“So, we start by heading northeast.” Mies waited until the trio of listeners simmered down, their protests rolling off of him with ease. They had gathered in Elwynn’s loft, the smell of incense lingering in the air though there was none to be seen. It was calmer here, the atmosphere a little more peaceful than Arlan’s apartment. They’d chosen a new destination to mark what they’d thought was a new plan though this step was the same as the first Mies’ had suggested before.
“Mies. We are not crossing over to the court there.” Arlan was the one to speak last, a little disappointed to hear the same thing they’d already heard time and time again.
“He’s changed it.” Elwynn had been the first to quell their complaints, watching Mies with curious eyes, arms draped along Corwin’s shoulders from where they stood behind the couch. “It’s a different plan?”
“It is.” The prince nodded to confirm their sibling’s suspicions, giving it another moment to make sure he had the floor before he kept going. “There are some safe houses, if the old reports are true, that might be easy enough to convert with its wards. We settle there then I will cross the veil and ask the court there for help and protection. Should they say no,or take our uncle’s side there are other homes we can find, trails of them, along the ley lines. We can keep moving until we find someone to help us or a way to strength the barrier further.”
“Leave. You want us to leave? What about our responsibilities here?” Corwin had taken a job at the same store as Elwynn.
“I think that’s the safest bet. Only some of the points to cross between worlds are marked on our maps. The further away we get the harder it is for them to follow us without alerting us. I won’t ask you to come across with me. Elwynn has a knack for wards and can keep you both safe while I get us some help.” Mies traces a path over and over again on the map, one that only he could see, carefully planned after hours of pouring over charts and symbols.
“I think he’s right.” Elwynn spoke up again, resting a hand upon Corwin’s shoulder to help soothe the worry that was clearly growing on his face. “The shop will still be here when we come back, I can spell it closed for a while. I think getting away to at least collect ourselves is our best course of action, just so long as Mies promises to cross on his own.”
The prince nodded from his place at the table, agreeing to the promise without words. His hold on Arlan tightened just a little, as if he were a set of armour that could keep him safe. Arlan didn’t like the idea of leaving any more than Corwin did but if both fae were presenting it as the best option he didn’t want to argue with them. Magic was above his head, its dangers and reach something he didn’t understand, couldn’t understand. He pushed the odd feeling in his stomach away, sipping at tea as if that might help, watching the dregs float about until they settled once more. He wondered if his future was there in the bottom of his cup, waiting to be read by the right set of eyes. He would follow the path placed in front of him, he would find a way to keep his friends safe even if it meant leaving this all behind.
Leaving wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be, once everything was packed up and ready to go. Mies promised the apartment would still be there when they returned, exactly as it was, completely untouched, waving off Arlan’s worries about rent. He wondered if it would be a similar spell to the one that had been cast on the town about Corwin, some collective suggestion that nothing was out of the ordinary. It made him a little uneasy to think about how easy that seemed to be for the fae, to create a glamour that tricked the humans here into seeing what wasn’t really there. How easy would it be for them to do the same to himself or his best friend? Had they done it already or were they somehow immune to it?
The town couldn’t remember Corwin’s disappearance, had that been some fancy glamour he’d somehow shaken off or had his trip across the veil done something to keep that magic away from him? He had so many questions but none he’d speak out loud. He wasn’t sure he wanted the answer, no matter what it was. He just wanted to get packed up into the car and on the road before the sun started to climb too high in the sky. The faster they could make this impromptu road trip, the sooner they could get to the bottom of it all.
Despite the promises from both Elwynn and Mies that the hidden folk wouldn’t be using normal means to track them, Arlan didn’t feel super comfortable stopping to use his credit card at any of the roadside motels they passed when it was nearing the end of the first day. Elwynn had taken turns driving but when the clock was starting to push midnight it was too late for either of them to keep going. Instead of finding a mostly empty parking lot next neon signs screaming vacant, Arlan pulled over next to what looked like a fairly empty plot of land, tall grass looking like a small border. They pulled out blankets, the faerie twins walking circles around their chosen spot, murmuring wards and spells to keep them safe, dry, and unseen. It was like the camping trips he’d never actually had a chance to take with Corwin though no one was really awake enough for ghost stories or word games. Curling up against Mies, Arlan was asleep faster than he thought possible, exhausted from a day of running away.
When he first opened his eyes, he knew it was a dream. He was alone in the field, light filtered through clouds he couldn’t see that left the world a little more hazy and a little more green than they’d been before. At the edge of the field a figure stood, face hidden by shadows but it was clear they were staring right at him. He shivered though the air was warm, a cold fear settling into his core. He kept still, frozen like prey caught in the sight of a predator, hoping that maybe, if he didn’t move, they wouldn’t either. Even breathing seemed a risk, air caught in his throat, chest aching with the strain of it. It was a dream, he knew that much, but there was enough of it that felt real he found himself beginning to panic. Was there some unseen threat lingering at the edge of their field, just waiting to make a move.
When he woke he was gasping for air as if he’d been underwater, lungs burning something fierce. It woke Mies who responded at first by wrapping his arms around the human tighter, only letting go when his brain caught up with what was happening. He rubbed Arlan’s back, murmuring soft words of affection, eyes occasionally darting over to his twin and their companion. The deep pull of air into his lungs had been enough to wake the rest of is group, all three of his fellow travellers looking a little lost and dazed in the barely visible light of dawn. Arlan didn’t speak, he just trembled, fingers reaching for the packs they’d laid out, gathering up everything he could as fast as he could, stopping only when Mies pulled the blanket from his hand and rolled it for him, gathering up the last of their things without question. He even helped Arlan to his feet, guiding him to the car, though he put him in the backseat. Elwynn was the one to climb into the driver’s seat, getting the engine going and the wheels back on the road before anyone really spoke.
“Are you okay?” It was Corwin who asked first, twisting in his front passenger seat to look at his friend while he asked. He turned the radio all the way off so that the car was silent aside from the humming of the car.
“Yeah. Just a bad dream.” He felt foolish, saying it out loud like that, his ears burning as he turned to look out the window. His reaction would have been suitable if he’d been attacked, if someone had put them in danger but no, it had just been a bad dream. A nightmare. “I’m sorry guys, I didn’t mean to wake everyone up and make us go.”
“What kind of bad dream?” It was Elwynn who asked from behind the wheel, everything about their tone serious, pale eyes watching Arlan in the rear view mirror when they could risk it.
“Just a bad dream. There was someone on the edge of the field staring at me. Just staring. They didn't do anything, just stared.” He felt sheepish now, shrinking further into the car seat, chin on his hand. Mies placed one of his own on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, no judgment in his action or expression.
“We'll have to try harder next time Mies. Arlan has the seal. Maybe it's not binding him to one place but they can use it to try and find him.” Elwynn sounded nervous but their hands stayed steady on the wheel, eyes locked on the road now as they made their way north, sun peeking over the trees on the left.
There was a small sigh from the faerie prince, one of exasperation and worry, his nails drumming on the car door thoughtfully. It was painfully quiet, each tap adding just a little more tension to their nerves. Arlan risked a glance at his best friend, certain that he would be annoyed with the early wake up but he looked just as concerned as the rest of the faces in the car. There were no heavy bags under his eyes anymore, it was only a few hours of sleep he’d been deprived of, not years worth. Twice he opened his mouth to say something, to offer some sort of solution but Arlan couldn’t think of anything that didn’t involve leaving himself in the next small town and letting his friends get away safely. Somehow he doubted that any of them would go for that plan.
He didn’t have to say anything it seemed, when he opened his mouth for a third time, fully ready to make his less than desirable suggestion, he was cut off by Mies.
“We get to the safe house and then we try to take the seal off of him, or muddle it, or something. Then we strengthen the wards on the house so they can’t find us.” As he spoke he rolled down the window next to him, not enough to drown out their voices, just enough to slide his hand out the top, fingers curling around the roof. He was the one that looked the most tired, little wrinkles lining the sides of his mouth as it frowned ever so slightly. The longer he left his hand outside, the more his expression softened, looking a little like a plant who was blooming under the sun. “I don’t think there’s anything else we can really do about it. Other than plant a trap in Arlan’s dreams but I would rather not.”
“A trap? Why not?” It seemed to Arlan that his dream might not have been just a dream after all. He’d never expected the faerie pair to take him this seriously, his stomach churning with that realization. He wanted whatever it was that was haunting his dreams gone as quickly as possible.
“Because you could get caught in it yourself and that’s dangerous.” The explanation came from the front of the car, a small sound of agreement echoed from the side. Elwynn was clearly just as reluctant as their twin but the human wasn’t completely sold on the matter. They were already running, already trying to hide, if there was a simple way to to catch whoever was on their tail, he wanted to catch them.
“That's the absolute last resort Arlan. There's bother things to try first.” Mies swore that neither himself of his twin could read minds but in moments like this, Arlan wasn't sure he believed that. The faerie prince reached across the back seat to pull him closer, pushing the seat belt to the side for the time being. “Sleep for now my love. You didn't get proper rest and they can't find us while we're moving. It's safe.”
He protested but it wasn't just Mies behind the argument. Even Corwin suggested that a nap might not be the worst idea in the world. The better rested he was, the further he'd be able to drive when it was his turn. The more ground they covered in a day the safer they'd be. It wasn’t a logic he could argue with, just as he couldn’t fight his eyelids when they started to grow heavy, insisting on closing as the trees and road passed by outside the window. Cradled in Mies’ arms, sways by the hum of the car, Arlan slept without dreams once more.
Unsurprisingly, the safe house the prince had in mind, was on the outside of town. The town itself was barely more than a village, seated at the edge of cottage country it was used to visitors passing through. Most of the store fronts on the main street were of the tourist sort, tie dyed t-shirts and knickknacks all themed around the forests that surrounded the place. There was a grand total of one grocery store and one general store, both with working hours that seemed absurdly short to the city dweller. Oddly enough after they stopped to pick up foodstuffs they stumbled across a store a little deeper in the town that was like the one that Elwynn worked at. The fae just looked pleased, as if they’d expected it to be there the whole time. The twins left their companions in the car, sipping at the cold drinks they’d needed after the long drive, collecting other supplies that Arlan couldn’t imagine what they would be used for.
Mies insisted that Elwynn be the one to make the final drive to the safe house, refusing to budge from the front seat. The twins seemed focused on the road, murmuring something back and forth that only they could hear and understand. It wasn’t much more than ten minutes out of the town that they turned their last corner, a small cottage coming into view. It was half overgrown with green, different plants curling around one another to reach up and decorate wildly. There wasn’t even really anywhere to park properly, they ended up just putting it next to the cottage, mostly out of sight from the road. It was lucky the trees were still lush with leaves, their foliage a better cover than anything magic. The prince was the first out of the car, his sibling the second. Both headed straight to the door, eyeing it as if it were a difficult math problem rather than just a door.
Quietly, barely moving, Arlan slipped his hand into his pocket, fingers grazing against the stone he knew he should have left behind but couldn’t. At the last moment he’d rushed back into his bedroom and grabbed the bit of rock, leaving it in the depths of his pocket with no one the wiser. Elwynn had given him a look that suggest they might be able to guess what his last minute item was but they’d said nothing and kept on. Arlan himself had basically forgotten about the trinket until now, something in his gut suggesting the action. The moment his skin made contact the cottage before him shifted. Its shape didn’t change, walls still coated with greenery but there were lights now that flickered in his vision, the majority of them on the door. If he squinted he could make out little shapes within the light, not all that different to the one that was on his forearm.
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