"Rohan, fight harder!" Deirdre screamed at her opponent. She and Rohan had been practising all morning. He had been going rather easy on her and she was sick of it.
"I don't want to hurt you, Princess."
"You won't hurt me." She swung her sword at him.
He blocked her blow, but just barely. He was beginning to fear that one day he may not be able to block her blows. Deirdre was becoming a more powerful warrior every day. Since they had become Mystic Knights, all of them had become more powerful, but Deirdre was quickly surpassing them all.
He lunged at her, but she easily parried his blow, knocking him and his sword to the side. Rohan tripped on his own foot and landed with a grunt on the ground.
Angus laughed heartily from where he was sitting on a hay bale.
Ivar let out a loud roar. "Well done, Princess."
Rohan looked up, expecting see Angus poking his tongue out at him, but instead he saw Deirdre smiling at him. She extended her hand. He grinned as he took it.
"Really, Rohan, you shouldn't go easy on me. I am a warrior and a Mystic Knight. I can handle it." Deirdre removed her hand from his. She didn't want to linger to long. Rohan didn't need to know how she felt about him. He had other things on his mind.
Ever since Maeve had revealed that she was Rohan's mother and Lugad his brother, Rohan had been different. Nothing had been the same for him. Though he still didn't know who his father was. That bothered him. He worried that the former Queen of Temra had killed him or worse yet, enslaved him.
"Rohan?" Deirdre asked, concern in her blue eyes.
He glanced at her. He appreciated her friendship more than just about anything he had ever had. "Excuse me, Princess. I have some things to do." With that, he left the castle courtyard.
His friends watched him leave. They all knew that the business with Maeve had tried him more than any of them, but they were his friends and they did care about him.
Angus stood, ready to follow, but the princess stopped him. "Leave him be, Angus, he needs time to think."
The former thief looked down at her pretty face and nodded slowly. He knew she was right, but he couldn't help worrying. He and Rohan had been friends since they were small children. They had shared everything with one another, even though innermost secrets, but since Maeve's revelation, he had become withdrawn and quiet.
Angus sighed.
"Where's Rohan?" A voice asked from behind them.
They three friends turned to see Garrett coming from the castle's interior.
"Rohan has gone to take care of a few things," Ivar said quietly.
Garrett nodded, knowing what they were thinking. He and Rohan had not been the best of friends, but they did respect each other. Garrett decided to leave Rohan to his thoughts and tell the others what he had to say.
"I just came from the King. He wants to see us."
The others nodded and followed Garrett into the castle.
The King sat upon his throne. He smiled as he looked to his Mystic Knights. He noticed quickly that Rohan was not among them. He asked the question that had been asked several times already.
"Rohan went to Black Water Loch. He had some things to work out." Angus said before the others.
The King nodded. "Well, I suppose that Rohan can be informed of this later." He cleared his throat and began talking. "I have been sent word from Garrett's father that three warriors from his kingdom will be coming to Kells."
Garrett narrowed his eyes. He knew all of the warriors in his father's kingdom. He wondered silently who these warriors were.
As if reading his thoughts, the King continued. "The messenger informed us that he is just one day ahead of the warriors. They should be arriving in the morning." He turned to Garrett. "I don't know if you know the warriors, but I will tell you who they are." He glanced at the parchment in his hand. "Caedmac, Vadrex and Dyre."
Garrett shook his head. "I do not know those names. Does it say anything else about them?"
The King read over the parchment one more time, then answered. "No, just that the King sends his three best warriors to aid us in the fight against Nemain."
"I hope these warriors are as strong as she is." Ivar said.
"Otherwise, we could be in serious trouble." Deirdre added.
The King smiled. "I am sure that if these warriors are as strong as the King says that they will be able to add strength to our ranks and ultimately defeat Nemain."
Cathabad, who had been quiet the entire time, nodded. "I do hope so, your majesty."
