Chapter VII - Light In The Storm

"Your mother is dead, Judas Khan ate her alive when you slipped from his grasp."

Words that were repeated in her mind, tears caused by those words had dried, leaving her eyes bloodshot and sore, she put on a stern expression, she didn't want to let Furbaide know of her turmoil. Doing so would distract him from his upcoming confrontation with the dragon, sitting alone in a dry safe spot within the folds of a large bristle tree Aoife started to build up her emotional wall. Meditating she brought her emotions under control, when Furbaide returned she expected her emotional defenses to have no cracks. Furbaide however thought that Aoife when he returned would be in need of comfort, he saw in her eyes a part of her was broken.

Something the pale man whispered tore into her mind and left scars that have not yet begun to heal, even though he couldn't make out the words he could sense the impact they had with Aoife. Furbaide could sense outright deceit so he knew whatever Dolus told her it was the truth. Both Aoife and Furbaide knew something terrible was said but only one knew what it was, Furbaide wished he knew what brought her so much pain. A mystery he tried to solve as he made his way as swiftly as he could to the cliffs in a pitch black storm to find the goblin smiths.

Rain water pelted at his skin as he tried to figure out what was going through Aoife's mind; a desire to know her was also a desire to monopolize her, but it wasn't for control but because he craved genuine affection from her, a desire that had taken root in his heart and mind. Not long after going into the storm he managed to charge through the flat plains between the cliffs and forest, and had begun climbing the cliffside in the torrent of rain . Waves of rain water pushing down against his body was nothing to him, being trapped in the Dragon Keep a place with no water, for centuries made him appreciate the heavy rainfall. Lightning struck at the at the cliff high above sending large rocks downwards, the rocks rolled off his back as though they were just rain drops. Fingers digging deep into the hard rock of the cliff the living god pulled himself up the cliff face until, he reached the mouth of the cave.

Grabbing hold of the opening of the cave he lifted himself into its black interior, immediately upon entering the cave he smelled death. Air inside of the cave was cold and damp chilling his soaked body, the scent of death filled his nostrils the deeper he went into the cave. Sensing the deeper he went inside fading traces of the pale man, it was clear he was in the cave earlier that day, and he as his eyes adjusted to the darkness what he left behind. Blood covered the floor and walls of the cave near a forge, Furbaide once heard that goblin smiths never let their forge go dark, but the burning passion to forge weapons was as dead as the goblins. The black stone forge was drenched in their blood, the bodies of the goblins were piled onto it as though they were offerings to a sacrificial altar.

Chest cavities opened, their skulls smashed open, eyes falling out of their skulls, it was a grotesque scene that made him angry and sickened to look upon; searching the entire cave he found their armory of crafted weapons was destroyed. Weapons were rusted and dull by some wicked sorcery making them utterly useless , Furbaide threw one of the ruined swords against the cave wall in frustration. The crash of the rusted metal against the rock wall sent sparks and pieces of rock wall shooting out as the blade became imbedded into the wall. Knowing for sure then that Dolus had stolen the spear meant for him to combat the dragon, without it his task was made immensely more difficult.

Leaving empty handed Furbaide was not prepared to leave however until he saw the goblin's bodies laid to rest. Putting them in respectful position on the forge laying them next to one another, their gray rocky skin still moist with blood which covered Furbaide's hands and toga. Once the bodies were positioned in a respectable way Furbaide searched for a flint, dry wood, and coal that was kept in the cave to feed the forge. Lighting the fire was easy, it was as though the forge had a desire to burn bright again, a blood red fire flared up immediately lighting the cave in it's light.

In the fire the bodies burned to ash, nothing was left of them not even the bones, the forge cremated the bodies in a supernatural fire, the heat of the forge dried Furbaide completely. Even the blood was gone having flowed down his body onto the ground by the enchanting fires of the forge, basking in the warmth of the fire Furbaide compared its gentle warmth with the tortuous heat of his prison. One was a contrast to the other in regards to what the heat did, one tortured him, the other gave him a kindly warmth. Leaving the cave as the forge still burned Furbaide noticed after experiencing such euphoric warmth bathing his body that once the rain touched his skin again he felt cold.

As Furbaide started his climb down from the cliff Aoife was growing tired of meditating and started to look out of the dark storm, even if it was the late morning there was no sunlight. Complete dreary darkness with no light except the flash of lightning, Aoife wondered if the storm was caused naturally or was it conjured by Dolus to help him escape? She sensed something not right about the air, it was far colder than it should be, a chill set in under her skin, wrapping herself in her garments she tried to think warm thoughts. Time seemed to move slower,as she waited, Aoife worried the poison might be affecting her again, then she saw something in the darkness, through the tree branches she thought she saw a glow in the dark.

Golden shades of yellow and white merged into a shade of awesome brilliance that she squinted anticipating it would blind her but it didn't, it invited her gaze. Inner thoughts were silent as the light creeped into the branches and she saw within the light a womanly figured, the woman's hand touched Aoife's cold face warming her by the mere touch. Her mother's voice spoke to her in her mind in a comforting tone of voice.

"Let him comfort you" she said, soft words spoken with genuine affection, advice Aoife took to heart, something her mental wall couldn't prepare for, she tried to hold mother's hand one more time but only felt the warmth her touch left behind.

The golden light vanished almost instantly, seeing nothing but darkness as Aoife looked outwards frantically to try and see the light again, that is when she saw someone coming towards her in the dark. A mix of relief and pain started inside her as she saw it was Furbaide having returned from the goblin smiths, upon seeing him she didn't know what to say, she had a confused agonized expression. Furbaide stood there soaking wet half in the rain and half under the protection of the tree, his look of stunned concern made Aoife feel a sombering chill down her back. She needed someone to hug, Furbaide seeing her half raised arms guessed as much and went to her, holding her close as the storm continued on, in his arms she shed no tears but allowed herself to be loved.

In the long embrace Aoife noticed the rain slowed down before ending, the black clouds overhead broke apart and the midday sun shined down ending the rage of the storm. Fading out as quickly as it appeared the storm no longer had the power to blanket the land in darkness. Both the deity and the witch felt awkward when they saw their closeness in the daylight, either of them unsure about how the other felt about it and both feeling too awkward to explore further. Deciding it was for the best for them to travel northwards to the fog and the ruins of Castle Ulaid to await the dragon Dreq.

Walking side by side on the rain softened ground Aoife and Furbaide spoke little still unsure about what was happening between them or what they'd want to happen. Furbaide told Aoife what he saw and pointed out the fire in the cave that still burned, Aoife told him she was proud of his respectful cremation of the dead.

"The least I could've done," he said, trying to sound humble "I hope they will find peace in the afterlife."

"As do I," Aoife said.

Smiling Furbaide looked at Aoife whose eyes were transfixed his own, it was clear she felt she blushed and averted her gaze when she noticed he was looking into her own.

"Thank you, for helping me this far" she said.

Furbaide said nothing but smiled at her as they continued to walk taking short breaks from time to time until they could see on the flat landscape the rising hills, and beyond that was a curtain of fog covering the distant horizon. The fog that separated Crel from Annwfyn, where more horrific things than Dreq remain in exile. Travelling through the fog would be foolish and deadly to almost any other being in the world, dragons were among the few exceptions.

"Do you think you can do it, even without the spear?" Aoife said, asking out of concern for Furbaide's sake.

"The Spider Mother's note never said it was impossible without it," he said "but it will no doubt be-" Furbaide didn't wish to finish it words.

Aoife was concerned that Furbaide was losing confidence in his abilities as a living god, the pale man rendering him powerless was something Furbaide never suffered before, except from the mountain gods.

"I trust in you Furbaide" Aoife said, her words had a simple truth, that she had faith in him, something he found empowering.

Getting closer to the hills Furbaide considered telling Aoife she can leave for her own safety but he knew she would never and he truly wouldn't want her to leave, whatever happened he hoped to see it through with her, the woman he desired to say that he loved.