Dullahan

4 - Old Woman - 1

BRIGHT SUNLIGHT AWAITED JUST outside the mouth of the tunnel, tall green grass sprouting from the ground just beyond, with a small path of shorter grass cutting through the middle. It was too bright for Eldred to see much at first, and he shielded his eyes as Ness took them out of the tunnel, the final torches extinguishing as Ardghal's hooves cleared the stone floor and stepped onto soft grass. Eldred payed no attention to either of his travelling companions, looking around him in every direction, twisting on the horse to try and make sense of what his eyes were telling him. They had emerged from the side of a medium-sized hill, grassy green slope rising up behind the door and ending a little ways up, rounding off far, far sooner than it should have if it was supposed to contain the entire tunnel they had just traversed. The sky above was a brilliant blue, cloudless in the afternoon sun. The air seemed colder than it should have been- as though the blinding sun above them was giving off no heat- but it stirred with wind that rustled the branches of nearby trees, setting the grass off swaying and sweeping through the emerald green meadows that seemed to stretch out before them. Everything seemed so bright and vibrant, leaving the world they had seemingly just left behind feeling dull and grey in comparison. The red and yellow of the autumn leaves that were carried by the wind seemed like gems, coming to rest on rich brown earth. The terrain before them spread out, hills rising taller than Eldred had ever seen, intermixed with the flatter, rolling meadows that stretched toward the horizon. He saw, off to one side, the beginnings of a huge forest, trees giants against even the hills they backed up onto. He swore, farther beyond, pale blue in the distance, he could see huge shapes moving, floating above the ground. They lacked the ethereal, insubstantial outline of clouds, instead ending in hard lines that suggested something solid.

Closer to them, further down a slope just a short ways from where they stood, Eldred saw the beginnings of a lake, waters blue and clear, glittering in the light of the sun. Snaking from it and tumbling over rocks and twisting between the hills, he saw a river. He was speechless, taking in everything at once and yet taking in none of it. He caught himself wondering what Cal and May would think of this view- which landmark they would want to explore first, where they would want to visit and see more of. Then, he thought about what his mother might have said. Would she have been anxious and wary? Would she have warned him not to go too far? Or would she too have been caught up in the beauty of the landscape.

His wonder fell away with the advance of darker thoughts, and he returned his attention to his immediate surroundings, looking back at the tunnel behind them.

"This place is my home," Ness said into the silence. She was still holding onto the reins, turned toward the horse and the boy.

"What's it called?" Eldred asked after a moment, looking back toward her. "Are we still in England?"

"We call it Telthame," she said, "but no, we are no longer in England. We are somewhere else, both distant and close to your homeland."

He frowned at the cryptic words, but he had started to become accustomed to the odd things Ness would say, and had come to accept what she wouldn't tell him, as well. "Is the doctor near? Why couldn't we go to one before?"

"I know little of healers in your lands, and what I do know does not fill me with comfort. This doctor is one I have known for a number of years- I know that at least she can see to your wounds and give adequate treatment. I am sorry that you had to travel so far."

He lifted a hand to his face, brushing over the wound that marked his cheek. One question still remained, the answer to which was arguably the most important to him. "Who are you?" It was a question he'd asked Ness before- revealing to him both her name, and a connection to his father, but he remained unsatisfied with both answers. He watched her intently, staring up into the visor of her helmet, hoping he might catch even a glimpse of the face within, some indication of an expression or some emotion.