Awakening (59 page)

‘I won’t.’

She took up the reins again, the hoofs of the Horse restless, but still she lingered.

‘What?’ he said.

‘Did you notice that I am getting older? Tell the truth.’

‘No, I didn’t and I don’t. You are most beautiful to me.’

‘But I’ll get older and older still . . .’

‘And I’ll never see it because . . . I . . . I must not say . . . I think . . . I wish . . . I am a fool.’

She laughed again and said, ‘That’s the last thing that you are.’

The White Horse reared and readied.

Stort stood back, the wind of the morning wanting to drive him away, the sun wanted to burn him, the mists confuse him.

The world turned and he reached after her as the Horse rose up. Though she seemed to reach as well their hands did not quite touch, though they finally reached to each other right across the sky.

Not yet
, the wind said,
but sometime, always . . .

‘For ever,’ said Bedwyn Stort, his hand feeling the chime she had given him, his dog come back to heel alone.

‘Look!’ whispered Katherine, taking Jack’s arm.

The sun had risen high enough to touch the White Horse and make it come alive.

‘
Look!
’

The White Horse rose, its Rider on its back, the light of Spring and Summer on her breast, in her hair the first colours of Autumn.

‘Did we really make her, Jack?’ Katherine said. ‘Look where she goes!’

They stood and watched Judith ride through the sunlight and the morning until she was gone and Stort came to them.

‘Well,’ he said, ‘we three again, not including the dog.’

Georg raced on ahead.

‘We have a trek to make,’ said Stort, ‘things to do and much to discuss. Agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ said Jack.

They set off together as the first winds of Autumn began to worry at their feet.

A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

With special thanks to Jackie Brockway for whose support, help, encouragement and occasional kicks through the writing of this story I shall be eternally grateful.

We very much hope you enjoyed
Awakening.
If you have a comment or query about the book or series, write to the author directly at [email protected]. Readers can join his emailing list for news of future events and titles on his website: www.williamhorwood.co.uk

ALSO BY WILLIAM HORWOOD

Duncton Wood

Duncton Quest

Duncton Found

Duncton Tales

Duncton Rising

Duncton Stone

Journeys to the Heartland

Seekers at the WulfRock

The Willows in Winter

Toad Triumphant

The Willows and Beyond

The Willows at Christmas

The Stonor Eagles

Callanish

Skallagrigg

The Boy with No Shoes (Memoir)

Hyddenworld: Spring

First published in 2011 by Macmillan

This electronic edition published 2011 by Macmillan
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ISBN 978-0-230-76101-8 EPUB

Copyright © William Horwood 2011

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