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starryserenade · 1 year

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Myth & Magic Chapter 4: Bound

Fic Description: When Tir Na nÓg--the fabled land of the fae--falls to a dark power, the destinies of two young mice are set in motion. As each struggle to make their way in an ever-darkening world, they must learn to trust one another, or risk forever losing that which they hold most dear.

Chapter Description: Recollections, Revivals, and Regrets

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Prologue

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Child of earth, come heed to me

Loose your ties, be bound to sea

Let your breaths be turned to song

That words of old may right new wrongs

Then light the fire swathed in tears

The heart of Fand among Mac Lir’s

Deep fog hung over Minnie’s thoughts, the melodic curse heavy on her ears. When had she heard it last? Yes…she recalled…the day she had lost her crown, lost everything, and unwittingly traded her freedom to that faceless creature–the Voice, as she’d come to call it. It was all a trick, she had determined. A cruel game set forth by the fae that she had no hope of winning. She had done her task, hadn’t she? Night after night, she’d sung her song to keep the fairies at bay and the forest concealed. Day after day, she’d waited for the one she’d been promised would arrive.

But she had never again heard the one that had called her, nor heard so much as a whisper of further help. The emptiness remained in her chest, the unfinished memories in her head. And any hope of finding these answers on her own had been shattered the first time she’d tried, her water-bound body nearly frozen by the frigid forest air.

Had she tried again? For she suddenly found she could not move, her own breaths still and silent. The fog refused to leave her mind, no matter how she fought to see through it, and fear settled upon her like a thick blanket of snow. She could not breathe. Could not see. Could not feel. Could not cry. Again, the name she didn’t know raced to her tongue in a call for help, but she couldn’t remember how to form the word. So she was silent. Silent and frightened and endlessly cold.

Until the faintest ray of warmth settled in her palm. It startled her at first, but she could not help but settle into it–a feeling so wholly kind and wonderful that she hoped it would never leave. And to her delight, it not only remained but spread about her whole being, driving away the frost until she felt she’d been wrapped in the softest embrace. Bathed in light, the fog began to leave and her thoughts returned to her. She remembered a boy above the ice, his eyes kind and hopeful, and wondered what had become of him. Then she recalled his fall and her rescue, and the fairies that had driven them away. He’d been injured as they ran, she realized with a start, but she could not remember anything more.

Minnie thought to resist the growing urge to wake, determined to recall the boy’s fate. But she felt something like a tear fall upon her chest and the faintest pressure against her hand, and it drew her from her uncertainty. Letting the warmth consume her, she drew in a breath and blinked, light gracing her vision as she opened her eyes. There was no ice or snow, no shadowy fae or dark creatures. Only warm sunlight, a gentle breeze, and the tear-stained face of a trembling mouse staring back at her.

“Mickey…” she breathed, his name feeling strangely lovely on her lips. His heartbeat fluttered under her palm, her hand locked in his and pressed against his fur, and she felt her own heart melt at the sight of the worry and joy sparkling in his eyes. Fiery heat raced through her veins, something more than the feelings that flushed her cheeks. There was a magic in this, a meaning she had yet to uncover. She could not deny how utterly right it felt to be held in his arms, nor the heat that sprung from them every time they touched. It made her wonder if maybe, just maybe, she’d not been waiting in vain after all.

“What are we?” she questioned softly, still drifting in a daze.

He blushed and turned his head, and Minnie came to herself in a brief stroke of embarrassment. She’d been caught up in his eyes– oh, what eyes… –and had nearly forgotten just how intimately close she was held.

“Careful,” Mickey cautioned gently as, with a small gasp, she made an attempt to rise on her own. He spotted the effort it took for her to move and lent a supportive hand behind her back. Minnie trembled with exhaustion even so, and she murmured a word of thanks when he moved to her side so she could lean against his shoulder.

For several minutes, neither said a word, each savoring the moment to finally breathe uninterrupted. The clouds rolled by in the skies that surrounded them, deep silver waves that shifted endlessly in the wind. Though the rain fell in torrents under their shadow, it never touched the ground where the two mice lay. Only warm sunlight shone down on their faces, and Minnie could not help but turn her head to look Mickey’s way. His eyes were nearly shut, blinking lazily against the fatigue that plagued them, and his cheeks lay flushed with a feverish pink. But still his hand gripped hers, as if fearful she might be struck by the cold should he dare let go. Who was he, she wondered, that he would so quickly loose all qualms to trust her , the cursed girl who’d nearly lured him to his death?

There is one who seeks you…

The Voice’s words played themselves back in her mind, but she was hesitant to believe they’d been fulfilled. To deny it was to neglect every bit of magic that had sparked between them thus far. But to accept it…

She was afraid. For though he was wonderful, and thoughtful, and kind…there was no familiarity in his eyes when he looked her way, and no recollection of his presence when she stood beside him. She had determined long ago that the hole in her heart–that cherished memory stolen from her–would return the second she reunited with the one who was meant to fill it. But it had not. And so accepting that this mouse was the wanderer she’d been promised would find her…was to accept that the one she’d once loved was still lost as ever.

She swallowed and looked back out at the world. Rolling hills stretched before her eyes, leading towards what she knew to be a vast ocean and a castle overlooking it all. This had been her kingdom once, not all that long ago. She had abandoned it, abandoned her people and her friends, to chase someone that was now little more than a scattered dream. How could she return to them now?

Mickey’s touch suddenly seemed too hot and with a brief shudder, she pulled away.

The boy shook his head and blinked drowsily, glancing at Minnie with a confused look that seemed almost hurt. But she only swallowed and avoided his gaze. “You’re tired,” she muttered quietly. “We should find a place to rest.”

She would see him to safety, she decided, and then she would return to the lake. Perhaps if she was back when twilight struck, she would not be too late to keep the forest’s spell alive.

Beside her, Mickey cleared his throat and stood, wobbling slightly on the leg where the net had snagged him. When Minnie looked at him, his tail was drooping, face shadowed with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean t-” she began, heart sinking. But Mickey quickly interrupted with a nervous laugh.

“No, no, you’re right!” He flashed her an awkward grin, shaking the water from his tail as the rain began to start again. “I’m exhausted. There’s a village just upstream. I know someone there who might be willin’ to help us.”

Minnie knew the town he spoke of, but said nothing. It was worthless now to say things that would only make him wonder more about her. So she simply nodded and grabbed his hand as he held it out for her, hoping the villagers wouldn’t recognize her when they arrived in town. But Mickey winced as he helped her stand and she caught glimpse of a wound beneath the tear in the fabric of his trousers, something like a deep burn peeking through. She bit her lip. How the net had done that, she didn’t know, but she hated to watch as he grimaced with every step.

“Mickey, you’re hurt,” she noted, concerned. “Do you really think you can get all that way on foot?”

He opened his mouth to respond but before he could do so, something seemed to catch his attention. He turned away from her, tail twisting in curiosity as he looked out over the moors. Minnie followed his gaze upstream, heart fluttering nervously when she spotted a dark spot moving over the horizon.

“Mickey?” she asked cautiously.

He didn’t respond, but a moment later his face lit up with a grin and he exploded in an energetic wave. “Looks like we won’t have to walk after all!” he smiled widely, but despite his enthusiasm, Minnie moved behind him as the shadow grew near.

A wooden cart pulled by a rather unseemly mule came into view, driven by a figure who waved back with nearly as much vigor as Mickey. The difference was that he was nearly twice the mouse’s size as well, and so had a distinctly lanky way about the way he moved. Had Minnie not been so cautious of the stranger, she might have laughed. But as it was, she was not quite prepared to face another person so soon–someone who could recognize her as the princess who’d left them all behind. It was lucky enough Mickey hadn’t. So she hung back as much as she could, snatching Mickey’s cloak from the ground and draping it around her to hide her face and form as much as possible.

Mickey walked–or rather, limped–to meet the man as he approached, and was greeted with an enthusiastic “hyuck!” which Minnie took to be some sort of laugh.

“Well, hi there, Mickey!” the man exclaimed, grinning profusely.

“Goofy!” Mickey grinned back. “Boy, am I glad to see you! But what are you doin’ all the way out here?”

Goofy scratched his chin. “After I sent y’off, I started thinkin’ how un-neighborly-like it was to let y’go on your lonesome. And when y’didn’t come back, I got to worryin’ the fairy got you!” He leaned back and smiled. “Sure am glad I was wrong! Guess y’didn’t find the white trout after all though, didja?”

“Well, not exactly…” At this, Mickey softened his voice and cast a quick glance over his shoulder. He caught Minnie’s eye and grinned softly, tilting his head as if to ask her permission for an introduction. She drew in a timid breath, nodded, then took a few steps forward to come into Goofy’s line of sight.

Goofy straightened up as he saw her, throwing her a curious glance.

“Gawrsh, who’s your friend, Mickey?”

Mickey flicked his tail and grinned, grasping Minnie’s hand. “Goofy, meet your ‘fairy’. Her name’s Minnie. Minnie, this is Goofy.”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her, then back at Mickey, then back at her. “Pleased to meet ya, miss fairy ma'am!” he exclaimed with a tilt of his rain-soaked hat, then turned to Mickey once more. “Awful pretty for a fish , isn’t she?”

“You’re tellin’ me,” Mickey replied absentmindedly, looking back her way. Minnie, nervous as she was, could not help but blush and grin, struggling to hide her amusement as Mickey came to realize what he’d said and stuttered frantically in an effort to recover. “I-I mean no! That’s not…she’s not-!”

He looked back and forth between Minnie, who had momentarily forgotten her dilemma and was failing to conceal a series of giggles, and Goofy, who just seemed confused. Finally, Mickey tossed up his hands in defeat. “Oh, nevermind,” he grumbled, rubbing behind his ear as he quickly changed the subject. “Thing is, we had a bit of trouble in the forest,” he explained. “And we could really use a ride back to town, if it’s not a bother.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so? A friend of yours is a friend o’ mine. I’d be happy t’help!” Goofy answered without a moment’s hesitation, and gestured to the back of the cart where a load of hay was covered by a thick canvas. “Hop on in! It’s nothin’ fancy, but make yerselves comfortable and get some rest in on the way!” He leaned in again and lowered his voice. “Between you and me, Mick, you look like y’need it.”

Minnie heard all of this and was having quite a difficult time not fully bursting into a fit of laughter. Goofy was quickly beginning to grow on her. She watched as Mickey frowned, mumbled a sarcastic, “Gee, thanks Goof,” and then turned back to Minnie to guide her to the back of the cart.

“Sorry about him,” he grumbled as he lifted her up.

“Oh, don’t be! He’s funny!” she laughed. He rolled his eyes, letting out a puff of frustration, but when he caught the glint in Minnie’s eye as she held out a hand for him to climb up, he seemed to soften.

“S’pose you’re right,” he chuckled, and lifted up the canvas so the two of them could escape the rain amidst the hay. “After you."

It was surprisingly dry and cozy underneath–a welcome break from the damp moisture and cold of outside–and Minnie found herself feeling quite drowsy. Mickey settled into the hay beside her and she listened as he shivered and released a deep sigh. His cheeks had only grown a darker shade of crimson, and his body trembled feverishly. Every now and then he would wince as a piece of hay brushed against his wound.

“Mickey?” Minnie whispered quietly, unsure if he’d fallen asleep. But he peeked an eye in response and turned to look at her.

“Mmhm?”

“What were you doing in the forest?”

“Heard a story…just wanted to see if it was true, I guess.”

“Did you know it was dangerous?”

“...Had a hunch.” He snorted just before he continued, brandishing his words with a chuckle. “Goofy thought you were an evil fairy, actually.”

“What if he’d been right?”

“He wasn-”

“But what if he was? What if I hadn’t been there to help you?” Minnie pressed, turning on her side to look at him. “Why would you risk that?

At this, he was quiet for a few moments. Minnie wondered if he’d drifted back to sleep before he finally responded, a bit quieter than before. “I dunno,” he murmured. “Lately I just…it just feels like I’ve been missin’ something. I thought maybe there’d be something there worth finding.”

Was there? She nearly asked, but bit her lip before the words escaped her. A moment went by with nothing but the sound of the rain around them. Then Mickey shifted, letting out a tired yawn.

“For the record…” he started softly, words slurred by exhaustion.

“Yes?”

But he trailed off as his breaths settled into the rhythm of sleep, and Minnie was left alone with her thoughts. She wondered why her heart felt so tight and why the idea of leaving him only worsened the feeling. They’d only just met. He would be better off without her there, she was sure of it.. Something slipped across her cheek and she held her hand to her face. Teardrops stained her cheeks.

No. I can’t stay. It was all she could do to convince herself. She had made a promise. Had said she would wait. She could not give up on it now. Though she tried to stop them, the tears refused to stop falling. So she curled around herself, clutching her heart as her body wracked with growing sobs. “ I can’t stay,” she whispered, urging herself to understand why. “ I can’t stay…”

For the first time in years, she had the warm company of another soul beside her. Yet somehow, even after all her waiting, she had never felt more alone.

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