Jewels from the Dark

Laoise’s world turned a dull deep grey. It registered in her brain, but did not slow her down. She could figure out how that kept happening later. If there was a later…

She breathed deep, taking in the umbra nihili, letting it permeate and protect. As she released her breath, she saw the leaders of the Nefas join the scouts. Their shadows danced darkly with the shades of the others. Laoise shuddered.

Inside her, she felt her own dance of the scáil and the loinnir – the shadow and the radiance – working together, lightening her steps somehow. She moved with renewed swiftness.

Then she felt it. The pull of the Waste. They were too close. Distance had distorted when the Nefas leaders arrived, with their ability to bend the dark paths of the Wilding Woods to their desires.

“No…” she breathed out, feeling the fear rising, memories of the Wind…of the Void.

Laoise pushed harder, eyes straining to find a way out, something – anything – she could do to lead the strangers away from the Waste. She felt a sort of kinship with these men, a rooted sense of family. She had to do something.

~~~~~

Luan felt the shift in the air first. He tried to get Lorcan and Darach’s attention. Finally, he covered his small box of aye-flame, plunging himself in the darkness of the Woods.

Something – someone – was out there, moving with them. As he slowed with the sudden lack of light, he could see moving shadows in all directions, different shades intertwining and then coming apart. A cold sweat broke out on his face – they had misjudged the Woods.

Luan’s whistle was low but insistent, warning of danger. Lorcan looked towards him and noted the lack of light, quickly covering his flame as well. Darach seemed wholly focused on charging ahead and did nothing to heed the warning.

~~~~~

Meirleach watched Morrigan, his mother, and Fachnan, his uncle, separate and flank the strangers. They were skilled at pulling the Woods around them, bending the path. He knew they were almost to the edge of the Waste.

He also knew it was finally time to decide where his loyalties would lie. Meirleach drew closer to Líadan, hoping she would understand his intention.

~~~~~

Luan and Lorcan tried desperately to get Darach’s attention. Lorcan had also seen the shadows moving and now surround them, as the men were compelled to follow the path that continued to change in front of them. Both of them had slowed, fighting against the invisible pull.

But he was too focused, too headstrong, to hear their whistles. Darach noticed, too late, that the path was widening into a vast expanse before them. In the space between heartbeats and as one second of time ticked over to the next, Darach fell into the Waste…