Warrior

by Michelle Magly

  “I’m a seer,” Alina finished. “With no official training and no right to the throne by Osota law.”

  Senri’s thoughts stopped in their tracks. Seer rulers had been banned ages ago. Alina was by all accounts a criminal, but had she truly done anything wrong?

  “So, so you see how all this ends,” said Senri. “You see that we are successful negotiating with the dragons.” Even as she spoke, Alina shook her head.

  “I see only fragments.” Alina pulled her tunic back into place and slipped her armor on once more. “I saw war. I saw Lord Demek lead our kingdom to ruin and enslavement. What we are doing here is the work of careful thought. I believe this is the best chance we have to change course. Lord Demek offers only death. I am trying to give Osota a fighting chance.”

  Senri fought the urge to panic. So she doesn’t know how this turns out. She had promised their safety before leaving the capital.

  “You’ve seen war, then,” Senri said.

  “I have.” Alina stooped and picked up her cloak and shook the snow off it.

  “What else have you seen?”

  “Not much else.” She retied the cloak. “I do...know things, however, more from wit than anything else.” Alina clenched her hands together and avoided eye contact with Senri. “The assassin you stopped,” she said. She looked like she wanted to say more.

  Senri nodded. “Yes, the assassin…”

  “I may have known something.” Alina’s voice wavered. “I may have known he would come for me.” Her eyes found Senri’s.

  Senri blinked. “What?”

  Alina looked away again. She crossed her arms and held herself. “I knew the opposition would send someone to assassinate me after you and the other Warriors found the encampment.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I copied the location from a Councilor’s map. I knew he was planning something. I needed to find out what.” Alina’s voice began to strain.

  “So...so you sent us into danger like that without—”

  “No!” said Alina. She shook her head. “Never. I never knew what to find there. I thought if there were anything dangerous you would turn around and report it immediately. I never imagined—”

  “No, I guess you didn’t,” said Senri. Senri’s hands clenched into fists. “Well, I’ll go get Lanan and the others, and you can tell them sorry too, that you didn’t mean for us to be tortured or abused—”

  “I didn’t,” cried Alina. She looked to be on the verge of tears. Senri did not care. The fear in Lanan’s eyes when they found her and the scars across Yahn’s back from the whip filled her mind. Alina stepped closer. “I never meant for you to go on that mission.”

  “Oh, so it’s okay if someone else was captured?”

  “Of course not. Senri, I’m sorry. I don’t want people putting their lives in danger for me!”

  “Well, we are,” yelled Senri. She gestured to the mountains around them. “We’re going to keep putting our lives in danger for you, too. But do you know what makes it acceptable? Knowing that you’re honest with us about the risks involved. We’re not puppets, we’re people!”

  Tears streamed down Alina’s face. “Senri. Senri, please. It hurt me so much when you attacked that assassin. The thought that you could have been killed...”

  “Maybe you should have told me then,” said Senri. “What if I wasn’t fast enough? You could have died.” This thought hurt Senri the most, that Alina had withheld information threatening her own life. The princess cried quietly, her shoulders shaking. Senri wanted to hold her and storm away at the same time. She had always assumed Alina would not lie to her, would not use her in a game. “Is there anything else you lied about, huh? Is there an army of western troops waiting over this ridge?”

  Alina shook her head. She mouthed the word ‘no’ through the sobs.

  Senri frowned. That small part inside her still wanted to hold Alina close and whisper she was sorry for yelling, that she cared deeply for Alina, and that she had lost her temper in a stupid, childish manner. She wanted to tell her she didn’t care Alina was a seer, that she wanted to be with her until whatever parted them, but anger snuffed that part out. The wind whipped her face. Cold seeped into her muscles, hunger gnawed at her stomach, dirt grimed her armor and skin. And it was all Alina’s idea that they be out here, marching to their deaths most likely. Senri looked away. “I’m going back to camp.” She walked away, trying to fight her own urge to break down and cry while Alina held herself and sobbed.

  Chapter Nineteen

  THEY SLEPT IN A collective hovel Lanan sculpted from the snow. They built up a fire in the center of the room and Lanan built thick, encompassing walls of snow with a hole in the top to let the smoke out. Alina asked her about the intelligence of this decision and Lanan explained, “It will insulate us better while giving us the opportunity to combine everyone’s body heat.” She winked at Alina. “Though I’m sure you and Senri have been doing a good job at that already.”

  Alina crossed her arms and shrugged. “Actually, we’ve had a...disagreement recently.”

  “Oh?” asked Lanan. She looked from Alina over to Senri who sulked on the other side of the ice hovel. “Oh. Well, would you like to talk about it?”

  Alina nodded and the two sat down on an oiled blanket keeping the water at bay. “I told Senri about some...decisions I had to make while back in the capital and she was not very fond of them.” During their travel, Alina and Lanan had exchanged a few brief conversations with one another, and before that she had often spotted Lanan speaking with Nin when they thought no one else was around, but the companionship she felt came from their shared struggles during the last week more than anything else.

  Lanan nodded and leaned back. “Did she have a right to be upset?”

  “I…well, at the time I thought it was the only way I could protect Osota.”

  “So your actions were for the good of everyone?” Lanan rested her chin in her hand and stared at Alina.

  Alina had never thought Lanan to be the sensible one of the bunch, but her calm reasoning proved otherwise. “They were. Everything I’ve done has been in hopes of saving my people. I may have endangered myself, and though I was not aware, I endangered some Warriors…”

  “But you did not know you were hurting them?” Lanan asked.

  Alina shook her head. She remembered how angry she had been with Nin for sending out the young recruits. “No. Though I did knowingly put myself at risk.”

  Lanan smiled and pointed at her. “There’s your problem.”

  “But we’re at risk every day on this mountainside!”

  Lanan nodded. “Yes, but Senri is aware of the dangers here. I’m guessing whatever you two are fighting about is some risk you took she was unaware of.”

  “And why aren’t you mad?” Alina asked.

  “Hindsight makes everything clear.” Lanan shook her head. “I’ve also lived a little more than Senri has. Life is too short to get caught up in the should-haves. She’ll see that.”

  Alina sighed and leaned back against a pile of equipment. Her throat felt tight. “But what if she doesn’t forgive me in time?”

  Lanan placed a hand on Alina’s shoulder. “She will,” she said. “Just give her a day or two.” Lanan withdrew and Alina sighed. She glanced across the hovel again. While everyone else sat huddled near the fire, Senri leaned on the opposite wall. Even as she stared, Senri raised her gaze and caught her eye for a moment before looking down.

  “You see?” said Lanan. “She’s been doing that all night.”

  Still, it took two days for Senri to approach her. They had settled down for the evening and Alina had retired early. She lay under her layer of blankets, shivering against the cold. It had been much more difficult to sleep without Senri holding her, despite having others pressed against her in the small shelter. Not only did the loss of Senri’s warmth make things difficult, but calming her thoughts proved nearly impossible. She jumped when she felt someone kneel down behind her.


  “Could I join you?”

  She rolled over and saw Senri sitting beside her. She appeared to have a blank expression, though her eyes held a look, regret, perhaps? Alina pulled back the blanket a little and moved to the side.

  “If you wish,” she said.

  Senri lay on her back and Alina settled in close to her just like they had been doing before the fight. She sighed, content with the warmth.

  “Better?” Senri asked.

  “Yes.” Alina nuzzled into Senri’s neck. She inhaled the familiar scent of sweat and wood smoke. She had missed it more than she realized. They lay there quietly while everyone else muttered their goodnights. Senri wrapped an arm around her. She rested her hand on Senri’s stomach. “I’m sorry.”

  She listened to Senri’s breathing for several moments before she heard her say, “I am, too.”

  Alina moved into a sitting position and looked down at Senri. Alina’s brow furrowed. Senri did not look tired at all. “Will you walk with me?” Alina asked.

  Senri nodded and they both stood, though Alina kept the blankets wrapped around herself. Senri grabbed her sword and sheath and strapped it to her waist. She told Yahn they were heading out and they both ducked out through the small entrance. They took off around the back end of the hovel, to a small clearing where the horses stood under blankets. Alina hitched her own blanket up higher and took Senri’s hand. They walked until they reached the start of the next rise. It started snowing again. Light, small flakes drifted down on them. Alina looked up, the white crystals kissing her cheeks.

  “I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” said Senri.

  “I shouldn’t have deceived you.” Alina eyed the Warrior, took her other hand and held them both. Senri’s warm fingers felt so good intertwined with her own. She watched the small flakes land on Senri’s skin and melt away. “It was the most frightening thing in the world, watching you almost kill that man,” Alina said.

  “You mean the assassin.”

  “It was still terrifying. I mean, I never once feared for my own life or yours, but watching you kill for me made me realize how much power I really have.”

  Senri half-smiled. “A whole kingdom’s worth.”

  Alina nodded. Her thumbs stroked the backs of Senri’s hands. “I first saw you in a vision, you know, I was struck by your gaze, I think. You seemed so serious. Then I saw you on the archery field. I knew then that our futures would cross paths more than once.”

  She remembered the more intense, private visions. Were they visions or fantasies? She just knew all of them had involved Senri and all of them had been incredibly sensual. Please, Almighty, let them be true.

  She breathed in. “I know you were absolutely terrified at the thought of being attracted to me. At first, I thought it was merely physical attraction. But you are so much more than that. I could spend all night listing your qualities, but I think what I admire most is your desire to help, and not just because I’m the heir to the throne.” Alina paused. Her heart raced like it had never done so before. She feared for a moment that a vision might overtake her. “You devoted yourself to this because you thought it was the right thing to do.”

  “It is the right thing,” said Senri.

  “I know.” Alina blinked snowflakes out of her eyes. Neither met each other’s gaze. Instead, they started walking again, hand-in-hand. Alina looked around the mountainside. Snow drifts lay everywhere, yet the night felt comfortable, the snowflakes more like soft touches rather than stinging needles. A faint beam of moonlight penetrated the clouds and lit the landscape. It made Alina smile. “I don’t think I’ve been on such a lovely moonlit walk before.”

  Senri laughed. “The one back in the village did not count?”

  Alina squeezed her hand. “That felt more like an escort, this is a proper stroll.”

  “You’ve missed out on quite a bit,” said Senri.

  “Oh.” Alina smiled as the thought ran through her head. “I’m a little more experienced than you would think.”

  She refrained from laughing as she felt Senri’s grip on her hand go lax for a moment. As far as her and Senri had come, she did not think she would ever tire of making Senri blush or stumble. She waited for Senri to say something in response, but the words never came. Instead, the Warrior jumped away and Alina felt a cold projectile of snow hit her in the shoulder. Alina yelped.

  Senri laughed. “You said you were experienced in a number of things, yet you never played in the snow. I had to remedy it.”

  Alina looked around at the fresh powder before stooping and scooping up a handful. She patted it down into a compact ball, but by then Senri had darted off. She aimed and launched the snowball. It struck Senri right between the shoulder blades. The Warrior stopped and turned back toward her. Alina giggled and stooped down for more snow. When she glanced up again, she nearly cried out as Senri charged at her. She chucked the snowball, but it did nothing as Senri ran toward her and kicked through a snowdrift.

  Alina raised her arms to protect herself from the barrage of snowflakes. The blankets slipped away from her shoulders. She took off after Senri, who tried to make another projectile. Alina leapt at her. Senri looked up and shrieked, raising her arms for protection. They ended up grappling, hands on arms as they pushed each other around in the snow, both weak from laughter. Finally, they stopped and came to rest. Alina panted with the effort of their play; so did Senri. They remained standing while gripping each other.

  Snow still fell. Time would seem frozen if not for the snowflakes. Alina leaned closer to Senri. She wanted to be nearer to the warmth, she told herself, though she kept her mouth tilted upward. Their lips met in a soft touch at first, as if asking for permission, then more firmly. A small noise escaped the back of Alina’s throat. Senri pulled her close, enveloping her in heat. She wrapped her arms around Senri’s shoulder, tilted her head to the side as they kissed again, deeper this time, and again. Her hands wandered up to Senri’s hair and let her fingers intertwine with the strands. Senri groaned and sucked on her bottom lip. Alina shuddered when Senri’s tongue brushed against the trapped skin.

  Alina lost track of the time. She did not know for how long they kissed, but she did not care, as long as she could keep kissing Senri. When they finally parted, Alina stared up at her with wide eyes. She wanted more, so much more. Her heart pounded. Her blood raced. The aching need filled her core, and she leaned forward and kissed the pulse point at Senri’s neck.

  Senri smiled, her eyes reflecting genuine happiness as if she had just discovered something beyond words. As they kissed again, Alina marveled how no amount of foresight showed her anything equal to that moment on the mountaintop.

  ***

  When they returned to the hovel, they settled back in their reserved space. Senri lay on her back and held Alina close. They exchanged a few more kisses. As much as Senri wanted to kiss Alina breathlessly and make love to her, their current surroundings were not nearly ideal or private enough. Eventually, Alina’s calming presence overtook her and Senri fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  A roar shook through the night, one that reverberated through the ground and the walls around them. Senri shot up from her bed and looked around. The others had woken, too.

  “What was that?” asked Alina. She still clung to her side.

  No one spoke. The fire had settled down into embers, but the faint glow remained to show that nothing strange had come into their hovel.

  The roar sounded again, loud, distant. Senri had never heard anything like it.

  “I think we found the dragons,” said Nat, pulling on his armor. The other Warriors followed.

  Senri rose and armored herself. When Alina picked up her equipment, panic shot through Senri. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m going,” said Alina. She tied off her chest piece and moved to her gauntlets.

  “Wait.” Senri grabbed her arm. “We don’t know if they’re hostile or not.”

  Alina pulled away from Se
nri’s grip. “No. I refuse to sit by while you risk yourself for me.”

  “I can’t fight them and protect you!” Senri buckled her sword. She pulled the leather notches just a little too tight.

  “Isn’t it the same?” Alina grabbed her bow and quiver. “And we don’t even know what they want.”

  Another roar sounded.

  “Let’s move out.” Yahn gestured to the entrance of their shelter. Nat and Lanan went out first. Before Senri and Alina could follow, Yahn stopped them. “Is there something I should know about?”

  Senri and Alina looked at one another, and then back to Yahn. Senri took in a deep breath and said, “No, we’re fine.”

  Yahn nodded and let them pass on. The other two waited outside for them, their heads tilted to the sky and looking for the approaching danger.

  “Don’t draw your weapons,” said Yahn. “We don’t want to appear threatening.”

  Even as he spoke, Senri had to resist the urge to draw her sword. She kept glancing at Alina, who stayed close to her side. Alina fumbled with the signet ring on a chain around her neck

  An immense blast of energy washed over her. She nearly stumbled back, but when she looked around, no one else showed signs of feeling it. The sound of beating wings filled the air as three dragons approached, their dark figures growing in size. The wind picked up as the dragons circled overhead and landed in front of them one by one with earth-shaking thumps.

  The dragons stood like humans, though with the smallest one at eight feet tall, they dwarfed the tallest person in their party; their arms hung at their sides with claws extended, black knives curving out from their fingertips. Dark red scales hung around their shoulders and over their heads like armor, layering over one another in different patterns. Their wings, attached at the shoulder blade, spread wide as they stretched the leathery appendages. When they breathed, their nostrils glowed with inner light and Senri felt the fire within them.

  One growled, a low rumble released from its chest. A scar ran across its shoulder and over the soft skin of its chest. “Humans.” Its eyes, two embers, locked with Senri’s. “For so long you have let our people be. Why do you trespass on our lands?”