A/N: This was still in it's first draft when I started editing it. Not sure how it went from 700 words.. to 1300..
~Curious Castle~
She was lost in thought, as they were riding the centicore. It occurred to her that they must be close to Blackthorn, before she lost herself in the colors of the sunset, Killian sitting behind her. She had tried not to enjoy his warmth, his closeness, but she had relaxed into him as they traveled, and she found she rather enjoyed the feeling of his chest behind her.
"Emma, we should stop ahead." he muttered quietly.
As if sensing her confusion, the beast slowed to a stop. Before she could turn to look at the pirate, she felt him move, the warmth on her back disappearing. She tried to squash the longing she felt for his return. But he was already dismounting from Yar, and the beast was kneeling to a position she could easily dismount from.
"What are you doing?" She looked at him, allowing her confusion to cloud her face. "Aren't we getting close? To Blackthorn?"
"Aye."
"Then why are we stopping?"
He raised an eyebrow at her, having to look up as she was still atop the beast. "For one, we've eaten nothing since the fish this morning. We need to keep up our strength."
Damn him for looking so delicious. "I assume there's more to it than that?"
"Isn't that enough?" The look she gave led him to sigh and shake his head. "Two, I'm not thrilled at the idea of visiting said haunted, cursed, or worse location after dark." He gave her a pointed look of his own. "Are you?"
No, she wasn't thrilled at the idea, either, damn him for looking delicious while also being right. She felt her stubbornness kicking in, not wanting to relent, but she decided to quell her rebellious thirst. At the very least, he was just as stubborn as she was, and she won the last battle of the pigheaded by winning the fight to ride Yar.
It was his turn to win one.
"Blasted pirate." she breathed as she allowed him to help her dismount, mainly for the skin contact, but he didn't need to know that. He probably knew it anyway. Something else she hated about him, he could read her so terribly easy. Like an open book he'd told her.
After his victory, the evening went on in familiarity. They hunted together, finding a small creature neither recognized. Already having the fire built, about to mount their catch, was when things took an unexpected turn.
Emma was about to stake her stick into the ground, when she felt a pang of fear, but knew it wasn't her own. She looked at Killian, who was staking his own Y stick into his side of the ground. She turned to Yar, who was staring off into the distance. When she focused on him, she realized he was growling, gently, his tone deep enough to miss had she not been paying attention to him. She was startled when the beast huffed in agitation. Clearly unsettled by something.
"Jones." She spoke softly, keeping her attention on the centicore. She felt his gaze, then his presence as he moved to stand next to her, following the direction of her stare as she mentially strengthened her connection to the beast. They stayed like that a full minute, staring off into the distance of something they couldn't quite see.
"I think he sees something."
"Oh something. How useful - "
"Shh." She felt his agitation at her shushing him, but she'd deal with him later. Her ties to Yar were still unforgivably unclear, but she knew enough from him to voice to the pirate. "I think it's the soldiers."
"How could you possibly-"
"Because he, I don't know exactly, but.. He senses strange, dangerous men."
"Bloody hell." He cursed under his breath. "Do either of you know the distance of said strange dangerous men?"
"Far, I think. But… Close enough to smell the smoke if they're downwind." They both looked at their roaring fire, their catch still attached to his straight stick with twine. He had come prepared, she had barely the clothes on her back, aside from her sword and bow.
"Does the beast-"
"Yar."
"Yar?"
"I named him, Yar."
"What kind of name is that?" He shook his head. "Don't, just -" He sighed. He was clearly not taking this news very well. "Does Yar have any idea where they are?"
She pointed, causing him to curse, moving away, and begin to search their surroundings for something, looking everywhere. They were situated between the forest and a small mountain, the trees continuing up the elevation. There was no obvious, or for that matter, clever places to hide. The trees here were too short and far apart to make hiding up in one a viable option, and she saw no willow-like bushes anywhere.
"We should stand and fight." She suggested, causing him to shake his head in answer. "You remember our sword play, Jones. you know I can fight-"
"You know not what you speak."
"I know how to defend-"
He spun around and stepped so close she wasn't sure if she should kiss him or slap him. Or slap him and then kiss him. It might calm him dow-
"Have you ever killed a man, princess?"
She glared at him in response, taking a step back. His face, though strong and determined, betrayed the fact that he was mentally searching his mind for something. She could feel the gears ticking as options were thought of and dismissed right before her eyes. There was one that kept coming back, and he tried to dismiss it, but it was the only one left.
This terrified her more than the thought of killing a man. Any slight against her was forgotten.
"We have only one choice that I can see." He spoke calmly, though a storm was brewing in his eyes.
"We're going to Castle Blackthorn, now, aren't we..."
-x-x-x-
He knew she thought they would immediately leave, but the fire was already built, and if the soldiers were indeed downwind, the damage was already done. It made no sense to abandon the fire, and their food which had already been caught and prepared. He was not one to waste things, even the life of a creature as small as this.
They stayed long enough to cook the thing, hurriedly kicking out the fire, leaving as soon as he was positive it had been properly put out and wouldn't roar back to life unchecked. He insisted on eating while on their way, on top of Yar. As such, the ride was mostly spent in silence.
He did enjoy the return to their previous position. She had become comfortable enough with him to lean into him before their stop, and he found he was pleased that she returned to that position, not that he would admit to it. He felt calmer when she was this close. He could easily defend her here. That was all it was..
Since remounting the beast, they hadn't spoken. His thoughts traveled on their own. His original reasons for not going there tonight were still sound. However, so were his reasons for going there now. Their fire would attract the soldiers, if not an immediate threat, it would turn into one.
Any man versed in the area would know to avoid the castle. Any reasonable man would steer clear of it, having only seen the place. He had been to the area once before, and was not eager to return had it not been for the glimmer of hope the magick ring, hidden somewhere beyond its walls, provided him.
The total trip was only an hour by centicore. Even so, the trees became varied in height and distance from each other as they moved away from the mountain. There was an opening in the treeline, and they could see the tallest tower in the sliver of moonlight provided, or what was left of it.
"How can one simply look at a place and feel it's despair?" She asked quietly.
He didn't have an answer for her.
Thank you for reading!
