Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long, having writers block. But here we go!

Also, this team is idealistic only, as the selectors are rather stupid...

Chapter Ten: The New Zealand Five

It's a well-known fact that the Australians love to play in New Zealand. The tiny hop across the Tasman ensures that it feels more like home, plus the added advantage of a relatively short plane flight means that a lot of the families come with the squad.

This Australian team was no different. It was a very large group that assembled on the plane for the two-hour flight, sent off ruefully by Watto, whose side still hadn't healed.

Half an hour into the flight, the attendant came down the aisle towards the Sons, who were all sitting together. 'Is it just me,' whispered Damien, 'or is there something bizarre about that woman?'

The others discreetly looked in the direction Damien indicated.

'Yeah,' Matt replied, 'she sort of looks…fuzzy. Like she's…'

'Wearing a glamour.' Justin finished. They all looked at each other. Suddenly Adam chuckled.

'I think I know who it is.'

They watched as he turned in the direction of the woman, and infused his voice with Charter Marks. When he spoke, his voice was so low that they could barely hear it, but the magic carried the one word across to the lady.

'Lirael.'

It was a risk. If it had been a Five, or if there was any other enemy nearby, Adam would have been finished. But the woman smiled, and her glamour shed off until the black-haired, brown-eyed young Abhorsen-in-Waiting stood before them.

'My friends,' she greeted them warmly but hurriedly, 'the Clayr have seen your deaths if you do not have five warriors plus Damien with you.'

'But we couldn't take Watto!'

'No,' she agreed, 'you couldn't. But you will get a new warrior.'

Lirael turned. Brett Lee had been listening and watching curiously. She smiled and reached out, her finger tracing a Charter Mark on his forehead. It left behind a glowing golden Mark. Then they realised.

'That was already there, wasn't it.' Brad hadn't asked a question.

Lirael responded by speaking to Brett. 'Hail, Brett Lee, Son of the Clayr.'

Lirael and the Sons then spent the rest of the flight teaching Brett the basic things he would need – mostly defensive magics, and Marks to summon his board, or his sword. Then Lirael said, 'Brett, look in your pocket.'

This Brett did and pulled out a set of silver panpipes. Lirael promptly named each of the pipes and their purposes. Then she said, 'I would expect you only to use three of the pipes at most – Saraneth, Ranna and Kibeth. Use only those tunes I have taught you. Do not use any of the other pipes, they are dangerous. You should only call on the others if hope is lost.'

Three days later, the team took the field for the first one-day match, which ended in a thrilling draw. The Sons noticed warily that Nathan Astle hadn't played, despite being uninjured and present at the match, and wondered what it meant.

When Astle didn't play the second match, it made the Sons jittery – so much so that they lost focus, and ended up losing the match. They began to suspect that Astle was a Five.

For the final one-dayer, they told Justin – who, of course, wasn't playing – to keep a special eye on Astle. Justin roamed the area near where Astle was sitting on the boundary wrapped in his blue cloak, hood up to shade his face. He spotted a glow of Charter Marks near the Kiwi, and began to move closer. Suddenly he was shoved in the back and hemmed in by the crowd. He was trapped!

With Justin unable to see, Astle pulled out a sling. Swiftly he took up the cricket balls imbued with Charter Marks, sighted and let fly.

The first ball passed over the top of Brad's head with barely an inch to spare – he'd had to do up his shoelace. The second just missed Matt as he moved to investigate the first. The third ball that Astle flung flew straight and true, striking Damien in the back of the head and rendering him unconscious. Adam saw the fourth coming and nimbly stepped out of its way.

Astle came striding boldly onto the field. He drew a sword and stopped, standing over Damien's stirring form. Damien gave a little squeak of fright at the touch of cold metal on his neck. Even the Charter Marks seemed cold. Astle spoke.

'Do not move, Sons of the Clayr! If you try to bind me, I shall kill your precious healer!'

Damien's eyes were wide, but he was mouthing to Adam, 'Do what you must! My life is but a trifle to pay! Bind him!'

Adam looked at the others, hovering in indecision. They all mouthed, 'No!'

And then the Sight came to him and he relaxed, throwing his panpipes, sword and gloves on the ground, motioning for Matt and Brad to do the same thing. One of his eyelids flickered.

That was all the signal Brett needed.

Astle's eyes widened in fear as the long clear sound of Saraneth wound about him. He tried to make good on his threat, but the tune of the Binder held him. Brett smiled around the pipe he was playing. He had done it!

The patrons hemming Justin in became distracted by the sound. He jumped to his feet and quickly sent the notes of Kibeth wafting across to Astle. The spirit fought the wills of Brett and Justin, but eventually it gave in.

Australia fought valiantly for a last-gasp victory to level the series, and went into the Tests full of confidence.

Justin and Matt were patiently grinding out a fantastic stand together during the first innings of the First Test. It seemed, to the pair that drinks couldn't come fast enough. As they were chatting and drinking, Matt lowered his voice. 'Justin, don't move…'

Justin froze obediently. Carefully using his body to shield what he was doing, Matt reached down and drew four throwing-knives.

'Who?' came the whisper in Matt's ear.

'Vettori.'

'You want a hand?'

'Not really. Just be ready with the pipes.'

Justin nodded imperceptibly. He and Matt might not be able to communicate telepathically like Adam and Ricky, but they almost always knew what the other was thinking.

Matt twisted away from Justin, his whip in one hand. One strike felled Daniel Vettori, and swiftly Matt sunk the knives through the fabric at Vettori's ankles and wrists.

Vettori convulsed angrily. Then he spoke in a voice that was undeniably not his own.

'No Clayr will control me!' he screamed. 'You cannot destroy me!'

Matt drew out his pipes. 'You do not belong here, spirit of the Dead! Go now, and rest in peace!'

He placed Kibeth to his mouth and blew. The eerie, compelling tune filled the air, and slowly the spirit left, fighting Matt all the way. Matt closed his eyes and was concentrating so hard that he didn't feel the spirit go. But when Vettori's frightened voice called out, 'Where am I going?' Matt quickly thrust his finger inside Kibeth.

He turned as he heard the clash of swords and saw Justin fighting Stephen Fleming. Fleming was not much of a warrior so Justin began taunting him. 'Is that all you've got? Really? What a disappointment!'

Justin's plan was to incite fury and a mistake in the spirit. But then he tripped and was off-balance. Fleming rushed at him and knocked him over, driving a small knife through Justin's wrist and into the ground. Justin screamed in pain as Fleming raised the sword for a killer blow.

A great voice suddenly bellowed, 'By the Charter! The Dead mustn't walk this earth!' Then the whip cracked across Fleming's chest with such force it blew the Kiwi off his feet. Another blast of Kibeth sent the Dead spirit soaring into Death.

The Charter-Magic flames running along on Matt's whip slowly died as Matt rushed to Justin. He gently pulled the knife from the small one's wrist and pressed it firmly.

'You saved my life,' Justin smiled weakly.

'Of course I did JL. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you if I could help it!' Matt hugged Justin tightly. Then Damien was there, sinking Charter Marks into Justin's wrist, the flesh and bone healing quickly.

A day later, Brett was bowling patiently to Hamish Marshall, when he spotted Adam winking at him. Brett grinned. He didn't need magic for this bit! He ran in and unleashed an evil bouncer that struck Marshall in the helmet, stunning him. Quick as a flash Adam's gloves flew out and Marshall toppled over, bound head to foot by a strong magical cord. Then Brett played the simple Kibeth tune that Lirael had taught him and the Dead spirit left the world of the living.

Now there was just one Dead spirit left. The Kiwis had to follow on and so the Sons set a trap for the last Five by placing a Charter Mark on the crease. They watched as each batsman's eyes slid over it without seeing. Then they saw Brendon McCullum give a double-take and prod the Mark with his bat. Quickly the team huddled.

'I think we should all just give him a blast,' Damien suggested. Everyone agreed.

'Okay,' Adam instructed, 'Justin, Brett and Damien, you Bind. Matt and I will Walk,' and the team laughed at the double-meaning that 'Walk' took when he said it.

McCullum sighed. He was safe. They hadn't noticed him. All the same, he was furious for falling into a trap like that. Then he heard a low tune coming from somewhere in front of him. The sound swelled as McCullum pinpointed it coming from Justin at short leg. Then it became more complex as Damien and Brett joined in.

The tune was quickly woven through, leaving McCullum no time to appreciate it as Kibeth joined in, forceful and commanding. The final Dead spirit left as the rain began to fall.

The series ended up being nil all after the three Tests. But the team knew they could expect better weather in the West Indies.

Whew, here we go! That was a long chapter.

Adam's Joke: He stresses 'Walk'. He is a 'walker'; that is, if he thinks he's out, he goes, without waiting for the ump.

Bouncer: A ball that bounces halfway down the pitch, and bounces very high.

See you all in the West Indies! If you don't review, I don't post!

Lady Siruae XXX