Chapter twelve: The Bronze Age

The chair broke into several pieces as it hit the door to my room. I roared loudly in frustration as I kicked over a small side table and flipped over the writing desk that sat under one of the two windows in my room. In a final outburst I punched one of the four bed posts, which shot pain up my arm, now I was even more angry with myself. There was no amount of healing powers in the world that will protect the bones in my hands from the abuse I put them through. One day it would all catch up with me. I kicked the side table one more time before sitting down on the end of my bed. I had waisted it. I had one chance. One opportunity to speak to Ajax and get his information and opinion on how to deal with the Baobhan sith, and i blew it. I got so wrapped up in the tournament I had arrived in time to participate in, that the thought of the Baobhan sith completely slipped my mind. It was not until I was back in Caledonia after the magic in the stone faded, that I had remembered my original reason to going back to Arrakis. Twenty-four hours. A full day. That was all the time I had and I waisted it. I cursed my stupidity and had to fight back the urge to continue destroying the room I was renting. To make things worse, I learned another had fallen victim to the creature, this time, she had ventured into the town. He was fond in his house, on the edge of town. She was getting bold. A soft knock at the door pulled me to my sense. "Aye? Come in" the door opened slowly as the inn keepers daughter pushed her way into the room, hiding nervously behind the door. "Umm.. is everything okay?" She asked glancing around the room. She was young. Early twenties, with long auburn hair and the greenest eyes I had seen in a long time. I cast her a glare that caused her to flinch slightly and was about to give a Connor typical response, but I could feel Ajax's hand slapping me outside the head and Kampi glaring at me for being so rude. I bit my tongue, took a deep breath and responded. "No, lass, things are not okay." The young girl shuffled into the room and closes the door behind her, eyeing up all the damages, her eyes lingered on my weapons, which rested against the wall beside my bed "my father sent me up to make sure you were okay.." she was clearly nervous. Did she think I would hurt her? "I'm not going to hurt ye, lass" I assured her, she smiled at me nervous and gave a slight nod. She slowly crossed the room and sat on the bed beside me "can I help?" She asked softly I looked down at her "not unless you know anything about monster hunting" I meant it completely as a joke "well I don't..but I know of someone who might be able to help you" I was caught completely off gaurd. "He is an older man, he lives with his daughter outside of town. He comes in here from time to time to enjoy a drink. Rumor around town is he used to hunt all kinds of creatures" it wasn't much to go on, but it was better than nothing, which is what I currently had. Nothing. "Thank ye lass" she smiled at me "you are welcome" she kissed me quickly on the cheek and dashed across the room to the door "cheer up!" She called out as she let herself out of the room. I stared at the door with a questioning look. Odd girl.

*****

It was not difficult to find the house. It was just outside the opposite side of town, just before the river that went around the town but just off of the road. It was a two story building, but it stood out against the rest of the buildings in Brittle. I rode my horse right up to the front steps where I slide down off the saddle and tide it to a near by post. I slowly ascend the front steps and knocked on the door.

For a moment I heard nothing. Purhaps they were not home. As I turned to leave I heard a soft click and the door opened slightly. Turning around I found myself staring down at a small child, not much older than eight or nine. He gazed back at me through the small opening of the door. "Johnathan! What did I say about answering the door?" A woman's voice came from inside the house. Shortly after the boy was pulled away from the door and was replaced by a young woman about my age. She looked tired and drained, but still held a natural beauty about her. She had long brown hair and soft pink skin with a light red tint to her cheeks, probably from the cold. "Can I help you?" She asked, not opening the door anymore than the boy had opened it. "I was told I might find some help here?" She looked at me questioningly "help? What? There is nothing we can help you with here. Sorry you have been miss informed" she seemed nervous and uncomfortable. "Baobhan sith?" I called out as she was closing the door "Kathleen!" I heard a man's voice call out to the girl, who closed her eyes and sighed heavily in disappointment at the call of her name "let the lad in" she cast me a glare that I thought might rip me limb from limb as she pulled open the door to let me in.

The inside of the house looked nothing like the outside, which made the house look old and slightly run down and unkept, but inside was beautiful. Made of dark wood with matching furniture. Large wood beams held up the ceiling and formed the door ways into each room. The house had a pleasant wood burning smell to it and was warm and homely. "Kathleen, show him to the study" the same male voice from before called out into the house. "This way please" she asked as she led me to the right from the door. We paused before a door way and she stepped aside and motioned me forward before turning to head back the way we had come. I entered the room alone. It was a large enough room. Study was definitely a good word for it. Bookshelves and trophies off all sorts lined the walls. A desk sat at the far end of the room, covered in open books and maps. Mounted to the wall behind the desk were two large flintlock rifles and several pistols locked inside a glass display case off to the right side of the desk. Other weapons like swords, axes, daggers, bows, crossbows, and even some I didn't recognize decorated the room as well.

Standing at the desk, looking over the maps and open books was an older man. He stood head and shoulders taller than me, with short white hair and matching beard. Despite being an older man with a professor like vibe about him, he held a very apposing feel to him. He may be old but I could tell this old man had many years of fighting left in him. He looked up from the desk at me "you looking for a Baobhan sith?" He asked. His accent was thick and vibrated in my chest. "Aye. More like a way to kill one.." the man glared at me over the top of his specticals. "Have you ever fought one before?" He questioned me "aye. Couple days ago" his attention fully changed to me. He pulled his specticals off and came around to sit on the front of his desk "you mean the one who has been attacking the towns folk?" I nodded. "How did you get away?" He asked "I was rescued.. by a Ghillie dhu.." the old man seemed sceptical. "I have heard tales of Ghillie dhu's. Never seen one myself.."

"Well you know the fae, secretive little buggers" he nodded in agreement.

"So rumor is you might be able to help me." The old man walked over to a near by side table and poured himself a glass of scotch. "Is that the rumor now?" He asked, taking a drink. "Aye. If you were trying to hide your monster hunter past, ye did a shite job" the old man chuckled. "No, not trying to hide. Just been out of the business for along time now." I walked over to look at the flintlocks in the display case "than why all the secrecy?" I asked "you mean my daughter? She has been like that since the attacks started. She is worried the town will come demanding I do something about it.."

"And that is exactly what has happened!" I turned to see his daughter enter the room with a tray of tea. "That is why you are here isn't it!? To demand my father do something!"

"Kathleen.." her father tried to protest

"He isn't a hunter anymore. He is just a father and a grandfather!"

"Kathleen!" He protested again

"He is just an old man!" She cried

"Kathleen!!" He yelled and his daughter caught herself, holding her head low as she fought back tears.

"You would be wrong lass" I spoke up. She lifted her head to look at me "I have no interest in demanding your father do anything. I'll deal with the monster myself. I am simply looking for some advice on how to kill this bitch" she stared at me a moment before turning to storm out of the room "please forgive my daughter" the old man asked. I dismissed it with a wave of the hand. "My name is John. How may I help you?"

**** 

"Interesting" the old man scratch his beard as I walked him through my fight with the Baobhan sith. "So you only managed to land two hits on her?" Was he making fun of me? Sure felt like it.. "at least I have actually fought one!" The old man chuckled "I meant no offense" he assured me as he stood from his chair and walked around to the other side of his desk. He opened a small wooden box on his desk and pulled out two cigars "smoke?" I accepted the cigar, which he clipped before passing it to me. As he returned to his seat he lit his. We sat in a small sitting area in his study. Two small chairs on either side of a small table, where our tea currently sat, all in front of a nice small stone fireplace. "Can I see the dagger?" He asked, referring to the dagger I had stabbed the monster with. I pulled the dagger from its place at my belt and handed it to him. He chuckled softly "this thing is an antique!"

"It was my father's!" I growled at him "aye I figured!" he said "I have one similar. Military issue. Given to those who fought in the war" I nodded. "This reminds me of something.." he handed the dagger back to me as he rose again, walking over to one of the many bookshelves in the room. He stood there for awhile, looking over all the books before calling out "ah! Here it is!" He pulled a book from the shelf and returned to his seat. He placed his cigar between his teeth and began to flip through the pages. "Here we go!" He pulled his cigar from his mouth and began to read from the book

"...I ran for my horse. The creature had killed all my brothers and I was next. I didn't want to die. She was so fast. I am not sure how I managed to make it to my horse before she could, but she would not come near the beast. I could no understand why. She had taken my eldest brother right off his horse with no problem, but she refused to come close to mine. It was my saving grace. As I mounted the horse she lashed out in anger, spooking the beast, which stood on its hind legs and brought his front legs down onto the creature. The creature hissed loudly as steam rose from her forehead where the horse had kicked her. I did not think anything of it at the time and I used that as my chance to get away. When I was sure I was safe I dismounted my horse and checked his foot. No injuries, but he still had burnt flesh from the monster seared onto its bronze shoe.." 

"Your dagger. It is solid bronze, is it not?" He asked. "Aye. But what makes you think what I fought and what is talked about in that book are the same thing?" I questioned. He flipped a few pages back an began to read again.

"...she had rolled in out of nowhere, almost as if she had rode in on the thick fog that had set. Her skin was ashen grey and she had long black hair with pale blue eyes and she wore the redest dress I had ever seen. Never had I seen a woman of such beauty. Her voice was majestic and pulled all of us into a trance with only a few words.." he paused looking up at me from the pages "sound familiar?" I nodded. There were to many similarities to think this creature being described in the book was not the same kind of creature I had fought. I eyed my dagger closely. "Bronze huh?.. it's something.." 

*****

I thanked the old man for his help and left for town, his daughter watching me from the window until I was out of sight. I returned to my room, which I found had been cleaned and new furniture had been brought in. I removed all my weapons, placing my dirk under my pillow and my claymore, and hammer by my bedside. I hung my baldric off a near by chair, my basket-hilt with it. I took off my coat, there was a soft knock at the door, but before I could answer the door opened and the inn keepers daughter let herself in. "Can I help you?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "Did the old man help you?" She asked, her cheeks were a deep red. Was she blushing? "Aye. A lot. Thank you lass" her cheeks grew darker. "Don't worry about the furniture.. I replaced it before my father could find out you had broken.. so you won't have to pay for it" I looked around the room then back at her, confused "why did you do that?" She didn't say anything. She stood at the door a moment, fidgeting nervously. "Are you okay?" I asked she stormed across the room, threw her arms around me and pressed her lips to mine.

*****

I looked over at the mess of blankets and sheets that was my bed. The inn keepers daughter lay there, sleeping, her face was relaxed and peaceful. I smiled softly before leaving the room and closing the door behind me gently so not to wake her. I paid for my room and left the inn. As I stepped out of the inn I noticed the sky was clear, stars filled the sky. The air was cold and crisp and I found it relaxing the moon, although not full, cast a beautiful glow about the land. "Are you ready to go?" I jumped slightly. I had not expect anyone to be out this late. I was surprised to find John, the old hunter, before me on his horse. "What are you doing here?" I asked, noting he had my horse, ready to go, beside him. "I am not going to let you kill this creature alone" I looked down the road "what about your daughter?" He smiled "she will get over it." I shook my head but did not protest. The help would be welcomed. Not to mention I wasn't going to be able to talk him out of it. I mounted my horse and he tossed me something. Looking down I found it to be a dagger. Another bronze dagger. "You are going to need it" he said before he kicked his horse into motion. "Cocky old man" I said to myself as I slid the dagger into my boot and rode after him.

The photos used are not my own. Full credit to the owners.

Chapter Eleven: The Ghillie dhu and the Baobhan sith.

When the sun rose the next day, I found myself face down in the dirt, and soaking wet. I was still in the circle of stones, it seems I had been there all night, given my current state. I took a moment before moving. I had expected to be overcome by the side effects that come from heavy drinking, but to my suprise, and delight, when I finally did stand, no such effects came over me. Besides being cold, and soaking wet, and the throbbing pain in my hand, I actually felt rather rested and refreshed. Picking up my sword, I made my way down the hill and back to the farm. It was a rather warm, sunny day. A night of heavy rainfall had washed away most of the snow. When I returned to the farm, I let myself into the house and found my father and mother in the sitting room. "There you are. We were getting worried" my father spoke upon seeing me enter the room. My mother gasped "Connor your hand!" I lifted my right hand to examine it. The torn flesh around my knuckles had began to heal in a crude manner. The flesh around the cuts was yellow and purple with small spots of green. When I squeezed my hand into a fist, the healing flesh tore open and a thick yellow substance oozed from the wounds, accompanied by a horrendous smell. Before I could say anything I was taken over by an overwhelming sense of dizziness. Losing my footing I fell forward, my head bouncing off the corner of the sitting room table. The last thing I remember before passing out was my mother's worried screams.


When I opened my eyes again, I sat in my father's chair. My father stood beside me well my mother hovered over me, dabbing my feverish forehead with a cold wet cloth. "What happened?" I asked putting my good hand to my forehead. "You passed out, bashed your head off the table, might need stiches" I chuckled softly "my head will be fine, its use to taking hits.. no I mean why did I pass out?" My mother left the room to fetch some clean cloths "when you tore open your hand you released the infection into your body. I guess it was a shock to the system. But I am no healer." I looked around the room and found all my sisters present and two stable hands "was it really a cause for such an audience?" I asked, trying to get out of the chair, but my father pushed me back down "we need to take care of your hand." The two stable hands grabbed me from behind and held me into the chair well my sisters held my arm as steady as they could "hey! Let go, what the deal!" I protested. "When you broke your knuckles, you didn't set them, so they have healed inna crude manner. They need to be re-broken and set properly. It will be awhile before a healer can get here so we got to do it ourselves." My father took hold of my first finger and with a quick, and powerful, pull and twist, I both felt, and heard the knuckles break, again. I yelled out as the unexpected pain shot up my arm. Finger after finger my father did the same thing, grab and twist. Each knuckle made a nasty crunch noise as it broke. When my mother had finally returned with fresh bandages and splints, my father had finished. My mother set about cleaning the torn flesh, cutting out the dead and infected and sticking it all back together. When all of that was done she washed it with a bottle of whiskey and then with hot, clean water, before splinting it and bandaging it. "Not so bad was it?" My father teased with a slap to my shoulder, which caused my hand to throb as well. "Noo to deal with the fever!" My mother ushered me upstairs.

I spent the next day in bed being watched over by my mother as fever overtook me. Late that night the fever broke and by morning I was feeling much better. My hand was still bandaged and in a splint but it felt much better. I had tried to help around the farm, to keep myself busy, but most of the work had been done and the stuff that still needed to be done, my father would not let me help with, going on about my hand needing to heal. I heaved a heavy sigh and cursed my broken hand. If this was back in Arrakis, I could simply walk up to a healer and ask, and with a few whispering words it would be better, but here, in Caledonia, we did not have the overwhelming magic power flowing from portals, and there for I have never met someone who could heal like they do over there. Remedies and healing herbs for me, which my mother kept tucked away in her apothecary.

It took less than an afternoon for me to go crazy. I was restless, I needed to do something, get off the farm and move around. Soni saddled up my horse, tossed in the new kilt my mother got me, and I managed to slip a glove on over my broken hand so no one could really see that it was broken. I told mother and father I was going into town, that I was restless and needed something to do. Both of them laughed and wished me a safe journey. And with that i set out for the near by town of Spean.

It was only a few hour ride from the farm. As I approached I smiled. When I had left for the capital I went around Spean, it had been awhile since I had been here and I felt slightly nostalgic. This was my home town. I had grown up here and spent lots of time playing in the streets. In the center of Spean there was a large old tree, so old that Spean was actually built around it. It was an unspoken right of passage in Spean, and the surrounding area, that when a boy became a man, he had to make it to the top of the old tree before he could complete become a man. Broke my arm on my first attempt. To this day I don't think anyone has ever made it on their first try. The tree is also special because, despite it always looking dead, it produces a sap that a few small business use to make syrup, honey, and ale. Every year the town holds an auction to decide who gets to harvest the sap. One for syrup, one for honey, and one for ale. Strangely enough, the tree always seems to have more than enough sap to go around. It is a very well respected tree in Spean. As I rode past the tree I took in a deep breath and savored the smell of it. It was sweet, and pleasant, but not like anything I had ever smelt anywhere else.

I rode right past the tree and made my way to the smithy. I paid the craftsmen a few coin to have all of my weapons repaired and sharpened and spent most of my time just walking around the town, looking at small shops, and picking up small trinkets here and there. By the time I collected my weapons it was dark and most of the shops had closed. Deciding it was to late to ride home, I retired to a near by tavern.

I had no other intensions besides eat and drink. As I sat at the bar, I found that the tavern was oddly crowded. As I sat enjoying my food and ale, I learned that it was in fact the celebration of a new year. Another four seasons had passed and the circle would restart. I really had no interest in the starting of a new year. All it meant for me was that I was still alive. So I kept to myself, enjoying my meal and doing my best to block out what I could. Back in Arrakis, to kill time I would sit in inn's and tavern's and listen to people, by doing this I would hear stories about strange disappearances, deaths, monsters, all kinds of things, I would then seek them out. I have fought many monsters and plenty of other things by doing this. It kept me busy and my nomadic wonderlust at bay. As I say here on this small Inn, I could not help but do the same thing. For awhile I heard nothing. And just as I was about to give up for the night, something caught my attention.

"Did you hear about the pour sods in the next town over" one man said

"The four who died?" The second asked

"They didn't just die.." a third added "I hear their blood was drained from all four of them..."

"I hear the town has been having issues like this for months now.." 

I didn't stick around long enough to finish listening. I paid for my meal and my ale and I set out for the next town. It sounded to me like they might have a vampire issue, and I was keen on helping deal with it. If anything, it would keep my mind off past troubles... As I set out toward the town of Brittle, it slowly began to snow again. I had been riding for a couple of hours when o came across a road side inn. I tied my horse up front and walked in. A small bell sounded  and soon a short stubby old man walked out of the back room, followed by a young boy. Both were dressed in their bed clothing and the old man held a small candle in one hand and a large book in the other. As I approached the counter I apologized for the late hour but the old man dismissed it with a wave of his hand "if I minded waking up at all hours of the night, I never would have opened a road side inn my boy" he chuckled softly. It was nice to not have to deal with a grumpy old man. "Name please?" He asked dipping his quill into his bottle of ink. "Connor MacPherson" the old man gazed at me from over his half moon spectacles before writing out my name in the book. He pulled a pocket watch out from a pocket and marked the hour next to my name "how long will you be staying?" He asked as he slid the quill over to the next catagory. "Just a few hours" the old man have a soft "hmph" before filling in something in the next catagory. "My boy will see to your horse" he added as he placed a key on the desk in front of me "that will be three pieces" he asked. I fished out three coins and placed them on the book in front of him and he took them happily. "Boy!" I called out to the kid who would be tending to my horse. "If my horse is well looked after, there will be a tip for yoo in the morning" the boy lit up at the idea and offered a thanks before rushing out to see to my horse. I took the key and thanked the old man and went up the stairs to my right to the room number marked on my key.

When I woke the next morning, the sun had just broken through my window. I quickly got dressed and headed down stairs. The room was empty. The boy and his father must both still be sleeping. I helped myself to a piece of cheese and a chunk of bread that was left out on the counter. I left the boy the tip I had promised and a few pieces for the food I took. I saddled up my own horse and set out again for the town of Brittle, which happened to just be a few miles down the road from the inn.

As I rode into town, the first thing I notice was the cemetery off to my left, and the four fresh graves next to each other. I paused a moment to look at them. As I scanned the grave yard I noticed a few graves that look relatively fresh, compared to the rest. The town seemed rather empty to me, even for such an early hour. My first stop was at yet another inn. This time I booked a room indefinitely, and would pay up when I left, with a small down payment of course. I asked the inn keeper for directions to the undertakers, which I could tell made him uncomfortable, but he told me none the less.  When I entered the undertakers it was a rather plain, single room building. Coffins of various sizes lined the walls and a single desk sat at the far end of the room, which a gangly older man currently sat at, looking over some parchment through a monocle. He looked up as I crossed the room and raised an eyebrow at me. "Not often I see an unfamiliar face in here. How may I help you?" I glanced around the room a moment before answering his question. "You looked after the bodies of the four who belong to those graves I saw coming into town?" His thin grey lips curved into a crooked grin "it was only a matter of time before someone like you came a calling" I glanced at him. "Someone like me?" He chuckled "monster hunter?" I glared at him for a moment "something like that.." the undertake gave a slight nod "uh-huh" he reached under his desk, and instinctively my hand went to my dagger, I had left my hammer and my claymore back in my room, leaving me with just my basket hilt and dagger. "No need for that" he placed a pile of parchment on the desk in front of him "it's all right here" I eyed the parchment a moment and my shoulders slumped with a heavy sigh "I can't read.." the undertake laughed loudly. I didnt say anything. I stood silently and stewed in my silent frustration as the undertake, after a few struggling moments, manager to get a hold of himself. "The four you saw on your way in are not the first. Several young men from the town have all ventured out for hunting, headed for the capital, just for a walk, and all have met with the same fate" he put the papers away since they would be no help here. "Vampire?" I asked. He shrugged "some say Vampire. Most do in fact. Who can say for sure. The bodies are so drained and mutilated no one can say for sure."

After a few more questions I learned where most of the attacks had taken place and returned to my room. I would wait for nightfall and head out to the location. Night came a lot sooner than I had expected it to. Before I knew it, I was walking through a birchwood forest hammer cluched in both hands and my familiar array of weapons strapped around my body. I had been walking for a few hours before I found it. The stone ruins the four bodies had been found in. All the other victims were found in or around this ruin, so I figured it would be a good enough place to start. I entered the ruins, which had crumbled into a single stone courtyard. Almost an hour had passed and nothing had happened. I was starting to grow impatient. Was this thing going to show up? "Oy!" I called out into the night "what's the matter? My blood to tough for you? Can't handle the strong stuff eh!?" I gripped my hammer tight. "Hey! Bitch! Show your self. Pick on and feed on simple folk! But the second a real man steps up you stay hidden!" I paused to listen. As my voice faded into the distance a thick fog began to roll in through the trees.

"What is all that noise about?" I heard a soft, female voice. I turned in the direction it had come from. Slowly a figure began to form in the mist. "I was trying to sleep. That last meal had me so exhausted" slowly the figure took shape. A slender woman with long brown hair and a stunning green dress began to appear, but it was clear she had not noticed me. "Shite!" I cursed before diving behind a large boulder. "That isn't a vampire!" I pressed myself tight against the stone. "I am not prepared for this.." i cursed my stupidity. "It would seem not" I was caught off guard as the woman appeared beside me. Doing the only thing I could think of, I lashed out with my fist but in the blink of an eye she vanished and my already broken fist slammed hard into a stone wall. I roared out in pain and dropped my hammer. It was the small feminine chuckle that pulled my attention away from my throbbing, and now bleeding hand. "Oh my!" Her face grew flushed and she brought her fingers to her lips "that smells amazing!" I looked down at my hand and smiled. Squeezing my hand into a fist, gritting my teeth against that pain, blood oozed from the newly torn flesh "you want some? Come and get it, you bitch!" Her face grew angry, and she charged with super human speed and strength. She crashed into me hard, holding me in her grasp, lifting me off the ground by my neck with one hand, with the other, she forced my broken hand over her mouth and allowed my blood to drip into her mouth. "Hmm.. so full of hate.. so bitter and angry.." she giggled. "You're foockin' gross!" I hissed as I brought my knee up hard into her jaw. She dropped me to the ground and screamed out in pain. I took this chance to snatch up my hammer and ran. I hadn't even made it out of the ruins before she was in front of me again. "Shite" I spat but swung my hammer, one handed, but she moved to fast for me and I was knocked over by the momentum of my own swing. I hit the ground hard, landing on my broken hand, I was really starting to contimplate cutting the damned thing off. Before I could get up the woman kicked my hammer away from me and sat ontop of me, putting a knee down on my broken hand, I tried hard not to show how much it hurt but it was a pointless effort. "No one has ever put up a fight against me. Most find my beauty irresistible! What makes you so different?" She put her face uncomfortablely close to mine "hmm?" I turned my face away from hers "because.." I struggled slightly "I don't.." I gripped my dagger in my hand and pulled it free from my belt "foock monsters!" I drove my dagger deep into her gut. A loud scream ripped through the forest and she pulled away from me, steam rose from where I had stabbed her and she screamed all kinds of curses at me. I gripped my dagger tight and charged her "Creagh dhu!" Once I was within sticking range of her she lashed out at me, she caught me hard in the jaw, lifting me off the ground only to come back down, slamming my head hard into a stone, the world around me grew dark and I watched as the woman shrank away from the ruins, clucthing her middle where I had stabbed her, just before passing out.

When I woke again, I found myself laying in a small forest opening. I had clearly been moved.. but by who.. or by what. It was day time and by the looks of it, almost noon. When I tried to sit up I was forced back down by the pain that shot through my body. 

"You should lay still. Not many a mortal men can say they stood against a baobhan sith (baa'vaan see) and live to tell of it" I could not see the owner of the voice, but I could tell already it wasn't human. The voice sounded earthy and deep. Like a tree straining against a powerful wind. A thick earthy smell of dead leaves and moss hung heavy in the air. Whoever my company was, I could hear them moving around. "What.. who are you?" I asked, feeling around for any of my weapons. "I have removed your weapons. But fear not, for I am no threat" it assured me. "You will forgive if I don't take ya world for it. Many time I have heard a man claim such things only to turn around and slaughter people" there was a long pause "you have known much anger and pain" the voice spoke, there was no real rythm or timing to his words. He spoke as if he had all the time in the world. "Your body and soul are riddled with the scares of a life of hardship. "Aye, what would you know about it!?" I forced myself to sit up, leaning myself against a near by birch tree. I froze for a moment at what I saw. It looked human enough, and appeared to be male. It had long black hair, and he wore a loin cloth and a tunic made of moss and dead leaves. His toes and his fingers were both clawed with thick black claws and his skin had a soft green tint to it. He was a muscular figure and must have stood close to seven feet tall, or so I guess, he was sitting down on a large stone when first saw him. "You're.. you're a Ghillie dhu!" I caught myself saying in awe.

I had heard of them from stories my mother used to tell me as a child, and almost anytime you heard about them, it was in kids fairy tails. I had never met anyone who had seen one before, but I was sure that is what he was "that is the name you mortals have given me and my kind" he confirmed my suspicions i eased up a little, as much as one could without their weapons anyways. Ghillie dhu's were supposed to be solitary, kindly and reticent creatures yet sometimes wild in character but had a gentle devotion to children. Harmless. Although his stature did not give off that impression. "Why am I here?" I asked, looking around to both take in my surroundings and look for my weapons. "I watched you fight the blood woman. I have seen her take many lives. But you are the first to ever wound her. I saw you, hurt, laying in the ruins and brought you here to heal" he pointed slowly to a small pond of sparkling water. Even his motion's were slow and tree like. "Soak in the hot spring and it will heal all your wounds" he informed me. "Why help me?" I questioned. The creature shrugged "I do not know. I feel it is the right thing to do." 

I looked from him to the water and back to him "I can't." The creature tilted its head at me questioningly "you doubt me?" He asked softly "I don't fully trust yoo, but even if that wasn't the case.. I uh.. I canna swim.." the creature smiled, and for a moment I thought it might have even chuckled. "The water is not deep. You will not Drowned." I examined the water from my spot across the clearing and sighed heavily. I managed to get to my feet and stumbled over to the hot spring. It was at this moment that I realized the clearing I was in was lush and green and untouched by snow, despite the heavy snowfall the day before. Slowly I lowered myself into the water and found it was indeed no deeper than my knees. So i let myself sink to a sitting position, not caring to remove anything I had been wearing. With how stiff and sore I was I doubt I could have gotten anything off anyways. I felt it almost instantly, the healing powers of the water. My body relaxed and all the pain lifted from my muscles and bones. Even my broken hand started to feel much better, almost like I hadn't broken it at all. 

"You are a strange kind, you Highlanders" I had almost forgotten about the creature, I was so lost in my relaxation. I jumped to my feet and got out of the water, angry at myself for letting my gaurd down. "What will you do now?" The creature asked "I'll go after the bitch again" I told him as I pulled off my gloves to examin my hand, which had healed completely. I had never seen healing magic like this, not outside of Arrakis anyways. I shouldn't have been surprised though, his kind were said to be fae. And who knows what limits they may or may not have. Especially in a place like Caledonia where the Vail between the two worlds is practically nonexistent. "How do you plan to deal with her?" He asked. I thought about it a moment "guess you wouldn't know how to kill her would you?" It was more of a joke than a serious question, but he shook his head yes "I don't suppose you will tell me huh?" He shook his head no. "You should not be so reckless and eager to fight her again" I rolled my eyes "now you are starting to sound like Kampi and Ajax" he looked at me questioningly "are they friends of yours?" I shook my head "aye. Like kin" the creature smiled "brotherhood beyond blood. Why do they not hunt with you than?" He asked "they are across the sea. Just my luck though isn't it. If anyone could figure out how to beat this creature it would be Ajax." The creature finally stood from his stone and walked over to me, I braced myself, ready for anything. Slowly he opened his hand, in it he held a small black pebble. "For one turn of the sun this can take you to see your friend." I looked at him suprised.. "really?" The creature nodded "but no this, by the setting of the sun the magic will wain and to here you shall return." I was confused not only by the things he said but how he said them, why do people always insist on talking to me like I am smarter than I am? But it also confused me on why he would offer this up so easy. "I have never known a fae to offer anything willingly without there being some sort of catch.. what happens to me if I use this?" The creature sighed heavily and looked out at the Forrest around him. "Children used to run around these woods and play. This forest was once full of the laughter of them, it would echo for miles and bring a peacefulness to the forest like nothing else could.. those laughs don't echo here anymore.. just the screams and the sounds of death.. the forest is poisoned by the blood of the innocent.. she has tainted the forest.." he turned back to look down at me "purhaps if you can defeat her, the laughter will return."

I do not own any of these photos. All and full credit to the owners.