A Lover's Dance (Elowen & Thalion)

This is part of a series that is essentially a novella, so if you haven't read Chapter 1, 2, 3 and 4, you might want to start there as the story won't make much sense without that context. Links to them: https://www.literotica.com/s/a-forced-union, https://www.literotica.com/s/shadows-of-obligation, https://literotica.com/s/a-moonlit-pact-elowen-and-thalion-3

I posted these three chapters together because it made more sense to put them all out as one.

Chapter Five: Water's Grace

Elowen's eyes widened as Thalion approached the leaning menhirs that formed the waystone. Her hand clenched on the white talisman, slippery against her sweaty palm. Power crackled in the air of the starlit glade. The rocky triangle edifice loomed high above them, casting a long shadow over the moss-covered ground.

The runes engraved on the stones glinted with dark power, like an obsidian bead rolling over a gray table.

Thalion took a pinch of iridescent fairy dust from his pouch. He stroked across one of the ogham runes, his fingers deft—as if he had performed this ritual a thousand times before. An ethereal glow filled the sigil, reflected in his starry gaze.

Elowen's lips parted, and her breath caught in her throat.

Thalion moved from rune to rune, coating some in fairy dust, leaving others dark. The ogham characters came alive for him, transforming from static symbols to a living display of power.

She couldn't tear her gaze away from the pulsing, shifting lights.

Between the menhirs, the air shimmered with an otherworldly radiance. Slowly, the triangle formed by the stones wavered, its edges blurring until it seemed as if she peered through a veil of liquid glass to the other side of the glade.

The translucent layer grew dense and opaque, swirling with iridescent colors and the whisper of unseen forces at play.

The hair on Elowen's arms stood straight up, goosebumps blossoming on her skin.

As the portal stabilized, a breathtaking vista unfolded before her—a landscape of twisted trees and deep, impenetrable shadows.

The Darkling Forest.

A shiver raced down her spine, and she wrapped her arms around her torso. The rune on her wrist itched, a reminder of a debt owed.

Thalion beckoned to her. "Step through."

Magic glided over her skin like mist, a single step covering all the miles between The Whisperwood and The Darkling Forests. Thalion and Diarmuid came through with her, the shimmering power of the gate vanishing as her husband stepped through.

The stars shone down on them, uncaring in the cold sky. Elowen stared at the trees, her breath running short.

Thalion stepped between her and the twisted trunks, cupping her face in his hands. "Elowen, listen to me. All manner of dangerous things call The Darkling home, but the luminstone will open a path for you." His thumbs brushed across her cheeks. "Do not leave that path. There are creatures in there who will try to trick you, to lure you away. Hold the stone up and a light will shine from the rune. It will keep the creatures at bay so long as you walk its path."

Elowen clutched at her skirts, ants creeping through her guts. But she had already agreed to this. "Yes, my lord."

He took a deep breath. "The darkling wraiths can touch you, even on the path. They'll try to find a way past your defenses to the life that burns within you. Just keep walking. What we did will protect you, as long as you don't linger."

The honey essence of his seed lay like a wax cover against her skin. "I will."

"In the center of the forest is Ealadha's Glade. The Warden of the Darkling, Orinthas, rests there. Pass his test, and he will give you a moonstone and send you back to me." Thalion's eyes searched her face. "Do you understand?"

Gulping down the bile that burned in the back of her throat, Elowen nodded. The dark trees loomed over her, impenetrable and brooding. "Why is it called a luminstone?"

He tucked her hair behind her ears. "Because this is the trial undertaken by aspirants who seek to become initiate eirnachts. It is the first step on the starlit path, the start of learning magic."

Tight bands clamped on Elowen's chest, and she struggled to breathe. She couldn't embrace their magic. "But—I don't..."

"No." He kissed her forehead. "I will not bind you to the starlit path just because you return with a moonstone."

The harsh grip on her lungs relaxed. "Thank you."

He turned her toward Diarmuid. "Now, take the priest's blessing and go. We'll be here when you come out."

Stiff-legged steps carried her forward. Diarmuid's white smile glittered against his obsidian skin, and he produced a small vial of water from inside his robe.

"This is from the spring of Danu and carries Her blessing and the wisdom of the Dagda." He dribbled a few drops of the precious liquid on his fingers and drew an ogham rune on her forehead. "Go with the blessing of the Gods and return to us with wisdom."

Elowen took a trembling breath and left the men, the trail-finder stone held high above her head. The dark trunks of the trees separated for her, blue light casting an eerie glow on a path that had not been there a moment before.

The air thickened, heavy with magic and the weight of untold secrets. The twisted branches reached out like gnarled fingers, ready to snatch her away from the safety of the path.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, her chest tightening with each step. The darkness pressed in around her, suffocating and oppressive. Strange fairy plants loomed closer, contorted into grotesque shapes that watched her every move. Only the hammering of her heart and the soft rustle of leaves beneath her feet broke the deafening silence.

Elowen's skin crawled as though unseen eyes tracked her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Fear clawed at her insides, threatening to overwhelm her. She clutched the nixie's talisman tightly, its cool surface offering scant comfort.

The rune light created flickering shadows that danced like malevolent spirits around her. A twig snapped to the left and Elowen's heart lurched.

Her eyes searched the darkness. Was there something hiding under a fern? She fought the urge to break into a sprint, staring straight ahead of her at the path opened by the blue light of the luminstone.

She paused at the edge of a deep ravine, her heart racing. The way down angled so sharply she could barely make out a foothold larger than a goat's hoof. She hesitated, looking along the length of the ravine. Plants and rocks crouched on the edge, inches from tumbling down the steep sides. A few steps away, a delicate bridge of gossamer threads spanned the chasm, the path continuing on the other side.

Bridge or ravine?

Her lip caught between her teeth as she stared back and forth between the two unappealing options. She edged closer to the ravine, and a pebble tumbled down, bouncing from rock to rock.

A momentary image of her body doing the same assaulted her, and she shrank back from the gorge.

Bridge.

Sucking air deep into her lungs, Elowen stepped onto the silver edifice. The silken threads swayed and shifted beneath her feet, and she clutched at the empty air for balance. Fear of falling clawed at her mind and her limbs went cold.

One more step. And another one. And one more. She reached the midpoint of the bridge.

Between one shaky step and the next, the gossamer threads vanished, leaving her suspended in midair, her mouth opening in a scream of raw terror.

A yelp burst from her throat as she plunged down, her fall broken by a briar patch. She wrestled with the tangled mass, struggling to free herself, the path lost entirely. Sharp thorns tore at her skin as she thrashed, seeking a way out. Tears streamed from her eyes, and her heart thundered against her ribs.

To her left, the shadows undulated. Elowen's breath froze, her muscles locking in place.

Is there something there?

She bit her lip, sweat sliding in cool trails down her back.

A spider the size of a mule crept out of the darkness, large fangs glistening with venom, malice shining in every gleaming eye. It reared, forelegs lashing the air above her. Elowen screamed. The rune on her forehead burned with the memory of Diarmuid's blessing. Leaving blood and skin behind, she ripped free of the briar. She rolled to the side as the spider lunged and bounded to her feet. Without looking back, she scrambled up the side of the ravine. Her fingers dug into the earth, dislodging pebbles and tangling in roots.

The gigantic spider scuttled behind her. It chittered, high and wild and far too close. Elowen clung to the trail-finder and kicked a foot back. Her boot landed on the spider's head, sliding over the smooth dome. She shoved, rolling over the top of the ravine. Hairy claws followed her, the spider skittering in her wake.

Mouth stretched wide in a silent scream, Elowen ran. She held her hand high, searching for the path. Behind her, the spider scuttled along the edge of the ravine. Its mandibles clacked together, snapping shut on her boot heel.

Azure light sparkled from the luminstone, spilling over the path. With a sob, Elowen dove into the glow, her boot tearing free of the grasping maw. The spider hissed its rage, stalking along the edges of the illumination. Elowen huddled in the light, her chest heaving, blood dripping from where the briar thorns had raked across her bosom.

The spider hissed and retreated, its abdomen vanishing over the lip of the gorge.

Elowen sucked in a deep breath, cool air absorbing the heat of panic burning in her chest. On her wrist, the black runes of her contract with the fairy itched. How much time had passed? It was still night, but she only had until sunset.

With a groan, she rose to her feet. Lying here wouldn't get her anywhere.

The air grew colder, and an oppressive darkness closed in around her, feeding the unease curdling in her belly. Soft susurrations broke the silence, sliding through the trees from all directions, the words indecipherable. Dread hunched Elowen's shoulders. She clutched the nixie's talisman tighter, though the eerie rune light offered scant comfort in the icy dark.

A sudden chill snaked through her, and Elowen shivered, her breath leaving white puffs in the air. The branches of a fern reached toward her, and she staggered sideways. A cold shadowy tendril wrapped around her ankle, another smacked over her buttocks.

She sobbed, crossing her arms over her breast. An icy tip probed between her thighs and a hissing whisper ached with need. Elowen screamed, and a dark tendril lunged at her mouth but bounced back before her teeth.

Darklings. It had to be.

The thing wrapped around her nether regions recoiled, thwarted by Thalion's scent.

"Please Danu, watch over your child." The murmured prayers trembled over her lips, and she forced herself to walk, watching where she put her feet. "Please Aengus, let my husband's seed hold. Please Lugh, guide my way."

A bend in the path, then another. The air warmed up a notch, and she breathed out a long sigh.

Cold as winter snow, a thick tentacle wrapped around her neck, and she lurched back. It probed over her chin, seeking her mouth, but Thalion's honey scent defeated it. Elowen gulped for air, screams choking in her throat. She strained to escape, twisting against the horrid embrace.

Another tendril squirmed under her torn skirt, touching between her thighs and sliding over her buttocks. It shuddered away, Thalion's moonflower musk heavy in the air.

"Thank you, Aengus." Shaky steps took her froward, even though the tentacles still clung to her face.

One of them slid down to the swell of her bosom, where blood from the briar patch pearled on her pale breast. The chill fingers slipped over her wounds and tugged at her skin, an obscene parody of Thalion biting her tender flesh.

Panic surged through her, her heart pounding in her ears as the tendril grew thicker. They didn't need to invade her—they could suck her life through her broken skin! She broke into a run, desperate to escape the darklings.

Black tentacles clawed at her, squirming over her buttocks, plunging between her legs, seeking to claim the life in her veins. She tore free, leaving small motes of blood behind, Thalion's scent keeping them from penetrating her.

Elowen pelted through the twisted trees, her lungs burning from the frigid air and the tiny bites of life left behind. The luminstone's light flickered, illuminating the spectral forms of the darkling spirits as they writhed along the edges of the path.

Her legs threatened to buckle beneath her, but the terror of the wraiths drove her on. The path twisted and turned before her, and she forced herself to focus on each step, the litany of the Gods' names tumbling from her lips.

Too late, the blue light of the trail-finder shone on the roots of a giant oak. Her foot caught, and she tumbled forward, catapulting head over heels past the trees.

A kaleidoscope of colors spun over her head as she gasped for breath, shock curdling in her belly.

Get up. I must get up.

But she could barely roll onto her side. Sobs broke free from her chest, and she wrapped her arms around her legs, trembling on the forest floor.

The bitter touch of the darkling tentacles did not come.

Elowen lifted her head, peering over the edge of her knees like a child looking for monsters.

An ethereal, golden light bathed the glade, emanating from the ring of oaks that kept The Darkling Forest at bay. Tall and proud, the gnarled branches of the trees reached for the heavens as if in silent prayer.

Elowen's shoulders slumped in relief, and she drew in a long breath.

A magnificent oak commanded the center of the grove, far larger and older than any of the others surrounding it. Massive branches spread out in benediction, sheltering the peaceful glade, and infusing it with a sense of safety and serenity.

Deep grooves marked the bark of the ancient tree, as though it carried every season of its life in those marks. Elowen's eyes stretched wide, and she rose, the light of the tree's iridescent leaves playing across her face. Hesitant feet carried her forward, past the tangle of roots that spread across the glade—many thick enough to sit on.

A face formed within the trunk, features carved from the wood itself, eyes glowing a gentle lavender. Awe filled Elowen, and her trembling legs wouldn't hold her. She knelt before the tree, her hands resting on the loamy ground, head bowed.

"What brings you to Ealadha's Glade, child?" The tree's voice resonated with rustling leaves and creaking branches, seeming to echo through time itself.

"I..." Elowen looked up to meet the enormous eyes. "I seek a moonstone."

Parts of the bark drew together in a frown. "A half-human aspirant? Well, there is a first time for everything."

"N-No." She sat back on her heels. "It was just an accident." She held out her wrist, the puckered skin dark in the ethereal light. "But Queen Mab's contract didn't care."

"An accident that you traversed the length of The Darkling Forest to find me?" The tree's voice resonated through her. "No, child. You found Orinthas because you had the courage to seek me. But your trial is not yet done."

"I..." Elowen cleared her throat, searching for words. "I can't learn magic."

Orinthas' laughter rang through the glade, his chortling as joyous as the first flowers of spring. "Little one, of course you can. If you could not, you would never have been able to pick the moondrop flower."

The words struck her like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind from her. Her father had warned her never to go near the fay. He had forbidden magic in Aurelian and banned the wee folk.

She was not allowed.

With trembling fingers, she covered her mouth and shook her head. "No. No. I just need a moonstone."

"There is only one way to get a moonstone for you, little aspirant. You must pass the Trial of Water."

"What—" She coughed and cleared her throat. "How do I do that?"

"I will give you a riddle and then you must descend into my roots and face the heart of your star." The huge lavender eyes bore into her. "Are you ready?"

Elowen bit her lip, her eyes drawn to the dark caverns between the thick coils of wood on the ground. She wasn't ready, but the black rune pulsed on her wrist.

Shivering, she nodded.

Orinthas spoke in a voice that rolled around the grove like thunder over a lake.

"In liquid form, a secret lies concealed,

To water's grace, let heart and mind be sealed,

As cup and bottle shape its fluid dance,

Embrace the change, in life's eternal trance."

The words thrummed over Elowen, sinking into her bones, reverberating in her flesh.

"Seek wisdom in the river's winding ways,

As water whispers secrets through its plays,

In streams and torrents, find the mystic's art,

And flowing free, bind water to thine heart."

As Orinthas spoke the last words, a dark pit opened at Elowen's feet. The light from her luminstone showed only a step or two of a steep path that stretched into eternal night.

"What happens if I fail?"

"You die." Orinthas said the words with a flat finality, like a coffin lid slamming shut. "Your body will feed my roots and your spirit will join the darklings."

Tears burned in Elowen's eyes. "And if I don't go in?"

"You fail, and I will not give you the moonstone."

The black rune pulsed on her wrist, and Elowen breathed past the lump in her throat. "So dead either way." She tried to laugh, but it came out as a sob. "I've come this far."

Holding the trail-finder above her, she walked into the cavern. As she descended, the surrounding air grew thick with dampness, each breath laborious. The luminstone's light flickered, casting eerie shadows on the cave walls. Those dark claws reached for her, wriggling across her belly like a horrid memory of the forest tentacles. Bile rose in the back of her throat, and she walked faster, following the narrow and twisting path.

She lost all sense of time—only the next step revealed by the blue light seemed real.

The path vanished, water splashing against her boot. The passageway opened into an immense chamber, a deep pool spreading before her feet. A glimmering luminescence laid a sinister trail across its surface, like stars glowing in the night sky. Where the trail ended, the pool narrowed to a raging river roaring through a rocky channel. The waters churned and frothed with an intensity that sent shivers down Elowen's spine.

On the far side of the cavern, where the river grew calm and spread into a pool, moonstones twinkled in the dark.

"Danu, help your child." She clasped her hands, the whispered prayer getting lost in the thundering of the river.

Heart hammering fit to burst, Elowen stepped into the pool. Chill water glided over her, washing the sticky scent of Thalion from her skin. She walked forward, the pool growing deeper. Her lungs protested fiercely as the frigid liquid rose higher, covering her chest.

And still the pool grew deeper.

Panic clawed at her mind as her limbs grew leaden. She threw herself forward, kicking wildly as she lunged for the channel that held the river, but she could not reach it. No matter how she kicked or wrestled, the pond held her fast.

'Let heart and mind be sealed.'

Orinthas' poem came back to her as she struggled to keep afloat. Gulping, Elowen lowered her face into the water. She could not see the bottom. Gasping, she threw her head up. Tears blurred her eyes, and she looked back at the shore, but it was gone. Only darkness waited for her there.