Chapter 4
Killick carefully swallowed the rum, letting it burn a lazy path down her chest towards her stomach. The rum was meant as a reward for the victorious, to relax them after battle but right now she needed relaxing for a different reason.
"You're sure about this?" she holds the canteen out to Anya, a peace offering of sorts.
The blonde nods, taking a mouthful of the harsh liquid. "Sha."
Killick pinches the bridge of her nose between her eyes. Trying to piece together the information. Azgeda. War. The two were practically synonymous; you couldn't have one without the other. But why now?
Killick removes her hand from her face and looks to Anya who was taking another long mouthful with a sad smile.
"Okay. Explain. I want to know everything before we panic the convoy." The red head leans herself against a tree, eyes trained on Anya who handed the canteen back. "By the way, this is not what I meant by fun." That earned her a hard glare from the blonde.
"Think about it, Azgeda is isolated, they can't rely on trade like our clans can. They can hunt yes but game is scarce in the tundra, and the Ice Nation have more mouths than they can feed. Frankly that's probably why they haven't sent more men."
Killick nodded slowly at Anya's words, staring down into the canteen as if the answers would float to the surface.
"By getting rid of Luna they leave us unorganized, easier to kill us all off. Then they can seize our lands. Hell, the lands alone are more than enough, they could grow their own food instead of solely relying on hunting. I doubt they can grow anything in the frozen wasteland they're sat on" Killick trailed off, dread setting into the pit of her stomach and spreading like wildfire.
The change in Killick struck something in Anya. She saw more than just the reckless warrior, there was a worry in her eyes that bothered Anya, she didn't like the look and she certainly didn't like what it did to her.
"Am I on the right track?" Anya nods in response, earning a frustrated groan. "I hate being right."
"I'll bet it doesn't happen often." The blonde smiles softly.
"Enough to keep count on one hand. You know, if you're right I'll owe you more than I could ever repay." Worried blue eyes lift to meet Anya's.
Anya shakes her head. "I don't need to be repaid." The look she was getting was enough to cause her stomach to flip. " It's not like you've never used that thing before."
Killick smiles at Anya's attempt at a joke "Once or twice maybe" the smile quickly fades as she refocused on the looming possibility of war. "I have to warn them. The rest of Luna's guard is going with her but it'd be nice if they weren't walking into an ambush without a little warning. I should get word to the other villages too."
Anya gives a terse nod. "Sha. But can you make it; is it wise to go alone?"
Killick shakes her head, braids bouncing as she does. "Hardly a wise idea. But if I don't go the risk is greater? Besides, I can travel faster without having to worry about someone else. The second caravan should be almost ready to travel. It's larger but it'll be better guarded."
Anya notices that the redhead has moved from her spot on the tree to pacing, fiddling with the canteen in her hands. "It'll be a longer trip." She turns her gaze back to Anya. "It may take a week to make this trip, maybe more. You and Gustus will take charge of my caravan. They need a leader."
Anya paused at the information. "And if you don't return?"
"Then they are your people, I did what I could. Remember me fondly." The redhead gives Anya a sad smile, handing her the remaining rum. "Finish this, I'm no use to anyone if I'm too drunk to ride."
Anya obliges and finishes the canteen of rum, wiping her chin as she follows Killick back to camp. The sun has now dropped and blanketed the world in darkness, not the ideal time to ride, not with Azgeda on the move.
Killick storms into camp, eyes searching over the caravan and horses, checking that everything is secured and ready to move. She motions for Hunter to join her by the caravan and lets him know of the plan; take the builders to TonDC, business as usual. Tell them nothing of Azgeda until her return. He nods and beings strapping the horses to the cart. Killick strides to the center of camp where the builders have joined Gustus, Lexa and Costia, sharing drink and stories much to the enjoyment of the Trikru. She clears her throat to gain the attention of the Flokru.
"Finish up, the caravan moves out within the hour. You'll be travelling without me, so you all answer to Gustus and Anya. I'd be afraid if I were you." The sly smile returned to Killick's face as the workers laughed at the joke. "Go, make ready for the remainder of the journey!"
The Flokru workers finish their drinks and made for their gear, stowing it amongst the supplies on the cart. Gustus eyes Anya who only nodded, and left with Lexa and Costia to retrieve their own horses.
Killick was strapping her gear into place, shrugging her shoulder to test the fit. She approaches Anya, noticing the blonde staring in her direction, cutting a strip of blue from her hair and tying it around the handle of her trident.
"Take this and give it to Indra when you get my people to safety." Killick watches Anya eye the weapon before taking it. "This way she knows you didn't kill me." A wink sends goosebumps over Anya's arms, thankfully hidden by her jacket.
"I'm making sure you get what's coming when you get to TonDC."
"All good I hope?" Killick nudges the blonde, taking her horse and settling on his back. "Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim" She gives Anya a smirk before urging her horse as fast as it may from the camp and off into the forest, hair whipping behind her like a wild fire.
Camp was packed only minutes after Killick had taken her leave for the Stoney Shore.
Anya watches from her saddle as Hunter rechecks the cart and the horses pulling it, making sure everything was fastened securely in place before nodding and seating himself at the helm of the cart.
The remaining workers who were not astride the four horses pulling the cart sat themselves behind Hunter, taking up bows and minding the rear. Once the workers had signalled their ready, the Caravan surged forward. The pace was faster than when they had begun, night had long fallen and the moon was high, casting ghostly shadows among the trees.
By Gustus' reckoning they would return to TonDC by day break. Almost doubling their travel time, but the supplies couldn't be left. They pushed the horses as hard as they dared through the darkness.
Anya was on edge during the long ride, left hand gripping the reins while her right gripped Killick's trident until her knuckles turn white, the rum was doing a terrible job of relaxing her.
Every shadow and shimmer turned into the snarling face of Azgeda or a Reaper, Anya could hardly stand it. They dared not light torches to light the way for fear of broadcasting their location. It seemed that the darkness had a similar effect on everyone. The workers were told about the struggle with Azgeda and knew that they might try to take the supplies but they didn't need to know that Azgeda meant war.
Trying to calm her nerves Anya took to lifting her head and gazing at the stars, watching them twinkle in the light of the moon. Her mother had told her about the stars and how each of them represented someone lost, now watching over the world and loved ones from above. Now Anya tried to find her mother among their glow, a near impossible task but a task to take her mind off the impending danger.
She's brought back to earth as Lexa joins her, head tilted back to look at the stars.
"Who are you looking for?" She broke the silence to ask her second.
"No one…" the girl could be infuriatingly stubborn at times, not wanting to open to her mentor about her more intimate thoughts and feelings. But Anya knew, both of the Lexa's parents were up there among the stars, her father having died in battle when Lexa was a little girl and her mother passing from sickness not long before she was chosen as Anya's Second.
She had been so alone, so angry. It took anyway months before she could get the girl to speak to her. But her eyes began to light when she trained, she was exceptional and accepted praise graciously and criticism with careful thought. The real joy returned when Costia entered into the picture. She had been recruited from a neighbouring village and the two were inseparable from the first week. The thought made Anya smile.
"Sure Goufa. You know you were never very good at lying." Anya exclaimed, casting a glance at Lexa who returned her gaze, chewing her lip before speaking. "Fess up."
"They'll never know. Not how happy Costia makes me, not how well I did in battle." She turned her eyes on her mentor and felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes they do." Anya pointed up to the sky. "They see, they see how well you do Lexa. Now, get your head out of the stars. It's almost dawn, we should be getting close." Lexa nods to her mentor and returns to formation.
Sure enough as the sky faded from dark blue to pink the high walls of TonDC emerged among the trees. Anya sighed in relief, she had never been so happy to see those walls.
A horn bellows from within the walls to alert the guards of their approach. As the neared the gate Gustus identifies them to the guards, waiting for the gates to open.
Thankfully they aren't waiting long.
The gates pull back, Anya is beyond delighted to see Indra waiting for them on the other side. The caravan rolls through the gates and settles well within, the Flokru dismounting their horses and stretching their legs from the tense ride.
Anya dismounts once the gates swing shut and handed her horse off to Lexa bidding her to care for the horses. She hears Gustus barking orders to Trikru and Flokru to unload the cart before they work on the walls.
"Indra, we should speak privately." Anya holds the trident a little tighter in her hands.
"Very well." The stern woman leads the way towards her own hut, ushering Anya inside.
"Speak." Indra's voice was even but stern, expecting good reason for the late arrival and the absence of Luna's Second.
"Azgeda." Anya replied keeping her eyes locked with Indra. "They had scouts at the border, maybe 15 or so. They attacked before we could get to the convoy. Killick met us on the battlefield, they had lost two warriors to the Azgeda, and she was searching for them." She chewed another strip of meat before adding. "Lexa and Costia performed well. You would be proud."
Indra nods. "I will speak with them later. As for Luna's second?"
Anya swallows before continuing. "Killick returned to Stoney Shore to warn her people." Indra's gaze hardened.
"Warn them of what?" the Trikru chief seats herself before allowing Anya to continue
"The attack on the convoy was not simple looting. I believe they make for war." Anya retells Indra everything she had warned Killick about; overthrowing Luna, laying waste to Flokru and taking the land by force.
Indra clasps her hands on the table in front of her turning her attention to the map of the clans, eyes wandering over the villages marked by metal pieces.
"War with Azgeda has always loomed on the edge of everyone's mind. They are not an easy people to trust or to align. Your theory is sound; Azgeda only needs the smallest reason to push the clans to war. They may attempt to implicate another clan in their dealing, setting the clans against each other while the Queen watches the world burn."
Anya hadn't thought about Azgeda framing another clan.. The kindling for war was already laid with the clans, who still wared with each other; all it needed was a spark to set the plans into motion.
"When did Killick say they would arrive with the rest of Luna's people?"
"A week. The supplies should be almost ready to travel." Anya awaited Indra to reply. "She did say that it might take longer, she may be warning the other villages."
"We will not start panic until we relay this news to Luna. War may come quicker than we like. Take the remainder of the morning and rest. I expect to see you on training field this afternoon with the other Captains and seconds. If there is to be war, we will be ready."
The morning was hardly what Anya would call restful, she spent the majority of her time trying to wrap her mind around the possibility of an all-out war with Azgeda.
Sure there had been animosity between the clans, mostly over resources or land but the last real war they had was before Anya was born. Her father had said that he was only a new Captain when it broke out over the borders between the clans and the fighting lasted for a year before the Heda had stepped in.
Anya scoffed at the thought of the Heda doing much of anything. In the beginning when the clans were new and the world was still burning the Heda had helped lead the clans to new lands, establishing the capitol in Polis. When the clans branched out those who remained in Polis became the standing army of the Heda, regardless of which clan the Heda had originated. But now, now the Heda was simply a figurehead that the clans paid a tribute to every year.
Her mind starts to wander from war and settles on blue eyes and sun kissed skin, dotted with freckles. Killick. The woman had been so different from what she expected, and it was driving Anya crazy. Whenever she tried to form a coherent thought she found herself staring down into deep blue eyes all over again.
Unable to think much longer Anya decides to do the next best thing to calm her nerves, wipe the floor with her trusty second. She just had to find the girl first.
There were only a few places she would go, if she was still inside the walls of TonDC, one of those places happened to belong to Costia. The wild brunette lived on the northern side of the village, in the seconds compound; meager huts to accommodate the apprentices until they were capable warriors and were either given new living quarters within TonDC or assigned to another Trikru village.
As Anya approached the Second's Compound she noted how empty it felt, many of the other seconds were out with their mentors on various tasks. It wasn't unusual for pairs to be gone from the village for days at a time.
She counted the huts as she passed, trying to remember which one belonged to Costia.
'Is it the fifth or sixth on the left?' it certainly wasn't the first time she had to collect her Second but all the huts looked the same to Anya and every time the blonde swore that she would put up a sign for her own convenience.
Anya stopped, eyeing the fifth and sixth huts with a calculating stare as if Lexa would know she was outside. Getting fed up her own memory she chooses to throw caution to the wind and walks up to the fifth door, banging on it with a closed fist.
"Lexa! Untangle yourself from Costia and let's go!" Nothing. Anya shoves the door open muttering a string of curses under her breath, most are directed towards Lexa. "I swear to the Gods Lexa. Seven hells!" Anya looked at her feet, trying to spare her Second.
Well, Lexa wasn't missing anymore. She was underneath a very naked Costia, one hand buried in dark brown hair, the other gripping at the pillow behind her head. Whatever bliss Lexa was currently lost in was broken when she heard Anya's sharp swearing and the sudden cold of the open door.
"ANYA!" bright red creeps over Lexa's face and neck as she scrambles to cover herself, Costia's face pokes out from under the blankets.
"Hey Anya."
"Costia." The blonde lifts her head, now that the pair is covered, mostly. "You didn't think to answer the door?"
Lexa chooses to bury her face under the blankets rather than answer the question.
"She was a little preoccupied and it's a little hard to hear when you've got someone's thighs up aroun-" A hand from under the blankets silences Costia before she can embarrass her girlfriend any further.
"Thanks for that Costia." Anya couldn't help but be amused, the amount of teasing more than made up for being made to wait. "Get up you two, we've got work to do."