Chapter 143

In the weeks that followed and the days grew ever warmer, Avalina started swimming in the lake with Mitternacht regularly, and eventually got Creeper to join her. He would never go out into the deep like she and Mitternacht did, but the weeks of practice in the water trough had greatly paid off. He could swim a little, albeit clumsily, but he could swim, and was improving every day, something both he and Avalina were quite proud of. After many hours of splashing and cursing from Creeper, Avalina taught him how to float on his back without getting water in his pointed ears, where little to no energy was required. This they considered a massive achievement and celebrated with a splash fight in the shallows.

Something the pair noticed was that Addie refused to enter the water, while Gethin would wade right out in it, snapping at the minnows and attempting to give himself a waterbath like a bird would, flapping his wings and ducking his head beneath the surface.

"Gwythaints aren't supposed to like water that much," Creeper said as he and Avalina sat on the bank one evening drying off after several hours of playing in the water, watching the younger gwythaint. "Addie and her mate wouldn't touch the stuff, except to drink."

"Why do you think he likes it so?" Avalina asked, wringing her hair out.

"Fates be blasted if I know, human."

Gethin's black, wet scales shone almost blindingly in the sunlight, as he suddenly spread his wings and rose from the water, gliding out over the lake. With a screech Addie took off from the bank and followed him.

"They're so beautiful," Avalina sighed, watching the gwythaints as they looped and arced above the lake, playing their version of tag. Creeper gave a faint huff but did not reply immediately.

"He's gonna need a new halter soon," he grumbled.

"Already?" Avalina asked, before teasing, "That's the third one this month! What's he doing, eating them?"

Creeper gave a snort of unintentional amusement. "Hah! No, when he's not outgrowing them his mother's chewin' 'em off. I guess she ain't fond of 'em. She ain't worn one in years, you see. She's so well trained she don't need one anymore."

"Does Gethin mind the halter?"

"He ain't said a word to me concernin' the matter."

Avalina laughed. "Maybe Addie's just jealous of the attention he's getting?"

"I never thought of that. I figured her bein' overprotective."

"Well, that's also possible, yes. Whoa, look!"

Creeper straightened up at her exclamation, eyes widening as he saw Addie fold her wings to her sides and shoot like an arrow at the water, swooping down and skimming the surface with her head and claws before flying up again.

"She's teaching him to fish," Creeper said, more to himself than the girl, watching as Gethin clumsily attempted to follow suit.

"Is this his first hunting session?" Avalina asked, eyes never leavng the gwythaints. "Or have you and Addie taken him out for one before?"

"He's tried to hunt before," Creeper said, "But never caught anything. Blasted critter's too clumsy while stalking. He'd wake the whole country up trying to kill something."

"Do you usually take them far out?"

"As far as they want to go. Why, human?"

"I was just wondering."

Creeper nearly retorted but held his tongue. Why would she ask such a question? Turning back to the gwythaints wheeling over the water, he thought he understood.

"I don't let them hunt here, human," he said after a time. "I take them out over Prydain somewhere."

Avalina blushed in embarrassment. "I didn't mean for you to assume I thought you didn't," she stammered, tripping over the words, and upon Creeper's quizzical look, couldn't help laughing at how silly she must have sounded.

"Creeper?" she asked after a few minutes, "Can I ask you something?"

The tone in which she said it suggested she wished to ask something rather personal, and after a moment, Creeper nodded, wondering what was on her mind.

"How old are you?"

"I'm not sure," he answered. "Service under the Horned King blends everything together in a dull mass. I may be young, or I may be old. I don't remember how long I have been in his service."

"Oh. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"You didn't."

After a bit, he said, "Now I'll ask a question."

"Sure."

It looked as if he were silently arguing with himself, before he finally blurted out, "What's a family?"

Avalina was taken aback, unsure of how to reply to this and shocked he didn't know.

"I've heard humans talk about them," he continued. "Mostly you. Do all humans have them?"

"No, not all," Avalina said slowly. "Many don't, but we all have some at some point in our lives. A human's usually born in a family."

"So is it like deer or other animals?" he asked. "Do families work like that?"

"Not exactly, Creeper," Avalina replied, trying to figure out how to explain something she thought everyone in the whole world knew about. "It's...somewhat difficult to explain. A family is a group of people, usually relatives, who live together, work together and love and care for each other in a group. In most families there's usually a father, a mother, and children."

"Like a herd?"

"Yes, sort of. But a human family love is different than an animal's."

"How so? They're both herds, right?"

"Um...well, yes, kind of, but a human family typically has much stronger ties to each other than animals in a herd or a pack." She scrubbed her forehead in frustration. "It's kinda hard for me to explain proper."

After a time Creeper asked another question.

"How many children do families have?"

"It always varies. Some have many children, others have few. Occasionally some married couples have no children at all. At least, not living with them anymore."

"Why is that?"

"Um...well, it could be that they don't want any, or they /can't/ have any."

"They're infertile?"

Avalina tensed at his coarse phrasing but realized the only experience he had with barren creatures was with animals. "Sometimes. Or it could have been from illness or a different problem."

"So," Creeper said, obviously trying to piece together what she had said. "Families are all different sizes?"

"Yes."

"And there's no limit to how big or small they are?"

"No. Although, the term "family" runs a lot deeper than blood. It doesn't necessarily matter if you're related or not, you can still be family."

"How's that?"

"Well...um..." Avalina ran her fingers through her drying hair, trying to think. "I'm not quite certain how to explain it. People that aren't related can live together and be /like/ a family, like...um..."

The idea came quickly and she snatched it.

"Like adoption!" she said. "Some people adopt others into their families, making the newcomer a part of their family."

"Is this done often?"

"I'm not sure, but I've heard of it being done a fair bit in my books. Personally I've never seen it done, except with Taran."

Creeper blinked. "That...that pig-boy is /adopted/?"

Avalina nodded, noticing how shocked he looked. "I don't know how it happened though. Such things are sometimes rather personal and complicated reasons."

After a while of absorbing this, Creeper said, "What's Taran's family like?"

"He lives with an older man on a small farm."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

Creeper shook his head. "That seems rather strange."

Avalina couldn't help but chuckle. "A lot of families are, Creeper."

"And your family?" he asked. "It's normal, isn't it?"

Avalina took a very long time to reply, and when she did she spoke softly, sounding almost unsure of herself.

"I...suppose it is, yes."

Creeper sat quietly for a bit, wondering why her demeanor had changed, before asking another question.

"What about friends?" Creeper asked. "What exactly are they?"

Avalina had little trouble explaining this one, the definition easily sliding off her tongue.

"A friend is someone who is there for you when everyone else walks away."

Seeing Creeper's rather blank expression, she elaborated. "A friend is someone you can depend on and trust at all times, talk to about anything you like, and...well, be there when you need them most."

At the end her words failed her. There were so many things to being a friend she couldn't put in words, but she thought Creeper understood.

"So, what's more important, friends or family?" the goblin asked at length.

Avalina didn't speak for some minutes, seemingly lost in thought, before she answered.

"Family and relatives are two different things, Creeper. Relatives are only people you share blood with, but family runs deep. It doesn't really abide by set-in-stone rules. Family can take any shape, size, or texture. That's the same as friends. There's no set standard as to what they have to be either. They don't even have to be the same species to be friends. When friends care about each other enough, they /become/ your family, and you become theirs."

Creeper said nothing in reply, letting the silence go undisturbed, save for the horse grazing in the meadow behind them and the gwythaints playing over the lake as the sun dried himself and the human off.

When the predators returned to the shore, Addie holding a newly killed fish in her mouth for she and Gethin to share, he felt Avalina tense, although she said nothing of it and praised Addie, before excusing herself, saying it was about time for the music session.

As she rode off on Mitternacht, Creeper glanced up at the sun, noticing it wouldn't be noon for another hour.

The Horned King had expected training Avalina with a weapon to be tedious. If the mere prospect of such an idea was regarded so reluctantly by both parties, the act of actually doing so was not forseen to be much better.

He had not expected it to be enjoyable.

Once both of them had meditated on the idea for a time and actually worked on it, Avalina had discovered she actually looked forward to each lesson, relaxing upon realizing she wouldn't have to hurt anyone in practice sessions and had no reason to worry about getting injured herself as of yet, and the lich told her she had read too many fairytales. It seemed the two of them had avoided the mere idea so much, it had shadowed over the enjoyment that could be had from this.

Now, the two of them playfully sparred back and forth in the entrance room of the castle, the Horned King instructing and Avalina absorbing every word. The two of them were not really training seriously at this moment, but Avalina, blushing, had asked him if he could teach her a little swordplay and the lich had complied, saying the practice with a blade would do her well. He realized he would have to teach her a different method than which he himself was accustomed to using, as his student was a featherweight and could easily be overpowered or knocked aside in the blink of an eye. Speed, agility and sharp thinking would be her weapons, moreso than the blade, and close combat was to be avoided at all costs. She simply wouldn't have the strength or weight to hold up at short range for any length of time.

"Keep your point up. Remember, hide behind the blade," he said as they faced each other. "And broaden your stance."

Fumbling only slightly, she did as he said, right before he came at her.

Barely bringing her weapon up in time to deflect his own, she pushed back against him as much as she was able, bracing herself against him. The practice swords they were using were so dull they couldn't slice bread, but her blood still jumped when the blades met.

Feeling the slight change in the pressure and realizing he was going to try and throw her blade up and leave her exposed, she jumped backwards an instant before he did so, turning his own move against him as his blade shoved up nothing but air, before leaping forward and trying to take advantage of it.

The lich, however, was much too fast for her and brought his blade down again when she closed, forcing her to parry and apply as much pressure as she could to avoid getting thrown backwards on the floor, something she had already fallen victim to once today.

Before she could retreat and get away from the heavy weight the Horned King was inflicting on her, he suddenly yanked his blade down, taking hers with it and instantly relieving the pressure, making Avalina lose her balance and reel forward towards him.

The Horned King did not wish for her to fall on the blades, regardless of how dull they were and grabbed her forearm with his free hand, taking a step backwards to steady her and ensure she would not plow into him.

After stumbling a moment Avalina was able to straighten up with the lich assisting her. Wiping her hair from her face with her free hand, she glanced up at him before looking down.

"Thank you," she said softly, feeling a hot, embarrassed blush creep over her face.

"What did I tell you about getting in close combat?"

"To not to," Avalina answered, ashamed. She had gotten caught up in the moment and forgotten. "I'm sorry."

"However," he continued, "I see you were ready for me this time."

"Until you yanked down," she panted, unable to contain a rueful grin. "I felt it coming but couldn't get away fast enough."

"Few can. The fact you did not drop your blade is admirable."

"Thank you," she said, blushing harder. "If it was sharp though I would have gotten myself impaled for my trouble."

"That is why we are practicing. You have improved since we started."

Taking her sword from her, he rumbled, "Enough for today. You are exhausted."

Realizing she was trembling faintly from exertion, she nodded gratefully.

Hanging the two weapons upon the wall, the lich turned again to Avalina when she panted softly, "Have you ever taught other people to do this?"

He paused a moment, before replying.

"No."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have asked."

"However, I do now. Having an opportunity to pass on the skill I have acquired through the centuries...pleases me."

"I'm glad. But if I were stronger, it would be more worth it for you."

"I do not care for teaching others," he dredged slowly. "Only you. Now, sit down before you fall down."

Exhausted, Avalina complied, as the lich sat down across from her.

"I appreciate you taking the time to...do this," she panted softly, to which the Horned King only nodded.

After a few minutes, when Avalina had caught her breath, he spoke. "Are you fond of riddles?"

To have the Horned King ask such a random question faintly surprised her, as she was usually the one asking them, but it warmed her, knowing he wished to start a conversation with her rather than brush her off.

"I think they're very interesting," she answered, smiling. "I just can never seem to get the answer, and I don't know any. Do you like them?"

"I enjoy the stimulation," he replied. "In my more recent years it was one of the few things that brought me pleasure. Not many bother to think them out, making it a clever hobby to have."

"What are some you enjoy?" she asked eagerly.

A faint smile softened his glacial features for a moment, before replying, "Let us start with something simple. What possesses eighty eight keys, yet cannot open a single door?"

Avalina immediately faltered. "Um..."

"You know the answer," he encouraged slowly. "Think a moment."

"I'm trying to," she said, "But I fear I'm trying to think too hard!"

"Riddles are often easily solved," the lich explained. "The answers are not unduly complicated, therefore many overthink the problem."

After another minute, Avalina suddenly brightened. "Is it a piano?"

"Very good," the lich nearly purred, obviously pleased. "Now, something harder. Listen carefully. Glittering points that downward thrust, sparkling spears that never rust. By moonlight I am sharp and sound, by sunlight I slip underground."

As he had expected, Avalina was completely clueless, but he didn't hurry her thinking.

"Is it diamonds?" she asked.

"No. Think of one line at a time. There are clues left in each. Where do the points thrust?"

"Down," she answered, "And they glitter, obviously. But I'm afraid I can't understand."

"They are also sparkling spears that never rust," he continued.

"And they can't stand sunlight?" she questioned. The lich shook his head once in a negative, confirming her question.

A few minutes passed with Avalina in deep thought, and the Horned King did not speak, letting her ponder in silence, before she suddenly spoke. "They're icicles. Aren't they?"

"They are."

Avalina grinned triumphantly. "I have one for you now. I thought of it while I was thinking of the answer to yours."

"Oh?" the lich asked, intrigued. "And what might that be?"

"What has an eye that cannot see, and though blind, leads an ever-shrinking company?"

The Horned King blinked a moment, before sitting back in his seat. Avalina watched him as he slowly, methodically, steepled his fingers together before his fangs in pondering thought, and wondered if she had made it so poorly he couldn't guess.

'That would be about typical,' she thought somewhat frustratedly to herself. 'I should know better than to make something up on the spur of the moment without even thinking about whether it's accurate or not...'

"A needle and thread," he dredged slowly, looking over at her.

"Yes!" she said, feeling both relieved and somewhat subdued, not certain if she should feel pleased he had gotten it so quickly or arrogant for giving it to him in the first place. If he'd had as many years to study riddles as she suspected, she certainly had no business putting any to him.

"You made that yourself?"

Avalina silently nodded.

"Impressive."

"Really?" she asked, surprised. He nodded once.

"Another riddle with the same answer is this. An iron horse with a flaxen tail. The longer that the horse do run, the shorter doth his tail become."

"I wonder how many riddles can be made about that," she said. "I have a feeling they'd grow a bit...dull."

A soft rumble in the Horned King's chest indicated he had gotten her little play on words, making her laugh softly.

"Do another, please!" she asked, her eyes dancing.

"Very well. By night they come freely, without being brought, and by day are not stolen, yet they are lost."

After several minutes Avalina still couldn't guess and gave up, asking for the answer.

"Stars," the lich replied.

"I should have known that," she said ruefully, flushing. "I wasn't thinking right."

"It is a skill you must learn, child, not one you are born with," he answered.

"You know what skill I never thought you'd use?" an Invisible suddenly cackled. "The ability to rhyme."

"Yeah!" another said. "We didn't know you had it in you! Good job, Horatio Horn-Blower!"

"Something I know you will never have is the ability to do is obedience," the lich grumbled. "And act sane."

"We're not sane? Oh, the horrors!"

"Whatever shall we do?!"

"I know!"

"What!?"

"BEGLITTER THE BOSS!"

A soft 'poof' noise sounded, followed by a swiftly sliding sound as they apparently dumped a bucket full of glitter over the Horned King's head, cackling like the maniacs they were. The Horned King didn't even blink, merely sitting there in his now sparkly chair and even sparklier robes without moving a single muscle as the staple of all colorful pranks everywhere cascaded down upon him.

"Ahahahahaha!" the Invisibles cackled. "WHERE'S YOUR FLUFFY UNICORN, CAPTAIN JIMMY!?"

Avalina promptly bent double and laughed til she cried at the sight, scarcely able to breathe. It didn't matter how often she saw the Invisibles pull this trick, it never got old.

The Horned King was motionless so long she forced herself to sober, wondering if he were angry.

"You had better hope," he said at last to the Invisibles, "That the Fates do not eventually punish you for all of your disobedience by placing you in mortal bodies, because if that happens you can rest assured I will reciprocate very generously."

"Perhaps, someday, you may be granted that opportunity," the Invisibles cackled, "But today is not that day! Heck, we /all/ know /that/ day's never comin'! No entertaining false hope now, McGeorge, it'll tell on your health. Bahahahaha! DEAL WITH IT!"

"They've got a point," Avalina gasped, holding her stomach, "They really do. Why don't you try a different hobby?" She cracked up again. "And you look like a unicorn."

The Horned King chucked a handful of glitter at her, his tone deadpan as ever, but with a note of such grating disgust on the last word it cracked her up all over again.

"I would, my dear, if I could only /think/ around all this.../Happy/."

The once-barren wasteland was now teeming with life, and Avalina could sit very still in a meadow or under a tree and watch rabbits and squirrels, called in by the green foilage and foraging opportunities, browse about near her and leap above her in the branches.

All wild animals have a deep, self-preserving fear of humans, and many flee at the first notice of them. But there are times, when a wild animal and a human chance to meet, the creature can instinctually sense said human will not bestow them hurt, and may stay near for a short time, curious and calm, before slipping away into the undergrowth.

Such was the scenario here. The animals, sensing Avalina would do them no harm, after a time all but ignored her and went about their business, assuming she did not move swiftly. Coming within feet of her, they would nibble the grass or stare down at her from the branches, never close enough to touch (she wouldn't have tried even if they did) but certainly close enough for a sense almost of comradeship to fill the area.

Mitternacht, after a curious sniff at the rabbits, paid them no mind, and although they weren't particularly frightened of him they took great care to stay away from his feet.

Birds sang in the trees and hopped about the earth, hunting for their own food, and the soft notes of Avalina's flute echoed softly in the trees. She didn't know if the animals liked the music, but at any rate they never left when she started.

Closing her eyes on a particularly difficult note, Avalina tilted her head back against the tree she currently leant against. The flute was delightful to use, and she had promised the Horned King that when she was able, she would play a whole song for him.

She felt the atmosphere change slightly, causing her to open her eyes, and she froze, her next breath dying in her throat as she took in the scene before her.

The Horned King stood by his chamber window, as was normal, staring out at Avalina's garden, as was normal, and, as normal, wondering what she was doing and looking forward to her return later in the day. The trees obscured much of the view now, which somewhat unsettled him, but he was glad they were here, for her sake.

However, something that was most definitely not normal was this odd sensation he was feeling. It was so faint it was scarcely noticeable, but it was there, nudging at him, dulling his senses, almost like a faint ache in his bones...why was he feeling this? A lich could not experience such things. It was unheard of.

Shifting faintly, he narrowed his eyes, more in irritation than discomfort when the sensation grew slightly worse. He would have questioned the Invisibles of it but their heads were already big enough.

For once, he was so lost in thought he didn't hear Avalina's running footsteps until she was at his door, shoving it open as he turned to meet her, and his preoccupied thoughts were forgotten.

"It's happened!" she shouted triumphantly. "It's happened, it's happened, it's finally happened, sir!"

Although gasping for breath, it didn't stop her from grabbing his hands and dancing around him in a delirious circle, pulling him with her as she went, and the lich could sense her joy. It was so great...like a river that had burst forth from its dam and exploded over a cliff, showering everything around it.

"I prayed it would eventually," she cried, her joyous tears slipping down her cheeks, "And now it's finally happened, after so long!"

"What has happened, child?" he asked, a hand on her shoulder to hold her stationary for the moment.

Placing her left hand on his arm, her right hand still gripping his own, she gazed up at him with such a joy on her face he felt his heart ache.

"Oh, sir," she panted, voice soft as ever, "You can come to the garden now."

Have any of you fellow writers gotten so completely discouraged and disgusted with yourself you've came a hair burning your story to the ground, scrapping the remains and starting all over again from scratch? I was /this/ close - to actually doing that yesterday when I realized just how much I dislike my story, and yet I love it too much to actually carry that threat out. Besides, I've got too many people waiting on the next chapter and I've come way too far to back out now. Plus Olmo would probably strangle me after all that work he went to making that wonderful trope page. XD

You have no idea how happy I am to have finally reached this point of the story. XD This chapter has been in my head ever since I started this thing and I'm very happy it's finally came to fruition. XD I was inspired to add some riddles in this chapter by the awesome B1ackPear1's Horned King/Maleficent story on Deviantart. It seems perfectly feasible that the Horned King would appreciate riddles and the like, and I'm just making sure I give credit where credit's due. =) You contributed greatly to this story, B1ackPear1! Thank you! =D

Just so y'all know, the next update will probably be a fair little while because I have to plan everything that happens in the next chapter carefully. After all, it's had a lot of buildup and I want to make it worth all the waiting and stuff. =)

Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews, and I really appreciate the favorites and follows and stuff! =D

Also, I've been meaning to do this for ages and never got around to it, but I decided to let my readers help me with something. xD You can list a random object in your review, as long as it's not too hopelessly out in left field, and I'll try to have the Invisibles use it for one of their nefarious schemes in the next few chapters or so if I feel it fits. =D I feel like they've sort of slid into a rut with their pranks and I need new ideas. So that's where y'all come in. XD Only ONE random object per person please! Cause if everybody lists even one, I'm afraid I won't be able to do them all. But I'll sure try. =)