Drumwe Isles

chapter twenty five

For the most part, there was little to halt the group's progress through Fallburne. They passed countless trees and anywhere from four to seven streams with little interruption and even less conversation. Things were at the best tense, and at the worst fragile, between the members of the group ever since Lynet had joined them. Kieran stuck to Lynet obsessively, never falling into a rested or trusting position towards the woman.

Enid and Cael led the way, the tension between them slowly dissipating as they got nearer to the tree. Enid had wanted some sort of apology from the man but very swiftly realised she wasn't going to get one and abandoned the idea altogether. They came upon a set of caverns and they all halted upon detecting the noises coming from them.

"What is that?"

Enid shrugged, scanning the cave entrance with scepticism.

"Singing Caves."

Their heads shot to Lynet, who'd hardly even breathed in their directions up until that point. The woman drew a languid breath and gestured to the caves.

"You've heard of them?"

Lynet nodded, saying nothing else of the matter.

"We can rest here for a moment."

Kieran and Enid nodded, letting their bags crunch on the leaves.

"Cael."

He turned to Kieran, raising a brow.

"Watch her, I'm going to take a leak."

Cael nodded as he watched his friend's back disappear into a set of trees. He turned his attention to Lynet and analysed her. Her chestplate was of the more revealing variety and he could see her ribs poking out against her tanned skin. When Lynet caught him staring, a dark expression crossed her face.

"I will cut you."

Cael shrugged.

"You haven't eaten."

Lynet rolled her eyes and took a seat with her back to one of the large redwoods. Cael pulled out some of his berries from Niall and offered a few of them to Lynet. Her eyes scanned him with a natural cynicism, from his expression to his extended arm. Weighing the matter in her mind, she eventually snatched the berries from his hand. She began to consume one of them, waiting a great while before she carried on to the rest. Enid was off near the cave entrance, inspecting the sound being emitted.

Suddenly there was a shout off in the distance.

Cael jumped to his feet, Enid turned to them.

"It's Kieran."

Cael darted off instantly in the direction of his shield brother. His eyes ran wildly about the greenery, looking for any side of the fluffy blonde hair or broad shoulders.

"Kieran!"

Cael shouted at the top of his voice. A moment later he heard a shuffling sound in some bushes and went to them. When his eyes found Kieran his heart was slamming loudly.

"What's the matter?"

His friend's eyes looked worried as he went to speak.

"Magic. It was a pixie. They uhm, they got me."

His words were scattered and he hadn't moved from his position in the bush.

"Kieran, what's wrong?"

The blonde man looked uncomfortably at the ground.

Without speaking, he moved out of the bush and Cael's eyes were saucers. Where Kieran's legs should have been, there was a long and snakelike tail. It was an ashen grey, strikingly different from the green and brown of the forest floor.

"Oh."

Cael was completely lost as to what to do or say.

"You guys will have to go on without me."

"Like hell!"

Enid had joined Cael's side and was likewise soaking in the shock of the moment. Lynet was at Enid's back and looked entirely unaffected by the sight in front of her. Cael turned his head back to Kieran and scanned his face worriedly.

"We aren't going anywhere without you."

"Well I'm not going anywhere like this."

Cael cringed. Enid was completely silent.

"How do we even go about undoing this?"

Lynet shuffled a bit behind them and they turned to her.

"You'd have to get the Elves to help you."

Kieran threw his arms up in despair.

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life as a damned snake."

"No. No you're not."

"You think the Elves are going to help us? After we've stolen from them and enraged the forest spirits? And for what, so a king and queen can be immortal?"

Cael ran a hand through his jet black waves. Despite being pessimistic about the whole ordeal, Kieran still had a point.

"I think the Elves'll do anything for the right amount of coin."

"The Elves care little for coin, it isn't amongst their priorities."

Lynet's voice cracked like a whip when she spoke of them and her face contorted. Whatever issue she had with them, it was personal.

Kieran had a dazed look about him now. As though he'd given up and retreated into his own head. Cael was pacing about, thinking hard.

"I'm sure they have healers for this sort of thing in Euridayl."

"They do."

Enid's eyes scanned Lynet's face at the sentiment. Obviously, Lynet had at least been there before. She figured it was possible that was where the bandit hailed from.

"We can go to Euridayl and find a healer."

"When? With what boat?"

Cael growled at Enid but he knew she was right.

"Damn it."

"We have to keep going."

Kieran was back to the land of the living now, quiet.

"Kieran, you have to come with us. We can't do it without you."

Kieran scanned Cael's face, his expression unreadable.

"I can't do it without you."

Kieran sighed and crossed his arms.

"Fine. But if I die as a snake I'll never forgive you."

Cael almost let a smile slip but kept his face serious.

"Well alright. Do you need someone to carry your things?"

Kieran shook his head, blonde hair flopping.

With the matter settled, they began to carry on through the woods, doing their best to avoid staring at Kieran's tail for too long and keeping weary eyes out for more pixies. 

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