Disclaimer: Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and Rufus are owned by Disney Corporation* and created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy, whose Earthly identities are Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. All other characters (and all imagined locations) are owned by Alan Garner, apart from those from those created by his grandfather or sourced from ancient British mythology. Real-life locations used are owned by some combination of the National Trust, English Heritage and possible descendent of a druid sect. All else is a combination of my rather deranged imagination after far too much coffee.
*Disney Corporation might well have also been created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy and are kindly asked to not point those super-disruptor laser cannons in my direction.
There were no words spoken by either side. The creatures in the open fields were silent, armed and ready but had not apparently seen Kim or Ron yet. They knew that these humans would have to cross the gap, that they would have to do so where the Svart Alfar army stood and that they need risk nothing by marching into defensible territory. If the moon set, the humans would be denied the road, for although the Svart Alfar could not bear sunlight, the road could not be reached except in moonlight.
Kim's Kimmunicator decided at this point to start beeping. "Wade, what's the sitch? I need help getting past an army of somethings", Kim whispered softly in the hope Wade would catch on that this was a dangerous time.
With the Kimmunicator turned to face the enemy, Kim's eyesight remained attuned to the dark. More importantly, Wade could see the sitch. In many respects, it was a good thing Kim didn't see Wade's eyes bulge or see him narrowly avoid spitting soda over one of his computer keyboards. It's also good Ron didn't, as he might well have laughed loudly, exposing their position.
"Kim, the Hunter is the name given to a Celtic nature god. There's a hot debate as to whether he was seen as a man with the horns of a stag, or was thought of as fully half-man, half-stag, much like the mythological centaur. There's nothing else really known about him. There's nothing I can find out there on the Morthbrood at all, apart from one line in a top secret Government file which read "Do not approach, avoid at all costs". Svart Alfar is an old Norse word meaning Dark Elf. Usually, but not guaranteed to be, evil."
"What do you make of that glimmer ahead?"
Wade digitally enhanced the image. "It's a road, but it appears to only exist when the moon is shining on it. Wherever there isn't moonlight, it's just uneven regular ground."
"We need to get past them. The moon sets soon and we won't be able to see the road we need to be on once that happens if you're right."
Wade thought for a moment. "They can't handle light. Do you have a flare gun handy?"
Kim smiled. "Wade, I owe you. Ron, close your eyes tight for a moment. It's going to get a little bright."
"What are you doing, Kim?"
"There are two options. The first is that, when they're temporarily blinded, I play hopscotch over the dark elves like before and get to the road. That will leave you here." Kim noticed Ron considering the advantages of this. "Alone with Rufus. With an enraged army surrounding you."
Ron blanched. "What's the other option?"
"When they're blinded, I start a fight and open up a gap. You'll need to get through it to the road and find this Hunter guy."
"That does not sound good."
"It's no big. They're not as fast as Shego."
"But some of them can do a lot worse."
Kim smiled. "Not when they can't see what they're aiming at."
"Won't they attack me once I'm on the road?"
"They seem to be avoiding where we think the road is, so maybe not. But they'd attack you for certain if you stay here."
Ron couldn't turn any whiter, so opted for a light bit of quiet whimpering instead. "I'll do it."
Kim drew her hand-held hair-dryer-turned-launcher and replaced the grappling hook with a large flare cannister. Covering her eyes and turning to face away, she fired over her shoulder into the sky roughly in the direction of the middle of the enemy forces. Ron had buried his face in his arms and the side of a tree.
As the flare turned night into a temporary day, Kim and Ron could hear a great scream of rage, despair and frustration from the dark elves. If the other creatures called out, their sounds were drowned by the sheer numbers of angry and frustrated warriors.
Taking the opportunity, Kim ran forwards, leaping into the air and running across the shoulders and helmets of the Svart Alfar. Hands grabbed at her, but were always far, far too late. She used flips, somersaults and cartwheels to avoid spear thrusts but also to further turn all attention onto her.
It did not take long for the pushing to begin, as the organized force disintegrated into a near-riot. The two human-like figures, having lost all control of the situation, fled unobserved. Although no clear path had formed, Ron could see Kim couldn't keep this up forever and would have to escape soon. "It has to be now", he told himself. Gathering the little courage he had, he used what stealth and skill he'd learned to avoid getting turned into mulch and finally made it onto the road.
The moment he did, the sounds of the riot stopped suddenly. He could still see it, but not so much as a murmur reached him. That changed when a cloud obscured the moon for a moment. The sound returned in full and the road vanished. He threw himself to the ground and waited. As he had hoped, the moon and silence returned.
"That's how we'll have to do this, " he said to Rufus. "Each time the moon goes, we hit the deck." Rufus rubbed his head and blew a raspberry at Ron.
Ron ran up the rocky but straight road as fast as he dared, keeping low to the ground in case he had to make an emergency dive. Given the choice of gravel burn or death at the hands of maniac hammer-wielding creatures from a fantasy novel, gravel burns sounded quite nice at this time of year.
Fortunately, the moon remained visible for the most part and he only picked up some minor scrapes. He'd fared worse, and he even still had his pants on. This was definitely a good sign in his opinion.
On and on the road seemed to go, climbing now but not so steeply that it particularly bothered him. When he took a short break to get his breath back, he saw that he had left the fight far behind. He hadn't noticed, without the sounds of anything nearby to guide him, how far he had travelled. What he did notice, right now, was that his shadow seemed to contain antlers and that there was the sound of a pawing hoof behind him.
"Who disturbs me this night?" The figure behind Ron spoke quietly but with authority.
"Uhhh, that would be me." Ron spoke a little nervously.
"Turn around." The voice brooked no disobedience so Ron complied. The figure that stood before him was that of a horned man riding on the back of a white stag, where the boundary between man and stag shifted continuously. The man carried a large spear that blazed with light.
"Why do you come here?"
Ron didn't feel threatened, per se, but did feel that any answer other than the truth (and quickly) could see him skewered by this horned giant. He opted for the truth, explaining about the legends they'd heard, the meeting with Cadallen and the trouble with Monkey Fist.
The figure didn't seem overly concerned with Ron's rushed words, but seemed rather to be staring through him as he talked. Ron didn't notice, being rather used to being ignored at school. However, the Hunter was not ignoring Ron. He was watching the semi-sleeping Mystic Monkey power within him.
"Cadallen said you could help us", Ron finally finished lamely.
The Hunter stared at - no, through - Ron. "I am the lord of all creatures, all that is animal, and the Wild Hunt."
"Then you can help us?"
The figure looked impassively at Ron, then walked off in silence. The moon set, the road vanished and an eerie silence where there should have been the noise of battle weighed menacingly in the air.
Ron looked wildly around, then ran back down the hill. "Kimmm!" Tripping over several times on stones, he got as close to where he left Kim as he dared. Still there was nothing but silence. No sound of the Svart Alfar, no sound of Kim either. Other than a babbling brook nearby, there were no sounds at all.
He looked out in despair at where the hordes of Svart Alfar had roamed earlier. There was nothing to be seen. No bodies was a good sign, possibly, but by this time he was frantic. The sun was just rising over the horizon, but he failed to notice in his state of mind. Had he done so, he would have realized he must have been on Shining Tor for several hours at least and not the minutes that he felt.
He ran over the fields, both hoping to see Kim at any moment but also hoping not to. Seeing her unconscious, injured or worse would have been too much. He continued running. Eventually, he reached the shore of a small lake. A small island could be seen in the middle of it. On it, there was a figure lying on the ground, too far to make out clearly. He waded, then swam, across the lake to the island and crawled up the bank, his fears working overtime. They merely doubled when he saw the figure had long, red hair and a figure he knew very well.
"Kim!"
The figure didn't stir. Ron ran over, trembling, then fell to his knees when he reached the prone form. Crying, hoping that she was ok, he reached out. Kim opened her eyes. "I had the strangest dream..." she started. Then, "Ron, are you ok?"
Ron tried to speak, too relieved to get words out had his mind been in any state to form any, then fainted.