A/N: Chapterness! Thanks to all who reviewed! Huinesoron, I'll change Bran's
chapter in a bit. Right now, RO calls =E
Merriman began to worry. In his mind, it was taking Will far too long to lift the enchantment on the Drews. Grumbling a bit about recklessness use of magic by 'youngsters', he slowly turned back to the smooth, clear orb and glared at it. It probably would have scuttled away, were it able to.
Something surprised him about Jane's vacant expression while Will pushed force into his spell. She seemed altogether too motionless, like someone who had mentally traveled across time. What exactly was this effect that Will's spell was having on her mind? A few thoughts crossed his head, but he ruled them out almost immediatly when he saw Simon, standing a few feet away with the exact same expression.
Simon stood now behind Bran and Will, who he recognised from the enigmatic trip they had taken to Wales. The shock of the sudden change in surroundings had made him seize out for something to grasp, but his hand had simply jumped around Will's shoulder - giving him a strange feeling that he was watching a movie about something that had happened before, only being part of it...He stared at the two, because they were squinting as if someone had just shone a bright light into their eyes, and Bran was breathing hard like he had just faced something he feared.
A soft voice spoke warmly from the shadows; "And you did find your way."
As the man spoke to the boys, Simon took a good look at where he was. It was a high, vaulted hall with rich tapestries and brilliant paintings hanging on the white walls. Behind him there was an immense carved door.
He saw the man pull one of the tapestries aside to reveal a corridor with a staircase. He slipped in behind Will and followed the three endlessly; the stairs curved randomly often, and they climbed for so long that he could hear Will's breath getting short from the incredible height. Finally the man stopped before a door and pulled out a heavy iron key - a huge key adorned with a circle quarted by a cross.
"Ah, Old One," spoke the man softly. "The Lost Land is full of signs from long ago, but few of it's people now remember what the signs mean."
He opened the small door and let Will and Bran step past him, like prisoners emerging from jail. He stopped there and looked at Simon full in the face.
"So comes the Third? We weren't expecting you so early..." he fumbled with the key a little, and then reached out with it in his hand with the circle peice pointing toward Simon. Simon reached out shakily and grasped the circle, and as he did it broke away from the key, leaving him with only the Sign, a Sign he could now use his newly reborn memories to recognise as the Sign of Iron.
The man gave a quick kind smile that seemed to renew Simon's strength. He quickly stepped through the door and up to the balcony. Simon stared at the Iron one more time before he felt himself fading.
What was going on? Merriman had just observed the strange appearance of Simon and Jane when he saw Barney doing something very strange. He had his case of wood - rowan if Merry remembered correctly, in fact it was a gift from him that he had picked up on his travels. Barney held it now in his hands and was staring at it intently, as if he were looking for a specific pattern in the grain of the smooth wood.
Merriman shook his head and turned away from the orb, just missing Barney's next action. He seemed to have found what he was looking for, and he reached out with his hand and traced the shape of a circle and a cross over the wood. The wood where his finger had traced over began to glow brilliantly, and it fell away from the case and to the floor of the car, now clearly the Sign of Wood.
Gwion watched the boys scramble down the trapdoor in the floor for a moment before closing it and turning back to the library-type hall where many inhabitants of the Lost Land idled at. He had told the boys that he would learn what he could of Merriman, and indeed he would; but first, there was someone to take care of. He stepped into the empty wall, feeling another presence cross the invisible barrier with him. He had been right.
"Show yourself, Rider," he commanded coldly.
There was a shimmer of red, and then a man appeared, alone. He leaned against the wall, so incredibly sure of himself, regardless that he was a mortal of an opposing force facing one of the Wild Magic. He smirked at Gwion.
"So very brilliant of you Taliesin," he began, voice wet with sarcasm. "Wouldn't have thought you were capable of finding an enemy force station right in front of your nose." He let the last few words flow softly in mockery.
Gwion flinched slightly but smoothly covered it up with a cough. "And I wouldn't have thought you were capable of remaining silent for as long as you have."
The Red Rider pulled forward a bit. "You-"
"Just go away, Rider. The Third is gone. You are too late."
The red man lurched back and hissed through his teeth. "You will regret these actions, bard," he spat out before vanishing in a puff of void.
A/N: First to review gets the leftover sugar sign belts!
Merriman began to worry. In his mind, it was taking Will far too long to lift the enchantment on the Drews. Grumbling a bit about recklessness use of magic by 'youngsters', he slowly turned back to the smooth, clear orb and glared at it. It probably would have scuttled away, were it able to.
Something surprised him about Jane's vacant expression while Will pushed force into his spell. She seemed altogether too motionless, like someone who had mentally traveled across time. What exactly was this effect that Will's spell was having on her mind? A few thoughts crossed his head, but he ruled them out almost immediatly when he saw Simon, standing a few feet away with the exact same expression.
Simon stood now behind Bran and Will, who he recognised from the enigmatic trip they had taken to Wales. The shock of the sudden change in surroundings had made him seize out for something to grasp, but his hand had simply jumped around Will's shoulder - giving him a strange feeling that he was watching a movie about something that had happened before, only being part of it...He stared at the two, because they were squinting as if someone had just shone a bright light into their eyes, and Bran was breathing hard like he had just faced something he feared.
A soft voice spoke warmly from the shadows; "And you did find your way."
As the man spoke to the boys, Simon took a good look at where he was. It was a high, vaulted hall with rich tapestries and brilliant paintings hanging on the white walls. Behind him there was an immense carved door.
He saw the man pull one of the tapestries aside to reveal a corridor with a staircase. He slipped in behind Will and followed the three endlessly; the stairs curved randomly often, and they climbed for so long that he could hear Will's breath getting short from the incredible height. Finally the man stopped before a door and pulled out a heavy iron key - a huge key adorned with a circle quarted by a cross.
"Ah, Old One," spoke the man softly. "The Lost Land is full of signs from long ago, but few of it's people now remember what the signs mean."
He opened the small door and let Will and Bran step past him, like prisoners emerging from jail. He stopped there and looked at Simon full in the face.
"So comes the Third? We weren't expecting you so early..." he fumbled with the key a little, and then reached out with it in his hand with the circle peice pointing toward Simon. Simon reached out shakily and grasped the circle, and as he did it broke away from the key, leaving him with only the Sign, a Sign he could now use his newly reborn memories to recognise as the Sign of Iron.
The man gave a quick kind smile that seemed to renew Simon's strength. He quickly stepped through the door and up to the balcony. Simon stared at the Iron one more time before he felt himself fading.
What was going on? Merriman had just observed the strange appearance of Simon and Jane when he saw Barney doing something very strange. He had his case of wood - rowan if Merry remembered correctly, in fact it was a gift from him that he had picked up on his travels. Barney held it now in his hands and was staring at it intently, as if he were looking for a specific pattern in the grain of the smooth wood.
Merriman shook his head and turned away from the orb, just missing Barney's next action. He seemed to have found what he was looking for, and he reached out with his hand and traced the shape of a circle and a cross over the wood. The wood where his finger had traced over began to glow brilliantly, and it fell away from the case and to the floor of the car, now clearly the Sign of Wood.
Gwion watched the boys scramble down the trapdoor in the floor for a moment before closing it and turning back to the library-type hall where many inhabitants of the Lost Land idled at. He had told the boys that he would learn what he could of Merriman, and indeed he would; but first, there was someone to take care of. He stepped into the empty wall, feeling another presence cross the invisible barrier with him. He had been right.
"Show yourself, Rider," he commanded coldly.
There was a shimmer of red, and then a man appeared, alone. He leaned against the wall, so incredibly sure of himself, regardless that he was a mortal of an opposing force facing one of the Wild Magic. He smirked at Gwion.
"So very brilliant of you Taliesin," he began, voice wet with sarcasm. "Wouldn't have thought you were capable of finding an enemy force station right in front of your nose." He let the last few words flow softly in mockery.
Gwion flinched slightly but smoothly covered it up with a cough. "And I wouldn't have thought you were capable of remaining silent for as long as you have."
The Red Rider pulled forward a bit. "You-"
"Just go away, Rider. The Third is gone. You are too late."
The red man lurched back and hissed through his teeth. "You will regret these actions, bard," he spat out before vanishing in a puff of void.
A/N: First to review gets the leftover sugar sign belts!