L's stared in surprise, helping a Banshee wasn't what she'd expected to be doing that morning. Robbie and Nyla had sidled over to the table at some point, however neither seemed like they wanted to squeeze past in order to sit down.
"I see, and what do you need my help with?" L asked Móra, trying not to stare in chilled fascination.
Móra turned her head slowly towards Brigitte and then back to L, her black eyes unblinking as she raised her spindly hands. She began to move her hands and fingers in motions that appeared random at first, but after a moment L understood.
Brigitte however seemed to think they needed a translator, "She needs your help to recover her... what was that last part?"
"Her scream," L finished for her, getting to grips with what the Banshee was communicating.
"You know sign language?" Bryce asked L in a tone of pleasant surprise.
"Apparently so, I guess Keepers don't just learn the Supernatural ways of communicating. I just sort of know it."
Móra appeared to be pleased that she could communicate with L directly, her mouth curled into the smallest of smiles and she began to sign to L. She told her how a Goblin back home stole her voice with its magic and she has nobody else to help her. L knew Goblins could be tricky, they were resistant to most magic and generally disgruntled little creatures.
Móra continued signing, explaining that she'd tracked the Goblin to Scotland where she lost it. That's when she sensed L's presence and knew they were fated to meet. L was meant to help her, and if she didn't or couldn't, her life would be meaningless. L understood, a Banshee without her voice is like an Elf without magic or a Shapeshifter who can't shift.
After L had translated what Móra had said, she looked to the rest of their group. They had planned to leave as soon as they'd eaten. L had a mission of her own and one that was getting derailed at every turn. But how could she just leave Móra to suffer like this, no matter how much L found Banshees to be unnerving, they served a purpose. And it was her duty as Keeper to solve disputes such as this, what would her parents think if she abandoned it all for them.
"Well it's still technically on our way north," Bryce reasoned.
He was looking at L with a sympathetic expression, he understood her struggle to do what was best.
"And I imagine a Goblin with the power of a Banshee can't be a good thing." Nyla added, a thought that hadn't even occurred to L.
Robbie just shrugged, he kept staring at Móra as though she was going to attack at any moment.
"Alright, I can help you but you'll need to come with us. We need to know when we've found the right Goblin and I assume you'll need to be present when it returns your voice."
Móra signed her gratitude over and over, agreeing to meet them outside once they're done. Brigitte also thanked them, apologised for the intrusion and left with Móra.
L sat back and let out a sigh, she lifted her plate and proceeded to reheat her breakfast. Robbie and Nyla sat down with theirs and stared at L.
"Things just keep cropping up, don't they?" Robbie wasn't really asking but they all nodded in response.
"How bad would it be if we left the Goblin with the Banshee's voice?" Nyla asked L between bites of toast.
L frowned and took a bite of her food before answering. "It depends what the Goblin wants to do with it; anything from scaring people into thinking everyone they know is going to die, to trading it to someone far worse who could do terrible things with it."
L shuddered at the possibilities, she focused on finishing her food and persuaded the others to do the same. They needed the strength before they headed out, the Goblin wasn't the only problem they may have to deal with and it would be nice not to have to do it on an empty stomach. Bryce disappeared for a while once they were done, when he eventually came back he had arms filled with containers of food, a pile of clothes and a small silk bag.
"Supplies," he stated with a grin, answering their unasked questions.
They packed his new supplies and made their way out of the inn. Lowell, Brigitte and Móra were waiting by the front door. Móra stepped out once she saw them, and Lowell and Brigitte turned to the group.
"Don't be strangers now, you're all welcome here any time you like."
Lowell was grinning, going down the line he shook everyone's hands. He stopped at Bryce however and pulled him aside, he looked as though he had something important to tell him. L tried to listen but she was interrupted by Brigitte, who was thanking her for helping Móra.
"She's a very old friend of mine, the pain this is causing her is excruciating. Thank you for helping her, Keeper."
"I understand, but please, call me L."
"L, you be careful out there. Forces are at work that would love to see you go down. I know you're probably aware of this but Frallica wasn't the worst of them, not by a long shot. I'm sorry we can't part on better footing but I hope my warning helps keep you safe."
L inclined her head, she was grateful for the woman's wisdom, even if it made her stomach twist into knots. They finished their goodbyes, and Bryce had returned, grinning his usual sly grin. The group joined Móra outside and headed towards the river, north and in the direction of Scotland.
"Why does everyone seem to want a quiet word with you?" L asked of Bryce when they heard the door of the inn close.
Bryce arched a perfect brow at her, "I didn't realise they did, like who?"
"The Worcesters, Lowell... a pattern seems to be emerging."
Bryce laughed and shrugged it off, "Two incidents of similar behaviour doesn't make a pattern. They just wanted to talk about things that might happen, it's nothing too important."
But L got the feeling he wasn't telling her everything, before she could question him further however, they reached the river.
"Let's cross here, I don't wanna walk for miles to get to the bridge."
None of them needed telling twice and their varied methods of crossing were quite interesting to L. Nyla decided to take a running jump, despite not liking water she seemed confident she'd hit the other side without getting wet- she was right. Robbie only had one option, not that he complained or hesitated in transforming.
L had found it entrancing the first time she'd watched Robbie transform; his limbs didn't look like they'd change to the proportions he needed, from human to Dragon and vice versa, but they did so with ease. He flew over with a beat of his mighty wings, earning a brief look of surprise from Móra before she glided effortlessly over the water.
L glanced to Bryce, there were numerous ways she could have used to get over but Bryce reached for her hand with a smile and they both chose the same method. They jumped in unison, floating high into the air before dropping delicately onto the grass of the other riverbank, hands still held fast.
"Show offs," Robbie communicated with a grunt.
L laughed and Bryce eyed Robbie with a suspicious smirk.
"Probably best you stay as you are and keep a look out over head for us, we don't need any nasty surprises now."
Robbie nodded to L while she relayed what she'd just said to the rest of the group.
Móra tapped L's arm and shook her head before signing. "Bad idea, nowhere to land and not safe in big cities. Goblin will be there. Stick together."
L furrowed her brow, she hadn't gotten to the train of thought involving the exact whereabouts of the Goblin. Móra was right, the Goblin would be in the most crowded part of a big city, particularly somewhere with historical bloodshed. L had to agree with Móra, she repeated the instructions to Robbie out loud so the others could hear.
His large, scaly head bobbed up and down and he began transforming back.
"If I'd known that, I would have just got you to carry me over. Waste of a transformation."
"It's not like you have a limited number of them, and you like showing off your Dragon side." L countered with a smirk, to which Robbie scrunched his face at her.
"Shall we then?" Nyla asked, hinting at their departure.
Once L found her bearings they resumed their travels north. Móra indicated she could track the right Goblin once they got close enough, but for the moment she couldn't find it. That's where L was able to step in, she had enough knowledge to know what to look for. When she relayed the factors they were looking out for to the others, Bryce held up his hand, his face looked unusually grim.
"I think we know where the best place for that is."
L frowned at him, she didn't know Scotland personally, and the Keeper knowledge she held on the country was too vast to know what specifics Bryce might be talking about.
"Where?" Robbie asked.
Bryce glanced to Robbie and then Nyla, his brow furrowed momentarily as though he wasn't sure if he should keep going. He turned to L, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. It wasn't until he spoke again that she understood why.
"Edinburgh, if fits all of the details L mentioned."
And Bryce left it there, he peered at L expectantly but she was too busy filing through the information she had. L could see wars raging behind her eyelids, centuries of bloodshed from humans and Supernatural alike, all happening in or around Edinburgh. A bustling town renowned for pain and death, it would be the perfect place for a Goblin.
"Edinburgh it is. I've never been to Scotland before, this could be interesting." Robbie remarked with a grin and he led the way with Nyla.
Móra seemed to just glide along wherever the group went, leaving Bryce and L to walk behind. They let the others get a little way ahead before Bryce turned to L.
"Did you see it all?" He asked.
"I did, it was horrible. I knew things like that occurred in the past, it even happens now but I never expected to see it all with my own eyes." L shuddered, trying to shut out the scenes rolling around her head.
Bryce took L by the arm and turned her to look at him. "There's something else, something that you should find out before we go any further."
"What is it? I know everything about Edinburgh now, I'm prepared for the bloody history."
Bryce shook his head, "Not the ancient history, this is a little more recent. This is to do with... oh boy, you know how Katherine was- is so hostile with you?"
"Yes, how could I forget?"
"Do you know why?"
"I do but I didn't think anyone else did, how do you know?"
"I've been around, I hear things."
"Don't get cryptic, Bryce. The personal nature of the Werewolves problem definitely shouldn't be common knowledge... but what does it have to do with Edinburgh?"
But before he could respond, L felt the answer hit her like a boulder thrown by a Golem.
"It happened there? Now that, I didn't know."
Bryce nodded, "And it's not just the Werewolves, they've recently discovered that all of the Were-Creatures have been affected."
"Does Nyla know? Wait, how do you know?"
"I heard about it when I was asking around concerning your bad feeling before we left. And no, she doesn't know, I thought it best she didn't since there's nothing she can do."
L felt a pang of guilt for the Were-Creatures, as Keeper this was something she was supposed to help them with. They couldn't reproduce any offspring and hadn't been able to for the last twenty to thirty years. It was steadily growing worse, their numbers beginning to dwindle and their close cousins were now being affected.
Katherine had come to L, albeit reluctantly, one evening when L had first recovered from the battle with Frallica. The conversation was awkward, neither party wanting to get into the details but they soon got to the bottom of what had happened. A curse had been laid on the species by a Demon hybrid, wherein they would not be able to spawn offspring until the Demon saw fit to remove it. The Werewolf who incurred the curse grew furious at the Demon and killed it before anyone could stop him.
L had never known where it happened, despite the Werewolves going to a Keeper for help when they knew the curse was real. Apparently the location wasn't important, with the Demon dead the Keeper saw no possible way to lift the curse. L knew they were right, the only known way was for the Demon who cast it to take it back. When L had stated this fact to Katherine, she'd stormed out and the hostility had continued ever since.
"Won't Nyla know when we get there?" L asked, watching the others in the distance and feeling grateful Nyla's hearing didn't reach that far.
"No, it's not widely known. I just thought you should be aware, in case you see or hear something... or maybe you might discover something that could help."
"I hope so," L pressed her hand into Bryce's and squeezed gently. "Now, lets go find a Goblin."
It took four hours of running, and breaks, to let Robbie stretch his legs, he didn't like being carried, before they finally got their first glimpse of Edinburgh. It was bigger than L had realised, picturesque but a sprawling metropolis nonetheless.
"The Goblin will definitely be here, but it might not be the only problematic visitor, we should be on guard." L instructed the others, they didn't need anymore nasty little surprises.
They were still a few miles out of the city but L could hear the hustle and bustle from where they were. It may take a while to find the Goblin but at least they wouldn't have to hide from the ordinary people. Humans, or Norms as Bryce called them, couldn't see the Supernatural, even if it was passing within inches of their faces.
There were a select few special individuals, like Robbie's parents had been, who could pierce the veil and see through to this other world. L hoped if they did encounter such people, they'd have the wits to carry on with their day. This was the only detour they were taking, after this she was running north and Sully the Leprechaun would have to find her there.
They entered Edinburgh a few moments later and Móra immediately began sniffing the air. L and the others arched a brow at her, the smells coming from the city were a wealth of varieties, picking out just one would be tricky. They stood for a moment on the corner of a street, watching the comings and goings of the people. L still felt the need to move out of their way, despite the fact they couldn't see her and she knew they'd automatically step around her without realising what they were doing.
Suddenly, Móra tapped L on the arm.
"It's here, I can smell it."
"Lead the way," L smiled and gestured for Móra to go ahead.
Móra looked both pleased and justified, she proceeded down the street and the rest of the group followed. L tried to push away the images of the past that popped up without warning, so much had happened here. She squashed the information down, attempting to focus on their current situation and what to do once they reached the Goblin.
They didn't stop again until night closed in, Móra was itching to keep going but the rest of the group needed to eat. They were close to a nature reserve and the scenery was beautiful even in the darkness. L reached into her bag to pull out a drink when her fingers grazed the edge of the journal. She knew her parents would be proud of her for attending to her Keeper duties, but she couldn't help the guilty feeling she had every time she thought about how much closer they'd be if she didn't.
"You okay?" Robbie sidled up to L and she smiled sadly up at him.
"Yeah, I'm just ready to get going once we've helped Móra."
Robbie nodded in understanding and went back to his food, though he stayed beside L.
Móra was looking impatient by the time they'd finished. "We have to go after it before it's too late." She signed in earnest to L.
"I agree but we had to eat and rest, otherwise we'd be useless to you."
Móra didn't seem to understand but she seemed happy enough- for a Banshee- when they resumed their pursuit. They followed the winding roads and L noticed they were still heading in a northerly direction. She was wondering if that was just a coincidence when a cold sense of dread took over her body.
"Move, now!"
The others moved like they'd practiced the manoeuvre, they dived out of the way when a huge, snaking black mass of a limb slammed into the spot in the ground where they'd just been walking. L could see something moving in the darkness up ahead when she recovered from her dive. A long, thin something that was creeping its way towards them. Then L spotted another, and another; they were being surrounded by Demons.
Krava, as L knew them, six legged Demons perfectly capable of growing their limbs to unusual proportions in order to catch their prey. Just one of them would be considered dangerous but five had closed in on the group, separating them. L was standing with Móra, she had no physical power, though the Demons likely wouldn't show any interest anyway. Banshee didn't taste nice, according to Demons and certain other creatures L didn't want to think about.
L wished she could say she wasn't on the menu either but the Krava made it all too clear they were there for her. The two closest to her and Móra were moving in a way that suggested they were trying to get L away from the others, lashing out with long or wide limbs. L shot a bolt of magic at the arms but she had to jump back in order to do so. She caught sight of the others attempting to fight their three Krava, it seemed they were also being herded in a different direction.