The Crows M&J (2. Part)

»Troubles again«

Morrigan's POV:

"Jack! Be careful!" I shouted right at the time for Jack to turn, with the smooth movement put off the helmet of knight, who escaped from the History of Highlands and to bang him on the head with flat box full of Divine-knows-what.
I did two steps backwards to avoid the crash.
As you could expect (or maybe not), we were in the middle of a breakout. The giant hordes of medieval soldiers in the Gobleian Library were fighting as if for their life and we, side to side with the librarians, riven to the groups were trying to knock-out as many fighters as possible.
The knight dropped down to his knees, but Jack was pointing to the shelf next to me already. What came from behind it I really didn't expect. The villager with pitchwork and with ax behind the belt was coming to me, gnashing his teets, his pitchfork in front. I just started to consider escape routes, when in the edge of my field of view I saw a move. Jack disappeared between the shelfs. I heard just sound of his footsteps somewhere in the right side. I felt like the brick dropped to my stomach. This didn't happen for a while...
Jack didn't use to left me alone, just like that. We are working together!
-Thanks, Jack.-
"I thought, I can rely on you..." I murmured resolutely and ran to the walk on the left side. I imagined the map of the town and realised, that if I will push myself trought the gaps between the shelfs and walls in the space, the villager will not be able to go behind me. He'll want to come back. I must get to the Lightwing Parade, and then...
Suddenly I remained standing, dazed. On the opposite of where I was standing, in the little walk on the other side of the street was someone standing as well. I smiled.
Jack stood to the way of the person with pitchfork and started to back. I quietly ran some courts back, and from almost empty helpbox I grabbed the rubber hammer. I stood behind the villageman. Jack stopped walking. His right hand was counting down my attack..
Three... I did one slow step.
Two... The villager held the pitchfork up, and he was about to stuck it into Jack.
One... The bloke jumped closer to the Witness in front of him.
"Zero," I did two quick steps and banged the hammer at villager's top.
He dropped to the ground and I jumped victoriously. With Jack we highfived. He put out the wireless.
"Rhosni, where are you? What? So much? Fool one...! We've got to go." he ordered, grabbed my hand and pulled me onwards.
"Yeah, um, and... What's up?"
"Oh, sorry. They are somewhere near the Nevermoor Historical Society. Some knight opened another book and two dozens of anothers rushed out. Every team is there already. The attackers merged in to a one group."
I nodded, pulled his arm and pointed my head to the walk next to us. "We'll be faster this way."
He shrugged. "You lead," and we ran in the tangle of roads together. When we were near the Mayhew street, I sent him first with that, I'm going to take some 'things.'

I grabbed the flat boxes, what librarians usually used to pack the books piece by piece for orders, and I packed to them the hardest, that I saw. Staplers, old hardcover books for the throw away, old news, or calendars.
I returned to the town and ran on the web of paths. I turned off sharply to the side and scuttle to the West Gate. Then along the wall of Old Town to the light-yellow building, reminding the little slice from the fine manor-house. From McLasey's Alley I heard the tumult.
"Jack, beware! He has a sword!" I yelled and pointed to the knight behind him. Jack took a flash-like look over his shoulder and quickly broke the last full helpbox on the street with his elbow. It's content spilled to the ground. Jack grabbed (our favourite) rubber hamer. Knight drove his sword up, but the Witness avoided it and from behind he hit him to the back.
I started acting. "Here, Rhosni! Don't worry, just boxes full of newspapers and rattles! Here you are Duxley, hand it over!" I called and gave one box to Rhosni. The rest of them I gave to a dark centaurus. Jack meanwhile threw the content of the helpbox for the Gobleian bookfighters.
After a while the clamor died, but then the knights started to slowly get up from the ground again.
"Where's that book?" I shouted and Rhosni pointed to the direction of the Courage Square. "We were catching them there, last time."
I nodded and ran across the Grand Boulevard. Next to the fountain was a book, tied with a belt, so it didn't open. I took it and quickly returned to the McLasey's. The knights were back on their feets. Actually... Maybe two thirds of them.
"Mia, think fast!" I called to the short brunette, probably four, or five years older than me, who was standing in the midle of the knock-outed knights and I threw her the book. She caught it with both hands and smiled thankfully.
"Morrigan, beware!" yelled Jack and Rhosni in unison and ran to me. Behind them was the knight with an ax in one hand. The last second before he could hit me, I crouched and he stuck his ax to the shelf behind me.
I hissed. "Ouch. Sorry Rhosni."
But she just - putting off man's helmet and throwing him to the wall - shouted: "It's alright. We have them in stock, around.. five hundreds? Allowed loses."
I couldn't even give her a nod, and I had to crouch again. The shelf was in the ruins. The man with a barbed ball, hanged on a stick destroyed it.
"Fortunately, they don't have any horses," I yelled and Rhosni nodded. "They got out from a description of the first battle line."
"Guys... There's a bit of a mess, isn't here?" murmured a boy probably round his twenty, who's name I didn't remember, trying to walk in the mess that was just up to his ankles. A mess of news, papers and other junk. I shook my head. He must be new.
With Rhosni we changed some experienced looks of pity and I crouched to the side, because another villager made his way to me. With the librarian we yelled:
"And when it wasn't?!"
"Be careful!" shouted Duxley, who suddenly galloped from the direction of Wundrous Society campus. From among the buildings, as three organized groups, the fighters were approaching us. One team was narrowing around Mia, kentaur Duxley and some others, the second one did a circle around Rhosni's group. Third went straightly to me. I started backing, but after three steps I stumbled into something. Not to something. To someone. They surrounded us. With the corner of my mouth I threw out, half-joking:
"You, again?"
"And what did you expect? If something happened to you, Uncle Jove would kill me, in the all of the Seven Pockets!" muttered the voice behind me. I perished:
"Are we really talking about chap, who did us wrong all our lives, who was hidding half of our existence, and who knows more, that twenty versions of the Saint Nick's Christmas song."
"Guess so."
Attackers started to be too much close. Jack went serious.
"Mog... if now isn't the state of emergency, then I don't know, when it is."
I squeezed his hand hardly, absolutely ignoring my "Mog" and I didn't care even a bit, if it was a fear, or something else, when he squeezed my hand. We whispered:
"Three... Two... One."
Attackers threw themselves forwards, when I stomped my foot and shouted:
"Enough!!!"
The sound wave, multiplied by the force of Wunder, threw the men two, or three meters back. Everywhere went silent. Jack let go my hand and turned me at him sharply.
"Bless you."
I rolled my eyes and he asked: "Are you okay?"
"Of course." I said and yawned, exhausted. Jack nodded. He grabbed the book, from what the knights broke off and smiled exhaustedly over his shoulder. From under the mountain of news, cardboards and books, threw by the acoustic wave to the wall, rose up like from the grave, Rhosni. She stood up, pulling a piece of Looking Glass newspaper from behind the collar. She came to me, putting up books from the ground by her way. I looked at the little pile in her hands.
"Hope nothing happened to them. If you want to, I can..."
But Rhosni just shook her head, looking surprised.
"No. Nothing. We just have to collect them!".
All around, the other bookfighters of Gobleian Library stood up. I started collecting the pieces of cardpaper and news. When I had full hands, I slowly made my way to the entrance of library. There I put away the trash and I wanted to go back. I noticed Jack, sitting in the armchair behind the large desk. When he saw me, he rubbed his eyes and stood up.
"C'mon to help them with clean up."
I shook my head.
"Nope. You are obviously exhausted. You didn't sleep for at least two days!" I added, when he tried to talk back. There was a silent for a few seconds. He fell back to the seat and ran his forehead with hand.
"I have slept." he argumented, but I was prepared better this time.
"Oh really? And how much? People in our age should sleep eight hours a day. That makes sixteen hours in two nights. Did you sleep at least a half?"
Jack defensively raised his hands.
"I slept on Thursday night, from ten, to, like, one in the morning."
.
..
...
Today is a Sunday.
"Listen up, either we go home, or you won't go to the school tomorrow and you'll sleep. Agree?" I suggested, but I was trying to sound a little bit less angry, than before. It was really obvious, that he has enough.
Suddenly Rhosni came there. She slapped her hands together theathrically.
"Dear boy, you aren't even together yet, and you are already comanded by her!" she joked and Jack blew up.
"We aren't leaving before the closing." he snaped angrily and made his way to the place, where the fight was before. With Rhosni I changed a smile. This was Jack, who we knew and respected.

›‹›‹›‹

When we were leaving the library, some time after three in morning, Jack wasn't angry anymore. He knew, I meant it in good way.
"Sorry, I errupted like that." he spoke, when we stepped into the cold night. I confusedly stopped on the first stair.
"Uhm, I don't know, if I heard correctly. What did you just...?"
Jack stood three stairs under me and threw his arms out.
"It's so strange, that I once apologized honestly for no big reason?!"
I strained the air between my teeth loudly and shortly, and then rushed downstairs around him.
"Let's say, this never happened."
"Can't. We have a witness." He said. I rolled my eyes:
"Ha, very ha."
"No, I meant..."
I turned around, still walking and shot my arm sideways:
"You meant..." I didn't get to finish my sentence, because I backed right at the big, no, gigantic furry nearby.
"Aaargh!" I yelled from surprise. Jack looked like he's seen a ghost. He spluttered a little. I knew, that some things in Nevermoor I just don't want to see, so I didn't turn around. I breathed in to say something, but before I could even open my mouth, something lifted me up by my coat. I made noise of surprise and disagreement, as Fen made me sit at her back. She pointed her head to me
"Jack, get up there. Today."
"Uhm, okay... I guess," he said and climbed up to sit next to me.
Fenestra stood up, turned around and started walking across the Grand Boulevard.
"You okay?" Asked Jack quietly, when he sat on Fen's back behind me.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just tired."
"Try to sleep. I'm not the one who needs it the most." He said. I laid forward and buried my face to Fen's grey fur:
"You should sleep too." I murmured.
"I will. At home. I promise." He replied and I nodded and unbraided my hair. He laid down, leaning his chest on my back.
"So, good night then." Jack smiled and smoothed my coat.
"Okay, now, if you're done flirting, shut up." Groaned Fen, but I was too exhausted for an argument. I even let Jack hold me around my waist for balance. I just closed my eyes and fell asleep.