Two days had gone by since the vision. He hadn't told Elizabeth all of it. He'd left out the children.
Elizabeth was happy to see this Bishop gone. She offered to kill him herself. Will, however, didn't want her anywhere near this quest.
If he killed the Bishop and was caught, he would be put to death. He didn't want Elizabeth in that. If they came to question her, she wouldn't be culpable.
The more he thought of killing the Bishop, the more he thought of his father's death. Were these his last days with Elizabeth?
He started to stall for more time with her.
"Will," Elizabeth asked, hugging him from behind as he sat on the bed. "What's wrong?" He never could keep a secret from her.
Perhaps he was just as animated as she.
"My father died in his quest. What if I do the same? I can't bear to leave you," he said forlornly.
"I'm sure that won't happen. You have a fantastic aim," she said. "I'll have Goliath and Jolie saddled and ready for us to run to your family land." He did not feel comforted. She trusted him and supported him, and he was willing to ignore God to stay with her.
What was he to do?
Oxoxoxoxoxoxox
"Fitzwilliam told me to run," Elizabeth said as they were turning in for the night.
Will knew it was true. The cleric confession was held that day, and Will had felt a chill and dread when the Bishop emerged. The Bishop openly glared, and hissed at Captain Darcy to leave, to Wickhams delight.
Elizabeth watched Will with hawk-like eyes for his response. He didn't respond for a while, as they undressed the bed. Habitually they did not wear night clothes, for Will loved the touch of her too much. She indulged him in this, as he would indulge her many questions. This night was no exception.
In bed, he pulled her into his arms and put his cheek on the top of her head. He didn't want to have to run. But where could they go? He thought of his old family home. It would be in disrepair by now. Could he leave her there as he came back to kill the Bishop?
Leaving her with family would be an equally dangerous idea. Not only would he endanger Elizabeth but Jane as well. Or the Gardiners. And Elizabeth was ferocious about not dragging her family along with them.
"How long do you think it will take for you to pack?" he asked quietly into the dark.
"I've already packed my things and yours. I've put your armor in the stables to be put on Goliath. We can leave as soon as we get clothed," she said quietly, simply. His heart clenched, both with love for her wisdom and agony that he still hasn't completed his quest. He kissed the top of her head before laying his cheek back.
"Tomorrow then, we'll leave before first light." He felt her nod and snuggle closer. The simple feeling of her skin on his left his mind easy and comforted. Perhaps it was his body taking payment for so many years in isolation, because he basked in the feeling.
OXXooxx
Elizabeth felt Will jerk from her arms. The blanket flew off letting in a shocking cold. He ripped out his father's sword the moment the door was kicked off it hinges. Will masterfully disarmed and slew the first two men to gain entrance to their little haven. She jumped into her clothes and drew the long rope from below the bed.
A third man crashed onto their bed, and she recoiled behind the wardrobe next to the wall. She had the presence of mind to clutch her little knife in one hand. Will had dispatched all but one of the men. But the last man was Wickham, dressed in white and gold. He looked every bit like a fairy tale knight, but Elizabeth felt revolted. Will stood as God made him. Wickham hesitated.
This hesitation was all Elizabeth needed to grab a piece of the door and hurl it at him. Wickham pulled back a bit, leaving an opening for Will to slash at him. Will fought him back. Wickham took four rapid steps backwards, nearly out of the room. Will raised his sword, making Wickham raise his own, before Will kicked him in the breast plate, sending the man tumbling down the stairs.
Elizabeth threw the rickety chair down the stairs, hearing rapid footsteps coming up them. She lugged the rocking chair over and pushed it off the stairs. Will was fully clothed by this point and threw the trunk down the stairs, as well as the table. She threw down the partition.
He looked at her with wide eyes and she offered up the rope which he deftly tied to the bed. He threw the rope from the far window leading to the ramparts, out of view of the training grounds. He gripped her hand tightly as he stared down the rope with wide eyes, as though second guessing this.
"Don't worry," she said quickly, "I have practice hanging from windows."
With a white knuckled grip on the rope he grabbed the back of her head and crushed his lips to hers in a searing, branding kiss. She would have felt weak kneed had she not been so panicked.
"I'll wait for you," she said as she took the rope in hand and swung out of the window. Two of the bags bumped against her as she scurried down as quickly as a bird. He disappeared for a few seconds, which was too long for her nerves. He reappeared, climbing out the window and sliding down the rope, the last bag and his fathers sword slung on his shoulder.
He grabbed her hand in a crushing grip that she didn't feel and they fled to the stables. It was still the black of night, but they could hear the crashing coming from the training grounds. They still had some time. She was grateful for the new moon.
Goliath blinked awake as Will slapped his saddle on. Elizabeth quickly cinched it to Goliath as Will grabbed his packed cloth-bound black armor. By the time Will had secured the armor to Goliath, Elizabeth had Jolie awake and saddled, leaving Will to secure their three bags to her. Elizabeth tied rags around Goliath's hooves, and Jolie's when Will was finished. She leapt onto the Jolie and followed Will at an easy lope into the city.
They quietly rode into the darkness. The clip clop of the horses was noticeably dampened. It was agonizing how long it took them to get to the drawbridge. Every shadow, every noise crawled up Elizabeth's spine and rioted in her mind. Her hands shook as she prayed the bridge would be open.
Relief burned behind her eyes at seeing the dark, but gaping gate. Will seemed unfazed by the whole situation, absolutely in his Captain Darcy state, which made her feel easier. He was her rock. One look at his serious, dependable face and the panic mellowed slightly.
They moved across the drawbridge and continued down the road. They rode in such silence they may as well have been ghosts. For once, Elizabeth was jealous of Will's black clothes. With his hood up, he was invisible.
They kept moving until day break. They stopped briefly to uncloth the horse's hooves and tie Will into his armor. Elizabeth would forever cherish the vision of Will standing in defense of her. After she had fumbled her way through his armor, they set off again and continued until the gray twilight started to evaporate into a red dawn.
Elizabeth followed her husband into a dense thicket where they set up camp for a few hours rest.
OXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
They had been running for a week. Elizabeth was exhausted. She closed her eyes as she rested against Will's armored back. The Bishop had been following them. Never more than an hour behind. They only got sporadic sleep. Never very long, never very deep. It was starting to wear on them both, but what could they do? To stop would mean his death and her capture.
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Will for some comfort at the thought. His hand caught and clutched one of hers. It was the only real contact they had for days.
Surely the Bishop would not follow them forever. They just had to wait him out. Then they could go back to Will's childhood home and live there. Behind her closed, dark rimmed eyes, she envisioned a charming manor, with bellflower and ivy growing down the walls. There were a few dark haired children playing amongst the flowers and trees. Will would be minding the children, letting them get into all sorts of trouble, but under his watchful eye no real harm could be done.
"I want a family, Will," she said sleepily. His hand clutched hers more earnestly.
"I know," he said, his voice heavy with emotions, "so do I." He felt like a failure and willed the tears back. Crying wouldn't help anything. But hearing her exhausted voice shattered his heart and tore at his sanity. Even now she wanted to stay with him, for all the trouble they had caused each other.
He'd felt like a failure when they had overslept two days ago. The Bishop's men came upon them and Jolie was shot dead under Elizabeth, who jumped away from her. Will shot that particular man dead as Elizabeth scrambled with one bag over her shoulder onto Goliath who dashed away with them.
He couldn't shake them. He knew Elizabeth thought he would take them to his home, but he could never. Not while the Bishop was alive. He should've killed the Bishop as soon as he had woken up from his vision.
Alas, they kept moving and kept running. He watched the dark circles bloom under her eyes and that fiery sparkle slowly dim from exhaustion. He cursed the day they'd ever met. For the pain she had to bear for his love. If she had never come to his city she might have been happy. They never would have met, but she would have been happy.
He was so deep in thought that he hardly noticed the black clouds swirling about them. Goliath did and he scittered in deep fright. The whites of his eyes rolled in a manner not even battle had caused. This broke Will from his thoughts and jolted Elizabeth awake.
There was a terrible storm coming and they set off to a copse of trees to wait it out. Elizabeth nearly fell off Goliath when Will jumped off, but he caught her and held her close. She wrapped her hands around his neck and her head lolled on his shoulder. She didn't say a word, but Darcy felt a chastisement from himself.
He lay her down on the moss below a tree and set to work building a small shelter.
The clouds swirled around darker and thicker, almost as if they were the center of the storm.
Goliath refused to calm down. If anything, he grew more panicked. Will paused on the shelter to sooth his horse, who wouldn't be soothed. Goliath pranced and bucked, snorting hysterically. He yanked on his bit and bridle, throwing his head and nearly injuring Will.
Goliath was unhinged! With a rear and a yank of his head Goliath ran. Will tried to catch him but was shoved to the ground by the mighty horse. With a scream Goliath ran from the woods as fast as he could.
Elizabeth was standing below the trees, watching the scene with wide eyes. The wind picked up, whipping her hair and dress around her. He hated himself for dragging her down with him. But he was still a man in love.
He walked over and threw his arms around her, nestling his face into her neck for some solace in his storm. She drew him close and scratched his head in long soothing ministrations. The wind tossed her cinnamon hair all about.
He moved them to the tree. Twigs and leaves started dinging into his armor aggressively. She curled up between him and the tree while he knelt facing the truck, embracing his Elizabeth, sheltering her with his body.
Then, something curious happened. They heard a voice in the wind. A dark, vengeful voice speaking in another tongue. Neither of them understood the voice, but they understood the heart sickening dread that filled them. Will leapt up, grabbing Elizabeth's hand and they ran through the forest.
The wind lashed them with branches, slicing them. The dark voice wrapped around them like a vice. For all their running they got no farther. Elizabeth shrieked, waving her hands at her head as if swatting something away.
Will couldn't understand what was happening as the dark clouds swirled down to surround them. He could barely see the ground beneath his feet.
Will pulled Elizabeth to his chest and clung to her. He tried to shield her exposed body with his armored one. Branches and briars were ripped out by the wind and cycloned around them, knocking into Will and slicing them both. The menacing voice continued its chant.
Elizabeth gave a spine chilling scream. It whipped around them and echoed in the storm. She then fainted from fear.
Will held her so tightly and so close that he didn't notice her loss of consciousness. The horrifying voice circled about them as the forest attacked them. The very wind nearly swept them off the ground and into the sky.
He crouched low to the ground, still clinging to Elizabeth like a man adrift at sea. It felt like the very breath had been stolen from his lungs. He heard his own scream strike his heart.
He fell forward, covering Elizabeth with his body as the terrible storm and the terrible voice continued.
OXOXOXOX
He groaned as he woke. The afternoon sun split his head. Something had changed. His body was battered but there was something…different. Distinctly odd.
Elizabeth lay beneath him, eerily silent. He listened for her breathing and thanked God when he heard it. He moved off his wife to check her for injuries. When he found none beyond what would be expected, he looked about them. The forest was a mess, but calm. Birds chirped in the trees. He didn't hear any horses approaching. All seemed still.
He turned back to Elizabeth to hurry on their journey. It would have to be on foot as Goliath was gone. He found her awake. Her amber eyes staring, unseeing, at the sky.
"Elizabeth," Will breathed in relief at seeing her awake. She turned her head to look at him, her brows brought low and together in confusion.
"Will?" She asked, sitting up and reaching her hand out to him. He went to hold her darling face with both hands. They could almost touch. "I feel—.".
She vanished before his eyes, leaving nothing but a screaming hawk. The hawk immediately took flight.
Will could not believe his eyes.
What madness! What happened?
"Elizabeth!" He shouted, demanding she reveal her trick.
"Elizabeth!" He bellowed, begging her to at least answer. To ease his fears.
"Elizabeth!" He screamed at the place she had vanished, falling to his hands and knees.
She had disappeared! She was gone!
How could this have happened? His wife! His golden one! His Elizabeth!
He screamed and cried into the space she once filled. He yelled and howled into the sky. He felt torn to pieces, alone in the woods. He couldn't even hold his love. It was like she was extinguished before him. Her dear, confused face appeared in his mind, only to disappear. Over and over and over. He shouted her name again and again, hoping to reach her, hoping this was just a trick.
He heard nothing. He remained rooted to his place, kneeling, praying, tears flowing down his face.
Oxoxoxox
Hours later, he had howled himself voiceless. His blood shot eyes fixed themselves on the spot she had been.
He didn't tear his eyes away when Goliath returned. He didn't look away when a hawk landed next to him. Even the Bishop riding up to him with a squad of men didn't cause him to glance away.
But the hawk flew away.
"Stand down. I would like to speak to our disgraced captain alone." Will couldn't bring himself to even blink. The Bishop took slow, measured steps towards him.
"Where is she, Darcy?" he mocked in a low voice. It was the same voice he heard in the storm. This made Will turn his ashen face to look at the Bishop. He must have looked a fright. The Bishop smiled as if glad.
"What did you do?" Will's hoarse voice demanded.
"You've been making quite a commotion for some time. I dare say you spooked some of my men," the Bishop said, his grin growing wider, more self satisfied.
Darcy's hand shot out and grabbed the Bishop's neck. The man's dark eyes were wild and gleeful. Darcy was disgusted.
"What did you do?" Darcy whispered, squeezing down on the Bishop's throat with each word.
"It's difficult to talk," he gasped. Darcy threw him away, noticing for the first time a squad full of arrows pointed at him.
Good. He wished to die and be with Elizabeth. She was his best reason for living, and she was his last. His face showed his agony at the thought.
"If I can't have her, then no man shall," the Bishop said slyly. He walked and watched Darcy like a snake about to strike.
"Is she dead?" Darcy's hoarse, broken voice sounded alien to his ears. The Bishop laughed maliciously.
"No, I had no help in my quest. So I called for some help," the Bishop said. Darcy's red, glacial eyes narrowed, suspiciously, and quickly filled with horror as he understood.
"The devil," the Bishop whispered, staring at Darcy stoically. Darcy's whole soul revolted, and he leapt to his feet. He grabbed the Bishop's robes and yanked him close.
"You sold her to hell?" He shouted, shaking him, blinded by a murderous fury.
"No!" The Bishop hissed, "let me explain." A bolt clanked off his armor, and one sliced deep along his cheek. He didn't notice it. Will needed to know what had become of his wife.
"Then get on with it." Darcy bit out. The bishop looked at the bleeding cut in some fear.
"Only after you release me. I plan on catching her first,"
Darcy's ears perked. Catching? He threw the Bishop to the ground. The demon laughed maniacally as he pushed himself up.
"You see Darcy, a curse was placed on you both. Elizabeth is a hawk by day and a woman by night. That suits my purposes just fine–,"
Darcy exploded. With a shout, he lunged to murder the Bishop with his own hands. He had the demon tackled, on the ground and was choking him. He willed the light to leave the demented man's eyes. Darcy was like a man possessed. Bolts clanked off his armor. Darcy didn't notice. He only saw the fear growing bright in the Bishop's eyes. Will would make him pay for the torment and horror he had condemned Elizabeth to.
A body crashed into Darcy, throwing him off the Bishop.
Wickham. They leapt to their feet, crouching low to get ready to fight. The Bishop coughed and retched on the ground as another knight pulled him up.
"Let him live," the bishop said, "he may go and live in his disgrace and failures." Wickham brought up a staff and struck Darcy in the side of the head. Will toppled over.
Blood trickled down his forehead, across his eyes and nose and down into the grass. His head was groggy. He attempted to stand, but was unable to get up off his hands and knees. Wickham kicked and Will flipped over. Muffled shouting rang in his ears. His shouting.
"Elizabeth!" Will cried, a broken cry of despair that caused men to wince at the sound of. The Bishop and Wickham were the only ones to relish in the noise as they abandoned him in the forest.
"Call the hawk catchers to me," the Bishop told Wickham.
Oxoxox
A hawk was sitting next to him when he awoke again. Goliath grazed in the forest behind the bird. The hawk turned its head to look at him with one eye. It tilted its head and gave a call that sounded like a laugh.
"Elizabeth?" Will said in disbelief. The hawk flapped its wings but didn't fly away. It then hopped up on Darcy's leg, careful with its talons.
"How can this be?" he asked. The hawk's head tilted this way and that, before some noises drew its attention elsewhere. It seemed like a regular hawk as it shifted on his leg and looked about. But it seemed decidedly comfortable on his, a strangers, leg.
The sun was going down.
If the Bishop was correct that meant Elizabeth was going to change back. Will had to get ready for her!
He set to work making a camp. He made a shelter. He laid out blankets on boughs. He lit a fire and cooked some food.
All while the hawk hopped around after him, or flapped from tree branch to tree branch. This was very much like Elizabeth, always wanting to help and if it were something she could not help with, she hovered. She just liked the company she had said once.
He was satisfied with the camp as he pulled a dress out from the bag. He was aching to be able to hold her in his arms after such an excruciating day. He watched the hawk hop about as he set her dress down on the boughs. He smiled at the hawk lovingly.
The sun hovered on the edge of the horizon.
Elizabeth materialized before him and he dashed for her. "Will!" she cried. They could almost touch.
He bit at her. He was hungry and she seemed defenseless. He growled and barked. He lunged at her. He wanted to eat her.
"Will!" The woman screamed, horrified. A big horse stomped down at him. Snarling and snapping, he ducked and weaved around the horse's attacks. The woman reappeared, waving the fire in his face. The flame triggered a deep fear.
He turned and fled deep into the forest.
Oxxoxox
Elizabeth came back into consciousness to see her Will with a loving smile. She sprinted to his arms, as he rushed towards her. She called his name. They could almost touch, but his dependable face vanished.
In his place stood a snarling, great, black wolf.
She recoiled and jumped to the other side of the fire. The wolf bit at her, barking and growling as if it were set on eating her.
"Will!" She shouted at the wolf, hoping to get through to him. He only lunged again.
Suddenly, Goliath pounced on the wolf. She gasped and prayed. She needed to break up their fight. There was a long log in the fire. She grabbed it and slashed it between Goliath and Will. The wolf yelped, his ears going back. She shook it at him and he dashed into the woods.
She sank to her knees, weeping uncontrollably. Goliath came to nudge her with his nose. She threw the log back into the fire and threw her arms around the horse's neck. She heard the wolf howling and crying with her, deep in the woods.
Eventually she exhausted herself and sat down in the shelter on the boughs. She realized she was naked. She saw an unpacked dress and slipped it on. She got herself something to eat and realized Will's clothes were sitting in the dirt. She picked them up, dusted them off and got to thinking.
She had snippets of her day as a hawk, but she was not herself. She liked to fly, catch rabbits and birds. She knew that the man was a safe place for her. She liked to stay with the man for whatever reason. She was a dumb creature with a powerful but unknown link to the man. She hoped that the wolf Will would share that same link, but it appeared he did not.
Did this mean her love was deeper than his? She bit her lip and cast her mind back on their relationship. No, she decided. Whatever curse they were under must be the reason. A hawk can be trained to love a man much more easily than a wolf. She would have to convince the wolf to like her.
She looked up and spied the wolf's eyes reflecting the fire in the tree line. She set her empty bowl down and got her feet under her, though she didn't stand up yet.
The wolf slunk around the fire, ears back, tail waving, his tongue out in a pant. He got within ten feet of her before getting down on its belly and scooting its way towards her. This was peculiar behavior for a wolf, but not necessarily for Will. About four feet away the wolf flipped on its back and thunked his tail on the ground, giving her an expectant and hopeful eye.
If she didn't feel so wretched she might have laughed. As it was, she crawled the remaining distance and reached her hand out with great hesitation. The wolf slowly leaned over and sniffed her fingers before he gave them a little lick. The tail thumped a few times and he gave a little shimmy closer to her. She gave a watery smile and scratched his chest and petted him. His eyes closed contentedly and his back leg shook.
This was definitely Will. He loved touching her and to be touched by her. If ever there was a quiet moment he would come to sit with her on the bed, or collect her from her seat and bring her to the bed. She could continue what she was occupied with, just in his arms.
This wolf seemed similar in that regard. He moved closer and closer until he was almost pushing her over with how heavy he leaned on her. She petted him and scratched him in silence, glad for this problem being over. Will loved her as a wolf as well.
Now it was just the issue of why this was happening. She had a fairly good idea as to who was behind it. The terrible voice in the storm had haunted her nightmares and stalked her during the day. The Bishop
He must have cursed them both. Her for rejecting him and Will for the crime of loving her and saving her. Or trying to save her.
She looked over at the massive black wolf. His eyes were amber. A fiery color and so unlike Wills. These eyes held a shallow sort of contentment. Will's eyes betrayed the depth and richness of his thoughts and emotions. She missed Will the man, her husband. She started crying again. Tears rolled down her face. The wolf looked at her in mild surprise, tilting his head this way and that as she sobbed.
When she finished, she was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep. But as she was turning to tuck in for the night she realized: She was alone, at night, in the woods. She missed being able to depend on Will.
New tears sprung forth. Would she keep watch all night long? Could she trust the wolf not to kill her as she slept? What if someone came upon her?
The darkness crushed in around her.
Eventually, she could barely keep her eyes open and she fell into a restless and fitful sleep. The wolf lay beside her, ear twitching at every noise. He would raise his head to look if Goliath stomped too close.
He didn't know why but he knew this woman needed to be protected like a mate. She was his to guard.
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Elizabeth woke up to the black before dawn. The great black wolf slumbered next to her. She reached her hand out to give him a pet, running her hand along his side. The wolf looked behind his shoulder at her, amber eyes pleased. At least the wolf remembered her when he woke up. Will was usually disconcerted and disturbed when he woke.
She thought about what to do. She probably couldn't speak to him. But she could write. She grabbed a piece of charcoal from the edge of the fire and let it cool as she made breakfast for the two of them. The wolf watched her from the bed on the boughs. When breakfast was finished she quickly ate some and found a few rocks to serve her purpose.
She wrote "voice," "bishop," "you," "wolf," "me," and "hawk" on six rocks, placing each one close to its pair. After hunting for a large rock, she wrote "I love you" and set it close to the fire. She spied the horizon turning yellow and turned to face the wolf.
Will was slow to turn. He faded to have the ghost of Will's merge with the ghost of the wolf. When Will the man opened his eyes, they were still that of the wolf.
She let out a strangled cry and felt her conscious start to fail. As though she were fainting. She tried to hold on to see him recognize her. His amber eyes stayed as dumb as the wolf's as his human body stood up, as bare as she had been. She screamed in frustration before her mind felt ripped from consciousness.