your journey
into the Outlands, you will be caught there forever.”
“Aye,
the Slaugh,” he said, pulling me out of the memories. The rest of his party
circled around us, the horses and hounds crowding in close, making me feel
small and vulnerable.
“You
healed me,” I whispered, my hands clasped close to my chest.
“Aye.”
“Am
I trapped here now?”
“We
were not hunting you,” he said. “So, we did not catch you.”
“So
I’m not trapped here,” I said, glancing away from him, looking around as if I
could find the door out of this place.
“Perhaps
not, but then again,” he said, drawing my attention back to him, “perhaps ye
are.”
“Can
you help me?” I asked quickly, stopping him again.
“Do
ye wish to join the Hunt, pixie girl?” he asked, and the crowd tittered with
laughter. I felt my cheeks flush with heat. Obviously I wasn’t interested in
joining the Hunt if I wanted to go home. Once the Slaugh took you, there was no
leaving it; you were bound for eternity.
“I
want to go home.”
“Aye.”
He nodded.
“But
I need help; I can’t survive out here alone.” I thought of those cat monsters
and the carnivorous birds and whatever was roaring in the distance. I was
powerless, weaponless.
Gwyn
cursed in a language I didn’t understand, but once he caught his breath, he
held out a hand for me. When I took it, he pulled me up easily, swinging me
around to sit behind him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I prayed I hadn’t
made a mistake asking the Hunt Master for help.
With
another sharp whistle, he urged his steed forward with his heels into its
flanks, and then we were off. The horse set off at a gallop so fast that when I
tried to pick my head up to see where we were going, the force of the wind
brought tears to my eyes. The stripling trees went by in a black and grey blur.
The creatures of the Hunt let out cries and hollers of joy and excitement as we
rode. I gripped Gwyn hard enough to break a human’s bones, but it didn’t seem
to bother him one bit. In fact, I thought I felt him chuckle. But I was
terrified I would slip from the back of the horse and, at this speed, I was
sure to break my neck. Being dead, I wasn’t sure if that would kill me again,
or if I would just have to live with the interminable pain of a broken neck. I
really didn’t want to find out either way.
With
my cheek pressed into Gwyn’s back and my eyes squeezed shut, I didn’t notice
the scenery change, but after a moment of confusion, I realized I could feel
the air shifting around me. It was vaguely familiar, like a forgotten memory. I
chased the memory, trying to snatch it out of the mist, and finally I realized
I was feeling the shifting currents of magic.
My
eyes burst open, and I picked my head up just in time to see the forest around
us fade away. The horses and hounds slowed down and the riders’ joyous cries
stopped. When Gwyn pulled on the reins, slowing the horse to a walk, I peered
over his shoulder. The forest was gone, and we were in a clearing just before a
slow rise of hills. At the foot of the hills was an encampment. I could see the
smoke from small fires and figures milling about. The hunters dismounted,
taking their kills with them, and headed toward the fires. Gwyn reared his
horse next to a small figure who reached for the reins. When I looked at him, I
realized he was a brownie, an Earth faerie. I smiled at him, but he only stared
back at me with his mud brown eyes, his crooked mouth turned down in a frown.
“Off
ye get, pixie girl,” Gwyn said as he dismounted, landing silently in the brown
grass. I slid off the horse clumsily. The height made me nearly fall to my
knees when I landed, a shock of pain vibrating through my knees. Only Gwyn’s
quick hands kept me upright.
Heat
rushed to my face, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at the elf. I felt Gwyn
grinning at me. I’m sure he didn’t meet clumsy humans very often anymore since
so many of us had forgotten the
into the Outlands, you will be caught there forever.”
“Aye,
the Slaugh,” he said, pulling me out of the memories. The rest of his party
circled around us, the horses and hounds crowding in close, making me feel
small and vulnerable.
“You
healed me,” I whispered, my hands clasped close to my chest.
“Aye.”
“Am
I trapped here now?”
“We
were not hunting you,” he said. “So, we did not catch you.”
“So
I’m not trapped here,” I said, glancing away from him, looking around as if I
could find the door out of this place.
“Perhaps
not, but then again,” he said, drawing my attention back to him, “perhaps ye
are.”
“Can
you help me?” I asked quickly, stopping him again.
“Do
ye wish to join the Hunt, pixie girl?” he asked, and the crowd tittered with
laughter. I felt my cheeks flush with heat. Obviously I wasn’t interested in
joining the Hunt if I wanted to go home. Once the Slaugh took you, there was no
leaving it; you were bound for eternity.
“I
want to go home.”
“Aye.”
He nodded.
“But
I need help; I can’t survive out here alone.” I thought of those cat monsters
and the carnivorous birds and whatever was roaring in the distance. I was
powerless, weaponless.
Gwyn
cursed in a language I didn’t understand, but once he caught his breath, he
held out a hand for me. When I took it, he pulled me up easily, swinging me
around to sit behind him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I prayed I hadn’t
made a mistake asking the Hunt Master for help.
With
another sharp whistle, he urged his steed forward with his heels into its
flanks, and then we were off. The horse set off at a gallop so fast that when I
tried to pick my head up to see where we were going, the force of the wind
brought tears to my eyes. The stripling trees went by in a black and grey blur.
The creatures of the Hunt let out cries and hollers of joy and excitement as we
rode. I gripped Gwyn hard enough to break a human’s bones, but it didn’t seem
to bother him one bit. In fact, I thought I felt him chuckle. But I was
terrified I would slip from the back of the horse and, at this speed, I was
sure to break my neck. Being dead, I wasn’t sure if that would kill me again,
or if I would just have to live with the interminable pain of a broken neck. I
really didn’t want to find out either way.
With
my cheek pressed into Gwyn’s back and my eyes squeezed shut, I didn’t notice
the scenery change, but after a moment of confusion, I realized I could feel
the air shifting around me. It was vaguely familiar, like a forgotten memory. I
chased the memory, trying to snatch it out of the mist, and finally I realized
I was feeling the shifting currents of magic.
My
eyes burst open, and I picked my head up just in time to see the forest around
us fade away. The horses and hounds slowed down and the riders’ joyous cries
stopped. When Gwyn pulled on the reins, slowing the horse to a walk, I peered
over his shoulder. The forest was gone, and we were in a clearing just before a
slow rise of hills. At the foot of the hills was an encampment. I could see the
smoke from small fires and figures milling about. The hunters dismounted,
taking their kills with them, and headed toward the fires. Gwyn reared his
horse next to a small figure who reached for the reins. When I looked at him, I
realized he was a brownie, an Earth faerie. I smiled at him, but he only stared
back at me with his mud brown eyes, his crooked mouth turned down in a frown.
“Off
ye get, pixie girl,” Gwyn said as he dismounted, landing silently in the brown
grass. I slid off the horse clumsily. The height made me nearly fall to my
knees when I landed, a shock of pain vibrating through my knees. Only Gwyn’s
quick hands kept me upright.
Heat
rushed to my face, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at the elf. I felt Gwyn
grinning at me. I’m sure he didn’t meet clumsy humans very often anymore since
so many of us had forgotten the
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