Chapter Thirteen
Fierce September
Leaning against the wall Alanna tried to halt her desperate breathing, as well as her racing mind. She understood now, Raku was an Assassin, sent to kill the King and his son. She wasn't sure what to think of him, did she hate him for not telling her? Or did she understand, she hadn't told him she was a Nobel after all. Her mind was in a shambles, but one thing was clear, something was telling her she needed to get to Anya now.
Straightening she stumbled forward, following her instinct, trusting it to lead her to Anya. Slaves were scurrying about like ants, carrying belongings and guards were running down hallways with their weapons drawn, knocking down any slave that got in the way.
Alanna made sure to press herself against the wall whenever they ran past and tried to quicken her pace, the worry in her growing as she ran for Anya. Running, she found was quite difficult in a dress and she was thankful it was short so she could stretcher her legs, no matter how short they were.
As she rounded a corner the pounding in her ears suddenly stopped and Alanna saw a door, part way open and inside stood Anya, with her back towards Alanna. Using the breathing exercises taught to her by Raku she slowed her breathing and then kicked the door further open. It slammed against the wall and rebounded back, with a snarl she bought her arm up into guard position and as the door hit her it shattered, her gift was in full fight mode.
Stalking into the room Alanna halted, Brophy stood naked apart from his loincloth in front of a naked Anya. Alanna moistened her lips as he turned to look at her and had to restrain herself from moving and slaughtering him. The look in his eyes both infuriated and scared her, Anya turned too and when she saw Alanna she looked down in shame.
"Anya, get out." Alanna ordered, her eyes drilling into Brophy's. Alanna glanced at the frozen girl, "Now," the menace in Alanna voice was chilling and Anya quickly obeyed, taking her clothes with her as she left.
Brophy looked at her and licked his lips, lust in his eyes. Alanna glared at him, "How dare you," she hissed in fury. Brophy looked confused, "She only just turned nine," Alanna snarled as she took a step forward.
Brophy smirked and looked over her again, slowly and divided the distance between them. "Are you... suggesting... I "pick on someone my own size?' Alanna's eyes flickered and her gift began to tense. Brophy licked his lips, "Yes, that is a much more desirable," striding forward he grabbed her.
Alanna punched him in the face and shifted into a defensive position. Brophy recoiled, clutching his broken nose in shock. Straightening he cracked his nose back into place and charged her. Alanna flinched, close combat wasn't the area she excelled in. As he barrelled towards her Alanna shifted to the side and was knocked back as Brophy moved to match her. As they fell to the floor Alanna began to feel afraid.
While Brophy was halfway through his life, he had once been one of the greatest warriors in the land, and though he had let himself go he was still more than a match for the out of practice and small Alanna.
Kicking him in the stomach Alanna quickly rolled away from him, determined she would never let herself be on the ground while she was alone with him. Brophy got to his feet and eyed her viciously as he panted. I will make you pay for that, his eyes screamed.
Circling each other they avoided the furred carpets and the furniture was shoved to the side of the room. The room consisted of a bed with railings on top of it, holding the large draping curtains, two small sets and a desk next to the bed with an old lamp on it. A large cabinet stood silent in the darkened corner. Reaching her Brophy tried to grab her again, though kept his senses alert for her attack. He was ready when it came; her hand balled into a fist and lashed out towards his stomach. He bought his meaty arm into guard and knocked it off target and with his other grabbed her as she pulled it back. She spun and twisted her arm to manoeuvre behind him, it popped and with a cry of pain she jabbed her other fist into his lower back.
With a yell he released her and stumbled forward. Behind him Alanna clutched her dislocated arm, in too much pain to press her advantage. Brophy turned and leaned against the side of the bed as he regained his breath. Alanna, teeth bared in pain panted as she watched him.
Swallowing she suddenly ran at him, ignoring the pain as she reached for the railings on the bed. Her good arm took the strain as her other arm gave out, and as Alanna kicked Brophy in the chest she silently thanked Raku for the "Dance of the Snake" lessons that enabled her to hold herself in the air with one arm.
Brophy fell back and Alanna let go of the bed and fell back onto the desk. Her head slammed into the corner of the wooden table top and her vision went black. Brophy winched as he sat up and looked around for Alanna. He grinned when her saw her lying limp beneath the wooden desk and shuffled off the bed. He arrogantly approached her and kicked her viciously in the side, she moaned in pain and her eyes flickered beneath her lids. Satisfied she was alive but unconscious Brophy reached for her dress, he wanted to see this one as she had been born.
He ripped the fabric from her shoulders down to her bellybutton and ripped her arms from the silk. Outside there were great screams of pain and crashes and fierce winds, Brophy glanced to the open door as dozens of troops in full armour ran past and the clang of weapons followed.
Alanna kept her eyes closed as she slowly came to and only through mental supremacy did she keep herself from flinching when she felt meaty fingers caressing her skin. Still, her control wasn't perfect and her skin crawled as he touched her. Silently and limply she waited for her head to stop spinning so she could think and move. She was naked but for the token from the goddess and her loincloth, as was Brophy. Alanna's breathing began to quicken, though thankfully he never noticed, so caught up in his lust. As he reached to make himself bare Alanna moved, she jammed her knee into his groin and pushed him off her, adrenaline and fear giving her strength.
Turning she looked for anything she could grab as Brophy reared up, her hand fell on the lamp and with a cry she bought it crashing down on his skull. He groaned and slumped forward onto his hands, Alanna bought the lamp on his head again and again until he fell to the floor and was still.
Panting Alanna watched him, lamp poised as blood stained the carpets and eventually, when her heart had stopped hammering, she cautiously stepped around him. Keeping an eye on him she looked about for something to cover herself with. Walking backwards she reached the cupboard and opened it. Inside was a range of plain and fancy boys clothes, Alanna sighed in relief. Quickly she picked through the clothes and pulled some on.
Stepping cautiously out into the hallway she gingerly avoided the bodies and parts, blades and shields. Reaching down as she passed a dead guard she took his blade from his reaching hand, ignoring his staring eyes. Following the path of destruction which got worse and worse as she walked deeper into the hallway she eventually came to a bottle neck. Looking around her Alanna felt sick, she had never seen so many bodies all in one place, some bodies were barely recognisable as bodies and blood hung on the air like dust, swirling around her as she moved.
She covered her mouth in horror and felt the familiar stirring within her gut that told her she was about to vomit. Leaning over she retched, loudly and didn't stop until her stomach was empty. Wiping her mouth and straightening, Alanna spat and walked in through the doorway.
The room was once fine, that much was obvious. Large curtains would have shielded windows and carpets of animal skin softened the floor. Gold lamps and candlesticks would have sat on ancient gleaming desks and the large bed would have had feathered pillows and silken sheets. Not now though, now the room was a blackened crisp and looked as though a tornado had swept through it. There were guards in here to, each corpse burnt beyond recognition, bodies melted into armour and bones clutching shrivelled hilts. Oddly, the room smelt like roasting meat and Alanna had to fight her body to not retch.
A soft groan interrupted Alanna's appraisal and Alanna froze. When it repeated she crept forward as silently as she could on the crunching furs and over to what looked like the remains of a bed. A blackened hand twitched and the moan came again. Alanna quickly rushed forward and shoved the mattress off the person. Turning him over she recoiled, it was the King and he had a great dent in his skull and blood was weeping from a wound in his side. His face was burnt and blood welled from cracks in his skin.
Alanna swallowed and looked him over with her gift, confirming what she already knew. He was dying, and there would be no miraculous healing for him, no awakening from death. Reluctantly reaching for her gift she touched a finger to his hand, hesitant to touch him.
"Sleep, your majesty, join your wife and child in death, "Alanna was so distracted she never heard the soldiers enter the room until it was too late. She rose and spun to face them; they looked from her holding a blade to the King to their dead comrades and made the obvious, though incorrect conclusion that Alanna was the killer. Blades slid smoothly out of sheaths and the warriors slowly advanced on her.
Alanna blinked and looked about her, knowing they would kill her if they caught her and that they wouldn't listen to reason. The window, Alanna moved without a thought. She launched herself towards the glass and narrowly missed being caught by the guards that swarmed around the spot she had just vacated. She threw the blade into the dirt as she fell out the window in a shower of glass and her good arm lashed out at the creeping vines alongside the building. She bit back a scream as her dislocated arm slammed into the wall, her entire body weight behind it.
Gritting her teeth she dug her bare feet into the vines and jumped down, letting her good arm slide down the length of the vine. Before she gained too much speed she would halt herself by gripping the vine and forcing her feet into the stones. Before long her hand was stained green and blood was leaking from her toes and fingers. Finally reaching the ground she looked around and then ran, not knowing what direction, just putting distance between her and the guards.
She was running full speed through a rose garden when she heard a whimper. She froze instantly, jumping up and twisting to the side to avoid an arrow she was sure was coming. The whimper came again and Alanna walked forward, off guard. The guards wouldn't cry to distract her would they? Peering through the roses she saw a small bundled form and sighed.
Checking to both side of the path Alanna pushed the roses aside and went and knelt next to Anya. The girl was sobbing into the dirt, her arms wrapped around her in the foetal position, she only noticed Alanna when she reached out and touched her shoulder. Anya squealed and shuffled away from Alanna, further into the rose thorns. "Anya, "Alanna said softly shaking her gently. Anya only cried harder and screamed to let her go. When Alanna tried to shush her she screamed even louder. In the distance the barking of dogs could be heard and the soft shouts of orders.
Alanna couldn't wait, sighing she stood and turned to leave. The token from the Goddess burned at her throat. Reaching behind her neck she unclasped the gift and lowered it to the ground next to Anya. "I hope it keeps you safe, little one."
Then she began to run, her arm jarring with every step. She mentally cursed herself when she reached the smooth wall guarding the palace and slunk along both sides trying to find an exit. The closest she came to one was a crumbling pillar, holding and older section of the wall. The wall wasn't much to concern themselves with. It faced the ocean and a giant un-climbable cliff. To each sides of the wall the water had eroded so much of the land and it was guarded night and day by towers. She couldn't go that way, and the terrain was dangers and sharp rocks. Horses would break their legs in seconds and the rocks meant you had to scrambled up or around them.
The barking of the dogs grew closer and she could hear the footfall of the guards as they followed the dogs. Making a split decision she positioned her bad arm between her legs and then, with her good arm pushed her shoulder as hard as she could. Her joint popped back into place and the sound was masked by Alanna's cry of pain. The dogs fell silent as did the guards and then they started again furiously. Turning to the column Alanna prayed to the Trickster God she would be able to do this. Gripping the wall, she started to climb, wrapping her arms and legs around the pillar she shuffled up it slowly.
Reaching the top she lifted herself upwards with a grunt and lay panting as the roses bushes rustled. Black and brown shadows streaked across the grass towards her and snarls met her as the dogs tried to climb the wall.
To her right and left the guards at the towers had been alerted and were moving about. Alanna took a step forward and fell, down the wall and into the harsh rumble beneath it. She yelled as she landed on her left foot at an angle. The guards heard her cry and turned to see her next to the wall. Orders were yelled and the guards began to cross the dangerous terrain towards her. Alanna got to her feet, forcing the pain away and ran for the edge of the cliff and the rocks beneath.
They couldn't torture her if she were dead. Hobbling forward she pushed herself towards the whiteness ahead of her. As she got closer she saw the whiteness was actually sea foam and she could taste the spray as wind blew it back into her face. Behind her dogs had been released and were scrambling across the rocks ahead of their much slower chainmail burdened human companions.
Reaching the edge of the cliff Alanna edged forward. Water rushed up the face of the cliff as she stood there before retreating back and revealing the gleaming teeth of the rocks that guarded this side of the coast. The water splashed her face and the wind rushed through her hair and for the first time since she had left Tortall, three quarters of a year ago, she felt free. As the first dog, a great big tan and black beast reached her she took a step forward and flew, into oblivion.
As she hit the water she was immediately thrown against the cliff and the impact knocked the air from her lungs. She didn't fight, as she was slowly drawn into the deep water, the shafts of light now failing to pierce the waves, and closed her eyes as the ocean wrapped her in a soft embrace.
Above on the cliff a guard peering into the water swore he saw a flash of red among the rocks and ocean. The assassin was dead, she had thrown herself off a cliff and now they would never know who had paid her to murder the Royal Family. Above the skies began to weep, and lightening flashed. There was a storm coming.
The man standing on the cliff ignored the lightening and the thundering skies and focused on the rampant horizon. Wind rustled through his cloak causing it to billow out behind him. To any looking towards the ocean they would see a shadow standing on the cliff, lightening backing their form and their cloak lashing out behind them. In the next lightening flash, the figure was gone.
The storm raged for three days and three nights and on the morning of the fourth day a ship with sails of a blood moon and a hull and mast of coal sailed through the mist.
Authors note:
As always read and review. This chap isn't Beta-ed as my previous Beta wont contact me and my new one is busy. I hope there aren't too many mistakes :p
ZuliaGirl: Tis indeed upsetting to find Raku is a prince :) No, Alanna didnt end up getting lashed. The Lord and Lady needed her to mcu for her to be punished that , I feel loved :D
TwilightJen: Naw thank you. No, they werent running from anything. It was like, have you ever just driven a motorbike or something to full speed just to feel the wind hit your face? Or ridden a horse at a gallop to feel the thrill and the power beneath ya? If not it was just for fun and because Raku's horse was getting restless.
Spazzy(mind if I call you that?) Okay, thanks. Im glad it made sense. And reading through it is a bit rushed, guess I wanted to finally get to the exciting bits :p Sorry, I hope this one wasnt to rushed...
Now, for a spoiler to the next chapter...
If Blue could change into sapphire, azure, cobalt, navy, cerulean etc
And
Rain could be water, stream, river, ocean, sea, drizzle, downpour etc
Then Blue Rain would be a mixture of all the words e.g. Sapphire sea or azure river etc
Green could be emerald, jade, olive, lime etc
And
Light could be beam, beacon, glow, lantern, radiance, illumination etc
Then Green Light could be Jade Radiance or Emerald glow etc
If I was to say Red Sun, what mixture of words am I looking for? :p