Trina was upon him within seconds decapitating him with two swift blows on each side of his neck. There was a roar behind me followed by a clang of metal, turning I saw Michael panting with the effort of holding off the growing group of men before him. I spurred the horse forward as he deflected a blow from his opponent, only to be stopped by Trina.
“No. He can look after himself. We have to get out of here!”
I grasped her arm helping her as she swung up into the saddle in front of me.
“Head towards the river then keep going straight, I will hold them off as long as I can than come after you. Now go!” screamed Michael ducking to avoid another blow and swinging at his attacker with a sword in each hand.
With one flick of the reins, Trina had the horse racing through the trees. It was only when the sounds of clashing metal and screams ceased, did we slow our pace.
A sour taste warned me that I was going to be sick, sliding down from the saddle I emptied my stomach into the undergrowth. When I was sure there was nothing left to come up, I kicked dirt over the mess and spat to rid my mouth of the taste.
“Are you ok?” Trina asked helping me back up behind her.
“Yeh, but we have to go back. He can’t face all those men by himself.” I said my hands trembling slightly as I gripped Trina’s waist and we moved off again.
“He will be fine. He is a trained warrior and will not stay longer than he needs to.”
I glanced back hoping to see him dashing up to us through the trees but all that I saw were a flock of startled birds swooping through the canopy.
We rode in silence until we reached the river where I thankfully rinsed my mouth and washed the blood from my skin. It was growing dark so we found a dry area that was blocked from the view of the rough animal track we had been following. As soon as Trina had the fire going we both headed to the river to wash the blood from our skin. I hissed when the cold water hit the sores on my feet but the pain was quickly replaced by numbness as the water adopted a red hue as the blood washed from our bodies. Once we were dry I helped Trina to wrap her wounds in strips of cloth torn from one of my petticoats before re-bandaging my own feet.
The forest seemed full of life as we lay down to rest. There where insects clicking by my head, owls swooping over head, and scrapings of night animals hunting for food. But all that I could think of was whether or not Michael had made it out alive. A tear streaked down my cheek before I hurriedly wiped it way forcing the images of him lying on the ground covered in blood from my mind.
Trina sat above me in the branches of a large tree looking back the way that we had come. We had agreed to take turns keeping watch for the soldiers during the night. I didn’t protest when she offered to take the first watch
I slept soundly knowing that my friends were watching over me but couldn’t stop the flashes of Michael’s dead, blank, staring eyes from my dreams. At one point I awoke to see a ghostly figure glide beneath the trees around the fire, but passed it up as a trick of the light.
It was morning when I woke again. I felt bad for not relieving Trina during the night but when I sat up I found that she had gone from her post and had left a small amount of cooked meat for me to eat. She returned just as I finished eating.
“You should have woken me last night, it wasn’t fair for you to miss out on rest on my account.”
“You needed to sleep, and besides, we don’t need as much sleep as humans do.”
It was odd to hear her talking about them and us like that, when only two days ago I didn’t even know that ‘they’ existed.
“So where have you been? I was worried.” I asked.
“I went to find a place where I could see further back into the forest. I couldn’t see the army though,” she added as she walked around the fire and begun strapping the horse’s saddle on.
“And Michael?” I asked, knowing what her answer was going to be.
“No sign.” She muttered tightening the straps.
We waded across the river, as it was too deep for the horse to carry us. This meant that on top of my bruises from yesterdays fight, my clothing became caked with mud from crawling up the muddy bank.
To take my mind off things Trina let me direct the horse for most of the day which was a good way to take my mind off more unpleasant thoughts. We stopped more than Trina would have liked, but I wanted to give Michael a chance to catch up. I didn’t tell Trina this or she wouldn’t have allowed the rest stops. I kept expecting him to burst out of the forest at any moment laughing and happy, to tell me that it was all going to be ok. But no matter how long we rode for, we never saw or heard any sign of him.
I was sore and stiff by the time the sun begun sink behind the hills. The forest was un-nerving me with its vastness and more so in the last hours of the day, its lack of wildlife. Shadows turned into wielding killers and rustlings became spears whistling through the trees.
“Trina?”
“Yeh Lill?”
“Why is the forest turned so quiet? It’s unnerving.”
“Mmm I noticed that too, I guess the animals were scared away by the fighting, the smell of blood spooks them a bit.” She said as she guided the horse around a tree stump. She had taken the reins from me when the trees had become denser and harder to find a path through.
“I wish they would come back, I…”
An arrow hissed past my head so close that I could feel the feathers that guided its tail catch my hair as it passed.
Trina didn’t flinch. She dug her heels into the horse’s side, driving it forwards at a break neck speed. More arrows flew through the air, luckily for us the shooter seemed to be a very poor marks man, either that or the aim was not to actually hit us. The later more troubling than the first
We dodged trees left and right. Up ahead I could see a clearing approaching fast. We burst through the trees then came to a halt so fast that I was thrown from the saddle, landing sprawled on the ground the air knocked out of my lungs. I had learnt enough in the past few days to know that my life may depend on how fast I regained my feet.
Before I could straighten, a harsh voice cut through the clearing, sharp and piercing. I straightened and tried to catch my breath. We were surrounded by a band of women with a smattering of men perched on low branches above us.
“Lilly stand back,” said Trina dismounting and drawing her dagger from her belt.
“No.” I said throwing out an arm to stop her.
She stopped but didn’t take her eyes off the lady directly in front of her who seemed to be the head of the group.
I drew my own dagger which had reduced back to its original size directly after the battle. I stepped forwards and lay the blade in the grass before stepping back beside Trina.
The head lady gave the faintest hint of a smile before unstringing her bow and likewise laying it before me.
“Child, it seems we have made a mistake, will you forgive us?” she said her voice now low and soothing.
“Lady, you where only doing what you thought was right and for that you can do no wrong.” I replied.
Trina was still looking at this mysterious stranger but had replaced her dagger in a sign of faith.
“I am the Lady Isha, leader of the Falorna clan.” Isha gestured to the people standing around her.
“It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Isha. I am Lilly and this is my friend Trina.” Trina inclined her head as greeting. Many of the gathered clan members lowered their weapons, only those around their leader stayed in attack pose.
“My child, correct me if I am wrong, but are you also known as Amaris?”
“Yeh, that is my birth name, but how did you know that?”
“I was a friend of your fathers. I guessed who you were by the way you behaved just now. I guess that it was your father that told you about our trust symbol? Guessing by the look that you just made, you did not know what it was that you where doing at the time.
“But come, you must be tired from your journey. Marisha, please take
our guests to the springs so that they can wash and rest”
A young lady dressed in pale green, descended from the trees and gestured for us to follow her.
I felt calm around these people and I trusted Isha without knowing exactly why, so followed the girl as she led us through the clearing to an area that was encircled with blackberry bushes. Without pausing, she continued through them as though they didn’t exist. Trina followed close behind her and both where soon deep within the thorny bushes. Taking a deep breath I stepped forwards to find that rather than a thicket of branches, I was met with an odd tingling feeling around my legs and midriff.
“It is enchanted to allow those that have honest intentions to the forest to pass without injury,” Marisha said as they paused to allow me to catch up.
We wove our way through to the centre of the thicket to find a city of beautiful emerald tents set up, each large enough to comfortably sleep 10 or more.
We were led off to one side where a screen of ivy was pulled back to reveal a bubbling hot spring. Marisha left us to bathe, letting the ivy fall back behind her.
The waters smelled strongly of sulphur but once I was in I became too relaxed to care. On the far bank there was a bottle of a sweet smelling liquid that we used to wash the dirt from our skin and hair.
After an hour we were collected and led off in separate directions to where we would sleep that night. I was sorry to see Trina go and was about to ask if we could stay together, but Trina proceeded with her guide, saying that she would find me later when she was rested.
Clothes had been laid out for me when I arrived at my tent. I slipped the green dress over my head savouring its silky feel. The fabric was light and cool against my skin, flowing freely around my legs. It was shorter than any dress I had ever worn, coming to just above my knees. I fastened my Dagger around my waist- no longer feeling the need to hide it- and lay down on a pile of multi coloured silk cushions in the corner. A different young girl with short red hair came in with a bottle of ointment for my blisters and many cuts and scratches. Once the cream was applied i was shocked to find that many of the smaller cuts healed almost instantly whilst the rest stopped aching and begun to heal as I watched. Once the girl left I found that although my mind was alert still my body would take no more and I fell to the pillows so fast that it was almost a faint.
Chapter 13
When I awoke, it was to the sounds of hurried footsteps outside the tent. I lay on the cushions listening for a moment, when Marisha hurried in through the doorway.
“Miss? Isha needs you in the clearing immediately.”
I ran bare foot behind her, pleased to see that only pink skin showed where red broken skin had on my feet. She led me back to the clearing where I found that there were twice the number of people in the surrounding trees, all with their bows drawn, looking back into the forest.
“What’s happening?” I asked, coming to stand beside Lady Isha.
“Good, you’re here. My scouts informed me that a warrior approaches at great speeds though the forest. Do you know who it might be? We need to know if he is a friend before he gets too close.”
“We didn’t see anyone besides Lady Cassandra’s army on our way here. From what we saw they were travelling in a group, I don’t think that one would have gone off alone.”
“Yes that is what I thought. Yes Gialo what news do you bring,” she addressed the man that had appeared, kneeling, in front of her.
“The warrior is alone as we had earlier seen. He runs as fast as an elf, yet has the appearance of a human fighter. He holds a sword crafted for the Ladies army but is not wearing any armour.”
“Very well, send orders to attack if he approaches the clearing.”
The man gave a swift bow before dashing back into the trees.
The feeling in the clearing was tense. No one spoke or shifted from their position. Moments later I heard the sound of the undergrowth being trampled beneath running feet.
“He’s getting close,” I said more to myself than to anyone else. Lady Isha turned and looked at me for a moment before signalling to the people in the trees. They adjusted their positions slightly and pulled back on their bows.
A faint shape was approaching fast through the trees in front of us. He did indeed run fast, in long gliding strides carrying him effortlessly through the undergrowth. He was slightly lopsided, wounded on one side probably.
He clutched a sword in his right hand. It looked large and cumbersome but he carried in such a way that it didn’t slow him even a little. A shaft of light hit his face as he ran through a small clearing.
“Wait, its Michael!” I yelled at the surrounding warriors.
“What,” said the Lady “Michael did you say, is he elf born?”
“Yes and he is my friend, please don’t fire!”
“Comrades, lower your weapons and prepare to flee. This man is not to be challenged, am I understood!”
“What’s wrong?” I asked confused as to why the Lady suddenly looked more frightened upon the news that it was a friend and not some bloodthirsty fiend.
“If it is the same Michael as I think, than we may be in more danger than before. He is a master swordsman and is capable of cutting down half of the warriors you see here before you within minutes.”
Michael was only metres from the clearing when he tensed and raised his sword darting to the left and coming up behind one of the guards with inhuman speed.
“Michael No, Stop!” his sword only inches from the mans neck.
I ran forwards and pulled the man out from beneath the blade, where upon he immediately retreated back to the far side of the clearing to Ishas’ side.
“It’s alright Michael,” I said coming up in front of him.
He looked at me for a long moment than dropped the sword and stagged into a tree.
“Lilly, your, your alright?” His face was white as a sheet, a stark contrast against the blood soaked red of his shirt.
“Its ok, I’ve got you, you’re ok.” I pulled his arm up around my shoulder and half carried, half dragged him through the clearing. The lady stepped silently aside as I passed through the crowd of warriors that had gathered around her.
“I need bandages and water to dress his wounds then clean clothing and food for when he recovers. He will sleep in my tent tonight,” I ordered rather than asked.
Several people bowed and dashed off through the camp returning minutes later with baskets laden with food and cloth.
Michael allowed himself to be guided into the tent where he collapsed onto the pillows. He lay, barely conscious as I stripped his shirt and trousers, and washed the blood from his skin.
After dressing a deep gash in his shoulder and several other smaller wounds, I wet his cracked lips than he finally gave in to exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.
I kept watch over his bed as he slept, occasionally wiping the sweat from his brow. His eyes flickered under his eyelids in fitful dream through the night. I was dimly aware of the two guards the lady had posted out side the tent, talking in whispers.
“I don’t know why we do not simply rush in and kill him whilst he sleeps!” said one.
“Are you insane?” said the other. “He would probably wake up and rip your head off before you could raise your sword, and besides, we have strict orders not to cause the girl any harm and she would not let us within metres of him. Did you not see the fire in her eyes in the clearing? Half the men there were just as afraid of her as him.”
Their voices drifted off at that point leaving me to wonder what else Michael was hiding. After all, all I knew about him was what he had told me, who knows who he really was.
I looked down into his face trying to see him as the guards did. All I found was the same smooth skin and soft lips that I had seen the first time I met him. I brushed a dark curl off his face and knew that he was no danger to me. If he had not told me something, than he did it for my safety, not his.
His fever broke in the early hours of th
e morning. Trina dropped by not long after sunrise to check on us. She told me that Isha wanted to speak with me when I was ready, then left to meet with her herself.
I found that although I was tired from staying up all night, I did not feel like sleeping. So when I felt sure that Michael was in no more danger, I relieved the guards and selected two older women to watch the tent before going to see Isha.
Her tent was identical to those around her; I only found it because of the four guards posted at its entrance.
The flap was opened as I arrived and I was ushered inside where Isha and Trina hunched over a table studying a map of the country. They both looked up when I entered.
“How’s Michael?” Trina asked.
“He’ll live. What are you two doing?” I asked.
“We were just working out the best, and safest, way to Tisăndor, the elvan city,” she added seeing the look on my face. “The problem is that if we try and get out by foot the Lady is sure to follow us and learn the location of the city.”
I walked over to see the map better, it was a beautiful map, not at all like the road maps mum had. This one looked like it was hand drawn. It was oddly realistic with each area being coloured in true colours and the mountains slightly raised out of the paper to show their height. Thinking about mum sent a prang of fear in my gut, so I pushed it aside. If I thought about it, it would only distract me, and I needed all my concentration to keep up with the masses of information I had to absorb.
“So where are we, and where are we going?” I asked.
Trina traced the most direct path for me to see, than went on to explain all possible routes that we could take, and why we couldn’t take others.
“What I don’t understand,” I said after Isha and Trina had rejected yet another route. “Is how you expect us to march the entire clan halfway across the country without being seen, and with enough supplies to last us the journey, which by the looks of it will take us several months.”
“It shouldn’t take us more than 2 or 3 days if the weather holds up, and we don’t run into any trouble,” Isha said rounding the table to inspect another route.
Bladed Wings Page 11