Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The creature landed somewhere among the hills of Gotham in the dense woodlands. The fog returned, and as it dissipated, the warrior who called herself S`lea lay beside the injured warrior. She rolled over on her side and slowly managed to raise herself to her knees. The masked man to whom she had sworn allegiance was in a great deal of pain. He seemed to have sustained no more wounds than before she had changed. She pressed her hand gently across his eyes, but the mask he wore would not allow her to help him. So she removed it.

"My eyes, but you are a handsome one! I do not understand why you hide such beauty," she sighed. "I do not know why you led me here. To be honest, I do not understand much of your world, but if this is where you feel safe, then this is where I shall take you." He began to struggle beneath her hand. She could sense his pain and wished she knew a way to take it from him, but the best she could do was return him to the darkness that had hidden him from it instead.

"Forgive me," she whispered as she lifted him in her arms and began to carry him through the wooded growth. "We must hurry. I sense trouble." The young woman found herself talking to the unresponsive body as she stumbled through a wooded vale. "I sense the foolishness of coming here, my lord, and yet as always, I continue," she mumbled as she looked again at the unconscious man she cradled in her strong yet dainty arms. His unmasked face was bruised and ever so slightly swollen. Still, his handsome features were prominent.

As she came out of the woods, she found her feelings had led her to the side of a great hill. She sat the body on the damp ground and looked for a cavern or something to indicate why she still felt like she was to go straight into the mountain.

"Are you some sort of wizard that you can change yourself into a tiny creature? There is not even a rabbit hole here. It would be of great help if you would awaken. Then, even if you could not shrink us both, you could at least shrink yourself. You are starting to get heavy."

She suddenly felt threatened. Someone was coming. Someone who did not want her around. She drew her sword from its shoulder harness and held it with great ease in front her.

"I know you are there, shadow walker. Show yourself or leave us be. I do not have time for games."

"Leave the boy and go!" a disembodied voice demanded. "And you won't be harmed."

"I'll not leave this warrior in the company of ghosts." She laughed. "I can assure you I will not be harmed by a shadow. He is my charge and is under my protection. This I have sworn as a Royal Knight of Meric when he called me through the light." She took a stance between the warrior and the one she called shadow walker. As she did her eyes became black as coal with not a speck of color left in the orbs. The air seemed to calm so that even the smallest of creatures seemed to hush as the challenge was made.

She saw a little pebble fall at her feet. Did he think she could be intimidated by throwing stones? She did not know weather to laugh or be angered. Then it began to smolder and burn just at her feet.

"So the shadow walker is a sorcerer," she acknowledged and with a wave a hand the pellet returned to its owner. "I too can play that game."

This time it exploded began to billow a thick fog. She saw the shadow jump from its hiding place. As it did, she confronted this all too human spirit.

"As you can see, I too can play that game as well. Show yourself, or are you a coward as well as a wizard? Face me as a warrior, or by Gods' spit, there will be nothing left of you for the Dark One to take back to Hell with him." She felt two other presences come up behind her as the shadow emerged from the thicket. She stepped over the body of 'her charge.' With her back to the proverbial wall, she waited. "You two," she acknowledged the source of the sensations of worry coming from behind her. "I know you are there. Show yourselves."

"I thought it was me you wanted to fight," growled the shadow walker.

"I was not the one who cast the first stone," she returned. "Twas you. If you insist that I fight the three of you, so be it. I doubt the old one nor the squire will be much of challenge since they do not have the element of surprise anymore." Suddenly, the wounded warrior began to struggle with the pain of his injuries. She knelt to his side placing her hand over his eyes. The man stopped struggling and returned to the peace that came with unconsciousness.

"Enough." The eldest man emerged from the shadows

"Alfred!" shouted the squire, clad in a brightly colored uniform, as he emerged from the bush behind the older man. The shadow walker, too, moved towards the confusion. She waved her hand outward at the shadow, and his attempt to use the moment of chaos as a distraction failed, for now he found himself frozen in place.

"He could die while you two continue to fight," the older man growled. He stepped as close to the wounded warrior as the stranger would allow. "I only wish to help. Is that not why you brought him here?" the man insisted.

"I only took him where he wished to go," the Knight replied, still holding her blade between the elder and her charge.

"So he asked you to bring him here?"

"No, not in the way you speak. He was injured and has not spoken since he asked for my help. The Castle Rangers attacked us with their strange weapons," she informed him, "so I brought him where his heart felt safe. I followed his true way."

Alfred just raised his eyebrows. Then bending down, he checked Nightwing's pulse. The stranger's blade stayed just millimeters from his throat. "He is alive," he said aloud as he stood again. "Young lady, if you are going to use that, then be done with it. If not, sheath it. We mean you no harm."

"I was not the . . . "

" . . . the one who started this fight." He glared over to Batman, whose scowl only deepened if anything. "So you have said. But you did trespass on private property, and in doing so, you provoked the situation. The one you call 'shadow walker' is my master, Batman. He is the knight of this realm, and the boy you have returned is Nightwing, the master's son. If you can read hearts, then you know my words are true. So as you see, your quest is done, and you may return to your own realm."

Almost too quickly to believe, she returned the sword to its harness, and her eyes began to look normal. "What you say is true." She paused. "I have returned him to the love of his family and beg forgiveness, your Lordship." She waved her hand outward releasing Batman from the spell. She knelt before him. Then collapsed unconscious to the ground.

"My word," Alfred whispered as he reached to her side. "She was wounded."

"How's Nightwing?" Bruce worried.

"He has some broken ribs and seems to have taken a severe blow to the head. There is blood in his ears," Alfred answered, still working on the young "Knight" who had taken Wayne Manor by siege. "And it appears she has lost a great deal of blood. She should be alright." He quickly returned to the immediate care of the more pressing injuries of the child he thought of as a grandson.

"Good, they can treat her at Arkham," Batman growled. "Robin, cuff her. I'll take Nightwing below and be back to take her in. "

Stunned, Alfred rose quickly. "I don't believe that Arkham is necessary," he stated protectively.

"Look at her. She's running around Gotham thinking she's some kind of knight of the realm."

"Excuse me sir, it might have been the cowl, but it sounded to me as if you said she should be locked away because of the way she's dressed." Both men ignored the unintended giggle that slipped from Robin.

"You know exactly what I mean," he returned. "What exactly do you expect me to do with her?"

"I expect you to do nothing with her. I expect you to pick up Master Richard and bring him in so I can better treat him and I expect . . . Robin can pick her up."

"You cannot truly believe I am going to let her down there . . . "

"After all, Alfie, for all we know, she could've been the one who hurt Nightwing," Robin added. "She sure stopped . . . uh . . . us in our tracks." He did not dare to look at Batman.

"If that is what is bothering you both, then may I remind you that she not only released you from whatever she held you by, but she also asked for your forgiveness. And if that is not enough to sway you to do the proper thing, may I remind you that you have allowed others below who have been less noble about their quests. Now if you do not wish her here, then I will take her to Doctor Thompkin's clinic. Robin, stay with her until I return with the car."

Alfred excused himself and began to walk back to the Manor. Bruce stopped him. This next move was insane. It went against every fiber in his being, every survival instinct he had. Yet what was he supposed to do? Alfred would never do anything to bring harm to him, and if she was there, at least he could keep a closer eye on her. So he agreed to take her to the Manor, for now.