Chapter Fifteen – The Leprechauns Win (Lost Rainbows – Serial)

By Connie Cockrell

Shamus O’Malley is on a quest to recover the Leprechaun Kingdom’s magic rainbows and gold before the rainbows are lost forever. To do so he must travel to the new world where he finds the evil wizard, David Bannon, intent on using the magic from the rainbows and the gold to conquer the Leprechaun Kingdom. He also finds an ally, Becca Bannon, the wizard’s niece. Can Becca and Shamus recover the rainbows and gold and defeat her wizard uncle?

This entry is part 15 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

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The Leprechauns Win

It was then she realized she and Shamus weren’t alone. Beside them marched tall people, dressed in armor that looked as ancient as her own. They carried lances of blue flame and shields that were so bright white that Becca couldn’t look at them.  She looked into the face of a woman warrior passing by. “She looks like me! Shamus…” She turned to her protector. “They look like me!”

He watched the newly arrived warriors pass them by. Becca saw his face fill with wonder. “Attack!” he screamed as he waved his sword around his head. “Attack and win this day! The Tuatha De Danann are with us!”

The leprechauns charged forward with renewed energy through the dark, the freezing rain and across the cracks in the earth. Becca could see all along the ranks, the tall people, grim-faced and fearsome, charging forward with them.

The companies hit the robots hard. The clash of metal on metal carried across the battlefield to her. She saw the leprechauns race through the robots and charge the wizards. Now a fierce wind blew, icier even than the rain had been. Becca leaned low over the neck of her pony who had put his head down into the wind. It was hard to see what was going on at the front line. She and Shamus picked their way across the now ice-covered meadow to where the King was fighting. The tall people were at the front and surrounded the wizards. A glow appeared from the tall warriors, golden against the darkness the wizards were throwing.

Becca sat up as the wind died down. There was tension in the air, like the way the day felt as a thunderstorm built up. The golden glow grew brighter and the darkness increased around the wizards until she couldn’t see them any longer. With a huge thunderclap, the glow sparked outward and the darkness disappeared. The rain and wind and darkness vanished and the day was again sunny and warm. The tall people were gone, too. Becca searched all around the meadow but they were nowhere to be seen.

The companies stayed two days in the meadow, nursing the wounded and repairing the damage done to the land. Then they moved through the ruined castle’s gate and back to the sidhe. The next day the Princess met Becca at breakfast.

They ate in the rose garden. The morning was full of sunshine but still cool. The scent of the roses filled the garden. “You have recovered well, Miss Becca.” Princess Lyeen buttered a scone and spread honey on it.

“I’m still a little tired, but yes, thank you. I have recovered.” Becca nibbled at a fresh strawberry. “How are the wounded soldiers?”

“They are well. Our physicians are treating the broken bones and the frost-bite.”

The two of them listened to a bird-song. Becca thought the song sad. They hadn’t been able to find the soldiers that had fallen into the earth. “I’m sorry about the soldiers who died. I wish I could have done something.”

“You did what you could with only a month’s training, little one. Their families are being cared for and the soldiers will be named among our honored. I’m sorry about your uncle.”

Becca put down her scone and wiped her hands, a faraway look in her eyes. “He was a good uncle. I’ll miss him.”

Lyeen reached across the table and patted Becca on the shoulder. “I understand. No one is all good or all bad. I’m just sorry he didn’t come to us in friendship.”

Her eyes began to tear up and Becca quickly wiped them, turning to a new topic, embarrassed to grieve for the man who would have destroyed her hosts. “Were those really Tuatha De Danann?”

Lyeen spoke softly. “It’s all right to grieve, little one. He was your family and you deserve time to remember him.” She took a deep breath. “To answer your question, I believe so, from what you have all told me. There is a legend that they will return to fight beside us in a just battle. I envy you, Miss Becca. The Tuatha De Danann have not returned to fight among us in all of our long history. I wish I could have been there to see them.”

Becca reached across the white linen tablecloth to take Lyeen’s hand. “The battle was horrific, Princess. I would not wish for anyone to have seen it. But I am sorry you did not get to see the ancient gods among us.”

Princess Lyeen smiled. “Thank you, Miss Becca.” She took a deep breath and grinned. “Let’s finish our breakfast. We’re preparing a welcoming home feast for the returned warriors. There hasn’t been a feast like this in many a year.”

 

~~~~~

 

Lost Rainbows

To be continued…

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© 2015 Connie Cockrell