Dullahan

9 - Other - 1

QUIET MOVEMENT WOKE ELDRED from sleep. At first, he was confused, wondering why someone was in his room, why they were moving around while he slept. Then, he remembered the night before, and Ness's news of her departure. He felt a pang of terror at the thought of being left alone in the castle, a sharp reminder of the fear that had washed through him the night before. He was unsure where he stood with Ness- he didn't know how to feel about her, whether he could trust her or not. Their relationship to this point had moved through cycles of closeness and alienation, moments where he felt he understood more of her than he had before, followed by the revelation that there was far more he did not know about the dullahan than he ever imagined. While currently, she seemed far more of a stranger than a friend to him, there was just enough familiarity about her that the idea of her leaving him alone in this castle was unfathomable.

He listened for a few moments before he opened his eyes just a crack. The room was still dark, but the vaguest hint of dawn provided enough light that he could discern Ness's armoured form moving in front of him. Had she not been wearing her armour, Eldred was certain she would have been silent. She opened drawers without a sound, the wood gliding over itself even as the metal plates that encased her limbs scraped and slid, the chainmail links beneath her breastplate clinking, the leather gloves creaking. He shut his eyes again, able to track her progress through the room. He did not know what she was collecting- she had travelled light when they rode here together, and Eldred hadn't seen her bring anything to the room after she had stabled Ardghal.

Still, it took her a few minutes to gather all that she needed, before her footsteps took her to the door. Eldred held his breath in anticipation, daring to hope that she would change her mind and remain here, in the castle. He understood what she had said the night before, he had seen the Court and heard their threat in person, but still he could not shake the selfish desire for her to remain within the castle.

She waited at the door, and Eldred could feel her watching him. Then, he heard the door close, and he was alone within the room again.

He pulled his legs up within the covers, shivering against the sudden cold of the room, and tried to let himself fall asleep again.

A knock at the door woke him from his sleep. The room was light now, everything in clear detail. He was still cold, the warmth from the fire the night before dissipated into the night. He blinked a few times, processing what it was that had startled him away. A second, more insistent knock had him pulling the covers off and wobbling to his feet.

He swayed for a moment, vision darkening before his head cleared and he opened the door.

Standing outside, a small wooden tray in his hands, was the kitchen boy Eldred had seen the day before. The boy's face lit up at the sight of him, a friendly grin not dissimilar to the one he had offered the day before. Behind him, a furred black tail swayed from side to side.

Eldred attempted to smile back, although he feared his attempt leaned more towards concern than friendliness.

"Your breakfast!" the boy announced, holding out the tray to Eldred.

Bewildered, Eldred took it. "T-Thank you," he managed, getting very close to dropping it as the other boy released his grip on the wood, allowing the unexpected full weight of the tray and its contents to fall entirely on Eldred.

"I heard you went to the stables yesterday," the boy continued, his words filled with excitement, eyes wide, "Is it true that the dullahan tried to kill the stablehands?"

Eldred stared at the boy, unable to comprehend how he was so cheerful whilst talking about Ness almost killing someone.

"Nor said that the King himself had to come down and call her off, but Murna thinks the Queen did instead, which one was it?"