A Change For the Light

by Heather Maginnis

  "We'll split into two groups, Angee and I will go around the back, Vere, you and Bria go to the front, wait five minutes then make a lot of noise."

  Angee had doubts about the wisdom of the pairing, "no, for all Bria and I are inexperienced Bards we're two thirds of a battle triad, we have fighting skills you don't, you go to the back and Bria and I will fight our way in the front, after holding them for ten minutes."

  Angee thought Ruth was about to object, but the way Angee felt must have shown on her face, for Ruth merely gave a hesitant nod.

  Slipping in the gate Ruth and Vere were soon lost in the gathering gloom, counting slowly Angee and Bria walked quietly to the front of the palatial house, when they were twenty feet away they stopped.

  "How do you want to handle this?" Bria asked in hushed tones. Angee had to strain to hear the question, "bravado i think, I'll shout a challenge, then we kill them."

  Bria smiled, "seems a good plan to me" a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  "Good", Angee said in a normal voice, turning towards the doors she decried in a thunderous voice.

  "We have come for our sister!, know that if you release her now, we will not kill you all, if you resist, then you will feel the wrath of the goddess!".

  Angee smiled to herself, that really sounded corny, but it seemed to have the desired effect she thought as a dozen men in black boiled out of the front door screaming a war cry.

  Their swords already out of their scabbards they faced the onrush, Angee although realising they faced odd of better than six to one surprised herself when she found she was analysing their method of attack, it was haphazard, and really not good order, they must have felt confident of their numerical superiority, that was a mistake, one they would not live to regret.

  The first men reached them, and Angee and Bria easily parried blows that while powerful were clumsy.

  Turning the two blades Angee had cut one down and sent the other off balance falling into one of his cohorts.

  Bria, Angee noticed had also dispatched one and seemed un phased by the number of sword thrusts in her direction.

  A quick thrust and Angee's current attacker was screaming on the ground trying to hold his guts in, the remaining attackers were more cautious now, not that it did any good, any who engaged these two fearsome women didn't survive more than a few heartbeats before tasting their steel.

  Ruth and Vere heard the commotion at the front of the mansion, that sort of distraction would easily cover the noise that they would make.

  Breaking the glass of a small pantry window, they reached in and could just reach the door latch, with a click it opened, quietly as possible they entered.

  Angee had just evaded a thrust from behind and saw Bria cut down her attacker, only two were left now and they had retreated to the steps of the mansion, with a grin at Bria she yelled a epithet at the two men and charged.

  They bolted, running into the house,Angee in quick pursuit.

  The City gate was closed but a guard was on duty at the sentry post, as they rode within the light given off by the torches he saw the Uniform of a Bard, "On the wall!, open the gates!". Someone looked over and peered for a moment, the guard looked visibly nervous now. "Open the gates!".

  The gates creaked open slightly and a sergeant came out, "What's all the shouting for,you know the law!", he saw the two strangers on the horses then and spotted the uniform, quickly he pushed on the gates waving them in, Mol smiled.

  Inside the house gaudy opulence reigned, all plush red and gold colour schemes warred with the outlandish furniture, Angee and Bria looked around the men hadn't run far and seemed more fearful of someone upstairs judging by their nervous glances,they charged again but were quickly dealt with by the two Bards.

  Ruth and Vere chose that moment to put in an appearance. "You check down here,Bria and i will go upstairs."

  Ruth gestured to Vere and they kicked some double doors open and rushed in.

  Angee and Bria were cautious as they climbed the stairs something had made the two men nervous,better not rush into something nasty, the lights upstairs were dimmer than the ground floor,but it seemed deserted as they reached the landing.

  The lights suddenly dimmed and it became very hard to see, this had all the taint of dark magic to Angee and she hummed a small tune which produced a light spell over both of them which extended for yards in either direction,giving them some warning of what may be waiting for them.

  Lisebee watched silently the two Bards at the top of the stairs,she didn't know where Mistress Kimih was but she felt confident she could stop these two in spite of the reputation accorded white Bards in times gone by.

  This slip of a girl was new to her power,how much could she have learned in so short a time?.

  The wave of darkness should have stopped them cold, but a light appeared around the two Bards which made Lisebee rethink her strategy, maybe killing them was not going to be as easy as she thought,but she could still banish them she realised with a cruel twist of her lips, if they moved onto the landing just a few feet more to give her a clear shot she had them.

  * * *

  The train had been awfully cramped, Stephanie got off in Leeds.

  The winter sun gave the station a red glow as it set, and to her it looked like blood. Even for this time of year it was cold, she pulled her coat closed and hurried off to her car in the car park.

  Thirty minutes later she got out of the drivers seat cursing, the damned car wouldn't start and she was quickly turning to ice now night had fallen, oh to be anywhere but in England now that winters here, she pulled the coat around her again,but the wind that whirled up around her made her dizzy,she passed out.

  Twenty three

  Illia stopped a torch tender on his rounds and asked which way to the temple of the Goddess, "keep on down here mi lady,then when you get to the market take the narrow street on the right, there's a tavern with the sign of a bull at the start of the street,you can't miss it."

  Illia nodded but Mol slipped a copper piece out of her purse and gave it to the torch tender, "thank you."

  Mol spurred her horse slightly to catch up to Illia who hadn't waited to see if she was following or not, the new Mother Abbess had seen she had a plain looking horse,but had given the Stablemaster firm instructions about the quality of that mount,hence she'd been a pleasure to ride.

  They arrived at the temple to find it empty.

  "Strange, there should always be someone here."

  Mol didn't know how to answer Illia,but it was clear there was no one in any of the rooms the Bards occupied, all at once Mol had a sense of danger,but not directed at her,she realised Angee and whoever was with her were needing help.

  "This way" breaking into a run as she indicated Illia to follow.

  * * *

  Angee Stepped out onto the landing, a movement out of her eye corner caused her to whirl in time to see a woman in black throw a bolt of energy straight at them,she knocked Bria flat and the bolt whizzed over them missing by inches,it hit a mirror at the end of the hall and bounced back hitting the woman who was enveloped in a vortex of winds and streaked red and blue light,when it vanished,so had she,and in her place a woman dressed in a funny looking long coat lay on the floor,she was not conscious but Angee took no chances and bound her in a light web.

  Mistress Kimih was confused, why hadn't she dispatched the Bard laying on the floor in front of her?, so what if it used to be her sister,she had no family now, but for some reason she could not bring herself to do it.

  Angee and Bria had a slight sense of Allia, they rushed down the hall, the double doors at the end burst in as Angee threw a bolt of lightning at it, she loved singing magic,it felt so alive.

  Kimih looked up as the doors shattered,she's been far away enough from the blast not to be caught by the main remnants of the door,but the shockwave had disorientated her for a moment, the two Bards that rushed in pulled up and stared at her.

  "No closer or she dies", she backed up with one hand po
inted at Allia, "you may have won this round Bard,but I will win in the end." A flash of dark light and she was gone.

  Mol and Illia entered a scene of carnage, bodies lay everywhere, Mol daggers in hand didn't stop and rushed into the house, almost bowling two more bards over,they evaded and turned on her ready to fight.

  Illia just behind Mol shouted "hold!", just in time to stop an unfortunate event taking place.

  "Where's Angee?", one of the Bards looked upstairs and Mol bolted, she only noted the woman bound in a light web in passing and rushed to the room at the end of the hall to find Angee and Bria kneeling over Allia, " I think she'll live."

  Angee turned sharply at the sound of Mol's entrance and did a double take as she saw who it was who had come in.

  "Mol!, what are you doing here?". Mol walked over to them. "One of the Bards at the temple sent a message to the Mother Abbess and I thought I'd better come as you'd need me, looks like you managed alright in your own."

  They managed to find a door that was intact and took it off it's hinges to use as a litter for Allia, they carried her back to the temple after a last search of the house and the arrival of the town guard to secure it.

  The strange woman was still out cold so they put her next to Allia on the door and four of them carried the litter with Angee walking in front.

  By now Dawn had broken and people were going about their business,they saw the Bards walking solemnly with their litter,and muted respectful gestures were offered by some people, obviously not everyone had an unkind thought for them Angee realised.

  Arriving back at the temple there was a small delegation from the city awaiting them, Angee gestured they should take Allia to her room and the other woman in the one next door while she dealt with this.

  The sunlight streaming into the temple made it look more like a cathedral and the looks on the faces of these men she was going to talk too noted they'd seen the stunning beauty of it all.

  Angee looking slightly bedraggled approached them and led them to some pews so they could sit and talk.

  "Can I help you?".

  One man in a formal brocade blue doublet spoke up,she seemed slightly older than the other and his brown hair was shot with grey streaks, "yes,we just wondered what has been happening, I'm Groshin Pirn, the Mayor of the city,and with all those bodies in that house and stories of you Bards going about killing people."

  Angee was very tired and this was the reason why she stood up sharply anger suffusing her face "For your information we cleared up a nest of the Unnamed ones minions and rescued a sister who'd been taken. I suggest you put your own house in order before you start telling us how to run ours!".

  She didn't trust herself not to lose it completely so stormed out leaving them sat there in astonishment at the berating they had just been given.

  Vere was stood just inside the door with the strange woman while next door Illia and Bria tended to Allia, both Bards were stood either side of her with hands held mere inches from her body, a fierce glow around them.

  Ruth nodded as she came in "they just started,she needs physical and mental healing for the torture she received."

  The strain was showing on both green bards now but Allia looked a better colour, Angee and Ruth stood for another hour or so while this healing went on, suddenly the lights from both green Bards winked out and they sagged.

  Illia flopped back against the white stone wall and Ruth caught Bria just before she fell.

  "That was the hardest thing I've ever done" Bria's tone declaring the tiredness she felt,Illia only nodded, after a minute to compose themselves both green Bards stood up.

  "Bria and I are going to get some sleep,one of you stay with Allia till she wakes up, the other woman can wait till after we've rested."

  Not waiting for an answer both Bards quietly left the room.

  Allia awoke about an hour later,she jumped in alarm still she saw the friendly smiles of Angee and Ruth.

  "You rescued me?".

  Angee shook her head,"nope,you rescued us and cooked dinner to boot,what do you think we'd do?" the joke made Allia smile. One which quickly disappeared when she remembered who her captor was.

  Angee feeling her distress sat on the bed beside her.

  "What's wrong Allia?", her heart was in her eyes when she answered. "Did you see a tall woman in black?", both Bards nodded " that used to be my sister Kimih" her name was said in a broken tone and she burst out crying.

  Angee sat hugging Allia for a long time while she cried herself out.

  Ruth put a hand on Angee's shoulder and whispered in her ear," I'll go fetch her parents."

  Angee didn't reply but heard Ruth slip silently out of the room.

  Mol had taken over from Vere sat with the stranger, it had been a couple of hours since they'd arrived back and the woman was still unconscious.

  A noise made Mol turn, Bria came in as quietly as possible. "Has she stirred?".

  Mol stood up and stretched,"no, been totally unmoving."

  Bria walked around the bed. "Get Angee and we'll begin,I think she should be here."

  Once Angee had arrived Bria held her hand over the woman laying on the bed,after a few moments she gasped in astonishment and the light around her hands winked out.

  "This is impossible!", Angee moved closer to the bed, "what?, what's wrong?". Bria gestured to the sleeping figure.

  "This; we have a woman laying here,her soul tells me so,but physically she is a man, but also she's dressed as a woman."

  Bria held out her hands again, talking as if almost in a trance, "there are female elements in her blood too,I can feel it, what do you want me to do?".

  Angee had to think for a moment, this was certainly a puzzle, but in the end there was only one way to solve this puzzle. "Wake her up."

  Stephanie came around slowly, she was on her back staring at a white ceiling, where was she hospital?.

  She realised others were in the room,turning her head,something she quickly realised she should do slowly less her head explode due to the headache, she saw two women in weird clothes,like something out of an Errol Flynn movie.

  "Where am I?" she asked in alarm.

  One of the women looked at her quizzically "You're in the Temple of Light in the city of Irek."

  Stephanie was now very confused, "Temple of Light?, Irek?, aren't we in Leeds anymore?".

  Angee rolled the name around in her mouth, "Leeds?, I'm sorry I'm not familiar with that name,you speak with a strange accent,where about's in the Kingdom is it?".

  Stephanie was beginning to doubt her sanity. "It's in the North of England, did I have an accident, why aren't I in a hospital, the last thing I remember was standing by my car and a strong wind suddenly blowing up."

  Angee had some suspicions at this point. "Strong wind?. You talk strangely,your clothes say you are not from around here, I think the magic went further afield than I thought."

  Stephanie could only gape, Magic?, these people were nuts if they believed in that.

  "I want to make a phone call,people will be worried about me."

  Angee didn't know what a 'phone call' was but she realised this woman hadn't grasped what had happened.

  "I'm sorry, I think I should explain things, this may seem strange to you, but you were brought here when an evil spell rebounded on it's caster, you were caught in that effect I'm afraid,and brought here."

  To emphasise her point Angee raised a hand making it light up with magical fire.

  "I am a white Bard,sworn to good, and it was a result of a battle I fought in that you're here."

  Stephanie wondered what her psychiatrist at the hospital would make of this, it would certainly delay her treatment to have a delusional breakdown like this.

  Bria was getting concerned for this woman.

  "Angee it's a lot to take in at once,why don't we take it slowly?".

  Smiling at Stephanie she held out a hand.

  "Do you feel up to getting up and having something to eat?".

&nbs
p; Stephanie really didn't really want to move due to her headache," I'm not feeling to well at the moment,do you mind if I stay here?".

  Bria leaned over, "your head hurts?".

  Steph nodded and winced at the pain.

  Bria held her hands over Stephanie's head, "I'm a healer,don't be scared I'll soon have you sorted."

  Stephanie was too fascinated to be scared, the woman's hands glowed green over her and the headache receded rapidly till it was gone completely, she'd not felt so sharp and alert for a long time.

  "Thank you, I think I will get up now, perhaps there are other things I need to know?".

  Angee helped her stand, "yes, there are things we'd like to ask too."

  From the look of the place she was in a medieval church, she didn't know places like this still existed in such a well preserved state, "can I get some fresh air?".

  Bria who had accompanied her set of towards the temple doors.

  "Yes,it's a gorgeous day actually, spring is just about here."

  Stephanie puzzled this out as she walked through the doors, she stopped suddenly looking at the slate roofing and architecture,where the hell was she?.

  The sights and sounds made her think Shakespeare fan would have been happy here.

  There was no evidence of technology,and she was beginning to doubt this was a breakdown at all, but if magic did exist how was she going to get home?.

  Her medication was nearly all at home, she had only a two day supply left, which she carried 'just in case', after that, well, she winced inside at the thought.

  Her stomach grumbled loudly and Bria had heard it, "come on lets get you inside for a hot meal, I hear Mol is a good cook."

  Mol was busy in the temple kitchen, it was well stocked and in fact should have had a full time cook, but Ruth and Vere liked to do their own cooking,usually. Mol was pan frying some large steaks she'd found in the cold locker, she'd already put tuber's, and potatoes on to boil, and was just about to make a rich meat gravy.