Chapter 9

Nuala

Liath and Kathlin walked with me in the forest. It was nice outside today so we were out exploring. Liath was talking about how Uncle Arthur had forced Lyra into a dress to attend a ball in honour of Queen Elena joining the treaty to be a kingdom in Albion. I remembered that. She wore a pretty red dress and a sulking face. She was only satisfied when she danced with Damien and he pretended to be the girl partner. It was fun to watch.

'Damien's a good brother.' Kathlin said with a giggle. Damien's a great friend too and he's a lot like Aunt Gwen but he did have a temper as bad as Lyra's just with more patience.

'The best!' Liath agreed, grinning. 'Mum says that all brothers are softer with their sisters.'

'Yeah.' I nodded. 'Daemon smiles for me all the time but he doesn't do that when we play. He gives me piggyback rides and plays music for me.' I bragged my brother. He was the best brother ever and he loves me lots.

'I wish I had a…' Kathlin stopped suddenly, eyes wide. Breathing hard, she grabbed our hands and pulled us around to run back to the castle, I didn't know we walked so far away…

'What is it?' Liath asked, worried for her. Did she hear something or did something happen back at the castle?

'Bandits.' She gasped and we ran faster. We were too far from the castle, we wouldn't make it back but maybe we could hide…

'Gotcha!' A dark-skinned man yelled, grabbing Kathlin so fast her hand ripped out of ours. She screamed in fear and I saw her eyes wide in fright.

'Let her go!' I yelled at him angrily. He can't hurt her, he can't hurt us! We're kids! But more men appeared. I didn't have any magic other than healing. I touched my hand to the tree behind me and it gave me strength. I whispered for the wind to carry my voice back to Camelot.

'My, my, two little princesses. Your fathers will pay a handsome ransom.' Another said, grabbing my arm and twisted it behind my back. It hurt and I half-screamed. The trees around swished wildly as if a storm was coming and I could hear their anger. But I couldn't ask nature to help me in case it hit Kathlin and Liath by accident.

'Liath! Use your magic!' I called out to my friend. The men tensed and she raised her palms before a chain was slapped onto her wrists hard. I felt the magic fizzle and disappear. No!

'Now, now, we can't have that.' The man chuckled and another one grabbed Liath. Her eyes flashed gold but I could feel the magic was being held back. I prayed for help to come soon.

'Wolf, Vira!' Kathlin screamed loudly and I looked up to see my friends flying in the sky, their faces scared, angry and serious. They threw starfire at the men and swept down, grabbing Kathlin and Liath first because the starfire didn't hit the one holding me. I could hear screaming. The men were on fire and they were screaming. It was horrible.

'Nuala!' A familiar voice called and I broke into a smile because my brother was here, riding on his wolf. His face was angry but his eyes were sharp. 'Let go of my sister!'

Grey leapt with snarling teeth and he jumped off to grab me while his wolf bit the man. He looked at me with worried eyes. My arm hurt from when I was yanked away and I sent magic to heal it. 'Are you okay?'

'Yes.'

'Let's…' But his words were cut off by a loud shout and a badly burnt man held Wolf's wing in his hands, bending it, breaking it but he still didn't let go of Liath.

Vira was flying but she stopped when she heard his yell and another took the chance to shoot her down. Two arrows shot through her wings and she fell, holding on to Kathlin. I pressed my palms to the ground and made it open up so the bandits who hurt them fell in. Vira had tears streaming down her face and Wolf was trying to reach her through the pain of his broken wing. I ran to them, healing hands ready.

Kathlin worked on unwrapping the chain from Liath's wrists. I healed Wolf first, ignoring his asking me to heal Vira first. I didn't know how to take out the arrows. Daemon stood in front of us with a dagger and Grey growling beside him but there were five men. I tried to heal Wolf faster. A man lunged for Liath but there was a flash of gold and an awful wet sound.

'Liath, are you hurt?' Damien asked, his face storming and a dagger in his hands. Lyra was huffing, her own dagger smeared with blood.

'No, I'm okay.' She said in a small voice. The remaining mean ran forward, swords drawn and screaming a battle cry. Damien stood ready but Lyra yelled back and charged forward. Damien reached out to snatch her back but missed. Liath threw out her hand and the men dropped flat, dead or asleep I didn't know.

'It hurts!' Vira shrieked, holding her brother's hand while Daemon broke one of the arrows. She snarled and tried to snap at his hand. I placed my hand on her wing unsurely and quickly pulled out the broken arrow. She screamed again but I pushed in my magic to close that wound and numb the pain. I didn't dar touch the other arrow.

Lyra and Wolf began screaming for someone but I wasn't sure who, I was too concentrated on Vira's wing. I could feel a broken bone but I wasn't sure if I would heal it wrong. A hand came down on my shoulder and I looked up at my mother's calm face. Mother! Mother knows what to do… she took my hand of the wing and Dad took me into his arms, hugging me tight. I didn't even know I was shaking.

'Will she be okay?' Akvai asked Wolf. He didn't say anything but he nodded so hard, his hair flopped. He was shivering along with his sister as Mum saw to her wing. Aunt Aria was whispering things to her to keep her calm.

'They're just ordinary bandits?' Uncle Arthur reaffirmed in a hard voice. His arm was draped around Lyra. Her hand shook with the man's blood. Damien was holding on to Liath tight and Uncle Lancelot was holding Kathlin's hand.

'Yes, these four are alive.' Uncle Merlin answered, his head snapped to Vira when they broke the next arrow. Vira didn't scream again but she jumped, spooked by the noise.

'Percival, Leon, take them to the dungeons.' Uncle Arthur commanded finally, crouching down to pry Lyra's shocked fingers of off the dagger. Mum finished healing Vira's wing and checked Wolf and the others for any wounds while the men that Liath sent to sleep were taken away.

'Nuala, your arm…' Dad said, holding up the arm the man twisted. Daemon looked at the purple spot with worried brown eyes that matched my Dad's. I didn't have time to heal it properly earlier. I let the magic flow to my arm and it began to heal. Grey nudged my other arm with a whine so I pat his head to comfort him. Maybe I should pat Dad and Daemon's head too…