Diving Deep - Solo

[FennWenn]

The boy sat in silence and comforted his wolf as the girl feverishly, wearily, told him what she knew. This time, he made sure to pay attention.

Her hands were steady, and flickering warmly as a candle’s flame as she moved onto the next patch of raw wound. “Gran told me stories about a sea beast that used to appear in the loch. Y’know, in ‘the old days’. They got a taste for human flesh, you see, so they drag people under the waves and eat them. She knew ‘em as kelpies,” Loreley explained through gritted teeth. “They pop up after a horse… uh... drowns. That’s what Grannie said. Really sad. Like, a scary fae water-horse dead-thing…”

Kelpie. Fenn took a deep breath, committing the monster’s name to memory. He clenched his hands into fists and glared back at the loch, a few sharp hailstones plinking to the ground seemingly out of nowhere. At least they knew just what manner of beast they were facing now. If they didn't take care of this problem now, who knew how many more the kelpie would take before someone finally put it out of its misery? He tried — really tried — to summon some sort of feeling for the hypothetical people it had and would kill. Instead, his hands clenched tight with a far more vengeful feeling. Before the fight, they had just been wandering aimlessly and musing to themselves. They had just been playing at being heroes. But now? The kelpie’s days had been numbered the moment it had hurt Daugi. The wolf was given a reassuring scratch under the chin, which she responded to with a warbling wuff.

The murderous glint in his eyes must have been obvious, because Loreley immediately understood his intentions after one sidelong glance.

“You’re gonna go after it, ain’t you?”

He stared out toward the shining waters, and gave a slow nod after a moment of thought.

Loreley wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, hands starting to shake. She didn’t seem too thrilled about his reply. Either that, or using her magic was really draining the pep out of her. There were darkening circles under her eyes that he was certain had not been there before. “Alright. I’ll take care of Daugi for you. That monster won’t know what hit it if it comes back for her.” She paused, catching her breath. “Oh. ‘Nother thing. That bridle?”

Fenn tilted his head quizzically.

“That... it's like... it's self-ness. Now go!” she said woozily, pushing him away. “Go do it, if, if you gotta! Run if it gets real spooky. Don’t die.”

With a solemn (if perplexed) bob of his head, Fenn slipped out of his cloak and his satchel, laying them next to his downed mount. He trusted his wolf, if not Loreley, to keep them safe while he was gone. Bestowing a quick kiss to the top of his Daugi’s head, he started back into the marshy reeds. Back towards the loch’s waters, back towards the dreaded kelpie.