The Veil Weavers (15 page)

I woke in Keeper’s arms as he lifted me
down,
stiff and aching. Keeper, Eneirda and Greyfur had set up camp at the base of Castle Mountain. They carried me to a bed of furs by a roaring fire, and insisted I drink and eat a little. Maddy hovered, refusing to eat until I did.

“We saw the other Greyfur and Reynar and Folens on the way back,” said Maddy. “They were really worried about you, but oh, they looked so good. Strong and happy. Folens was giggling and playing.”

I dreamed of Folens laughing.

For another day I dozed, only waking long enough to gag down the herbal concoctions Greyfur demanded I drink. Gradually, I began to feel better, but I could feel no magic. No magic, and not a hint of crowness, even when Crowby sat by me, murmuring softly. No magic in me, and no connection to the magic world. I felt unbearably sad.

But as I healed, the oranges and golds in the trees leaning over the river began to look particularly beautiful. Wrapped in my cloak, I lay in my nest of furs and dreamed of paint colours.

Brox healed faster than I did, as Eneirda and Greyfur used herbs that Keeper collected to make a poultice for his crushed face. Vivienne sang to him as he rested on the grass, letting the herbs and their magic heal the damage.

Of course, nothing could rebuild his face or save his eye. The herbs and magic eased the pain and helped the torn skin and muscles knit, but the left side of his face was ruined. It was grotesquely ugly, but somehow beautiful, too. I wanted to sculpt that magnificent, scarred face.

When I was well enough, we told our story. Maddy and Brox did most of the talking, with Corvus interrupting and Vivienne correcting Brox. Crowby stood nearby, hopping at all the exciting parts.

When I described what had happened in the veil, Keeper said my dream was real, that Aleena had saved me with her tears.

A wave of grief swept over me. Keeper put his hand over mine. “Aleena learned to cry, to feel water. She would have been very happy.”

As we sat in silence, remembering Aleena, the crows settled amoung us, a mass of black covering the ground. They stood completely still, totally quiet, honouring and mourning Aleena, their enemy. We sat with them until Corvus broke the silence with a single caw, and they rose in a black cloud, still utterly quiet.

Once they were circling and chattering again, Keeper called out, “Corvus, ask the crows to share the news. The Will of the Gathering is complete. The veil is rewoven.”

The crows rejoiced, chortling and trilling, some doing barrel rolls over our heads. Then they scattered, only Corvus, Crowby and a few other crows staying behind, watching over me.

When it was quiet, I told Keeper, “I think it will be harder for magic folk to cross the veil, now. Not impossible, but harder. And I stranded magic folk and a girl and a tourist and some animals.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I had to strengthen the veil.”

Keeper nodded. “You did what was necessary.”

“You can rescue them, can’t you?” asked Maddy.

He smiled at her. “I will take care of them. But I am no longer Keeper.”

Maddy frowned. “You
should
be Keeper. I know you destroyed the nexus ring, but you protect this whole land.”

“You are much greater than the keeper of the ring,” I said. “You’re the keeper of the magic world.”

Keeper stared down at me, his eyes wet. “That is what
you
are,” he said. “I failed.”

“No, you found me. I’m your magic boy,” I said.

“You are the Ancient Boy.”

“And you are Keeper.”

“It is a good name,” said Eneirda.

“It is a fine name,” said Greyfur. “You were right about the human boy,
chrrr
. You have kept our world safe.”

Keeper thought about it, and finally nodded. “Very well, I will still be Keeper.”

Maddy grinned and leaned in for a hug. Then she looked at me. “Ancient Boy,” she said, like she was trying on the name for size.

“Does it work?” I asked, “now that I’m back to normal?”

“Oh, you’re not back to normal,” she said, studying me. “You’ll never be the way you were before.”

“What do you mean?” I said. “My magic is gone.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But you’re not just human any more.”

Vivienne stood, her face turned to the sky. “A
storm is coming. You need to return to Calgary.”

Keeper stood, too. “Greyfur and Eneirda will take you.”

“Are they well enough?” asked Maddy.

“Hnn,
we are well now, thank you,” said Eneirda.

They looked good, tall and joyful. I could see magic building in them again.

We wrapped our cloaks around ourselves.

“Children need to cross time,
tss
,” Eneirda reminded Keeper. “Josh will not be able to, and we cannot.”

Corvus muttered, a low grumbly sentence. I muttered back and then I said, “The crows will help us. Corvus says they’ll be able to open the doorway and shift time.”

“Even now, with the veil strengthened?” Keeper asked.

Maddy studied them. “Yes,” she said. “They’ll be fine. They’re strong, together.” Then she looked at me. “You can understand them?”

I stared at her, and then at Corvus. “Yes,” I said, shocked. I listened to their chatter. “Yes, I can understand them now.”

“You really are their crow boy,” Maddy said.

I grinned, at Maddy and at the crows. I did have
a little magic left, after all.

Maddy and I stepped into the boat waiting
for
us on the shore of the Bow. Greyfur and Eneirda climbed in, and Crowby hopped onto the rim beside me.

Keeper wrapped magic around us.

“Our cloaks will keep us warm,” I said.

He nodded. “Yes, and I will, too. You have done enough.” He wrapped us in a bubble of warmth, Greyfur, Eneirda and Crowby, too. Crowby squawked and shook it off. Keeper grinned.

He pushed the boat into the river. The current was with us; it would be an easy trip home. Maddy called out goodbye and I waved. Keeper raised a hand in farewell.

The crows rose in a mass, cawing and trilling, chasing each other as they played in the sky.

Brox and Vivienne had left before us, slowly walking down the Bow, leaving the mountains for the winter. Vivienne led the way. As we floated past I could hear her singing:

Come, follow follow follow,

follow follow follow me.

My eyes lingered, wondering if we would be back. Then I looked at Keeper and the crows, and knew, absolutely, that we would be. We were part of this world.

As Greyfur and Eneirda paddled, Maddy and I began to sing:

My paddle’s keen and bright,

flashing with silver,

swift as a wild goose flight,

dip, dip and swing.

Dip, dip and swing.

Author’s Note

The songs Vivienne sings are old camp
songs.

“Come Follow, Follow, Follow” (John Hilton, 1599-1657) is an old English round, but it may be more familiar in the version sung on
Sesame Street
, using the phrase “To the Redwood, Redwood Tree” (there are Redwood trees in California).

“Buffalo Gals” (John Hodges, 1844) and “Home on the Range” (adapted from the original by Dr. Brewster M. Higley, 1873) are American, and there are American versions of “Red River Valley,” but it has been traced to Canada prior to 1886. “Land of the Silver Birch” is a traditional Canadian paddling song, and “My Paddle’s Keen and Bright” is another paddling song (Margaret Embers McGee, 1918).

Thanks to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for financial support for this
project.

Thanks again to Barbara Sapergia, for her unerring eye, and to Rona Altrows, for her steadfast encouragement.

Photograph by Mark Harding

About the Author

M
aureen Bush
is the author of five books for children, including the first two in the Veil of Magic series,
The Nexus Ring
and
Crow Boy
. Her books have been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Silver Birch and the Saskatchewan Diamond Willow.

Born in Edmonton, Maureen Bush now lives in Calgary with her husband and younger daughter.