In the dark of night, it woke me. It was like a sudden, stabbing migraine, right in the center of my forehead. I sat up and swung my legs out of bed, only to see Devin silhouetted by moonlight near the bedroom window.

“Did ye hear it, Wee little Witch?” His softly accented voice sent a shiver up my spine.

“Felt it. Hurts.” I replied quietly. “What is it?”

“I’m not sure. ‘Twas like the night ye landed on Sidhe lands. The feeling in my verra bones callin’ me to help ye.”

A sudden snarling disturbance from downstairs had me on my feet and moving, grabbing my robe to wrap it around me as I descended the stairs two at a time. I came face to face with my brother at the doorway of the kitchen, glimpsing the disappearing tails heading out of my garden.

Tremayne’s expression was one of chagrined guilt. I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow.

“Tremayne, what did you just do?” I asked softly.

“Put the dogs out?” He replied with cheeky sarcasm.

“Tremayne.”

“Oh, hells. Come on, let’s go get a drink and I’ll explain the distress call.”

Isis made a pithy comment and disappeared back toward the nursery, grumbling to herself about disrespectful puppies. I followed my brother back into the kitchen for explanations.
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Rhia, Morgan le Fae, High Queen of the Sidhe – often mistakenly called ‘Fairies’ or ‘Elves’ by humans, clutched her head.

The Howl was powerful, and was ringing between her ears at painful volumes. Being Queen meant she had been Gifted (If THAT word could be used right now . . . ) with a connection to the Elements that extended and enhanced normal senses beyond the realm of ‘Normal’.

Wherever that soul was in the area now being called The Devastated Lands, it didn’t belong there. It was too powerful to belong to any mere human who lived there where the cities used to sprawl across the land.

The silence was sudden, and welcome, and she knew action had to be taken, NOW.

“Larl-ae!” she bellowed.

“Already on it, Sister – my ears are ringing, too.” Larl appeared, already dressed to travel – her own warriors, four-footed and two ranged behind her.

“You’ll probably meet up with some of the Pack from of out Northern Dragon’s Keep on your way, I can’t imagine that Howl didn’t carry at least that far. And watch out for the Deviants!” The last order was addressed to the retreating backs as the squad vanished into the mists.
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The Deviants . . . beings affected by the blasts in human lands. Some said they were just radiation poisoned humans who didn’t realize they were walking dead, (some used the crude term ‘Zombies’, while still others said they were a mutated breed of human) twisted and stripped of any remotely saving human trait, like compassion. So far they only attacked in singles, sometimes pairs – and they didn’t survive encounters with the Barrier. Still – Larl would be going beyond that unnatural hedge to find the source of that Howl, and bring it back if they could.
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Larl and her warriors kept their pace to a ground eating trot. The wolves were agitated and impatient, but kept ranks. Larl could understand their worry. For a wolf or canine to use that kind of howl meant things were bad indeed. For the wolves, to howl so powerfully for alliance and safe passage was the mark of a great and strong alpha; to offer up one’s soul as payment for safe passage and alliance was the hallmark of a rare holy one, or shaman. To the wolves, whatever had howled was sacred and had to be rescued at all costs. To Larl, whatever had howled was a brother, one she’d walk through the flames of all seven hells for. She’d only ever felt that way about her own family, four-legged and two.

So they ran. They stopped only long enough to eat, drink water and briefly nap. The wolves hadn’t wanted to pause for sleep, but Larl had insisted. She knew they might have a battle on their hands once past the barrier, and that they’d need to have some reserves left in order to fight. She instinctively knew they had a few days before the party they were looking for would desperately need them.

On the fifth day, as they were nearing the hedge, they all heard the belling challenge and knew the moment had arrived. Larl was unsurprised to see Dar and Bear streak in from their flank and then disappear under and through the hedge.

“There’s our exit! Move!” She snarled and was quick to follow, snaking under on her belly, then up on her feet and running at full speed after the wolves. She watched in some surprise as they split and ran around a neighing, prancing horse with children on its back and four other dogs at its heels, then came face to face with a spitting, snarling mountain lion, a young boy beside it, knife drawn, ready for battle.

“Hold!” She ordered and her entire squad halted, weapons at the ready. A quick once over and she knew these refugees were not the enemy. “We are here to help. Dragon’s Keep sent us to defend you.”

“Then help him!” One of the children on the horse’s back screamed at her while trying to yank the horse’s head back around. “They’re losing!”

“Ter, stay with the younglings. The rest of you, with me!”

Larl took off at a sprint, following the wolves’ trail. They sprinted across a road just in time to see one of the deviant humans drive a long pole into the side of one of the combatants so hard, it pinned them to the ground. She gave a loud, fierce, war-cry and leapt forward, her sword flashing. She saw Bear and Dar flanking another dog and paused for a moment to stare in awe at the unrestrained ferocity the stranger displayed as he tore through the throats and flesh of the deviant humans. She flinched as fire scorched past her and looked around to see the barrier guards had arrived along with a dragon. Turning her attention back to the battle, she saw one of the humans about to get past the guard of the strange dog and leapt forward, her sword cleaving his head from his shoulders neatly. She stumbled back in surprise as the strange dog turned its fury on her. Bear was between them then, his body crashing with a sick thud against the other’s. She felt his sending, saw the battle rage fade from the blue eyes of the stranger, felt him assessing her warily. Then he was springing away to the side of his fallen comrade.

Larl followed carefully, catching the sending and hearing the mental grief of the refugees she’d left Ter in charge of. She felt tears of grief well in her own eyes as the coyote died and screaming cut across her mental ears. Tears did stream down the faces of her Faye comrades when the dogs began to howl. With a sharp intake of breath, Larl recognized the howl that came from the stranger as it seemed to skitter over and through every nerve in her body, just as it had nearly a full week before. She shuddered as it died away, to be replaced with roars from the lion and the bear. She drew in ragged breaths and watched the dragon raise up and trumpet the call to honor a fallen hero. She closed her eyes briefly as the sounds died away, then opened them to witness her second-in-command kneeling in front of the stranger. With permission, he removed the spear that had pinned Lulu. Larl knelt down on one knee.

“Brother, allow me to carry our Sister.” She said gently, her hand held out for him to sniff. She was rewarded with his permission and gathered the small body into her arms as if it were a newborn babe. She watched as Bear started introductions. Soft, relieved laughter rippled through the group at the stranger’s reaction to the dragon. More tears fell as the refugees arrived. Larl had to smile, though, when the mountain lion slapped the stranger across the head with her paw, then fell to licking him almost frantically. Then her eyes met those of the older girl child, sitting on the horse’s back.

“Lulu . . . ” She wept piteously.

“We will honor your sister.” Larl said gently. “She had great love for you, to die for you. Honor her with your tears, Youngling, but do not forget her love.”

Already, the Faye with her as well as the barrier guard were gathering rocks and digging a grave. Larl began to softly sing a mourning chant, rocking the body in her arms as she would a fretful baby. Something rubbed against her shins and she looked down to see two cats crouched by her feet. Their yowling should have been discordant, but it harmonized with her song, sending Lulu’s spirit to Haven’s rest with love and honor. When the last rock was placed on the cairn, the dogs gave voice to mournful, yet fierce howls, followed by the full-throated roar from the bear and the scream of the mountain lion. The dragon waited until these faded, then raised to her full height and bellowed a fierce trumpeting call that seemed to say “Here lies a great warrior. Honor her, for she gave her life so these might live!”.

Larl glanced up, catching sight of Angelique, her mother and Rhia. She smiled grimly as Angel came to crouch down in front of the stranger. The sending was private and closed to anyone with talent to hear mind speech. But Larl didn’t need to hear it. When Angel gathered the stranger into her arms, she knew it for sure. The rest of the cavalry had arrived. When Angel had stood up and silenced everyone with the most powerful mental sending she’d ever heard, she snickered at the reactions. Rhia shook her head to clear the ringing out and quietly motioned Larl over. “Next set of Lessons,” she whispered, “volume control and proper projection.”

“Agreed.”

Much later, after introductions had been made and injuries seen to and rations passed out, Rhia nodded to her other personal guards, and they melted back into the darkness to take up close perimeter positions. It disturbed her deeply to hear the report of a band of Deviant humans working together to corner the bear-cub.

“Angel, it would be wisest to move everyone back this last mile to the Barrier, agreed?”

Angel looked up from the husky’s fur and sighed. Green tendrils began appearing around the edge of the firelight.

“NO.” Rhia’s eyes hardened briefly and the green vanished. “We cannot bring the Barrier here.”

“Why not? They are exhausted and injured. A temporary Barrier here would solve the problem . . . “

“It would Create much Bigger and many More problems. Need I remind you that our actions have RE-Actions? What have all our lessons been for, Little Queen? We have enough hands here to make light work and carry everyone to the barrier – if needed. But I fear there has been enough of a disturbance here already and more Deviants will be coming. I wish dearly that we could give them all more time to grieve and heal, but We must be away . . . “

Her Guards began quietly picking things up and re-distributing the loads as she spoke, and before she was done, she had one pup in her arms, the mustang’s load had been spread out among three Faye, and the injured had been gently loaded onto litters carried between the armored soldiers.

Before Dawn they would be safe beyond the Barrier, Deities willing.

17. Again, Why Me?