56.
We remained there all through the night until the sun rose on Midsummer's Day to find us laughing and talking still,
And we toasted the sunrise with water from the Holy Well,
Which I handed to each of the others.
During the course of the night the maidens played their music,
The violin,
The flute and the harp,
And sang,
Their voices echoing through the valley,
Filling it with moonlit magic,
Whilst inside the chapel the musical notes mingled with the trickling water.
Truly a night of medieval magic,
Commented Joanne,
As the maidens played a particularly lovely piece,
And the sun rose above us.
What is that?
I asked them.
It feels so fitting,
Yet I've never heard it before.
Morwenna smiled shyly.
It's a song we've composed especially for you,
In honour of this night.
It's been so wonderful we felt it should be remembered somehow,
And so,
She shrugged,
This is our offering.
Play it again,
Please,
I begged,
So I can hear the lovely melody and listen to the words.
We can sing them in Cornish and in English for you,
Replied Demelza with a smile,
For we are all Cornish speakers.
They picked up their instruments and once more began to play and sing.
At St Cletha's well whilst we were sitting,
And hearing the spirit of the land,
And Brown Willie yonder the wood,
On top of her there was a very long cloud.
There is innie water and the sound of the crows echoing on the surrounding cliffs,
And the ferns are buzzing and the gorse would be popping in the sun's heat.
The family of Cletha came out of Wales to seek the sanctity of Cornwall.
We find his soul that is still with me,
Always whenever I go under his room.
The music ceased and we remained silent for a while,
Enjoying the sounds of the valley around us.
Oh,
We forgot to give you this,
Tamsin felt around in her bag.
Where is it?
She murmured.
Have you got it,
Demelza?
Don't say we've lost it.
Lost what?
I asked,
Feeling a replay of Joanne's antics coming on,
And wondering how young people always seem to be losing things and getting lost.
Something we were given earlier,
Explained Morwenna,
For you.
I looked surprised and Tamsin began to explain.
When we wandered down to the river late last night,
There was some bloke there standing in the moonlight,
And he asked us to give you this.
Blow it,
She continued,
What on earth did I do with it?
Some bloke?
I asked in surprise,
As far as I knew there had been no one around but ourselves.
What sort of bloke?
All dressed in green and holding a stick,
Cut in Demelza.
Nice sort of chap,
I thought,
And there was a woman too,
But she was on the other side of the river and we couldn't make her out very well,
Wearing a long dress so.
Looks pretty in the moonlight,
Added Morwenna.
Don't worry,
I dropped it in the well to give it a bit of a wash.
She turned to me.
Go and have a look,
I think you'll like it.
What did this bloke say exactly?
I asked.
I mean,
Did he tell you who he was,
And why didn't he come up here and give me whatever it is himself?
Demelza shrugged,
Don't know,
But he did say something about it needing to be returned to you.
Go on,
Urged Tamsin,
Her beautiful eyes shining.
Have a look,
I think you'll like it.
I smiled,
Humouring them,
But feeling slightly excited nonetheless,
Wondering what on earth this mysterious object could be,
Which the girls had been given to pass on to me by some unknown man on the riverbank.
It all appeared very odd,
But then again,
Today everything seemed strange.
I rounded the corner of the chapel and knelt before the gently flowing waters.
The sun was rising steadily now,
We had been awake all night,
And despite the excitement I was beginning to feel drowsy.
As I knelt before the clear water,
There seemed to be a change in the light,
And other faces gazed back at me.
A girl with short curling hair,
Then one with long dark hair entwined with flowers,
A woman with hair piled high upon her head,
And finally an older woman,
Her hair traced with strands of silver.
I blinked and they were gone,
Then remembering my reason for being there I plunged my hand into the water and felt around.
My fingers closed over it almost immediately,
And I knew what it was before my hand left the water,
Droplets of diamond spilling back onto the surface like miniature waterfalls.
But I had no time to ponder on the beauty of the early morning sunlight,
For in the palm of my hand,
As if it had never been away at all,
Lay my beautiful green and violet crystal.
