Author's Notes: And here's the next chapter! A lot of angst in this one. I dreaded plotting it, and I dreaded writing it just as much, but for plot progression, it was necessary.
Chapter XXXIII
Iliana felt her heart pounding in her chest, the organ threatening to burst out of her ribcage as she, the Sirens, Andres, and the knights waited for the Saxons to appear. This was it; she was going to come face-to-face with the barbarians responsible for this dangerous mission and hurting the girls she commanded. Be it anticipation, anxiety, or a bit of both, she was more than ready for them to taste the fury fueled by the pain of her Sirens.
Tristan felt the anger flowing off her and reached out to touch her exposed nape.
"Hey. Take it easy," he said to her, rubbing her skin with his thumb. "You'll get your chance."
"I know," Iliana said with a nod. "It's my empathy for the girls that's fueling my anger, and I'm determined to take as many of them down as I can. I want those bastards to suffer the same way they made them suffer."
The seconds that ticked by as they waited felt like an eternity, but eventually, the Saxon army hunting them down finally appeared. At the first sight of them, Iliana turned to look at Sophia, and she saw her best friend's expression warp into fury.
"Soph, is the bastard you spoke of amongst them?"
"Aye," the auburn-haired girl replied with a nod through gritted teeth. "Cynric. He's the one leading them. The one with the bald head."
Iliana was about ready to lose it at this newly gained knowledge; the son of the Saxon leader was the one who hurt her best friend, and what she would have given to help wipe the arrogant smirk off his face.
"I swear to you, Soph, I will help you kill him."
"I'll be the one to deliver the blow that sends him back to the hell he came from," Sophia announced.
"Hold until I give the command," Arthur told them.
Sophia clutched her bow tightly as the Saxons formed their ranks.
"Patience, Sophie. You'll get your chance," Lancelot said.
"What I wouldn't give to plunge both my swords into his abdomen right now," Sophia announced through gritted teeth. "When I do, it will be for Rena."
They watched as one of the Saxons stepped forward a few feet from the army. Raising the bow in his hand, he fired off an arrow; the projectile hitting halfway across the ice and gliding for a short distance between the two groups.
Damn it. They're out of range, Iliana thought. Will we be able to hit them?
"I believe they're waiting for an invitation," Arthur commented. "Bors, Cat, Tristan, Ili."
"They're far out of range," Guinevere objected.
Bors, Catalina, Tristan, and Iliana pulled back on the strings of their loaded bows, letting their arrows fly. While Bors and Catalina each fired one arrow, Tristan and Iliana fired multiple arrows at once; Tristan firing four, Iliana firing three, for an overall total of nine arrows. Nine Saxons fell to the ground, and Iliana couldn't help the satisfied smile that formed on her lips as Tristan rubbed her nape.
"Nice shot, you two," Sophia complimented with a smile, making Iliana's smile grow.
Unfortunately, that bliss was short-lived at the sound of a sword being drawn, and at the sound of a cry, the Saxons marched forward towards them.
This is it. We're battling it out with the Saxons over this frozen lake, Iliana thought. Father, please protect us.
She loaded her bow, pulling the string back and aiming upwards, ready to fire at Arthur's command alongside Andres, the knights, and the Sirens.
"Aims for the wings of the ranks - make them cluster," Arthur instructed.
At that, Iliana realized that by making them cluster together, there was a chance of the already cracking ice breaking beneath their feet. She hoped for the same thing; the thought of these Saxons meeting an icy death in the cold water was a satisfying one, and if the ice broke, most of them would go down amongst the chaos.
The second Arthur let loose his arrow, Iliana and the others followed his example. Fourteen arrows hit their marks on the left flank, forcing the cluster to scurry away. They reloaded, aimed and fired again, this time killing fourteen on the right flank, sending them cowering back from the direction they came from.
They repeated the process, going back and forth between the flanks and killing fourteen of them at a time. Chaos broke out amongst the Saxon army, and it seemed as if Cynric was about to lose the already unstable handle he had on his men.
"Hold the ranks! Hold the ranks!" Cynric shouted, attempting to go back and forth between the two flanks. He barely missed getting hit by an arrow Sophia fired as it hit the Saxon right next to him.
"Hold the ranks! Hold the ranks!" Cynric continued to shout. "I'll kill you myself!"
After Iliana fired her latest arrow, she realized the ice would not break. It had cracked more thanks to the army's overall weight, but it would not break entirely. She gave Arthur a look, and she saw he had the same thought.
"It's not going to break. Back. Fall back!" Arthur announced as he tossed his bow to the ground and prepared to draw his sword. "Prepare for combat!"
Everyone drew their preferred weapons of choice, while Tristan, Iliana, Sophia, and Catalina held onto their bows. While they waited for the Saxons to draw close, Andres looked at everyone from where he stood, and with a look at Iliana, knew what he needed to do, especially when he caught a determined look on Dagonet's face. Dropping his sword, he picked up his mighty battle axe, and when the two exchanged looks, they charged with a battle cry.
"Dag!" Bors yelled.
"ANDRES!" Iliana screamed when she saw him charging straight for the army.
"Cover them!" Arthur shouted as everyone picked up their bows and fired more arrows at the archers that had stepped up in front of the army.
The two knights began swinging their axes at the ice, while their comrades from several meters away fired arrow after arrow at the Saxon archers. Between the two of them, the thick ice sheet was slowly giving way, and thanks to their comrades, the Saxons didn't get a clean shot at either of them. When Dagonet landed his latest swing, it formed a massive crack that echoed throughout the mountain. The ice was going to break, and at this rate, the Saxons wouldn't be able to do anything.
Chaos broke out in full amongst the Saxons as the ice cracked even more beneath their feet. Andres allowed himself a look at them, shooting Cynric a death glare and a triumphant smirk before resuming swinging his axe alongside Dagonet.
"Kill them!" Cynric shouted, pushing more archers forward.
Just as he landed yet another swing, Andres's eyes widened at the sight of an archer getting a clean shot at Dagonet.
"Look out!" he yelled, pushing the large knight aside just as the archer fired his bow. Dagonet barely had any time to react as he watched an arrow pierce into Andres's abdomen, causing him to fall on his side. Iliana screamed at the sight of him getting hit, and just as he got back on his knees to resume swinging his axe, she tossed her bow aside and took off running without thinking twice about it, barely avoiding Tristan when he tried to grab her.
"ILIANA!" Tristan shouted, panic in his eyes at the sight of her running into danger. He tried to run after her, but Sophia grabbed him by the arm.
"Let her go and keep firing! We'll have a better chance of protecting her from here!"
"ANDRES!"
The sound of Iliana shouting his name gave the wounded veteran knight the push he needed, and with a loud battle cry, swung his axe one last time. The ice finally broke and cracked entirely, breaking beneath the feet of several Saxons, sending them plunging to an icy death. Iliana reached Andres in time and saved him from tumbling into the water, with Dagonet helping her once he regained his composure. The full force of his weight came crashing down on Iliana's front as she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, but she didn't care.
"Ili, whatever you do, stay behind me and Dagonet. Do you understand me?"
"Aye!" she replied.
Soon, Arthur and Bors came rushing in, and Dagonet moved next to Iliana, wrapping an arm around her to shield her from the incoming arrows.
"Protect Ili! Please protect Ili!" Andres exclaimed.
"Ili, hold him by the shoulders and stay close to me," Dagonet instructed.
She nodded, and once they had a grip on Andres, they moved just as the ice began cracking in their direction.
"Pull back!" Lancelot yelled.
"Ili!" Sophia shouted, panicking at the sight of the cracking ice coming straight for them. She screamed when Iliana and the others almost tumbled towards the ice, but Dagonet's quick thinking got them back up and going.
"Kill them!" Cynric shouted.
The firing of more arrows impeded their progress as they attempted to avoid getting hit by the multiple projectiles. Iliana curled behind Andres and beside Dagonet, the healer ensuring her safety as they moved across the ice. Even with their comrades firing their own end of arrows and killing more Saxons, the progress was still slow, and there wasn't much time with the cracking coming straight for them and threatening to break beneath them.
"Father! Help us, please!" Iliana cried.
As if on cue, the sun broke through the clouds, one ray shining down on her before a massive, bright one shined down brightly on the Saxon army. Shouts broke out as the light blinded them, and more fell into the icy water as it cracked or melted beneath them. This gave the group the chance they needed to get themselves and Andres to safety.
"Help us!" Iliana shouted once they were within range of the group.
Tristan and Gawain were quick to drop their weapons and run towards them, aiding them in getting Andres across the ice. The veteran knight groaned as he trembled, and Iliana was on her knees at his side immediately. He smiled at the sight of her, reaching up to cup her cheek in his palm as he checked her for injuries.
"You're not hurt," he said, breathing out a sigh of relief.
Whatever resolve Iliana had left broke in that very moment as she cried. Looking at the three arrows embedded into his side, she knew he would not live much longer as she gripped his hand in her own.
"You valiant, stubborn son of a bitch! Why the fuck did you have to play the role of the brave hero like that?!"
"Because I promised your father I would protect you, Ili, even if it cost me my life," he replied. "I have earned my freedom a long time ago, and I have lived my life to the fullest."
He groaned again, which only made Iliana's tears flow even harder.
"I have no regrets dying to protect you, the Sirens you command, and the men who have succeeded me as knights. I know you are in safe hands, which means I have nothing else to worry about. You know what your path is, Ili, and you know what your destiny entails. The rest is up to you.
"When I see your father, I will tell him you love him, and I am honored to have tutored the most beautiful person I have ever known."
He then looked at Arthur and Tristan.
"Take me back to Hadrian's Wall and bury me alongside my fallen brothers at the cemetery. That is my last wish, and Tristan, you take care of her."
With a final groan, Andres breathed his last breath, looking up at the sky and smiling at the light before closing his eyes. The hand on Iliana's cheek slumped, falling limp at his side.
"Andres…" Iliana muttered before resting her cheek atop their joined hands and succumbing to a total breakdown. The others looked at the valiant leader of the Sirens and her fallen tutor with sadness and heaviness in their hearts. Sophia's sadness, however, quickly bubbled to anger as she aimed one last arrow and fired.
To her surprise and satisfaction, the arrow landed straight into Cynric's right arm, and his holler of pain echoed throughout the mountain.
Call that my parting gift to you, you rotten son of a bitch, she thought. When we finally cross paths in battle, your head will be my trophy for Rena and Andres.
The Saxon leader glared at her, wanting to take her life, but thanks to the broken ice separating them, there was nothing he could do.
Arthur placed a hand on Iliana's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, making her turn to look at him through a teary gaze over her shoulder.
"Come. We have to go. Knights, ladies, prepare to head out," he commanded.
Iliana turned and buried her face into Arthur's armor, crying hysterically, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her as Dagonet carefully brought Andres's body over his shoulders with the help of Bors. Arthur then carefully helped Iliana to her feet, keeping his arm around her as they headed out. Sophia shot one last death glare at Cynric, only moving when Lancelot nudged her.
While all the men would earn their freedom, there would be no celebrating when that said freedom came at the cost of a fellow Sarmatian that already earned his freedom and served his time.
It didn't take the group long to catch up with the convoy once they found their way out of the mountains and back down towards the familiar greenery of the grass and forestry. However, they were all deathly silent as the dread weighed heavily around them. Iliana kept her gaze forward as she rode on Arion, silent and despondent, with a gaze devoid of all emotion as the Sirens rode alongside her. The work she had put together to mend her broken heart was all for naught, for Andres's death broke it into millions of pieces once again.
How much more pain was she going to endure before she finally found the happiness she longed to have? Who would she lose next? Her Sirens? Tristan? Arthur? What more was God willing to take from her? Stealing a glance at Andres's horse, who was now carrying his body concealed underneath his cloak, Iliana wondered if she could take any more blows to her now fragile, grieving heart.
Peeking out of the nearby wagon, Guinevere looked at her, sadness and empathy in her dark eyes, catching her attention as the young blonde turned to look at her.
"Words cannot convey how sorry I am for your loss, Ili. I can tell you cared for him greatly."
"He was all I had left for family after my father died," Iliana explained, her voice cracking mid-sentence. "Now, I have nobody."
"That's not true," Guinevere said reassuringly. "You have the knights, and you have your Sirens. Never think you're alone, for they're just as much your family as Andres was."
Unable to speak thanks to the lump in her throat, Iliana nodded.
"The Saxons will pay for his death. Of that, I assure you."
With another nod, the two women fell silent as the journey continued.
From a few meters behind the Sirens, Tristan eyed his lover with concern. While he didn't show it, he was hurting for her. Andres was her tutor, her father's friend and comrade, and probably the closest one to family she had left in this world. It also hurt him, for he and Andres were of the same tribe, and now he wondered if there was anyone left in their tribe at all after this.
The sound of a gallop snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked to see Dagonet catching up to ride alongside him.
"I'm worried," he confessed. "Before we left, Ili told the Bishop if anything happened to us, he would answer to it, and I know that included Andres, despite his coming with us willingly."
"Aye. I'm worried too," Tristan said. "As much as I want to see her hurt the Bishop, she's too emotional to even be thinking straight. I would rather a certain someone dish out the Bishop's deserved punishment the same way Gregor got his."
The healer chuckled at what happened to Gregor and his remaining cronies the morning after rescuing Iliana from them. Tristan hoped for the Bishop to suffer the same fate, for it was a fate worse than death.
They arrived back at the Wall in the late afternoon. As they neared the courtyard gates, Iliana shot the eagerly waiting Bishop a death glare before turning Arion toward the stables.
"You three stay with the convoy," Sophia instructed Dimitra, Estrella, and Catalina. "I'll tend to Ili and make sure she does nothing brash."
When they nodded, she looked at Lancelot and gestured with her head in Iliana's direction. He nodded at her before she directed Belen to follow her and Arion.
Directing Arion inside the barn, Iliana dismounted him and removed his saddle and reins before directing him inside his stall. The stallion nudged her with his nose, sensing her distress and trying to comfort her. She heard shifting to her left, and she saw Sophia settling Belen in his stall. The second she was done, Sophia held her arms out to her, and Iliana didn't hesitate to run into them. The auburn-haired girl patted Iliana's shoulder as she cried, feeling the tension and emotion her best friend was going through.
"I want to take the Bishop's head as much as you do, Ili," she said. "However, I think it's best we let fate decide his ideal punishment. The Bishop will know of Andres's death and his connection to you and your father, and believe me, he will sleep with one eye open and looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life."
Iliana nodded as she recalled what happened to Gregor and his cronies the morning after they attacked her. She smiled at the thought of the Bishop suffering the same fate, and she hoped that would be the case once they finally laid Andres to rest.
"For now, let's head to the bathhouse and get cleaned up properly of this blood, dirt, and grime on us," Sophia announced. "At the very least, I want you to look good for the man that tutored and saved our lives in more ways than one."
Iliana spent thirty minutes in the bathhouse, and she cleaned and dressed herself up for Andres's funeral. She decided on a Greek dress of a golden yellow that hung off her shoulders, making her look as if she was wearing the light of a lit candle. She loosened her braid after washing up, allowing her hair to flow freely. Her locks had curled slightly from being in the braid as long as it had, and despite her sad expression, she still stood out amongst a crowd.
The Sirens followed her out of town and towards the graveyard, where they saw the men had already gathered around with Alecto, Fulcinia, Guinevere, Lucan, Vanora and her children. When Gilly saw her, he wanted to run to her, but Vanora's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Iliana offered him a half-hearted smile before she and the Sirens stood in an open spot just in front of the freshly made grave where Andres now lay. The men looked at her in awe and admiration. She was beautiful, and they wished she could flaunt that ethereal beauty under better circumstances than this.
Arthur delivered a brief eulogy in honor of Andres's life and the sacrifice he made for him and his men. They were still in shock over what transpired, and Dagonet was the most affected of them all, having been the one Andres saved. While the healer didn't express it, it was clear in his eyes, and when he looked at Iliana, her gaze told him she didn't blame him for what happened. Andres made the final decision himself, and it was what he wanted in the end.
"Ili."
Arthur's call of her name made her look up.
"Why don't you say something?" he offered.
There was a beat of silence as she gathered her thoughts and her voice.
"As stubborn as you were, what you did back there was the most valiant move I have ever seen," she began. "You saved us, and you gave these men the freedom they've wanted for so long. At first, it was just Father as my guardian angel, and now, as you join him on the other side, I have two guardian angels to watch over me.
"Thank you for everything, and I'm sure you have a lot to tell Father when you finally reach the other side. I hope to see the both of you again someday."
The sun then shined down on the grave, and then another ray shined down on her. When she looked up, her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Andres giving her a nod and his familiar smile. Despite the bittersweet feeling, Iliana returned the smile with one of her own.
"This is for you, Andres," Bors said, raising the jug of ale in his hand and taking a hearty gulp of it. He then passed it to Iliana, who accepted and took a hearty gulp of her own before passing it back to him.
"Thank you all for doing this and honoring his last wish," Iliana said. "Why don't you all go about your business? I'll be along shortly after I spend some time here alone."
The Sirens and the men offered their condolences, from hugs, pats on the shoulder, and reassuring words before they departed. Alecto stuck around for a little longer, standing next to her as he looked at the grave with her.
"I am sorry for your loss, Lady Ili," he announced, the hurt he felt for her clear in his voice.
"After my father died, he was all I had left in the way of family," she explained. "He was my father's comrade and friend during their servitude to Rome, and he helped my father raise me after my mother died."
"I know you have a lot more to give, Lady Ili, and whatever happens from here on out, I want you to live so that you can. Whatever you have to do, I believe you will live and prevail."
She turned to look at him and nodded.
"Thank you, Alecto."
"I will confess. Had you been single, I might have allowed myself the chance to court you. However, I can tell how devoted you are to your knight, and I know the two of you love each other dearly. Maybe in another life, if he doesn't charm you again in that said life."
Iliana couldn't help the small smile on the corner of her lips at his confession. He was a sweet boy, and he was definitely different from the typical Roman boys she knew of from the tales she had been told. If Tristan surely didn't court her in the next life, then she might give this boy a chance.
"Perhaps. I guess we'll see in that said life when it comes," she announced. "Rest up. You have a long journey ahead of you, and I wish you the best when you get back to Rome."
"I hope we meet again someday, my lady."
"Likewise, future Pope."
Placing a hand on her shoulder, the two exchanged an acknowledging look before he left her to her devices. With a sigh, Iliana looked up at the sky.
I guess this is what I get for growing into a beautiful girl with the ability to shine. I end up attracting everyone around me. Are the two of you laughing on the other side? Because I hear it loud and clear. As long as you are exchanging laughs, then that's what matters.
The thought of Leoric and Andres smiling warmed her heart, helping her to cope with the pain within the depths of her heart as she allowed herself a moment of tranquility after the events that transpired.
End Notes: Dagonet lives, but at the cost of Andres's life. Again, it was necessary for plot progression. We're in the homestretch! Two more weeks left! Check back!