Gates of Avalon: The Horn and the Sword

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I swam up toward consciousness from a great depth. I believed that I must be dreaming, for the sky had a strange opalescence. There were great standing stones around me. And the lady who was holding my head in her lap, she was exquisitely beautiful.
"Is this Heaven?" I asked, though unaware that I had spoken aloud. The lady laughed. I found myself holding my breath at the sound. It was the most incredible sound I'd ever heard. And yet there was a thrill of recognition deep within me.
"Nay, my Lord. 'Tis not Heaven, nor are you dead, though you came very close to it, had my friend here not found you." I looked where she indicated, and jerked upright. There was an immense white wolf laying within a foot of me!
Oh. Yeah. Wolf, I remember you now. It turned to regard me with what, I would swear, was clear amusement in its eyes. I relaxed again, but could not bring myself to lay back in her lap again. A mortal does not rest in the lap of a goddess. At least, not unless she offers. And she wasn't offering at the moment.
I turned my attention outward to my surroundings. Taking in the circle of stones, the altar, and the pillars of the four quadrants, I remembered what had led me here. Then I remembered what had happened when she had touched me. I quickly scanned my body for traces of the arrow wounds that had so nearly taken my life. There were none. I was completely healed of them.
"Lady, what did you do to me? I recall that you said there would be no pain. That was not the case." She looked calmly into my eyes, which I soon dropped.
"Lord, I told you that no mortal pain could find you here. That which drove you into darkness was no mortal pain. It was rather, the key which shall unlock the truth of your spirit."
"I don't understand. What truth?"
"The truth of whom thou art, and whom thou shalt be again. The truth of the many mortal lives you have lived since leaving this place." She had the most unusual expression. If I didn't know better, I'd have said that she very concerned for the one she loved. It would be folly indeed for me to think that a woman like her could be in love with me. Her fire red hair framed her face, her green eyes flashed. She seemed to read my thought, then.
"That, too shall you know again. But not just yet, I fear." She spoke softly, with real regret. Though I didn't think that I could really judge any emotion on that face. How could you tell what an angel was thinking? What basis for comparison would there be? I sighed, and turned my mind elsewhere.
"Very well. Where do we begin to teach me what must be learned?" The lady smiled at me, and I could swear that I heard angels singing in the background.
"For now, it will be enough to know that you are not like mortal men. Your spirit is immortal, and of the Sidhe. You are of the Elven race even as I. So, too, are those who would destroy you." She leaned closer, and took my coarse hands in her perfect ones. My heart stopped for a moment, then lurch into a painful race.
"First, though," she said. "I shall put your heart at ease. Your mortal lady, Katherine, is alive." My heart skipped painfully.
"Is... is she safe?" The Lady paused for a long moment before answering.
"She is as safe as anyone can be at this time. Please, believe me that I will do all that I can for her."
"Why? Forgive me, but what is she to you? For that matter, what am I to you?"
"She is the one I chose to bring you back to your real self. This could only be done with love, else I would harm you more than help. And you?
"You are my liege Lord, and king. You are my love. I am your wife."
I was stunned. She had professed her love for me, and I did not even know her name. The lady bade me sleep, and though I protested, she laid her hand upon my brow, and I slept. And I dreamed.
I dreamed of the lady, whose name was Meadhbh, in another time and place. A time long before man had spread across the face of the Earth. In this time, I wore a different body, a different face. I was tall, with broad shoulders and muscles like thin bands of steel. My hair was blacker than night, and my eyes were gold. The bright gold of an autumn leaf.
The lady and I were dancing in the center of the green. Around the edges of the glade were arrayed various members of our kin. The people of the Daoine Sidhe, the Fair Folk. The Elves. The colors and glitters of their gems and apparel were beyond the words of the mortal tongue.
Round and round we swept, laughing though the business we were about was deadly serious. We were setting the Wards of the Kingdom, in preparation for my departure. With me would go twenty of my knights, the finest of my guard who would not be left behind. My lady, my Queen, would remain behind to protect and rule in my absence.
As we danced, much of my spirit and my power passed into my Lady. For there was no way for us to pass into the world of man undetected without sacrificing our immortal forms. As this came to pass, the twenty who would go, joined in the dance. They, too, passed their strength to their Queen. Soon all the Kindred joined in, till the entire glade was filled with whirling motion.
The eyes of a mortal would be dazzled by the color and motion. By the incomparable beauty of the Sidhe. But any eye that could See with power, would be dazzled by the web of living power that pulsed and flowed inward to be anchored by the Queen. I felt it flow about me, but I only had eyes for the lady that was my wife.
The dream shifted, and I saw the Kindred in all their thousands all gathered for the Leave-Taking. We were in the glade that served as meeting hall, and temple. My Lady served before the altar, praying for guidance and protection for those who would serve in the mortal world.
I knelt before her, awaiting the benediction, and the Doch-an-Dorrach, the cup of parting. Once we had drank, we would have left our immortality behind and become mortal men and women. The Queen raised her arms as she faced the altar. Silver-green light flowed around her and through her to us and those who watched. When all had been touched by that light, she lowered her arms and turned.
There were tears in her eyes. She, who had never wept in all the ages I had known her, since the world itself began. She came forward and took up the chalice. It was filled with the water from the spring that fed the heart of Avalon, and its waters were sacred. She brought it first to Ceallach, the captain of my guard. He would go first, for he must awaken first of the guards. Then the Lady brought it to each of the others.
I watched as each one drank his, or her, fill. Once they had taken the Doch-an-Dorrach, each one grew transparent, then faded away completely. At the last only I remained. Meadhbh brought the cup to me, set it in my hands.
"Do not fear, my love. I shall return to you though all the armies of the Drow should come between. I shall return to you." So saying, I lifted the cup, and drank. As the veil of forgetfulness began to fall, my lady stepped forward and set her lips to mine. The taste of her kiss was the last thing I recalled as I faded from the world of Elfinesse.
The dream shifted again, this time becoming a strobe of flashing memories. Each flash a single mortal life. The most recurrent theme was that of the warrior standing against tyranny and evil. Most passed by without much recognition. But there were some that caught and held my notice.
...A Catholic priest, the Abbot of a secluded monastery in the Swiss Alps. Walking in what passed for a garden, speaking to an official of the Inquisition. I spoke in defense of an old man whose only crime was to be an educated man. He wrote, and read, Greek and Hebrew, and so in the eyes of the Inquisition was a heretic. The punishment for heresy, was to burn. Because I defended the man, I was seen as a heretic as well. I did not save the man. Or myself...
— A young man in his first battle. I had just arrived at the scene of the battle. My teacher had brought me to meet the man who was my father, who was also my king. He was an old man, whose strength was fading fast. He could not lead the army of the Britons to drive out the invading Saxon horde. He could only watch as his generals began to falter, and break apart. I was seething. I raced to my horse, and rode to the forefront of the battle. I seized the standard as it fell from the hand of a dying noble, and carried it forward. The army broke from its stasis, and began to follow me in a massive charge. We raced past the hill beneath the King. My sword was broken in my hand, but I left the shard planted in the neck of the man that broke it. I looked around for another blade, and looked up as the King called my name. "Arthur, take my blade!" The army cheered, and followed me to a great victory. The first of many...
...A young samurai in the service of the most powerful Daimyo of Japan. I was called by many, the greatest swordsman of Japan. To this, I replied that my teacher was the greatest. I merely honored his memory by waving his sword around in a fairly convincing manner. I grew weary of the deaths I was forced to give out. For the many young men who came to prove themselves, sought me out. To those who would accept my refusal to fight, and my invitation to dine with me, I would give what wisdom and skills I could pass on. But to those who grew angry, and insulted me in an attempt to provoke me, to those I gave death. For the code of Bushido was very strict in what insults a samurai cannot pass off. Eventually, I became embittered by my life, and sought the way of Zen. After many years, I became a master of enlightenment. The dreams I had of immortality, and the beautiful lady with hair like fire, I kept to myself...
I drifted back to awareness. Once again, my head was cradled in the lap of the Lady. My lady. She was smiling down into my eyes. This time, I was able to return her gaze easily. I was able to feel the love flooding through my whole being.
"Well, my lord. You are with us again."
"Aye, my love. I have kept my word to you," I said. She smiled more broadly. "I have returned to you, and I remember my love for you." She laughed then, for joy.
"Ah, my lord. You may remember our love, but you are far from returned to me. You are still mortal, and shall be yet for a time." My smile faded somewhat. My eyes narrowed as she began to pronounce my doom. "You must first find the sword Excalibur. The sword of the Land that once you wielded as a mortal man. The sword of your father that you wielded in the dawn of time when the first wars raged between the Light and the Dark.
"Only when you hold again the sword, can the magic be completed. Only then can you and the others return to your natural state." I sat up to look at her eye to eye.
"The others. Can you tell me where to find them? It would save much time."
"Yes," she said. "You will find that they will find you very soon. But you must be careful, my love, for you are still Les Koenig. There are still many who will seek to end your life."
"You have not told me who they are. How may I fight them effectively, if I do not know who they are." She looked at me for a long moment, then sighed.
"I see that your memory is only beginning to return." She smiled shyly, then. For just a moment, my heart melted, and I forgot to breathe. Meadhbh was so beautiful! "I am flattered that you remembered me among the first of your memories. But you would do well to remember your enemies, oh King of Avalon." This last was in a strong, compelling voice. At that moment, she fully looked the part of Queen.
Her words caused the strangest echo in my mind. I flashed through the memories that had returned. I really had been the King of Avalon! Ard Righ of the Daoine Sidhe! It ran through me like fire. Now I almost understood so many things that had been happening. Like why Kat and I would love for only a short time. Now that the battle had begun again, I could not remain mortal and hope to survive. Only as the King could I fight this war with any hope of victory.
Meadhbh was watching me, feeling the flow of my thoughts. She could follow mine, but I hadn't a clue as to what she was thinking. When she knew that I had reached a conclusion, she smiled. When she felt my decision, she laughed.
"Now there's my lord, and my love! If you had not been so set to do the best thing for mortals you would never have had to leave me in the first place!" Laughing, she pushed me over onto my back. I pulled her on top of me, and kissed her soundly.
"If I had not gone," I said after a long while, "Where would our Kingdom be now? If the mortal world falls, then Avalon will not be far behind." She looked serious for a moment.
"Aye. Well do I know the reasons. But damn you!" She punched me. Hard. "You know that I hated to be left behind!" I was left gasping for air, and pondering the fact that the only reason that Meadhbh wasn't the commander of my guard, was that I preferred someone who would take orders from me at least once in a while. There had been another, once, long ago. He was, my nephew? I shook my head to clear the half formed thoughts. I held Meadhbh close for a time.
"I know. Believe me that I know. That much I do remember, at least. But," I said as I pushed her up again. "Tell me now what I must know to begin. I fear that I must leave very soon."
Meadhbh and I talked for a long time, then. Rather, she talked and I listened. I only interrupted when I needed to clarify some point. She gave me quite a lot of information, some of it was even good. But all of it would be needed if I, and the others who would be accompanying me, were to survive.
When she had finished, my mind was so full that I had to be quiet for a time to assimilate. For that time, I held my Queen close. We both knew that if we were to be together again, then I would have to pass through a lot of Darkness to find my way home. At least we could be together for now.
One matter of interest that had to be dealt with before I would leave, was for Meadhbh to explain what had happened to Kat on the morning that Martin died. We had been walking together with the glade, and now we settled beside one of the trilithons, the standing stones.
"My lady, please tell me of Kat. I have been very concerned about her, for I thought her dead."
"You still love her?" Meadhbh's expression was very neutral.
"Aye. And I think that I shall as long as I remember what it is to be mortal. Though, it can never be the same now. Still I care for her and her safety." I was somewhat unsure of how she would take this. After all, Kat was my lover for several months, but Meadhbh was my wife and my Queen. That was a relationship that had lasted over many long ages of the world.
"That is well. I would not have you desert her after winning her heart so," she said. "But, know you this; I will not share my husband with any woman, be she elf or mortal." She laughed then, to take the sting out of her words, "or at least, not unless I choose her." I had to smile then. I just couldn't stay angry with her, at least not now. I had a suspicion that once I was myself again, that it would be possible for me to carry a grudge for quite a while.
"Knowing what she means to you, and Seeing that her love for you will be of great importance ere the end, I set myself to save her," Meadhbh said. There was no brag to her words, just simple fact. "On the morning that you left her, there were drow moving in on your home. They had already caused the destruction of the training hall, and the death of your friend Martin. Now they knew that they had missed you, and were to take you at home.
"When you left, they were within fifteen minutes of your door. Kat was left alone, thinking of you, of Martin, and strangely enough, of me. I used the power of the Gate to project my image to her. I warned her of her danger, telling her that if she wanted to live that she must leave within five minutes, taking only what she had to have to live."
"Then she believed you? She acted upon your warning?"
"Aye. Sometimes women are far more adaptable than you loutish men. Remember, she had already been dreaming of me for some time, so it was easy for her to accept me. Kat left the place before the drow arrived, thus she was able to get away safely. When it is time for you to see her again, you will know where she is." I pondered this for a moment, till a nagging thought came nipping at the edges of my mind.
"Meadhbh? The police told me that a woman had died in my condo. You have told me that Kat is safe, then who was it that died?"
"There was another woman in your home when the drow arrived. I cannot See who she was, though I sense that she was a friend of Katherine's. I am sorry, but there was nothing that I could do for her."
"I understand, I think. There have been many deaths, and there will be many more, I fear. I know that I can't go back to my old life," I paused in chagrin. "My old mortal life, that is."
Meadhbh just laughed. “I think that the police will be blaming me for the death of that woman, at the least."
"That is true. But do you truly wish to go back?" I paused, and she leaned closer and kissed me tenderly. I had to laugh at her tactics. At least, I laughed once I could breathe again.
"Now that I have found you again, there is no way that I could remain mortal. I will do whatever I have to do to reclaim my throne. And to regain my rightful place with you." Meadhbh smiled at me, then gently set her hand aside my face.
"Glad am I to hear it, my lord. I do not intend to let you leave me behind again. If you so much as think it, there shall be dire consequences. When you have regained your immortality, and your power, I shall be with you forever." Meadhbh paused and her eyes clouded.
“My husband, I must apologize to you and hope you will forgive me. I could not save your friend and mentor Martin. I did what I could to ease his passing, but could not stop it.” I expected to hurt when I heard Martin’s name again. Instead, there was an incongruous feeling of love and gratitude to this glorious creature beside me. That she would help a mortal man she’d never met to face his greatest trial. I gently touched my hand to her face, and spoke softly.
“Thank you, Meadhbh. Thank you for doing what you could.” Her eyes glowed once more, and she leaned closer, just feeling the peace of being together.
Finally, there was no more to be said. At least, not for now. The time had come to leave this place, I had come to understand a little of where I was through my slowly returning memories, though they were far from complete.
This was the Gate of Avalon, sometimes called Gray Raven Gate. Once, there had been many Gates. Now there was only this one. I was still puzzling over the details within my mind, but I did recall that it was because of two of my Kin that this Gate could be used in this fashion. The man and woman I had seen when the Gate opened were named Breandan and Glas, respectively. I sensed that their tale was one that would have to be told in full some day, but not now.
Still, Meadhbh had told me enough to know that this place was not in the mortal world. Nor was it in Avalon proper. It was, rather, a place created within the Gate itself, by the will of Breandan and Glas. Meadhbh had gone on to tell me that she often came here during the time that I had lived and died as a mortal to see what was passing in the mortal world. This way she could keep tabs on me, and even make appearances as she had to Kat.
The process of closing the Gate was much less spectacular than the opening had been. I had walked to the edge of the glade with Meadhbh, there to embrace one last time before I left. With the taste of her kiss still warm upon my lips, I turned and walked toward the trees. As I neared them, the world began to shiver and fade. I had almost cleared the Gate, when the great wolf came leaping past me. It seems that he would be accompanying me into the world for a while.
I turned then, and looked back. I could see my lady where she stood within the Gate. She raised a hand in farewell, and I did the same. My heart was aching to be leaving her so soon after I had found her again. But I knew that if I didn't go, then there would be no way for me to regain what had been lost. I could not stand beside Meadhbh as her husband if I were still mortal. Only by playing out the game, and becoming Oberon again could I be with my lady.
When the Gate had disappeared from sight, I turned back to the mortal world. With sword in hand, I started the long trek that would bring me to a special lake, high in the North Cascades. I did not know the name of the lake, but I knew what it looked like, and where it was. I had very little in the way of proper camping gear, and even less in the way of food. Any way I looked at it, this was going to be a tough trip.
Then, of course, there were the drow to be considered. I doubted very much that they would have given up the trail so soon. At least with my friend the wolf along they would have a much harder time of sneaking up on me. I just hoped that he would give me the same kind of aid he had upon reaching the hidden valley. No, wait, I hoped that he would help me before I took an arrow next time. The wolf had definitely saved my life, no two ways about it, but he could have done it before that guy had shot me in the first place.
I didn't retrace my path into this place. Instead, I continued North along the main valley. If I was correct about the location of the lake, then I had a hike of about a hundred and twenty miles ahead of me. I hoped to be able to make it within fifteen days, but that depended heavily upon the terrain, and my choice of trails. I hoped to make at least ten miles per day. If the weather held, and the drow left me alone, it would be no big deal. Hah. What were the chances of the drow letting me stroll in and get the one thing I would need to end their hopes of breaking free of their bindings?
For now, though, the walking was pleasant. The wolf tended to parallel my path, flashing in and out of view. He was usually gone from my side, but once in a while he would walk beside me for a quarter mile or so, I kept catching myself thinking of the beast as if he were a big dog. Every time I did, I would remind myself that there were few dogs that would savage a man the way that this wolf had taken on that guy that had shot me. And I had never seen a dog that was as smart as this big fella. One had only to gaze into the eyes of a wolf to see the difference.
All in all, I felt better that he had decided to come with me. Meadhbh had told me about him, and I remembered that he had been her favorite for many ages of the world. Yeah, he was as immortal as any of the sidhe, and he was Meadhbh's symbol and favorite companion. She was showing her love for me by sending him to care for me, and he had been in the mortal world now as long as I had. For while we could meet face to face in the Gate, none of us could cross through the Gate until I regained my power and cast down the Wards. So the wolf had as much to gain as I did in this venture. He couldn't go home unless I did. No wonder he did such a nasty number on that guy!
That day passed without much in the way of adventure. I made camp that night in a small clearing perched high above the floor of the valley. I had my back against the rock face of the ridge, and rock on one side of me. That left only one way into my camp site, and only one way that an enemy could get to me.
I felt that it would be to risky to light a fire, so the night's chill would have to be fought another way. I curled up in my sleeping bag and leaned back against my half-empty pack. BB was curled up beside me, sharing the warmth. BB? Oh, that's what I was calling my friend the wolf. Big Bad wolf, BB, get it? Yeah, that's about how funny the wolf found it, too.
Anyway, we were curled up together, sharing some warmth. I had just finished a meager meal of stew, cooked over my small camp stove. BB had found something to nourish himself, some rabbit or whatever. I wasn't asking, and he wasn't telling. I wished at that moment that life was simple again. I wished that this were just a normal camping trip, where I could huddle close to the fire, BB at my side, and me sending flute notes into the night sky.
Instead, there was me and the wolf, the hard cold granite, and dehydrated stew. Damn, I really missed my flute. The flute would have given me something to do beside thinking. I also really missed real food. Dehydrated food is great, but I’d really never developed a taste for it. I think it comes from looking at it when it’s dry and waiting for water. Yeah, really appetizing.
As it was, I was defenseless against the thoughts that came crowding round, each demanding to be heard. I was thinking of Meadhbh, of course, and of all that she had told me. Then, too, I was sorting out the images that my vision had returned to me of my previous mortal lives. That flash about the life of a priest and abbot was my favorite, I think. I realize that must surprise you, listening to my tale now that the battle is done. But that man was a gentle man of learning and integrity. Something that I shall always value wherever it is found. Perhaps that was why I valued my friendship with martin so much. He was very much like that old priest had been.
The other one that kept coming into my thoughts, was that of the boy king, Arthur. Yes, that really was the Arthur of the legends, wielder of Excalibur. Historically, the world knew almost nothing of King Arthur. There was still a great deal of debate as to whether or not he had lived at all. And if there was doubt as to his life, what of the doubt of Camelot? The castle of silver and gold may have never been anything more than a bard's tale.
My newfound memories told me otherwise. As I sat there overlooking the valley by the silver moonlight, I felt the memory begin to flow freely. After that battle, where Uther had thrown his sword to my hand, the Saxon hordes were never again to be the massive threat they had been till that day. There was much celebrating to be done that night, and the many that followed. I saw again, in my mind's eye, how the old king died upon the crest of my victory. He was never to see his son acknowledged as the rightful heir to the kingdom. That would come later, as my friend and mentor Merlin would find the way to turn the tide of popular opinion.
The days passed in a blur of light. I remembered the days of construction as the walls of camelot began to rise. The great palace of a strong young king. I remembered many things about the long rule within those vast halls, but the bulk of my thought was placed upon the fate of the sword I now sought.
I could see that last battle, the one led against me by my bastard son. Mordred was too ambitious for everyone's good. The only way to save the kingdom was war. In the final clash of our armies, I was wounded unto death by Mordred, but I sent his soul on before me to prepare the way.
As I lay dying, one of my knights came to ask my will. I told him to take the sword and throw it into a clear lake, that the Lady of the Lake might guard it till I came again. It took some persuading, but he finally did as I had commanded. This was the only way that it would be safe until it was needed again, safe until now. The thing that troubled me, was that lake was in England and the one I was headed for was in the North Cascades of Washington State. I just hoped that I was right, because I didn't know how I would get to England with all the drow standing in my way.
My thoughts finally quieted, and I slept. For once, my dreams were peaceful, and I rested deeply.
The next day found us working our way along the upper end of the valley. BB and I had reached the place where the valley began to narrow and climb in altitude. The were patches of snow here and there. Winter was slow to release its grip up here. I was getting worried, though. We had not encountered any sign of the enemy since I had come back from the Gate. I refused to believe that they had given up so easily.
I thought about how exposed we were up here on this ridge, and the skin between my shoulder blades crawled. I kept expecting the arrows to begin falling around me, or worse, to strike me a square shot this time. I hurried on to the top of the ridge, using what concealment could be found. BB didn't need any encouragement, but went leaping on ahead of me. Sometimes he would pause and look back at me as if to say 'what's taking so long?'
By the time I topped the ridge, I was nearly running. My pack was bouncing on my shoulders, and the sweat was pouring off me in rivers. I had to stop and rest, but BB wouldn't let me stop until we had gone down the other side of the ridge a ways, and into the trees. I had worked out our route as best I could to use lower valleys that would offer more trees to conceal us from view. Unfortunately, if they couldn't see us, then it was also true that we couldn't see them.
We had paused to rest just inside the screen of trees that marked the beginning of the forest in this valley. They were all stunted and twisted by the frequent storms, but they offered cover from which to watch our back trail. As I lay there, gasping for breath, I heard BB growl softly. I turned to look back over our trail, but saw nothing moving. Then I noticed that the wolf was not watching our back trail, but rather, looking down this valley at a slight angle to our path. I listened carefully, but was not able to detect anything out of the ordinary.
BB was still growling softly, his hackles raised. The wolf was standing very erect, with every indication that he was listening and sniffing at something down the valley. I felt fairly certain that whatever would get this reaction from him was something that I would find very nasty, too. I mean, this wolf was big enough to give a pack of wolfhounds nightmares for weeks if they just saw him. The only thing I could think of, was that somewhere just ahead they were waiting for me. I removed my pack, and hid it in some brush at the edge of the clearing. With sword in hand, I began to creep slowly forward.
I didn't find anything unusual for quite a ways. The wolf kept pace with me, off to one side. His fur was like the memory of moonlight that had stayed too long into the day. There was no sound to his passage, and I thought that I had better follow his example. Moving forward with as little noise as I could, I soon found myself gazing into a fair sized clearing.
There was a man...no, there was a drow, a dark elf, standing in the glade. He was perhaps five inches taller than I, hair a pale blond, with dark eyes. He was standing in what was clearly a waiting posture, a drawn sword at his side. I glanced to the left and right, but saw no one else in the area. BB was gathering himself to spring, but I laid my hand upon his shoulder to still him. He looked into my eyes, and chuffed softly. Then he sat up, and revealed himself to view.
The drow did not even start. It seemed that he was aware of us the entire time. So I stood, also, and stepped forward into the clearing. He backed away then, to the other edge of the clearing. His face wore a mocking smile, and he saluted me with his blade. I drew mine and advanced to meet him.
We spoke no words as we clashed. The ringing of our steel blades was the only sound. His was the heavier blade, so I had to work hard to keep from meeting that sword head-on with mine, for fear of snapping it. We circled, lunged, and parried. We seemed equally matched for a time. As we fought, a nagging memory came to me. I had known this one before. I could not see his name, yet, but I knew that we had crossed blades before. Perhaps that was the reason for his smile. I think he knew it as well, and was counting on my current mortality to make a lesser swordsman of me.
Unfortunately, he was right about that. Within ten minutes of our meeting, I was on the defensive. Everywhere I turned, I found his blade there before me. I was going to lose this fight, if I didn't find some way to turn the tables. He obviously had far more endurance than I did. The drow all seemed to have kept their normal physical abilities, even though they had little or no magic available to them. But even without magic, they were more than a match for any mortal, as I was finding out.
There was movement in the brush, off to both sides of the clearing. BB was still in sight, but not interfering. This, then, had to something else. I wasn't fool enough to think that it was the good guys come to save me from my own foolishness. This must be the reinforcements for the opposition, then. I stumbled over a root, barely bringing up my blade in time to parry a ringing blow from my opponent's sword. Suddenly, my opponent stopped, stepped back, and lowered his blade.
"Well fought, my friend. But it is useless. Lay down your weapon, and come with us peacefully."
"Who the hell is this us?" I said. Then wished that I hadn't, because a group of about twenty drow stepped out of their hiding places. I saw BB crouch for a spring, but I quickly shook my head, then nodded back the way we'd come. He departed, but I knew that he would follow if he could.
"So you see," said the one I had fought. "You are my prisoner. Lay down your weapon, and we will not harm you. Yet." Just then the cavalry arrived in the form of a very large man. He stood up suddenly, in the bushes just to my right. In his hands he held a small automatic rifle. The drow in this group were using more traditional weapons, mostly swords, though there were a couple of bows to be seen. One of the drow had stepped close to me to retrieve my sword. As the man with the assault rifle began to fire, I slashed my blade up across the body of the drow leaving a bloody gash in its wake. Then I brought it sweeping around in a flat arc at the level of his neck. His head fell from his shoulders, and the body followed. My liberator began to fire.
He drew a line of death with the weapon in his huge hands. There were dead and dying drow everywhere in the glade. In a moment, it was over. He and I faced each other cautiously. Then another face came into my mind, from another time. I realized that I knew this man. Or rather, I had known him when we were both immortal. A name came back then, and a great deal of memories, of this man that had been one of my greatest friends.
"Look what you did," I said, holding back a grin. I placed my hands on my hips and tried to glare at him. "Just look at this mess. Don't you have any respect for our forests? Who's going to clean up this mess?"
"That's the only thing I like about these guys," he said with a casual shrug. "After you kill 'em, they do you the favor of disposing of their own bodies. And is that the only way you know to greet a friend?" I smiled and came forward to clap him on the shoulder.
"Well met, Ceallach, well met indeed."
"My prince, it is good to see you again."
"Once again you have arrived just in the nick of time to save your king from doing something stupid."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," he said.
"What? You don't think this little escapade was stupid?"
"No, I just wouldn't say that." I made as if to clout him, he ducked. We both started laughing then. We embraced, and slapped each other on the back. It took a minute for me to get my breath. As I said, Ceallach is one big guy. He must stand over six-eight, and is built along the lines of a D-9 Cat. Not someone you want to piss off. I paused then, for the man I saw before me was familiar in more than one way. My newfound memories confirmed that this was indeed Ceallach, the Captain of my guard. But my mortal memories recognized him as well. Finally, I gave up and asked him.
"Do you by any chance watch a lot of football?"
"Of course! Del Stevens! Let's see, you play for Seattle, don't you?" That shows the extent of my sports know-how. Don't even know the guys on the home team.
"You got it, that's me," he shrugged. "At least, that was me. Now I find that I am something much more. I don't think that I'll ever see another football game from the field."
"Hey. Don't look so bleak," I said. "I understand what you must feel. But what we give up will be a worthy sacrifice for what we will gain." He chuckled softly.
"Spoken like a king. And a friend. Thanks." He turned and looked around the clearing. "I am glad that I got here when I did, though. Looks like you had a little more than you could handle."
"I'll have you know that I am the match of at least twenty drow any day of the week..." I caught the look in his eyes, and wound down to a halt. "Yeah. I'm glad you got here when you did, too."
"I hope that I can find one of these pig-stickers that will fit my hands," he said, nodding to the swords lying about the glade. The bodies of the drow were already gone, having faded away like smoke in the wind. But their swords remained behind. I glanced at the assault rifle he was still holding.
"I kinda wish that I had thought to pick up one of those."
"Funny. This guy stops me in the parking area at the trail head I used, and asks for an autograph," Ceallach spoke as he sorted through the remaining weapons. "Then the ass hole pulls this assault rifle out. I never did like pushy fans. If someone doesn't know how to say please, I tend to get a little pissed. That guy just caught me on a bad day, I guess." He grinned, and I suppressed a shudder. I was going to have to get over this squeamishness. After all, I had killed several drow and never felt much of anything. I think it was just the mental image I got of this giant of a man grabbing the hand that held the gun, and casually breaking the guy's neck with his free hand.
Ceallach looked through all of the blades, and eventually found one that he felt would suffice. I watched as he also picked up the bows and handed one to me. I took it, and looked around till I found the two quivers where they had fallen. Suddenly, I was very glad that Ceallach had come along when he did. I got all choked up, then, and had to busy myself gathering spilled arrows.
I was saved from embarrassment by the reappearance of our friendly neighborhood wolf. BB came bounding into the clearing, and scared the hell out of Ceallach. I am glad that he had put down the gun, else I would be making excuses to Meadhbh till the end of time itself.
"Jesus Christ! Oberon, throw me the gun...or shoot the damn thing yourself! Christ! I've never seen such a fuckin' big wolf..." Throughout this entire outburst, BB and I just stood there watching the bigger man's reaction. I don't know who was more amused, me or the wolf. BB sat back on his haunches, watching Ceallach with what I would swear was a dog-laugh, except that he was a wolf and not a dog. The teeth his grin revealed were about twice the length of a dog's, and he almost never reacted to the spoken word the way a dog will. It seemed that body posture was more important to him than words.
"Uh, Ceallach? I'd like you to meet a friend of mine...." He stopped dead in his tracks, looked at me. His jaw dropped about a foot.
"This is a friend of yours?"
"Yeah. Actually, he's more my wife's friend than mine, but he's along on this trip to keep me out of trouble. BB's already saved my ass once." I told him about my arrival at the hidden valley, and about the fight between the wolf and the drow that had shot me.
"Well, Mr. Wolf. In that case, I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance." He bowed to the wolf, and almost fell over when the wolf dipped his head in response. "My lord, why do you call him 'BB'?"
"Short for 'Big Bad Wolf, I was teasing him yesterday, and the name just kinda stuck. I think he tolerates it, but I don't believe that he finds it very funny. After your meeting with him, maybe I should call him ‘FB,’ eh?" Both of us looked at the wolf, who looked back at us. "I'll probably have to answer to Meadhbh for that one." The wolf did not look amused with my humor. Not even a little bit.
"Meadhbh? The Queen?"
"Yeah. What's the big deal?" I was deliberately keeping my tone nonchalant. The just the thought of her gave me the most interesting feelings.
"I'm sorry. These memories that are filling my head are still very jumbled. When you talked about your wife, it didn't really click. I've dreamed of her." He said this last in a very sheepish voice, like a child talking about a hero. I'm sorry, but I had to laugh.
"She talked about you, and you will see her soon enough. If we live that long, anyway."
"Aye. Then let's get moving so we can have that to look forward to. It seems to me that there are some others that we need to find also."
"Even so. I need to go back up trail a little to get my gear. Care to come along?"
"Sure. My stuff's just off to the side a ways. Let's get everything together, then get the hell outta here before anyone else shows up."
We did, and we also took the time to hide the other weapons in the bushes. It probably would not be too hard for anyone to find them, but I don't believe in making it any easier than I have to. BB allowed Ceallach to ruffle his fur, after giving him a careful sniff. This done, he wagged his tail and bounced off again. Ceallach laughed at this display. Then he bowed to me and waved me in front of him. I laughingly did the same to him, and he laughed.
It was definitely nice to have someone to travel with again. I had not realized that I was getting lonely till now. Looking askance at Ceallach, I wondered if he felt the same, and for that matter, how he had gotten this far on his own. I said as much to him, and he told me that we should let that rest until we camped for the night. I agreed, realizing that there might be more of our enemies around.
We walked in silence for the rest of the afternoon, comfortable in our newfound and rediscovered friendship.