“The rider rode up beside them, reining in when he reached the hilltop. For a second or two he looked out on the valley below. Then he turned and looked at the children and as his gaze met theirs, a green light shone from the eye-slits in his helmet.”
(Extract from Watchers, by Essi Tolling)
There are many stories surrounding Herne the Hunter. Often he is portrayed as a shamanic figure (a real person dressed up as part of a ritual). In Watchers he is more than this. He is the Lord of the Wild Things, both Green Man and Spirit-of-the-Woods – and he is not to be crossed lightly.
He wears a holly-green cloak and rides a flame-eyed horse. At his side hangs a great, curved horn. Around him run a pack of spectral hounds, each one of which is milk-white with red-tipped ears. Sir Herne can move through the fields and woods without making a sound. Nor does he leave any footprints in the dew-wet paths.
As such he is a dangerous fellow to meet on a dark night, especially if you are not one for showing compassion to wild creatures…
Herne the Hunter, by Meraylah Allwood
Find Watchers on Kindle here: amazon.co.uk or here amazon.com
Essi Tolling - Author 