Chapter 8—Midnight Clash
The night concealed them; hiding their darker skin and shadowy clothing with ease. The moon overhead, full the two nights before, was gone now. They traveled Hylian Field on horseback, slowly and quietly, Savannah in the lead. She was guided by the slight glow a ways away that was the Hylian camp. Her focus was there.
The Creatures of the Night scurried away, far away, not daring to come near the Gerudo war party. They were all armed, firstly with bows and fire arrows, secondly with short swords. Each had her own smaller assortment of weapons of choice, making all a supreme danger in her own right.
Savannah's focus was steady on her task ahead; get into the Hylians' camp without being seen or detected. Find the commander's tent. Secure knowledge of their plans. Leave, silent as they'd come. If they encountered anyone, anyone, they would be forced to kill that person, and that in turn would alert the enemy of their presence. If they were spotted, they died fighting for their people. They never made it home.
Home. It was easy enough for Lea and the others to think of home, and work hard to return to it, but Savannah could not do the same. Despite the young Gerudo's words, she didn't feel that the Fortress was her home, she'd decided. Her shelter from the elements and her next meal, maybe, but not her haven.
She hoped that that hope of hearth and health gave a sense of ease and assurance to her party members. If they thought they were invincible, had no doubt that they would be back home by morning, then they would be.
Provided they didn't encounter Paris. Shit. There went her concentration. All it took was one slip on one of their parts and they all died. She feared that Paris was such a weakness that they would all die. Much as she did not love the Gerudo, she could not be the reason for six of their deaths.
She halted her horse suddenly, signaling a stop. She'd heard a horse, maybe two or three. Her mind had not been focused; her attention had been wandering. Lea pulled up beside her, despite the order to stand still.
"Where is your mind wandering, Savannah?" she whispered.
Just as soon as the words were out of Lea's mouth, they were ambushed. Not from all sides, thank the Goddesses, she'd not been so stupid, but they came from the front and sides. Hylians, mounted on large and fast horses, swords at the ready.
Bows were drawn, someone whispered some prayer, bows were shot, but they were too close. Steel was pulled free and clashed. The Gerudo turned as the Hylians swarmed their ranks, reaching the end and turning about for a second wave strike. The Gerudo were ready for the second strike, and instead of running through their ranks like wind through the grass, the Hylians were tangled among them like cloth caught in thorns. The close quarters made moving the horses difficult, and swinging too wide risky, but they managed a decent fight for a long moment.
Savannah was the first to kill one of the Hylians. She ran her sword through his stomach, watching the blood wash down her blade and his eyes change from shock to fear to resistance, then blank. Droplets of the blood mixed in the dirt, collecting in one of the horses' prints.
Some kind of cry went up, part Gerudo triumph, part Hylian-promised-vengeance. Another Hylians moved toward her, steel still clashing. Somewhere behind her, she heard a grunt, and the heavy thud as a body hit the solid, unforgiving ground. Her new enemy wielded his sword like an extension of his arm, seemingly not worried about hitting his comrades who were so close. She smelled rage and pain in him. The one she'd just killed was probably some kin to him.
He struck forward with a jab and when she dodged it, their blades colliding at a strange angle, he fell forward some, almost losing his balance.
Savannah's gut twisted when she saw who she'd been fighting. Who she had strove to kill, to fell dead. Rage and Sorrow and Determination warred across his face, then he looked up at her and recognized her.
"Paris," she whispered.
His breathing labored, he stared, the chorus of metal on metal, grunts and cries of pain or victory playing behind them, a backdrop to the cold dark night. Their eyes locked and they stared at each other. Savannah, rather inappropriately, remembered his kiss, and wanted to feel his lips again.
Paris hated himself for trying to kill her in that moment they stared at each other. He also feared for her, and for the Gerudo who would be outnumbered within moments; his larger party would no doubt hear the commotion and be even now on their way to aid his numbers. This had to end if Savannah and her Gerudo were to come out alive and unharmed.
Suddenly a loud Gerudo cry went up from somewhere behind Savannah. They both turned in time to see one of the Gerudo fall from her horse, dead weight as she hit the ground.
Savannah started to charge away from him, but he took a strong hold on her reins, holding the horse close to his.
"I did not know," he said. "Take what remains of your faction and leave. Run."
She turned back around to face him. "They will not flee, now that they've been spotted."
"They will," he vowed. "I will see to it. But you must run. Promise me,"
She bit her lip as another war cry shot through the air. "I promise."
He nodded, a slight smile playing across his grim face; he wanted to kiss her, but couldn't, not here, not now. He called his Hylians back, rallied them to him, away from her people. They withdrew at his command, without question or hesitation, though without finesse.
The Gerudo started to go after them for retribution, thirsty for blood, but Savannah called them back.
"We have the chance to retreat, to keep our lives. Come!"
They protested, Lea and another charging on. Savannah caught them, angling her horse into their way. "Retreat. Lea, you have your orders. Now, go!"
Lea growled low in her throat at her. "When Abinan hears of this…"
"The Queen will deal with me as she will. Do not give her reason to be angry with you, too."
A tense moment left the air heavy before Lea pulled around jerkily and headed away from Savannah. The others followed her, not Savannah, who hung back to see that they all turned around.
Savannah looked over her shoulder to see Paris watching her. She made no gesture to him, as that would betray him, but she hoped he knew how she felt. Then she followed the Gerudo away, lonely and drained of energy.
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Hyrule Castle-- Magius's Workshop
Magius held the reddish potion in his frail old hand and watched the liquid swish around slightly. It was done. He had gone without sleep for the two days since receiving Master Paris's request, but it was done.
The rest was up to Paris. Magius had full confidence in the boy to do what was right. He only wished he would come out of the affair happy. But, somehow, Magius doubted a happy ending for Master Paris.
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Gerudo Fortress's Upper Levels
Abinan looked down as her people prepared the sacred burning for their fallen family member. The hole had been dug out in the ground, and the dead warrior's body wrapped in oil-drenched cloth. Abinan watched as they lowered her down into the rectangular hole. They all stood around the body, looking down, speaking in turn. Each who had something to say would say it, then their priestess would say a few holy words, ask the Goddesses to keep and bless their lost and then the torch that now stood on a three-pronged stand a ways back would be dropped down onto the oily cloths. The body would burn down to ashes and then the hole in the ground would be filled in again, the ashes left where they lay.
It was a solemn, sad time. But even as they laid their one dead to rest, Abinan knew others would follow. She'd been granted no vision, but the tale that Lea wove was not pretty, nor was it fairytale.
Turning away from the ledge on the top of her fortress, Abinan faced the blank faces that surrounded her. Nina stood next to her, waiting for her decision. Lea stood back some, head bowed with respect as she finished her tale.
Savannah stood back against the wall of the canyon, her arms crossed, her head down, refusing to answer, to defend herself as Lea painted a bad picture of her. Her eyes were closed.
The Gerudo law demanded that Savannah be punished. Abinan looked to where the accused stood, silent as the body being burned below. That she didn't defend herself said much. It was not that Abinan was torn between duty and sentiment, it was that she was torn between principles, people.
"We will retire for the night. Allow me, Lea, Savannah, to sleep on what you have told me, and I will pass judgment in the morning." Abinan said quietly after a long moment.
"But, my queen—"
"I have spoken, Lea. Dare you contradict me?"
The warrior was silent for a moment, "No, my queen. Forgive me."
Abinan waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "You may all go down to attend to your sister."
It was a dismissal, and she listened as they all left.
Abinan stood above her people, watching for a long time, studying the flames that licked at the body, and the embers that floated gently into the air with the smoke against the black sky. She watched those gathered to see her off into the next life, heard some of their talk. Long moments passed.
Finally, exhausted and still not knowing what she would do, Abinan turned to go to her chambers. She stopped short though, when she saw Savannah still standing against the wall, a statue wrapped in night.
"Savannah,"
Silence. Then, Savannah lifted her head to stare at her with black eyes. "I meant only to save lives when we retreated." And then she turned and descended the stairs into the gloomy fortress.
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Thawn716, thank you again for your review. I hope this newest chapter meets with your approval.
The story is wrapping up. There are a few more aspects that I'm not quite sure on, but that's it. Barring some major disaster, there will be two, three or maybe four more chapters.