Shadowselves

Part Three: To Hunt Tricksters

by Handel W. Care

Breath steaming in the bitterly cold air, the Thing turned to observe the pursuit, eyes glittering with equal measures of amusement and anxiety. For a night and a day he had led a merry dance across the Dreaming, through Arcadia, and now on to the frigid wastes where the Norse gods held court.

"If I did not know better, I would think myself driven in this direction like some common plaything," he commented to the icy cliff face beside him,"but no matter how much the hunter Maliki may think himself he has more than met his match in me." A loud, purposeful crack of rock on rock caused the Fae trickster to knit his brows. "Though, I must admit, I grow increasingly vexed with his inability to realise this."

From closer than the Thing suspected Maliki watched his furry quarry scarper lithely away, taking the path of least resistance towards one particular distant peak. Settling dark glasses into place over twin smiles that showed hunger rather than the dry humour of his slightly lower predatory grin, the creature of nightmare moved easily across the snow and ice choked trail.

Pulling back, the large black smudge showed itself to be Badger's snout pressed up too close to a crystal ball. Happy with the impression of his nose on the device, and hoping it would cause reception difficulties in the future, if not a nasty surprise, the loquacious animal peered short sightedly around the rest of the tower room. Teo was seated on a comfortable throne type arrangement, looking bored and flipping a gem encrusted goblet from hand to hand; the Ticktockman was, as always, looking through his book, and Handel was standing in the centre of the chamber, a desultory look gracing his features.

"You don't think maybe Spooke would be somewhere other than the most obvious place, I said, but oh no, you had to bash in the door and 'have a looksee'," Badger muttered to the apparently oblivious Handel.

"Yes," articulated Handel curtly, focusing on his companion. "Yes I did. We had to follow all leads. It seems somewhat suspicious that Ere sent this particular group off to where there was the least chance of an encounter, however."

Apart from an old washerwoman they'd met on the path, there hadn't been a sign of life in the lands surrounding the castle, let alone in its interior. Still, she'd been kind enough to tell the group where the key had been hidden, unfortunately after Handel had set foot to door, and even offered to take any washing they wanted doing. Badger had chased her off when she wouldn't give up on trying to remove his collar - he wasn't too good with strangers; then again, he wasn't too good with friends, either,

Halting in his back and forth with the goblet, Teo raised his handsome elven features to the pair of conversationalists. "I can certainly understand why they might want we three out of the way. Any chances for battle and raucous merriment are no doubt quite unable to be passed up by any of us. However, I wonder why the Lord Shaper would put a such a noteable killjoy as your brother in with our group."

"Balance?" Handel flickered a diplomatic glance over at the Ticktockman.

"No one else could stand the smell?" Badger grinned up at Handel and wrinkled his impressive snout.

With the snap as he shut his book all eyes turned to the Ticktockman. "Actually," he intoned,"it was something about no one liking a know it all smart arsE."

Badger looked blank, one of his favourite expressions. "Didn't we leave Alik at the castle?"

A booted foot nudged Bob's head to the side and Amhorach's pumpkinheaded face managed to look particularly sour as he mopped up the bloodstains from the floor. Replacing the cleaning implement in his bucket, the handyman straightened up and faced Alex.

"That's it! No bloody more! I've done so much cleaning in this damn library that Lord Erehwon will be needing new floors installed soon, and who do you think's gonna be the poor sod they get to do it?" One hand on hip, he punctuated his sentences with a gloved finger.

"I believe they will hold up a little longer, thank you Amhorach," replied the dignified figure of the librarian. "If you could just take the body outside until Bob recovers I would be most grateful." He watched bleakly as the grumbling handyman did as he had been bid, lifted the still form over one shoulder and prepared to depart. "One last thing."

Amhorach froze in place. "Yes," he said in a very controlled tone.

"If you see Alik, tell him that he's to keep out of the library for a time. I've had too much trouble in here recently for my liking."

"Right you are. Cheers."

With a nod at Amhorach's retreating back, Alex turned to survey the reconstituted library. The sheer size of the damage had necessitated more of an influx of workers than he really would have liked, but there was no denying that they'd done their job well and swiftly. Shelves had been rebuilt, slush removed and books dried out adequately enough, although there was some minimal water damage. Now came the hard work - cataloguing. There were items in this library which were much more than normal books, and had to be accounted for lest strife break out in the very centre of the Dreaming.

As Alex strode into the stacks something low to the ground rustled across the polished floor, paused to absorb a globule of blood that Amhorach had missed and fled into the corridors of the castle.

Sweeping in low and jinking at the last moment to avoid a tentacle like grab at him by fiend's hair, Mickey fluttered to maintain balance as he finally perched on Erehwon's shoulder.

"{Well?}"

"She's in there sure enough, boss. Ah. I wouldn't mind staying outside, if you don't mind - we birds like our fresh air."

"You stay in my cave all the time," commented Bere with a slight chuckle. "It couldn't be a lack of trust of a certain species showing itself, could it?"

"Are you calling me prejudiced?" Mickey cocked his beak to the side and stared at Bere.

"{No. I believe she is calling you chicken.}"

"Eep," said Delight, jumping from fiend's pocket and waddling as quickly as her young gargoyle legs would allow into the foreboding tunnel mouth.

"Bollocks, " muttered Mickey as the rest of the party followed.

"chicken bollocks? eww."

slap

"owww!"

"Be quiet, fiend."

Before long they came into the presence of Nightshade, Queen of the Cats. Like all gods she depended to a greater or lesser degree on worship and there hadn't been a tremendous amount of that in recent times. She blamed the advent of television, the way people were better than cats at being selfish in this day and age, and, most of all, the packaged foodstuffs folk gave their felines now. Banality in a can did not make for a particularly spiritual people, and the biscuits weren't much better.

Grouped around the stooped, mumbling figure, Erehwon, fiend and Bere exchanged glances.

"Maybe we should come back later," asked Mickey from a safe distance, where he sat with Delight in a stony alcove.

"Poor dear," said Bere, "she looks half starved. Has anyone got anything she can eat? Hey where's that fool of a raven going?"

fiend reached out and tickled Nightshade under the chin, gaining her attention and elicting a surprised purr. "nice pussy." He then ruined the effect by sniggering in an altogether too familiar manner.

The feline faced and furred woman looked at fiend in a calculating manner, then shifted her gaze to Erehwon. "Dream King. Have you come then, to see me in this sorry state before I pass entirely into your realm and then fade away completely? You never come to visit me any more." Pouting slightly she rubbed her cheek against the cold white chin of Erehwon, and he laid his hand on her head gently.

"{We seek information, Queen of the Cats.}"

"Oh? Typical."

The two women reined in their horses once they had reached the top of the rise. Wrapped as they were against the cold, it was a simple manner to differentiate one from another - Riahanna sat demurely, her eyes on both the terrain before them and her queen beside her, while Amaya's imperious nature was obvious from the very manner of her bearing as she surveyed the tundra below. Due to the danger of avalanches and the like she had been unable to talk at her accustomed rate for the last three hours, and was not in one of her best moods, requiring a number of words per minute to enforce her presence on the rest of reality. Having had to wear the same pair of shoes for two days running was also causing her some grief, though mostly this was passed on to Riahanna. Accustomed to her monarch's moods, the elven girl took the snideness, jibes and withering looks with good humour, knowing that, eventually, it would pass.

From their position the two could observe their countryman Teo leave the castle of Spooke with his comrades and head along the roadway into the winter blackened forest of trees that somehow clung to the chilled soil. Behind that group trailed the figures of the Thing and Maliki - one spending his time laying false trails leading to a crevasse while the other worked his way around in a manner that would shepherd his prey after the departing band of drunkards.

"Well, the boys are playing, as usual, I see," commented Amaya. "You'd think they'd get tired of it eventually."

"You think we should help them, majesty," questioned Riahanna.

"Oh, we'll let them have their fun for the moment. So long as our fool doesn't come into any serious danger."

From the direction of her Queen's gaze Riahanna was uncertain if she meant the Thing, her brother Teo or, perhaps, another.

Glittering amongst the trees, eyes watched the interesting company of men and badger as they passed through the ever dormant forest. Two pairs were low to the ground and shone in the manner of predatory beasts, collecting the scant illumination granted passage by the interlocking boughs above, while the green glimmering others shifted eerily in altitude, appearance and position - a singular sequence. It was as if a collection of creatures hid behind the foliage, only a brace of them watching constantly while the rest took turns, one after another. After a time only the lower sources remained as a burly man in rough garments stepped onto the path beside Handel, matching his pace easily to the brisk one set by the party. Across his back was a huge collection of sticks, each cut to a manageable length and none thinner than a stout man's arm, and a gleaming axe rested on his belt. When the lack of reaction to his presence had continued for over a minute he looked perplexed and cleared his throat to speak.

"Good day, gentle sirs. I hope you do not mind my travelling with you, but there are rogues about and the path is only safe when a number of resolute fellows such as yourselves band together."

Badger and Handel looked at each other briefly, then together passed their gaze on to Teo, who was most familiar with these parts. Taking his cue, the elf released some of his attention from keeping up with the others, who were seemingly walking briskly and yet covering the leagues at the rate of a galloping stallion, and addressed the stranger.

"By all means, the more the merrier, I'm sure. We are set for a village that comes to my memory but poorly, yet I am sure it lies some little distance in this direction. Its name escapes me, but the tavern's ale, which may indeed be party to this unfortunate mental oversight, is quite excellent in my recollection. Would this be so?"

"He means: we're going to the pub, and is it any good," added Badger, looking closely at the stranger's face. "And by the way - have you got any relatives who are washerwomen? You're the spitting image of a crazy old trout who I could swear wanted to nick my collar earlier."

They exited the trees just then and were dazzled by the snow glare.

"Bugger, he's disappeared," said Handel, rubbing his eyes.

"Um, no. Still here," said the woodchopper, rising from where he'd been greeting a handsome dog that had apparently been waiting for him. "And in answer to your questions - yes, the 'Knave's Goblet' has a very fine ale, and that crazy old trout would have been my mum." He peered down at Badger, hand scratching behind the dog's ear as it too observed, its white, fluffy hair almost fading its edges into the snow covered scenery.

"Good," said Badger, unaware or uncaring of any slight he may have caused the fellow's family. "You can introduce us to any likely looking barmaids."

"So what did she have to say," asked Mickey to Bere as Erehwon led the group once more through the shifting ways he navigated by. The Lord seemed a little agitated, and occasionally muttered something about all the trouble reaching critical mass and shouldn't he have expected it with the Anomalies involved.

"Well, none of her minions had been bothered by either of Spooke's dogs, physical or spiritual, so he's obviously in some out of the way place. The last time they were seen would have been heading back to his lands, so we assume that's where they and the trickster god are. Typical double bluff material."

"It's probably something more than that with him, though."

"Well, yep, a quadruble bluff would only just be the beginning with Spooke. He's sure to have some overall strategy we can't even grasp."

" a plot? you have to be kidding," interjected fiend, "everyone knows this is just an excuse for certain persons to stand around looking cool and enhancing their mystique through interaction with others." He seemed to be staring at a an unseen camera man for a moment, but then again, his eyes tended towards unfocused at the best of times. Something almost smacked him in the back of the head, but it thought better of it and merely switched venues again.

"No, for the fourth time, I do not want to put my book down on the nice table and dancE," the Ticktockman everdourly asserted to the barmaid, seemingly unaffected by her batting eyelashes and flashing emerald eyes. He raised his small sherry to his lips and sipped at it delicately.

"I don't blame him," whispered Badger to Teo,"she looks like everyone else we've met in this place. The inbreeding must be really rife. It'll be the cold, I'll bet, and not enough solid exercise and beer."

"You don't think it strange that we've never seen more than one person at a time, d'you, Badger?" Handel shifted over slightly to hear and be heard at the lower tones they were speaking in.

"We've seen at least one dog," replied Badger, nodding to the fluffy canine lolling before the open fire. "Speciesist. Anyway, the beer is the right price."

"What d'you mean, Badger? You never pay for the beer anyway!"*

"Exactly."

Already the barmaid was looking worriedly at the growing number of empty kegs and scratching her head thoughtfully, hurriedly straightening up the wig when it got skewed. If something didn't happen soon...

The door cracked open, letting in a burst of cold wind, snow and the bedraggled form of the Thing. After closing the door he drew himself up grandly and his eyes lighted on the barmaid. "Madam," he began, before noticing the identities of the other inhabitants. "Oh my," he continued, eyes wide as his hand scrabbled behind his back for the door knob and escape. It turned beneath his hand.

"Quite a gathering," observed Maliki as he entered.

Thing stepped back in dismay, his head turning this way and that like a hunted animal, then leapt for the rafters and proceeded to acrobatically avoid the grasping hands and swinging weapons of those below.

"Little bastard," yelled Handel. "Out of my way." He put down his mug, drew his sword out of nowhere and swung the flat of the blade at Thing. Unable to dodge the dread artifact, the fae merely allowed himself to fall, avoiding the blow, but placing himself in the arms of Teo, whom he kissed noisily and then bounded away from. Meanwhile, Handel attempted to alter the trajectory of his sword's path and watched in embarrassment as it passed through rafter after rafter and on though the central support beam.

"Oops."

An ominous groaning noise indicated that the structural integrity of the building had been compromised in no uncertain terms.

"Oh, buggeR." Dourly, the Ticktockman folded up on the floor as a timber impacted with a resounding thud upon his cowled head.

Once more the door opened.

"{Are we too late?}"

"Ere? What the hell?"

"There's a few jugs left, at least, man."

"jugs? i..."

Another timber chose this moment to spitefully disengage itself from the disintegrating framework above and landed on the fiend as if aimed by a higher power. His eyes blinked through the colour spectrum for an instant and then he fell onto the still form of his brother. Handel grinned as if he'd planned the whole thing.

"Shouldn't we get out of here," asked Mickey, fluttering uncomfortably on Bere's shoulder.

The raising chatter that had begun quieted. Erehwon nodded.

"{A sensible idea. Havoc seems to be the order of the day within; best we exit to the relative safety of outdoors. I suppose remuneration for the keeper of this establishment is in order also. Where are they?}"

"Yeah, where is the barmaid?"

"More to the point - where is my booK?"

"You're back with us, Ticktock!"

"It appears so, BerE. Now, if someone would be so kind as to remove fiend's body from my person I will get up alsO. Hardly the most pleasing thing to observe when wakinG," he muttered, dourly.

"Eep," said Delight. She appeared to be looking through a crack in the exterior wall and becoming increasingly excited.

Badger glanced through a break in the increasingly shaky wall, his substantial teeth clamped around the Thing's ankle. "Bloory 'ell," he expostulated. In the distance could be seen a single humanoid figure, divesting itself of feminine garments. The large mustelid grinned around the ankle, causing his captive to squeal with fright as bones rubbed against each other, then blinked as it became apparent that his roving eye was not to get an unexpected treat this time. "Holy...," he said, forgetting and releasing the fae troublemaker.

With a loud and long "Muahahahahahahaha" Spooke tucked the book under his arm, gathered his dogs about him and simply disappeared into the snows. Those assembled within the 'Knaves Goblet' had a moment to stare at each other in shocked realisation at the sound before the roof at last gave way and fell in upon them.

* This is artistic license at its worst, as Badger is in fact particularly good about buying the beer himself and not letting near penniless scum** stretch their meagre resources much when he's around.

** eg. Handel.

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Part Four