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Iolena, Kitlaen, and Maeryn were just finishing up their tea, prayer, and girl talk time when Connor and his son-in-law came back into Iolena’s study, armed with tools.
“You don’t have to do that, my love,” Iolena told her husband. “It’s fine in here since I lit a fire.”
“You know me, Nin Mel,” Connor grinned. “I have this innate sense of curiosity. I have to know what’s out there, or in this case in here.” His pledge to have fun with his wife momentarily forgotten, Connor and Berian attacked the ductwork with hammers, chisels and other implements of destruction. Eventually, the damper handle loosened, and when Connor opened it fully, a cloth bag dropped to the floor. Connor tentatively poked it with a tool, flipped it over and examined it closely before actually picking it up.
“What is it, Connor?” Iolena asked.
“I’m not sure. It feels like a sheath of papers and some loose items. This oilcloth bag is what I felt this morning when I reached up there. It has a wax seal on it.” He held the bag up to his wife. “Do you recognize it?”
Iolena shook her head. “It’s old Elf Script, but not one that I recognize. Before you break the seal, my love, let’s see if I can get Thallan and Tanner up here.” She mind-spoke for her cousin and her brother, and a few minutes later Lord Thallan and King Tlannatar arrived in the study. Connor showed them the peculiar package. Lord Thallan, who was the official historian of the Aerielands, as well as the Lord Adjudicator, took a pair of spectacles out of his pocket and examined the seal carefully.
“I don’t believe it.” Thallan shook his head. “You were right, Yena, this is ancient Elf Script, older even than Tengwar. This looks like its Valarian, and unless I miss my guess, these four letters are E-R-Y-U, Eyru, Eyru the Magnificent, the first Great High Queen of All the Elves in the Nine Worlds.” He looked at Connor and Berian. “Where did you say you found this?” Berian, who was standing closest, showed the open duct to Thallan and Tlannatar. Lord Thallan reached up into the duct and felt around with his hand. His eyes widened as he evidently located something, then pulled on it. There was a grating noise of metal against stone, and Thallan’s hand emerged holding the hilt of a long sword. He looked at it in amazement, shaking his head, and showed it to his two cousins, both of whom stared in astonishment.
“Has Menta Kai left for Caer Aerie yet?” Tlannatar asked her parents.
Connor nodded, “She left a couple of hours ago, and is probably very close to being there if she hasn’t arrived already. Why, Tanner? What is that sword?”
Lord Thallan answered for the King, “Connor, you carry the Arancrist, the Great Sword of Truth. Lord Richard carries the Galadcrist, the Sword of Light. This sword was forged by the same elves, the Valar, at the same time. It is the sword destined for the reunification of all the elves in the Nine Worlds. This is An Anotais, the sword of the Great High Queen of All the Elves. It was the very sword of Eyru. Now, I believe it is the sword of Menta Kai Lee Silvarin Yaleria-Clark. It is her destiny.”
Lona’s sixth sense about the arrival of the most important person in her world kicked in even before Baltac cleared the high walls of Caer Aerie. For show, the Great Eagle circled the interior of the castle courtyard, as the excited girl stood in the middle, waving to her mother. Lona loved Fiona beyond measure and spent most of her time with Amil Fi and Tia Ali, but her heart belonged to Menta Kai, the young Queen who had adopted the little girl six years before and made her ward and heir of the Great High Queen. No one in the universe, not even her birthmother, Gwynlyn, was as important to Lona as Amil Kailee, Menta Kai.
Baltac gently set down, and Menta Kai slid off his back and hugged the Great Eagle, who quickly took flight again. Lona, who had been cautioned about leaping on her mothers and grandparents, like she did when she was smaller, could not be contained. In her excitement, she shot across the remainder of the courtyard and leapt into her mother’s arms. Menta Kai caught the girl and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Lady Queen,” Lona told Kailee. It was the name that the little elf girl had given the Queen the very first time she met her.
“I love you, Little Lona. I have missed you so much, my dear daughter.” She lowered Lona to the ground but bent down, so they were still looking eye to eye. “How about, if after Christmas, you go with me to Aerielands Castle, maybe even for the rest of the winter? Would you like that?”
Lona’s eyes widened. “Really, Mama? You don’t have to go away?”
“Not as of right now,” Menta Kai replied. “And even if I do, your Amil Fi needs to come down to our Castle from time to time, anyhow. But as of right now, your grandfather and Lord Richard are working on other things so that we can head back to Eldaria in the spring.”
Fiona, Abilynn, and Alistronia had crossed the courtyard, and Menta Kai embraced her sister, niece, and friend. “Abilynn Enya, I swear you’re getting taller every day. I bet that you end up as tall as Tia Ali, maybe even taller. You are as beautiful as all of Ireland, Sweetheart.” The girl blushed.
“Did Da mind-speak to you?” Fiona mind-spoke to her sister.
Menta Kai nodded. “Adda and Uncle Thallan both did. He’s going to come up here with Adda, Amil, Kitlaen, and Uncle Tanner’s girlfriend, Maeryn, the day after tomorrow.” She turned Alistronia and spoke out loud. “Speaking of girlfriends, girlfriend, where’s your boyfriend?”
Ali pointed to the Castle wall, “He’s right there, keeping an eye on you, Kailee.”
Menta Kai waved at Caldar, who returned the gesture. “If he’s any sort of a boyfriend, Ali, I bet he’s keeping more of an eye on you.” The women laughed.
“Come on, Kai,” Fiona told her sister. “It’s a lot warmer in the quarters, and I’ll have the staff make you some coffee to warm up with.” Fiona knew that her three sisters were all coffee drinkers, like their father.
Once they were within the residence, Menta Kai shed the heavy cloak she had worn for the flight from Forest Castle, and graciously accepted the offered cup of hot coffee. Fiona poured a cup for herself and Alistronia and offered some to Abilynn, who turned it down. “I’ll take some, Mama,” Lona took the mug meant for Abilynn and held it out. Fiona looked at Menta Kai, who nodded.
“Just a little bit, Lona,” her mother told her. “And be careful, it’s hot.”
“So when do you plan to go through the portal?” Kailee addressed Fiona.
Fiona made a motion with her eyes toward Lona, as if to say not to talk about it while Lona was present, but the younger daughter picked up on it immediately.
“You’re going to Ireland? Can I go?”
“We might, but not right away. Amil Kailee just got here, so we want to spend time with her. Besides, Uncle Thallan is coming up with Adda Connor and Nana. They found something at Great Forest Castle that they want Kailee and I to look at because we’ve been translating those old Tengwar Elven manuscripts.”
“Besides that, Lona,” Menta Kai smiled at the girl, “you and I have to get our Christmas presents ready for everyone who’s coming up here, and you can’t tell anyone what they’re getting.”
“I can do that, Mama,” Lona insisted. “I’ve gotten much better at keeping secrets, haven’t I, Abilynn?”
Berian and Fiona had a very strict rule about lies, fibs, and even white lies in the household, so Abilynn just smiled at her sister. “You’re getting better, Sweetheart,” the older sister answered. She watched as Lona put the cup of coffee to her lips, and took a sip. She made a face, stuck her tongue out and set the cup down in a hurry.
“Ewww! It’s bitter! How can you drink that?”
“Trust me, Lona,” Menta Kai smiled. “As you grow older, you will learn to truly appreciate two things that taste bitter, hot coffee and cold ale. Some of them are really very good.”
Lona shook her head. “Berian let me taste some ale once. I didn’t like it, but it wasn’t as bitter as this coffee.” She pushed the cup away from her.
“So, Fi, how is the remodeling and decorating coming along?” Menta Kai looked at her sister.
Fiona rolled her eyes. “I really wish Berian hadn’t had to work this next couple of weeks so that he could supervise. He has a much better vision of what he wants us to do here. We have less than three weeks until company starts to arrive, other than Adda, Amil, Thallan, and Kitlaen. There is so much to get done.” She looked hopefully at her sister. “Did you want to help, or do you have other plans with our daughter?”
Menta Kai shook her head. “Wherever you can use me, Sis, I’d be glad to help out, and my beautiful young assistant will be right there with me, right Lona?”
“I will be with you, Mama. I have to make sure everything is done right because Mama Fi told me to do this.”
Menta Kai raised her eyebrows. “Amil Fi told who to do this?” She pointedly looked at Abilynn.
“Well, Abilynn is supposed to help me.” Lona defended herself.
“Lona,” Fiona told the girl, “what did I actually, really say?”
“You said that if you want to do something right, do it yourself.”
“Lona Yaleria-Brice! You know I said that about something else entirely. What did I tell you when you asked if we could have Christmas here?”
Lona sighed. “You said I was supposed to work with Abilynn.”
“Did Amil Fi ever tell you that Abilynn was supposed to work for you?” Menta Kai probed.
Lona shook her head. “I just wanted to make sure it was done right.” She wasn’t backing down from this.
“Lona, before we start helping with the work that needs to be done, you and I are going to have a talk in my room,” Menta Kai had an edge in her voice, and when her daughter started to protest, she added, “End of discussion. You just sit there quietly while Fiona, Ali and I decide what needs to be done first.”
“Mum and Da will be using the first guest rooms, so if you want, Kailee, you can put your things in the second set of rooms. If you and Lona want to clean up those rooms, basically dust and sweep, shake out the rugs, things like that, that would be a big help.” Fiona looked at the girls. “Did you want Lona to stay with you, or just stay in her room with Abilynn?”
“Oh, Mama, can I stay with you, please?”
“Okay, Lona you can stay in my room as long as you behave, and don’t keep me awake all night.” The young elf nodded vigorously. “Then Lona, the first room we need to clean up is our own. Then we need to get the rooms ready for Nana and Adda Connor, Kitlaen and Maeryn.”
“That’s great, Kailee,” Fiona responded. “While you two are working on that, Ali, Abilynn and I will be working on the first set of rooms that Caldar’s soldiers have finished. There’s a lot of cleanup from the construction before we can move furniture in.”
“Well, let’s get cracking then. Adda and Amil will be here before we know it.” Menta Kai and Lona moved toward the door.
“And Kai,” her sister looked back at Fiona. Pointing at Lona, she said, “no magic. We are learning to work with our hands now.”
“Understood, Sis. No magic.”
When they were situated in their rooms, Menta Kai sat Lona down on the bed and sat down next to her. “Lona, why are you treating Abilynn like she works for you?”
“Because I wanted things to be done right. I wanted her to do them the way I wanted them done right.” Lona replied.
“But, Abilynn is your sister, not your servant,” Kailee admonished her. “Do you ever hear Amil Fi or me talk to our servants that way?”
“But Amil, I am the High Princess, and Abilynn is only a Princess.”
Menta Kai’s eyes flared, so much so that Lona looked away from her. “Young lady, who made you High Princess?”
“You did, Lady Queen.”
“That’s right,” Menta Kai replied. “And who am I?” Lona appeared to be searching for the right answer. “What is my title, Lona?”
“You are Lady Menta Kai Lee Silvarin Yaleria-Clark, the Great High Queen of All the Elves in the Nine Worlds.”
“That is correct. And what is Amil Fi’s title?”
“Lady Fiona Bridget Yaleria-Brice, High Queen of the Aerielands.”
“So if titles meant anything, Lona, who has the higher rank?”
“You do, Mama. You are the Great High Queen.”
“Do you ever hear me bossing my sister around?”
“There was that time that you didn’t want her to go back to Ireland,” Lona protested.
“And Berian and my father agreed with me because it was not safe for her to go alone,” Menta Kai pressed. “Lona, that was not me telling her what to do. That was me being concerned for my sister’s safety. That’s what sisters do for each other. Look at your Tia Leni and Tia Shannon. When Shannon was on trial, and Uncle Lochlain was mad at her, who stood with her? Who was with her every step of the way?”
Lona was there; she knew the answer as well as Menta Kai did. “Tia Leni.”
“That’s right. And who is your Amil Fi’s very best forever friend, and don’t answer Tia Ali.”
“I know that Mama,” Lona looked up at Kailee. “You are Amil Fiona’s very best forever friend, and I know that she is yours.”
“That is correct. High Princess Lona Yaleria-Brice, I want you to go to your sister, Princess Abilynn, and I want you to apologize to her.”
“But Mama,” Lona started to protest again.
Once again Menta Kai’s eyes flared. “Are you listening to me, Lona?” The girl nodded. “What did I say? I said, Abilynn is not your servant, she is your sister. In this family, our titles do not mean anything to each other. Just like your Amil Fi is equal in every possible way to me, your sister is equal to you in every possible way, and I want you to apologize for treating her as less than your equal. Do I make myself crystal clear on that?”
“Yes, Mama. I’m sorry.” She looked up at her mother. “I’ll do it as soon as we get done.”
“No, you will do it before we start, right now. Go find your sister and apologize to her.” Lona pursed her lips, but nodded, slipped off the bed, and went looking for Abilynn.
“Where did you find it again?” Padraigh looked at Connor and Thallan. The cleric had arrived at Caer Aerie through the Ireland portal, at the same time that Connor, Iolena, Kitlaen, Maeryn, and Thallan had arrived on the Great Eagles. He had barely given them time to start warming up when he started asking questions about Eyru’s sword. Connor explained to him how they had found the bundle of papers and the weapon itself.
“So where are these papers?” The cleric asked. Connor held up the sealed bundle, and Padraigh reached for them, but Connor pulled them back.
“Sorry, Padraigh. No can do. We elected to not open them because the inscription on the wax seal indicates that Eyru sealed this for her successor. It has just taken ten millennia for that successor to come forth.”
“I don’t think you know what you’re dealing with here, Connor Clark.” There was an edge in Padraigh’s voice.
“Maybe, maybe not. You and I have had these kind of debates before. Be that as it may, the sword and the bundle are meant for Menta Kai,” Connor replied.
“Maybe, maybe not. It depends on if the papers were written before or after the establishment of the Aerielands. If they were written prior to Eyru’s arrival on this side of the portal, they are meant for Fiona, not Menta Kai. If they were written afterward, you still might be right or wrong.” He looked at the sword, lying on the table. “As for the third sword, An Anotais, will itself, no doubt, choose the hand to which it belongs just as the Arancrist did.”
“But I thought it was meant for the Great High Queen, Eyru’s heir,” Connor said, looking over the weapon.
“Connor, Thallan,” Padraigh looked at them piercingly. “After all that you have seen and done in the past six years, surely you know that nothing about the Deep Magic is one hundred percent predictable.” He looked at Menta Kai and Fiona, standing on the opposite side of the table. “Menta Kai, pick up the sword.” She did as she was instructed, swung it a few times to get its feel, and set it back on the table. “Now Fiona, the same.” The younger sister also picked the weapon up and swung it before placing it back on the table. “Now, that it has been delivered, Connor or Alistronia, either one of you reach for it.” Connor reached out for the hilt of An Anotais, and it skidded down the table away from him. Similarly, Alistronia reached for the sword with the same result.
“Connor, how many times since Richard passed on the Arancrist to you, have you had it appear in your hand when you needed it, even though you had not drawn it, or in at least one case, were separated from it?”
“There have been a number of incidents, starting with the battle with Empress Titania, where the sword appeared in the hand of the one of us who could use it.”
“The same thing has occurred on numerous occasions with Galadcrist,” Kitlaen, who had carried her husband’s sword from Forest Castle, added.
“Then a test,” Padraigh indicated the table. “Lay all three swords on the table, with the hilt away from its user.” The three swords were laid down. “When I say now, I want each of you to will your weapon into your hand. Menta Kai and Fiona, both of you stand an equal distance apart and do the same thing with An Anotais... Now.”
The Arancrist and the Galadcrist leapt off the table and into Connor and Alistronia’s hands. An Anotais, in contrast, rose above the table and floated midway between Fiona and Menta Kai’s outreached hands, as if it was unable to decide which to go to.
“Menta Kai, drop your hand.” She did so, and the sword leapt into Fiona’s grasp.
“I don’t know about all of you,” Padraigh looked around the table, “but I think we need to open that bundle and see what it says.”
Menta Kai looked at Fiona, who nodded at her sister to go ahead. She broke the wax seal on the bundle, and carefully emptied the contents out on the table. It contained two identical knives, two golden coins, and a stack of neatly folded papers, the top one of which bore a seal identical to that which had been on the outside of the bundle.
“Fi, since I opened the outer one, you go ahead and open the inner one,” Menta Kai told her sister. Fiona broke the wax seal, and opened the document, laying it flat on the table. Kailee, Fiona, Padraigh, and Thallan all bent over the sheet of vellum, written in an ancient Elven script. Thallan looked at his nieces.
“Do either of you want to hazard a guess as to what this says?”
Fiona picked the document up and looked back across the table at her parents. “It is definitely Valarian. Mum and Da, join me in praying for interpretation, Kitt?”
It was Kitlaen who responded first, “Of course Fiona. May we lay hands on you?”
Fiona nodded. “Please, I would appreciate that. Padraigh and Uncle, if you would pray over the document itself.” After a few minutes of prayer, Fiona opened her eyes and looked at the others. “All of you stay right here, and leave the sword lying on the table.” Fiona turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Her parents and the others looked at each other, questioningly, when there was a collective gasp from those who were watching the sword on the table, and it disappeared. Before they could respond, the door opened again, and Fiona walked into the room, carrying An Anotais.
Abilynn quietly came into the room where Lona was working, dusting and cleaning the furniture. Her little sister hadn’t seen or heard or come in, so she snuck up behind Lona and tickled her in the ribs. The girl jumped almost two feet into the air.
“Sissy! Don’t do that!”
“Why? I think it’s funny how high you jump when I tickle you,” Abilynn replied.
Lona turned and faced her older sister. “You mean you’re not mad at me?”
“Lona, sweetheart, I was never mad at you. I just couldn’t understand why you were doing what you were doing, but it’s behind us now. Would you like to take a break and go out and spar with me a little bit?”
“Are you sure it’s okay with our mothers?” Lona had been reprimanded enough for one day by both Fiona and Menta Kai.”
“Mum said it was okay if we took a break. If you don’t want to spar, we can do something else.”
“If Berian would bring my horse up from Aerielands Castle, we could go for a ride, but he said he was going to wait until spring for that. We could see if Eloair or Baltac are available, and you could shift, and we go for a fly,” Lona grinned slyly, “or we could go through the portal to Ireland.”
“You really do have a knack for getting in trouble, Pumpkin. Both of those last two suggestions are out. I’d love to fly with you, Sweetie, but even I’m not supposed to do that without Mum or Tia Ali. And you know the rules about the portal.”
“I just really want to see Fillian again. She is really fun, you’ve met her.”
“Yes, she is, but there’s no guarantee we could even find her if we went over there now. Mama and Ali are the only ones that know where her burrow is. I will tell Mum that you would like to go over there, maybe after Christmas.” Abilynn smiled. “You know, when I was a round-ear, we used to say that we’ll see what Santa and his elves bring for Christmas, but now that I know that am an elf, I just don’t see people like us, Uncle Thallan, Tia Leni or Mhamó, loading presents on some big sleigh to take to all the good boys and girls around the world.”
“Who’s Mhamó?” Lona asked.
“Huh?” Abilynn smiled as it dawned on her. “Mhamó. It’s Irish for ‘grandma,’ Nana Iolena.” And then, as if by magic, the door opened, and their grandmother came in.
“There are my girls.” Iolena smiled warmly at her two granddaughters and hugged both of them at the same time. “While your mothers are experimenting with their new weapon, and trying to translate the letters in that pouch from Valarian to Tengwar to modern Elven, how about the three of us sit down around a pot of hot tea and some biscuits, and I can teach you some more about Elven history?”
“We were just going to go outside and spar for a while, Mhamó,” Abby replied. “Both Mum and Tia Kailee say that you are the very best female warrior in the whole Nine Worlds. Could you come out and teach us, please?”
Iolena smiled, recognizing the Irish word. “Garinion, I would love to. Both of you get some warm clothing on that will allow you to move and I’ll meet you in the courtyard in a few minutes, okay?”
They both nodded and headed off to their room to get their cloaks. “Okay, Abby, now what’s a gar-onion?”
Abilynn laughed. “You’re a gar-onion, Lona.” The younger girl made a face. “And, it’s ‘garinion.’ We are both garinions, granddaughters. Evidently, Mhamó knows a wee bit of Irish.”
“I think when I get back from Aerielands Castle, I want you to teach me Irish too, Abilynn.”
“I would love to do that, little sister.” The two girls wrapped their arms around each other and walked arm in arm back to their room.
“I don’t know if I can do this, Filley. I mean, I know I’m going to have to, but I don’t think I’m cut out for this.” Fiona sat on a hillside overlooking the Boyne River near the reconstructed Slane Castle with her friend, Fillian the leprechaun. “Particularly at this time of the year. It just doesn’t seem right.”
“Fi, I’ve been your friend for hundreds of years. You have always been one of the most resourceful women I’ve ever known. You’ll figure a way out of this mess. You know I can’t tell you what the future holds, but I will tell you this; the adventure is just beginning for you.”
Fiona regarded the leprechaun skeptically. “What if I don’t feel like another adventure? I mean, I look at this castle over here, and I think about the things that are going on just in my life. Why can’t I just settle down and be like normal people?”
Fillian wrapped her arm around Fiona’s. “Because, my love, you’re not normal people. Normal people don’t live to be a hundred and seventy and some years old and hop around from century to century. You have doubts, I have doubts. Everybody has them from time to time. It’s part of growing.”
“I just don’t know.” Fiona turned, picked Fillian up and set the little Fae on her lap. “One thing I do know is that you have always been here for me. Thank you for being my friend, for helping me save my memories, just being here to talk to. Thank you for keeping me sane, Fillian, in increasingly insane worlds.” Fillian’s head perked up at that last word.
“Worlds? As in more than one? Why would you say that?”
Fiona shrugged. “As in more than one, my friend. I don’t know. It just seems correct.”
“You know, Fiona Bridget, I may know somebody who can help you. Can you meet me back here next week?”
“I can try. Why, are you going to get a hold of Bishop Padraigh?”
“No, this is someone much more personal. I think, no, I know she can give you good advice.” Fillian’s pointed ears perked up. She stood on Fiona’s lap and kissed her friend’s cheek. I have to go now, but next week, right here, same time. I hear him coming, so I’m leaving. Love you!” And the leprechaun disappeared, as Ian McDonagh climbed up the hill.
“Girls, this is Maeryn. Maeryn, these are my granddaughters, Lona and Abilynn,” Iolena said as she indicated each of the two girls. “Maeryn is just a little bit older than I am and has fought in some of the same battles that your uncles and I have fought. She is a friend of your Uncle Tanner. Is it okay with you if she spars with us today?”
Lona looked up from under the hood of her cloak. “Are you going to marry Uncle Tanner?” Abilynn slammed her hip into her sister’s side.
“Lona!” Both Abilynn and Iolena said at the same time.
Maeryn laughed. “Fortunately, Lona Brice, I had been warned about you before I actually met you. I’ll answer your question honestly, just between us girls, okay?” Lona nodded. “I certainly hope so. Your uncle is a marvelous man, and I really do love him. I look forward to being your aunt. Now, Lona, can I spar with you?”
Lona grinned. “I think this will be fun. I’ll pick,” she stopped. “Nana, who gets to pick the teams?”
Iolena smiled at the fact that her granddaughter was accepting her new role as an equal with Abilynn. She looked at the older girl and asked, “Abilynn, who would you like on your team, Maeryn or myself?”
Abilynn took a deep breath. “Mhamó, I would love to fight alongside you, but I think I will learn much more fighting against you, so I pick Maeryn.”
Iolena looked at her older granddaughter with growing respect. “Excellent answer, Sweetheart. Be warned, however, that your mother has already told me about your prodigious speed and fighting skills. I promise that I will not be an easy opponent.”
“No quarter asked, no quarter given, as Tia Ali would say,” Abilynn replied.
“Oh, I would, would I?” Alistronia came across the courtyard, her blue and gold cloak billowing behind her. She looked at Lona. “What are you doing, Fireball, trying to pick up new skills without your coach?”
Lona looked at the ground. “It was just going to be Abilynn and me, and then Nana offered to spar with us. I didn’t mean to... I just can’t seem to stay out of trouble today.”
Abilynn took her sister’s shoulder, spun her until they were face-to-face, and then bent down and pressed her forehead against Lona’s, mind-speaking to her. “Sweetie, Ali is not mad at you. She’s just trying to get you to invite her into the game. She can tag team with Maeryn and Mhamó. Let’s change things up, Sis. The two of us against the three of them. What do you say?” Lona grinned, kissed her sister on the cheek, and turned to face the three adults.
“We’re changing the teams. Abilynn and me against the three of you, tag team for the third person. Okay?”
“So, after that interesting little demonstration, just what does the sealed letter say?” Connor looked at his two younger daughters.
“Short form, Da, is that the sword belongs to Eyru’s heirs, plural. Interestingly, it is to stay here in Caer Aerie rather than be carried into the field. When it is needed, you basically believe that it’s in your hand and there it is, in your hand. It also says the usual stuff, that it can’t be used in anger or revenge, all that. The thing it is most specific about is that it is not to be carried into battle, but called upon when needed.” Fiona looked at the other documents. “Using what I learned from the interpretation of the sealed letter, Kailee and I should be able to translate the other pieces. Interestingly, the sword was taken to Great Forest Castle right after it was constructed, to keep it out of the hands of Ayden Windmera. It was one of the Weapons of Power that he was seeking. While he was imprisoned at the castle, he was probably closer to it than he had ever gotten in his life.”
Thallan shuffled through the additional documents. “If you will permit me, Fiona, Kailee, I would like to assist you in the translation, and hopefully learn more than the meager amount of Valarian that I know.”
Menta Kai was about to answer to the affirmative when the sword again vanished from the table, and almost simultaneously a loud shriek filled everyone’s mind, “Mama!” Fiona and Menta Kai bolted for the door, almost knocking each other over in the process. They ran out into the courtyard to find their mother and Maeryn sprawled on the ground, while Alistronia was using all of her strength to hold back the An Anotais in Abilynn’s hand, and she was not succeeding. Lona had her arms locked around Abilynn’s waist, and was desperately trying to pull her sister back.
Fiona’s arm shot up, and with a blast of white, she commanded, “An Anotais, stop!” The sword dropped to the ground, and Abilynn fell forward into Alistronia, who caught her and then visibly sagged herself. Connor ran to his wife, while Kitlaen went to the inert form of Maeryn.
“What just happened here?” Thallan asked.
“Evidently, An Anotais has chosen yet another mistress,” Fiona replied. She looked at Abilynn. “Are you okay?” The girl nodded but sat on the ground with a bump. “Mama? Da, is she alright?” Iolena raised her arm and waved to indicate she was uninjured. Fiona looked over at Kitlaen, who was helping Maeryn to sit up.
“We’re good, over here Fiona,” Kitlaen informed her. “I think Maeryn’s going to have a bad headache, though.” The elf woman nodded and winced when she did so.
Fiona turned her attention back to her daughters, Abilynn and Lona, who was backing off with her hands in front of her. “I didn’t do it. Please don’t be mad at me again, I didn’t do anything. I just tried to stop Abilynn from hurting Tia Ali.”
Menta Kai took several quick steps over, scooped up her daughter and held her close. “Nobody’s mad at you, Sweetheart. It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She looked at Fiona. “Okay, just what did happen?”
Fiona helped Abilynn to stand, and the young woman bent over, picked up her own sword and put it in its scabbard. “I don’t know what just happened exactly. We were sparring, and Maeryn knocked my sword out of my hand. I remember wishing I had my sword and all of a sudden that one was in my hand, and it went after Maeryn. Mhamó went to block me, or it and both of them got thrown back. If Ali hadn’t gotten in the way, Amil, I’m afraid it would’ve killed Maeryn. What is it? Why does it do that?”
Fiona glanced up and saw that Caldar and his guards still had their weapons up, and she waved them down. Kitlaen had helped Maeryn to her feet, and Iolena was also standing. Connor looked at the sword as Fiona picked it up. “I don’t suppose that that thing has an on/off switch, does it?” Fiona, who is the only one that the question made any sense to, other than possibly Padraigh, shook her head.
“I don’t think so, Da. But we’re going to have to do something to control it, if it believes, on its own, that sparring is actual combat.”