Date: Fri, 16 Dec 1994 13:35:59 EST Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Diety of the editing labs (*snicker*)" Subject: The Battle of Evermore, part four ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* ******************* H I G H L A N D E R ************************ ************************************************************************* ************ T H E B A T T L E O F E V E R M O R E ************* ************************************************************************* BY BRIAN PROCOPIO, BASED UPON THE FILM OF THE SAME NAME. COPYRIGHTED 1994, CHAOS PICTURES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. _______________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER FOUR _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ "Oh.... war is the battle cry! Pick up your swords and fight... The sky is filled with good and bad, And mortals never know..." _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Her black curls were whipped about her face as the lightning storms in- creased in strength, the roaring crackling of the Quickening surrounding her totally. She collapsed to the ground, nearly spent, but then realized that the energy still flashed off over the next hill. Jenny Carmeron picked up her rapier and scrambled through the trees behind her home. Along the way she stopped to gather her discarded cloak and hurriedly through it over her shoulder. Poor soul, she thought as she glanced down at her fallen op- ponent, hardly fifty and they sent him after *me*. Dread filled her as she crested the rise, however, knowing the relative skill of the other warrior sent to kill her, Justin Glantz, and fearing for her husband's life. The darkness of the forest engulfed her black-clad form as she made her way through the rustling piles of discarded leaves... <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< "These leaves will give us away!!!" Edward whispered urgently. "Shush!" she bit back, playfully putting her finger to his mouth, "We'll get there soon enough." "Knock it off you two!!!" Connor Macleod called back loudly, his im- patience with the pair showing through in his grimly set face and flashing eyes. "Oh Connor," Jenny kidded playfully, "just because you're unsure of how your homecoming will g--." She stopped as she sensed another immortal behind the trio suddenly. "He's right, Jenny," commented Brian MacKenzie quietly as he appeared out of the woods behind her. His face was smeared with dark patches and a jagged cut along his arm healing as they watched. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" Jenny exclaimed as she rushed over to Brian as the immortal slumped against a nearby tree. "What happened?" "A... a team of evil immortals attacked us outside the village... five or six of them... tall guy, scar on his cheek leading..." Brian gasped as his strength slowly restored itself. "Glantz, *damn*," bit out Connor. He looked Brian in the eye, "how many?" With a shudder MacKenzie leaned back against the gnarled bark of the tree trunk, his eyes closed. Suddenly he looked like just another young male, only haven come of age a season or two before. He opened his eyes and broke the spell. "At least three. We may have gotten one of theirs, but I'm not sure. McDevitt, Powell, Clancy too I think..." "Duncan?" Connor snapped out, his eyes watering as the list of the dead was recited, and flashed at the promise of revenge. "No... no. I'm pretty sure he escaped too," Brian stated solemnly. Connor paced off into the forest, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Edward, love, stay here for a beat, will you?" Jenny asked her fiance, who sat numbed in shock by the news. He nodded slightly, and she moved off after Connor. "Dammit, Jenny, this cannot happen!!" Connor exploded as she put her hand on his arm. "It's against the rules! How could they do it?" The female immortal placed her hands firmly on Connor's shoulders, squaring off in front of him, a clean half a foot shorter then he. "Connor, listen to me, there is nothing we can do about it. They didn't break the rule, there was one of them for every one of us. We have to carry on with the misson now Connor..." The eldest Macleod's face hung low, and she shook him force- fully to snap his attention back. "Connor Macleod listen to me!" she barked into his face, "we have to go on! Yes, it's a loss, but we have to get to Glennfinnan by the morning and we must declare Edward the proper heir to the throne!!! If you stop leading us now then I'll start!" Connor gazed back at her with an almost whimsical expression. "Ahh, Jenny, you always were the forceful one now weren't you?" His face returned to its former grim state as he sighed and looked off into the distance. His mind contemplated the mission, the crazy idea that had blossomed into... this. The discovery not one month now that Cameron's latest love, well, one of them anyway, the young Prince Edward, was an immortal, and the idea which growed from that point of placing him on the throne, of creating the story of Camelot in actuality instead of merely in fireside stories,it was such a noble idea, Connor thought... He turned and accompionied Jenny back to the gathering in the distance. He still wasn't sure what was behind the attack of the evil immortals like this but it would be dealt with in time. He locked his pain and grief inside him, something, he reflected, he was becoming too good at doing these days. He walked back into the clearing where Edward and Brian awaited, and motioned for the latter to join him. "Brian, come on, let's find Duncan and the others. You two," he pointed toward Jenny and Edward, "stay here and lay low for an hour or so." MacKenzie got to his feet and followed Connor silently into the forests. Cameron sat herself down next to her fiancee in a somewhat graceful fashion and put her arm around his shoulders. He sat unresponding, his mind attempting to reason the death of his swordmaster and mentor and friend since birth, the immortal McDevitt. She felt his shoulders tense under her touch as the thoughts coalaced into a burning rage inside of him. They exchanged no words, but she knew that the young Prince had just been irrevocably changed forever. Several minutes later the buzz warned them both of an approaching immortal. She got to her feet cautiously, pulling her sword from its sheath. "Connor?" she called hesitantly, "Brian?" "Hardly" a grating voice snickered from behind her. She whipped about, and the form of Justin Glantz strode confidently into the clearing, the bright flash of lightning illuminating the scar running down his right cheek. He raised his sword in anticipation. "Hello, Jenny, it's been awhile, hasn't it?" he commented sarcasticly. "Oh, and who is *this* young whelp?" he questioned, motioning to the still sitting Edward. "I am Prince Edward, heir to the throne, and you are not welcome in my land!" the young immortal bellowed as he rose to his feet, pulling his over- sized broadsword from its sheath and setting himself firmly between this new- comer and his soon-to-be-wife, finally finding something to direct his anger towards. "Edward, *please*!" Jenny pleaded as she tugged on her fiance's sleeve. He shrugged her off forcefully and turned to stare at her. "Jenny, leave, get away!" he commanded as he squared off against the challenger. "Don't worry, m'lady, your turn will come soon enough!" snickered Glantz as he swung at the Prince's head, which the younger immortal firmly blocked, his training since birth helping somewhat in the battle. She took another step back and pivoted, turning and running into the forest. She knew she had to find Connor, had to get help. She raced through the underbrush, glad once more that she adopted the garments of a man for the mission, although they too caught once to often as she tore through the wooded area... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ...and sprang into the clearing too late, again. The wind was settling down even though the Quickening was still felt around her, its feel like that of the instant before a thunderstorm begins its downpour, the tension thick in the air. She stumbled to her knees as she saw the body laying decapitated in the middle of the interesction. "twice, now...." she murmured as the tears welled in her eyes. "Yes, twice now, I'm afraid, that I've had to settle for less than the best, dear Jenny," the voice called out from the distance. Her gaze traveled upwards from the dead body of Kevin Walsh, her husband, and met the leering grin of Justin Glantz, seated in the idling car twenty yards away. Words failed her as she moved her lips in rage. First Edward and now... Glantz's eyes bugged slightly as Jenny Cameron bellowed in rage and charged his automobile, bringing her sword up in attack. He roared in laughter as the car gunned forth from it's idle, jumping out of the way of the swinging sword, almost. Jenny's blade banged and recoiled off of Glantz's trailing hood. "Don't worry, my dear Jenny, we'll meet again soon enough!" Justin called out of his open window as he drove off into the distance. "Yes," Cameron bit out firmly, "we'll meet soon enough..." _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ (after the long sojourn in final's land... it continues!!!!) e-mail with comments. The story may continue over the Xmas break, but if it does I'll repost it for those homebound and such... Happy holidays! Brian Macleod@vm.temple.edu =========================================================================