CHAPTER 5:

Blaine didn't wake until a beam of sunshine grew too hot against his face. He couldn't tell how long he'd been asleep but the rain no longer pitter-pattered on the ground. Kurt had moved to lie across his lap and he gently shook the boy awake.

“Kurt, Kurt we have to wake up. We have to find the other pebble.”

Kurt groaned as he sat up. “Oh no.” The panic had risen in his voice. “It's almost sunset.”

“How long? How long do we have?”

“Perhaps an hour. Oh no. We shouldn't have sheltered from the rain. We should have just kept going.”

Kurt's panic was interrupted by a tapping sound. Blaine didn't know what it was but it was close.

“Shoo!” Kurt said. “Shoo, stupid bird, we don't have time for this.”

“A bird? What's it doing? What kind of bird is it?”

“A crow or something. It's tapping its beak against your shield. Get away, you awful creature.”

“No,” Blaine said. “Crows like shiny things. Maybe the crow knows where the third pebble is.”

“How are we supposed to get a bird to show us where a pebble is? We can't speak to it.”

“Just try. We have Quinn's magic flowing through us. Ask if it will take us to its nest.”

Kurt sighed before he asked the question. The crow cawed and tapped Blaine's shield again.

“It's hopping away,” Kurt said before he helped Blaine up. “Let's go.”

They followed the bird, stumbling over tree roots and knocking into branches. The two pebbles they already carried knocked against each other in Blaine's pocket. When they came to a halt, Blaine heard the flap of wings before the crow cawed again.

“It's flown up to its nest,” Kurt said. “I'll climb up and have a look.”

“Be careful.”

Blaine listened as Kurt pulled himself up into the tree. The wind had picked up again and Blaine bit his lip as he waited for Kurt to say something. There was the scraping of boots against bark and the rustle of leaves before Kurt called down.

“He has a veritable treasure up here. There's silver and coins and jewels and all sorts.”

“Just find the golden pebble,” Blaine called. “I feel like we're running out of time.”

Blaine listened to the jingle of the items in the crow's nest before Kurt began to climb back down.

“I've got it. Thank you, Mr Crow. It's greatly appreciated.”

There was a heavy thump as Kurt dropped down beside Blaine before the last golden pebble was pressed into his hand.

“We did it,” Kurt whispered. “Now we just have to find Brittany and Santana.”

“Try calling for them.”

Kurt cleared his throat. “Brittany, Santana, we've found the three pebbles.”

A wind blew through the trees and as the leaves trembled on their branches, a whisper was heard on the breeze.

“You have to find us. Bring us the pebbles and we will grant you your protection.”

“Where can we find you?” Blaine asked.

“Where we met you. Your horses are still here.”

“We need to hurry,” Kurt said when the voice of the dryads had faded. “It's not long until sunset now.”

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and they ran through the trees. Blaine struggled to keep up as he stumbled over roots and fallen branches. His shield was heavy in hand and the pebbles bumped against his ribs and he groaned when he slipped on some mud.

“It's alright,” Kurt said as he helped Blaine steady himself. “We're almost there. Just a little further. I recognise where we are.”

They slowed their pace a little but Blaine still gasped for breath as they headed through the trees. When he heard the whinny of his horse, a smile crossed his face.

“We made it. We're here.”

“You didn't make it,” Santana said from somewhere above them. “The sun has set.”

“No,” Kurt growled. “No, we are here on time. You are not going to say we failed because of a single second. I could see you – both of you. And I know you could see us because I saw the glower on your face. We made it. We brought you your pebbles. Now keep your end of the bargain.”

Blaine took the pebbles from his pocket. “Please. We spent all day looking for them. We could have been halfway home by now if we hadn't stopped to do this for you.”

“Too bad, blind man. Deal's off.”

Brittany's voice was quiet and soft. “Be nice, Santana. They worked really hard. They had to climb into the stream and into a tree. The last travellers didn't have to do that. Grant them protection.”

Santana sighed and the leaves rustled around them. “Fine. I grant you the protection of the trees as you travel through the Silver Wood. No harm will come to you so long as you are sheltered by their leaves.”

“Thank you,” Blaine murmured. There was a gust of wind before Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's neck and kissed him.

When he pulled away, Kurt sighed. “We did it. Thank goodness, we did it.”

“What now?” Blaine asked.

“Now,” Kurt said with a laugh. “We find somewhere to sleep for the night. I don't know about you but I'm exhausted.”

They spent the night in a small glade. Wrapped in Blaine's cloak and the blanket of his bedroll, they slept in each other's arms until the rising sun woke them.

Blaine woke first and breathed in the smell of Kurt's hair. He lifted his hand and found Kurt's cheek, holding it and smiling as the boy stirred.

“Good morning,” Kurt murmured after a few moments. “How did you sleep?”

“Fine. You?”

“Alright.” Kurt shifted and Blaine's hand fell to his side. Kurt tangled their fingers together and leaned up to kiss Blaine. “Are we still going to be able to do that when we reach Anders?” he asked when he pulled away.

“I don't know,” Blaine said with a shrug. “We'll have to wait and find out.” Kurt was rifling through the packs for something.

“Which way are we headed today?” Kurt asked as he handed Blaine an apple.

“I really just want to go home,” Blaine said as he twisted the stem off the apple. “I don't know how long it will take us though.”

“Let's try to get to the Anders River today. It may take us a while to reach the bridge. We're probably a lot further south than we realise.”

“When I get home I will be sure to ask my brother to look into building another bridge,” Blaine laughed. “Maybe I'll even be able to do it by myself.”

“We still have to commit that selfless act, don't we?” Kurt said, his voice quiet. “I'd almost forgotten about the spell.”

“We'll figure it out,” Blaine got to his feet. “But we're not going to figure it out sitting around. Let's get going.”

Kurt packed up their small campsite while Blaine readied the horses. Once they'd mounted up, Blaine directed his horse eastwards again and they were on their way. The sun was shining and the Forest Stream flowed alongside them, babbling and bubbling as birds warbled overhead.

“What do you suppose it'll be like when I get my sight back?” Blaine asked as they crossed the stream where it had grown shallow.

“I think it'll be bright,” Kurt said. “I think the light will be a problem. But there are ways of getting around that. You'll adjust to it. Do you know how to read?”

“Not read exactly. I know the alphabet and I know how to spell things but I don't know the difference between letters. Except my name. I know how to write my name.”

“How did you learn that?”

“My sword. The goldsmith engraved my name into the guard. I traced it over and over until it wore down. Then he redid it and I kept tracing over it. The scholars were trying to devise a way to teach me to read when I left.”

Kurt hummed. “I learned how to read. My mother wouldn't let me do anything for months until I'd learnt how to read and write. I was glad she taught me, eventually. I used to write letters for people and they'd pay me a silver coin to cover the cost of the paper and ink. That all stopped when I started seeing things.”

“Well, we're always looking for new scribes in Anders. I'm sure you'd be able to find work if you wanted to.”

Blaine heard Kurt's soft laughter. “We'll see how we go,” he said. “We have to get there first.”

They spent the rest of the day wandering through the trees. They ate lunch as they rode and didn't stop until they reached the edge of the forest. The Anders River flowed through the plains in front of them, the water loud and swift where it passed.

“Alright,” Kurt said. “I'm not seeing any sign of a bridge or of the castle.”

“Can you tell how far south we are?”

“No, not really.” Blaine heard Kurt's horse move forward. “The water seems relatively shallow.”

Blaine thought for a moment. “Would the horses be able to get through it?”

“I think so.”

“Then let's go. We don't need the bridge if the water's shallow. The banks aren't steep, are they?”

“Not really.”

“Then let's go,” Blaine said as he spurred his horse forward. He frowned when Kurt grabbed the reins and stopped them.

“I don't think we should. I think we need to find the bridge.”

“Kurt, please, I just want to go home. Can we just cross the river? We're protected, remember? The dryads cast that spell over us.”

“We're not sheltered by the trees anymore, Blaine. We're under the open sky. This is too dangerous. We need to find the bridge.”

Blaine shook his head and yanked the reins out of Kurt's reach. “Just follow me. It'll be fine.”

The horse was reluctant to walk into the water but it followed its directions. The sound of the river was loud in Blaine's ears and the water lapped at his feet and legs. Droplets fell onto his hands and the reins became slippery. He couldn't tell if Kurt was following him. He turned to call out to him when he felt something brush against his leg which was now half submerged in the water. It brushed against him once more and he felt himself quiver.

“Kurt, there's something in the water.”

“Stay there!” Kurt's shout seemed far off. “I'm coming to get you.”

Blaine felt something touch his hand. When he tried to jerk away from the slimy creature, its grip tightened around his wrist.

“Kurt! Hurry!”

“I'm trying! The current is too strong.”

The creature that held onto his arm was trying to pull him off.

“He's stuck, Rachel. Get him down,” the creature hissed. Blaine felt something touch his foot and he kicked at the hands.

“I'm trying but he's struggling, Jesse,” the one called Rachel said. “Sing to him. No one can resist your singing.”

Blaine shook his head and tried to break free. He couldn't hear Kurt anymore and when the creature began to sing, the world closed in around him. He lost control of his limbs and fell off the saddle into the arms of the creature. The water was on his face and trickling into his mouth. He could feel hands on him as he became consumed by the song. The last thing he heard was the panicked whinnying of his horse before the song took over.

“He's succumbing to us, Jesse,” Rachel said. “We have to take him to the lair. A prince's heart will be enough. We can cast the spell.”

“I know, Rachel. Now let me sing.”

Blaine could feel himself sinking and the song filled every corner and crevice of his mind to the brim. His heart beat slower and his breath stopped as he was pulled under the water. He hoped Kurt wouldn't mind. He needed to hear the end of the song.