhere because of danger, but remember this, they are just as vulnerable as you to those who would oppose us. However, along with my pica and others, humans and animals, who would attach themselves to our cause, they will be a part of our merry little band. A bit like your spectaculum but without the entertainment.’
‘Death does not frighten me, nor them. As a small travelling group we live with its threat every day and can look after ourselves when the going gets tough. I know I speak for them. We would all like to be your companions . . . please.’
Twilight’s dark eyes flashed.
‘So be it,’ he said softly.
‘I have placed pica sentinels along the coast of Wessex,’ Twilight said to Rawnie and Desmond as they sat on the long bench in the compound. ‘To keep a lookout for other Viking raiding parties.’
‘D’you think they will come again?’ asked his wife.
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘It’s a question of when and how many.’
They all reflected on that whilst watching Eleanor and Harlo rolling around on the ground with the two bears, who treated the two children as gently as if they were dandelion puff-balls that mustn’t have one spore damaged. Since their arrival, the children had played incessantly with the bears.
‘I do believe that those bears have put on weight in the three weeks we have been here,’ mused Desmond.
‘Nation certainly has,’ said Rawnie with a wink at Twilight.
‘Must be all that lovely food you have been giving us.’
‘Could be, or could be something else, eh, Mister Veneficus?’ Rawnie chuckled.
‘What do you mean?’ Desmond eyed Twilight with a perplexed look.
‘Nation, the female one, is going to do what only females can do.’ The astounder smiled.
Desmond Kingdom Biwater was not a young man who ran very deep; his face registered a number of emotions as he thought that through before suddenly opening up with an ear-to-ear beam.
‘Nation is going to have a baby?’ he exclaimed.
‘She is.’
‘And you knew all the time?’
‘From the moment I first saw you all performing at the settlement of Kennet from my vantage point in the trees.’
‘How can you tell such a thing? I can’t tell even now, and these bears are as close to my heart as anything ever will be.’
Rawnie answered for her husband.
‘A veneficus has amazing and sometimes perplexing powers. One of them is the ability to look inside the body—and the mind—of humans and animals. Believe you me, as a mother of two children, I have been on the receiving end of this internal body searching any number of times during my pregnancies. In both cases he knew before I did!’
‘Shouldn’t Nation be resting, taking it easy or something?’ Desmond looked at the two bears frolicking with the children.
‘Stop acting like a concerned father,’ said Rawnie. ‘She’s a fully grown, strong and vigorous bear. It won’t make any difference to her behaviour. Soon you’ll have three bears, and the children will love the baby to distraction.’
Desmond looked directly at Twilight. ‘Can you tell if the new baby will be a boy or a girl?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’
‘What I can tell
‘Who did you engage with a few days ago that were rabid killers of innocent people?’
‘A raiding party of Viking came from the sea and killed two hundred villagers in Lyme Regis.’
Desmond’s eyes opened wide in disbelief.
‘Two hundred in Lyme Regis! My little troupe and I have entertained there.’
‘Well, now they are all dead, and the settlement has been burned to the ground,’ said Twilight gravely.
Desmond Kingdom Biwater went very quiet for a while as he digested this news.
‘Will my animals be able to stay with me?’ he asked eventually.
‘Of course,’ replied Twilight. ‘Unless I transform them elsewhere because of danger, but remember this, they are just as vulnerable as you to those who would oppose us. However, along with my pica and others, humans and animals, who would attach themselves to our cause, they will be a part of our merry little band. A bit like your spectaculum but without the entertainment.’
‘Death does not frighten me, nor them. As a small travelling group we live with its threat every day and can look after ourselves when the going gets tough. I know I speak for them. We would all like to be your companions . . . please.’
Twilight’s dark eyes flashed.
‘So be it,’ he said softly.
‘I have placed pica sentinels along the coast of Wessex,’ Twilight said to Rawnie and Desmond as they sat on the long bench in the compound. ‘To keep a lookout for other Viking raiding parties.’
‘D’you think they will come again?’ asked his wife.
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘It’s a question of when and how many.’
They all reflected on that whilst watching Eleanor and Harlo rolling around on the ground with the two bears, who treated the two children as gently as if they were dandelion puff-balls that mustn’t have one spore damaged. Since their arrival, the children had played incessantly with the bears.
‘I do believe that those bears have put on weight in the three weeks we have been here,’ mused Desmond.
‘Nation certainly has,’ said Rawnie with a wink at Twilight.
‘Must be all that lovely food you have been giving us.’
‘Could be, or could be something else, eh, Mister Veneficus?’ Rawnie chuckled.
‘What do you mean?’ Desmond eyed Twilight with a perplexed look.
‘Nation, the female one, is going to do what only females can do.’ The astounder smiled.
Desmond Kingdom Biwater was not a young man who ran very deep; his face registered a number of emotions as he thought that through before suddenly opening up with an ear-to-ear beam.
‘Nation is going to have a baby?’ he exclaimed.
‘She is.’
‘And you knew all the time?’
‘From the moment I first saw you all performing at the settlement of Kennet from my vantage point in the trees.’
‘How can you tell such a thing? I can’t tell even now, and these bears are as close to my heart as anything ever will be.’
Rawnie answered for her husband.
‘A veneficus has amazing and sometimes perplexing powers. One of them is the ability to look inside the body—and the mind—of humans and animals. Believe you me, as a mother of two children, I have been on the receiving end of this internal body searching any number of times during my pregnancies. In both cases he knew before I did!’
‘Shouldn’t Nation be resting, taking it easy or something?’ Desmond looked at the two bears frolicking with the children.
‘Stop acting like a concerned father,’ said Rawnie. ‘She’s a fully grown, strong and vigorous bear. It won’t make any difference to her behaviour. Soon you’ll have three bears, and the children will love the baby to distraction.’
Desmond looked directly at Twilight. ‘Can you tell if the new baby will be a boy or a girl?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’
‘What I can tell
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