Serial: Lost Rainbows Chapter 16 – Shamus Receives His Reward

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Chapter Sixteen – 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 16 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

Want to start this serial from the beginning? Click here for links to all available chapters.

Shamus Receives His Reward

That night in the great hall, the King called each leprechaun that had taken part in the battle to the dais where his throne sat and gave each one a reward and the recognition of the kingdom. Shamus was the last one to be called forward. He bowed before the King.

Mac Shadenan waved for Shamus to rise, then took his hand and made Shamus to stand beside him. “People of the Sidhe! I have called Shamus O’Malley to my side last. Not because he is the least, but because he has done the most. It was Shamus who followed the evil wizard, Bannon, to a strange land and recovered both our gold and our rainbows. It was Shamus who brought to us Miss Becca, descendant of the Tuatha De Danann.” The crowd cheered. Becca was popular within the hall.

The King continued. “At the battle of the Castle Ruins, Shamus assisted Miss Becca in magic to help destroy the robots giving us a chance to win the battle. He protected her from harm throughout the entire fight. It was he who recognized the return of the Tuatha De Danann in our just battle.”

The crowd in the hall cheered again. Shamus blushed bright red.

“So, in keeping with his efforts, I grant Shamus O’Malley a pot of gold, an estate next to my own, and an appointment as one of my Advisors.”

Shamus stood stock still, eyes wide. Later, when the dancing had begun, he turned at a tap on his shoulder. Princess Lyeen stood there, a smile on her face.

“Congratulations, Advisor O’Malley.”

“Thank you, Princess.” He bowed low as he kissed the back of her hand. “Your father, the King, was most generous.”

“You’ve risen in rank, Shamus O’Malley.” Lyeen was tapping her toes to the music drifting through the hall. She smiled up at him, a twinkle in her eye.

“It seems so, Princess. Would you care to dance with an Advisor to the King?” His eyes searched hers, hope springing.

She held out her hand. “I would, Advisor O’Malley.” A grin spread across her face.

Shamus took her hand and swept her into his arms. “I think I’m going to like being an Advisor.” With that, he kissed her full on the lips. They danced the rest of the night.

The End

 

~~~~~

Lost Rainbows

Thank you for reading my story, Lost Rainbows. You can support the story by commenting or leaving a review. Buy my other books for more reading pleasure. If you’ve enjoyed this book, please spread the word, tell a friend or share the link to the story by using the share buttons to your right. The author is part of the Forward Motion Flash Fiction Friday Challenge and the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.

You can read more of this story serially on this website for free or you can buy it and read it now at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords today!

See more at: www.ConniesRandomThoughts.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts

© 2015 Connie Cockrell

Serial: Lost Rainbows Chapter 13 – The Battle Begins

 

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Chapter Thirteen – The Battle Begins (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 13 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

Want to start this serial from the beginning? Click here for links to all available chapters.

The Battle Begins

The soldiers rode off, the Captain of the Guard to lead his company to the right and the Commander to lead his company to the left. The last company remained with the King, Shamus and Becca.

Becca leaned over to pat her pony on the neck. She hoped her uncle would retreat, but she didn’t think he would.

The company with the King, in the center front line, broke from their cover and rode down the hill. Shamus and Becca were at the rear. Becca was near enough to use what magic she had but was as safe as being on a battle-ground could be.

As they charged down the hill, an alarm sounded from the ruins. From two directions, men in long robes exited the ruins, flanking the mechanical men on either side of the formation. One man lifted the tent door drape and strode with purpose out of the tent. He marched to the front of the mechanical men and waited. He wore a sword belted to his right hip and in his left hand he carried a staff.

Shamus recognized the staff from his last encounter with the wizard.

“Is that your uncle?” he asked Becca as they rode forward.

“There’s a lot of dust, but yes, that looks like Uncle David.”

“The other wizards, do they look like him?”

Becca shaded her eyes and stood up in the stirrups to get a better look. She sank back into the saddle. “Yes. They look like clones of my uncle.”

“Clones?”

“Yes, copies of a living creature.” She sighed. “I don’t know how he did that.”

Shamus nodded. He and the King, with the Commander and the Captain, had been planning for a month. He hoped the–he wrestled with the new word for a moment, clones–didn’t have the power the original wizard possessed.

The King rode to within two hundred yards of the wizard and held up his hand for the company to halt.

“Wizard Bannon,” the King called out across the meadow. “I’m King Mac Shadenan, King of the Leprechauns. Return to your own land.”

The wizard laughed. “I will not. I will claim this land for my own and recover my kidnapped niece!”

“The girl came with my representative willingly, wizard. We do not kidnap children.”

“You’re a thief, King. You stole my gold and rainbows.”

“I recovered what was rightfully mine, wizard. Return to your home.”

Bannon waved his staff, and the mechanical men’s eyes all began to glow red. “No matter, King. Soon, the whole land will be mine.” He pounded the staff on the ground. The mechanical men began to march forward.  The wizard hurried back to his tent where the clones surrounded him.

Shamus frowned. “We cannot tell which of them is the true wizard,” he told Becca. “He will be hard to stop.”

“What about the robots?” Becca had to be firm with her pony to stop him from marching forward with the rest of the company.

Shamus stared at her.

“The mechanical men. Another name for them is robot.”

“Ah,” he shook his head. “With luck, the company will be able to knock them down.”

As they watched, two companies of robots marched forward, toward the King. The other four companies of robots turned around, split in half and began to march in opposite directions around the ruin.

“They are preparing to meet our other companies.”

“Uncle studies battles,” Becca told him. “He understands troop movements.”

Shamus sighed. He hoped the King’s plan would work.

The King rode forward, a mounted bodyguard on each side of him. Right behind the King was the standard-bearer. The King’s standard, a triangular pennant, bore a bow crossed over a pot of gold with a rainbow over all on a background of clover green. It snapped in the breeze of the noon day and the ride into battle.

Becca listened to the horses neighing with excitement. The leprechauns were chanting and pounding their swords on their shields. Dust rose from the company and drifted to the east blurring her vision of the mass of wizards behind the robots.

Her mouth grew drier as the two forces marched toward each other, the tension drawn tight as she waited for the groups to clash. What would Uncle do?

It seemed like it took forever for the leprechauns and the robots to meet. At the first clank of sword on metal, the whole thing went too fast to see. Leprechauns and horses screamed. Metal screeched. She could see dust rising from two locations behind the castle ruin. The other companies of leprechauns must have also begun battle.

“Look.” Shamus pointed at the clones. “There’s the staff in the middle.”

Shamus was right. Becca could see her uncle’s staff raised high. She saw a flash at the top of the staff and the robots began to get larger. “Oh no,” she whispered as the robots towered to twice the height of the leprechauns. “Shamus, their chests are out of reach!”

Shamus led her pony with him toward the rear of the leprechaun company. “What other powers did you learn?” he yelled over the sound of the clash in front of them. “What can you do to help?”

Fear of the fight wiped her mind blank. Think, she scolded herself. Do something! “I was able to make a breeze. I could make fire. I did lighting once.” Her eyes were wide as she focused on the fight in front of her. Only a few of the robots were down. She could see many of the leprechauns were on the ground, legs or arms broken and screaming in pain. “Lightning. The robots work on electrical power. Maybe I can overload their circuits.”

Shamus drew his sword. She could see from the look on his face that he didn’t understand what she’d said. He asked, “How close do you need to be?”

“Close! But what about the soldiers?”

Shamus grabbed the pony’s reins. “I don’t know. Do what you can. I’ll control the pony.”

 

~~~~~

 

Lost Rainbows

To be continued…

Come back for more! Look for the next exciting installment each Wednesday.

 

You can read more of this story serially on this website for free or you can buy it and read it now at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords today!

See more at: www.ConniesRandomThoughts.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts

 

Thank you for reading. You can support the story by commenting or leaving a review. Buy my other books for more reading pleasure. If you’ve enjoyed this chapter, please spread the word, tell a friend or share the link to the story by using the share buttons to your right. The author is part of the Forward Motion Flash Fiction Friday Challenge and the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.

© 2015 Connie Cockrell

Serial: Chapter 11 Lost Rainbows – They March to War

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Chapter Eleven – They March to War (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 11 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

Want to start this serial from the beginning? Click here for links to all available chapters.

They March to War

Shamus began with his examination of the treasury and ended with his return with the gold late last night. No one interrupted. Becca thought it was because he told the story as though it happened to someone else, long ago. She was captivated by the story, even though she was in part of it. He made it seem as though it were someone else.

When he finished, the King nodded. “A good tale, Shamus.” He looked at his counselors. “Any questions?” The three of them picked at Shamus’s story. Why he did one thing and not another. Soon the King interrupted. “It seems,” he said, giving the advisors a glance, “that aside from some very minor points, we accept your tale.” He sighed and looked directly at Becca. “That leaves us with your assessment of Miss Becca and, more importantly, what to do about her Uncle Bannon.”

“I’m sure, Sire, that he will be back. We didn’t destroy his mirror and he wants Becca to assist him in conquering our land.”

“The question is, how soon?” The King turned to his daughter. “You have the best knowledge of the Tuatha De Danann. Is it possible that the gods can return?”

Lyeen nodded. “It’s part of the lore that the Tuatha De Danann intermarried with the Formorians, the ancient race of giants that were the original inhabitants of this land. So, they may have intermarried with humans. Of course that would have diluted their blood line. It’s not inconceivable that within the families, they would have maintained records of their own kind and intermarried to bring the true line back. It would have taken hundreds of years, maybe thousands.”

The oldest advisor spoke up. “They’ve had the time. It’s been thousands of years since the Tuatha De Danann were led underground by their leader, Manannan mac Lir after their defeat by the Milesians.” He raised a bushy red eyebrow at Becca. “We’d like to test the girl, of course.”

The King scratched his beard. “I agree some testing should be done.” He turned to his daughter again. “Lyeen, you will accompany the girl and the advisors. She’s not to be hurt. If she is indeed the Tuatha De Danann returned to us, she needs to be kept safe and trained in whatever power she might possess or grow into.” He rose from his chair, and the others followed. “Shamus, with me. We need to plan for the return of her uncle.”

Shamus turned to Becca. “Go with the Princess and the advisors. They will not hurt you.” She nodded as the Princess joined the two.

“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Becca.” Lyeen held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Princess Lyeen.” Becca shook hands with the Princess and did a curtsy before they left side by side.

 

#

 

A month later Draum, son of Fitz, hurried into the King’s office. Draum had been assigned with three others to keep watch on the wizard’s mirror. “Sire,” he called out as he entered. “Mechanical beings are coming through the mirror.”

The King turned to the guard standing at his door–“Sound the alarm.”

The guard hurried off.

“Tell me what you saw,” the King told the young scout.

Draum caught his breath. “Machines, Sire, in the form of men, coming through the mirror, one after another. They were lining up on the field in front of the ruin when I left. It looks like an army.”

The King nodded. “Where are the others?”

“They stayed to spy, Majesty. Another will come to warn us when the machines are finished coming through.”

“Good. Arm yourself, Draum. I fear a battle is near. Send a courier to the others. Tell them to fall back to the next road gate. That’s where we’ll come out.”

Draum gave a brief bow and hurried from the room.

An hour later the King was in the courtyard, dressed in battle armor. The courtyard was a mass of confusion. The signal had gone to the outlying farms and holds and leprechaun families were flooding into the Keep. The King’s pages, too young to go to battle, were directing them to the rear of the sidhe, out of the way of the fighters.

The fighters, armored like the King, were milling around the courtyard checking each other’s gear and saying their goodbyes to family.

His advisors, all too old to fight, were with the King. He was giving directions to them for the defense of the sidhe. Princess Lyeen, also in armor, stood by her father, with Becca beside her. They’d found ancient armor for her in the small Tuatha De Danann memorial hall. It fit her perfectly.

Shamus strode up to the small group. “Sire, your commander is ready.”

“Thank you, Shamus.” The King turned to his advisors. “Princess Lyeen will remain. She and I have discussed what needs to be done.” The advisors glanced at Lyeen and gave a short bow. “Should things go ill, she is my heir. Follow her in all things as you would follow me.”

The advisors began to protest that nothing would go wrong. “Nonsense,” King Mac Shadenan, said. “It’s a battle. Things always go wrong.”

The advisors bowed and retreated to the steps of the Hall.

“Father.” Lyeen put a hand on her Father’s arm. “Take care.” She looked into his eyes. “It’s too soon for you to leave us.”

He nodded. “Take care of the Kingdom, Daughter.”

She bowed, turned and walked to the Hall steps to join the Advisors. Shamus stopped her half way. “Do you have everything you need, Princess?” he asked.

Lyeen smiled sadly. “Enough, Shamus. I fear for Father.” She looked into his eyes. “And for you.” She reached out and toyed with the scarf she’d given him on his search for the treasure. “You still wear it.”

“I do. It brings me luck.” He shuffled his feet. He wanted to kiss her goodbye, but knew that would be overstepping his bounds.

“Keep Father safe for me, Shamus,” the Princess said. Then she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

He stood in shock, the kiss burning on his face. She turned and joined the advisors. The King called. Shamus took one more look at Lyeen on the steps. She smiled and gave him a nod. Then he turned and hurried to the King, heart still pounding. “Here, Majesty.”

“Stay close to Miss Becca. The Advisors tell me she has great potential but she’s still untrained. Protect her as you would me. I will not have the first Tuatha De Danann return to us only to lose her in a battle.”

“Yes, Sire.”

“Let’s march!” the King called to the company of leprechauns dressed for battle. The gates opened and two by two they marched out of the sidhe, the Guard Commander in the lead, the King in the middle with Shamus and Becca right behind him.

 

~~~~~

 

Lost Rainbows

To be continued…

Come back for more! Look for the next exciting installment each Wednesday.

 

You can read more of this story serially on this website for free or you can buy it and read it now at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords today!

See more at: www.ConniesRandomThoughts.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts

 

Thank you for reading. You can support the story by commenting or leaving a review. Buy my other books for more reading pleasure. If you’ve enjoyed this chapter, please spread the word, tell a friend or share the link to the story by using the share buttons to your right. The author is part of the Forward Motion Flash Fiction Friday Challenge and the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.

© 2015 Connie Cockrell

Serial: Lost Rainbows Chapter 6 – Becca Makes a Revelation

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Chapter Six – Becca Makes a Revelation (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 6 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

Want to start this serial from the beginning? Click here for links to all available chapters.

Becca Makes a Revelation

She led him into the house. He was impressed. The floors were polished wood, fine paintings hung on the walls and stuffed furniture filled the rooms. The walls were painted in quiet, restful colors, pale yellow in the dining room, sage green in the parlor. They walked though the house to the kitchen where she opened a door. Stairs led down. “His lab is down in the basement.”

He followed her down. Becca walked him through a long hallway. There were doors on either side, all closed. She stopped at another door and set of stairs. “I’m not supposed to go into his lab without permission. But I want to prove to you we do not have your things.” She went down, Shamus right behind her, two flights of stairs. The stairs ended in a short hallway, with a door at the end. She opened the door and went in.

Shamus’s mouth hung open. It was all white tile on the walls with silver shelves and glass beakers and odd-shaped glassware. A long black-topped table was in the center of the room near the door. Becca walked him around the table. There were machines lining the walls, small lights on the front of them. Shamus could feel the power of them, though he didn’t know what the power was. At the end of the room, a sheet was draped over something tall.

“You see,” Becca said to him. “These are all Uncle’s things. Not yours.”

Shamus walked over to the sheet and pulled it down.

Becca rounded on him. “You mustn’t do that. Uncle will be angry.”

“I’ve seen this before, Miss Becca. I jumped through it in my world and landed here.”

Again her eyebrow rose. “Your world?”

“Yes, Ireland. I’m a leprechaun.” He gave her credit for not blurting out, “There’s no such thing.”

“My mother used to tell me stories when I was a baby, about fairies and leprechauns and the early gods of Ireland.” Her face was wistful. “They were nice stories.”

Did she, now? “What do you remember?”

“Leprechauns keep their gold at the ends of rainbows. They love music and can play many instruments and dance. Many were cobblers. That’s shoemakers, you know.”

He nodded. “It’s all true, Miss Becca. I saw the thief send our gold through a mirror just like this, then go through it himself. I followed but the mirror was closing. I landed outside your gate.”

Becca shook her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t sound like my Uncle David. He’s quite kind. He took me in when my parents died. He told me he loved my mother but she loved Daddy first.”

Shamus was uncomfortable with this personal information. He just wanted to find the gold and get back to the sidhe. “What about all of those rooms in the basement above us. He could have stored the gold there.”

She frowned. “We could look, I suppose.”

They put the sheet back on the mirror and went back upstairs. They opened all of the doors on the left, then began opening the ones on the right. The door third from the end was locked. Becca looked at Shamus. “This doesn’t mean the gold is here.”

“Can you get the key?”

“The housekeeper hangs them on a hook over her desk.” Becca’s gray eyes became fearful. “Ms. Como doesn’t like me to go near her desk. She gets very cross when I misbehave.”

“You’re not misbehaving, Becca. You’re helping a traveler in need.”

She sighed. “That is true. Wait here.” She opened the door to the room they had just checked. “I’ll get the keys.”

Shamus nodded and went into the store room. Becca closed the door. He sank to the floor and leaned against the wall beside the door. The room stored art. Paintings were stacked one in front of the other on the floor to his left. At the back were sculptures. Some stood by themselves on the floor, others were on tables. He closed his eyes. It had been a long night and he was tired.

#

He started awake at the sound of the door opening. Before he could move, Becca was inside and closed the door.

“I’m sorry it took so long. Ms. Como was at her desk. I had to wait for her to leave.” She pulled the keys from her pocket and jingled them softly.

Shamus stood up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “I fell asleep. Did anyone follow you down here?”

She shook her head. “No, no one pays any attention to me.”

He stared at her. She seemed serious but he wondered how it was that the adults responsible for such a precocious child would ignore her. Shamus eased open the door and the two slipped out into the hall. He closed it and they hurried to the locked door. Becca searched through the keys. Ms. Como had each one labeled. “That makes it easy,” Shamus murmured.

“I think this is the one.” Becca held up a key. “It’s the only key that isn’t labeled.” She stuck it into the lock and turned it. The door opened and they slid inside. Becca turned on the light as Shamus closed the door. He turned quickly when she gasped.

In front of them were three dozen brass pots of gold. Becca blinked. “I didn’t believe you,” she told Shamus. “I’m sorry.”

He walked to the pots and stood there, staring. “That’s all right, Becca. It was a little hard to believe.” Shamus walked slowly around the gold but stopped at a table against the wall opposite the door. “Look at this.”

Becca hurried over as he picked up something colorful. “What is it?”

“It’s the rainbows that go with the pots.” He held up one – it hung limply from his hand. “It’s not as bright as it should be.” He examined it closer. “It’s fading.” Shamus thought through all of the lore surrounding the rainbows. He’d never heard of a rainbow fading. Then again, he’d never heard of them being stolen either. “We need to get these back to my land. I have no idea what will happen if the rainbows completely fade to gray.”

Becca turned and tried to pick up a pot. She strained a bit, then stopped. “It’s too heavy, Shamus. How will we move them?”

The sound of the sword leaving its scabbard made her turn to her companion. Her eyes went wide.

“Don’t be afraid. Our swords are also wands. I can move the pots with magic.” He held the sword out, pointed at the pots, but nothing happened. A look of fear crossed his face. “It’s not working. It’s as though the magic is gone.”

“We don’t have magic, Shamus.” Becca looked worried, too. “We use machines and science to do things.”

~~~~~

Lost Rainbows

To be continued…

Come back for more! Look for the next exciting installment each Wednesday.

 

You can read more of this story serially on this website for free or you can buy it and read it now at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords today!

See more at: Wattpad.com or https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts

 

Thank you for reading. You can support the story by commenting or leaving a review. Buy my other books for more reading pleasure. If you’ve enjoyed this chapter, please spread the word, tell a friend or share the link to the story by using the share buttons to your right. The author is part of the Forward Motion Flash Fiction Friday Challenge and the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.

© 2015 Connie Cockrell

Serial: Lost Rainbows Chapter 5 – They Find the Gold and the Rainbows

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Chapter Five – They Find the Gold and the Rainbows (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 5 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

Want to start this serial from the beginning? Click here for links to all available chapters.

They Find the Gold and the Rainbows

She led him into the house. He was impressed. The floors were polished wood, fine paintings hung on the walls and stuffed furniture filled the rooms. The walls were painted in quiet, restful colors, pale yellow in the dining room, sage green in the parlor. They walked though the house to the kitchen where she opened a door. Stairs led down. “His lab is down in the basement.”

He followed her down. Becca walked him through a long hallway. There were doors on either side, all closed. She stopped at another door and set of stairs. “I’m not supposed to go into his lab without permission. But I want to prove to you we do not have your things.” She went down, Shamus right behind her, two flights of stairs. The stairs ended in a short hallway, with a door at the end. She opened the door and went in.

Shamus’s mouth hung open. It was all white tile on the walls with silver shelves and glass beakers and odd-shaped glassware. A long black-topped table was in the center of the room near the door. Becca walked him around the table. There were machines lining the walls, small lights on the front of them. Shamus could feel the power of them, though he didn’t know what the power was. At the end of the room, a sheet was draped over something tall.

“You see,” Becca said to him. “These are all Uncle’s things. Not yours.”

Shamus walked over to the sheet and pulled it down.

Becca rounded on him. “You mustn’t do that. Uncle will be angry.”

“I’ve seen this before, Miss Becca. I jumped through it in my world and landed here.”

Again her eyebrow rose. “Your world?”

“Yes, Ireland. I’m a leprechaun.” He gave her credit for not blurting out, “There’s no such thing.”

“My mother used to tell me stories when I was a baby, about fairies and leprechauns and the early gods of Ireland.” Her face was wistful. “They were nice stories.”

Did she, now? “What do you remember?”

“Leprechauns keep their gold at the ends of rainbows. They love music and can play many instruments and dance. Many were cobblers. That’s shoemakers, you know.”

He nodded. “It’s all true, Miss Becca. I saw the thief send our gold through a mirror just like this, then go through it himself. I followed but the mirror was closing. I landed outside your gate.”

Becca shook her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t sound like my Uncle David. He’s quite kind. He took me in when my parents died. He told me he loved my mother but she loved Daddy first.”

Shamus was uncomfortable with this personal information. He just wanted to find the gold and get back to the sidhe. “What about all of those rooms in the basement above us. He could have stored the gold there.”

She frowned. “We could look, I suppose.”

They put the sheet back on the mirror and went back upstairs. They opened all of the doors on the left, then began opening the ones on the right. The door third from the end was locked. Becca looked at Shamus. “This doesn’t mean the gold is here.”

“Can you get the key?”

“The housekeeper hangs them on a hook over her desk.” Becca’s gray eyes became fearful. “Ms. Como doesn’t like me to go near her desk. She gets very cross when I misbehave.”

“You’re not misbehaving, Becca. You’re helping a traveler in need.”

She sighed. “That is true. Wait here.” She opened the door to the room they had just checked. “I’ll get the keys.”

Shamus nodded and went into the store room. Becca closed the door. He sank to the floor and leaned against the wall beside the door. The room stored art. Paintings were stacked one in front of the other on the floor to his left. At the back were sculptures. Some stood by themselves on the floor, others were on tables. He closed his eyes. It had been a long night and he was tired.

 

#

 

He started awake at the sound of the door opening. Before he could move, Becca was inside and closed the door.

“I’m sorry it took so long. Ms. Como was at her desk. I had to wait for her to leave.” She pulled the keys from her pocket and jingled them softly.

Shamus stood up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “I fell asleep. Did anyone follow you down here?”

She shook her head. “No, no one pays any attention to me.”

He stared at her. She seemed serious but he wondered how it was that the adults responsible for such a precocious child would ignore her. Shamus eased open the door and the two slipped out into the hall. He closed it and they hurried to the locked door. Becca searched through the keys. Ms. Como had each one labeled. “That makes it easy,” Shamus murmured.

“I think this is the one.” Becca held up a key. “It’s the only key that isn’t labeled.” She stuck it into the lock and turned it. The door opened and they slid inside. Becca turned on the light as Shamus closed the door. He turned quickly when she gasped.

In front of them were three dozen brass pots of gold. Becca blinked. “I didn’t believe you,” she told Shamus. “I’m sorry.”

He walked to the pots and stood there, staring. “That’s all right, Becca. It was a little hard to believe.” Shamus walked slowly around the gold but stopped at a table against the wall opposite the door. “Look at this.”

Becca hurried over as he picked up something colorful. “What is it?”

“It’s the rainbows that go with the pots.” He held up one – it hung limply from his hand. “It’s not as bright as it should be.” He examined it closer. “It’s fading.” Shamus thought through all of the lore surrounding the rainbows. He’d never heard of a rainbow fading. Then again, he’d never heard of them being stolen either. “We need to get these back to my land. I have no idea what will happen if the rainbows completely fade to gray.”

Becca turned and tried to pick up a pot. She strained a bit, then stopped. “It’s too heavy, Shamus. How will we move them?”

The sound of the sword leaving its scabbard made her turn to her companion. Her eyes went wide.

“Don’t be afraid. Our swords are also wands. I can move the pots with magic.” He held the sword out, pointed at the pots, but nothing happened. A look of fear crossed his face. “It’s not working. It’s as though the magic is gone.”

“We don’t have magic, Shamus.” Becca looked worried, too. “We use machines and science to do things.”

 

~~~~~

 

Lost Rainbows

To be continued…

Come back for more! Look for the next exciting installment each Wednesday.

 

You can read more of this story serially on this website for free or you can buy it and read it now at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords today!

See more at: Wattpad.com or https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts

 

Thank you for reading. You can support the story by commenting or leaving a review. Buy my other books for more reading pleasure. If you’ve enjoyed this chapter, please spread the word, tell a friend or share the link to the story by using the share buttons to your right. The author is part of the Forward Motion Flash Fiction Friday Challenge and the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.

© 2015 Connie Cockrell

Serial: Lost Rainbows Chapter 4 – Shamus Meets Becca

 

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Lost Rainbows by Connie Cockrell

Chapter Four – Shamus Meets Becca (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 4 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

Want to start this serial from the beginning? Click here for links to all available chapters.

Shamus Meets Becca

It took an hour. The wall was well maintained. There were no bushes except at the gate and they were too thin to provide cover during the light of day. The wall itself was smooth-faced rock, too smooth for him to climb. The sun was about to rise. He had to hurry.

Hiding in the gate bushes, he pulled off his pack and took out a rope. He made a loop at one end and put his pack back on. Standing in front of the gate, he estimated it to be about twelve feet high. He was taking a chance. He could feel the iron radiating from where he stood. It would burn if he touched it with his bare hands. He tossed the loop up. It just missed catching on two of the iron spikes at the top. Taking the end, he made the loop bigger and tossed again. It missed. Third time’s the charm, he thought and tossed it again. It caught.

Wishing he had packed gloves, he scaled the gate, pulling himself up the rope and walking on the iron grill. There was nothing for it when he got to the top but to grab the gate to haul himself over, trying not to skewer himself on the gilt spear-heads on the top. Sure enough, as soon as he touched the fence, his palms and fingers began to blister. He dropped to the ground, the impact travelling in a wave of pain up through his ankles and knees. He fell over, hands tucked into his armpits, and rolled to the side of the driveway.

He lay his hands on the dew-covered grass to ease the pain as he rested his ankles and knees. Get up, he told himself. You still need to get that rope down. He took another moment and moved his burned hands to a new patch of grass. The cold dew helped.

Birds beginning their morning song in the nearby trees made him aware of the time. He struggled to his feet and carefully reached through the fence to grab his rope. A sharp tug undid the knot and it fell to the outside of the fence. He quickly gathered it in and raced for the nearest group of bushes. He dove in and instantly regretted it. Rosebushes, of course. A branch raked him across the forehead as another dug a furrow into his hand. His woolen pants and jacket held off the rest of the assault. He sucked the cut on the back of his hand as he studied the grounds. His path across the lawn was clear to see in the dew. Perhaps the guard, if there was one, wouldn’t be past until the dew was gone.

The sun was half a hand above the horizon when the gates began to open by themselves. That is a new sort of magic, he thought as a long black automobile drove past. His path through the dew was still visible but no one seemed to notice. The gate closed, again by itself. Shamus pulled a leather bottle of water and a half loaf of bread from his pack. While he watched, he ate and drank. It was getting warm. He wanted to pull off his jacket but needed it on for when he left the safety of the rosebushes.

After the sun had moved another hand above the horizon, Shamus crawled out of the bushes. He crouched there, out of sight of the residence, to take off the jacket and shove it into the pack. He raced to the next group of bushes, and the next, until he was at the back of the house. The sun was now well up. The rear grounds were manicured as well as the front but there was a large pool of water back here, an unnatural blue. It was paved on all sides and tables with chairs and umbrellas over them were scattered about the paving. The house was all gray stone, at least three stories here at the back, with white trim around the windows and doors. Roses in yellow and pink climbed up the wall of the house.

He rose to race to the back door he could see in the center of the house. Shamus hadn’t taken more than ten steps when he was surrounded by three large dogs. Heads chin-high to him, they all growled, showing white fangs. They had black, short fur with brown markings over their eyes and on other points of their bodies, and they looked as though they could eat him for breakfast. His mouth went dry.

“Belle, Henry, Fritz,” he heard a young voice call. “Heel!”

The dogs turned and raced toward the house. They stopped in front of a young human girl, and sat in a row.

“Good dogs!” she told them in a coo, petting them on their heads. “Good job.”

She walked around them and came toward him. The dogs got up and followed her, three abreast, like guards. She stopped four feet in front of him. “Who are you?”

Sweat from his fear and the hot sun ran down his temples and into his short-cropped beard. “Shamus O’Malley, miss, at your service.” He doffed his hat and bowed. The dogs growled at the sudden movement. He saw she was smiling at him when he stood back up.

“What are you doing here, Mr. O’Malley?”

He liked the look of her. She was tall for a human child, taller than he was, five foot three at a guess and perhaps twelve or thirteen years old.  Slender, with strawberry red hair and freckles across her nose, he thought she’d grow into quite a beauty. Her clear gray eyes drilled into him. Something about her seemed familiar. “I’m looking for a wizard.”

Her left eyebrow rose. “Interesting answer. Are you a thief?”

He put on his hat and straightened his shoulders. “I am looking for a thief. I followed him here.”

“We hardly need to steal.” She waved a long-boned arm back at the house.

“True, miss. But here is where the wizard came.”

The two of them stood there, staring at each other. She finally said, “My name is Becca. My uncle, David Bannon, is a scientist.”

Shamus had to dig back into his memory to the 1800’s. The humans of the time were all talking about science and scientists. This must be what came of that. “And, miss, what does a scientist do?”

Her eyebrow went up again. “You’re very small for a man. Do you not have scientists where you’re from?”

She asks good questions, he thought. Do I tell her I’m a leprechaun? Bannon is an Irish name, she may have heard stories. “Does your ma tell you stories of the Irish wee folk?”

Her face grew still. “My mother is dead. So is my father. Uncle David takes care of me.”

He felt like a fool. “I beg your pardon, young miss.” He bowed again.

Becca composed herself. “That’s okay. They died five years ago in a car accident. ”

“I apologize again, Miss Becca. But it’s very important that I find the wizard.”

Becca stared at him a long moment. “We have nothing of yours, I’m sure.” She turned to the dogs, threw out her arm to the right and commanded, “Kennel!” The dogs raced off around the end of the house.

Shamus breathed a little sigh of relief.

“Come,” Becca told him. “I’ll show you Uncle David’s lab. You’ll see we don’t have your things.”

Lost Rainbows

To be continued…

Come back for more! Look for the next exciting installment each Wednesday.

 

You can read more of this story serially on this website for free or you can buy it and read it now at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords today!

See more at: Wattpad.com or on https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts

 Thank you for reading. You can support the story by commenting or leaving a review. Buy my other books for more reading pleasure. If you’ve enjoyed this chapter, please spread the word, tell a friend or share the link to the story by using the share buttons to your right. The author is part of the Forward Motion Flash Fiction Friday Challenge and the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.

© 2015 Connie Cockrell

Serial: Lost Rainbows Chapter 2 – Taking His Leave

Lost Rainbows

Lost Rainbows

Chapter Two – Taking His Leave (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 2 of 16 in the series Lost Rainbows

Want to start this serial from the beginning? Click here for links to all available chapters.

Taking His Leave

Shamus was in his room, putting the last things he needed in his rucksack. As he buckled the leather straps, a knock came at his door. When he opened it his heart skipped a beat. It was Lyeen, dressed now in a plain, light-green lambs-wool frock, a white linen blouse underneath, lace at the blouse’s collar and cuffs. He stepped back and bowed. “Princess Lyeen.”

She stepped into the room. “I see you’re nearly ready.”

He nodded, his heart beating so fast he could barely hear. “Yes, Princess.”

“Be at ease, Shamus. We’ve known each other since childhood.”

He bowed again. “True, but we’re no longer children.”

She sighed. “Also true.” She looked around. Shamus had made the court-appointed space comfortable, despite the fact it was one of the smallest apartments a courtier could get. He had painted the room a light green so it resembled the light drifting through a clear pond. On the small window-sill opposite the door, a potted rose grew. A single blossom was just unfurling, yellow as the sun. On either side of the window, under which stood his bed, his father’s weapons were displayed. The sword was mounted on one side and bow and arrows on the other. One end wall held a tapestry his mother had woven. It told the story of the family O’Malley. The other end wall held framed, pressed ferns and flowers. The wall on the right side of the door held hooks over a chest for his clothing. On the other side of the door he’d hung drawings and paintings he’d done.

“I like it,” she said as she turned back to him with a smile. “I see much of you in this room.”

“Thank you.” He moved to the bed where the rucksack lay. “I leave as soon as I stop by the armory. I want to get a better sword.”

She looked at him. His shirt was the color of lichen, a blend of grey, green and olive. His jacket and pantaloons were sage green as was the wide-brimmed hat, lain on the bed beside the rucksack. An overcoat also lay on the bed. It was the traditional coarse wool, curly side out, to be worn in inclement weather. “You don’t like your sword? Isn’t that your father’s sword?”

“It is Father’s sword, but I don’t like it for this task. The magic in it is too weak. If I’m to pursue thieves bold enough to steal from the King, I need a more powerful weapon. Father will understand.”

Lyeen nodded. “Of course.” She paused and looked him in the eye. “I have something for you.”

Shamus’s heart, which had begun to slow its rapid beating, sped back up. He repressed the desire to wipe his forehead.

She pulled a pale green silk kerchief, sheer as gossamer, from the bosom of her dress. “This is for you, for luck.” She smiled as she tied the kerchief to his left upper arm. “May it bring you home safely.”

He could hardly believe his luck. They’d always gotten along as children and she’d treated him with kindness and respect during his time as a courier. But this was more than he could have hoped for. Maidens, especially princesses, didn’t give their kerchiefs away lightly. “Th…Thank you, my lady.” He bowed low to hide the blush on his face.

She turned and walked to the door. He heard her open it, and he stood upright. She bowed back. “Good luck, Shamus O’Malley.”

#

Shamus left his father’s sword in his apartment and procured a more powerful sword from the armory. His kind used swords for war and as magic wands. He was sure the thief had used powerful magic to steal the rainbows and wanted to be ready with a weapon capable of fighting back. The King met him in the courtyard where flickering torches lit the cobbled space.

“Majesty.” Shamus bowed.

“Rise, Shamus. I want to wish you luck.”

“I appreciate the blessing, Sire.”

King Shadenan looked around the courtyard. “No horse?”

“No, Sire. I plan on taking the magical roads. I can move faster and the magic used to move the gold will be more apparent.”

The King clapped him on the shoulder. “Good plan. I can see my trust in you is merited.” Shadenan grew somber. “Take care, boy. I would send a platoon with you if any of those sniveling courtiers had an ounce of courage.”

“I appreciate it, my lord, but I can move faster by myself.” He paused. “Did Draum have any other news?”

The King shook his head. “Nothing pertinent to your quest.” Shadenan glanced at Shamus’s upper arm. “I see you have received another blessing.”

A blush crept up Shamus’s neck. “Aye, Sire.”

The King nodded. “Be careful. We don’t know if the monster is still about.” He stepped back and Shamus bowed.

“I’ll send word if I can.” With that Shamus turned and strode out of the sidhe gate.

~~~~~

Lost Rainbows

To be continued…

Come back for more! Look for the next exciting installment each Wednesday.

 

You can read more of this story serially on this website for free or you can buy it and read it now at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords today!

See more at: www.ConniesRandomThoughts.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts

Thank you for reading. You can support the story by commenting or leaving a review. Buy my other books for more reading pleasure. If you’ve enjoyed this chapter, please spread the word, tell a friend or share the link to the story by using the share buttons to your right. The author is part of the Forward Motion Flash Fiction Friday Challenge and the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.

© 2015 Connie Cockrell