Private Tales Songs of the Heart

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Tadhg scoffed at the counter-offer.

"While the prospect of your death truly gives me joy, do you really think knowing how you go is worth that much to me? No. You let me see your death, I tell you where it is, and we go our separate ways. Nothing more, nothing less." He gestured the reeds at Joseph. "I've already seen his and, frankly, I'm not much interested this sniveling pup here. No. That's my offer. If you don't like it, I'll just be on my way."

Ah, but Trahaearn was willing to compromise, it seemed. The clurichaun pushed away from the trunk, but paused. He raised a finger and waggled it at Trahaearn with a lopsided grin.

"Actually, there is something else that I want. Seeing you down there just now has reminded me of something I've wanted for a very long time." His playful smile vanished and a look of pure hatred fell over his countenance, his red eyes flashing in the darkness. "Get on you knees and beg me," he spat. "Beg for it like he begged her, you fucking maggot."

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
He wasn't surprised in the least when Tadhg refused his offer, and explained the knowledge wasn't worth nearly that much. Nothing around them currently was worth that much. When he pushed away from the tree and paused, beginning to waggle a finger at him, concern shot through the warlock. What the hell did he just-? The thought began as he made his terms.

His stomach dropped out and the memory pushed into his thoughts. Even after so long it still made him terrifically uncomfortable to even think about. Fitting the little scheming shit would think of it here, of all the damned places.

He closed his eyes and slowly brought his chin close to his chest, his pride being pushed hard to the back while he chewed on his lip. He opened his eyes again, a single tear starting the whole show as he slowly sank to one knee. He had never thought in his long life that he would feel ashamed of something that he had to do until he had dug up Selmi's grave. That it would have been the hardest thing in he had ever had to do.

Had thought.

Now though, as he fell to another knee, he was reduced to begging Tadhg for Malice's heart. The being that had put Selmi in this grave unknowingly, and now he had to beg. Like a fucking dog. His gaze fixed on the exhumed grave before him as tears began to stream once more.

Shame was a feeling he had thought long lost until Tadhg had managed to drag it out in the open. He had killed plenty of people he ought to have felt guilty, or even ashamed, for having killed. His rise in his family hadn't been without some loss of dignity. But that was before he had spent time with Malice. Had been broken and molded to fit her needs.

It seemed that she hadn't quite thoroughly broken him enough.

His hands came up above his head, his gaze slowly moving to Tadhg as his eyes burned.

"Please, please, Tadgh. Tell me where her heart is! See my death and please gods tell me where her heart is!" Trahaearn began to cry to the clurichaun. "Please!"
 
The clurichaun's lip twitched up as he watched from his perch as Trahaearn dropped to one knee, and then the other. His chin dropped, his hands clasped over his head, and he begged. But Tadhg's lip curled back in a snarl and his eyes burned with something predatory. The reeds snapped, and with a powerful gust of wind, he was standing in front of Trahaearn.

With an angry roar, he grabbed a fistful of the warlock's hair and threw him to the ground before delivering a swift kick to his face. "You piece of shit! Is that all you've got?" he spat, breathing hard as he pressed his face into the piles of loose soil from the grave he'd just dug up. Tadhg raised a warning hand toward the other pair, his hand trembling, threatening.

"And if either of you fucks takes a single step, I'll be gone and you'll never know where I've sent it. All three of them will die, and you'll get your tragic fucking death, shapeshifter!"

He shook with visible rage as he pressed his boot down harder on Trahaearn's jaw. "You were there! Grovel!" he barked. When he was satisfied with Trahaearn's pleading, begging, sobbing, he kicked his foot off of his face and stepped back. His chest was heaving as he reached down and grabbed Trahaearn by the chin, lifting his face to look at him.

"That's more like it." He laughed bitterly. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Now let's see that death and be done with this."
Like being in a boat that was suddenly overturned, he and Trahaearn were both turned into the same vision.

Blood and water clouded his eyes, and there was an awful emptiness in his chest where his beating heart should have been. It burned -- gods, it burned -- and there was somebody leaning over him calling his name. But more than that he could hear laughter.

High and pure, it was the sound of windchimes and silver spoons against crystal glasses. Delightful and beautiful, his vision shifted, and he could see her. She was drenched in blood and gore, a rainbow myriad of lights flickering and illuminating the bloodlust and joy in her pitch-black eyes. His hand reached toward her, and he felt her name on his lips dying with no breath to give it voice.

Tadhg was laughing when they came to, nearly doubled over as he stepped back.

"Ah, so that's how it will be? A worthy death. I hope to be there to see it." He giggled, but there was not joy in the sound, but anger.

"Now it's time for me to pay my dues," he said, raising his palms to them all with a bitter smile plastered to his face. He snapped his fingers and an image would be burned into their minds -- all three of them. It was deep in a lush snow-covered forest. As the scene became more clear, a small glen opened before them and there, in the center of the clearing, was the burnt carcass of a once great tree. The rubble had settled long ago, but the charred wood had been petrified by some great magic. The clearing was silent, and the blackened hunks of the tree had been arranged in a circle around its jagged obsidian stump.

"Where to find her heart...

"You’ve come a long way, and it’s been an adventure for sure,
Though without her heart, I’m afraid, this is the end for her.
But do not fear! It still beats, in a new home far away,
Where blue lanterns burn eternal and the pixies play.

"In the place where it all began, it has been smelt and recast --
A small penance to pay for her crimes in the past.
From the ashes, she’ll rise, and this trial she’ll have won,
But sadly too late, if by child she’s first undone.

"A choice, for you then: who will go, and who will stay?
For a heart is needed to continue in this heartless way.
Mother or child? A mouth of death gives the kiss of life.
Or another, perhaps, will sacrifice his fate to the knife."

Tadhg's smile was venomous as he flicked the reeds. The wind blew and he reappeared on the other side of the grave, well out of reach and a courteous smile on his features.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you boys on this fine evening. Now, I believe we all have somewhere we must be. If I recall correctly, you've got quite a ride ahead of you. And emptyhanded, no less. Give Malice my regards, will you? That is, if she's still alive by then."

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
Joseph was angry. Of all the things that had pissed him off in his life....this little shit was topping the charts. Ellis stared on in horror as Trahaearn was struck, his eyes focused on the warlock. "Stop! He's already injured!" Ellis cried out to Tadhg. He looked about to cry. He was paying so much attention to the warlock that he hadn't noticed Joseph being...quiet. The man's anger was explosive in nature. If he was angry he was going to scream and punch something. This serene look was so far beyond anger Ellis might have had a moment to stop it if he saw it.

Instead all he saw was light. He stumbled away from Joseph as the man's skin cracked like porcelain. light shining through it. He exploded into his new form in a shower of light and sparks. He was the exact image of the guardian that so zealously kept the grave, and he launched himself over it to get to the churlchaun. 'You little coward! And now I know your name! I will never rest until I stuff your own testicles down your throat!' Joseph's voice was raspy with rage as he flew at the creature. He was burning out, he knew he was. He could barely see and all he wanted to do was rip apart the forest.

So he did. He didn't dare touch the grave, and he knew he wasn't fast enough to capture Tadhg. But he could destroy the entire area around them. He pulled down ancient trees as though they were nothing, tearing them apart in his fury. He yanked down an old oak tree next to Selmi's, bringing one corpse down onto the other with a crash. Ellis was frozen to the spot. He didn't dare go to Trahaearn, and touching Joseph now would mean almost certain death. The shapeshifter bellowed his rage, his golden form wreaking destruction in a gigantic swath around the oak tree.

Earth was torn up. Ancient roots pulled free from ground that hadn't been broken yet even in the days of Selmi. Ellis' gut twisted when he saw bones flying. He'd found another grave, and broken one of his mother's wards. A loud clapping sound rang, like the beginning of a peal of thunder. Joseph's energy was sucked out of him like blinking out a light. He collapsed on the ground, barely breathing.

Ellis stared. The oak grove was destroyed. Joseph had defiled at least six different grave sites in his anger, the bones scattered around them with the dying trees. Some had been ripped in half, and slowly groaned on their way to the earth. Others had been torn out by the roots, or simply toppled. He was shaking, in terror, in horror. He hadn't known his brother capable of such magic. Magic ran in their line, certainly, but to copy a form he'd seen only minutes earlier? Joseph was a shapeshifter?

"Trahaearn...please." Ellis whispered. He couldn't go to the warlock. He had to get up. Ellis stumbled over to Joseph with tears in his eyes. Grief from seeing the oak trees torn up was hitting him. He couldn't repair this much damage, not if he had a thousand years. He reached out gingerly and touched Joseph. He was hot to the touch. Unbearably hot. Ellis piled snow on his skin and winced when he heard it hiss. "Trahaearn! We have to go!"
 
Tadhg was both surprised and not when the shapeshifter took a new form. He had a moment to marvel at his near-perfect recreation of the giant woman of sunlight and fury; the only thing he lacked was her sword. That shortcoming made evading him far easier. The clurichaun's reeds swished this way and that, and he easily kept out of Joseph's reach until he'd had enough.

He had no smart remarks, no departing wit with which to taunt them. He merely laughed. He laughed at the temper tantrum the shapeshifter turned to wreak havoc upon the grove. He laughed at the warlock still lying in the piles of dirt he'd exhumed. He laughed at the fun he'd have watching the warlock or his mistress dying sooner than later. It echoed in the clearing even after he'd become the wind, blowing up the dust and debris of shapeshifter's wreckage. It lingered near Trahaearn, before finally fading into the evening darkness.

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
He wasn't surprised by Tadhg coming down to relish in the sight, but he didn't expect the violence that followed. He truly shouldn't have been in hindsight. After all, he had said beg. What better way to inspire such an act than to visit the similar violence upon the one begging. For being as small as he was though, the kick to the face hurt like hell. He threatened the others and kept his foot planted on the warlocks face.

"Please Tadhg, forgive me. I'm so sorry for what happened. Aaron didn't deserve-" Trahaearn began to plead before the boot swiftly kicked him in the jaw again. It didn't stop his sobbing though. The strange blend of shame, memories, and the pain he was in pushing the streams to continue.

You don't get to say his name, you piece of shit! Tadhg yelled before placing his boot back on his face.

"I'm sorry Tadhg, what Malice did was wrong. I-" His sobbing cutting into his words before he was able to continue. "I don't want Mal to die. Please Tadhg, please!"

The boot was removed as his chin was lifted up, the sobbing still continuing as he was spoken to. His eye and whole side of his face were severely bruised. The unexpected flipping feeling unsettled him further, the precarious grasp he had on his emotions very near to slipping out of his grasp as he saw the vision before him. He knew that laughter, knew that form and those eyes. His silence disturbed him deeply, and the odd feeling confused him greatly as he came back to see Tadhg almost doubled over laughing.

The image that flashed in his mind as his face returned to the ground was clear, and he knew exactly how hopeless all of this had suddenly become. It was so far away, so very far away and they had no time at all to even think about going. The entirety of all this seemed to terribly wasted and forlorn.

The words were not lost on him as he listened, his sobbing slowing a bit as the clurichaun spoke. His face against the cold ground felt splendid, his head swimming with all that had just happened. While his sobbing had slowed, it had not stopped completely, his hands grasping at the loose earth beneath and around him.

Sounds came from around him, and intense light as Ellis yelled. The snapping of trees filling the air around him, the wind and gusts battering him as he laid there. Ellis called to him as the clurichaun made his exit, the wind dying around him as the earth settled once more. The deafening silence of the world around him was a pressure he hadn't expected. Everything was so muddled by his pain and emotions. He needed some time to think and not feel. His eyes burned as the tears continued.

"I'm not leaving without righting what I've done. I won't be shamed further by leaving her grave open to the world!" He hissed to Ellis, pushing through the pain to address the man. His attention then focused on the job ahead of him.

"I'm sorry, my daughter. I defiled your grave for nothing. I'm so terribly sorry my dear." He cried to the open grave before him. Not able to blame the Disir or direct his hatred any other way than at Tadhg, he used the feeling to carefully stand and eased himself back into the grave. Fetching the bloodied box, he began to place it beside her and thought better of it. He hadn't told Mal where they were going to spare her from having to be reminded of her past life. He couldn't very well come back empty handed and expect her to not ask questions without some form of proof.

He placed it back outside of the grave, maneuvering himself carefully as he closed the lid and bid his daughter one final farewell.

"I hope you can forgive your silly daddy for this my dear." He sobbed, not caring if the brothers heard him. His hand lingered on the lid, his lip trembling as hot tears slowly rolled down his cheeks. "Järeg-" He blubbered and had to stop to suppress a choking sob. After several deep breaths, he tried again, his voice wavering.

"Järeg needed her heart darling, and daddy came to get it. I'm-" He paused once more, the hiccup in his breathing loud and unforgiving. "Daddy is very sorry. Sleep in peace, shu ä igu juvo vönob." The man finished with a sharp inhale, as if a weight had been lifted, or taken upon himself.

He went quiet for a moment before pulling the ax down and beginning to slowly hammer the nails back in.
 
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Ellis felt like the world had gone mad. All he wanted to do was flee this place, but he didn’t dare with Trahaearn’s hurt so open to the world. The man’s pain pulled at Ellis’ heart, and tears welled up in his eyes. He wanted to help, but he didn’t dare go near him. Not with the Disir still watching over the grave. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his cheek, looking at the destruction. He could feel the pain of the dying and dead trees. The entire grove had been defiled by violence where a peaceful resting place once laid. Joseph’s woman needed the heart that was buried here to live, and...now that it was somewhere strange beyond reach, Joseph was facing losing another family.

Trahaearn, it seemed, had already lost one. He picked around the trees, and silently plucked something from the ground. Ellis swallowed and gingerly approached him once he’d hammered in the last nail. He gently tossed in the flower he’d picked. A tiny white poppy, probably spawned by the magic in the grove. It meant peace and compassion, and though it was a small consolation, Ellis hoped it would help. He stood respectfully by as Trahaearn buried his daughter, and stepped behind him.

Ellis embraced him in a hug, resting his forehead between the other man’s shoulderblades. He knew anything he said would only hurt more. He just wanted to be there for him.
 
He finished nailing it shut and throwing the ax out before pulling himself out of the hole. He had maintained a sense of control on his emotions until he saw the white poppy fall into the grave from Ellis. The hiccup of a sob was all the more he failed to keep under control as he began to cover the grave with the earth he had loosed.

Ellis stepped behind him, and gave him a hug. The emotions churned, but he kept the leash he had on them tight.

"I'm sorry I yelled. I hurt, more than physically." He whispered. The voice Ellis heard was hollow, and for all the feelings that rode him right now, none of them could be heard in his words. Once the hug was done, he would go and pick up Joseph and settled the man next to where their camp was.

"We'll rest here for the night, and leave quickly in the morning." Trahaearn explained, his eyes going back to the grave and tree.
 
Ellis had put up the tent and arranged their sleeping bags inside, and he helped put his brother to bed. He handled him gingerly, as if he was afraid of him. "I didn't know he had magic." Ellis said quietly. "I know we're all gifted in some way. It's...because of my great, great great grandmother. But I didn't know it was to that extent." he pulled the canvas up over Joseph's shoulder and went to sit next to Trahaearn. He took his hand quietly. "I'm so sorry about your daughter....and that horrible little creature."

Ellis bit his lip and went to get his medical supplies, examining Trahaearn's cut up face. "Listen um....I can try and say a blessing to put her back to rest? If you want?" he knew the subject was a touchy one, but Trahaearn hurt so badly....he just wanted to help. He cleaned up the warlock's cuts and changed the sweaty bandage on his chest, letting it dry out a bit from the poultice. Ellis touched his cheek. "It's not your fault. You didn't know it wasn't there. You did it to save Shuck. She's pregnant with my little nephew or niece. Whatever the outcome...your intentions were pure."
 
He didn't help setup the campsite, and was silently idle as he watched Ellis work after helping with Joseph. A death grip on the bloody box in his hands, staring into the small fire that was before him. He was oddly numb, likely one of the few times someone of his blood could say such a thing. The words were heard, but no reply was given immediately.

"Something he picked up likely in his travels." Trahaearn muttered, unwilling to tell Ellis that his brother carried stolen magic.

As his face was examined, his eyes stayed on the empty box he had set aside for his chest wrap to come off. He gave a nod of his head slowly after thinking for what felt like too long.

"You may bless it. I can only hope her soul isn't cross with me. Even pure intentions can harm, Ellis. I can only pray for forgiveness at this point." He sighed, before looking at Ellis blandly, his words equally bland as his expression before turning back to the fire. "A niece."
 
"If she's your daughter, I know she's already forgiven you." Ellis said with a soft smile. "If I had one of my brothers raid my grave to save a mother and her child...I think I'd almost be happy to give the heart to them." He patted Trahaearn's shoulder and went to bless the grave. He prayed for peace, and forgiveness not just for Trahaearn, but Joseph for defiling the rest of the graves that rested here. He gathered up some of the oak leaves and laid them around the grave for protection. It was a small offering, especially considering what they had done there, but it was all Ellis had to do. He went back to Trahaearn and sat in front of him, touching his cheek. "You need to get some rest." he said softly.

He had to take care of two of them now. Joseph was suffering from burn out. Using that much magic in a single sitting, especially being that angry, had taken a lot out of him. Ellis wasn't looking forward to getting the pair of them on horses tomorrow, and they'd have to slow the pace for a day or two. He took Trahaearn's hands in his. "Come on. Let's get some sleep." he said softly. He wanted to share his bed again, more for support than anything else. He didn't know what to do, but the healing power of a good cuddle couldn't be underestimated.
 
"I can hope then." The man took a deep breath before releasing a bit of pent up emotion with a gusty sigh. He watched the fire crackle, not caring to decipher Tadhg's words just yet. He listened in silence to Ellis work, doing what he could to make amends for everything that had taken place. Upon his return, the soft touch stirred him enough to stand and bring the box with him. He set it at the foot of his bag and cuddled close to Ellis for the night.

It would have hurt the man sleeping next to him to know just what Trahaearn had wished for this night.

He hoped in his dreams at least for the comforting embrace of those familiar black arms. For the comforting scent of line dried linen blending with the soft scent of honey. Very much doubting he would receive such blessings, he turned to the physical world around him. He silently wished he felt dwarfed by who was embracing him, so that he might have the illusion of Malice holding him as she had done before. But wishes and dreams were typically just that.

He didn't remember falling asleep. Didn't remember when he stopped softly crying to himself to fall asleep as he continued to think of what he had done.
 
Ellis woke up the next morning...and Joseph was gone. He blinked. Oh no. He nuzzled Trahaearn. "Joseph's gone." he whispered, getting up quickly and scrambling outside. Malta was gone. He hadn't taken any of the supplies, but Ellis had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He combed through Trahaearn's bags. They'd had four bottles of liquor for the road...and they were all missing. Ellis broke down camp as quickly as he could, throwing dirt on the embers of the fire and breaking down the tent. Thank the gods he'd changed Trahaearn's bandages last night or the poor man would be suffering with sweat and dirt caked on it. Ellis looked at the hoofprints leading away from camp. It was back in the direction of the farm. "He left without us." he told Trahaearn grimly. "And all the liquor is gone. Come on. Let's catch up with him."

Joseph was alone on the road, and that was exactly how he wanted to be. His world was crashing down around his shoulders. He couldn't even begin to process the grief building in his soul. The heart wasn't there. Shuck was living on borrowed time. He was going to lose the love of his life. All of that hope. He saw it over and over again in his head....kissing her for the first time on that godforsaken riverbank. The moment that he truly fell head over heels with Shuck. The time spent at Kitty's. Making love in Yaste's cabin. Her dancing with his best friend in the middle of the woods in a god damn burned out citadel. It all flashed in front of him and grew stronger the more he drank.

He sobbed openly, clutching the horn of the saddle as Malta ambled along on the road home. She couldn't die. Shuck couldn't die. His daughter couldn't die before he'd held her in his arms and sung to her. A mad thought bubbled up in his head. If she needed a heart....she'd get one. He threw the bottle to the ground with a crash and spurred Malta. The horse gave a startled snort; they'd been ambling along at a trot for hours, and now he was demanding a gallop from her. He was drunk, and dangerously so, but the idea slowly started to consume his mind. He was going to give his heart to her, if it killed him.
 
Joseph's gone, was all he heard as he snapped awake with a loud gasp. Shit shit shit- Trahaearn thought to himself as he tried to roll out of the bag. He scrambled as quickly as his body would allow, the ache in his jaw now hurting almost as bad as when he received it. The rest of his body hurt as well but the jaw had received the worst of the clurichaun's attention. Thankfully they didn't have to worry about the bandages since that had been done the night before by Ellis.

"Idiot. The hell is he thinking!?" Trahaearn spat as he packed up and mounted his horse. "Let's go before he does something truly stupid."

He would kick them along after sparing a single glance back at the clearing that was no tossed about. If he ever got the chance to come back, he would put it to rights. He turned back and faced the road before thinking.

"We'll cut through country where we can. I pray he doesn't push through the night." Trahaearn informed Ellis as he spurred his mount forward, blowing through the countryside as quickly as they could go. The path was easier now that it was daytime, and it was fresh in his mind. The would blow through town as well and ride hard enough to push the limits of the horses.
 
“If I thought the person I loved was dying, and I couldn’t stop it, I wouldn’t spare a second of sleep or rest...that’s another moment gone with her.” Ellis pointed out as they mounted up. He had hopes that Joseph was going to camp at some point, but as they blew through town and the light started to fade, so did Ellis’ hopes that they would find a camp. Both horses had been going full tilt since that morning, and both of them were starting to flag. Ellis was worried. Would they find Malta dead along the road somewhere, and Joseph walking along the road drunk?

“Trahaearn...we have to stop.” Ellis said quietly, slowing his mare to a trot. She was blowing hard, as was Trahaearn’s gelding. “He’ll break Malta’s wind going at that pace. She’s a better horse than ours. She might not break but that gelding surely will. We’ve got to rest. Eat something. He might be suicidal but we’re not.”

He gently slowed down Trahaearn’s gelding, pulling up alongside him and pulling back on the reins until the animal was plodding alongside his mare. “We don’t have to set up the tent but we could at least stake the horses and take down one of the bedrolls.” Ellis suggested quietly. “Just a few hours for the horses to recover.”
 
Trahaearn couldn't argue with what Ellis stated, and other than giving the man a sigh, said nothing. The trip wore through the horses quickly, and with no signs of a camp to give them hope of Joseph stopping, it was nearing time for them to stop. Trahaearn wanted to push clear into the night, but Ellis suggested they rest the horses. The heavy breathing coming from both gave credit to resting them, and if Joseph didn't stop at some point, they would likely catch him on foot.

"Alright, we will stop. No tent, small fire." The warlock stated just as quietly. "We can catch some rest too." He yawned, before dismounting and taking both horses off the path to tie them down. He grabbed out a bag and found a decent spot beneath a tree to setup the sleeping spot for them both.

"Good thing you came along, I probably would have killed the poor beast by now riding it so hard. Not used to riding horses." Trahaearn admitted.
 
Ellis was relieved Trahaearn was listening to sense. He patted the horses and fed them a little coltsfoot he uncovered from the snow, thawing our water for them to drink. He couldn’t give them cold water, or they’d be foundered by morning. He patted them, giving them a little dried fruit from their rations. “We’re only as fast as they are.” Ellis told Trahaearn. “And good horses remember good treatment. If Malta survives, she’s going to need a year of pasturing to get her wind back.”

He made a small fire and warmed up a little vegetable soup. He offered Trahaearn a bowl and extinguished the fire, cuddling up in the bedroll with him. He smiled shyly. “I...uh...I’m happy I came.” Ellis said. “I wanted to get to know you better, I just didn’t think you were in such a serious mission.”
 
"Makes sense, I only tended the stalls for them, never rode them until later in life. That was only for a short time though." Trahaearn mused as he looked over the horses. They were magnificent things, so easily ruined by carelessness and ones own idea of how to push a beast. Ellis showed his soft side by tending to them, his attentiveness endearing to the warlock.

"Poor timing is all. Mal, Joseph, and myself have all been a bit....edgy lately. But, cuddling right now means you could ask some questions before we fall asleep." Trahaearn offered the man as he settled in for the night.
 
Ellis smiled at him. "Horses are good beasts, you just have to be kind to them." he told Trahaearn. "If you treat a horse well he or she will run until their hearts burst for you. I'm guessing that's why Malta hasn't bucked Joseph off yet. That horse has always had a soft spot for him, just like mine does for me. Goes for all mounts I suppose...my brother Lester favors camels." He patted his horse's neck and cuddled down in bed. He favored tucking his head just under Trahaearn's collarbone, curling up as a small spoon in their arrangement.

"I want to know....what happened back there." Ellis asked hesitantly. "That grave. Why you had to desecrate it. Why my brother turned into the same golden being that tried to kill him. I just thought my brother was bringing a new wife home, not all of this magic. We've been tied to the earth for generations. Our grandmother wasn't fae but she came from the fae lands. Our ranch used to be an apiary...you know, where you keep bees? She loved them. She taught all of the mothers in our family hedge magic and how to live with the fae. But we've never seen anything like this."

He touched Trahaearn's cheek. "And that evil little thing stomping your face...how's your cheek?" he asked.

The next morning was more travelling. Ellis moved them at a hard pace, but he kept up the horses. Keeping up the horses meant they could go longer, and cycling their paces meant they went further. Instead of galloping constantly and stopping for rest, Ellis cycled them through long gallops and stretches of trotting and walking. They could rest but they were always moving. They didn't catch up to Joseph the second night either, but Ellis was more relaxed. Joseph was heading home. They were tracking him easily, not that Joseph was trying to hide the trail he was blazing through. Even with the frozen soil, his frantic pace had torn up the earth. Ellis shook his head as they set up the fire the second night.

"My poor brother. He's lost one wife, now he's about to lose another. I can't bear thinking what's happening to him." Ellis muttered.

A few hours of sleep, then they rose about mid morning to check over the horses again. Ellis was slower to rise. The pace was clearly wearing on him. He ran his hand over his eyes and picked up a handful of snow, washing his face with it to help him wake up. He looked over at Trahaearn next to him in the bedroll. "I guess we should get going." he mumbled, though he was reluctant to leave the bedroll.
 
"A camel? Strange choice." Trahaearn replied simply, his face screwed up in amused disbelief. Then came the questions about why he had done all that, the questions about Mal and an explanation about their ranch. It was funny that it had been an apiary with all that was going on. After a deep breath, he decided to be as honest as he could.

"This is a long story, and you have to understand I am talking about two very different women when I put a name to them. The woman your brother brought home is known to me as Mal, or that other name by you all. The woman I will be talking about is named Malice." He wanted that point to be very clear when he started talking. Mal was very different from Malice when it came to what the woman was willing to do.

"I made a deal with Malice a very long time ago to be something I wasn't born to. After a long time, and learning about her, there was a point where we came across a child in such terrible conditions that she couldn't accept just walking away from the child. She wanted a child, but as you can see, fae pregnancy isn't easy. So, to spare the child dying pointlessly, and to appease Malice's want for a child, we removed her from her situation." Trahaearn quietly explained. It had been around here that he and Malice had seen the child from afar and had witnessed what the poor girl went through daily. The two hadn't spent more than a day away before Malice had wanted him to go fetch the child.

"We took her, as fae are known to do. We returned to the unseelie court, as Malice is a fae lord at court, and kept her a secret for her own safety. We were happy, and the court didn't have to have the most violent and tenacious lord to deal with everyday. Malice was, at peace." Trahaearn continued, his voice becoming soft towards the end, before taking a hard edge when his next words began.

"Tadhg, the little fool, stole Selmi away from Malice and I, and returned her to the mortal world. If we had brought her back, she would have become something else. We had to watch from afar as our three year old girl was thrown back to the world after spending twenty years with us. She became something beautiful here though. She lived a long time, knew more magic than she would have. Loved the land. Malice didn't take to kindly to Tadhg doing this." He informed him quietly, his arms tightening a bit around the man.

"Tadhg had a husband. When he removed our daughter from the court, Malice threatened both him and his husband. Tadhg hid his husband as best he could. But it wasn't enough when Malice told me to go find him. Fae can be warded off after all, and things kept hidden from them. It is near impossible to stop a human though. Malice took her retribution, violently. Tadhg left court after that, and has held a grudge since even though the court ruled it was fair since only mortal lives had been lost." The warlock let out a shaky breath at the words. It had been hard for him to deal with Selmi being taken, but Malice's retribution had always, and would likely always be something that bothered him. The image of Tadhg trying to put all of the pieces of Aaron back together never far from his mind.

"Someone took Malice's true name from her though, and left the world with Mal. The sweet, pregnant woman you all have in your house. Only a shadow of the fae lord that she was." The words were almost final as he scooted closer to the man and fell asleep.


They rose the next morning, and after an hour on their path, Trahaearn placed a hand over his stomach. It felt, wrong. Then he felt the drain of magic from the well that he and Mal shared. Fuck woman you know what Yaste sa- the thought made him blink. She had been forgetful when he had met her, so maybe she had returned to that point, and had used magic for something.

"Ellis, we need to get back. Mal used magick, and that can't be a good thing." He stated as he kicked the horse up into a gallop. Only five minutes passed of them galloping as he felt something along their link. Something painful, coming his way. He pulled hard on the reins, and had managed to stop the horse when he doubled over in his saddle. The sounds of pain coming from him only became worse when he slid sideways and hit the road on his left side.
 
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"He stole your daughter." Ellis said softly. "I understand why she did what she did. But, the cycle of revenge never really stops does it? My brother will hunt down that little creature, and trust me when I say he can be violently creative when ire strikes him. At the same time...Tadhg should have known what he was doing when he started that war. He could have left you be with Selmi, and the three of you could have been happy. But if he hadn't, you never would have met Joseph, and Joseph never would have met Shuck."

He sighed. "It's a sad story, but I hope something good comes out of it with this new babe. I'm sorry that happened to you." He touched Trahaearn's cheek. "Just...stop the cycle, if you can. Revenge only begets more revenge, and more revenge, until both sides are bleeding. Everyone needs to learn how to be at peace with one another and let it go."

The morning was nice. Ellis didn't want to get up, even though he knew they needed to get going. At the same time, perhaps a few hours between himself and Joseph would give the man a few moments alone with Shuck. It was going to be difficult, and Ellis was tired from the frantic pace. He looked at Trahearn. The man had suffered so much, and been through the fae, but something about the story he told bothered him. It sounded so familiar, but there were detailed filled in that he had never heard before.

When they moved, they moved quickly....but Ellis saw Trahaearn clutch his stomach. He fell out of the saddle and the gelding startled, wickering and moving sideways away from the fallen man. "Trahaearn!" Ellis pulled up his mare and grabbed the panicky gelding, patting his neck and going to Trahaearn. He flipped the man over and patted his cheek. "Trahaearn! Wake up!"

He pulled him up, grunting. Gods, he couldn't ride like this! Ellis worriedly wrapped Trahaearn up in a blanket and put him in front of him on the saddle. The gelding was tied up behind them. They couldn't move nearly as fast like that, but it was safer. Ellis worriedly cuddled Trahaearn up against his chest.
 
"He didn't know what he was starting. But do any of us when we fight with others?" Trahaearn hedged. "Joseph and Mal are the ones who decide from now on. I can only help." Trahaearn began to lightly doze, comforted in the man's arms.


He woke in the man's arms, and everything felt off kilter for a while. He felt....tired. Which was confusing since they had only just begun the day. His abdomen was killing him, and he couldn't remember why.

"Ellis, I'm fine. I can ride now." His voice sounded hoarse, even to his own ears. He didn't think much of it as he tried to stop Ellis. His hair had gone grey-white, and while he hadn't had any wrinkles before. The laugh lines and crows feet definitely showed up when Ellis looked at him this time.
 
Ellis was worried. Trahaearn had gone grey! He was nearly white as they rode, and Trahaearn looked terrible. When he slurred that he was sure he could ride, Ellis shook his head. “Your hairs turned white.” He said softly. “You look like you’re aging...I don’t want you falling off your horse again.”

He put his hand over Trahaearn’s abdomen, rubbing gently. “You were clutching your stomach. There’s some mint leaves in the front pocket there near your leg.” He told him gently. “But you’re staying on this horse until I’m certain you’re not in pain. I think somethings happened. You’re bonded to her, aren’t you?” He worriedly put his forehead against Trahaearn’s shoulder.
 
My hair's turned white? He thought quietly. His hand came up to touch a few loose strands that had blown back in the wind. Pulling it forward and examining the strands, he gave a perfunctory grunt and let the strands go. "Feels like I'm aging." He snorted.

The hand over his abdomen shook him back enough to remember what he had said. "Mint leaves aren't going to help what I felt. I'd bet the gelding kicking me could get close to the feeling I had." He took a few breaths as he watched the road pass below them. "Yeah, I am. Part of our deal. We share magick, and it feels like she just used a lot of it. She wasn't supposed to as per the warning of a hag." He spat.
 
Ellis frowned. "She's used magic. That can't be good." he said softly. "Listen, magic exhaustion is very real and I bet Joseph is succumbing to it as well right about now. He used a lot of it after a major injury. You need to rest your spirit. It's not your body that's tired." He only travelled a few hours more, then pulled off the road and staked out the horses. It was probably a good thing; the horses needed to rest if they were going to make the great push to the Meier ranch. He pulled Trahaearn off of the saddle and pulled down one of the bags, tucking him up in it and settling himself inside with Trahaearn. He put his arms around Trahaearn, putting his cheek over Trahaearn's chest.

"Now just....reach into the earth. Feel your spirit." he said softly. "My ancestor had great ties to the earth. She said if you laid down and put your cheek to the earth, you could feel it. The ley lines. Deep under the earth like veins. You were supposed to listen to them throb, and align yourself with them. Like a heartbeat from the land itself. It helps if you think of something. She always thought of bees. The hum, the graceful wandering. I always think of horses."
 
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