“Show me the target again,” Siena said as she pulled her bow over her head.
Roderick took the bow from her and one of her arrows. “I’ll show ye.” He pulled the string tight and let his arrow fly hitting the dummy right where a heart should be.”
He smugly handed the bow back to her. “’Tis easy.”
Siena definitely wanted to wipe the smirk off his face. Slowly, she pulled the string straight back, the arrow even with her mouth and let the arrow fly.
It hit in one of the painted eyes.
She wanted to laugh at his dumbfounded expression but thought it wise not to. “Aye, it was easy,” she said, then added, “I figured an eye was just as good as the heart. Either way, the man will not be going anywhere.”
The men who stood around them cheered as she went back to her mount where Roderick graciously helped her back up.
“The lass has proven herself,” he said with a smile.
Elen cleared her throat and asked, “If the hawthorn is blooming ye ken what it means?”
“Aye, I do.Beltane.”
Siena had no idea what they were talking about, but she was ready to go for a ride. “You can always come with us,” Siena said to Roderick, wanting to have him for company.
“I’ve training, lass,” he replied. “Now be off with ye, but dinna go any further.”
After promising, they left the castle before Roderick could change his mind. Siena felt like he was treating all of them like children. What could a ride in the hills hurt? Then she thought aboutBeltaneand rode up beside Elen to ask her, “What isBeltane?”
Elen removed her pipe. “When the hawthorn tree blooms, ’tis a signal of the beginnin’ of summer, lass, and that is when we have theBeltanefeast to celebrate summer. My bones will surely welcome the warmer air.”
“Did you say that we will have a feast?” Agatha asked.
“Aye. ’Twill be verra special. There will be big bonfires lit on the hilltops, and all the hearth fires are extinguished to be rekindled with the cherished flames from the bonfires.”
They were winding their way down a single path to a smallburnso they couldn’t talk. The stream was beautiful with crystal clear water flowing over rocks that sent water in many different directions.
“That sounds like a nice ritual,” Siena said. “In England, they dance around a Maypole, so I’ve been told as I’ve never seen it before.”
“I saw it once in my younger days,” Agatha said, then added. “It was pretty with different colored ribbons.”
Siena dismounted once they reached the water’s edge and so did Agatha. They turned to look at Elen who hadn’t budged. Siena wondered if Elen needed help.
Elen smiled. “I said I could ride, but gettin’ on and off this beast is entirely different, so I’ll stay seated if ye dinna mind.” She pointed her pipe. “There is our hawthorn tree.”
“Look it has flowers!” Siena exclaimed.
“Pick the flowers and put in one bag and the leaves in another. In the fall there will be berries so we will come back and get those, too.”
It was a glorious day without a single cloud in the sky as Siena and Agatha picked the precious flowers. The blooms came in clusters of white flowers with red dots on the petals.
Siena clipped the last of the clusters and slipped it into a bag. She had left a lot of blooms because she didn’t see any need of stripping the tree when they had what they needed. “This is more like a bush than a tree.”
“Aye,” Elen said as she puffed on her pipe. “This is a young tree, but it will grow bigger. Be sure to get some of the tender leaves.”
“They make a good tincture for sore throats,” Siena explained to Agatha who knew nothing about medicine.
“I believe I could use some now,” Agatha grumbled. “My throat has been a little sore.”
“We’ll have to take care of that once we return,” Siena said. She pointed. “I see some heather which is good for the kidneys, coughs and colds. I must have some of that as it will not be in full bloom until late summer.”
“’Tis unusual, lass that it is blooming now, but lucky for us.”
