Chapter 24

On arriving at the Hall for the evening meal, we were surprised to see a larger table set up and that several other guests were already there for the meal. The current conversations all stopped when we entered the Hall.

"These are my house guests," Lady Feidhelm told the others. "The young man is Master Kellen O'Connell and the young ladies are the Mac Sweeney Sisters, Airmid and Almha, his Apprentices," she finished.

"Kellen, these are my guests for the evening meal: Master Murchadh Conyngham and his wife Katherine of Summerhill House in Ballybofey. He is the chief local Wizard," she told us indicating a tall older man with dark hair and a rather thin shorter woman with dark blond hair. She then turned to the other people present.

"And this is Sir Prionsias Callaghan and his wife Luiseach of Stranorlar. He is a descendant of the O'Ceileachaine who was King of Munster in the 10th century," she informed us indicating a fairly tall man with reddish hair dressed in blue with a tall thin woman with a dress of a similar color before inviting everyone to take their seats at the larger table for the meal. We were again seated the same as the previous evening with the others taking seats on the side of the table.

After the first course had been finished, Master Murchadh addressed me about my Magic rank.

"You appear to be rather young to be a Master Wizard already," he stated somewhat accusingly.

"Master O'Connell is apparently quite powerful," Lady Feidhelm said before I could answer him. "Goffraidh reported to me earlier today that he had countered the injurious spells being used on our crops and herds, and had dispatched the Wizard who had been using them."

"Really!?" Master Murchadh demanded. "I know of no other powerful Wizards in this area."

"He wasn't all that powerful," I told him, "But he was using low level Black Magic to do the work." All of those present blanched on hearing the words 'Black Magic' even Master Murchadh.

"And you claim to have eliminated this individual?" he asked on regaining his composure.

"Yes, the Eternal Flame has outlawed the use of ALL Black Magic in this Reality, and we O'Connells eliminate its users wherever we find it or them," I told him.

"Are you from County Kerry then?" Mistress Katherine asked. "Most of the O'Connells are from there."

"My ancestors were originally from County Kerry, but our clan has not lived there for a very long time. We have our own Realm now. It was established for us some six hundred years ago by the Eternal Flame," I told her. I could see that many of those at the table had serious doubts about what I had just told them.

"My Cousin, Lady Caoilinn, wrote me that he had eliminated a Black Magic user in the Letterkenny area also," Lady Feidhelm informed them, but left out the exact location and other details.

"That would require a powerful Talent. Are you that powerful?" Master Murchadh demanded in a serious voice.

"I am powerful enough," I told him without bragging.

"I don't think that you are!" he answered in a menacing voice. I just smiled back at him.

"There is a way to prove that I am," I told him with a broad grin. "When my Great Grandfather first appeared before the Boston Council, they doubted his strength also. He challenged them to a contest. It was his wards against their collective spells. They accepted," I finished with an even broader grin without telling them the rest of the story -- yet.

"Are you challenging me, upstart?" he demanded, angrily.

"I am merely proposing the same contest. I will set my wards, and you can attempt to break them. My Great Grandfather gave them three chances. I'll give you the same," I told him.

"I accept!" he said immediately.

"NO!" both Sisters shouted loudly, immediately following that. "Before you may challenge our Master, you must face us first," they both added. It was one of the longest speeches they had made so far.

"You're only Apprentices! How long have you been studying Magic?" he demanded, sharply.

"For more than a week now!" Almha told him proudly.

"A week!?" he demanded with a laugh. "And you expect to challenge me?"

"Yes!" Almha answered seriously.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" I asked the Sisters.

"Oh yes, Master Kell. We are ready," Airmid assured me calmly.

"I won't have this at my table, or in my Manor," Lady Feidhelm announced in a determined voice of her own.

"Do not worry, my dear. Any time I can't handle a couple of Apprentices, I'll turn in my Master's robe," Murchadh told her with a large smile.

"I would suggest that you move away from the table," I told the three of them. The Sisters rose immediately and moved toward the end of the Hall near the fireplace. Master Murchadh was somewhat slower in leaving his seat and needed to pat his wife's hand before leaving her.

"You may start after they have cast their wards," I told him with no little apprehension. I could soon detect the Sisters wards and was shocked at just how powerful they were. Perhaps Master Murchadh detected them also because he swallowed rather loudly.

"Cast your most powerful spell," I told him after that. It took him a short time to gather his Magic and begin the spell before he hurled it against the Sister's wards. I could feel it hit the wards with a splash and then just disappear, being absorbed by the wards. Master Murchadh just stared at the Sisters in disbelief.

"Was that your most powerful spell?" I asked.

"It was one that I thought strong enough," he answered with worry in his voice.

"You have two more tries," I reminded him.

"Ah ... yes," he answered dubiously and prepared to cast another spell. Those still at the table were watching with great interest now. His second spell was no more successful that his first and Master Murchadh had begun to sweat. He took several minutes to prepare his third spell and last spell, and was sweating heavily now. His last spell was a great effort on his part and left him weak and shaking after he cast it, but it had no more effect that the first two had. Master Murchadh just stood there looking dumbfounded.

"How can this be?" he asked weakly.

"The Sisters have very strong Talents," I told him before adding, "It is now time to test your wards, as that was the other part of the challenge." This got a look of panic from the Wizard.

"We will give him ... time to recover!" Airmid announced after the Sisters canceled their wards, but before they returned to their seats at the table. Very little was said for the remainder of the meal. Just before the dessert was to be served, Master Murchadh spoke again. He appeared to have recovered.

"Let's get this over with," was all that he said before rising and proceeding toward the end of the room with the fireplace. The Sisters looked at each other for a few seconds before Almha rose to confront him.

"Cast your best wards," she told him. I could feel the Wizard's wards form and knew that they couldn't stand up to anything that Almha might throw at them.

"It's not too late to concede," I told him.

"No! Never to an Apprentice!" he shouted, apparently believing that his wards would hold. Almha didn't even draw on much Magic for the spell that she was using before throwing it against his wards which collapsed on contact with it, and the Magic used flung the Wizard back against the fireplace and its surround.

"Oh dear!" Almha said in shock on seeing this, before she moved to help him up. I moved over to him also, as did his wife. Those still at the table stared in disbelief at what had happened.

I could tell that Master Murchadh had several bruises and a cracked shoulder blade from where he struck the stones of the fireplace before reaching him.

"Don't move!" I told him, as I neared him and then started a mantra once I had contact with his body. It took a few minutes to repair the shoulder and the other problems were healed by the time I finished with the shoulder. Almha and his Wife just stood there staring at me while I worked on him. I helped Master Murchadh up when I was finished.

"The Sisters have very great power, but need to learn to control it better," I told him.

"Yes, control!" he said, but sounded anything but convinced.

"You'll be as good as new by morning," I assured him with a big grin after that.

"What ... what were you doing? I could just feel Magic at work, but couldn't tell what was happening."

"I was using my Green Magic to heal your shoulder and the bruises," I told him.

"Green Magic?" he asked, bewildered.

"Yes, I'm a Mage in addition to being a Wizard," I told him.

"I've never heard of such a thing!" he replied, puzzled.

"We are a bit rare," I answered before we all returned to the table for dessert. No one spoke during the remainder of the meal, and I rose to be excused, as soon as the Sisters and I had finished.

"I believe that it would be best if we returned to our room now," I told our hostess and her guests before adding Magic to the transfer glyph in my right hand. We vanished from the Hall and reappeared in our room.

"Where did you learn those wards? They are a little different than mine," I asked the Sisters when we were alone in our room.

"We've seen you use them often, and we just watched what you did," Almha told me.

"The Dream Book also taught them to us," Airmid added.

"The 'Book of Dreams' sure seems to be moving awfully fast with the two of you. I have to wonder if there is something going on! Is Ken in trouble, or is it something else?" I wondered out loud.

"We don't know!" both Sisters answered, but that was all that they said while we changed out of our clothes. Once they were naked, however, they took up where we had been interrupted earlier by grabbing both of my hands and placing them between their thighs.

I could immediately tell that they were no longer having pain from riding the horses, and was sure that what they wanted was sex, which was all right with me. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying ourselves and even got to sleep early. The next morning we were even up early and dressed for the day.

"I need to check the fields today to see how the crops are doing. I believe that we can leave the following day. I have a feeling that last night's episode may have worn out our welcome here," I told the Sisters.

"But he ... challenged you!" Airmid said.

"I know but our hostess was less than thrilled with the entire affair," I told them. They just nodded and didn't say anything. Once cleaned up and dressed, we went down to the Hall to see if there was any breakfast. Lady Feidhelm joined us while we ate.

"I will be checking the crops today to see how they have recovered and will encourage those that need it," I told her before adding, "We will be leaving tomorrow."

"I was embarrassed for poor Master Murchadh last evening. Was it necessary to humiliate him so?" she demanded in a voice that cracked at the end.

"Please, Mistress ... we did not start ... the problem," Airmid said out loud.

"He was the one ... that started it," Almha finished for her Sister.

"But did you have to so thoroughly defeat him?" Lady Feidhelm asked in a whiny voice.

"Please understand, Lady Feidhelm. The Sisters have great power, but they have only been learning to use Magic for a short time and do not have the fine control of it that they will eventually develop. Master Murchadh should feel no shame in being bested by those so much more powerful than he is. Although the lesson in humility may have been valuable to him," I told her hoping that would end the problem. Unfortunately, Lady Feidhelm did not seem mollified by my words. We finished our breakfast quickly after that and returned to our room.

"What do you plan on doing today?" I asked the Sisters once there.

"We are going with you!" Almha told me.

"On horseback?" I asked remembering their condition yesterday.

"OH!?" Airmid said. "We thought that you would be walking," she finished mentally.

"I will be for a part of the time, but I will be riding my horse to move between the various fields," I told them. "Also there won't be much for you to see."

"How will you be checking things then?" Almha inquired.

"I'll be using my Green Magic to check the plants and the soil," I told them to disappointed looks.

"Could we drive around in the cart to look at the countryside here?" Airmid asked.