Wayward (Prince Arthur x Oc)

Chapter 11: In which things get a bit wet

Arthur rushed back towards the river. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten to put her charm back on when he was redressing! It was a gift from her and he had just thrown it on the ground and forgotten about it!

There was no point it beating himself up over it though, he was going to get it back. He still remembered roughly where they had sat down and the charm had hopefully not been moved by anything during the time they were away. He was going to get it back and then return to Edda like nothing had ever happened.

It was as he started hearing the sound of water as he suddenly found himself stopping in his tracks. A strange melody entered his ears, it was a light airy tune that slipped through the trees, and danced around him.

It was the most beautiful sound Arthur had ever heard in his entire life.

He had to get closer to it.

As he exited out of the foliage, and reached the spot he and Edda had been at, he spotted a silhouette on top of the rushing water, it was holding a shiny violin in it's hand which it gracefully played.

The music moved around him like a soft breeze, pulling him closer. It was still to faint, he had to hear it better.

He walked closer to the river, his eyes never moving from the source of the melody that played in his ears. Not paying a single mind to where he was putting his feet, yet still somehow not tripping on a single thing.

And not noticing or caring as his boots kicked something light and sent it into the water with a plop.

He was almost by the edge of the river, but he wasn't close enough. He had to get c-

There was a loud shrieking sound from behind him, making him completely snap out of the trance he was in, but only for a moment. The silhouette seemed a bit startled, stopping it's playing, but them returning to it, with a more overpowering melody to block out the screaming sound that was growing louder and louder.

He moved forward again, the urge to hear the music better once again gripping him. And then there was no more land to put his foot on.

Arthur finally realised what he was doing, but it was too late, he was already toppling forward.

And he began falling.

Towards the rushing water.

And the ragged stones, waiting to break him, beneath it.

A hand gripped the back of his collar, pulling him away just as he was going to touch the water and into a warm embrace. He could feel the person who was holding him breath hasty breaths as their arms tightened around him.

There was a voice coming from above him, speaking words he couldn't quite make out, his head feeling fuzzy and the melody still wrapping itself around his brain like a snake.

He looked to see the silhouette, now standing up turned towards him, still playing the violin, but now also speaking words he couldn't make out, while looking above him.

The silhouette was a man, almost nude where it not for the water flora that draped itself across his body, making it look like he just had stepped out of the river after playing with it's weeds. The man looked distinctly human, but there was something off about him, something strange that nagged at Arthur's fuzzy brain.

The man smiled to something above Arthur, but the smile never reached his eyes, which looked cold and dull, strangely reminiscent of those of a dead fish.

Arthur felt hands touch his face, attempting to pull his gaze away from the, now frankly sort of terrifying, man. He struggled against the hands, he needed to keep his eyes on the source of that music, what if it disappeared when he wasn't looking!