CHAPTER FIVE
The day had started just fine. A mutual round of pleasure before breakfast followed by delicious pancakes drizzled in syrup. They had then gone outside to feed and water the horses and found Demon sulking in one corner of Sheeba's corral. Sheeba looked unbelievably smug and Blue had commented that she had gotten what she wanted from Demon, a foal, and had put the bastard horse in his place afterwards.
Only once they had finished laughing had Blue let Demon out of Sheeba's corral. Demon had never been so cooperative in his life, eager to get as far away from Sheeba as he could. Hopefully he had learned his lesson and would stop savaging the mares. Mama wanted to get a foal out of Mary or Tildie from him, but she hadn't dared chance it before now.
After their chores were completed, Rin and Blue had headed off to the lake. It was a dark day at the track, so Rin didn't have to worry about work. Today was all about play and pleasure, and pleasure had definitely been had.
Now, though, Rin wished he had stayed at the house for just a little longer. Mama had taken the day off at the restaurant so she could start making the phone calls and such that needed to be done to restart her breeding and training business. Jim's representative was going to the track tomorrow to pick up all their winnings.
Rin smelled it before they walked high enough up the hill on their way back from the lake to be able to see what his nose was telling him.
Fire.
The smoke was acrid smelling in the breeze and dark gray as it billowed upwards from the house and barns just ahead.
"Mama!" Rin yelled as he started to sprint towards the house. Blue flashed past him, faster even when confined to a human form.
Rin coughed as the wind blew smoke across his face and tried to hurry even more, hoping he wouldn't slip in one of the hoof scars on the path. If the house and the barns were on fire, which he could see they were, then this wasn't an ordinary fire. A fire at the house couldn't jump the distance across the driveway and paddocks to reach the barn. Someone had to have set it, which meant they had needed to get Mama out of the way first.
She would have stopped them, had she been able.
"Mama!" Rin yelled as he rushed into the yard. "Mama!"
I can't find her! Blue yelled. Rin saw him run out of the house and into the burning barn but didn't dare follow. Blue could hold his breath for long enough to avoid the smoke, but Rin would only be a liability.
A shape slowly became visible in the smoke that covered the driveway. A man was walking toward Rin, but Rin didn't recognize him.
"Blue," Rin called, hoping Blue would be able to reason with the stranger, or at least intimidate him into leaving.
"I followed them for a mile, but they reached the woods and a door to Underhill before I could catch them," Jim said. Rin blinked and squinted. The man walking toward him didn't look anything like Jim, but the words were in Jim's voice, and they had definitely come out of the stranger's mouth. Although, both Jim and the stranger shared the same very black skin.
The man had two ram's horns coming out of the sides of his head and curling behind his ears. His ears were pointed and long, longer even than Blue's. It was the eyes, though, that finally convinced Rin he was looking at Jim. They looked exactly the same, even if Jim's face suddenly had severely pointed cheekbones and chin.
Jim turned toward the house and spat something. He waved his hand and the fire went out. He did the same for the big barn.
"Where's Mama?" Rin asked desperately. Blue appeared and hurried to Rin's side with a querying neigh of his own.
Jim growled, and Rin involuntarily pressed his body against Blue's in response. Jim had always been so nice; even when they had first met and he had tried to curse Rin, he hadn't been this scary.
"They grabbed her," Jim snarled, "then set the place on fire to distract me while they ran. Me, one of the best trackers the seelie sidhe can boast, be distracted by some fire? Hah. But they got the jump on me." He sounded absolutely furious. He spat some incomprehensible words again and the last of the fire went out with a final puff of smoke.
"Where's Mama?" Rin repeated, dread growing in his stomach.
"They took her Underhill!" Jim yelled. He stomped forward, fully out of the slowly dissipating smoke, but Rin thought his eyes were still spitting fire.
Why would someone take Mama Underhill? Blue asked. He sounded calm, but Rin could hear the slightest waver that said he most definitely wasn't calm at all.
"I don't know," Jim said, and suddenly he sounded defeated instead of furious. "Lizzy is human. Even her having a child of the sidhe isn't unusual enough for someone to pull her Underhill. There must have been another reason."
Rin didn't have an answer to that, just fear and worry churning in his gut and making his hands shake. No one else apparently had an answer either because they were all silent until the crunch of tires on the drive had everyone jumping in surprise.
Jim's horns vanished, replaced by his more familiar, human form. Blue also became much less blue. Rin recognized the car as it parked right in front of them and had to grit his teeth as James Wesley climbed out.
"It looks like you've been having some problems," Wesley said smarmily. His bleached head turned to look at the burnt porch of the house and the roof of the large barn. "Have you reconsidered my offer? I could take this entire dump off your hands."
It hadn't been an offer the last time Wesley had shown up here. Unless the threat of a lawsuit could suddenly be considered genial, which Rin doubted. Wesley smiled, and suddenly the façade of geniality vanished.
Shark, Blue whispered.
"And where is dear Lizzy? At a time like this, when her business is on fire, she's nowhere to be found? How irresponsible."
"What do you want, Wesley?" Jim growled through his teeth.
"With Lizzy gone, you don't have anyone to train your horses," Wesley continued. He was acting completely cool, as if Jim's growls and the last of the smoke blowing through the yard didn't faze him. "Your foolish merger will go under and you'll lose everything. Let me help you out. I can see Sheeba there, and I know Lizzy keeps two other mares. I have also heard that you're readying Old Man Joe for transport. If all four horses are shipped to my stables, I'll just bet dear Lizzy will come stumbling back home. Unharmed. You have three days."
Wesley grinned at them again, not bothering to hide the sheer glee from his eyes. A shiver went down Rin's spine, and Jim let out another growl. Wesley climbed back into his car and reversed it down the drive.
I thought you said Mama was taken Underhill. That evil shark said he has her! Blue let out a whinny as he spoke.
"He must have some sort of unseelie connections," Jim snarled. He hadn't moved, still staring at the road where the car had driven out of sight, but Rin could see his hands shaking with rage. Suddenly he spun and froze Rin and Blue in place with the fury in his eyes. "We need to get her back before Wesley tries anything else."
"What do we do?" Rin asked, in complete agreement. He was scared for Mama and would do just about anything to get her back.
"You and Blue need to go Underhill," Jim said after a moment of thought. "I can track her there, but my mixed heritage will bar me from places you and Blue will have no problem going. Together, you'll have a better chance of success. I'm going to stay here. If I can figure out what Wesley is paying the unseelie with, I might be able to shut him down and get Lizzy out from this side of the hill."
Rin nodded. He would do anything to get Mama back, even if it meant going to the mysterious land of the fae.
"Good. Go pack a backpack. Blue, you know what sorts of things you should bring. Don't forget to give Rin a rundown of the do's and don't's of Underhill." Jim pulled his cell phone out of his pocket as he finished speaking and started punching in a number.
Come on, Blue said insistently. He headed into the house, and Rin followed.
It smelled smoky inside, but Rin couldn't see any sign of damage as he walked through the house and up the stairs. Mama would probably have to put on a new roof, but as long as it didn't rain before then, they wouldn't need to replace anything else. Blue had already unearthed Rin's old school backpack from the closet by the time Rin caught up and was rummaging through Rin's drawers. He stuffed a pair of jeans, boxers, and a shirt into the bag from Rin's clothes, then repeated it with a set of his own. Rin saw his diary go into the backpack too.
Let's get some food, Blue said. He trotted out of the bedroom, but he was waiting at the top of the stairs for Rin to catch up. You have to be really, really careful in Underhill. People are mean and everyone has an agenda. Try not to talk to anyone without me there because they'll try to trick you into agreeing to do something or give something to them you won't want to.
"Okay," Rin replied seriously. He was going to be traveling in a completely new world, one of magic where creatures like Blue, Jim, and Rin's father came from. He had to be completely prepared for weird things, even weirder than everything he had learned about Blue so far.
Don't say thank you for anything, because they'll think you owe them a favor, and when Underhill collects, they'll collect in blood. Don't eat any food you see, especially if someone gives it to you, but if you see it hanging from a tree, it's probably still deadly.
"Is there anything good about Underhill?" Rin asked. He led the way into the kitchen and into the pantry where they kept food that would last a few days, which he stuffed in the backpack. He also grabbed a few water bottles to fill at the tap, since if the food was deadly, there was no telling whether the water would be drinkable.
It's very beautiful, Blue replied. He held the bag open for everything Rin had found. Come on, we need to find a mushroom circle in the forest before it gets dark.
"Huh?" Rin helped Blue zip the bag, and they headed outside.
Mushroom circles are a doorway into Underhill. Step into one with the intent to travel there, and they'll bring us inside.
"Okay. Let's do this."
The road to the forest was a familiar one, as Blue's lake was on the way. They stepped onto the pockmarked path and Rin set his chin as firmly as he set his feet on the ground. They would find Mama, survive Underhill, and save the business from Wesley.
They had to.
*~*~*
My Mama had told me how she was going to get into Underhill when she went to save our lake. When I followed her I found a mushroom circle and managed to get into Underhill on my own. My family's lake was nice; it was so perfectly comfortable. The sand on the bottom was soft and excellent for burrowing into for an afternoon nap, and the water was clear blue and always warmed by the sun.
Underhill was even bluer and clearer, if that makes any sense.
Rin and I stepped out of our mushroom circle and my snack stopped and stared for ten minutes straight, just trying to see everything because everything was so worth seeing. He handled it so much better than I did my first time.
Somehow the color blue was so much bluer. It almost had an inner glow, like it was backlit with something that intensified the various shades and hues that made blue blue. I swear, my pretty little snack who I know will end up reading this at some point, I stared at my arm for the first five minutes, then at the sky overhead for the next ten.
I finally pulled away from all the pretty and started walking. My mother was here somewhere and maybe the sidhe she had found to help us was here too. I walked and walked and walked. The spell that was Underhill had me good and trapped. If you just walk with no end goal in mind, the road is endless. It's like with the mushroom circles. You could stand in one all day, but without the will to direct the door to open you won't go anywhere.
I eventually found a lake. The sun hadn't set—it hadn't moved an inch in the sky—but all four of my legs were aching and my poor hooves desperately wanted some cool water to rest in. I jumped into the lake, screamed, and jumped right out.
It was salt water. A salt water lake. Salt wasn't good for my skin and scales and my skin was burning. It didn't help I was still a bit green from living in my parent's tainted lake.
Now I had a goal. I had to find somewhere safe where I could wash off the icky salt and to find somewhere to rest that wouldn't hurt me more. I was focused on my goal and as I limped along the scenery began to slowly change around me until a small mansion appeared just ahead. I somehow made it to the front door, and I know I knocked, but the rest of that day was a complete blank.
Jim says I passed out. Well, I was a little kelpie back then, so maybe I did pass out. I don't faint now that I'm all big and grown. Don't worry, my pretty little snackable. I figured out the salt-water thing so I won't get hurt again. Jim taught me that. He taught me a lot of things. About Underhill, about my abilities as a kelpie, and about life in general.
I stayed with him for a very long time. Learning first, then searching for my Mama—which Jim had been doing all along—but Underhill is still a scary place. I am a creature of Underhill as all magical creatures are, but I had been born and bred in the human world. No matter how much time I spent in Underhill, I couldn't settle.
Jim found me my new lake just outside of Underhill where I lived for a long time until my silly snack collapsed on my beach.
You know the rest of the story from there, Rin.
I do, Blue. Thank you for sharing this with me.
It's hard to say some stuff aloud. I get why you wanted to put the things in your head onto a page. It's easier to share it that way.
This was supposed to be a private diary Blue!
Now you're just being silly.
Rin was smiling as he closed his diary yet again. Blue had left the diary right on the top of the bag when he had handed it to Rin so Rin could get some food. The words inside were personal to Blue.
There was plenty Rin knew about Blue. The story of why Blue left his lake somewhere in Europe and how he came to the lake at home was one Rin had heard dozens of times, but the nuances of Blue's feelings always had a different level of depth every time.
Plus, the flirting they did after the journal entries was fun.
Blue was right, though. Underhill was more. More color, more oomph, more everything. Rin would blink, and when he opened his eyes again, the sheer wonder of the world around him would hit him. This had to be what a colorblind person felt the first moment they could finally see color. At least, that was the best analogy Rin could come up with.
They were walking down what appeared to be a classic country road. It was dirt-scarred with centuries of tracks from wagons in two parallel paths. The fields to either side were wheat or some other type of tall grass—Rin's farming knowledge was pretty exclusive toward cucumbers and Mama's beans, so he wasn't really sure. The grass blew in a gentle wind, rustling pleasantly to the ear. Overhead the sky was cloudless blue, but, while the sun shone brilliant yellow, the air was only warm, and Rin didn't have any fear of sunburn.
Ready? Blue asked as he got to his feet. He was in human form and his broken arm was still held closely to his chest. It wasn't broken any longer, Rin knew, but horses were heavy creatures, and Blue was probably still in danger of rebreaking it if he put his full weight on it.
Blue was damned lucky he had a human form to heal in, but Rin couldn't help wishing he understood the healing magic in his blood better in order to get Blue back to full strength quicker.
Rin stood up too and took a second to brush dirt off the seat of his pants before grabbing the backpack and sliding his arms though the straps.
"How much farther do you think it is?" Rin asked as he fell into step at Blue's side. Blue wasn't letting them get more than a foot apart, which Rin understood after Blue's last journal entry. One wrong step, and Rin could accidentally end up somewhere in Underhill where Blue would never find him again.
Jim's house is just a bit farther. Try to fix the idea in your mind that you want to travel to Jim's house. Your mind keeps wandering, and Underhill is having trouble getting us there.
"Sorry, Blue."
I wasn't much better my first few times here. Blue grinned at Rin to show he wasn't mad. I'll get us there just fine. It'll just take a bit longer.
They walked on, and Rin tried to think only of Jim's house. Blue had said it was a mansion, but what would a mansion look like in Underhill? Maybe it was built of stone like a medieval castle? Or it maybe it was gigantic, like the billionaire's houses they sometimes showed on TV. It had to have a lake, since Blue had stayed there for a while.
How long was a while, anyway? Blue had said he had stayed with Jim for a long time, but as far as Rin could tell, time didn't seem to change his surroundings at all. The sun hadn't moved in the sky, and they had been walking for hours.
What if some of the stories of magic he had heard from books and TV shows were true? Would he return to the human world to find that a hundred years had gone by in the hours or days he had been Underhill, or would he return only moments after he and Blue had stepped into the mushroom circle, aged from their time Underhill while the real world hadn't turned?
No, he had to keep thinking about Jim's house. Keeping a destination focused in his head was the only way to get somewhere in Underhill.
Which brought up an interesting question. "Blue, if all we need to do is think about somewhere and Underhill will get us there, why can't we think about going to Mama?"
Blue let out a whinny of laughter. Nothing is that easy. Maybe we could walk to Mama that way, but we're just as likely to get to a place she's recently been instead of actually to her. Sometimes when you're searching for a person, you'll end up at their favorite place, somewhere they visit often, but not anywhere near where they really are. There are also spells that keep people from being found, which I'm sure they're using.
"So how are we going to find Mama?" Rin asked, feeling his limited hope drop to the bottom of his stomach like a lead weight. Jim had been so certain they could find her in this alien place, but so far they couldn't even get to Jim's house.
With something that can beat those spells and overcome Underhill's tricks, Blue replied cheekily. Here we are!
Rin looked away from Blue and saw a house had appeared as they turned a bend. It had been hidden in the long grass, but now Rin could see it wasn't a castle or a massive mansion.
Jim's house wasn't quite double the size of Mama's. It had shingle siding in light gray and a dark-black roof. Wide, inviting windows framed the front door, and a large lake behind the house made it look even more picturesque.
Now that they could see their destination, it felt much quicker to walk the last yards until they reached the front door. It opened as they approached, and a small woman who was maybe four feet tall with a pair of orange-and-black painted butterfly wings on her back stepped out to greet them.
"Blue," she said. Her voice rang like a wind chime. "It's been so long. What brings you here when the Master is out?"
Jim sent me to borrow one of his puppies, Blue explained. Rin nodded to show he agreed, even though he had no idea what Blue meant.
"Of course. They're around back." She shut the door and stepped off the dirt path that was the front walk and onto the mown grass that encircled the house. Rin and Blue followed her around the house. There were outbuildings in the back that had been hidden by the house. She pointed at one, then nodded to Blue and scurried around them to head back to the front of the house.
Blue continued to the outbuilding without noticing her odd behavior. Rin tried not to notice too, but he was curious. What was she? She also hadn't introduced herself to Rin or even looked at him.
Rin had to ask. "Who was that?"
She works for Jim. I think he saved her life from something bad, so she serves him until her life debt is paid. Rin opened his mouth to ask more, but Blue continued speaking before Rin could get the words out. You don't ask for someone's name in Underhill. It's very rude. If someone wants you to know their name, they'll tell you. She never told me hers.
They reached the outbuilding and Blue knocked on the door. Hello? he called.
A chorus of barking started up from what sounded like a dozen dogs. It was so loud the outbuilding seemed to shake with it. A flap set in the door swung open, nearly hitting Blue in the knees, and four very black dogs tumbled outside. All four of them barked for a few more moments until they actually looked to see who they were barking at. When they saw Blue, their long tails began to wag and their barks became happy chuffs. Their ears were red, Rin saw as one rolled onto its back in the grass in front of Blue, then hopped back to his feet.
It's nice to see you too. Is your Mama around?
The dog nodded and pointed his nose toward the outbuilding. The other three dogs had run off without him, so the dog spun on his paws and ran off without saying goodbye. Blue walked to the door, knocked again to be polite, then pulled it open.
"What are they?" Rin asked softly as he followed Blue into the dim outbuilding.
Cŵn Annwn. Hellhounds in English. Sometimes they're called a Grim. They're friendly enough and they're great trackers. Their noses were made for the hunt. Blue grinned over his shoulder at Rin but returned his focus to the dog he had stopped in front of.
The dog was a hundred to a hundred and fifty pounds, easily the size of a miniature pony, and when she grinned up at Blue from where she was lying on the ground, Rin could see every sharp tooth in her wide mouth. Her fur was black, except for her ears, which were a brilliant shade of red.
Nose? Her mental voice was low and growly, but she seemed friendly enough. That wouldn't make Rin step any closer, of course, but it lessened his urge to run back outside.
Yes, I need to borrow one of your children. One with a good nose that can track a human hidden somewhere Underhill.
Aodh, she replied. A dog stepped into view from deeper into the outbuilding, no doubt summoned by his name. He was just as dark and intimidating, if still slightly smaller than his mother.
Hunt, Aodh said eagerly.
A good hunt, Blue replied in agreement.
The mother dog shifted slightly, and Rin suddenly saw she had three puppies sucking hungrily at her belly—although Rin had never seen puppies the size of watermelons before. A fourth, and probably the reason she had moved, was trying to force his way between the other pups, climbing ineffectually and crying as he tried to get to food. There was an open teat, but the other dogs were so big and the little puppy so much smaller, it couldn't get to it. The puppy was also pale white, unlike every other dog in Rin had seen that day. His ears were just as red as the rest, though.
Rin couldn't stand by watching. He glanced over at Blue quickly to make certain it was okay, and then over at the mother dog when Blue just grinned at him. When the mother didn't say anything to stop him, Rin tentatively stepped close to pick up the tiny pup. He carefully pushed two of the bigger dogs apart so there was enough room and put the puppy down where it could easily reach his breakfast.
Wean soon, the mama dog said with a heavy sigh that spoke of long suffering.
Hunt first, Aodh cut in insistently. What hunt?
His Mama was taken, Blue explained, pointing toward Rin as Rin stepped away from the dogs and back to Blue's side. We need to rescue her and bring her back to the human world.
Aodh chuffed. Easy. Go now?
"Can we go now? The faster we save her, the sooner we can tell Wesley where to shove it," Rin asked eagerly.
No point in staying here, Blue agreed. What do you need to find her? Blue asked Aodh.
Sniff her. He smell like her? Aodh pointed his nose at Rin.
He should. He's her son.
Aodh barked softly in reply and walked over to Rin. He was so big that his nose was even with Rin's chest. All he had to do was lean forward to take a big whuffling sniff. Aodh threw his head back and let out a deafening howl that echoed through the outbuilding. Other howls responded, but Aodh was the only dog that bounded out the door and into the clipped grass outside.
Hurry, Rin! Blue called. He grabbed Rin's hand as he ran after Aodh, no doubt remembering that getting separated would be bad. Rin ran with Blue, holding on to Blue's hand with all his strength.
They rushed onto the grass and saw Aodh was already heading around the main building toward the dirt path through the tall grass. Rin and Blue sprinted after Aodh, desperately trying to keep him in sight.
They were moving so quickly, the grass seemed to warp around them, or maybe it was the other way around. Underhill was moving so quickly around them at the behest of Aodh that the colors streamed around them like a swift-current river. They ran for only five minutes, which was about four minutes longer than Rin really had the stamina for, and stopped abruptly in the high grass.
Rin gasped and panted for breath, his free hand pressed to one knee to keep him upright. Blue wasn't out of breath at all, of course, and Aodh was looking contemptuously at Rin.
Shh, he said sharply.
Rin tried to breathe softer, taking longer breaths to stop panting, and slowly straightened until he was standing upright again.
Aodh poked his nose through the tall grass, and Rin could see through the space he made that they were at the very edge of the grassy area. The ground was stone-flagged ahead of them and he could see the buildings of a small town. This looked exactly like how the movies portrayed a medieval setting, with stone and wood houses, thatched roofs, and sheep and chickens roaming freely through the streets. Aodh pulled back before Rin could get a good look.
At inn, he said.
They're probably keeping her in a room there, Blue said in agreement. We need to figure out which room and to go rescue her.
"How do we do that?" Rin asked, his voice the softest whisper he could make it.
This is a sidhe village, Blue explained. You're part sidhe, so you can walk in. Aodh and I won't be welcome.
He pulled Rin around gently so he could rummage in the pack on Rin's back. When he turned Rin back around, he was holding out a small leather pouch.
Go to the inn and sit at the bar. Order something to drink, but don't drink it! he warned sternly. See if you can find Mama. Aodh and I will sneak in the back door and try to search the upstairs.
"How will I find you if I've got Mama?" Rin asked.
Aodh can find you anywhere. Go to Jim's house. Keep the picture of his house in your mind and Underhill will get you there. I'll meet you. Blue bent forward and pressed their lips together quickly, then whinnied softly as he pulled away. Go.
Rin went, stepping out of the grass and onto the stone cobbles of the street. There were a dozen buildings nearby. Each one had writing on it, so this had to be a shopping area, but Rin couldn't read the language. He did recognize the picture of a steaming bowl of soup and a flagon of some sort of alcohol on a sign hanging from one of the larger buildings. He took a deep breath at the door to brace himself, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.
There were about a dozen or so people inside, some sitting at the round tables together and others sitting alone at a table or at the long bar that took up the entire right-hand wall. The room was large enough to hold three times that amount of people.
Mama was sitting at a round table in the far left corner with two men sitting on either side of her, boxing her in. Her eyes widened when she saw Rin, but she kept her mouth firmly shut. Rin found an empty barstool to sit on before his knees collapsed.
She was alive, and she didn't look hurt. Instead she looked furious, like she was just waiting for the perfect moment to give the men what for, and the relief in knowing that she was okay lifted a heavy weight from Rin's shoulders. Now he just had to figure out how to rescue her and get away safe.
"You need a room or just passing through?" a man asked as he ambled over to Rin from the employee side of the bar. He was tall and thin like Jim and his ears were pointed, but the similarities ended there. The man was so pale-skinned Rin was surprised he couldn't see through him to the bones and muscles inside, and his eyes were huge in his face.
"Just a drink before I get on the road again," Rin replied, hastily remembering not to say thank you. He reached into the pouch Blue had given him, pulled out two of the smaller coins he could feel inside, and put them on the bar. The coins vanished, and a moment later a wooden mug filled with an amber liquid that reeked of alcohol appeared in its place.
Rin didn't touch the mug, just stared at it as if the answer to how to save Mama would appear on the surface of his drink. He glanced over his shoulder again, trying to act like he was simply looking around the room for someone to sit with. One of the men with Mama was tall and thin with pointed ears and lightly tanned skin. The other man was large and fat, but it was the type of fat that hardened into muscle. Mama was looking at the table, frowning in thought. Maybe she could think of a way to get free. All they needed to do was get outside, and hopefully Underhill would get them to safety.
Before he could come up with a plan, the front door slammed. "I thought I smelled the vile stench of one of Dian Cecht's brood," a woman's voice snapped from behind Rin. He looked around in alarm. She could only mean him. "You think yourself safe from my retribution out here, far from your ancestral lands? More fool you!" Her voice was a deep Irish brogue, yet at the same time she didn't sound like any Irish Rin had ever heard. She was probably speaking like the Irish had spoken four hundred years ago, before their shores were invaded and their heritage destroyed.
"You're the fool," a man called as he stood from his table, "if you think that where Dian Cecht walks, those that support him will not also be nearby. The great healer can call for aid in any town thanks to his healing of King Nuada."
"Political parlor tricks," the woman scoffed. "Give Nuada the pretender back his arm and look what Dian Cecht reaped in return. Lands enough that his children did not fight for their inheritance, power to call for the army's support whenever he wishes, and the ear of the King for all matters big and small. Dian Cecht might as well be King, for all Nuada granted him, and I will support neither pretender."
Both of the men guarding Mama had stood when the woman and man had started arguing. They were a full step away from the table, eagerly watching the budding fight.
"I will have his head for my trophy!" the woman finished, pointing at Rin. Her hand was glowing, and Rin dove for the floor with a yelp just in time to avoid the streak of light aimed for his head.
"You dare!" the man roared. Suddenly, he started growing, losing his glamor and revealing an eight-foot-tall body with shoulders and hips wide enough to match that height. He lunged for the woman, a short sword suddenly appearing in each hand.
Rin rolled desperately as the woman fired off another shot before she had to turn her attention to her attacker. The rest of the people in the inn drew close to watch, as if the fight was a spectator sport. Even the two men watching Mama drifted forward a few more steps.
As Rin watched from the floor where he was crouched, Mama slithered low in her chair until she slipped under the table, then crawled behind one of her guards and headed for the back door. Rin crawled after her, hoping that the tingling at the back of his neck was just nerves rather than another attack.
The floor shook as the large man fell hard. The woman's cackle of glee was stopped a moment later when he recovered. Rin crawled faster. He looked up to see one of Mama's guards looking at him with a wide grin that said he was enjoying watching Rin suffer. Fine, he could keep watching Rin, Rin told his roiling stomach, as long as he didn't notice Mama was gone until after they were safely out the back door.
Mama made it through the doorway faster than Rin, since she was closer, but Rin scrambled through a few moments later. He stumbled to his feet just in time to hear two new roars. The guards had finally noticed.
"Run!" he yelled. He reached out for Mama's hand and held it tight so they wouldn't get separated in Underhill.
They were in the kitchen. A roaring fireplace was to Rin's right, and a long table filled the center of the room. They ran around the table and headed for the door on the other side. They reached it just as the guards rushed into the room.
The guards didn't bother running around the table. The big one waved his hand, and the table vanished with a concussive boom. Rin flew through the doorway, shards of wood slicing through the air around him, and hit the stone ground outside with a hard thud. He had inadvertently let go of Mama's hand, and he scrambled to roll over, coughing hard with his ears ringing and his eyes watering. Mama was struggling to roll over, one hand pressed to her weak hip with a grimace of pain on her face.
Heal! Rin urged as he hurried on hands and knees to her side. Heal! They couldn't run if Mama's hip was hurting again, and they had to run back into the grass if they were going to escape into Underhill.
Rin pressed his hand over Mama's, and a flash of light blossomed underneath his palm. Mama let out a gasp of relief, then gaped at him for a brief second before a yell from inside the building brought back their senses.
"Let's go." Mama stood and pulled Rin up.
Go now! Blue's voice sounded. A roaring whinny sounded from inside the kitchen. We'll hold them off until you get safe.
"Blue!" Rin screamed. Mama was pulling him toward the grass, but his feet had stopped moving at the noise from Blue.
"As if those two idiots can stop a kelpie at full druther," Mama scolded, yanking on Rin's arm insistently. "He won't run to safety until he knows you're far enough away. Let's go, Rin. Now."
Mama was right, Rin knew that, but everything inside of him wanted to be at Blue's side, helping Blue stay alive.
"Now, Rin," Mama repeated sternly, with another yank.
Rin swallowed back a sob and turned, running with Mama. Aodh's echoing howl followed them as they ran.
"Think of Jim's house," Rin told Mama as they reached the grass. His voice cracked as tears wet his cheeks, but he kept on moving. Rin forced Blue out of his head and pictured the gray shingle siding and black roof, the outbuilding full of massive dogs, and the lake that had kept Blue alive for however long. "Don't think of anything else except Jim's house," he repeated.
They ran through the grass, pushing through the tall stalks with their free hands, since Rin was making certain not to let go of Mama. Underhill wasn't streaming around them without Aodh's help, but somehow Rin felt like they were still moving quickly from the village on a path Mama's guards would have a hard time following.
They had to get to Jim's house, where it would be safe and Blue had to be there waiting for him. Yes, with Aodh's help, Blue could get there well before Mama and Rin. Rin was heading toward Blue, to Jim's house.
Rin and Mama kept moving. They slowed to a fast walk for a while to catch their breath and because every bit of Rin was aching from being blasted through the kitchen doorway. They returned to jogging when they could. The only time they stopped was a brief moment to drink some water from the bottles in the backpack Rin had somehow managed not to drop.
There was no way to tell how long they had been running, but as long as there weren't any sounds of pursuit behind them, it didn't matter how long it took to get to Jim's house and safety. Rin did his best to keep his picture of Jim's house in the forefront of his mind and led the way so Mama's scattered thoughts wouldn't confuse Underhill. He wasn't following a path, but he hoped Underhill was still steering them correctly.
Rin pushed past more tall grass and his feet suddenly stumbled onto carefully clipped grass. Rin fell to his knees with a startled cry. He looked up and saw the lake and the outbuildings. Somehow they had reached the house.
"Took you long enough," the woman with the wings snapped, suddenly appearing in front of Rin and Mama. "I've had a bath and a bed waiting for hours while you've been lazing your way over here."
She reached out and grabbed Mama's free hand, then waited impatiently while Mama stared at her.
"Come on," the woman grumbled. Mama glanced at Rin.
"She works for Jim. This is his house in Underhill. You'll keep Mama safe?" he asked the woman.
"She has to come into the house first. I can't protect her out here, and the brownie family that keeps the house won't venture outside either." The woman scowled at their clasped hands and lifted one eyebrow pointedly at Mama.
"Go with her," Rin said to Mama. "I'm going to wait for Blue."
Mama nodded and smiled sadly at him. "Thanks for coming for me, Rin." She let go of his hand and pulled him into a hug, kissing him softly on the cheek before leaving him to wait for Blue. Rin watched as she followed the woman with the butterfly wings around the house and out of sight before he turned to look for Blue.
There was no guarantee Blue would come out of the grass in the same place as Rin. It would be better to move to the center of the lawn, where he could see more. He stopped walking at the shore of the lake and sank down onto the sandy bank.
He trailed his fingers in the cool water, trying not to think of Blue's roaring whinny, hoping it wasn't pain he had heard in Blue's voice. No, he was making that up. Blue had simply been desperate to give Rin enough time to escape, and Rin shouldn't let his scared imagination run wild.
It was starting to get difficult to see the water in front of him. At first, Rin thought he had been crying too much, but he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and looked up, only to realize that the sun was actually setting. The sky was full of brilliant pinks and oranges, shading up to purple in the east. It was the most beautiful sunset Rin had ever seen, and for a brief moment it distracted him from the worry twisting his gut.
A muffled woof sounded behind him and Rin jumped in surprise and spun around, hope rising in his chest for a brief moment before he saw the black mama dog standing behind him. There was something in her mouth, and she bent forward to drop it in Rin's lap.
Yours, now, she said, adding a woof to her words before heading back to the outbuilding on silent paws. Rin looked down and saw the tiny white puppy squirming around in his lap. The puppy yawned, showing off teeth that looked really sharp, and then tucked its nose under its tail and went to sleep.
Rin wished he dared sleep. Every bone and muscle ached, and he was certain his entire back was one giant bruise. There were scratches on his arms and face from the wooden table explosion, and he felt sticky with sweat and blood. But Blue was still out there somewhere.
If Blue didn't return by the time the sun rose again, Rin would ask the mama dog if another of her children was interested in going to search for Blue and Aodh. For now, he returned to staring at the lake, hoping with everything in his heart that Blue was okay.
*~*~*
Such pain, child.
The voice was strangely familiar to Rin. It was a man's voice, low yet compassionate.
No child of mine should suffer as you have suffered. I did not know your mother was with child when I left, and by the time I returned she had vanished. Years I have lost in your upbringing, but I see within you the strength of your heritage. Your mother was strong, and I, your father, am stronger still. Look within my power, see what you can learn, and heal your body with the skills I should have taught you from your birth until now.
Suddenly Rin was surrounded by bright light. Images flashed through the light, almost faster than Rin could make each one out. He could see a glowing hand here pressing against a gaping, bloody wound. And the wound vanished. There, a missing arm, arteries gushing with the pulse of the heart, and a bucket of water quickly drawn from a glowing well. The severed arm pressed against the shoulder and water poured over the seam, and the arm was attached again. Now disease, a terrible cough, blisters, boils, fever, and a cloth gently pressed to the brow to call away the malady.
There is great power in the hands of the children of Dian Cecht. I see you have begun to learn on your own how to heal your own broken body and the breaks of others. Watch, my child. Learn all you should have known.
There were more images, terrible images, because the ability to heal also came with the ability to kill. It was so easy to stop a heart or to cause disease. A touch here, a brush there, and bodies lay in his wake. Rin shuddered.
Yes, there is great responsibility in this power. You must always temper your hatred and fear with happiness and love or you will fall to the unseelie ways of the power. And you know love.
"Blue," Rin gasped. "I can't find Blue."
Hush, child. I have seen to Blue. That a child of mine would lie with a lesser fae…well, you were brought up without the proper niceties in life. I can feel how strongly you yearn for him; your heart beats for your Blue, does it not? Love, perhaps, overcomes the differences in your species. I will have to ponder on that idea for a while, but I shall do my best to accept your union. Now, wake, my child, and tend to your Blue.
*~*~*
Rin sat up slowly, blinking sleep out of his eyes and wondering when he had fallen asleep. How had he fallen asleep, when at any moment Blue could need his help? And his dream had been so strange…
The sky in the east was beginning to lighten. Either nights weren't as long as days in Underhill, or he had been sleeping for hours. He looked around, hoping to see Blue nearby, waiting for him to wake up, but he was still alone, aside from the puppy snuffling happily in his lap.
Except…there! There was something moving in the tall grass. Rin could hear the rustling noise of someone pushing it aside. He carefully placed the puppy to one side, and then leapt to his feet.
It had to be Blue. It had to be. There was no way the guards or the woman who had tried to kill Rin had followed him here. He hurried across the clipped lawn towards the grass. It was only after a few steps that he realized all his bruises were gone.
That realization was wiped from his mind when Aodh limped out of the grass, his front right paw held up in the air as he fought not to put weight on it. Right behind him was Blue, who looked tired, but okay.
Rin! Blue whinnied. I was so scared! What if I never found you!
Would have found, Aodh disagreed, sounding just as tired as Blue looked.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Rin asked, trying not to crowd Blue even as he desperately wanted to jump into Blue's arms and hold him close.
I broke my arm again, Blue said grumpily, but once Aodh felt that you and Mama had escaped, we ran for it. Except I think we ran in the opposite direction to Jim's place, and it took a while for Underhill to figure out where we meant to go. And we were moving slow 'cause of our injuries.
Now that Rin knew what to look for, Blue's arm did have a funny-looking bump under the skin. Rin knew how to handle that. He reached inside of himself, just as his dream had taught him, and pulled free some magic from his core. As he reached for Blue, who sighed and happily curled into Rin's arms, a flare of light flashed between them.
What was… The break's gone? Rin, my arm's fixed. How'd you do that?
"I dreamed my father was here," Rin said slowly, trying to parse through what he remembered from his dream. "He showed me all sorts of things I can do with my power. And then I woke up just in time for you to finally get back here."
Rin kept his arm around Blue's waist, unwilling to let Blue go now that he had Blue in his arms again, but he bent down as he called up more magic, and a touch to Aodh's fur caused another flash of light. Aodh let out a relieved sigh and put his hurt paw down on the ground again.
Better. Aodh let out a yawn. Sleep now. Had fun hunting. He trotted off toward the dogs' outbuilding.
That's how you say thanks in Underhill, Blue explained. He let out a wide, jaw-cracking yawn, then neighed softly into Rin's shoulder where he was tiredly resting his head. We should get home soon. I don't want to sleep here. Where's Mama so we can go?
"Mama's in the house. Let's go knock and see if she's ready to leave." Rin was about to walk toward the house when a pointed yip sounded from near his feet. He looked down to see the puppy grinning at him.
Uh-oh. Did it get attached to you? Blue snarled gently at the puppy as if to tell it to go away. The puppy simply yipped happily in reply.
"One of the other dogs dropped it off earlier, said it was mine now?" Rin said, asking Blue to clarify.
It got attached. Hope Mama doesn't mind dogs. Pick it up so we can go. You'll have to name it, but it should be house-trained. The last was said pointedly to the puppy, who gave Blue a disgusted look as if to say of course he was house-trained.
Rin obeyed, bending down to pick up the puppy, which happily curled up in Rin's arms. They started walking up toward the house together, Blue still practically draped over Rin like an exhausted blanket.
Mama was waiting at the door, but there was no sign of the other woman anywhere.
"About time," she said sharply, but with a relieved smile for Rin and Blue. "How do we get out of here?"
Getting out of Underhill is easy. You just have to know how to orient yourself so you don't end up halfway across the human world, Blue explained. Grab hold and I'll get us out.
Rin quickly repeated Blue's words for Mama, who didn't waste any time reaching out to grip Rin's free shoulder. Blue let out a soft whinny, and the world blurred around them for a moment before the familiar house and barn materialized as they appeared in the middle of the front yard. It was dark out, but the sudden flare of light in the house as the kitchen light was turned on said that Jim was still awake.
"Get a shower and get some sleep," Mama instructed as the front door was flung open and Jim ran out into the yard. "In the morning we're going to have to give that damned Wesley a little what-for."
She strode forward to meet Jim halfway. Rin didn't look, instead dragging an increasingly heavy Blue into the house, up the stairs, and into the bathroom for a quick rinse before they fell into bed together.