The air was still and quite and the frost was sharp on the grass. No birds or animals called out this morning to welcome the sun. Now and again you could hear them in the valley. The scrapping of metal swords being sharpened and the soft sounds of the war horses making there way to the field. The air was fresh and the peoples breath smoked from there lips as they made there day start and as they welcomed those they met. The camp filled with tents which was slowly coming alive. Soldiers wiped the little sleep from there eyes and looked around them, this would be there finest day or greatest death. As the sun rose from the earth the camps awoke and the people looked like ants racing around below.
Awen had been stood above the camp for the last couple of hours, she had come from the night and watched the sun start to warm the earth and those who lived on it. She looked to the dragons and the war horses and back to the tree’s. She could not tell if today would end this war she had been pulled into, but she knew she was the only way to win. She had wondered about running in the night, but this was not the real feelings in her heart. She looked to Carina’s tent and she could see the generals entering. She guessed that there was in-depth taking of the battle plan going on this morning, and she wondered when the battle would start. They had been there for two days, and each side waited for the army to arrive from the four corners of the realm.
From behind her she heard the heavy foot fall of her war horse, and she turned to greet him. “shaman” she said nodding her head to the white stallion. “Awen you stand here alone and so sad, today will end all of this my dear friend” he said as she held herself hard to the horses neck, and shaman pulled her to him and tried to make he feel better. “today is the day the realm is ether turned to light or encased with darkness” said shaman as they made there way alone the Sharpe and dropping path. Shamans hoofs spilled the rubble and stones down the steep dropping side to the valley floor where the battle was to taking place.
The battle field seemed to hum with anticipation, the two sides stood and watched each other as they waited for the carnage to begin. War horse stamped there feet there feathers floating in the soft wind that laced across the field to where they stood, there massive necks made it easy to throw their heads around even with there heavy armour rattled as they did and they talked between themselves as there riders prepared themselves for battle. The many different fairies readied themselves testing there bows and shaping there swords, they stood looking to the sky to see if the wind would be there friend today and not gust and make the flying hard and with a battle cry from the elders of the groups they got into the battle formation and waited for there moment. The tree’s sang with voices and the tree trolls sat back into the tree ready for there part in the great battle that was to come, no one would talk of the battle to come, not one call of the up coming victory was spoken for all knew this would be a hard and bitter battle, many would not leave the field when the battle was done.
Carina finalised the minuet details with the generals beside her and her orders past down the line to the last soldier. Everyone was ready for the first command flag to be raised into the air, they almost held there breath as they waited, fairy legs shook as the giant war horses shuffled there hooves beside them, throwing dirt into the tiny soldiers. A slim dark haired fairy flew to one of the horses ears and shouted, “this day shall be hard for us brother horse with out wearing dust from your hovers, you nearly crushed us” he told the great chestnut beast, “little brother I mean no harm, you shall ride upon my head and so will others of your kind I shall look after you” said the war horse and the little group landed in the horses mane and held fast to the strands of hair.
They watched as the army over the other side of the dark green battle field completed there ways ready. The battle field seemed to grown with the thing to come, the wind whipped sharply across the wide plan, the few tree’s branches was rattled and tussled around as the wind played with them. The field had seen battle before, and it had submerged the bodies of the fallen many times before. From the field came the cries of the soldiers before them, some sang songs of victory other sang songs of sorrow, some that stood waiting had been here before and had the deep scars of the past battles which had taken place, they felt the same fear as the first time they had fought and they new that if they made it though this battle they would bare more pain, but if this was there final day then there bones would melt into the ground like the others before them.
She stood her cape bellowed around her armour which glinted in the rising sun. her hair braided and tied out of her way. She hoped this day had not come for there was many losses already and this day would bring many more from there battle.
From where she stood Carina could see Clionda and her three remaining generals. They stood by there outer camp talking and pointing to different soldiers. Even thought she had lost half her army what remained matched Carina’s to each member, “if they had not gone, we could have had a problem” Val said to the group who was thinking the same thing, “the gods must be on our side today” said Hernia as her butterfly flapped slowly. From behind the four came a fairy dressed head to toe in black armour, “my god, what’s that” Avalon asked the others beside her, “its Clionda’s father amour, it must be a special person to have the honour to ware it” said Harro as they looked across the field. Clionda looked to Carina and nodded her head and slowly Carina returned the jester, “we are ready” and they watched as the unnameable creatures started towards them, there massive dark rippling forms shuddered as it bounded across the field. The ground shook and compressed under the feet of the unnameable things that headed to the group. “we must be careful, there talons can rip a stone in two” said Val as he called to the angels, who stood in the middle of the army ready for there command. “Gallo send your army to the sky,“ Hail send the wind and keep them from jumping” he told the general of the angels and the general of the air fairies, “we will Harro” they side together and called the command to the armies they controlled. The angels took to the sky and bombarded the beasts below them with lighting strikes and the air fairies sent the wind to hold them back so the angels aim was twice as deadly, when every monster had fallen the angels returned to the camp and the winds dropped. The beasts melted into the ground where they fell, going back to mother earth to the place they were called from by Clionda.
Clionda stood in her battle cart and scanned her fallen army. what should she do next? she looked to her army and she thought to herself she would send in the bean nighte and the night fairies, and she called upon the clouds and darkness fell across the battle field.
The two groups came to her and bowed at her feet slowly they rose there heads and waited for her words. “destroy them” she shouted her command “is it wise to send both my lady” asked the leader of the reapers, his head held low and begging, he looked to her face and waited for her to reply. “you dare to question my command” and with that she had crushed his head in her hand and he fell to the ground, blood licking down his deformed face, her anger was getting the better of her, she felt she would fight all and win no matter the cost to the ones that followed her and her rule.
Without Clionda deep in her anger and her planning of what she shall do once she had removed carina once and for all, she had not noticing the other two generals had left her side. and with that what was left of her army had lost there control and there courage when there generals left them and the field. it was only Clionda left to deal with the battle and she did not worry for she had won the last battle had she not, deep inside herself her head told her that she had, had many generals and they had ordered the massive armies she had not gone into battle like Carina had and she knew little of the ways to fight, she could feel the armies lose there conformance and fear rippled through them, “if there is anyone here today that wishes to leave alone with the generals then so be it” she called to the ones right in front of her, “you there do you wish to go with your officer” she asked a very pale looking night fairy who was shaking where he stood, “I have never battled with out one, my Queen” he said looking to the others who would not look at him, “well I give you my word, you do not have to battle to day, it is your choice, die on the field or another place” she told him with a shrug of her armoured shoulder. The little fairy looked confused and started to walk away, did she not wont him to fight he wondered to himself, all of a sudden he felt fire flash across his body pain like he had never felt before exploded across his small frame. And he was turned into a pile of dust. “is there another willing to walk away from death, for it matters not where he finds you he will find you and so shall I” she shouted to the army before her. “ if any member of my army turns from the battle no matter what the same shall happen to them” she said brushing her anger down as she rubbed the dust from her armour. From over the back of the camp the two remaining generals screams could be heard and those brave enough could see the smoke bellowed from there direction. Not one member of the army moved, and as the command for the bean nighte and the night fairies was give they crashed onto the battle field. Clionda was not sure whether it was in a wish to fight or fear of her as they made there sullen way forward.
“Carina, the remaining generals have left her side, she alone rules and commands the army” Carina looked to the battle field as the army of the other side came at them. “She has sent the largest part of her army onto the battle field, what is your command” the third general asked her as he looked to the battle. “may I suggest the dragons my queen” said Avalon looking to the sky, “they will not be able to take flight she has command of the clouds and the darkness is great” she said looking to the sky. “if Avalon and her kind here can move the clouds we shall be able to fly high and fire into the darkness” said pen as he settled to the side of Carina., the wind from his wings whipping her face and hair, crashing her cape onto her body “the clouds belong to us” said Avalon as she and the other settled onto there clouds and headed high and soon the clouds parted. Pen’s roar filled the sky and the ground rumbled where he stood and with that the dragons took to the air with flames blasting from the there mouths and the light shone through the darkness casting it away. The night fairies howled in pain as the light hit them and burned there wings and skin. They scurried from the battle field and hid among the trees in there shadows shaking with fear and pain, but unknown to them it was the dark of the tree’s where the troll waited for anything to enter, at which they swashed them between there fingers and under there feet.
Clionda felt fear rise in her heart and wondered what to do next she could not ask the generals that smouldered in dust at there tents, the anger and real fear she felt rippled through the army and they waited for the next command. Clionda had only a couple of hundred members remaining and she knew what she must do, she needed to distract the dragons and the elementals and she needed to fight them in the air. She lowered her head and she lifted her hands to the air and cast her strongest spell. The air felt like electric rippled through it and from her finger tips tentacles of pure darkness rived and headed to the dragons fighting above her. As she opened her eyes and grabbed for any nearby dragon engulfing then tying there mouths shut and strapping there wings to there bodies, and then she moved onto the next and soon there were falling dragons everywhere,. There massive forms crashing towards the earth and the battle field. Avalon and the other elementals cast the clouds to catch as many dragon as they could they were doing well they tried to send lighting bolts to light the sky and cast out the darkness once again as it seemed to be working for now.
Avalon headed to the sun and called to the rain, rainbows covered the sky and colours cast across the already receding darkness. Clionda dropped to the ground she was extorted and her power was drained from her, she turned to Dale and told him what to do, “I need you to take my army and win this battle find the golden one and destroy her and Carina, bring them down Dale” she said as the guards covered her in a blanket until she had started to recover her strength. Dale called the remaining army and galloped onto the field towards Carina . The war horse Trojan seemed to fly across the ground nothing could touch him as he moved so fast into the field. Awen looked to the dark knight who rode across at Carina as he had entered the field to help bring in the injured members of her army, “shaman the knight is heading for Carina” she said jumping on his saddled back. “Trojan, I thought he was dead” hissed Shaman as they galloped off into the battle field, heading to intercept the dark knight fairy and his war horse. The battling fairies seemed to fight in slow motion as the two war horses galloped across the field through the fighting. The burl of the black and white fur of the horses seemed to stream behind them. The two horses reached each other and collided with there teeth bared and the hoofs failing at each other. there riders were almost dislodged from there saddles and they crashed into each other. There battle armour clashing as they started to fight each other.
“Trojan you traitor I thought you were dead” hissed Shaman as there hooves clashed and kicking out at each other, “not dead, very much alive and full of the darkness, it has been many years Shaman and I see you ware my generals colour, you have done well” spat the black war horse his fire shining from his eyes “ I also hear you were in the human realm how could you stand it, blinded by Queen Clionda and me” he smirked and Trojan turned again as they twisted and tried to reach the other with any means possible to them.
Awen and the dark knight made no move to battle anymore they had enough with trying to stay on the backs of there mount. “tell me gold one, why you fight on the side of the light, you have no case in this battle” he asked her as the two horses spun once again clashing into each other. “I lost my love to Clionda, I know she has killed him and did terrible things to him, as she would with me if I had not escaped” she told the knight who still made no move to fight. He felt he knew this fairy and somewhere he felt he had something to do with her pain in her eye’s and voice. “it matters not for I shall destroy you I shall wipe you from this and every realm, and the same with your beloved Queen Carina“ he told her and started to raise his arm and his war sword.
From the hill Harro looked to the galloping dark knight and his eye’s followed to Awen and Shaman, “I must help her” he told Noon who stood beside him, as he jumped onto her back he looked to the two battling war horses, Trojan kicked out at Shaman who turned to protect Awen from the dark war horses kicks, Trojan hoof hit Shaman in the head and knocked the grand white stallion to the floor, Awen rolled from the horse and jumped to her feet the black knight swung towards her with his sword, but she jumped to the side and he missed her and fell from Trojans Saddle. His helmet dislodged and clattered to the ground. Awen stood back and starred at the man before her, her heart skipped a beat as she looked at Dale. “what are you doing, it’s me Awen” she cried and stepped to him he just rose his sword and jabbed at her, “Dale, please don’t you remember” she sobbed, “defend yourself or I shall slay you where you stand” he told her and pushed her with his arm. From behind her came Clionda’s voice, “now, kill her now, do it” she screeched “ Dale turned and looked at her and a dark and twisted smile crossed his face. “he is mine, Awen he is part of the darkness, he is mine” she laugh, “now kill her” he lifted the sword over her head and dropped for his final blow.
As she closed her eye’s and waited she no longer cared if this man before her killed her for her heart was broken. She waited and held her breath she could feel the sword dropping through the air to her head, but it never came she slowly opened her eye’s and behind Clionda and Dale Shaman rose to his battered legs and jumped with his last breath and crushed Dale beneath his grand white frame, as he did Dale turned and embedded his sword into the chest of the brave white stallion, the blood welled around the bite of the sword and the mighty beast moaned and shuddered as the blade hit his heart ripping it in to. Clionda cried out and ran to Dales side beneath Shamans dead body, “you, you I shall rip those golden wings from your back and skin you” she screamed to where Awen laid. “I shall make sure I keep you on the edge of death” she sobbed as she rose from the bodies in front of her. She pulled a long and Sharpe dagger from her side and lunged at Awen, as Clionda moved towards Awen scurried backwards from her. The battle had slowed and stopped and every member of each army watched Awen and Clionda. “Awen hold on I’m coming” called Harro as he and Noon galloped across the field.
Clionda pointed her hand at Awen and darkness engulfed her, pain lashed her body and she felt the breath being taken from her body. Clionda had dropped the knife and pointed to Awen and chanted her words which filled her head along with the darkness that held her so tightly. Awen could not move and she felt the cold of the darkness touch her again and again, Carina and Harro and all the others tried to stop Clionda as she tighten the tentacles around Awen, they laced over her body and around her neck he eyes almost bursting from there sockets. “no body move or I shall kill her” Clionda called fear now taken hold of her and panic was making her madness complete. “I do not fear you Clionda, and you have no power over me” Awen spoke her voice thick with magic which she felt rising inside her. “release me or suffer the consequences” she said looking deep into Clionda eye‘s, who laugh and looked back to her, “I do not fear..” she said as she felt Awen looking back into her dark soul, Awen looked to the sky and the darkness which moved away from the elementals who tried to light up the skies. As she closed her eye’s she thought of her lost love, and opened her heart, she started to glow and the gold wrapped its way up the tentacles that lead to Clionda, they too started to glow and turn to gold and lighted the space all around them. “what’s happening, how can you take me over I am darkness” Clionda screamed as the golden light reached her body. She again her voice quieter softer asked as the gold and light flowed up and started to surround her, “this can not be so” she shouted willing herself onwards and then she dropping to her knee’s she wept tears of gold. “I am Awen, keeper of the druid sacred places, I am the golden fairy and I hold the power of the light and life, I am light, I am life, and I cast out the darkness from your soul” she told Clionda as she got to her feet. “I send it back to its proper place, I send all back to there rightful place and I bind you Clionda for the sake of all the realms,” she spoke her voice husky and pure. “no….,“ Clionda screamed as the light bindings held her dark soul and pulled it free from her, “you shall lose your powers and be cast to the bean nighte, who you trapped in this realm, from the back of the field they came, and made there way to the figure of Clionda. They held her and started to melt into the dark cold earth, smiling as she screamed, the bean nighte who had once been her closest friend Lilly looked to Carina and Awen. “our Queen we will cause you no more problem, we have dropped to our knees and called to you, forgive us, the darkness made us wild” she nodded to Awen and slipped into the soil. “this day is done and we are victories” called Carina as she rised her slender white hand and the crowd cheered and Celebrated. Slowly as they walked around the battle field they found their people and took them to Awen to heel.
The battle field emptied the dead buried and the hurt recovering in tents, Harro walked to where Awen stood, She was standing at the place Dale fell along with her much loved shaman. She tried to think of him the way he truly was, did she love him or was it the power at fairy ring farm that made her feel that way. As it had made her forget John and everything else. She turned as Harro spoke to her, “I am sorry for your loss, and I hope you will think of staying with us a little while Awen” he said hugging her as her tears fell., running rivers down her face and chin. She looked into his eye’s they seemed soft and gentle with hint of mischief, “thank you Harro, I don’t know what I will do, I cant return to the farm, and I have no home here, I am truly lost” she smiled sadly. “you have a home with us at Queens court, I love you Awen and I know I should not say such a thing to you, because of what you felt for dale, but I do I love you and wont you to be with me” he said dropping to her feet and holding her legs softy. “Harro, I don’t know what to feel, I am finding out a side to me I never knew I had, and I feel things I never felt before, I am confused and I feel lost” she said and pulling him to her she kissed him, “but I do know I love you too, but if I can love you as you need I can not say, what if I wished to return to the farm and live this life out in the human world, would you wont that, you seemed to dislike the human realm so much, I was human once and I can not tell if I will wont to be human again” she said as they held each other close. “I don’t care where we are as long as I have you” he said, “we will see Harro, we will see, come we must leave the army is pulling out” and with that they took to the air and flew over the realm, darkness was in its right place balanced with the light, what would become of them, who would they be, all that did not matter, they headed to Queens court and the returning to the throne of the true Queen, Queen Carina.