As I'm new to this, I forgot to put the little disclaimer at the start of Ch 1. So here it is:
if only if only I owned these characters. I don't. Tamora Pierce does.
So, continuing on....
Thayet wove between trees, a horse-length behind her guide. Mud splattered up her horse's legs and smacked wetly on his belly. Thayet's once-pink dress was splotched and spattered, now an unappealing shade of brown. Her hair was plastered onto her shoulders, the fashionable curls washed out by the heavy rain.
"How much further?" Thayet called to her guide.
"Just here, Majesty. Around this chunk o' granite."
As they rounded the bend, the sounds of arguing prisoners touched Thayet's ears. Her guide motioned for her to stop. Pulling her bow from her saddle, she prayed that it hadn't gotten too wet. She breathed a sigh of releif as she easily pulled the string to her ear. Gently letting it go, she knew that it could have been very bad if it hadn't bent. Too much water in a bow could cause the wood to expand, making the string too tight to fit an arrow. Thayet took the lead, passing her guide, bow in one hand and reins in the other, scouting out her best attacking location. Her Riders were facing her, surrounded by outlaws. Two horses were knee-deep in mud, bogged down and panicking. The rest were just outside the clearing, tied to dripping branches. One Rider was already down, an arrow through her shoulder, and another was still glowing, showing that he had just used his Gift in the Group's defense. Three outlaws were in a bloody heap, just killed. More dead enemies were outside the clearing near the horses. --Soon there'll be more dead, and not just bandits-- Thayet thought, --The Fifth is lucky to have made it this far. But they're my responsibility. I'll get them out of this mess.--
Thinking fast, Thayet dismounted and began to climb the granite slab to her right. She beckoned for her guide and protector to follow her; he came bearing bow and sword. Silently they scrambled up the slick grey granite. Upon reaching the top, Thayet lay on her belly and carefully took an arrow out of the quiver on her back.
One of her Riders spotted her, eyes temporarily lighting up. But then she realized the danger to her Queen if she were to give Thayet's position away, and stifled her emotion. Silently, Thayet drew her bow, the nape of one bandit's neck her target. Next to her, her guide did the same. Together, they let arrows fly. Two outlaws fell. She slid down the granite, out of view of the battle ground and out of shooting range of the enemy's arrows.
"Tortall and the Queen's Riders!" A yell came from around the rock. Thayet waited with bated breath. The swish of arrows being loosed and the angry cries of the outlaws mingled in the wet forest. Having turned their backs on the Riders to see why two of their number had dropped like flies, the outlaws had given Thayet's group clean shots. Confused and angered, the bandits screamed their rage. More and more of them were falling as they tried to reconstitute and form another plan.
Thayet surfaced once again atop her granite, to assess the situation and take down a few more enemies. Watching the mess belowe her, she counted twelve bandits still standing and ten down in the clearing. --No wonder my Riders got stuck. Two to one, with only eleven riders in the Fifth-- she mused, surveying the scene again. After the outlaws had gotten their second wind, their attention was back on the Riders. Thayet let loose another arrow, this time aimed at a tall, lanky man who seemed to be in charge. With his death, the others dispersed, disappearing into the heavy rain in the woods.
Letting her breath go, Thayet slid from her rock, considering her losses. One Rider was down: she bit her lip, forcing herself to think about other things. Several were injured, but only one down was quite a statement about how well her army composed itself in battle. She quickly stepped around the rock, missing a Rider's frantic movements for her to stay still. Without seeing his agitated body language, Thayet stepped out from behind the rock straight into the bowsight of an archer in a tree.
--Oh, crap-- she thought. --I'm screwed.-- More bandits emerged from behind trees, surrounding Thayet, her guide, and the Riders. They were stuck, and no one was coming to help them.
So what do you think? If you like it, I'll write the last chapter. I thought this was going to be the last chapter, but then it wasn't because interesting things happened. :O) So anyway let me know and maybe I'll keep going.
if only if only I owned these characters. I don't. Tamora Pierce does.
So, continuing on....
Thayet wove between trees, a horse-length behind her guide. Mud splattered up her horse's legs and smacked wetly on his belly. Thayet's once-pink dress was splotched and spattered, now an unappealing shade of brown. Her hair was plastered onto her shoulders, the fashionable curls washed out by the heavy rain.
"How much further?" Thayet called to her guide.
"Just here, Majesty. Around this chunk o' granite."
As they rounded the bend, the sounds of arguing prisoners touched Thayet's ears. Her guide motioned for her to stop. Pulling her bow from her saddle, she prayed that it hadn't gotten too wet. She breathed a sigh of releif as she easily pulled the string to her ear. Gently letting it go, she knew that it could have been very bad if it hadn't bent. Too much water in a bow could cause the wood to expand, making the string too tight to fit an arrow. Thayet took the lead, passing her guide, bow in one hand and reins in the other, scouting out her best attacking location. Her Riders were facing her, surrounded by outlaws. Two horses were knee-deep in mud, bogged down and panicking. The rest were just outside the clearing, tied to dripping branches. One Rider was already down, an arrow through her shoulder, and another was still glowing, showing that he had just used his Gift in the Group's defense. Three outlaws were in a bloody heap, just killed. More dead enemies were outside the clearing near the horses. --Soon there'll be more dead, and not just bandits-- Thayet thought, --The Fifth is lucky to have made it this far. But they're my responsibility. I'll get them out of this mess.--
Thinking fast, Thayet dismounted and began to climb the granite slab to her right. She beckoned for her guide and protector to follow her; he came bearing bow and sword. Silently they scrambled up the slick grey granite. Upon reaching the top, Thayet lay on her belly and carefully took an arrow out of the quiver on her back.
One of her Riders spotted her, eyes temporarily lighting up. But then she realized the danger to her Queen if she were to give Thayet's position away, and stifled her emotion. Silently, Thayet drew her bow, the nape of one bandit's neck her target. Next to her, her guide did the same. Together, they let arrows fly. Two outlaws fell. She slid down the granite, out of view of the battle ground and out of shooting range of the enemy's arrows.
"Tortall and the Queen's Riders!" A yell came from around the rock. Thayet waited with bated breath. The swish of arrows being loosed and the angry cries of the outlaws mingled in the wet forest. Having turned their backs on the Riders to see why two of their number had dropped like flies, the outlaws had given Thayet's group clean shots. Confused and angered, the bandits screamed their rage. More and more of them were falling as they tried to reconstitute and form another plan.
Thayet surfaced once again atop her granite, to assess the situation and take down a few more enemies. Watching the mess belowe her, she counted twelve bandits still standing and ten down in the clearing. --No wonder my Riders got stuck. Two to one, with only eleven riders in the Fifth-- she mused, surveying the scene again. After the outlaws had gotten their second wind, their attention was back on the Riders. Thayet let loose another arrow, this time aimed at a tall, lanky man who seemed to be in charge. With his death, the others dispersed, disappearing into the heavy rain in the woods.
Letting her breath go, Thayet slid from her rock, considering her losses. One Rider was down: she bit her lip, forcing herself to think about other things. Several were injured, but only one down was quite a statement about how well her army composed itself in battle. She quickly stepped around the rock, missing a Rider's frantic movements for her to stay still. Without seeing his agitated body language, Thayet stepped out from behind the rock straight into the bowsight of an archer in a tree.
--Oh, crap-- she thought. --I'm screwed.-- More bandits emerged from behind trees, surrounding Thayet, her guide, and the Riders. They were stuck, and no one was coming to help them.
So what do you think? If you like it, I'll write the last chapter. I thought this was going to be the last chapter, but then it wasn't because interesting things happened. :O) So anyway let me know and maybe I'll keep going.