Chapter 39

Her family did not interrupt her as she slogged on miserably through her tale, stopping several times to swallow down the lump that kept building in her throat.

It was probably because they were crying too much to talk.

Avalina told them everything, save the incidents she knew would cause them the most grief. How bad her time in the dungeon had been and how the Horned King had nearly killed her more than once were among them.

The story told, Avalina was free to break down as well.

"You. . .Can't go back!" Her mother sobbed.

"You're my only daughter! My light, my song. You can't go back to that monster, you just can't! Heaven knows what he'll do to you_"

"Mother, stop it!" Arran said firmly, laying a hand on her shoulder as the woman burst into a fresh bout of sobbing.

"Don't scare Avalina any more!"

"Its alright, Arran," Avalina sniffled out through her own tears. "After everything I've been through the past few weeks I doubt anything she says can scare me any more. You haven't seen him like I have."

The mere thought of it sent chills all through the room, causing all of them to shudder.

Despite the fact that the Horned King had waged war against Prydain for many years, besides other countries, no one who was deemed important enough for interrogating lived after they saw him.

The rumors of his hideous appearance had been spread by the Horned King's soldiers themselves.

"You're not going back," Arran said firmly.

"We can hide you away somewhere, somewhere he'll never look. . ."

"That won't work, Arran," Avalina managed out. "He'll do. . .terrible, horrible things to you and Mother if I don't come back."

Holding up a hand to keep her brother quiet, Avalina continued.

"It doesn't matter if I run to the farthest ends of Prydain. He'll destroy everything between himself and me, he told me. . ."

Here she broke off, choking on that lump that had reappeared in her throat.

"He told you what?"

Arran demanded through his own tears.

"He told me. . .no, he *promised* me. . .that if I did not return before the sun set on the third day, he would make me watch as he destroyed everything I cared about. And I'm sure he knows I care for my entire country, and all the people in it."

"That. . .Monster!"

Arran swore. "He is a MONSTER! A wicked, heartless Monster! How did he come back! How!? The Princess said a peasant boy, Taran or whatever, destroyed him."

"Taran did. The Princess and another friend of theirs, someone with a funny name, saw the whole thing. Eilonwy told me all the details herself."

Avalina shuddered violently as those memories resurfaced, not wishing to think about it.

"Apparently he didn't do the best of jobs," Arran said angrily.

"He did the best job of anyone," Avalina said, defending the boy, deciding that now might not be the best time to correct her elder brother and let him know it was a little fuzzball that had stopped the Horned King from taking over the world instead of Taran.

"He was the first to ever escape from the Horned King and live to tell about it, and the only one to destroy him. He did more than all the king's armies ever did down through the years."

Trembles went through the room as Avalina said his name out loud.

"What did he do?" Arran demanded again.

"We could duplicate it!"

"We can't, Arran," Avalina said wearily, suddenly tired of trying to argue with him.

"The Black Cauldron was what destroyed him in the first place, and it was sealed shut permanently when Taran killed the Horned King with it. Then the Witches of Morva took it away. Its not like it can be used anymore, anyhow, even if it could be found. Its sealed permanently. Nothing's coming out, nothing's going in. Period."

Avalina felt a twinge of satisfaction at seeing her brother at a loss for words for the first time since they had started this conversation.

Her brother snorted and turned away to wipe his eyes on the handkerchief he pulled from one of his back pockets.

"I'm sorry, Arran," Avalina said softly, regretting her short snap of temper.

"Trust me, I've thought of everything while I was there, and nothing would have worked. You're just on the same track of thought as I was."

Her mother spoke up for the first time.

"Avalina, please tell me this isn't real. Please!"

Avalina's tears spilled over again, looking at her mother's broken face.

"Momma, I'm so sorry."

Reaching across the table, Avalina took her mother's hand gently.

"Its all my fault. I should have stayed at Dalben's, but I thought I could beat the storm home, like Daddy always used to do."

A faint smile crossed both of their features for a moment before her mother broke down again.

"We only lost him four years ago! And now I'm losing you too!"

"Mother, please don't think like that!"

Avalina tried to comfort her mother in some way, although she knew it was completely fruitless. There was absolutely nothing she could say that wouldn't make this worse.

After several minutes of them all weeping at the table holding each other, Arran carefully broke free from them and got his hat.

"Where are you going?"

Avalina asked her brother.

"Prydain must be warned," he said grimly.

"No!" Mother cried, getting up to stop him.

"If you tell someone, the Horned King could think Avalina was planning something!"

Her brother halted, thinking this over.

"He told Avalina when she was in the dungeon she was down there so she couldn't warn Prydain. If he finds out someone DID warn Prydain. . ."

"He won't," her brother said firmly.

"He will when you bring a mob to storm the castle," Mother said. "He could do something horrible to Avalina the minute he sees you coming!"

Arran realized she was right. The Horned King would kill his sister for it, whether it was her fault or not.

The thought enraged and horrified him.

"Why does he even want you back?"

Arran asked.

"I don't know," Avalina said dejectedly.

"I'd really rather not think about it."

Trying to fill the sudden frightened silence, Arran turned to their mother.

"And how did you know I was going to get a mob and storm the castle?" He asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Mother sniffed, smiling a little.

"My son, I know you better than anyone. I carried you, raised you, and I've known you all your life. There's little I don't know about you. Avalina either. And," she continued as she wiped her nose on a handkerchief,

"You both have so much of your father in you."

Now that they all weren't completely sobbing their eyes out, Avalina spoke up gently after a reverent silence, trying to keep a halfway cheerful smile on her face.

"Now, I want you all to listen. I have three days, and while I'm here I don't want anyone crying. I want to enjoy the time I have left with you and the farm, so let's not act like its a bloody funeral. I want to take nothing but good memories with me when I go. Can you two promise me this?"

Her brother and mother looked at each other for a moment, before looking back at Avalina.

"Alright, Ava dear," her mother said, drying her eyes. "No tears."

"You're right, little sister," Arran said gruffly, trying to hide his own. "Nothin' o' the sort."

Avalina swallowed hard to loosen her throat, which suddenly felt tight, and with a can-do attitude she certainly didn't feel, spoke.

"Right then. Now, supper isn't going to fix itself, Mother. I'll help you. Arran, I forgot and left my saddlebags out in the barn. Would you be so kind?"

Her brother nodded at her gratefully, realizing she had asked him to fetch them in order to give him an excuse to be alone for a bit, and slipped out the door as Avalina and her mother began to chop the vegetables.

The sounds of supper being prepared were the only things in the silence of the kitchen.

Ok, two people's guessed what breed Mitternacht could be. Could I get one or two more please? I know there's people reading this thing that never comment. (Which is mildly depressing for this writer, but oh well. . .hint hint XD) Could I ask ya'll to please take a guess? I don't care if you're a guest reader, comments always make my day brighter! XD

So Pretty Please with sugar and cinnamon on top? :)