at stood up and moved to speak to their coachman.
"I wish for you to continue on to Camelot. There you will collect my trunks, and continue on to Avalon. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Priestess," replied the coachman, bowing from his seat.
"You knew?"
"Yes, Priestess. Vivian sent me to be in the right spot at the right time."
Kat laughed, softly.
"Give us a few minutes to gather what we'll need, then you can be off."
"Yes, Priestess."
Kat and Marc quickly arranged packs for themselves and changed clothes in the carriage. Then Kat moved to where David was huddled on the ground.
He pulled himself to his feet, and looked at Kat.
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"It's quite possible that she didn't know."
"How could she not know?" he exclaimed.
"She'd been in the future with us, David. She didn't know the warning signs in that time, and it's possible that she just wasn't paying enough attention."
"Warning signs?"
"She would have had many warning signs over the last 5 years. Minor, internal ones at first, them moving out to larger, more noticeable ones. She wasn't exhausted this morning, like the rest of us. The horses were nervous around her, and she fidgeted in the carriage constantly. Those were the three which made me begin to suspect this morning. Then when the change began, I could feel it happening. That's why we stopped. Can you imagine what a wild wolf would do to us if it found itself within a carriage with us?"
David paled.
"What's going to happen now?"
"Either she will return to her human form and be conmhaol, wed you, and you will live happily ever after, or she will remain a wolf. If the pack accepts her as wolf then there will be two places within the conmhaol, one of which you could attempt to take. If she is rejected by the pack, she will either revert to human form, or will become a lone wolf. If that happens, David, you need to decide what you'll do."
"What I'll do?"
"If she is rejected, and stays a wolf, she will *be* a wolf, David. Not Jade, not Sinéad. A wolf. And a lone one, at that. She'll either find another pack to run with, or be a lone wolf, but in either case there is no point in that life for a human. You will have to decide if you'll take her place in the conmhaol, or if you'll return with us."
"You and Marc have decided to return, then?" he asked.
"I believe so, yes."
"Why did this have to happen now? So near to the end of our quest?"
"I don't know, David. You realise you have more to guard than just the grail, now?"
"I do?"
"Yes. I didn't understand it to begin with, but I think my task at retrieving the grail will be more physical than I originally thought."
Kat leaned over, and lifted the box into her arms.
"What?" David looked confused.
"You have a new charge, guardian. You must now guard Jade's humanity, and ensure that it is not lost to the wolf which rages within." *** Marc watched in silence as the Conrí moved forward and embraced Kat. The three had been travelling on foot through the woods for a week and a half, and Kat had been starting to fret about the time.
"I had expected you 2 weeks ago, Cáitlín."
"I know, Conrí. We ran into... Unforeseen difficulties."
"I know. She reached us 3 days ago."
"I'm glad she made it. David had been running with her, trying to get through to her, but she'd been ignoring him, and almost a week ago now she vanished one night."
"You were lucky she didn't attack you."
"I can ward with the best of them, Conrí. Besides... She is still thinking of herself as part of the Conmhaol, and so still tolerates the presence of humans. Are they accepting her?"
He shrugged.
"Yes and no. They treat her with the suspicion of a new-comer. If she doesn't challenge them, they will probably allow her to stay. But if she challenges Luka..."
"Luka is the alpha female?"
"Yes, she is. She was Jade's match within the pack, but now they view each other with suspicion and no little rivalry."
Kat sighed.
"I don't know what to hope for. That they reject her and she returns to human form, or that they accept her and she stays wolf. She's been wolf for so long now that I don't think she'd be turning human again on her own any more."
"How long has it been?"
"12 days, this afternoon."
"Cutting it fine. The longest was, I think, 20 days, but he was never the same again. Come, we can continue this discussion later. We're still a week from Avalon, with 2 weeks until Samhain, but I wouldn't want to be late."
"No, neither I."
"We have horses for you and Marc. I'm assuming that David would rather run with us."
"I believe he would, yes. Especially if Jade is here too."
"She is. Come, we must start moving. I sent a runner to Camelot to remind Arthur to come, and you can tell me about the north as we move."
Kat nodded, and the four of them moved through the trees. Kat and Marc mounted, and David jogged over to where Jade was laying, speaking to her in soft tones. Jade snapped at him, but was warned with a low growl from the pack leader. She settled down again, and let David rub her ears, whilst speaking to her. Kat watched for a moment, and sighed as Marc rode to her side.
"It will be alright, a stór."
"I hope so."
The pack started moving through the trees, and Kat and Marc rode slowly towards Avalon. *** "Do you think Irene will make trouble?" asked the Conrí.
He was strolling beside Kat's horse as they picked their way through the trees towards Avalon.
"I don't know. I hope not. I do know that she loves Avalon like all of us who were raised there. If she sees what will happen if it doesn't go into the mists then I don't think she would do anything to harm out plans."
"But if she doesn't?"
"I don't know what she would do."
There was a pause as Kat ducked under a few branches.
"You have decided to return?" he asked once she was sitting upright.
"Yes, I think so. I love it here... But life there, Erick, you can not believe what it's like!"
"You're right, I cannot," he smiled. "The things you have told me of - no plague, no smallpox... It defies belief."
"Come with me."
He shook his head.
"Cáitlín, you know I love you more than my life. But there is no place for me in your world. Besides... the Conmhaol have a role to play here."
"The Guardians of Avalon," murmured Kat, softly.
"Yes," he agreed just as softly. "The Guardians of Avalon. We will remain on Avalon when Vivian sinks it into the mists forever, to watch against the day when someone comes to take the grail, or Excalibur."
"You will like it on Avalon, Erick. It's... peaceful."
"Erick will like it, then?" he teased gently.
"You could be a bard, Erick."
"You know that's what I wanted... but sometimes life doesn't give us what we want, Cáit."
"I know that well enough, Erick."
"I never wanted to be conmhaol, or Conrí," he mused. "Just fate it seems had something other than my plans in store for me."
"You have enjoyed it though."
"Aye, that I have. And I wouldn't swap it for anything. But sometimes I just wish...."
"Have you considered that perhaps the reason you became Conrí was so that you would be at Avalon next week? You will have an age to learn from the Merlin..."
He shrugged.
"I have considered that. One of my warriors would make an excellent Conrí, and that would leave a space for young David within the ranks of the conmhaol. But all that is pointless if Sinéad doesn't return to human form."
As one they looked towards the trees, behind which David and the wolves ran, and hoped that things would work out. *** Kat sighed with relief as she caught sight of the barge through the trees. The trip home had only taken them 6 days, cutting through the trees and pushing the horses. Jade had been a wolf for 18 days that afternoon, and Kat worried, and hoped that the Lady would be able to do something. David was despairing, as he felt unable to reach Jade, and was beginning to think he would never reach her. Marc, Kat, and Erick all encouraged him to continue trying, but he was wont to reply that if she was so happy being a wolf, who was he to drag her back to something she did not want to be? It was one week until Samhain, with days worth of preparations ahead, including recalling Jimmy and Darryl for the ritual, getting Arthur and the sword to Avalon - hopefully the Merlin would already be there, and there wouldn't be any more difficulties. The Conmhaol, The Guardian, The Knight Protector and The Priestess left the trees of the Long Woods, and headed swiftly towards to barge of Avalon.
Everyone walked onto the barge. A few off the Wolves were hesitant, cautiously sniffing the barge but got on after Erick got on. Jade sat rigidly refusing to budge nor get on. She got nipped at by the Alpha female but still wouldn't move. She looked at David pleadingly. He stood there emotions conflicting. He was angry because she hadn't changed back from a Wolf, that she wouldn't even listen to him, she seemed only to tolerate him and now she seemed to want to talk. He looked away quickly from her sad, pleading eyes and got onto the barge. Jade layed down and the rope that was holding the barge was thrown. Kat protested but to no avail. She knew they were on a schedule and they couldn't wait. Jade watched for a few minutes before leaping onto the barge. However she wouldn't let anyone approach her and Erick looked grim
"She is not winning favour" He said to Kat quietly
"I don't know what has gotten into her"
"Neither do I" He replied sadly and walked off
Kat tried hard not to let her surprise show. For Erick to not be able to understand a Wolf was highly unusual, infact it was unheard off. Erick she knew would now be seriously considering leaving the pack, feeling that he had failed.
It had taken them two days travel to reach the mists of Avalon. The cheer went up by the crew and their spirits lifted making them work harder whilst Kat moved towards the front of the barge. Kat stood by the railing and Marc stood beside her. Kat raised her arms and said a little prayer before lowering them again. Slowly the mists began to thin and then was gone completely. Suddenly Marc reached out and grasped something. Kat blinked and noted that just before her chest was a poisen tipped arrow which Marc was now holding. A scream was heard futher along the boat and then a splash. Marc dropped the arrow.
"We're under attack!"
Kat looked and noticed several ships, all bearing the mark of the Christians soldiers. They had been hiding in the mists but now where in plain view. She said a few things under her breath deflecting arrows that we aimed at her. She could hear some Christians yelling out words like trechery and witchcraft. She ignored those and tried to narrow her hearing. She found the voice she was after. Irene was there talking to the lead ships Captain. Kat wondered what Irene was up to, and if they captain knew about Irene's powers. Then again he could be under her powers. Either way Kat needed to break Irene's concentration and make her draw upon her powers.
"David, I need you to bring the box"
"I can't find Jade"
"She can look after herself, bring me the box"
Kat didn't actually need the grail, she needed David and this was the only way to get his attention. He came up next to her holding the box.
"David listen very carefully" Kat commanded "I need you to imagine yourself wrapping yourself with an invisible cloak."
David nodded and a look of concentration showed on his face
"Not like that David, think lighter, as if the material was silk"
"Silk?"
"Yes, soft as silk but strong as steel"
David again closed his eyes and imagined himself enclosed in a silk cacoon. Kat stiffled a laugh and admitted David's style was unique.
"Oki David your doing great, now I need to widen that cacoon to cover the whole barge"
Kat could feel the grail humming as David widened his cacoon until the whole barge was covered. Kat entwined a spell which changed the cacoon slightly. All arrows that had been aimed their way no longer just bounced off this cacoon but actually harmlessly flew through it and landed in the water some distance behind them.
Irene could see the barge and could see Kat's gloating face. Her anger built as she tried to tear down the invisibility cloak. She didn't have much sucess and as the barge sailed by she flung fireballs and whatever else she could think of at the ship but no damage was done. She turned and noticed a lot of Christian solders where circling around them holding stakes out.
"Oh bother" was all Irene said
***
The barge reached the main island with no futher hassles. Kat got David to gently undo his cacoon and then she lowered the mists of Avalon once again. They then looked about the barge. Many where dead, human and wolves alike. Kat noticed Jade licking Erick's wound and rushed over. Jade actually stopped and stepped back when Kat reached them, much to Kat's surprise but she ignored it for the moment and focused on Erick.
"She tried to warn us" He whispered
"Who dear?"
"I did" came the reply behind them
"Jade?" Kat turned to see Jade in human form again
"Yes"
"How? What? Why?"
"Never mind that, can you heal him"
"Yes, I need some hot water and a hot knife"
Kat spent half an hour by Erick's side healing him which normal medicine and magick. A few of the crew members however thought some of the 20th century style medical aid Kat was administering was also magick. After another hour Erick's fever broke and he was able to sleep.
"Will he be okay?" Jade asked
"He should be."
"You look exhausted" Marc said
"Jade how did you change back" Kat asked ignoring Marc
"I don't know, I just did. I wonder if I can change again though"
"Please don't" David said silently
"Do you want to risk spending the rest of your life as a wolf?"
Jade pulled a face. "Not really. It was... different. I wasn't really accepted. Tolerated, yes, but not accepted. There wasn't the... closeness I expected. And then there was the conflict between me and the wolf... At the barge... the wolf could smell the pitch. I knew that was bad. But the wolf trusted Erick. But I knew he wouldn't be able to smell it. So I decided I'd rather be here than on the shore alone. And then... with Conrí wounded... I don't know, I just needed to be human to help. The wolf didn't want to let me... but I... pushed him away, if that makes any sense?"
"As much as anything I've heard so far."
Kat swayed slightly on her feet.
"We need... Vivian. Irene let the Christians through the mists. We have to make sure she's ok."
"Oh oh!" murmured Jade, groping for her weapons, but not finding any. "Oh."
Jade turned and sprinted back down the hill to where the other conmhaol, and their weapons, were. Marc drew his broadsword, and David produced a crossbow. Kat strode towards the eight soldiers, and when she was halfway down the hill, they finally saw her.
"Another witch!" one cried, and three of them started towards her. One quickly received a crossbow bolt through the throat, and Marc ran forward to engage a second. By the time David had reloaded and dispatched the third, Marc had finished with the second. Both boys became aware of a howling wind at the same instant as at swept past them towards the temple. A second later, the rain followed, and both were instantly soaked. Lightning flashed and thunder swiftly rolled as the storm manifested over the temple. Marc instantly dropped to the ground as a second strike of lightning crashed near by.
"What?" yelled David over the storm.
"You're an idiot if you think I'm standing around, half way up a hill, in armor, during an electrical storm!" Marc yelled back, quickly struggling to remove his armor.
David rushed to help him. A moment later, Marc's words proved prophetic as one of the Christian soldiers was struck by a bolt of lightning. The storm served to put out the fires lit by the soldiers, but was raging unchecked above the 4 remaining soldiers. Jade returned at a run, and stopped by the boys.
"Where the hell did that come from?" she yelled over the howling wind. Marc silently pointed towards Kat, who was gesturing with her arms, seemingly directing the wind, which confounded the soldier's efforts to relight fires, or to fire arrows. Jade moved over and touched Kat on the elbow. She was instantly buffeted by a gust of wind as Kat looked towards her. Jade shuddered as she looked into Kat's face. It was said the Goddess had three faces - and Kat's expression didn't belong to either of the gentler aspects of the Goddess. Jade gestured to her crossbow, and Kat nodded. She pointed towards the soldiers, and instantly a gale of wind extended from directly in front of Jade, towards the soldiers, who were now struggling to stay upright. Jade fired, and the bolt flew through the air, punching through the breastplate of one soldier.
Jade swallowed. That was some wind.
David appeared at her side, and fired as she reloaded. His bolt impaled a soldier against a tree, and he shook his head, looking at his crossbow.
"It's the wind!" yelled Jade. "Makes them faster! Hurry up and reload!"
She fired, but missed as one of the two remaining soldiers was knocked off his feet. The wind rolled him over, and he didn't move. Suddenly Marc appeared from nowhere, and decapitated the final standing soldier. At that moment, the doors of the temple flew open with the violence of the storm, and Vivian emerged. She looked up at the sky, and quickly voiced an incantation. From within the storm, two figures emerged, and seemed to materialise as they descended towards the earth. Once they stood on the ground, the storm ceased with a suddenness that was startling. The silence after the howling of the wind was deafening. Then, after a few minutes, a single bird cheeped, and the spell was broken. The new arrivals turned, and David moved forward quickly.
"Darryl. Jimmy."
The brothers embraced, though Darryl and James were looking around in astonishment. Marc knelt to check that each of the soldiers were dead, and found that the one who had fallen, was pressed into the earth more than 3/4 of the total width of his body. And he was definitely dead. Marc glanced up the hill to where Kat had been standing, but couldn't see her. Then he noticed a bundle of white upon the ground, and dropped his sword to run to her. Marc gently turned Kat over onto her back, resting her head on his lap as he smoothed her hair from her face and checked that she was still breathing. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found that she was. Vivian touched his shoulder.
"She has over-extended herself. She will be alright in a few days. Come, bring her to the temple, she needs rest."
Marc lifted Kat into his arms and followed Vivian down the hill. And she walked, Vivian hoped that Kat recovered quickly. There was only 5 days until the Feast of the Dead, and Kat would be greatly needed on that night. Vivian glanced at the temple before she entered. There was much to be done in the way of repairs also. Vivian, Marc, and Kat vanished into the temple.
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