A Warrior's Heart Continued.

Maeve glanced to Korag, wondering what the Queen was thinking. She almost did not want to wait till after the fight was over, she was that curious. But the fight was more important right now. When the queen left with the Shamaness, Maeve sat down on her bedroll. A glance toward the shamaness, and Maeve saw the wink. Sometimes the Shamaness was very mysterious.

Korag looked at the Queen a bit confused himself before she walked off with the Shamaness. He watched them walk off then sat down next to Maeve. "Are you in trouble?" he asked her. She had been worried about things and one would have been what the Queen's reaction would be about them making love.

The Queen giving over command of her amazons to him was also something he never would have thought would happen. But she had. "What did she say?"

Maeve glanced to him and she shook her head. "No. I'm not in trouble," she replied. "She asked questions about us," she told him. Things she thought about men didn't match with what she learned from him. Even her queen wasn't matching her fears of what would happen if an Amazon got close to a man. "What I thought, what you thought. This is all so confusing."

At least she was not in trouble with her Queen, that was a good thing. Asking questions about them made him wonder what she was after. She didn't seem to berate Maeve for being with him and seemingly being very close to each other. He guessed she wanted to find out if he had been treating her and the others as equals the whole time or not, trying to figure out if he was just putting on an act or not.

He reached out and caressed her face again. "Well apparently she is not bothered by us being here like this, which I am glad to see. But you never really answered my question before." he looked at her with a questioning look.

Maeve closed her eyes when he caressed her cheek, not entirely sure why she enjoyed his touch. When he mentioned his question from before, her eyes opened and she looked at him. "I don't know. I feel what you ask is too soon."

Too soon? Perhaps he was trying to rush things. He just didn't want to lose her now that he had found her and she was slowly coming around. He nodded and let his hand drop. "Better get some rest. Tommorow we will all need to be at our peak." He laid down on his side and got comfortable. Cloe and Duncan did the same.

The other amazons were told about the traitor and filed past her spitting on her and calling her names. She was no longer one of them, all wanted to kill her but had been told that would be decided later and that Cloe had the right to do what she wanted to her except kill her. The camp finally settled down for the night.

Maeve wondered if she said the wrong thing again. She laid back, and shifted to lay on her side, though it wasn't the most comfortable with her ribs being sore. She watched him quietly, questions forming in her mind. Staying with him was tempting, but living with him in his clan would be a big change. It made her wonder if there was a place in the middle, between both worlds.

As he lay there with his eyes closed, he figured that he would just have to take it a bit slower. Perhaps after the castle was attaked and if they succeeded in taking it, then maybe they could sit and talk more about it. His Clan's terriory was to the north of the Amazons villages and the castle they were attacking. He would not stop her from going to see them. Perhaps that was something she was afraid of. He would have to wait and see what happened.

He finally fell asleep and when he awoke just before dawn, he could smell the cook fires of some of the men. They were already waking and getting their breakfast ready, before they would move out and go to battle again.

Maeve eventually drifted off to sleep after taking a moment to get comfortable. In the morning, she was being stubborn and wouldn't wake up, not even when the scent of breakfast came to her nose. She wasn't looking foreward to fighting the Mage again.

Korag sat up and streached. He looked over at Maeve. As he sat ther trying to think if he should make something for breakfest the Shamenss and Queen approached and took a seat. They brought food with them. "Nara has chosen those she wants to go with her. She explained your plan to me last night. I hope you don't mind but I assigned our best archers to join Cloe and....... Duncan." she looked at the Shameness and she nodded. "The rest will be going with you, Maeve and me."

She looked down at Maeve wondering if she was going to wake up and join them. She then looked at Korag, "It is time to take vengence on this Mage and his people for his attack on us."

Maeve heard the queen, and she woke up, sitting up slowly. She ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it out, and glanced to the Queen. Rubbing a hand over her ribs, they hurt a bit from the way she ended up sleeping, but it was no matter. "The Mage will pay," she stated firmly.

"Indeed he will." the Queen said. "Glad you decided to join us." she chuckled. Korag looked over at Maeve and smiled. The Queen handed Maeve a bowl of hot food and the Shamaness handed Korag one. He sat there and eat and they were joined by Nara, Duncan and Cloe.

"If all works out well, and you make it to the walls, " Korag turned to Nara, "You must make it to the Gate House and open the gate, and lower the drawbridge." He looked over at Duncan and Cloe, "Once they have reached the top of the wall and are moving to the Gate House, you are to follow us."


He put his bowl down and looked around. The Men and Amazons were strapping on their weapons.

Maeve shrugged, a bit sheepish. She took the bowl with a thanks, and ate a few bites. When Nara, Duncan and Cloe joined them, she glanced to them, and listened as Korag told them what to do.

"We leave the bedrolls and other stuff here. " Korag told them and stood up. "Nara get your group into position, Duncan, Cloe position your archers." As they moved off to gather thier troops he drew his sword and held it up high. Those following him began to assemble, men and amazons. He held out a hand to Maeve to help her up. "Stay close." he told her.

Nara gathered her group and headed out through the forest, with Cloe and Duncan and their group close behind. "We get their attention, the others get in and open the gates then we all take out any that resist."

Maeve took his hand and let him help her up. She nodded to him, and grabbed her weapons, strapping them on. Her gaze watched the others as they headed out. "Korag, the mage is tricky."

"Then we had best be ready for him." he told her

The shamaness smiled and said, "He will not be able to pull that disapearing act this time. I have something for that. But be careful, he may have a lot of other spells."

Korag moved off towards the castle and the men and amazons followed. When they got to the winding path up to the castle he set a few archers to fire at any on the walls and then began leading his group up the path. There were shouts from the wall and soon several men could be seen on the wall. His clansmen raised shields above their heads to catch any arrows that might be fired, and indeed arrows began to fall. Korag's archers returned fire, keeping the defender's archers ducking for cover.

Nara and her group began climbing the cliff wall as Maeve and Korag had. Once at the bace of the wall some threw grapling hooks up. Once secured they began climbing. Duncan and Cloe's group picked off a few defenders that heard the clatter of the grapling hooks and came to investigate.

Korag held a shield up to protect him and Maeve, others did the same for the amazons. "Well it looks as if we got their attention." he said as he heard the squaks of the harpies and saw them flying down upon them.

Maeve Nodded to the shamaness, wondering what she had in mind. She moved with Korag, keeping up with him. She was anxious about this battle, hoping it would work out in the end.

Her gaze shifted to Nara and her group climbingvup the wall. They seemed to be working well together. It pleased her that the men were protecting the amazons with their sheilds, even Korag. She drew her sword, hearing the harpies. Her gaze shifted to the harpies and she took a fighting stance.

The Harpies swooped down at them, trying to rip the shields from the clansmen. "Not this time." the Queen shouted, "We are ready for you." Arrows flew from those posted by Korag. Some of the harpies screamed and flew up. A few fell to the ground arrows sticking out of them. The Queen swung at one clipping a leg causing it to fly up screaming and bleeding.

Nara and her group reached the top of the wall and began moving along the wall. Duncan and his group moved up and scalled the cliff and wall. Archers began taking out the harpies and a small group made it to the gate house as amazon and clansmen fought side by side on the walls. The drawbridge came down and gate swung open. That is when Korag looked at Maeve and smiled. "Now it is time." He gave his battle cry and his clansmen echoed it and charged the final distance into the courtyard

Maeve watched the others, such good team work, men and women. it was strange, indeed. but there was no time to dwell on that. When the drawbridge was down, she glanced to Korag and nodded. She kept beside Korag, she'd rather fight along side them, than any other male.

Several of the soldiers rushed them. Trying to force them back through the gate. But between the forces of the clansmen and amazons, they were to much for the defenders. Nara, Duncan, and Cloe cleared the walls of defenders and then moved down tot he courtyard. The Soldiers retreated back towards the Keep of the castle. That is when the Mage decided to make an appearance. From a window above he could be seen and then the sky turned dark and flaming balls of rock began to fall out of the sky.

They hit the ground exploding, sending pieces of rock everywhere. Some of the clansmen were hit by the sharapnel and fell to the ground. The Shamaness stepped forward flanked by two amazons and a clansman behind holding a shield above her as she mumbled something and the burning rocks seemed to hit something and bounce off into another direction, hiting the walls of the castle and exploding. "Time to get in there and have a nice short talk with that man." Korag told Maeve.

Maeve's gaze shifted to the Mage's rocks on fire falling from the sky. she kept close to Korag, fighting when she needed to. She nodded to him. "Alright, then," she replied, softly, cutting down a defender that came at her and Korag.

( sorry its short. )

Korag cut his way through the defenders, killing or wounding those in his way. At his side was Maeve. It felt so natural for her to be there. They worked as a team. Close behind them was Cloe and with her Duncan. Once free of the defenders there was only the door that stood in their way. More then likely it would be barred from the inside, and it was. It would take a long time to chop their way in.

The mage finding he was facing someone that also knew magic made him try other things but each time the Shamaness delt with his magic. When Korag and the others managed to get to the door it was her that was able to open it. Korag grinned and gave her a salute then turned and ran inside to find and deal with the mage.

Maeve fought hard, keeping up with Korag. The shamaness was a lot of help with dealing with the Mage's magic. The sooner they got to the mage, the better. When they got through the door, Maeve slipped inside after him, gripping her sword. Her gaze searched the area, alert and cautious. This mage would die, one way or another.

( sorry ifmy reply seems awkward. )

Korag didn't see any more defenders in the keep. He hoped that the Mage would be alone. "I think we know the way up. Just got to find the room that overlooks the courtyard. " With his free hand he grabed hers and made for the stairs. He had dropped his shield once they made it inside the keep.

It looked as if he was on the third floor of the keep. Korag ran up the stairs and down the corridors, till he stood before a door that he hoped was the one the mage was in. He kicked the door in and sure enough the Mage was there at the window. "It is over, you have lost." The mage turned. His left arm was in a sling. and he scowled at their presence.

"Not yet it isn't." he spoke under his breath and smiled, but the smile faded as it seemed his spell failed. He took a quick glance down and saw the Shamaness and cursed. Then he turned back to Maeve and Korag. "You will not be rid of me barbarian." he looked at Maeve. "I will take great delight in making you suffer for my pain." Suddenly a harpie swooped in and grabbed him by the shoulders. Pain filled his face as the harpie pulled him out and flew off with him.

Korag rushed forward but was to late. He cursed.

Maeve went with him up the stairs as he grabbed her hand. It was a bit weird that he would grab her hand, but now wasn't the time to think about things he did around her.

She kept up with Korag, determined to defeat the Mage. He was a bastard who needed to be destroyed. When Korag kicked the door in, she saw the Mage. It amused her that he wasn't healed by magic. His comment about making her suffer caused her to roll her eyes, he wouldn't get the chance. She was protecting her people. He was protecting himself. But then the Harpie grabbed him and flew off with him in tow. Annoyed, she turned away, if only she thought to bring a bow and arrow.