(no subject)

[pwyll_twiceborn]

Paul, it is generally known, has sharp eyes and a rather intense way of looking at things. While this may not make him the best company socially, he's ideally suited to act as lookout when one happens to be breaking into one of England's favorite national historic sites.

The four others have been waiting for several minutes in the chilly wind of a British April when his whistle comes: all-clear.

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[inthetapestry]

Dave's the first to hurdle himself over the fence; as the largest, he can best help the smaller girls from the other side.

Of course, there's a drawback to being the heaviest, and the sound of muffled cursing drifts back over the fence as Dave finds himself ankle-deep in mud.

A second later, once he's pulled his foot free: "Okay. The girls."

[still_golden]

Kevin boosts Jen up onto the stiff wire and helps her balance until Dave swings her up and over. She steps back, careful of the mud, and wraps her jacket closer around herself.

[bannion_sight]

She moves as if in a dream, with an ease that might surprise her if she were fully aware of it.

Kim feels almost as though she is falling into some inner stillness, some deep calm, that is born of the gift within her more than from the stone on her hand.

Silently, she waits for them all to be gathered.

[inthetapestry]

Kevin spares a brief moment to be glad he thought to check, earlier, about possible electricity in this damned fence.

The thought of navigating that is--just better not to have to, that's all.

It's really a pity that helping Kim and Jen doesn't take nearly enough of his concentration to keep him from thinking of things like this.

[pwyll_twiceborn]

And . . . headlights.

"Car coming!" Paul calls back, his voice sharp.

[inthetapestry]

They all drop, and Kevin has a brief moment to spare for mourning his coat and pants, now covered in cold, sticky mud.

But at least the car's gone now.

He stands (forcing himself to ignore the fact that he'd like to change clothes now, please) and vaults over the fence.

Worrying about the pressure-sensitive ground will come later. He may as well show off now.

Not that he was, of course.

[pwyll_twiceborn]

Paul watches a second longer, to be sure he's not going to be caught in the act himself, before jogging over.

He clears the fence easily, and without excess movement. His frame is light enough that he lands without driving himself too hard into the mud, and straightens, glancing over at Kevin as he does so.

[inthetapestry]

Kevin catches Paul's eye and for a second he feels exhilarated, fiercely and brilliantly alive.

God, this is their chance to do something, for once.

"All right."

His voice is quiet, but firm--planning is something Kevin knows how to do very well, planning, and being the one in control.

"Jen, you're with me. Prepare to be sexy as hell."

And in the moment he doesn't spare a wince for that. There's no time.

"Dave and Paul--you know what to do?"

He gives them a moment, waiting for a sign that they're ready.

Then he turns to Kim.

"All set, sweetheart. Do your thing. And--"

[bannion_sight]

She had started to remove her gloves while Kevin had been instructing them all, and as she peels them off the Baelrath flickers and blazes brightly on her hand, almost as though alive.

Kim lifts it above her head, and crimson fire pours outward through the night.

"May all the powers of the dead forgive me for this," she murmurs, and with that Kim Ford lets the light carry her forward, moving past the ancient and crumbling Heelstone into Stonehenge itself.

[still_golden]

Kevin takes Jen's hand and leads her in the opposite direction, nearer to the entrance and the guards. It's not long before they hear the guards talking, discussing the tripped alarm, and Kevin puts his arms around her and kisses her.

(He's gentle about it, and as skilled as he always has been, but Jen is stiff and tense in his arms, arms around him but not drawing him closer. She knows he can tell how difficult this is for her, but she can't help it. And how could she ever explain, through this grey mildness, that he lay with her in Starkadh, eyes and blood burning?)

Then the guards are there, shining flashlights in their faces. Jen breaks away from Kevin and looks embarassed while Kevin launches into his story about being Gallic lovers seeking the stones' pagan blessings.

The guards seem to be accepting this, tolerantly, but Jen inwardly urges Kim to hurry nonetheless.

[pwyll_twiceborn]

If anyone asks, Paul and Dave are drunken American frat boys on a dare.

(If it were Kevin, Dave would possibly be taking advantage of the situation - there are several benefits to being tall and built like a linebacker, and one of them is that no one has any doubt that you are, in fact, the Senior Frat Boy.

But it's Paul, and if there's one thing about Paul, one never exactly feels pressure to be funny around him.)

Fortunately, Kevin and Jen's performance seems to be taking up the attention of just about all of the guards, leaving Paul and Dave with nothing to do but watch the show - less of a pleasure than one would think, when you know what Jen's been through - and wait for the -



sudden shock of power; a shock even to those who know it's coming as the Baelrath pulls them together, hurling them all of a sudden away from the eyes of the astonished guards and into the cold, dark crossing between worlds.

It is not something that will ever be easy.

But it is, all the same, a relief.