Sorceress

Chapter 26:

A boat comes slicing through the underground lagoon, intricately carved with elvish and Celtic symbols, "King Fionn," a sidhe standing at the bow of the boat addresses the faerie king,

"Yes, Corey?" Fionn says as he indicates I should step onto the boat,

"I have been told to inform you that a hawk has landed in the banquet hall, and refuses to leave," Fionn turns to me,

"Looks like your little friend is very loyal, Aine," I laugh, before I am painfully reminded of Oisin and Allil. "Corey will take good care of you, and you must remember to never accept any food or drink from the sidhe, lest you have to stay here until you die, and do not listen to the sidhe harp music, otherwise you will die simply because of the beauty of it." I nod my thanks, his warnings beginning to haunt me, and watch as we glide away from the shore, Fionn turning away back into the banquet hall. As the edge of the lagoon becomes a blur on the horizon, I see Fionn return, talking to a bird, and pointing towards me. The hawk that has followed me all the way from the North comes soaring towards me, and rests on my shoulder. I stroke its silken feathers, before turning towards the the faerie staring at me; Corey is a small pixie, about half my height, and with a beer belly and red cheeks, and a ginger beard and mop of hair,

"So that's your bird then?" he flicks the hawks beak,

"No. It comes and goes as it pleases- you cannot chain nature," I reply,

"Tell that to your Viking friends," Corey guffaws, incoherently amused with himself. But his suggestion at the Vikings being my friends frustrates me so much, that- without realizing- a flame starts up in my left hand. The hawk caws, and flies off my shoulder, hovering just above my head, "Poop on her- go on birdie!" Corey slaps the side of the boat, doubled over in laughter,

"Do not suggest that the Vikings are my friends," I spit, the flame in my hand getting brighter, Corey straightens up, suddenly going very serious and intimidating,

"So," he says, clasping his hands behind his back, "The sorceress thinks that she is ever so strong and powerful, does she?" I close my hand over my palm, extinguishing the flame, "Well let me teach the sorceress a little lesson- what does the sorceress say?" His sea green eyes glare right into me,

"I don't think that I am all powerful, I just think that I deserve some respect, especially after what I have been through thanks to the Vikings," I reply, slowly choosing my words,

"Respect? Who needs respect? I don't expect people to respect me, so don't expect me to respect you," Corey continues to stare at me, then suddenly he flicks his wrist, and the boat overturns. Screaming, I grab a side as I fall, but as soon as I hit the water, the boat disintegrates, and I plunge down into the depths. My pouch, and my dagger both disappear beneath me. As I desperately try to pull myself back up to the surface of the murky water, a horse like shadow starts to come through the dark towards me- this is one animal that I recognize; a pouka, water horses, they can change shape, and drag their victims down underneath the surface of the lagoon or lake that they guard, and drown them. Panicking, I back up against a pillar, and use my magic to fashion a sword from the stalactite, I take hold of it, and use the pillar to pull myself up to the surface. The little pixie, Corey, is sitting on a rock to my left, laughing hysterically, and I scream at him,

"THERE IS A POUKA DOWN THERE- HELP ME!" He turns to me, and waggles his finger,

"But you are ever so strong, madame sorceress, what is there to be afraid of?" I notice a hanging stalactite above Corey's head, and using my magic, I will it to land on his head, but nothing happens. Corey, now almost falling off his perch because of the 'hilarity of the situation', exclaims, "I don't think it wants to fall on me..." he leans over the side of his rock, coming face to face with me, "A little revelation for you, sorceress, I am more powerful than you, and I am willing it not to fall on me, so it will not!"

" Sorceress " a rustle to my left shocks me, and I come face to face with a pouka, its eyes flashing red, and its nostrils flared. Panicking, I will the water behind me to rush over my head, in a huge wave, and crash down onto the pouka. My ears hurt as the roar of the water lifting behind me echoes through the lagoon. The wave collapses down in front of me, sending me flying backwards against the pillar, and my head starts to bleed, blossoming red into  the aqua blue. However the wave does not displace the water horse. Shocked, I thrust my sword at its side, and it grabs it with its teeth and crushes it down. Terror infusing in my muscles, I conjure flames in my hands, and send them in a stream at the pouka, it withers away, just before the flames hit it, disappearing into the water, "Hello again," I gasp, and spin around, the pouka just behind the column, somebody grabs the back of my dress, and lifts me out of the water onto a boat. Coughing, I collapse onto the wooden boards, water draining off me in rivulets. Corey, suddenly serious again, lets go of me, and goes to stand by the bow again. Pulling myself up, I gaze back at the pouka as we continue through the lagoon. The water horse snorts once again before disappearing beneath the surface of the water.

"So you see, sorceress, you have much to learn, and you need to learn it quickly if you are going to stay around the sidhe,"