Rundimahair: A new hero for a new adventure

by Larry Forkner

  “Maybe they are already back at Rundimahair,” Eamon said hopefully.

  “I wish that could be so, Da. Unfortunately, she hasn’t progressed that far. She can move a mile or two at a time. She’s also still limited on how often she can use this power. It takes a tremendous toll on her physically and mentally.”

  “Then she moved them out of the truck and off into the distance,” Sean said. “But she was reluctant to move them again in case they needed a quick escape later.”

  “That’s the way I see it,” Eamon said. They are somewhere out there on foot, and whoever survived the crash will still be after them.”

  “Why can’t you reach her mind to mind?,” Sean asked.

  “I’m not sure, but I suspect that when she moved them both out of danger, it taxed all of her powers a great deal. We had only just begun to work on her ability to move others with her. If she moved them any distance at all, she’s fortunate if she didn’t pass out from the effort,” Ashling said.

  “We can only hope that as her mind recovers from the strain, that you’ll be able to reach her mind to mind,” Eamon said.

  “In the meantime, let’s follow the vehicle tracks into the brush. They are the best hope of knowing which direction Ailbe and Aengus are running,” Sean said.

  * * *

  It was only a couple of hours from sunrise when Aengus and Ailbe stopped to rest for a few minutes. They’d climbed to the top of a small hill and leaned back against the trunks of two fir trees.

  “Do you think they are still on our trail?” Albie asked.

  “I’d like to believe we’ve lost them, but it’s pure wishful thinking. These creatures have been bred for generations as trackers. They aren’t going to be easily mislead or outmaneuvered. My guess is they are just keeping us on the run until the warriors arrive.”

  “Makes sense,” Ailbe agreed. “That way we’re worn down and exhausted when the fighting begins.”

  “It wasn’t going to be much of a fight to begin with. I think they’re just enjoying keeping us on the run. They might as well just show up and get to business,” Aengus said quietly.

  As if in answer to his soft-spoken summons, a dozen grotesquely misshapen warriors dropped to the ground around them. A quick glance showed Ailbe that they were completely surrounded. Ailbe locked eyes with Aengus and could see that he was worn out. She had two options left to her, and she had to make a choice in seconds.

  She could grab Aengus and move them somewhere farther away. It would remove the immediate danger but would only be postponing the inevitable conclusion. The enemy would certainly find them much faster next time.

  Her second choice was to throw all of her restored energy into a last-ditch mental cry for help. If Ashling had picked up on her last call, she would be close by. They might be able to arrive to time to save them.

  In the end, she knew there was only one choice. She jumped to her feet and rushed toward Aengus. One of the creatures managed to get his slimy paw on her foot, causing her to fall face first at Aengus’ feet. She reached out and touched his leg, hoping and praying she’d made the correct choice.

  “Stay behind me, Ailbe,” Aengus said, as he got to his feet. “If you’ve got enough energy left to take yourself away, then I’m begging you to do it now. I’d give up anything to see you safe and far away from these crazed killers.

  “I’ve got nothing left to take either of us away, Granda. Even if I did, I’d not be able to leave you here to fight the devil and his followers alone.”

  They were standing atop the tree-covered hill, side by side. Twelve massive, deformed dark warriors had them surrounded. As they slowly closed the circle around them, Ailbe took hold of her grandfather’s hand and hoped the end would come quickly.

  Before the creatures could completely close the circle, a blur of vicious, soaring power rushed past her. It struck the warrior closest to her with so much force that it was decapitated from the blow. Before the bloody behemoth hit the ground, two more of the monsters fell in a bloody heap.

  Ailbe stood in shocked silence, when she recognized Sean standing over the dead creatures with a bloody, curved sword in his hand. Before she could react, she felt something very powerful sweep her and Aengus to the far side of the battle zone.

  They both stared in joyous wonder at the familiar face of their old friend and leader, Eamon. “Here, take this and use both barrels. Aim it at their ugly faces if they come at ye,” he said.

  Eamon pushed a double-barreled shotgun into Aengus’ hands. He also handed him a handful of shotgun shells. Sean smiled just before he turned back to the fight. “Aengus, if your jaw drops any closer to the ground, you’ll likely trip over it. Surely you didn’t think we’d leave you to have all the fun.”

  Before Aengus could gather his wits well enough to answer, Eamon drew a large deadly blade and returned to the fight.

  Ailbe’s eyes were locked on Sean during the deadly struggle. He moved like a whirlwind full of raw power. At times he moved so quickly that she couldn’t be sure it was Sean she was looking at. It was truly just a blur of magical motion that cut back and forth across the hill top.

  Ashling and Eamon were not far behind with their own efforts. Even though they were outnumbered four-to-one, they cut through the hideous warriors with deadly grace and speed.

  One of the creatures managed to break free and rush at Aengus and Albie, probably hoping to at least kill the two they’d followed all night. Aengus waited calmly until the ugly giant was almost upon them, before bringing up the massive shotgun. He triggered both barrels, at point blank range, into the savage’s face. The force of the double shot took most of its head off, while knocking it flat on its back. He watched it closely while reloading the shotgun. This one was out of the fight for good.

  Aengus turned to look at Ailbe, wanting to be sure she was all right. She looked pale but managed a smile. He smiled back and said, “I know I shouldn’t have enjoyed that so much, but that was much more than passing satisfying.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Granda. Thanks for watching out for me.”

  The one-sided battle was over quickly, with only the dark warriors to pay the price for starting a fight they couldn’t finish. It seemed as though Ashling, Sean and Eamon were almost unhappy when it ended so quickly.

  “I suppose we could wait around to see if another dozen or so come by to check on their fallen comrades,” Ailbe said sarcastically. “It almost appears that you three wanted a better fight than you got.”

  Eamon smiled and said, “Sure and it’s true that the lucky man who marries your dear Ailbe will have his hands full. Outside of my own dear, Ashling, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard such a quick and biting tongue.”

  Ailbe ran forward and threw her arms around Eamon, as she said, “Sorry Eamon, Aengus often tells me that my mouth runs well ahead of my brain. The result is that I often speak first and think about what I said when it is too late.”

  Eamon looked up at his old friend’s granddaughter and said, “Well said Ailbe. I must admit I’ve been guilty of that often enough—especially in me younger days.”

  “I’ve seen and heard enough from both of you over the years to stand witness that you both were guilty of letting your tongue run well ahead of your brain. Now do you suppose we could stop jawing long enough to burn the evidence and get well away from here before help arrives?” Ashling asked.

  “Took the words right out of my mouth, so you did,” Eamon said, while sheathing his sword.

  An hour later they were on their way back to Rundimahair. The hilltop looked like a stray lightning bolt had kindled a flash fire before burning itself out. Not an unusual occurrence in this neck of the woods.

  Ashling was relieved when they arrived home safely, but she wasn’t naïve enough to think they’d gotten away scot free. Grainne knew who was driving Aengus’ truck, and she knew where he must come from. Their deadly enemy had now narrowed her search down to a single state–or two at best–and time was running
out for their beloved Rundimahair.

  Chapter Fourteen

  May the leprechauns be near you

  To spread luck along your way.

  ~ Old Irish Saying ~

  “Either they truly do have the ancient luck of the Irish running through their veins, or you are an abject simpleton who doesn’t possess the brain power to put his pants on the right way around,” Grainne said with deceptive cheerfulness. “Which is it?” she asked, smiling, even while her eyes narrowed dangerously.

  Barock, one of Grainne’s finest captains, knew that look very well. He’d seen her use it on others who’d failed to carry out her commands. He also knew that if he didn’t tread carefully, his fate might be as terrifying as others who’d let her down.

  “Well Grainne,” he said calmly, as he looked down at his blue jeans. “The zipper’s in the front, so I do know which way my paints go on. That means that they did have some good luck when our warriors attacked them.”

  The smile disappeared from her face, and her beautiful, dark eyes were as cold as ice. “And what form did that luck take, Barock?”

  “They were lucky no one informed me that the girl was a mover,” he said calmly.

  “The teenager was a mover?” she asked, new interest sparkling in her eyes.

  “Apparently not very strong yet. It was just enough to push her and the old guy for several miles, when we had them trapped. By the time our trackers caught their scent again, hours had passed.”

  “What about the old fellow?” Grainne asked.

  “Nothing that would help them in a fight. Our trackers said his powers centered on working the land,” Barock said with contempt.

  Grainne walked up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. Instantly Barock could feel sizzling heat where she touched him. His first instinct was to knock her dainty hand away from his shoulder, but he knew better. If he slapped her hand away, he would die a slow, burning death.

  “I know you don’t have much use for powers that are not related to fighting, Barock. But without those who can bring forth all manner of food to feed our hungry warriors, those always starving beasts would die very quickly. All magic is important to us in one way or the other.”

  Sweat began to bead up on Barock’s face as the white-hot heat, from the palm of her hand, began to burn through his favorite leather jacket. He knew that in another minute it would be burning through his skin. He shifted his massive frame slightly and said, “When you’re right, you’re right.”

  Grainne watched him stay calm, even while sweat began pouring off his face. She couldn’t help but admire his calm and cool attitude when death could be mere minutes away. He was a giant brute with thick, corded muscles, just like all her warriors. Unlike most of them, he had a sharp mind to go with the brute strength.

  She let the heat sizzling from the palm of her hand just touch the bare skin of his shoulder. Slowly, she pulled her hand back. Ugly red welts bubbled up on his thick, gray skin, but he didn’t move a muscle.

  “You missed one other thing about the old man,” Grainne said as she turned to glare at him.

  “I’m listening,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “He was smart enough to keep the shotgun hidden until he was ready to shoot. He also…” she stopped, waiting for him to fill in the missing thought.

  “He knew to shoot for the face,” Barock said. “The one place on our warriors where a bullet could do instant damage.”

  “Exactly!” she shouted. “They aren’t supposed to know about that vulnerability, but he shot him right between the eyes.”

  “The guy might be a farmer, but I never said he was stupid,” Barock said. All you got to do is look at our warriors to figure that a head shot is the best move. Even a scatter gun isn’t going to kill them with a body shot. He had time to watch the fight before he was attacked. He could see that the head was the vulnerable spot.”

  Grainne stared at him for several moments before she slowly nodded her head. “I came to the same conclusion. This is a weakness we need to overcome. Otherwise, our enemies won’t even need magic to fight our warriors. They can just use the same weapon a lowly human would fight with.”

  Barock nodded and said, “There was another important point that was missed in this fight.”

  She had started to walk away but turned to look at him again. “I’m listening,” Grainne said softly.

  “We weren’t fighting a little girl and a farmer out there,” he said grimly.

  “Someone’s grandmother showed up as well?” she asked sarcastically.

  “They were much older than that and a whole lot meaner,” he said, anger building in his voice.

  “Still listening,” she said calmly.

  “It was Eamon and that devil brat of his!” he shouted; all control now gone. “Eamon and Ashling are the ones that destroyed my warriors!”

  “You lie!” she shouted, rushing toward him.

  “See for yourself, Your Majesty. Two of our trackers survived the carnage, and it’s all recorded in their mind tracks.”

  Grainne turned to the closest surviving tracker. The creature was badly burned, but still walking. She touched its head with her fingertips and instantly the battle scene filled her own mind.

  She watched in stunned silence, while she saw the devastation that Eamon and Ashling unleashed on her best warriors. While that was fascinating in its own right, what really grabbed her attention was the young man fighting with them.

  He wasn’t an ancient of days who still looked young. This man was no older than his mid-twenties. Despite being so young, he fought with a wild abandon that was mesmerizing.

  “It can’t be,” she whispered when she got a closer look at him. But it was the young man she thought she’d sensed inside her castle. “How could he know where to find our sanctuary?”

  Even though this was very troubling to her, she also realized something that made her smile. If Ashling and her father were here, along with this mystery boy, then their own sanctuary must be close at hand.

  Grainne put her hand on the still bubbling burn she’d inflicted on Barock’s shoulder. In seconds, the wound healed over and disappeared.

  She handed him two five hundred-dollar bills and said, “Go buy yourself a new leather jacket, Barock. “This one is ruined.”

  Barock smiled thinly and said, “As you wish.”

  When Grainne was alone, she narrowed her eyes and whispered, “It won’t be long now, Ashling. I’ll find Rundimahair and I’ll destroy you and anyone else who dares stand in my way.”

  * * *

  “At least we brought young Ailbe and her Granda home safe and sound,” Eamon said.

  “Not to mention beating the ugly off those seriously gross beasties of hers,” Sean said. “Where do those things come from anyway?”

  “Believe it or not, they were once as fair and good as the residents of Rundimahair. We all were part of the same race in the beginning. We were sent to earth to watch over and help the mortals develop as the Creator wished them to,” Ashling said.

  “It was Grainne who got some of you to rebel?” Sean asked.

  “It was a close ancestor of hers named Donal. He managed to take many of our brothers and sisters with him when he left. Eventually they lost the light that made them special. Over the centuries, many of them were mutated into the disgusting savages we were fighting. Grainne has accelerated the mutation, making them more grotesque and infinitely more dangerous.”

  “Not all of her followers have the curse upon them. Many others were recruited from the mortal world, which seems to exempt them from the curse,” Eamon said.

  “I thought they couldn’t compel humans to do their will,” Sean said.

  “She doesn’t compel them to follow her,” Eamon said. “Her promises of wealth and fame are enough to lure them into her clutches. If they come of their own free will, then they have no protection against her powers.”

  “Then what about Grainne?” Sean asked. She looks like any norm
al young human female.”

  “Grainne is another story altogether. Somehow she has managed to elude the curse.”

  “Or she’s figured out a way to hide the physical effect of the curse,” Ashling said. “Many believe that she is one of the most powerful beings of light ever created, so she may well have the power to control the less desirable side effects of the curse.”

  “Don’t be forgetting that just as many–or perhaps a few more–believe that you are the most powerful of us all,” Eamon said.

  Ashling shrugged and said, “It appears it won’t be too long until we’ll have to find out one way or the other.”

  “My money’s on Ashling,” Sean said, smiling.

  “You haven’t witnessed what Grainne is capable of,” Ashling said grimly.

  “True, but you’ve got a secret weapon that she doesn’t have,” Sean said.

  “I assume we’re talking about you,” Ashling said, with a tolerant smile.

  “Especially when we work together,” Sean said.

  “I second that notion,” Eamon said, smiling. “The way you two fought together was nothin’ short of amazing. Tis even more incredible when you realize you’ve only just started working together.”

  Ashling nodded in agreement, but she also felt uncomfortable discussing it. There was no doubt that they fit together naturally on any battlefield. During the recent battle, their reactions were very well timed and in perfect harmony. Any stranger watching would indeed believe they’d been fighting side by side for many years.

  “Let’s just hope we don’t have to put our fighting prowess to the test against Grainne and her warriors for some time to come,” Ashling said. “She has weapons of darkness that you’ve yet to see.”

  “You say that like you have seen them,” Sean said.

  The pause in the conversation was so long that Sean thought she might not respond. Finally she said, “I’ve not seen the details of all her growing powers, but I’ve seen enough to know I’m in no hurry to face them.”