Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit slept rather peacefully throughout the night, waking only once when the sound of a distant wolf howling broke her peaceful sleep. The fox remained on alert where it had sat when she fell asleep, briefly turning as though to reassure it's sleeping companion. When she finally awoke near the break of dawn the creature seemed to be missing though.

Ceit was stiff as she looked around for her missing guide, her stiffness and hunger would have to wait though. She was in an area that she did not know and her companion was to valuable to simply lose. The sound of splashing water nearby drew her attention though and so she moved towards it.

A slight rise and she found herself looking down into a cool glade of water, and there splashing in the water was a girl. A rather attractive girl with a tangled mess of reddish hair the same shade as that of the fox. The girl dove under the water revealing that she was indeed Ceit's fox companion as she had a fox's tail.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Groaning as she moved towards the rise, keeping her belly against the grass, trying to stretch her limbs as much as she could, she was surprised to see the girl. At first Ceit watched with suspicion despite the water running over her lovely curves. Then she saw the tail.

A sigh spilled from her lips as she pulled herself to a sitting position and started to edge her way down towards the water side, waiting for the girl, or the fox to re-emerge.

"Someone to speak to may have made yesterday pass by faster," she said, no matter what her companion emerged as, pulling out another strip of meat from her sack, and offering some to her guide.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The girl's head emerged from the water at the sound of her Ceit's voice, a wary smile on her face. The smile faded to one of simple enjoyment as she swam closer to the shore where she climbed up to sit beside her companion, while excepting the bit of food offered to her.

"I suppose it might have made the trip a bit less boring, but we made much better time without the distraction. Thank you for the food, though it's not quite as good as freshly caught. Do you really live on this kid of stuff?"

The girl seemed genuinely curious when she spoke, though she sounded far more human than the other creatures Ceit had seen. She looked human too, with the exception of her eyes and tail which seemed more in tune with her other form.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit took a bite of her own strip of meat and chewed for a moment, looking across the stream. The image of the naked woman was seared into her mind now, and she glanced again to ensure it wasn't a dream. Her beauty was one for the tales of old. Doubtless why such tales continued to be told. She didn't seem to mind much either.

"Yes. Fresh can be harmful to us," Ceit admitted, wondering if her guide could even wrap her head around such a fact. She tilted her head and looked upon the woman.

"This creature I hunt. My sword will be able to kill it, yes?" she said.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The girl nodded her head as she nibbled at the meat, seemingly satisfied by Ceit's explanation. The girl could easily have passed for a human if she were wearing clothes and her mannerisms were much different than the other fae she had seen. The puca were shape-shifters but even the stories made them less like serious dangers and more mischievous pranksters. Ceit wondered if the girl was just an unusual puca or something else.

"Hmm, I'm not really sure if it can kill her or not. Sileas said it would, though and I see no reason to not believe my master. So long as you go for the neck like she said at least." The unusual creature said in response to Ceit's inquiry.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"Hopefully it's not too fast then," Ceit muttered, glancing to the sword at her side and leaned back. She stared up the sky as the fae finished her small meal, though Ceit had trouble thinking of her as anything but a woman now. A rather attractive one at that. Perhaps this was another part of some test, or ritual. It was hard to know the ways of the fae.

"I'm ready to go when you are."

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The girl finished eating the small bit of meat she had before nodding and looking toward a distant stand of thick forest. With a nod in that direction she said. "You should have an easier job of it in the daytime at least. Though the men who are with her won't be affected by it. If you want I can try to lead some of them away. I might not know anything about fighting but I can easily get them lost while your task is completed."

With that the girl slid back into the pool of water before emerging on the other side of the bank. Her form had changed back to that of a normal fox and she stopped to wait for Ceit to cross before continuing on.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Getting to her feet, Ceit brushed off her rear, bits of dirt and a few twigs falling from her clothes, before she started to cross. She tried to hide her disappointment that the girl was fox once more, and was soon pulling herself from the pool on the far side.

"Distracting them will help," she admitted as water dripping from her waist downwards. Following her guide and help, she started walking again, hoping to find her supposed prey.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The girl, as Ceit could no longer help but think of her companion as, steadily lead the way over the budding heath toward a distant stand of forest. She did not seem too concerned about the open land they were crossing, but then she was hardly conspicuous in her current form. The trees loomed larger and darker as they drew near, and Ceit could not help but notice the similarity to Sileas own territory. Perhaps there would be another cave here as well, if so she would need some way to see in the darkness of the earth.

The sun shone so brightly over the open fields and grass that Ceit could hardly believe the dark deed she had agreed to perform for Sileas. The thought occurred to her that she still might be laying in the fairy ring asleep, caught in a dreamworld of the fae folks creation. Everything had been so strange the last few days that nothing would surprise her anymore.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Fingers dancing along the hilt of her sword, taking comfort in the blade of iron, Ceit followed behind her guide. Deeper and deeper they plunged, and her eyes couldn't stay still, darting to the sides, behind, searching for anything amiss.

What that would be in such a strange place, she couldn't quite know. It was best just to focus on the task at hand, try not to think of what it entailed. That was a dark path that she may not recover from, and there was far too much on the homestead to concern her thoughts to be lost.

She was tempted to ask: 'how much longer?' but not knowing how close they were kept her lips pressed firmly together as she followed the girl that looked like a fox.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit's companion plunged straight into the dreary forest before them, though she did seem to slow. Somehow Ceit knew they must be close to where her prey hid, but it would be difficult to find without any knowledge of this ancient forest.

Once again she had the experience of wandering through an unnaturally quiet forest but there was something different this time. Though both this forest and Sileas were dark and foreboding, this one seemed to be dead. The scent of rotting vegetation seemed to fill her nostrils as she followed her companion through the twisted trees. Sileas home might have been dreary but it contained life, this seemed almost like a garden that had suddenly fallen into neglect.

Then she smelled it, the unmistakable scent of woodsmoke somewhere ahead. Sileas had warned that the lhiannan would have enslaved men to protect her, hopefully their amp would provide her with the location of her prey. Slowly she and her companion came to a clearing, stopping at the edge to see a fire with at least a dozen men dozing around it.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Moving with the stealth of one who's hunted most of their life, Ceit pressed the edge of her hand against her nostrils, trying to cut out much of the stench that pushed into her brain. The faint scent of sweat and her dried meats lingered slightly on her skin, but it wasn't enough to cut out the rot entirely.

She thought she knew why she had been sent to kill this woman now. If Sileas was one of the fae, something that Ceit had started to doubt more and more the further she hiked from the woman's cave, she would want to protect these lands.

The campfire was unmistakable, and Ceit picked it up easily. The guardians she had been told about. Why would such a creature need mortal guardians? On the same token, why would another need a mortal assassin? The burning wood drew Ceit in, her feet avoiding any branches or loose rocks as she slithered as close as she dared. She carefully began to pull her sword free, not letting it scrape too much against the wood lining the inside of her scabbard.

"Can you distract them?" she asked of her companion, her voice like wind, as her eyes scanned for a cave or dwelling of some kind. A sign that her target was near.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit's companion said nothing though she quickly scurried off through the stunted bush towards the opposite side of the clearing. Her eyes quickly moved back towards the encampment in the hope of spotting her prey or some lair. She couldn't help but notice that the men were out of place in this her home, she had seen the cross symbol only once in her lifetime. They had arrived from the sea speaking of mercy and forgiveness only to steal and slaughter. Something was indeed dubious about this whole mission though she doubted if it mattered any more, as she had already given her word to Sileas.

Then her keen eyes picked it out. Little more than a hole in the hillside, the perfect hiding spot for a cave. If it were not for the ruin of the vegetation in the surrounding area she would never have spotted the small hole. She would likely have to crawl but it was certainly big enough to fit through. Now it was just a matter of waiting for her distraction and finding a way to see once she got inside.

A perfectly aimed stone came sailing from the opposite side of the clearing hitting one of the men in the side of the head. Ceit could not see quite where it had come from but the voice of the girl could be heard clearly shouting at the men who suddenly gave chase. Only two men remained behind looking towards the sound of crashing undergrowth, their backs were to the fire and her hiding place.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

She had to do this quickly. Keeping her breathing quiet, and even, she moved from the brush, sword at her sword. Tilted forward slightly, each footfall sure of itself, each movement planned ahead, she kept her eyes between the two men, not watching either.

She could not back away now, and the bearers of this White Christ she'd heard whispers of had not brought her or her people the salvation and hope they promised.

Coming up from her crouch, the first swing of her sword was delivered without a scream, without any sound from her lips. Just a swipe at the man's neck, before reversing the flow of iron, bringing it now to the second bearer.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Time seemed to slow as Ceit slipped over the ground towards the two men like a shadow. One misplaced footstep and she would find herself in a losing battle against these men of the cross. Even if she managed to take the first one out silently, she would likely find herself in even more trouble. She needed to take them out quietly with the first blow or her mission would turn towards disaster.

Her mind focused sharply as she swung her sword with practiced aim at the man's exposed neck. Her first blow almost severed the man's head completely, and she quickly reversed the blade to strike at his companion. The first man's body hadn't even fallen to the ground when a startled groan came from the remaining soldier. There was no time for him to react as the blood-stained blade slashed across his throat and upper arm.

Time returned to normal as the last man's life quickly flowed into the ground from his wounds. The shouts of the other man came floating through the forest as Ceit's unusual companion lead them on a chase. She was only part way through her ordeal, now she would have to find and destroy the creature in it's lair.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

A deep breath flowed into Ceit's lungs as she turned from the corpses, and the other men currently chasing her guide. Blooded sword in hand she moved towards the hole in the ground, likely the home of her target. Of the creature she was sent to kill.

Standing on its edge she peered within, a single droplet of blood dripping from the point of her sword into the entrance. She slipped in, alert, unsure of what she would find in these depths.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The entrance to the cave was small, but Ceit was able to crawl through the small space. Eventually after several feet the smell of old blood mixed with rotting vegetation greeted her senses. It was even worse than the forest above, though the smell of blood did remind her of Sileas cave. The entrance opened suddenly opened up into a much larger cave, a single thin shaft of light illuminated the center of the room.

A single hawthorn sapling stood in the shaft of light, unlike the forest and the rest of the cave this small tree looked to be in perfect health. This had to be the sapling that Sileas had mentioned but where was the lhiannan. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark of the cave as she quietly searched the room. She could barely make it out but there were more runes on the walls here, and eventually her eyes lit on another opening in the far wall. A yawning door of darkness led further into the earth where the smell of blood was strong.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

It was like stepping into death's doorway. Forcing her breathing to remain calm, her heart none the less pounded in her chest. Her eyes danced across the runes for a few moments until she spotted the doorway. Sword held in front of her, she pressed forward.

"Andraste guide me," she whispered softly.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The darkness threatened to overwhelm her as she stepped into the tunnel after her prey. The smell of old blood grew stronger the further she descended into the blackness. She moved slowly in the utter blackness, not only was it difficult to see but she had a feeling that this creature's senses would be sharp. This entire place seemed like a perversion of the realm Sileas lived in, she could understand why she had been sent, yet something still bothered her. Why her and not someone else, what made her so special.

Finally the floor of the tunnel began to level out and she could see where another large cave opened up ahead. The smell of blood was very strong now but she would have to move carefully or she would alert her prey to it's doom.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

She paused at the tunnel entrance, staring into blackness, and took off her boots. Barefoot she moved ahead, feeling with her toes. She moved with feeling instead of sight, listening to the sounds of the cave, for any hint of her prey.

Or was she the prey?

It was hard to tell anymore, as her foot found a puddle that would splash should she step in it, old blood sticky against her toes as she slowly moved her foot to a piece of smooth rock. Why did Sileas not come herself? Some kind of Fey code, the same reason why such a destructive force would have those bearing the cross guarding her lair.

She held her sword ready, her head cocked ever so slightly as she listened, and tried to peer into this utter darkness. She said nothing, scarcely dared to breathe. Though, she didn't doubt the Lhiannon already knew she was here.