The Farmhouse In Ashen Withered Forest

[ILLYRIAN]

THE FARMHOUSE IN ASHEN WITHERED FOREST Part 1

Gavin had rented the farmhouse in the Ashen Withered Forest, during the time that is long past Gavin wrote three books in the years before he met then began to date Rosie. After a few years they got married, that was before they were given the daughter of his missing sister to raise as their own, Amy lived with Gavin and Rosie into and through her teenage years.

Each of them regarded her to be like their daughter, Amy soon grew to love living in a house built of rock, yet she felt a presence within the stones yet she tried to ignore the danger that was crawling amongst the rock of the house. Both Gavin and Rosie became aware of the dangers that faced Amy, so they began to look for somewhere else to live and to raise her.

All was well for many years until both his wife and the adopted Amy grew to comfortable with living near the coast. Gavin became somewhat distraught because he had lost the ability to write another book. It was when the publisher of his previous three books contacted him and gave him the figures that those books had begun to sell in.

Selling in such large numbers Gavin suggested to Rosie they should look for a suitable house to buy. As the next few years passed by and the girl they knew as their daughter (Amy) was now nineteen, Gavin and Rosie finally agreed that they should buy a house and land. Rosie learnt of the news their old solicitor had details of their old farmhouse and the land around it being for sale,

she wondered if the farmhouse was too isolated even though it was only two miles from the village of Bilston. Rosie contacted the solicitor’s office to get the details of where the houses were that they were selling. The reply stated the property they were selling was the Farmhouse in Ashen Withered Forest. It was a letter from the publisher that told Rosie that each of Gavin’s books were selling in sufficient numbers,

that being so the Farmhouse house they had once rented they could now afford to buy. Gavin was impressed and started to offer to buy the farmhouse. The solicitor quickly sent details of the sale and requested that Rosie and Gavin supply them with more details about their family. Being unsure why they would need details of his family his questions became insignificant when Gavin read that there was five hundred and fifty acres of Ashen Withered Forest in the sale,

the solicitor stated that the other four hundred and fifty acres was for a church and its meeting house, a chapel and a lake with the adjoining graveyard. Neither Rosie nor Gavin were put off the sale by the graveyard so the plans to buy the property went ahead. When the transfer of papers was almost completed Gavin made plans for them to move to the new address.

As he was driving out of the city and away from the beach Gavin began to feel at ease, his sense of being at ease increased, he even began to recognize landmarks. Going up a hill Gavin remembered where the drive way to the house was situated: making him feel increasingly happier. As soon as he began to drive on the gravel drive, he told Rosie where they should soon see the heavy wooden gate,

when he did Gavin stopped the family car a few meters from it. He asked Rosie if she would open the wooden gate for him, but she declined.
“How about you Amy?” asked Gavin.
“I will do as I ought to, considering the kindness you have given me,” she replied

Amy eventually opened her passenger door to get out of the car before her father had the chance to ask her again. When she was almost at the gate she heard a rustling in the undergrowth alongside the driveway. Amy looked to see what was causing the noise, noticing a few pairs of green eyes seemingly staring at her.
After Amy had opened the gate

she waited until Gavin had driven the family car passed her, she closed the gate and got back into the car. Gavin continued to drive the car until he stopped in the parking area beside the farmhouse. As soon as he was there Gavin asked Rosie if she would take Amy to the front door.
“I will go around the back of the house while you do,” said Gavin.

Rosie opened the garden gate then led Amy along the path beside the front of the house, Amy saw then rang the brass cows bell that was affixed to the wall near the door, after Rosie had pressed the electronic doorbell. Rosie looked at Amy then shook her head,
“I’m having my doubts about you, you ring the cows bell after I have rung the doorbell,

you do know we were moving into this house don't you, so the chances are that we are the only ones here. Who else could answer the door?” asked Rosie.
As soon as she had asked who could answer the door Gavin opened the door from the inside. He looked straight at Rosie as shocked she stepped back from the door with that kind of expression. Gavin noticed Rosie’s reaction, he seemed to know why Rosie had stepped back and stated.

“I found the spare key that had been left by the back door, that I had asked the solicitor to put there,” said Gavin as he smiled at his family.
“Come on in and have a look around,” said Gavin.
Amy stepped into the house and pushed the front door against the wall.

Amy wandered into the hall then looked at what was written on the rocks above the inside of the door. ‘Blessed Be to all who liver here.’
“What do you think that means?” asked Amy.
Gavin looked at what she had indicated.

“That takes me back to the days when I wrote the books, at the subject matter of the books. It is a welcome from the first owner of the house to the women who have followed in to the house, it is a welcome that a witch would greet another witch with,” said Gavin.
Gavin curiously faced each member of the family.

“Yet I have no idea who the message is intended for,” he said.
Rosie saw a business envelope on the floor and picked it up, she handed it to Gavin.
“It says here that the first owner of the house was a woman by the name Victoriana Gorry.

The message is that a representative of the Solicitors office will visit this morning. It also states that Katie will be here at roughly the same time,” said Gavin.
“I find it intriguing to know who the first owner of this house was?” asked Amy.
Rosie grinned then pointed at Gavin.

“Ask your father, if that is a witch she is his sort of woman. Personally I was scared by all that talk of witchcraft even so I do not really believe in witches,” said Rosie.
“Add to that, that Victoriana was rumoured to be the in charge of the coven in this area, it is said that in every family who live in the farmhouse there is one who is a witch,” said Gavin.”

Gavin and Rosie faced Amy, they shrugged their shoulders.
“I hope it is me who is a witch, I have studied a lot about witchcraft although I would not say that I am yet to be a witch,” said Amy.
Rosie faced her.

“Until the man from the solicitor’s office gets here you should have a wander around the house and decide where you want your bedroom to be,” said Rosie.
So Amy ran to the bottom of the stairs, looking up she quickly went to the top landing, looking at the highly polished wooden floor, she hoped that it would continue into the bedroom. She opened the door and saw that the floor under where the beds would be was highly polished, the rest wasn’t.

“It seems I have my new bedroom,” said Amy.
Wandering amongst the crates and boxes she moved one of the boxes aside and found two bed frames and a bookshelf. Picking up the bookshelf she carried it to then positioned it under the window. She then returned to the boxes where the bookshelf was from.

“Oh, good there are a lot of books in this box, the books at the top of the box seem to be supernatural in flavour,” said Amy.
She carried the box to the window, then she began to put the books on the bookshelves.
“There are three books at the bottom of the box that have got dads name on them, are these the ones he wrote about some witches?” asked Amy.

Amy read the authors notes about each book on the back of them. After a couple of minutes reading the back of each book Amy smiled to herself.
“Each book says it is about the coven of witches who are said to be local to here, I didn’t know that any of them were still alive though,” said Amy.
“I like all this witchy stuff, but how can I explain how the dead witches local to here are or will soon be alive again?” asked Amy.

She looked at the first of those books again.
“Maybe dad can explain that to me.”



To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE FARMHOUSE IN ASHEN WITHERED FOREST Part 2

In the following half hour Amy organized her bedroom to be as she wanted it to be, she gave pride of place to her adopted fathers books, she put his books in the middle at the top of the bookcase. She stopped what she was doing when her mother called her, she went down to the kitchen, as soon as she got in the room she saw her cousin Willow and a man who was from the solicitors office.

Amy quickly crossed the kitchen floor to greet her cousin. “When I first heard that you were buying the farmhouse I began to read all the Legends that were written about this farmhouse and the forest that surrounds it,” said Willow.
“Why, is this place famous or something?” asked Amy.

“I am not sure if the best word to use is famous, infamous maybe,” replied Willow with a grin. Amy stared at Willow, her mouth hung open.
“What do you mean by that?” asked Willow trying to smile to Amy. “You do know that it was Gavin who was a friend to the woman who was the leader of the English covens, don’t you?” asked Willow.

“They do not, I have never told them how involved I was with the coven,” said Gavin. “He didn’t tell me either and I’m his wife,” stated Rosie. Rosie grinned to Gavin as if to say she was sorry.
“Well yes, though you have told me that you do not believe in witches,” said Gavin.

“Do you mind if I tell them what I know about here?” asked Katie. “I suppose not,” Gavin replied.
“It is said that the witches of this area are waiting in their graves until the prophesized one comes here,” said Willow. “Will you explain what you mean, comes here?” asked Amy.

“Victoriana is the name of this coven’s leader,” said Gavin. “So, it is true you were a friend with her, is it true what I have heard about her, that she has been alive since the early 1100’s?” asked Willow.
“Sort of, Victoriana was born in 1126,” explained Gavin reluctantly.

Gavin faced Rosie. “You might not accept me telling you this, our Amy is the prophesized one,” said Gavin.
Amy looked apologetically to the woman who adopted her. “What is so special about Amy, why is she the prophesized one?” asked Rosie.
“She isn’t that special, only that she is the thirteenth member of the coven,” said Gavin.

“I like to think I am a witch, I have been reading about witches and trying to do magics, but I wouldn’t say that I was a proper witch,” said Amy. A woman walks into the kitchen from the front of the house, she greeted Amy.
“About what you were just saying, already, just by being here your powers have begun to flow into your body

and also, I should say you will be given the power of all Curses to use as you see fit,” said the woman.
Rosie stared at the floor. “And who are you?” asked Rosie. Gavin looked to the floor.
“Oh dear, I suppose it was a bit along the lines of wishful thinking,” said Gavin.

Gavin emptied his lungs then refilled them, then he faced Rosie.
“I am sorry for this my dear,” he stated.
He directed Rosie’s gaze to the woman. “This is Victoriana,” said Gavin almost apologetically.

“Mind you, you do look good for someone who is 900, though I don’t have anyone to compare that with,” added Rosie.
What I did in my room gears a resemblance to that “I have just put the three books dad wrote about witches, on the bookshelf that is under the window in my new bedroom,” said Amy.

“I would like to see them,” added Willow. “First though I’d want to know if you carved those words into the rocks above the door,” asked Amy.
“Hmm, it is a greeting for all who move into this house,” said Victoriana. “Who will understand what is written there?” asked Rosie. “It is a welcome to each witch who moves here,” said Victoriana.

“And you will know that because?” asked Rosie. “When the farmhouse was built, I helped the people who built the house,” said Victoriana. Rosie faced Victoriana.
“One of the builders I knew, he had the gift of healing, he could heal any person’s broken hand at will,

so when I told him about my own powers he took me to a clearing that was not very far down the slope, I woke my friend from her death and raised her body,
I then asked her to heal his broken hand which she did.” Rosie looked at Victoriana.

“Do you expect me to believe she could heal broken bones just by touch?” asked Rosie.
“She did that when she was forty years old, in the year fourteen forty. You will be able to ask her yourself, as soon after I have woken her,” said Victoriana. Gavin faced each member of his family.

“I do apologize for misleading each of you, before you all meet each other I suggest you think of where you will be when you all do get to meet her, it will be in the town of Stow – In – The – Wold.” said Gavin.
As the weekend made itself known to them, Gavin took his friends to the town of Stow-In-The-Wold.

When they arrived in the town there was a troupe of Morris Dancers preparing themselves for that day, arranged by the local council to entertain all the tourists. They were putting on their bright clothing and the straps of leather that had thin metal balls with small metal balls inside them that were placed on their arms, legs and on the staffs to let people know of their joyous dancing.

While they were visually entertaining all the people in the town another group of people slowly strode along the footpath these only these ones strode in a row along the pavement with their six foot staff poles striking the ground each other step.
Each of them walked across the road until they were outside the towns Bakery.

A tourist pointed to them and asked who they were to a group of townspeople near her, then she waited for an answer to her question.
An elderly lady came out of the bakery, she looked knowingly at the tourist, “They are a coven of witches who come from near here, though why they are here is a question I’d like answered as well.”

The leader of the coven went across the road to talk to the leader of the Morris dancers, she told the Morris dancers to do their entertainment before her people did. When she’d returned to her group they all covered their heads with the hoods on the robes. Then they tightened the golden rope that was about their waists. They stood behind each other in a circle before facing the middle of the circle.

Each of them laid their staffs on the ground so the ends formed a circle that soon created a dome of light.
Several tourists in the vicinity stepped back, each of them exclaiming about the small dome of light. The coven then rose, turned and walked away from the town’s bakery calling the tourists.

“Watch this then,” announced the covens leader. Still striking their staff’s on the tarmac and still striking the pavement with every second step they strode in a line as they walked out of the town. “Where are they going now?” asked a tourist. One of the elder townspeople quickly stated. “Considering that they are the Rollright Witches, I’d suggest they are heading to there.”

“To the Rollright Stone Circle, northeast of this town. Their cars will be at the northern end of town,” said the elderly gentleman. News of who they were quickly spread through the townsfolk and the tourists and all of them drove out to the stone circle. Once there the people gathered outside the circle of stones, they watched as the line of cars entered the parking area.

Once there the people from the town congregated around the circle of stones, they watched as the witches appeared at the entrance of the field. The procession of witches walked to be inside the stone circle. When all was quiet the leader of that coven, Victoria wandered to Gavin and told him that Amy had been stated as being the prophesized witch for the coven

Gavin turned to face Amy then returned his gaze to Victoriana. “You once told me that each witch of the Ashen Worthy coven would give her gift to the coven, what is the gift that Amy will empower the coven with?” asked Gavin. “Victoriana is the leader of the coven, be aware she has never empowered any other witch with any gift, she sees the others of the Ashen Worthy coven will be needed to help her.

to help her combat the side effects of the Curse. Amy’s gift is that she has the power of the Curse that it is her having a photographic memory. It will be a curse to her if none of the other witches in the coven help her,” said Victoria.



To Be Continued