Raoul sighed heavily. The death of his second-in-command and several of the men he called friends as well as commrades were dead. He felt- empty, uncaring. He sat, staring at the pages and squires in the yards.
"Are you ok?" Gareth of Naxen and King Jonathan stood behind Raoul. "You have been so quiet these last few weeks."
"Why don't you leave me alone!" Raoul snarled back, shocking the King and his cousin. "It's none of your bedamned business!"
"Raoul." Jonathan layed a hand on the larger man's shoulder. "Please talk to us."
"All right, Your Higness," he used the word sarcastically. "Per your orders, my men destroyed that hive of spidrens. But what your precious Gift did not tell us is that they had hurroks associates. Now my second and several good men are dead, because of your bad orders!"
Jon took a step back, seeing the furious tears in his friend's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I truely am."
Raoul let the tears fall. Gary put his arm around Raoul's shoulders.
"We'll get through this. Now I must get back to the grind." He began to walk off, Jon and Raoul looked at him oddly. "My sister is coming to Court."
Raoul managed a weak smile. "Taisa is grown up now isn't she?" Naxen and Goldenlake were but a day ride away and Raoul had seen much of the young girl before becoming a page.
Raoul went to bed feeling odd.
=======================================================================
Taisa tried to ride out of site of her guardian Geoffrey. "I don't need to be followed! I can defend myself."
"I know Lady Taisa," Geoffrey's mare grunted to keep up with Tai's leggy stallion. "But Duke Gareth and your brother requested I accompany you." Sultai snorted an eloquent choice of offenses for the knight. She laughed as Geoffrey frowned at her. But she was a scholar AND a warrior, trained in the City of the Gods, after she found history more exciting than curtseys.
Market Way became Palace Way, as Taisa frowned at the sites. She preferred the open air, NOT this crowded city life. The palace came into view, the gate to the back was where Taisa headed. "Stephan!" she cried, as the man came into view.
"Well, if it isn't t'e Lady Taisa. T'e litt'e one who always helped me with th'y horses." The tow-haired hostler gave her a quick hug. The man was always more comfortable around horses, but saw Tai as one of his few human friends. "Ye did not ride me Tigress too hard, did ye?" Stephan asked, patting the chestnut mare.
"What about me?" Geoffrey groaned, walking bowlegged.
"You do not do the work," Tai retorted, brushing her dusty stomach.
"The Duke will have a fit when he sees what you are wearing," Geof warned.
Tai looked down at her long breeches, stomach-bearing shirt, and sandeled feet. "This is what the warrior madiens called the Amazons wore over 200 years ago," she loftily replied, adjusting her headband in her short black hair. "The Shang Sparrowhawk taught me sword and staff combat, since most of the students there were just not interested. I had one on one training for years, and I will dress anyway I want." She stalked off, very unladylike, to the main part of the palace.
She had almost made it to the courtyard when she was attacked. A large man, but Tai was ready, Bracing herself, for her attacker was at least twice her weught, she threw him into the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Her knife, which stayed strapped to her anle when not in use, appeared in her ahnd as she stood over the sputtering man. "Nice greeting, Taisa," he replied.
She jumped into the fountain after him, and hugged the large man happily. "Gary, I...I didn't know it was you." She grinned. "I had forgotten how tall you were."
"And apparently you also forgot your clothes somewhere on the way as well." An older man appeared at the archway. Tai shook off and walked solemnly to the man.
"But Father, this is...."
"How all the warrior maidens dressed," Gary mimicked her voice. "I don't see the Lioness exposing her stomach like so."
"Well..at least I don't need a girtle," she shot back. "Most of those knights marry women that look attractive with dresses on, then see them for the cows they are." Gary laughed as her father put him hand on his forehead.
"Now you better get some sleep." Gary lead her to a room, since it was already dark in Corus. "Don't let the Stormwings bite."
"BITE me," she called after him.
=======================================================================
Raoul was in the pratice yards, early the next morning, swinging a staff at an imaginary enemy. He feigned left, then right, as the spidrens had done that night.
~The first spidren came at him, knocking him over. One of his Bazhir soildiers sliced it's head off. More came, a dozen, but soon all lay dead.
Out of the air came hurroks, at least twenty, slicing up his men. He ran for his arrows, but they were too fast. A dozen of his men dead, including his second-in-command, which was the heir to the Bazhir Sandrunners.~
"NO!!!" Raoul yelled and swung his staff. Suudenly, it was being pulled from his grasp. "Relax," a voice said, as he closed his eyes. There was a cool hand on his forehead as he was gently pulled to a sitting position.
"Who are you?" he managed to gasp out.
"Taisa of Naxen. Gary's sister. And you are Raoul of Goldenlake." Taisa had gotten up early to work out, and was now extra glad she had.
"Taisa. You have...grown." He struggled to keep his emotions in check. The last time he had seen her, she was but 8, a scholar who already was able to do Algebra.
"What happened to you?" Taisa had never seen the man like this, scared and depressed, with a temper.
"A few weeks ago...Immortals got out of the Divine Realms. My men were....powerless to stop them all immediately. A dozen of my men are dead, and for some reason..." he could not get the words out, "I blame your cousin for their deaths!"
"Jon?" she whispered. "Why?"
"He has the Gift, he had the Domination Jewel, he SHOULD have been able to tell us about the hurrocks, if he could see the spidrens. I know it is not TRUELY his fault, but stil...."
"I understand," she whispered.
"What do you mean?" he asked, putting her at arm's length away. "You have felt that a friend has betrayed you?"
"No, but.....you are confused, sad. But you must get over it," she used her teacher-voice. "No more fretting. I am to be introduced tonight and I'd rather go the the dark God's realm then have Gary escort me. Please say you will. I hate Court," Tai admitted, "But plan to make a big show tonight."
Raoul saw the longing and mischief in her eyes, and managed a half-smile. "So I will, Lady Taisa, so I will."
~~Next Chapter~~
"Are you ok?" Gareth of Naxen and King Jonathan stood behind Raoul. "You have been so quiet these last few weeks."
"Why don't you leave me alone!" Raoul snarled back, shocking the King and his cousin. "It's none of your bedamned business!"
"Raoul." Jonathan layed a hand on the larger man's shoulder. "Please talk to us."
"All right, Your Higness," he used the word sarcastically. "Per your orders, my men destroyed that hive of spidrens. But what your precious Gift did not tell us is that they had hurroks associates. Now my second and several good men are dead, because of your bad orders!"
Jon took a step back, seeing the furious tears in his friend's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I truely am."
Raoul let the tears fall. Gary put his arm around Raoul's shoulders.
"We'll get through this. Now I must get back to the grind." He began to walk off, Jon and Raoul looked at him oddly. "My sister is coming to Court."
Raoul managed a weak smile. "Taisa is grown up now isn't she?" Naxen and Goldenlake were but a day ride away and Raoul had seen much of the young girl before becoming a page.
Raoul went to bed feeling odd.
=======================================================================
Taisa tried to ride out of site of her guardian Geoffrey. "I don't need to be followed! I can defend myself."
"I know Lady Taisa," Geoffrey's mare grunted to keep up with Tai's leggy stallion. "But Duke Gareth and your brother requested I accompany you." Sultai snorted an eloquent choice of offenses for the knight. She laughed as Geoffrey frowned at her. But she was a scholar AND a warrior, trained in the City of the Gods, after she found history more exciting than curtseys.
Market Way became Palace Way, as Taisa frowned at the sites. She preferred the open air, NOT this crowded city life. The palace came into view, the gate to the back was where Taisa headed. "Stephan!" she cried, as the man came into view.
"Well, if it isn't t'e Lady Taisa. T'e litt'e one who always helped me with th'y horses." The tow-haired hostler gave her a quick hug. The man was always more comfortable around horses, but saw Tai as one of his few human friends. "Ye did not ride me Tigress too hard, did ye?" Stephan asked, patting the chestnut mare.
"What about me?" Geoffrey groaned, walking bowlegged.
"You do not do the work," Tai retorted, brushing her dusty stomach.
"The Duke will have a fit when he sees what you are wearing," Geof warned.
Tai looked down at her long breeches, stomach-bearing shirt, and sandeled feet. "This is what the warrior madiens called the Amazons wore over 200 years ago," she loftily replied, adjusting her headband in her short black hair. "The Shang Sparrowhawk taught me sword and staff combat, since most of the students there were just not interested. I had one on one training for years, and I will dress anyway I want." She stalked off, very unladylike, to the main part of the palace.
She had almost made it to the courtyard when she was attacked. A large man, but Tai was ready, Bracing herself, for her attacker was at least twice her weught, she threw him into the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Her knife, which stayed strapped to her anle when not in use, appeared in her ahnd as she stood over the sputtering man. "Nice greeting, Taisa," he replied.
She jumped into the fountain after him, and hugged the large man happily. "Gary, I...I didn't know it was you." She grinned. "I had forgotten how tall you were."
"And apparently you also forgot your clothes somewhere on the way as well." An older man appeared at the archway. Tai shook off and walked solemnly to the man.
"But Father, this is...."
"How all the warrior maidens dressed," Gary mimicked her voice. "I don't see the Lioness exposing her stomach like so."
"Well..at least I don't need a girtle," she shot back. "Most of those knights marry women that look attractive with dresses on, then see them for the cows they are." Gary laughed as her father put him hand on his forehead.
"Now you better get some sleep." Gary lead her to a room, since it was already dark in Corus. "Don't let the Stormwings bite."
"BITE me," she called after him.
=======================================================================
Raoul was in the pratice yards, early the next morning, swinging a staff at an imaginary enemy. He feigned left, then right, as the spidrens had done that night.
~The first spidren came at him, knocking him over. One of his Bazhir soildiers sliced it's head off. More came, a dozen, but soon all lay dead.
Out of the air came hurroks, at least twenty, slicing up his men. He ran for his arrows, but they were too fast. A dozen of his men dead, including his second-in-command, which was the heir to the Bazhir Sandrunners.~
"NO!!!" Raoul yelled and swung his staff. Suudenly, it was being pulled from his grasp. "Relax," a voice said, as he closed his eyes. There was a cool hand on his forehead as he was gently pulled to a sitting position.
"Who are you?" he managed to gasp out.
"Taisa of Naxen. Gary's sister. And you are Raoul of Goldenlake." Taisa had gotten up early to work out, and was now extra glad she had.
"Taisa. You have...grown." He struggled to keep his emotions in check. The last time he had seen her, she was but 8, a scholar who already was able to do Algebra.
"What happened to you?" Taisa had never seen the man like this, scared and depressed, with a temper.
"A few weeks ago...Immortals got out of the Divine Realms. My men were....powerless to stop them all immediately. A dozen of my men are dead, and for some reason..." he could not get the words out, "I blame your cousin for their deaths!"
"Jon?" she whispered. "Why?"
"He has the Gift, he had the Domination Jewel, he SHOULD have been able to tell us about the hurrocks, if he could see the spidrens. I know it is not TRUELY his fault, but stil...."
"I understand," she whispered.
"What do you mean?" he asked, putting her at arm's length away. "You have felt that a friend has betrayed you?"
"No, but.....you are confused, sad. But you must get over it," she used her teacher-voice. "No more fretting. I am to be introduced tonight and I'd rather go the the dark God's realm then have Gary escort me. Please say you will. I hate Court," Tai admitted, "But plan to make a big show tonight."
Raoul saw the longing and mischief in her eyes, and managed a half-smile. "So I will, Lady Taisa, so I will."
~~Next Chapter~~