My practice sessions usually end before the city awakens, and by the time lords, ladies and garrisons flood the streets, Lord's Blades are already back in their quarters, washing up for the day, and I'm back in mine, making preparations for the canteen trip. My stomach complained several times throughout the training séance, and while I was tidying up the room, I eventually remembered what I have dreamt of.
I remember when Lord Gwyn announced that we would wage a war on these ferocious, winged beasts. I also remember volunteering into a small squad of assassins he called for, armed with poison and illusion. It counted no more than 50 women, with not much training at hand, since we were a makeshift group, put together, so to speak, in the eve of battle. I loved the elaborate handicraft skills taught into the circles of women, however when the war showed itself on the horizon, I was pulled in by idea of a world of our own, shaped to our will, and, what's more, the passionate speech of our Lord. His aura was such of a fire, same as the fire which gave us birth. It felt subconsciously natural that his was the behest to lead us into glory and well-being. Not long after, from the city, freshly smithed rivers of silver flooded down the archtree we all arose from only a hundred of years earlier.
The camping spot was set up in the roots of the archtree nearest to ours, at a distance shorter than the one we had to climb down to the crag. And while the fires were being lit, and tents being set up, the first dragon showed up. Oh, when I remember the chaos that ensued… It was spotted too late, at the moment everyone heard the screeching of the beast, it has already slid down upon us, cutting the air and unleashing its disastrous fire breath. Everyone jumped for their shields or took cover, whichever was closer. Cauldrons were toppled, equipment ran over. Two dozen of knights were instantly scorched, several torn apart by the claws swing following. I can certainly say that I was lucky, since all I did was stand there and gape at the sharp, brownish scales glimmering on its back. Few of the women ran into the hollow tree screaming. The dragon flew over and made a turn airborne. It made another horrifying, high pitched sound, and surged back down into the camp. Suddenly, a huge rod sprang from the campsite into my vision and prodded itself into the nose-diving leviathan. The lizard struck the ground just in front of the camp. I turned around to see Gwyn shouting charges, and a horde of silver knights running towards the crash site from all around us. In the middle of the turmoil, a giant was lowering something resembling a bow, yet huge and somewhat disfigured. I have understood what happened in a few moments, and swiftly left the spot, running towards the fallen dragon as ordered. However, among the screams of the wounded beast flinging its tail and neck over the ground, I quickly discovered that I might get stepped onto by the knights, rather than do anything useful. After a few minutes, Gwyn's son gave the final blow to the beast and put it to rest.
Death toll has risen to 50 as the grey day came to an end.
After the incident, the watch and outrider squads were quickly consolidated in the surrounding area, and the army developed split-camp defense tactics, in case any of the resting points got attacked. As the reports determined not long after, a dragon we encountered was among the bigger ones found in the grey valley of the roots. Strategies were made, definite weapon assortments needed to kill a dragon formed, and squads segregated accordingly. They were dispatched across the land to deal with the drakes, and map the locations of the large nesting spots. After we have been given simple, look-alike grey colored robes to ease our rather clandestine tasks, I have soon bid farewell to the rest of my assassin companions, as I left the main camp with only two other women to help a division of Silver Knights my aid was ordered to be given to.
Amount wise, I took little part in the dragonslaying, as I was to stealthily reach it and corrode open the wounds with poison, should we find any of the beasts grounded. Such a technique was all but risky, since it required activation time for the fatal liquid, which meant a hard-to-evade situation of keeping one's head on one's shoulders in an open confrontation with the awoken dragon, small or no small. Luckily for me, I was good enough at evading both fire and limbs… when I was spotted, that is.
My division counted fifty silver knights, archers, lancers and swordsmen, and the three of us, assassins. We have roamed the land, initially, for a hundred of days. Messengers came with more orders. Some men came, some left. Woman called Aldith left with one of the messengers because of an arm wound and some burns we could not have treated on the move. Only the two of us remained, golden-haired Synne and I. The two of us have split and switched with the men, wherever we were needed on outings.
One day, I joined Synne in the camp a she was polishing her blades.
I was not a very tall woman. In fact, I was of common height, a head or so shorter than an ordinary member of the Silver Knight Legion. Synne was short, even for a female. Her long hair was braided down to the bottom of her back. Indeed, her figure was perfect for an assassin, small and nimble. It was a pleasure seeing her prowl into the dragons' nest every now and then. Hers was a job always well done, and cleanly.
She saw me approach and smiled at me.
"I ought to keep them in good shape," she said, hastening the movements on the already shiny side of the off blade.
"We all do." I agreed with a smile. A boisterous noise came from nearby, turning our heads to the main campfire where the knights were carousing.
"The men have been in high spirits recently," she noticed.
"Let them. We haven't had much reason for celebration since we lost Hal and Lewin… And Lords know that much more than few drakes will be needed to keep us up when we enter the domain of the archdragons…"
"…Do you think we will be enough to defeat them?"
I haven't really seen doubt on her face, more like… curiosity. We expected miracles to happen, but we already knew miracles were among us, granted by our Lords.
"Only us…" I looked around.
"…Emissaries of all the Lords and all the prowesses will be among our kind to make sure we give all we have. Yes, I'd say we will be…"
She smiled at me again.
"I hope to be there when we make our way back up to our home when we are victorious."
I have prayed to all of the unknown that we both do.
A few dozen of days later, we encountered a mature drake. As we were not to engage only fully grown dragons, we deemed the mission a necessity. Synne had the opening move, sneaking from behind and poisoning the top of the neck. She was successful. However, the dragon did not seem to suffer as expected. It got up as the Silver Knight squad climbed its ridge to finish it off. The beast swept the opening with its front leg, throwing seven knights off the cliff. Synne attacked him from behind, attracting dragon's attention and allowing spearmen to climb onto the plane. As they arrived to end him, unnerved beast spat flame muck around the place, trapping the assassin. Just as the final blows were struck, the dragon buried its final claw charge on top of her and into the ground.
We carried several bodies back to the camp, including the golden-haired girl.
Not long afterwards, a messenger arrived with the orders to fall back.