What is 'The Weave'?

I have had messages asking what the Weave is in the Weave of Time series.

In the first book, out in a months time, introduces the 'Weave'.

A the series continues the nature and power of the Weave will emerge. Essentially it is the power that transcends time to cause the time travel.

Rather than explain it in the hear and now the excert from the Border lords Honour below is where the Seer, Walter Nixon, explains to our heroine, Emily, what the Weave is.

Emily Elliot is nolonger Emily Elliot, a primary school teacher in 2019, but Lady Isabel Gillhaven. It is still Norhtumberland but this is fifteenth century Northumberland.

Elsie rose, and putting a finger to her lips, whispered, "say nothing more of what we have been discussing." She crossed to the door and opened it a crack. Emily heard her sigh with relief as she stepped back, opening the door wide. "Pray come in, you are most welcome." A tall hooded figure stepped smartly into the room and Elsie quickly closed the door behind him. Emily sat frozen, staring at the sinister hooded figure and heard Margaret gasp. Elsie, however, stood beaming. "Welcome," she said and turned to the others. "Lady Isabel, may I introduce Silent Walt of the Oaks, or Walter Nixon as was his birth name." "Thank you, welcome indeed, Elsie Charlton." Came a warm, low rumbling voice from under the cowl. Emily watched as he reached up with long thin fingers and pulled back the heavy gray hood. She found herself looking into the palest green eyes she had ever seen, and as she gazed into them, felt herself relax. All the tension and worry seem to float out of her. "Lady Isabel, I take it?" he said, more as a statement than a question. Emily just nodded as she stared at the strange man. The first thing that struck her was that he seemed impossible to age. His nearly white hair hung in a long braid to his back. His equally long beard reached down to below his chest. His face, however, was not lined with age as she would have expected. Apart from some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, his skin looked like supple tanned leather. It was the eyes, nestled under a pair of bushy eyebrows, that captivated her. She felt them emanate a deep sense of understanding, strength and kindness. The Seer pulled up a stool and sat down facing Emily. "Elsie here," he nodded in Elsie's direction, "told me of some things yesterday eve. I had also become aware of some stirring in the stream." "You became aware, stirrings in the stream?" stammered Emily. Walt Nixon nodded, "I imagine that Elsie has told you of me?" "Yes, she said you were a seer of visions." He chuckled, "aye, I am a seer of visions." He cocked an eyebrow at Elsie, "and a few other things beside, but we will leave that aside for now." He lent forward resting his hands on his bony knees and stared fixedly at Emily. He then reached out and took one of her hands in his, without breaking his gaze. Emily felt his smooth cool fingers touch the back of her hand, and it felt as if the tips were transmitting something. It seemed as if he was looking into parts of her mind and memory that she was trying to keep shut. She began to fret under this strange scrutiny when he blinked, and smiled, letting go of her hand. "Aye, it is as I thought." The three women waited for him to continue. Instead, he stood and walked to the fire holding his hands out to warm them. Without turning, he spoke into the flames, "it is as Elsie has also divined. The spirit of the land, or the Weave, is the cause of this. "The Weave?" Emily said before she could stop herself. Walter nodded and turned, smiling kindly down at her. "Aye, the Weave. I will tell you of the Weave. The Weave is the cloth or tapestry of our whole being. A weave is made up of the warp and the weft, woven together, they make a cloth.” He spread his arms out, "everything here, all the elements, rock and water, sun and stars, light and dark, are the warp . The weft, that is entwined into the warp, are the life forces. Forces for good and bad, of love and evil, of loyalty and betrayal. These forces run through the warp to make it whole.” Emily remained silent, trying to understand what the Seer was telling her. He crossed back to his stool sat back down with a bright smile and kind look. "I can see the confusion in you." He held up a hand, "no, not the confusion about the Weave, but the confusion in your spirit." "I will not pretend that I understand the Weave," Emily said steadily. "I most definitely have a confusion, whether that is in my spirit, I do not know." She looked up at him imploring, "I feel lost." "Aye, you are lost, but you are lost to a purpose." He saw Emily frown and shake her head. "I am sorry, I am probably speaking in riddles." "I just want to know why I am here, what I am, and how I can get myself back." The Seer gently stroked his beard, "I cannot see all of this, but I will help you as I can. As to why you are here, or that your spirit is here, is either to right some past wrong or prevent a wrong been done. The spirit can only move in the weave to overcome evil. The stream is more powerful than the rocks." Emily smiled despite herself, "I thought you said you would cease speaking in riddles." The Seer chuckled, "That I did, that I did. Please excuse an old man who spends too much of his time alone." His face became serious again, "as to your question of who you are. You are you. I know that will give you little solace, but you are who you are." Emily sighed and her brow furrowed into confusion. The Seer lent forward and took her hand, "a better way to explain it is, you are who you make yourself. You must let your spirit guide you, that is the only advice I can give." She felt him gently squeeze her hand, "and how do I get back to my own time?" "It is not a matter of getting back to your own time, it is a matter of finding yourself." He gave an impish smile, "I know that this may not appear to be much help, but if you stay true to your spirit, you will find your way." They sat silence with the only noise being the fire crackling in the hearth. "I think I understand," Emily whispered. "This whole thing, the weave and everything else, is so strange that I cannot begin to fathom it." She looked up at the Seer. "But then again there is so much I do not understand." The Seer stood and drew his cloak about him. "I am not a guide, I can only point the way," he said as he made his way towards the door. Reaching out for the handle he turned, "the one thing of which I am certain, this whole matter is tied to Jack Armstrong. He is the reason for this weft, for this change in the weave."

This does not provide all the answers, as the spirit in the land is an ancient force. Not forgotten but not full understood, even to Seers....