13 Comments

Whoa.

And a side note: Every time I saw "stuff" I read "Suff."

Expand full comment
Jan 17Liked by S.E. Reid

LOL SAME

Expand full comment

I loved the "Just as you offer, you will receive" theme in this. Have we encountered whoever is connected with CWH before? That feels familiar somehow but I don't remember where and it's bothering me.

Expand full comment
Jan 17Liked by S.E. Reid

Are the demon things the same creatures that Ivy encountered in Ivy and Ixos??

Expand full comment

Wow. What a beautiful read. A loved the dialogue throughout.

Expand full comment

Wassailing still happens in the UK. Mostly in the south west counties of Devon and Somerset, but it happens. You make a lot of noise to scare the evil spirits away from the trees, pour a libation of cider at the roots, hang slices of toast from the branches. And sing :

Here’s to thee old apple tree

long may ee bud

and long may ee blow

long may ee bear apples enow.

Hats full, caps full

bushel bushel sacks full

and my pockets full too.

Huzzah!

or something similar, then toast the tree:

call - Was hael, response - Drinc hael!

Wassail!

Expand full comment

When the spirit whispered, "Take my hand," I responded, "We're off to Never-Neverland." (Metallica, "Enter Sandman)

Hoping that it will be a while before Cattail makes that trip, in the fullness of time...

Expand full comment
Jan 19Liked by S.E. Reid

And now we have a trilogy around Orchard Island and the Orchard Hounds. I'm loving it as a subculture of Ferris Island with all the opportunities that could bring.

Expand full comment

Ah, that's a good one! I could just see that ghostly apple orchard...

Expand full comment

The vastness of Ferris Island is impress as well as the skill of storytelling which shows just how deep, complex and intriguingly mysterious this world and your mind are!! Kudos!

Expand full comment

The "come with us."-spirits reminded me of the small, ghostly, clicky-clacky forest spirit guys from Princess Mononoke. Great description all through this story.

Expand full comment

I wasn’t expecting historical fiction when I started the story, but I’m so here for it! I’m curious to see if the CWH will come up again...

Expand full comment

I don’t know. If I was Cattail, I’d give that money to an orphanage or something.

Expand full comment