Chapter 14

The Morrighan perched silently on a nearby branch as the sun began to rise, watching her nephew and the sleeping human with anger and amusement. The human girl was proving to be more purposeful than the old sorceress had intended. She was thoroughly frustrating the prince and keeping him under a modicum of control. She felt a throbbing ache reaching through her heart as she sat. She had never released the anger she had harboured towards Nuada for Aine's death. The boy was, after all, the reason that the queen was unprotected and unprotective of her own life. The mynah growled softly. She would have been able to save her sister had it not been for the selfish brat. She loathed the very existence of the little cretin for that alone, but added to that was the thought that she would soon answer to him as ruler over all the realms of magic. She thought back to the day it had all truly begun. Aine had come to see her shortly after the curse had been identified. No one had told Nuada or Nuala of the curse throughout their lives lest it consume them in knowing it. Aine and the Morrighan had been twins as well. As children they had learned and trained with magic of every kind. They had even delved into a few forbidden spells and charms that manipulated hearts and minds. In doing so, they had made a pact that they would be bound to one another. Their undying love as sisters was sealed with a precious link of magic that caused the one to feel the other's emotions and even physical distress. It was perfect. The one would never suffer without the other and they would have comfort as well as understanding. Their knowledge and strengths would be shared in this secret. Aine had visited late in the afternoon, the time of day where her sister was usually rising to work her wiles on hordes of men. Shortly after arriving with the infant prince in her arms and the princess carefully held in a sling across her chest, Aine made a desperate and costly request.

"The link? Our link?" the Morrighan had asked angrily. "Why? What good would it do for them?"

"Nuada is heart-sick, sister and always will be. He will never know what we have known. Nuala, though is pure and without this blemish," Aine had said looking down at her children sadly. "I believe that bestowing the link upon them would keep them safe. Nuada would know the gentleness of his sister and she would stave off any harshness from reaching her brother."

"The heart is free, sister. Even if the link were given the boy would still be free to feel as hateful as he pleased," the raven-sorceress had sneered. "I refuse, and if you cared about your daughter at all, you would send the little mutant off to live with the trolls where he belongs. No elf has markings like that."

"How can you say such things?!" Aine had exclaimed in horror. "You are my sister, my dearest friend, and this is my son! He is not evil, he is ill!"

"And it has made you ill from worrying, sister," the Morrighan replied placing a hand softly on her sister's shoulder. "You have not thought clearly or rested since this ordeal began. Do you remember what the wise-faerie said at his naming? He would grow to wield a blade with ferocity, to strike out with cunning and feel no pain in taking the throne through blood."

"The prophecies of faeries are never what they seem," Aine argued. Nuada shifted and cooed softly, looking up at his mother with a smile. Aine smiled back and then turned to her sister. "Whether you agree or not, sister, I will not keep this link any longer. It serves no purpose."

" No purpose!? No purpose?! How would I come to your aid if you needed me?" the Morrighan shouted angrily.

Aine frowned. "I have needed you recently and you never came," she replied sadly. The Morrighan growled and turned away flustered. "You never speak to me anymore, your visits are as rare as dragon tears."

"Why should I visit every moment? We are linked, we know what the other is thinking and feeling, do we not?" the sorceress shot back. Aine sighed and shook her head. "Do we not?"

"We do not. Had you felt the pains I have suffered these past days for my children you would have rushed to embrace me and soothe away the torment that grips me still." Aine watched as the Morrighan's expression fell from angered to remorseful. The link had become marred somehow, she had felt it. Nuada and Nuala were not guaranteed the same closeness that Aine and the Morrighan had enjoyed in their youth, but it was worth trying in the fire-queen's mind if it meant peace for her son and daughter. She stood beside her sister and forced the elfling prince into her arms. "It is the only way to ensure that Bethmoora does not die. He will be the only heir. Please, sister. For me."

The Morrighan shut out the memory of placing her arms around the child and drawing his face to hers as she breathed her magic into him. Aine had done the same for Nuala at the very same moment. The link had been transferred to the prince and princess just as it had been woven and placed upon their mother and aunt. If the link had not been taken, the Morrighan knew she could have saved her sister's life. If that pathetic excuse for an elf had not allowed himself to meet with harm . . . She shook her head furiously from the memories and the night before flying away to find a place to sleep. Nuada will not have the crown without a battle, she thought. Oberon will be the least of his worries, I will make him suffer for my sister's death at last.

The prince awoke suddenly, sitting bolt upright and breathing heavily. "Nuala," he said softly. Titania sat up and looked at him in confusion as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. "I felt her, no, an infant, I felt life begin and she was there."

"Sire?" Puck said hopping closer to him. The prince turned and gazed sternly at the pwca. The creature lowered himself low to the ground and stared back at the prince in slight fear.

"Search the forest, Puck. Begin at the elder tree and do not stop until you have searched every corner, every blade of grass, every branch of every tree. My sister is alive, I know it," he said firmly. The pwca frowned and hesitated. "Now!"

"Yes, sire," the pwca replied heavily. The prince would not abandon his current task to go and find her if he was not quite sure of her presence, as Puck suspected he was not. He would also not want the disappointment and exhaustion of searching himself only to find that it had all been a dream. Puck shook his head and hurried off towards the elder tree, hating the idea of Titania being alone with him. Although, lately the girl seemed to be able to hold her own. The already exhausted pwca hurried off in search of the prince's twin, knowing full well that he would not find her in the forest. The feel of the elves, of the magic they carried with them, was not anywhere nearby. Even Nuada's natural power was hindered by his focus on combat and physical prowess.

Titania rose quickly and began folding her blanket into thirds before setting it beside the basket Misses Badcrumble had sent. She watched as Nuada did the same. She wondered if he had been accustomed to setting and breaking camp being in exile. She shook her head. Where exactly had he stayed? He said that he had been taken across the sea. To where? She pushed the questions out of her mind as she opened the basket and pulled out what had been meant for breakfast. Puck had retrieved for them what had been meant for the evening meal the night before and she hadn't really had an opportunity to look and see if the old cook had sent anything that would help them against the Gnome King. Titania had read that gnomes were sensitive to a culinary necessity that was prominent in the kitchen and parts of the grounds. She noticed a smaller carrying case in the back of the basket. As she pulled it towards her, she peeked inside, smiling brightly. The woman had known exactly what Titania had read, and the carrying case was full to nearly bursting. She withdrew it fully after the two had finished and were ready to leave.

Nuada had been very silent and had forgone his look of either irritation or amusement in place of a brow and visage furrowed deeply in worry. She glanced in his direction as frequently as possible without the elf taking notice to continue and try to decipher his thoughts. No use, he was, as Dickens had said, " . . . as self contained as an oyster." She sighed heavily as she picked up the carrying case and turned to him.

"Where to now?" she asked. He shook himself, turning to her with a more focused expression.

"To the quarry, this way. I can smell sulfur and limestone, that means they are fairly close by." He pointed the way and began to walk hurriedly to the other edge of the forest. Titania frowned and followed after. He was moving more quickly than usual. While he seemed to be focused in expression, his movements were more thoughtless and less precise. He had never been so distracted in front of her before. What had made him so edgy? He stopped every few minutes and turned back to the forest. "We should stay for a day or so; she must be at the elder tree."

"But I can't stay out here another night," Titania argued. He turned, looking at her in a combination of shock and anger. "Besides, we need to get this compass for you as quickly as possible."

"Do not dictate what is important to me, girl," he warned in a low voice. Titania took a step backwards, staring at him cautiously. He sighed and shook his head. "You are right, we will continue. Puck will find her and I will finally be rid of the wretched Morrighan."

"Isn't she your aunt?" Titania muttered as she followed. The elf led them to the edge of the trees that lined this portion of the countryside. The quarry was a good distance off, with a large open grass field in between. Titania hesitated, reminding herself that she was only a human, that this may not have been real, that the realm she was about to enter was deadly, and that the elf she was travelling with might have been a murderer even among his own kind. No, he isn't evil, he's extreme, she told herself. He'll be off the whole 'kill humans' thing after I've helped him.

"The Gnome King's lair is lined with pitfalls and snares especially for humans like yourself," he said as they walked across the field. "Be watchful and do only as I say. Am I understood?"

"Yeah, but, what about elves? Don't the gnomes have traps set for elves too?" she asked as they neared the edge of the quarry.

"Of course, but we are quite versed in removing the magic that they would use to harm us." He turned and watched as she moved to stand beside him. He whirled back around, moving forward and feeling behind him for his spear. He had taken the bokun with him as well in case he found himself in need of both weapons. It was comforting to feel the heavy blades resting against his back in their respective sheaths. The sword that had been his had been lost in the Giant's Causeway. The bokun would suffice from this point on. "The most powerful way to break a spell is to consult with one of the Ladies of the Otherworld and, as you can see, I have more than enough of that." He turned and gave an amused glance in her direction. "I suppose you, in your limited human knowledge, believe that the most powerful way to break a spell is to kiss a wounded man, do you not? It has been a disgusting pattern in the books you have horded in the tree house."

"Actually, the most powerful spell breaker, in my opinion is just six words," Titania replied. Nuada turned to her and gave her a strange look. "You have no power over me."

"And which of your human fairy tales uses that nonsense to break a spell?" he laughed.

"Sarah, a girl fighting the Goblin King in the story Labyrinth." Titania replied. The elf cringed.

"The Goblin King? Jareth?" he said with disgust.

"You know him?" Titania asked excitedly. The elf frowned.

"I know of him; foul and tasteless degenerate," he muttered.

"I always thought he was handsome and charming in that wicked kind of way," Titania said with a school girl's grin. The elf groaned and looked away.

"If that is what you consider charming, then I would be most pleased to think that you find me entirely unattractive," he said casually.

"That's a relief," Titania said with a sarcastic grin as she walked past him. Nuada stopped and watched the girl in shock. She turned and gave him a wink. He growled and began racing towards her. The girl shrieked and took off towards the quarry. "Run, run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me I'm . . ." The girls words and movements stopped as the edge of her boots met the edge of the quarry. It was a steep drop to the bottom, but a staircase meant for travelers lay nearby. Titania began panting and shuddering in disbelief as she stared at them. Each stone step was splashed with enormous dark stains. Near each dark stain was either tattered clothing or oddments that resembled bone. She groaned, feeling nausea rising in the back of her throat. Nuada raced towards her, ready to demand an apology for insinuating he was less than perfect, but found himself standing perfectly still as well.

"Come, Titania, we must keep moving," he said firmly as he took her by the shoulders and began to walk towards the stairs. She shook her head firmly and tried to pull away. This time, the prince's grip was fast and sure, leaving no room for her to do anything other than what he had ordered. "Move, Titania, do not look at what is left of them."

"Oh!" she shrieked at hearing confirmation of the horrific theory she had formed in her mind. She turned and continued trying to get away from the elf to head back to the safety and purity of the grass. "They were people, those are . . ."

"They are nothing to us," he corrected as the neared the base of the staircase. "There will be far more gruesome remnants of many creatures in the halls of the gnomes."

"I don't want t go! You can do this without me," she shouted as she tried more furiously to break free of his grip and race back up the stairs. He squeezed both her arms tightly before turning her away from him to face the entrance to the gnome's fortress. It looked like any other run down building in the back-most parts of the British countryside, sagging gray walls made of what was once a strong alliance between stone and mortar, a drooping brown ceiling reaching to the sky in shredded shingles every now and again in one last attempt to keep from drowning in the sea of time passed. She panted heavily as he placed on arm firmly around her to keep her in place and clasped the other over her mouth.

"Be quiet," he growled. She shivered, hearing something darker in the prince's voice than anger. "Do you see the door? It is but one of many entrances into the world of the gnomes. No doubt they have sensed a disturbance with your commotion, but we can keep them from discovering us and doing horrible, horrible things if you are silent and only do as I command. I would not have come if I had thought for a moment that the Gnome King would be able to best me in any way. Even humans, certain humans, outdo gnomes as far as their intelligence. It was probably what they took from the humans they captured; knowledge."

Titania felt her heartbeat begin to slow as he released his grip ever so slightly. He looked around and sniffed the air carefully.

"Wha . . ." she began. Her word was cut off by the prince's hand.

"I said be silent," he hissed into her ear. She nodded quickly and stayed still as he began to inch forward, sniffing and searching for something. He must have covered every inch of the visible quarry by the time they had moved a mere two feet from the base of the stairs. He released his hand and moved his arm away from her chest. "Cast out your fear, it feeds them. Follow me."

Titania nodded and followed quickly, concentrating on the passages from her books and not the grisly mess on the stairs or the prince's warning. The elf led the way up to the door of the ancient building. Titania stared at it in amazement. She had never heard anything about a quarry here. She had heard about factories a good distance from the mansion and that there had been a stone quarry some years ago in an area close to the city, but not here. Nuada's ears flexed as he lowered his head and scanned the landscape with his amber eyes. He snarled, noting that there was a stirring beneath the earth already. The gnomes were more than aware of their presence. He reached behind him and placed a hand around the hilt of his spear.

"Help!" a strange voice called from within the building. Titania turned and gasped. The voice was like a small female child's. She reached for the handle instinctively, setting the carrier from Misses Badcrumble on the ground against the wall nearby. Nuada snatched her hand swiftly in his, clamping down on her fingers painfully. She grunted and turned to him in confusion. He shook his head slowly, glaring at her with a rage forming. Titania frowned and looked away, thinking about whether or not she should ignore him and help whoever was crying out. "Help, mommy, help!"

Titania took her other hand and pulled the prince's pale form off of her own. She place both hands on the large latch and began heaving it upward. Nuada growled and slammed one hand over the door, glaring at her more angrily than before. She looked up at him desperately.

"What do you think you are doing?" he growled.

"There's a little girl in there!" Titania exclaimed trying to shove him away with her shoulder as she continued fighting with the latch. He grunted, kicking her away from the door as gently as possible while still making her aware of his desire for her to cease handling the door. She finally returned the glare. "There's a child in there, we need to help her!"

"There is no need for us to open this door," he said sternly. Titania stared at him in disbelief. Was he going to leave a defenseless child in the clutches of the gnomes, gnomes that had obviously slaughtered people trying to escape? He turned back to the landscape of the quarry, still scanning and listening. There were too many areas of movement, no place for them to enter yet. He heard Titania step away from the door. He smiled, congratulating himself on being firm enough with her for obedience once again. A loud crash stopped the momentary celebration in the prince's mind. He turned and watched in shock as the human moved several steps away from the wall, taking a running start towards it, apparently a second time. Her shoulder collided with the wall just as the elf reached out to stop her. He managed to catch her by the arm as the two flew through the thin remnant of wall and downward. The floor had either worn away or, as Nuada suspected, had been hewn away by gnomes in an effort to make a more suitable place to release heat from their furnaces. It was also, the prince realized, an effective trap for ridiculously compassionate humans that could not recognize the sound of a gnome imitating another being if it meant saving their own life. The carrier fell backwards, joining its masters as they descended into the heart of the gnome's lair.

The two tumbled downward, landing on the hard stone floor beneath them. Nuada grunted in pain as he felt his breath forced out of him. Luckily, he had exercised enough forethought to have his shoulders flexed as his back so that the blades behind him hit the ground. It wasn't a terribly long fall, but it was far enough to be a nuisance. Titania landed a few feet away, coughing and gagging. She had clutched her arms over her face and curled her knees to her chest. While nothing was broken, the girl was sure that she had bruised her entire body in one move. She groaned as the carrier hit the ground with a loud thud beside her. Titania gasped and struggled to sit up, quickly examining the contents of the carrier to make sure that they were intact. She sighed heavily with relief as she saw all the eggs within were unharmed. Nuada looked at her hatefully as he rose to his feet. His glare was slightly mixed with confusion as he watched her close the carrier.

"Eggs?!" he exclaimed angrily. "That is your one weapon of choice, the one thing you managed to bring along?"

"You'll see why," Titania replied softly as she stood carefully. She breathed deeply, moving past the pain that was radiating through every extremity. Nuada snarled as she stood next to him, taking in their surroundings with a frown. "It's too dark to see anything, and I don't hear her anymore."

"I told you not to open that door, fool! It was a trap, you imbecile," he growled. "And now, thanks to you and your wretched human limitations, we are at the mercy of the gnomes!"

"Concern is not a limitation!" she argued. Nuada growled in frustration and turned to loom over her.

"Allow your simple mind to grasp but one fact at the moment, girl; I know more than you in this realm and am the only creature here interested a fraction in your survival," he said loudly. She looked down sadly. She had done something incredibly stupid with the best intentions. Why hadn't she just listened to him? She sighed and began to pace a few steps back and forth. "Now, let me think . . ."

"Maybe we should . . ." Titania began, still grasping the carrier tightly.

"Urgh! Silence, girl! I am trying to think!" he shouted enraged. Titania froze and faced him in shock. "The king would be in the central portion. It will be much deeper underground. No doubt the compass will be there as well. We should start towards the smell of limestone, it will be a safer path."

"What? Why limestone?" Titania asked as she moved beside him once again. Nuada felt all conflicting emotions focus into irritated anger as he turned to her. The amber in his eyes became an orange flame baring into her soul. There was finally an outlet for the anxiety in wondering about his sister, the frustration of being without proper living conditions and being denied his birthright, and his anger towards the humans and the demon that had brought this rebirth far from home on him.

"Will there never be an end to your questions? Do not speak, follow me!" he snarled. Titania frowned and shook her head as he moved several steps forward. Noticing that the girl was not right at his side after a few feet, he turned and glared at her. "If you do not follow me, you will die here."

Titania took a step forward, still gazing at him with concern. She had truly taken her life into her own hands now. A loud thud suddenly came from behind her, causing her to jump and turn towards the noise. She gasped. An enormous, clear glass wall had fallen directly behind her. Nuada's eyes widened in fear. He turned to try and run in the other direction, but was stopped as another clear glass wall fell in front of him. Titania heard the prince scream in frustration as she looked at the glass. It was not simply two walls, it was a dome. They had been sealed inside a huge glass dome.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Memory glass!" he shouted, unsheathing the spear instantly. He grasped it tightly and stood poised to attack. Titania watched as he began repeatedly striking the glass with his spear, sending sparks and cries of anger flying in every direction. The girl ducked, covering her head to defend against the sparks and spear. "It extracts the thoughts and memories of its captives."

"What!?" Titania shrieked as he finished striking the glass. He stood in front of it, examining it with agitated breaths. "Why?"

"It is always 'why' with you! To interrogate us, that is why," he explained angrily. "It is far more effective and permanent than torture, but it takes the energy of its victims in a similar manner. Help me break the dome!"

"How?" she asked as tears began to flood her eyes. There was more than ample reason to be afraid now. The blood on the stairs had been enough, but now her life was obviously in the path of destructive creatures, one of them wielding a spear not far away.

"Stop asking questions, you infuriatingly, stupid, useless human, and break the glass!" he shouted furiously as he unsheathed the bokun as well. "Now!"

"I don't know how!" Titania shrieked as sparks began to fly once again. Nuada slammed either blade into the clear surface, each in turn. The display would have been magnificent to behold from without the dome; the elf twirling and striking the dome methodically in a fluid circle around the rim. His furious expression was illuminated by the flashing sparks as he continued to slash at the glass repeatedly. Titania thought for a moment, feeling a warmth beginning to fill her head. The morning, the night before, and finally the day before began to play in her mind without warning. She breathed deeply and tried to calm herself. "She said not to get to let anger or sadness take us," she whispered in realization. She suddenly thought of a proper solution and rose to her feet. "Nuada, stop!" she called. The prince ignored her, sure of the fact that he was compromising the glass as he went. She frowned and moved swiftly towards him, trying to grasp the arm holding the bokun. Nuada felt the girl's hand graze his elbow and heard her voice. "Stop! Your anger is making the magic work faster!"

"Silence, curse you!" he shouted, whirling to face her. Titania took the opportunity to reach out and take hold of his hand still on the hilt of the bokun. He growled and drew in the hand grasping the spear. He reared backwards as Titania's expression became terrified. Enraged, the prince slammed the back of his hand into the girl's cheek, sending her flying into the clear wall several feet away. His heart sank as she slid to the floor in a heap. He had just attacked the only creature who had some idea as to how they could fully destroy the king. The old cook had told him that Titania knew the secret and that it would keep the gnomes from coming after him once the compass had been retrieved. He raced over to where she had fallen and knelt. "No," he whispered at seeing how still she had become. The blow had been incredible harsh and unrestrained. He turned her over, gazing into her face. A large bruise was beginning to form on the side of her face from beneath her eye to her chin. A small cut was within the bruise and the side of her mouth had a trickle of blood beginning to slowly drip. "Curse you!" he yelled once more, this time aimed directly at himself. He pulled the girl's lifeless form into his arms and felt the side of her chest. Her heart was still beating and her breath was still entering and leaving properly. He looked up at the top of the glass, seeing several small figures forming a giggling crowd overhead. He growled and stood, still holding onto the girl. "No! You will not have what you want from me!"

"Yield, Prince Nuada," the oily old voice of the Gnome King ordered. Nuada growled and allowed Titania to drop to the ground. He walked to one of the glass walls, staring out to get a good look at the old gnome. As he made out the enormous form that the gnome hid behind, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down. Gold blood spewed from a deep wound beneath the bone armour around him. He lifted his gaze, catching a glimpse of the demon that had bested him in combat before his rebirth. He gingerly reached up and touched the wound, realizing that he had once again fallen to an adversary.

"Nuala," he groaned as he dropped to his knees. Titania groaned as well, seeing her life passing in reverse. The prince tried one final time to fight away the memories of the recent months and the years that had preceded them. As only the memories filled his vision, tears filled his eyes. "Nuala, hear me." With the final words, the prince allowed the dreams of days past to overtake him. There was no sense in fighting the gnome's magic now. Instead, he knew he would be able to catch them off guard upon awakening. The gnomes would see a helpless, sleeping prince, but they would face an immortal angered beyond any comprehension who wanted desperately to return to the forest and be reunited with his sister. The gnomes watched as the two became still, cackling with delight as the glass filled with images of the elf and the girl in turn. Now, they would have all the knowledge of the royal family that Oberon desired.

(((((((Prince Nuada Silverlance wishes it to be known that the next person to call him a wimp, pansy, weakling, or pretty-boy will be throttled in their sleep. Wimp. Ha! What now, huh? Anyway, Happy Easter, Passover, and Ostara everyone! The next few chapters are on their way. Oh yeah, and, this is just getting more and more fun for me!))))))