This is possibly the longest chapter I have posted, it's this long cause I
can't be bothered to split up what I've got into smaller bits. But this
will be the last of what I'm posting for a while, I might post a bit more
after I get back from Paris, but I still need to write the rest.
++++++++++++++
"Angela are you sure you know where we are?" Lexington asked after what had seemed like half an hour of flight.
"Of course I know where we are," Angela retorted, "look there's the statue of Goliath and Griff." She pointed down to a statue that showed an old WWII fighter plane and two gargoyles that did bear a slight resemblance to Goliath and Griff.
"Angela we passed that already," Lexington stated.
"Wait, there's the shop," Angela exclaimed, ignoring Lexington. She banked her wings slightly, soaring down to land on the roof of the shop.
Lexington shrugged and swooped down after her, closely followed by Sata and the Twins. Before Angela could open the door to the inside of the shop it was opened for her. Angela stepped back from the outward swinging door and a female unicorn like gargoyle stepped out.
"Angela," Una exclaimed joyfully, "You made it." The Londoner gargoyle rushed forward to embrace Angela, followed by Brianna who simply shook Angela's hand when she and Una parted. "Come in, come in," Una said, ushering Angela and her clan mates in, "the others are waiting, we can have introductions then."
The doorway was larger than any built by humans in a normal house, and had obviously been enlarged to gain more room. The narrow stairway was clean, but clearly it was not cleaned often. Small patches of dust lay undisturbed in their little corners. Had Brooklyn been there he would have said something like, "You missed a spot."
Which was why Sata was glad her mate was not with them. While she loved him and he could, at times, be tactful, he always chose the worst times to be tactless.
She was not the only one who had this realization. Because as soon as they were in Ariana said, "You missed a spot."
"We don't normally come up here too often," Una said without turning around, "So we don't see much of a need to clean."
Sata glared at her daughter, and when she was sure Una could not hear her, hissed: "Ariana, what have I told you about acting like your father?"
"Aww, come one mom," Ariana whispered, "Dad wouldn't have minded."
"If your father wouldn't mind you jumping off a...No wait, that's a bad example." (Author's note, I know it's out of character, but I just couldn't resist.)
The stair opened up into what appeared to be and attic. Leo, Arthur, Merlin, and Mary were already waiting for them, having heard the impact of their landing. Those that did not already know each other were introduced, and those that already did know each other were able to renew old friendships.
"Angela," Leo roared, scooping the lavender female up in a bear-hug. "So good to see you."
"It's good to see you too," Angela gasped, "But please put me down while most of my ribs are still intact." The leonine gargoyle complied and put her down.
"So," Leo said, "How are Goliath and Elisa?"
"Fine," Angela said, rubbing her ribs, "But I think one of your bear- hugs would finish even Goliath."
Leo chuckled, "I wouldn't bet on that," he said, opening the door, "But let's move someplace more comfortable that this drafty old attic."
Everyone followed the London Gargoyle out of the attic. Everyone except for King Arthur. Merlin almost stayed, but looking back at King Arthur, who shook his head slightly, he decided to follow the others. If there was anything important Arthur would be sure to tell him. But for now it was best if their visitors didn't know about their potential troubles. If Merlin had stayed they might have noticed and become suspicious.
Outside in the hall Angela noticed something, "Where's Griff?" She asked, looking around as if expecting to see him.
"He's on patrol," Una answered, "He should be back soon."
Lexington, who was slightly behind the others, was accosted by Brianna. "Ye wuir at the world council, right?" She asked him.
"Yeah," Lexington replied, "Why do you ask?"
"My sister told me about you," she answered.
"Really?" Lex asked, his ears perking up, "What did she say about me?"
"Well, she said ye wuir nice," Brianna replied noncomitaly, "But besides that she dinnae say much else."
Lexington's ears drooped, she hadn't said anything else? Could it be possible she had forgotten about him? Or didn't she really care?
Brianna, noticing Lex's depressed expression, quickly added, "But she did say she was looking forward to meeting ye again."
At this Lexington's ears perked up again, "Really?" he said, "How is she by the way?"
"She's fine," Brianna replied, "Though, she is still having trouble finding a mate, even thought there are more males than before Griff and Arthur came to our forest."
Lexington grinned, he might still have a chance. Now if only he could find someone who would be willing to show him the way to her home. Then again, "I don't suppose you'd have time to show me your home some time."
"I could probably find some time t'show ye," Brianna replied.
When Brianna wasn't looking Lex grinned even more.
Arthur, having heard the dull thump of Griff's landing, opened the door Sata had closed behind her. Caval came bounding in to lick his face, followed by Griff and Leba.
"And," Arthur asked, "Did you find anything?"
Griff shook his head, "Nothing, not that we should have expected more."
"But we did manage to find something," Leba said, sitting down on a chest."
"What? What did you find?"
"We were being followed Arthur," Leba stated, "I don't know who, but I'd bet anything it was this fellow we're after." She paused, "I think we might be in deeper trouble than we think Arthur," she continued, her voice shaking slightly, "but when we felt someone watching us from the alley it was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It," she stopped at a loss for words, "It was scary," she concluded lamely, "It wasn't terrifying, but it was the kind of fear you felt as a child when you were afraid to go to the toilet because you were afraid there were monsters under the bed."
Arthur nodded slowly, "I see," he said. He had met creatures that were capable of isntilling fear in their prey, but something that could make a grown person feel fear like they had only felt as children?
"Where," Leba said, "Are Rory and the Banshee?"
"Brianna found Rory and they were able to find the Banshee. I had Kevin drive them to the estate."
Leba frowned, "Do you think that was a good idea? We should have all been with them, it would have been safer."
"Possibly," Arthur said, "But I don't think there would have been much we could do if he tried to get at the Banshee. It's safer if we take her secretely, without anyone knowing. Brianna and Griff are taking the Manhattan Clan to the estate tomorrow night. We'll join them later," he continued, "after we pick Dulcinea up from the train station. Then we'll decide what to do next."
Leba and Griff nodded in agreement, Leba slower than Griff, she didn't like the idea of Rory and Mollie alone.
"Leba," Griff said suddenly, "why did you leave the door open?"
"I didn't," she started, but then she saw that he was right, the door was open. "That's strange, I could have sworn I'd closed it."
Outside the shop the cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows of the alley. So, its prey had escaped it. But he would find her. He had a plan for this, all he had to do were make his two final moves, then he would have what he wanted.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Enjoy, it will be all you get for a while.
++++++++++++++
"Angela are you sure you know where we are?" Lexington asked after what had seemed like half an hour of flight.
"Of course I know where we are," Angela retorted, "look there's the statue of Goliath and Griff." She pointed down to a statue that showed an old WWII fighter plane and two gargoyles that did bear a slight resemblance to Goliath and Griff.
"Angela we passed that already," Lexington stated.
"Wait, there's the shop," Angela exclaimed, ignoring Lexington. She banked her wings slightly, soaring down to land on the roof of the shop.
Lexington shrugged and swooped down after her, closely followed by Sata and the Twins. Before Angela could open the door to the inside of the shop it was opened for her. Angela stepped back from the outward swinging door and a female unicorn like gargoyle stepped out.
"Angela," Una exclaimed joyfully, "You made it." The Londoner gargoyle rushed forward to embrace Angela, followed by Brianna who simply shook Angela's hand when she and Una parted. "Come in, come in," Una said, ushering Angela and her clan mates in, "the others are waiting, we can have introductions then."
The doorway was larger than any built by humans in a normal house, and had obviously been enlarged to gain more room. The narrow stairway was clean, but clearly it was not cleaned often. Small patches of dust lay undisturbed in their little corners. Had Brooklyn been there he would have said something like, "You missed a spot."
Which was why Sata was glad her mate was not with them. While she loved him and he could, at times, be tactful, he always chose the worst times to be tactless.
She was not the only one who had this realization. Because as soon as they were in Ariana said, "You missed a spot."
"We don't normally come up here too often," Una said without turning around, "So we don't see much of a need to clean."
Sata glared at her daughter, and when she was sure Una could not hear her, hissed: "Ariana, what have I told you about acting like your father?"
"Aww, come one mom," Ariana whispered, "Dad wouldn't have minded."
"If your father wouldn't mind you jumping off a...No wait, that's a bad example." (Author's note, I know it's out of character, but I just couldn't resist.)
The stair opened up into what appeared to be and attic. Leo, Arthur, Merlin, and Mary were already waiting for them, having heard the impact of their landing. Those that did not already know each other were introduced, and those that already did know each other were able to renew old friendships.
"Angela," Leo roared, scooping the lavender female up in a bear-hug. "So good to see you."
"It's good to see you too," Angela gasped, "But please put me down while most of my ribs are still intact." The leonine gargoyle complied and put her down.
"So," Leo said, "How are Goliath and Elisa?"
"Fine," Angela said, rubbing her ribs, "But I think one of your bear- hugs would finish even Goliath."
Leo chuckled, "I wouldn't bet on that," he said, opening the door, "But let's move someplace more comfortable that this drafty old attic."
Everyone followed the London Gargoyle out of the attic. Everyone except for King Arthur. Merlin almost stayed, but looking back at King Arthur, who shook his head slightly, he decided to follow the others. If there was anything important Arthur would be sure to tell him. But for now it was best if their visitors didn't know about their potential troubles. If Merlin had stayed they might have noticed and become suspicious.
Outside in the hall Angela noticed something, "Where's Griff?" She asked, looking around as if expecting to see him.
"He's on patrol," Una answered, "He should be back soon."
Lexington, who was slightly behind the others, was accosted by Brianna. "Ye wuir at the world council, right?" She asked him.
"Yeah," Lexington replied, "Why do you ask?"
"My sister told me about you," she answered.
"Really?" Lex asked, his ears perking up, "What did she say about me?"
"Well, she said ye wuir nice," Brianna replied noncomitaly, "But besides that she dinnae say much else."
Lexington's ears drooped, she hadn't said anything else? Could it be possible she had forgotten about him? Or didn't she really care?
Brianna, noticing Lex's depressed expression, quickly added, "But she did say she was looking forward to meeting ye again."
At this Lexington's ears perked up again, "Really?" he said, "How is she by the way?"
"She's fine," Brianna replied, "Though, she is still having trouble finding a mate, even thought there are more males than before Griff and Arthur came to our forest."
Lexington grinned, he might still have a chance. Now if only he could find someone who would be willing to show him the way to her home. Then again, "I don't suppose you'd have time to show me your home some time."
"I could probably find some time t'show ye," Brianna replied.
When Brianna wasn't looking Lex grinned even more.
Arthur, having heard the dull thump of Griff's landing, opened the door Sata had closed behind her. Caval came bounding in to lick his face, followed by Griff and Leba.
"And," Arthur asked, "Did you find anything?"
Griff shook his head, "Nothing, not that we should have expected more."
"But we did manage to find something," Leba said, sitting down on a chest."
"What? What did you find?"
"We were being followed Arthur," Leba stated, "I don't know who, but I'd bet anything it was this fellow we're after." She paused, "I think we might be in deeper trouble than we think Arthur," she continued, her voice shaking slightly, "but when we felt someone watching us from the alley it was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It," she stopped at a loss for words, "It was scary," she concluded lamely, "It wasn't terrifying, but it was the kind of fear you felt as a child when you were afraid to go to the toilet because you were afraid there were monsters under the bed."
Arthur nodded slowly, "I see," he said. He had met creatures that were capable of isntilling fear in their prey, but something that could make a grown person feel fear like they had only felt as children?
"Where," Leba said, "Are Rory and the Banshee?"
"Brianna found Rory and they were able to find the Banshee. I had Kevin drive them to the estate."
Leba frowned, "Do you think that was a good idea? We should have all been with them, it would have been safer."
"Possibly," Arthur said, "But I don't think there would have been much we could do if he tried to get at the Banshee. It's safer if we take her secretely, without anyone knowing. Brianna and Griff are taking the Manhattan Clan to the estate tomorrow night. We'll join them later," he continued, "after we pick Dulcinea up from the train station. Then we'll decide what to do next."
Leba and Griff nodded in agreement, Leba slower than Griff, she didn't like the idea of Rory and Mollie alone.
"Leba," Griff said suddenly, "why did you leave the door open?"
"I didn't," she started, but then she saw that he was right, the door was open. "That's strange, I could have sworn I'd closed it."
Outside the shop the cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows of the alley. So, its prey had escaped it. But he would find her. He had a plan for this, all he had to do were make his two final moves, then he would have what he wanted.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Enjoy, it will be all you get for a while.