Chapter 18

CHAP 18

The Jolly Time

Within a short while Lilly and Morii had found Wilf, Edie, Tryp and a few others, Pel had gone back to Kort with old Gurta as he was feeling tired. There were some marvellous foods on offer, including Gleryn’s lovely sweet taffy cups and Lilly got to taste some real Storbvin. It was ok, she thought but actually she preferred the refreshing storb juice, so she had plenty of that.

There were stalls with ‘test yer skill’ written above them, where you had to manoeuvre a small wooden ball with a shaped stick around a groove in the table without touching or knocking over any of the wooden figures standing around it. Lilly thought it looked easy to start with, but soon found it wasn’t!  Another game had a long tube where you had to hit the ‘long-tail’ that appeared from the end and yet another where you were blindfolded and had to guess by touch what different objects were, Lilly won at that one.

There was dancing on the green, which was now illuminated by the lightin bush braziers all around the perimeter. Paper lanterns glowed brightly above the doors of the buildings surrounding the green and the square and the warm night air smelled sweetly of the lemon groves. Lilly and Morii wandered around hand in hand laughing at the jugglers and magicians. Morii suddenly pulled Lilly onto the green,  ‘come and dance’ he called out above the noise of the band. Lilly had no choice but to join in and discovered that she really liked this Norsonian dancing. They were in a large circle of people and the dance involved moving your arms in unison with other people while doing a kind of side stepping skip and hop, gradually moving around the green as you went. It was fun and Lilly soon learned what came next.

As the dance music came to an end, Morii took hold of Lilly’s hands and pulled her into the middle of the circle. Lilly was about to ask what he was doing when Morii pointed toward the stage. Lilly looked up and saw Gleryn standing there blinking in the bright torchlight.  ‘What..?’ Lilly began, but Morii hushed her and winked.

Gleryn coughed a couple of times and bent down to pick up a kind of guitar, the crowd went quiet. ‘Ye all know me. Gleryn, cook to the Kort,’ Gleryn began as she put the strap of the guitar shaped instrument over her shoulder. The crowd nodded and mumbled that they did. ‘What ye may not know is that I also be a singer of tunes. I do have a tune for the Lady Lilly that I be singin for ye, if it so please ye.’ The crowd erupted into applause and shout’s of sing, sing for Lady Lilly, that do please us well. Lilly looked at Morii, but he was just grinning widely and clapping as well.

After a few moments Gleryn got everyone quiet and she began. She had a lovely pure voice and the song she had made for Lilly went like this.

Before we all knew Lilly

Our lives were full of fear,

We couldn’t beat the Tarken

They were getting very near.

Oh Lilly how we love ye

Ye are the brightest star

Come give yer blessing on us

We will come from near and far

Along came Lady Lilly

With her smile as bright as day,

With her clever plans and magic

Well she sent them all away

Oh Lilly how we love ye

Ye are the brightest star

Come give yer blessing on us

We will come from near and far

She be saviour of our people

She be blessed with love and grace.

She be loved by all around her

She do belong here in this place

Oh Lilly how we love ye

Ye are the brightest star

Come give yer blessing on us

We will come from near and far

We know one day she’ll leave us

Go back to lands elsewhere

Until that time be happy

For that thought’s too much to bear

Oh Lilly how we love ye

Ye are the brightest star

Come give yer blessing on us

We will come from near and far

Oh Lilly how we love ye

Ye are the brightest star

On these last two lines, which Gleryn had slowed right down and sung out with all her heart, everybody cheered and whistled and shouted more! More!

So it began all over again only this time everyone had picked up the words of the chorus and all joined in. Finally it was over and after the applause died away Gleryn came down off the stage and Lilly ran over and gave her a huge hug. ‘That was wonderful Gleryn, where on earth did ye find the time with all ye have been doing?’ Lilly enquired of the jolly little woman. ‘Ah, it do all go round in my head while I be a bakin and a cookin.’ Gleryn told Lilly with a smile.

Morii told her she was most skilled in the art of song and asked Gleryn if she’d do him the honour of dancing with him. Gleryn went bright red in the face, even by the light of the braziers, and said, ‘I don’t rightly know if Gleryn’s dancing be as good as her singin, but I’ll give it a go Lord Morii. Just ye be watchin yer toes me young Lord.’ This made Lilly squeal with laughter as Morii realised he only had soft slippers on and really looked quiet worried for a moment or two. They danced off into the circle and Lilly stood watching them happily, clapping in time to the music. She loved this place and the people in it and as for these ‘jolly times’, well, they certainly were.

The eve passed so quickly and Lilly thoroughly enjoyed herself. She and Morii sat on a wooden bench on the edge of the square drinking storb juice watching folk coming and going, enjoying themselves. Lilly asked Morii where Leekan, the Gamray, (as she must call him from now on,) had gone. Morii told her that Gamray’s job was to be alone and meditate and keep everyone safe and contented. Gamray would not be seen by ordinary folk again, unless there was more trouble within Norsonia of course. Lilly thought that was quiet sad, Leekan after all, was only a young child. She said this to Morii. ‘No Lilly, ye do not understand. Gamray may be only ten in years, but in his head he do be all the Gamray’s brought together. Each one do pass on his knowing to the next. The Gamray is not like ye or me and he would not enjoy this jolly time as we do. To him we are the children, yay although he be only ten in his body, he be over a hundred in his head, in his knowing. Do ye understand?’ Lilly nodded, she knew that Gamray had all that knowledge, she had shared some of it after all. She still felt sad that he could not enjoy an ordinary life. ‘Can I still see him, ye know, visit with him?’ she asked Morii. ‘Oh yay, of course ye can. Ye will always be part of Gamray and he be part of ye.’ Morii told her, adding, ‘I be part of Gamray too, he still be my brother, I will see him often.’ Lilly was relieved that they would be able to visit Gamray and anyway there was something she wanted to ask him.

Lilly suddenly yawned and covered her mouth with her hand, Morii saw this and told her they had better be getting back as the eve was ending. Lilly was more than glad to go now, she was really tired.

They began their walk back to Kort, passing many folk walking along the wide pathways in the flickering burning torch light, night crickets were clicking and many large moths circled around the torch flames. Morii took hold of Lilly’s hand again and they walked without speaking for a while. Finally as the walls of the Kort came into view, Morii said quietly, ‘ye know that I am very taken with ye Lilly, I think ye most charmly and very beautiful.’ Lilly looked up at her friend and blushed slightly, she didn’t really want to hear this right now, although she felt the same way about Morii. She didn’t want to hear it put into words. She felt too tired and emotional after this day to think about anything as confusing as feelings for other people. Morii continued, ‘I be trying to say I shall miss ye when ye have to return to yer land.’

‘Oh dear Morii, I shall miss ye too, I hope I can come back before long.’ she replied, giving Morii’s hand a squeeze. Morii stopped walking and stood looking out over the lake, his head turned away from Lilly. ‘Morii, what’s the matter?’ Lilly asked, concerned at her friends silence. Morii shrugged and as he turned back to face Lilly, she saw he had tears in his eyes. ‘Lilly, did yer aunt not tell ye that time do be different here?’ Morii asked her. Lilly nodded, ‘Yay, she did say that it was.’ Morii turned away again as he said, ‘Ye will get older than me and after a couple of times here ye will want to return to yer own world for ever. I can remember when yer Aunt Alex was about the same age as ye are now…I was about seven then…’ he trailed off and looked back at Lilly. Lilly thought for a second or two. ‘But Aunt Alex is thirty-five, she couldn’t have been my age seven years ago.’ Morii shrugged his shoulders again, ‘that be what I’m saying, yer time goes much quicker than our time, before ye know it, ye will be much older than me.’

Lilly suddenly understood what Morii was thinking, he liked her, a lot. He was upset because when and if she ever came back she would be older and older…  ‘Look Morii, let’s not spoil things by thinking about that now, none of us know what’s going to happen in the future, nothing will take away our friendship, I promise.’ Morii stared at her for a moment with his amazing green eyes, nodded and smiled, ‘come on race ye to the gate’ he shouted, not giving Lilly a chance. Lilly just continued walking and laughing at the strange boy who had been so upset a few moments ago and was now racing up the lane with his white robe flapping around his shins.

As soon as they were back in the Kort they went to get a drink from the kitchen. For once Gleryn wasn’t there, in fact nobody was. Still enjoying themselves I expect, Morii told Lilly. They got some fresh water from the cold spring at the back of the kitchens and took it out into the garden. Sitting on the low  herb garden wall, Morii asked Lilly if she would still like to travel to see the Noeman camp in a couple of days time. Lilly said she most definitely would and Morii told her he would make all the arrangements. ‘We could see if Srix and Storr are willing to take us. I feel it would be good for ye Lilly to have some proper rest time.’ Lilly agreed and wanted to ask Morii how much time she had left before the third turn of Gamray’s son, but she didn’t want to start Morii thinking about her return to Norfolk again this eve, so she said nothing.

After a while Lilly turned to Morii and said, ‘I think I might go and see if the Gamray is awake, something’s been annoying me, in the back of my mind ye know those feelings I’ve been having?’

‘Yay Lilly, if it makes ye feel better ye should.’ Morii agreed, do ye wish for me to come with ye?’

‘Oh no, I’ll be fine by myself, I shall go to bed once I’ve been to see him.’ Lilly answered. Morii stood up and stretched. ‘I’ll be off then, I need to be out of this robe, it be a strange feeling wearing a dress and that be true,’ Morii grinned. ‘Goodeve Lilly, we shall meet for mornfood?’ he looked at her hopefully. ‘Yay, of course, shall I call for ye?’ Lilly asked. Morii nodded and went off in the direction of the walled courtyard where Lilly had met Queen Lewold.