Memorybound

Chapter 36

The fairies were on them again and the figure stood, watching their progress, not bothering to take part in the battle. Men screamed as the fairies launched tiny arrows at them. The last wave of fairies had just tried to lure them away, but these were out to battle. Hailey concentrated, wondering if she shouldn't use her magic to do something else, but she couldn't think of what.

She glanced at Isabella. The fear in her eyes made Hailey cringe, but there was also determination. "Stay the course. There is nothing better that you can do for these men than to grant them sight."

At the moment, Hailey was wondering if bonfires would have been abetter idea, a better use of her time.

Natalia walked behind the soldiers, taking out fairies one at a time. Hailey couldn't help wondering if there was a better spell she could throw at the shimmer to destroy them as they came out, but both of the mages she was fighting against were more experienced than she was.

The arrows were no more than a distraction. Man after man was pelted with tiny arrows. Some of them collapsed to the ground writhing in pain, trying to pull them out. Others ignored the pain, slashing and fighting against the fairies, but as a whole, the men seemed more tired, less able to focus on destroying the fairies.

In minutes, not one of the men that Hailey could see was not covered in arrows. Like they had done in the forest, the fairies ignored the mages all together.

"Ignore the toothpicks they are firing at you, men! It can't kill you!" Derrick's voice travelled back and forth behind Hailey. "Kill the damned fairies. Think of your home."

It was like a wave of determination that rode along with Derrick as he screamed at his men to continue battling.

Aaron was screaming, too. "Don't go down without a fight! He ran forward to grab one of the men that the fairies was luring towards the shimmer, and came dangerously close to the mage.

She grinned at him and he shied back. Hailey's heart was in her throat. "Stay away from her!" She was screaming at him, but he didn't turn, didn't listen. He grabbed his soldier by the collar and dragged him back to the line, pulling the arrows out of his face. Blood dripped down the man's face, but he returned to his position.

Aaron wasn't done, then. Man after man, he dragged back to position. One of his men made it to the shimmer and was torn to bits by a warg before Aaron could get to him. "Focus, men!" He screamed dodging behind his men. Others were falling. The line of men had a ragged holes in it. A pile of bodies lay just inside the shimmer. Legs and torsos, arms and heads all lined the shimmer. The men screamed and fought, battling hard against an opponent with their swords as much as their minds.

"Don't let them trick you!" Derrick screamed, his voice becoming harsher. "Don't let them drag you away! Stand by your brothers and fight!"

Hailey couldn't help glancing at the woman who looked so much like Isabella. Why was she just standing there? As if her thoughts directed the woman, she moved forward, picking up soldiers and throwing them at the mages. Her attack seemed to be focused on Isabella. Hailey dodged out of the way as the severed arm of one of the men came flying straight for her.

"You're on the wrong side of this battlefield," she shouted at Isabella. "Do you really think that you and a half train mage can stand against me and all the fairies of the forest?"

Even the fairies were beginning to tire though. Hailey continued to chant, hoping that dawn would come soon, so she could let go of this spell and do something to help the men. Her heart wrenched for them. How many of the men who had fallen were fathers or husbands? Some of them were too young to be facing this horror.