Ashling suddenly spoke up. “Speaking of centuries, how's it been going having to handle your own clothes since powdered wigs were in? They're not anymore, by the way, just in case you think your hair would fit in outside an emo concert. Did you even manage to drag any leprechauns down with you, or do you have to fix your own shoes?”
Tiernan glared. “It is incredible that you were the single faerie sent.”
“Single? Well, I am trying to stay available for the reincarnation of Errol Flynn, but...”
Megan cleared her throat. “What we're here for—well, one of the things we're here for is to ask about the Dagda's cauldron.”
“The Dagda's cauldron?” Tiernan echoed. “I certainly don't have it.”
“Well, we got the impression that you know who does.”
Silence again, aside from the water, the boat, nearly ten people breathing, and the Count's apparent attempt to get something out of his feathers.
Finally, Tiernan muttered. “Clever of her... to be expected of the Unseelie. And at least a bean sidhe is still sidhe. How did your father ever manage to replace her?”
“Um, he hasn't,” Megan said. Nearly two years in, it was starting to get embarrassing how much her dad hated doing without his creepy ex-seneschal. “So...do you know where it is?”
“I suppose I do. I wouldn't recommend trying for it.”
“Who's got it?”
“The dokkalfar.”
Megan searched her memory. “That's one of the Scandinavian evils, right?”
“Indeed. And Scandinavian evils are Scandinavian business. As ours should be ours.”
“General Inwar's accomplished a lot for An Teach Deiridh.” Even as the words were out of her mouth, Megan realized they were probably a bad idea.
And there it was: another long pause. Megan watched the lights in the distance of an underground village, with a variety of buildings partly outlined with the pale greenish glow of bioluminescent fungi. A few of the high windows and a few points about the streets were lit by flickering lantern light, but most of the village was left dark.
Tiernan finally answered after they'd drifted closer. “He's fought real battles, with real casualties, not just the Faerie games so many of us danced the centuries through. I'll give the Northman that. But his 'accomplishments' wouldn't have been needed if sidhe had done the job properly themselves, if Orlaith hadn't decided to depend on a foreigner.”
“Okay,” Cassia said. “Instead of retreading old ground, why don't we just turn the boat around? We asked the question we came here to ask. The dokkalfar have the cauldron. Now we know. Job done. We'll get out of your isolation-bleached hair.”
“No," Megan said. "Let's stay a while. I want to talk about other stuff."
Cassia frowned. "Why would we want to stay past the bare minimum?" She whispered, but she didn't put much effort into not being heard.
"I just do, okay?" Megan whispered back. She was thinking, oddly enough, of the Tooth Mouse—but she wasn't thinking about being properly cordial. She looked to Tiernan. "I'm not your aunt's biggest fan," she said.
The boat was almost to the dock.
Tiernan glanced at her, narrowing his eyes. "Yes, after what happened, I would imagine not.” Another pause. “What bothered you the most?”
“Well, it's a tough call...” Megan began. He was asking her opinion. In an open-ended question. And the silence was sitting like a vacuum, waiting for her to fill up with words. She decided to be careful which words she gave him. “Probably that real civilized way she can lie to everyone's face to get what she wants without actually saying anything technically inaccurate.” And I need to get the hang of that.
“Ah,” Tiernan said, looking unsatisfied but not suspicious. “Well, you may grow out of that, child.”
Chapter 14: Diplomacy by Other Means
Justin was up on the dock almost as quickly as Tiernan's men were, offering Megan a hand. She ignored theirs and took Justin's, making sure both her feet ended up firmly on the dock.
She was finally able to make out more of the village than just the lights and shapes, and she finally saw something of what Tiernan had meant about order in the darkness. In many ways, it was as much of a marvel of art and architecture as An Teach Deiridh, as long as one could view it from much closer. The town was laid out in neat rows, with the tallest buildings near the center, leading out to smaller buildings and stone walls at the edges, with signs of regular movement on the walls.
The stalactites, stalagmites, supporting columns, and even some of the walls had been turned into statues and friezes. Most of the standing or hanging stones had been carved, etched, or otherwise crafted into figures, almost all sidhe, ranging from noble, armored figures to maidens in flowing garments. A few others were carved into glimmers of pixies and the like. The walls of the caverns displayed grander scenes, most notably great battles against what Megan guessed were the Fomoire. Sidhe lords and sorcerers led faerie hosts in support of figures Megan recognized—mostly from art at An Teach Deiridh—as Gods.
While she was looking around, absorbed in the sweeping artwork, she felt Lani's hand on her arm. “You wanted to talk,” the shorter girl said quietly. “Hopefully about more than just how neither of you like the Queen all that much.”
“Right,” Megan said. “Well, while we're giving people credit for fighting in real fights, Orlaith did, sure. A lot of fancy setting fire to skeletons, and people really died. She took that hard.”
“She would,” Tiernan said, nodding. “She wasn't prepared. As evidenced by her letting you get involved.”
Megan shrugged. “Too late now, but how do you figure?”
“The age of mortal heroes is long past. We should be tending to our own affairs. And yet my Aunt keeps recruiting outsiders, and your father can't focus for more than a season."
Megan listened, watching those dark eyes. When he was done, she paused just another moment before speaking. "Well, you kind of left her to it, didn't you?"
Tiernan tensed. "Hardly, I tried to make her see that no good would come of her alliances."
Lani's hand was, in turn, still a little tense on Megan's arm, but the shorter girl spoke up. “Yes, but the end of how you handled it meant you ended up here. And a nice chunk of the people you think should be running stuff have been..." Lani looked around at the village. "...here. And the Queen is back there with no one to disagree with her but the King. When he wants to bother. And now there's going to be a big international conference where theirs—and General Inwar's—will be the closest to the Proper Sidhe Perspective. I mean, you can't get a win when you're not playing the game."
Tiernan looked very annoyed: how much of that was from Lani's argument and how much was having to engage with her at all was unclear. “Do you think exile is a game? Or that we took to preparing iron weapons for defense because we were bored?"
Megan stepped forward slightly, with Justin matching the movement. Continuing to argue with a guy like Tiernan when he looked the way he was looking was probably a terrible idea, but Megan quickly decided to think about that later. “Well, that's not what she said, is it? She's just saying that decisions are made by those who show up, and it's sounding like with an international meeting, you won't show up even if you're invited."
"And regardless of the decisions they make, they're doomed,” Tiernan said. “Centuries of zero-consequence skirmishes left them woefully unprepared. Here, we're defensible, and we've been preparing this whole time. Out there, we're subject to their leadership. My aunt and her pet Northerner won't have it any other way. What you're suggesting would get us all killed, when this way, there's some chance of survival."
Megan folded her arms. "Well, okay, what do you know, there's some people you'd totally get along with in Murias right now. You sound just like the Greeks."
His hand went to his sword, but stayed there without drawing, considering the company. Slowly, he relaxed again.
"You may think so, but the Greeks are unprepared for any
thing and isolated. They have no allies, even their own Gods. They don't prepare for war, the Titans, the return of their Gods, or anyone else's foes. And therein lies a critical difference. I plan for my people to survive. Which no one will under the leadership of our families—who, and this is important to keep in mind, will not permit anyone else to lead, regardless of circumstance. That much has been firmly proven."
Megan could tell they were at an impasse, but nevertheless couldn't feel right trying to turn around and find their way out of the place. She let silence reign again just a little while longer before she asked her next question.
"So how exactly did things get to this point? From the part where aunt and nephew seriously crossed lines with each other to the part where he had to leave?"
"Well, obviously, none of my family were there..." Lani began.
"I was," said Cassia. "Tiernan got his ass kicked on the field of honor."
"So that's how proper responsible Seelie political decisions get made?"
"Yeah." Cassia's hooves tapped against the boards almost jauntily. "You want me to make a proper political decision right now?"
Tiernan sneered. “You lack the standing, even if you had the skill, which you don't."
"So you're going to take the coward's way out? Don't have the guts to even bring it yourself? You got your ass beat once by a Northman, and now you're going to be a coward for life?"
"Please, the Northmen are at least known for their skills at war. What are the Greeks known for? Drinking? Producing the occasional heroic bastard to handle the big jobs for them? Trying to appease their self-centered Gods? I'm not frightened, but I also have nothing to prove... except that I'm not going to lower myself to accepting challenges from imported mercenaries."
Cassia was about to lunge, when Justin clamped a hand down on her shoulder. "Then your problem is a lack of standing?" he asked Tiernan.
"Yes, mortal. I believe that's what I just said."
"Then as the champion of the Princess of the Unseelie Court, I have standing."
Megan looked at the pale sidhe, then around at all of his sidhe troops, armed with their faerie-killing weapons, then to her champion/boyfriend. "He has thousands of years of this. Are you sure?" she asked.
"As Mack likes to say, Milady, I've got this."
Megan nodded, stepping most of the way from behind Justin. "All right, then kick his ass."
Justin looked to Cassia. "You will stand as my second, and if I fall through treachery, you'll split him in two—" he paused, looking back to Tiernan, "With full standing to do so."
"It'll be a pleasure, but don't go dying just to give me the satisfaction, okay?"
Justin stepped forward. "A duel of blades, then. If I win, you'll agree to meet with my lady's father in good faith regarding the matters at hand—and to grant us full access to the routes out of here.” Megan was relieved that Justin had thought to make sure there wouldn't be any isolation from exit paths if Tiernan got more upset. It wasn't surprising, though. Justin did that sort of thing. “Your terms?" he asked.
Tiernan sneered, stepping back to leave ten feet between himself and Justin, while spear-carrying warriors moved to form a wide circle around them, and one stepped forward without Tiernan needing to say a thing: apparently he’d dueled often enough that he had a regular second, Megan guessed. "When I win, you'll die, knowing you’ve not only thrown your life away, but probably killed the satyr as well.”
What most impressed Megan was how little Tiernan was looking at Justin, even as he said such things. That was the only reason Megan was able to nod when Justin looked back to her for confirmation.
“Caw.”
“No, Count,” said Ashling. “There is unfortunately no popcorn.”
Tiernan frowned as Megan recognized the duel, but readied himself, facing Justin and drawing his sword. "As you like, Princess."
Justin nodded to Cassia, then turned to face Tiernan, readying his shield. He didn't even take off his coat as Tiernan drew.
Megan worried more as Tiernan showed off his swordsmanship skills with a flourish. It worsened as he faked a lunge, trying to get Justin to flinch. Then, it turned to panic as Tiernan rushed forward on the offensive, and Justin still hadn't moved, or even drawn his sword.
The duel was over in a flash, Tiernan committed to the lunge, and Justin, motions partly hidden from his opponent at first by the white shield, drew the Claiomh Solais. The young knight made no attempt at Tiernan, instead, attacking the sidhe's sword. The Claiomh Solais flashed bright white, then blue, as it destroyed whatever enchantments were on the sidhe's blade, and then cut the sword itself in two.
Tiernan was still adjusting to the destruction of his weapon when he found the flaming tip of the Claiomh Solais pointing at his face. Justin turned the sword slightly, but didn't thrust the blade forward. "You will address Her Royal Highness appropriately in informing her that you yield."
Megan had to credit the sidhe for courage, anyway, as he responded. “The Claiomh Solais is inappropriate in a formal duel.”
“Inappropriate like using wrought iron on other sidhe?” Megan asked.
Tiernan tensed, then sighed. "I formally yield, Your Royal Highness. Do tell, where did your champion find the blade?"
"You seemed awfully well informed; you didn't know?" Megan asked, before moving up to put a hand on Justin's shoulder, since he hadn't lowered the sword. "He might be a liar, but I think he'll keep his word."
Tiernan frowned, "I swear to it. The realm will ensure I keep my word. None of you are in any danger from me or mine, if you offer no threat."
Justin lowered his sword and stepped back. Cassia grumbled a lot of things Megan was pretty sure were both Greek, and highly offensive, but the satyress kept her hand off her sword. "None, so you'll meet with my father on neutral ground?"
"Fine. Rules are rules, but none of my opinions have changed. Well.... very few. You have an appropriate neutral ground in mind?"
“They're already in Murias,” Lani said.
“A neutral ground my aunt isn't standing in.”
The group glances between each other, before Ashling chimed in, "What about the Hoh River Trail, in Olympic State Park? There's an easy path to it."
"Ah, near … Her Highness's home grounds. Very well, I will be there, with a small entourage. See that Riocard keeps it down to a few representatives as well."
Ashling narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, like he needs an army."
Chapter 15: Eel-Infested Waters
Tiernan was true to his word in letting them get onto the paths out, starting with putting them on a boat back towards the appropriate caverns.
This time, it was Ashling who first took notice. "Look out!" she called, but there was nowhere to go. The hiss of arrows filled the air. Justin pushed Megan to the bottom of the boat and pulled his shield off his back in one motion, two arrows striking it with heavy thunks. Cassia turned and snatched an arrow directly out of the air. The boatman wasn't as fast or as fortunate, and two arrows punched through his light armor. He lost the guidance pole and nearly toppled off of the boat, before Jude managed to grab hold of his cloak, tugging backwards, helping just long enough for Lani to grab him as well.
"Winds, Megan, now!" Ashling shouted, starting into the intended song. Megan fell right in, calling up a stiff wind that took the next shots off-course, if only barely.
"Louder, we need to move!" Ashling said, as there were three splashes in the cavern behind them.
"Not exactly a sailboat," Lani called, before muttering something to herself about trying to rig something up.
"We'll take what we can get," Cassia said, moving to the back of the boat, drawing her sword as Maxwell moved to join her.
Megan picked up the volume, trying to control the winds and help get the current moving in a helpful direction as much as she could. The results were uneven and nearly tipped the boat over a couple of times, but they were at least moving.
She could see dark shapes rising from the water b
ehind her, the shadowy caverns mostly hiding them, but she got some hint of serpentine shapes cutting quickly through the water. "They're catching up!" Lani called.
Megan sang louder and more forcefully, and the boat picked up more speed, even as the trip became rougher. Cassia's balance held, as did the cats', but everyone else had to drop to sit in the boat, while Ashling and the Count had to grab firm hold of Megan to keep the winds from blowing them around.
Lani was tending to the boatman as best she could, digging back into her ingredients, and failed to notice when a serpentine head rose out of the water behind the boat, snapping forward like a snake. The giant river serpent’s jaws caught hold of her, dragging her up and out of the boat.
Another head emerged from one side of the boat, darting towards Megan. Justin spun and interposed his shield, which the serpent latched onto, starting to try to drag Justin overboard.
Cassia leapt off of the boat, drawing her sword as she made the impressive jump in pursuit of Lani, digging her hooves in and finding a fingerhold on the scales. She swung her sword, cutting shallowly into the scales. It was still enough to draw blood. The serpent’s jaws opened in a roar at Cassia—and dropped Lani. The satyress caught her, pushing off again, dumping Lani into the boat. With the uncertain footing and the wet, slippery surface, Cassia ended up holding onto the back of the boat, dropping her sword into it, most of her body trailing in the water.
Justin had to grab onto the boat to keep from being dragged out of it himself, leaving him without a hand to go for his sword. Still singing, Megan grabbed for the blade, pulling it free of the scabbard, and, thanks to Justin's training in the past months, felt halfway competent in stabbing the flaming blade at the giant serpentine neck. There was a flash of flame, before the creature hissed, releasing the shield and ducking back below the water before she could follow up.
She handed Justin his sword, and he resumed protecting her, while parts of the group moved to try to keep watch on as many points as possible around the boat.
A Fair Fight Page 7