The Gargoyle of Yorkshire Wood
A Gargoyles Fanfic by Quill N. Inque
I do not own Gargoyles.
Chapter 3
Tom finished picking his chicken drumstick clean, and sat back with a satisfied belch. "Aaah," he sighed in a sated manner, "That was good, if I do say so myself."
Anne looked askance at him. "It's rude to burp at the table, you know."
The gargoyle winked at her cheekily. "My castle, my rules, luv."
"True," she admitted, "But I daresay a few manners wouldn't kill you."
"And lightening up wouldn't harm you either," Tom replied. "C'mon, I wanna show you something!"
"Where are we going?"
Tom fluttered his wings expressively. "You don't think these are just for show, do you? Would you like to find out what our fair Yorkshire looks like from the air?"
Anne's heart leaped in her chest. "Really?"
"Sure!" Tom said, grinning hugely. "I love gliding on clear nights like this! It's buckets of fun! You're not afraid of heights, are you?" he asked seriously.
"I don't think so…" Anne replied softly. "You can really fly?"
"No," Tom said. "Not true flight, anyway. I can only glide on currents of wind. Don't worry, though, I won't let you fall, I promise."
Anne looked at the tarnished band on her finger, and remembered that Tom was her new husband. She really had no alternative but to trust him. "Okay," she said, summoning up her courage. "I think I would like to experience gliding with you."
The smile that lit up the gargoyle's face outshone the moonlight. "Follow me," he said. "We need to take off from the highest tower; the best winds for gliding circulate up there." He motioned for her to follow him up the corroding staircase, but Anne hesitated for fear of falling through the old wooden steps.
"Oh, don't worry," Tom said reassuringly. "It's more solid than it looks. It supports my weight, after all."
"And just how old are you?" Anne asked.
"Thirty-six," Tom replied. "About the same as eighteen for a human. You coming or not?"
She gulped nervously and ascended the stairs after him, wincing at each creak and groan from the weathered planks. They held, though, and the newlyweds reached the top of the tower without further incident. Anne was decidedly short of breath as she finally caught up with Tom; climbing eight stories would, after all, tax one's physical endurance.
With a thunderous clap, Tom's bronze-colored wings unfolded to their full length, and he made quite the imposing sight. But it was the scene below them that took Anne's breath away.
The cool ocean breeze was salty in her nostrils, and on the rocks below the waves crashed and pounded their frenzied rhythm, as they had done for untold centuries. A seagull's plaintive cry punctuated the serenity, and the full moon cast its shine upon the ocean's surface as the stars twinkled and winked like a thousand Christmas lights.
It was a scene of nature worthy of mankind's greatest artists, a masterpiece of nature that few were privileged to witness.
Tom sidled up to his "wife". "Magnificent, huh?" he asked softly. "No matter how many times I see it, I'm still amazed."
"It is quite lovely," Anne admitted. "I had no idea the sea could be this beautiful."
"Nature has many gifts to offer," Tom said sagely. "But few take the time to appreciate them."
Anne was about to agree, but her words turned into a startled cry as Tom swept her off her feet and into his arms, bridal-style. (Pun intended.)
"W-What are you doing?" She couldn't keep the indignation from her voice.
"Relax." Tom's voice was gentle as he neared the edge of the parapets. "I promised I wouldn't let you fall. Just sit back and enjoy the view, okay?"
"Are actually going to jump off?" Anne said incredulously. "That's crazAAAAAAAAA!" her words were cut off as the gargoyle launched himself majestically from the tower's roof, and for a split second, heart-stopping fear seized her chest. Tom clutched her closer to him, and Anne noticed that he smelled of old leather and stone.
She also noticed, once again, that he was totally built. The six-pack on his torso was certainly appetizing…
Anne shook such thoughts from her head as the wind whipped through her hair. She chanced to look downward, and gasped in shock.
Everything seemed tiny from the air. The village of Yorkshire seemed as insignificant as a child's playset, its people no bigger than ants. The girl could even see the house she used to live in, almost indistinguishable from those around it.
Her fear vanished, to be replaced with awe and a childlike sense of wonder. "Wow…" she breathed.
"It is glorious, isn't it?" Tom said softly. "Such beauty can be seen from these heights."
"I've never seen anything so breathtaking," Anne said. "You were right, Tom. This is a most enjoyable pastime."
The gargoyle banked sharply on a warm updraft, grinning ferociously. "Watch this."
Folding his voluminous wings back sharply, Tom dived down toward the city square and let out a spine-chilling howl, swooping low over the shops and taverns as people screamed. He pulled out just yards from the unforgiving cobblestone street. Reverend Limster himself dived underneath a horse-drawn cart, splattering himself with dung in a manner most unbecoming of a man of his station.
Anne didn't have any breath to scream; the dive had forced the breath back down her throat. Tom grinned roguishly as they once again gained altitude.
"I like to scare 'em every now and again," he said nonchalantly. "If they thought I'd gone soft, they'd kill me."
"That doesn't make it right," Anne scolded. "You really frightened them!"
"Oh please," the gargoyle snorted. "Like you didn't enjoy every moment of it."
"I must admit," Anne said with a tiny smile. "The look on Limster's face was indeed satisfying."
"We need to land for a moment," Tom continued. "I need to rest my wings."
"Very well," Anne said. "Just try to land gently, okay?"
"Right," Tom nodded seriously as he avoided some low-slung branches. "This looks like a good spot."
Gargoyle and girl landed upon large boulder with scarcely a breeze to denote their arrival. Anne felt exhilarated from the whole experience as she looked up at him.
"So," Tom prodded gently, a smile hovering about his face. "Did you enjoy our little outing?"
The response he got to his innocent question took the gargoyle completely by surprise; almost as if drawn by a magnet, Anne stood on tiptoe and kissed him full on the mouth. Tom was momentarily poleaxed, but seconds later his eyes closed dreamily as he pulled his wife close to him.
Anne gently pulled away, and cupped Tom's face in her slender fingers. "Yes," she said softly. "I enjoyed it very much."
A/N: Awwww…That just tugs at the ol' heartstrings, doesn't it? Hope ya'll enjoyed this latest installment, and I'll try to have the last one up as soon as possible!
Your humble servant,
-Quill N. Inque
