“Not yet, Minerva, but it doesn’t look good, and before you offer to help, don’t. It seems our youngest doesn’t care for this life anymore.” Raul sighed, lines of worry etched deeply into his normally smooth face. “Cash and the others are trying to convince him to remain with us, but in the end, it must be ‘his’ choice, we all know that.”

“Will you call for Kitty? I’m honestly surprised she hasn’t been summoned yet, she should be here for him.” Minerva hinted.

Raul paused mid step, he rubbed his temples as he attempted to calm himself before speaking. “I know Minerva, and I agree with you, but we all decided when the Angel left that neither she nor her son would not be allowed back until the threat of the Tremere was removed. This evening was a perfect example of why….we had EVERYTHING in place, the students and staff were well guarded, the beast was surrounded, Brutus was right there, and still, the creature does not die. Even after Cash raged on him, frenzying to the point he frightened his own childer. Any other creature would have died, Minerva, immortal or not, I’ve never seen anything withstand Cash when he has a mind to kill.” he explained quietly as he made his way down the hall.

Minerva followed along quietly for several minutes. “Raul, I ‘may’ have an idea concerning the Tremere. According to what you’ve told me he is badly injured, do we know where or how to find him?”

“We know exactly were he is, in a pit he created when he was first attacked by us tonight. Apparently its some sort of magical device, Brutus tried to break his way into it from the time Cash brought Roel back until nearly sunrise. He can see him, but he can’t get in”

“Thank you, Raul. That tells me a great deal, I will speak with you and Cash when you awake. And I’ll need to ask Severus for his assistance as well.”

Raul raised his eyebrows and gave Minerva a confused stare. “The Potion Master? Why, and what are you thinking?”

“As I said Raul, I will discuss it with you and Cash this evening, after I’ve talked to Professor Snape.”

Raul nodded, but raised his hand, “Alright, Minerva, but please, do me the favour of NOT bringing this up to Cash, he has a lot on his mind right now. And speaking to him about Gus may not be the best…or wisest… thing at the moment. I’ll help you with anything I can and we’ll only bother him if we must.”

Minerva hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Agreed, I imagine Cash must be besides himself right now……to lose a child….” she shook her head sadly as she wished Raul a good sleep and turned to find Severus Snape…….

“Wow” was the only word Harry could think of, the land before him was vast and amazing. He had never seen so many different shades of green in his life, and he could smell the ocean on the wind. “How close are we, Mum?”

“About five miles or so, I actually thought we would come out closer to the coast” she added, her brow knit in what seemed to be worry as she surveyed the land around them. “I was hoping to avoid the peat bogs, but I’ll guess we’ll just have to go around them, no sense tempting fate.”

“Can’t we just go through it? Wouldn’t that be faster than going around?” Harry asked, becoming more and more anxious to see Armagh, despite his nervousness at seeing Mac Lir again.

“Only in miles, Harry. There is far too much danger in the bogs, the creatures who inhabit it are rarely friendly, and the land itself will trap you if it can…..No, its best to take the extra time and ride around the edge. But we will want to stay as close to the edge as possible, no point in whipping the mortals into an uproar. They see us and they either think the De Dannan have returned, or the devil is on the loose, depending on their religious orientation.” she added, winking and smirking.

“Whatever you say, but I’m warning you, Mum. If we have to take the long way, I want some answers about some things. Like Sirius and Callista and Edana, and….”

“Who told you about all of that?” Cat gasped, “Orpha wouldn’t have said a word, not yet, and Tris…..” she narrowed her eyes and looked hard at Harry. “It was that father of yours, wasn’t it?” she asked knowingly.

“Not if its going to get him in trouble it wasn’t.” Harry replied hurriedly, but he knew the moment he saw the smirk on her face this wasn’t going to end there.

“Alright, Harry, tell me what he said. And I want the truth, I also want to know if you have any concerns about being a brother.” she softened her voice as she look deeply into his eyes. “You are my son Harry, my first and last concern. I won’t say yes if you don’t want to be a brother yet.”

Harry couldn’t begin to describe the intense rush of love he felt for her at that moment. She wanted to ‘know’ how he felt, she ‘cared’ about his feelings, his thoughts ‘mattered’ to her. He smiled as he realized once again how different his life was now, he wasn’t just some burden to her the way he was to the Dursley’s. She wanted him as her son, he was part of a family now, a clan, and he wanted to be a brother in the worst sort of way. “Are you kidding? I can’t wait, the more sisters and brothers the better.” he nearly shouted, smiling from ear to ear. “And Sirius too, right? He’s going to be our dad?”

Cat reined Viggo to a halt as Shoshi followed her lead and stopped also. “Harry,….. How important to you is it that Sirius become your father?” she asked, her voice practically a whisper. “Wouldn’t you accept ‘anyone’ else? Or just not Severus?”

Harry looked down at the tall grass as his heart throbbed in his throat. “They won’t let you marry Sirius? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

“I’m telling you not to set your hopes on anything, Harry. I wish I could say it was my choice and my choice alone. But its not. …. I have a responsibility to our clan, I have to bear children, Harry, preferably lots of children.” she added, smiling weakly as she tried to cheer Harry up. “I just don’t know if they’ll allow me to marry him, his blood is strong, he’s of noble character and birth, but it wouldn’t ‘benefit’ the clan in a political sense.”

“Is that REALLY important?” Harry spat, he could feel his heart breaking into pieces as she continued talking. How could she be so heartless, how could she look at Sirius and not care that she was breaking his heart every time she refused to say yes to marrying him.

“To Maharet, yes. To me, …. no…..” She paused to take a deep, shaky breath before continuing. “Harry, Sirius has been all but adopted by our clan, he will always have a place among us, even if its not as my husband. In fact, I doubt they would let him go even if he wanted to.”

“For some reason that doesn’t seem to make you happy.”

“It doesn’t, Harry” Cat replied as she wiped at her eyes. “You see, that means that if they won’t allow him to marry me, they have him marry one of my cousins. I’ll see him all the time, but I won’t ever be able to be with him…..I don’t think I could endure that..” she explained, sniffling softly as she urged Viggo to move onward once more.

“Mum?….. Wait, ..are you crying over Sirius?” Harry insisted as he snapped the reins, encouraging Shoshi to move up beside her. “Mum?” he asked again, placing his hand on her forearm. “Mum, stop….” he felt his own eyes tear up as he saw the tears silently slipping down her cheeks. “Mum, ‘do’ you love him? Would you marry him if they let you?”……..

“You calm down yet, Sirius?” Luke asked as he draped his arm over Sirius’s shoulder, “She won’t let anything happen to him, you do know that, right?”

“I know” Sirius replied softly, “but who’s going to stop anything from happening to her? I don’t like the idea of the two of them out there alone….” he stopped and glared at Luke when he heard her brother laughing at him.

“I’m sorry Sirius, its just scary how much you sound like Duncan sometimes.” Luke insisted, punching Sirius’s arm playfully as a groan was heard coming from Duncan. “Don’t try to deny it Duncan, you were thinking the exact same thing he was, I know you were.”

“Stay out of my mind,” Duncan warned playfully as he came around Sirius’s other side. “So, now that our baby sister is away and occupied for several hours, if not several days. I would have to say ‘now’ is an opportune time to have a little heart-to heart with the wizard. What do you say, Luke?”

“I’d say that sounds like a plan.” Luke grinned, trying not to laugh as Sirius’s eyes grew wide. “Hmmm, the house or the barn?”

“The barn” Duncan stated quickly, “sound doesn’t carry as well….”

“Whoa, I’ve told you before Duncan, you’re little sister is going to be awfully mad if you damage me” Sirius insisted, “after all, you want ‘healthy’ nieces and nephews, don’t you?”

Duncan’s eyes grew wide as Luke burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. “Do NOT go there with me, I’m only just getting used to the idea of her being married. I don’t even want to think about the rest of it, do you understand me?” Duncan insisted.

“Uhm, Duncan,” Sirius began softly, “you don’t think she’s still a…. I mean….” Sirius turned to stare at Luke as Duncan placed his hands over his ears and started to sing loudly. “He’s serious about this, isn’t he?”

“ ‘Friad so my friend. Duncan and Shane have always seen her as a baby, they don’t get the fact that she’s a woman now. Although to be honest, I can’t even picture her as …..well… lets just say I can see her as a mother, but the in between part I have decided to blissfully ignore.”

Sirius laughed and nodded, “Do you think women have the same problems thinking of their brothers like that?”

“Like what?” Siobhan asked as she and Meg strolled up behind the men, “And Duncan have the decency to stop that racket.”

“I bet I know what they were talking about.” Meg stated, grinning widely as she watched Duncan, who promptly stuck out his tongue at her. Shaking her head, she looped her arm through Sirius’s free one and continued walking towards the barn. “So..’Uncle Sirius’, “ she began, casting a mischievous glance towards Luke, “have you been torturing my dear Uncle Duncan with tawdry stories of what you and Aunt Kitty have been doing when you’ve snuck into her room at night?” …….

“So, Harry, ready to see if you and Shoshi can keep up with Viggo and I?” Cat asked, grinning mischievously as they both wiped the tears from their faces.

“I though Shoshi didn’t like to run,” he sniffled, grinning as he saw the twinkle in his Mum’s eyes.

“She normally doesn’t, ….. so I guess that means I’m sure to win.”

Harry was about to give her a cheeky remark, but held his tongue when he saw a strange look pass over Cat’s face. “Mum? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Wrong?” she repeated distractedly, as if listening to something in the distance. “Nothing, Harry, nothing is wrong….. Except of course the fact that I’m going to beat you.” she added, quickly. Harry watched as she snapped the reins and dug her heels into the firebrands side, practically disappearing in front of him as Viggo bolted down the hill and across the plain, intent upon the distant bog.

Harry was amazed at how quickly she rode across the swirling, wind blown fields of grass, it was nothing short of a miracle that the sparks from Viggo’s hooves hadn’t set the tufts of tall, winter dry grass up in flames. “Alright Shoshi, lets see if we can keep up with them…..but please, not ’too’ fast.” he added, only to hear Shoshi whiney and laugh at him. “Be nice Shoshi, I’ve never ridden a horse before, much less a firebrand…..and why isn’t Mum stopping? Come on Shoshi, move……please.”

“Silly boy, do you think the rion de daoine would lead her own child into danger?” a deep, yet feminine voice replied. “Stop being nervous and listen to your heart, she’s there inside of you, always with you….can you feel her?”

It took Harry a few moments to realize the voice was coming from Shoshi, he smirked as his fingers immediately touched the torque around his neck. “She’s inside of me?” he repeated, closing his eyes as he tried to both concentrate and relax as his Mum and Aunt Orpha had been teaching him. He tried to remember everything they had taught him about ‘opening’ himself up, it was so hard for him, he felt defenceless and small whenever he tried.

“Don’t fret so much child, I just told you, she is here with us and she would never allow harm to make its way to you.” Shoshi reminded him, tossing her mane as she watched Viggo with keen eyes. She had heard what the rion had, she had heard the silent whispers in the Sidhe’s heart, the fear for her son, the urge to kill the danger that thought to take him from her. Yes, Shoshi may be old now, but she was wise, she didn’t need anyone to tell her to delay the boy, to keep him safe, - and as long as he stayed on her and she lived, he was safer than anyone could imagine.

Shoshi neighed her laugh once more, of course the rion had wanted her only child to ride her. She was the favoured steed of the former rion, she had been charmed as a colt by the flaxen haired Deirdre to protect her children, to keep them from harm no matter what the cost. She had served her charges with courage and speed, and she had the scars to prove it, but right now she needed to keep this one busy until Viggo’s hooves stopped echoing across the land. “Try again child, stop fearing the world and learn to accept it. Open your heart to the world, and feel her inside your heart. Try concentrating on what you feel, close your eyes and ‘see‘ with your soul.”

Harry nodded as he took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. What did he feel? He felt the soft caress of the wind as it ricocheted off of the rolling hills around them, he felt the breathing of Shoshi under him, her thick coat and long, silky mane as she shook her head. He felt the air as it filled his lungs, the twittering of small birds as they perched in the nearby trees, he felt the hair on his body stand on end as he realized he was finally doing it, and it terrified him to no end. With his eyes still closed, he reached down and placed his hands directly on Shoshi’s warm hide, he needed something to ground him, something solid and secure to reassure him he wouldn‘t lose his grasp on the world……..

Cat spurred Viggo on, not bothering to look back at Harry as she and the firebrand tore across the landscape. She knew Shoshi well enough to trust her to care for Harry, after all, she had been her steed once and her mother had taught her to protect the clan’s children, a duty she performed with distinction. Lowering her body until she was riding tight against Viggo’s muscular neck, Cat summoned her sword as she heard the rustling of leathery skin and the harsh, grating noises of the creatures she had felt while she and her son had stood over the rolling hills, looking down over the plains that led to the peat bogs.

How dare they come so close to the edge of the bog, more to the point, how DARE they think to endanger her child! If this was some sort of power play on their part, they had just become extinct. It was one thing to attack someone who was traipsing through the middle of the bogs, their ‘home’ as it were, but to organize themselves to attack a mother and child who had no intention of going near them…. Her blood boiled at the mere thought of it.

Narrowing her brilliant, green eyes, Cat quickly realized there were far more of them coming that she had thought, not that it mattered though. She was tired, angry, crampy and worried… or in short, quite cranky, today was NOT the day to try her patience. “Show yourselves you cowardly boglach diolain, or are you afraid to face a lone woman?” she growled, brandishing her sword as sparse flames shot from Viggo’s nostrils. “Do it Viggo.” she said softly as she twisted her free hand in the reins and squeezed her knees tightly against the firebrands muscular sides.

A loud, thunder-like sound was heard as Viggo reared on his hind legs, pawing at the air as flashes of lightning filled the quickly darkening sky. Streams of fire erupted where his hooves landed on the peat filled earth, causing loud and anguished screams to fill the gaps between the thunder. “I said face me, worms.”

Cat’s eyes flitted about the ground beneath her, watching as it rolled and buckled around she and Viggo. “This is it, baby, get ready” she whispered in the firebrand’s ear as she pulled down her hood and readied her sword. She saw a flash of bright orange out of the corner of her eye as a creature shot up out of the soft ground, its long twisted knife intent on her throat…

Sirius shook his head as Meg and Siobhan rode off on the firebrands, sometimes the MacLeod women were truly frightening. And poor Duncan, it was obvious from the moment the girls opened their mouths, that women do not have anywhere near the problem picturing their brothers as husbands as the men did their sisters. Even he had turned crimson when Siobhan had told them how on occasions the women would get together and when the topic came up, NOT ONE of the women shied away from it, mothers, daughters, sisters….they all gave their advice and opinions….she also hinted that Cat was soon due for one of these ‘womanly’ sessions in the near future, probably right after they ‘initiated‘ Katie.

It was right about then that Callista and her puppy came running up to him. He smiled widely as he heard them approaching, laughing and barking as Calli kept calling the clumsy puppy after her, giggling with delight as the small, fluffy, golden retriever bounded along after her, nipping at the snow now and again. He grinned and waved to her as she called out his name and waved to him, he made his way towards her as she and the puppy came running up the steep incline near the barn. “Careful Calli, don’t slip, its getting icy now.” he warned, just in time to see Starry dart under her feet, tripping Callista and sending her tumbling through the icy snow.

Sirius dashed to her side, half sliding down the incline as he attempted to catch her as she rolled down hill. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her out of the deep snow bank as Starry barked non-stop at them. “Oh be quiet, you’ve done enough” Calli vented as she spat out a mouthful of snow. “It’s alright Uncle Sirius, I’m fine.” she added softly as she stood to brush the snow off of her, only to let out a yelp as her leg buckled underneath her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt Sirius’s arm around her once more, preventing her from falling into the snow yet again.

“Callista? What is it? Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice full of concern for the young girl. He knelt down into the snow, as he quickly examined her leg. “I think something’s wrong with your ankle, you probably twisted it when you fell. How about I get you back to the house and we let Siobhan look at it?”

Callista nodded, offering her hand to Sirius in the hope that he would help her back up the bank, only to have him sweep her into his arms as he quickly strode up the bank and towards the house, calling for Starry to follow them. “I can walk Uncle Sirius, honestly, I can.”

Sirius smiled indulgently at her, “Yes, Callista, I’m sure you can walk almost as well as you stood. Humour me and let me get you to Siobhan before you try walking or dancing or anything, alright?”

“Alright” she replied softly, not completely sure how to take the wizard’s behaviour, after all, hadn’t he been the one to take Harry aside yesterday, presumably to yell at him for kissing her. She had been expecting either Uncle Sirius or Aunt Kitty to come for her next, but they never did, and Harry didn’t seem horribly upset when he had finally come back to see the end of the movie. “Uhmm, Uncle Sirius?” she said hesitantly, only to have her words completely leave her as his blue eyes stared into hers, waiting for her question.

“Is something wrong, Callista?” he asked gently as they approached the house, “We’re almost there, but if you need to stop and rest….”

“No, ..its just…. Uhmmmm, about yesterday…..and Harry….” goddess, how could Aunt Kitty ever get a word out with those eyes staring at her, it felt like they were looking into your heart and soul. Calli actually gasped softly as the flesh around his eyes crinkled as he laughed deeply.

“Don’t worry about that Callista. Harry and I just needed to have a little chat,..consider it a ‘guy’ thing if you want.” he replied good-naturedly, winking at her as she rolled her eyes. “Here we are, home, sweet home. Hope you don’t mind being the centre of attention, because when the ladies see you…” he never got the opportunity to finish his sentence. True to form, Siobhan and Lia rushed over to them the moment they realized Sirius was carrying Callista. Lia lifting the orphaned teen from his arms and sitting her in front of the fire as Siobhan grabbed an every ready basket full of healing supplies.

Hearing the women barking orders to the teenagers who had come in to see what all the noise was about, Sirius removed himself to a corner and took off his now wet coat, nearly tripping over Starry as the puppy ran around the room, desperate to find her mistress and trying to avoid the feet and skirts of the women. “Come on trouble.” Sirius sighed as he scooped up the puppy, holding her against his chest as she licked his face. “Yeah, yeah, come on, we’ll stay out of their way, you can stay with me until they’re done with Calli, between the two of you, maybe you can keep my mind off of Cat and Harry.”…..

Cat growled or perhaps roared would be the correct term as she slashed her sword into yet another boglach diolain, smiling with satisfaction as it fell onto the soft, peat filled soil in two pieces. The dank smell of the creatures blood was enough to turn her stomach, as was the greyish-brown, leathery skin or what was left of it. But worse was the glowing orange eyes and wild tufts of matching hair, it reminded her of some twisted nightmare of zombie clowns. She held onto Viggo as she felt him buck, sending two more of the creatures into the turbid water, she watched the horror on several of their faces as they heard the shrieks of their companions, apparently one of the large bog owls had found at least one of Viggo‘s victims.

Lifting her head, Cat let out a blood chilling screech, calling the bog owls to her, normally they were creatures best left alone, but as long as she was on Viggo, and Harry was safely under Shoshi’s care, she had nothing to fear from them. Given the choice, the bog owls would take the four foot tall boglach’s over her any day. Hearing the rush of wind over silent wings, Cat quickly beat back the boglachs closest to her and laid flat against Viggo’s back. She turned her head just enough so she could see the owls flying above her, it was a breathtaking sight. The largest must have had a wingspan of almost fifteen feet, no wonder they were called man-owls, most of them were taller than she was, and the large brown spot on the chest of their otherwise grey bodies must be the ‘eye’ she had heard mortals tell off. Or at least those who had managed to see one and survive, the stories were always the same, half man, half owl, with only one large eye in the middle of its body.

She couldn’t help but to be amazed, even as they glided into the open plains, majestically commanding the streams of wind that brought them to their prey. Their long, sharp talons piercing the leathery flesh of the boglachs who were foolish enough to remain in the open and try to attack her. As the last of them flew away, their struggling prey grasped tightly in the cruel talons, they returned into the darkness of the bog, Cat sat up straight once more, and smiled as she realized more than half of the original number of boglach diolain remained. “I’ll have your kind extinct before I leave here.” she promised as she stirred Viggo into action, directing him to charge at the nearest group of creatures, impaling them on her sword as they passed. …..

Shoshi trotted nervously as she saw the bog owls fly out over the plain, even with the cloud cover Viggo had provided it was still unlike them to take such risks during the day. It looked as if the battle was far from over, she would have to distract the boy for a little while yet, it should be easy enough, she would simply pick her way slowly down the hill. “Do you have any other questions, child?” she asked, knowing the boy was simply full of questions and ideas, it was obvious just by looking at him. “Would you like to know about those stones over there? Your great-great-great-great-great grandfather placed them there when his son married a half breed witch after she was exiled from England.”

“Really? Was he that upset by it?” Harry asked as he looked at the ring of standing stones in the middle of the plain.

Shoshi laughed as she shook her mane, “Upset? Not in the least, he adored her, felt she was just what his son needed, and of course the red-hair didn’t hurt.” she added slyly.

“My family is kind of fond of red hair, aren’t they?” Harry agreed, laughing as he thought of how well his Mum and Meg had gotten along with the Weasley’s. “So, what happened, why did he put the stones there? And where is Mum, I can‘t see her anymore.”

“I told you child, she is always with you, just because you can’t see her doesn’t mean she isn’t here. And As for your great-great-great-grea-…”

“Uhm, Shoshi, .. Did he have a name? It might be easier than counting all those greats.” Harry suggested.

“His name…..yes, he did have a name, now what was it?” she asked, buying as much time as possible as she daintily picked her way down the hill. “Aidan, his name was Aidan, his youngest son, Carrig married a half-breed witch who had been chased out of England, I believe her name was Heather. If I recall correctly, they had several children, named all the boys after trees and the girls after flowers.” she added, chuckling softly, “One of their sons, Ash, I believe, he used to torment us terribly, kept pulling at our ears when he tried to ride us. She had a horrible time keeping him under control.”

“So it was alright with him, with my clan, the fact that she wasn’t pure blooded. It didn’t bother them at all.” Harry stated, a hopeful edge to his voice.

“Of course it didn’t bother anyone,” Shoshi huffed, “blood is important, very important, but the person matters more than the blood. She could have been the most powerful witch in your world, but if Carrig wouldn’t have fallen in love with her, the clan wouldn’t have given her a second glance.”

“So why did Aidan put up those stones? And why all the way out here, why not in Fernglennis?”

“Do you think the clan has always been sequestered in Fernglennis? No, no dear child. There was once a time when Clan MacLeod roamed the land freely, bringing magic and learning to the world of mortals, guiding and teaching them as if they were their own children.” Shoshi explained, “Aidan set those stones to mark the spot of his son’s wedding, he made it a ‘holy’ place if you will, preventing warring fractions from interfering with the nuptials and wedding feast. I remember it all very clearly, Aidan’s mother, Carrig’s grandmother, Flora and her sister Fauna decorated me with garlands of flowers, I carried Heather to her wedding. I looked better than the bride did.” she added, tossing her mane proudly as she remembered her days as a young mare. “But that was many, many years ago, when I was young and strong.”

“You’re still strong Shoshi, and I think you’re beautiful too.” Harry stated, petting her neck fondly, enjoying the feeling of her thick, silky coat under his fingers. “How long ago was that? I counted five greats, that must have been a while ago if what Mum and Cash say about our clan is true.”

“It was, a very, very long time ago….let me see, there is your mother, her mother Deirdre, her mother Onora, her mother Tristessa, her mother Milessia, her mother Grainne, then Luna, and then Flora…..hmmm… I think that would be six centuries or so back.” she paused as she felt Harry tense in the saddle. “Is something wrong child?”

“Do you mean to tell me you are over six hundred years old? Honestly?”

“Of course, how old did you think I was child?” Shoshi asked, shaking her head at the lack of knowledge of the rion’s son.

“I don’t know, maybe twelve or something?” Harry replied meekly, having no idea how long horses lived, much less firebrands.

“TWELVE?!” Shoshi gasped, laughing good naturedly at him. “Child, you are now my favourite among the clan. Feel free to ride me anytime.” Shoshi was about to congratulate herself on keeping the child so occupied, that was until the rion and Viggo burst out from the edge of the bog, sword and hooves flashing as the sky rolled with lightening……

Cat snarled as she felt the blade of one of the boglach diolain cut her leg, “Foul beast,” she screamed as she reached down and wrapped her fingers around its neck, cringing as its leathery flesh collapsed like a wet sponge as she increased the pressure. She heard the other creatures near her leave out a collective roar, it seemed she must have gotten their leader, or perhaps his son. “You would kill my son, ..let’s see how you like to have the tables turned.”

All she heard in reply was the snarling and gnashing of teeth as the creatures stared at her with hated and uncertainty. If they thought she was bluffing, they were sadly mistaken, not only did she have a duty to her clan to keep the land safe, she was now a mother, and as such had developed the ruthlessness that could only come with the instinctual urge to protect her child, no matter what the cost to her or anyone else. She eyed up the creatures as they slowly circled around her, attempting to distract her from the one she was slowly strangling in her hand. It wasn’t until Viggo kicked his hind legs sending several of the blighters sprawling that the stand off ended. Viggo’s reaction seemed to have been a signal to the creatures as they all rushed in on her at once. Their mistake, she thought as she held the captured creature higher, leaving him dangling by an unseen hand while she once more took to using her now flaming sword on the steady onslaught of creatures. “I don’t know were they’re all coming from, Viggo, and it sounds like more are on the way, ” she stated as she swung her sword, splattering the foul smelling blood of the creatures all over herself and Viggo. “but I’ve really had enough of this. Its time to send them all into the land of memories.” she smirked.

Viggo shook his head in agreement, rearing on his hind legs, he once more raised his front hooves into the air, sending bolts of lighting into the sky as the clouds grew darker and more ominous. He pirouetted on his back legs, in order to bring his massive front hooves down upon the skulls of more of the boglach’s as Cat turned him to face the creature she had let hanging in the air. She narrowed her eyes as she saw several of his fellow creatures trying to rescue their comrade, while another group broke off and burrowed underground headed North , towards Harry and Shoshi. Screaming loudly, Cat rode towards the first group, determined to leave no survivors among the wretched cowards, she wanted to make sure they wouldn’t be able to follow her when she killed the others heading towards her son.

Without pity or remorse, Cat rode to were she had left the half strangled creature, trampling and hacking his fellows as they tried to prevent her from dealing her death blow to him. Oblivious to her own wounds or the cries of the boglachs, Cat turned her steed about to finish off what was left of his clan before severed the creature from its head , quickly bursting out of the bog’s edge as the approaching reinforcements arrived. Wiping the splatters of blood from her face, she looked up to see the trail the others had left as the burrowed their way towards Harry and Shoshi. Riding like a woman possessed, she quickly caught up with them as the ground on the plains was much harder for them to dig through than the soft, peat filled earth of the bog.

Urging Viggo onwards, Cat had him circle the earthen trail of the boglachs, causing the ground to bake and solidify as the terrible heat from his hooves melted the rocks both above and below the earth. She winced in spite of herself as she heard those that were trapped screaming and gasping for breath, although that didn’t stop her from hacking the ones that had managed to dig themselves out of the molten ground into bloody heaps of flesh. It bothered her deeply to deliver such carnage, but they had brought this on themselves, they were the ones going out of their way to attack them, a woman and child, what could be lower? Looking around to make sure there were none left to attack, Cat quickly turned Viggo towards Harry and Shoshi, only to feel her blood run cold, she had missed one, and it was heading right for her son, there was no way she could get to it before it got to Harry. And Harry was far too close to use the Beansidhe wail, it would rupture his heart at this distance and she didn‘t have the extra energy to shield him and still attack the others. Giving the firebrand a sharp spur, they charged up the hill, a prayer to the Morrigan on Cat‘s lips as she rushed to save her son …..

Harry watched with wide eyed fascination as his mother continued to battle the horrid creatures. The only other times he had seen her use a sword was in a mock fight with Cash, and during the battle with the death eaters, but then she and Remus had been moving so fast, Harry could hardly make anything out. But this was different, he could see everything this time, each swing of her blade, every scream and cry. He felt something between pride and nausea as he watched her strike down one after another, wiping blood and flesh from her face as she fought relentlessly, almost fanatically, until they seemed to have retreated.