I don't own anything Hellboy-ish. Please don't sue.
Prince Nuada ran through the wood trying to escape his thoughts, or rather his sister's thoughts. He knew that it is not a reliably way to stop feeling his sister's disappointment, and the worry that filled her mind, but he needed to get away from it. He needed to find the human's piece of the crown. Even if his father didn't use the Golden Army in the future, he would have the option. And the humans wouldn't have their hands on an elven artifact.
He stopped running. He was on the edge of the woods. The edge of fey lands. Right know he could go back to his father's castle, but as soon as he got across that border he was on a mission, one that would either help or hinder his people. He heard Wink stop behind him. He turned and looked at the troll. Wink stood there waiting for the prince to make his move. Nuada turned back to the border, and without a second thought he stepped over it. Wink followed his leader over to the human's land. They would help their people, or they would die trying.
"My friend, where do you think that we should start?" he asked with a small smirk. Wink turned looked past his prince, and to a large smoke cloud that marked a human settlement. Nuada turned and looked at the smoke cloud too. He gave a small sinister smile. "I believe that we should start there; it is very stupid of the humans to make a town so close to the border," he said as he started to walk. Wink followed him without a second thought.
Nuada jumped nimbly across the roofs of the town. Wink walked thought the street below him. Wink knew why his master was not just leaving this town. He was looking for humans. He wanted to find them so he could slay them. Even if he only slayed one tonight that was one more pest off the street, one less rat hurting his people.
Nuada stopped running when he heard a scream, then a moan. He walked across the roof until he could look down at the street formed between two buildings. What he saw made him smile; he walked to the other side of the building and jumped off, landing softly next to Wink.
"There is a fight going on in the next alleyway," he said. "Perhaps we should intervene." Without another word he walked into the alleyway, and Wink followed him. In the middle of it there was a small frame person in a long cloak. Around this person lay the bodies of five large men, all who had looks of terror on their faces. Nuada smiled at the bodies. Perhaps this one will be a bit of a challenge, he thought. Nuada stepped forward, took his lance out, and gestured for Wink to fall back. He twirled the lance around him, executing graceful and terrific moves before he stopped his spear in front of him, it triple its length.
The figure tilted its head. It grabbed the side of its cloak, pulled it towards its shoulder, and bowed. After it turned on its heel and walked away. Nuada bared his teeth. How dare this creature walk away from him! He walked forward and grabbed the shoulder of this thing and spun it around. At the same time he moved his spear forward in attempt to stab this thing. It dodged and spun like a dancer. Many time Nuada swung is silver weapon in attempt to kill this thing, but every time he missed my mere millimeters. Finally he brought his spear down on it when it jumped. In mid jump it brought its foot down on Nuada's shoulder, boosting it up more. Nuada turned and watched as this creature flipped upside down and landed in a hand stand, holding on to a railing of a fire escape mounted to the wall on one of the buildings.
The cloak fell away reviling a small framed, but curvy body. The creature lowered its legs to the railing and let go of it. The woman stood up and looked down on the elf.
"Leave me alone elf," she called down to him, her waist length hair flowing in the slight wind. "I have done nothing to you." With a mighty jump she did a back flip and landed on the roof, and ran away. Nuada stared for a minute, and then began to run after her when Wink caught him.
"Why do you stop me Wink?" Nuada asked angrily. Wink, like usual, said nothing but pointed to the fire escape with his metal. Nuada followed his gaze, still angry, but saw what he was pointing at. On the railing of the fire escape, where her hand had been holding her up, were two hand sized bends in the metal.
"Sire, if she had gotten her hands on you she might have torn you in half," Wink said in trollish, the only language that he knew. Nuada stared at the imprints for a few moments more, and then turned and walked away. What kind of creature is this? He thought.
Alexandria Victorsin woke quietly. This is going to be a very unusual day, she thought. She got up and got dressed. Staying in the human's neck of the woods wasn't that bad of an ordeal for her. The humans thought that vampires were walking rotting corpse. Some are, but she is what they call a pure blood. Also called "the black and white ones". She looked very human. Yes, a pale human, but human none the less.
She pulled a comb through her ink black curls. Most humans thought that the vampires were gone long ago, but they were wrong. "Miss Alex! Would you mind helping me with the market today?" a voice called from down stairs. Alex smiled. She walked out and to the top of the stairs.
"I'd love to, Milly," she yelled down. At the bottom of the stairs sat a young girl with mouse brown hair and twitchy hand. As Alex walked down the stairs the little girl looked up at her with a smile, hugging her doll close to her chest. "Good morning, Miss Mandy", she said as she sat down next to the little girl.
"Hi, Alex," she said shyly. Alex tussled the girl's hair and walked into the kitchen. In there was a small woman working over a boiling stove. The hair stick that was supposed to hold her mousey hair back in a bun wasn't doing its job. Alex walked over and leaned against the hot stove.
"Good morning Milly,"she said loudly. Milly jumped, letting go of the goblin fruit bread that she that had just got done with baking. Alex stuck out her foot and lifted it. When the bread hit her foot she lowered it with the bread, then balancing it she lifted her foot and stuck it out to Milly. Milly scowled at the vampire and grabbed the bread. She placed it on a table with dozens of pies, breads, and cakes.
"Must you surprise me so?" she said. Alex walked over and smelled the bakery products.
"They all smell wonderful," she said smelling the sweet scents of the pies. Then she wrinkled her noise. "Except for that one," she said pointing to bread with green bits in it.
Milly nodded. "Coupnettle Bread. A bitter minty smell to go with a bitter minty taste," she said as she started to load the smallest cakes and pies into a child sized basket. When Mandy walked in Milly handed her the basket, and started loading the bigger cakes and pies into a bigger basket.
Alex waved her hand in front of her noise. She never did like the smell of mint. "Who would buy such a thing?" she asked as she put the breads into the box, holding the Coupnettle Bread with the tips of her fingers.
"Mister Lioan," Milly said as she put on her cloak. Mandy put down her basket and doll and did the same.
Alex made a small noise in disgust. "That guy is bitter enough as it is. He doesn't need help from goblin fruit." She pulled on her black gloves and fastened her cloak around her neck.
"Mommy, how come Alex's cloak has sleeves and ours doesn't?" Mandy picked up her basket and put it into the crock of her arm, then picked up her dolly and hugged it to her chest again. Milly looked at Alex's cloak and shrugged. Mandy nodded and waited by the door. Milly grabbed her basket and went to stand by her daughter. She pulled Mandy's hood over her face and pulled her own up. Alex shook her head, pulled her hood up, grabbed the box of breads, and together they walked out of the house.
Alex sat down in a chair and played three notes on a flute. Three short, strong, beautiful notes, the only three that she could play on this damned instrument. By her feet Mandy sat playing with her doll, to her right Milly sold her one of her Amaranthine pies.
"Mommy, can I go play?" Mandy asked while scratching her silky ears. Milly looked around. She knew everyone in the community, but strangers popped in from time to time. Just like the elf that Alex mentioned last night, she thought. She thought for a few moments then nodded. Mandy smiled and scampered away.
"Just stay close!" Milly yelled after her. She shook her head after her daughter.
Alex stood up. "Cool. Now we have time to talk."
"About what?" She said as she sold a Peckery pie to a windwing.
Alex gestured at the bakery goods. "Your goblin fruit stuff. We both know that going into the Hedge is dangerous."
Milly shook her head. "My lady is protecting me. We have an agreement, and true fey can't lie or break their word."
Alex shrugged and raised her hands in defeat. "I was just letting you know what I think."
"I know," she sighed.
Mandy Mousee walked through the street when she saw something on the roof. Whatever it was it was pretty. She tied Dolly to the rope around her waist and looked up. There was a large wooden pole that almost reached the top of the roofs. She smiled and jumped on to it, her sharp claws piercing the wood, her hairless tail rapping around it. When she got to the top she let out a squeal at what she saw. Whatever it was it was very cool.
Alex was playing her flute. The same three notes again and again. She smiled as a small gust of wind blew her hair around. Then she smelled it. A smell that make her moan, made her lean her head back, close her eyes, and breathe in though slightly parted lips.
It was him. The elf dude, the one that attacked her last night. Alex put on her cloak, walked out of the shadows, and followed the scent until she found herself next to the big wooden pole in the town square. What is the point of this thing again? She thought.
She ran her hand over the wood feeling small puncture marks in the pole. She recognized them instantly, but she really hoped that they weren't what she thought they were. She smelled the pole, smelling mice and cupcakes. Mandy, you idiot, she thought. With a steel determination she sunk her fingers into the pole and started to climb.
Nuada was watching the creature that had evaded him last night. It sat in the shadow of the booth that its ally was selling at. The smaller one walked off when it suddenly looked up spotting him and Wink. It smiled and climbed the wooden pole that seemed to have no purpose and walked over to them.
He glared at the small mouse thing when it walked up to him and smiled even more.
"Who are you?" she asked
"Who I might be is not for your knowing, small ratling."
"You're pretty," she said getting closer to him. Her hairless tail moved around her, her talon hand holding on to that dirty doll. He was about to send her away when he got an idea. He looked back at that creature, and pointed at it.
"Do you know that thing?" he asked.
Mandy moved forward, eager to help the pretty stranger. When she saw who he was pointing at she gave a small gasp and moved back to where Wink was standing.
"Do you know that?"
"'Corse I do," the tinny mouse-human thing said. "That's Mommy's friend. Alex." She stood on her tippy toes to see over it, only to stop abruptly. "If she sees me up here talking to a stranger she'll get mad. And you won't like her when she's mad."
A small breeze washed over them tossing their hair around. Nuada watched as the wind flower over the creature. He continued watching as she leaned her head back and smelled the air. She stood and walked over to the same meaningless pole and smelled it. Nuada turned when a small giggle and a growl came from behind him.
"Your fun," the mouse creature said to Wink. She had wrapped her arms, legs, and tail around his leg. Wink shook his leg trying to get the small thing off.
"Mandy, that might not be a good choice," said a cold voice. Nuada turned to see the thing behind, but she wasn't looking at him. She held out her arm and the young mouse, much to Wink's relief, ran over and hugged. She crouched to the mouseling's height.
"Mandy, your mum told you to stay close," she said to the young one. The young one bent her head in shame.
"Yes, Alex."
Nuada glared at this "Alex". Who was she to ignore him?
"Woman," he said.
The creature looked up, and then looked around. "Are you talking to me?" she asked as she got closer.
Mandy looked from her mommy's best friend to the pretty thing with the scar across its face. "I'm going back to Mommy," she said as she backed up.
"No, please stay," Nuada said as he gestured to Wink. The troll grabbed the little girl and pulled her into his arms. Alex walked forward to help when she felt something sharp agents her neck. Nuada pushed the tip of his spear into the creature's neck.
"Take off your hood," he commanded. He wanted to see the fear in her eyes as he kills her. The figure shook her head.
"I can't. I'll burn," she explained with her hands up. This elf was holding Mandy captive. He wanted blood, even more than her. "Listen; if you give the girl back to her mother I will trade something for her."
Nuada, ageist his wishes, got curious. "What will you trade?" he asked suspiciously.
Alex thought quickly. Mandy's life was in the balance. "I find people. Right now I'm on break, but I will put that aside for Mandy's life."
Nuada narrowed his eyes. "You say that you can find people, what about things?"
Alex shrugged. "Don't know, never tried. But as long as I have a smell sample I can find it."
"Like a hound dog," he said with a small smile. A loud catlike hiss came from the hooded creature. What is this thing? He thought.
"We do not have to like each other, but in this land I am the best thing you have."
Nuada looked at the little girl and back to the creature. "Fine." He gestured for Wink to give the child back. The girl ran to the thing, hugged it, and then ran back to its mother. The thing watched her go. When she was gone the thing turned back to the elf, took of its glove and held out her hand. Nuada watched the hand as it began to steam in the sun. The hand erupted in blisters only to pop a second later. Nuada took the snow white hand, felling a soft and almost fragile hand, if it wasn't for the blisters.
"I swear to you, on my honor, that I will help you find whatever you're looking for," the woman said.
Nuada nodded. Wink closed his large hand around both of theirs.
"Deal," he said in troll. Alex looked at him, and then leaned forward towards the elf.
"What'd he say?"
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