Grim Destiny
For the free-for-all week at
still_grrr, I chose "The Brothers Grimm".
Here's my fic.
“There is a fringe theory held by a few folklorists that some regional stories have actual, very literal antecedents.”
“And in some language that’s English?”
“Fairy tales are real.”
Grim Destiny
It took Henri nearly six years to track her down.
It wasn’t that he didn’t try - he did. But even with all the Council’s resources behind him, she was simply nowhere to be found. They managed to narrow it down to a province, but nothing more specific.
That was the witch’s doing, of course.
But he kept looking - kept scouring towns and villages, following up on vague rumours of women who could use swords, or win tavern brawls - and in the course of his travels he managed to kill the odd vampire and even stop a couple of apocalypses.
I’m probably threatening the forces of darkness more than she is, he thought grimly.
When he did find her, it was almost by accident. Well… entirely by accident.
His horse threw a shoe halfway through the forest - and when he saw the tower, he thought it must be a town he didn’t know about. He just thought he might find a blacksmith there. He didn’t realise…
But there was no mistaking it once he saw her. After all, when a girl’s strong enough to pull you up three floors by her hair, there are only so many possible explanations for it.
Success! (began that night’s diary entry) I have located the Slayer, just south of the village of Paderkot. She appears healthy and intelligent… and refuses point blank to leave her current location.
There was no way he could force her down if she didn’t want to, obviously. And she had clearly been subjected to years of brainwashing - it would take some time to brainwash her back.
But Henri was resourceful. After all, the first priority was training. And with a bit of improvisation…
It was a few weeks before he really felt comfortable abseiling up and down the tower with two swords, a crossbow, and some hurling axes on his back - but no-one had ever claimed that Watchers should have things easy.
R. has now mastered the quarterstaff, and can stake her mattress accurately through the heart even when blindfolded. Her theoretical knowledge is also increasing - we have discussed great European vampires of the tenth and eleventh centuries, vibratory stones, and elementary world saving techniques. She begins to understand the importance of our work, and is growing impatient to begin the fight. I offered to speak to her mother and explain things, but R. refused. Again.
Henri did not meet his charge’s mother for several months. And when he did, she nearly killed him.
He’d thought that morning’s climb seemed different to usual, but never having been levitated before, he couldn’t figure out why until he reached the top.
And there she was.
Incredible. Powerful. And furious with him.
“So you’re the wretch who’s been seducing my girl with tales of vampires and destiny,” she growled. “Well, no more. I won’t have her head filled with nonsense.”
“No, it’s not nonsense, really,” Henri hastened to explain. “I know it’s hard to accept, but vampires - they’re real. They’re actually-”
“Of course they’re real!” yelled the woman. “Do you really think I would have locked her up for this long without a good reason? I know how quickly Slayers die.”
Henri stared at her. She glared back at him.
“But…”
“You people, you’re all the same. Pregnant women stealing my radishes, doting husbands going back on bargains, and now you come! striding in here, filling her mind with tales of glory, and taking what’s mine.” She stepped forward, hatred in her eyes. “She’s mine! She’s always mine, and you will not steal her from me again.”
And then she was stretching out her hand and chanting, and the air was turning silver, and Henri was falling, falling… and he couldn’t see a thing.
The forest was dense, with few clear paths. Henri wandered for nearly a week before he was found by a local woodcutter. He was taken back to the village of Soelst, mad with hunger, and was given lodging by the local miller.
He asked after the Slayer, but no matter who he talked to, his questions were met with shrugs and indifference.
And as the months dragged on, he stopped asking - and instead spent his days in the tavern, staring unseeing towards the fire.
He was there the night of the storm that nearly destroyed their wheat crops, sitting quietly and listening to every crack of thunder.
On the day of the wedding he was there, happily getting drunk along with the best of them.
And on the night the vampires attacked… he was there, eating his dinner and trying to ignore the chaos outside.
The door opened, and Henri looked up.
“If you’re here to drink, can you at least wait until I’ve finished mine?”
“They need your help out there.”
He laughed. “Use your eyes, girl, and maybe you’ll notice that mine seem to be missing. I’m no good to anyone these days.”
“Think again, Watcher.”
And then she was kneeling in front of him, and strong hands were taking the mug from his grasp. He touched her face, and yes…
“It’s you.”
“Yes, it is,” she said quietly.
Henri frowned. “You cut your hair.”
She laughed - probably with that exasperated eye-roll she was so good at - and reminded him, “Mother cut my hair. But I like it this way. Much easier to manage.”
“Is it still golden?”
“I haven’t changed that much.” She pulled him to his feet. “Now, are we going to fight vampires, or what?”
He stopped her. “I’m still blind, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Okay… I’ll fight vampires, you call out instructions. You’re good at that. Coming?”
And without another word, Henri followed her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The fairy tale in question was, of course, Rapunzel.