Midnight Falcon

As the last of the mist disappeared Co

'Let us find the Old Woman,' he said gruffly. But even as he spoke he put his arm round Vorna and kissed her brow.

The three companions moved further into the wood. On the ground ahead of them lay a dead bird. It was large and black, the skull above its beak bare of feathers. Bane knelt by the bird. 'It is the Morrigu's crow,' he whispered.

'Bring it with us,' said Vorna.

Bane lifted the bird. He was surprised by the weight. 'It is heavier than a puppy,' he said.

Vorna walked on, Co

Vorna halted in her walk, and closed her eyes. 'She is close.'

They moved on, splashing through a shallow stream, and on up a steep slope. Vorna stepped from the trail, and pushed her way through the undergrowth to a small clearing. The Morrigu was sitting propped against a tree. Ivy had grown over her legs and had covered one arm. There was moss upon her cloak, and a spider had weaved a web from her veil to the tree trunk. Vorna ran to her side.

'How does a goddess die?' whispered Bane.

'She is not dead. Not yet,' replied Vorna, laying her hands upon the veiled head. A low, feeble groan came from the Morrigu, and her ivy-covered arm twitched.

'Where is my Bab?' she whispered. Vorna swung to Bane.

'Bring her the crow!' Bane knelt on the other side of the Morrigu and laid the dead bird in her lap.

The Morrigu tried to move her arm. Co

'I should have passed the Gateway long before this,' said the Morrigu, her voice a tiny whisper they had to strain to hear. Then her head sagged back against the tree.

'Gateway?' queried Bane.

'Many of the Seidh have already crossed over,' said Vorna, 'seeking other worlds where magic is still strong. I don't know why she remained so long.'

'Where is this Gateway?' asked Co

'I do not know,' said Vorna. 'I have not been so far into these woods before.'

'Can you not Merge with her?' asked Co

'Merge with a Seidh? I do not know if I could, or whether my body or my soul could withstand it.'

'It… could not,' whispered the Morrigu. 'And you ca

Vorna took hold of her hand. 'Show me the Gateway,' she insisted.

A flicker of light glowed from under the skin of the Morrigu's hand, and flowed along Vorna's arm. The witch stiffened and cried out. Then she sagged into the arms of Co

The king sighed. 'She gave me a gift once, and I have not repaid her. A man should always pay his debts. I will carry her to the Gateway, and if necessary I will cut the heart from the beast.'

'I fear you will not be able to carry her alone,' said Vorna. 'A moment ago I lifted her hand. She appears slender and frail, but her body weight is several times that of a grown man.'

Co

'Why not?' answered Bane. 'It is not every day you get to see a king fight a demon bear.'

The two men crouched on either side of the goddess and prepared to lift her. At that moment a glow began beneath the Morrigu's veil. Flickering lights swept along under her skin.

'Release her!' yelled Vorna. But it was too late. Both men began to glow, as if fire was burning within them.

Bane opened his eyes. There was something strange about his vision. He blinked, trying to clear his head. He could see better than ever before. No, not better, he realized. Wider! From this prone position he could see the trees behind him and before him. How peculiar, he thought. He tried to rise, and pain pricked him. Startled, he tilted his head and looked down. It was not the sharp brambles in which he was trapped that stu

The voice was soothing. The fawn that was Bane looked into the strangely coloured eyes of the child. It is Co

The world spun, and darkness fell over his vision. When it cleared he was still being carried, but this time at some speed. He was lying in the arms of a young man who was ru

The ru

'I'll cut its bastard heart out!' said Co

Bane watched in silent horror as the bear's talons ripped at the frail body of the young warrior, its teeth crunching down on the shoulder. He fought to the last before being thrown aside like a bloody rag.

The darkness fell again, and when his eyes next opened his body exploded with agony beyond enduring. He almost blacked out with it. Indeed he wished he could black out. He was lying face down on a long table, his wounds bandaged, fire burning through his veins. He saw Vorna sitting beside him. She was younger, but her face showed her exhaustion.