Chapter 130

Avalina laboriously tugged up yet another fistful of the dead, thickly woven mass of weeds that coated much of the Horned King's lands like a suffocating blanket and tossed it to the side. It disappeared into midair when released but she didn't even turn her head. She had become used to it and had long assumed it was the Invisible's doing.

The ground had thawed a great deal in the last week, and Avalina was able to start working with the earth again, something that immensely thrilled her. Her garden didn't need much work yet, and it was too early to plant anything, so she had started weeding out a patch by the drawbridge that could be seen from the Horned King's window. The garden could hardly be seen from the castle at all, and the only window the lich's room possessed faced the east, over the drawbridge, and Avalina had heard the regret in his voice when he had told her he could not draw near it.

But perhaps she could make a little plot here that he could see from his window. He had permitted her to do anything she wished with the land around the castle, as he had no use for it.

It was very early in the morning, and the sun was barely above the horizon. She had used the hoe til worn out, hacking at the ground to try and loosen the roots' grip on it, and now she was on her knees finishing the job for this little section she'd started. A light rain had fallen last night, but she doubted much of it had made it through this wretched blanket of dead plants. Ripping it up was terribly hard on her body but she didn't mind. If it meant the Horned King could possibly see some flowers this spring it would be worth it, and she smiled as she remembered why she was working.

Grasping another handful, she frowned suddenly, feeling.

There was something under there. It was bulky and seemed to be quite large and it didn't feel like the rocks his lands were known for...sliding her fingers down the edge, she couldn't discern what it was, and she began to work the roots free from the larger end of the mass.

The weeds were so tightly woven together pulling out one at a time was impossible. They had matted themselves together over whatever it was so thickly...but she worried at it and felt it giving after several minutes. These weeds were strong enough to be a fishnet, but some of the roots by her knees were broken from the earth and came free with a ripping snap.

Working her fingers into the fist-sized hole, she continued, pleased that her work was paying off. She could feel the smooth, yet somewhat dipping surface of whatever it was beneath her fingertips and she wondered what it could possibly be.

Finally, enough of the roots popped loose that she could pull away a fairly large section of the blanket of knotted weeds back and see what lay underneath...

The skeleton's blank, grinning face stared sightlessly up at her, and Avalina felt her heart freeze to a stop, her body turning to stone...paralyzed by its bleached, lifeless gaze...and it all came back in the blink of an eye.

'Those cold skeleton hands holding her down, that sword running her through, Arran, Mother, the farmhouse, Mitternacht screaming. . .'

With a horrified gasp she leapt backwards, falling before she managed to get to her feet and scramble away, staring at it in terror.

'Cauldron-Born!'

The skeleton did not move, but she could see the armor underneath the weeds now, and knew it could be nothing else. With a jolt of fresh fear she understood that if she had uncovered just the one, how many more were lying strewn about underneath her feet? Now she noticed the lumps under the weeds all around the drawbridge she hadn't noticed before. What she thought were rocks...they were *everywhere.* A hand jutted from some of the weeds off to her left, and was that a rib over there? The realization that she was surrounded by them chilled her to the bone and she was running to the castle before she quite realized what she was doing.

'Run, run!'

She could practically /feel/ them chasing her. . .and oh gods, she had /touched/ it. . .

Straight to the stable she fled and closed the door behind her, leaning against it as she gasped and shook in terror.

She had been around skeletons for months. Bones and human skulls (mostly the latter) were engraved on the walls, doorways and even some of the doors themselves inside the castle, and although they no longer bothered her, she still took care not to look at them too long. But this. . .this had been so unexpected...

Drawing a deep shuddering breath, she tried to calm her thundering heart, with next to no success, and stumbled over to Mitternacht (who was eyeing her concernedly over his door) and hugged him, realizing with a start that she was crying in terror.

The horse sighed sadly and nuzzled her back, attempting to comfort his rider the only way he knew.

"Avalina."

She jumped and came back to herself as her name was dredged out, looking across the room to the Horned King, who was eyeing her sternly.

"Y-yes sir?"

"You are not concentrating."

She flinched from his displeasure, looking down at the book without seeing it.

"I'm s-sorry."

The lich narrowed his eyes faintly, before drawing near and turning her page back.

"We have been at this lesson an hour and you cannot remember a word. This is. . .unlike you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, feeling horrible as she twisted her hands in her lap.

"You have been preoccupied all morning," he stated firmly.

"What troubles you?"

Avalina heard the concern in his monotone voice, which softened the sting of his previous reprimand, and timidly looked up at him, seeing not the stern displeasure in his eyes she expected, but a faintly worried expression, and it eased her rattled thoughts somewhat.

He wanted to know what was bothering her, and this made it somewhat easier to tell him, although she felt very self-conscious and foolish for doing so.

"I. . .I was weeding this morning, and. . .there was a. . .a. . ."

She bit down a shiver.

"A skeleton under there."

The Horned King stiffened as she spoke, and she tensed herself, wondering if she had angered him. After a moment he answered.

"Where?"

"Out near the drawbridge," she shivered.

Seeing his silence, she realized how foolish she had sounded. She couldn't even handle a few bones!

"I'm s-sorry," she apologized, "It just. . .frightened me is all. I'm. . .fine."

"No, you are not," the lich rumbled sternly, watching her. "Do not lie to me. You have not ventured outside the courtyard all day."

After a moment he asked, "Are there any more?"

Avalina's faint tremble did not go unnoticed.

"Yes," she answered softly, "Everywhere."

A silence passed before the lich spoke again.

"Why do they trouble you so?"

Avalina didn't know how to answer. How could she without sounding even more foolish than she already had? She felt so embarrassed and wished she hadn't told him. But she had to answer him somehow, because that question had the undertone of an order in it, and she dared not disobey him.

"Um. . ."

"Hardly a choice word for someone capable of using far better," the Horned King commented as lightly as his monotone voice would allow, causing Avalina to blush in embarrassment and, if she had not been so tense, amusement, before he suddenly asked, "Was it Arawn?"

He knew the answer without the girl having to say a word.

Avalina blinked furiously, staring very hard at the floor in front of her, determined not to let the memories of those old nightmares taunt her to tears again. The Horned King didn't like it when she cried, and she hated feeling like such a coward. . .

She jumped when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I. . .understand," he rumbled as she met his eyes, "More than you realize. There is no need for you to be ashamed."

Avalina only blushed harder as she felt her eyes sting more and willed herself not to cry, but she was failing miserably.

The lich took the book from her with his other hand. Relief that she didn't have to and shame at letting him down mingled inside Avalina at his words.

"We will have this lesson tomorrow."

Seeming to think of something else, he added, tightening his grip on her shoulder faintly, "The Black Cauldron can never be activated again. The. . .Cauldron-Born are harmless, little more than mere dust now."

He gritted his fangs, pushing back the fury he felt at the memory of all his work crumbling to nothing, trying to remember what had brought this up. . .Avalina. She was afraid of them.

She had obviously sensed his anger and looked slightly frightened, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. Her aura washing over him helped a great deal.

"It is nothing," he told her, his head feeling clearer.

Taking her in, he could sense her fear, and not of him, but of the Cauldron-Born she had come upon, and his eyes softened by the faintest of margins.

He could only speculate what Arawn had filled her head with, all those unguarded nights, and he gritted his fangs in anger. He should have anticipated his master would do something like that, but it was over and done now. . .and the lich regretted he could not reverse what she had no doubt been through. He knew from bitter experience that Arawn would hold back nothing in his assaults, mental or otherwise.

He knew what she was feeling. He battled against his memories of the Cauldron every day, and her case, although hardly as severe as his own, would doubtless be traumatic for the child. She was only fourteen, and being surrounded by Death would surely be stifling for her of itself, but inside her head as well. . .

"Do you wish to speak of it?" He inquired, causing yet another internal struggle inside Avalina's head. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to remember. She wanted to shove those memories as far away as she could, but she had been doing that for some time and they had emerged again today with no warning at all. And she hadn't been able to prevent them in the slightest.

But at the same time, she wanted to confide in him. She wanted to tell him, but at times his own aura was so heavy with his own inner demons she was afraid to trouble him anymore. He had enough to. . .

The Horned King shifted, and she realized his hand was still firmly on her shoulder, yet not so heavily that she couldn't move and be rid of it if she wished. But the weight was comforting, and she looked up at him again, meeting those deathly, black eyes, saw the concerned sincerity there, and she finally poured out everything. The nightmares and all they entailed, even the parts of him, although it was more difficult speaking of than she had even imagined, and at the blessed end, when she had once again, been reduced to a shaking wreck, a couple tears sliding down her face, she somewhat fearfully awaited what he would do. What he no doubt thought of her now must be horrid.

The lich listened closely as she told him everything, and now much that had not made much sense to him before was now clear. Why the nightmares he had previously thought to be so petty had in fact heavily encouraged her terror of him. He felt his fury at Arawn rising with each word that passed her lips, and anger at himself that he had not thought to take precautions against this.

When she finished, he could feel her terrible embarrassment and rekindled fear as she hid her tearful face in her hands so she wouldn't have to look up at him anymore, and he felt a pang of. . .something. . .twist inside his chest. Was it guilt? Perhaps this thing humans called Sympathy? He did not know, but after hearing Avalina describe emotions to him and the sensations they caused so many times before, he believed his assumptions to be accurate.

He wished she would not be so distressed. He remembered the threats he had given her, multiple times, of what he would do to her family or her if she did not obey his orders, and he understood that had been the fuel that fed her nightmares. What had fed Arawn, despite the lich's promise he had given her, that he would not harm her family so long as she remained here with him. Threats that real could hardly be shoved aside, particularly at her age, and he realized with a pained start that he had probably encouraged his old master to send the nightmares to her.

The Horned King had to think for a very long minute or two, trying to remember how it was that mortals comforted each other, before he slowly tightened his grip on her shoulder, pulling her up from her sitting position and to him in a careful, but nonetheless uncertain, embrace. Was this correct?

"Arawn was wrong," he growled softly. "I will never harm you, child. Not anymore."

Avalina stiffened a moment, feeling his arm surround her shoulders, and couldn't help the soft surprised gasp that escaped her at his words. This was the first time he had ever voluntarily did this action without her going first, and she realized this before gratefully returning the gesture, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging tight, suddenly feeling safer than she ever thought possible. Why was she so scared of those nightmares, of Arawn? She had nothing to fear, not with him here, and the thought made her hug him tighter. She had known ever since he pulled her from the lake he would not hurt her again. She had known, inside, but hearing him say it eased a weight off her chest she hadn't even realized was there.

The Horned King felt a faint twinge of triumph stir inside him. It was correct. And that hot, hot fire that exploded inside his chest burned with a ferocious intensity, as he silently remembered the unspoken promise he had given her months ago by the fire. One that she might not even be aware of, but he was going to keep.

More gently than anyone would have believed possible, he carefully stroked her hair, unused to the sensation of her soft, tousled locks slipping through his fingers. It seemed to have the desired effect on the girl as well, for after a minute her shivers stopped and he felt her aura grow light and joyful again, as it should be.

"Thank you," she told him happily, looking up at him.

The lich only smiled faintly.

"You are. . .welcome."

A faint shadow of worry drifted across her eyes, and he creased his brow ridges at her, silently inviting her to speak. She looked as if she wanted to say something but couldn't make herself voice it, and he understood after a moment what she was struggling with. He was about to answer for her when she finally managed to whisper it out.

"You. . .you won't. . .hurt them?"

'Yes, you will!' His inner voice ordered him. 'Tell her that threat still stands! Or refuse to answer. Leave her hanging. She has to keep believing that, or she will never stay, and your soul will be lost forever. You know that!'

After a long, long moment, the Horned King gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, dredging out a single word.

"No."

The relief he saw crashing through her features, felt through her aura, was well worth his reply, even as his little inner voice screamed shrilly at him that he was doomed as Avalina hugged him tight.

His inner voice was screaming in horrified rage at him but he drowned it out. (It was easy with the girl here) What he could not drown out so easily was the victorious roar of laughter from his master that resounded inside his head. The Horned King did not even know why he had answered her so truthfully. The truth had surprised even himself when he had realized that no, he did not believe he could bring Avalina any more heartache. And. . .he trusted her.

After a moment, he rumbled a question he had been meaning to ask her for some time.

"Child?" He asked, causing her to look up at him, ". . . .What do you see? When you. . .look at me?"

Avalina looked puzzled by his inquiry.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean, sir."

"Do you see a being that should not even exist?" He elaborated. "A murderer? A warlord? What is it that you /see/?"

Avalina frowned slightly in thought, looking up at him, before gesturing to the chair she had been sitting in not too long before.

"Could you sit?"

Now somewhat puzzled himself, the lich gracefully complied.

The girl slowly took his hand in hers and studied it, down to the minutest detail, watching how it flexed and tightened slowly around her own. So much strength lay in him, and yet he could be so gentle, too.

Raising her gaze, Avalina stared into his face with a searching, almost curious expression, the Horned King's remaining as stony and deadpan as ever, but she didn't seem to mind. Those deep, brilliant eyes traveled slowly all over his face, absorbing every feature, and the lich was unprepared for the faintly uneasy feeling that made itself known. It was like she was seeing everything, seeing right inside him. . .He had never been scrutinized this carefully, this fearlessly, before by anyone, and he wasn't certain what to think of it.

He very nearly jumped when, in his shock, Avalina slowly brought her hand up to his face and gently, timidly, touched his cheek.

Never, in all his existence, had he ever expected this. Ever. And this had startled him. He had always detested being touched, but this. . .He almost pulled away, but her touch was so kind, so warm, brimming with Life itself. . .he instinctively closed his eyes as she slowly moved her hand across his cheek, over his forehead, opening them again as she slowly brushed her fingertips up to the reason for his name, and after a moment of hesitation, ran her fingers up his horns.

Slowly, he bowed his head so that she would have no trouble reaching them, not certain what she was doing, but certainly regretting he had allowed her to touch him. Would she be frightened at feeling his withered, dead shell? Repulsed? He was not certain. She had touched him before, although nothing this extensive.

His horns had no feeling of themselves, but he could feel her hand up there through the bone, going up, then down, each one, feeling the grooves, points and curves that adorned them, before she finally, almost reluctantly, pulled back, looking somewhat awed.

Returning her gaze to his eyes, she answered softly, in that truthful, naive way she had, "I see someone beautiful."

The room was so quiet they could have heard a pin drop.

The Horned King, for one of the few times in his life, was struck completely speechless. Never, in all his days, had he ever expected, ever thought. . .someone calling him anything complimentary had never even entered his head, and Avalina, this child. . .had gone and done it.

His growl was so thick and low it was hardly intelligible.

"Why?"

Avalina studied him for a moment more before answering.

"You have the most genuine smile of anyone I've ever met. When you're happy, I know it's real. Not a mask, like I've seen other people wear. And. . .I think you're beautiful. To me."

The Horned King stared at her for a long minute, his brain trying to make sense of it all.

"How?" He growled in shock. "How can you see. . ./this/. . .as anything but. . .monstrous?"

Avalina tilted her head slightly to the side.

"I. . .I just can. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, right?"

The lich very faintly twitched his head in an affirmative, wondering what she was getting at.

"And I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever met."

The Horned King stared down at the floor for many minutes afterward, turning this realization over and over in his mind.

She thought him beautiful. This wretched form of his. . .it was not right. She was delusional. But he knew that to be a lie. She was anything but that. How could she do this? How could she look at him, so kindly, so /truthfully/, and /say/ that? It didn't make any sense. She had to be out of her mind. Unless. . .

The more he thought about it the more probable it became, until he finally loosed a very soft chuckle, causing her to give him a curious look.

"Child," he dredged softly, "You truly are an angel without wings."

Avalina promptly blushed deep red, which only seemed to amuse the lich further, but she grinned after a moment and recovered.

"But sir, if you say I'm. . .that," she murmured softly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, but with a playful twinkle in her eye, "Then. . .Mitternacht is my wings. He's how I fly. And. . .I could teach you to fly too, if you like."

Her hopeful smile brought another chuckle from the Horned King and a faint smile graced his features, softening them briefly as he replied.

"Perhaps."

Ok, guys, I'm sorry about the wait. I had writer's block and there was stuff going on in real life. But I've gotten this chapter up, finally. XD Again, so sorry. I really didn't like leaving y'all hanging so long. =(

I had to rewatch the Black Cauldron this week for one scene, one *tiny* scene...ended up watching the whole thing. What? It sucks you *in,* man. 0_0 Anyway, and I realized, being the idiot I am, I had left out a very crucial detail in my story! GAH! *rage-quit* I had forgotten to write in all the skeletons lying around near the drawbridge on the Horned King's lands, cause when the Cauldron's power left them, they kinda flopped and "died" right there. So naturally, they're /still/ there. And I can't BELIEVE I forgot it! Dad GUM it! *shoots something* But anyway, I can't help it now, I just hope it doesn't butcher the story itself too much. Gosh...sorry about that guys, I forgot. =( But my excuse is that his lands that aren't just dust and rocks are so choked with dead weeds nobody could have seen them unless they were weeding, which is what poor Ava was doing when she found them. XD

I really appreciate your reviews, they make my day! Thank you to everyone who does so! =)