CW: non-con biting and what that entails
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They found the castle in a state of organised chaos. It felt to Kylo as if they stepped back into the real world, as though they had been somewhere else or in another time.
Despite this, the familiar preparation for battle settled him, the routine of putting on his armour and readying himself for battle was grounding.
Though it had been some time since he last wore the full complement, his body was ready for it, the weight reassuring and although it had not been tested, he felt sure that his armour would offer some measure of protection against the enemy.
Once his squire had finished, he found the other Knights already in the courtyard, overseeing the distribution of the blood-soaked arrowheads.
Their sabres, as well as his, had been painted with Rey's blood and left to dry in the sun. Their blades were now a deep red, though they still shone like polished steel. It lent the blades a certain sinister edge - anyone would be intimidated by such weapons, though perhaps not the Deyði-eta… until they felt their bite that is.
Kylo felt a grim smile curve his lips, any harm done to his kærur by the Deyði-eta, he would return tenfold.
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The majority of their force, which were one hundred guards from the garrison at the Slør pass, were waiting down in the village below Ljósur.
They and the other guards from the castle would be armed with the blood-soaked arrows, as well as fire arrows, torches and short swords. There was a small contingent made up of stable hands and the odd volunteer from the villages of the Slør that would be using the combustibles, launching them with modified slings. Then there was Luke, Kylo, the Knights and several other elite fighters who would bear blood soaked weapons for any close quarters fighting.
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In spite of what they would soon face, Kylo felt fire stir in his veins, that excited anticipation that would course through him before a fight or battle, was this time magnified by the Force that he could still feel inside him.
It hummed, settling in his bones and sinew, recognisably a part of him now as much as his blood or muscles were.
It was another thing that felt right, a deeper certainty that it belonged to him and he belonged to it, much the same as his bond with Rey.
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As he was about the mount Silencer, Maz joined him and he paused, absently caressing the
destrier's neck to settle the impatient animal.
The old Gívur nodded to him as she patted his arm, eyes fixed firmly on his.
"Be not afraid to use the Force, Kylo Ren; the Rekhzêl will not be expecting it and it may be the thing that tips the balance. It will be a long time since any of them have come across it," she smirked slightly as her dark gaze twinkled, "I judge it will be quite an unpleasant surprise."
Kylo nodded, "Thank you," he faltered, not sure whether he should address her by her title, but went with the way Luke had introduced her, "Maz Kanata. Any advantage we can get is more than welcome, and even more so, thank you for helping me use the bond I have with Rey, I would not even be able to find her without it," he swallowed, the idea of never seeing Rey again made his chest squeeze, his throat thicken.
"Oh, child," Maz shook her head, "The Rekhzêl would not have left even if you were unable to find her. Your dyadic-bond is an abomination to them, a blasphemy, they would have hunted you down before they returned to Id-zuldu."
Despite Maz referring to him as a child, Kylo found this oddly comforting, to know that even if he were unable to find Rey, she, or at least the Deyði-eta, would find him.
"Why do you call them Rekhzêl?"
It was not a word in basic or Gamal and it made him wonder about Maz's origins all over again.
Maz smiled, and although her teeth were small, each one was pointed and a chill ran up his back, which had been hot beneath his armour.
"That is what my kind called them, back when the land was much younger than it is now. Though the Jedi called them Deyði-eta, Rekhzêl in your Gamal may be Djevul or Níðingur, in basic it is similar to demons or fiends, rather than eaters-of-death."
The chill intensified, "And what language is it that Rekhzêl comes from, Maz?"
With a smile that somehow imparted the great weight of immemorial years and a power beyond his understanding, Maz answered gently, "I think you already know that, Kylo Ren."
For a moment they stood together, in a bubble of silence, as if they were apart from the courtyard and everything in it, as they took the measure of each other.
Then sound returned and Maz was once again all business, "Now, off with you, go and find your Trollskïr, though be warned, she will not be as you know her, you will have to bring her back to herself, use your dyadic-bond to awaken her from the influence of the Rekhzêl's venom."
Before he could ask how he would do that, the tiny woman turned swiftly and hurried away without so much as a farewell, never mind asking her why she called the bond 'dyadic' and if this meant there were other sorts of bonds possible...
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As they would likely be fighting in the dark, he and the others had opted for a chainmail hood and conical helmet which didn't cover the face and would aid visibility.
It was perhaps a slight risk, but he felt the benefit would likely outweigh the cost, and the conical helmets would still protect them from projectiles while the chainmail would still offer some protection from bladed weapons, claws and hopefully fangs.
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The sun was sinking behind the mountains in a sky the colour of blood when they rode out of Ljósur. The heavy thud of the wooden doors shutting behind them and the rattle of the portcullis as it was lowered with a certain finality, seemed portentous, though for good or ill he could not say.
It was good practice to approach a fight or battle with the conviction that you would win, not so much as to be overconfident, for pride came before a fall, but knowing his skill and strength, being aware of what he was capable of and of the others with him, gave him hope and determination that they would prevail, despite the uncertain odds.
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They met up with the guards from the pass just outside the village, briefly conferring with captain Ematt before they fell into formation.
Luke, Kylo and the Knights rode in the vanguard and they went without scouts as it seemed unlikely they would go undetected. Behind them, were the guards from the castle and behind them, the guards from the pass and at the end came anyone else. Torch bearers dotted the flanks and among the vanguard, pushing back the deeping evening.
Kylo led them, following that golden twine, the warm tug of his bond that urged him on to find his mate.
He just prayed he got there in time. He did not know exactly what he feared, it was nebulous, unformed, just a nameless dread that when he found her, it would be too late. Why or how he could not say and he did his best not to imagine what he may find when that golden twine came to its end.
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Sound and scent returned to Rey first. Quiet voices, the rustle of small creatures somewhere in the cave system, the drip of water, the smell of dry leaves and moss, the cold smell of Marwolaeth and blood. There was the sweet scent of human blood, but beneath it was the scent of her own, sweeter, less metallic.
Though her eyelids were still heavy, she moved her fingers, feeling cool, silky fur beneath her. It was cold in the cave and she turned on her side slightly, hoping to find an edge so she could cover herself, but as she moved, she became aware that she was not alone.
"Amê."
It was the Ancient.
How she had not been aware of his presence, she didn't know, and she was confused by her lack of fear.
"Uzrak."
The title passed her lips without her consent, it felt natural and disturbing at the same time.
There was movement beside her and then cold hard fingers threaded through her loose hair, which must have been untied as she slept. The sensation was uncomfortably intimate.
"Good, rakl-gunru, do you feel better for your rest?"
Her lip curled at the use of that pet name and the fingers in her hair tightened their grip until her neck was forced to arch.
"Open your eyes."
The hissed command could not be ignored. Rey's eyes opened to find the Ancient staring down at her, his pale eyes boring into hers. There was little light in the cave, just the glow of a small fire, so his pupils were narrow slits, but when she locked eyes with them, they seemed to expand, pushing past his irises until even the white parts of his eyes were a yawning black chasm.
She was unable to stop herself from falling head first into that dark abyss.
She fell for what felt like a long time, until a sharp, burning pain brought her back to her body. Even as she hissed, the pain turned into a throbbing pleasure and her limbs relaxed. Her eyes fluttered open as fingers brushed her hair away from her face and she was once again staring into the eyes of the Ancient.
There were teeth logged in her thigh, but she couldn't look away from him to see, and something prevented her from shutting her eyes again. There was nowhere to hide and she gasped out her involuntary climax against his lips.
Something happened then, the black of his eyes turned into stars, something in her mind seemed to snap, something fell away from her, and something else fell over her.
"There she is," the Ancient whispered, "There's my rakl-gunru."
And this time, Rey's lips curved in a smile.
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The golden twine Kylo had been following, became thinner and thinner as he followed it. He couldn't say why, or what it could mean, but it worried him anyway.
"If we continue as we are, we will reach the Myrkrið Holur," Luke's voice commented and Kylo tried to ignore his fear and focus on his uncle. "It's a large cave system sometimes used in the winter by nomads when the weather is particularly unforgiving -"
"If they can't survive in sunlight as you say, it would make sense for them to camp there," Dash Rendar, one of the other elite fighters said.
While Kylo would have liked to snap at the man for interrupting, he held his peace, he had enough enemies for now.
Luke merely nodded, "There are other caves and grottos in the Slør, but the Myrkrið Holur go deep into the mountains and the majority of them are completely lightless."
Kylo frowned, "Do you know the layout? We will be even more disadvantaged if we have to go in to find them."
"About half the men with us know the layout to some extent," Luke smiled slightly, "It is a right of passage for some boys in the Slør to reach the ancient shrine that is housed in its deepest cave."
Phasma shook her head, "I do not think the Deyði-eta will hide from us, they are too arrogant. At least that is the impression Rey has given, they will not believe that we are any real threat."
"It would not hurt to be prepared though," Ingalan added, "Perhaps if we pass orders back for men to pair up - one who has entered the caves with another who has not?"
They halted briefly, to pass the order and allow everyone to organise themselves before they set off again.
If Kylo shut his eyes, he could see the golden thread in front of him, unspooling from his chest and off into the night. There was the faintest tugging sensation if he focused on it, as if Rey were beckoning him on.
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Some time later, under the red light of Gandur, a frisson of warning shivered up Kylo's spine and he halted Silencer as Luke did the same.
"What-" Dash was just asking when a hiss came out of the darkness beyond their torchlight, cutting him off.
It sounded like a giant serpent. Infinitely more threatening than Rey's almost conversational hissing.
The end of the golden thread was close, he could feel it, he could feel Rey.
"Speak!" Luke shouted authoritatively, "Identify yourself and state your business!"
Quiet, mocking laughter sounded for a moment before there was a rasp and suddenly torches flared to life. Whatever they were burning made the flames blue, casting eerie shadows over the company arrayed just thirty feet in front of them.
The Deyði-eta were tall, of lean build, their skin was so white it was almost luminous. While their arms were armoured, their chests were left bare, revealing defined musculature tattooed with strange black symbols that made you feel faintly ill if you looked at them too closely. Their clothing and armour was in black with red motifs the only colour. They all stood unnaturally still, yet there was a readiness to their posture and a deadly grace to them that suggested they could and would move swiftly.
The Uruk were not unexpected precisely but they were still a surprise, and it was obvious that was what the huge black beasts standing behind their masters were.
Kylo counted thirty of the beasts, but only nineteen Deyði-eta, where was the other? And where was Rey?
"Tala!" Luke tried again in Gamal, "Tala! Nevna tín sjálvur og siga tín tilburður!"
One of the Deyði-eta moved aside and behind him was the twentieth, this one had hair the colour of dried blood and his arms were bare of armour but covered in more tattoos… And at his feet, sat Rey.
Silencer whickered as Kylo tensed and Ingalan placed an urgent but subtle hand on Kylo's knee before he did something foolish like charge straight at the monster who was holding his mate by a chain attached to a collar around her neck, while she sat, clad in an enveloping fur and staying still as a statue, unblinking.
"Ashmâkh," the red haired one called, his voice a chill, hissing slither.
With those words, he tugged lightly at the chain so Rey stood up and they walked forwards.
"I did not recognise the word, but I think they want to parley," Phasma said into the charged silence.
"Kylo, you and I will go, it may yet be possible to avoid bloodshed if we negotiate," Luke said as he dismounted.
Kylo clenched his jaw, he had no desire to do anything other than wipe these beings off the face of the earth and he had serious doubts over them even considering leaving Rey behind, especially after what Maz Kanata had told him… but this was Luke's land, so he followed his uncle and walked with him to a space between the two forces.
Up close, the Deyði-eta emanated a freezing, dark energy that turned Kylo's stomach with a distinct sense of wrongness. This only intensified as Rey remained silent, her eyes on the ground before her bare feet.
The Deyði-eta smiled, or what must approximate for one, it was thin and menacing and clearly showed its razor sharp fangs. Its gaze lingered on Kylo even as it directed its words at Luke.
"Sulralur? Iglif. "
"Kun, Uzrak," finally, Rey spoke, yet she didn't look up at them and it was clearly an answer to the one holding her captive.
What was wrong with his kærur? Before he could worry further, the (what must be) leader of the Deyði-eta, began speaking, and Rey translated.
"I am Zabad Animhos Hux of the Zê'shumr, I do not care for your names or titles, you will bring me the one who dared defile my property and I may leave some of you alive before we depart for our homeland."
Kylo's hand went for his sabre but Luke gripped his wrist before he could draw it, "Not yet," he murmured, and Kylo remembered that they were a ways away from their main force and that the Deyði-eta could move much faster than they could.
It was a struggle to fight against the urge to simply grab Rey and decapitate this Hux, but Kylo knew he would be likely to survive such a rash move.
Luke removed his hand and Kylo clenched his into fists at his side.
"What do you mean, property?" asked Luke, "We have nothing of yours, I assure you."
Kylo watched Hux's face as Rey translated, as his smile twisted into a snarl and he spat back his answer as he gestured at Rey herself.
"This is my property, my Trollskïr."
It was deeply disturbing how Rey called herself property as she translated, her voice never wavering or showing any emotion.
Something was very, very wrong and the golden thread that connected them felt thin and weak. He reached out, not physically - he wasn't sure how to describe it other than using his feelings, pushing with the Force that burned inside him, reaching out through that golden thread…
Rey's head tilted and she started to look upwards but Hux snapped, "Azâg nîd, Amê!" and her gaze went back to the ground.
There was movement as Hux pointed at Kylo and asked a question that Rey translated as, "It is you, is it not?"
There seemed little point in lying now, Kylo held his head high, looked the Deyði-eta straight in his pale, slit pupil-ed eyes and allowed himself to smile slightly as he nodded.
Hux let out an enraged hissed but before he could do anything else another Deyði-eta joined him and murmured something that Rey did not translate.
Kylo could feel the sidewise look Luke was giving him but he refused to take his eyes off the threat, or off Rey.
Hux smiled slightly and nodded, then looked back at Kylo and Luke, his posture more assured than a moment ago.
He began speaking to them and again, Rey translated, "That you dare stand before me, shows your ignorance. I could so easily end your existence, it would take me but a moment, yet, the journey here was tedious, so, first, a game." He eyed Kylo up and down critically, "If you can best my property in a fight, you may go free."
It was a rare event that Kylo was lost for words, but this was one of them, luckily, his uncle was able to respond.
"Are we to understand that you object to Rey being touched, but injuring her is acceptable?"
The Deyði-eta beside Hux hissed a laugh as Rey made the translation and Hux bared all his fangs in a macabre grin.
"She is Trollskïr, humans are all slow and weak, I doubt he will even draw one drop of blood."
Luke frowned and turned to Kylo, "If you disarm her, we may be able to walk away from this."
Kylo shook his head slightly, eyes still on Hux, "Even if I win, they will not honour their pledge. There is no way they would leave her behind after coming so far."
"If we decline his offer, it will be battle, with us unhorsed and alone." Luke sighed, "Rey doesn't seem to know us, we cannot expect help from her at this juncture."
With a nod, Kylo eased his sabre in its scabbard, "Go back to the others under the guise of collecting my squire, but send Phasma. Stay behind and make sure everyone is ready to strike when we give the signal."
When Luke hesitated, Kylo huffed, "These are not men, they have no honour and with the Uruk we will be hard pressed as it is, do you wish to die with honour or eradicate these monsters and live? Think of all the inhabitants of the Slør, if we die, so will they."
To his surprise, Luke let out a small, dry chuckle, "Sometimes I forget you are Han Solo's boy," he held up his hands in a placating gesture, "Peace, that was no insult. Your mind is made up then, I will do as you ask. May the Maker favour you, Kylo Ren."
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Translations/meanings:
Faroese (Gamal)
Gívur = witch (a person, usually female who uses magic)
Deyði-eta= death eater (vampire)
Kærur =beloved/dear
Djevul = devil
Níðingur = creature of hell
Myrkrið Holur = the darkness hole
Tala! Nevna tín sjálvur og siga tín tilburður! = Speak! Name yourself and state your business!
Neo-Khuzdul (Vampire)
Rekhzêl = demons of all demons
Id-zuldu = the empire
Amê = Mine
Uzrak = master
Rakl-gunru = precious property
Ashmâkh = greeting
Sulralur? Iglif = tiny slave? translate
Kun, Uzrak = yes master
Zabad = Title similar to Lord
Zê'shumr = clan of the first watch (hux)
Azâg nîd = eyes down