to the river. It let them down gently before it turned and strode off, disappearing into the trees in an instant.
She barely had time to get her bearings when she heard a familiar voice.
"It took you two long enough to get here."
She and Sunny turned around, and saw Shadow-stalker sitting on top of their pack, which leaned against a tree. Next to it stood her sword and Sunny's bow. It seemed to her that the cat had a smug look on her face.
"Shadow!" Sunny squealed with delight as she rushed over to her.
Shadow stood and arched her back. "Please don't pick me up!"
Sunny giggled. "Don't be silly! I know you don't like to be cuddled." She squatted down and scratched her behind the ears. Shadow closed her eyes, strained her neck, and purred.
Eile couldn't help smiling. For all her curmudgeonly manner, Shadow really had a soft heart.
"A job well done," rumbled a voice behind her. Eile turned and saw the Horned Lord solidify out of thin air. For the moment he stood only twice her height, but his voice had lost none of its power.
"And Your reward." He held in his hands a large glass jar, stopped with cork and sealed with wax. Inside, a layer of dirt covered the bottom, over which lay a piece of herbal matting. In the center stood the Golden Mushroom.
He presented it to her; she accepted it and walked it over to Sunny. Handing it down to her as Shadow jumped off the pack, Sunny then placed it inside.
"I'll go on ahead and make sure the boat is ready for the river crossing." Shadow dashed off out of the Wood across a field.
"You have earned Our thanks," the Horned Lord continued. "You are Our Friends."
Sunny stood up beside Eile. "Thank you."
"You are welcome. Furthermore, We wish to grant You special Names, by which all Our Friends shall know You. Henceforth, you--" He pointed at Eile. "--shall be known as Little Brown Weasel."
"Umm, okay; thanks." She spoke in a subdued tone; she didn't want to be rude, but the name seemed a little underwhelming.
As if sensing her disappointment, the Horned Lord added, "For in all the World, there is nothing as smart, steadfast, or courageous as the Weasel."
"Hey, yeah!" She brightened; she hadn't thought of it that way.
"And You--" He pointed at Sunny. "--shall be known as Golden Kitten, for in all the World, there is nothing as innocent, inquisitive, or fearless as a Kitten."
She giggled. "Aww, that's sweet!"
The Horned Lord raised his right hand. "And so, fare Thee well, and know that You are welcome in Our Wood whenever You wish to return. Just, be sure to ask permission before doing any more collecting."
"We will," Sunny said as she hefted the pack onto her back. She retrieved her bow as Eile resheathed her sword. "Good-bye, and thank you!"
They turned to go, but Eile stopped when she thought of something. Sunny halted as well, an inquisitive look on her face.
"Wait a second." Suspicious, she turned to face the Horned Lord. "If no one can take anything from your woods without permission, how did Mephitis get a map pinpointing the exact location of every plant?"
The Horned Lord smiled for the first time. It looked oddly gentle and beneficent. "That is simple. She had Our permission to gather whatever She required. And that extends to Her Agents."
"What!?"
"Oh, my word!" Sunny exclaimed.
"You mean, this whole thing was a setup?!"
"Not entirely. Mephitis had no idea what We had planned, but Medb hErenn did."
"So that's why she recommended us to Mephitis!" Sunny said.
"Indeed."
Eile felt rage boil up inside her. "Why that conniving bitch! When we get back to Ulthar, so help me I'm gonna--!"
The Horned Lord bellowing in merry laughter so strong the earth shook interrupted her. He continued to laugh as his form faded away, and then the sound faded as if retreating into the distance. Finally came silence, except for bird song in the trees and cricket chirps in the field.
"Holy Jesus God!" she breathed, in a quiet overawed voice.
"Hey," Sunny said, touching her elbow, "it's getting dark, and I'm hungry and tired. Let's get back to Kirin."
Eile looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, and I could use a bath." Taking her hand, they started towards the river visible in the distance.
"I hope yer not too tired."
Sunny glanced at her. "Why?"
"Because that little show we put on earlier has got me feeling...well, you know."
"Oh, yeah?" Sunny smiled, crinkled her eyes, and giggled. "Me too."
"Then what are we waiting for? Last one to the river is a Zoog!"
She started running, and Sunny raced after her, squealing in delight.
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For more information on Eile and Sunny, Team Girl, see the official site [https://www.teamgirlforever.com/].
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About the Author
Kevin L. O'Brien was born with a pen in his hand.
Well, not quite, but he has been writing for as long as he can remember, at least since First Grade. Writing has always been his first, true love, but it hasn't always been his career. He worked for 15 years as a biomedical researcher, then for 3 years as a web designer. However, after 30 years of trying to be published in print with little success, he has decided to try his hand at self-publishing. Most of his works will be sold as ebooks through various online retailers, but he also plans to make some available for free exclusively on Goodreads.
He writes primarily speculative fiction--fantasy, science fiction, horror, and their sub-genres--but he also likes to try his hand at thrillers, suspense, mystery, and even westerns. However, his stories tend to have a fantasy element, no matter how subtle.
Most of his stories involve the following three main characters:
Medb hErenn [https://www.medbherenn.com/]--One-time queen of Ireland, she is over 3500 years old. A warrior and a sorceress, she cannot be harmed by any weapon made by the hand of man.
Eile and Sunny, Team Girl [https://www.teamgirlforever.com/]--They are two adorable, vivacious, fun-loving young women whose motto is ONWARD TO ADVENTURE!!! Yet trouble follows them like a love-sick puppy wherever they go.
Sir Differel Van Helsing [https://www.sir-differel.com/]--The descendent of Abraham Van Helsing and King Arthur, she heads the Caerleon Order, the premier monster-hunting organization of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She commands Dracula, the most powerful vampire extant, and the greatsword Caliburn, better known as Excalibur.
He also writes a series of sword & sorcery stories set in an alternative universe known as the Lands of the Dreams of Men.
Kevin lives in Denver with his family and 4 cats.
For more information, see his website, Songs of the Seanchai.
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Discover other titles by Kevin L. O'Brien:
A fidus Aranea, Adventurer's Honeymoon, Barbarians R Us, The Beast of Exmoor, The Christmas Vampires, Dark Vengeance, Desperate Acts, Disposable Commodities, Do Unto Others, Far-Sight, Feline Savior, Gourmand Hag, Gratuitous Crossover, Gruff Tolls, Immanuel, In an Octopus's Garden, Inseparable, The Lions of Inganok, Man Friday, Masie's Mind, No Torrent Like Greed, Oak Do Hate, One-Percenter Vendetta, Post-Traumatic Redemption, The Price of Folly, Pride and Fall, Sacrificial Offering, Shenanigans, The Steel Gazelle, The Temple of Ubasti
Enjoy these other titles at fine ebook retailers everywhere.
Available on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/story/list/20075368
A Deliberation of Morality, The Denver Walker, The Differential Damsel, Dribble & Maggot in the Land of Dreams, Felis ex Machina, Fun 'n' Games, Jigsaw Dragon, A Little Hospitality, The Peril Gem, Redshirt, Rhapsody in Orange, A Typical Friday Night, Youthful Indiscretion
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Connect with Kevin L. O'Brien Online:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KLOB_writer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
kevin.l.obrien.1
Website: https://www.seanchaisongs.com/
DeviantArt: https://teamgirl-differel.deviantart.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Kevin_L_OBrien
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Sample Excerpts
From "One-Percenter Vendetta"
She pulled into the tiny village before she even realized it. She paused in the central square and looked around. All the buildings appeared dark and closed up for the night. Some even looked liked they had been abandoned, a few for some time. She started off at a slower speed. She would consider it ironic if the only place she could find shelter for the night was a ghost town.
On the outskirts, however, she found a pub that appeared occupied; at least, she could see light leaking through the closed shutters. The clapboard sign hanging beside the door showed the picture of a woman holding her head under her arm. She paused in the road, debating whether to check it out. It didn't look particularly inviting, but she didn't want to spend another couple of hours looking for another village. Ultimately, she had nowhere else to go, so she decided to take a chance.
She maneuvered her bike to a horse hitching rail, shut it off, and dismounted. She removed her helmet and placed it on the seat, then opened her jacket and pulled a soft leather patrol cap out of a back pocket and slipped it on, first pulling her hair back so it would fall away from her face. The only problem she encountered on the road was that her long, stringy, flat, and lifeless gray hair whipped around in the