Alfred smiled widely, and a red blur winged in front of him, and he followed it, kicking his horse repeatedly as it seemed to slow. No! Not when he was so close!
Adain stopped in front of a crevice in a rock face, and Aengus stumbled out, grabbing hold a Alfred and hauled him off the horse before he could pass by. Alfred barely knew what was happening, one moment he was riding, and the next he was being held up by Aengus’s arms. He felt dizzy, almost vertigo, and all his organs had wanted to keep going despite the fact that the rest of his had stopped. Alfred stumbled out of Aengus’s hold, and retched a few dry heaves. He was not doing that again.
The dwarf mines! There are several treaties that keep the fae out, lest they face war! Adain seemed inordinately proud of himself. In you get! Adain gestured towards the crack in the rock face.
Alfred looked at the rock, and knew he couldn’t go in there. “Hey guys, this doesn’t seem like a good place to go,” Alfred said, stopping short and refusing to move another inch, even though he could hear the Hunt behind him. “Let’s try another way, yeah?”
Honestly! Adain flapped in front of the gaping black crevice, confusion in his voice. It’s perfectly fine!
“No, no, I really think I should leave.” Alfred turned away, and began to walk in the opposite direction. He was not going in there, that was a bad place to be – Even losing his soul was better than this place –
Dwarves! Was Adain’s reply, almost a curse. Tungolbyre, they’ve put repelling runes on the walls to deter people. Of course you’re falling for them… Get back here, so I can put a countercurse on you.¬¬
Alfred gritted his teeth. His heart told him to listen to Adain, to walk backwards towards the black crevice in the wall, because imminent death was approaching on swift-pounding hooves. His brain was telling him to run away as fast as he possibly could. But it wasn’t him! These couldn’t be his thoughts, they were foreign, not him! He knew that, and he hated it! Who the hell was putting these thoughts here? He didn’t want anyone else making decisions for him, Adain or these dwarves. He tried to take a step backward, but only ended up taking one forward instead. “I can’t!”
What do you mean, “you can’t?” Adain’s mental voice was furious now. Compulsion runes shouldn’t be that strong! Come on, we don’t have much more time!
“I can’t!” Alfred tried once more to take another step backwards but only ended up going forwards again. He shook his head trying to clear the oddly calm feeling that pervaded there, and then he turned, and there was Annwn, riding closer and closer, face terrifying in rage. Oh god, oh god oh god!
Suddenly, Alfred felt great Aengus haul him bodily backwards, and into the crevice, and Alfred yelled bloody murder. He couldn’t go in there, he couldn’t he couldn’t he couldn’t!
Alfred suddenly felt all the unnatural terror leave his body. There! Adain sighed in relief. It would have been very disappointing for the one who managed to cheat Lord Annwn to get killed because of dwarven compulsion runes.
Alfred grinned at Adain. “I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.”
Adain nodded proudly, and Alfred sighed a little at the wasted quotation. All they needed now was for Lord Annwn to say ‘To the last, I will grapple with thee’ and everything would be peaches and cream.
And you! Adain quickly turned to Aengus, tone angry. Twice, in one day, so close! What are you thinking?!
Aengus shrugged. “It’s going tae ‘appen sooner or later. You can feel it too.”
Adain nodded slowly, thoughtfully. Alfred sighed tiredly. Seriously, couldn’t they tell him anything? And then they all jumped and moved further back into the cave when they saw one of the dogs pace outside. The Hunt was back.
Crowe 14h/?
Adain stopped in front of a crevice in a rock face, and Aengus stumbled out, grabbing hold a Alfred and hauled him off the horse before he could pass by. Alfred barely knew what was happening, one moment he was riding, and the next he was being held up by Aengus’s arms. He felt dizzy, almost vertigo, and all his organs had wanted to keep going despite the fact that the rest of his had stopped. Alfred stumbled out of Aengus’s hold, and retched a few dry heaves. He was not doing that again.
The dwarf mines! There are several treaties that keep the fae out, lest they face war! Adain seemed inordinately proud of himself. In you get! Adain gestured towards the crack in the rock face.
Alfred looked at the rock, and knew he couldn’t go in there. “Hey guys, this doesn’t seem like a good place to go,” Alfred said, stopping short and refusing to move another inch, even though he could hear the Hunt behind him. “Let’s try another way, yeah?”
Honestly! Adain flapped in front of the gaping black crevice, confusion in his voice. It’s perfectly fine!
“No, no, I really think I should leave.” Alfred turned away, and began to walk in the opposite direction. He was not going in there, that was a bad place to be – Even losing his soul was better than this place –
Dwarves! Was Adain’s reply, almost a curse. Tungolbyre, they’ve put repelling runes on the walls to deter people. Of course you’re falling for them… Get back here, so I can put a countercurse on you.¬¬
Alfred gritted his teeth. His heart told him to listen to Adain, to walk backwards towards the black crevice in the wall, because imminent death was approaching on swift-pounding hooves. His brain was telling him to run away as fast as he possibly could. But it wasn’t him! These couldn’t be his thoughts, they were foreign, not him! He knew that, and he hated it! Who the hell was putting these thoughts here? He didn’t want anyone else making decisions for him, Adain or these dwarves. He tried to take a step backward, but only ended up taking one forward instead. “I can’t!”
What do you mean, “you can’t?” Adain’s mental voice was furious now. Compulsion runes shouldn’t be that strong! Come on, we don’t have much more time!
“I can’t!” Alfred tried once more to take another step backwards but only ended up going forwards again. He shook his head trying to clear the oddly calm feeling that pervaded there, and then he turned, and there was Annwn, riding closer and closer, face terrifying in rage. Oh god, oh god oh god!
Suddenly, Alfred felt great Aengus haul him bodily backwards, and into the crevice, and Alfred yelled bloody murder. He couldn’t go in there, he couldn’t he couldn’t he couldn’t!
Alfred suddenly felt all the unnatural terror leave his body. There! Adain sighed in relief. It would have been very disappointing for the one who managed to cheat Lord Annwn to get killed because of dwarven compulsion runes.
Alfred grinned at Adain. “I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.”
Adain nodded proudly, and Alfred sighed a little at the wasted quotation. All they needed now was for Lord Annwn to say ‘To the last, I will grapple with thee’ and everything would be peaches and cream.
And you! Adain quickly turned to Aengus, tone angry. Twice, in one day, so close! What are you thinking?!
Aengus shrugged. “It’s going tae ‘appen sooner or later. You can feel it too.”
Adain nodded slowly, thoughtfully. Alfred sighed tiredly. Seriously, couldn’t they tell him anything? And then they all jumped and moved further back into the cave when they saw one of the dogs pace outside. The Hunt was back.