A Little Wizard

Set amid the aftermath of the English Civil War, an agent dispatched by General Skippon arrives at the long‑abandoned Pattenhall estate, hoping to claim a forfeited property. Instead he encounters a gaunt, twelve‑year‑old boy perched on a pile of stones, whose silent defiance and uncanny composure stir both suspicion and curiosity. The boy’s cryptic gestures send the rider on a wild goose chase toward a distant church tower, while his steady stare hints at a deeper, perhaps magical, awareness of the land’s tangled history.

As the agent pushes onward, the boy retreats into a hidden crevice, clutching a stone as if it were a talisman. His refusal to answer outright, coupled with an almost prophetic confidence, suggests that more than mere mischief is at work. Listeners are drawn into a tense, atmospheric opening that promises a blend of historical intrigue and subtle, uncanny powers waiting to emerge.