He nodded. Pacing his steps to those of the advancing Fir Darrigs, he moved slowly backwards. What were they planning? Lamfada glanced at him and winked.
“Tell your mistress, Bera, she missed this time. It’s not my day to die, nor any of my companions.” The wizard motioned and Matt understood it was time for action. “We’ll be on Uthal’s doorstep sooner than he thinks and no matter what Bera does, she can’t protect him anymore.”
DaGon roared, his call sending the ravens in the trees squawking in confused flight. His second roar shot a large flame from his mouth and he lunged for the raven queen. The old hag put her hands up in protection and formed a magic bubble around her body just as the flame reached her. She hissed wickedly at the dragon. “Get them,” she screamed to her horde. She pointed to those on the platform and the rat men ran towards them.
Lamfada shifted his dagger from one hand to the other, taunting the creatures. “C'mon, beasties,” he called and wailed a leprechaun war cry.
“It is not the answer I wanted,” Babda shrieked. Raising her arms, she screamed hideously, the sound redirecting the confused flock. They now swarmed around the trees like a black tornado. Thousands of black-winged missiles aimed for them and there wasn’t any way to escape.
“NOW!” the wizard called. He flung a handful of dark powder into the air. Ducking under DaGon’s wings, he moved towards the tombs just as the dragon drew a large breath and blew a gust of fire, igniting the powder. The explosion rocked the platform.
Matt was lifted off the ground. His torso twisted and he sailed through the air. Landing with a thick thud against the granite entry, he slumped to the ground in pain. Clouds from the blast mingled with the gases of the powder and his eyes burned as he struggled to see movement. DaGon appeared through the gray smoke, snatched him up, carried him into the tomb, and dumped him beside Ned and Thomas. Keltrain and Lamfada struggled to close the massive door as those outside sought entry into the tombs.
An arm covered with thick hair thrust its hand through the crack between the door and the doorjamb. “Hurry, DaGon, we need your strength,” the fairy called.
Birds dove into the rock door, trying to find a way into the tombs. One managed to slip through the narrow opening where the hand of the Fir Darrig clawed at the air. Matt took an ancient shield from the nearest coffin and thwacked it. Its limp body fell to the icy floor.
“Keep pushing,” Keltrain commanded.
DaGon placed his shoulder against the stone, shoving with all his might. The hairy arm, now ripped from the body it belonged to, flopped about the floor in its own anguish, jumping and twisting, tearing at the air as the Fir Darrig howled on the other side of the door. Its screams filled the chamber.
Ned fainted.
“Matt, you’re bleeding.” The quietness of Miranda’s words seemed odd amidst the chaos raging both inside and outside the tomb doors.
Matt looked up at her in surprise. There was something different about her, but he didn’t know what it was. “God. Miranda!” he exclaimed. He hugged her tightly, afraid to let go. “What happened?”
She remained stiff in his arms and it confused him. Something had changed. He pulled back and studied her face, searching for recognition, but her eyes were clouded, detached, and unreadable. Dropping his arms, he drew away, his smile fading.
“You have a very nasty gash.” She touched the blood, sticky and cold on his cheek. When her fingertip brushed his skin, the liquid melted and cascaded down his chin. He watched as she rubbed the redness between her fingertips, studying it oddly.
Lily swirled around Matt’s head. “Are you okay? I think we have some bandages in one of the packs.”
Frowning, Matt ignored Lily. “I was worried about you,” he said. “What happened on the other side of that mirror? What did that cat do to you?”
Miranda smiled vacantly. “I got through the mirror okay. I have the sword and all.” She pulled it from its sheath, the metal glowing.
“It’s about time,” Thomas exclaimed as he sat up on an elbow, rubbing his shoulder. “Gee, now we can finish this journey, rescue the others, and go home.”
Ned coughed as he came to. “Did you say we have the sword?”
“Yes. Are you okay?” Miranda asked. She helped him to his feet.
“I...I guess.” Then his knees gave way as he saw the dismembered arm. Pointing to it, he gagged. “No. No...I...I still feel woozy. Can we get rid of that thing?”
“Aye, so the girl be gettin’ the sword.” Lamfada slapped his knee, laughing hard. “Never saw that one comin’.”
“What’s so funny?” Matt demanded.
“I just be thinkin’ ya think too much of yourself.” He pointed at Matt.
“Lamfada, enough.” Keltrain kicked the severed arm out of Ned’s view. “Matt’s heart had good intentions. It’s in all of us to try to be the master of our destiny.” The wizard gathered the reins of the horses. “We just don’t understand sometimes that destiny is our master.”
Matt silently thanked the wizard for sticking up for him. He glared at the leprechaun briefly. They all drew quiet as the sounds of fury could be heard on the other side of the doors. He was glad they were thick, and Babda and her horde couldn’t get through.
DaGon sniffed at the crack under the door. “I could go out and eat a few of them and rid ourselves of their existence,” he volunteered.
“No, we don’t have time for an attack. Even though I’m inclined to agree with you on ridding ourselves of their stench. If what Babda said was true and she’s already sent a messenger to Crag Cairn, then our next course of action would be to procure a ship at the harbor city of Partholon. And, I might add, as quickly as possible.”
“How do you propose we get to Partholon? We can’t go back out there,” DaGon stated. “Unless you let me eat them.”
“There’s another path to the harbor.” Keltrain nodded towards the back of the tombs. “But we’ll have to travel through the mountain. It’ll take us the rest of the day.”
“Yessssss,” Sonya said crouching low to the ground. “I remember. It was created as an afterthought.”
Matt cringed, seeing the cat.
“Well, I for one am really glad for that afterthought,” Ned commented. He gagged again when he caught a glimpse of the bloody dismembered arm. “Can we just go before I get sick?”
“Miranda, perhaps you should put the sword away on the pack horse, my dear. We don’t want to lose it,” Lily suggested, fluttering at the girl’s head.
“NO!” the girl asserted loudly. Her hands tightened around the leather that held the blade. “It hasta stay with me and all.” A glow emanated from between her fingers.
“The sword must stay with its Champion,” Keltrain said, his eyes shifting to the light shining from Miranda’s hand. “She and it are one. To separate them would do harm.”
Matt walked to her side. He wanted to desperately reach out and touch her, to hold her and make sure she was safe. There was something not right about her. “What happened to you?” he whispered. “Do you need me to help in anyway? What did that cat do to you?”
Her eyes peered through him and he shuddered. “It’s okay. I understand my task and all,” she simply murmured. “I don’t need your help.”
Keltrain interrupted them. “We need to go.” He gently guided Miranda to DaGon. “Please watch over her. No harm must come to our Champion, my friend.”
Matt grabbed the wizard’s arm, pulling him aside. “What’s wrong with her? She’s not herself anymore. Is she under a spell or something?”
“Gee, Matt’s right. She doesn’t seem like my cousin at all,” Thomas agreed.
“She’s a little lost right now. Give her time; she’ll be herself once she’s adjusted to the power of the sword.”
“What did Sonya do to her?” Matt scowled.
Sonya meowed. “I know that placing blame on me is all so easy.” She swiped at Matt with her claws. “So it’s not you. Get over it. It’s Miranda’s destiny to
merge with Balorn’s sword, and that’s that.” She sauntered past him with her tail held high and trotted in the direction of another tunnel at the back of the tombs. “If you want to get through to Partholon, it’s this way.” She disappeared into the darkness of the cavern.
“She’s sort of right, dear ones.” Lily encased herself in her bright orb and flew after the cat.
Reluctantly picking up the reins to his horse, Matt fell into step behind the others. He studied Miranda from a distance, stiffly walking beside DaGon. She held the sword tightly to her breast and her eyes seemed glazed over. He sighed heavily, perplexed at her behavior. He would watch over her just as he promised Lily. He was her champion now and should she stumble, he would be there to pick her up and wield the sword on her behalf, if necessary.
Chapter Twenty-One
No one spoke much as the group made their way through the caverns to the other side of Gwyllion Mountains. Matt knew that Ned was still distraught over the small battle with Babda. He watched in concern as the younger boy jumped at every shadow, treading the icy corridor with caution. Emerging just before sunset under an ancient archway chiseled into a cliff, the friends were greeted by an artic breeze blowing off the coast. The wind sent a chilly torrent of a salty smell swirling around them, and Matt was glad for it. The caverns of the mountains smelled dull and moldy.
“It be colder here then when we stood at the willow.” Lamfada shoved his hat further down on his head and tightened the belt on his jacket. Light flurries of snow cascaded gently from the sky, accumulating on his shoulders as he stood with his ponies outside the archway. He scanned the horizon, eyeing the distant city of Partholon with interest. “We be givin’ it a rest for a Moment. This breeze is a might to do with. Sooner to be at the fire than out here in the darkness.”
“At least the children have their cloaks,” Lily whispered, ducking against the frigid wind.
Sonya jumped on the ledge of the crumbling wall that bordered the old highway and studied the dark outline of building below them. “The city looks deserted. I barely see any lamplight at all.”
“In this cold, everyone is probably indoors beside a good fire,” DaGon stated from beneath the arch. “Which is where I should be. Dining on a good choice of meat. Preferably you.”
“You touch me, you lose an appendage.”
Lamfada watched the dragon with a slight grin as DaGon struggled, trying to fit his large frame through the small opening. “Well, are ya coming out or not?” the leprechaun demanded when the dragon didn’t advance further. “Ya be havin’ ya own furnace, dragon. No need to be afraid of a few flakes.”
“It’s not fear keeping me in here, leprechaun. This arch is a bit of a squeeze.” Bits of rock and mortar cascaded and rolled as the dragon shoved his way through. He gulped in a large breath of air, exhaling slowly. Settling on the ledge, he viewed the pale sun hovering above the sea and brushed tiny bits of rocks from his scales. “Black Isle is just beyond sight, over the horizon,” he commented.
Keltrain ducked under the archway. Moving to stand beside DaGon, he gazed at the frozen sea in the distance. Matt could see the wizard was disturbed.
“I knew this day would come eventually. Somewhere in my heart, I find myself wishing it wasn’t here already, my friend. It’s strange. I realized back there that I felt better as a fish.” Keltrain looked at Matt and smiled slightly. “She’ll be all right. Don’t worry.”
“Is that the harbor?” Matt asked. He pointed to a thin line of twinkling lights upon the shore. For some reason he wanted to change the subject. He pulled his horse to the wall and peered down at the dreary city.
“The great harbor city of Partholon. It’s changed,” Keltrain observed. “Along with the rest of us.”
“I don’t remember it being so frozen.” Lily swooped to DaGon’s head and landed on his brow. Wrapping her tiny arms around her body, she tried to ward off the chill. “I recall the parties we had there. What life. Now it looks dead.”
“Gee whiz. Snow? Ya think we could find some shelter or somethin’?” Thomas and Ned stood next to the leprechaun, shivering.
“I be votin’ with the lads. We should be gettin’ on. Me wee ponies are a bit tired.” Lamfada patted the head of the one next to him.
Matt glanced at the leprechaun. “I think we’re all tired. I feel like I’ve been up for days.”
“We have been up for days,” DaGon replied.
“I’ll ask Partholon’s Queen to put us up for the night and then tomorrow I’ll seek a sailing vessel to take us to Black Isle,” Keltrain stated.
“The sea looks strange,” DaGon said, motioning to large icebergs floating close to the shoreline. “When have we ever had ice so close to Green Isle? Do you think the sea is frozen completely?”
“Not yet, but all the more reason to hurry.” Keltrain cautiously tested the ancient road leading down the side of the mountain, the tip of his foot poking at the construction timidly. Parts of the ancient road crumbled when he stepped on it.
“Some of this infrastructure has been destroyed. I don’t understand why no one has kept up with the maintenance, especially since Partholon is a trading area. Look. There are gaping holes down the byway.” He timidly walked a few feet ahead.
“You know it’s been some time since any of us have traveled this way.”
“Aye, dragon. One hundred and fifty years for ya, eh?”
“And if I remember correctly, leprechaun, I received a good push towards my isolation away from Green Isle for those years.” The dragon blew a thick wisp of smoke around Lamfada.
“We must be careful going down. Watch your step,” the wizard warned. “The road is shredding and I’m afraid our weight might open the cracks wider.” Pointing to the boys, he instructed them about their horses. “You’ll have to guide your animals close to the inside. Stay away from the outer wall. The mortar and plaster holding it upright may be faulty. I don’t want to lose any of you over the side.”
Matt glanced over the wall’s edge and grimaced when he saw the sharp rocks below. He backed away and ran into Miranda. He pivoted, offering his apology. “Sorry Miranda,” he muttered softly.
The sword was now strapped to her back. Matt longed to touch the steel, feel its heat. The power of the metal drew him, but he forced the desire away, fearful of her reaction if he asked to hold it.
“The wind feels colder here, don’t cha think?” Her gaze remained fixed on the city below them. Her eyes grew dark. “He’s reaching out to us, ya know. He and Bera. They know. They know we’re comin’ and all.”
Matt said nothing as she walked away. He knew the sword changed her and it scared him.
“Gee, she’s spooky,” Thomas whispered. The two watched as she descended the road behind DaGon and Lily. “It’s kinda like she's possessed. Her eyes don’t even look real anymore.”
“It’s scaring the you-know-what out of me,” Ned exclaimed. “I’d say the word, but if Mom found out, I’d be eating soap for a week.”
“That sword be constructed with magic,” Lamfada told them. “I forged it when King Balorn plucked the metal from its crater after it fell from the heavens. It be holdin’ a powerful sway over its Champion. Stayin’ there in her mind so it can help her destroy the darkness. It’s only had one other master, ya know.”
“Will she ever be normal again? I’m afraid for her,” Matt asked.
“Aye, when the deed is fully done, then it will be goin’ back to its restin' place.” Lamfada led his ponies down the mountainside road.
“I was hoping I would be the sword’s Champion,” Matt murmured. “But since it’s Miranda, I need to make sure she’s protected.”
“Gee whiz. I was hoping so, too,” Thomas said as he turned to Matt. “I mean about you bein’ the Champion. It’s kinda weird that Miranda was chosen. She’s so...girly.”
“Hey. We better hurry up, or they’re gonna leave us,” Ned said. He pulled on his horse’s reins and followed Lamfada.
“Aren’t
ya comin’?” Thomas asked when Matt didn’t move.
Matt’s gaze remained fixed on the churning sea for a Moment, its dark waters capped with white waves. Black clouds were massing quickly on the distant horizon. Were they prepared enough for it? As the wind’s speed increased, whipping the material of his white cloak around his legs, he shivered, feeling a strange icy touch. He shook his head and walked directly into the freezing breeze, unwilling to be daunted.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hours passed before the group finally stepped onto the sand at the bottom of the ancient highway. Matt took a heavy breath of relief, the salt air stinging his lungs.
“The city looks vacant,” Lily commented. She hovered at Matt’s shoulder.
“Aye, it be strange not to see other travelers on the beach,” Lamfada agreed. He held onto his hat in a vain attempt to keep the sea wind from blowing it off his head.
Keltrain’s hand dove into his inner pocket, producing a black and twisted walking stick. Weary from the day’s events, he used the wood to lean on briefly. “I believe Bera’s sending us a welcome, my friends,” he said, gesturing with the staff at the dark mass of clouds Matt had noticed before.
The setting sun, now completely hidden behind them, forced a shadow on the beach road. Matt’s feet felt twice their normal size. The leather of his boots was beginning to allow some of the sea’s chill in. He was ready to sit down.
“We are almost out of daylight,” DaGon said. “We need to reach the city before they close the gate against travelers.”
“No time to rest, then. It’s just a little further. Boys, can you endure the journey a little longer?” Keltrain asked when he saw the slow gait of their steps.
“Gee. We’ve come this far, so what’s another mile,” Thomas replied, shrugging his shoulders.
Ned rested against the side of his horse. “Okay. I guess,” the young boy replied quietly as he wiped a silent tear of weariness from his cheek.
The Forgotten Spell (Legends of Green Isle Book 1) Page 26