CHAPTER 9
The word was to be sent to the clans across the country. As many houses as possible were to be sprinkled with herbs and health spells were to be said. These were not as strong as they would be when said by an intercessor, but they would ease the infection of the household. Work parties were organised to make sleighs and other methods of transport that could be used in bad weather. Muses travelled up and down the country putting ideas into the minds of mortals to make their lives easier while the uprising progressed.
The Blue Caps, little fairies dressed as miners and sometimes seen as a blue flame, had agreed to mine coal for fuel and because of their mischievous nature, they had loved the idea of being an anti Santa Clause, and delivering the coal to households during the night.
There were things we could be getting on with before the Samhain, and they took our minds off the impending battle and friends we may lose. Preparation was of vital importance.
I spent a lot of my time with Hattie mixing herbs and potions; everything we could think of that we may need was made and stored. A spell was then said over them.
Elements of wind and fire,
Bring to me my heart's desire.
Water, earth, my wish fulfil,
Strong my magick, strong my will.
Within these Elements fourfold,
the power grows and so will hold.
She handed me a big old leather bound folder, full of clipped in pages. These were spells and potions handed down over the years. 'Never stray from the words, you must say them as they are written Abigail; the power comes from the very first intercessor, and is strengthened as it passes down.' I poured over the book trying to memorize as much as possible. Some were so old, they were written on a kind of parchment, and they had faded slightly over the years, but other than that, they were in good condition.
On one of the pages, there was a love potion, and a disgusting one at that! I wondered if any of my predecessors had used it, and shuddered at the thought. The woman must collect a drop of her menstrual blood and mix it in the drink of her loved one. Once drunk the man would love her forever, although, it did not guarantee fidelity; a further spell was needed for that. I smiled to myself. So even way back in history, men could not help themselves from straying.
This book was now my bible and I would treasure it and guard it. The contents could save my life, and others, and therefore I kept it locked in a cupboard in my room. I sat thinking of how my life had changed, and how easily I had fitted in to it. In my writing, I did lots of research, and thought how even that had prepared me for looking for the right spells and potions, and finding out my enemies weaknesses. After all these years, I now knew what I was meant to do. I just hoped it wasn’t going to end as quickly as it had begun.