A small, virtually unknown village existed on the Cayrefield marsh. Low mud dwellings huddled together, squatting menacingly in a basin. Altogether, there were perhaps six huts, made of rough mud. A few had other materials mixed into their sludge, but altogether, the result was…unappetizing.

Skulduggery Pleasant crouched behind the scanty heather brush and surveyed the scene. At his side knelt Tanith Low, Fletcher Renn, Ghastly Bespoke, and China Sorrows.

The five of them quickly and stealthily began to descend the hill down to the settlement.

Fletcher arrived first. He teleported into the shadowy stillness that cloaked one wall of the farthest-out dwelling. In the inky cold, he waited for the others. His hands rested against the rough surface of the hut. So different from Australia, he thought.

But why did that feeling sit awkwardly? It lay crooked inside of him, and was an itch that required scratching.

Because Fletcher Renn was feeling guilty. He was being selfish and inconsiderate. His friends - his adopted family, really - were here, in Ireland. It was hard, and it was gritty, and it sliced at your fingertips as you tried to hang on for dear life.

It was the real world.

Fletcher's hand clenched against the wall.

Australia was a soft and sweet and warm retreat. Everything had rounded corners. The thorns were trimmed from the rose. The claws were -

"Oi!"

Fletcher startled and opened his eyes.

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself. I've already asked you three times to get a move on," hissed Tanith.

"Sorry," he mumbled, and, taking a deep breath, peeked around the edge of their cover to sight his target point.

Fletcher disappeared with a slight pop of air rushing to fill a vacuum.

A warbler's sweet birdcall rang out across the empty streets: that was the signal from Fletcher that the coast was clear.

China led the way across the deserted alley in a fast, crouched run. They entered the next building down the street; a small hut with an empty, open doorway.

"Doesn't it seem sort of daft to have a place for a door but not actually have a door?" mused Ghastly as they waited for Fletcher to join them.

Tanith cracked a small smile, and Ghastly's heart lightened.

Fletcher teleported into the entranceway. Skulduggery joined him and the two exchanged a few mumbled words. Skulduggery stepped out of the pool of darkness and into the street.

An instant later he came diving in again.

"Backs against the wall," he whispered urgently, "sorcerers coming...hide!"

He moved into the black recesses by the door and reached into his jacket for his gun.

The voices increased in volume as the enemy's sorcerers approached.

Skulduggery tensed with fury. These were the men who were holding Valkyrie, his Valkyrie, captive.

Across the room, China shook her head at him.

He thumbed back the hammer on his Beretta and held the gun close, hands tight around it.

The voices drew closer, and now their conversation was audible.
"...so the Sanctuary sent out a decree for us to stop what we're doing."
"Posh brats. Did they think that would actually stop a man like Darren Wield?"
"Well, we can show them we mean it now. We've got the girl."
The other man snorted. "Indeed we do. The magnificent Valkyrie Cain. Slayer of gods. Detective on a mission to nab the baddies. Doesn't look all that much when she's lying in the dirt all quietlike."
"That syringe cocktail we gave her seems to do the trick on most."
"Thinks she's somewhere in the southwest bloody desert of America, rather than in that weird little hut with the copper roof -"

Having obtained the information he needed, Skulduggery burst from cover, gun roaring. Ghastly was right behind him with a fireball, and Tanith swept her sword from its sheath. China knocked her knuckles together, briefly illuminating the red tattoos there.

Mages began pouring into the road.

"Go, save Valkyrie," shouted Tanith, "we'll hold them off." She plunged into the fray, sword swinging.

Skulduggery placed his hand on Fletcher's shoulder. "Can you take us there? We passed it on the way in here."

They appeared at the south wall of the building. "Indeed we did," said Fletcher, with a mock salute.

But Skulduggery was already stalking past him, a fireball in his clenched palm. Valkyrie was here. So close. Now, nothing could stop him from reaching her.

Skulduggery turned the corner and hurled the fireball. The sole sorcerer guarding the entrance jumped and flinched out of the way with a small squeak of fear. Skulduggery lunged in, pushing at the air. The man was thrown against the wall. He began to slump, but Skulduggery helped him up with a vicious punch to the jaw. His head ricocheted back, but Skulduggery didn't stop. His fists pounded into the unconscious man as he poured his anger into the strikes.

A hand at his shoulder pulled him back. Fletcher looked at him with wide eyes. "You don't have to kill him."

"I...I don't..." Skulduggery trailed off. His voice, normally so velvety and confident, was cracked and pleading. "I just need...Valkyrie." His purpose returned with a force and he turned to face the door of the hut. With a few lashes from Skulduggery's shoes, it splintered open, hanging limply from its hinges, swaying slightly.

Skulduggery cautiously stepped through into the darkness. With no eyes to call his own, he didn't have to wait to adjust to the new level of light. He simply took in the scene.

Valkyrie lay sprawled on the dusty floor in the center of the room. She rested on her side, facing him; her arms curled close to her body; her dark clothes crumpled and dusty. Her dark hair partially covered her face.

"Valkyrie?" Skulduggery whispered quietly. He was suddenly afraid of what he would find if he went to her.

Valkyrie's eyes drifted open slowly.

"Skulduggery?" she asked in a rasping voice.

At an instant, he was at her side. His gloved hands caressed her face, and lifted her to a sitting position.

"Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?"

She smiled tentatively. "Is it really you?"

He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Who else would it be?"

She melted in his arms, and he heard her breathing. He revelled in the sound of her voice and the stillness of her body in his arms, the reality of her actually being her with him.

"Um, hi, Valkyrie," said Fletcher from behind them. "Sorry to interrupt or anything, but shouldn't we be going now?"

Skulduggery reluctantly released her. She slumped back to the ground.

"Crap," she muttered. "I can't move."

She struggled to sit back up, but the best she could manage was a twitch. Then Skulduggery's arms were around her, lifting her gently. He turned and ducked through the broken doorway, and for one strange second, she was reminded of the way a groom carries his bride into the home. Then they were outside.

"Oh," Valkyrie said.
"What?"
"We're still in Ireland."
He chuckled.
"I just thought I was in a desert somewhere."
"Wall paint."
"Explains a lot. Well, it's good to be home again."

Skulduggery watched her as they passed into the lightness of outside. Her hands were scabbed and scratched. He could see the splinters below the surface of the skin. Where her top had ridden up, there were more lacerations from the grenade's explosion. The damage continued on her face, and there was a bruise above her left eyebrow. Skulduggery's body tightened with anger as he noticed the dark, mottled finger marks that marred the pale skin of her neck.

She saw him looking, and said, "Someone lost their temper with me." She looked away. "I know you're going to ask, but now isn't the time. I'll tell you after. But now we need to leave."

Fletcher joined in. "Also, we need to get the others. Tanith, Ghastly, and China are holding off the others for us."

In response, Valkyrie smiled at him, and he reached out and clutched her limp hand. They teleported.

Tanith reached out and slashed at the tawny-eyed sorcerer she was fighting. Again, her sword skittered off of the force field that he threw up. The man flicked a puny fireball in her direction, but it soared far to her right. Again. This guy seriously sucked at aiming.

Tanith heard someone yell her name. She turned and glanced back. Skulduggery stood next to Fletcher, cradling Valkyrie. Her legs dangled motionless, and her arm hung loosely. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Time to go!" Fletcher shouted.

Tanith sprinted towards them. Her heart, so still and terrified before, gave a jolt as she saw that Valkyrie's eyes were open and looking at her.

"Hey, Tan," she mumbled.

Tanith rushed to embrace her. "Oh god, I was so worried," she half-cried into Valkyrie's ear. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, really. Most of the scratches and stuff are from before. I'm having a little trouble moving but yeah."

Tanith drew back to look at her friend in concern. She went to say something, but Ghastly beat her to it.

"Hey again, Val." He squeezed her arm gently.

China greeted her affectionately as well. "Hello, darling." She laid her hand on Valkyrie's knee. Ghastly put his arm around Tanith and pulled her close. Fletcher cautiously linked arms with China to complete the group. For an instant, the world dropped away, and then they were standing in the lobby of the Sanctuary.

"Well, that was easy," said Fletcher.

"Hey! I can feel my legs again," Valkyrie chirped happily. With some reluctance, Skulduggery set her down. She stood on her own, then took a few steps forwards.

"Come on, we have to update His Holy Eminence on what went on for the past couple of days, and I don't want to explain this twice in ten minutes," Valkyrie stated, and strode ahead, passing by a group of sorcerers.

Skulduggery fell into step with her, and the others walked alongside. He rejoiced in the feeling: his partner, by his side once more. Safe and sound.

Valkyrie's walk stuttered, and her eyes rolled back in her head. She collapsed against Skulduggery. Before he could react, her eyes had snapped back open again.

"Oops, sorry about that." She gave him a quick hug, her arms sliding inside his jacket, then stepped back.

Valkyrie held Skulduggery's gun pressed to her head.

"Now nobody move."

Haha I'm having fun with this one. A lot of fun. And ya know, enjoy the cliffhanger:P this one's for realtawit :3

Woah that was long... tell me, is this a good length? Longer? Shorter?

Please rate&review (: