Sara awoke to find herself carried by Ian, - no - Donnchadh, - no - another Ian-lookalike! His face changed continuously, scars, beard, face paint came and went. Sara struggled to get out of his grasp. Donnchadh said "Be still, my Lady". Ian hissed "Stop it!"
"Who are you? Which are you?" Asked Sara.
"I am who I always am." Ian answered.
Sara stopped struggling. She realized he was carrying her up an endless flight of stairs. Lasar went ahead with the light - the light which switched between being various torches and the battery powered kind. Lasar's appearance did not change but his clothes did ceaselessly - breeches, robes, fur, skins, a feather cape.
Ahead of Lasar ran a fox, - or - an Irish wolfhound, - or - a raven flew.
At the top of the tunnel, in the antechamber, they heard bullets flying overhead. The gunfire intensified. Sara, Lasar, and Ian were pinned underground. Ian set Sara on her feet, shaky but awake, and started to plan, "I'll go up and draw the gun fire away. You both can come up a . . ."
"No" Sara said. "No, boast me up." Ian could not see her face in the dark but her voice stopped him from arguing. He made a step by interlocking his hands and boasted her through the hole. She popped up like a jack-in-the-box.
Sara stood in the open with both arms in the air. The swollen left arm turned outward displaying the bloody tattoo and the right turned inward, displaying the Witchblade, fully extended. There was a bubble of faint light around her from which the bullets bounced.
"Hold! . . . What do you want of me?" The answer was more bullets so she demanded again. "What do you want of me! What would you ask of Cathain!" Her form shifted to another in battlegear, then back again.
"Peace!" Someone called out. "Victory!" Shouted another. "Wrongs righted!" Came from a third.
"Behold, I am a weapon! . . . I cannot give you peace! . . . I buy victory at great cost! . . . I cannot change the past!" she answered.
"Only you can give yourselves peace! Only you can earn victory! Only you can make right what has been wrong!"
"Let it be known that *THIS* weapon will not fit to your hand for your purpose!"
"Be gone!" She said while simultaneously snapping her wrists together causing a blinding flash.
"Who are you? Which are you?" Asked Sara.
"I am who I always am." Ian answered.
Sara stopped struggling. She realized he was carrying her up an endless flight of stairs. Lasar went ahead with the light - the light which switched between being various torches and the battery powered kind. Lasar's appearance did not change but his clothes did ceaselessly - breeches, robes, fur, skins, a feather cape.
Ahead of Lasar ran a fox, - or - an Irish wolfhound, - or - a raven flew.
At the top of the tunnel, in the antechamber, they heard bullets flying overhead. The gunfire intensified. Sara, Lasar, and Ian were pinned underground. Ian set Sara on her feet, shaky but awake, and started to plan, "I'll go up and draw the gun fire away. You both can come up a . . ."
"No" Sara said. "No, boast me up." Ian could not see her face in the dark but her voice stopped him from arguing. He made a step by interlocking his hands and boasted her through the hole. She popped up like a jack-in-the-box.
Sara stood in the open with both arms in the air. The swollen left arm turned outward displaying the bloody tattoo and the right turned inward, displaying the Witchblade, fully extended. There was a bubble of faint light around her from which the bullets bounced.
"Hold! . . . What do you want of me?" The answer was more bullets so she demanded again. "What do you want of me! What would you ask of Cathain!" Her form shifted to another in battlegear, then back again.
"Peace!" Someone called out. "Victory!" Shouted another. "Wrongs righted!" Came from a third.
"Behold, I am a weapon! . . . I cannot give you peace! . . . I buy victory at great cost! . . . I cannot change the past!" she answered.
"Only you can give yourselves peace! Only you can earn victory! Only you can make right what has been wrong!"
"Let it be known that *THIS* weapon will not fit to your hand for your purpose!"
"Be gone!" She said while simultaneously snapping her wrists together causing a blinding flash.