A/N: This is a short story/comic book script hybrid. Honest, critical reviews are encouraged.
Coin
Never should ye steal from the Gwragedd Annwn, lest ye shoulde become prisouner of the Houghlinge Forrest!
-Anon., c.1351
*Note: text in parentheses () shows story details that'll be expressed visually in the comic.
- Scene 1 -
The Land Rover rounded a sharp turn off the country road, jostling Lara awake in the back seat.
"Richard! Shouldn't you have taken that slower? We almost got wrapped around a tree!"
"I've been driving for more than thirty years; I know what a vehicle can handle,"
"We've precious cargo aboard," she replied sternly, then craned her neck around to see behind her. "Did that wake you up, darling?"
"And then some," Lara rubbed her face where it had smacked into the window. "Are we there yet?"
"Almost."
Lara wiped some fog off the window and spotted a deer flitting through the trees. Wales is so gorgeous in the wintertime, she thought. Richard slowed the vehicle as they made their way across a cobblestone bridge. The river underneath them drew a silver thread through the rambling mountain valley beyond; there was no better place to spend a postcard-perfect holiday. A quaint stone cottage came into view, nestled into a hillside.
"Ooh, is this the one?"
"That's the one," Richard grinned.
After they pulled over, Lara grabbed her rucksack and jogged to the door of the cottage. She gave a start at the threshold when she knocked something over that shattered on the ground. "A bowl of milk! Is there a cat here?"
"That's for the fae folk. The caretaker must've left it before we arrived," Richard explained, shifting the luggage he was carrying to get to the keys in his coat pocket.
"Fae folk? Like faeries? That's so silly."
"I thought you liked myths and legends and all sorts of fancies," he teased.
"Only children believe in faeries," she rolled her eyes.
"Many people still hold on to old superstitions. The Welsh have such a rich tradition of folklore, I'll have to get you a book on it," he unlocked the door and set his luggage down inside, "well then, clean that up, and you can help me gather some wood for the fireplace."
- Scene 2 –
THWAK!
The log bled sparks as it split in half. (The log resembles a gnarled face, though none of the characters notice this) "That's odd…" Richard wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Look at this," Lara crouched and retrieved something from the ground. She held her mittened hand flat to show him a crusty disk with a fresh notch cut on the edge.
"Could that have come from – No, impossible," he grabbed one the log halves, and found a round niche pressed into the grain of the wood. "Let's bring this inside and have a closer look."
-Scene 3-
The disk was carefully cleaned with makeshift archaeological tools: a pastry brush, some skewers, cotton swabs, and jewelry polish. Amelia took one glance at the dining table and sighed at the hodgepodge of reference books, magnifying lenses, and household supplies taking it over. "Have you figured out what it is yet?"
"It's a coin. It must be incredibly old, the markings are all but weathered away," he turned it over in his hand "it's made of gold, and see here – a hint of a profile. I'd say this is probably Roman."
"That means it must be over two thousand years old!" Lara exclaimed.
"Maybe. The Romans started issuing coins around 280 B.C. But they were around the British and Welsh isles for much longer after that, of course. What can you find about gold coins from Rome, Lara?"
"This looks a bit like what we've found – a Double Aureus of Gallienus. Very rare. That places it at around the mid to late 3rd century."
"Lovely. Finding an old Roman coin isn't terribly remarkable on its own, but how do you imagine a tree grew around it? I've never heard of such a thing."
"Fascinating, isn't it?...Can I keep it?"
"Of course, poppet," he handed the coin to her and left to the study.
"Don't stay up too late, Lara. Your father has planned a hiking trip for the three of us tomorrow."
"Yes, mum," Lara tucked a few of the reference books under her arm and went upstairs.
-Scene 4-
Lara set the heavy tome down, blinking blearily. How could she sleep after a discovery like this? "Why is it so cold in here?" she hugged her arms to her body. She saw that one of the windows had been left ajar. "Who leaves a window open during the winter? Mental!" she heaved it shut.
There was an odd little squeak behind her.
She turned around and her eyebrows flew up under her fringe. A small, luminescent something was trying with all its might to lift the coin from the quilt. Lara had seen some strange, horrible things in Ireland last summer, but nothing quite like this. It's a…faerie?!
The wee thing stopped its struggling long enough to notice it had been spotted, then hefted the coin onto its shoulder and made a mad dash for the door, scrambling underneath it like a mouse. Lara uttered a gasp. "Hey! That's mine!" she said in a fierce whisper. It must've headed outside again.
Lara climbed down the stairs as stealthily and hastily as she could manage. She cracked open the front door and stared out into the twilight. A tiny light was heading for the tree line. A thrill went up Lara's back. She grabbed her coat and a torch and closed the door quietly behind her. I'll never catch up to it on foot. Didn't father mention the caretaker kept a horse here? As if it could read her mind, Lara heard a snort coming from a nearby shed, accompanied by a swishing tail.
-Scene 5-
Lara rode hard toward the tree line in the direction she had seen the…thing…make off with her coin. She spotted the creature again at the edge of a lake deep in the woods. It was teasing her!
Suddenly the horse took off at a wild gallop for the water, nearly throwing Lara off. She clung on for dear life as the faerie sniggered and fled across the surface of the lake like a skipping stone.
SPLOOSH!
The mad horse dove into the water and went under, turning its neck around to grab Lara by her coat and drag into the depths with it. She fought and struggled hopelessly to escape. The surface of water bubbled, and then turned languid again.
(As Lara sinks, we see a pair of arms wrap around her.)
-Scene 6-
Lara awoke with a splutter, gasping and coughing on the snowy ground.
"Chi agos boddedig!" a female voice came from beside her.
"*cough!* what?"
"You almost drowned," she spoke with a soft, rolling accent similar to what Lara had heard in Southern Wales. Lara sat up and got a better look at the woman kneeling beside her. She had a pale, oval face framed by very long, strawberry blonde hair.
"The horse dragged me into the water!"
"That was no horse."
"Yeah, it was a mad horse!"
"No. It was a Kelpie."
Lara opened her mouth to correct the woman, but decided otherwise. She must be one of those superstitious folk father was talking about.
"Come with me. You will freeze like this," the woman stood and helped her up. Lara followed her through the woods. After some time had passed in silence, Lara spoke:
"Um…I should've said this before…thanks for saving me. I'm Lara, by the way. What's your name?"
"Seren. I didn't save you, I found you."
At last they entered a clearing with a worn old castle. Only one dilapidated tower was left standing; it resembled a giant's rook. Great. I've followed a tramp into the woods. Why do I suddenly feel like I should be in a Grimm tale? Lara snorted at her own private joke.
Seren wordlessly opened the door on the side of the tower and gestured for Lara to come inside.
-Scene 7-
(Lara is sitting in front of an old wood stove wearing some clothes Seren lent her. Her own clothes are drying on a rack nearby.)
Seren handed Lara a mug of mead. "Thank you,"
She sat across from Lara and took a slow sip from her own mug, never taking her eyes off her.
"I see you collect antiques," Lara attempted to break the silence. The tower was cluttered with curios – silver tea sets, boxes, musical instruments, helmets, astrolabes, busts and statuettes teetered on top of stacks of leather bound books. Tapestries, paintings, maps, and mounted animal heads adorned the walls.
"Welcome back, Enfys," Seren said, gazing dreamily into the fire.
"Pardon?"
Lara turned to see the little faerie she'd been chasing squeeze through a mouse hole into the tower. Enfys tossed Lara's coin onto a pile of others, where it landed with a tiny *clink!*.
"Well done, my pet," Seren stroked the creature's little head. Enfys made cooing noises and gleefully ate the cookie Seren handed it with tiny, pointed teeth. "Greedy men are always taking my treasures from me. It all gets returned, eventually," her pale eyes narrowed, and for a second, the grimace sharpened her delicate features into something cruel, inhuman. Lara was too amazed to speak.
They drank in silence once more until Seren set down her mug and rose to her feet. "You must rest now. I'll see you in the morning." She climbed a tiny spiral staircase up to the loft in the top of the tower, and Enfys followed after her.
Now Lara was all alone on the ground floor of this strange tramp's tower. I have to get out of here. She listened intently for the stirring noises from the loft to stop. Finally all was still. She walked around the room once more and came upon the pile of coins. There was a medley of galleons, Greek dishekels, Cappadocian silver, Parthian drachms…and her gold Roman coin. It's mine now.
-Scene 8-
Lara bent to pick up her coin when she heard a yowl nearby. Enfys! The wicked little thing was going to rat on her! Time to run for it. She raced out the door into snow and the dark of the night. She was shoeless and lost, but she had to get away.
A scream of rage pealed from far behind her as she ran. Lara gained some speed and hid in a thicket to catch her breath.
*crunch* *crunch*
There was something out there in the snow. Something on four legs. Perhaps a deer?
Whatever it was, it started sniffing around the thicket she was hiding in.
Then it growled.
She bolted out of her hiding spot toward some water ahead – the lake! She knew where she had to go now. The icy wind howled through the trees as Lara sprinted desperately to edge of the forest. Her four-legged pursuer was gaining on her. The cottage was almost in view now through the trees. Almost, almost…
creeeeEEEEAAAAAAAAAAK –CRACK!
Lara turned around just in time to see a huge tree fall on the creature that followed her – a silver wolf. It gave a pitiful cry as the tree crushed it. (The trees in this scene look somewhat like people hunched over in agony).
Lara ran the rest of the way out of the forest and blindly into her father's arms.
"My god, Lara! What happened to you? Where have you been?"
She was shaking, with tears streaming down her face. Her feet were bleeding on the snow,
"I…I went out riding in the forest. The horse threw me and I got lost." You'd never believe me if I told you the truth.
(The last panel shows Lara and her father heading back to the cottage.)
-The End-