The Dana are finally making their move

“I’ve never performed that spell. I’m pleased to see that it worked.” Aislinn commented as she surveyed the area. Life returned all around them. The plants took on their normal green colors, and Rowan could hear animals in the distance. The air became clear, and the sun shone brightly from above. “The king and queen will have to dispatch teams to purify the rest of the forest.” She concluded.

“Yeah…” Rowan slowly snapped himself back to reality.

“Are you all right?” Aislinn asked as she stood closer to him. “Did I leave you in awe?” She teased him with a playful wink.

Rowan shrugged. “You have for ages, but this is the first time you’ve done it in person.”

Aislinn lightly giggled. “I’m glad I could live up to my own reputation, even if it is based entirely in fiction.”

Sounds of battle carried through the revitalized forest, interrupting their levity. “That must be the Leòideach and Fòlais. What do you want to do?” Rowan surmised.

“The boars said that people already touched by darkness approached the lake. I want to know who has sided with the demon god to threaten my home,” Aislinn replied. Rowan nodded in agreement, and the two ran toward the sounds of blade clashing against blade.

The feline-like Fòlais battled against human soldiers working for the Leòideach. Rowan looked around the battlefield. There were wounded on both sides, but to his surprise, no one had died. Not yet, anyway. Quite a few of the Fòlais looked to be badly wounded and on death’s door when they arrived. Aislinn looked horrified by the scene unfolding before her.

Rowan’s head snapped back to the battle when he heard a soldier charging at him. He took a defensive stance and avoided a downward sword slash. “So the Dana are finally making their move, huh?” The soldier asked derisively. “And they brought a pet human with them?”

“Pet human? Look, man, she’s hot and everything, but I don’t do pet play,” Rowan spat. The soldier looked confused by his words, but that didn’t stop him from trying to bisect Rowan with a horizontal slash. Rowan backed away from the strike, and once he saw an opening, he dashed forward and delivered a hard right hook. He followed up with a flurry of punches that knocked the soldier off balance.

Rowan tripped the soldier and shoved him to the ground. He finished his opponent off with a kick to the head, knocking him unconscious. Rowan picked up a discarded spear and wielded it like a staff. He charged at another soldier who chose Aislinn as his target and struck him in the head from behind. He stabbed the spear into the ground and used it as leverage to launch a flying kick to disable his second opponent.

Though she was impressed by Rowan’s fighting prowess, the princess determined that the battle should end. “Enough!” Aislinn’s voice boomed across the battlefield, a clear use of magic to assert her authority. “In the name of my father, King Túathal, I order everyone to lay their weapons down!”

The soldiers from both sides turned to her. Neither side was willing to disarm, but they separated from one another to stop their battle, the Fòlais because of their ties to the Dana in the forest, and the Leòideach because they served her father. Rowan tossed his borrowed spear to the ground and went to Aislinn’s side.

One of the human soldiers — a captain, judging by his fine armor — sheathed his blade and approached the princess. He was tall and built like a statue. Rowan made a move to stand between Aislinn and the guard, but the princess put her hand up to his chest to stop him. A confident look reassured him that she would be fine.

“Your Highness, what are you doing here?” The captain asked. There wasn’t even a hint of concern for her safety in his voice.

“A danger is encroaching upon Corbenic, is it not? Aonghas’s darkness has touched this forest and warped the plants and animals. How could I do nothing when my people could come to harm?” She replied, her voice firm.

The captain let a small, amused laugh pass his lips. “How admirable, Princess Aislinn,” he mocked her, inflaming Rowan’s temper. “My Lord and Lady — the heirs of the great and noble House of Leòideach — Keyth and Bronwen have come for a similar purpose. I would advise that you speak with them at our camp and offer aid to ‘your people,’ O great princess of Corbenic.” He didn’t even try to hide a smug grin.

Rowan sensed danger from the captain and his men. It was doubtless a trap to walk to their camp. As much as he was against it, Aislinn felt differently. “Very well. Lead us there.” She agreed, surprising not only Rowan but the Leòideach soldiers.

Rowan looked to the Fòlais. “This concerns the Ossorian too, so if you want the princess to grace your camp, the Fòlais deserve an invitation.” He calmly stated. “This isn’t up for negotiation.” Aislinn and the Fòlais soldiers were surprised by his demands.

The human soldiers didn’t try to hide their fury. “You think we’ll let a bunch of mangy cats in our camp?!” One of the soldiers barked.

Aislinn gave Rowan a warm, appreciative smile. She had always been uncomfortable with the divide between the humans and the Ossorian, but she had never been able to think of a way to bridge the gap. Rowan didn’t give it much thought, he simply demanded that they share the same negotiating room. “I agree with my scholar, Rowan. If you want me to speak with your lord and lady, the Fòlais must be represented as well. We cannot end this conflict without their help.”

While the soldiers gritted their teeth in anger and resentment, a lone Fòlais warrior with a greataxe almost as tall as her approached Aislinn. “I am Isolde, and I will represent my people.” She introduced herself. Despite her lean build, she was able to wield the heavy axe with relative ease. Short ebony black hair framed her cute tanned face and highlighted her sharp golden cat eyes. Isolde wore light metal and leather armor so as not to impede her movement. She coiled her black cat tail around her waist and offered a small bow to the princess and then to her scholar.

“Thank you, Lady Isolde.” Aislinn offered her own respectful bow, and Rowan followed suit.

“Please, Isolde is more than appropriate,” the Ossorian warrior insisted. “And thank you, Sir…” she trailed off.

“Rowan.” He offered his hand to shake. Isolde looked at him with skepticism, then smiled and took his hand into hers.

The captain grunted in indignation, but he found no way to argue against the daughter of his king. Then he seemed to chuckle. “Very well. I will personally guarantee your safety in our camp.” Rowan, Aislinn, and Isolde looked at him with great suspicion. “We will all work together to end the senseless violence.” He offered a false bow as he signaled one of his men.

Aislinn led the way and followed him to a group of horses that his men prepared for their trip. Rowan and Isolde followed closely behind, both of them ignoring the distance requirement her personal guards would insist upon. They shared a glance, both agreeing to stay on guard and work together should the Leòideach soldiers suddenly attack.