Angus strutted proudly into Cathbad's chamber, wearing the new white tunic that Deirdre had made for him. It was embroidered around his chest and the hem with Celtic knots; the sleeves were long, but not loose like those on his worn out red shirt.
"Very nice, Angus," Cathbad said. "Now go change."
Angus narrowed his eyes at the druid.
"What!" He exclaimed.
Cathbad shoved a large basket into the thief's hands. "I need some very special plants, Angus," he stated. "They are found only in the Blackwater Valley; I trust you know what wolfsbane looks like?"
"Of course I do, Cathbad," Angus said, slinging the basket over one shoulder. "It's that stuff that makes me sneeze." He rolled his eyes at the druid, turning to make his exit. Suddenly he stopped, whirled around on his heel. "Uhh; Cathbad?"
"Yes, Angus?" The druid asked impatiently.
"Is it all right if I take along my friend?"
"If you mean Rohan, he's busy training Pyre."
"No; I mean my other friend..."
"You have other friends? Yes! By all means, take your friend with you!" Said Cathbad, smiling from ear to ear.
"Funny Cathbad," Angus said, giving the druid a look that said he thought it was definately not funny. "But thanks."
He grinned widely and hurried out of the chamber.
"He gave you permission to take me with you?" Asked Angus' friend, looking up at him with wide, serious blue eyes. Angus nodded, glad he had changed back into his usual clothes, since he already had several spots of mud on his lower arms.
"Yeah; uh, Keelan?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know what wolfsbane looks like?"
"Of course; here's some right beneath us. You know, we don't have a lot of this at home. Do you think Cathbad would mind if I took some with me?"
Angus pursed his lips and shook his head.
"No; I don't guess so. You must not be from around here, then, if you've no wolfsbane."
Keelan shook his head, tight blonde curls quivering beneath his leather headband.
Angus looked at his friend, waiting for a reply, but got none except the head-shake.
"Sooo, where are you from?" He asked. Keelan looked up, then back at the basket Angus had passed off to him.
"Nowhere," the boy replied. He looked back up into Angus' face, studying his eyes for Lugh-knows-what. "Nowhere important, I mean."
"Hold! Who goes there?" Said a masculine, though slightly boyish voice.
Angus drew his sword; he had started carrying it ever since last week, when Rohan called his mace 'soap-on-a-rope'.
"Who wants to know?" He asked the group of trees that stood off to one side. A lanky figure in shades of brown (dark brown leather pants, a two-tone jerkin, leather boots, and a pack slung over one shoulder) appeared from nehind the brush. Keelan gasped, hanging his head, then looking up at the laughing blue eyes and slightly shaggy blond hair that framed a well-tanned face.
"Hey, Hercules," said Keelan, sounding slightly more feminine than usual; he hadn't sounded too manly anyway. "Should have known you'd find me."
Angus looked confused, gazing into Keelan's face and then glancing back at this Hercules character. He slowly lowered his sword.
"What in the name of Lugh is going on here?" He asked. Keelan looked up at him.
"Well..."
"Let me," said Hercules. He took a step forward, shook Angus' hand. "Hey, how ya doin'?" He said, smiling. Angus didn't smile back, and Hercules nodded once, letting the smile disappear. He pointed over his shoulder at Keelan. "He's not a he. He's a she. And her name is Kora."
Angus looked at Keelan/Kora. "Keelan?"
Keelan/Kora nodded. "I'm Kora. I'm from Greece. I own an inn there."
"You're a girl...?" Angus asked, still not quite believing it. Kora nodded again, trying to smile. "And you own an inn?" Kora nodded yet again, eyes wider than usual.
"Yep on all counts," she said. She turned to Hercules. "Why'd you follow me here?"
Hercules crossed his arms over his chest, running a hand over his face as though he were stupendously tired. "Well, for one, you shut down the inn. The guys and I had nowhere to eat on break..."
Kora looked at him in disbelief. "So you came all this way because you were hungry?"
Hercules held up a finger. "You didn't let me finish. Two; I talked to Hephaestos; he said Artemis had given you a very special job to do for my father. For Zeus. So what's up with that?"
Kora sighed. "It's a long story. One I think my friend would like to hear, too. Angus; is there someplace we can go? You know; sit down, have a bite to eat, talk?"
Angus shook his head once, then looked at Kora as though seeing her for the first time.
"Yeah," he said almost eagerly. He pointed back over his shoulder toward the castle. "I'm sure we can talk in the castle."
"The castle? With royalty?" Hercules asked, suddenly interested. Angus nodded.
"Yeah. My best friend's a princess," he said, "but the king and Deirdre will be sleeping, so we can use the throne-room. It'll be quiet in there this time of day."
Kora clapped her hands together. "Great. Let's go."
"So, why'd you leave like that?" Hercules asked, leaning his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand. Kora took a deep breath.
"Well; Zeus made a present for you; a very special one for your nineteenth birthday next month. But Ares was jealous; you know Ares. He's always hated you for being the favorite. Well, anyway; Zeus gave the gift to me; he told me that since I was your friend, and a servant of Artemis, I could be trusted where others could not. So I kept the gift by me at all times; here, at my side."
"Can I see it?" Hercules asked, holding out his hand. Kora smiled sarcastically and slapped his hand away.
"No. Anyway, as I was saying, I protected the gift. I swore to Zeus and to Artemis that I would not give it up even if I had to die to make sure no one got it. Ares came to the inn, asking me to give it to him. I refused, and he got all mad and said he'd get it somehow. That night Artemis came to me in my house and told me I had to leave; that Ares was planning to launch a full-scale attack on me, and that the inn would be destroyed if I stayed in Greece. So I left. Got on a boat and came here."
Hercules studied Kora's face. He shook his head.
"How long are you staying?"
Kora shrugged.
"Until Zeus talks Ares into peace; or gives him something to keep him happy. I could be here a long time."
Angus looked up from his study of the table.
"Okay, I have a plan. One; you can both stay here in the castle. Kora...I'm sure Deirdre won't mind sharing her chambers with you. And Hercules, you can stay with me if you want."
Hercules looked at Angus, an amused grin tipping one corner of his mouth upwards. "You live in the castle?" He asked.
Angus nodded. "Yeah, I do." He said rather defensively. Hercules put both his hands up in apology.
"Sorry, you just don't...you know, look the castle type to me."
Angus sniffed and nodded again. "Two; who are these people you keep talking about?"
Kora and Hercules looked at each other and smiled. Hercules turned to Angus, lifted a hand, and after a moment's thought placed it on Angus' arm.
"I'll explain it in full detail later. Right now all that matters is they're gods; Zeus is my father, Ares is the brother who hates me, I'm a half-god; and there's something Miss Thang over here isn't telling me."
Kora grinned.
"Nope. And I'm not going to tell you, so just keep your pants on."
Angus raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Thang?" He whispered, and Hercules let out a soft laugh, nodding.
"Boy, do I have a lot to tell you," he said.
"You're sure you don't mind? I mean, I don't care where I sleep, and I'm sure you'll want your privacy..."
"Nonsense," Deirdre said, fixing up a cot in her chamber for Kora to sleep on. "Where else would you stay? The other rooms in the castle are filled with nobles and chieftains out to impress my father. You'll be safer in here, anyway."
Kora nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She would have helped the princess, but the young woman would have none of that. Kora was her guest. The princess turned to study Kora.
"So...you told us your story at dinner, I know, but...could I see this gift you have to protect?"
Kora nodded.
"Mm-hmm," she said, removing the longish package from a leather bag at her side. She removed a sheath, made of gold and silver, beautifully crafted. Within the sheath was a sword hewn of bronze and gold. Silver had been melted down, forming circles around the hilt and half of the blade. Kora handed the sword hilt first to Deirdre, who took it in awe.
"It's a sword fit for the gods," the princess said.
Kora nodded, looking at it.
"Or for the half-mortal son of Zeus."
Deirdre looked up sharply.
"Half-mortal? Who's Zeus?"
"Zeus is the king of the gods in my country. He's also the father of the gods; and many others who are only demi-gods. Half and half, like Hercules."
Deirdre handed the sword back to Kora, who immediately placed it back in its package. Then Kora looked at Deirdre, studying her.
"Hercules has never seen his father. He's not the only one; none of Zeus' half-mortal sons have seen him."
"Do you know why?"
Kora shook her head.
"All anybody knows about Herc's family is that Hera, Zeus' wife, doesn't like him much. He's so good; most of her children are bad. Except Hephaestos."
Deirdre noticed Kora's eyes and face go soft when she said that name, and she smiled to herself.
"So; are you any good at fighting? Sparring..."
"Not really," Kora said. "But I can shoot arrows like no one else."
Deirdre raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, really?" She said, catching an answering sparkle in Kora's eyes. A challenge had clearly been issued.
Angus folded his arms beneath him as he lay back on the bed. Hercules lay sprawled on his stomach on the cot below the thief, his eyes closed.
"So, uh," said Angus, rolling his eyes to look at Hercules. "You're a warrior then?"
Hercules laughed softly, shaking his head.
"No. Not really. I can fight, if that's what you mean, and I'm strong; but I'm no warrior."
Angus propped himself up on an elbow.
"I bet you could beat Rohan."
"Oh; your friend, right? The one at dinner, with the uh..." Herc wiggled his fingers down along the side of his head. Angus grinned and nodded.
"Yeah, that's the one. He's Draganta."
Hercules turned over on his back, then sat up, looking seriously at Angus.
"That was Draganta?" He said.
Angus nodded. "Why? Not who you were expecting?"
Hercules shook his head.
"No; nevermind. Its nothing." Angus lifted an eyebrow, wondering how Hercules could know about Draganta anyway. He started to look away, but did a double take as he noticed for the first time a large leather amulet around Hercules' neck. He tucked his chin toward it, and Hercules touched it gingerly.
"It's an amulet my friend Cheiron gave to me. He's a centaur; you know, half-horse, half-man? Well; this amulet let's him warn me if he senses trouble. I don't know how it works or anything; but it does, and that's what matters."
Angus nodded and rolled over.
"Let's get some sleep, okay?" He said. Hercules nodded, looking at the back of the sleeping figure, allowing himself a little smile. Angus reminded him so much of his friend Iolaus sometimes it was scary. He rolled his eyes and let himself fall back into the cot, pulling the soft wool blanket over himself.
"I'm sure it's all well and good that you are protecting this...gift...for your friend; but in all sincerity I doubt that you are in danger here. I for one would like to see what you have for Hercules," said King Conchobar to Kora, who stood with Deirdre beside his throne. Kora looked at Hercules, then at the king, and rolled her eyes.
"I wasn't supposed to give it to you until next month, Hercules," she said, "but since it is a king's command..."
Hercules held out his hands, receiving his birthday present as the mystic knights looked on. He removed the sword from its sheath, looking at it carefully. He grinned.
"This isn't Heph's handywork," he said, a tear coming to his eyes, "my dad must have made it himself."
Kora nodded.
"He did. He told me, Hercules. That's why Ares wants it so badly; Zeus never gave him anything that he made himself, with his own two hands."
Hercules looked at Kora and swallowed hard, smiling as he attached the sheath and sword to his belt. Angus clapped him on the back warmly.
"Why don't you and Rohan have a chat?" The thief suggested. "I think you two will get along great."
Hercules nodded and approached Rohan; who was celebrating his twentieth birthday in just a few days. Angus knew his friend couldn't wait for the celebration that would go along with that day; just like he himself couldn't wait. He turned and saw Kora and Deirdre grabbing up bow and arrows and heading outside with huge grins on their faces. He hurried to catch up with them in the hallway.
"What's going on?" He said. Deirdre turned midstride, walking backwards and not missing a step.
"Kora and I are going to have a little competition. Get the others, meet us out in the square."
Angus nodded. "Right," he said, rushing back into the throne-room.
"There's gonna be a cat-fight," he said, waving his arms to get everybody's attention. "Out in the square, come on!" Rohan, Hercules, and Garrett looked at each other and nearly bowled each other over in an attempt to get down to the courtyard. Ivar shook his head, walking at a normal pace. Not even Conchobar was that cool; he joined Rohan and the others in running down the stairs. Cathbad smiled, walking over to the window and looking down upon the goings-on.
Kora drew back her bow-string, the arrow cocked perfectly, and fired. Her arrow struck the precise middle of the boar-shaped target. Deirdre frowned, looking at where her arrow had hit; roughly a foot below the mark. She shook her head, grasping Kora's hand and smiling at her friend.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" She asked. Kora shook her head.
"I can't tell you," she said, and she caught Hercules gaze. The young man gave her a thumbs-up, smiling, and she waved shyly at him. "He knows; but he's the only one who can."
Deirdre nodded, joining her friends as they studied the strange girl.
"There's something...I don't know...weird about her," Angus said. Rohan looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Weird?"
"Yeah; you know...odd?"
Rohan nodded.
"Oh."
Angus grinned and shook his head. "Hercules told me a lot of things last night. I learned a lot of new words, Rohan."
Rohan raised his eyebrows and nodded his head once, slowly.
"Uh-huh," he said, moving away from his friend. He put a hand on Deirdre's shoulder, tucking his chin at Kora.
"How did she do that?" He asked. Deirdre shook her head and shrugged.
"I don't know. And she won't tell me."
"I asked Hercules to show me some of the moves he learned in this school he goes to in Greece. It's like a...a war academy. Gladiator training."
Deirdre smiled. "At least I won't be the only one getting humiliated today, right, Rohan?"
Rohan smiled and squeezed the princess' delicate round shoulder, letting his arm go around her for a moment as they walked off together.
Maeve studied the wood-elf closely as the nervous creature fidgeted on the floor of her throne-room.
"What do I care about these newcomers? They are of no importance to me."
"The boy is the son of a god, Queen Maeve," the wood-elf spoke fast, his lips barely speaking one word before the next was forming. "He is stronger than any creature you've sent to Kells before; I thought that now; since you have no powers; you could convince him to join you."
Maeve rolled her eyes.
"I tried that with Prince Garrett," she said. "I needed my powers even for that small task."
"My queen," Torq said, leaning in close to her; "perhaps a little wood-elf's magic would come in handy at such a time..."
Maeve smiled, turning her head slightly to look seductively into Torq's eyes.
"Yes...little one," she said to the elf, "might I ask you for a wish; or two?"
The elf fidgeted. "Well, I...I don't know."
Maeve knelt down next to her spy.
"I can promise you more gold than you would see in a lifetime otherwise," she crooned. The wood-elf smiled, nodding slowly.
"The wishes are yours, Queen Maeve," he said, turning into a ball of light and floating swiftly away.
Maeve grinned and nodded.
"Now I can begin to strengthen my defenses against my son and his...friends."
She laughed; it was the darkest, most sinister laughter Torq had heard from her in many months...it reminded him of the old days.
Rohan took his sword from its sheath on his back, watching Hercules' eyes and listening for his thoughts to betray themselves.
*Wow! That is some sword,* he heard the young man's mind whisper. *How am I gonna to beat that?*
Rohan smiled, motioning toward the gauntlet. Hercules swished his sword in his right hand; he was better at that part than Rohan was, but that was just show. The young half-god moved toward the first part of the gauntlet; a challenge portion that he had rigged up, using the same idea as the jousting posts at the academy. He stood on the criss-crossed bars, feeling the wood beneath him; knowing he wouldn't fall; he never had before; but positive that this was one thing he could beat Draganta at. Rohan leapt up to stand before Hercules; he wobbled a bit, but somehow managed to maintain his balance, holding the sword of Kells in both hands in front of himself. Hercules wiggled his eyebrows and brought his sword down in a strike so swift Rohan barely saw it coming; he blocked it just in time.
"Is that the best you can do?" Rohan asked as he blocked everything Hercules threw at him. Hercules paused, waiting for Rohan to let his guard down, then shook his head.
"No," he said nonchalantly. He swung his foot out, catching Rohan behind the knees. The young knight went flying to the ground at Ivar's feet, and the Moorish prince offered him a hand up. Hercules jumped down as Rohan stood, bent over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The son of Zeus laid a hand on Rohan's shoulder, leaning over to look the knight in the face.
"You alright?" He asked, and Rohan nodded.
"Yeah; just got the breath knocked out of me is all." He nodded toward the gauntlet. "That was a good move back there," he said. "Would you teach it to me?"
Hercules' mouth turned up a little at one corner, and he nodded.
"Sure," he said, laughing a little. "No problem."
Hercules landed face-down in the dirt for the fifth time in a row. As he stood up, he nodded grdgingly at his opponent, keeping one hand on his chest; which he knew would be bruised in the morning.
"Nice," he said. "I've been trying to teach Lilith that move for months."
Deirdre smacked the dust from her palms as she hopped down from the gauntlet. "Well, maybe next time she'll get lucky." Hercules nodded in agreement, watching the princess saunter away. Rohan came up behind him and clapped him on the back, looking at her as well.
"She's a fine woman, isn't she," Rohan said. Hercules nodded, looking at his new friend.
"Yeah. Very beautiful," he agreed. He saw the emotion in Rohan's eyes, and turned a little, studying Rohan's face, his blue eyes narrowed in curiousity that would be appeased. "You two aren't...uh...a couple or anything?"
Rohan looked at Hercules, shook his head. "No. Well; not officially. Her father probably wouldn't like it that much."
Hercules nodded. "Oh," he said. "But unofficially...you're a couple."
"Yes, we are. Unofficially. I think..."
Hercules laughed and clapped Rohan on the shoulder, pointing toward Angus' room.
"I'll see you in the morning, okay?" He said. Rohan nodded.
"Yeah," he said still looking down the corridor toward Deirdre's room.
"I wish," said Maeve, standing in the center of her throne-room, "to be twice as powerful as I was with Mider's rune-stone!"
A whirlwind of light flooded the room, engulfing Maeve in its belly. Torq watched, mouth falling open like that of a fish, as she was lifted up and hurled around inside the swirling, colorful cyclone. For a moment the light was so great he was nearly blinded by it, and he covered his face with both arms. When next he looked up, the light was gone and Maeve was gasping for air, lying on her back in the midst of the throne-room, her whole body twitching in obvious pain. Torq rushed to her side, picking her up in his arms and holding her close to him. He smoothed her chocolate brown curls away from her face, his eyes moist as he studied her face.
"I always knew your hunger for power would be your downfall, my queen," Torq said softly. Maeve twitched, looking up at her general...her husband.
"I..want you to have...my last wish...Torq," she said. "Use it...to destroy the mystic knights...and become...king of this...island."
Torq accepted the wish, but shook his head at what she wanted him to do with it.
"I'll take the wish, my queen," he said, smiling, "but not for your reasons."
He looked up, still holding Maeve in his arms, and cried out to any gods who might have been listening.
"I wish for the life of my queen! For the life of her whom I love!" He said. A shaft of light broke through the darkness of the castle, falling on Maeve's face. Before Torq's eyes, her lips became pink again, the blue shades of death leaving her forever. Her eyes grew clear, looking into his and glistening with tears. Just as soon as it had begun, the miracle was over, and the light had vanished. Maeve squeezed Torq's arm with one hand as she sat up slowly, still a little woozy from her near-death experience. Torq let his hand rest upon her back, and she turned her head to look at him.
"You cared enough about me to wish for my life instead of the defeat of our greatest enemies?" She said, sounding angry. Torq nodded, and Maeve smiled softly.
"Thank you," she said uncertainly, standing up. She looked around her throne-room, seeming to realize how she had almost gone insane in her quest for vengeance upon the knights...and for what? A kingdom that didn't even really belong to her, not in any treaty or scroll or prophecy. She had been living a lie these past eleven years. Nearly eleven...her son would be turning twenty next week. Maeve leaned lightly on Torq's arm, studying his face. "I want to send a message to King Conchobar," she said quietly, walking shakily to her throne and sitting down. "Tell him this. First and foremost, I would like to attend Rohan's birthday celebration. Second, I wish to help Kells defeat my sister, Numaine; she will cause more trouble than I ever did, especially with Mider at her side. Thirdly, I would like Princess Deirdre of Kells to help me redecorate my castle. It is a disgrace."
Torq grinned ruefully.
"The drought is over," he said softly, but Maeve heard him loud and clear, and she nodded.
"It is time I changed my evil ways," she said, all signs of a smile gone. "My father's legacy dies now, in this very room where it began so many years ago."
"Well," said Hercules, grasping Rohan's arm, "I guess it's time we left. I'm gonna be in enough trouble with Cheiron as it is; I've missed about three weeks of classes, so umm..."
Deirdre hugged Kora warmly. "I hope one day you can return. It was nice having someone to talk to."
Rohan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and Hercules winked at him.
"You take good care of her, Rohan, you hear?"
Rohan nodded, smiling at his friend.
"You too," he said, tucking his chin toward Kora. Hercules grinned and nodded. He turned to Angus.
"Thanks for sharing your room with me, Angus," he said. Angus shrugged.
"Ah, wasn't nothing," he said. He eyed Herc's sword. "Watch out for that sword," he said. "I know how much it must mean, to have a gift like that from your dad."
Hercules nodded. "Yeah; I just wish I could see him instead of some sword; even if he did make it for me."
Rohan and Angus both nodded. Hercules said a simple farewell to Ivar and Garrett, and hugged the princess close, shutting his eyes as he rested his chin on her shoulder, rubbing her back.
"You watch Rohan's back, okay," he said. "He's a good friend."
Deirdre nodded. "I know. You take care of Kora, Hercules. If I hear you've mistreated her, I'll come after you."
Hercules smiled and laughed, letting her go.
"And we all know you mean it," he said, turning to follow Kora out of the castle gates. The two of them turned once, waving farewell to their friends, and then the gates closed on them. Deirdre sighed and turned away, taking Rohan's arm as they went back into the castle. Just before they entered the door to the main hall, Rohan turned to look Deirdre in the eye.
"I heard that, princess," he said. Deirdre turned wide, innocent eyes on the young man.
"Heard what?"
"That...there it is again. You thought him handsome, did you?"
Deirdre shook her head and sighed.
"Well of course...he was. Even you must have seen that. But...well...he's none so handsome as you. I didn't think of him...that way."
Rohan pulled his shoulders a little higher, looking forward again as they continued inside.
"Good." He said, and Deirdre smiled, letting her chest touch his bare arm, noticing that he drew in his breath rather sharply at the touch. Oh yes, tormenting Rohan about their 'relationship' was going to be quite fun.
