Disclaimer: All characters and plot elements from The Dark is Rising belong to Susan Cooper. The rest is mine.
A/N I realise it's taking me longer to post these later chapters – apologies for keeping you waiting. With Christmas activities looming, more of my spare time is being used up. But I'm doing my best, so thanks for your patience and your reviews.
13. Watchman of the Light
Bran threw himself through the courtyard door. Will and Jane were still sitting side by side near the roses. They looked up, startled at his sudden reappearance.
"Listen," said Bran breathlessly, his face very serious. "I just overheard Merriman and The Lady talking – they're not going to let you remember anything when you go home."
"What? Are you sure?" Will stared in disbelief.
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"But Will - they can't! We've only just…" Jane looked devastated.
"I should have known they'd do this," he said with dismay.
"Can't you do anything, Will?" said Jane, close to tears.
"I…I don't know," he said, though he hardly grasped the question because of the shock. The only thought in his mind was that he might lose Jane. "I must speak to Merriman." He got up, a completely dazed look on his face. Jane stood up too.
"I'm coming with you. Great Uncle Merry has to listen."
The three of them hurried back through the door and headed towards the Great Hall. Will's shock had rapidly turned into determination and on his way he reached out to Merriman with his mind: 'We need to talk – face to face.' He knew Merriman had heard him, though he didn't receive a reply.
They turned the final corner and found the Old One standing there, waiting, his face serious but calm.
"Merriman, I've got to--" began Will.
"Let's talk in here," Merriman said sharply, indicating a small room on their right. "Bran, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak to these two alone."
Bran looked at him stony-faced, trying to control his outrage, but nodded reluctantly. "I'll wait here."
Jane and Will went into the room, followed by Merriman, who carefully closed the door. He turned around, his expression unreadable except, Jane thought, for a slight sadness in his eyes. Nervously the two of them faced him.
There was a tight knot in Will's stomach and he had to take a few deep breaths before he could begin. "Merriman, we know you are planning to make us forget what's happened here when we go home. We've come to ask you to change your mind."
Merriman remained silent.
"Please, Gumerry, why are you doing this?" said Jane desperately.
"There are good reasons, of which I am sure Will is aware, if he'd just think clearly for a minute."
Will stared fixedly straight ahead. He didn't want to reach down inside himself and confront those sound logical reasons of which Merriman spoke. In the last four years, he'd learnt to be so controlled, so measured in all his actions. Couldn't he, this once, let his human feelings overrule his sensibleness as an Old One? Anyway, what rule of the Light said he mustn't feel this way? He was conscious of Merriman's stern gaze.
"But Will and I love each other," continued Jane.
"I'm fully aware of that, Jane," Merriman replied coldly. "That is why you must forget."
"How can you be so cruel?" she said, emotion running high in her voice.
"On the contrary, in the long-run you'll find I'm being kind and saving you both a lot of heartache. A relationship between an Old One and a mortal can never last, you are too different. You could never fully understand about Will and he could never give himself wholly to you because of what he is, Watchman of The Light."
Jane could hardly believe her ears, but something in Merriman's voice caught Will's attention and he sensed there was more to Merriman's words than just logic. There was a deeper feeling, as if he spoke out of his own experience.
"Is that what happened to you?" Will asked staring directly into the shadowy eyes.
Merriman looked at him fiercely, as if Will had touched a nerve, but then his expression softened a little.
"Something…similar. I allowed myself to be distracted by love and let my guard down. I paid a high price…" It looked as if the memory still caused him great pain. Will wondered what the real story was.
"But Gumerry, I would never hurt Will or get in the way of what he had to do."
Merriman sighed; there was compassion in his face, but he still shook his head.
"Please Merriman," Will pleaded. "You have to let us have this chance of happiness together. Maybe you're right, and it won't work, but just maybe Jane and I were really meant to be together. How can you stand in the way of that?"
Merriman drew himself up to his full height, took a long breath and let it out slowly; his expression was once again fixed.
"Will Stanton, you are last born of the Old Ones, the last Watchman left to oversee matters of the Light in the mortal world. No-one else can do the task that has been set for you. You must be on your guard at all times. If your attention were to become…diverted, and somehow the Dark regained a foothold, there would be nothing the Light could do to influence the situation before it was too late. I'm sorry Will, your position is too important to let you risk everything for love."
Will felt completely numb. He knew Merriman would never change his mind. As he looked up at those shadowed hawk-like eyes one more time he felt betrayed by the coldness of the Light. He looked away, but Merriman's hand touched his shoulder.
"Will, I'm sorry it has to be like this," he said with a gentler tone. "But it's for the best that you both forget." He moved away towards the door. "I'll see you later, you must leave at sunset," he said and walked out.
Jane turned to face Will; her eyes glistened with tears, but she had a determined look. "You know, whatever happens, in my heart I'll always love you, Will Stanton."
He took her hand and kissed it, looking into her soft blue eyes. The tenderness he saw there was almost overwhelming. "And I know I'll never love anyone but you, Jane Drew. We were meant to be together, I know it, and one day we will be."
Bran came into the room, still scowling after Merriman. He looked questioningly from Jane to Will. Will shook his head. "There's nothing we can do. Merriman's made that very clear."
Instead of looking sad again, Bran's expression changed into something more mischievous. "Maybe you can't do anything, but perhaps I can. I've been thinking and I've got an idea. I can't be Prince of the High Magic for nothing, can I?
"Bran, don't do anything silly—" began Jane.
"It's alright, don't worry, Jane." He turned to Will. "Now, Old One, can you tell what I'm thinking?"
Will concentrated hard. "No, I'm sorry Bran, the barrier is too strong."
"Good" said Bran. "Do you think Merriman or The Lady could tell?"
"No…What are you planning?"
Bran just smiled and raised his eyebrows in a wait-and-see expression.
"Look, you two love-birds go and enjoy the rest of the time you have left. I've got to go and find someone. Oh, Jane, can I borrow your ring?" With a puzzled look, she slipped it off her finger and handed it to him, then he turned and went off round the corner.
Will and Jane watched him go, both wondering what to expect next from their friend.
"Bran's right," said Will trying to shake off the depressed feeling that was threatening to overtake him. "We should enjoy whatever time we've got left. Let's get out of here and go for a walk." For some reason he still couldn't take it in, couldn't believe that he would forget his love for Jane just with one word from Merriman. He himself had used memory spells many times before, but had never expected one to be used on him. The prospect was not pleasant and he understood now why Jane had almost begged him to let her remember.
They made their way through the castle and decided to go out round the front where the sea lapped against the little beach by the jetty. The sky was still a clear, bright blue, and the cool breeze and the sight of the swaying grey-green ocean lifted their spirits. They walked hand in hand across the fine sand and stood looking out at the shifting waters.
"The sound of the sea reminds me a bit of being at Trewissick," said Jane.
"Yes," Will said pensively. He turned to look at her. "You know, that's when I first fell in love with you. I didn't realise it until today, but I've loved you from the moment we met."
She smiled up at him. "Really? I remember being struck by how ordinary you looked and yet underneath you were so different. What a strange holiday that was." She reached up and brushed his cheek with the back of her hand. "I think it was when I saw you again, when we met on the side of that mountain in Wales. That's when I really began to feel something. I know I was cross at first that Bran was there – he always seemed to get in the way when I wanted to talk to you by myself."
"I think I probably sensed some of your feelings, but at the time, the quest for the sword and the approaching battle were the most important things – everything else had to take a distant second place."
"So perhaps Gumerry was right…I would just be a distraction."
"No!" he replied with a fierceness that reminded Jane of Merriman. "Don't ever say that, Jane. The battles are finished. I know what my role is now and there is no reason why I can't have you at my side while I carry out that task."
"I wish we didn't have to leave here," she said.
"So do I."
They kissed and held each other tight, never wanting to let go.
After a while they walked further along the shoreline, not knowing or caring where they were going, just wanting to be together. Finding an outcrop of rocks, they sat down and watched a group of seagulls soaring on the ocean breeze, now and again dipping down to the surface of the water in hope of snatching up an unwary fish. The sight brought a question into Jane's mind.
"You know when we got the harp, Will, how did we leave our bodies and dive into the lake – was that real?"
Will wasn't sure how to answer such a direct question. Explaining his abilities and the magic used by an Old One was complicated. After a moment he replied, "Yes and no. Here, let me show you." He took her hands and placed them palms down touching his palms.
"Look at the seagulls," he said gently. "See how they glide and dive and rise again on the warm currents of air. Imagine you're up there with them…"
Jane looked. Will said another word in the Old Speech and suddenly they both were there, flying with the white-feathered gulls, hearing their squawking cries, feeling the wind rushing fiercely past their faces. Jane felt a freedom she could never have imagined, even in dreams. Then they were back sitting on the rocks again, facing each other, fixed to the ground once more.
"Oh…" was all she could say.
"I wish I could show you more," said Will. "The places we could go…"
She looked into his blue-grey eyes feeling she was only now beginning to see some of the hidden depths of his character. She desperately wanted to know more, but realised she might never get the chance. She gazed at him, drinking in his image, trying to burn it into her mind so she could never forget it.
The sun was reddening the sky now, beginning to go down, which was strange as they had really felt no sense of time passing. Suddenly Will heard Merriman speaking into his mind: 'It's nearly time to go Will.'
Reluctantly they left their peaceful haven and began to make their way back to the castle.