by Cheree Alsop
He nodded, his eyes kind and calm despite the battlefield frenzy around us. “Four of my men will go with you; take care of yourself.”
“You, too,” I said earnestly. I turned to go.
“Princess Kirit?”
I looked back to find the King still watching me. “Yes, Sir?”
The expression on his face surprised me. “You've done your country proud,” he said, putting a fist to his heart in salute. “I'm honored to follow you into battle.”
I opened my mouth, but couldn't think of a reply. He gave me a nod, then led his men toward the sound of battle. I took a deep breath to calm my pounding heart and ran up the stairs, the four soldiers following close behind.
It felt like a dream to run down the hallway with the clashing of swords and screams of agony echoing around us. The white marble and drifting moonlight lit the castle in eerie shadows that moved as we ran past and made me jump. But I knew our destination by heart and didn't falter. We surprised a nest of four Breizans which we dispatched swiftly, then I burst through the doors into Andric's quarters.
They were empty. I could feel it the second I walked in, but I searched anyway. Fresh blood stained the carpet by the fireplace and discarded bandages on a table. I bit my lip and turned back. “He's not here,” I said, faltering. He was supposed to be here. I had counted on that, survived on that; and now he was gone.
“He may be fighting with the troops below, Princess,” one of the older soldiers said gently.
I stared at him for a minute and willed my mind to work past the panic. He nodded encouragingly and I knew he was right. Andric would never leave his people to fend for themselves. No matter what shape he was in, he would be there fighting for them.
“Thank you,” I told him sincerely; I turned to face the door with my sword still drawn and stained with Breizan blood. “Let's go.”
We ran back down the first set of stairs, then I made a quick judgment call and took us along the other hallway so we would come through the back stairs instead of meeting the battle head on. The soldiers followed me without question, something I appreciated. There wasn’t time for second-guessing or doubt in the midst of battle. We cut through the few Breizans who stood on the stairs and stormed through to the bottom hallway and the heart of the fighting.
More Breizans than Antorans filled the wide hallway that fronted the safe room, and the Breizans were winning by sheer strength of numbers and ferocity. Wounded and dying Antorans lay everywhere. The floor glistened dark red and was littered with weapons and body parts. The metallic smell of blood washed over us as if we had stepped into a butcher's kitchen. Everywhere I looked, Breizans with bared teeth streaming blood tore apart the brave soldiers who dared to stand between them and the doorway.
Time slowed. I could see King Fasred and his men at the other end of the hall striving valiantly to fight through to the Antorans. Toward the middle, I saw Father, Rory, and Landis surrounded by their soldiers. Father had a gash across his forehead and Landis limped with Rory's help as they fought to protect each other and take out as many of the Breizans as they could.
I glanced toward the door in the middle of the hallway that led to the safe room and saw Jashe, Jesson, and Ayd. My heart stopped beating entirely.
Andric leaned against the door, his right hand clutched across his stomach while he fought mercilessly with his left. He parried a brutal blow from an axe and slid sideways across the door from the force of the attack. Red streaked the burnished wood behind him. The Breizan with the axe shrieked in rage and swung again. This time, Andric's sword flew from his hand. He fell behind the frenzied crowd that fought between us.
“No!” I screamed. I leaped off the stairs already swinging my sword before my feet touched the ground. Breizans rose up around me, but I only had eyes for the last place Andric had been. My attacks brought me closer and closer to him, and though I barely knew it, the four soldiers kept pace behind me and protected my back.
I reached the middle of the hallway, then couldn’t make any more progress toward Andric and the others. There were just too many Breizans. Despite the skill with which we fought, the savage horde beat us back by strength of numbers.
I heard a yell of agony and my heart slowed when I recognized Captain Rurisk's voice. I turned toward it and gasped when a slice of fire ran up my arm. I thrust quickly and stopped my attacker before he could land another one. My arm throbbed, but I couldn't feel any pain through the adrenaline that pounded in my veins.
A grunt came from behind me and I turned again. One of the four soldiers that had stayed faithfully beside me clutched at his shoulder, his sword arm useless. The Breizan that attacked him grinned fiercely, his sharp teeth edged with red. He slashed again and cut deep into the soldier's leg. I looked around wildly. The other three soldiers fought to defend us from a rush of Breizans storming down the stairs. The Breizan near the soldier raised his sword to finish the soldier's life; a gleam of wild excitement glittered in the Breizan’s eyes.
I pushed my own attacker to the side and lunged in front of the soldier, catching the full brunt of the blade's blow with my sword. My arm went numb, but I managed to throw the blade away with a turn of my wrist. The Breizan looked shocked, then angry. He snarled and prepared to leap at me, but I stopped him with a quick slash across the neck in a move that had been drilled into my by Andric’s training. The Breizan gasped and collapsed with his hands at his throat.
I threw the soldier's arm around my shoulder, heedless of the blood that stained us both. “We need to fall back,” I yelled above the clamor. The other three soldiers nodded in acknowledgment and began backing toward us. The wounded soldier and I did our best to clear a path so that our backs could be against the wall for better defense.
I barely missed a swipe at my stomach, then lunged and my blade sunk deep into a Breizan's chest. He grabbed at the sword, but I yanked it free and spun, chopping off his head. I fought to keep the contents of my stomach in place, afraid one moment of weakness would be my last. But as I took a quick glance around the hall, I knew the truth. We were losing this battle, and losing it quickly. If something didn't change, the Antorans behind the door would be easy prey for the bloodthirsty horde.
I looked around desperately, searching for something, anything, that could help us. My search came up empty and I fought down the despair that rose in my throat. Everywhere I looked, soldiers fell to the ground. Antorans were scarce; their bonded animals fought valiantly but were scattered through the room.
My thoughts suddenly cleared with one single idea that sounded sharply above the chaos. We had to take what made Antor different and use it to defend itself. “I need a second,” I shouted to the soldiers. They didn't ask questions, they merely closed in the space so that I stood against the wall, protected by four blades against the onslaught.
I didn't know what I was doing, or if it was even possible, but I knew I had to try. My heart hammered in my chest. I closed my eyes and reached out. At first, my thoughts wandered tentatively through the room. I touched the minds of the animals there, but shied away from the angry, mindless roar that made up the black thoughts of the Breizans. I felt a few of the animals and their bonded humans look over at me in surprise. I ignored them and pushed farther.
Suddenly, it was as though the battle fury caught my thoughts like wildfire. I saw the main floor of the castle, then out the door to the bloody courtyard where battles were still being fought. I made it out into the city, but that wasn't far enough. My limbs started to shake, but I pushed again and gave all my energy to it.
Minds awoke, reached out, and embraced my thoughts. Animals of all kinds and a few bonded humans living outside the city heard me. “Help us,” I pleaded. “Antor is under attack.”
A yell sounded close to me and the sound of it echoed in my mind. Something shoved me hard against the wall and the connection broke. I opened my eyes with a gasp; a wave of nausea flooded through me. I turned my head in an effort to staunch the feeling and looked i
nto the glazed eyes of one of the soldiers who had fought beside me and defended me when I was at my weakest. A spear stuck straight through his body and into the wall. The soldier’s effort to push me away and save my life was what had broken my concentration.
Tears welled up in my eyes, tears of rage, frustration, fear, and anger at the hopelessness of the battle we fought. I yelled wordlessly and leaped at the Breizan that stood admiring his proficient kill. He kicked out before I could reach him and caught me in the ribs just below my sword arm. I rolled along the ground, aware enough through the blind fury that filled me to keep my sword up so I didn't roll over it.
I couldn't feel the cracked ribs when I leaped back to my feet and dove at him before he could get set. We fell into three more Breizans fighting a desperate Antoran soldier. Ready for the distraction, the Antoran dispatched them quickly, then turned and helped me with mine.
My chest heaving, I looked closer at him. “Ayd!”
He pushed a strand of sweat-damp blond hair out of his eyes, leaving a streak of blood across his forehead. “Hello, Princess Kit,” he said with a quick bow and then a slice at a Breizan to my right. “I'm surprised you've joined us.”
“Don't think we'll be here very long,” I said quickly. I turned to catch another Breizan in the chest before he could take a slice at me.
“Death in battle is a warrior's fate,” he replied.
Despite the fighting around us, I was surprised to hear the bitterness of his tone. I had never heard Ayd be anything but positive, and somehow that made me even angrier. I let out a growl that would have made Bayn proud and, with a crouching spin, sliced behind the knees of the Breizan Ayd battled. He fell backward with a howl of pain. “Living through it would be better,” I said through my teeth.
Ayd nodded, his eyes full of pain. He grabbed my arm before we could be attacked again. “Give Nyssa my love.”
I shook my head. “Give her it yourself. We're going to make it through this.”
He shrugged helplessly, indicating another swarm of Breizans coming down the stairs on either end of the hallway. “How?”
I gritted my teeth against the prickle of tears and refused to let them come. “I don't know.” I ran forward to help one of the soldiers when a massive rumble sounded above us.
I looked up in time to see three huge bears gallop down the stairway battering Breizans out of the way like they were saplings. Behind them, four elk thundered down the stairs with their antlers held low. Breizans screamed as they were skewered and thrown aside with a shake of the animals' heads. More animals poured down the other side led by two massive moose with several of Drade's horses behind them. Hawks and eagles flew low overhead, diving down to peck and claw at the faces of the Breizans who attempted to attack the animals. Several ferrets wove between hooves and feet and bit at unprotected legs.
Bayn gave a deep howl; a quiver ran through the room when it was answered in force from above before more than a dozen wolves loped down the stairs. Rush flew past and showed me with a brush of his wing across my cheek that the courtyard was full of animals fighting to defend Antor.
Hope hit me and the thread of energy that I was holding onto, the very last bit left from my contact with the animals, left me as though it had been cut through. I fell back against the wall and slid down it, willing my grip on my sword to stay true.
I didn't have to worry. At the first sign of my exhausted state, Ayd and the two remaining soldiers moved to protect me. I could see brief glimpses of the fight through their legs, but it was already dying down. The animals were swift and merciless in their execution; they flowed down the stairs until the hall was filled with more four-footed creatures than two. I watched them in a daze, unable to do more than stare when a wolf brought a Breizan down in front of Ayd’s feet and the life blood spilled from his throat.
“Kit,” someone shook me gently. “Princess, it's over.”
I opened my eyes slowly. My head pounded. I put my hand to it and pushed myself up slowly with my back against the wall. I willed my knees to hold and stood still for several seconds. Then I blinked and looked around.
Ayd stared at me anxiously, three soldiers with him. I was glad to see that the two remaining soldiers who had come down the stairs with me were still alive. They both gave respectful nods. I smiled back at them wearily.
“You were right,” Ayd said with a grin. “We made it!”
Everything flooded back in a rush. “Andric?” I asked. I pushed away from the wall and stumbled toward the door where I had last seen him. Ayd caught me before I could fall and pulled one of my arms over his shoulders.
A crowd of Antorans and soldiers circled the door. Ayd helped me push through it. People saw who we were and gave way. A lone figure sat against the door, his head on his knees and his knuckles stained red. His brown hair was tangled and matted with blood.
I let go of Ayd and fell to my knees. Weariness flooded my entire body; I struggled to remain alert. “Andric?” I forced out.
He raised his head and his brown eyes stared straight into mine. “Kit?” he asked in soft disbelief.
I nodded, a small smile coming to my lips.
His eyes creased at the corners. “I heard you, but I thought it was in my mind.” He rubbed his eyes with a blood-stained hand.
“It was in your mind,” a voice said.
I looked over to see Drade step forward from the crowd. He bent down and gently lifted one of Andric's arms over his shoulder. “She called to them, all of them.”
“Who?” Andric asked weakly. He winced and held his side with one hand as he was helped to his feet.
“The animals,” Drade said. He met my eyes, his expression one of awe. “She called them to help us.”
Strong hands slid under my arms and legs and lifted me up as though I weighed less than a sack of flour. “You wielded that sword true, Princess,” Smithy Hensas said with a hearty chuckle that was touched with relief. “No one could have done it better justice.”
“No other sword would have held up so well,” I replied sincerely. I still held it in my hand. I wasn't willing to put it away just yet. The blade was covered in blood and had a few nicks along one side. “I've damaged it.”
The Smithy grinned. “It's fixable, as is the city. We’ll recover from this battle.”
“With as much help as you need,” Father's voice said from behind us.
Smithy Hensas turned and Father’s face fell when he saw who was in the burly man's arms. “Kit?” He ran forward.
“I'm alright, Father,” I said. The Smith lowered me down so I could stand. I wobbled a bit. Father reached forward to steady me, his eyes anxious. “Really, I'm fine,” I reassured him. “Just tired.”
I looked back at Andric and saw that he, too, was weaving where he stood. Several soldiers stood around us in various degrees of injury. “Has anyone seen Jesson?” I asked.
Several members of the group chuckled. “He'll be very busy,” Drade replied.
Prince Andric took a deep breath and let go of the Horsemaster so that he stood by his own power. He lifted his chin, his eyes catching the light with a faint glimmer of his confident self. “Jashe, Drade, divide the company into two halves.” His voice strengthened. ”One half to help the injured to the great hall and the other half to gather the dead from all sides. We'll burn the Breizans outside the eastern wall so the wind can carry their ashes to sea where they belong.”
“And the others?” Jashe asked.
Andric's eyes were full of sorrow when he looked back at the door behind him. I gasped when I saw Falen's still body there, a slain wolf by his side. “We'll help their families bury them. Antor is a country in mourning.”
Chapter 29
Despite my protests, Father and Andric saw to it that I went directly to the Great Hall to get checked out. I felt like a little girl being hustled about and made a fuss of, but my loved ones were safe and that was all that mattered. Rory, King Fasred, and Landis found us there. I must have looked worse
that I thought by the glances they exchanged.
King Fasred sat on the edge of my cot where I waited for one of Jesson's assistants. I wasn't in a hurry because there were so many others with wounds far more serious than my own, Andric's included. The Antoran Prince stubbornly insisted that he wait for the others to be cared for first; he was too busy helping the Antorans from the safe room to worry about getting patched up.
“I've never seen anyone fight the way you did,” Landis’ father said with a smile.
“The Antorans are good teachers,” I replied. Captain Rurisk and I exchanged hidden smiles from his cot a row away where he was having a nasty slash across his ribs stitched.
“Well, your bravery and willingness to put others above yourself is outstanding. You'd make a fine leader.”
I smiled at him. “I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it.”
Rory laughed and squeezed my shoulder. “Maybe I'll step down and give you the position.”
I punched at him playfully, then winced at the twinge in my ribs. “Don't you dare. I'm not leadership material.”
“I'd argue against that,” Father said, his voice funny. I looked back at him and he shrugged. “Who would have thought my little girl was so dangerous?”
“I did,” Landis said. We all looked at him and he grinned. “The first time she danced with Trevin, I knew we were in trouble.”
Everyone laughed, and I blushed at the memory. A wave of weariness swept through me again and I settled back on the bed. Father knelt next to me. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
I nodded, fighting to keep my eyes open. “Just tired, really, really tired.”
Father patted my hand. “Sleep, darling. We'll help out with the others and be back before the healer gets here.”
I nodded, but watched him and Rory with a slight twinge of worry.