kookyGremlin
Member
Worth Fighting For (2822)
Crows took to the air, cawing their disapproval as Kat rode into what was left of the small cluster of hovels. Her eyes scanned left and right but nothing moved. Two days of tracking the brigands had finally led her here. But this wasn’t what she’d expected. The men had died fighting; their bodies stripped of weapons and armour. Her eyes fell upon a ragged lump of fur; a hound that had died trying to protect its master or mistress. There were no women or children to be seen anywhere. That was bad. The simple huts had been crushed or burned and everywhere was the litter of lives torn apart; scraps of clothing, broken wood. Anything and everything of value had been taken.
Kat dismounted and patted Rowan’s neck to reassure him. She reached down and plucked an odd shaped piece of painted wood from the mud. She wiped the worst of the muck from it and turned it around in her hands. It was the arm from a child’s wooden doll. So, there had been children here.
She bit back her anger. She had ridden towards the smoke as fast as she could, but this had happened several hours ago. She knelt down and examined the marks in the ground. Boot prints, lots of them, paw prints, probably from the dog. But what of these other marks; like long bare feet, but clawed almost like…
Her eyes snapped upwards and searched her surroundings.
The Spawn. Here?
Looking around quickly she drew her sword, whispering a quick prayer to the Five for strength and courage. They were probably long gone, but with the Spawn it was far better to be safe. But what were they doing this far north? The mountains were over two days ride away. This was wrong. If the bandits hadn’t done this, then who had she been tracking?
Realisation dawned. These were the brigands. This was their camp.
She drew in a deep breath trying to ignore the stench of burnt flesh. Rowan nickered softly, nuzzling her neck. Kat closed her eyes and tried to feel the Sisters, but the Five seemed content for their servant to be here for now. Letting her breath out slowly, she debated her next steps. Decency demanded that she deal with the bodies. Burial was out of the question but there should be enough material for a decent pyre.
She started gathering material together. There was plenty of rough-hewn wood. It was as she was dragging support poles form the ruins of one of the crude huts that she felt it. Slowly she turned her head, looking with her spirit as much as her eyes. There…
She moved quickly, half running across the uneven ground to another ruined hut. She started pulling at the wreckage, lifting mud bricks and sticks out of the way. She could feel it, her hands working quickly and with growing surety. Then she was gazing down at the face of a young woman. At first she thought it was too late, but she looked closer and saw the colour in the girl’s cheeks, and the slight flaring of nostrils as she breathed. a pair of dark eyes filled with a mixture of terror and relief.
Kat closed her eyes for a moment.
“Thank the Sisters.”
The woman young, no more than eighteen, and she was filthy. She wore only a simple shift dress. Her body was covered in bruises and scrapes and her legs were trapped under a large beam.
“Hold on, I’ll get you out. Rowan!”
The stallion glanced up and trotted over. Kat took ropes from the saddle bags and quickly constructed a simple harness. She then lashed the free ends to the beam. She noticed the girl’s eyelids flickered, and Kat worried about what injuries lay under that hunk of wood. Looking around she took up a large pole to use as a level.
“Hang on, girl.” Kat yelled. Then she braced the pole and turned to her horse.
“Come on Row.” She urged, clicking with her tongue once. Rowan snorted and walked forwards, the beam shifted, then started to move. Kat pushed up hard trying to keep the weight of the shifting beam off the girl’s legs. In a few moments, the hunk of wood was clear. Rowan looked back and stopped pulling.
“Good lad, Row.”
Kat tossed the pole aside and gently cleared the rubble from the girls legs. They had been badly crushed, bones broken.
“Arha’s tears!” Kat cursed under her breath. She reached out a hand and brushed hair from the girl’s face. The girl stirred and moaned softly, like a child.
Kat looked around for inspiration, but she knew this was up to her. Brewersford was almost a day’s ride away and she was many miles from any village. The brigands had selected an out of the way place to hide. Damn them.
Kat sighed and knelt down next to the girl. This was going to take every scrap of healing she had. Ideally she would have meditated and prayed for some time before attempting anything this complex. Why had the Five not sent a better Paladin? Kat’s healing was the weakest of her gifts.
No, she could not think that way. She had to have faith. The Five would sustain and aid her. She had to do this. Steadying her nerves and slowing her breathing, she drew on her strength, whispering prayers to the Five. She felt their love enter her, and she reached out her hands, placing them on the girl. Firstly, she placed the girl in a trance, preventing her from moving while the healing took place. Then her consciousness entered the girl’s body. Gradually she understood the injuries before her, cataloguing each hurt, prioritising the most serious threats.
The sun slowly crawled across the sky. Kat barely moved, Rowan never more than a few feet away, his presence a steady anchor to the world as she worked. At last, it was done. Kat sank back on her heels. She could barely move she was so tired. Then she heard and felt a gentle whuffling and Rowan was nudging her head. She gratefully drew on his strength, just enough to get her up on her feet. She stood shakily and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you, old friend.”
Kat glanced around, several hours had passed and her stomach growled hungrily. She fetched food and water and blankets from her saddlebags, gulping down some fluid gratefully. Then, chewing on a hunk of bread she went back to the girl. Her colour was much better and her legs, while far from perfect, were whole. Kat gently lifted her and laid her on a spare blanket before whispering the words to end the healing trance she had placed the girl in. The young woman stirred, her eyes blinking open. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a tortured croak. Kat shushed her and offered up a water skin. The girl drank gratefully and Kat nodded, pleased.
“Better?”
The girl nodded. Her eyes took in Kat’s armour and white cloak, then up to her face and finally the circlet of silver around her forehead.
“You’re Chosen?”
Kat nodded.
The girl took a slow shuddering breath and she sighed as she relaxed.
“You healed me?”
Again, Kat nodded.
The girl closed her eyes a moment, then they snapped open, looking around. “The others?”
“Dead or taken. Spawn from the looks of things.”
The girl winced as she remembered, but she nodded. “They came in the night, there were so many. I ran into the house, there was fire, shouting. Then, I don’t know.”
Kat placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “The house collapsed with you in it. I expect it is the only reason they didn’t find you. You were lucky.”
Those words hung between them a moment. Everyone knew want the Spawn did to women. The girl swallowed hard, her face pale.
“Lucky.”
Kat glanced up at the sky, sunset was not long away. If the Spawn were still close… She shuddered. She had faced them before, but never on her own. They had to get moving.
“What’s your name?”
The girl turned her head away slightly, almost embarrassed. “Vivienne.”
“Well Vivienne, I am Katrina, but my friends call me Kat. I am sorry to do this but we have to move, and quickly. Night is not far away and we need to get word to the garrison at Brewersford. I need you to get up for me. You can eat as we ride.”
Vivienne must have sensed the tension in Kat’s voice as her eyes widened. “You think they’ll come back?”
Kat shook her head. “There’s nothing left here, but if they are in the area… She did not need to finish. Vivienne nodded and tried to stand up. She winced as she bent her knees.
“My legs hurt.”
“They were crushed. I healed them as best as I could. I am sorry I could not do more.”
The girl stared. “You healed me, but… “ She frowned. “You said you were a Paladin?”
Kat nodded as she helped the girl to her feet.
“But I thought… your magic, don’t it come from the Gods?”
“Yes” Kat was relieved to see the girl could stand. She led her to Rowan who stood patiently.
The girl reached up for the pommel but paused.
“Why would they heal me?”
Kat frowned. “I don’t understand, they…” Vivienne cut her off.
“I’ve done things, bad things, Lady.”
Kat understood. “You mean the men, you… helped them.” Kat expected she did a lot more than just cook and clean.
Vivienne shook her head. “You don’t get my meaning, Lady. Sure enough, they all took their turns at me, I can see you guessed that much. But no, I was one of ‘em. I’ve hurt people, Lady. I’m a …a bad un. Why would they help someone like me?”
Kat sighed. It was a question she had sometimes pondered herself. She had heard of cases where prayers had been refused. She could have offered a reason, but instead she just smiled.
“It’s not our place to judge why the Gods choose to give their gifts to us. We must just be grateful. Now get up there, we need to move.”
She helped the girl into the saddle and mounted behind her. They would have to ride through the night, and with Spawn in the area lighting a fire would be suicide. She turned Rowan and with the briefest of coaxing, He was off.
As they rode, the girl revealed something of her life. She had taken to crime early, and had been with the brigands since she started her moontimes. In return Kat shared something of her life as a Paladin in the service of the Five Sisters.
“Lady, can I ask you something?”
Kat smiled. They had been riding for some hours now, and there had been no signs of trouble.
“I told you, call me Kat.”
Vivienne was quiet a moment.
“Why’d you do this?”
“Do what?”
“Help.”
“That… “Kat paused. “That’s complicated. On the one hand, I have little choice. I’m Chosen.”
The girl shifted in the saddle. “But, I mean… well take me. You could just make a dash for Brewersford, you could have left me for dead. I’m nothing. Even if you do get us back, chances are I’ll be stretched.”
Kat frowned. “I see. And you could be right, but that is man’s law. Not the Five’s. The Sisters hold life precious. As to why I didn’t leave you. That’s not for me to say, but if you should come to know the answer to that… well, let’s just say I would be happy.”
The rode a little way in silence, the girl considering Kat’s words. For the Paladin’s part, she was finding it increasingly hard to stay alert. She was desperately fatigued from the healing and needed sleep.
Suddenly the quiet was shattered by an ear splitting scream. Kat uttered a most unladylike curse and wheeled Rowan to one side. From the darkness a shape leapt past them, just missing.
“Spawn!”
Vivienne screamed and it was all Kat could do to get Rowan into a gallop and hold onto the girl as well. She looked around and could see shadows flitting to the left and right. If she had not been so tired, they would never have come up on her so easily? She urged Rowan onwards and he increased his pace. Spawn were quick but couldn’t match Rowan’s pace.
“Keep your head down and hold tight!” Kat yelled. She drew her sword which glimmered dimly. A twisted face loomed out of the darkness and she hacked at it. With a squeal the thing fell backwards. They sped through the darkness and the guttural cries and howls started to fall behind. Abruptly, Rowan whinnied and his pace faltered. Kat felt that he was injured in some way, his rump and the top of his right rear leg. Kat fought down a cry of despair. She reached backwards and felt the fletched end of a crossbow bolt lodged in Rowan’s flank.
“Damn.” Rowan was trying valiantly to keep up his pace, but Kat knew this was now a matter of time. How close was the town? How soon was sunrise? Behind them she could hear the Spawn gibbering and calling. They would sense her calling. Their Master, who opposed the Five, would delight in capturing a servant of the Sisters. She shuddered, imagining the torments and ordeals they would make her endure.
The images tortured her as they rode on. Minutes passed and Kat fancied she could discern the first indications of the coming dawn. She could make out the dim shapes of Tyrian’s Pass. They weren’t close enough, they would never make it. The Spawn would catch them and that would be that.
But that was the price every Chosen faced. But Vivienne… no matter what crimes, she did not deserve such a fate. At once, Kat felt the love of the Sisters fill her and she knew what she had to do.
“Vivienne, listen to me.”
She could sense the raw terror in the girl in front of her and she tried to share the feeling of peace that suffused her.
“Vivienne. I am going to slow Rowan, and I am going to get off. Then you two are going to ride as fast as you can towards the sunrise.”
The girl tensed.
“No, you can’t.”
“Listen.” Kat raised her voice. “You have to tell them all that has happened. You have to warn them.” There was so much Kat wanted to tell the girl, but there was no time.
“Find Marshall Edric. He knows me. Tell him about the Spawn. Tell him I said to Marshall the garrison.”
“Lady, no, they’ll tear you to pieces.”
Kat winced, pushing back her fears. “Don’t you worry about me. The sisters will be with me.”
“Lady…”
“Enough!” Kat barked. “This is not open for discussion. You have to get through and warn them, that is all that matters.”
The girl said nothing, and Kat drew in a deep breath, pulling back on the reins. Rowan resisted and she pulled again.
“Come on Lad, this is how it has to be.” Rowan whinnied, and slowed coming to halt, his breath forming clouds in the chilly pre-dawn air. Kat leapt down and glanced back along their path. They had a few seconds.
She looked up, Vivienne was peering down at her.
“I don’t understand, why are you doing this?”
Kat smiled. “When you figure it out, this will all make sense to you. Now go!”
With that she slapped Rowan’s rump, sending with it a mental command. Rowan leapt forwards. Kat whirled and called on the Sisters. The dim light of her sword flared brightly, lighting the landscape. The spawn were coming, lots of them. She grinned, feeling only a fierce exultation. She cast a glance backwards, Rowan was already little more than a shadow in the distance. They would make it now.
Then she was swinging her sword, calling on the Sisters. Her arm was strong, her spirit determined. When her sword broke she used the rent stump, when the sword was ripped from her grip she kicked and punched. But in the end, there were too many. She could feel their delight, their hands pawing at her, tearing at her armour and clothes. As they started to drag her away she managed to look once, just once towards the sunrise. The morning would be bright and warm and filled with light.
She hoped that one day Vivienne might understand. If she did, there would be hope for her, and the unborn child she had sensed growing in the girl’s belly.
Some things are worth fighting for.
Crows took to the air, cawing their disapproval as Kat rode into what was left of the small cluster of hovels. Her eyes scanned left and right but nothing moved. Two days of tracking the brigands had finally led her here. But this wasn’t what she’d expected. The men had died fighting; their bodies stripped of weapons and armour. Her eyes fell upon a ragged lump of fur; a hound that had died trying to protect its master or mistress. There were no women or children to be seen anywhere. That was bad. The simple huts had been crushed or burned and everywhere was the litter of lives torn apart; scraps of clothing, broken wood. Anything and everything of value had been taken.
Kat dismounted and patted Rowan’s neck to reassure him. She reached down and plucked an odd shaped piece of painted wood from the mud. She wiped the worst of the muck from it and turned it around in her hands. It was the arm from a child’s wooden doll. So, there had been children here.
She bit back her anger. She had ridden towards the smoke as fast as she could, but this had happened several hours ago. She knelt down and examined the marks in the ground. Boot prints, lots of them, paw prints, probably from the dog. But what of these other marks; like long bare feet, but clawed almost like…
Her eyes snapped upwards and searched her surroundings.
The Spawn. Here?
Looking around quickly she drew her sword, whispering a quick prayer to the Five for strength and courage. They were probably long gone, but with the Spawn it was far better to be safe. But what were they doing this far north? The mountains were over two days ride away. This was wrong. If the bandits hadn’t done this, then who had she been tracking?
Realisation dawned. These were the brigands. This was their camp.
She drew in a deep breath trying to ignore the stench of burnt flesh. Rowan nickered softly, nuzzling her neck. Kat closed her eyes and tried to feel the Sisters, but the Five seemed content for their servant to be here for now. Letting her breath out slowly, she debated her next steps. Decency demanded that she deal with the bodies. Burial was out of the question but there should be enough material for a decent pyre.
She started gathering material together. There was plenty of rough-hewn wood. It was as she was dragging support poles form the ruins of one of the crude huts that she felt it. Slowly she turned her head, looking with her spirit as much as her eyes. There…
She moved quickly, half running across the uneven ground to another ruined hut. She started pulling at the wreckage, lifting mud bricks and sticks out of the way. She could feel it, her hands working quickly and with growing surety. Then she was gazing down at the face of a young woman. At first she thought it was too late, but she looked closer and saw the colour in the girl’s cheeks, and the slight flaring of nostrils as she breathed. a pair of dark eyes filled with a mixture of terror and relief.
Kat closed her eyes for a moment.
“Thank the Sisters.”
The woman young, no more than eighteen, and she was filthy. She wore only a simple shift dress. Her body was covered in bruises and scrapes and her legs were trapped under a large beam.
“Hold on, I’ll get you out. Rowan!”
The stallion glanced up and trotted over. Kat took ropes from the saddle bags and quickly constructed a simple harness. She then lashed the free ends to the beam. She noticed the girl’s eyelids flickered, and Kat worried about what injuries lay under that hunk of wood. Looking around she took up a large pole to use as a level.
“Hang on, girl.” Kat yelled. Then she braced the pole and turned to her horse.
“Come on Row.” She urged, clicking with her tongue once. Rowan snorted and walked forwards, the beam shifted, then started to move. Kat pushed up hard trying to keep the weight of the shifting beam off the girl’s legs. In a few moments, the hunk of wood was clear. Rowan looked back and stopped pulling.
“Good lad, Row.”
Kat tossed the pole aside and gently cleared the rubble from the girls legs. They had been badly crushed, bones broken.
“Arha’s tears!” Kat cursed under her breath. She reached out a hand and brushed hair from the girl’s face. The girl stirred and moaned softly, like a child.
Kat looked around for inspiration, but she knew this was up to her. Brewersford was almost a day’s ride away and she was many miles from any village. The brigands had selected an out of the way place to hide. Damn them.
Kat sighed and knelt down next to the girl. This was going to take every scrap of healing she had. Ideally she would have meditated and prayed for some time before attempting anything this complex. Why had the Five not sent a better Paladin? Kat’s healing was the weakest of her gifts.
No, she could not think that way. She had to have faith. The Five would sustain and aid her. She had to do this. Steadying her nerves and slowing her breathing, she drew on her strength, whispering prayers to the Five. She felt their love enter her, and she reached out her hands, placing them on the girl. Firstly, she placed the girl in a trance, preventing her from moving while the healing took place. Then her consciousness entered the girl’s body. Gradually she understood the injuries before her, cataloguing each hurt, prioritising the most serious threats.
The sun slowly crawled across the sky. Kat barely moved, Rowan never more than a few feet away, his presence a steady anchor to the world as she worked. At last, it was done. Kat sank back on her heels. She could barely move she was so tired. Then she heard and felt a gentle whuffling and Rowan was nudging her head. She gratefully drew on his strength, just enough to get her up on her feet. She stood shakily and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you, old friend.”
Kat glanced around, several hours had passed and her stomach growled hungrily. She fetched food and water and blankets from her saddlebags, gulping down some fluid gratefully. Then, chewing on a hunk of bread she went back to the girl. Her colour was much better and her legs, while far from perfect, were whole. Kat gently lifted her and laid her on a spare blanket before whispering the words to end the healing trance she had placed the girl in. The young woman stirred, her eyes blinking open. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a tortured croak. Kat shushed her and offered up a water skin. The girl drank gratefully and Kat nodded, pleased.
“Better?”
The girl nodded. Her eyes took in Kat’s armour and white cloak, then up to her face and finally the circlet of silver around her forehead.
“You’re Chosen?”
Kat nodded.
The girl took a slow shuddering breath and she sighed as she relaxed.
“You healed me?”
Again, Kat nodded.
The girl closed her eyes a moment, then they snapped open, looking around. “The others?”
“Dead or taken. Spawn from the looks of things.”
The girl winced as she remembered, but she nodded. “They came in the night, there were so many. I ran into the house, there was fire, shouting. Then, I don’t know.”
Kat placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “The house collapsed with you in it. I expect it is the only reason they didn’t find you. You were lucky.”
Those words hung between them a moment. Everyone knew want the Spawn did to women. The girl swallowed hard, her face pale.
“Lucky.”
Kat glanced up at the sky, sunset was not long away. If the Spawn were still close… She shuddered. She had faced them before, but never on her own. They had to get moving.
“What’s your name?”
The girl turned her head away slightly, almost embarrassed. “Vivienne.”
“Well Vivienne, I am Katrina, but my friends call me Kat. I am sorry to do this but we have to move, and quickly. Night is not far away and we need to get word to the garrison at Brewersford. I need you to get up for me. You can eat as we ride.”
Vivienne must have sensed the tension in Kat’s voice as her eyes widened. “You think they’ll come back?”
Kat shook her head. “There’s nothing left here, but if they are in the area… She did not need to finish. Vivienne nodded and tried to stand up. She winced as she bent her knees.
“My legs hurt.”
“They were crushed. I healed them as best as I could. I am sorry I could not do more.”
The girl stared. “You healed me, but… “ She frowned. “You said you were a Paladin?”
Kat nodded as she helped the girl to her feet.
“But I thought… your magic, don’t it come from the Gods?”
“Yes” Kat was relieved to see the girl could stand. She led her to Rowan who stood patiently.
The girl reached up for the pommel but paused.
“Why would they heal me?”
Kat frowned. “I don’t understand, they…” Vivienne cut her off.
“I’ve done things, bad things, Lady.”
Kat understood. “You mean the men, you… helped them.” Kat expected she did a lot more than just cook and clean.
Vivienne shook her head. “You don’t get my meaning, Lady. Sure enough, they all took their turns at me, I can see you guessed that much. But no, I was one of ‘em. I’ve hurt people, Lady. I’m a …a bad un. Why would they help someone like me?”
Kat sighed. It was a question she had sometimes pondered herself. She had heard of cases where prayers had been refused. She could have offered a reason, but instead she just smiled.
“It’s not our place to judge why the Gods choose to give their gifts to us. We must just be grateful. Now get up there, we need to move.”
She helped the girl into the saddle and mounted behind her. They would have to ride through the night, and with Spawn in the area lighting a fire would be suicide. She turned Rowan and with the briefest of coaxing, He was off.
As they rode, the girl revealed something of her life. She had taken to crime early, and had been with the brigands since she started her moontimes. In return Kat shared something of her life as a Paladin in the service of the Five Sisters.
“Lady, can I ask you something?”
Kat smiled. They had been riding for some hours now, and there had been no signs of trouble.
“I told you, call me Kat.”
Vivienne was quiet a moment.
“Why’d you do this?”
“Do what?”
“Help.”
“That… “Kat paused. “That’s complicated. On the one hand, I have little choice. I’m Chosen.”
The girl shifted in the saddle. “But, I mean… well take me. You could just make a dash for Brewersford, you could have left me for dead. I’m nothing. Even if you do get us back, chances are I’ll be stretched.”
Kat frowned. “I see. And you could be right, but that is man’s law. Not the Five’s. The Sisters hold life precious. As to why I didn’t leave you. That’s not for me to say, but if you should come to know the answer to that… well, let’s just say I would be happy.”
The rode a little way in silence, the girl considering Kat’s words. For the Paladin’s part, she was finding it increasingly hard to stay alert. She was desperately fatigued from the healing and needed sleep.
Suddenly the quiet was shattered by an ear splitting scream. Kat uttered a most unladylike curse and wheeled Rowan to one side. From the darkness a shape leapt past them, just missing.
“Spawn!”
Vivienne screamed and it was all Kat could do to get Rowan into a gallop and hold onto the girl as well. She looked around and could see shadows flitting to the left and right. If she had not been so tired, they would never have come up on her so easily? She urged Rowan onwards and he increased his pace. Spawn were quick but couldn’t match Rowan’s pace.
“Keep your head down and hold tight!” Kat yelled. She drew her sword which glimmered dimly. A twisted face loomed out of the darkness and she hacked at it. With a squeal the thing fell backwards. They sped through the darkness and the guttural cries and howls started to fall behind. Abruptly, Rowan whinnied and his pace faltered. Kat felt that he was injured in some way, his rump and the top of his right rear leg. Kat fought down a cry of despair. She reached backwards and felt the fletched end of a crossbow bolt lodged in Rowan’s flank.
“Damn.” Rowan was trying valiantly to keep up his pace, but Kat knew this was now a matter of time. How close was the town? How soon was sunrise? Behind them she could hear the Spawn gibbering and calling. They would sense her calling. Their Master, who opposed the Five, would delight in capturing a servant of the Sisters. She shuddered, imagining the torments and ordeals they would make her endure.
The images tortured her as they rode on. Minutes passed and Kat fancied she could discern the first indications of the coming dawn. She could make out the dim shapes of Tyrian’s Pass. They weren’t close enough, they would never make it. The Spawn would catch them and that would be that.
But that was the price every Chosen faced. But Vivienne… no matter what crimes, she did not deserve such a fate. At once, Kat felt the love of the Sisters fill her and she knew what she had to do.
“Vivienne, listen to me.”
She could sense the raw terror in the girl in front of her and she tried to share the feeling of peace that suffused her.
“Vivienne. I am going to slow Rowan, and I am going to get off. Then you two are going to ride as fast as you can towards the sunrise.”
The girl tensed.
“No, you can’t.”
“Listen.” Kat raised her voice. “You have to tell them all that has happened. You have to warn them.” There was so much Kat wanted to tell the girl, but there was no time.
“Find Marshall Edric. He knows me. Tell him about the Spawn. Tell him I said to Marshall the garrison.”
“Lady, no, they’ll tear you to pieces.”
Kat winced, pushing back her fears. “Don’t you worry about me. The sisters will be with me.”
“Lady…”
“Enough!” Kat barked. “This is not open for discussion. You have to get through and warn them, that is all that matters.”
The girl said nothing, and Kat drew in a deep breath, pulling back on the reins. Rowan resisted and she pulled again.
“Come on Lad, this is how it has to be.” Rowan whinnied, and slowed coming to halt, his breath forming clouds in the chilly pre-dawn air. Kat leapt down and glanced back along their path. They had a few seconds.
She looked up, Vivienne was peering down at her.
“I don’t understand, why are you doing this?”
Kat smiled. “When you figure it out, this will all make sense to you. Now go!”
With that she slapped Rowan’s rump, sending with it a mental command. Rowan leapt forwards. Kat whirled and called on the Sisters. The dim light of her sword flared brightly, lighting the landscape. The spawn were coming, lots of them. She grinned, feeling only a fierce exultation. She cast a glance backwards, Rowan was already little more than a shadow in the distance. They would make it now.
Then she was swinging her sword, calling on the Sisters. Her arm was strong, her spirit determined. When her sword broke she used the rent stump, when the sword was ripped from her grip she kicked and punched. But in the end, there were too many. She could feel their delight, their hands pawing at her, tearing at her armour and clothes. As they started to drag her away she managed to look once, just once towards the sunrise. The morning would be bright and warm and filled with light.
She hoped that one day Vivienne might understand. If she did, there would be hope for her, and the unborn child she had sensed growing in the girl’s belly.
Some things are worth fighting for.
