Of Fairytales and Happy Endings

Chapter 51. Heart of a Beast.

A lion does not flinch at laughter coming from a hyena. ~ Suzy Kassem.

Chapter 51.

Heart of a Beast.

Though Beatrice had often walked from the castle of Llys Gwyn to Derwen Goch, she did not know the territory of the entire estate and had never visited Iestyn's cottage. Heulwen knew a lot of the territory, but had never gone in the direction that led towards the neighbouring manor, as her goal had always been the Lloyd cottage, which lay in the opposite direction.

Thus it became a sort of a blind guide of the blind journey. Beatrice suggested they try to get to the castle, as she could easily find her way from there. Heulwen wasn't sure where the castle was, and though Beatrice could find her way if they got to the Lloyd home, the whole point was not to go there as that would naturally be the first place Iestyn would look, should he discover them missing. They wandered a bit and wandered a bit, and at last, just as dawn was breaking, they stumbled upon the road that Beatrice recognized.

"It will take us straight to the Old Hanging Tree," she exclaimed. "From there it is not very far to the manor."

This instilled hope into the girls and they quickened their pace, forgetting about their tiredness and the cold wind that blew around them, and the drizzle that was coming down. The large oak was already in sight when Heulwen stiffined. She stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed Beatrice by the arm.

"Do you hear that?" She whispered.

Beatrice strained her ears. "It sounds like...like the howl of a hound."

The girls exchanged glances, each noticing how pale the other had suddenly become.

"He sent the hounds on us?" Beatrice whispered in dismay. "What are we? Prey he can hunt for sport?"

"Quick, let us run," Heulwen urged. "We can be insulted later."

"We'll never out run him," Beatrice retorted. "He is no doubt on horse. No, we need to split up. Heulwen, go to the manor! Tell Magwen, the housekeeper, that Beatrice Morton sent you."

The sound of the dogs was getting closer.

"And what of you?"

Beatrice straightened out her shoulders. "If it is a hunt he wants, then a hunt he will get. Go, Heulwen! If you chase two rabbits you will catch none! They won't go for both of us. I'm the woman he wants to marry, he will got after me first. Just run, run!"

Shoving Heulwen in the right direction, Beatrice turned sharply and ran to the right. Oh yes, she would give that fellow a chase. Even if he did catch up with her, even if he did kidnap her again, let him know that she wasn't going down without a fight.

"I'd soon die than marry that serpent," she muttered.

She hardly knew where she was going, her only thoughts were to let them chase after her and forget about Heulwen. At first she thought they had lost track of her, and they must have, but then the barking sounded out again. Beatrice could not see the hunting party, only hear them, and that gave her hope that maybe she would lose them again.

And lose them she did, for a time. But Beatrice found herself once more in a part of the estate she did not know. She of course wanted to stay away from any settlements, and did not take any roads that came across her way. Wandering around for a long time, her ears picked up the hounds again. They'd picked up her scent once more.

"I feel a bit like a fox," Beatrice grumbled. What a pity this hunt was not taking place on Derwen Goch. Beatrice knew the manor, she did not know Llys Gwyn. The drizzle was steadily turning into a pouring rain, and Beatrice was wet and muddy. Her thick, curly hair was now a tumbled mess and stuck to her face. Rain droplets covered her face, her clothes were long soaked through.