Disclaimer: "Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog" and its' characters are owned by Saban and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of this show. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.
Chapter 8: Macha's Plan
Ivar and Deirdre were in the armory, looking through the collection of weapons. King Conchobar had asked them to check the conditions of the equipment and to take any that needed repair to the blacksmith.
"I think Angus has feelings for Macha," Deirdre said as she lifted the sword before her to see if the sword was well balanced.
"That may very well be true, but I do not see how it is our business," Ivar said, knowing that Angus indeed had feelings for the strange girl. He also knew that love cannot be controlled except by those who had those feelings for one another.
"Angus is a Mystic Knight and if he becomes distracted by Macha, he might become hurt," Deirdre said as she sighed and replaced the sword where she had found it. "I'm sorry, Ivar. Garrett was right when he said that Macha's has secrets and I don't know whether to trust her or not. I am just concerned for Angus' well being."
"I understand," Ivar said as he lifted a spear off of the rack and examined the spearhead. "We can not interfere for it is up to Angus and Macha to decide their fates."
Before Deirdre could reply, Aideen flew into the armory. "Rohan has been taken!" Aideen said as she fluttered around Ivar and Deirdre's heads.
"Aideen? What do you mean Rohan has been taken?" Deirdre asked with worry in her voice.
"I went to find Rohan and I did find him. A stranger was carrying him over his shoulder crossing into the border of Temra. Rohan wasn't moving!" Aideen said as her eyes darted from Ivar to Deirdre impatiently.
Ivar and Deirdre looked at each other, both had concern on their faces and both were wondering about the identity of the stranger.
"Oh, I should have stayed and saved Rohan," Aideen said guiltily as she sat on a shield and burst into tears.
"Aideen, you may have been captured too, and we wouldn't have known about Rohan's capture," Ivar said as he gave Aideen a comforting look. "We must tell King Conchobar and the others," Ivar said as set the spear down and headed toward the door. When he realized that Deirdre wasn't following him he turned around. Deirdre's face had become pale.
"Deirdre," Ivar said in a soft tone as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rohan is all right and we shall get him back."
"Thank you, Ivar," Deirdre said as she stepped to the door and took a deep breath. She nodded her head and Ivar took that as a signal that she was ready. Ivar walked out the door and when he ran into a Kells soldier, he asked him to find the other Mystic Knights and tell them to meet in the throne room. Ivar went to retrieve Cathbad and Macha, while Deirdre went to get her father.
Torc had returned to the castle after watching Anian capture Rohan. He quickly told Nemain that he had followed Anian into the woods near the Kells castle. He had pulled something out of a pouch and had begun to talk to himself, but Torc could not hear what the man had been saying.
Suddenly, through the woods came Rohan. The Mystic Knight stopped and screamed Deirdre's name. Then he would scream the other Mystic Knights names as though they were in great peril, but all Torc could see was Anian standing before Rohan the entire time. Then, Rohan had been captured in a web. Anian had released the Mystic Knight, fought with him and won.
Before Nemain could comment, Anian entered the throne room carrying Rohan over his shoulder. "Well, here is Rohan, the Mystic Knight of Fire," Anian said as he dropped Rohan onto the stone floor. A groan escaped Rohan's lips but his eyes remained closed.
Nemain and Torc stared at the bruised Mystic Knight with hatred. Nemain raised her eyes and looked at Anian. "How were you able to capture him?"
Anian shrugged as a wicked and devious smile came to his lips. "I do not understand how he could have the rank of a Knight; it was far too easy to defeat him."
"You didn't answer her majesty's question," Torc said never taking his eyes off of the strange man.
Anian turned his gaze and looked at the captain. "The other Mystic Knights will be coming to rescue him. We should be prepared."
"You do not order us around, Anian. I am the one in command here," Nemain said as she raised her head in the air and stared at Anian.
Anian's eyes gleamed evilly but the smile remained on his face. He bowed deeply to Nemain. "I apologize, your Majesty. I was merely making a suggestion."
Torc was silent as he looked from Anian to the unconscious Mystic Knight that the strange man had delivered. An uneasy feeling began to grow within Torc and he had been a soldier long enough to trust his instincts. Something was wrong with this stranger, he didn't know what but he did know that something bad was coming. It was going to be soon. Very soon.
King Conchobar looked around at the people assembled before him. Angus and Deirdre's faces were slightly pale, while Garret, Ivar and Cathbad had worry etched onto every one of their faces. Macha's face was contorted as though she were deep in thought.
"Temra will try to trade Rohan for the mirror," Ivar said breaking the silence that had developed after he had told them about what Aideen had seen.
"This we can not allow," Macha said as she looked firmly at all of them.
"But Rohan's life is in danger! We must save him," Deirdre said as she looked fretfully at her father, wondering what he was thinking.
"The mirror can not be given into Temra's hands," King Conchobar said his face stern but then she looked at Deirdre with understanding and with a comforting smile.
"Now, Deirdre, I never said that we were going to leave Rohan in the Temran dungeon," Macha replied.
"I believe, Macha, that you have a plan," Ivar said as he looked over at her.
"Yes, Ivar, I do," Macha said and then she began to lay out her plan.
Macha stood within the woods that were a fair distance from Temra castle. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, bringing forth the cover of darkness that Macha needed for her plan to work. Clouds covered the stars and the crescent moon that struggled to send their light to earth.
She heard footsteps behind her but she didn't turn around. "Is everything set, Ivar?"
Ivar stood beside Macha as he gazed at the castle, torches from the castle flicking in a gentle breeze. "Yes, Macha."
Ivar was able to see the outline of Macha's head nod in approval. The call of an owl sounded out into the air and then repeated. Macha and Ivar slipped out from underneath the cover of the trees and headed stealthily toward the castle.
Cathbad had provided the Mystic Knights and Macha with several small orbs of light that enabled them to see in the darkness without stumbling around. The benefit was that whoever held the light would be able to see, but no one else could see it.
Angus had Pyre sweep over the castle causing a gust from Pyre's wings to blow out the torches, sending the Temran soldiers into panic as they struggled in the darkness. All the Temran soldiers could see were the glowing eyes of the red dragon.
Angus had Pyre drop him onto the battlements of the castle. He landed on his feet and knocked a Temran soldier down off the battlement into the courtyard. Angus began to run down the wall and headed into the castle. Pyre flew off.
Deirdre and Garrett were on the Dragon Bow Vehicle and they shot several bolts at one side of the castle that was in the opposite direction of where Macha and Ivar had been standing within the woods. Garrett turned the vehicle around and headed toward a clearing.
Three Temran soldiers that had been guarding the borders of Temra came toward Deidre and Garrett. Deirdre sent an attack with her crossbow, knocking down the Temran soldiers who had tried to stop the Dragon Bow vehicle.
Garrett parked the Dragon Bow in the clearing facing Temra castle. Garrett and Deirdre didn't even flinch when they felt the rush of Pyre's wings as the dragon landed next to them.
"I can't wait here any longer. I have to help!" Deirdre said as she jumped off of the Dragon Bow Vehicle and ran towards the castle.
"Deirdre, wait! Macha didn't want you inside the castle for a good reason. Deirdre!" Garret exclaimed futilely as he jumped out of the vehicle and took after the princess leaving Pyre to guard the Dragon Bow.
Macha and Ivar caught up to Angus who told them that he had already looked in the dungeon for Rohan.
"Where is he?" Angus asked with frustration as he slammed is fist into the wall.
"He is this way," Macha said calmly as she turned left and ran down the hallway. Ivar and Angus followed Macha, not asking how she knew where Rohan was in the castle.
They stepped into a darkened room that Angus and Ivar recognized as the throne room. On the throne, sat Nemain with a look of disbelief on her face while a pale faced Torc stood next to her, his sword drawn, but the new arrivals could tell that he was trembling because his sword would not remain still.
A blaze of dark blue fire rose from the center of the room revealing a young man with golden hair and icy blue eyes that stared intently at them with malice.
"Anian?" Macha asked surprised as she cautiously watched him take a few steps closer to her.
"Yes, Macha. Did you miss me?" Anian asked with smirk.
Macha frowned as she kept her gaze firmly locked on Anian. "I thought you were dead. How did you manage to survive?"
"By my own cleverness, of course," Anian said as his eyes swept over Angus and Ivar. "The other two will be arriving, we should wait for them."
Within a moment, Deirdre and Garrett ran into the room and stopped once they stood by Angus and Ivar.
"What do you two think you were doing?" Deirdre said as she caught her breath and glared at Ivar and Angus.
"What are ye talking about?" Angus asked her but he kept his eyes on Anian.
"You two ignored Garrett and me as you ran down the hallway and into here. I don't know how you two moved so quickly," Deirdre said as she followed Angus' gaze to Anian.
"It wasn't them," Macha said quietly as she stared at Anian. "It was an illusion Anian created to lead you here because he is not a patient man."
Anian smiled at Macha and clapped his hands together twice. He turned slightly and pointed one hand toward an open doorway that lead to a dark room.
Rohan stepped into the throne room from the dark room and stood next to Anian. He unsheathed his sword, pointed it one by one at Macha and the Mystic Knights, and stopped on Deirdre.
"Rohan?" Deirdre asked as she took a step forward. Rohan's gaze penetrated through her and was so cold that it felt as though it were winter.
Before Deirdre could step any closer, Macha grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "That is not Rohan."
"But, it is him," Deirdre said as she tried to break free of Macha's grip and walk toward Rohan. Deirdre saw Rohan but it was as though a mist had slightly hindered her vision, but she knew she had to go to him.
"It is not Rohan," Macha repeated firmly as she held tightly onto Deirdre's arm. "Rohan is over there, lying on the floor," Macha said as she pointed at a red rug several feet to her left.
The Mystic Knights looked at Macha as though she had lost her mind. As Angus focused his eyes on the rug, the image began to reform into a humanoid shape, lying on the floor. "Rohan!" Angus exclaimed and ran over to Rohan once his friend had been revealed.
Garrett and Ivar looked disbelievingly from the Rohan on the floor and the one that still had his sword pointed at Deirdre.
The Rohan standing next to Anian smiled evilly at Deirdre and then faded away. Deirdre's vision returned to normal and the urge to head toward the Rohan that had been standing next to Anian disappeared. She turned around and went to Rohan who was lying on the floor. She saw to her horror that he was covered in bruises and cuts.
About a dozen giant beasts, looking as though they were a cross between a wolf and a wild boar, rose from the stone floor, their roars echoing throughout the room. The standing Mystic Knights aimed their weapons at the creatures, ready to strike if any came near Deirdre or Rohan.
"It is just another illusion. Do not mind it!" Macha said as she stepped forward and swung her staff at the beasts. The beasts vanished once her staff had gone through them.
"Do you really believe that their wee minds can comprehend my powers?" Anian mocked as he looked over Macha's shoulder at the Angus, Garrett and Ivar who were standing protectively over Deirdre who was kneeling by Rohan's side.
"They may not comprehend your powers, Anian, but I do," Macha said as she swung her staff toward her right into the air. The sound of wood on steel rang through the room. Anian appeared as though he had simply stepped through a doorway. His sword had been raised and ready to strike Macha down, but was currently being held by Macha's staff.
The Anian that had been standing about ten feet in front of Macha faded away just like the fake Rohan.
"Ah, Macha, how I enjoy our fights, but I think that this game is over. For now," Anian said as he retracted his sword and took a couple of steps back.
Macha stared at Anian, knowing full well that he tended to play tricks and she wanted to ensure that no harm would come to her friends. Anian smiled wickedly at Macha as he vanished.
Macha looked at Torc and Nemain who were standing near the throne with shock and surprise on their faces. "If you have made a deal with him, your fates are in his dark and devious hands."
Torc and Nemain didn't respond as Macha had Angus and Ivar pick Rohan up and carried the unconscious knight between them as they left the castle and headed back toward Kells. The Mystic Knights wondering whom this Anian was and how he knew Macha.
guardianM3: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Suggestions and thoughts are always welcome. The next chapter is going to have some sparring between Deirdre and one or two of the boys.