Tribune Today Jan 3rd 2039

I have enjoyed my time in Loxley, especially the company of Steven and his wife Jane, who have been wonderful hosts. This will be my last day, and I find myself feeling a little disappointed, as my time here if anything has challenged me as much as I am aware I have challenged others. I think I will leave here tomorrow with much to think about, especially after today’s visit to Robbie’s Mere.

Day Five. December 21^st 2038.

It is Yule, the celebration of the Winter Solstice, and a very important day in the yearly cycle, for after today, the daylight hours will begin to lengthen and wind down the days left until spring, and the start of the growing season. The people of Loxley have made it past the middle of winter, and all they have to do is survive for a short time on what was stored last year, before the days of light and bountiful food begin again. Trees of celebration have been placed all over Loxley, and wreaths adorn every door, the greenness of the world can be seen in its full splendour decorating this community, and probably more so because of the brilliant white back drop that has been provided by the snow.

Its is half way past the tenth hour of the day, as I stand outside the door of my lodgings, as I watch the carriage turn in the road and slowly pull up in front for my hosts and myself to be escorted to Robbie’s Mere, the home of Lord Loxley and his wife. There is a very festive spirit in the air, and with Steve and Jane I do feel a joy raising within me, as I feed off their excitement. Yule is very special to those of the Earth Faith, as it is a time to centre on the family, and in these times of threat it does feel as if it is more relevant than ever before. We clatter through the farm and past the Postal Service hut as my guide fills me in on each of the things we pass. As we enter the small lane heading out of the farm, Steven points out the long cottage that is home to Harold Loxley and his partner Margaret Pickles, the Headmistress of the school, which is a little further ahead on the opposite side of the lane. I can see behind the cottage where there are several large work sheds, and what I think is an old motorbike. The cold air is exhilarating as the hooves pound down on the fine layer of clear snow that covers the cobbles.

We turn onto a long road lined to my left with trees that reach high above me, and cover most of the road with a canopy of wide snow covered leafless branches. The Oak and Beech are easy to spot as they retain most of their copper coloured leaves, which stand proud from the fluffy white snow. I stand and try to get a better look round at what my guide explains is the southern edge of Robbie’s Mere wood, and I take a breath of amazement as I look down the long road trying to see the end in the misty distance. Robbie’s Mere is far bigger than I had first thought, from the brief descriptions I had been given, I was lead to believe it was a lot smaller. Being here and looking down the long lane I can see it is vast, and I am greatly impressed at what Jake Loxley left for his grandson, as it is a mighty inheritance indeed. To my right are the miles of growing fields, all snug under the blanket of snow, the only visible signs that anything is grown here are the many solitary scarecrows, that stand alone and cold, dusted with snow keeping the long watch of winter until they guard the crops that have become so vitally important to this community in the spring.

It feels like it takes an age to travel the length of the road, but I fear that is just my impatience, as I want to see what is now being referred to as the centre of the Woodland Realm. The cart slows to a turn, and I see down the rest of the road that leads to a large white gate, I am informed that is the home of Rowan of Loxley and his wife Jade Opal, but before I can really have a good look, the cart trundles onto the rough dirt path that leads under a denser canopy of trees, and we begin to weave through what are some of the tallest and fattest trees I have ever seen. Through the trunks I can see the mounds built up by the drifting snow, and the shoots of Holly and Pine, as the new trees try to find their way into the high canopy, it truly is the most picturesque scene I have witnessed, and the words of Robert Loxley springs to mind as I sit back and watch the scenery below the trees, there is an almost magical feel to the air around me, and this is a very special place.

We travel for around ten minutes below the trees, and suddenly we appear in a very wide open clearing as we arrive on the edge of the Mere, and my breath catches in my throat. Robbie’s Mere is vast, as thirty yards of flat snow covered meadow stretch down to the edge of what I would describe as a lake, which for at least twenty feet is frozen white and speckled with snow, and then the water stretches out like a huge polished mirror, reflecting the raw intense beauty of the banks of trees. I can hardly believe my eyes, this is nothing like I had imagined as my eyes follow the trees that move in a wavy line on the opposite side of the meadow towards the house set back in amongst a thick and fertile woodland. The house can only be described as massive, I really was not ready for such a spectacle, as I look upon the walls of heavy timber and balcony of carved rails, set just above a long length of glass windows that reflect the beauty of the Mere and woodland back at me. Up the left hand side of the house, I see the tall chimney of large rough pale boulders set in grey cement, and from its top a long stream of silvery grey smoke trails off into the clouds above me. It is a building that is actually quite simple in its design, but the scale is mind blowing, and I smile, after all when I was told the Lord of Loxley lived in a house in the woods; I had thought it to be something much smaller.

The carriage stops outside a small fence, that surrounds a large garden, and I notice along the edges of the cleared path of broken stone, little violet flowers had continued to bloom above the snow, which gives the appearance of small violet dots along both edges of the pathway. The door gives a dull thud as it slides back, and a slender woman dressed in heavy violet steps out and smiles. Her red hair almost looks on fire as it falls from her shoulders, and hangs past her waist down her back, her eyes watch with an intense blue as I slip down from the carriage. Steven opens the gate and waves me in with his wife. The violet clad young women walks slowly down the wooden steps on to the path, and comes forward to meet us. She is pale skinned and yet I feel quite radiant, she smiles with an intense happiness as she holds out her hand. “Welcome to my home, I am Runestone.” And I feel the last of my breath rush out of my lips, for in real life she is far more beautiful than I could ever have expected. I take her hand and feel the warmth radiate from it into me, and for a moment I am lost in a spell of captivation. “Come, you must be chilled after your drive, I have a warm fire and hot drinks awaiting you, come, and welcome to my house and home.” I feel overwhelmed and simply follow.

As I enter through the large glass door, I feel a sense of wonder as my eyes trace round the room, Runestone moves ahead of us. “Please hang your cloaks and stand by the fire to warm yourselves, Jade should have the drinks ready now, I shall just check.” I watch as she walks off towards the end of what is a very long wide room taking up most of the downstairs, her long copper hair swishes from side to side as she moves. Steven takes my cloak and hands it to Jane, who opens a small door to the right and enters what I assume is a cloakroom. My eyes are drawn towards the large imposing wide stair, which is the deep rich red of mahogany, that comes down along the left hand side of the room, its carved rails and banister are very ornate and seep with luxury. At the base of the stair and along the wall filled with shelves containing ancient books and small ornate items of glass and stone, there is a large roaring fire set back in the heavy almost white limestone chimney, with a four-foot wide hearth of polished limestone. The room is filled with small padded chairs and long settees that circle the outer sides of the walls, and it is quite apparent that Lord Loxley has many meetings here simply by the number of seats available.

I feel the warmth within the room; yet still join my companions at the fire, as I gaze towards the back of the room and the corridor that starts ten feet from the base of the side of the stairs. I know that the wall to right hides the kitchen, but can only wonder what lies to the left, hidden behind the wide stairs. The door swings open and Runestone is accompanied by another woman with long curly blonde hair, and she is dressed in full woodsman’s attire, she is introduced as Jade, she smiles and peers out from under a long fringe, and I give a small bow which makes her giggle, as Runestone lifts a steaming mug of hot fruit tea off the tray she carries. “I hope you find my home to your liking, whilst here at home, we do not stand on protocols, this is Jade and I am Rune, I think my mother is around here somewhere, and Alice is upstairs resting, the boys should be along a little later, there are things to attend to before tonight.”

I am struck by how normal this all appears to them, I am feeling quite overwhelmed by the house, but to them this is simply home, and although I feel a little like a tourist and uneasy about all this, Rune and Jade are very relaxed and natural in the way we are guided to comfortable seats close to the fire. Jade sits with Steven, who she obviously knows quite well, Runestone guides me to a seat and sits next to me ensuring the small table is close enough for me to place my hot steaming cup down on the small coaster of engraved metal. She gives me a smile. “I feel your tension, please you have nothing to fear here as you are with friends.”
Her eyes are the most hypnotic blue, and seem to sparkle as much as the many chains and pendants around her neck. I feel a great privilege to be invited into your home on such a special occasion, although I must confess, I feel as though I am not worthy of such. Runestone sits back relaxed with a smile.
“You have travelled far to report the truth, and that is a very important and responsible task, for there are many wrongs being reported by the Knox camp, as Lady of this area, I felt that it was important that you had the opportunity to report the full truth of Loxley.”
I find it an odd thing; after all, I have been digging as hard as I could to reveal if all the rumours that have been told have truth. Her approach confuses me, as I had thought that Runestone, being the wife of Lord Loxley, and to be honest the one the Knox Empire has branded a witch, would have been more evasive. I have a long list of questions that I have wanted to ask, yet now the moment has arisen, I find that I am struggling to recall them. You have a delightful home. I feel utterly stupid, as my brain screams at itself, she gives me another smile, and I almost feel that she can see inside my head and see the chaos. I gave a hard swallow and try to continue with more dignity. I do want the truth, this country has suffered, and I feel the lies are just adding to the pain of those lost in the wilds. I suppose that is why I decided to write a paper, I want others to know they have some sort of hope. Runestone gives a gentle nod, her eyes fixed on me as if reading my mind before I say the words.
“I think you are very brave, but you are right there should be a voice for those who cannot speak, and there should be someone to seek out the truth and report it back to everyone, even though that person is placed in harms way because the Empire of Knox threatens free speech as it seeks to gain more control to manipulate the masses. I admire your efforts, and I know my husband is very pleased with what you have achieved to date.”
He is?
“Everything you have printed he has a copy of in his desk, he has often commented on the good work you have done, it is why he has allowed Rags to support you.”
Lord Loxley approved the funding I received from the Loxley Postal Service?
“He did indeed, this is not an enslaved area, and my husband feels that the freedom to discuss everything in the woodland Realm is of the most importance. I must admit though, I do feel you allow the rumour to influence you too much, there are some very fanciful tales around, it is important you print just facts, our greatest enemy is rumour from within.”
I am impressed by her knowledge of local affairs, and her ability to present her opinion with such grace and respect, it is very obvious that she is very well educated, but it is easy to forget that she is the granddaughter of Leenard Rimmer, and ex university lecturer. I ask her where her husband is? She smiles and I feel that she is suddenly very excited, the change is fast, and she sits up, her face almost glowing.
“He will be home today. I am sorry I cannot tell you where he is or what he has been doing, but it is in the cause of Loxley and the Woodland Realm. It will nice to have him home for Yule, there will be a lot of families who will have men returning today.”
I am struck by her youth, for she is very young, and for a moment it feel as if she lets her guard slip, and reveals her inner self. I suppose it is easy to forget that she is a newly married woman, and from all accounts her husband has been away a great deal since their marriage at the end of October, I decide to go for a more personal line of enquiry to try and discover more of the people, rather than the conflict. I feel you have missed him, it must not be easy him being away so much.
“I go with him most of the time, we do try to work together, but I have commitments here with my mother’s shop as I do a great deal of the designs and the weaving, it is nice having him home though.”
I can see there is a very homely side to her, but I have not forgotten the interview with John Styles, where he made it abundantly clear that it was Runestone who faced out the mother of Mason Knox, I am not fooled, and understand there is a very different side to her, the biggest reminder of that being her sister, who is sat opposite me and armed to the teeth. Rune notices me look at her weapons.
“Jade has a thing for sharp blades.”
I feel that the sentence is understated, I have counted at least eight knives, and she has a close quarters short sword hanging from her belt. Do all of you carry so many weapons in combat? Runestone gives a little giggle.
“I think our reputation requires it.” She sits back again in her chair with her hands on her lap as she faces me to continue. “The Specialists are pretty unique, I know you have asked many questions on your visit, so I think it is fitting I offer you my thoughts on them.” I am delighted by the proposition, so I relax a little and sit back as I lift my pad to take notes, Runestone thinks for a few moments and then in a very reflective tone she gives her side of things.
“I think we all drifted together in a natural way, you see we never meant to have gone as far as we did. Rob had the task of finding out if there truly was an heir to the throne, and along the way we bumped into others who we found had a natural affinity to us. Over time with each task we have faced, the Specialists have grown. What I love the most about them, and I have grown to love them all and regard them as family, is that they are all unique and different because no two are remotely similar. You see my sister here and the weapons she carries, and yet her best friend in the world is Jett, and she has just one small dagger and a full combat sword. Both as you probably have heard have a reputation for chaos, and yet my sister is creative and spiritual, where as Jett has little use for creativity unless it is that of sword skills, but Jett is also very deep and loving, few people have or ever will see that side of her. It is the same with all of them, Blades with her oriental training is nothing at all like Sapphire, who is very intuitive at times and yet conflicted. Each and everyone of them is different, and all of them have brought unique gifts and traits to the group as a whole, and it is in the blending of all of them, that the Specialists have found something that binds them as fighting force. To see them in action is something very special, because they act and work as one, I know Robbie admires them all a great deal.” She gives a broad smile. “I know is seems a little silly, but they are all very special to me.”
I shake my head. No not all, I think it is wonderful to see the more human side of them, we all have heard so many tales this year about them, I suppose it is easy to forget that they are people like the rest of us facing some extraordinary tasks?
“We are all individuals doing what we can to aid the cause, everyone of us is a son or daughter, husband or wife and even a mother or father. I think it is a part of the stories that most people miss, it is so easy to see a fighter as a lethal and dangerous weapon, most forget the humanity within the reasoning behind what we do.”
I mean no disrespect, but even killing a Cutter is taking the life of another’s child.
“That is true, but as I said it is the reasoning behind the fight that is what is important.”
So to kill a Cutter is Ok as long as it is done for the benefit of others, but surely the Cutter is also only fighting to benefit the Empire of Knox?
“You are quite correct, but when we fight we are not benefiting the Empire of Loxley, our fight is for the survival of a people, for we did not ask for this conflict, no woodland man asked to see his wife raped and his children butchered, and I can assure you that has been the case many hundreds of times. Do you not agree to nothing would be the most inhumane thing to do?”
I bow my head in defeat for a moment, and she reaches over to touch my arm, her voice is soft and filled with compassion. “I feel the conflict you hold, it is easy to spot a man who does not want the taking of any life, believe it or not, my husband feels the very same way.” I look up and she gives me a soft smile.
“It is true, you must remember we did not ask for this, neither do we want it, my husband holds the dream that one day we will all be able to live in peace freed from the oppression of the likes of the Knox family, but there is but one way to achieve that, and it can only be through conflict, for the Knox Family will never settle for less than domination.”
It somehow feels unjust that your husband and his Specialists must carry this conflict to the Knox Empire, it must be hard for you to watch your husband and people you love knowing some of them may not return?
“I am one wife, one woman amongst many who feel the dread of our loved ones depart. I do my best to watch over them, and I have great faith in their ability to look out for each other whilst in danger. You forget whom they are and what they mean to all of us, they will not fall easily for they have complete faith in those beside them when it gets tough. All of them are my family regardless of their birth, and like ma mother, wife or sister I do everything I can to make what time we have together something worth fighting for.”
I must admit I could listen to her talk of them all day, they have been an inspiration to all of us and on my last day in Loxley I gained a great deal more to share, but alas that must wait for another issue, as the space on my page again becomes my enemy. Tomorrow I will reveal more on the house at the Mere, and the life with the Specialists of Lord Loxley. Until such time as the postie arrives with another instalment of my last day in Loxley I will bid you Good Morrow, and hope where ever you are you are safe and will remain so.