Chapter 20: In sheep's clothing
"Do you know what deal they were talking about?" Shego asked as she pulled Kim off her horse.
"I'm not sure. This is the first I've heard of any deal between them." The queen said as she slid off the saddle. Shego set Kim down on the side of the road and walked off the path and gave her water. Though it seemed pointless, as most of the water spilled out through Kim's mouth. "Is there time for this?" The queen asked.
"I've got until dawn to bring you and Kimmie back. We've been riding half the night and I'm sure you want to rest too." Shego argued nearly drowning Kim in the process. Defeated the queen sat next to Shego and took a long drink of water. Kim coughed, sending blood splattering up in Shego's face. She slowly and painfully sat up, weakly wiping the blood from her mouth.
"You shouldn't be moving." Shego said in a meek tone. It was amazing Kim was even awake.
"I was tortured for a day; do you think I want to be up?" Kim spat back as she tried to support herself. "I didn't give them any information majesty." She added before slumping over into Shego's shoulder. Shego shook her head and allowed Kim to drink again before seating her on the horse.
"We should get going. The battle will be starting at dawn and we need to get her to a healer." Shego said. She helped the queen onto the horse. "Can you keep her on the horse in full gallop?" Shego asked glancing back down the path. The queen nodded. "Good, then take her back as fast as you can. I'll run the rest of the way." Before the queen could protest Shego whistled, sending the horse speeding off. Shego turned her attention to the forest around her; any direction would have worked for her small detour.
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"Dawn is upon us where is she?" The queen demanded as she paced the floor.
"If I know Shego, she's got something planned." Kim said as she struggled to sit up.
"You need to get some rest. Now lie back down." Ariel argued as she pushed Kim back onto the bed. "I'm sure she will be here soon majesty."
The queen continued to pace. "We shouldn't have left her. I should have demanded she stay on the horse. Now she may have the entire enemy army bearing down on her."
"First of all." Kim interrupted. "It would have taken us much longer to get back here. And there is no telling her what to do. No matter who you are she won't listen. And second, I don't know if you have seen what she can do but I feel more concern for the army than her."
"General." Ariel hissed.
"What? I'm simply stating the truth. I've done more damage to that woman than any army could." Kim said as she found the strength to sit up.
"Yeah no one could do worse than the electrical tower." Shego said from the doorway.
"Oh thank the gods you're alive." The queen proclaimed.
"Yeah, the gods…whatever. Look I have an idea." She threw a shield on to the floor. The women stared at the shield for a long moment, in the center was the enemy symbol crudely painted in blue and white paint.
Kim was the first to break the silence. "You lose your mind haven't you Shego?"
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Dawn peeked over the tops of the trees. Sunlight poured onto the thick wall separating the forest from the town surrounding the palace. Kim walked along the top of the wall past women sitting behind the edge over looking the forest.
"You all know what to do on my signal." Kim announced. She looked back out over the forest and down the path. Her wounds throbbed as her heart beat faster; she busied herself by stringing her bow. She kept an eye on the path, waiting for the army to come. She feared this time they won't win, their back up had never come and now more soldiers were off in the woods with Shego and her suicidal plan.
She finished her work and looked up at the path. A flock of birds had rushed up out of the trees crying out in complaint at that their morning had been disturbed by an oncoming intruder. "Archers." Kim called. The women sitting along the edge stood and faced the forest.
"On my mark." Kim called. The women raised their bows, keeping an arrow in hand. A horn was heard in the forest, soon the heavy beat of horse hooves could be heard on the dirt path. Kim raised her hand.
"Ready on my mark." She cried trying hard to swallow the lump in her throat. The path suddenly let out a mass of men clocked in a sea of blue and white.
"Aim." Kim called. Her stomach turned as she took aim at one of the men charging forward. She told herself it was all in self defense.
"Fire!"
A sea of arrows cut through the air, each one hitting a man and sending them to the ground.
"Fire!"
Another hail of arrows came, more men fell. The army was now at their doors.
"Fire at will!" Kim called as she rushed to the other side of the wall. "Strengthen the barricade." She called down. Soldiers rushed to the doors and Kim turned her attention back to the army beating at the wall. Ladders were set against the wall and sent back down in flames. Arrows fell down by the hundreds and still more men came.
Kim looked out at the edge of the forest; she stared in horror at the massive catapults wheeling in. She rushed back to the other side. "Take cover!"
She began to fire her arrows at an alarming rate in hopes of slowing down the army. She hadn't seen the sudden activity amongst the men at the edge of the forest. Many of them began to disappear into the forest, replaced by different soldiers. She only saw the catapults fire massive boulders toward the wall. She tensed up as the boulders flew threw the air toward her, only to fall desperately short and hitting the ground and rolling toward the wall. They rolled through the sea of men charging toward the wall. She turned her head at the sight of the boulders rolling crashing into the army and rolling over men who tried to flee.
Kim turned her attention back to the fight. The boulders had slowed enough to do no damage to the wall. She looked back out to the forest edge and saw the catapults falling, and a separate battle had ensued amongst the soldiers. Kim strained to see what had happened; far in the distance she saw a flash of bright green. She cursed under her breath. She raised her hand high in the air, the arrows stopped and the archers slid back behind the wall.
"I want my best at the wall." She called. Several archers stood lined up in front of her. She pointed to the battle that had broken out. "Do not fire unless you know they are not one of your own." She warned, the lump in her throat returned with a vengeance, choking her in mid sentence. She signaled for them to take their posts, they drew their arrows and began to fire. Kim turned her attention to the remaining archers seated along the wall. "Prepare to charge the door." She said in a coarse tone.
She descended the stairs leading off the wall. The queen was already seated on her horse waiting for Kim's approach. Kim swallowed the lump in her throat called for her horse. "Are you sure you want to fight majesty?" Kim asked as she nervously mounted her horse.
"I'm never sure what the day holds for me until I rest my head." The queen said slipping on her helmet.
"I'd rather you had gone with the civilians." Kim argued.
The queen shook her head and rested a hand on Kim's shoulder. "You know as well as I do that I must fight. I can't abandon my warriors when they need me the most."
Kim swallowed down the sick feeling in her stomach. She hated that the queen had made such a good point. As the doors slowly opened her hands tightened on her rains. She could feel her finger nails cutting into her skin as they charged out to the awaiting army leading a mass of soldiers with them. Kim could hardly believe who well Shego's plan had worked. Box in the army, cut them off the world and take them down in one day. She couldn't help but wonder what could possibly go wrong with this plan.
"Don't daydream general! Just get the job done!" Antiope shouted as she leapt from her horse and charged a massive man. Kim shook her head and continued to fight through the crowd keeping an eye of the queen and the flashes of green plasma that would appear every so often.
Soon it was high noon, the army had dwindled to a few thousand, Kim was beginning to feel fatigue from the battle but refused to quit. She had managed to stay close to the queen throughout the day but lost her in a sudden and swift blow to the head from a familiar face.
"Didn't think you would be up and fighting so soon general." Bana said standing over Kim.
"Well Bana I have to say…" She kicked Bana away from her and leapt to her feet. "It's a good thing you hit like a skinny armed little girl. Else I'd be scared." She ripped off her now dented helmet and tried to forget about the ringing in her ears. Bana drew her sword, Kim dropped into a defensive stance. She had dropped her sword when she was hit and now had to rely on her fighting skills, until she could gain the upper hand or at the very least even the fight.
Bana lurched out at her missing Kim by inches. Kim took hold of her hand and pulled her into a hard punch to the stomach. Bana dropped to her knees and Kim backed away, ready for another attack. She wanted to make the fight quick but she couldn't help playing it out so she could exact her revenge. Bana climbed to her feet and staggered toward her for another attack. Kim took the time to disarm her and rip off the women's helmet.
She soon fell into an unfamiliar rage. It controlled her every move, putting more force into her kicks and putting everything she had into her punches.
"Stop." A familiar voice cried. Kim forced herself to back away from the mess she had made and turned to see Ariel, bow in hand, with an arrow drawn in their direction. Kim raised a hand to explain but the arrow was released. Kim closed her eyes waiting for her end. A long moment went by and a thud was heard she opened her eyes to see a man lying next to her. Bana and Ariel had disappeared into the battle; Kim cursed under her breath and went to search for the queen.