Post by Rowena Jones on Nov 14, 2017 21:39:07 GMT -5
London to Birmingham, Birmingham to Pwllheli. Two trains and several hours later and she was in Northern Wales and following the trail that she'd found in her books. Max was gone and all she wanted to do was curl in a ball and cry until there was nothing left... but Elle had been right. There were others to fight for. And this was her family that had caused all of this. She remembered that moment vividly, amongst all the pain, finding out that her family were directly involved in all of the murders and attacks that had become omnipresent in recent months. It was her responsibility to stop it. It was the least she could do for Max. Look after the rest of his family now that he was gone. Protect them from hers.
"The stone. The shield. The staff. Destroyed. Buried. Lost." Rowena chanted, getting an odd look from her taxi driver. She could have taken the bus but the numbers had confused her and the kind man had said there was enough money in her purse when she'd asked him. "Merlin. We must go to Merlin. No more statues. The island. Take me to the island."
She'd already tried twice. But they didn't seem to understand. No one did. But she knew. It must be there. The book had said. The Stone to drain. The Shield to protect. The Staff to fight. Forgotten to myth and legend. The Stone the only one to have surfaced and be known to modern world. "Destroyed. It shouldn't have been destroyed. Need it. Must tell Alex." She would write, Rowena decided. Once she had the Shield, she would write to Elle and tell them. There just hadn't been time. Her mind was urging her to move faster.
"They're coming. They're always coming. Can you feel the Shadow?" Rowena asked the driver.
"No lady. There's no shadow. But this is Aberdaron and there's the boat you need to get to your island," he said still wondering if he should be leaving the crazy woman here instead of at the hospital. But she'd been so adamant when he'd asked if she was sure that Bardsey was where she wanted to go, her amber gaze flashing angrily that he'd given in. Still, he would notify the police; surely she shouldn't be out alone. They pulled up and he helped her give him the correct amount and not the hundreds she was trying to give him in her haste to leave. Who was this woman? She was gone before he had another chance to ask.
Rowena hurried towards the pier and a while later they arrived on the shores of the small island. Bardsey was tiny and nowadays more a pilgrimage site than anything else. There were only a few people living here, looking to escape the hustle and bustle. There was very little other reason to come here at all. But she had access to knowledge that most did not have. Muggles knew of the tiny cave, had concocted many stories about it before mostly deciding it wasn't much of anything. But in her search for information on her most famous ancestor, she'd discovered a lot about the Founders and their more famous students, including Merlin.
It had felt like the puzzle was all just falling together when she'd read that the powerful wizard had had one of the three keys and she'd delved in, her excitement causing Max to laugh as her quill sped across the page making notes while they sat in companionable silence in her living room during the days before he'd left. Her heart hurt at the thought of those precious moments they'd shared. If only she'd known she'd never have that again... she wished she'd told him what she'd found, but she'd wanted to make sure first. And later when her hand had cramped from writing and she'd looked at her boyfriend, she'd been much to distracted by him to mention it. And somehow he'd been gone before she could tell him about Merlin and the Shadow Shield that had to be more than coincidence.
It hadn't been until that day, the day before her life started its final descent that she'd discovered it wasn't just a Shield, but a key. They all were. The Stone was broken. The Staff was lost. But if they could get the Shield then there was a chance. They could defend in the very least. Rowena could do that much. And then there was the Gate. She'd almost forgotten. The Gate. The maddened witch almost turned around before she caught herself and stopped dead. The sun was setting and the climb would be dangerous but it needed to be night for the tomb to open. Of course most witches would have no problem; a simple Lumos would suffice. But, with no wand, Rowena was cut off from her magic. And she was beyond such sensible thoughts. Her mind was just chanting to her. The Cave. The Shield. Merlin. The Gate. The Gate. Such a shame about the stone. Get to the cave. Max. I miss you. Must protect.
By some miracle she found it. A tiny spot of blackness under a huge rock dotted with smaller quartz. And as the moon shone down on the witch, cringing at the sight of the shadowy opening, runes lit up on the rock. Rowena let out a delighted cackle that was lost in the chilly winter wind, cast far out over the surrounding ocean. She'd been right! Simple runes, ones that she didn't need help translating.
Safe from Shadow.
It had to be here. The text had said Merlin had buried it. Blessed Earth to cover the taint. Druids were full of superstitions like that. In the cave then. Under the rock. Rowena pushed the fear of darkness away. This was her mission. The only thing keeping her here. Her body slithered inside and it was as if she was back in that nightmare. Floating in eternal darkness, the only sound was the distant crashing of waves and the howling of the wind past the entrance. "Safe from Shadow. Safe from Shadow. Safe from Shadow," she chanted, her eyes tightly scrunched shut.
Light pulsed through the thin membrane of her eyelids and Rowena opened them to be faced with a newly reveled opening outlined by glowing quartz. She moved forward, excitement thrumming through her body. The short corridor opened into another small room and Rowena stopped short. The floor was stone. The room empty but for a miraculous small oak sapling, alive though no sunlight reached it's green leaves and no earth touched it's roots.
She'd been wrong. This wasn't the right spot. Rowena turned and fled, so angry at herself, so caught up in her mission that she did not care for whatever treasure she left behind. It had been no shield. She'd been wrong. She'd failed. The witch returned to the stone, cursing at it as her mind faltered. Where was she? Why was she here? Why wasn't she with Max? Why had he left her? What did she do now? Exhaustion settled in and she collapsed onto the ground, her mind shutting down and she spent her first night alone, unconscious on a desolate hill.
Shouts caused her to wake up, and Rowena dimly felt arms around her. Max. She turned into the warmth, but the smell was wrong. Not Max. Her amber eyes shot open and she struggled, causing the stranger holding her to curse and falter. "Ach, stop your squirming. We're just taking you to the hospital. Here's the boat now. What were you doing on that hill?! You must be right crazy!" he muttered angrily, putting her down but keeping a firm eye on her. Rowena paused, letting the men lead her to the boat. Hospital. She'd been in a hospital. But she'd left it. Why? Alex. She had to tell Alex. What did she have to tell Alex? The Stone! But the Gate. She needed to find the Gate. "How far is London?" she asked calmly.
"London?! We're in North Wales woman!" one of the men, fishermen Rowena could see now, exclaimed.
"I need to go to London." Rowena said. The men muttered, casting anxious glances at each other. For someone who had spent a cold November night outside, the strange woman seemed fine.
"We're heading to the mainland to sell our catch. Perhaps someone can help you when we get there," one eventually replied warily.
By the time they arrived, Rowena had changed her mind again. Without the Shield, she needed to find the Gate. Make sure it was never opened. She just needed to find an owl. Elle had told her to keep fighting. Rowena should tell her that she was doing just that. And maybe Elle could tell Alex. Elle still had Alex. Rowena didn't have Max anymore. As soon as her feet touched land, Rowena was off, ignoring the startled shouts of the men she left behind. She had a new destination. Nottingham.
Again, money in her purse proved most useful in getting her to the nearest train station and from there, she headed back across the country. Birmingham was as big and bustling as it had been the day before, leaving her confused until her continuous chants of Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham finally caught the attention of a fellow passenger and she was on her way. It was late afternoon by the time she finally arrived but the familiar surroundings jolted some sense back into her and she headed to the small Wizarding area in the city center. A few hours later and she had sent Elle a short letter and booked a room for the night. She'd get her answers after some sleep.
Light pulsed through the thin membrane of her eyelids and Rowena opened them to be faced with a newly reveled opening outlined by glowing quartz. She moved forward, excitement thrumming through her body. The short corridor opened into another small room and Rowena stopped short. The floor was stone. The room empty but for a miraculous small oak sapling, alive though no sunlight reached it's green leaves and no earth touched it's roots.
She'd been wrong. This wasn't the right spot. Rowena turned and fled, so angry at herself, so caught up in her mission that she did not care for whatever treasure she left behind. It had been no shield. She'd been wrong. She'd failed. The witch returned to the stone, cursing at it as her mind faltered. Where was she? Why was she here? Why wasn't she with Max? Why had he left her? What did she do now? Exhaustion settled in and she collapsed onto the ground, her mind shutting down and she spent her first night alone, unconscious on a desolate hill.
Shouts caused her to wake up, and Rowena dimly felt arms around her. Max. She turned into the warmth, but the smell was wrong. Not Max. Her amber eyes shot open and she struggled, causing the stranger holding her to curse and falter. "Ach, stop your squirming. We're just taking you to the hospital. Here's the boat now. What were you doing on that hill?! You must be right crazy!" he muttered angrily, putting her down but keeping a firm eye on her. Rowena paused, letting the men lead her to the boat. Hospital. She'd been in a hospital. But she'd left it. Why? Alex. She had to tell Alex. What did she have to tell Alex? The Stone! But the Gate. She needed to find the Gate. "How far is London?" she asked calmly.
"London?! We're in North Wales woman!" one of the men, fishermen Rowena could see now, exclaimed.
"I need to go to London." Rowena said. The men muttered, casting anxious glances at each other. For someone who had spent a cold November night outside, the strange woman seemed fine.
"We're heading to the mainland to sell our catch. Perhaps someone can help you when we get there," one eventually replied warily.
By the time they arrived, Rowena had changed her mind again. Without the Shield, she needed to find the Gate. Make sure it was never opened. She just needed to find an owl. Elle had told her to keep fighting. Rowena should tell her that she was doing just that. And maybe Elle could tell Alex. Elle still had Alex. Rowena didn't have Max anymore. As soon as her feet touched land, Rowena was off, ignoring the startled shouts of the men she left behind. She had a new destination. Nottingham.
Again, money in her purse proved most useful in getting her to the nearest train station and from there, she headed back across the country. Birmingham was as big and bustling as it had been the day before, leaving her confused until her continuous chants of Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham finally caught the attention of a fellow passenger and she was on her way. It was late afternoon by the time she finally arrived but the familiar surroundings jolted some sense back into her and she headed to the small Wizarding area in the city center. A few hours later and she had sent Elle a short letter and booked a room for the night. She'd get her answers after some sleep.