Raven's Hoard by Gill Jepson

Author:Gill Jepson [JEPSON, GILL]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd

CHAPTER 12

SLIPPING THROUGH

Days had passed by again and Nate was seriously thinking he might never be able to return home. Tom had managed to track the Swarbrick gang to the cave they had passed through before, by another entrance near the coast at Conkin Bank. The Revenue men had caught some of them, but Swarbrick and the rest had escaped across the bay.

They discussed at length how Nate could get back and came to the conclusion that he should return to Furness Abbey. They were loath to journey through the labyrinth of tunnels again so Tom suggested they went above ground and find the exit from that end. They were no longer at risk from Swarbrick and his cronies so they confidently took the track across country to the Vale of Deadly Nightshade where the abbey lay.

Tom took two horses from his brother’s farm and Dolly rode with him on the larger of the two. Nate followed behind, a little nervous, having had little experience of riding. The road they took was little more than two ruts in the ground where packhorses and carts had travelled. They passed close to St Michael’s church… no evidence of the gravediggers in this time of course, and down the hill towards a tiny hamlet, which Nate supposed to be Roose. There were a few cottages and fields; he did recognise the Dungeon Lane and its farms on the way past, though the road was just a muddy track and all modern farm equipment had disappeared.

They rode on, passing a smithy where a blacksmith was busy at his anvil. Nate smiled to himself as he realised the “smithy” in his time was a fish and chip shop! Further up the lane was a large farmhouse outside some farm labourers were drinking ale. An old rickety sign creaked and rattled in the breeze. It was the Ship Inn and had been his Granddad’s local pub in his time. It looked very different and hardly like a pub at all.

They wended their way onwards and he shivered involuntarily as the route wound its way above the river, for he knew this must be close to his home. No hint of the future was visible. No railway line, no houses and no real road. Weird!

They crossed a rough piece of open grazing land, dotted with sheep. This windswept grassy hill was high above the peninsula and he could see along to the coast. He stopped momentarily to look.

“’Tis Boulton’s Common – the villagers may use this land to graze their animals and pay no rent…” Tom remarked.

Nate swallowed hard, a huge lump rising in his throat. His voice cracked with emotion. “And this is where I live in my time. My house will be built here years from now…”

Tom and Dolly looked sadly at him and beckoned him onwards. They continued on down past Park House Farm – again easily identified, and over Bow Bridge towards the abbey.

Through the trees they could see the sandstone glowing pink in the fading sunlight.

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