A Kelpie of Rowan

Chapter 52

There is a sound from the door and Rowan jolts, looking up from the floor where she has just written the last marking. Her fingers ache and the rune pen is clutched so tightly between them that her skin is turning white. There is a ring of protection runes around the bed and window, bordered by freeze runes. They shimmer on the floor, sometimes visible and sometimes not. Rowan shifts forward, standing between the two layers of runes.

The door opens and three people come in. the two finfolk men who tossed her in here and another woman who follows them in. The woman doesn't have a tail or fins for ears, she isn't one of the finfolk. She's human. Her smile is sad when she looks at Rowan, full of sorrow. Her eyes contain a message. I'm sorry, I wish I could help you escape. Rowan just nods. The woman doesn't have a choice and if Rowan doesn't get out of here, she won't have one either. The finfolk men move closer.

"We have brought the healer."

They swim closer and Rowan backs away, across the line of protection. She's hoping that her movements will cause them to try and grab her, thus crossing the freeze rune line themselves. As she had hoped, they move for her, intent on grabbing her and dragging her over to the woman. Rowan tucks the rune pen into her bag, prepared to grab it the moment they cross the line. Although they don't actually touch it, they freeze the moment they cross it.

Useful, that. Rowan swings her bag over her shoulder, grinning, and places a burning palm against the bars on the window. She looks back at the woman to find that she is smiling. She mouths at Rowan. 'Go, and I wish you luck.' Rowan inclines her head in thanks and turns back to the bars, pushing against one until it falls to the side. The next one falls a moment later, leaving a space for Rowan to squeeze through.

She reaches her right hand through and pulls herself across the metal windowsill, stifling a cry of pain as her injured shoulder brushes against the remnants of the bars. The woman behind her lets out a cry, her own training as a healer seeping through. She wants to help Rowan. Rowan glances back at her and gives her a tightlipped smile.

"I'll be alright. I know where to find a healer."

The woman nods and speaks at last. Her voice is hoarse, she must not speak often. "Be safe, child."

"I will."

Rowan kicks out through the window and angles up, away from the building. It's a long way to the surface of the cavern. Dozens of meters, yet she feels no pressure in her ears. It must be magic, perhaps the same that lets her breathe. But once she gets to the top, she has to go through the tunnel then up to the surface of the loch. Perhaps she can return to the passage before then, perhaps not. But she needs to get through it.

Either from this lake or by getting someone on the surface to take her to a river. Rowan kicks hard, moving for the surface. As she goes up, she angles away from the tower. If she can make them think she isn't human, she will have a better chance. And if they can't see her well, they can't distinguish who she is. Rowan keeps swimming, thinking of the pocket realm the entire time. If she can open the passage here, she will do so as soon as she can.

When Rowan reaches the top of the tower, movement begins from down below. They must have sent someone else for her and now they know she's gone. Rowan kicks harder. The tunnel is so close! Someone appears in front of her. It's Sìle, her blue hair streaming around her to form a cloud. Her ear fins wave back and forth, agitated. Sìle is scowling, her expression dark. Her blue-green eyes are hard, angry.

"You come back with me now, child."

Rowan doesn't stop swimming up, thinking of the passage even more desperately now. Sìle moves to block her, but Rowan just moves around her. "I'm not going with you. I'm going home."

"But this is your home!"

Rowan glares at Sìle. "No, it's not. And it never will be!"

Sìle stretches out a hand to grab Rowan's left shoulder, no longer caring about her wound. "You will come with me!"

The moment she makes contact, before she can squeeze and send pain spearing through Rowan once again, something ripples out, tossing Sìle away from Rowan. Rowan stops in her tracks, astonished. What just happened? She glances down at her stone pendant. Could it have been the protection rune? Rowan shakes her head. She doesn't have time to wonder, she needs to go. When she enters the tunnel, she almost lets out a sigh of relief.

She's almost there, almost safe. The passage still doesn't open and she almost cries. Please, she needs to go home! Rowan's head smacks into something hard and she really does weep this time. The stone that covers the tunnel. She can't get out! A noise echoes from the bottom of the tunnel, from the city beneath it. Rowan presses her back against the stone, hoping to stay out of sight.

Her hair is bright enough that she pulls it back and quickly ties it into a bun. She tilts her head back, hiding as much hair as she can from view. A finfolk person comes shooting up the tunnel. They stop at the stone and glance around. They must be unsure if she made it through. They don't see her and they place a hand against the stone. It shifts to the side, flooding the entrance to the tunnel with light. Rowan pops into view, but it's too late. They may see her now, but the tunnel is open. She can be free!
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The poor healer. I feel bad for her. Now that the tunnel is open, what do you think will happen? Will Rowan get out or will the finfolk person catch her? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.