The clearing in the wood had stood silent all day. Fallen snow deadened any sound there might have been. The sun set in fiery glory, the darkness chasing it away. The temperature dropped and the pool froze. An expectant quietness hung over the rest of the wood and the Longest Night had begun.
As the world of Men slept, oblivious to the Wild Wood, the creatures of the land stirred to follow a tradition as old as time and as hidden as secrets. The darkness shrouded them as they journeyed from holes and setts, thickets and from fields. The moon broke the horizon and begun her journey across the sky, full and silvered she rose as the animals travelled.
Outside Tye's house, safe in his field, Snowy was restless, a yearning he couldn't identify was calling him away, like fairy song drawing him to the woodland nearby.
Upstairs Tye was not asleep. Something was calling her outside too. A feeling she needed to be Somewhere Else, giving up the idea of any sort of rest she got up, dressed and slipped quietly out into the moonlit yard. A snort from the field told her that she'd been heard. Somehow she always felt braver when she was riding Snowy. She slipped the bolt on his gate and sidled into the field. Snowy was right there waiting for her. Silently they both knew they needed to take a journey this night.
She didn't dare try and get the heavy tack room door open, they key was back in the house anyway and she didn't think risking going back indoors was a good idea. Without bothering with tack at all she vaulted up onto Snowy's back, before she was even settled he was away at a canter, out of the gate, veering not onto the road - thankfully - but up onto the bridleway that opened up near their yard. He swung through the gap in the hedge, the Bridleway sign above clearly visible in the moonlight that turned night into day.
Swiftly Snowy moved out into a canter, the snow was deep and with great plunging snorts he forced his way through it. Tye's hands, buried in his mane, which was a rope to save her falling off backwards on some of his plunges, clung tightly with hands and knees. There was something magical about riding without tack, under a full moon, but there was something terrifying about it as well!
Snowy slowed his pace as he got closer to the wood. It was Ancient Woodland, mentioned as such on every Ordnance Survey map. The tracks were ones that had been followed by man and beast for time immemorial. Slowing right down Snowy picked his way into the wood. Tye ducked under trees, laying flat along his neck sometimes to avoid being swept off by a low branch. She had a feeling she knew where they were going. Deep in the woodland was a clearing, no one knew why nothing but a small Fir tree grew there, There was a pool with sweet clear water that Tye had often stopped at on her rides to offer Snowy a drink.
The trees hung low in this the oldest part of the wood. Tye was practically hanging off Snowy's shoulder by the time got close to the clearing. She couldn't see much at all in the gloom cast by the trees, but as they thinned and the clearing openened up she was amazed at the sight.
The fir tree was older than the height would suggest, but still too young to be anything but one of the shortest in the wood. The pool hid an ancient spring that had sustained the woodland creatures for centuries. The tree was a newcomer but the two were linked, the fir replacing the holly that once stood there. Under the moon the ice on the Fir sparkled and shone, transforming the tree. The magic was happening, for every few years something took place in this clearing.
They gathered, the Wildwood creatures. The deer stalking proudly through the cold of the snow, the fox padding silently, his thick fur warming him as the cold nipped his paws. The Hare hopped, paused, sniffed and hopped again. Others would come, but would not show themselves. Even so, still they were waiting.
The moon cleared the surrounding trees and slowly moved towards the fir. Then they came, the Ancient Ones, the Horse, dappled in moonlight and the red Pony. The two stepping side by side, matching strides. long manes wild, long tails reflecting the moonlight. Ears twitching.. Each silent step echoed out a memory.
Snowy had slowed right to a walk, instinctively Tye crouched low over his neck, whatever it was they had been drawn to was not something that needed her blundering in. She stayed silent and balanced as Snowy walked forwards. In front of her was the most incredible sight. She could see various animals around the pool. Including a horse and a pony.
Her first thought was practical 'where have they escaped from and how can I catch two loose horses without even a halter on my own' but it was swiftly replaced by quiet knowledge that whatever was going on here, it was neither something to be disturbed nor was it as mundane as loose horses. Tye slipped quietly off Snowy. She felt it would be wrong to remain mounted here, in this place, right now.
Tye crept forward, it was easy enough not to make too much sound in the deep snow, but she knew how good horses eyesight was at night, and how easily spooked they are. It was also one thing to keep horses calm, it was quite another to not scare off deer and foxes. Somehow they were all standing around the pool. Then she noticed a hare to the side as well. There was a feeling of communication in the air, whatever was going on, she was certain that they were communicating something, just not to her!
At the very moment of the Horses arrival at the pool, the moon had settled fully over the tree, her light reflected in the pool below where the creatures had gathered. The Circle was formed, of Tree and Moon and Wildwood. The alignment was complete.
Snowy, ever the helpful, had obviously walked forward right behind Tye, he suddenly shoved her hard in the back, a movement he'd done a thousand times before and made her laugh, this time however it had the effect of knocking her to her knees in the snow.
This time she stayed where she was though. Absolutely entranced by the sight in front of her.
Unbelievably, there were four deer, a hare, a badger half hidden in the gloom and a fox all standing by the pool. The fir behind them all, from the angle they were at. was crowned by the full moon. The light was reflected in the pool below. The scene was magical. Somehow harking back to Ancient Times and almost making her want to cry at the beauty of it.
Unbeknown to her, communciation was certainly going on.
Each of them brought their own purpose that night. Under the full moon an ancient pact was renewed. There were no words, for this was a deeper communion. The Deer promised to keep the Secrets of the Wildwood. The Fox promised to be ever wily and wild, testing boundaries. The Hare promised to be fleet and hidden and watchful of the open land...
and the Horse and the Pony? They brought the promise of their alliance with Humankind. For buried deep in the minds of Men was the memory of a time when they lived as one with their surroundings. The memory stirred by echoes of a past that carved horses in the chalk and formed their shapes in clay. The Pony and the Horse promise was that of Remembrance. Each time a rider felt the joy of freedom and partnership, the memory would be renewed. Just a little. Each time a child leaned into a pony and breathed the soft scent of mane, they would feel the connection. Each lesson the Horses taught would be a reminder of Partnership.
That night, once again, the horses agreed to be the Memory, and every step they took they carried the memories of love from the horses who had gone before, and those who would follow.
Tye, kneeling in the snow, not noticing the icy cold or the dampness spreading through her denim jeans, knew that something had been communicated. Knew that she had witnessed something that somehow was not For her but nevertheless held a message. She wasn't sure what.
The moment passed, the creatures left the clearing, the moon moved on. The Sun would rise, celebrating the Renewal of Life and signifying longer days and better times ahead. But hidden in the darkness of the Longest Night, the Pact was once again renewed. Memory would return, it would take time, but it would return.
Tye, having remained low so as not to scare anything, became aware of sodden, freezing cold knees, stood up. Behind her Snowy was waiting. From the look in his eye he knew whatever messages had been passed. Once again she wished he could talk or that she could talk to him. Something she often mused about. He stood still as she vaulted, twice, because she missed the first time as she was so cold, onto his back.
He moved off again, getting them out of the wood by a lot easier path than they came in. Back down the brightly lit track of the bridleway, swinging out onto the road briefly before turning in their own yard. The gate to the field still stood open and they passed through it swiftly, Tye again slid off Snowy's back. By now she was shivering with her teeth chattering. She tucked her hands under Snowy's mane and leaned forward to smell his gorgeous horsey smell, something that every rider knew made them feel better. Snowy affectionately rubbed his head against her, warming her up briefly and nearly toppling her back into the snow. She hugged him, whispered 'see you in the morning, boy' and carefully shut the gate. Returning to the house she manged to get the door open almost silently. Got herself upstairs and undressed, and swiftly into the now icy cold bed without being apprehended or questioned, she couldn't have explained this night to anyone. She thought she'd be awake for hours, but within a few minutes she was asleep. The morning would bring confusion as to whether or not it was a dream. Only her sodden clothes would show her that it was not.
Outside Snowy stood against the fencing of his field, looking towards the woodlands, which was now in heavy shadow, the moon having moved on to the other side of the valley. A huge barn owl, even paler in the luminous glow from snow under moonlight, hooted above him, Snowy looked up, and again a message passed - one said 'I watch' the other replied 'I will teach' - both turned away, the owl to his hunting and Snowy to much needed grazing.
Blessed Solstice everyone, I hope your day is as magical as Tye's experiences. Things are tough right now, but with all things, with time and patience and remembering to help each other, we will get through this.