There can be Only One, Chapter 25 by patricia51
(With my sword and head held high)
(New York City, Present Day)
"Deirdre, it will be alright. I promise. And promise me that you won't take any action until we get there.
"No, I've already tried to get hold of Duncan. No one knows where he is. He's done one of his famous disappearing acts. Besides, this really doesn't concern him. It concerns Clove and me and by extension you.
"Can you get your husband to take the girls out of the line of fire for a few days? I know he knows about you; you never keep that a secret from any of your spouses. How you find all the trustworthy mortals I can't imagine but you do.
"Yes, I have to admit I had never thought that researching a place to live anywhere would include the criteria that it is built on a place that was once an old Spanish Mission. So stay home stick to Holy Ground. If it was just Glimmer I would tell you to have at her but I'm willing to bet its not. She showed herself to you for a purpose, just as Marvel did with me and Cato did with Clove. They're challenging us. I guess it's time we stopped dodging the bullet.
"No, go ahead and talk to Glimmer. Carefully. But tell her Clove and I are on the way so she can summon the other two. I really have the feeling that it WILL just be the three of them. There's too much history and feelings between us to allow outsiders into our fight. I'm glad you sent Rue away to Duncan in Paris.
"Yes I wish you had taken Glimmer's head when you first met her back in the eighteenth century. But how could you have known? Regardless, we're on the way. I can be there tomorrow but Clove will be a little later. Not much, we're both flying chartered aircraft but she although she has a lot farther to go she was already on the way. And she's so pissed at Cato and them she already says she's not taking any of them alive this time.
"And neither am I. Love you. See you soon."
Katniss closed her phone. Well, that was one way to draw her and therefore Clove out. A threat to the woman who had found her and mentored her and gave her the tools to survive as an Immortal and further had been a source of comfort and wisdom for centuries was certain to make Katniss sit up and take notice. And where she went Clove would follow. Hell it wouldn't surprise her if she found out that Cato and Marvel were already in San Francisco. Well they would be soon. The showdown was on.
(San Francisco, CA)
Katniss was waiting at San Francisco International Airport as the sleek Gulfstream G550 business jet pulled up. After Immigration and Customs Service agents completed their inspection a slender figure disembarked. She gathered several bags and lugged them towards the terminal building. Katniss scampered to meet her, taking several bags and guiding the other girl to the rental car waiting for them. It wasn't until the pair had driven away from prying eyes that Katniss suddenly stopped, shifted the car into park and leaped all over Clove.
After the two had calmed down Clove snuggled against Katniss, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder.
"Promise me we are NEVER going to spend so much time apart again ever."
"I promise." Katniss looked grim. "Of course there IS the possibility that we may be going out together. You know that this won't be settled until all three of one side or the other are no longer among the living."
"True, but those leaving this vale of tears will be them, not us. You nearly had Marvel last time and while Deirdre isn't Duncan MacLeod death on two legs good she's not bad either and Glimmer has always relied on Cato to set things up for her. I don't think she's won a straight-forward duel ever. That leaves Cato for me and I will handle him."
"Don't get over-confident darling," urged Katniss.
"I won't. And I won't get angry either. That's what they're counting on. I'm going to be as cold as ice and that in itself will worry him. He knows how good I am with knives when I'm focused and he should realize by now I'm that good with a sword. In fact I've been working out with it every day for several years now."
"God," marveled Katniss. "You are scary when you get like that."
"Good. I need to stay that way."
The drive to Deirdre's house was finished in silence but a silence that was warm and said more than spoken words could have expressed. They parked on the street and got out. As they did the unmistakable sensation washed over them. Powerfully. It obviously wasn't just Deirdre walking down from the front door. The sound of closing car doors drew their attention. They turned, hands instinctively reaching for the hilts of the swords they weren't wearing while their eyes took in the entire area.
"Getting a bit jumpy are you Clove?" Cato's unmistakable deep voice asked mockingly.
"Just careful. Which always pays with someone like you," replied the English Immortal.
The Dane flushed. "Tomorrow we'll settle this for good." He went on to describe a desolate place up the coast. "Be there and bring your friend there and the other one as well."
"We'll be there," Clove replied curtly as Deidre joined them. The six Immortals looked back and forth at each other, hatred in their eyes. Then Cato, Marvel and Glimmer climbed into a luxury car and sped off.
Once they were sure the opposition was gone the trio of women exchanged hugs. They went inside and closed out the world for the rest of that day, spending it relaxing, talking and sharpening their swords
The next morning they were all up early. They all dressed similarly, tights or tight pants that still allowed for freedom as did the loose tops they wore. Soft boots covered their feet.
"Ready?" asked Deidre.
Always.
(Coastal Cove north of San Francisco)
The three women made their way down the tiny trail leading towards the ocean. A small beach area opened up before them, sheltered from direct view by the overhanging cliffs. Waiting for them were three figures, each with sword in hand.
Clove eyed their three opponents. She opened the case she had brought and drew her own sword, a modern copy of the one she had adopted while in China in the late 1700's. Deirdre's katana came free with a gentle, deadly hiss. Katniss reached over her shoulder and drew the Army saber she had used for nearly a hundred years.
No words were spoken. Katniss went to the right to face Marvel; Deirdre to the left to Glimmer. And finally Clove stood fast in front of Cato. Everyone knew this was how it would be. Without challenges or salutes or words of warning the mixed trio attacked the three friends but failed to catch them off guard. Steel rang against steel and the fight was on.
There was no time to watch what was happening to the left and right of her. Clove focused all her concentration on the hulking form of Cato. She pitted her blinding speed against his incredible strength. As far as swordsmanship went perhaps the Dane was a scant margin better but only fractionally.
Cato rained blows at her, blows that would have sent her sprawling had she tried to match them sword to sword. Instead she deflected them with an angled blade that made the heavy broadsword skim past her or she bobbed, weaved and ducked and let him waste the energy on the empty air. She didn't just fight defensively, her sword tip licked at Cato's throat and heart again and again, making the other Immortal back up or spend more effort batting away her blade. He hammered at her with the edge; she thrust with the point, always making sure not to over extend herself. Above all else she needed to keep her balance at all times, be ready to twist and turn and stoop and leap in a micro-second.
Back and forth she and Cato fought. The world narrowed down to the two of them and the deadly dance of their swords. The shinning blades touched and parted, spun and clashed again. Clove fell to her knees to avoid a cut that would have bisected and elephant had it landed. Clove dropped into a perfect classic full body lunge that would have spitted Cato had he not leaped backwards frantically. Again and again each of them avoided death by inches or less.
The sweat poured off Clove. Cato's chest worked like a bellows as he gasped for breath. Although the fights taking place beside her never entered into her field of vision she could tell the ringing of the swords was reaching a crescendo.
Cato heaved his blade over his head with both hands, his face twisted; showing his anger and hate. Clove dove headfirst for the ground, allowing the down strike to go harmlessly behind her. She tucked into a forward roll, her sword tip leading as she uncurled. The razor sharp tip sank into her target. Cato cried out and bent forward as he clutched the wound. Springing to her feet she brought the keen edge down on the man's neck and the head tumbled to the sand.
The Quickening was more powerful than any she had ever experience. Caught up in the storm she could only hope Marvel or Glimmer was not in a position to take her while she was helpless. Then she fell on the sand and her senses returned. Her hand grasped her fallen sword and she looked frantically left and right.
A body lay on either side. She nearly collapsed in relief as she saw that Deirdre stood over Glimmer and Katniss had the same position with Marvel. From the look of things both girls had just recovered from their own Quickenings.
"We won," croaked Clove, her voice sounding as dry as the desert. Which, come to think of it was how her throat felt?
The trio came together in a sustained hug that seemed to go on and on. None of them wanted to break it. Finally, reluctantly, they parted and looked around. They drug the headless bodies to the ocean and cast them into the outgoing tide and cleaned up the fallen Immortal's weapons. Clove staggered to the trunk of a tree that had fallen from the cliff above and all but collapsed on it. Katniss followed, seating herself near to her lover. A long silence fell over them
"So, what do we do now?" wondered the younger Irish Immortal aloud finally as she carefully cleaned the saber she had retrieved after they had policed the area and sheathed it. "This has sort of hung over us for a long time. I don't mean we dwelt on it but it's sort of a feeling of 'this is where we came in'. So what comes next?"
Deirdre smiled. She sat down between the two younger Immortals, wrapping an arm around each one.
"You start the rest of your lives, however long they may be. This hasn't changed things. I will go home to my husband and adopted daughters. I can't have them forever but every day that I do will be a joy. Do the same. Make every day count. Love each other and all the others you meet who are worthy of it. Take it one day at a time. None of us are promised tomorrow." She kissed Katniss on the forehead and repeated the gesture with Clove.
"Go on now. Until we meet again, be it casually or on the day of the Gathering. Until then my beloved sweet daughters, be happy and enjoy what you have been given."
After Deirdre had left the two Immortal girls sat quietly together in thought. Finally Katniss stood up.
"Where are we going?" asked Clove as she stood herself.
Katniss smiled. She held out a silver object.
"Deirdre gave me this last night. It's a King John Penny of Dublin, issued by the English in Ireland about the time of her rising as an Immortal. She gave it to us for luck and to help us decide when there isn't anything different between choices. Or paths to follow. We can't exactly follow the words of the song but East and West both lay before us." She poised the coin under her thumb, ready to flip.
"Heads Carolina, tails California?"
"Toss it."
(The End)
(This seems the perfect place to leave our girls, ready to travel the world together for as long as they can. I feel sure that I'll return to them. I want to particularly thank Invader Johnny, Jackdaw King Azrael, Dracones and Harley Quinn Davidson for their continual support throughout this story. You all are the best.