Island of the Fomors, Friday Night
With the blindfold removed, Tim was finally able to look around. He was in an honest to God dungeon. It was even lit by torches. Fan fucking tastic. In the dim light he studied the designs on the wrist shackles he still wore.
“Ah ha.”
“Ah ha?” He looked up and saw that in the cell across from him, Leda was studying the area as well. So that's what they'd meant by Faerie Queen.
“Yes. Ah ha. As in, ah ha! Just as I suspected. I have no idea what any of these markings mean.”
“Some sort of warding magic I suspect.” she said calmly. “Designed to keep you from summoning your sword.” She tilted her head. “Which is odd. The island itself keeps me from using my magic. No doubt it's the presence of Domnu.”
“I'm not sure the magic of the sword is from the Tuatha De Danan.” Tim said.
“Ah. That would explain it.”
“Who's Domnu?”
“She's the mother goddess of the Fomorians, like Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha. The Elves who settled in Ireland. She's 'dead' right now, but with the proper ritual and sacrifices she can be brought back.”
Tim hadn't known Leda for long, or well. But he found her current attitude, so matter of fact, disturbing.
“Sacrifices.”
“Uh huh. You, me, the kid.” she gestured towards the cell next to Tim's, which he couldn't see. “They will kill us, probably soon. Unless we manage to escape.”
Tim heard a muffled sob coming from the cell next door. Great, the little girl probably heard all that.
*****
Ana had indeed heard all that. And as hard as she tried to be brave, a wave of hopelessness threatened to break over her. She didn't want to die! She...what was that?
Soft, but getting louder. Music. Coming from behind her. The torchlight left her cell dim, with dark shadowy corners that she couldn't see into. But she was certain now, that she heard singing, and what sounded like a banjo coming from one of those corners. No, not quite the corner itself, beyond the corner. But it was getting closer.
She crept carefully into the corner, feeling along, and realized that there was a loose brick in the wall. Several in fact.
“Hello?” she called.
The singing stopped. “Did you hear that?” someone on the other side of the wall said. “I think there's someone up ahead!”
*****
The guards simply never saw them coming. Or going. By the time any of them noticed that the keys were gone (which was when Marsh and Pythona came to fetch the prisoners) it was already too late. The cell doors hung open, as did the door at the other end of the hall.
“Find. Them.” Marsh said, his voice tightly controlled.
[Continued from here.]
And continued here.
“Ah ha.”
“Ah ha?” He looked up and saw that in the cell across from him, Leda was studying the area as well. So that's what they'd meant by Faerie Queen.
“Yes. Ah ha. As in, ah ha! Just as I suspected. I have no idea what any of these markings mean.”
“Some sort of warding magic I suspect.” she said calmly. “Designed to keep you from summoning your sword.” She tilted her head. “Which is odd. The island itself keeps me from using my magic. No doubt it's the presence of Domnu.”
“I'm not sure the magic of the sword is from the Tuatha De Danan.” Tim said.
“Ah. That would explain it.”
“Who's Domnu?”
“She's the mother goddess of the Fomorians, like Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha. The Elves who settled in Ireland. She's 'dead' right now, but with the proper ritual and sacrifices she can be brought back.”
Tim hadn't known Leda for long, or well. But he found her current attitude, so matter of fact, disturbing.
“Sacrifices.”
“Uh huh. You, me, the kid.” she gestured towards the cell next to Tim's, which he couldn't see. “They will kill us, probably soon. Unless we manage to escape.”
Tim heard a muffled sob coming from the cell next door. Great, the little girl probably heard all that.
*****
Ana had indeed heard all that. And as hard as she tried to be brave, a wave of hopelessness threatened to break over her. She didn't want to die! She...what was that?
Soft, but getting louder. Music. Coming from behind her. The torchlight left her cell dim, with dark shadowy corners that she couldn't see into. But she was certain now, that she heard singing, and what sounded like a banjo coming from one of those corners. No, not quite the corner itself, beyond the corner. But it was getting closer.
She crept carefully into the corner, feeling along, and realized that there was a loose brick in the wall. Several in fact.
“Hello?” she called.
The singing stopped. “Did you hear that?” someone on the other side of the wall said. “I think there's someone up ahead!”
*****
The guards simply never saw them coming. Or going. By the time any of them noticed that the keys were gone (which was when Marsh and Pythona came to fetch the prisoners) it was already too late. The cell doors hung open, as did the door at the other end of the hall.
“Find. Them.” Marsh said, his voice tightly controlled.
[Continued from here.]
And continued here.