"Open the Gates, Keal!", Ovia fumed while crossing the bridge to the Gates.

The sound of the running stream underneath the bridge and the soft rustle of the leaves didn't calm her irritation one bit. She was tapping her foot rapidly while eyeing the young faerie in charge of the Gates from Tír na nÓg to the Land of Man.

Keal stretched lazily lifting his arms over his head and teased her with a hidden grin, "I see that we have lost the Princess again, haven't we?".

One stern look from Ovia made him choke down the laugh and jolt to the Gates, "Yes, of course. No problem", he hustled.

He placed one hand on the twisted vines while the other touched the roots. His lips moved chanting the words the was carried through generations of Tír na nÓg sentries. He called on the lives of the faeries before him. The Rulers, the Lights and the sentries.

As the last word left his lips, vines started untwist and unravel with a low rustle one over another. In a matter of seconds the vine were parted in the middle forming an opening path of that was showered with warm light. Ovia walked the passage to the twisted vines on the other side. Just as she was about to reach the vine started to part creating an opening to the human world.

"Ovia", Lennox greeted with a grin, "Always a pleasure seeing you".

She snapped at him, "Right! Maybe if you guarded the Gates as you should you would have seen less of me and she wouldn't be sneaking out every time". Her hand was on her hip, daring him to tease her the way he usually did.

Lennox chuckled. Which might seem strange with his dead serious features and his broad thickset body of muscles. However, for those faeries who really knew him, he was all smiles and funny jokes.

He started, "As I always told yo....".

Ovia interrupted rolling her eyes, "I know... I know.... The Gates reacts to the royal Light bloods. You told me that a thousand times".

"And...", he started again.

"And when the Princess says: You did see me. It means you didn't see her even if you did", she interrupted him again.

Then she sighed, "But you are going to show me which way she went this time?".

He grinned, "I can say this, It's not South, East or West".

Ovia nodded in a thanking gesture and went on her routine search.

*********

"Hello, Ovia", she said lightly with a big grin that she hoped will get her out of trouble.

"You're in deep trouble", Ovia grumbled looking at her with a tight brow.

Nope! It didn't get me anywhere. The Princess thought.

"What in the name of the Ancient One are you doing out here, and on a day like this?", Ovia asked. More like demanded an answer.

The princess turned her eyes back to the horizon. The heaviness she fled from was returning, "It was getting... suffocating in there. I needed to... escape".

The Princess waited for the usual scolding. Mentally, she reviewed all the times Ovia chided her for sneaking out to the human realm. She even got some lines memorized and reminded Ovia of parts she forgot to scold her about. That only bought her more scolding. The princess knew that from the moment she stepped foot out of Tír na nÓg, Ovia will be on her tail.

She waited to hear the usual, but instead, to her surprise, she heard Ovia ask, "So, what are we looking at?".

The smile was back on her face and she breathed. The Princess looked at the blonde faerie crouching on a lower branch. Ovia might be strict and preferred that everything goes as planned, but without a doubt, she always got her. The Princess turned her focus back to what she was doing. "Five Orcs just entered the North side", she pointed to an area with less tree density.

Ovia's trained eye scanned the area before she announced, "Two Darks are heading in that direction", and just as she mapped the area furthermore she added, "I think they will be facing a bit of a situation".

She looked to where Ovia pointed with the bow she had in hand. Riding their beasts, the two Darks were tracking and closing on the five Orcs fast. Then her eye caught the 'situation'. Seven more Orcs were advancing from the other side. The Darks will be surrounded in no time.

The princess turned to her fairtheoir and hinted, "That doesn't seem like a fair fight now, does it?".

Ovia stood to her full height growling, "We don't have time for this".

The princes had already pulled the hood of her white tabard and masked her face except for her eyes when she blinked innocently, "Then I guess we should be quick". Before Ovia could object she fell back, executing a midair flip before landing in a graceful, soundless crouch. She pulled out two dirk daggers from her belt before sprinting into action.

Ovia rolled her eyes and sighed. She pulled an arrow out of the quiver strapped to her back and murmured under her breath, "Here we go again". Then she followed her leaping from one branch to another.

Snarls and shrieks were getting louder as the Princess approached. The two Darks had already dismounted their beasts and unsheathed their weapons. The moment the Orcs caught a glimpse of them they attacked with slashing talons and sharp snapping teeth. The Darks fearlessly charged head on.

She did a quick evaluation as Jarle taught her.

Study their techniques.

Watch how they use their weapons. How they moved.

Keep an eye on both, your opponent and you ally.

And she was surprised. The way those two Darks moved was impeccable. She never saw any of their warriors move like that before. Precise, accurate, faultless, effortless and weightless. The faerie with the short dark brown hair was incredible with that tomahawk in his hand, but the one with the long  jet black hair, that one, was exceptional. With a sword in each hand his movements were divine. Almost captivating. She watched many Darks fight before, but nothing like this. The why they moved was like a luring invite she couldn't resist to join.

They already had three Orcs down. If her calculations were right, the new patch of Orcs will arrive in less than a minute.

"Let's do this", the Princess told herself as she soared in the air and landed between the two Darks. If her move startled them, then it wasn't noticed. The only acknowledgment she got was when the one with the brown hair spoke while slashing an Orc's chest with his tomahawk while dodging its talons.

"We are almost done here Light. We do not need your assistance".

"It's not over yet", she said keeping her eye on the direction of incoming Orcs. As soon as she finished her sentence, more snarls and shrieks echoed as the other seven attacked, and a new fight stirred.

One of the Orcs took her for an easy target. That was a grave mistake. She dodged his talons easily sliding to the side. In a blink of a eye she span around plunging her dagger to its side. The Orc snarled and swung at her again only to receive another strike then another.

In a moment when she was dodging being slashed by the Orc's talons, and for the slightest hint of a second their eyes locked. He had the greenest eyes she has ever seen. Piercing and gripping. So green that they reminded her of the emerald gems the Lights dug out of the caves of Tír na nÓg. His eyes narrowed for a second in strange intensity that surprised her. The Orc he was fighting almost scratched his throat if he didn't dodge it last minute. Her dagger left her grip and sliced the air hitting that Orc square in heart. It released an awful screech before hitting the ground. Since she had no way to retrieve that dagger from that Orc's heart, one dagger must do.

As another Orc lunged at her, an arrow whistled through the air hitting its target in the shoulder forcing it to stumble back a couple of steps. Followed by another that penetrated its neck. The Dark with jet black hair slid one of his swords on the ground. It stopped just by her foot. As soon as the Princess picked up his sword, she noticed its weight. The way he used it made it seem much lighter. 

She met a lunging Orc with a thrust to its chest. The weight of the sword in addition to the Orc's ballast almost made her lose her ground. She stabbed it in the shoulder with the lone dagger  she had left and used it along with the sword to steer it away from her.

With swords, daggers, arrows and tomahawk Orcs fell one by one. The stench of their blood was sickening as it poured black and thick on the ground of the forest. The Dark with short brown hair checked on the pile of Orcs making sure that they were all lifeless.

Ovia stepped close to her, "Give me that", taking the sword from her hand, she marched and handed it to its owner, "Tapadh leat". Without waiting for his answer she looked at her, "We must leave".

They made it a few steps away when they heard, "Wait... ".

As they turned around, the Princess saw the warrior with the long black hair pulling her dagger from the Orcs chest and wiping the blood on the sleeve of his black tabard as he approached. "I believe this is yours", he held the dagger by the blade, keeping the handle facing her direction.

The Princess met those green eyes again. The intensity of his gaze didn't ease at all. "Why don't you keep it", she smiled under her mask, "You need it more than I do". She tilted her head pointing where he fetched the dagger from in a silent reminder that an Orc almost had him.

That eased the intensity of his gaze.

"We'll be late", Ovia reminded her.

The Princess offered before she left, "There is a Lights camp by the river. Head there if needed any assistance". Then she gave a single farewell nod and fell into step right next to her fairtheoir.

Corwin eyes followed the same trail his friend was staring at, "Hey, what happened back there? You lost your focus for a minute and almost had your throat ripped".

Alrik's eyes narrowed as he was silent for a moment. He flipped the dagger he was holding catching it midair by the handle. He studied the flawless carving of the Lights on the handle and the unblemished sharp edge. His brow furrowed in deep thought and perplexity, "I'm not sure".

Alrik lifted his head again to where she disappeared through the tall trees. That strange strong hum of the markings he felt the moment their eyes met has gradually lowered until it was nothing but silence.