by D. N. Carter
“NYLA!” Percival screamed as he appeared running onto the landing leading into the corridor, his sword drawn and rushing toward them.
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The man looked toward him, stood up fully, raised his sword to bring down upon Alisha’s head when he suddenly let out a groan in pain, his eyes screwing up. He shifted his weight to try and turn around and see what had happened as pain ran through his back. He could hardly move his legs. Alisha jumped aside seeing Arri stood behind the man. He had picked up Alisha’s three pronged dagger and thrust in into the base of the man’s spine. As he turned and faced Arri, he tried to lift his sword, as he did, Percival’s sword burst through his chest as he thrust it through his back with all his might and yelled out a great scream. Percival pushed the man to the floor, withdrew his sword and thrust it down again between the man’s shoulder blades with all his might, anger burning across his face. The man flinched and shook briefly, Arri staring in total disbelief as Paul and Theodoric ran into view, Paul quickly grabbing his little arm and pulling him away and toward him. Paul saw that Alisha was kneeling on the floor, her dress ripped and covered in blood. Quickly he passed Arri to Theodoric, who was trying to check Sister Lucy’s face, her nose bleeding. Percival pushed and pushed his sword harder, tears streaming down his face. Paul moved across to Alisha, alarmed, as Nyla lay against her still alive.
“I am fine…but there is a third man,” Alisha said and pointed to the loft.
Instantly Percival removed his sword, looked up as if possessed. He pulled a stool over, stood upon it and without checking it was clear, hauled himself up into the loft and vanished without even looking at Nyla. Paul checked over Alisha frantically just as Ishmael, Thomas, Luke and Mathew appeared, weapons drawn.
“They came in through the roof,” Paul shouted as Arri jumped away from Theodoric and rushed over to join Alisha and Paul.
Ishmael and Thomas immediately turned away heading back down the stairs to go outside and cut off anyone trying to escape as Luke and Mathew stood protectively beside Alisha and Paul. Nyla gently clasped Alisha’s hand. Her breathing was shallow and she looked white.
“Look after my Percival…please,” she whispered.
Alisha put her arms around her and cradled her as Paul supported her and held Arri close. Sister Lucy shuffled over on her knees and started to check Nyla. The floor was covered in her blood and that of the dead man laying a few feet away. The other injured man looked at them intently still holding his hands to his throat but not moving. He had almost bled out and Paul turned Arri’s face away so he did not look at him.
“Did I do the right thing?” Arri asked nervously.
“Oh my dear brave little warrior you did more than the right thing,” Alisha said emotionally and went to put her hand upon his face but stopped when she saw her hands were covered in blood.
“You did,” Nyla whispered and feigned a smile at Arri.
Percival came walking back towards them from the other end of the corridor having jumped out the far end of the loft after the third man. His sword was trailing on the floor held low by his right hand. He approached covering his eyes with his left hand, crying, afraid to look at the scene before him. He had seen the sword enter Nyla and knew it was a fatal wound. Nyla looked up at him wearily, her eyes heavy. She tried to raise her hand for him as he approached. He stopped a few paces away and dropped his sword and covered his face with both hands.
“Percy,” Theodoric said trying to snap him out of his stupor. “Percy!” he said again louder and stepped closer to him. He gently grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his face, his eyes clenched shut as tears streamed down his face and shaking his head no. “Percival…you have but a few short moments to say goodbye…do so while you still can,” Theodoric said quietly. “Here, come.” Theodoric led Percival to Nyla’s side. She looked up at him and tried to raise her hand again. Theodoric took her hand and placed it in Percival’s. “Now.”
Percival slowly opened his eyes and caught Nyla’s looking back at him. Her hand was cold and sticky. She blinked and went to force a smile but blood trickled from the side of her mouth and she coughed, pitifully weak. Percival fell to his knees beside her and with both hands clutched hers. He could not speak, his throat so tight with emotion, his eyes filled with pain. He had tried to not look thinking in desperation that if he did not, it would not somehow be true…but it was all too real and true. As he clenched her hand in his he leaned closer and kissed her gently as tears rolled down his cheeks. He pulled back and started to sob uncontrollably as the others looked on helpless, Arri holding Clip clop close staring in silence. Nyla blinked again.
“In the blink of an eye I will see you again I swear…for I will do all that I can to make certain I join you, my love,” Percival managed to force out and sniffed wiping away the tears from his face with his forearm.
Nyla blinked once more at Percival then looked at Alisha and smiled, then slowly her eyelids closed, her body going limp, her head resting against Alisha’s shoulder. Percival held her hand tightly and placed his right hand upon her tummy, screwed his eyes closed tightly and cried uncontrollably, lowering his head. As he cried, Thomas came running up the stairs and stopped as he saw the image before him. His shoulders dropped and he sighed shaking his head no as Ishmael followed behind him. After a few minutes, Percival stopped crying, opened his eyes and looked back toward the injured man lying feet from him. A tear rolled down Alisha’s cheek and she pulled Arri closer as Paul stood up. Percival suddenly leapt to his feet, pulled out his arming dagger and threw himself on top of the injured man straddling him. He grabbed his hair and pulled his head up, placing the dagger against his throat. Through gritted teeth, Percival stared aggressively at the man, shaking with rage, but the man remained silent and still.
“Why….why?” Percival cried, tears streaming down his agonised face.
The man looked toward Alisha and blinked to indicate her. Percival twisted himself to look at her, his breathing becoming deep, the look of total despair and anger etched deep into his face. Alisha pulled Nyla closer to her chest, kissed the top of her head and looked into Percival’s eyes and shook her head no silently. Percival flounced back to look at the man, pulled him up so his face was just inches from his.
“She has to die…,” the man coughed in a gravelly voice and tried to point to Alisha. Arri wrapped his arms around her tightly hearing this. “She must…,” the man tried to say once more but Percival pushed his dagger closer to his throat.
“Percy…no,” Theodoric said firmly and stepped closer.
As Percival glared at the man, his eyes rolled upward white and his body fell limp. Percival clenched his fist tightly as he wrapped his hand in the man’s collar. After a short while, he pushed him away and stood up. He turned to look at Nyla, his heart breaking, and sighed. He appeared to visibly shrink as he stooped low and fell to his feet beside Nyla and pulled her up from Alisha, put his arms around her and gently started to rock her, his face hidden against her head, and sobbed, Alisha placing her hand upon his shoulder. Paul lifted Arri up and walked toward Thomas and Ishmael, pulling out one of the embedded metal stars. It was razor sharp and he had to pull it hard to remove it from the wall. He raised his eyebrows as he showed Thomas.
“Whoever the other one is, he physically jumped from one rooftop to the other. Only Ashashin are that good,” Thomas whispered.
“No…not Ashashin…this is the work of Turansha’s men,” Paul replied quietly and looked back at Percival still holding the lifeless body of Nyla in his arms. Sister Lucy knelt beside him and tried to console him as Alisha stood up. She was covered in the blood of the dead men and Nyla’s. She looked at her hands then at Paul. Her expression said it all. Paul ushered Thomas and Ishmael downstairs.
Paul stepped outside into the yard carrying Arri following Thomas and Ishmael. The night sky was darkening fast just as Luke walked into view followed by the rest of Thomas’s men. Luke had informed them of what had taken place. Quickl
y they dismounted, tied up their horses and with swords drawn checking the rooftops, they encircled Paul and Arri.
“I am afraid you are all too late…they have murdered Nyla,” Paul explained and put his hand across Arri protectively as he clung to him.
All turned to look at Alisha as she stepped down from the dining hall doorway. She straightened her dress and approached them. Her face was stern and Paul knew immediately she was angered. She stopped and eyed all of Thomas’s men then walked directly up to Thomas. She shook her head disapprovingly. He frowned. Suddenly she started to rain her fists down upon his chest hard. As he stepped backwards she pulled his surcoat and hit him harder.
“Ali!” Paul called out, shocked at her outburst.
“No, Paul…’tis fine,” Thomas replied, raising his left hand for Paul to keep back as Arri looked at her.
“Mama,” Arri said quietly.
As soon as Alisha heard Arri, she stopped thumping Thomas’s chest and grabbed his surcoat in clenched fists. She stared hard into Thomas’s eyes for what seemed an age, the hurt and anger clearly visible in her face as the others all looked on.
“’Tis not fine,” Alisha remarked emotionally, her arms going weak. Thomas held her arm gently and looked at her. “Where were you when we needed you the most?…you failed us,” she said in a broken voice. She stepped away from Thomas and looked at one of the horses nearest. She walked over to it, looked at the saddle and the small leather strapping specially attached to hold a horn cup. She unbuttoned the fastening and pulled out the horn cup and looked at it. “This…this is what is more important to you lot…drink…and women,” she snapped angrily and threw the cup on the floor and immediately headed back toward the dining hall doorway covering her face with her arm.
“Ali…that is not fair,” Paul said and tried to grab her arm as she passed him. She flounced her arm away hard and carried on walking. “Ali…”
Percival appeared in the doorway looking utterly broken. He looked at Alisha as she rapidly approached. She stopped. Slowly Percival stepped down and walked toward her. When he reached her, he fell to his knees and placed his hands upon her tummy, kissing it before resting his forehead against her. Surprised and overwhelmed by emotions, Alisha placed her hands upon his head not knowing what to do. Her lip began to quiver and she turned to face Paul, seeking some guidance. Paul held Arri up in his left arm and moved to stand beside her. Everyone in the courtyard looked on deeply touched and affected by Percival’s actions. Alisha looked around at them all in turn, tears welling in her eyes. Percival looked up at her, his eyes wide and full of pain.
“My Nyla…I saw what happened…’tis not the fault of these men… their sworn oath remains to protect you always…and Nyla knew that,” he started to explain, looked down, shook his head and then stood up slowly. “She felt you worthy enough to sacrifice herself to protect you and your unborn. Do not let her death be in vain or full of bitter recriminations… please,” he pleaded. Alisha drew a sharp intake of breath, her heart beating so hard she thought it would burst, the emotions feeling too great to control. “You already had my sword…now you have my soul…for I have nothing more now to live for…but I swear to never fail you. When you need me the most, I will be there…this I swear on the memory of my Nyla and unborn,” Percival said, full of emotion, almost unable to finish his sentence. He stepped back a pace, unsheathed his sword and thrust it into the ground just in front of Alisha then knelt down in front of it and rested his hands upon the pommel, closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Alisha looked at him and hesitantly stepped closer, shaking with emotion she placed her hand upon his head gently. Just as she did, a bright shooting star streaked across the night sky, lighting up the yard momentarily, followed by a boom. All except Percival looked up but it vanished just as quickly. All stood in silence for several minutes.
“Is that Nyla going up to heaven?” Arri asked, breaking the silence just as Theodoric and Sister Lucy came out.
Thomas approached Alisha and Percival as Paul stepped back a pace with Arri. Thomas thrust his sword into the dirt near to Percival, knelt down and looked up at Alisha, who frowned, puzzled. She sniffed and took a deep breath again.
“We have become bloated and complacent in our charge to protect you… in this we have failed,” Thomas said, uncharacteristically emotional. He put his hands together as if in prayer as he looked at her. “I humbly beg that you and Percival forgive us for this day’s failing…and pray grant us the chance to redeem ourselves. I vow to thee this hour we will not fail you again…unto death…this I swear,” he pleaded.
Percival turned to face him. As he did, Luke came up, thrust his sword into the dirt and knelt down too.
“May Nyla’s death indeed be not in vain for I swear the same,” he said.
No sooner had he clasped his hands together than the rest of Thomas’s men did likewise. Percival looked at them all in turn as tears rolled down his cheeks. He nodded in acceptance of their gesture then looked up at Alisha.
“I do not want people dying for me,” she finally blurted out.
“Nyla saw fit to give her life for you…and so do I for this world is in sore need of people like you,” Percival said, looking up at her. “I was once told by a wise man,” he started to say and quickly looked at Theodoric before looking back at Alisha. “If you can’t find something to live for, you best find something worth dying for…and like my Nyla…you are.”
“No…I want no more deaths on my account. ’Tis too much to bear.”
“Then we had better make sure no more do so,” Thomas stated and stood, pulled his sword out of the dirt and re-sheathed it. “Starting as of now.”
“No…I cannot ask of this for my temper is too great at times…and I am not worthy of this vow you all pledge,” Alisha replied, holding her hand to her face as she fought to control her emotions that were welling up inside.
Theodoric walked up to her and placed his hand upon her forearm and looked at her in the reassuring way that only he could.
“My dear…must I remind you just how worthy you really are?”
Thomas and his men moved closer to Alisha and helped Percival up. As Paul watched them, Arri also looking at the scene before them, he recalled the words Abi had spoken to him about how the Crimson Thread of an ancient bloodline that far outreached any of the royal bloodlines now being sown within royal families flowed through both of their veins. But he knew now it also flowed through Percival’s. His heart ached for him and it hit him suddenly, the realisation of again just how close he had come to losing Alisha. It could have been him now stood in Percival’s place. Abi’s words came echoing through his mind as if she was speaking beside him. “You must understand and believe, and accept it as a truth, that you above all people have a right to wield your sword. You carry the wishes and ambitions of all your ancestors to establish a line of leaders who heal, protect and educate their peoples. To lead by example doing service to others, not service to self. And that is something you must learn and accept fast.” Paul looked at Theodoric as he reassured Alisha and he recalled exactly the words he too had given. “Accept and know that there are people and groups out there who will want to stop you doing just that and who will kill you without hesitation to obtain weapons such as the sword…but also to kill off your bloodline. That is why it has been protected and remains in the shadows. Let the other bloodlines and kings fight each other and be high profile, for all the while they do, they help keep you, Alisha and Taqi, protected out of sight.” As Paul recalled Theodoric’s now almost prophetic words, he had to add Arri to that statement. He felt privileged to know Theodoric, Percival and Thomas and all his men. He and Alisha had no power or any great wealth, yet these men standing before him had chosen to be there by they own free will. But how could he protect his family and remain in the shadows if there were those with evil intent and a wish to kill them who knew where they lived? A very dark shadow had fallen across them this eve.