Hey everyone! Another Chapter for you. I'm frankly amazed I got it out at all, I've been really busy. I suppose caffine and the wonderful melodies of Breaking Benjamin got me through this one. I won't be able to update for a while cause I'll be traveling but have no fear! I will be back!
Important: I'm using Taka with permission from Seungmina1991. Taka is her character, I'm only borrowing her!
..................The first thing Larka felt once she woke up was incredible pain. It felt like every part of her body was on fire with it. Her head ached fiercely and she stayed still with her eyes closed for a few moments before she overcame the pain enough to open them. It was clear she was outside for she could see a clouded sky and mountains in background. Before she took in anymore she first checked her body for any breaks. The agony, at times, was so intense she felt faint but nothing was broken. She found her weapons, paralyzing ring, and leather bodice taken, along with their sack of potions as well. Her memory was slow to come back but when she tried to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes she found that her hands were tied behind her back to a thick post that she was propped up against.
Looking around once more she saw a cluster of huts with a few people walking around and found that she was tied in a town center of sorts. Looking to her left she saw two more polls, the first one was empty but the second one closest to Larka held another prisoner. It was a young female Bosmer, with long midnight blue hair that was pulled back in a high pony tale. She was dressed in a dark blue ninja suit and had a fingerless glove on her right hand. It appeared that she was sleeping and Larka had no desire to wake her. Looking to her right she gasped. Krillan was tied there beside her. There was a small gash on the side of his head where the warrior had hit him and his weapon and armor were gone but he appeared unhurt other wise. Larka felt sure he wasn't unconscious, only sleeping. Slowly the events of the past day came back to her and Larka groaned. How was she going to get out of this?
The groan seemed to have awakened Krillan who looked over at Larka wearily. "'A few Ashlanders to a few Steam Centurions any day' huh?" he asked with a feeble smile. Larka tried to smile back but it hurt too much. "You look half dead. What happened after they knocked me out?" he asked. Larka tried to speak but found that her throat was too dry. Clearing it a few times she managed a hoarse whisper.
"When I saw you go down I fought the Ashlanders. I fought like I've never fought before, just pure fury. I was just one person though, they outnumbered me and once I was subdued they knocked me out. How long have I been asleep?" Larka asked.
"Well, I woke up in the morning after we were attacked. You stayed out of it until the middle of the night last night where you woke up so they would drip some water down your throat and then went back under; you probably don't remember that though. So you've been out for nearly two days." Krillan said.
"Are you okay?" Larka croaked.
"I'm alright. The guards feed us once a day and give us water twice. We're apparently being held here until we're to be taken to the chief. I don't know the story of the other elf. She sleeps a lot. This is what you'd call the tribe's town center. Used for celebration, meetings, keeping prisoners, and so on." Krillan said.
"Where have they taken our weapons?" Larka asked.
"They're over in the stall across from us." Said the Bosmer; startling Larka and making her whip her head around quickly, causing a sharp pain in her neck.
"How do you know?" Larka asked with a grimace as she cracked her neck.
"Because I saw the warriors put them there. I can only assume that's where my weapons are too. I was knocked out when I first came here." She continued, Larka could now see her eyes, which were stormy blue at the present.
"So were we." Larka said bitterly thinking of the woman with the merciless eyes.
"The warriors talk about you. They said you fought like a tiger, apparently no one's ever gotten a single a blow in before they're knocked out. You must have been fast." The elf said. Larka simply nodded. "I'm Taka. A ninja who happened to get caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time." The elf called Taka said.
"If only that were true for us." Krillan muttered.
"Give it a rest Krill." Larka said sharply. "How long have you been here?" she suddenly asked Taka.
"A week I believe." She said her eyes flashing an icy blue with anger. "The damn Ashlanders wouldn't even hear me out. I'm a prisoner for good I suppose. I've formulated plans for escape, but all of them involve me getting out of these bonds, which doesn't seem likely. If I could only get my hands on Icicle..." she said wistfully.
"Icicle?" Krillan asked.
"My longblade." Taka answered. "Now if you don't mind I think I'll go back to sleep. After a few days here I think I can sleep through anything, one gets bored easily." And with that she resettled herself against the post and closed her eyes. Larka glanced coldly at the girl, her general dislike for people flaring up once more.
"I think the Ashlanders are afraid of us, Taka and I are a completely different race that many have never seen, they won't come near us." Krillan stated.
"That's one good thing." Larka whispered looking around once more. There were many huts, some bigger than others and there were stalls holding pottery, food, and other wares, lines that held clothing or drying meat, and various people walking about. Some glanced fearfully at the prisoners but some just ignored their presence.
Larka struggled at her bonds, seeing if she could loosen them. But they were strips of tanned leather and they wouldn't budge. "They won't come undone, I think they may be spelled." Krillan said. Larka closed her eyes and reached out with her senses, laced with white spell fire, to the leather cords. Her magic fell over them but it detected no sign of enchantment. "They're not spelled, just very cleverly tied. I was lucky to have gotten that simple spell out; I'm exhausted from the magical effort. If the cords aren't spelled I think the surrounding area is, to prevent us from using any major magic to free ourselves." Larka sighed.
"Krill what are we going to do?" she whispered franticly. "We have to escape, but I don't know how."
"Calm down Lark. We'll be alright I promise." Krillan said gently. "Now you should go back to sleep. It looks like they beat you raw, take this opportunity to heal yourself." Krillan said. "Alright, and Krillan?" Larka said faintly.
"Yes Larka?"
"I'm sorry."
"Just sleep, I'll stay awake and alert you if someone comes. If I know you, your mind will have come up with a plan by then." Krillan said softly, smiling again. Larka smiled back as best as her aching head would allow and drifted off to sleep.
...............................
Larka slept for hours and eventually Krillan slept as well. It was nighttime when they were awoken by Taka. "The warriors are coming this way." She said quickly. "Be careful, they're rough." The warriors reached the captives and the three of them quickly feigned sleep. Suddenly Larka was 'awoken' sharply by two warriors, one who kicked Larka in the side. Once again, Larka's first feeling was pain, but some of her aches had subsided now to a dull throbbing and while she slept her magic had performed a feeble healing spell. Feeling more alert and rested Larka growled at the warrior and swung her leg outward and swept the man's feet out from under him. Immediately two other warriors stepped in, kicking and beating her once more. Larka struggled in vain through the renewed pain in her old wounds and the fresh ones. She could hear Krillan yelling for them to stop. "Go on. Scream for mercy." One warrior said kicking her in the stomach.
"Never!" Larka gasped out.
"Well then, let's see how long before she breaks then." Said one woman maliciously.
"Step aside!" a harsh voice said. Immediately the blows ceased and the warriors stepped back from their captive.
The same woman with the dark red eyes and the scar across her cheek who had knocked Larka out last time approached her once more. Now that Larka could see her better she realized that she was almost the same age as Larka, maybe even younger. Larka growled again and spat at the woman's feet, her saliva mixed with blood now. "Where are your manners Dunmer?" the woman asked. "If you want to be untied then I suggest you treat me with more respect."
"Don't touch her!" Krillan yelled defiantly at the woman.
"Now, now human, control your temper." The woman said in a mock scolding manner. "Take her to the chief!" she ordered. Suddenly Larka felt her bonds being cut and she was pulled roughly to her feet. Larka staggered and her knees almost gave way. The Ashlanders laughed, and she determinedly steadied herself. "If he moves," the woman said to the two remaining warriors by Krillan. "Beat him, and the girl."
"Krillan! Stay still! I'll be back!" Larka said urgently.
"Larka!" Krillan cried after her as she was born away in a protective crowd of warriors. He was silenced by a swift kick to the side and watched as they took his friend away. .....................................
The warriors around Larka held spears. All of them were pointed at her as they walked. Her hands remained unbound but her chance of escape was very little. Some of the people Larka vaguely recognized from her previous fight and they clearly hadn't forgotten her. Occasionally a spear point found it's way to an arm or leg, nicking the skin and sometimes drawing a droplet of blood, so that soon her sleeves and pant legs were a sea of bloodstains. One man prodded her in the back with his spear tip, the blade sinking at least two inches into her skin. Larka cried out, viciously turning and punching him in the face. Blood spattered, she heard a cracking sound and knew she'd broken the man's nose.
Another warrior swiftly kicked her to her knees and the woman, who was their War Leader, Larka suspected, came up to her. "That wound will close up in a day or so." She said referring to the spear mark on her back that was bleeding freely, soaking the back of her shirt as the blood trickled down. "But break another one of my warriors noses and you'll have a spear thrust through your belly." Her merciless red eyes burned into Larka's amber ones the both of them staring fiercely into the other's eyes. "Get her up and bring her to the chief!" the War Leader said turning and walking ahead. Larka was once more picked up and shoved forward towards a large hut near the outskirts of the village.
As they approached the hut Larka strove to think of a way to escape. This was her last chance! Seeing a gap in the crowd she heaved herself upon a spearman. His spear was pointed carelessly downwards in the first place so she was unhurt. They crashed to the ground and Larka rolled away from the crowd that rushed to close in on her once more. She flipped herself up and ran. She ran through the camp, blindly trying to find her way through the huts and the scared and shocked people. She could hear the warriors chasing her and Larka's first thought was to get her weapons back. Then rescue Krillan, and Taka. The full moon illuminated the village with a dim ghostly light. She continued to run in the direction of the center and the stall with her weapons.
Larka could see more warriors joining the chase now and doubled her speed, though her muscles protested the effort violently. Seeing the square she burst through the last clump of huts and ran for the stall. She saw Krillan and Taka out of the corner of her eye; they looked at her bewilderedly and Krillan said, "Larka what..." but she was already across the clearing and at the stall with her weapons. She grabbed her wakizashi and Krillan's axe, leaving her tanto and bow and arrows. As a quick afterthought she grabbed a bluish longblade that she supposed was Taka's. Racing back to the captives their two guards ran at her with their clubs raised. Larka smiled, this was going to be easy now that she had her sword back. With a quick slash both men were on the ground, Larka had cut a long, deep gash through both their chests and it was already bleeding them to death.
She ran to Krillan and Taka and could hear the other warrior's approach in the distance. She cut their bonds with her sword and heaved Krillan to his feet while Taka got up swiftly. She threw Krillan his axe and handed Taka her sword, which she gazed lovingly at for a moment. Larka turned to face the tide of people that were running at them. "Run both of you! Don't stop until you're out of the village and away from here!" Larka said.
"Larka no!" Krillan cried but she shoved him away.
"Run you idiot!" she yelled ferociously. Her adrenaline was all that was keeping her awake, all the pain she had felt was numb now and she was going to fight till her last breath. He turned and ran but Taka stayed.
"I don't know what it is about you." She said with a bemused look. "But I must say, you're one hell of a risk taker. I'm staying, what are your orders?" She asked. Bending her knees and raising her sword. "I trust you're worth your weight in a fight?" Larka said.
"I trust you are too?" Taka responded with a small grin.
"We'll soon see won't we." Larka said her amber eyes flashing, her battle fever raging. "Just watch my back." She instructed.
The warriors attacked with a crash and the two women were beset with attacks from all sides. Larka slashed, chopped, dogged, and kicked rapidly. Taka was beside her, wielding her longsword with expertise. The two of them parrying and attacking with acute smoothness and grace. The two cleared a wide space between them and their attackers; they stood back to back, strangers, allied in their desperation.
Soon though, both of them began to lose strength, despite the adrenaline that was surging through their veins. And though they fought bravely they were outnumbered by the mass of warriors. Soon all they could do was fend off the blows that came their way. Larka turned her head quickly to Taka, deftly decapitating a warrior who thought she wasn't paying attention to her fight. "We have to run." She said. Taka nodded. At once the two of them turned and bolted.
A burst of speed from reserves of strength neither knew they possessed carried them away from the throng of people and across the clearing. Larka vaulted over the posts where they had been held captive, Taka sidestepping them, and ducked behind the weapons stall as arrows rained over their heads. Please let Krillan have escaped! Larka thought over and over. "I trust you know how to use a bow and arrow." Larka said.
"Of course." Taka stated fitting an arrow to her steel longbow. Larka fitted an arrow to her Daedric bow as well. Rising above the stall she took a second to aim and loosed. As the arrow flew through the air Larka screamed a spell, the force of it breaking through the anti-magic wards. The arrow then split into ten different ones, all striking a different warrior. Ducking behind the stall once more she quickly laced up her bodice and attached her tanto to her belt while Taka loosed arrows. "We're stuck." Taka said, her voice calm, though Larka could see in her eyes that she was nervous.
"No we're not." Larka said, swiftly loosing another arrow. After yelling the multiplying spell she slung her bow onto her back and grabbed Taka. Together they ran blindly from hut to hut as arrows fell. Larka saw that the elf carried throwing stars now as well as her other weapons. "Don't use those unless you have to." She instructed. Taka nodded as they continued running. Just a bit further till we're out! Larka thought.
..................................
Coming to a bend in the path they were on Larka saw the chief's hut once more. "Almost there!" she gasped as they ran. Turning to run beyond the hut and out of the village an arrow suddenly struck Larka in the shoulder and the impact took her backwards as she feel to the ground, seeing dots of color from the pain. Taka screamed and sank to the ground as an arrow whistled over her head. She knelt beside Larka and bowed her head, her anguished eyes telling Larka what she had feared.
Looking up she saw a group of warriors, with the War Leader at the front holding the bow that had fired the shot. Krillan was in their midst, he was bound and gagged being held up by two Ashlanders. Larka's remaining strength vanished in a flash; all hope went out of her like a light. They had caught Krillan. All the pain rushed back to her body and white light shot through her vision. Her shoulder was on fire with it where the arrow shaft stuck out. Looking up once more the War Leader walked towards the two women and fitted two arrows to her bow with an evil smile. "I'm sorry Taka." Larka whispered.
"We made a good team." Taka said with a sad smile. Larka raised herself up to a sitting position with Taka's help and bowed her head in defeat.
The two fallen fighters closed their eyes in anguished submission as the War Leader drew her bow and fired.
Authors Note: Heehee, don't you just love cliff hangers??? Yeah, probably not, but I do. Fear not! This is not the end of our brave heros!
