Spirit of the Land Chapter 3

"How much farther is it?"
"Not much. Just over this—whoa!" Garrett stopped before he ran into Angus's outstretched arm.
"What is it?"
"Temra soldiers. A lot of them." Garrett moved closer so that he could see.
There were sixteen Temra soldiers, and Torc. Surrounded by the soldiers was a young woman dressed like a boy, with long blond hair that was barely held back in a braid that fell past her waist.
"Oh, not again."
"What?" Garrett followed Angus's gaze to the girl.
"Why can't she just stay out of trouble?"
"You know her?"
"Huh?" Angus glanced at Garrett, seemingly only just realizing he was there.
"Oh, right. She's the one I gave Cathabad's herbs to."
"Why'd you do that?"
"She needed them!"
"Why?"
"Well…never mind. We'd better call our mystic armor."
"Good idea."
The two stood apart and held their weapons above their heads.
"Earth beneath me!"
"Forest before me!"
Their armor called, the two hurried down the hillside.
"Hey, Torc!" Angus called. "Don't you have something better to do? Like chasing rabbits?"
Torc turned to the two knights, angered at the intrusion. "Stay out of this mystic knights. It is none of your concern!"
"You're on Kells land Torc." Garrett called back. "That makes it our business."
"And this involves the people of Temra."
"That doesn't really matter, does it Garrett?" Angus asked. "I don't see why it should."
"Attack!" Torc ordered his troops, gesturing towards the two knights. One of the soldiers tried to grab the girl, but she ducked and knocked his legs out from under him, causing him to topple. From the woods came a wolf, wildly jumping into the fray and attacking the Temrans. Angus held back from the battle, pelting the Temrans with an endless string of rocks and firing at them with his battle gauntlet, keeping Garrett from facing more than one or two at a time, and working his way towards the girl. Eventually, Garrett was left with only one opponent a large youth his own age, and saw Angus shielding the girl from Torc and two other Temrans.
"Well well well." The Temran said. "A mystic knight all to myself."
"Are you so eager to be humbled?" Asked Garrett, meeting his swordthrust.
"Are you so eager to die?" Garrett realized that his opponent was good. Certainly as good as Rohan, perhaps even as good as himself. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. Prince Garrett of Rheged."
"Conlonn of Galway."
Suddenly, Garrett's sword seemed to act of its own volition, causing him to stumble forward, allowing Conlonn to kick him in the ribs and send him tumbling.
"Can you not control your own weapon, knight?"
Below, the fighting had ceased and the remaining Temrans laughed as the girl bent over the wounded wolf, Angus guarding her, and watching the Temrans who were slowly coming to their feet.
Garrett picked himself and the sword up, once again facing Conlonn. "Better than you can, Temran."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that."
Garrett charged the Temran, but his sword grew so heavy that he had to stop, and almost dropped it. Garrett half lifted the sword, only to have it grow heavy again, giving Conlonn the opportunity to approach and kick him in the face, sending him careening to the ground, his head striking one of the Angus's rocks, his helmet saving him from having his head split open.
Groggily, he looked up to see the Temran preparing to drive his own sword between his eyes.
"No!!" Suddenly, both Angus and the girl were between them.
The girl turned to Torc, not bothering to look at Conlonn.
"Will you spare them?"
"What? Asked Angus, Torc and Conlonn. Garrett attempted to join them, but couldn't work past the haze.
Again, she spoke only to Torc. "If you let them live—if you will swear to me that they will come to no harm, I will come with you."
"Aisling!" Angus protested.
"Shut up, Angus." She returned.
"We don't need sparing! Well, I don't, at least." Angus said, ignoring her.
Torc looked at the two of them, and then laughed. "Very well."
Aisling pushed the hilt of Angus's dagger into his palm, and handed him a pouch. "Take care of your friend and the wolf, knight, and I will take care of myself."
Conlonn took her arm and started to lead her away, but she pulled away from him, glaring, and walked to one of the other Temrans, mounting behind him. Then Garrett felt the world go black for a moment.
"Garrett!" Garrett snapped his eyes back open, and wondered what had happened to cause Angus to have three heads. "Garrett, how many fingers am I holding up?" Garrett squinted, wishing that Angus and his three heads would quit swaying back and forth.
"Seven."
"Close enough. Do you think you can stand?"
"I'm not?"
"Come on." Angus pulled him to his feet, and Garrett found himself leaning against the other knight.
"What happened?"
"We lost, that's what happened. Well, you lost. I was doing pretty good for myself."
"I lost? I never lose."
"Well, there's a first time for everything. Come on." Angus's shoulder was suddenly gone, and Angus pulled him to the downed wolf.
"Do you know anything about wolves?" Angus asked.
"Yes." Garrett looked into the wolf's eyes. "Easy…easy…" The wolf was…different, somehow. As if the mind of a human, being spoken to by a human, was normal to it.
Angus handed him the pouch the girl had given him, and Garrett turned questioning eyes towards him. "Purple loosestrife. She gave it back."
"Did they take her to Maeve's castle?" Garrett asked after a while.
"I think so."
"Good. Take the wolf to Cathabad."
"What?"
"The wolf needs better care than I can give it, and the girl needs rescuing."
You can't rescue her in your condition!"
"Garrett's eyes narrowed on him.
"That is, you're hurt, you need to see Cathabad yourself, and I'm better at sneaking into places. And besides, we'll need the rest of the knights."
"I'm going, Angus. You can be a fool and come, most likely leaving the wolf to it's death, then suit yourself."
"Aideen!" Angus called. "Aideen, where are you?"
The little fairy floated into sight. "I'm here Angus, what happened?" She looked at Garrett. "Garrett!" "I am fine, Aideen."
"No he's not." Garrett glared at Angus again. "Look, can you get this wolf to Cathabad?"
"Just a moment." Aideen floated down close to the wolf's face. "He wants to know what you'll do about his sister?"
Garrett and Angus exchanged a look.
"His sister?" Garrett asked.
"The female who was here recently."
"Aisling?!?" Angus glanced at Garrett. "Why would a wolf call her his sister?"
"I don't know." Garrett turned to Aideen. "Tell him that we'll find her."
"Good. He says that he'll go with me."
"Good," Angus said. Tell the others—"
"Nothing." Garrett cut in. "No, tell them that we will be bringing a guest."
"What? Garrett, we'll need them."
"Perhaps you will, but I do not. Come or stay as you would. I am leaving. Now."
"Garrett, wait…aah…" Angus turned back to Aideen. "Tell them…tell them what Garrett said to tell them."
"Ok."
Angus started after Garrett. "Great. This is just great."

Continued