Dullahan

5 - Bedtime Story - 4

A hand on his shoulder jolted him awake, eyes opening wide to see Leola once more standing over him. He flinched at the sight, the pale white of the skull all too fresh in his mind. The old woman's laugh was loud and carefree, and she patted him reassuringly.

"Oh you poor dear, you must have been having a nightmare to jump out of your skin like that!" The kindly smile that swept in as her laughter died to a chuckle held a more ominous edge to it now, her eyes colder than the warmth the rest of her face suggested.

The boy suppressed his sigh of relief as the old woman stepped back, expression melting into a more pensive appraisal, one he recognised from the morning prior as the examination of his wounds.

He raised a hand to his face at the thought, fingers finding the scab on his cheek- all that remained of the gash he had sustained less than a week ago. It wasn't infected or inflamed, and it did not hurt or sting. He marvelled at the speed of his recovery- he'd had injuries before, skinned knees or cuts on his limbs, and the worst of those had taken a few days to get to the point where this injury had reached.

"I should be strong enough to complete your healing later today- then you can rest up tonight, and Ness can whisk you away tomorrow," the old woman said with a hint of disappointment, her voice breaking through his thoughts. He returned his attention to her, trying to reconcile the kindly healer with the workroom he had seen downstairs.

Ness moved for the first time, Eldred's attention immediately drawn to her sudden movements as she rose from her spot. The old woman's smile faded a little at the sound, and she glanced over her shoulder at the figure, waiting for the inevitable protest.

But this time, Ness said nothing. A twinge of worry tugged at Eldred's insides- he'd hoped Ness would insist they leave today. He didn't want to spend any longer in this house, in the dark room with its long shadows, with the at times overpowering scent that seemed to permeate the very walls of the house.

The old woman shrugged, returning her attention to him and taking a step forward.

Eldred leaned back involuntarily, eyes widening in fear at the prospect of Leola getting any closer. She stopped, head turning ever so slightly to one side, eyes narrowing. The smile remained fixed on her face.

"Well," she said, exhaling. "I'm going to prepare breakfast- come down when you've woken up fully." She smiled wider for a moment, a glint of her teeth showing through pale lips, before she turned away from him and left the room. Her shuffling steps took her back out into the landing, before they disappeared down the stairs and the following hallway.

Eldred watched the door she had disappeared through, remaining still until he heard the quiet sound of the kitchen door closing, followed by the muffled sound of pots and pans being moved around beneath him. His shoulders dropped as he let out the breath he had been holding, glad that for a short while at least he would not have to confront Leola.

"What happened last night?"

The voice made him jump, the armoured figure having faded into the corners of his mind, dismissed momentarily against the greater threat of the old woman. He had forgotten that Ness stood in the corner of the room, standing so still that she might have been an empty suit of armour. Momentary panic flared in his chest as her question processed a few moments later, delayed by his surprise. "Nothing," he said after a delay, watching the visor of her helmet. "I'm fine," he added, "I had a nightmare is all."

They stood in silence for a few moments, until Ness moved toward the door, beckoning him to follow. "Come along, then, there is food to eat."

He hesitated for only a moment, still sitting in his covers as she disappeared through the doorway. Then he slid off of the bed, and followed along behind, bare feet loud on the bare wooden boards.