Father of Mine - Episode Three

The party was continuing much longer than anticipated. Although several villagers had decided to sack out on hay stacks and against sacks of grain, there were still more dancing and laughing as the night wore on, becoming early morning.
Rohan stood near a table, close by the resting Fin Varra, whose back was against Angus' abandoned tumbler.
"I fear that I can be of little help to you for some time, young knight," Fin Varra said. "All I know about this powerful sorceress Cathbad mentioned is that she is very near."
Rohan studied the fairy king. "How near, King Fin Varra?" He asked, straddling a chair.
"Right beneath your nose, young human."
Fin Varra's gaze strayed to Bridie, who was laughing rather self-consciously at one of Garrett's jokes; to Rohan she appeared very uncomfortable.
"It would seem that Prince Garrett has succeeded in capturing the heart of your friend's lady," Fin Varra said. Rohan shook his head and grinned, pointing at Angus, who approached Garrett and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Not for long," Rohan said. He leaned forward a bit; as did the fairy king, for they were close enough to hear the conversation.
"Mind if I cut in?" Angus asked. Garrett passed Bridie's hand into Angus' own, acknowledging the trade with a bowed head and quickly leaving. Bridie turned to smile gratefully at Angus.
"Thank you," she said softly. She turned to watch Ivar take to the makeshift stage in the center of the courtyard, and she and Angus joined the small group around the Moorish prince. Bridie looked into Angus' eyes. "I don't know if I could have taken much more."
Angus sighed. "It's my own fault for not telling him you're already taken."
"I'm not so sure you'll be taking me anywhere, friend."
Angus grinned lopsidedly and tugged on one of Bridie's braids. She responded by pulling on a strand of his own unkempt black mane.
"My own personal white knight," she said softly, watching Ivar position the grammophone in front of him and prepare to sing.
"It's a good thing you've a liking for me, and not for Rohan. Or Garrett."
Bridie twisted her head around against his chest to look up at him. "And why's that, do you mind?"
"Well, if you liked one of them, your knight would be a bit tarnished, don't you think?"
Bridie grinned.
"I always looked better in silver, anyway. But; 'tis a pity I've no feelings for Ivar."
"Why?"
"Well," she said teasingly, "blue is my favorite color."
Angus drew back to look into her eyes as they walked past Rohan, who was watching them with a mixture of amusement and happiness for his best friend.
Then all eyes and ears fell on Ivar. The foreign prince had a voice so sweet it made even Angus a little jealous; Rohan wished he had even half the talent of either of his friends, but alas he had no gift for song.
Ivar cleared his throat as the music began. He had heard the song while stopping in Sparta for details on the whereabouts of the chalice, and had practiced it all the way to Ireland, with his servants providing the music.

Ivar paused, taking a deep breath and a drink of nectar while the band continued playing. Rohan looked down at Fin Varra, who despite his weakness was moving with the music.
"Do you know what I think?" Rohan asked. "I think Bridie is our sorceress."
Fin Varra looked startled. "What makes you believe such a thing, mighty Draganta?"
Rohan stated the next as though surprised Fin Varra didn't know.
"She's a half-elf. I know she's got a bit of magic because of her blood. And she rescued me when the other knights couldn't. Besides; she's always seemed a little mysterious to Angus and me. When we were small she would levitate things, even better than Cathbad; or make pottery disappear and reappear. At first I thought Cathbad had been showing her a few of his tricks, but I don't know how to do some of that stuff and I was his apprentice for ten years."
Fin Varra nodded, but motioned silence as he saw Ivar preparing to sing again. It seemed the fairy king had good taste in music, Rohan thought with a grin as he turned to listen to his friend.

Ivar finished off the song by grinning and waving at the villagers. It seemed he had a fan club for far more than his abilities as a knight.
Bridie, Angus, and the others clapped for their friend as he left the stage and continued dancing with his admirers. When Rohan glanced at Fin Varra, it seemed as though the little man was daydreaming.
"Fin Varra," he said softly, leaning closer to the king. "Your Majesty; you were saying something about Bridie?"
"Ah yes; little Dara is a very powerful young woman; though she does not yet realize her full destiny."
"What's that name you call her? Dara...what does it mean?"
"It's ancient Eira; dating back before the time of Balin. It means oak tree. I gave her that name when she was born, hoping she would be as strong as the trees by the Boyne river...but her mother had different ideas."
Rohan's eyes grew large for a moment. "Her mother? Then is Bridie..."
"My daughter?" Fin Varra nodded. "Yes."
"Does she know of it?"
"Why should she? She has always been happy in her belief that she is an orphan...like you. She has no memory of her mother; she never saw me except during the feast of Samhain, when she was still a wee baby."
"And what if something happened to you?"
"You don't know? She never told you?"
"Know what? Who never told me?" Rohan was confused. "King Fin Varra, what are you talking about now?"
"Why, Aideen, of course. She is the princess of tir na nOg, lad...why else would she have jealousy for your human princess, Deirdre?"
"Aideen is also your daughter?"
"Yes."
"Then she's...Bridie's sister?"
"Yes. And no. Same father, different mothers. Aideen is Bridie's baby sister, if she but knew the half of it."
"But...Bridie looks the younger."
Rohan glanced at Angus and the laughing daughter of Fin Varra. The two of them were whirling like dervishes among the remaining villagers.
"Fairies and humans age differently, Rohan. A fairy reaches maturity far quicker than humans, but lives much longer." He paused for a moment. "Appearances can be very deceiving."
"Evidently." Rohan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Fin Varra. "Is there something you're not telling me, my tiny king?"
Fin Varra shrugged, then turned away from the young knight.
"That's quite enough with the questions now, young human. Go on and have a bit of fun with your friends, while the stars are still out. Go on! Go!"
Rohan shook his head, but nevertheless bowed to the fairy king and made good his escape. He tiptoed through several sleeping villagers on his way to his hut, where he heard a rustling of cloth and hushed voices. Peeking through a small rip in the side of the wall, he saw Angus and Bridie making out on Angus' tiny bed. Evidently they were still fully clothed; Angus was laying back on the bed, Bridie leaning over him. Angus was propped up on his elbows though...from the size of the bed, Rohan figured if they wanted to do more they'd have to find a barn and some soft hay. Rohan grinned, gave a little thumbs up to no one in particular, and went back toward the party, figuring he'd have to sleep somewhere else...and wishing the whole time that it were he and Deirdre making out on this sultry night.

The following morning dawned far too early for Angus' liking. All the same, he popped his head out from beneath the blankets in his bed and looked around, sleepy eyed, his black hair tied back in a braid, courtesy of Bridie. Speaking of Bridie...Angus looked around, under the covers...she was nowhere to be seen.
"Bridie? Bridie...?"
Bridie crawled out from beneath the covers on Rohan's bed and gazed at Angus, a drippy, silly smile on her face as she rubbed some sleep from her eyes.
"Good morning, Angus."
"Good morning, Bridie. Did you sleep well? I mean after..."
"Better than I have in weeks, actually. You?"
"I had an excellent night, thanks."
There was an awkward pause as they got out of bed, rubbed their faces with cold water. They were still dressed, exactly as they were the night before when Rohan last saw them. Bridie passed a rag to Angus and ran her fingers over the dark shadow on his chin; and Angus wrapped a shawl over Bridie's shoulders to protect her from the bitter north wind.
They stepped outside...and who should they run into first but Rohan and Garrett.
"Angus!...how was your night?" Rohan asked.
"Very restful, actually," Angus replied. He noticed the look that Rohan was giving him. So did Bridie.
"I'm going to see Deirdre, alright? I'll meet you at our old haunt in an hour," she said, looking at both Rohan and Angus. Rohan nodded.
"We'll be there," he said. "Is it all right if Garrett and Ivar come along?"
"The more the merrier," Bridie called as she ran off. They waved to her until she was out of sight, then Rohan grinned and patted Angus on the back.
"So did you...?"
"Did we...?...no." Angus said. "Of course not, Rohan. You know that I made a vow; and I love Bridie enough to honor that vow...no matter how much I want her."
Garrett glanced from one knight to the other.
"You mean you could have?" He asked.
"Yeah. Could've. Had every opportunity...but didn't." He grinned. "I'm still as innocent as the day I was born."
Rohan clapped him on the back, shaking his thumb toward Garrett.
"Yeah, well you and I aren't the only ones," he said. He looked Garrett up and down; though by the looks of him, Garrett had seen the bare bums of more women than there were in Kells and Temra combined, the man was still chaste. Laughing, the three men continued to the 'old haunt' Bridie spoke of.

Back in Kells Castle, Bridie and Deirdre were on their way down a corridor to attend the meeting with the boys when Aideen jumped out in front of them.
"Bridie, how could you?" She cried. Bridie was deeply confused, and she put her hands out in front of her, trying to fend off the verbal blows.
"What do you mean, Aideen? How could I what?"
"Angus' strength was in his chastity. The fact that he never wasted thought or action on what he didn't have; love or lust. By kissing him last night; among other things; you've ruined him."
"How have I ruined him?" Bridie said, taking Deirdre's hand in comfort, for the princess was innocent of such matters and confused by all this. "I have done nothing that will hinder his fighting abilities. A nd he is still chaste...believe me. A few kisses and caresses do not ruin a man. There are worse things I could have done."
Aideen crossed her arms and looked very smug.
"Not much worse, half-elf."
Bridie scoffed and continued with Deirdre. Aideen followed some lengths behind.
They arrived at the meeting place, a large tree with branches forming canopied ceiling, the branches like stairs up to the higher levels. Beneath the wide umbrella of the tree was a table with seven chairs...but Bridie could only recall there having been four, one for ech of the original gang. She shrugged and continued.
This was apparently going to be a very important meeting.
"Sit, sit, sit!" Bridie said in the old, authoritative voice she'd had when they were kids...and she was the unofficial leader of the gang. "Rohan, Angus; the traditional song, if you please."
Rohan and Angus looked at one another wryly. It had been a long time, after all. Angus cleared his throat and sang the first verse solo, then Rohan muddled through the second verse, and they sang the final chorus together.
"Excellent," Ivar said. "You should do more of it, especially when our troops have been on the wall all day and need an uplifting tune."
Aideen crossed her arms and snorted meanly.
"Angus will not have time for such things now. He certainly didn't last night."
"Aideen, how dare you!" Bridie said, her temper flaring. "I've told you already that nothing happened. And how do you know anyway?"
Aideen shrugged. "All of tir na nOg is aflutter with the news," she said. "I have many friends who still come to me with news. It seems none of them expected anyone to love Angus."
"Well I do. And I'm sure the fairies of tir na nOg would just die if they knew one of their own was in love with a human!"
Rohan saw where this was going and quickly stepped in.
"Enough of this foolishness! If you had known sooner what I know now, this jealousy never would have happened!"
Bridie and Aideen gazed at him. "Jealousy!"
"Jealousy! And I'm tired of it all."
Angus studied his friend. "If they'd have known what, Rohan?"
Rohan looked at his friend and then glanced back at Aideen and Bridie, who were waiting patiently for him to continue. He sighed loudly.
"You're the daughters of Fin Varra. Aideen, you knew this, and that you are a princess of tir na nOg, yet you never told us a word of it. And Bridie; Fin Varra jsut told me this last night. You are the elder, Aideen's half-sister."
Bridie looked puzzled. "I'm not an orphan then?"
Rohan shook his head. "No. Fin Varra knew you wouldn't be happy among his people, so he left you with your mother, and visited you on Samhain. Then, one year he came...and your mother was gone. He took you to the orphanage where I was, knowing somehow that Angus and I would look after you. And we have."
Bridie nodded.
"Yeah. You've done a fine job, too. I'll give you that." She laughed. "So I've got a father after all. And he's the king of the fairies."
Deirdre gazed at Bridie with a funny look on her face.
"That means; you're a princess," she said softly. Bridie gazed at her.
"I guess so," she replied. She sat at the table with everyone else, patting Aideen lightly on the back and smiling at her. "But that's not why I called this meeting. We've got to decide what to do about Mider. He's grown too powerful for us, now that he's drained Fin Varra of his magic. Does anyone have any ideas?"
Garrett scratched his chin. "We could design a trap for Mider. Once we've got him, Fin Varra could get his powers back."
"But if Mider finds out what we're planning, he could turn the tables and trap us instead," Rohan said. He shook his head, red-gold curls flying everywhere. "Think what a gift we'd make to Maeve."
Ivar removed his gold helm, tossing it into a pile of old armor and weapons that Rohan and Angus had played with as children. "Then we must keep our eyes open and not allow ourselves to be captured."
"Easier said than done," Bridie said. "Though if I were to use my magic, with help from Cathbad, it might be done."
Rohan nodded, standing up and readjusting the shoulder strap on his sword. "I'll go talk to Cathbad, ask if he'll be willing to help us. Bridie; you, Aideen, and Deirdre come with me. If Cathbad needs special herbs, and you three go out to pick them, maybe Mider and Maeve won't get suspicious."
"Me and Garrett'll go talk to the villagers. Get them to help us watch for anything unusual," Angus stated with a glance at Bridie.
"Ivar, what will you do?" Deirdre asked.
"I'll search for trails. Perhaps I can get a lead on the enemy's numbers; it may be Torq with an army as well as Mider."
"Good. Let's go, then. We've no time to waste."
As the group split ways, Angus turned to Garrett and said under his breath:
"Wish she'd thought of that before fighting with Aideen."
Garrett grinned.

Moments later, in Cathbad's chamber, the druid handed a colored bottle to Bridie, who took a drink and handed it to Rohan. It then passed to Deirdre and Aideen, in that order. Each of them made a terrible face; the elixir tasted like sour apples.
"I can understand that this will give us strength, Cathbad; but what good will it really do against Mider's magic?" Rohan asked.
"It cannot do anything that Bridie's magic cannot do as well. It is only to protect you from further harm should you be captured. With this potion inside of you, Maeve's spells will have no effect."
"You mean she'll be unable to enchant us?" Bridie asked. "Cathbad, that's brilliant!"
Rohan laughed and elbowed Bridie. "Watch out, my friend. You sound too much like Angus."
Cathbad grinned.
"Now go," he said. "I fear your friends need you more than you can possibly realize."
The heroes took their leave, hurrying to the place they were supposed to meet with their friends.
Mider was draining Ivar, Garrett and Angus of their strength. Their armor was flickering, dimming into almost nonexistence.
"With your strength and Fin Varra's magic powers, Mider will no longer need Maeve or that imbecile Torq. Farewell, mystic knights!
"We can't...hold out much...longer." Angus groaned, falling to the ground, hands and knees, beside Garrett and Ivar, who are both struggling to stand again.
"It's...no good...to try and fight it...if we can only...survive...it'll be a miracle," Garrett added, stumbling down to lay on his side, clutching his stomach.
There was the sound of crunching underbrush, and Mider turned his attention to it, the green light from his black fingernails slowing, finally disappearing altogether.
"Forgive me, knights. It seems we have been interrupted."
He disappeared just as Rohan and the three girls appeared.
Bridie turned frightened eyes on her friends, rushing to Angus' side even as she cried out his name. Kneeling beside him, she reached out a hand on his abdomen, just a bit below his chest. She pulled it away sticky...covered with blood.
"That's never happened before, even in our worst battles. Angus; are you hurt bad?" Rohan asked, wishing he knew what could have wounded Angus beneath his thick armor.
"I...think something went wrong...with Mider's magic." Angus struggled to say.
Bridie looked at Rohan, panic in her eyes. Rohan looked at the other two who were in the fracas with Mider; they touched their chests, where Mider's magic was hitting them, but they weren't bleeding, or even bruised.
"I don't understand," Garrett said sadly. "Surely that should've happened to us all."
"He is hurt pretty bad," Ivar said. "We must bandage him up and take him back to Kells Castle.
Bridie looked down lovingly at Angus, put her hand once more on his injury.
"Rohan, find some healing moss; you know the kind I need. Aideen, I need some water from the fairy spring by the Blacktree Swamp, not far from here. Garrett; hold these."
She threw Angus' shirt, vest, belt, kilt, and a few other things to the prince, who caught and held them, hoping Bridie knew what she was doing.
"What can we do?" Deirdre asked, motioning to herself and Ivar.
"Hurry back to the castle. Tell your father what has happened. If you see Mider, don't try to fight, just run away."
They nodded and hurried away. Bridie pressed the wound on Angus' chest, which looked like a really nasty third degree burn. Bridie's hands glowed a warm pink shade, apparently taking away the pain. Angus gazed at her face...her eyes were closed in concentration...the sweat was rolling down both of their faces. Rohan appeared with his hands full of moss, Aideen moments later with a mushroom bucket full of water. Bridie washed the wound with the fairy water and applied some moss, then ripping apart who beautiful tunic-style dress and wrapping the resulting bandage around Angus as the friends looked on.

Angus lounged on a bed in a guest room at the castle, grinning at Rohan.
"You look to be healing nicely," Rohan mentioned.
"I'm not. I haven't been allowed to see Bridie for three days. I'm dying, Rohan, I am."
The doors opened and a guard announced:
"Deirdre, princess of Kells, and Bridie of the Boyne."
"How are you, Angus?" Deirdre asked. Angus' eyes were only for Bridie.
"All better now that Bridie is here.
"Good," Bridie replied. "Because King Conchobar demands that you return to your duties tomorrow morning. He claims he can't afford the food to keep you in the castle another day."
Everyone laughed as Angus looked guiltily at the sheets, smoothing them with his long fingers.
"What? Can't a fellow at least eat around here?"
"Well," Rohan replied, "the king may not appreciate your appetite, but it'll be good to have you back home again."
"It's always good to know who your friends are, isn't it," Angus said. Bridie sat beside him, taking his hand in hers, while Rohan and Deirdre merely satisfied themselves with subtle glances at one another.
Just how much longer would their happiness last? Maeve wasn't defeated; just slowed down. Her day would come; and when it did, the knights might meet their end.

To be continued...