na Gall glanced back despite her fear and saw that one of the Knights had followed her off the road and up the hill.
“Come on…come on,” she implored the horse, trying to hurry the animal by any means, but the way was steep and the forest dense. She glanced back, the Knight chasing her dropped quickly from his mount to retrieve his kali, but then his eyes were on her again. He caught her eye and smiled with anticipation. Behind and far below him, na Gall could see the battle still raging all along the road.
She turned back and concentrated on finding a way through the forest.
“I’m coming for you girlie!” The Knight yelled from below, but this time na Gall ignored him and just kept pushing her way up the hill.
“If you slow down I’ll make it quick. I might even give you something before the end,” the Knight promised, but na Gall was far from tempted.
Everything was quiet, almost peaceful in the woods except for the muffled clang of metal and shouts of the wounded and dying coming from below.
“I’m gaining girlie,” the Knight reported and indeed his voice seemed to be much closer, but still na Gall resisted the urge glance back, instead she veered left and happened across a small meadow. She immediately spurred her mount into a gallop. She crossed the clearing quickly…too quickly but once she was in the cover of the trees again she veered due south and descended into a shallow ravine. She could not hear any signs of pursuit and the Knight did not speak out. She risked a glance back but did not see him on the hill above, so when she reached the bottom she pulled the horse to a stop and began to weave her hands through the twenty-nine steps.
“Ah, there you are. I’m going to slice your teats off girlie,” the Knight yelled from above, but na Gall did not open her eyes. She was half way through the connection, trying desperately to concentrate and attempting to ignore the sound of the man’s descent. She continued to work; eyes closed until finally she projected and flew back past him, noting that he was closing on her body fast. She would have liked to Travel all the way to Lonogan and the army but knew she did not have the time, so on the far side of the hill she stopped, called on the vortex and felt her two halves pull at one another. The bridge opened in front of her and she opened her eyes just as the Knight drew his kali. She threw herself off the horse and away from the sword which scraped along her shoulder cutting away her leather jerkin and a hunk of flesh. She hit the ground, her fall cushioned by a mass of leaves, and rolled quickly to her feet as the Knight jockeyed his horse to come after her.
Without pausing she ran to the front of her horse, gripped the bridle and turned the beast to block the path of the Knight so determined to kill her. For a moment it worked and the Knight’s mount was stopped short by her horse, keeping the man well out of arm’s reach.
“Asshole!” She yelled then turned and jumped through the bridge, a kali came with her, missing again but actually flying through a bit of her hair. She landed and rolled, closing the bridge instantly. She stood on shaky legs, very thankful that the Knight’s throwing arm was less than accurate. She picked up the short sword, though what she would do with it was beyond her. Still, just holding it made her feel better. She moved through the quiet forest and though she was not very far from the road or from the Knight who’d chased her, she could only dimly hear the battle as it raged in the distance. She tucked the kali into her belt and then began the weave that would take her to the army…take her to Lonogan Bock.
ǂ
Traveler Jess na Gall appeared suddenly just to the right of Lonogan Bock and from her expression Gwaynn could tell that the battle in the hills north of Claymont was going very wrong.
“N’dori?” He asked, coaxing Eve closer to the stricken woman. “Did N’dori get word to you in time?” He asked, but he felt as if he already knew the answer and when na Gall shook her head his fears were confirmed.
“I never saw her…” na Gall stammered as Lonogan dismounted and embraced her. na Gall however, kept her eyes on Gwaynn. “The Knights came at us from all sides. I checked on their location twice after we were off the Plateau…we eliminated their scouts. It had to be just good fortune on their side,” she tried to explain, talking in a rush, and then was suddenly leaning heavily on Lonogan. He sent an aide for food.
“Do you need to sit?” Bock asked…all tenderness. na Gall would have smiled at his concern if the situation was not so desperate.
“There must have been scouts that eluded detection,” Gwaynn replied turning his eyes toward the far off hills, of course from his location he could see and hear nothing. “I projected myself and found them just before the attack. They were waiting for you.”
“Should we move the army…try to support the cavalry?” Monde asked feeling very guilty about her reluctance to project just one more time. If she had searched the far hills instead of Gwaynn she could have given a warning; she had the ability to create a Speaker bubble.
“No.” Gwaynn, Lonogan and Captain Marcum all replied at the very same time. They glanced at one another and Gwaynn could not help but feel a small amount of relief. They were all of the same mind. Gaston and the cavalry would have to look after themselves.
“We’d never make it in time,” Gwaynn said softly, understanding the look of panic in the older woman’s eyes. “It’s not your fault. We’ll wait here; the Knights will come to us…perhaps even more overconfident.”
An aide appeared, bringing seasoned meat, hard cheese and a bag of dried apples, Monde pulled herself from the saddle of her small gray horse and went to na Gall. She checked her wounded arm. Though it looked bad and there was a lot of blood on her clothes, the wound was superficial and was no longer bleeding. na Gall grimaced, feeling pain for the first time but said nothing. Both Travelers began to eat, wanting to gain as much strength as possible. After fifteen long minutes of continuous consumption, Monde finally decided she was strong enough.
“I will go,” she spoke moving to Gwaynn’s side and looking up at the still mounted young King. “I will see how they fared.”
Gwaynn nodded and smiled once more. He was hoping one of the Travelers would volunteer, or that N’dori would return with news. N’dori however, did not reappear. Gwaynn climbed from his horse and stood close to the High Zarina. He could feel her weakness but also her determination. But his need for news far outweighed his concern that she would be unable to protect herself once the main battle began. With luck the Knights would not come down and face them until the following morning, giving both Travelers a night to recoup. Gwaynn hoped so, he had the distinct feeling they would need them before end.
Within a minute Monde projected from her body and was streaking across the plains to the hills beyond. As spirit, she did not need to breathe but like nearly all Travelers her projection still went through the motions of drawing air into her lungs and expelling it out once more. She did this not from need, rather from sheer instinct and habit, but as she neared the battlefield she was unaware that she was holding her breath. Monde moved quickly, forcing herself along, very afraid of what she would find. Most of the fighting was now over although there were still small pockets of activity. The dead were everywhere, strewn about all over the road and scattered throughout the trees. The battle was decisive. Except for the rapidly shrinking knots of Massi cavalry still fighting, the only people she saw alive in the area were Temple Knights. It was as she feared; it was worse than she feared. She performed a quick search of the area, looking for Captain Gaston and the Solitary N’dori. Her search was unsuccessful, but there were many corpses lying face down, several with head wounds so severe that it made identification impossible and there were a few bodies that were missing heads altogether.
Nevertheless she searched as long as she was able then she rose straight up into the sky and surveyed a larger area. She immediately spotted a group of cavalry gathering near the edge of a wood line southeast of the battle. She moved in the direction and was gratified to see that the men were Massi. She moved among them, trying to count or at le
ast get a rough estimate of their numbers. She spotted Captain Kerr among the living, but still could not locate Gaston. She rose straight up again and made another quick inspection of the area, hoping to spot additional stragglers but was unsuccessful. The need to return to her body was by now growing unbearable, so she dashed back before her strength completely left her.
She collapsed as she reunited with her body and was surprised by the sheer exhaustion which engulfed her. Gwaynn and na Gall helped her down so she could sit in the tall grass of the field. They looked at her expectantly as she tried to catch her breath, because naturally her body was holding it in as well. na Gall held out a few dried apples and Monde took them, but before she placed them in her mouth she looked at Gwaynn.
“It’s bad,” she reported barely above a whisper. “But some have escaped to the south.”
“How many?”
“It’s hard to say, they were all moving, but I would guess about five hundred…Captain Kerr is with them.”
‘Five hundred!’ Gwaynn thought the news hitting him like a body blow. Five hundred left out of nearly five thousand. The battle was a disaster and for a brief moment he seriously considered moving the army back behind the walls of Manse and relative safety. But he quickly dismissed such conservative thinking. The Knights would have to be defeated…and now was the time to do so. He could not win Massi back by cowering behind the walls of a city.
“Five hundred!” Bock also said…stunned. “M’lord we should…”
“No…don’t say it,” Gwaynn ordered, standing up and facing his friend and General. “We have a good plan…we will fight them here.”
Bock looked torn and was about to speak but then thought better of it and closed his mouth, then changed his mind once more.
“Let them come,” he muttered and drew his kali, craving battle like never before.
ǂ
Tarina N’dori appeared out of thin air directly to the right of Captain Kerr in the very midst of the heavy fighting near the rear of the column. She killed two Knights before anyone even knew she’d arrived and was spinning and slashing with a skill Kerr would not have believed possible if he was not near enough to witness the feat. With a sudden jerk, Kerr turned a lance meant for his chest and slashed threw the neck of the attacking Knight, dimly aware that N’dori had killed another two in the same amount of time.
“Gather your men and flee south!” She shouted to him while her immediate surroundings were clear of any new targets. “The north road is packed with Knights. I will hold them off for as long as possible to allow you to make some distance.”
Kerr nodded and spun Karly, his mount, just in time to counter a blow from another Knight. He pulled Karly farther around in order to defend himself, but N’dori sprinted behind the Knight and with a graceful leap landed on the back of his horse. The man’s head was removed just as gracefully and N’dori unceremoniously dumped the body from the saddle then hopped her butt into the soft leather support and slipped her feet into the stirrups.
“Hurry now!” She said and spurred the horse into the thickest part of the battle. Kerr took a moment to watch her ride, admiring the way the Tarina sat her horse…very natural and very balanced, a natural rider, and despite her age, there was something in the way she moved and killed that the Captain found strangely erotic. With difficulty he shook away such thoughts and set about saving what men he could from the butchery. He fought and shouted orders to sergeants and common soldiers alike for what seemed like hours, sending them down the road to the south and away from the battle. Some left in groups as large as fifty, while others straggled off in twos and threes. He kept at the task until a large contingent of Knights came charging out of the woods to the west and he was forced to flee with a group of no more than a dozen. They thundered down the road heading south just before the enemy broke clear of the forest. Kerr and his men did not pause but continued to gallop away from the battle. He glanced back once and happily saw that the Knights were not pursuing so he pulled to a stop and turned about, searching for N’dori. The Tarina was not in sight, only a mass of enemy horseman. The sounds of battle still filled the forest road and Kerr was tempted for a moment to charge back into the fray and attempt to rescue N’dori as she had rescued him.
“Captain,” a young soldier said trotting up to his side. The young man’s horse snorted, shaking it’s head, revealing its own eagerness to rejoin the battle, but the young man held the reins tightly keeping the animal in check. “Captain we must go,” he repeated and Kerr looked over at him as if coming out of a dream.
Kerr stared at the youth, who had a deep gash just above his right temple. The wound bled copiously, but the young man appeared not to notice. Kerr frowned, trying to remember the soldier’s name. It would not come.
“Sir,” the soldier said. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” Kerr said spinning his mount around once more. “Let’s move,” he added and risked one final glimpse back in search of the Solitary, but he saw only the backs of the enemy.
But N’dori was there, still mounted and fighting like a tigress. She was surrounded by enemy Knights, most whom were armed with lances which posed serious problems for the Tarina. But as long as the weapons were aimed at her she was able to spin and deflect them. She knocked aside lance after lance, guiding her horse with skill and daring. He was an excellent fighting animal and darted this way and that, guided only from the pressure she gave through her thighs. They moved in concert, the horse shifting and charging as she attempted to close with her enemy and kill with her kali.
She managed to confuse and kill a half dozen Knights before one Knight decided to go for her mount. He struck the animal in the chest driving the tip of his lance deep into the animal’s left lung. The injured horse screamed in pain throwing blood over those nearest, and immediately faltered and fell to the ground. N’dori cursed but deftly leaped from the saddle and rolled under a well aimed lance. It missed by inches and the Tarina gutted the horse carrying the attacker. It too began to scream and as the horse went down the Solitary broke into a run, deftly dodging another pointed lance. Again she streaked by an attacker, this time cutting the arm from a Knight and the man’s screams joined in with those of the two wounded animals.
Talented and deadly as she was, N’dori was now surrounded by nearly fifty mounted soldiers all well trained and all determined to kill her. She held them off; killing several more before finally they broke through her defenses. A lance slipped past her kali and caught her in the right shoulder. The point went deep, but glanced off of her shoulder socket then slipped out of her body leaving a deep bloody cut just below her armpit. But instead of breaking free, the point of the lance caught in her leather jerkin and she was lifted off her feet and carried back until steel tip buried itself in trunk of a large tree. N’dori tried to shift her position but found herself held securely in place. Without thinking she turned another lance, but saw that there were four more close behind and she could not hope to keep deflecting all the blows sent at her.
‘It’s Time,’ she thought and instantaneously dropped into a deep state of consciousness. Unconsciously her body struck aside another weapon aimed directly at her heart, but already the movements around her were beginning to slow. She moved another lance point away with her forearm as the world slowed and slowed, until finally there was no movement or sound.
‘Bless you Nev,’ she thought and tried to pull the lance from the tree. Her wounded shoulder hampered her and despite her best efforts the weapon would not budge.
In the end she was forced to pull herself from her jerkin, wincing at the pain her injury caused her, but relieved when she was finally free of the trap. She stood panting for a moment then looked to her shoulder. She was now wearing only a thin cotton undershirt which was drenched in blood. She pulled off the garment unmindful that she was now naked from the waist up and wrapped her undershirt tightly around the deep cut just below her shoulder. It was very cold but she was not aware of it. She moved swi
ftly and sliced through the necks of nearly two dozen Knights before she became momentarily disoriented. She fought the dizziness, yanked a Knight from his mount and gingerly pulled herself up onto the horse and projected. She searched for Captain Kerr, who’d fled to the south. She found him quickly, already two miles away, leading a large group of horseman from the vicinity of the battle. She smiled, wavered again from dizziness then rapidly opened a bridge. The vortex was powerfully made and the bridge sprang to life large and stable. N’dori then released time; all around her slain Knights toppled from their mounts. The Solitary paid them no mind, instead she spun her horse and spurred it through the bridge. She was vaguely aware of shouts of shock coming from the fight as she left the area, but they were quickly silenced as the bridge snapped shut.
She and her horse appeared in the midst of the galloping Massi horseman directly beside Captain Kerr and again her ears were assailed by shouts of surprise. Her sudden appearance caused several horses to veer sharply away, but no one toppled. Kerr stared at her with a stunned expression, his wide eyes going from her face to her bare bouncing breasts. N’dori laughed at the look he was giving her, then slumped in the saddle and would have fallen had not the Captain reached over to catch her. He continued to hold her up as he reined his horse back, thankfully N’dori’s mount followed suit, thoroughly confused. When they finally came to a halt the Tarina sagged farther.
Elsewhere ti-3 Page 34