Trahaearn found himself incredibly weary of his newfound travelling companion, who spoke little more than enough to allow his displeasure at Trahaearn's directional skills to be known with a small bit of...growling? Or was it a frustrated sound? The growl, or irritated huff, had sounded like the bark of a tree being peeled back and had been very much alarming when at first the man had no idea the source of the sound.
He adjusted his green cloak about him a bit better, the sword on his hip kept from bobbing back and forth as his fingers curled around the pommel. The blade had a double edge design with one edge capped in silver while the rest of the blade was cold iron. It was a handy tool he had acquired from a skilled craftsman that had long been dead now.
With the fae stirred up as they were, and he searching for the rumored
black shuck, he had never expected help from the vaguely familiar spirit covered in moss and leaves. So when he had traversed far enough away from the court, the old spirit had surprised him, suddenly appearing before him and began...guiding him?
The antlers had been the only reason Trahaearn had spotted the elder fae initially. The cloak it wore blending into the environment around it well enough that even a trained eye might have passed it over initially. Although, the rack atop its head was hard to miss against the backdrop of a tree when the damned thing followed as you walked by. Trahaearn had kept careful watch of the being, offering nothing to it before it had approached him and quite literally pushed him along a different path.
Had he been more than a mere human, the ancient being might not have startled him so. As it were, nearly everything was fair game while the eclipse was still so fresh, making Trahaearn wonder to what end he may have been moving toward. A trick perhaps? Maybe it had something to gain from allowing him to pass through these parts of the wood.
His seemingly benevolent guide had walked well ahead of him for a good deal of time, Trahaearn nearly losing sight of him on more than one occasion when the trees had offered the spirit more bountiful cover. Or whenever it decided to travel well ahead of him in a strange gust of leaves. Having nearly lost the tree spirit once more, Trahaearn came round the large oak between them in time to see the fae look at him while pointing onward.
Eyes squinted trying to gaze through the underbrush as he opened his mouth to speak, a hand reaching up to its teeth as it made the sound of rustling leaves with a finger pressed against what he called its mouth. He nodded, his ire rising as a question rooted itself in the back of his mind. The blasted thing wasn't about to start talking, and he had been following the bloody thing for gods knew how long now.
He knew far better than to hurl insults at benevolent fae such as this one though. Centuries of experience had taught him incredibly harsh lessons about the fools who had attempted to do so. Himself being one such fool. His tongue sufficiently bit from loosing a series of life threatening curses, the human instead gave it a nod before walking beyond where the spirit stood still.
No thanks, no words of appreciation that most
humans so carelessly tossed about. One bound themselves with those simple words to fae unknowingly. And while he had been a fool for some time, the polish had finally wore off enough for him to start realizing the errors he had made in his time among these tricksters.
His irritated breath as he moved past the spirit was enough for him as a voice whispered along his neck made him glance towards the spirit, that had been there silently a mere second ago.
He stopped walking and turned completely around seeing no trace of the being around him as he scratched his chin for a second. An irritated growl followed by a huff had him pressing forward in the direction the spirit had pointed, if only to appease that which likely still followed him unseen.
“Of all things to run into, it just simply had to be one that won't riddle me endlessly. Pah!” the man spat callously as he trudged forward, mindful of any fallen branches and twigs ahead of him, taking a careful step to avoid snapping any as he passed.
“Worse yet, not like I can simply walk about without feeling like a raw steak.” Trahaearn hissed as his free hand fell into an open pouch concealed by the cloak. He felt through the contents, cold metal finally finding his touch as he pulled out two bands of iron tied by a leather strap.
He pulled the strap loose, slipping the irons over his fingers and settling them just below the knuckles. The pieces had been salvaged from a battered and broken whiskey barrel he had found in a human town, now bent on each end to fit snugly over his four fingers. The metal clinked against the pommel as he slid his left hand once more over it to keep the sword from smacking a tree as he walked.
His free was curled into a tight fist, arm freely swinging in his stride towards the edge of the fae country. “Of all the damned places I'd have to search, it could not have been a more vast and god forsaken place than the reach. Absolutely ridiculous!
Where should I even begin? Folk will likely think i'm insane asking about a black dog! Bah!”
He tossed a hand skyward, punctuating his censure of the current task to no one. Trudging forward, he made a list of places to contact and possibly refine his search.
“There are likely to be a few
towns that have seen it pass through, or at least felt it's presence. Might be an odd fool that saw it though.
Dammit all, reduced to tracking rumors from Fae!!” Trahaearn ranted as he walked. His free hand waving about wildly as he spoke. The band slipped off at one point, a muted thud as it smacked the earth a ways from him.
Stopping dead in his tracks, he narrowed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair as he took a deep breath. “Relax you idiot. Relax. Don't get to worked up before you even start.” he repeated to himself, stooping to pick up the item before continuing to walk.
The world became eerily quiet for him, his own breath catching in his throat as a sigh brushed against his ear. The hairs on the back of his neck stood, his whole body tensed, and his hands gripped tightly against the iron to the point of pain.
Trahaearn
He knew that voice, knew the only person that could say his name in such a way. It had been so long since he had heard the call. So terrifyingly long since he had seen the person attached to the voice. His heart galloped in his chest as the clear sky quickly became overcast. His magic began to flow without his knowing as his legs pumped without his permission, propelling him forward.
His mind narrowed to the exact location from where the owner of the voice was, the tempest around him nearly in time with his quick and harsh footfall. He tore across the landscape as the rain began to pour, lightning dashing across the sky ahead of him while his path became clear in his mind.
Kitty’s place. The first place he had thought to look for her. After so long, and there she was. So close now, so wonderfully close to him, and yet still so far out of his reach. His pace did not relent as he pushed away the pain from blasting through a thorn bush that ripped at his arms and cloak. His undiluted rage at the offending
plant being answered with a satisfying yet blinding bolt.
It continued this way all day, his soaked clothing sticking to his body as he drew upon a bit of magic to keep going. The exhaustion would be something he dealt with later. Mal was more important than vomiting his guts up later for drawing upon so much at one time. The torrential storm around him never ceased, if only becoming larger and darker in presence as night gathered.
The disaster of a building, lopsided, gilded with balconies and garish paint became visible in the sudden brightness of the lightning. He despised this horrid place, if only for having to be surrounded by cats while he was there, but it was the most beautiful place in the world at that moment.
Because Mal was there.
His steps sloshed through the muck that now covered the ground, a firm sign of just how heavy the storm about him had become. He prayed once more out loud to the storm god for granting him the power before he came to the door of The Cat. Twisting the knob and bursting in unceremoniously, he caused Kitty to glare toward him at the sudden intrusion.
“
Where is she kitty?!” He yelled at her but did not wait for her reply as he stepped inside, the rain that was held in his attire dripping onto the floor while he passed the desk. Damned be the sphinxes in this place and their neatness. “
I know she’s here!”
He took the stairs two at a time without saying another word, the sloshing of water and heavy steps filling the hall as he found the door that beckoned him so ceaselessly. She had summoned him. After so long had finally summoned him!
“
Of all the damned places for you to summon me, it had to be here!” Trahaearn bellowed as he kicked in this door, the storm outside belting a lightning bolt just outside the building and punctuating his violent motions.
His eyes took only a moment to find her. His beautiful silver lady. The rage fell away as easily as it had taken hold. Joy, stupendous joy filled its place as a smile replaced the angry scowl that had been there the moment before, his eyes wet with happy tears as he crossed the threshold and wrapped his arms about his lady.
“
Mal! Thank the Storm God! Oh, it has been too long!” Trahaearn spun her around as he laughed, his cloak splaying as they spun and soaking the area with water as they made circles for almost a full minute.
“
Gods! Oh how I have missed you, my silver Lady!” Trahaearn bellowed. He set her back on her feet and he craned his neck a little and began smooching her face before solidly kissing her square on the lips.
