The Map of Arohanui

Arohanui is a beautiful land, surrounded by towering mountains which tumble down to the gently rolling foothills. The woods which cover the mountains are rich with wildlife.
The woods and hills give way to the sweeping grass covered plains which are met by the waters of the lake.
It is in the caverns not far from the lakes edge the hounds of Kuri Te Aroha have made their home. For centuries they have given their protection to Arohanui's gentle creatures.
All who dwell within its mountainous walls flourish in this serene and bountiful land.

Battle For Arohanui - The arrival of Kili and Odessa

Queen Millie and her counsel looked up as Bridie burst into the chambers. She was flushed and seemed agitated and they were surprised to see her accompanied by two very emaciated and filthy hounds.
“Bridie,” Millie started but stopped when she realised just who these poor creatures were. “Kili! Odessa! What has befallen you? How is it you are come to Arohanui in such a state? Bridie you must have food brought for my sisters at once!”
“I have already ordered it mother,” she replied.” Is there anything else I can get you aunts?” she asked, turning to the older ladies.
“No Child! Food will do for now. And later a bed to rest our weary bones,” Kili said tiredly but not unkindly.
“Mother may I stay, please?” Bridie asked of the queen. Millie gave her a considered look and nodded for her to take a seat. Her daughter was becoming a sage counsel and she knew she would be of value here. Kili and Odessa ate ravenously, their hunger so great they did not stand on ceremony or etiquette. Everyone sat in grim silence waiting for them to have their fill.
When at last they were replete Millie asked her sisters if they were now feeling able to giving a report on what had brought them back to Arohanui and the palace in such a state. Odessa was deeply traumatised and in a state of shock, she had not spoken a word since they had arrived, so it was Kili who gave their account.
“Sister! Things are much worse than you could possibly know here in Arohanui. King Bruce has completely lost his mind. He has given his ear to that worm Dread Goat Roberts. Together they concoct the most evil of plans. They have a few knights who follow them either in mistaken loyalty or because their minds have been poisoned. All who do not follow are imprisoned in the dungeons at the Taumaha Castle, along with their families.” Here she sighed.
“This is how Odessa and myself became imprisoned. The king would not risk us showing our loyalty to our kin and imprisoned us very early on. The conditions in the dungeons were not good.”
Here Odessa looked up, her eyes reflecting her tortured memories. She looked as if she were about to say something but then her eyes fell to her paws once more and she was wrapped once again in the silent wretchedness that had shrouded her since their arrival. Kili looked at her sadly and continued.

-Battle For Arohanui-

Sirs Dumfrees, Finn and Aidan.

"What in the name of Koati do you think you are doing," Bridie spat as she leapt to her feet.
"Well seems she is back to normal then! No damage done," Dumfrees said wryly. "My work here is done."
"Will someone tell me what is going on?" Bridie demanded looking around at all the faces surrounding her. "Why are the knights here, and why in the goddess’s name was that rogue putting his scourgeous mouth on mine?"
"Whoa, back up a bit princess! I just saved your pretty little princess life. And the knights here saved all of your bacon. So a little gratitude might be in order."
"Bacon? Who has bacon?" Aidan suddenly piped up. Finn rolled his eyes on a sigh and clipped him around the head.
"Foolish pup!" he said as he stalked off.
"You saved my life? You!"
"Bridie, 'tis true. Though it is about as clichéd as it can get the knights rescued us from certain death and Sir Dumfrees did literally save your life," Liffey said and she relayed the whole of the events to Bridie.
"’Tis true! I, Sir Dumfrees, did rescue the fair maiden!" Dumfrees boasted as he puffed out his chest. Bridie rolled her eyes. She thought to herself she would never live this down but she was gracious enough to thank the knights with special gratitude given to Dumfrees.
- Battle for Arohanui -

Battle for Arohanui - Sir Ocho Heartmagic

Sir Ocho Heartmagic - Prefers the challenges of being a knight to those of playing with potions, but he was born of magical blood.

Ocho closed his eyes and focused his whole being on flying on feeling the wind rushing through his coat. He could feel it now, he could feel himself flying. He opened his eyes to look down on the courtyard and Talisan, only to realise he was standing exactly where he had been when he closed his eyes.
"I give up," he huffed. "I am obviously not a great wizard and really we did not need to try this exercise for that to be blatantly obvious to everyone. Maybe you will have to see what you can do by yourself Talisan."
"Ocho!" Finn’s stern voice chastised. "You do not believe in yourself. You will never achieve greatness if you do not believe in yourself. It is not to others you need to prove yourself. It is to yourself."
"And it is not you Finn who must try to do the impossible," Ocho said looking at Finn sulkily.
"No it is not I. But nor is it impossible as Talisan has proven," Finn countered. "Your battle is with your mind not with me young wizard. Put your efforts there. Remember what it felt like to be flying with Talisan. Through the air above the treetops. Remember also why it is so very important for you to let go of your ego and just be. Many lives depend upon you and you would do well to focus on them and not your own frustration. "
Battle For Ariohanui

There are wolves upon the land.

Bridie looked about to argue her dismissal but Liffey nudged her and intimated with a nod of her head that they should follow the queen’s wishes. As they were about to leave, though, there was a commotion and two ladies entered the chamber almost knocking into Bridie and Liffey in their haste. Lady Florence le Fey and the Duchess Lobelia were quite out of breath as they stood before the queen.

“What brings you to my chambers in such a state of disarray?” Queen Millie demanded.

“Your Majesty, Ma’am we have news from the woodland faeries. It is desperate news of the most terrible kind there is,” Lady Florence said in a rush.

“Stop babbling girl. Tell me your news,” Queen Millie said not unkindly. 

“There are wolves upon the realm,” Duchess Lobelia stated.

“Wolves, there cannot be wolves. We have seen no wolves at the gate,” Bridie interrupted.

“The faeries are adamant there are wolves walking the woods,” Lady Florence said, not giving a thought to whom she addressed. “They saw them attack the goats this evening. Do you question their word?”

“Go Bridie, we will talk in the morning,” Queen Millie said, shaking her head at her when it looked as if she would argue the point. Bridie turned to leave the chamber but as she did a swarm of chattering fantails swooped over her head into the room. They transformed in front of Bridie’s eyes into little woodland faeries. They were agitated and requested immediate counsel with the queen.

 

It took them several hours to arrive at the scene of the most recent attack. It had happened not long after dawn that morning, another silver cloud and rainbow had risen above Arohanui. The attack had happened at a crossing of the river Waiarohanui, which runs in braided ribbons from the mountains to the lake. 

Many small rivers run down from the mountains to join together and become Waiarohanui. It is a mighty and angry river when flooded by the melting snows in spring, but at present it flowed gently over its smooth grey stones. 

The scene before them told a story. It showed the goats had been surprised as they had come to the water’s edge. The panicked footprints told of a scene of terror. Amongst the cloven hoof prints were the spoor of wolves. There were definitely more than one and it seemed they were working as a pack and methodically hunting down their prey. Bridie and her ladies closely inspected the area and then came together to consider what they had found.

“My best guess puts it at a pack no smaller than five wolves with the possibility of it being as large as eight,” Bridie said.

“I agree,” Lobelia nodded. “There are definitely no less than five.”

“One’s missing a toe,” Evie added. “And I believe yet another has a pronounced limp.”

“Yes, but regardless of those factors all are very shrewd and accomplished hunters,” Bridie stated, her voice laden with dread. “For this pack to be able to kill four goats inside a day is unnaturally sinister. There is dark magic behind this.”

The ladies all looked at each other and into the woods around them. They all felt it, it was as if the ghosts of the battle were still surrounding them. The eerie feeling of doom weighed down upon their heads and still the gloom hung over the land, adding to the oppressive air around them. -
- Battle For Arohanui -

Amanda van Vliet - Author: Battle For Arohanui- Introducing Mad Maisey Mayhem.

Amanda van Vliet - Author: Battle For Arohanui- Introducing Mad Maisey Mayhem.

Battle For Arohanui- Introducing Mad Maisey Mayhem.

 Outcast from society Maisey lives on the fringes of Arohanui but she and her unusual friend prove to be pivotal in the battle for Arohanui.

Bridie and her friends were having a heated discussion but before it could descend into a full-blown debate their conversation was interrupted by a scuttling noise in the trees alongside the pathway. With a quick glance at Liffey, Bridie bounded off into the woods, her friends close on her tail. As their eyes adjusted to the shadows they saw a grey figure leaping away in front of them. They picked up their pace and separated to surround the interloper. As they all slid to a halt the intruder lowered her head and looked furtively from side to side at them, muttering under her breath.

“Goat lovers.” She spat. “Protectors of those cloven hoofed devils.”

“It is just Mad Maisey Mayhem,” Sapphire scoffed.

“What are you doing here Maisey?” Liffey asked, poking at her “Are you playing mole for the knights? Well?”

“I am just hunting for food,” Maisey whined as her eye twitched. “You cannot stop me from living here you know. I can live wherever I like. And I like to live far away from those stinking goat friends of yours. Dirty, smelly, nasty creatures.”

Bridie looked sadly upon the poor wretched hound, her kind heart taking pity on Maisey, she called to her friends to come away. 

“Leave her be. She’s quite mad. What trouble can she cause?”

Mad Maisey Mayhem had long lived deep in the woods, as far away from the goats as she could get without leaving the protection of Arohanui. As a youngster her parents had fallen upon hard times and had lived for a while under a bridge. Poor Maisey had been driven eye-twitchingly insane by the constant tapping of goat hooves on the bridge above her, as they frolicked and played. 

As she grew and she bore witness to the charmed life of the goats, she had compared it to her own life of hardship and her bitterness towards the goats had grown, as had her insanity. The ladies stepped aside and Mad Maisey darted away, zigging and zagging deep into the woods at an alarming pace.

“If she is not careful she will run into one of those trees,” observed Verity in her musical voice.

“Might knock some sense into her,” Liffey said matter-of-factly.

“Or it might just get her other eye to twitching,” Sapphire snorted.

Lakequine the faeries of the lake.

Queen Millie rose from her throne and all followed her to the great hall. There the queen informed the faeries of those who had been lost and from what foe they must now guard themselves. She spoke also of her understanding if the faeries now wished to take safe refuge inside the palace walls. She told them there would be no shame in doing so. The faeries to a one, rose up and pledged their allegiance to the queen and swore to fight this evil alongside her troops.

They would not cower and hide when they could wreak their vengeance upon the evil which had stolen their kin. So as the moons began to rise a single faerie flew out across the lake to spy upon the happenings there. It was felt that one faerie alone would be less conspicuous and more likely to succeed in their mission. Within the hour she returned with news that would astound all those who heard it. 

The hole in the ice was being caused by lakequine, the faeries of the lake. These tiny horse-like creatures roam the lake bed grazing on lake grass. Their silken manes and tails float in the water around them and their iridescent scales shine like rainbows upon them. Like seahorses they do not have legs but swim gracefully on the currents below the lakes surface.

As soon as everyone was gathered around the table in the queen’s chambers the faeries placed the large glass jar on the table and Amaranth started to recount their mission to all present. The lakequine had been more ready to talk than anyone had anticipated. As soon as the faeries had arrived and hovered closely over the hole in the ice several lakequine had risen to the surface and greeted them. They were all too well aware of the evil which had befallen the land and knew that the survival of those in the lake depended also on the land dwellers success in this battle.

 Amaranth had explained to them the situation and the lakequine had been excited to think they could so easily help the faeries. They told them they knew just how they could make a powerful spell which would melt the ice blocks encasing the hounds of the patrol. They said it would create a heat so powerful the ice would instantly thaw but it would touch no living creature, so the hounds would not be scorched by it.

They had told the faeries they must wait there at the hole while they went in search of the little creatures they would need to enchant to cast this spell. They had said it could take some time as they were already using all that were in close proximity to warm the lake water to keep the ice at bay. They had not been wrong, it had been a very long time before they returned but when they did they had with them a jar filled with little translucent jelly fish. Their little tentacles emitted sparks and flashes of light as they touched one another.

The lakequine told of their secret spell, which Amaranth said she must keep to herself on pain of death. She would be the one to perform the incantation. Melchoir said Amaranth was probably the only one who could perform it anyway as she was the only one who could speak the language at all. So with evening biting at their heels it was decided the faeries would fly out accompanied by those trusted few who had been involved in the counsel.

The gentle womanatee

Foremost on Bridie’s mind was the protection of the goats but she could not help but wonder about the womanatees who inhabit the deep waters of the lake. They would normally have left the lakes sparkling blue depths long before the first frost was hinted in the air, but this cold had come unseasonably early with summer’s flush still strong upon the land.
The womanatees would still be in their summer home and would not have even begun preparations to leave for the faraway oceans, by route of the river Waihotaitua on the far side of the lake. This cold would be perilous for the gentle golden whale-like creatures, whose skin sparkled like gold leaf in the sunshine. On bright sunny days they would reflect the sun’s rays back into the sky so it looked as though a second sun was shining from beneath the lake’s azure surface. Bridie fervently hoped the womanatees could escape the cold in time.

They were standing discussing whether to push on for the palace or rest here for a few hours, when the night became filled with a haunting song which slowly began to roll across the plains. It was so desperately mournful all who heard it felt utter desolation and became devoid of all hope. 

"Morosium!" Bridie whispered wretchedly. "It is the Morosium. It is spoken of in folklore but I hoped never to hear it in my lifetime." 

"What is the Morosium?" Finn asked. "It is not something I have heard tell of."

Bridie quietly shared the folk tale of the womanatee's which had been passed down through the generations and told to her as a young pup. - Battle For Arohanui -

I Would like to introduce you all to Princess Bridie.

 A princess famous across many lands for her beauty, Bridie is tall and strong, an Irish wolfhound born to the royal house of Kuri te Aroha. Her regal bearing, soft liquid brown eyes and flaxen hair, lit with silver and gold in the sunlight, enchants all who lay eyes upon her. Princess Bridie loves the gentle, enigmatic goats who are rivalled only by mythical unicorns for their beauty, charm and mystery. She knows most of her kind do not revere the goats, that indeed they wish to banish them from these lands.

"Bridie I will leave it to you and Sir Dumfrees to divide up the patrols. We will need around the clock cover and I think no patrol should be required to be out there any more than eight hours. We could possibly make do with seven patrols so we do not spread ourselves too thin," the queen commanded, before adding, "But this is your area of expertise and I will leave it in your capable hands."
Bridie and the others took this as their dismissal and stood to leave. Before they could turn for the door Millie stopped Bridie.
"Child! Be safe. You are my heart and I do not wish to lose you," Millie said, resting her cheek against Bridie’s, tears shining in her eyes.
"I promise Mama. I will take care," Bridie replied earnestly. "But I will also defend this land with everything I have. I shall not give up nor give in. Not before I have taken my last breath."
Millie nodded her head gently, her eyes closed in acceptance. It was this commitment to duty that made her both burst with pride for her beautiful tall, blonde daughter and also shake with fear for her. She knew Bridie would never shy from battle and would put her life on the line for her queen and her country. As queen this is something she needed, nay, demanded, of her subjects. But as Bridie’s mother it filled her with a fear so great it was hard to let her beautiful daughter go. She stepped back and watched Bridie leave with her friends.
 - Battle For Arohanui -

Dragonspawn!

Without discussion the patrol began to scour the undergrowth looking for some explanation of what had taken place here. Finally Lennox called that he had found something. The others quickly joined him, all grimly curious to see what he had discovered. He indicated to the crook of a branch and there sprawled with its eyes closed and its forked tongue hanging from its mouth was a tiny dragon. It was no bigger than the faeries themselves.

"Dragonspawn." Finn grimly said. "There will be many. It is said they fly in great flocks. If there are dragonspawn in the skies the faeries are doomed." His countenance was more morose than it had ever been.

 

Arthur the tugawhump as translated by Mad Maisey Mayhem..."The dragons come in three different 

types. To look at them you would think them different species but they are in fact just at different 

ages and stages of one kind. The dragonspawn we have already encountered are hatchlings, they 

fly in great flocks and sweep and turn in great ribbons in the sky. One moment black the 

next red as they show first their backs and then their underbellies. They are fast and nimble, this 

being how they can so easily out-manoeuvre the faeries, that and their sheer numbers."- Battle For Arohanui -

A meeting with a haggis.

"What was that?" Dumfrees asked, completely gob-smacked at what he had witnessed.
"A haggis sir," Bridie said smiling at his and the knights’ expressions. "They live in the woods around the lakeside. Harmless creatures. They often play with the pups when they are little. They are quite fun really but they all bow down to this ridiculously pompous king. Who really is quite a twit. "
"They literally do bow down to him," Liffey added. "When we were pups and playing with the funny little hairballs you could be in full chase and they would suddenly stop fall to their knees and bow. I can not count how many times I had my legs taken out and tumbled across the ground because of it." Aidan sniggered at the image of Liffey tumbling across the ground. Liffey scowled at him under her eyebrows. - Battle For Arohanui -