Re: USxUK: Tam Lin- Part 3B/?
anonymous
December 19 2010, 19:10:51 UTC
The fae had tried to tempt him, just as Arthur had warned. The first time it had been a cake, Alfred’s favorite kind, placed directly outside the clearing.
It looked delicious, but he’d given it an odd look and merely walked away. “A cake, sitting in the middle of the woods?’ he’d told Arthur. “Who would fall for that?”
The faerie had looked rueful before shaking his head. “It’s a bit ludicrous, but… they start out small, you know? Little temptations that don’t require much magic on their part. If they can get you to leave without doing much work, it’s easier for them.” Then he’d grasped Alfred’s forearm and frowned. “But… it will get much worse. Be careful. Whatever you see, whatever you hear, don’t pay it any mind.”
Arthur was right. A few days later, after exiting the pond, he’d seen movement in the woods. Within moments, Centaurus had trotted out, his saddle sideways, battered from disuse. His mane was littered with twigs and his fur was muddy, and Alfred had almost leapt out, unthinkingly, to greet his beloved stallion.
He’d whinnied and made eye contact with Alfred, padding the ground sadly with one front hoof. His eyes were lonely, larger looking than usual, and Alfred had thought… if he could reach out just once to pat and comfort his Centaurus.
Alfred had reached out his hand, a comforting smile on his lips.
And stopped.
It’s not him. It can’t be.
But it looks so much like…
Alfred then shook his head. “If it were him, he’d try to cross into the clearing, right? Why wouldn’t he?”
Listen to Arthur…
He’d walked away, and within a few steps, the whinnying and scampering of his horse vanished.
Gardening wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. It was fun to use his hands, to dig in the soil and plant new seeds. And because of the magic of the clearing, the results were… almost instantaneous. Flowers blossomed within days. Alfred wondered how he hadn’t run out of his space, considering how quickly the flowers grew.
“They blossom swiftly, but that also means… they die sooner,” Arthur explained, patting a spot of earth. “Magic is like that. It’s beautiful, but it’s not usually quite as perfect as it first appears.”
Alfred watched Arthur, watched as he ran his palm over the soil, smoothing it. The underneath of his fingernails were dirty, and his hands were callused, from both living in the wilderness and from using his longbow. He sat in the center of a patch of red and gold flowers; roses and something that Alfred couldn’t identify, yellow petals surrounding a deeper golden bloom as if they were a wreath. There was a small smile on his face, and his green eyes were warm, almost content.
“Yeah… not so sure about that.”
The faerie’s eyes darted up, and his cheeks flushed brilliant scarlet.
The faerie’s eyes darted up, and his cheeks flushed brilliant scarlet.
Alfred’s own eyes grew wide, and his face heated as a small part of him acknowledged… what he’d implied. He gestured in front of him.
“I just mean--- you know, magic is pretty great. Like that spring and pond? It’s amazing… and the fruit is good and… “
“Git,” Arthur sighed, a frown crossing his lips, and went back to tending his garden.
It looked delicious, but he’d given it an odd look and merely walked away. “A cake, sitting in the middle of the woods?’ he’d told Arthur. “Who would fall for that?”
The faerie had looked rueful before shaking his head. “It’s a bit ludicrous, but… they start out small, you know? Little temptations that don’t require much magic on their part. If they can get you to leave without doing much work, it’s easier for them.” Then he’d grasped Alfred’s forearm and frowned. “But… it will get much worse. Be careful. Whatever you see, whatever you hear, don’t pay it any mind.”
Arthur was right. A few days later, after exiting the pond, he’d seen movement in the woods. Within moments, Centaurus had trotted out, his saddle sideways, battered from disuse. His mane was littered with twigs and his fur was muddy, and Alfred had almost leapt out, unthinkingly, to greet his beloved stallion.
He’d whinnied and made eye contact with Alfred, padding the ground sadly with one front hoof. His eyes were lonely, larger looking than usual, and Alfred had thought… if he could reach out just once to pat and comfort his Centaurus.
Alfred had reached out his hand, a comforting smile on his lips.
And stopped.
It’s not him. It can’t be.
But it looks so much like…
Alfred then shook his head. “If it were him, he’d try to cross into the clearing, right? Why wouldn’t he?”
Listen to Arthur…
He’d walked away, and within a few steps, the whinnying and scampering of his horse vanished.
Gardening wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. It was fun to use his hands, to dig in the soil and plant new seeds. And because of the magic of the clearing, the results were… almost instantaneous. Flowers blossomed within days. Alfred wondered how he hadn’t run out of his space, considering how quickly the flowers grew.
“They blossom swiftly, but that also means… they die sooner,” Arthur explained, patting a spot of earth. “Magic is like that. It’s beautiful, but it’s not usually quite as perfect as it first appears.”
Alfred watched Arthur, watched as he ran his palm over the soil, smoothing it. The underneath of his fingernails were dirty, and his hands were callused, from both living in the wilderness and from using his longbow. He sat in the center of a patch of red and gold flowers; roses and something that Alfred couldn’t identify, yellow petals surrounding a deeper golden bloom as if they were a wreath. There was a small smile on his face, and his green eyes were warm, almost content.
“Yeah… not so sure about that.”
The faerie’s eyes darted up, and his cheeks flushed brilliant scarlet.
The faerie’s eyes darted up, and his cheeks flushed brilliant scarlet.
Alfred’s own eyes grew wide, and his face heated as a small part of him acknowledged… what he’d implied. He gestured in front of him.
“I just mean--- you know, magic is pretty great. Like that spring and pond? It’s amazing… and the fruit is good and… “
“Git,” Arthur sighed, a frown crossing his lips, and went back to tending his garden.
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Ignore my fail. XD
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Well, so far so good, but I can't help but fear what the fay might come up with o.o;;
Keep it up, authornon~! ♥
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Thank you!
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