Omnixius
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DKP 5-23 Not fit to lead
🕑 Added 2020-07-03 19:18:54 +0000 UTC
Gedris winced as the lash hit her rear, joining the three previous lines. Ayawa corrected her position again and stood back to shake her head. “Your feet are too wide. You are vulnerable in such a stance.”
“How am I vulnerable?” Gedris asked as she raised her weapons against Tavis
Ayawa nodded to Tavis, and he came in, leading with his blades. Gedris took a wide stance, and he moved quickly, sweeping her off her legs to fall in the dirt.
“That’s how,” Ayawa said as she leaned over her. “I showed you a leg sweep just the other day, and when did I say to use it?”
“When the attack is high, or the enemy's legs are spread too wide,” Gedris replied from where she lay.
“At least you remember what I say, now get up,” Ayawa commanded and made her start over. The practice went on for another twenty minutes as the camps made ready to march north. Yarvine made no appearance, but Ayawa saw one of her guards watching from the wagons. It was odd that Yarvine's guards wore full-face helms when the rest of the women wore simple rounded helms with no face. They also wore a dark band on their left shoulder that even Gedris didn't know the meaning of.
Ayawa didn't like being watched and asked Two Crows to have them watched in return. He promised to alert her if his people noticed anything strange about Yarvine or her guards. Tavis assumed they were personal bodyguards and Gedris agreed that a prime sometimes had guards, and could decorate them how they saw fit. Given the circumstances, she might have taken a few to help ensure her safety. That made the most sense, but something about these two made Ayawa nervous.
“Good,” Tavis said when Gedris parried an attack and stepped in to follow it with a counter thrust. He promptly grabbed her wrist and turned it out, causing her to drop the knife. “That was good,” he said. “You forced me to defend myself.” Gedris waited for the branch's sting, but when it didn't come, she looked to Ayawa.
“What?” Ayawa asked. “You did well. I haven't taught you what to do after you exploit the parry, so I won't punish you for it. I can be fair when I want to be.”
Gedris smiled while picking up the knife and resumed her stance. Tavis had her make the same attack and showed her how to press it without being grabbed, and what to do when she was. He took her through the move several times to practice as she applied her self with all her heart.
When it was time to move, Ayawa sent scouts ahead to find the old road in the hills. The land would soon become steep and rutted, unsuited to wagons and soft feet. Without a road, they would have to part ways with the first company and let them drive on to annihilation. It took nearly two hours to negotiate the rough ground before the scouts finally reported the road was ahead. There was even an eroded area that formed a ramp the carts could use. It took muscle and effort to hall all the wagons up the ramp, but in another two hours, they were marching away.
Ayawa pulled Gedris's hands tight around her waist. She was vigilant of the girl being out of her sight now that Yarvine was lurking about. She wasn't even aware Gedris was a priestess of Ulustrah and still tried to claim her. She looked over her shoulder at Two crows who used a hand signal to turn her gaze to the left. One of Yarvine's guards was riding by herself at the side of the column, watching like a hawk. Again Ayawa felt the sense of unease and whispered to Tavis to alert him they were under careful observation.
She took the time to speak to Jessivel, who was not at all happy about the situation. His men were once again walking while women rode two on each horse. He also expressed a distaste for Yarvine and gave Ayawa a chance to ask him about her.
“You spent a lot of time in Calathen, what do you know about her?” Ayawa asked.
Jessivel looked over his shoulder to see who was near enough to hear before leaning over his horse to reply.
“She is the prime of the grand temple of Ulustrah in the city. She met with the other heads of the various orders from time to time to settle disputes or arrange a festival. She nor anyone under her command was ever under investigation by the seekers, so I have little about her day to day affairs.”
“Surely, you must know more, rumors, things said in dark corners?” Ayawa pressed.
“For somebody who likes to keep secrets, you don’t like to be the one in the dark,” Jessivel replied.
“I am not keeping secrets from you. I made a promise to keep Gersius’s location safe. Would you tell a potential enemy where your best friend was hiding?”
Jessivel groaned and continued. “I have never met her before yesterday. I know she meets with the Father Abbot or used to. When the war with the Doan started, she and some of the other leaders were frequent guests of the high temple. They arranged for various priests of their order to be sent to the battle lines in support of our efforts. The rumor was she is favored by the Father Abbot.”
“And yet he turned on her?” Ayawa asked.
“I have no proof what his opinion of her now is,” Jessivel replied. “I have been out of the city since Gersius left to find his dragon.”
Ayawa nodded. “I don’t trust her. She spoke to us and intimated she didn’t know Gersius, but Gedris said she lied.”
“Why would she lie about that?” he asked, moving his horse closer.
“I don’t know, but she has one of her guards set to watching us. She has an agenda all her own, and I’m not certain it aligns with ours.”
“You can’t make an assumption like that on so little information,” Jessivel countered. “You need something more, and even if you had more, she isn’t somebody who can be challenged.”
“If she keeps that attitude, she is going to run headfirst into a challenge. Gersius will be polite with her at first, but he will not let her trample him.”
“Why do you think Gersius would find conflict with her?” Jessivel asked as he studied Ayawa’s face.
Ayawa looked again to make sure they were safe to keep talking and replied. “Chiune said Thayle was now Governess Commander of Ulustrah's army. You saw how she responded when I asked why she wasn't in command, and you heard Yarvine. She will decide if Thayle gets to keep her command when she meets her. Gersius considers Thayle a dear friend, and his dragon even more so. If Yarvine oversteps with him, he will put her back where she belongs.”
“She will be lucky if Lilly doesn’t eat her,” Tavis added with a smile.
“Surely, Gersius wouldn't challenge the head of an order?” Jessivel asked.
“Gersius is marching to war against one as we speak, and to crown himself emperor,” Ayawa pointed out.
“Point taken,” Jessivel agreed. “Let us hope they can meet on more civil terms then.”
“Let’s hope, for her sake,” Ayawa added.
“Hmm,” Jessivel replied. “I will see if I can’t argue with her some more. I might be able to trip her on a question or two, and learn something.”
“Be careful with her. She was willing to abandon her own women, and she came to me to demand I tell her where we are going so she could report it.”
“With a scryer no doubt,” Jessivel said with a glance over his shoulder. “I have used their temples to send and get information in the past. Maybe it would be better to talk to this scryer instead. Surely he will know what she is up to.”
Ayawa was rather impressed with that idea and encouraged him to try. She went back to focusing on the road ahead, eager to gain as much ground as possible. Twice they had to stop and clear a rockfall, and once to fill in a section of road that was eroded into a wide ditch. It added hours to the trip, but most of the walking women were grateful for the pauses.
During one of the pauses, Ayawa caught sight of Yarvine, scolding a woman for some offense. She looked Ayawa's way with a frown and walked back to the wagons with one of her guards. Chiune also seemed to be avoiding them despite Aayawa's efforts to talk to her. One the one occasion they met Chiune was short and disagreeable. They argued over the pace and how the men should be put to fixing the road, as that is what they were good for. Tavis let out a low whistle to hear the anger in the woman's voice. She shot him a look of death and turned about, refusing to allow any of the women to help. Thus they made less than half the progress sAyawa hoped. They ended up camping along a ledge beside the road, Stretched along its length as far back as the eye could see.
She sparred with Gedris a little, showing her how to cut on a backswing. She then turned her over to Tavis, who showed her the small flat knives he used for throwing. He took a few practice throws to impress on her how deadly they could be. The goal was to not be caught unaware when an enemy threw his weapon and encourage her to move. As they worked together, Two Crows approached and took his familiar stance with arms folded over his chest.
“She has sent a message,” he said without looking at Ayawa.
“How do you know that?” Ayawa asked with a glance at him.
“She released birds as we traveled. She has several in a wagon near the back. She also has two more of those guards at the wagon.”
“She has four of them?” she asked, and he nodded in reply. “Why would they be guarding a wagon?”
“I do not know, but I invented a reason for my scouts to watch behind for ambushes. This Yarvine learned of it and approached me to tell me there would be no ambushes, and my scouts were not welcome.”
“We're being followed by assassins,” Ayawa said. “At the rate we're moving, I'm surprised they haven't caught us already.”
“It would seem she does not fear what is behind her, only what is ahead.”
“What is that woman planning?” Ayawa asked as she thought to herself.
“Whatever her plan, it does not involve the men of Astikar.”
Ayawa looked at him with a curious expression. “Why do you say that?”
“The armor and weapons you salvaged from the battle on the road. She has been discarding it as we march, having women throw it into ditches near the end of the column.”
Ayawa'e eyes went wide in shock to hear the woman was throwing out valuable equipment. “I want to strangle that woman,” she said, trying hard not to show alarm for fear of who might be watching.
“Your suspicions are well placed,” he continued. “Something about her is inqula.”
Ayawa nodded at his use of the old word for false. Yarvine was playing her own game and undermining their efforts. She was also sending messages in secret and hiding something in the rear of the camp. Still, Jessivel was right, she didn’t have enough information to challenge the woman, and they were so close to their goal that challenging her almost felt pointless now. All a confrontation would do was divide the camps and potentially lead to fighting. She was determined to get to the fort and deliver the forces she had to Gams. He could keep them in line until Gersius arrived, and then Gersius would set all this straight.
“Which way did the birds fly?”
“South,” Two Crows replied. “Back the way we came.”
“Keep her under watch if you can, but don’t take any risks.”
He nodded and looked back to the fight as Gedris swept Tavis’s sword wide and tried to cut to the center. “She really is improving.”
“She was born to be strong, but like too many, chose an easier road,” Ayawa replied.
“Hmm,” he laughed. “Most choose the easier path until it comes to an end. Then they face the wilderness, and we see who is lamb, and who is a wolf.”
“She will make it,” Ayawa said.
“Of course, she has the strongest wolf of them all for a teacher.”
Ayawa smiled as he turned about and headed away. She was left with the disturbing question of what was in those messages, and more importantly, to who? When the night was late, she settled into bed, whispering all she learned Tavis. He was just as concerned and decided to sit in meditation to project his sight. He sent it over the camp heading to the rear wagon.
“I see the guards outside the wagon,” he said when he was close. “It's a house cart with windows,” he added as he got closer. He pressed on, sending his sight to the window to look inside when suddenly he jumped.
“What?” Ayawa said.
“My weave broke,” he replied. “I saw a flash of light, and the weave was undone.”
“A ward on the wagon?” Ayawa asked.
“It must be, but why would it be protected?”
Ayawa added that to the list of reasons not to trust the woman and quickly searched the landscape until she spotted a single guard hidden in the tent’s watching them.
“We should tell Jessivel she is discarding the equipment,” Tavis suggested.
“No, we're a day's journey from the fort. Provided the road isn't washed away up ahead, we will be there by nightfall. I want to get to Gams and give him this problem. We can tell Jessivel after we arrive, and our jobs are done.”
“You’re keeping too much from him,” Tavis suggested. “Gedris said he is being honest about wanting to help Gersius.”
“What good will starting a conflict between him and the army of Ulustrah do?” Ayawa said. “Let them argue when the numbers are move even in the keep. So long as Yarvine has superiority of numbers, she is free to be disagreeable.” Tavis sighed, and she knew he was hoping it wasn't going to come to that.
That night he kept watch, sitting in a near trance and scouring the area around them with his sight. He spotted nothing out of the ordinary until nearly a quarter past midnight. It was out on the distant horizon, a dark shape dropping from the sky with a cage beneath its feet. It was lost in the hills beyond the range of his sight, but he didn't need to see anymore.
“Get up!” he shouted as he came out of his trance.
Ayawa bolted upright, disturbing Gedris, who slept at her side. “What did you see?” The look in his eyes made her blood chill and froze when he told her what he saw. “How far away was it?”
“Three hours at best,” he said as he started to grab his equipment.
Ayawa was on her feet and ran down the road shouting to get everybody up. She gathered Two Crows and Jessivel before rushing to the women's camp. Chiune was roused and brought out, so Ayawa could explain what was happening.
“We are about to be attacked,” she said. “Tavis spotted a dragon south of us, delivering soldiers.”
“What nonsense do you speak?” Chiune growled. “How does a dragon deliver soldiers.”
Ayawa explained what they saw outside the city of Mordholm. She explained the bandersook attack that followed and how the assassins were helping them.
“We passed through that city in the aftermath,” Jessivel added, validating their story. “I met your priestess Alayse while I was there. I have to say you two have a lot in common.”
Chiune glared at him and went to say something when Yarvine’s voice called out.
“What is the meaning of this disturbance?” Yarvine demanded as she approached in fine green robes flanked by two masked guards.
“We are a likely going to be attacked just before dawn by bandersooks,” Ayawa said.
“Nonsense,” Yarvine protested. “You don’t find bandersooks east of the steppes.”
“I know they are coming because we saw them being delivered,” Ayawa snapped. “Tavis was using a weave of sight to scout to the south and saw a dragon.”
Yarvine smirked. “And what did this dragon look like?”
“He couldn’t tell, it was beyond the range of his sight. He only saw it against a dark horizon,” Ayawa replied.
Yarvine shook her head with a sigh. “You woke up an entire camp that sorely needs the rest because you think he saw a dragon?”
“I know he saw a dragon,” Ayawa protested.
“Probably fell asleep and dreamed it,” Yarvine argued.
“Ayawa is a fine scout and has a good sense for danger. If she says there is a dragon, I believe her,” Two Crows insisted. “And my people have experience trying to sneak up on Tavis; he does not fall asleep so easily.”
“Probably a distant cloud then, or tree on a hill blowing in the wind,” Yarvine argued and turned to Chiune. “Send the women back to sleep. We have a hard march in the morning.”
“Are you mad?” Ayawa barked. “We saw this exact thing happen at Mordholm. Are you going to tell me you would take the risk with your army?” There was a strange twitch of Yarvine's face, and a frown pulled at her lips for just a moment. It was gone in a flash, but Ayawa noted it for later.
“An army with no sleep isn’t fit for battle,” Yarvine replied with a stern gaze. “And what my women do is none of your business.”
“Perhaps we should double the guard, and order a few hundred to sleep in arms,” Chiune suggested.
Yarvine turned to her with a gentle smile and shook her head. “I am not concerned. If a dragon were out there, we would have heard it by now.”
“Not if it’s five miles away!” Ayawa shouted.
“I have had enough of your shouting at me,” Yarvine said in a firm voice. “Our army stays put and rests for the morning.”
Ayawa nodded and pointed down the road. “Then you can follow the road and catch up to us. We are marching in half an hour.”
“What?” Jessivel protested. “We can’t leave them behind.”
“She refuses to heed the warning,” Ayawa protested. “Alayse, at least had the wisdom to raise the alarm.”
“My Prime,” Chiune begged. “Her light says she is telling the truth. She truly does believe we are in danger. Perhaps we should strengthen our guard.”
“Chiune, I am in charge here, and I say her warnings are baseless. Are we really to believe a dragon is delivering bandersooks to the countryside in preparation for an attack?” Chiune couldn't answer the question, and Yarvine pressed it further. “Why would a dragon appear now, and why would it be working with bandersooks no less? The whole idea is absurd.”
“Believe what you want,” Ayawa scolded. “Follow the road; it will take you to our destination. We will be waiting to see if any of you make it.” Yarvine went to protest, but Ayawa waved her off and stormed away. She headed to the front of the line to gather the tribespeople and the militia to march away before the slaughter began.
“Ayawa, you can’t abandon these women,” Jessivel argued as he ran after her.
“I am not abandoning them. I warned them and said we were marching. If they choose to stay behind, that's their decision.”
“And what about the women from the camps?”
“What about them?” Ayawa asked as she turned about.
Jessivel stopped to look her in the eyes. “The men you plan to march away are married to the women you will leave behind. Do you really think they are going to abandon their wives to bandersooks?”
She set her jaw in anger and glared at him as the truth set in. None of them would go knowing the women would be defenseless. She was certain Sallins would stay as well, and most likely, Jessivel and his men. She would only have the tribespeople with her, and even they might complain about abandoning the others.
“This is a huge mistake,” Ayawa said. “If we run now and push hard, we can reach safety.”
“Yarvine is a temple priestess, not a warrior, you know she isn't going to run,” Jessivel said. “And neither will most of the men.”
“He is right. This Yarvine is not fit to lead in a time of war. She is not taking the threat seriously,” Two Crows added.
Ayawa ground her teeth in frustration and turned about. “Then get everybody who will fight up and ready. We will die so that fool can get her beauty sleep.”
“Oh, nobody is going back to sleep,” Jessivel said with a smile and then began shouting orders at the top of his voice.
Ayawa stormed back to Tavis and Gedris as men raced about the tents donning armor and taking up arms.
“What is going on? Why aren’t they breaking camp?” Tavis asked.
“Because that fool Yarvine refuses to believe me. She ordered her army back to bed. She won't even allow Chiune to double the guard.”
“What? Did you tell her we have seen this before?”
Ayawa nodded and took up her bow. She tested the string and let out a deep sigh. “I told them everything, and Chiune even pointed out that my light said I was truthful. Yarvine refused to accept it and is going back to bed as we speak.”
“So what are we going to do?” he asked.
She looked at him with a deep scowl. “We're going to wake all the men and protect the women long enough for them to see the danger.”
“We’re going to fight?”
“We have no choice!” she snapped. “Jessivel won’t leave them, and the militia is only here because their wives are in the camp of Ulustrah. None of them are going to follow an order to march away and leave them defenseless.”
“Maybe we can change their minds,” Tavis said as he looked down the camp.
Ayawa laughed and shook her head. “Yarvine doesn't have a sense at all about military matters.”
“Ignore her, let's take Chiune into the countryside and find where they are massing. Show her the threat and see if Yarvine can still ignore it,” he suggested.
Ayawa looked confused and then shook her head. “We have no idea how far away they are or what size their army is.”
“That’s why you send scouts,” Tavis said. “We can lead her close enough to see for herself and run back to raise the alarm.”
“We would be taking a massive risk,” Ayawa hissed.
“One we have taken many times before,” Tavis said. “Half of Gersius’s victories against the Doan were because we scouted them out.”
Ayawa didn't like the idea of leading a soldier on a scouting mission, but if they left now and convinced Chiune, then maybe they could still get an hour and a half's lead on them.
“Let's go; the sooner she sees the danger, the better,” Ayawa said.
“What do you want me to do?” Gedris asked, causing Ayawa to freeze. She didn't want to take the girl with, but she also didn't relish the idea of leaving her behind. Yarvine was always watching and had a rather odd desire to see Gedris separated from them.
“You will follow me and do exactly as I say. If you get more than three paces from me, I will tie you to a tree and switch you until you cry!” Gedris's face paled, and Ayawa hoped the threat was dire enough to keep her in line. “Get your leathers on and arm yourself,” she said reluctantly and headed off to find Chiune.
As she passed Two Crows, she paused for just a moment to tell him what they planned to do and urged him to break camp and be ready to move. She also asked him to relay the plan to Jessivel and moved on to the camp of Ulustrah. They found Chiune pacing like a caged animal besides a cart; her face pressed in a firm scowl.
“We need to talk to you,” Ayawa said.
“I have my orders,” Chiune said. “I will not wake the women up.”
“Fine, let them sleep, but we need you to come with us,” Ayawa said. Chiune looked confused until Ayawa explained the plan, and the woman's face somehow managed to sink even more. She needed no coaxing however and agreed to join them with clenched teeth. Together they set off into the hills heading south into the darkness.
Tavis made them all lighter so they could traverse hills with great speed and make less noise in their passing. Time was the most critical factor if they sprinted for a few miles; they could shave an hour from their travels. Ayawa led the way for two miles then paused to let Tavis fall into his weaves. He scouted the hills ahead and told them there was nothing to see. Again Ayawa took the lead, walking on toes as she skipped through the shadows until another mile passed. Once again, Tavis went into his weave and scouted ahead.
Chiune looked like a thunder cloud about to break into a raging storm as she stood with folded arms tapping a foot.
“Will you stop that,” Ayawa whispered. “A trained hunter will hear that at a hundred yards.”
“You are sure you saw this dragon out here?” Chiune asked.
“Tavis doesn't make mistakes like that,” Ayawa replied. “You saw my light, you know, I believe him.”
“Then where is this army?”
“Half a mile southeast,” Tavis replied. “And by the gods, it's big!”
Ayawa looked up at the uncharacteristic fear in Tavis’s voice. “Is it on the move yet?”
“No, but it can’t be long,” he replied as he stood up.
Ayawa nodded and turned to Chiune and put a finger over her lips. From here out, they would be silent as they moved closer. For twenty minutes, Tavis pointed the direction, and Ayawa carefully crept forward until she arrived at a wall of trees bordering a clearing. Fires burned in the field beyond illuminating a scene that made her feel the same fear Tavis had. She turned about and made a hand Gesture to Tavis, and he nodded silently. He put a hand to Chiune's shoulder and carefully led the woman to the trees' edge.
None of them needed to say a word as Chiunes jaw dropped as she instinctively went for her sword. Tavis had to put a hand over hers and shake his head, reminding her to keep silent. They slipped away, vanishing into the darkness until Ayawa signaled they could speak.
“We have to run for the camp,” Chiune insisted. “There are a thousand of them out there.”
“Nearly two thousand,” Ayawa corrected as she picked up her pace. “They must have been assembling all night.”
“How did they know where we were?” Tavis asked.
“One of that fool woman’s messenger birds must have been intercepted,” Ayawa surmised.
“Do not speak ill of, Prime Yarvine,” Chiune interjected.
Ayawa shook her head as they dashed through the trees. “She should have listened to me or at least differed to you in military matters. She doesn't know the first thing about war.”
“She is still a prime and has to be respected,” Chiune argued.
“She needs to respect her responsibility to you and the women under your command. She should defer to you and advise, not command.”
Chiune growled in anger but offered no retort as they closed on the last mile to the road. They darted around a tree and heard a whistling noise, followed by a strange croak as Chiune clutched at her neck.
“Arrow!” Tavis shouted and dived over Gedris driving her down as another arrow raced in. Ayawa ducked behind a tree and looked back to see Chiune fall to her knees, trying to pull the arrow from her throat. A dark form leaped from the branches of a nearby tree, but Ayawa leveled her bow and fired, shooting the shadow from the sky to land beside Tavis.
Tavis looked at the body as it came to rest beside him and spoke. “Assassins!”
Shadows moved all around them, and Ayawa was on her feet, falling back to Tavis and Gedris.
“Get me to Chiune!” Gedris cried. “She can’t sing to heal with an arrow in her throat!”
Ayawa cried in frustration as a man in black cloth raced out of the shadows with a hooked blade. Her knives were out in a heartbeat, and she put herself between the man and the others. Tavis met two coming from the other way with his short swords as he put his back to Gedris. More men appeared in the distance running to join the fight as Gedris fell on Chinue and yanked the arrow free. A song filled the air as Gedris pressed fingers to the wound, and golden light began to spread.
Tavis and Ayawa worked frantically to keep the attackers at bay until finally, Chinue stood up with a sword in hand. The three of them formed a triangle around Gedris as assassins in black circled them.
“This was an ambush,” Ayawa hissed. “They were waiting for us.” She blocked a slashing blade with one knife as she lashed out with the other. A man gurgled and fell away, but was replaced by another. Chiune fought with anger and kept two at bay while Tavis worked on two more.
“There are too many!” Tavis shouted. “We can’t hold them off forever.”
“Let me help,” Gedris begged.
“No!” Ayawa shouted and ducked under a swing. “You won't last a minute.”
“We are close to the road,” Chiune panted. “If we could signal the others.”
“I could fire a bolt into the air, but I would need time to weave,” Tavis replied as he parried one attack into the blade of the other man. He used the opening to stab one of them, but another took his place.
“Gedris, you need to run,” Ayawa cried while slicing at a foe. “Go straight for the road, and don't look back.”
“She won't make it,” Chiune said as she danced with her blade driving a man back. “There are dozens more in the trees.”
“Better she tries than die here,” Ayawa replied.
“I could start a fire,” Tavis suggested. “They would see the light easily from the road.”
“No!” Ayawa shouted. “You know the risk!”
“We're going to die anyway, and if we do, so does everybody in that camp!”
Gedris looked into the darkness to see the silhouette of the distant hills. The road was up there, hidden in darkness on the high slopes. Surely somebody standing watch would see as she raised a hand high and made a soft tender note. A ball of water formed in the air floating above her hand and then blazed forth with a brilliant white light, bathing the area in its glow.
“What is that?” Jessivel said from where he stood on the road. “Some kind of light.”
Two Crows stepped up and looked to the distant hills before whistling to his warriors and pointed with two fingers. Men and women nodded and ran down the hillside vanishing into the darkness as Jessivel watched in alarm.
“Get your men ready,” Two Crows said as he ran after them.
“Where are you going?” Jessivel asked as the plainsman joined his men in the darkness.
“Ayawa needs our help,” he heard Two Crows cry from somewhere below.
Jessivel growled in frustration and shouted for Herris loud enough to wake the whole camp.
“Keep that light up!” Chiune yelled as men poured out of shadows.
“It’s making her a target!” Tavis cried as he desperately tried to hold a three on one battle. He took a small cut to a leg but made the man pay for it with a cut in return. He tried to turn about but was too slow as a man lunged at him with a long knife. He crashed into a green shield as Gedris let the light fade to help him.
“No, keep it up!” Chiune shouted.
“I can't help if I have to keep a single blessing going!” Gedris shouted back. She saw an opening and fell into another blessing causing green chains to race from her hands and wrap around the chest of a man pressing Ayawa. He died a moment later as Ayawa took full advantage of his vulnerability.
“Why didn't you tell us you were a priestess of Ulustrah?” Chiune grunted as her armor absorbed a sword blow; the impact strong enough to hurt.
“Because you will take her from me!” Ayawa shouted.
“She belongs with her sisters!” Chiune argued as a man near her was wrapped in more green chains.
“She belongs with me,” Ayawa scolded and kicked a man’s feet out from under him.
“You have no right to force a sister into slavery,” Chiune replied.
“She didn’t force me,” Gedris argued back. “I begged her to take me.”
“What? Why?”
“Is this really the time for this conversation?” Tavis asked as Gedris tried to get a hand on him to heal his leg.
“I don’t understand why a woman would want to be a slave?” Chiune replied as a crossbow bolt sank into her shoulder. She grunted and ignored it, fighting on despite the injury.
“I begged her because she was strong and capable, and I knew she could teach me to be like her. She is training me to fight and do the things she does,” Gedris replied.
Chiune made a quick slash that tipped a weapon high before lunging in and cutting a face open. The woman on the other side clutched at her face falling away but was once again replaced by another.
“So you can fight?” Chiune asked.
“No,” Ayawa interjected. “She is just beginning her training.”
“If she can fight, she needs to join us,” Chiune argued as a sword narrowly missed her side.
Ayawa groaned as a crossbow bolt, found her thigh, but kept on fighting with dazzling speed. Gedris reached out and snatched it from her leg then struggling to heal the injury as Ayawa darted from side to side.
Gedris spotted the shooter in the darkness and sang a song causing the twisting vines to rise and tangle his body. He cursed and drew a blade to cut himself free as the battle waged on around them. She dared to raise her hand again, allowing her light to shine forward once more, and a smiling face greeted them from the darkness.
“Hold,” the woman said as she stepped out of the shadows. A dozen men around them jumped back as the four panted for breath. “Well, well, you have given me a good chase,” she said and stepped into the light. She was shapely with bronze skin and long dark hair. She had red pained lips that smiled ever so slightly as she dared to step closer.
“Who are you?” Ayawa asked as she raised a knife at the woman.
“I am the woman who is going to give you one chance to tell me where Gersius is,” she said. “If you do, I will lead you away before your pathetic little army is slaughtered.”
Ayawa shook her head and kept her knife high. “I would rather die here.”
“I knew you would say that, but you're surrounded and outnumbered. Surely your tongue will come loose after a few dozen of my men have ravaged your little pet.”
Ayawa narrowed her eyes at the woman who smiled back in return. “You won't lay a hand on her!” The dark woman laughed as she stepped back her skin, turning the color of ink as she blended into the darkness.
“A shadow dancer,” Tavis cried in alarm. “That has to be the leader of an assassin house.”
“Keep that light up!” Ayawa ordered. “She can move through shadows, but she can’t come into the light.”
“I don’t need the shadows,” the woman’s voice called from the darkness. “Kill the man and the woman of Ulustrah. Bring me Ayawa and the pet alive.” The shadows moved as men stepped into the ring of light with lust in their eyes.
“Tavis, if this goes badly, don't let them have her,” Ayawa said with venom in her voice.
Tavis nodded his head as the ring of men drew closer. Just as weapons were about to meet, there were shouts of alarm in the darkness, followed by the war cries of southern warriors.
“Two Crows!” Ayawa shouted as the ring of men lunged, and they were once again in battle. It was difficult to see beyond the wall of men, but Ayawa caught a glimpse of fighting behind them. A moment later, arrows started to fly from the darkness, and assassins fell away, thinning the number enough to see southern warriors tearing into the enemies.
“We just need to hold on a minute longer,” Ayawa urged as men in the ring had to turn to face the new assailants. In seconds there were southern warriors among them, adding to the wall, and giving them much needed breathing room.
Ayawa wanted to cry tears of joy when Two Crows himself finally appeared wielding two swords that made short work of a fool in his path. The remaining assassins broke and began to run with the warriors chasing them into the trees.
“Thank you,” Ayawa panted and nodded to him. She turned to smile at Gedris. “You did well.”
Gedris nodded and put her hand down the light fading away.
“Something to remember me by sweetie,” a woman’s voice rang out as a cloud of shadow formed right behind Gedris.
“No!” Ayawa screamed as a metal spike was driven into Gedris’s back. The face of the woman appeared in the cloud with a wicked smile and then vanished into the darkness as Gedris crumpled to the ground.
“Gedris!” Ayawa screamed as she turned the woman over to yank the spike away. Gedris screamed as the spike came out, tearing flesh with it to reveal barbs.
“Ulustrah, have mercy!” Chiune said and quickly came to Gedris with her hands.
“Hurry!” Ayawa urged as Gedris’s eyes glazed over.
Chiune fell into a song, and golden light began to spread. She paused in her song a moment and quickly changed her tune.
“What are you doing?” Ayawa demanded.
“The wound is poisoned,” Chiune replied and fell into a low droning tune waving her hand as if beckoning to the wound. A yellowish fluid began to collect on Gedris's skin then glowed briefly with a green light before fading away. The song went back to one of healing, and the golden light began to knit the horrific bleeding injury.
“Why isn’t she waking up?” Ayawa cried. “Gedris, please!”
“The poison was viciously strong and has sapped her strength. The wound is healed, but she will need to sleep,” Chiune replied. “Why do you care about a slave girl so much?”
“She isn’t just a slave,” Ayawa said as she pulled the limp body to her chest. “I promised to take care of her.”
“We need to get to the road and warn the camp,” Tavis said, reminding them of the impending danger.
“Jessivel has the men ready,” Two Crows replied.
“Forget being ready,” Chiune argued as she got up. “The enemy outnumbers us greatly and has brought beasts from the far west. We need to flee!”
“Make her lighter so I can carry her,” Ayawa said to Tavis with tears.
“She is already light, Tavis insisted. “It will take too long to work a bigger weave.”
“Give her to me,” Two Crows said. “I can carry her as she is.”
Ayawa nodded and handed her over and watched as he easily cradled her to his chest. He whistled to his warriors and ordered them back to the road, and together they ran.
Comments
WhiteRabbit
Why does the number of chapters matter? I could see total wordcount per book maybe
WhiteRabbit
hand Gesture -> lowercase
Also I posted a bonus story for Dragon knight that is just a short erotic scene I wrote as a test but never used. I limited it to the $10 and higher tier but I think I might lower it in a day or two. I never know if it's a good idea to share these things. I have lots of little test scenes where I try capture a moment, or describe something beautiful that I thought I could share, but they tend to have a little spice to them. If my readers are alright with It I will share more of them.
So I have been struggling with trying to accomplish a TON of things per chapter because I have it in my head the book needs to be no longer than 25 chapters. I think I need to abandon this notion. I am going to relent and allow my book to run on a few extra chapters if I have to.
