Iylaine is accused

“My Da says that I shall have my own pony and I shall learn to ride, just like Dunstan,” Iylaine said imperiously.

Wynna nodded in open-​​mouthed admiration.

“I guess maybe my Da will let me ride his horse when he gets it,” Bertie said, sore that Iylaine hadn’t been impressed by his announcement of his father’s upcoming acquisition. “I guess learning to ride on a big horse is better than learning to ride on some old pony,” he said slyly.

“Not if it’s my own pony,” Iylaine sniffed. “I shall name it… ummmm… Blackie.”

“What if it isn’t black?” Wynna asked.

But Iylaine didn’t notice the question. There was that woman with her Da again. She had brought him some more cider. That was supposed to be her job. Perhaps she hadn’t been paying attention – but if her Da had wanted some more, he could have asked! She was standing right there!

“You want some more cake, Baby?” Bertie asked.

“You’re just asking ’cause you want some more,” she retorted.

“It’s still polite to ask others first,” Bertie grumbled.

“Can we go over by the fires?” Wynna asked. “I’m getting cold.”

“Baby’s not supposed to go close to the fire,” Bertie warned.

Baby would have been angry at being so reminded, but again she didn’t hear. That woman was talking and talking to her Da – and worse, he was laughing! There were always women coming around her Da when he went out, but he never talked with them much. She didn’t like this one bit. 

She wished Gunnie could have come – the women left her Da alone when Gunnie was with him, but Gunnie had to stay home with young Egelric and the baby. Iylaine had hinted that young Egelric and the baby might like to see the stalks burned too, but Gunnie would have none of it. She probably just wanted to stay home and rest. It seemed like Gunnie was always tired.

Ah, now the woman had touched her Da’s arm when she laughed. It was time to put a stop to that.

“Baby?” Bertie called, but Iylaine was already storming off.

“Hey!” she said as she came up to her Da and that woman.

The woman turned. “Why, hallo there, Baby!” she cried. She was only pretending to be happy to see her – Iylaine could tell.

“I am not your Baby! You call me Iylaine! And you stay away from my Da!”

“Baby!” her Da cried, shocked.

“Why, I wasn’t hurting him!” the woman laughed.

“You just stay away from him!” Iylaine cried. “You go away! I hate you! I hope – I hope you get burned in the fire!” She stamped her foot to show just how much she meant it.

“Iylaine!” her Da barked. That was always a bad sign, when he called her by her name. But it seemed to have worked.

“I’ll just leave her to you, Egelric,” the woman said, moving off.

“You call him Squire, you – you peasant!” Iylaine shrieked after her.

“Iylaine!” Now her Da was angry. He scolded her roundly, and Iylaine hung her head in becoming shame, but she was secretly satisfied with herself. It was worth a scolding to get rid of that woman. Besides, she knew her Da couldn’t take her home early – he was in charge, as he always was. He was practically the most important person in the valley, except for the King. And possibly His Grace.

“Wynn, you come with me!” she ordered after her Da had finished. “I have to go get my Da some cider. His mouth is all dry from yelling at me.”

“Oh, Baby,” her Da sighed, shaking his head. But she could tell he was laughing inside.

Iylaine and Wynna went off to get cider and cake for her Da, and then they and Bertie went tearing around the field in a game of tag, zipping between the burning piles, hiding behind the legs of the adults, and squealing like dizzy piglets, as Alwy said as they passed him.

Suddenly Iylaine stopped in her tracks and shrieked – the hem of that woman’s dress was on fire, and she didn’t even know!

“Lady! Lady!” she cried. “Get down and roll! Get down and roll, you’re on fire!” She remembered what her Da had told her she must do if her dress ever caught fire.

But then Alwy saw, and he pushed the woman down himself, and soon all of the people were helping her put the fire out.

But when the woman stood, she did not thank Iylaine or even Alwy for helping her – instead she pointed to Iylaine and cried, “She did it!”

“No, I never did!” Iylaine protested.

“She told me she wished the fire would burn me, and she made my dress catch fire!” the woman said. 

The people gasped. One of the old women cried, “She did! I heard it!”

“She never touched you!” Alwy said.

“She don’t have to, she only have to think it!” the old woman said.

“Witch!” another woman cried. And then another: “Witch!”

“I never meant it!” Iylaine sobbed. “I never did! I was just mad! I never meant her to be burnt!” she said to her Da, who had come up to her then, with a terrible expression on his face.

“Let’s go home, Iylaine,” he said. She didn’t like that voice – something about that voice made her afraid.

“I never meant it!” she blubbered. “I never did! Honest!”

“I know you didn’t, Baby girl,” he said, embracing her. He wasn’t angry at her! “Let’s go.”

The people watched them leave, and some of them gave her angry looks, but Iylaine was not afraid, and she walked bravely past them. No one could touch her if her Da was with her.