AND SHE WAS NOT AN ADVENTURE I FLYNN CARSEN

Snakes And Ladders

Snakes And Ladders

"Not bad for their" -

- "only" -

- "first time out," Charlene said, looking reprovingly over the top of her tortoiseshell glasses at Flynn.

Flynn scowled at Charlene, still annoyed at her attempts to drag him back into the wider world. She didn't understand what it meant to be the Librarian, the losses and the loneliness, the long nights and empty days.

As Eve and the others gathered around the Crown, Clara hung back, at war with herself. But inch by inch, she edged closer, reaching out for the Crown, heart beating fast in her chest. Her obsession with King Arthur was something she tried to keep hidden, repressed even, but in the face of being confronted with his Crown, Clara couldn't contain herself anymore.

"Hey!" Flynn admonished, slapping her hand aside. "Don't touch! You'll die! Especially with a middle name like yours!"

"What is your middle name?" Ezekiel asked curiously.

"It's Guinevere," Clara said, glaring at Flynn, "you should know that by now."

"Hey, if I can't steal it, I'm not interested," Ezekiel said, shrugging his shoulders. "If it's not nailed down, I'm gone."

"And anyways," Flynn said, frowning at them, "that was a job well done, so... well done!"

They all looked at each other, Jacob catching Clara's eye, making her look away.

"Flynn, what did you do on your first time out?" Cassandra asked curiously.

"I... I recovered the Spear of Destiny," Flynn said uncomfortably."And discovered the real meaning of cheese triangles."

"Now you're just showing off," Jacob said, folding his arms.

"I'm just getting started," Flynn parried.

"Clara?" Flynn asked, making her turn around.

"What is it?" Clara asked uneasily. She'd hidden herself in the Reference section, figuring nobody would figure out where she was, but she'd obviously underestimated Flynn's finding abilities.

"I've got something for that ankle of yours," Flynn said, holding up a cobalt blue decanter.

"Is that magic medicine?" Clara said sceptically.

"I'm afraid so," Flynn said, indicating for her to take a seat on the stone bench.

Against her will, Clara sat down. As Flynn kneeled down in front of her, Clara's gaze drifted over his irregular features and broad shoulders, wondering at the sheer impossibility of him, how it could have been her in his place. Flynn glanced up, catching her eye, making her hastily look away.

"One little dab and Bob's your uncle," Flynn said offhandedly, averting his face.

"I did have an uncle called Bob, actually," Clara said, wincing as his large hand steadied her ankle.

"Really?"

"Really, really," Clara said sarcastically, watching as he unstoppered the decanter, pouring some of the electric blue liquid over her bare skin, a sickly smelling mist enveloping her ankle.

"There you go, all done," Flynn said, getting up.

"Wait," Clara said, stopping him, "can't you do something for Cassie?"

Flynn looked at her for a long moment, before sitting down on the bench beside her, rearranging his long limbs accordingly. "With magic, it's possible," he said, sighing heavily, "but cheating death comes at a price. In the end, I'm not sure it's really worth it."