I turned in to Gwaine’s protective arm and he rubbed my shoulder. ‘This is bad, isn’t it?’ I asked. He nodded. We were joined by Merlin. ‘Can’t you do anything?’ I asked, and then had a sudden idea. ‘Why does no one ever think of this until it’s too late? Merlin, you’re a dragonlord, can’t you summon Kilgharrah?’
‘Not Kilgharrah, he is too ill.’
‘Well, Aithusa then?’
‘Aithusa?’ He looked at me as though he had never heard the name before.
‘Yes, Aithusa. Little white dragon. You hatched her. Broke my heart when . . . well, never mind that now. Can’t you call her?’
‘I suppose I could try.’
He gripped the battlements and emitted an eerie cry. The orcs briefly looked up, but it didn’t prevent them continuing to light the fires. There was silence for a long time as we scoured the skies. He called again. Still nothing. And then, in the far distance, we saw a shape. Even the orcs ceased their fire lighting and looked up, shielding their eyes as, out of the morning sun, we could see a pair of flapping wings. Aithusa circled the tower once and then came in to land on the battlements, perching on the edge as she ducked and bowed her pale head towards Merlin.
She looked awful, her wings ragged and one leg twisted and malformed. My heart broke and I completely lost it with Merlin.
‘What have you done to her? She was your responsibility! You hatched her and now look at her! Merlin, you hateful, hateful man!’ It was only Gwaine taking hold of me that prevented me from physically attacking him as I turned and sobbed into his shoulder.
Merlin at least had the good grace to look ashamed as he approached Aithusa and called her name. She bowed again and then, as he reached out his hand to her, gave him a vicious bite of which I heartily approved. Gwaine released me so that I could look at Merlin’s hand which was difficult as he was hopping round with it clasped under his arm. When he finally allowed me to look, I could see it was only bruised.
‘It can wait,’ I said, and turned my attention to the poor dragon who was going to be of little or no use to us at all.
Calling her name, she allowed me to approach, and then laid her head on my shoulder, exhausted by the flight. I placed my good arm around her neck and sobbed for the sight of her. Gwaine cautiously joined me. She initially bobbed her head up and down angrily as he approached, but then reached out and sniffed at him, seeking out the chain he wore around his neck before enthusiastically accepting him, rubbing her head against his body, almost pushing him over with her eagerness to be fussed.
‘You poor, poor thing,’ I kept repeating as she relished the attention. ‘You poor baby. Merlin, you can at least get her something to eat and drink.’
Gandalf ushered Merlin away, leaving Gwaine and I with Aithusa. She jumped down from the battlements and limped around, exploring her surroundings. Merlin returned with a bucket in each hand, one of water, one of meat. She waited until he had gone before she plunged her snout into the water and took a long draught, and then into the meat, chomping it at it noisily, but with obvious pleasure.
The orcs had lost interest in her and were busy setting fires along the walls and we returned to our preparations. There were metal baskets of wood with pots of pitch sitting on them. Once these were heated, they could be used to tip onto the enemy if they came as close as the tower walls, which seemed highly likely. Aithusa finished the meat and snorted little spouts of fire so I used her to light some of the baskets.
It was as I was leaning forward to rearrange the wood in one basket that my engagement ring slipped off my finger and into the logs. I reached into the pile with my right hand at the same time as Aithusa was lighting it, and the flames caught my arm.
Jumping back, I grabbed hold of my wrist and felt the bracelet twist under my fingers before I plunged my hand and arm into a bucket of water to cool it. Under the water, I could see the bracelet glowing with a blue metallic hue which continued as I removed my arm.
‘Gwaine? Gwaine! What’s it doing?’ and I stuck my wrist under his nose.
‘I have no idea. Gandalf!’ Gandalf hurried over. ‘Beth’s bracelet!’
‘What did you do to it?’ Gandalf asked, examining it.
‘I only turned it round my wrist. I’ve never been able to move it before.’
And then we all looked up as we heard a noise, a distant humming that gradually became louder. At first I could see nothing, but then, initially from the direction of the impenetrable forest, but then from all around the tower, came a bizarre black cloud. At first I thought they were flies, or birds, but as they came closer, I realised that they were something sized inbetween. Until one flew up directly in front of me.
‘Queen Mab! You are a welcome sight!
We did not know you’d join the fight. ’
‘My Lady Beth, you turned the bangle
And summoned fairies from every angle.
We will destroy the fires below
And tarry til the orcs all go.’
She issued an instruction to the gathering fairies that I could not understand and then the fairies began to dive bomb the orcs, sending them into a frenzy and causing disarray. A group of them began to whirl so fast that a sandstorm rose, extinguishing the flames as they watched.
‘Once more you save our lives, fay queen
Tomorrow’s dawn we may not have seen.
Once more we all are in your debt
This fight against the orcs well met.’
She nodded her head at the thanks.
‘Your bracelet called us, we obeyed
I’m glad that such a difference made
Your lives are precious, you and Gwaine
You have my help while I do reign.’
Mab stayed with us, hovering over the battlements as the fairy hoards sent the orcs into such a fury that they started lashing out at each other as the fairies were so fast, the orcs could not see what was attacking them. The elves lowered their bows, not needing to loose any arrows as the fairies finally hounded the orcs into fleeing from the tower.
Gandalf held out his arm for Mab to settle on and we all gathered round to thank her.
‘Tis well that I can aid my friends
And stay to see the battle ends
It was the bangle summoned us
Your plight to us was obvious
But is there more help we can offer?
Our services we freely proffer.’
I stepped forward and curtseyed, which Mab found amusing.
‘Queen Mab, a thousand thanks to you
But there are others who need you too.
At Camelot, Rohan and Rivendell
The orcs, they are creating hell.’
She nodded her understanding.
‘Then I will bid you all adieu
And take my band to battles new
Your friends are ours, we will give aid
And Beth, one week in my forest glade.’
And with that she sang a fairy song and, as one, the other fairies rose from the ground and prepared to follow her. We watched them leave, heading towards Camelot, and then carefully walked through the outer gates in case there were any orcs left alive. But the fairies had completed their work well, and the orcs were either gone, dead or so close to it that it was merciful to finish their days.
‘Good job,’ Gandalf muttered. ‘We’ve got enough of a problem with the one prisoner we have.’
‘What are you going to do with him?’ I asked.
Gandalf finished pulling an orc towards the burial pit and straightened. ‘I have no idea.’
Once the orcs had been cleared and the defences checked, we sat down for a meal prepared by Percy and Gwen. I had tried to help, but was more of a hindrance, so Gwaine and I disappeared to my room for a private celebration before the meal.
‘What are you going to do now?’ I asked Percival at dinner.
‘Go back to the inn,’ he replied, a smile lighting up his features.
‘Éowyn must be missing you.’
‘It will be good to get back. What about you?’
I glanced at Gwaine. ‘Back to Camelot, I think. Gwaine?’
He was busy wiping a piece of bread around his plate. ‘Hmm?’
‘What are we doing now? Going back to Camelot?’
‘Yes, why not?’
I had a sudden fear of what the future would hold for us. Percival had his new life and was happy. But . . . Gwaine? What was Gwaine going to do with the rest of his life? And could it really include me?
