In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

"As it happens, Mort is in Ironlyn. He accepted my offer to teach school to the children, you see. I'm sure he will be glad to renew your acquaintance. Do you have mounts here?"

Although still suspicious of McTavish's story, the mention of his old friend's name had done much to alleviate his concerns. Lewys decided to allow this family to pass through the gates. Whether he allowed the family to stay or simply escorted them down to the Inn at the harbor would depend on what Mort said when he saw them.

"Do you mean we are welcome to Ironlyn, Dracon Mabinogion?" asked Sophia McTavish.

"That remains to be seen," Lewys said dryly. "Certainly, to reach the harbor at Lands End you must pass through Ironlyn's gates. Owen!" he called sharply.

Owen had been conversing with Jeribella and her brothers. The girl was batting her eyes and blushing prettily at whatever was being said. Flushing slightly under his grandfather's stern eye, he returned to his unicorn.

He and Lewys mounted, waiting for the McTavishes to bring their unicorns around. While they watched, Lewys noticed another discrepancy in their story. Although the unicorns needed a good brushing, these were no run-of-the-mill mounts. They were well-bred and built for running, such as a wealthy family might own.

While Lewys and Owen brought the McTavishes through the tunnel, Selene was in the stable, visiting Sunlight. She brought the filly out and tied her to the rail in front of the stables so she could brush her down. Andre had told her it was important for Sunlight to become accustomed to her touch and voice.

Rebecca had gone to inspect the cottage she had decided to allot the new visitors. She was just emerging from there when Lewys and Owen entered with the new arrivals.

The group had barely cleared the mouth of the tunnel when McTavish struck Lewys and Owen from behind with a powerful spell and they toppled off their unicorns. He took them down first because he expected the strongest Magi opposition would come from Lewys or his grandson.

When they saw Lewys and Owen fall, Rebecca and Selene both screamed, "Andre!" at the top of their voices and ran toward their fallen kinfolk.

As she ran, Rebecca pulled hard on the Wards and threw a big fireball at the McTavishes. It was too unfocused and splattered against Simon McTavish's shield.

"Selene! Get back!" Rebecca cried, seeing her sister also running toward the group. She was too late; Geoffrey McTavish, anxious to prove his worth in a fight to his father and brother, jumped off his pony and seized the girl by the arm. She turned on him like a small fury, kicking and biting.

Andre came racing around the stable in response to Rebecca's cry. Immediately recognizing what had occurred, he reached for his sword, swearing when he remembered it was in the house. Just as he drew back his hand, the Defenders Sword appeared out of thin air. Andre didn't question how it happened; he grabbed it and ran past Rebecca. She was throwing fireballs at the two women, who had dismounted to be in a better position to cast spells.

The noise and confusion had drawn Serle and Mort Corkian out of the schoolroom. "We should help," Mort Corkian said, uneasily.

"Why?" his grandson asked, his voice hard. "She didn't ask for our help. She called that hired dog. Let her learn how useless he is against a Magi."

Mort looked at his grandson, distressed at the boiling anger in Serle's voice. He wrung his hands helplessly, unable to decide what to do. He might have risked Serle's anger by attempting to help his friend anyway had he known how to go about it, but being totally ignorant of Magi fighting talents, he was nearly as lacking in Magi skills as Selene, whose abilities as a Seer weren't designed for fighting.

Selene might have no Magi weapons, but she was far from helpless, as Geoffrey McTavish soon discovered. She bent her head and bit down hard on the skinny arm holding her. Her sharp white teeth drew blood, and the boy yelped, dropping her arm. She turned and kicked him hard between his legs, and when he went down, clutching himself, she followed it up with a hard kick to his head from the reinforced toe of her riding boots. His eyes rolled up in his head and he slumped, unconscious.

The noise had drawn Catrin out of the infirmary. She hesitated before she ducked back inside to fill her pockets with some potions she had developed for defense. Running back outside, she realized the situation had started to deteriorate.

Selene was trying valiantly to drag the limp forms of Owen and Lewys away from the scene of the fighting, but with little success as both men outweighed her. Knowing there was little she could do to aid Andre, Catrin dodged around the sword fight. She dropped a bottle filled with pepper powder into her sling, wound up, and flung it at Sophia McTavish. Catrin was a skilled hunter and had often brought down birds this way. When the bottle broke, a red cloud of fine particles exploded, coating Sophia's face and hands. Coughing, and unable to see because her eyes were blinded by tears, Sophia was forced to waste time in a water spell to cleanse her eyes. Catrin tackled her, calling for Selene to bring her a blanket and a rope to tie the woman's hands.

Selene grabbed a spare lead rope out of the stable, and a dirty saddle blanket off a pile waiting to be washed. Catrin was sitting on the squirming woman's back. She snatched the blanket from her sister and flung it over Sophia McTavish’s head. Catrin and Selene managed to force Sophia's hands behind her back, tying her so she couldn't use them to generate any spells. The dirty saddle blanket prevented her from seeing where to cast.

"Get the stable hands to help