he young warrior strode into the sunny throne room in the castle of his homeland with a curt nod to the guards standing in the doorway. He was often called to this room with his friends to meet with the king and discuss matters of the state. The room itself was quite large with windows in the western wall to admit the setting sun’s light. Pieces of golden colored flagstone had been used to construct the interior of this castle and the sunlight made the stones sparkle.

He passed the large fireplace in the northern wall and crossed in front of the two empty thrones that sat to the east. He was headed towards the long meeting table under the windows. Sitting down backwards on the bench, he leaned back with his elbows on the table.

A faint flapping noise caught his attention. He had become a friend to a female fairy during his first visit to Tir Na Nog, the land of the little people. She had helped by explaining some of the puzzles he and three friends had to solve to prove their worth and earn their mystic weapons.

"I dreamed about her again." The young man with long, light brown curls sighed to the small fairy hovering around his head.

She smiled and tugged gently on a stray curl. "She’s not real. She’s only a dream. Forget about her."

"Oh, Aideen," He sighed. The note of jealousy he detected in her tiny voice slightly annoyed him somewhat. "You just don’t understand. The dreams of her seem so real, like I’m really there."

"Rohan," Another male’s voice chuckled from the doorway of the throne room. "Are you babbling about the girl in your dream again? Get over her, she can’t exist."

"She does exist, I know she does. Maybe Cathbad can help me find her." Rohan mumbled to himself.

The raven-haired man chuckled from the doorway and sauntered over to his friend to clap a hand on his shoulder. "Have you been eating too many gooseberries again, my friend?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny Angus." He replied sarcastically. "I wish that was the case. Everything in my dream seems so real."

"If it’s so real," Angus retorted, "What’s her name?"

"I don’t know, but I do know she’s beautiful."

"So tell me what she looks like." The fairy said, perching on his arm.

"Well, only if Angus here promises not to laugh." He replied, looking sternly at his companion.

"Hey!" Angus cried, throwing up his hands in mock defense. "I won’t say a word."

"Fine." Rohan closed his eyes and sank deep in thought for a moment. "She’s slightly smaller than our princess, just a slip of a girl. She, too, has very long hair, it hangs just past her waist." He was smiling with a far away look on his face now. "It’s bright red and looks soft." He sank into deep thought again.

"What about her eyes? What color are they?" Angus asked, trying very hard not to chuckle again.

"Emerald green." He sighed, "She’s absolutely beautiful. I wish you all could see her."

"But is she as lovely as Deirdre?" Angus grinned.

"Even more so. I wish you could see her. She looks like an angel."

The small coffee shop was brightly lit and crowded, even at this time of night with a blizzard coming. Small clusters of tables and chairs dotted the large room. A long counter blocked the easternmost section while the smell of fresh coffee and baked treats wafted throughout.

A tall, athletic looking girl meandered from the counter to a table in the far corner, carrying two cups of coffee. The girl already seated at the table looked up and smiled her gratitude. This was their weekly ritual. Each Thursday night, they went for coffee to catch up on the other’s week.

"What’s new with you this week?" she asked the much smaller girl as she took her seat on the opposite side of the table.

"You’ll never believe it Kell," The tiny girl said to her friend. "I had that weird dream again."

Kelli regarded her friend carefully. Angelika was a beautiful young woman, almost twenty-two years old, but with a much younger looking body. She had flaming red hair that shone to just below her tiny waist. Her skin was a pale cream, which perfectly set off her emerald colored eyes. Besides all this, anyone could tell that this girl was a gymnast, and Kelli was jealous.

She had always thought that Angelika was a little crazy, but now she was sure. Her friend could have almost any guy she wanted with little more than a look and a smile, but she had become completely obsessed with some guy she had only seen in her dreams.

"Tell me more." Kelli smiled over her cup of coffee.

"What do you want to know?" Angelika winked at her friend. She thought Kelli was pretty enough, with her height, long brown curls and deep brown eyes. With a little makeup, Kelli could be beautiful.

"Start with his looks." Kelli winked back.

"Mmm." Angelika smiled, closing her eyes and leaning across the table. "He’s tall, my guess is just over six feet, with light brown curls that just dust his shoulders. And his body is amazing."

"What was he wearing?" Kelli answered, leaning closer as well.

"That’s the weird part Kell." She replied, frowning slightly. "It looks like he’s wearing a red T-shirt and red pants."

"Sounds pretty normal to me."

"I know. But he’s also wearing boots that look like mukluks, only they’re tied with wide, leather straps that wrap around his legs. And that’s not all." She was frowning deeply and took a thoughtful sip of coffee.

"Don’t stop now." Kelli urged.

"Okay, he’s also wearing a golden colored cloak, tied to each shoulder. I guess that’s a little strange, but the kicker is the chain mail shirt he’s wearing over his other shirt. It looks like he carries a sword and shield too. Weird, huh?"

Kelli placed a slim hand on her friend’s forehead. "Are you sure you’re feeling okay?"

"I feel fine. I’d feel better if I could meet him, but I know I never will. You must think I’m absolutely pathetic, I don’t even know his name."

"Oh, Angelika. I don’t think you’re pathetic. A little crazy yes; pathetic no. But I do think you should stop dreaming so much." Kelli grinned at her closest friend.

Angelika smiled and glanced down at her watch. "Shit! It’s ten o’clock, and I’ve got an exam in the morning. I’ll call you after I get home tomorrow."

"Sure, you gotta tell me all about the rest of your dream." Kelli smiled as her friend fished some money out of her pocket and placed it on the table before she shrugged into her jacket.

It had been snowing heavily for several days now and the small parking lot had dangerous, packed snow and ice under the thick layer of fresh snow. Angelika looked up at the sky; the clouds blocked out even the bright glow of the moon. She wished she could go somewhere simpler, somewhere she could look at the night sky and see more than just the moon and brightest stars.

When her parents had died, almost fifteen years ago now, she had gone to live with her aunt and uncle on their farm. Life seemed so much simpler there. Of course, the chores had kept everyone busy most of the day, but life in general felt better.

Angelika had moved back to the city when she turned eighteen. As much as she wanted to live away from here, this was where she had gotten a secretarial job. A job that paid well enough for her to rent a small apartment and save up enough money to go back to school.

The old car started easily, despite the cold and snow. Angelika brushed the snow from her windows as quickly as she could and hopped back inside. The streets were heavy and the going was slow, but there was little traffic.

"Cathbad," Rohan asked the old druid carefully. "I’ve told you everything I know. Can you help me find her?"

"I don’t know if I can help you, Rohan." The old man sighed, sifting through a stack of spell scrolls. "From what you describe, she is in a time and place far from us. Even if I could find a spell to send you to find her, you may end up just as far from her."

"I’m willing to risk that."

"I’m going too." Aideen begged. She couldn’t let he handsome Rohan put himself in danger without her there to help him out.

"No one is going anywhere until I figure out where and when she is." Cathbad replied. "Rohan, I must accompany you to the dream world to speak with her." The old druid smiled as a look of pure horror crossed the face of his young apprentice. "You have tried to talk to her yourself, haven’t you?"

"Actually, no." Rohan admitted sheepishly. "I don’t think she’s even seen me. She always seems to be busy."

"You will soon." Cathbad answered. "Drink this." He continued, handing Rohan a wooden cup with a warm liquid inside.

The young warrior raised the cup to his mouth, but wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell. "By Dagdah!" He swore, "What is that?"

"Something to make you drowsy." The old man replied, almost cracking a smile. "Now drink it."

The brown haired young man gave his surrogate father another questioning glance and downed the concoction. "Sweet Lou, that tasted awful!"

"Rest on this cot for a while. You should feel the effects of the potion soon." Cathbad instructed, motioning Rohan to a small cot in the corner.

Rohan did as he was told, after all, this gnarled old druid had taken him in and became a father to him eleven years ago. Cathbad smiled as Rohan leaned back and closed his eyes. Soon he was sleeping deeply.

Cathbad pulled a stool to the side of the plain cot and began to concentrate on seeing Rohan’s dream world. There was a sudden, bright flash. When his vision cleared, he was standing beside Rohan in a strange building.

Small tables surrounded by chairs dotted the room. There were strangely dressed people sitting around many of the tables, but the thing that amazed Cathbad was the level of light here. Outside, the sky was dark, but inside was as bright as day. He expected to see hundreds of lit candles or torches, but noticed long, glowing tubes suspended from the ceiling seemed to do the job instead.

Cathbad looked to his young apprentice. "Which one is she?" he whispered.

"Over there." Rohan replied, motioning to a table where two girls his age were chatting over identical, steaming mugs. "The one with red hair."

"Are you sure? You can’t see her face from here."

"I’m sure." He sighed, gazing longingly at the slender figure, his arms aching to hold her close.

"Now go and talk to her." Cathbad urged, "I can’t help you if I don’t know more about her and this time."

"What if she doesn’t want to talk to me?"

"I think she does." Cathbad answered, "Look."

Rohan followed his mentor’s gaze and saw that the red haired girl had turned around and was motioning him over. Her friend moved to another table and was now chatting with a large group of people. He hesitated a moment longer, but the tiny girl smiled brightly and patted the chair next to her when their eyes met.

‘This can’t be happening, not even in my dream.’ He thought to himself as he strode towards her in disbelief. He couldn’t help returning her smile as he sat beside her.

"I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. I’d have made it a point to remember you." Her soft voice cut through the trance-like state he had fallen into.

"I wasn’t sure how you would react, so I tried to stay hidden most of the time." He replied, lowering his gaze.

"I’ve seen someone who looks just like you in my dreams lately, but even then I was too shy to get your attention." She smiled. ‘He’s shy.’ She almost giggled to herself ‘ That’s too cute.’

"Would you believe this is another dream?"

"I’d be very disappointed." She answered, gazing deep into his hazel eyes.

The young man smiled shyly and moved to touch her hand. He suddenly withdrew it and shook his head. "Please forgive me. I’ve been terribly rude." He said solemnly. "My name is Rohan. I come from a time and place far from here, an island kingdom called Kells."

"I’m Angelika." She winked, taking his hand, "Don’t worry about being rude."

Rohan grinned back at her, but kept glancing over her shoulder. Finally, Angelika turned around to see what he was looking at.

"Is that your father?" She asked gently, "Would he like to join us?"

"No, he’s not my father, but he has treated me like his son since I was twelve summers old." Rohan answered, rising to summon Cathbad.

Angelika watched him walk the short distance to his adopted father. He was a lot more confident now, it was obvious in the way he moved now.

A smile played at the corners of her mouth, Rohan was wearing a cloak, but it was short enough to provide, what Angelika considered, an excellent view. Both men were smiling as Rohan turned and they strode back.

Rohan returned to the table shortly with the old man following closely. "Angelika," he said, "I would like you to meet the druid Cathbad. He might be able to help us to meet outside the dream world."

"What do you need to know, Cathbad?" Rohan asked.

"First I need to know what year this is."

"It’s 1999, not quite the middle of winter yet."

"And where are we?"

"A small city far from where I think you come from." She paused thoughtfully and closed her eyes. A large atlas appeared on the table between them. Opening her eyes, Angelika looked at it, shocked for a moment then remembered, this is a dream, after all.

Shyly, she opened the book and found a map of the world. "This is where we are now." She said, pointing to an incredibly tiny dot near the middle of the map of North America. "And is this the shape of your island?" she asked, pointing to the outline of a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The old man nodded slowly, his long gray hair and beard hardly moving at all. From what Angelika could figure from his looks alone, he must be at least ninety years old. But the way he moved, he seemed much younger than that.

"Thank you, Angelika." Rohan murmured as they stood to leave. "Perhaps we can be together soon." Angelika noticed his cheeks flush slightly as the last words left his lips.

The coffee shop with Rohan and Cathbad slowly started to fade out of existence. Angelika’s eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright.

She glanced around the dimly lit room, attempting to get her bearings. She was at home, in her bedroom, sitting on her bed. The white walls looked almost gray in the soft light shortly before dawn.

Most of this room was occupied by the large double bed she slept alone in. The remaining space contained a TV, a VCR and a path to the closet and door. A wide set of windows with sheer curtains allowed the light to fall across her bed, even now.

"Six fifteen." She grumbled to herself as she glanced at the digital alarm clock sitting on the bed beside her. "No point in trying to go back to sleep now. I’d just have to get up again in fifteen minutes.

Still grumbling to herself, she threw the covers back and turned on the radio. Angelika started singing with the radio as she stripped off the navy blue sweatshirt she normally slept in and wandered over to her closet.

She stood there for a long time, trying to decide on what she should wear. Angelika felt like she should try to look good today, but couldn’t understand why. She finally settled on her favorite black bodysuit and slim fitting jeans. Kelli always said guys turned to stare whenever she walked by in this outfit, but she’d never seen it herself.

Pulling a brush through her long, flaming red hair, she glanced in the mirror and the beautiful young woman she had grown into smiled back at her.

After she finished brushing her hair, she wandered into the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on her makeup.

At six forty five, she emerged from the bathroom and wandered out to the kitchen to grab an apple from the refrigerator. She sat on a wooden chair by the large dining table and munched thoughtfully on her breakfast, still bound by the invisible threads of her dream.

Angelika disposed of her apple core and shrugged into her large jacket, still thinking about Rohan and Cathbad as she stepped out the door of her apartment. Rohan had said that maybe they could be together, and that Cathbad could help him.

‘What did he mean by that?’ Angelika thought to herself as she brushed the snow from her car. ‘I must be losing my mind.’

The car now free of snow, Angelika climbed in and started on her way to school. She turned out onto the highway and accelerated. It was still quite dark outside of the city, and that was just how she liked it. Angelika pushed a tape into the player and cranked up the volume.

Rohan rose from the hard cot slowly, grateful that Cathbad had left him to sleep longer. He still couldn’t believe she had called him over, even in his own dream. His head felt cloudy, and now it was almost dark outside. He had spent most of the day sleeping.

‘Why hadn’t Angus, or any of the others come to wake me?’ he wondered silently.

He leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes, not wanting the last tendrils of his dream to fade away just yet. Rohan could see her face clearly when he had his eyes closed and if he concentrated hard enough, he could even hear her sweet voice.

"Rohan?" he thought he heard Angelika ask. "Rohan?" it sounded a little different this time, more familiar, but he didn’t want to open his eyes. "There you are, Rohan." The tiny fairy announced as she fluttered in the window of Cathbad’s chamber.

Aideen fluttered down near Rohan’s face and gently brushed his cheek. "Wake up, handsome." She called softly in his ear.

"Angelika?" Rohan mumbled, still not quite awake.

"Silly human." Aideen giggled musically, "It’s me."

"Hello Aideen." Rohan groaned without opening his eyes, "What is it?"

"Temra armies are attacking the northern border. Angus and Ivar are already there but Deirdre and Garrett are waiting for you downstairs."

Rohan groaned inwardly and sat up quickly. This was very late for a battle, whether or not Draganta was up for something like this. He reached for his sword and shield and was on his feet in a flash.

"Thank you, Aideen." He called over his shoulder as he hurried down the stairs to the throne room.

Aideen silently watched Rohan leave, sulking slightly. She wanted him for herself since she had first seen him in Tir Na Nog. At that time, Deirdre had been the object of his affections, now it was some girl from his dream. He had told her many times that she held a special place in his heart, but it didn’t seem like enough to her. The fairy had been happy when Prince Garrett arrived to marry the princess, but Rohan had been crushed; a fact which had hurt her a little too. With a small sigh, she flew out the window of Cathbad’s chamber to follow her beloved knights.

They had barely left view of the Castle of Kells when Aideen caught up to Rohan. As usual, he was walking several paces behind the prince and princess.

Rohan watched the gray cape float away from the figure of Princess Deirdre, the girl he had loved for almost as long as he could remember. Deirdre was beautiful, but spoken for. Prince Garrett had arrived only a few short months ago and King Conchobar announced then that Deirdre was to marry Garrett. Shortly after that, his dreams about Angelika started.

He reluctantly tore his eyes away from Deirdre’s cloak and watched her hair float around her shoulders as she walked. It barely touched her shoulders and looked much darker than Angelika’s. ‘Both girls are beautiful.’ Rohan thought to himself. ‘But, Angelika…she makes me feel something Deirdre never did.’

Angelika glanced over her exam paper one more time, sighing heavily. She hadn’t studied at all and now there were several blank questions left on the pages.

Groaning inwardly, she collected her pencils and paper. Angelika made her way to the front of the room, laid her papers beside the supervising instructor, and signed her name to the sheet sitting beside him. She scanned the large classroom and headed towards the door. She needed some coffee and fresh air to clear her head before tonight.

The small girl had made it just a few feet down the hallway when she heard footsteps behind her. A friend of hers had been writing the same exam this morning and was usually done quickly.

"Hey Ange!"

She whirled at the sound of her name. Her long hair fanned out behind her and swirled around her shoulders.

"Hiyas Chad." She smiled at her friend.

Angelika slowed her pace so Chad could catch up. The tall young man matched her pace easily and fell into step beside her.

"Did you study for your midterm lots?"

"Not really." Angelika replied. "I had some stuff to think about instead."

"Care to talk about it?" he asked gently, slipping an overly friendly arm around her shoulders.

"I’m fine." Angelika smiled dreamily, pushing him away. "You were done that exam pretty quickly too. Did you study much?"

The cocky boy shook his head slightly and grinned. "The TV was calling my name too loudly."

Angelika giggled. He could be so goofy sometimes but that’s what made him such a good friend. They wandered to their lockers to collect their coats.

"Wanna go for coffee before you drive back?"

"I guess I could use a cup or two. But I can’t stay too long. I’ve got a competition tonight."

"Oh, yeah." He looked thoughtful. "I forgot about that."

Angelika grinned and stuck her tongue out at Chad. "No you didn’t, I hadn’t told you about it."

"Just bugging you." He grinned back. "Maybe we should just go down to the cafeteria and get coffee there. I heard the highway was going to get a little icy this afternoon."

"I heard that too." She nodded as they grabbed their mugs from the lockers. The friends wandered down the long hall and turned at the wide ramp to go downstairs.

Aideen flew in the window of the small, thatched hut, searching for Rohan. She glanced around and shook her head.

Angus and Rohan had shared this hut for the last couple years. There was a clear line across the middle of the room. One side was very clean while the other had clothes and other belongings strewn about. Looking at the young men and their personalities, one would have thought the clean side belonged to Rohan and the other to Angus, however, quite the opposite was true.

"Rohan." She called, fluttering over to the sleeping mat in the middle of all the clutter.

She knew he had been late returning from the battlefield, and all five knights had been giddy from their seemingly easy victory. The attack that Angus had reported turned out to be nothing more than a little skirmish with a few Temra soldiers raiding fields on the border. That had been several hours ago. The other four knights were already awake, only Rohan was still sleeping. This was odd behavior for him—he was normally the first one awake every morning. Something was very different about him lately.

‘Why do humans have to sleep so much anyway?’ Aideen grumbled to herself. "Rohan! Wake up!"

Rohan stirred slightly at the sound of her voice. He rolled over and sat up slowly, allowing his blanket to fall to his waist. Aideen looked down and noticed he wasn’t wearing the gray shirt he normally did to bed.

The fairy smiled to herself, this was a thing she didn’t get to see often. Aideen thought he was very handsome, for a human. She had begged for Queen Maeve of Temra to turn her into a human once. He had noticed but not recognized her, and thus, nothing had happened. It felt like her heart was breaking; all she could hope for was for someone to steal this other girl’s heart from Rohan.

"What are you smiling at, little one?" Rohan frowned up at her small form.

Aideen flushed slightly. She rarely allowed herself to be caught looking at Rohan that way. "Never mind. Cathbad wants to see you again."

Rohan reddened as he realized what the small fairy was looking at. He leaned over and quickly retrieved his yellow tunic from the large heap on the floor near his bed. Aideen watched intently as he sat, holding the light shirt. After a short while, he pulled it over his head. Then, he simply leaned over and placed his head in his hands. Aideen hadn’t seen him this upset about anything since Prince Garrett had arrived to crush Rohan’s hope of marrying Princess Deirdre.

"Is something wrong, Rohan?" Angus asked, almost running into Aideen when he bounded inside and sat beside his friend.

Rohan shook his head slowly. ‘How could I have let myself believe an angel could love me?’ he thought dejectedly to himself. He remembered feeling this down only once in his life, that was when the Queen of Temra put a powder in his food to make him lose his courage; he had almost gotten Angus killed that day.

"You know you can tell me. I’m your best friend." Angus prodded gently.

Slowly, Rohan looked up at his oldest friend. Angus could be a real joker at times, but he was also a very loyal friend. He studied Angus’ face for a moment; there was no trace of mockery to be seen. Angus looked truly concerned this time. Still, Rohan chose not to say anything, lowering his face to his hands once more.

"Come on Rohan. Did you dream about that girl again?"

"Her name is Angelika." Aideen whispered in Angus’ ear.

Rohan mumbled something and nodded in response.

"You still have to go see Cathbad." Aideen reminded him softly. "I think he’s found a way for you to see her."

"Tell him I can’t go to her. I’ll explain it to him later." He looked up at her slowly, his eyes dull and almost lifeless.

Aideen had seen him this down on himself only once before, and it wasn’t something she cared to see again. Last time she hadn’t been able to help him, no matter how hard she tried. This time she wasn’t sure, but she could try. She had to. She loved all her mystic knights, but felt Rohan was the bravest, strongest and best looking of them all.

"No Aideen, tell him we’ll be there in a little while." Angus interjected, eliciting a cold glare from his friend.

With a small sigh, Aideen flew out the window and headed towards the castle. "Humans can be so confusing." She sighed to a sparrow as it flew by her. "They never know what they want."

"Rohan, talk to me." Angus pleaded, "Normally you’re happy after you dream about her."

"I usually am." Rohan sighed, "But this time was different."

"How was it different?"

"I think she’s spoken for." He moaned. "This time she was with another. They were talking and laughing and she even hugged him." Rohan picked a small object off the floor and threw it across the room. "How could I have let myself believe anything could happen?"

Angus sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. "You’ve got a big heart, Rohan. And you’re almost as handsome as me." He sank into thought again. "Besides, what if that other guy is her brother, or her cousin or a friend?"

"Maybe…" Rohan turned the concept over in his mind. "But—"

"No buts." Angus cut him off. "We’re going to see Cathbad now so you can find out why he wants to see you."

Rohan opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. ‘Maybe Angus is right.’ He thought. ‘What if the other is her brother? I could still have a chance with her.’ Suddenly, Angus shoved Rohan’s sword and shield into his hands, disturbing his thoughts.

"That’s enough sulking for one day." Angus announced, hauling Rohan to his feet and dragging him towards the door.

Angelika and Chad sat across from one another on the comfortable couches. Large snowflakes fell nearly straight down and gathered in large drifts on the ground. She stared blankly out the window, allowing the falling snow to mesmerize her.

She allowed her thoughts to wander back to her dream and Rohan. He was very handsome, and in her dream, he had been extremely soft-spoken and polite. Angelika’s mind wandered to what she would say and do if she were actually face to face with him

"You there, Angie?"

"Huh?" Angelika responded without turning from the window.

"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Chad asked.

"Everything’s fine. And don’t call me sweetie."

"I asked you a question and you ignored me. You’ve never done that before."

Angelika regarded her ex-boyfriend carefully. She still found him attractive, most women did. But now she was smart enough to keep her distance. Chad could be a great friend, sometimes, but he was rarely friendly to women without having an ulterior motive. His biggest problem was that he was good looking, and he let everyone know that he knew it.

"What did you ask?"

"I asked you what events are you in tonight?" Chad asked as they paid for their coffees.

"Just beam and floor exercises." Angelika replied. "I quit the other ones when I came back to school."

The friends wandered to the back of the cafeteria where the staff had set up cushioned couches and chairs with nice tables near the windows. They picked a setting beside a window in the sun. Angelika glanced out one of the large windows and watched large, fluffy snowflakes drift slowly to the ground.

"You seem like you’re a million miles away this afternoon, Ange. What’s up?"

"Nothing really." She replied. "I’ve just been having some strange dreams lately. They’re so real, I’m not sure what to believe and what not to."

"Is that what you were thinking about last night instead of studying?"

Angelika nodded, still staring out the window. The snow was really coming down now. The highways and roads would make driving treacherous in an hour or so.

"What are your dreams about?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" She winked.

"Umm… I think so." He replied.

"Ok, I’ve been dreaming about some guy who tells me his name is Rohan and he says he lives in a kingdom called Kells." She paused to take a deep breath. "It’s so real, I with I could really find him. What do you think?"

"I do believe you’re losing your mind." Chad grinned. "It’s a result of too much stress from a heavy class load and not enough fun."

Angelika grabbed a napkin from the table and threw it at him. "How did I know you’d say something like that? That’s why I didn’t want to say anything."

Chad moved across to the other couch and sat beside her. "I’m sorry." He whispered in her ear as he slid an arm around her shoulders.

Expertly, Angelika ducked from under his arm and glared at him. They were friends now, but several years ago, when she had first moved off the farm, she dated him. Things didn’t work out then, but he often tried to get back together.

She looked out the window again. The wind had picked up considerably. Earlier, the snow had been floating almost straight down; now it was falling at a severe angle. Angelika knew that driving home tonight would be slow. The competition started at six tonight, and glancing at her watch, she noticed that it was two.

"Angelika," Chad glanced out the window as well. "That snow is really coming down. The highway will be almost a complete whiteout."

"I know." She nodded, "I should get going right away."

"Ok," he replied, "I’ll call you around three thirty to make sure you made it home alright."

Angelika stood up and shrugged into her jacket. She hefted a heavy bag of books to her shoulder and turned to face Chad.

"I’ll talk to you later." She smiled as he rose to give her a hug.

"Drive carefully." He called as she grabbed her coffee cup from the table and headed for the door.

"I always do." She called over her shoulder and shoved the heavy door open.

The snow was drifting in places, hiding the ice beneath. Angelika slipped several times, but always managed to regain her footing. She finally mane her way to the car. It was half buried, but she was confident it would start easily.

Angelika got in the car and fumbled around in her pocket for keys. She pumped the gas pedal once before turning the key. The engine turned over and caught right away so Angelika grabbed the snowbrush from the back seat and went to clear her windows.

"Cathbad," Angus announced. "I’ve brought him."

"I see." The old druid replied, turning from his worktable.

Rohan glanced around the room. It was dimly lit and didn’t help his mood much, but he felt comfortable here. He had lived here from when Cathbad had taken him in until a couple of years ago.

This room was home to Cathbad and still felt like home to Rohan as well. A hard cot sat against one wall, near the window that overlooked the throne room. The other walls were covered with shelves containing jars of herbs and magic powders. A table sat in the middle of the room where Cathbad did most of his work.

"What did you call us here, Cathbad?" Angus demanded impatiently.

"I didn’t call both of you here, Angus." Cathbad answered shortly. "But I think you are best suited to join Rohan on his journey."

The two had been best friends for as long as either of them could remember. Their friendship flourished in spite of their differences. Angus had been a petty thief before Rohan had asked him to go to Tir Na Nog. On the other hand, Rohan was the embodiment of honor.

Rohan and Angus had been together when Cathbad had first found them. Rohan was standing in a pen with a sword and shield while Angus charged other children to throw stones at Rohan. Cathbad remembered that day well; Rohan had been about twelve summers old then. When Cathbad saw the mark of the warrior Draganta on the boy’s arm, he asked Rohan about his parents. The druid moved the boy into his chamber in the castle to become an apprentice when it became clear that Rohan had no family.

"What journey?" Rohan wondered aloud. "I told Aideen I’m not going."

"I’ve already spoken to King Conochber and he said he can only spare you two for three days. But you have to go now." Cathbad replied, shoving a scroll into Rohan’s hand.

"How does it work?" Angus asked.

"Reading it will take you to a place close to Angelika. Reading it backwards will bring you home. It can bring up to four people back here."

"I’m going too." Aideen complained.

"No, Aideen." Cathbad replied. "Hers is a time of little magic. It would be too dangerous for you there."

The small fairy sulked quietly in the corner. Rohan’s heart should be hers. She loved him dearly and she would gladly give her life to save his. She should be going with him. Either that or he shouldn’t be going at all.

"What are you waiting for? Read the scroll." Angus urged.

Rohan glanced around uncertainly, then began to read the scroll in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Safe journey." Cathbad though as Rohan and Angus began to fade from view.

From her corner, Aideen began to cry softly. Her handsome one had left her without a second thought to go somewhere far away and potentially dangerous. Somewhere she wouldn’t be around to save him.

Rohan and Angus looked around their new surroundings. A cold wind blew from the north and chilled them to the bone. The landscape was bleak, intensified by the overcast sky. Snow fell steadily all around the young men.

"Where are we?" Angus shivered.

Rohan shrugged his shoulders. Where they were standing, the ground was black with yellow and white lines on it. Trees lined the hollowed out spaces at the side and just beyond that, a metal and wooden fence stood. "It almost looks like a road of some sort." He puzzled, "But it looks like no road I’ve ever seen before."

A pair of bright, white lights came hurtling at them from the distance. A roar like that of a wild beast and a horn accompanied the lights. Rohan and Angus jumped to the side just in time as the large, blue monstrosity charged through the space they had occupied only moments before.

"Are you alright my friend?" Rohan asked shakily.

Angus nodded. They were in deep snow now and they could hear another of these monstrosities bearing down on their general location. Rohan peeked over the edge of the snow bank they were hiding behind and noted that this one sounded much larger than the one that had tried to run over them before. He stood up in the snow and drew his broadsword. Pointing it in front of him, he waited for the thing to come into range.

As the large monstrosity drew closer, Rohan prepared to launch a ball of fire from his sword. Angus watched, almost fearfully, from the sideline. Rohan stepped into the path of the unknown monster. The lights loomed closer and Rohan noticed several more behind it. Again, he jumped to safety in the nick of time and crouched in the snow near Angus.

"By Dagdah!" Angus shouted. "What are they?"

"I’m not sure. But I thought I saw a person inside one." Rohan shrugged.

"Those things eat people?"

"I don’t think so. I think the people tamed them."

"If they can, so can we." Angus grinned. "But where do we go to catch one?"

"Let’s follow them. Maybe we can find a bunch."

Angus nodded and the friends began to follow the tracks. The cold and snow combined with a wind made their going slow and tedious. After only a short distance, both young men were tired and shivering.

"Now what, Rohan?" Angus asked, sitting down in the snow.

Rohan shook his head and joined Angus on the ground. This whole situation was really getting Rohan depressed. He was here to find an unrequited love and they were stuck in a cold, strange place with no idea where to go.

"Angus, here comes another one." Rohan announced, standing up and dragging Angus with him.

Angelika cruised down the highway, glancing at the bleak landscape occasionally. All around her, the snow blew and made the visibility almost nothing. Trees and telephone poles flashed by on one side and white lines disappeared under the car on the other. She could feel the cold wind pushing her car, but it was nice and warm inside.

In the near distance, Angelika thought she could see some brightly colored shapes moving in the ditch. She slowed a little to get a better look. Two young men stood in the deep snow, just beyond the breakdown lane to her right.

‘Hitch hikers.’ She thought to herself.

A strange feeling of d�j� vu washed over as she looked at the face of the taller one. Against her better judgement, Angelika found herself pulling over near them and stepping out of her car.

‘This is crazy!’ her mind shouted. ‘That can’t really be Rohan, you’re dreaming!’

She waved and started walking back towards the young men. They met her only a few feet away from the read end of her car.

"Where are you two headed?" She asked the taller one, she was sure he had to be Rohan.

"We’re heading to Regina." He replied and she almost melted. She remembered the same voice from her dream.

"So am I." She smiled. "Would you like a ride? It’s much faster and warmer than walking."

"By the way," The taller one glanced to his friend, "I’m Rohan, and this is Angus."

Angelika’s heart skipped a beat, she wasn’t dreaming. "My name is Angelika." She smiled, noting the shocked look on Angus’ face. "We should get going, you guys look half frozen."

The young men nodded and Angelika led the way back to her car. Angus seemed a little apprehensive as she opened the rear door and ushered him in. Climbing in the front seat, she leaned over and opened the other front door for Rohan.

Angus jumped when she started the engine and pulled back into traffic. Rohan and Angus were silent, just staring out the windows at their surroundings. Angelika watched Rohan almost as much as she did the road ahead.

Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she caught Rohan gazing at her. Blushing, Angelika flicked her eyes down to the speedometer and back up to the road ahead. She liked the way his gaze made her feel special. The small girl used her rearview mirror to glance in the back seat. Angelika smiled to herself; Angus had dozed off leaning against the window.

"Rohan," Angelika began as a brown sign flashed by on the left. "We’re almost there. I’ll buy you two something to eat in a little while. We just have to stop at my place so I can change and make a quick call, then we’ll go."

Rohan nodded. "Let me cook supper for you." He replied hopefully, the trace of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"That would be nice, hun." She started, "But I can’t eat right before a competition, we’ll be hard pressed for me to get there on time anyway." Angelika finished sadly.

"What competition?"

"I’m a gymnast. The competition is to see who is the best in the province." Rohan could hear the pride in her voice. "I feel lucky to have even made it this far. It’s just tonight too, so we can spend the rest of the weekend together."

Angelika signaled left and moved into the empty lane beside her to turn into the city. She took the corner wide and made an immediate right onto a residential street. Rohan was looking out the windows again, staring in awe at all the large buildings on either side.

Wide eyed, Rohan stared at everything outside the creature. It didn’t seem nearly as threatening now; Angelika looked like she was in complete control. He made a mental note to ask Angelika about all these interesting things.

The buildings caught his attention too. Some were short and reminded him of larger versions of his hut back in Kells while others looked much bigger than any castle he had ever seen.

"Which building is yours?" Rohan asked as Angelika turned another corner.

"This one here." She smiled back, turning another corner and into a large space with several of the things already stopped there.

Angelika pulled into an empty space, pushed a lever and turned the key. The thing stopped moving and fell silent. Rohan watched Angelika pull a silver handle beside her and followed suit. He smiled when Angelika knocked on the rear window, startling Angus into bumping his head.

"G’mornin’ sleepyhead." She called to Angus before opening his door.

Angus climbed out and looked on appreciatively as Angelika leaned in to retrieve her book bag. Rohan wandered over for a better look in time to see her straighten up and shove the door closed with her hip.

"Where are we?" Angus asked, gripping the handle of his mace tighter.

"Right outside my apartment building." Angelika smiled reassuringly.

Rohan watched the smile light up her face. By Dagdah, she was lovely when she smiled, the whole area around her seemed brighter. His arms ached to hold her close. To protect her from anything. To love her. Their eyes met and even Angus could feel the spark between Rohan and Angelika.

"You live in this building?" Angus asked incredulously. "It’s bigger than Kells Castle!"

"The whole building isn’t mine." She smiled, taking each knight by the elbow and leading him across the parking lot, towards the door. "I only live in a small part. The rest belongs to other people."

The trio reached the large double doors quickly. Angelika dropped Angus’ arm to dig her keys from her pocket. She held the solid door open for Angus and when she tried to push Rohan thorough, he caught her waist and pulled her along.

Angelika led the young men across the small lobby and to the elevator. Thankfully, the doors opened almost as soon as she pushed the call button. "I live on the ninth floor, and this is the fastest way up there." She smiled, leading them inside.

The doors slid closed behind them and Angelika pushed the button for her floor. Rohan and Angus jumped and gripped the rails inside the small compartment as it sped upwards.

The elevator slowed and finally stopped. A soft chime announced their arrival and the doors opened again. Angelika stepped out into the hallway and waited for her new friends. Both young men hesitated a few moments, gaping at the new surroundings. Rohan seemed to muster some of his courage first and stepped tentatively towards the door. He took a second step and the door started sliding shut. Without thinking, Angelika turned around and grabbed the door nearest to her. The slight force from her tiny arm caused the safety mechanism to kick in and the door slid open again.

"C’mon you two. We can play in the elevator later." She grinned. "I just have to change and we can go out again."

They meekly stepped out and followed her down the hall to her door. Again, Angelika unlocked the door and opened it for the boys. She could hear voices coming from inside and silently swore that she shut off the television before she went to bed the night before. A sudden, familiar giggle announced Kelli’s presence.

"Hey Kell." She called, following Rohan and Angus inside. "You’re not gonna believe this."

"Cathbad." The red headed girl called into the small, dimly lit room.

"Yes, princess?" Cathbad responded without looking up form his table of powders.

"Have you seen Rohan and Angus? No one has been able to find either one of the all day." The young princess looked very worried. "It’s not like them to disappear like this."

"I saw them this morning, lass."

"Well, where are they?" she implored. ‘I’m worried about Rohan.’ The princess added silently.

Cathbad could see deep concern on her young face, most likely for Rohan. She cared for him as much as he did for her, but they had never voiced their feelings to even themselves. It would not have been proper then, and now it would be too late.

Cathbad took a deep breath. "Rohan was having visions and I send him to investigate."

"And what of Angus then?" She sighed and sat down on the edge of a plain chair.

"Angus insisted on going with him." He shook his head.

"Was that such a good idea?" the princess smiled. "You know how Angus can be at times."

"I’m not sure, princess." Cathbad smiled, "But he insisted."

"Who insisted on what?" a voice asked from the entryway.

"Ivar, Garrett. Come in. you should hear this as well." The old druid motioned to the two young princes.

Ivar, the Moorish prince, entered first. He was dressed all in blue and silver from head to toe. His dark skin made him stand out in Kells. He had come here to retrieve the chalice of his kingdom.

Rohan stumbled on Ivar wandering in the forest while on his way to Tir Na Nog. While in the land of the little people, Ivar was informed that he was destined to be a mystic knight. He agreed to stay in Kells and help the other knights after Rohan saved his life.

Prince Garrett was also from another land. His father had formed an alliance with Deirdre’s father, King Conochber, when Deirdre was born. The entire alliance was based on the marriage of Deirdre to Garrett. At first, Deirdre had been repulsed by the idea of an arranged marriage, but the lanky blonde man was starting to grow on her.

Cathbad sat the princes on his cot and proceeded to explain to the remaining knights where Rohan and Angus went. No one noticed the tiny bogie hunched behind some baskets in the corner. When Cathbad finished talking, the miniscule humanoid melted into a puddle of green slime and disappeared. The four sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, weighing their thoughts on the situation.

"When will they return?" Garrett wondered aloud.

"In three days time."

"Is there a way to summon them back sooner?" Deirdre fretted. "If Queen Maeve should learn of this…" She let her voice trail off.

"If they don’t return by the end of their third day, they will be summoned back." Cathbad comforted. "Queen Maeve will not learn of this, that we will make sure of. Now, go to your patrols."

A small puddle of green slime materialized on the table of Queen Maeve’s throne room. Sparse candles were the only source of light in the windowless chamber. The middle-aged woman dressed in a steel gray gown stopped her pacing and approached the table.

"What news do you bring me?" she demanded of the small creature.

"I-I-I bring good news from Kells, my queen." He stammered.

"Well?" she hissed. "Spit it out!"

"The mystic knights Rohan and Angus have gone away. They will not be back for some time."

"Excellent." She smiled, caressing her ram’s head staff gently. "Torc!" she shouted into the darkness.

Queen Maeve’s general stepped from the shadowy hallway and bowed before the queen of Temra’s back.

She whirled, dark ringlets settling around one shoulder. For a change, the queen was smiling, a rare sight as of late.

"Yes, my queen?" Torc asked respectfully.

"Two mystic brats have gone on a journey and are not expected to return soon." Her mind whirling with the first strains of a plan already.

"Kells’ defenses will be weakened." Torc smiled.

"Gather your chieftains." She ordered. "Tell them we attack the night after next."

"My queen?" he questioned.

"How dare you question my orders!" she screamed.

Her face contorted with fury ready to be unleashed. She held the staff towards Torc and the rune stone nestled between its horns began to glow with a sickly green light. Then, as suddenly as it began, her rage was spent.

"Why wait, my queen?" he asked cautiously. "Should we not attack now, before they fortify their defenses?"

"No." she purred, "They will be expecting an attack this soon. We let them believe in their false security for now. Kells will finally be mine."

"Oh, hey Angie." Kelli replied, not moving from her couch in the living room. "I let myself in ‘cuz I remembered about your competition after you left last night. What’d you wanna show me?"

"I’ve got proof that I’m not crazy."

Angelika heard the television shut off; she had definitely gotten her friend’s attention now. In seconds, she could see Kelli’s shadow moving across the wall towards the doorway. Kelli sauntered down the short hall, eyeing Angus and Rohan as she neared.

"And just who are these two hotties?" Kelli smiled, looking Angus over again.

"This is Rohan." Angelika smiled up at the red-haired young man. "And this is Angus." She motioned to the other man.

"Hi." Kelli smiled at Angus. "I’m Kelli."

"Why don’t you three go in the other room and watch TV while I change?" Angelika led Rohan by the arm to the couch.

With a smile and a wink, she went to change. Her heart was singing; Rohan had smiled at her and held her close. Maybe he would be impressed when he saw her compete later.

Angelika flicked the light on in her room and started to strip down without bothering to close the door. Wearing nothing, she dug in the bottom of her closet in search of her leotard. She found it lying under the dresser inside her closet.

She stepped into the neck and pulled everything up into place. Pulling her wind pants and jacket from the same pile, she slipped them on and started to pull her hair back into a French braid. Her small fingers flew and in almost no time, the braid was finished. She expertly coiled it under with a large barrette.

The phone rang once just as she snapped the clip closed. "Angelika, phone!" she heard Kelli call from the other room.

‘Oops.’ She groaned to herself. ‘I forgot that Chad was going to call, but I didn’t think he’d call this soon.’

She wandered to the living room and picked the receiver off the floor.

"Hello?" Angelika asked into the telephone.

She carried it behind the chair; Rohan and Angus looked at her in confusion. The girl carefully placed one leg on the back of the chair and leaned over, beginning her stretching routine.

‘You made it home okay.’ Chad’s disembodied voice said.

"Yep."

‘Who answered the phone? Why didn’t you?’

"I was changing so Kelli got it for me." She replied, switching legs.

‘Why is she over?’ Chad demanded. ‘You know how I feel about her.’

"I do know, but she’s my best friend and this is my place. Know what that means?"

‘What does it mean?’ he growled, knowing full well what she was getting at.

"It means I can have who I want over when I want them here." She replied, clipping each word off.

‘Do you have a guy over too?’

"What if I do?"

‘I can’t bear the thought of you with another man. You know how jealous I get.’ He tried to soothe.

"Look, Chad. We’re not together anymore. We haven’t been for a while." She announced, finishing this round of stretches. "That means I’m allowed to do what I want and you have no say in anything I do, or when, or with whom. Good bye." She turned and hung the phone up, not caring to hear what he was still spewing at her.

"I’m sorry about that. Chad can be such a jerk sometimes." She sighed.

"I’m not sure what you saw in him anyway." Kelli grinned and stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah, yeah." Angelika rolled her eyes. "We should get going. I told Rohan I’d buy them supper before the competition."

Kelli smiled, tossed Angelika’s keys over and hauled Angus to his feet. Rohan rose easily to take both of Angelika’s hands in one of his large ones. He marveled at the feel of such tiny bones in her hands. She seemed so fragile and vulnerable, yet he had just heard how strong she could be.

She smiled and turned to grab her coat. Angelika led Rohan to the entrance to wait with Angus and Kelli. Turning, she quickly scanned the closet contents. Two heavily quilted, men’s jackets caught her eye. Angelika grabbed them and handed one to each of the young warriors.

"They’re not great, but they’ll keep you a little warmer." She smiled, following them out the door.

"Father," Deirdre wailed at the king of Kells. "How could you let them leave like this?"

"They will return the day after next." He replied calmly. "There is no need to worry."

"But Rohan is Draganta. We need him."

King Conchober sighed heavily. He was used to people, even his own daughter, ranting in his throne room. "Yes, Deirdre. Rohan is Draganta. But he is also a young man."

Deciding she had heard enough, Deirdre turned and stalked out, her long dress and sleeves floating in her wake. The guards posted at the entryway raised their wooden spears silently and allowed her to pass. Gnashing her teeth, the young woman strode down the long stone corridor to her private chamber, mentally cursing Rohan, Angus, her father and his druid.

‘How could they let this happen?’ Princess Deirdre fumed to herself. ‘There are plenty of available girls our age here in Kells, if he should be that desperate.’

She shoved the wooden door to her chamber open and nearly slammed it behind her. The large room was very cozy looking. Colorful tapestries covered the walls while matching padded chairs dotted the bare stone floor. Bright sunlight shone through the open window.

Princess Deirdre crossed to it and leaned heavily on the sill. Almost instinctively, her eyes scanned the part of the kingdom she could see. The forest, Black Water Loch and Rohan’s village. All these things she saw without really looking. She stared blankly out the window, her mind more on Rohan than anything else.

"Princess." Aideen called as she fluttered in Deirdre’s window.

"Not now, Aideen." She glared back.

"But princess." The red clad fairy pleaded. "Is it really true Rohan left to find a girl? Doesn’t he realize there are plenty here who would give anything to be courted by him?"

"Yes, it is true." Deirdre snarled, "I seriously doubt he’s even noticed any of the girls here." She continued, silently adding, ‘Including me.’

"At least he should be back soon." Aideen replied cheerfully.

"But he will be bringing that girl with him." Deirdre grumbled.

The small fairy’s face clouded over. The thought of her Rohan with anyone else wasn’t something she particularly wanted to think about. She used to be jealous of the attention he once lavished on the princess, but since Prince Garrett arrived, her jealousy had all but vanished. At least she knew how to deal with the princess, but this new girl was a different story altogether.

"Maybe," Aideen smiled mischievously, "we should make her so miserable that she will beg to go home."

The princess nodded. "That sounds good," She smirked, "but we can’t let anyone else know. It has to seem like she hates it here and it’s all her idea to leave."

Both of their minds were whirling now. Aideen left in a flurry of tiny wings, leaving the princess to her thoughts. Deirdre paced the length of her sleeping chamber. Her eyes kept drifting towards Rohan’s village, she thought she could see the roof of his simple hut from here.

‘How could he just leave like this?’ she thought moodily. ‘Doesn’t he know how much Kells needs him now?’

Princess Deirdre gazed around her room. The colorful tapestries covering the walls could block the sound of her sobs when she was younger, but she doubted they could now. Besides, she couldn’t let anyone know of her feelings for Rohan, especially not anymore. She was to be married to Prince Garrett when peace came to Kells; it was too late to admit her love for him.

"Princess Deirdre?" Garrett’s voice called from the other side of her closed door. "May I come in?"

The voice of her betrothed startled her out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly while smoothing her dress with her hands. "Come in." she called, working to keep her voice steady.

The door opened quietly and the blonde prince entered. His hair was very long on top and shaved underneath. What long hair he did have was bound back from his face in a warrior’s knot. Garrett’s normally sparkling blue eyes were dull and deep lines of worry crossed his brow.

"My princess," he started slowly. "I know you are out of sorts today, but the other two knights will be back very soon and everything will be back to the way it should be." He tried to smile convincingly, but his dull eyes betrayed him.

"Yes," Deirdre replied. "Everything will be back to the way it should be once they return."

"Welcome to Dairy Queen drive through. Can I take your order please?" the disembodied male voice asked.

Angelika studied the lit menu board for a moment. "I’d like two double cheeseburger combos, a hamburger and two medium root beers please."

"And what kind of drinks would you like with the combos?"

"Root beers please." Angelika answered automatically.

"Where is that voice coming from?" Rohan wondered, looking around nervously.

"Don’t worry." Angelika laid a reassuring hand on his leg. "He’s inside the building."

"Your total comes to fifteen, seventy six. Please drive ahead." The voice instructed.

Angelika took her foot off the brakes and allowed her car to roll forward. She leaned across Rohan’s lap and opened the glove compartment to extract a small, maroon wallet. With Rohan watching curiously, she pulled out some purple bills and closed the compartment.

The boy standing on the other side of the drive through window leaned out to take Angelika’s money. A moment later, he leaned out to hand over her change and drinks. She passed the pressed paper tray to Rohan and turned to grab the bag of food. Angelika started out of the parking lot as she handed the paper bag to Kelli in the back seat.

Kelli passed the food and straws around. Angelika blindly stabbed straws through the lids of two drinks. Rohan took two of them out when she was finished and passed the others back to Kelli and Angus.

"This is really good." Angus mumbled through a mouthful of burger.

"It usually is." Kelli replied. "Here, throw some tunes in." she passed a black cassette to Angelika.

"Good choice." The driver smiled, popping the Moxy Fruvious tape in the player.

Angelika pulled back into traffic and sped off to the competition. While everyone else ate, Angelika sipped thoughtfully on her drink and let the harmonious melodies carry away her tension from talking with Chad.