Barrowquest

1. Barrowquest A multiple-choice quest adventure for use with Unit 6 of The National Literacy Strategy Year 6 Planning Exemplification 3 (Ref: DfES 0135/2002) Includes all chapters of The Awakening, as given in the above publication (accessed by selecting SOUTH, THORN, HARP and INDIGO during the adventure) Additional chapters written by: J Davies, J Duckworth, L Glasspoole, E Gowing, B Long, S Simpson, C White, A Williams

2. 1. The Barrow Lin pushed himself between the massive slabs. The huge weight of stone pressed in on him, and a greater weight of terror squeezed him more. Without lubrication from the ancient growth of moss that coated the stones he might never have made it though the narrow gap at all. I can’t do this, he thought. Why me? If I were younger or larger I wouldn’t be here.

3. “Let’s call him Lin for short,” a boy in the tribe once mocked, “for short is what he is.” The rest had laughed. Lin he had become, and short he had stayed. Skinny too. And that was precisely why the chieftain Magh had called him to the tribefire, to the council where no boys came. “Your tribe has need of you,” said Magh, “great need. Sit here and listen well.” “But … ” blurted Lin.

4. “Sit, boy.” Magh gave no choice, accepted no hesitation. Then he spoke, slowly and solemnly, in the deep, resonant voice that had awed Lin all his life. “Our tribe is in great peril. Even now as we sit by our own tribefire, hordes of our darkest ancient foes are encamped around our borders. Vast hordes. Soon they will attack. And when they do, great as we have been, great as we are, we have not might enough to drive them off. For all time remembered, and much forgotten, our tribe have peopled this land, moulded its stories – but soon all this, all that we know and value will end in loss, in darkness and in death. It will end, that is, unless someone can find the magician and wake him.” Magh paused and looked around slowly.

5. “Our old ones say that under Barrow Hill there sleeps a great magician. His magic saved our people in the distant past. Now he waits, deep in enchanted sleep, guarded by the warriors of a ghostly king. But in our hour of need he will awake and save us once again. That hour is now.” Another pause. “They say too that there is a way into the hill through the long barrow of our ancestors which stands atop. A way for one who can find it – and take it. But the great stones are immovable, the gap between them narrow, and the way beyond that . . . Who knows?”

6. Now Magh looked straight at Lin. “Only you, Lin, are old enough to understand this task, yet small enough to squeeze between the stones. Will you go for us? Will you take this quest? Will you find the magician and wake him?” “Do I have a choice?” asked Lin. “Yes, and no,” said Magh. “I offer you a choice, but know that you have none.” Lin understood. And now here he was, crawling into the ancient barrow, where no living flesh should be. The stone was deathly cold. Lin’s heart was colder still, and the chamber, deep inside the barrow, where he fell with a dull thud, was full of the darkest darkness he had ever known.

7. He lay for a moment wheezing, gasping for the breath the stones had squeezed from him. Then, as his breathing eased, he pulled out the lamp and flint he had been given and, shivering, lit the flame. By its flickering light he could see four stone passageways leading north, south, east and west out of the chamber. Which should he take? Terror almost froze him, but not quite. He did the only thing he felt he could. He walked straight ahead in the direction he was facing. Did he go NORTH, SOUTH, EAST or WEST? North South East West

8. 2. The Chamber of Lights Brilliant light flared, blinding his eyes. Startled, he stepped back, shielding his eyes from the glare. Finding a hard wall behind him, he whirled. The doorway through which he had come was no longer there. There was no way back.

9. The light vanished and Lin looked around. A circular cavern domed over his head. Facing him, three torches blazed in brackets mounted on the rock wall, each one beside an opening in the rock. The first passage glowed red, licking its shadows with tongues of reflected flame; the second, blue, whispering tones of rippling streams and still lakes. The third was green, pulsing with shades of fresh life. In front of each was a step. One of these, he thought, must be the way out. But which one? Nothing for it but to try.

10. As the openings were of differing heights each step was lower or higher. Grabbing a torch Lin entered the red passage. The whole corridor glowed eerily. After some time, seeing more light ahead, he quickened his pace. Suddenly he was in a chamber that looked similar to - no - it was the same one he had left. He had walked in a complete circle.

11. Next he tried the blue passage, but, after swimming through the liquid blue light, he still ended back where he had started. The third passage must be the exit. Lin stepped up into its cool, emerald light, moved rapidly along its length and once more emerged into the same chamber. He tested each passage again and again. They all led him back to his starting point. In some magical way they were all interconnected. Whichever passage he entered, he returned through another.

12. Lin sat thoughtfully, facing the three passages. There must be a way out. He idly traced patterns in the dust-covered floor of the chamber. But what was this? He could feel marks engraved beneath the dust. He brushed the dust aside. Was this a clue, etched into the ancient floor? Only see What light does show, Use all three To onward go.

13. See what? Lin asked himself. Scrambling to his feet he lifted the torch above his head. A bright flash lit the whole chamber, causing Lin to drop the torch. What was that? Slowly he raised the torch again. The torch light shone deep into the coloured passages. In an instant, the whole chamber became flooded with reflection – and from its midst shone one strong beam of white. Lin gasped, amazed. Turning slowly, he could see the place on the wall where the polished rock acted like a mirror, combining the red, green, and blue light from each passage to create the beam. And where it shone he could see a fourth passage, higher up the wall. Lin knew this was the true exit. His elation was short-lived. How could he reach the entrance?

14. He repeated the second part of the clue: Use all three To onward go All three what? Three torches? Three passages? Three . . . STEPS! Lin rushed across the chamber. Each step was sloped on one side. If I can move them . . . thought Lin. He dragged the middle stone up the ramped side of its larger brother. Then the smallest one was hauled on top. Breathless but triumphant Lin surveyed the stairway he had created. Trembling with excitement he climbed to the topmost stone, pulled himself into the new entrance, and into the passage.

15. The passage was short and led directly to another chamber. Four doors faced him. One was made of oak, one of ash, one of elm and one of thorn wood. He opened the nearest and walked through. Did Lin choose the OAK, ASH, ELM or THORN door? Oak Ash Elm Thorn

16. 2. The Amazing Roots For some way the passage to the south ran level, but then it began to drop and curve back upon itself. As Lin walked he spiralled down and down and down, until he felt he had reached the heart of the earth itself.

17. He found himself in a vast underground chamber. Its huge space was filled with what he took at first to be pillars, arches, twisted beams. These in turn seemed to be slung about with ropes, ropes looped and dangling, ropes twisted and entwined, many with frayed ends that lost themselves in mists of fibre. But as he explored, as he looked and felt and smelled, he found that they were all roots. He was in standing in an enormous cavern, grown through by the tangled roots of a great tree – a tree that must be almost half the size of the world.

18. Intrigued, Lin began to wander amongst the roots. He swung past them and ducked under them. He climbed over them and pushed through their fantastic forms. Soon he lost all sense of where he had come from, and had no idea which way he was going. Then he realised that, worst of all, he had no idea which way he should go. He was lost in a vast knot of roots, which soared above him and surrounded him on all sides. He set off with a will in the direction he was already facing. But he soon found the line impossible to hold. He had to duck and twist and veer until his mind was more tangled than the roots. He wandered on through the maze of turns and dead ends until he began to think his own dead end would be there too.

19. Then he began to see faces in the twisted forms of gnarled wood that surrounded him. He saw heads without bodies leering at him from every direction, laughing at his desperation. He saw contorted, woody faces everywhere, all the same, all laughing. Their noses were twists of root. Their hair and eyebrows were tangles of frond. Their laughing mouths were puckered knots. Faces. Faces. All laughing. All mocking him. All the same. No, not all the same. That one had a hooked nose. That one had a stubby ear. That one had much larger eyes. That one looked old and tired.

20. Lin began to see the difference, the uniqueness, in each face. And as he did so the mockery on the faces seemed to change to friendlier laughter. Twisted mouths warmed into smiles. Once he felt he knew each one, Lin gave each face a name. You look like a “Crab” to me, he thought, because you are old and crabby. “You look like a “Hog” because your hair sticks out like spines. You look like a “Merry”. There are laughter lines around your eyes.”

21. “Thank you, Lin,” said Hog. “I’ve never had a name before. If you turn right here and duck under that big root you’ll come to Burr. He’ll tell you where to go next.” “No problem,” said Burr, when Lin reached him. And, one by one, the faces with names directed Lin through the maze of roots, until he came to the far end of the chamber. There he found four doors. One was made of oak, one of ash, one of elm and one of thorn wood. He opened the nearest and walked through. Did Lin choose the OAK, ASH, ELM or THORN door? Oak Ash Elm Thorn

22. 2. Green Light The passage to the east dropped suddenly and steeply. Taken by surprise, Lin slid down, tumbling and falling, unable to halt his flight. Down and down he fell, deeper and deeper into the barrow, until with a crash and a thump, he reached the bottom. Bruised and sore, Lin stood, slowly. He found himself in utter darkness. Where was he? How could he tell? No light pierced the smothering black that surrounded him. The air was stale and still. The only sound to be heard was the quickening beat of Lin’s own heartbeat as it thumped, thumped in his ears – faster and faster.

23. Taking a deep breath, Lin stretched his fingers to the front and to the side. Nothing. He took a tentative step forward. The ground was hard and uneven, but held his weight. Step by careful step, Lin walked on into the darkness. Suddenly his breath caught in his throat. Floating in front of him was the palest of green spiders. Its legs wiggled and tensed, flitting away as Lin reached towards it. He paused. The spider paused. Lin reached again. The spider retreated.

24. Slowly but surely, the truth began to dawn on him. The spider was his own hand! Without realising it, a subtle change was taking place. A pale, almost sickly, green light was beginning to seep into the gloom, outlining his whole body. Able to see his surroundings for the first time, Lin realised that he was standing in a tunnel. Far away in the distance, shimmering and pulsating, was a green, luminescent glow, streaming out of a gaping hole in the tunnel floor. Lin hesitated, horrified. The light bulged and squirmed as if it were a living, breathing entity. He knew he should walk away, but felt an awful compulsion to become part of that light and lose himself forever.

25. Stumbling over rocks and rubble, Lin was drawn further and further towards the light. Brighter and brighter it blazed until Lin had to shield his eyes. Almost blinded, he fell – screaming - into the hole. Lin landed on a cushion of moist, springy moss that glowed with an emerald fire. Sprouting from the moss, swaying sluggishly, were enormous slime-covered pods. Lin realised that the air was still. No breeze disturbed this lonely place. Yet still, the pods moved – back and forth, back and forth.

26. “Sleep. Sleep forever.” A hushed voice came from nowhere and everywhere. “Lay down and close your eyes. Forget your quest, my little one. Sleep.” Hypnotised by the voice and the swaying pods, Lin’s eyes drooped. “The quest,” murmured Lin, drowsily, “ . . . not important . . . must sleep.” However, deep inside his head, Lin was screaming, “WAKE UP, LIN! Fight it now or you’ll never wake again!”

27. Forcing his heavy eyes open, Lin reached out in desperation. Grasping hold of a nearby pod, he pulled – pulled with all his strength – without really knowing why. With a sickening, wrenching sound, the pod came apart in his hand sending out a foul, yellow gas. Immediately, the green glare dimmed. Wide awake at last, Lin darted to his feet. He watched in amazement as the gas covered the moss like a thick blanket, dissolving it, destroying it. Screaming filled his ears. Was it the voice? Was it the moss? Lin didn’t know.

28. As the last remnants of the moss disappeared, Lin gazed around him with a new determination. There in front of him were four doors. One was made of oak, one of ash, one of elm and one of thorn wood. He opened the nearest and walked through. Did Lin choose the OAK, ASH, ELM or THORN door? Oak Ash Elm Thorn

29. 2. The Well of Othene Instantly, the floor dissolved beneath Lin’s feet. His screams filled the air, and echoed back at him as a menacing cacophony, bouncing from the walls that encased him. If only Lin had taken greater care over the path he had chosen, he would never have been facing this dilemma. Over and over he tumbled, further and further he fell. Panic consumed him. Free-falling, Lin scrabbled and fought hopelessly with the air surrounding him, desperately attempting to grab hold of something, anything that might halt this seemingly endless fall. Failing at the first hurdle was unthinkable - Lin felt sure that Magh would not have predicted that his task would end so soon, so finally …

30. Down and further down he descended. Emptiness encircled him. He glanced upwards, vainly hoping to see - to see what he really didn’t know, but anything would be better than this bleak void. What was happening to him? When would all of this stop? This must be the end. Lin’s screams encapsulated his fears; his mind darted through all of the things he’d done, he’d never get to do, the task he’d never complete, the village he’d never save.

31. Suddenly and without warning, Lin’s body appeared to jolt upwards slightly, and his fall seemed to take on a more moderate and bearable speed, as if some unseen force had opened a parachute for him. Looking downwards, Lin noticed an unearthly light begin to pierce the surrounding darkness. From this, he could begin to see he was surrounded by chalky walls from which hung portraits of what appeared to be people of generations and times past, faces he felt he should know. Lin’s fear began to subside.

32. In an attempt to touch one of the faces, Lin stretched out his arms but, with nothing to grab hold of, he was soon sucked back into the centre, as though catapulted inwards by an invisible piece of elastic.

33. A sudden shock, firstly that he was still alive and, secondly, that ice-cold water had sent agonising shooting pains up his body. He was alive and that was all that mattered. What he had mistaken for light coming towards him, had turned out to be the reflection from a pool of icy water. Gasping for breath, Lin hoisted himself up over the edge of the pool, relief and bewilderment overcoming him. Water dripped from his clothes and turned into ice before it reached the floor.

34. Lin found himself standing in a circular chamber; other than a slight reflection from the pool, there was no source of natural light. However, against the walls, a series of naphtha lamps slowly burned. The closer Lin looked, the more he could make out a silhouette - but of what?

35. Approaching gingerly, Lin edged towards the dark shape. The closer he came, the clearer he could make out that this was, in fact, a statue, now covered in verdigris; the result of aeons of time. As Lin traced his hands over the base of the statue his body stopped shivering from the cold, his clothes became dry and Lin felt warm and safe once more. To the side of the statue stood a small plaque and, engraved in

36. in gold lettering, the simple name of “Othene”. Something compelled Lin to touch each letter and, as he traced his finger over the final “e”, a great breeze swept across the chamber. With a huge grating sound the statue edged backwards and revealed four trapdoors, each hewn from a different type of wood. Excitement filling his veins, Lin knelt down and heaved open the closest door. Did Lin choose the OAK, ASH, ELM or THORN door? Oak Ash Elm Thorn

37. 3. Land of the Young As the dark oak door swung open, flames of sun engulfed Lin. Instantly, a strong magnetic force took hold of him. He was pulled down and down and down … through a sea of grass … emerald blades whipped his cheeks … he instinctively clenched his lips and tried to shield his eyes with his arms ... but the butchery continued. He was travelling faster and faster, his heart thudding against the bones of his rib cage. Now hands were rolling him … over and over … and over. His head felt light … he was drifting … His breath halted.

38. The next Lin knew he was sitting near a clump of primroses on the bank of a shallow stream. A hazy little figure was hoisting herself onto his left foot. Holding on tightly to a pair of taut laces, she skillfully positioned herself on the round, shiny toecap of Lin’s leather walking boot. As he bent closer, Lin was amazed by what he saw … for, although she was no bigger than a bumblebee, she was perfectly formed. She wore a black dress with three gold harps embroidered solidly on her chest. Long yellow ringlets fell beneath her shoulders and a feathered fringe framed the greenest eyes that Lin had ever seen.

39. Spacing his finger and thumb gently beneath her shoulders, Lin lifted her onto the palm of his hand. He spoke in the gentlest of voices. Barely audible, it was the loudest voice he dared use. “And who are you?” he whispered. “I am little … and I am light … for I am joy,” she said. And with that she plucked one of the gold harps from her tunic and flew to the nearest primrose. She dangled her legs from its yellow petals, strummed the strings of her harp and sang the sweetest melody that Lin’s ears had ever heard.

40. Amber sunrays danced here and there on copper mounds jutting above the water. At length the music stopped and a lilting voice spoke: “I can see you have suffered on your journey here … as indeed many before you have done. Tell me, Lin ... have you found the wise, old magician you are looking for?” Lin was startled … how could she know his name? … How could she know his quest? “How do you know me? Who are you?” he enquired. “I already told you … I am joy … Shóna of Tír Ná Nóg …” and as she spoke, she pointed to the distant hills. “My land … empty of death … full of young, young hearts … mirth and magic.”

41. But before Lin could question her further, she plucked the second harp from her heart and skipped onto a moss-covered boulder and danced a reel. Once again she sang ... and her mellifluous voice rang out along the banks of the stream. She sang of “Tír Ná Nóg” … where special travellers find what they are searching for …

42. At first Lin heard only one voice … then a choir of voices was echoing all around him ... “A pocket full of laughter ... A pocket full of tears … A heart full of magic. A heart full of fears … Which spurs you forward? Which weighs you down? A face wrapped in a smile … A face tied in a frown … Breathe the air of “Tír Ná Nóg’”Breathe in deep and sigh … Swords may pierce Lin’s hopeful heart But he will never die … “

43. Much later, as the orange sun rested her chin on the far banks of the stream, a gentle whisper brushed Lin’s ear, “Awake now from your slumber, Lin. And find your courage ... within … within … ” Lin’s heart fluttered and he slipped a hand into his breast pocket; there he found four tiny musical instruments: a harp, a flute, a tambour and a lute. Did he play the HARP, FLUTE, TAMBOUR or LUTE? Harp Flute Tambour Lute

44. 3. Old Father Time Lin eased his way through the door, tentatively, feeling jagged splinters pierce the skin on his hands. In an attempt to keep up his spirits, he thought that these would be his battle scars, the marks of his courage. He found himself at the far end of a long, thin corridor - but this was no ordinary corridor. Black and white tiles lined the ceiling and floor, whilst the walls were made of a million prisms, each turning the daylight outside into a shower of rainbows. It was like walking through a kaleidoscope, set between two gigantic chessboards.

45. Lin began to inch his way along the corridor. Curiosity overcoming his fear, he stepped up to one of the sidewalls to peer through. The prisms distorted his view, but he could just make out that beyond the walls lay a world of ice. Snowflakes fell and danced, ice clung to the trees like sugar frosting and hung from the ledges like crystal stalactites. And it seemed like something was moving through the snow. He could not see it move but he could see a series of paw prints appearing in the fine powder. Straining his eyes, Lin could just make out a tiny creature scuttling busily through the snow, a brown paper parcel resting in its paws and a pocket watch swinging frantically from its waistcoat.

46. Lin walked on and approached a large clock face that hung from the ceiling like a giant pendulum, swinging metronomically backwards and forwards in time with its tick and tock. But, as he passed the clock, he found himself stepping out into a field of daffodils blooming and swaying in time with a gentle spring breeze. Turning around, Lin stared back at where he had come from - the clock face, back to front now, was still swinging – but the corridor had gone. “Welcome, my friend.”

47. Lin shot around to see the voice belonged to an old, white-bearded man, who was carrying a silver scythe. “Who…who are you? Where am I?” questioned Lin. The old man laid down the scythe and smiled. “You will soon see, in time … ” As he spoke, Lin noticed a heavy, wooden hourglass dangling from the old man’s cloak. Instead of grains of sand, this hourglass held multicoloured digits, each helping to calculate the passing of time.

48. “Here, catch!” motioned the old man, as he threw the hourglass into Lin’s already outstretched hands. And, as Lin cupped his hands to cushion its fall, a blast of bright white light blazed across the sky, breaking up into minute fragments of colour as it fell to the ground. Lin’s feet were swept from beneath him and his body spiralled through time. Fireworks of colour exploded and swirled all around him. What was happening to him?

49. Half opening his left eye, Lin looked around him and realised he was back in the corridor, facing the still swinging clock face. Lin scratched his head in disbelief, unsure about the last few seconds . . . or was it minutes, or hours … ? The corridor appeared unchanged, yet Lin felt things had changed … He looked down into his hands and realised he was holding a parcel, wrapped up in brown paper. Carefully, untying the string, Lin revealed a heavy, wooden box fastened by a broken clasp. Lifting the lid, Lin saw four beautiful musical instruments. A hastily scribbled note read as follows:

50. To the Keeper Choose an instrument Play it well Face the clock And time will tell in time to the tick in time to the tock You must play a tune And unlock this lock Did he play the HARP, FLUTE, TAMBOUR or LUTE? Harp Flute Tambour Lute