Shadowmagic s-1

by John Lenahan

  I think Fergal must have seen my despair. He leaned into me and said, ‘If you get killed, can I have your shoes?’ And then he flashed me a Fergal smile.

  Well, that was it. I tried to keep a straight face but I matched Fergal’s smile and then my shoulders shook and before we knew it, Fergal and I were bent over in hysterics. Araf kept his eyes straight but even he was laughing.

  Essa was not amused. ‘Stop it. We have no time for this,’ she said.

  ‘This is exactly what we have time for,’ I said, while trying to get my composure back. ‘Laughing is as good a way as any to spend your last minutes. How would you prefer to spend yours?’

  She looked at me. Our eyes locked and her pupils dilated. At that moment I read her mind and knew the answer to my question. I grabbed her by the shoulders and planted on her the kind of kiss you see in old black and white movies. As usual with women, my mind reading was all wrong. She pushed me back and swung. Not a slap, like in the movies, a left hook that decked me!

  I looked up from the ground to see Essa standing over me with her banta stick high in her hand and her eyes raging. ‘We are not going to die!’

  I looked past her and saw the Banshees crest the hill. ‘Tell them that.’

  Chapter Sixteen

  Big Hair

  The Banshees approached slowly. They knew they had us cornered but I think they weren’t sure if we had any long-range weapons. The four of us stood shoulder to shoulder, watching their approach. The closer they got, the less I liked the look of them-it was a motley crew. I doubted any of them had ever signed the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war-as they got closer, I doubted any of them could sign their name. A wild-haired Banshee in the front raised his hand and they all grumbled to a stop. They were close enough now that they could see us clearly. Araf undid his sword belt and dropped it and his staff to the ground. He held his empty hands out in a peaceful gesture. We all did the same.

  The Banshee with big hair seemed to be in charge. He saw our surrender and bowed to us formally. He then turned to his troops and barked something. A group of twenty archers jogged to the front and nocked arrows in their bows. Hair Guy turned to us, smiled, and yelled, ‘Fire!’

  A wall of arrows came straight at us. I didn’t move a muscle. Partly because Essa said we would be safe behind the shield, but mostly because when a couple of dozen arrows are coming at you, there is no place to run.

  The afternoon’s light highlighted the chief Banshee’s hair-it grew straight out of his head, like too much cotton candy. I remembered a pencil I owned when I was a kid. It had a troll doll with hair like that sitting on the top of it. If you rubbed the pencil in between your hands the troll would spin and its hair would shoot straight out. I wished I had a pencil big enough to impale him on. Under that mop of white-streaked black hair I could see the glee in the Banshee’s face. All of this and more went through my mind as the flock of arrows came at me. It felt like an eternity before the missiles hit the shield wall. Just two arm lengths in front of my face, the arrows burst into flames. For a second I thought I was going to be engulfed in fire, then the flames instantly dissipated. I shot a look at Essa who was breathing a sigh of relief. It made me think she wasn’t quite as confident in her wall as she said.

  The joy of not being killed by arrows was short-lived. The Banshee archers put away their bows, drew their swords and casually came for us. There was no need to hurry. They had us. I felt like I was in a scene in a cheap movie and I was some helpless girl in a dark alley surrounded by a vicious gang (I always wondered what those girls were doing wandering in dodgy alleys so late at night), but there was no superhero in a leotard to save us, this was the real deal. These guys were coming to kill us.

  I know it’s a cliche but my life flashed before my eyes and it annoyed me because it was so dull. The most exciting time of my life had been in the last week-before that, the biggest thrill I had ever had was in a bicycle accident in the sixth grade. I was actually more annoyed than scared. I was annoyed that I wouldn’t see my father again. I had a lifetime of my father making no sense and I was finally understanding him. Sally would never know what happened to me and I would never know whatever happened to her. Maybe she hadn’t even missed me. And I wanted to see my mother again. Finding a mom after all these years was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to me-one more hug would have been nice.

  Bad-Hair-Day Banshee stopped his troops about twenty-five feet away. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

  Fergal leaned in to me and whispered through his teeth, ‘If I go, I’m taking him with me.’

  ‘I was just thinking the same thing,’ I replied.

  Bad-Hair Banshee ordered his troops to split and come at us from the left and the right. At first I thought it was a tactical move, then I realised that they probably thought that our arrow wall would burn them as well. Well, I wasn’t going to tell them their mistake, it was better than a frontal attack-not much, but you take what comfort you can get in a situation like this. Araf and Essa squared off to meet the attack from the left, Fergal and I turned to face the right. I looked at Fergal and he was grinning from ear to ear, we both were. We were definitely related.

  When Hair Guy pointed behind us, no one looked. We weren’t stupid enough to fall for that old trick. So I jumped when I heard, from the rear, my mother’s voice shouting my name. She may not have been there for me when I was a little kid but she sure was making up for lost time now. There she was, in all of her animal-skinned splendour, yew wand in her hand, standing next to a V-shaped gap in the blackthorn wall.

  The Banshees were almost on us. I grabbed Fergal by the collar and called to the others. As soon as we jumped through, Deirdre raised her wand and invoked something to close the thorns behind us. Seven Banshees dived through the gap before it closed with a sickening scream on the eighth. Araf, as usual, was ready for action. He instantly knocked out the Banshee that went for Deirdre. I didn’t have time to thank him because one came for me.

  If I close my eyes I can still see his face, I can still picture the stripes embroidered on his tunic and can still see the eyes-young eyes. I can remember everything about him-he was the first man I ever killed. I didn’t want to. As soon as the fight began, I knew I was a much better swordsman. After a couple of parries, I saw that he had almost no defensive skill. One counter-strike would have drawn blood, so I tried the Dahy manoeuvre in hopes of knocking him out with my elbow. He parried the feint just as he should have, but when I went in with the elbow I lost my footing and went down. My opponent was not as gracious as me-he came at me with a coup de grace, and I had only one option. From the ground, I beat the point of his sword to the outside and planted my blade in his chest. I will always remember the shock on his face. I’m sure that when he woke up that morning this was not the way he imagined his day would end.

  I stood up and saw the second one coming at me and did nothing. I was in such a daze about actually killing someone that I just stared with almost amusement as this screaming Banshee ran at me with an axe cocked over his head. I probably would have just watched him until he split my head open, but that didn’t happen. Like it was in a dream, I saw a shadow step in front of me and the flash of a blade. The next thing I knew, I was casually watching the Banshee run past me-minus its upper arms and a head. I turned to look at my saviour and said, ‘Thanks, Dad.’

  One of Big Hair’s troops on the other side was stupid enough to take a swipe at the blackthorns with a sword. The air filled with flying thorns and screams. The Banshees backed off-fast. Araf, Essa, Fergal and I were miraculously unharmed. Four of the seven attackers that had followed us in were dead, three were unconscious. Deirdre used her wand again and the thorns opened enough for Araf to throw the dead and unconscious Banshees through.

  I watched all of this as if in a trance. I was a bumbling idiot. It felt as if my mind had left my body and I was floating above it all, watching with an uncaring attachment. Basically my mind snapped-that’s it-no more thinki
ng. I had been seconds away from my death and then I had caused the death of another. I reached inside and switched my head to the OFF position. I recalled a T-shirt I once saw that read, Don’t bother me, I can’t cope. That was me. I wished I was wearing it.

  Mom and Dad seemed to understand, or maybe they were just patronising me. Either way, they spoke to me in calming tones and got me up onto Acorn. Acorn treated me nice too. He nuzzled up to me before I got on-maybe he wasn’t being nice, maybe he just wanted to check if I was the same guy. I sure didn’t feel like the same guy.

  The Fili forest was dense and dark green. My parents rode on either side of me, stopping branches from swiping my face. I don’t know how long we travelled like this and I didn’t care. I was in La-la land-completely mindless. I have no memories of riding into the Fili village, all I remember was Mother taking me into a hut and putting me to bed. I slept and didn’t even dream.

  I awoke the next morning with all of my wits intact. I guess that was a good thing but I couldn’t help remembering how nice not-thinking had been. That way I didn’t have to see the face of the Banshee I killed in my mind’s eye and I didn’t have to relive the sensation of my sword piercing his chest. I lay in bed wrestling with the memories. I had no choice, I said to myself. He was about to kill me. I didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t my fault. I had convinced my head that I had done no wrong, but my conscience would take time to heal and I knew it would always leave a scar.

  Mom woke me up. She sat on the edge of my round bed in a round room and pushed the hair back across my forehead. It was like she had been doing it all of my life-I guess in both of our imaginations, she had. ‘Are you up for some breakfast?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’m OK. Sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to scare you.’

  She smiled and held out her hand. ‘Come.’

  The reason I didn’t remember entering the Fili village is probably because I hadn’t seen it in the first place. The door of the cottage opened into what first appeared to be an empty wood. When the door closed behind me, I turned and couldn’t see a door. I couldn’t even find the cottage until I stopped and looked closely. The huts had been built in and among the trees. They were small and round with bark for outside walls. The trees had grown over them, providing roofs that almost made them invisible to a casual glance. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone walked straight through these woods without ever even noticing a hut, just a sensation that something was strange. As we walked I got the feeling that we were being watched, but saw no one.

  Deirdre touched a tree and surprisingly a door opened in it. ‘You’ll get used to it,’ she said. ‘After a while you see everything and wonder how it fooled you in the first place.’

  ‘It’s not just camouflage, there is magic working here, too-isn’t there?’

  ‘Of course,’ she said.

  Inside was a long table. Fergal, Araf, Essa, my father and a woman I didn’t recognise were already there, having breakfast.

  Dad jumped up and put his arm on my shoulder. ‘How are you this morning?’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  He looked me deep in the eyes, to see if I was telling the truth. I smiled at him. He laughed and gave me a hug.

  ‘What about you?’ I asked when he released me. ‘Last time we were together you had an arrow sticking out of your chest.’

  ‘Oh yes, I did, didn’t I?’ He waved his arms around. ‘I’m fine now. There is nothing like Fili nursing. The best medical magic in The Land.’

  Araf coughed.

  ‘Except maybe Impwife magic,’ he said quickly, and winked at me.

  ‘What happened? Nieve was about ready to kill both of you.’

  ‘There is plenty of time for catching up,’ Mom said. ‘Sit down and have something to eat, and I want you to meet someone.’

  My companions stared at me like I was a Martian. ‘I’m fine, guys,’ I said, ‘I just got a little freaked out yesterday’

  ‘Conor,’ Mom said, ‘I would like to introduce you to Fand-queen of the Fili.’

  I stood and bowed. ‘Your highness.’

  She smiled. ‘Fand will do. We don’t have very much protocol in the Fililands.’

  I sat. ‘You are Maeve’s daughter, are you not?’

  ‘I am, but we do not use her name here.’

  ‘Because of what she did?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it,’ I said, remembering an old quote.

  ‘You sound like your mother,’ Fand said.

  ‘I take that as a compliment.’

  ‘You should.’

  Breakfast was fruit and dried meats and some sort of tea that woke me right up.

  ‘I imagine you have met my travelling companions,’ I said to my parents.

  ‘Essa and I had a lot to talk about,’ Mom said. ‘I knew her brother well.’

  ‘And Araf ‘s father and I go way back,’ Dad said.

  ‘Have you been properly introduced to Cousin Fergal?’

  ‘Cousin Fergal?’ Mom looked surprised.

  ‘Haven’t you told them yet?’

  ‘No,’ Fergal said, ‘I was waiting for you.’

  ‘OK then, Mom, you know that protection spell you put on me-the one that only works on relatives?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well, it worked when Fergal tried to stab me.’

  Mom shot an angry glance at Fergal. ‘Why were you trying to stab my son?’

  ‘Whoa, Mom! It’s alright, it was an accident.’

  She looked me in the eyes, then dropped her shoulders and asked Fergal, ‘Who are your parents?’

  ‘That’s just it. I don’t know. I was hoping you could tell me.’

  Fergal told Deirdre the story of his upbringing. When he finished, Mom said, ‘Well, I don’t know of any Banshees in my line. Yours?’

  Dad shook his head.

  ‘I’d like to find out myself,’ Mom said. ‘Perhaps I could perform a Shadowcasting.’

  ‘I’d be interested in seeing that,’ said a voice close to my back.

  I turned to see Aunt Nieve standing behind me-a knife in her hand.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Druid Table

  I leaped to my feet and reached for my sword, as did my companions, but none of us had our weapons with us. Fergal cocked his arm a couple of times trying to bring out a nonexistent Banshee blade. I grabbed a fork from the table and brandished it as menacingly as one can with tableware. Essa and Araf were the only sensible ones-when they realised they had no banta sticks, they each ripped a leg off the table. As food and plates crashed to my feet, I slipped on some fruit and fell backwards onto the semi-legless table.

  Nieve smiled and took a step forward. Araf, Essa and Fergal came to my defence, standing between me and my evil aunt. Fergal was holding a silver serving tray in front of him as a shield.

  Dad and Mom quickly came between us.

  ‘Whoa!’ Dad said, putting his hand up in front of him. He was smiling a little. ‘Nieve is on our side.’

  ‘What? What do you mean- our side? This is the woman who tried to kill me with a spear and she shot you with an arrow, Dad. Remember?’

  ‘It’s true,’ Mom said, ‘Nieve is a friend.’

  I stood up, still brandishing my fork. ‘The last time we were all together you two were trying to kill each other.’

  ‘Yes,’ Mom said, ‘but after you escaped, we nursed your father’s wound together and then we talked. We hadn’t talked since my banishment. We had a lot to say.’

  Araf and Essa lowered their table legs but I was unconvinced. I continued to wield my cutlery.

  Mom went on. ‘I was consumed with the want of revenge. Truemagic could not tell me who had destroyed my home, so I sought out the Fili and the secret of Shadowmagic. That’s when I met Fand. Together, we learned that Shadowmagic was not evil-it was like any other power. The evil came from the person who wielded it. She taught me the wisdom of the Fili and it changed me. I have never
used Shadowmagic to find out who killed my father and my tutors. The hate would corrupt me and the magic’

  ‘What does this have to do with her?’ I said, pointing my fork at Nieve.

  It was Nieve’s turn to speak. Her voice was soft. It surprised me. I had never heard it without venom. ‘I am an old woman and thought myself wiser than I really was. I was set in my ways. When your mother learned forbidden lore and produced the son of the one-handed prince-I thought it was my duty to stop her. I now see it was wrong to blame Shadowmagic for the Fili war-it was Maeve who was to blame.’

  I looked over to Fand. She lowered her eyes.

  ‘What about the son of the one-handed prince stuff?’ I said.

  ‘Ona’s divinations should not be ignored,’ Nieve replied, ‘but your mother has convinced me that there are other paths than the one I have been travelling.’

  ‘You mean the kill Conor path?’ I said.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, and sounded sincere.

  ‘I was never a big fan of that road.’

  Nieve smiled. ‘Nor was I, Conor. You will never know how much it pained me.’

  ‘So how come you are coming at me with a knife?’

  She glanced down at her hand and looked surprised to see she was actually holding a knife. ‘Oh, I was just in the kitchen. I came in to see if I could slice some bread for anyone.’

  Dad cracked up at this. ‘Are you going to lower your fork, son, or are you going to eat your aunt?’

  I looked at the pathetic weapon in my hand and smiled. ‘So we start over?’

  ‘I would like that,’ Nieve said.

  ‘OK. Hi, I’m Conor-Oisin and Deirdre’s kid.’ I extended my hand.