Shady Baby

Shady Baby

Chapter 3

Step Away From the Faerie Circle

Summary: We FINALLY find Rincewind in Lucks' father's garden trying to get out of a faerie circle, which can be dangerous business.

Author's Note: If anyone has anything to tell me in the way of constructive criticism I could use it. Thanks.

Disclaimer: We at Nightingale Productions would like to say: MMMMPH!!! AAARGH, CREATIVITY…HELP MEEEEE!!! Thank you and enjoy the show.

The sun was unusually bright that day. It shone in Lucks' eyes as she walked down the street. Killer was tired, he had walked a lot, and fighting off those bandits didn't help. He was now starting a steady whine from the back of his throat that really got on Lucks' nerves.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she rounded the corner and saw her house, far back in a clump of trees. It was good to see home after the day she had had.

She opened the door. Killer streaked past her, wanting water and food, and attacked her mother, who was making dinner.

"Your father's gone looking for you," her mother said.

Lucks sighed and scratched Killer behind the ears. "I thought so."

"Where were you that took you so long, then?"

"I had a few things to take care of"

"Besides my skillet, I take it?" Lucks' mother asked.

Lucks went to hold up the skillet, and then realized it was not there. Had she left it when the thieves were trying to rob the caravan? If so, she would have to go back and get it and the Shades was not a nice place at night.

She looked out the window and saw the skillet lying in the yard. Relief swept through her and she got up from her chair, excusing herself from her mother and went out into the yard. She smiled and picked up the skillet, heading back toward the house.

A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was coming from her father's garden.

She walked back into the backyard cautiously and headed toward the garden, just in time to see a robed figure with a pointed hat scurry behind a bush.

Lucks' eyebrows narrowed. This was the part of her schooling she loved…combat.

The figure was visibly trying to hide from something, or someone, and was cowering behind a bush. Lucks took a side path and snuck up behind the bush where the robed figure was hiding.

She tapped it on the shoulder and swung the skillet menacingly over her head, just as it turned around. A man's mouth opened wide and a squeak echoed through the woods. He got up, cleared the hedge, and went running through the garden.

"Oh no you don't" Lucks said. She took off after him. "COME BACK HERE, YOU FILTHY BANDIT!" she cried.

The man ran for his life, but Lucks was gaining on him. Just as she was about to bring the skillet down over his head, he stopped and stood straight up, looking around and down cautiously. Then he began to tremble.

Lucks looked down, only to find that the man had stepped in a faerie circle. Her heart began to pound. Faerie circles were dangerous things, because faeries were some of the most evil creatures to ever live on the disc. If that man stayed in the faerie circle he wouldn't be around to get hit with Lucks' skillet, and she couldn't have that.

"Ok, Mr.…um, whatever you are…quickly step away from the faerie circle before they eat you alive."

"Well, you see, it's quite a difficult situation here" the man said. "If I step out of this circle, thing, you'll most definitely kill me with your, um, skillet…"

Lucks raised the skillet again. "No joke" she said.

"…And if I stay in here, I'll most certainly be killed by faeries, so, I'm not quite sure which…"

"Get out of the damned faerie circle before I kill you while you're standing in it!" Lucks cried.

The man sighed and looked down. Tiny faeries were starting to jump at his feet and cling on to his robe. He looked up at the skillet, which he could have sworn was smiling at him, and then back down at the faeries, which were smiling at him. "Oh…Bugger!" he said, before jumping out and landing square on Lucks, knocking her over.

The man stood up. "Thank you, young lady, for that marvelous save there, I believe I owe you one."

He helped her up. She brushed the dirt off of herself and shook his hand. "Don't mention it," she said.

"Now, if you would help me out, I seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere in Ankh-Morpork and ended up here, where I really don't want to end up, hehe, so if you would kindly…"

KLONG.

Lucks brought the skillet down over the man's head and he slumped into a pile on the ground. She smiled to herself and picked him up by the feet, dragging him toward her house.