Celtic Rain (The Battle Raven Series)

by Isabelle Stewart

  Liam had dismounted and was positioned behind the heavy infantry and he saw General Ruark give the signal. He nodded to General Kayne and they moved their way to the front lines into battle.

  Kedryn and Scanlon’s side clashed with Liam’s army first with the cavalry unit following closely behind. Aodhan’s and Devlyn’s side pounded against the Milesian army next. It seemed that the middle line was a bit more cautious on the Danann side.

  As Liam rushed a few paces behind the front line he paused to survey the scene. He noticed that more than anywhere else in the battle Milesian bodies were scattered around the Danann’s right flank. Liam looked for the cause and noted a soldier covered in black armor and recognized the fighting style. He signaled to Niall pointing in Kedryn’s direction.

  “Go! Take care of that. We do not need to lose any more men than we have to.” Liam said.

  Niall’s eyes searched for the Battle Raven’s son and heard a loud crash. Their side had clashed with the Danann front line. Niall yell at him over the clashing of swords.

  “It will be such a waste of talent.” He looked at Liam’s narrowed eyes. “All right. I will take care of him.” Niall said and started to make his way over to where Kedryn was fighting off another Milesian soldier.

  Liam’s thoughts were on only one person, Lord Blaine. As he easily fought off two Danann soldiers Liam scanned the lines in front of him. Lara and General Ruark were almost to the front line. His eyes spotted Blaine who was still positioned behind the heavy infantry.

  “Coward.” he said and cut his way further into the battle reaching the front line where General Kayne had made his way hacking at the Danann front line.

  “Look at him hiding behind those two.” He signaled Kayne to move with him straight toward Blaine. Liam felt a sharp pain as a blade sliced his shoulder. He kicked the solder to his side in the gut and sliced down with his sword beheading the man. Looking down at his shoulder he noted it was just a scratch. His eyes scanned the soldiers for again for Blaine as Kayne appeared in front of him.

  “Pay attention Liam!” Kayne shouted angrily as he arched a swing down knocking a lance out of a soldiers hands slicing the man’s hand off. He kicked the soldier in the head knocking him on the ground.

  On the edge of the battle Niall was fighting his way through the soldiers to get to Kedryn and began to notice something off about the bodies.

  He looked at them closer and realized that the soldiers on the ground were not dead.

  “Interesting.” Niall said out loud and thought that he just might have to disobey Liam’s order as he blocked a battle ax, spun and ran a man through.

  Lord Blaine was also keeping an eye out for Liam. He blocked a blow to his side and caught sight of him. He decided to move forward with his own plan of action. He ran past Lara jumping over bodies fighting his way straight through to Liam.

  General Ruark and Lara’s line of soldiers backed off and moved forward to clash again with the Milesian. Ruark almost missed dodging a blade coming at him when he heard Lara shout.

  “No! God. What is he doing?”

  Ruark cursed as he looked over and saw Blaine fighting his way to Liam. He moved forward some more to catch Blaine. Milesian soldiers crowded in on him and he lost sight of Blaine as Lara appeared at his side.

  “Has he lost all sense? He knows you are the one to get to Liam first.” Ruark yelled.

  “Do you think he thought if he got to him face to face that Liam would listen?” She swung her daggers in a deadly arch at a Milesian who had gotten past her defenses. She kicked him to the ground.

  Aodhan appeared in front of Lara and made her jump. She almost slashed at him out of reaction and held her arm back. General Ruark parried a blow that was aimed at Aodhan’s back.

  “Get back to your post. Devlyn needs you!” Ruark said.

  “I can get my father out of there.” He looked anxiously at where Blaine was sidestepping a blade and spun as he ran the man through.

  “You will drain yourself and have already used translocation once to get here. If you go to your father and bring him back what use will you be if you can’t fight? The healer’s cannot keep using their powers to heal you. They have to attend the wounded. Get back to your side of the line!”

  Lara watched as Blaine cut down the warriors around him. He was almost to Liam and she tried to fight her way closer. More Milesian soldiers were breaking through the line held in front of them. She took a chance and looked back at Eion. They wouldn’t be able to flag him down in time. She had a thought and jumped over a fallen soldier making her way to Aodhan meeting up with him back to back.

  “Have you ever translocated something to a certain area.” She yelled.

  “Just playing around. Why?” he turned and stopped a battle axe that was aimed for her side.

  “How badly did that drain you?” she asked as she spun and kicked a man in the head. Thank God for steel toed boots she thought as she heard his helmet ring when her boot hit it.

  “Not entirely as bad as doing it myself.”

  Aodhan scanned the soldiers and spotted his father who was almost to Liam. He realized what she was thinking.

  “No. I am not going to do it.” Aodhan said.

  “I am the one who has to reach Liam first. Your father is not strong enough. Look at him he will wear himself out before he even gets there.”

  She spun and struck down a Milesian who swiped a long dagger at Aodhan’s back. Lara grabbed Aodhan and kissed him as she deflected another arching blow looking him in the eyes.

  “I trust you. I will be where I’m supposed to be and you can get back to help Devlyn.”

  “No. I cannot …” Aodhan started to say as he blocked a sword blow and smashed a fist into the face of a soldier. Aodhan spun to her and thought about going ahead and get his father out himself. Then reason took over.

  He shouted and got the attention of the Danann soldiers surrounding them. “Surround us for a couple of seconds. Nothing gets through.” He heard a shout of acknowledgement and the men formed a semicircle around them.

  As she prepared herself she looked at him. “I love you Aodhan.”

  He stepped up to her and put both of his hands on the side of her head and looked in her eyes and concentrated. As she started to disappear in a white flash Lara heard a slight fading whisper.

  “I love you Lara.” Aodhan said at the last possible second and watched her go in a white flash just as a sword was following through to cut her down. Aodhan parried the blow and did a straight thrust taking the soldier down. He turned and fought his way back to Devlyn. Looking Liam’s way he saw that Lara got there just in time.

  Lara had landed right in front of Liam as he was running to cut Blaine down. His blade crashed down onto her crossed blades as she blocked the blow that was meant for Blaine. Her sudden appearance threw him off balance.

  “I am the one who is to reach you first. Not Blaine.” Lara said as she took a chance and glanced back at Blaine. He was fighting off another Milesian with an irritated expression on his face.

  “I have heard as much.” Liam said and watched as her head snapped back around to him. He immediately got over the shock of seeing her in front of him and arched swing at her which she easily swiped aside.

  “Don not go easy on me because I am a woman.” she said to him as she leaped at him spinning and tapped his sword. “End this.”

  He slashed down at her and hit her daggers so hard she felt both of her arms jar. She backed off and shook out her arms. The man hit like an anvil. “You hit harder than any man I’ve sparred with before.”

  Liam gave her a cocky grin. “This is not sparring. I will end this when they surrender or I have it out with him.”

  He looked at Blaine and started to go around her towards him. She sidestepped in front of him and blocked his path.

  “You will have to go through me.” She stood in a fighter’s stance ready to spring on him or anyone else around her. She did a quick spin kick to the head of a
soldier who was creeping up on her and faced Liam again.

  “As you wish, my Lady Battle Raven. No magic, no cheap tricks. Just you and me.”

  “I would not have it any other way.” Lara said and her green eyes flashed.

  Liam swung a deadly blow at Lara’s neck which she blocked and spun away from just in time. She swung one of her daggers at him intentionally missing and kicked him in the mid section knocking the wind out of him.

  “You know a few moves like your son.” He said appraising her.

  “I am full of surprises.” Lara said and spun around him and slightly nicked him on the arm.

  Liam swung at her with a right hook more angry at himself for letting her knick him. She easily ducked under his arm.

  As Lara and Liam were fighting Aodhan had made it back over to where Devlyn was. He had seen Lara block Liam’s blow aimed at his father. Right when he got to Devlyn’s side a Milesian somehow had gotten past Devlyn’s defense and slashed into his leg. Blood gushed out through his fingers that were pressed over the wound.

  “You have to get to the healers.” Aodhan yelled at him above the noise of the battle.

  “No.” Devlyn yelled back as he sliced through another Milesian and his leg gave out. Devlyn fell to his knees. Aodhan said an oath and translocated Devlyn to the healer’s tent placing him on a cot directly in front of Fand.

  “Take care of him and send him back out.” Aodhan said to her and almost collapsed himself. Fand grabbed him and used her powers to give him more strength. He looked at her in thanks and ran back out to the field. As soon as he got back to the back of the Danann line he searched the field for his father and watched in horror at the scene before him.

  Lord Blaine ran a Milesian through just before the man’s blade slashed into Lara. Blaine turned to block the blow of another and while swinging to cut the soldier down he caught a foot on a fallen soldier and his swing went wide. The Milesian he had swung at easily sidestepped the blow. Aodhan watched in horror as Blaine left himself in a defenseless position and the Milesian he intended to cut down ran him through.

  “No!” Aodhan yelled as he saw and felt the loss of what happened. He was about ready to translocate to his father when Devlyn ran past him. He had seen what had happed to Blaine and yelled at Aodhan.

  “There is nothing you can do. Use your anger!” he ran ahead to rejoin the battle.

  Aodhan paused for a second. He quickly realized through his grief that Devlyn was right. He ran in to join Devlyn and the other Danann soldiers in battle.

  Lara somehow heard Aodhan yell over the battle and glanced over and saw what had happened to Blaine. She felt Aodhan’s anger and loss and her emotions took over. Her eyes turned a smoky gray as she stepped back a pace from Liam. Raising her arm she swung it in an arching stroke while she turned and black feathery smoke surrounded all of the Milesian and Danann around her. She ended up in a defensive crouch blocking a blow that Liam had aimed at her. Lara looked around at the surrounding soldiers. Milesian and Danann alike were all stopped in their tracks.

  “Shit.” she said as she looked at the dumb founded soldiers surrounding her. “At least they will not interrupt us.”

  Lara looked at Liam through her crossed blades and wondered why her power did not affect him.

  “My powers did not affect you. Good.” Lara said as she shoved his blade away.

  Liam looked around at the soldiers and then his full attention was back to Lara. Full of fury he raised his sword. “Blaine was mine. You took that away from me!”

  He lunged at her and she easily moved aside to avoid it. She side kicked him and he staggered back holding his ribs.

  “He was never yours to take.” Lara calmly said.

  “Then it will be your life.” Liam said as he lunged forward with a straight thrust.

  He anticipated her move to deflect the blow past her swinging his foot out tripping her. Lara rolled to the ground avoiding his sword. She ended up in a crouch ready for him and took a chance looking around at the other soldiers that her power of confusion did not reach. They were gradually slowing down and stopped fighting each other. All looking on in amazement at what happened to their comrades.

  Liam took a quick glance around too and he arched a swing at her head with his sword which brought her attention back to the fight. She barely knocked his blade aside in time and ducked out of the way.

  “Pay attention.” she said angrily to herself.

  The clashing iron of their blades brought every man that was fighting towards Lara and Liam creating a circle surrounding them. It was as if God had put a spell on them. For some unknown reason the soldiers were more interested in the fight with Lara and Liam than with each other.

  Lara made a quick decision to use the same move that she used on Aodhan at Carrick’s. She let Liam knock one of her blades out of her hand that made him overconfident in his next move. As he moved to thrust his sword into her stomach she pivoted her body to the side and stepped to him. Grabbing his forearm she flipped him over her hip. The flip sent his sword flying onto the ground. Liam landed flat on his back. Unlike Aodhan he did not remain down. He rolled himself up onto his knees and right into Lara’s blades crossed at his throat. All she had to do was slash with her daggers and the battle would be over. Instead all she could see was Wash and pulled the blades back and stepped away.

  Liam looked up at her confused. “Why not kill me?”

  “You are too valuable to waste. There has been enough bloodshed.”

  He rolled back and grabbed his sword off of the ground swinging it at her with a confused look on his face. He really didn’t want his troops to think he was a coward and stop fighting.

  “You should not have done that. Killing me would have ended this war that you have been so desperately trying to talk me out of.”

  “Rethink this.” Lara said as she almost knocked the sword out of his hands.

  “No.” Liam said with a hint of weariness.

  “Look at the soldiers. None are fighting anymore. It may be because of confusion or that they are just simply watching us. What really matters is that the fighting has stopped. Do you really think any of us want to be in this battle of revenge?”

  “Do you always talk when you fight?” Liam asked as he jumped away from her dagger as it sliced at his stomach.

  “It passes the time.” she said and shrugged as she dodged his sword “Who knows you might listen to reason and both sides can be at peace again. No one really wants this and no more lives will be lost. Let’s be done with this. Start the peace negotiations.”

  As the soldiers were standing transfixed by Lara and Liam, General Ruark started making his way towards General Kayne. He needed to talk some sense into the man and end this. He felt an arrow fly by his face as it took down the soldier next to him. His head jerked to the left and he scanned the tree line for a second. He did not see any movement and decided to brush it off as a fluke.

  Ruark kept on moving and noticed an arrow sink into a soldier near Kayne. They looked at each other for a second and Kayne spotted something over in the trees. They both acknowledged each other and gave a peace signal.

  Kayne signaled to Ruark to circle around the left side of the trees and he would take the right. Ruark nodded at him in agreement and started quickly making his way through the soldiers to the forest. Kayne followed suit going the other direction. As Ruark hit the tree line he made a huge arch around where he saw the first arrow. He spotted the archers just as he saw Kayne on the other side.

  “Firbolg.” Ruark cursed to himself.

  Cadmon saw out of the corner of his eye the two men that were flanking his small group. Tiran spotted Kane and ran towards him. General Daigh looked in the opposite direction and lunged to attack Ruark. “Keep one alive!” Ruark yelled just as he ran Tiran through.

  Ruark managed to knock down General Daigh. Kayne looked around for the other who had slipped away.

  Chapter 33

  The fire crackled sending spar
ks out of the fireplace and Lady Paili turned slightly startled. She started to pace and was stopped short. The door opened and the healer she had sent for walked into her chamber.

  “Aalia. Thank you for coming.”

  “I came as quickly as I could, my Lady.” Aalia said and looked around.

  “I thought my services were needed?”

  Her question was answered when Damon appeared in front of her and slumped to the floor. A slight crack was heard when he hit his head on the marble floor. Paili let out a muffled cry and hurried to his side.

  “Quickly Aalia. Please heal my brother. My amulet will let Lord Faolan know if I used my power without his consent.”

  Aalia gently rolled Damon over and placed her hands over him. A faint orange glow surrounded him and he opened his eyes. Damon slowly rose to his feet. He rubbed his temples and looked around. He held out his hand helping Aalia to her feet.

  “Thank you Aalia. Have we been summoned?”

  “Yes. We must hurry.” Paili smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt.

  Damon held out his arm and Paili took it as he led her into the torch lit corridor beyond. A guard outside of the throne room opened the door for them. When they entered Lord Faolan was lounging on his throne with his eyes shut. He held up a hand motioning them to be quite. Lord Faolan sensed a lull in the fighting between the Danann and Milesian armies. When his eyes opened they fixed on Lady Paili.

  “Tiran is dead. I do not believe your plan is going so well, my Lady.” Faolan said giving her an evil grin.

  “What plan?” she asked calmly as she walked up the steps to the throne. She knew he had somehow found out. He always did.

  Damon followed her up the steps to stand before Lord Faolan. He went down on one knee and lowered his head. Lady Paili sat down in the smaller ornate chair to Faolan’s side. She shifted in the chair to face him trying to look as innocent as possible knowing that he wouldn’t buy it.

  “Do you really believe that I would not have known? Rise Damon.” He looked at Damon who was masking the fear in his eyes. Faolan stood and walked up to Damon.