"Yes. She was in the dungeons with me for a while, with horrible injuries. Then I heard she was placed back in her job at the hospitalis," Jester said, looking more confused. "Why did I hear her voice in my head?"
Yarrow smiled. "It's a long story, but Ghia can do that. What did she tell you?"
"She said three regiments are on their way and will be here in two days."
Yarrow bowed her head, hope filling her and threatening to make her heart burst with its strength.
Thank Bellona.
Jester
Jourd'Juno, 15th Trinnia
When she returned to the seraglio after her night spent with Yarrow -- her first good sleep in a while -- it was with renewed hope and vigour. Before she set to the instructions given her by the bellica, she woke James, who received her with the same worry, love and relief that he did each time she returned from her rounds among the troops. He had not yet been sent out, and she was sure this was a way to punish them.
While he hated himself for not being used in place of her, she did not -- only thanked the Goddesses for keeping him safe. She was a fast healer, it was true. She could stand the abuses laid on her.
She hoped.
She fell into his arms and caressed him, suddenly seeing a future with the fellow prisoner she'd come to love. "Yarrow's back," she whispered as quietly as possible to him, and saw his face hold a gamut of emotions that all translated into the same one -- hope. "With a vengeance."
"Thank the Goddesses," he whispered, and kissed her. "We're saved."
Yarrow
Jourd'Althea, 16th Trinnia
2500 hours
In the quiet of the camp before the attack at midnight, Bellica Yarrow, last hope of Athering, slept and dreamt.
In her dreams was bloodshed and pain, caused by her and stopped by none. Caused by others, and reached by her too late. Desperately she tried to wake, and failed at every attempt, for her dreams were the sea, and Yarrow was drowning.
Her stomach twisted in pain and she curled up into a ball, protecting the child she carried within.
I've doomed us both, her dream-self said, apologising to the young woman with light hair that stood before her.
Then do something about it, her daughter replied.
What shall I do? The woman was already fading away, gone in the twilight.
Yarrow walked alone on a road that stretched away, far as the eye could see, neither coming from one place nor going to another.
She started to run.
Faster and faster in the dusk, her booted feet pounding heavily on the ground beneath her. A shadow on the horizon rose up and she put on speed. She ran and ran until she was sure her feet lifted from the ground, and she flew.
The shadow was not Atherton, as she'd thought.
A woman the size of a tree loomed up, and Yarrow skidded to a stop, fear freezing her heart in her chest. She turned to run away but a wall had come up behind her, and it was against this she fell, quaking in her terror.
The woman, whose hair was the sky and whose eyes the moons, leaned down and smiled with the radiance of the sun.
Why do you run, Bellica? Does your Goddess terrify you so?
Yarrow gasped and tried to regain her footing. Goddess? What Deity would bother with one such as I?
The woman laughed; it boomed around Yarrow like thunder and she clapped her hands to her ears. Come. Kore has called you forth into battle against the Dark One.
I don't know what You're talking about, Yarrow said, trying to scramble over the wall. This is just a dream; You're not real.
Would you forsake your people so easily? The Goddess was angry now; She picked Yarrow up by the scruff of her jerkin and Yarrow dangled in the air, in front of the Goddess' face.
I've never been the most patriotic of people, the bellica protested weakly. Choosing me is a doomed venture.
I will decide what is doomed or not, Bellica, Kore boomed. Chosen you are and chosen you will stay. Now. Suffer a small death and be reborn through Me to lead your people to victory and dispel the Dark One from Her stolen throne.
What? Yarrow started to ask, but Kore opened Her mouth and swallowed the bellica whole.
Yarrow tumbled through darkness for what seemed like hours.
A light came on.
She fell towards it.
And abruptly, woke up.
Lord Exsil Vis stood in her tent, carrying a lantern. "Come, Bellica," he said with a smile. "It's time."
Miranda
2545 hours
The admiral had come to visit the girl again in the dungeons, a few times now. Each of these successive times the woman had brought some food for Miranda -- real food, the stuff her rank deserved. At first she'd been suspicious, but her hunger had won out in the end. She'd devoured the steak and vegetables and potatoes, so much better than anything she'd ever had at home in Clifton, and then, her hunger finally sated, sat in worry that she'd been poisoned.
True to her word, the admiral was indeed there just to talk. Miranda found herself spilling her worries to the older woman, who continued to affirm that the girl's father didn't want her anymore. Athering did, the admiral had told her. Was she willing to come to Athering's side?
She wasn't. She'd spat in Anala's face and Anala had left the girl to her loneliness.
The woman had come back earlier that evening, with more food. Despite herself, Miranda had eaten again. This time, Anala had told Miranda something the girl found impossible to believe, could never believe! She'd listened politely while she ate, and when the admiral had finished the spiel she'd obviously rehearsed beforehand, Miranda had simply said she'd think about defecting.
She'd do no such thing. She was sure her father was here for her. There was no possible way Anala could be telling the truth -- that the two of them were sisters. Anala would know how wonderful their father was if that were the truth. The admiral had to be lying.
After the admiral left, she pretended to go to sleep. The guards had softened to her in her incarceration -- she was, after all, only ten years old, and she used it to her every advantage. After a few hours of feigned rest, she concentrated, and got the guards to open her cell door; her freedom gained, it was only a small matter to make them fall asleep where they stood.
Miranda Exsil Vis was off to find her father.
Yarrow
2545 hours
Yarrow felt wholly not herself as she walked with Lord Exsil Vis, his man, and Jules to the infiltration point. She felt as if she'd been made empty and turned into something else; as if her dream with Kore really had made her reborn. She walked hollowly; somehow went through the motions of being on Lord Exsil Vis' side. She'd made eye contact with Captain Coalette as she left the camp and headed to the North Gate; the woman knew what to do. So did Jester -- the night before Yarrow had given the girl further instructions.
She prayed the message to Ghia had gone through. Otherwise this venture, and the lives of her regiment, would all be over very quickly.
They walked along the outside of the wall that surrounded Atherton, heading west. Jules walked behind her; Lord Exsil Vis was to her right and his officer, Jason, walked behind him. It was the most mutually beneficial arrangement. It was a fairly short walk, so they had not taken their horses. That would have been more conspicuous to anyone who was watching from the castle, anyway, she and the lord of Voco had both agreed. Not that it really mattered, but she didn't tell him that.
Presently they reached the point where the Blood River flowed under the wall and through the castle, before being rerouted to go underground until it reached the South Gate, where it flowed under bridges that led out of the city and turned into the Three Sisters, three rivers no longer the red colour of their mother. Not that those bridges existed anymore; Lord Exsil Vis had bragged very loudly that he'd destroyed the entire South Gate with his war machines. Metal that was capable of making things explode; bombs, he'd called them. Yarrow almost didn't believe him, but she'd seen the destruction herself. The
broken stone of the bridges and walls had fallen into the river and obstructed it partially, destroying how nicely the rivers had been spaced and set up. She was sure it'd had some effect on the river under the city and through the castle; now, as they got ready for the next part, she noticed the new turbulence of the waters.
They took off their boots, mail, and weapons to store in oilcloth that they then strapped to their backs. She hoped it would hold for the swim they had to make.
Down to leather and linen, Yarrow stepped into the water first. It was icy, as it would continue to be until the solstice. She bore it silently and went until she was treading water by the wall.
Lord Exsil Vis followed, then their secondary officers. Whispering, Yarrow explained what awaited them. The wall went three metres down into the water, and was two metres thick. There was a tunnel underneath the wall that they could fit through. They had to swim that, break water silently on the other side, and continue to swim through the river in the exposed East Gardens until they reached where the water flowed into the castle. There Jules and Jason would leave to go open the gates to the castle and let the troops in while Yarrow and Lord Exsil Vis continued alone, through another swim almost as bad as the first -- two metres down and one across.
"I hope you have strong lungs, my lord," Yarrow said. Her only reply was his smile.
Taking a deep breath, Yarrow dove. She swam as fast as possible in the turbulent waters, heading straight down as a queenfisher struck for its prey. Her lungs were starting to burn as she reached the bottom. Quickly she swam underneath, not letting herself bob against the stone, which could catch her clothing. Kicking as hard as she could she swam for the end; spots danced in front of her eyes. Soon she broke free of the wall and let herself float upwards, kicking her legs to help her flight.
She broke the water's surface silently as possible and took deep breaths. I never want to do that again, she thought, and tried not to imagine the next swim. Soon Exsil Vis joined her, followed by their men. She signalled to be silent, and they followed her as she swam down the river till they reached the shadow of the castle. Here Jules and Jason left the water and quickly got dressed again; Yarrow nodded a farewell to her major-medic, sending a silent prayer to Bellona that he would not die by treachery.
She had no such hope for herself.
The next swim was easier, and they could break the water gasping. They were in the bowels of the castle; no one ever came down here, save to relight the torches that went out. There were yellow-orange pools of light on the water that moved with the ripples caused by their surfacing. She nodded in the direction they were to swim, where stairs came down into the water. Soon they reached them and got out; Yarrow was shivering, and she was sure not even the beastly man beside her was immune to the water's cold. As quickly as their freezing bodies would allow, they dressed and put their weapons on again, and headed up the long, curving staircase that would lead them to the end of the dungeons. Through there, they would go on, to the banquet hall, and then the kitchens, and the Elevator.
She would have lied, to keep him from ever reaching Zardria and Caelum. But there was no point; Lord Exsil Vis knew the castle very well.
I'll just have to be faster than he is.
Jules
2560 hours
He and Jason skirted the edges of the castle, keeping to the shadows, as they headed to open the gate. He hoped Yarrow had a plan, because he really didn't want to let Lord Exsil Vis' forces into the castle. He didn't know what she could have come up with, though, aside from the look she'd given Coalette. Had the two women talked? Or was it that form of communication exclusive to gender, which he'd had with his male comrades betimes?
He didn't know. He hoped it was the former. Less chance for miscommunication.
Soon the two men reached a servants' door in the wall between the East Gardens and the main entryway; not bothering to try and jimmy the lock he kicked the door down.
The place was deserted. The doors to the castle were closed, but more easily opened than the gates in the wall. The stables looked dark; the whole driveway was devoid of life. He looked nervously up at the battlements, hoping he wouldn't be hit with friendly fire when he and Jason ran to open the gate, but saw they were empty. Not a single sentry or soldier stood up there.
Mayhap Yarrow had gotten a message through. If she had, it could only mean one thing: his betrothed was alive.
Courage surged through him and settled the nervous beating of his heart. He and Jason flew to undo the lock on the gate. He ended up working on it alone, for he was better with undoing locks. When finally he heard the click he was about to breathe out in relief.
Then he felt the edge of Jason's cutlass against his throat.
Coalette
2570 hours
She was getting a mite nervous. Jules was supposed to be through already. Or had she misinterpreted the glance Yarrow had given her?
From her position close to the castle she surveyed the camp, trying not to let her nervousness show. Several members of the seraglio had come out, she saw, and were entertaining the men. All priestesses.
That was no change, except she hadn't expected it on the night they were to attack. Mayhap Lord Exsil Vis' men had different -- worse -- discipline from the regiments. They certainly had worse table manners.
She clamped her teeth together and started to walk the width of the Town Square, as casually as she could. When she came close to a lieutenant of hers, she asked the woman if she'd like to go for a walk. The woman nodded and the two of them walked together, so Coalette's pacing would be unnoticed.
Where in Tyvian was Jules?
Jules
2575 hours
His luck was unbelievable. As he'd tried to negotiate with Jason, to try and spare his life, the man had suddenly dropped the cutlass, saying nothing.
He'd turned to see the man had crumpled to his feet, unconscious, and the entire second regiment--first regiment now, he supposed, but Anala's regiment nonetheless -- behind him, ready for battle.
The captain who'd knocked Jason out nodded to him. "The Admiral said you'd be through. Glad we made it in time."
Jules almost laughed. "Yeah, me too."
The captain looked up, then, and Jules followed the man's gaze to the battlements. There was a sentry, he saw -- but unarmed. "We're to wait for the signal," he said, and Jules realised the sentry waited before a fire brazier.
"Signal of what?"
The man shrugged.
Yarrow
2580 hours
Somehow they reached the banquet hall without incident. The castle was strangely deserted. Yarrow hoped that meant what it was supposed to mean.
Stupidly, she let down her guard for a second, and it was when she heard the click behind her that she realised somehow Lord Exsil Vis had gotten his pistol through without getting the powder wet. How, she didn't know. Probably never would.
Automatically her hands went above her head in surrender as she slowly turned. They were the only two people in the banquet hall. He stood, his pistol aimed at her chest, with that smile on his face. She stood, defenceless and unable to do anything. She'd left her plate in her tent, unable to swim with it.
This is it, then. It all ends now. I hope Anala and the rest can finish it when I'm gone.
"Did you really think, Yarrow, that I would let you live? That I believed your alliance for a second?"
She shrugged slightly. "I suppose I'm just as foolish as my mother."
He laughed, but did not take his eyes off her. Before he could respond, a cry rent through the air.
"Daddy!"
Both bellica and lord turned to see a young girl, the spitting image of Lord Exsil Vis, standing by the kitchen entrance to the hall.
"Miranda," Lord Exsil Vis said, but did not sound happy. "Get out of here, girl. You're always underfoot."
The girl looked like she was about to cry, but instead pointed. "Behind you, father."
Lord Exsil Vis whirled to come face t
o face with a woman he'd murdered seventeen years before. "What," he gasped. "I killed you."
Yarrow took the chance given her. She leapt upon him and knocked him to the ground, hitting his pistol-holding hand to the floor with special viciousness. "Get the girl out of here," she said to her aunt, who was back far too damned early. Thadea nodded and ran. Yarrow didn't look; she knew the woman would get Miranda to safety.
On his back, she grabbed his hair and smashed his face into the floor; it had little effect, for the man merely laughed and tossed the bellica off. She landed on the ground hard, and tried to get up, but he was already on top of her. His pistol forgotten, Lord Exsil Vis engaged her in hand to hand combat. For a while they grappled on the floor, throwing punches and hoping they'd land. They rolled over a few times; soon he got her on the floor again and landed a few lucky punches. Dazed, Yarrow couldn't think. Blood ran down her face from her chin and forehead; her sight was blocked by a red haze. She felt hands close around her throat, and tried desperately to fight back, but she was too dizzy, and he was stronger than any opponent she'd faced before.
Coughing, gasping for air, she struggled madly. All she heard was his joyous laugh, and then everything went black.
Anala
2580 hours
The message from Yarrow had come late in the night; it was only at 2500 hours that Anala had received it from Ghia. It seemed Jester had tried most of the night to get the message through, without much success.
Once they knew what to do, Anala had flown into action; she was still settling her regiments and trying to get the castle ready for the battle ahead. She would not let them attack Lord Exsil Vis' troops until the regiments from Harbourtown were seen coming into town by a sentry; she wanted a victory, not a bloodbath.
Bellica Page 75