Drabble 335

Finished on time at 6:56.

Araziel had dragged Blue out of the cottage, leaving Raven's mare squeezed into the kitchen. “I don't want to have to go looking for Raven,” Blue whined. “Can't we just accept that he's a big boy and needs to be able to take care of himself?”

“No, we cannot,” snapped Araziel.

“Well why can't we?” asked Blue.

“Because, between the drinking and the tantrums I'm really starting to believe that he isn't.” Had Raven been there he might have disagreed just to keep himself from having to sleep outside, but he did have to admit that she had a point.

Drabble 334

Finished on time at 6:43.

Only after Anansi had searched Raven for potential weapons did he finally released his grip and allowed Raven to turn to face him. “I'm sure there's a splendid reason why we're all the way out here, alone, without any of your soldiers witness right now,” said Raven, “but honestly Anansi, save it. I don't want to hear about why I should go rejoin the dark side.”

“Is that what you think? That it's just a simple matter of I'm the bad guy and Mary-Tzu is just a victim?” asked Anansi. “Do you really think that war is ever that simple?”

Drabble 333

 Finished late, strike 14.

Anansi continued to pull Raven through the woods, only stopping when they were far enough from anyone that nobody would have heard if he'd screamed, and while Anansi hadn't quite accomplished what might have been considered an example of police brutality Raven was sure that he'd be developing some impressive bruising when Anansi let him go. “A walk through the woods; how romantic,” Raven sneered, squirming in Anansi's grip even though he'd only hurt himself further. “It's always nice to be reminded just how charming you can be,” Anansi told him, stopping beside a large tree, pinning Raven against it.

Drabblle 332

Finished on time at 6:54.

After nearly a day of stumbling through the woods, the journey having taken far longer than it should have due to Blue getting them lost for several hours, Blue and Araziel arrived back at Raven's cottage to find it empty. “Maybe he's still out looking for the horse,” Blue suggested, sitting himself down on the settee.

“There's a half finished cup of tea on the side,” Araziel pointed out; “I don't get the impression that Raven usually leaves tea unfinished.”

“We just got back from finding the horse,” snapped Blue. “I don't want to have to go looking for Raven.”

Drabble 331

Finished on time at 6:48.

After a while Anansi pulled Raven aside, out of view of his soldiers, just behind the first couple of trees. It was the best opportunity Raven had been given so far to get away, and it would still likely require he knock Anansi out so that he and his soldiers didn't immediately come after him. Anansi seemed to know precisely what Raven was thinking, though, because he was walking just behind Raven with his arm gripped in such a way that he could twist it behind his back at a moment's notice, and break it if Raven really pushed him.

Drabble 330

Finished on time at 7:06.

They stopped on the outskirts of the woods to rest and Anansi dismounted, passing the reigns of his horse over to a servant. None of Anansi's men sat down, apparently too well trained for that. If they had done that might have given Raven a chance to slip away, gaining enough of a head-start while they reorganised themselves to find Mary-Tzu's camp before they found him and warn her. Anansi was watching him closely, too, eyes following Raven wherever he went and he still couldn't find any way to get away without being immediately recaptured and dragged back to Anansi.

Drabble 329

Finished on time at 7:05.

Raven walked miserably alongside Anansi's horse. He hadn't been offered a horse himself, and was struggling to keep up with the far larger strides of the creature. It didn't appear to be a problem for Anansi's men, who were clearly used to marching alongside cavalry. Raven had considered using that to fall back and make his escape, but Anansi was keeping a close eye on him and he was heavily outnumbered. Not only that but he still wasn't entirely sure where he was or how to get back home, and couldn't risk getting lost with a small army after him.

Drabble 328

Another one completed late. Strike 13.

Blue complained the entire time they were walking through the woods. Araziel might have sympathised, since she was also tired and wanted to lie down, but Blue's whining was beginning to get on her nerves. “I've half a mind to find a nice river to drown you in and just find my own way back,” she snapped, slapping Blue over the back of the head as he muttered curses under his breath. “Please, you'd never find your way out of here,” Blue spat.

“And you still can't tie your shoelaces,” Araziel retorted, leaving Blue to stamp along miserably behind her.

Drabble 327

This one was finished late, making this strike 12.

Blue had sat down by the edge of the path, having walked for barely more than an hour, complaining that his feet hurt. “We haven't even walked that far,” Araziel told him, trying to pull him to his feet. “Not that far?” Blue snapped. “We've been walking for... well, for... How long were we even in that place?”

“I have absolutely no idea,” replied Araziel.

“So what you're saying is that just about anything could have happened while we've been gone, and several years might have passed?” asked Blue.

“I really hope not, but I suppose it's possible,” Araziel answered.

Drabble 326

Finished on time at 6:56 but not uploaded.

Blue was sat in the grass looking dazed and confused when Araziel stepped back into Acellevin. It was night time, and they had come out in the middle of a forest, one which Araziel really hoped Blue recognised.”So, now what do we do?” she asked, kicking Blue after he ignored her to get his attention. He shrugged, still looking a little lost and confused, and said, “Go home, I suppose. Go home and try to forget about this whole thing.”

“You do know the way home, right?” asked Araziel. Blue looked around, shrugged again, and replied, “I'll figure it out.”

Drabble 325

Finished on time at 7:04 but not uploaded until way after, because I am basically just majorly incompetant.

Since Blue was still wasting time looking for the doorway rather than passing through it, and Aengus really could only hold it open for so long before it collapsed, he didn't think too much of him shoving Blue through it. Araziel stifled a laugh as she watched Blue tumble through the doorway and disappear, and used Blue's footprints to locate the doorway for herself. She had a little trouble convincing Raven's horse to follow her through, but with Araziel pulling the lead-rope and Aengus pushing her from behind she eventually passed through and followed Blue and Araziel back into Acellevin.

Drabble 324

Finished on time at 6:58 but not uploaded until later.

Aengus had finally found the location for the portal, or at least he said he had. He was stood there looking awful proud of himself, although Blue couldn't see anything there. “Well..?” inquired Aengus, uncomfortably.

“Well?” asked Blue, sharply.

“I've opened a doorway,” explained Aengus; “you can pass through it now.”

“Well I don't see anything,” snapped Blue.

“Well of course you don't see anything,” sighed Aengus. “Can you see magick? No? Well then you're just going to have to take my word for it. Now hurry up and go through, I can't hold the passage open forever, you know.”

Drabble 323

This one was a day late. I went to bed really, really early that night due to a migraine and developing tonsillitis to boot. So, strike 11. We will ignore that I could have just lied and pretended it just hadn't been uploaded like the others because I would rather not have you all think that I'm actually an honourable person.

“Weren't we supposed to be doing something?” asked Araziel. Aengus had finished dealing with the leprechaun and sent it on its way, and was now sat in the grass staring at the sky, not really doing anything. “Yeah, but I think the Author's dying. We'll have to wait and see what happens,” replied Blue.

“I somehow doubt that the Author is actually dying,” said Araziel.

“They probably are just being melodramatic,” Blue conceded, “but on the off chance that they're not, I really think we need to prepare ourselves for the eventuality that we will no longer have an Author.”

Drabble 322

Finished on time (sort of) at 7:04 but not uploaded.

“How long is this going to take?” snapped Blue. He was watching Aengus as he searched through the shrubbery, for what Blue had no idea. “There should be a sign around here somewhere, something to let me know that a doorway can be opened here,” Aengus murmured.

“Well it's taking too long,” spat Blue. “I'm starting to wonder whether you really can get us out of here.”

“I can,” hissed Aengus, “but I can't open a doorway just anywhere. It needs to be at a place where this world connects to yours, or we could end up just about anywhere."

Drabble 321

 Finished 6:50 but not uploaded.

Aengus had taken the leprechaun aside, apparently to have some very stern words. Blue was a little doubtful as to whether the leprechaun would listen to him, but he hadn't said anything about it as he'd dragged the leprechaun into the trees to talk. Araziel was busy trying to calm Raven's horse, and Blue had been left with nothing to do but stand around and wait. Eventually Aengus returned with a very grumpy looking leprechaun, which he promptly sent on its way. “I still think you should have let me beat it to a pulp,” spat Blue, glaring after it.

Drabble 320

This was finished on time at 7:00 exactly, but wasn't uploaded. And yes, I AM about to upload a bunch of these that were written and not posted.

“Where is our grossly incompetent Author?” asked Blue.

“I don't know, sleeping?” suggested Araziel. Blue snorted, a rather inelegant sound, and replied, “Our Author doesn't sleep.”

“Everybody sleeps, Blue,” argued Araziel, “otherwise they would die.”

“Maybe that's what happened to the Author?” said Blue. “We know they don't sleep. So maybe they died.”

“Would we even still be existing if the Author were dead?” asked Araziel.

“Hey, I am not in the mood to talk philosophy with you,” snapped Blue. “All I know is for some reason or another, our Author is not doing what they're suppose to be doing.”

Drabble 319

This was finished at 7:21, but then I went to sleep without uploading. It was slightly late anyway, so we'll call this strike 10.

Blue snook up behind the leprechaun, picked it up by the back of its jacket and shook it. Raven's horse immediately tried to bolt, but Araziel caught the rope and pulled her back. 'Right, elf' Blue reminded himself, 'inhuman strength'. “We need to have a talk,” he told the leprechaun. It squirmed and twisted in his grip, eventually managing to turn enough to get Blue's hand into its mouth and bite down. He dropped it, giving the leprechaun the chance to flee into the woods, but Aengus stepped out from behind a tree and caught it as it passed him.

Drabble 318

 Finished 7:01.

They found the leprechaun after what felt to Blue like a couple of hours of searching, though no time seemed to have passed in the forest. Blue was sure that their time there was going to have ruined his internal time keeping, but that was hardly a priority right them. The leprechaun was moving through the woods to some unknown location, pulling Raven's horse along by a rope, completely unaware of their presence, one of the easiest targets that Blue could have asked for. And Blue had no knife with which to sneak up behind him and slit his throat.

Drabble 317

 Finished 6:46.

Raven was awake and sulking when Anansi came to fetch him the next morning. The sun wasn't up yet, although it wasn't like Raven could see that from within the dungeons. He refused to look at Anansi, even as he unchained him from the wall and slipped an arm around his waist. “This will all be done with soon enough,” he said, softly, “and then everything can go back to normal. You should come back home, Ray; we've missed you.” Raven pushed Anansi away, removing his hand roughly from his back, and said, lifelessly, “No, it won't. Not for me.”

Drabble 316

Finished 7:01.

Aengus hadn't looked particularly impressed when, upon learning that he had seen a winged horse wandering about the woods, or rather being led through the woods by a leprechaun, anyway, Blue had demanded that they find it before they left. Araziel had considered declaring the horse a lost cause and demanding they go straight back home, but Blue had shot her a withering look before she had been able to say anything. “I don't like that leprechaun,” Blue had said resolutely as they had set off to find them. “I don't like it and I want to see it suffer.”