Chapter 25
Midori glanced around. Only two more years of squire-hood and the Ordeal would be upon her. For now, she would enjoy having little responsibility.
Amyl handed her a small box. "Open it." she prompt.
Midori cut the string with her dagger and watched as the box fell open to reveal a small silver bracelet engraved with the Yamani symbols for good luck, protection, friendship and love. "Thank you Amyl." she whispered, taking the bracelet from the box and admiring it as it shone in the gold light of candles.
"You're welcome." Amyl replied.
A second box was passed to her, by Emrys, and she took it with a murmured thanks. Opening this one, she found it to be a pair of new black riding boots and a helm. She tried on the boots and helm, they fit snug. "How'd you find my sizes for these?"
"I have my sources." Emrys replied with a sly smile, Oriana cuffed him on the head and he laughed, kissing Oriana's cheek.
Midori chuckled but fell silent as Nicole suddenly stood, hands melting to paws with unsheathed claws, her mouth curled into a snarl.
"What is it?" Midori whispered.
"Hush!" she snapped, "Grab weapons, all of you!"
All four stood daggers or swords in hand. Midori heard the horses neighing and people screaming and running for help. "Take the left road, men, Surround 'im" a gruff voice commanded.
Oriana gasped as she heard the screams and war-cries getting louder, Emrys looked around, hazel eyes wary. Midori took a deep calming breath, steadying her dagger in shaking hands. Alanna and George stood around the four, waiting for an attack.
"Get some of our men to New Hope! I'll hold them off!" Amyl visibly paled as she recognized the voice as Merric's. Midori placed a comforting hand on Amyl's shoulder, and her friend faced her with shocked pale blue eyes. "As a mother lark must soon say goodbye to her chicks, you must remember that a daughter must soon say goodbye to her childhood. He fights his own battles, Amyl, and so must we..."
Amyl nodded and set her jaw stubbornly, mouth pressed in a tight line. "I must be strong, like you Midori." Midori, in a moment of stunned-surprise, noticed a great change in the once-timid Amyl. She had grown confident in herself and dedicated in protecting her friends. They had all changed.
"I'm only strong because I've got friendship as my shield" Midori replied.
Amyl gripped the hilt of her dagger, with a white-knuckled hand as the door of the Dove burst open and ten men stormed in, clad in chain mail, breastplates and carrying long, bloodstained broadswords. "Grab what you can; these silly women are no threat." He murmured to the nine behind him.
"Men are no better then women!" Alanna snapped.
"Watch what your sayin' Sir Alanna. King Denvar of Scanra doesn't like people who don't cooperate." said the leader, pointing his broadsword at the lady knight.
"So that's the new king?" whispered Midori, stepping in front of Alanna, daggers looking puny next to the large swords the men carried. "You can tell your king, 'Denvar' that he cannot expect Tortall to give you anything!"
"Just the reaction I was expecting..." the leader sniggered as he thrust his sword through what he guessed to be the fabric of her tunic. But at the last moment, Midori felt the brush of a cool breeze and felt her hand grasp a familiar object.
A Yamani fan.
She heard the fan rip but not break as the sword was stabbed through, and felt her muscles ripple with fluid motions as she closed the fan and flipped it, catching the sword hilt in her hands. She saw her reflection in the shards of broken glasses and lit by the dying candlelight and small fires that had broke out, and grinned. Her voice held all the grace of a proper lady and yet the harshness of a young commander. It was her mother's reflection she saw and her own voice she heard. "Scared yet?" she asked, her mother spirit's brown eyes sparkling as she held the blade at the leader's throat.
"No..." the leader chuckled moving forward.
Midori suddenly landed flat on her back, with a sharp cry of pain, the spirit shaken from her body and her features returning to her own, she gasped as the leader pulled a dagger from a sheath in his boot and pointed it at her throat. "... I am intrigued."
"Why?" she hissed.
"Such stubbornness from a woman should be used upon the corset, not the battlefield." replied the man, pressing the blade harder against her throat, making Midori gasp as her air was cut off.
"May the gods take pity on your pitiful soul." Said the man moving to slit her throat, Nicole pounced in cat form, changing to that of a woman and scratched at the man's face, finally blinding and killing him. The heat of the fires from broken barrels of ale was suffocating and the smoke was as black as the Dark God's cloak. She hissed in frustration and found Amyl trying to retrieve Midori's gifts.
"Leave them!" Nicole cried, coughing as the thick smoke hovered over her and the fires roared and snarled. Cursing, as beams crashed and wood burned, Nicole tried to find the others. "George! Alanna!" she coughed again and drew in a sharp breath, "Emrys! Oriana?" "If you can hear me, answer!"
"We hear you, Nicole!" a voice called. Emrys was supporting a limping Oriana, one arm slung across her shoulder.
"You both get out of here!" Nicole ordered, "I'll find Midori! I lost her when the barrels caught flame."
Emrys hurried out without a second glance. Nicole grimaced and ran toward a still figure on the ground. "Midori! Midori are you alright?" Nicole cried, kneeling next to the limp figure, finding tears stinging her eyes. Hearing the wood creak beneath the pressure of the fire, Nicole slung an unconscious Midori over her shoulders and ran for both their lives as the Dancing Dove finally collapsed.
As the fire still raged, silence greeted the woman as she stepped into the street, and felt a damp breeze ruffle her hair. Sucking in the sweet air she stumbled, coughed bent over and emptied her stomach, squeezing her eyes against the burning sensation in them.
Wiping her mouth, she frowned and continued down to the palace, her friend still slung over her shoulders. "I hate rescue missions" she muttered, glancing at Midori and smiling she told herself firmly, "But you don't let friends die..."