Priscilla's feet hit the ground with the full weight of her guilt. She clung to the rope in her hand for a moment longer, thinking that perhaps there was still a way to fix the things left broken if she didn't let go, but then the shadow of Coal sliding down the rope above her bid her to move. Dirt crunched under her boots as she went, and when Coal reached the bottom, he fell in behind her. There was little in the way of cover now that the high walls were behind them, so she took a quick look around to confirm they were alone before dashing across the plain.
To the southeast, the sounds of the Ashfeld camp were carried on the wind, and the black smoke of the burning gatehouse still permeated the air. The sight of tents and legion banners filling the horizon should have given Priscilla comfort, but her stomach only twisted into knots. She should have been heading toward something safe and familiar, her reward for long-held loyalty, but all she felt now was fear.
There were towers in the distance now. High structures that stood dark against the sky and throwing up dust as they were rolled over the ridge. The siege would begin soon.
She and Coal ran across the vast, open plain, keeping their eyes focused for any sign of movement or any shouts from the wall behind them. So far, there was nothing, only the heavy footfalls of their boots and their heavy breathing that came on like scared animals on the run. There should have been more than just the two of them. Her legion should have been with her to flee the trap set for the Vikings, but they had scorned her offer of escape. Even as she ran, the accusing eyes of Commander Judith flashed in Priscilla's mind with each step she took, and Marcelo's desperate voice telling her to run seemed to haunt her every thought. After everything she had done to give them this chance, they had been willing to cut her loose without hesitation. It was the ruination of the Trial all over again, only somehow worse. A fall from grace that there was no running from, and one that hurt more than the blade that pierced her stomach years ago.
There was a loud splash as a column of water shot up from the ground ahead. A geyser field spread out before them, the designated meeting spot after escaping the city. Priscilla watched the white plumes of boiling water burst into the sky in stark contrast to the black smoke behind them. They were close, but her legs grew slow and heavy, and her breathing broke into heaving pants as she slowed to a stop. She couldn't make herself go on, not with everything she had left behind weighing her down. Not after she had left without Gunnar.
Coal came to a stop behind her, panting hard. "Priscilla?"
Priscilla bent over and braced her hands on her legs as she struggled to catch her breath. Ignoring Coal, all she could think of was Gunnar shouting at her before he left. His anger had only been overshadowed by the pain in his voice. It had only been a few short hours ago that she had laid with him in bed, their naked bodies entwined and her secrets still buried. Now, it was as if she had cut out his heart with her dagger and held it up for him to see before she threw it in the dirt.
"Priscilla, are you alright?" Coal asked again.
Nothing was how it was supposed to be. The plan had worked; she had done everything in her power to entrap the Vikings and recover Li Qiang's notes as she had been instructed, but in the end, she had saved no one. Her legion had abandoned her and chosen to stay within the city, but she was the one who ultimately went over the walls without them. Maybe things would have been different if she had tried harder or hadn't broken down the moment Judith accused her of lying. Now, there was no going back. Her mission was a success, but all she felt as she struggled to hold back her tears was the cruel sting of failure.
"Heavenly Father, please give me strength..." she pleaded quietly.
Coal's hand fell on her shoulder and tried to pull her up. "Priscilla, talk to me."
"Let go of me!" she shouted, throwing him off. She stood and began to walk toward the geysers, forcing herself to keep moving without looking back, but Coal grabbed her again and didn't let go.
"Stop! What are we doing, Prisc?" he demanded with a shake of her arm. "What the hell happened with Judith? It all went to shit, didn't it?"
"I did what I could! I told them what had to be done!" she cried. "Judith was a fool... She tried to have me arrested!"
"Christ above!" Coal yelled before he threw up his arms in frustration and began to pace. He shook his head and looked back at the Walled City and the gathered legions before regarding her again. "What was it all for then!? Any of it!? Something goes wrong with your plan, and you- you what? You just give up!? All this work just for two misfits to turn traitor and give the Council everything they wanted without a fuss! It's all horse shit!"
"We are not the traitors here..." Priscilla said quietly, almost afraid to say the words. "I gave them all a chance to return, and they refused it."
"Oh, indeed! Keep telling yourself that when the Lord-Warden takes his prize and tosses you into a cell without a second thought! Maybe then you'll finally see that I was right!"
"What choice did we have, Coal!?" she shot back at him. "We all took an oath before God to protect and serve the people of this land! We swore our lives to Ashfeld! We are fulfilling our duty!"
"And what about your duty to them!?" Coal exclaimed and pointed back at the city. "Think about what you're doing! Everything you have done was to make sure the Lion Flame goes free! Well, where are they now? Back at the city fighting the same oath-sworn fucks we brought to kill the Northmen! Why stay the course if the only thing you ever cared for will be destroyed along with Gunnar and all the rest!?"
Priscilla took a shuddering breath at the mention of Gunnar's name. "I believe it was you who told Gunnar that not everything comes to a grand and magnificent end..." She didn't want to believe it was true, but she was just making excuses to hide from her failure, and they both knew it.
Coal's shoulder's stiffened, and he cocked his head as if he might take a swing at her. "And you told me that the Lion Flame was my legion, too." He slid his shield off his shoulder and tossed it to the dusty ground. It skittered and rattled for a moment before it came to rest, showing the black Martial Flags of Ashfeld painted on its rough surface. "You told me that I was more than just a symbol painted a hundred times over," he said, pointing down at the shield between them, "and I believed you. God dammit, I believed that you were doing this for all of us, but right now, our legion remains behind those walls, and the only thing taking you away from them is the leash around your fucking neck!"
"There is a difference between an oath and giving blind loyalty, but perhaps expecting a Conqueror to know that is too much to ask!" Priscilla said as she bared her teeth and scowled under her helmet.
"Then why am I following you!?" Coal shot back. "If you are truly my friend, then why are you leading me back to my death!?"
"What...?"
"You think I want to go back? Go back to what? To be given to another legion just to be used like a dog all over again!? To be killed on some battlefield or thrown back into a hole when I'm no use to them anymore!?" He was shaking now; his hands balled up into fists, the chain of his flail rattling as he squeezed it tight. "Are you trying to get me killed? Is that it?"
Priscilla shrank back, terrified of the scrutiny she had expected would come once she rejoined the Council's army, but somehow, it was far worse than she could have imagined coming now from Coal. "N-no... That is ridiculous, Coal. I would never-"
"The fuck you would!" spat Coal. "You always said you were doing this for our legion, and that was good enough for me, but you never once thought about what they wanted, even when I warned you! Now it's all gone, and I am telling you, there is nothing- nothing -waiting for us but imprisonment or death if we go back! You are not listening to me, Priscilla! I am asking you, orders be damned, why should I follow you one fucking step more!?"
The splash of falling water drowned out the echo of Coal's wrath. Priscilla stood, panting for breath in the heat and mist, her mind rendered completely blank in response. What could she possibly say that would set things right when she could not refute a single word Coal had said? She couldn't. She had ruined everything.
Coal marched forward, and just when she tensed to ready herself for some sort of attack, he stopped and kicked up his shield to grab it off the ground. "Gunnar already thinks you're a liar, and honestly, I can't say I blame him," he said, slipping the shield over his arm and tightening the straps, "but he'd only be right if you go through with this. No one is standing with you on the Council, Prisc. No one ever has. Believe me, any hope of freedom we still have is waiting for us back behind those walls, not out here."
Priscilla swallowed hard. She was sweating beneath her helmet and felt like she would be sick, but she concentrated on the task at hand. Her way back to Ashfeld was waiting behind her among the geysers, but Coal's words kept her looking back toward the Walled City, where her legion and the man who knew her heart remained trapped. A part of her wanted to ask Coal why he was holding his shield like he was ready for a fight but was too afraid of his answer to speak.
The sound of geysers erupting like the notes of a dour song filled the silence between them. Perhaps that was why Priscilla hadn't heard the footsteps approaching until a familiar voice called out at a distance, making her jump. "Greetings, dear sister! Are we interrupting?"
Priscilla whirled around to see figures approaching out of the mist. She could see at least twenty or so soldiers, mostly pike-men with shields, but undoubtedly, more were hidden in the haze of falling water. It was certainly a lot of weaponry for a friendly homecoming. Among them were two Lawbringers in silver armor and blue tabards bearing the golden crown of the Royal Legion. Each wore a golden pendant depicting a set of crossed axes over a skull, marking them as personal guards to a high-ranking official, and whoever they served was clearly an important figure from the look of them. Their armor was incredibly ornate, trimmed with gold and embossed with decorative filigree from their boots up to their helmets, and their sharp poleaxes glinted wetly in the daylight.
The Lawbringers stepped aside to reveal who had spoken, and Elise Allard strode forward to the head of the pack with all the swagger of an honored guest at a fine banquet. Priscilla and Coal gave her no such greeting as was worthy of her station and overbearing ego. Their hands remained defiantly by their sides, refusing to salute the Silent Blade and head of the Sisterhood of Peace.
Elise still waited another moment past awkwardness before she spoke again. "It is good to see you again, Priscilla," she called out from behind her elegant mask and embroidered hood. "I am glad you made it out of the city, even if you have kept us waiting for quite some time..."
Priscilla silently put her hands to her sword and dagger, palms resting gently on the pommels to grab them free at a moment's notice. She told herself it was because she had to be ready for anything. In truth, it was simply to keep hands from shaking. No one made a move, but there was no doubt in her mind that the simple gesture hadn't gone without notice. Opposite her, at the edge of the geyser field, Elise stood at stiff attention with both hands held behind her back. That hadn't gone unnoticed by Priscilla either.
"Where is the rest of your legion?" Elise asked as she slowly scanned the empty plain between them and the city. "I was hoping that I might have a word with your commander before you are all presented to the Lord-Warden." When Priscilla didn't answer, Elise shrugged and dipped her head. "Very well... Let us just say 'I told you so' and leave it at that."
"You lied to me about the armor," Priscilla said angrily. "This entire operation was based on a lie. You could have gotten all of us killed from the very start!"
"It was a very good lie," Elise answered as she glanced over at the northern banners flying over the ruined city. "Judging by the fact that no Northman has left with any treasure, the city vault remains closed thanks to your cunning deception and no one is the wiser. You should be proud of the work you have done here, sister. I know the Lord-Warden will be more than happy to reward you for all the loyalty you have shown under such duress."
"You could have told me! The Vikings wanted Chaldeon! If they had captured him, my entire story would have been undone! I came to you, and still you kept me in the dark!"
"Do not let your feelings get in the way of your judgment, Priscilla. It has never served you well in the past."
"No, if only I had a heart of stone like you, then everything would be better," Priscilla laughed bitterly. "Why can you not see that I have always been on your side, Elise? What have I done to deserve such spite from you?"
Elise cocked her head ever so slightly, and Priscilla could just see her eyes narrow through her mask. "There are no sides in this, sister. You offered us a chance to pit our enemies against each other and deal with whoever was left rather than opt for all out war, and for that you should be proud. But do not think that there was ever a moment where you stood against us. You serve the Sisterhood. You serve me, and to say otherwise would be tantamount to treason."
"Treason?" Priscilla gasped. "As if you could ever see any independent thought beyond your own will as anything but treason..."
"And you could not believe that I existed for any purpose other than giving you support and comfort," Elise shot back with venom. Her right arm flinched, nearly revealing her hand for one tense moment, but then she relaxed and gave a loud sigh. "This is not the time to discuss such things. Come, sister. You have served the Legion Council well and should be rewarded. Coal, too, for all the service he has dedicated to the betterment of Ashfeld. Perhaps some time spent as a stronghold guard would be in order? A quiet position far away from any battles and in the service of a legion of his choosing for once."
Priscilla looked over her shoulder at Coal and realized that he had dropped the head of his flail. It seemed that he really was ready for a fight, standing with his feet braced and watching the pike-men who were spreading out around them. She moved her hands down from the pommels of her blades to the grips and squeezed them tight.
"It is time to fulfill your promise to the Lord-Warden," Elise said next, and the Lawbringers to either side of her took a step forward. "You are being given a second chance at greatness. I suggest you do not pass up on this opportunity he has allowed you like you did the last."
Priscilla felt her heart break as she thought of who she had put her hope in for a better life and why. Her memories of being happy and feeling like she could take on the world with Elise were just that- a memory. All that remained of those bygone days was now scarred into her flesh by the dagger hanging from the Silent Blade's belt, and the only future that offered her healing was waiting for her back in the Walled City.
She let go of her sword and moved her hand to the pouch holding the notes on her belt. She almost reached for the clasp, almost as if she might judge the burned paper's worth if she could just touch them one last time. Instead, she felt the scar hidden beneath her armor and made her choice.
"Go to Hell, sister," she said, then turned her back on the Silent Blade.
"Priscilla!" Elise called after her, and Priscilla looked back to see her old friend pull a small crossbow from behind her back. It was drawn and loaded, and Elise was taking aim right for her as the Lawbringers gave chase.
Priscilla broke into a run but only took a few steps before nearly smacking right into Coal. She yelped as he grabbed her and brought up his shield, and a moment later, the bolt from the crossbow thudded into the sturdy wood and stuck. If it had not been for Coal and his shield, the bolt would have certainly struck Priscilla in the back. Even after all that had been said between them, he hadn't even hesitated to save her.
"Go!" Coal roared as he tossed her away and put himself in front of the charging Lawbringers. "I got this!"
"Get them!" Elise cried, and the pike-men lowered their spears and began to advance.
Priscilla took a few stumbling steps before she stopped and turned back, knowing that she couldn't just leave Coal behind. He was already taking on one of the silver Lawbringers as they chopped at him with their poleaxe. Coal blocked and dodged, and as another hit came striking down at him, he knocked the axe away with his shield and countered with a powerful swing of his flail. The spiked metal ball caught the Lawbringer right under the chin of his helmet, sending the armored man falling backward to the ground with a metallic crash. Coal didn't let him get up again, striking the Lawbringer on the head again with his flail before slamming the rim of his shield onto the man's throat with a crack. The guard's legs kicked out once and then went still.
The danger was far from over as the second Lawbringer and the pike-men closed in around the Conqueror. Priscilla began to run and circle the pike-men as they focused on Coal, and before the first soldier realized what she was doing, she had already drawn her small knife and thrown it racing through the air. It caught the pike-man in the neck and dropped him without a sound, and the soldier next to him noticed just in time to see Priscilla charging with sword and dagger drawn. She deflected the long spear as it was brought to bear against her and lunged at his shield. The soldier gave a surprised shout as she jumped up and over his shield and landed in a crouch behind him before her sword came up in a flash to cut open his throat. He died gurgling on his last words. Priscilla struck and slashed with her weapons to keep the next spear that thrust at her at bay, but more shields and pikes were beginning to turn on her. When it was clear she had their attention, she retreated and took off back toward the geyser field, determined to lure as many of the soldiers away as Coal squared off against the other Lawbringer.
"Forget the Conqueror!" Elise ordered as she reloaded her crossbow. "Bring me Priscilla! Do not let her escape with the alchemist's notes!"
Priscilla was panting hard as she took off running through the bubbling pools of water. She heard the sharp 'twang' of the crossbow from behind her and flinched, but there was no sign of the bolt anywhere as another burst of water shot up from the ground and fell from the air like rain. The ground was treacherous before her, with any normal-looking puddle having the chance to explode beneath her feet as she ran. There was shouting and heavy boot-steps behind her, but every so often, there was a sudden rush of a geyser shooting off, only to be followed by the scream of some poor soul caught in the blast. She tried her best to use the unpredictable environment to her advantage, dipping behind towers of steaming water as they burst into the sky like a forest of white trees. When she looked over her shoulder again, she saw that there was no one behind her, and she could barely hear any voices or the sounds of fighting over the falling water.
She took a moment to stop and catch her breath. Coal was still back at the edge of the field, as far as she knew, so now she would have to find a way to circle back to him without being caught, and hopefully, they could make a break for the Walled City together. His angry voice echoed in her mind from their conversation just before Elise arrived, and Priscilla silently cursed herself for being such a terrible friend. He had been right all along, and she had been too stubborn and foolhardy to see it. He was due a much bigger apology than the last she had given him, and she hoped that Coal would at least tell her his real name so she could address him as a friend who cared.
Another geyser erupted beside her, showering her with hot water that heated her leather armor and made an already bad day nearly unbearable. The tower of foaming water reached a dizzying height beside her until the pressure finally released. As the curtain fell back to the earth with a loud splash, Priscilla found herself staring at the other Lawbringer across the rippling pool. Panic gripped her heart for a moment as to Coal's fate, but she did not have time to dwell on it as the Lawbringer leaped over the pool and bashed her with his polearm. She fell to the wet ground with a grunt and just barely slid away as the axe came crashing down after her. Gritting her teeth, she kicked at the Lawbringer's legs to throw the man off balance, but his stance was as strong as stone, and he lifted his poleaxe again with no intention of missing a second time.
The splash of running boots filled the air, and an instant later, Coal was hurling himself at the Lawbringer with his full weight behind his shield. The guard noticed too late, and they crashed together with a loud bang that sent the Lawbringer falling into the bubbling pool. Coal landed on stumbling feet but stopped short at the water's edge before stepping back to grab Priscilla off the ground.
"Are you alright?" Coal asked. She nodded but didn't have a chance to answer as the Lawbringer thrashed about in the hot water to stand and search for his weapon lost beneath the surface. Once he found it, he brought it dripping from the pool like some sort of mystical weapon blessed by the heavens, only for the bubbling water around his knees to suddenly burst into boiling foam. He looked down at the water as a low rumble filled the air, then up at Priscilla and Coal as they both took one large step back from the edge of the geyser. The Lawbringer gave a strained gasp as he tried to follow after them, but then the geyser erupted to send him flying into the air like a wingless angel.
Priscilla and Coal craned their necks back to watch until they lost sight of the Lawbringer in the blast. It was only after the liquid tower began to fall again and the roar of the geyser ceased that they could hear him scream on the long plummet back to earth. The full suit of plate armor slammed to the ground with a sickening crunch, leaving only a heap of wet metal and bent ornamentation sprawled out on the ground. The Lawbringer did not rise again.
"We should go," Coal said without bothering to check if the Lawbringer was truly dead, and Priscilla gave no argument. "As long as we stay hidden in the field, we might make it to- Fucking Christ!"
A black crossbow bolt pinged against Coal's pauldron and flew off into the distance. He was unharmed, but was clearly shaken by the bolt's narrow miss as he looked about for the crossbow wielder among the falling mist. Elise came charging at them from close by, tossing the crossbow now that it was of no more use, and drawing her blades instead. Coal brought his shield up just in time to block her first strike, but Elise quickly kicked against his shield and sprang back before he could counter, sending him tumbling into Priscilla.
Elise gave chase without a moment's pause, slashing and stabbing at both Priscilla and Coal before either could regain their stance. Her mask made it seem that she was impassively calm through the whole ordeal, but the strength behind her attacks was vicious and cruel. Each time Coal swung at her with his flail, she would dodge or ruin the weapon's momentum with a carefully timed thrust of her sword. Priscilla tried to dodge around and get at Elise's flank, but her old friend simply kept Coal in between them to stay away, forcing him to take the brunt of her attacks while putting Priscilla in just as much danger of his flail as it swung in deadly arcs. Giving a growl of frustration, Priscilla ducked in next to Coal and pinned his weapon arm against his side.
"What are you doing!?" Coal shouted just as he blocked another strike of Elise's sword with his shield.
"Be my shield and fight with me!" Priscilla shouted back and then pushed against him, so they moved as one against their attacker. When Coal blocked the next strike, Priscilla countered with her own sword to stop Elise from following through with her dagger. Elise attacked again with her sword, but Coal blocked the thrust, allowing Priscilla to lunge at Elise's throat with her own short blade. In the blink of an eye, Elise was forced to jump back to avoid Priscilla's dagger from taking vengeance for what had been done in the past. Elise gave a desperate cry as Priscilla again slashed with her sword, dodging clear only to have Coal run up on her with his shield to knock her off balance.
Priscilla quickly swiped the legs out from under Elise with her sword as she wavered, but the angle wasn't right for a cut, and so Elise slammed onto the wet earth with a pained grunt instead. That was when Coal let loose his flail once again and slammed it down after the Silent Blade to end the fight for good, but Elise rolled clear as quickly as she could until she found herself nearly submerged in a geyser pool. She gasped as the water began to bubble and foam, trapped between the boiling pool and the foes at her back. Coal swung his flail to build momentum for another blow, but before he could strike, Elise sprang to her feet and jumped over the geyser just before it exploded into the air.
A jet of water filled the air and hid Elise from view to protect her escape. Her sword remained behind on the ground, and Coal kicked it away before taking off toward the edge of the geyser field. "Run! Back to the city!"
Priscilla went after him without waiting to see if Elise had been spared a burning death. She had spent too long not listening to the people who mattered when they spoke, and she would not be making that mistake again. If Coal was still willing to fight by her side after all she had done, then she would follow wherever he led without question. She owed him that much, and maybe he would lead her back to Gunnar in the end, too, if she was lucky.
They didn't see any of the pike-men until they reached the plain again. The hot wind blew geyser mist after them, but soon, the ground beneath their running feet turned from wet rock to dust, and the sound of their pursuers rushing after them echoed in the air. Priscilla sheathed her weapons and put on a burst of speed as the wall loomed ever closer before them. Coal was just in front of her, and she saw that the rope they had climbed down to escape was still there, a thin line to take them out of the fire and back into the cooking pot. It was all they had, though, a single lifeline to fix all the mistakes she had committed against her legion and the Vikings she had betrayed.
Coal glanced over his shoulder at her as they neared the wall, but she waved her hand to signal he should go up first. He ran faster and went right for the rope. Priscilla took a moment to look up at the ramparts, hoping that no archers had stationed themselves on the wall during their time away. It would not look good for any Knight to be caught trying to get back into the city, regardless of whether they had helped capture it in the first place or not.
"Priscilla!" came a shriek of anger from back on the plain. Priscilla looked to see Elise now leading the group of pike-men, still holding her dagger and soaking wet as she gave chase. "There is no coming back from this! You will never be worth anything to anyone ever again! I swear it!"
A part of Priscilla wanted to stop and go back, to throw herself at Elise and beg forgiveness, but that had been the part of her who had called out Elise's name as she lay bleeding at the Trial, and she would not tolerate such weakness anymore. When the shadow of the wall fell upon her, she dashed after Coal as he got to the rope and began to climb, and soon she was following up after him.
The rope swung in the air as they climbed as fast as they could. Before she was halfway up, a spear flew through the air beside her and struck the wall, making her flinch. More missiles came to strike her down, but the wind made their aim poor, and not every pike-man was willing to give up their weapon as their quarry escaped. Looking up again, Priscilla saw that Coal had made it to the top of the rope and jumped to the wall. He was just scrambling over the parapet when she heard him give a surprised shout that made her blood run cold. She climbed faster than ever, ignoring the burning in her arms and the strange weight she felt tugging on the rope from below, focusing on nothing but making it back into the city. Nearly there, she gritted her teeth and gasped just as she came within reach of the top, only to feel her heart sink into her stomach as a bearded Viking stepped up to the rampart and nocked an arrow to his bow.
She wanted to scream, to call out and warn the archer that she was a friend, but as she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Her eyes went wide as she saw Coal on the wall wrestling against the grip of a dozen Northmen, and she knew that their limited supply of dumb luck had finally run out. The Viking archer didn't ask any questions as he pulled back on his bowstring, too close to his target to miss, and Priscilla closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer to God as she prepared to meet him.
"Hold!"
The shout rang through the air like a clap of thunder, distracting the archer just long enough for Gunnar to rush forward and knock the weapon from the warrior's hand. The bowstring vibrated as the arrow shot wide, leaving Priscilla clinging to the rope and gasping in shock to find herself still alive. Gunnar ignored the archer's demands for an explanation and shoved the man away with his axe. Then he turned to Priscilla to offer out a hand for her to take. "Come on! Quick!"
He glanced down the length of the rope, and Priscilla followed his gaze to spot Elise furiously climbing up after her all on her own while the pike-men stood below like lost ducklings separated from their mother. Priscilla took Gunnar's hand and was finally pulled onto the wall, but just as quickly, she flew from his grasp to look down and plead with her once dearest friend. "Stop, Elise! Go back! Please!"
Elise did not stop, whether she heard Priscilla's cries or not. Her face was hidden behind the impassive mask she wore, just as their order intended, but her eyes were all fire as she worked her way up the rope with dagger in hand. Whatever Elise intended to do, outnumbered by so many Vikings once she reached the top, could only be considered madness, and Priscilla could not bring herself to let it happen, even after everything that had been done. For Elise's sake, she had to be stopped before she reached the top of the wall.
"Gunnar!" Priscilla cried. He looked at her with a frown, and she nodded at where the rope hung from the crane above their heads. "Do it..."
Gunnar did not speak as he stepped up onto the parapet. He took one look down at Elise as she continued to climb without any thought for her own safety, and then, hefting his axe, he swung for the rope and severed it with one clean cut. The rope went limp in free fall, and Priscilla squeezed her eyes shut tight as she listened to Elise scream all the way down.
There was a distant thud and a rising commotion from the pike-men. Priscilla couldn't bear not knowing and went to the edge of the wall again to look down at the scene below. Elise lay surrounded by the pike-men in the dirt, her arms splayed and her legs bent at angles that looked wrong even from on top of the wall. She was still screaming, crying out in a pathetic, broken whimper, so it seemed that she was alive at the very least. Some of the pike-men were already retreating across the plain, fearful of arrows raining down on top of them from the wall, but a few braver men threw down their spears to gently pick up the crippled Silent Blade and take her way toward the Ashfeld camp.
Priscilla watched them go, listening as Elise's wails became soft and weak. She barely noticed the archers on the wall drawing their bows after the retreating soldiers to strike them down before they got too far. She wanted to stop them, to give Elise a chance of making it to a healer for reasons she could not entirely explain, but all she could do was watch.
"Let them go," came Gunnar's gruff voice beside her, and the archers all looked at him in question as the soldiers continued to escape. Priscilla turned and found that Gunnar was watching her with a curious frown, but then he waved his hand to put the archers at ease. "Don't waste your arrows. We will need them for what is to come. And let the Conqueror go as well. He's nothing but a lost pup trying to make his way home."
Grumbles of discontent came from the Vikings as they let Coal go, but they did not argue. Coal pushed himself away from their grasp and dusted off his armor as if their touch had dirtied it. Then he picked up his flail and shield from where they had been dropped and slipped it back onto his arm. He looked at Gunnar and gave a small nod in thanks. Gunnar returned the gesture but said no more. Instead, he turned his attention to Priscilla again with a spiteful glare. "You've gotten us all into a real mess, it seems."
Priscilla stared after Elise again, unable to hold Gunnar's eye. Every part of her wanted to fall into his arms and lament all the torment and suffering she had brought about with her own hands. She wanted him to hold her, to caress her hair, kiss her lips, and tell her all was forgiven. She deserved none of it, she knew, and would most likely never receive even the most uncaring of touches from Gunnar ever again, but he was still everything her heart yearned for. It seemed that nothing had gone according to her plan after all.
Gunnar sighed and set the bottom of his axe between his feet with his hands draped over the blade. "But, at least you finally taught that silent bitch her place. If she lives, I doubt she will ever forget the sight of looking up at you before losing the use of her legs."
Priscilla looked up at him in shock, but he did not so much as offer her a cheerful grin. His gaze was still cold, his hard frown set in his beard, but just hearing him tease her as he used to gave her a sense of hope that she did not know could still exist inside her. In a way, it almost seemed like torture that he would give it to her at all, but since she was still alive, she would cling to it with all she had.
Gunnar looked away from her and nodded to the other Vikings around them. "Come, we must find my brother and settle things before they are made worse." He strode off to the stairs and down to the street below, and the other Northmen fell in behind him, save for the archers who would remain to protect that section of wall from anyone else who decided to try their chances of sneaking their way in. Priscilla and Coal shared a wordless moment between them as they lingered, but there seemed to be no use in fighting what was to come. Hanging his head, Coal made his way down the stairs, and Priscilla followed quietly after.
Soon, they were making their way back toward the gatehouse, which was still burning over the city's rooftops. Priscilla and Coal walked at the back of the group and remained silent now that they were back among the very people they had betrayed, but they stopped once Gunnar came back through the crowd and let the other Vikings move on without them. "When we find my brother, let me do the talking, understand?" he said. Coal gave a curt nod, but Priscilla didn't respond. She felt numb and unable to react to Gunnar at all. She could only look at him and curse herself over what might have been. Gunnar pressed his lips tightly together and gave an agitated sigh. "You hear me, woman? Your tricks are done. If you want any hope of getting out of this with your lungs intact, then you'll-"
There was a dull 'thunk,' and Gunnar stopped talking. His lips were still pursed mid-word, but his eyes went blank and turned glassy as if he were looking off into nothing.
"You doing alright there, big man?" Coal asked as Gunnar began to sway on his feet.
Then Gunnar collapsed face first in the dirt, a clear dent in the back of his helmet, and Ragnar standing in his place with the blunt side of his axe held out like a hammer. The bearded Berserker glared at the two Knights from beneath his face plate and bared his teeth with a low, vicious growl. "I really didn't want to do that..."
Priscilla grabbed for her weapons just as Coal let loose his flail, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around her throat from behind and began to squeeze. She flipped her dagger around and tried to strike back at whoever had her in a headlock, but exhausted as she was, the corners of her vision were already beginning to turn hazy and dark. Gurgling out a curse, she just caught a glimpse of Ragna's vicious snarl looming above her and the sight of Ragnar moving to help Helge subdue Coal. Her fingers went numb around the grip of her dagger, and then it dropped harmlessly to the ground.
"You chose the wrong side, níðingr," Ragna whispered in her ear with a smile.
Priscilla wanted to tell her that she was on Gunnar's side now, and beyond that, nothing else mattered. She didn't get the chance before the world around her went black.