by J. M. Briggs
“Won't she say goodbye?” Arto questioned as he glanced towards the water.
“I suspect that her powers are drained,” Merlin replied as he picked up his staff and leaned against it with a soft sigh. “As are ours; we need to leave this place before the Sídhe come wondering what magic we wrought. Neither of us is ready for a fight.”
Arto seemed disappointed as he looked down at his new sword, but a sudden yawn made him nod in agreement. They collected the few items scattered around the cave and stumbled towards the passage. Drawing back, Morgana smacked her knee into the limestone wall and barely contained a whimper of pain. She turned back to the dark tunnel as Merlin struggled to form another ball of light before giving up and taking one of the surviving pieces of wood from the dying fire as a torch.
Keeping her arms out in front of her, Morgana carefully followed the small passage, hitting her head twice when she failed to duck. Her right hand followed the slope of the ceiling as her left hand reached into the emptiness ahead of her. Breathing slowly, Morgana tried to stay calm in the darkness as only a few flashes of the torch behind her offered any light. After what seemed like hours, she caught a breath of fresh air and stepped into the dying light of the day.
With a frown, Morgana looked up at the sky, startled by how much time had passed. The gorge was already filling with shadows as the sun began to sink behind the hills. She tightened her cloak around her as her stomach gave a fierce growl and she became aware of how thirsty she was. The forging of the strange sword had blinded her to all else. Hearing the voices of Arto and Merlin behind her, Morgana stumbled forward to get away from the cave entrance. Her foot caught on the twisted root of a tree and she fell to the ground, sprawling out to keep herself from rolling down the rocky slope.
The light of the torch was shining over her before Morgana caught her breath enough to move. Sighing softly, she tilted her head back and looked up at Arto and Merlin, only one of whom looked surprised to see her.
“Morgana?” Arto gasped. “What are you doing here sister?”
Morgana opened her mouth to reply, struggling for a reasonable explanation when she didn't really know why she was there. Arto stepped down the hill carefully, keeping his grip tight on the sword and extended his free hand to Morgana. Taking it gratefully, Morgana climbed to her feet and turned towards Merlin. He was calmly regarding her, waiting for her to say something.
A cold shudder rushed up Morgana's spin making her shiver and Merlin straightened up sharply. His eyes left Morgana and tracked across the gorge. A howl echoed off the high cliffs and Arto gasped, raising the sword in front of him as Morgana spun to study their surroundings.
“We could retreat into the cave,” Arto suggested with a quick whisper to Merlin.
“Then we will be trapped,” Merlin replied. “There is no other path away from that pool.”
“Could Cyrridven help us?” Arto question, looking around almost frantically as his hand started to shake.
“Her powers are too drained, I doubt she would even hear our call for aid.”
Heart pounding, Morgana reached down and snatched up a small branch from the ground and raised it to the torch. It caught on fire and she stepped away from Merlin, peering out into the low light.
“Their entrance is closer to the village,” Morgana reminded them. “They aren't that close.”
“The distance is much on foot, but little to a Hound or a Rider,” Merlin told her darkly. “And we cannot outrun them.”
“But last night you were able to destroy them,” Morgana reminded him, looking at Merlin over her shoulder.
“Our task took longer and more magic than I expected,” Merlin intoned with a look at Arto before he looked back at Morgana. “They will not harm you, run while you can.”
Gaping at Merlin, Morgana took a slow step back before her eyes moved to Arto. The young man was struggling to keep the sword up, his arms and legs shaking. He was panting and half leaning against a short knotted tree on the hillside. Her mouth was suddenly painfully dry and the chill in her limbs was becoming unbearable. Instinctively, Morgana reached up to touch her brooch and moved further away from Merlin and Arto. She couldn't think, she could barely breathe as hunger, exhaustion, fear and doubt all gnawed at her.
Hoof beats rumbled in the distance, coming closer and closer with each passing moment. Morgana turned and looked out to the mouth of the gorge as the last light of dusk faded from the sky, leaving an inky blackness complete with heavy clouds above that blotted out the moon.
“Arto,” Merlin whispered in a low voice. “Run if you can; do not let them get the sword.”
“What if they take me into the tunnels?” Arto whispered back, his voice thin, but steady.
“Don't let them,” Merlin ordered shortly as he tried to call forth his magic again, only to have his hand begin to shake badly. “Curse the Sídhe!”
Movement at the mouth of the gorge made Morgana tense up, but her feet still did not move. Behind her she heard Merlin shift and Arto suggest retreat into the cave once more. Two orbs of light appeared, a once welcome sight, but now illuminating two Sídhe Riders and a pack of four Hounds as they burst around the curve of the gorge and into view.
Snarling filled the gorge as the Hounds rushed ahead of the Riders and began dashing up the slope of the hill. Morgana screamed and stumbled back, nearly tripping over the same tree root as a Hound ran past her and lunged at Merlin. With a pained grunt, he swung his staff and hit the Hound in the side. It growled and lunged again, latching on to the edge of Merlin's robe. Next to him, Arto raised the sword and brought it down on the creatures neck.
There was a flash of white light that nearly blinded them all and the Hound was gone. Grinning with victory and panting with exhaustion, Arto swung wildly at the Hound trying to attack him from the side as Merlin caught another Hound in the head.
Looking down the hill, Morgana caught one of the Riders looking at her with a frown and a measuring gaze. She swallowed and glanced back to Merlin and Arto who were losing ground. Merlin grunt in pain, muffling a scream as a Hound sank its teeth into his left arm. Arto turned away from a Hound attacking him to thrust Cathanáil into the chest of the Hound. Behind Arto, the Hound crouched and then leapt off the ground.
“No!” Morgana screamed, throwing her hand out towards Arto.
Light sparked in the night, blinding in the darkness and the Hound gave a terrible cry of pain before falling back to the ground. It struggled to rise, but fell and dissolved. Gasping, Morgana dropped the torch she'd been carrying and looked down at her hands in alarm.
“Morgana!” Merlin shouted in warning as the last two hounds turned their attention to her. One circled to her left and snarled only to get hit from behind by Arto and vanish in a burst of white light. The second jumped at her, its jaws just missing her leg.
Breathing in quickly, Morgana allowed her old training to take over. Magic sparked in her right hand, its warmth flowing over her cold palm and casting a sharp bright glow around her. The Hound growled and moved, Morgana pushed the magic away from herself. They collided right in front of her, the Hound howling as it dissolved.
“Traitor!” a Rider shouted from the gorge.
Jumping to the side, Morgana avoided a magic orb that collided with the rock wall behind her with a hiss. In the corner of her eye, she saw Merlin pulling Arto back towards the cave, but quickly focused her attention back on the Sídhe as she dove sideways to avoid another attack. The air was forced from her lung as she hit the hard ground and she hissed in pain as a rock dug into her side.
One of the Riders was trying to urge his horse up the hill, while the other dismounted and pulled his sword. Looking up at them, Morgana glared and growled under her breath. She pulled herself up to her knees and started gathering her magic once again in her hand. The silver sparks spun around her fingers on both hands, jumping together and growing larger and larger even as she called forth more of them. Just ahead the hooves of a horse clacked against the sto
ne and a Rider's boot broke a branch. Looking up to meet violet eyes, Morgana raised her hands, grit her teeth and threw all of her magic at them.
Silver light blasted forward, striking both Riders in the chest. It swirled around them, enclosing them in a veil of light and magic. There was no sound as the light tightened around them. Morgana closed both hands into fists, never moving her eyes away. Then, with a deep breath, she shoved both hands forward, opening her fists. The light exploded outwards, filling the gorge with light for one brilliant moment and leaving no trace of the Sídhe Riders. At the base of the gorge, the remaining horse gave a fearful whiny and turned to run. Climbing to her feet, Morgana raised her chin and created an orb of magic in her palm. She threw it with all her remaining might at the horse which vanished in a shower of silver sparks.
Collapsing forward, Morgana groaned at the ache all throughout her body. She felt Merlin step up beside her and saw him offer his hand in the corner of her eye. With Merlin’s help Morgana stood up, almost knocking Merlin over before she managed to stabilize herself.
“Well done,” Merlin told her in a cheerful voice with a wide smile. “So, are you ready to be a Mage of the Iron Realm now?”
Morgana didn't answer him as her attention turned to her brother. Arto rushed up and wrapped his arm tightly around her, the pommel of the sword digging into her back. She didn't care, leaning forward to return the embrace. Closing her eyes, she brushed strands of her brother hair for a moment as she caught her breath. When she opened them, Merlin was watching them with a pleased expression that she didn't find as irritating.
“And now we are three,” Merlin announced before he expression hardened.
Arto pulled away from Morgana, but remained at her side while he turned to Merlin. “What happens now?”
“Oh my boy,” Merlin sighed as he stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. “This war has only just begun.”
34
Awakened Mage
Alex moved slowly as she began to wake, but struggled to open her eyes. Shifting, she stretched out her shoulder and felt the soft mattress beneath her give slightly. She breathed in deeply and sighed softly, stretching out her arms underneath the heavy comforter. Alex sat up slowly as she wiped the sleep away from the corners of her eyes before opening them. The last of her sleepiness vanished as Alex found herself in an unfamiliar bed and looked at a wall with vintage ivory wallpaper. She blinked and glanced towards the large window to her left. Soft white curtains hung closed over it, but the brightness of the sun was still lighting up the room.
“Good morning,” a familiar sounding female voice greeted with a hint of relief and amusement.
Turning her head, Alex looked towards the voice and relaxed when she found Morgana standing in the doorway holding a silver tray in her hands. The professor was smiling gently and dressed the most casually that Alex had ever seen her with blue jeans and a green turtleneck sweater on. Her triskele necklace glistened in the light as she walked forward to a nightstand to Alex's right. Morgana set down the tray and picked up a small teacup that she held out to Alex.
“This will help you recover,” Morgana informed her.
Nodding, Alex took the teacup and sipped at the liquid slowly. It tasted sweet and she quickly drank it all, realizing how thirsty she felt. Morgana took the empty cup from her and set it back on the tray. Turning to the side, Morgana pulled a small chair out from the corner and to the side of the bed where she sat down.
“What happened?” Alex asked slowly. “And where am I?”
“You are in the guest room of my home,” Morgana explained to her. “It is late Sunday afternoon.” Morgana frowned slightly and studied Alex's face before asking, “What do you remember?”
Alex paused at the question and tried to think. The haziness in her mind was slow to part, but there were flashes of the tunnels she'd seen in her dreams. Maybe she'd had the dream again, but then the memory of her capture, escape and fighting the Sídhe returned, causing a shudder to go through her entire body. Trembling, Alex clutched at the blankets covering her and struggled to breathe. Morgana leaned forward, grabbing her shoulder and keeping her steady.
“Deep breaths Alex,” Morgana commanded sternly and she struggled to obey. “Hold it in.” Alex did so and Morgana nodded at her side. “Now breathe out slowly.”
Exhaling slowly, Alex looked over at Morgana and then her eyes fell to her hands. She released her grip on the blankets and turned her palms up, looking at them as if she'd never seen them before.
“I… I…” Alex stumbled, her mouth moving silently.
“You used magic,” Morgana finished with a smile. “You saved yourself and all the children that the Sídhe Riders captured.”
“I remember… Ryan and his sister. I killed the guards. We ran into the Riders coming in on our way out. I was so scared…”
“Easy,” Morgana said gently, wrapping a comforting arm around Alex. “You took a blow to the head, things may be hazy. It's alright. What matters is that you got out.”
“The children?” Alex asked, looking at Morgana hopefully.
The Professor released her and moved back with a chuckle. “The children are fine. Merlin and I arrived at dawn at the entrance after tracking the Riders back to the tunnels. We found you there along with the children. You collapsed from exhaustion. While I took care of you and made sure that you were stable, Merlin… tweaked the memories of the children.”
“Tweaked their memories?” Alex demanded with a touch of horror seeping into her voice.
“The children, their families and the police believe that a group of kidnappers came through town last night and attacked family homes. Apparently they found an old basement in the woods to hide the children, but the children escaped when the men left for supplies. Merlin is in Portland right now building a trail for the police to follow there and then into Canada.”
“Is that necessary?” she asked, frowning at the idea.
Morgana reached over to the tray and picked up a tall blue glass that she handed to Alex. This one was filled with cool water which Alex forced herself to sip slowly.
“Humanity let go of its belief in magic for many reasons,” Morgana reminded Alex gently. “The old stories are not the modern fairy tales that make magic beautiful and wondrous. For most of its history, magic had fearful roots and was connected to creatures in shadows that meant more harm than good.” Morgana shook her head and sighed. “Humanity couldn't control that. Humanity likes to be in control so it let go of magic and sought instead mastery over what it could control. First it was metalworking and irrigation and the next thing you know they are splitting the atom and making gemstones artificially.”
“But couldn't they help us?” Alex pressed with a small shiver. “There were so many of them and I almost didn't get the children out.”
“In theory some could help us,” Morgana acknowledged with a nod. “But it is a risk Alex; if certain people found out about magic would they want us using it for their benefit or its real purpose? What if they didn't want the threats defeated because magic would decrease once again? There are so many risks and in the age of cell phone cameras, the internet and multinational terrorist groups I hesitate to let the mages become another source of power.”
Nodding slowly, Alex took another sip of water and nibbled at her lip. “So Ryan doesn't remember me?”
“If he sees you around town, I suspect that he will feel unexplainable gratitude towards you. He saw so much that it is likely he will dream about it from time to time, but would you really want him to remember?”
The question made Alex shake her head. They were silent for a moment and Alex finished the glass of water before looking down at herself. She was in the t-shirt and shorts she used to sleep in and glanced up at Morgana with a frown.
“The others are helping cover for your absence. I gave Nicki your key after I got you here and she returned with some of your things. The story she gave your roommate is that you joined them for a gamin
g session at Aiden's house and got sick to your stomach.”
“Oh,” Alex mumbled before tugging up the sleeve of her t-shirt to check on her arm.
There was a thin red line where she had slashed herself and she carefully touched it. It was tender, but in far better condition that she would have expected. Tossing back the sheets, Alex looked down at the wound in her leg. There was a curve of small medical stiches, closing up the torn skin, but the sight made Alex feel nauseous and she pulled the sheet back over the wound.
“Did you take me to the hospital?” Alex questioned once she could speak again without gagging.
“No,” Morgana chuckled. “I'm almost three thousand years old Alex, I've been a doctor a few times.”
“You have?”
Morgana raised an eyebrow, but replied, “Merlin and I go in phases. Thirty-six years ago I was a surgeon and he was a photographer. Legally, I'm the daughter of his previous identity and he's the son of my previous identity. It helps us keep the modern legal paperwork straight and under control.”
