by Bri Sailor
Taryn interrupted her thoughts. “Ready?”
Atreyis nodded. Satisfied with their newfound armor, the two new soldiers strode out of the armory. The guards moved to speak but Atreyis ignored them and went straight for their horses.
“We need to leave them.” Said Atreyis solemnly.
“Why?”
“Because it’s another way they will be able to tell that it is me, and possibly could recognize you as well. White horses like Lux aren’t exactly common around here and your studded bridle might give you away.”
Taryn put her hands on her hips. “So what so we do?”
“There’s a stable nearby and we can leave them there and get different horses.”
The pretend soldiers made their way to the stable and selected their horses. Atreyis paid the stable hand to keep quiet and to make sure that Lux was not discovered. With their new mounts they headed towards the north gate. It was going to be a hard ride to catch up with the king in such a short amount of time.
#
The sun had just risen over the horizon and lit up the battle encampments along Stone Shield when Atreyis and Taryn had finally arrived. The soldiers were milling about sharpening and polishing their wares and running drills as smoke from smoldering ashes twirled up into the air. Light blue tents dotted the wall and small flags and banners with the royal seal were scattered among them. Exhausted and overwhelmed, the princess’ stomach dropped at the sight, by her count there had to be nearly thirty thousand soldiers in all. She had seen garrisons of troops before but never had she seen such a mass of bodies.
“There must be thousands.” Said Taryn in awe.
“Try tens of thousands, I bet.” Replied Atreyis.
“It seems your father spared little and is actually expecting a fight.”
The princess swallowed hard. “It doesn’t change what we are going to do, only the way that we go about it.”
She took a deep breath and spurred her horse to the camp with Taryn alongside her. They approached the camp with ease, their disguises working, only a few glanced in their direction but paid them no mind and went about their tasks. Until the scouts returned with a report the camp was tense with anticipation. Atreyis craned her head as she looked around for any sign of Ky.
“Where do you think she is being held?” asked Taryn quietly.
“My guess is near my father. He won’t let his prize out of his eyesight for a moment, especially after that escape stunt she pulled.” Replied Atreyis.
The raven-haired girl was about to ask but decided it better to not get the princess worked up. “Which tent is his?”
“There.” Atreyis pointed to a large dark blue tent just a little ways off in the distance. “I don’t see anything around it. I bet he has her imprisoned inside.”
“If he does, how do you expect to get to her?”
“I don’t know. I’ll figure it out or something.”
As they neared the tent a growing, nervous ball of energy sat like a lead weight in the princess’ stomach. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and her hands were shaking. Taking a deep breath she tried to calm herself down and gripped the reins tightly. This was starting to become real. Closing her eyes she focused on the rhythmic footsteps of her horse and slowly the pounding eased. There were two soldiers posted outside the entrance of the tent and Ky was nowhere to be seen.
“Damn.” Atreyis was getting frustrated. “I don’t see her, she must be inside.”
Taryn looked at her. “So now what?”
The princess blew out a breath. “I don’t know I’m too tired to think.”
Her friend looked around the camp. “By the looks of it the scouts haven’t returned yet. We should find somewhere to rest. Being exhausted won’t help anyone.”
The reality of actually having to be in a fight started to come crashing down. Taryn cracked her neck out of habit, and stress. There had to be a way around this. Why did she agree to come in the first place? Why hadn’t she tried to actually try to stop Atreyis? Or at least tell someone what she was planning? Her mind was racing. This was all so different compared to the palace guard. It was actually dangerous, and the young guard was actually legitimately scared for the first time in her life. All the bluster and bravado that came with being a palace guard was truly all for show. The princess tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped.
“Goddess, Atreyis!”
The princess ignored her. “Over there. I think it’s a supply tent, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of activity.”
She pointed over to a small tent. “We might have a chance.”
“I hope.” Gulped Taryn.
They casually made their way to the seemingly empty tent, tying off their horses a short ways away with another group to ease suspicion and then slipped unnoticed into the tent. It was filled with various boxes and crates of food and weapons and medical supplies.
“Help me stack these crates. We can hide behind then and get some sleep.” Sighed the princess.
She started stacking the crates. Taryn shrugged and stacked as well. After a few minutes of rearranging they felt it was safe and laid down on the soft grass behind their wall of privacy and Atreyis immediately fell asleep. Taryn’s mind continued to race but eventually she too succumbed to sleep. Neither of them were used to this kind of sleep deprivation, much less anything that they had been through in the last couple of days, Taryn especially. Being the daughter of a politician had lent her to a very comfortable lifestyle. Sure, she loved the outdoors and climbing trees and the like, but a punch to the face wasn’t exactly what she called fun.
The hours drifted by and the sounds of the camp went unheard by the slumbering pair. It was late afternoon when nearing voices woke them. Taryn started to get up to investigate but Atreyis grabbed her by the collar and yanked her down hard, signaling for her to be quiet.
“I don’t see why we have to do this.” Whined a male voice.
“Because everyone pulls their weight. It’s only fair and allows for efficient functioning of the army.” Replied a female voice matter-of-factly.
“I didn’t train for this! I’m meant to be a soldier, not a slave. My father—“
“’You’re father’ nothing.” Interrupted another female voice. “Look, we hate this as much as you do. I’m dying to see some action as well, but we are the bottom rank, hence why we do more of this…stuff.”
Atreyis looked for an escape. She noticed that the wall of the tent was loose and pulled Taryn by the arm towards it. They crawled out, receiving a few curious looks as they stood up and dusted themselves off. Regaining their composure they walked to their mounts and saddled up. The sun was high in the sky and the temperature was rising. Atreyis was tempted to take off the helmet but resisted. She would for sure be caught. The sweat started to drip down her face, causing the black war paint to streak. Taryn took off her helmet and wiped her face, the black around her eyes streaking as well. The raven-haired girl balanced the helmet on her saddle while she quickly braided her damp hair tightly behind her. Atreyis distracted herself by looking around at the camp. There was something different.
“Are there more tents?” she asked Taryn.
Her friend glanced around. “Possibly.”
“I’m still going to look around. “Atreyis headed off towards a small hill.
When they reached the crest of the hill Taryn’ jaw dropped and Atreyis’ eyes bugged out of her head.
“Now I really think we might have underestimated your father.” Gasped Taryn.
While the two of them slept, a few thousand more troops had arrived. They brought with them wagons loaded down with massive stones and large clay jars. Each wagon was pulled by two horses and the catapults were so large it took teams of six to pull. They had been lined up along the wall and ready to go with their first payload. The rocks were covered in oil and awaiting a torch to light them and be sent hurtling towards the enemy. There was only one gate through Stone Shield, and there was no way anyone was going to get thr
ough it now.
“Father wouldn’t have done this without cause. The scouts must have returned.” The princess was dumbfounded.
“This is…this is…” Taryn couldn’t find the words.
Atreyis blew out a breath. “…madness…”
Chapter 13
Ky wrestled with her chains. This time the king wasn’t taking any chances. Each arm had two thick enchanted iron chains coiled around them and attached to a large stone anchor that also served as a platform for transport. Four more chains crossed over her torso and were anchored as well. A final chain was attached to an iron collar around her neck. The hindered ability to move and the weight of her confinements were a minor inconvenience, but it made her smirk. She reveled in the fact that her strength and abilities were that impressive to warrant such a drastic measure. But it was odd, she should have been able to break out by now, but it was like something was sapping her strength. It was like she didn’t even care. The fiery rage that had consumed her in the dungeon was extinguished. The thought of getting her command back wasn’t enough anymore. She looked out through the bars of her mobile prison at her surroundings. There wasn’t much to see, a bedroll covered in lush furs, a trunk filled with weaponry, a suit of highly polished armor, and a large wooden table with battle plans laid out. The closed dark blue tent allowed very little light but there was enough that Ky was able to tell it was early morning. She had gotten a few uncomfortable hours of sleep in the days that the king and his army marched for the wall. Despite being locked up she was glad that she at least got to do one of her pre-battle rituals.
#
She reached as far as her chains would allow. The metal bars of her cage further restricted her movement. Her fingers stretched as far as they could and just barely touched the piece of charcoal. Slowly, she was able to pull it closer to her until she was finally able to grasp it. She pulled her arm back through the steel and studied the small piece of carbon resting in her palm. The warrior smirked. It wasn’t a necessity and it wasn’t going to set her free, it just offered a small comfort. She squeezed her hand tightly and crushed the charcoal. She dumped the contents of her hand on the stone and used her metal cuffs to further crush it into a fine powder. Using a small amount of water from the water skin so graciously bestowed upon her, she made a black slurry. Taking two blackened fingers she touched just below her lower lip and painted two lines over her chin, down her throat, and stopped at her collarbone. Gathering more, she then completely blacked out both of her eyes. With the small amount of black left, she painted a single line from her hairline down between her eyebrows and stopped just before the bridge of her nose. It probably didn’t look like much or was as terrifying as it could be, but it worked. This was just the confidence boost she needed. She hated to disappoint the king, but it was not her time to die. With the improvised war paint dry, the warrior threw up her hood and hid her face, waiting.
#
The general stared at her boots. The princess was her best chance, and she hoped that the conversation that she had with her was enough to make Atreyis do something as foolish as trying to bust her out again.
“Ha.”
She laughed to the empty tent and rolled her eyes. Even if she did show up and distract her father, how was she going to get out?
“The girl has no experience and lacks any ability to stand her ground.” Mumbled the warrior to herself. “Why did I waste my time on her? There were a hundred different ways to do this.”
Shifting her weight the chains clinked obnoxiously. There was that feeling again, like a weighted ball in her stomach. Every time she even as much dared to think about the princess that feeling would always accompany it, and it bugged her to no end as to the reason why. The answer seemed to elude her. It was like she knew the girl, but couldn’t remember from where. She sighed and traced the intricate scrolling and weaving lines of her tattoo, her mind wandering restlessly back and forth between the princess, and her own life, before she messed everything up.
After a few more hours of stewing, Toran returned, flanked by various officers and a priest.
“It’s just rumors. It has not been confirmed. The scout said the he wasn’t able to ascertain whether it’s truth or a rouse. Regardless of Ultrek’s death, true or not, the Black Army is still poised to attack.” Continued the king.
Ky’s ears perked up and her heart dropped. Ultrek dead? No, it couldn’t be true. Some of the officers glanced indifferently at the captive general as they huddled around their battle plans and maps.
“As you can see I have our forces concentrated here, at the gate. I have allowed for a few small garrisons along the entire length of the wall, should our enemy attempt to find a different way through. If there is any attempt there will be a signal. To which we will send reinforcements. My scouts tell me that our predictions for the enemy’s numbers were greatly off, and that is why I have brought in more troops as well as more artillery.” Said the king intensely.
“What of our coast lines? They could always try to go around—’’ interrupted an officer.
“We still have our fleets on alert, but we have not gathered any information that points to an attack by sea.” He glanced sideways at Ky. “For whatever reason, they are coming at us head-on. We will bring half of our forces to the front to defend the gate. When they attack we shall hit them with everything we have. We shall attack them directly and relentlessly.”
The king was more than confident as he eyed his officers. “As an added measure to show our might, I have brought our three most powerful priests to protect the gate. They may be attacking us head on, thinking that with their sheer numbers and power that they will finally penetrate Stone Shield after nearly fifteen years of trying. No battering ram, no army, nothing of this world will be able to break their barrier.”
An officer dared to speak up. “But why not protect the entire wall, or our troops for that matter. If these priests are so powerful can they not extend their magical barrier to protect our troops?”
The king clenched his jaw. “If that were possible, then there would be no reason for this battle. I have every confidence in my troops, but we need this contingency plan. The black reach of Ultrek will not make it into our homeland.”
“And what are we to do with…it…” nodded a female officer in Ky’s direction.
“If she is put on the field she could be freed and recaptured and be used against us. She knows too much.” Interjected a graying male officer. “We should just execute her now!”
Toran shook his head vehemently. “No. She will be put on the front lines. They shall be the ones to deal with her. If not, my men will see to it. I want to see their reaction when they see their precious former General in the grasp of their enemy. Either way she’s dead and we are all a little safer.”
“But what if she escapes?” chimed another female officer.
“She won’t. I have archers that will take her out before she can even think of getting away.”
“Ha!” came a laugh from across the tent.
All eyes turned towards the prisoner.
“You still don’t trust me do you, O Great King?” said the warrior in a mocking voice.
She kept her head low and feigned confidence. “You really think a few arrows would stop me if I truly want to run? How insulting! I’m surprised you’d even let me out of sight for a second. Surely, I am your greatest prize. Wouldn’t it be more gratifying to parade my head on a spike or just leave me to rot in your dungeon? Why risk losing me at all?”
The king ignored her and resume checking his plans. “The only thing that matters is that we stop the Khennán forces in their tracks. If you happen to perish in the process it’s only an added bonus.”
He looked to his officers. “Prepare the troops, we must be ready for the attack.”
The officers bowed and turned on heel and left. Watching from her cage Ky pretended to be bored.
“So you decide to hand out a death sentence to the one who saved your daug
hter’s life but spare the blood on your hands by passing the deed off to someone else. I see how it is; such a noble and great king you are.” She jabbed from the shadows.
Toran slammed his fist down on the table and nearly broke it.
“Do not mock me!” he turned to her. “I have let you live this long because of such supposed deed, whether or not you orchestrated the whole thing. If you die now it is the will of the Goddess.” He said with a quiet intensity.
Silently, he dressed in his pristine armor. Ky narrowed her eyes; this insistence that she lied about the rescue was getting under her skin. Her temper flared and her eyes glowed a faint red.
“You know what? I honestly could care less about all of this, but I told you the truth about that day. I merely stumbled upon her and I just knew I had to save her. Look, how could I have possibly known that she would be at the exact place and time to even attempt to plan anything of the sort?” she growled.
The sudden urge to protect the princess caught her off guard but she didn’t let it show. The king ignored her and stormed out of the tent. Ky started thrashing around and pulling at her chains. She needed out. There was some give in the restraints, but no enough to grant her freedom. She stood and stewed, her temper rising. She would get her moment, she was sure of it. Patience is a virtue, she reminded herself.
The camp bustled with activity around her as the troops disseminated to their command posts along the wall. The back wall of the king’s tent dropped to the ground and two soldiers hitched Ky’s mobile prison up to a team of horses. The warrior just sat and meditated, keeping her head bowed and ignoring the rest of the world as she was pulled closer to the gate. Her only focus was Lusha. The warrior knew that she would be there at the right hand of Ultrek, taking in the battle and giving orders. While Ky took delight in battle for the sake of glory and testing her limits, the witch took it to a darker place and dragged the king down with her, slowly debasing him into a madness from which Ky feared he might never return. It was only a matter of time before the king that she loved like a father turned his blinded sight on his own people. The warrior had taken it upon herself to rid the king of this parasite and restore glory to the Khenná, and her rightful place as General. One way or another she was going to end all of this. She had been fighting all her life, and it was about time for it to stop.