Faerie

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Day two was passing quickly when we reached a clearing through the edge of the forest. It was nice to see a view instead of miles and miles of woodland. I gazed contently at the small village in the distance, surrounded by yet more woodlands. It was a desolate village, with small brick houses clustered together, some had no roofs on and others only had three walls still standing. It was a shame to see such a site.

"That was where other Sidhe, the ones who were unsure whether to join the court lived. There were more homes a town in fact." Kieran said, gazing out at the only few houses left.

"They fled as soon as the disease arrived." He added, as if detecting my sadness and trying to make it sound better.

"It's a shame. It looks so sad." I said. Kieran agreed before we carried on.

Disappearing back into foliage, I took one last look at the outside world with its bright blue skies and warm sun. I shivered as the cool damp forest enclosed around us, shielding us away. We walked again for miles and I could feel the strain in the backs of my knees, I was becoming tired. Though, the thought of finding Mac was at the front of my mind. We had to find him soon; we've been travelling for days and walked miles around the outskirts of Hobs Wicket. So, I shocked myself when I announced I needed a rest, wincing as my knees almost gave away. Kieran agreed as he hesitantly scoured the spot to see if it was safe.

"My legs are tired." I announced, perching on part of a crumbling stone wall, covered in ivy and vines. My hands held the back of my left knee and my fingers dug themselves in as I began to massage the spot.

"You're in pain. Let me see." Kieran said, stepping closer and kneeling down at my feet.

I let go of my knee, pushing my leg out towards him. He hesitated at first, unsure whether to touch me or not. But, he seemed to push it aside and he brought his hand up and under my knee, his long fingers gently massaging my tendons. I relaxed under his touch, a warmth of relief flooding my body, the pain dispersing slowly. I took the time to have a look around us, get a grip of where we are.

We had stopped in dense woodland, not far from the opening. It was dark with thick firn and oak trees. The sky was visible through the many layers of branches and leaves, above us. The sun's rays flickered around as the sun moved across the sky, catching lightly on the forest floor. I watched it, as it glided over rocks, stones, plants. It was like fingers gently brushing as something fragile and precious. I followed it with my eyes until I could no longer. The rays wavered as the trees over took the amount of light it let in and it seemed to dance until it finally settled on a narrow set of stairs. I blinked unsure of what I was looking at. The light danced on them, displaying the old, hadn't been seen for decades steps. Thick firn trees covered most of it on either side. My eyes trailed up them, following the light until it could go no further and it stopped on something remarkable.

It was pretty and ancient and I gazed up at it in wonder. On top of the narrow steps was some sort of gate, it was narrow and arched, like it could be a part of a church with detailing symbols on each pillar. The arch itself looked more like a giant church window. It formed a point at the top and displayed three circles which were laced and intricate and sat at the top, just underneath the point and curves. I had seen the symbol before, it was the Celtic symbol of life and was etched on the stones in the vivid dream I had with Danu. It was beautiful and grand, I was mesmerised.