Chapter 10
The next morning, Lexa spoke to Tanwen after their breakfast.
"Are you ready to meet the ones I have chosen to be your bodyguards?"
"Already?"
"Yes, I do not want you to be underprotected with so many other clans roaming around - especially Azgeda."
"Alright, but remember, I do get to pick the final ones and at least two are women." Lexa nodded and they made their way down to the throne room where a dozen warriors stood. They bowed when the Commander and Queen Tanwen walked in.
"I've brought you together for one reason. My Queen needs more protection than she currently has. She wished to retain Ingrid and Pelana who were warriors from Tondc. Even though they have not been bodyguards before, Tanwen wants them. I will allow this but she needs more protection. We will pick from this group. If you do not want to be my Queen's bodyguard, leave." Three men left the room.
"Are the rest of you willing to lay down your lives for Tanwen?" One by one, they all agreed.
"First we will pick the two women she requires and then the males. Tanwen?" Tanwen stepped forward to look at the four women.
"I want to train with my swords and with other weapons. This is not negotiable. I will train. Anyone have a problem with that?" No-one spoke.
"There will be no reprisals for plain speaking here. We need the best for her and if you cannot agree with our terms, you will go back to being my guards, but remember, sometimes you will be guarding Tanwen as well. If you cannot do that, then leave." They all stayed.
"So, I ask again, do you have a problem with me training in weapons?"
"No, Ai Kwin," one of the females said. She was tall, maybe 6 foot 4, with long dark brown hair tied back with a simple leather band and not braided. She wore her Trikru tattoo on her left forearm. She was tanned and looked to be nearly twenty years older than herself.
"Your name?" Tanwen asked.
"Rabia, Ai Kwin," she said, bowing.
"Rabia. Want to be one of my bodyguards? You would need to take MY orders, not the Commander's. You may become one of my confidantes as well. Both Ingrid and Pelana both do that for me when I need them. They train with me and know not to get in my way when I'm fighting."
"Is it true you were the one who ended the maunon?"
"Yes," Tanwen said. "Pelana and Ingrid fought by my side but they only stopped me from being killed from the side or behind. They did not interfere with my fighting them."
"She took out most of their warriors on her own," Lexa said with pride in her voice.
"Then, yes, Ai Kwin, I will." Rabia knelt in front of Tanwen and drew her sword and presented it to her. Tanwen took the sword.
"Rise, Rabia." Rabia stood. "You are my guard, Rabia. Take your sword and defend me when needed and be by my side when I do not need defending. Keep my secrets and never let anyone tell you you are not wanted by me. You are MY guard." She handed the sword back to Rabia who took it and bowed again. Rabia sheathed her sword and stood beside Tanwen. Lexa nodded. She had not expected Tanwen to choose the older woman, but she was pleased she had.
"Who else?" Tanwen asked. The other three stepped forward. Tanwen looked at her wife.
"Lexa?" Lexa went to her side. She pointed to the first of the remaining female warriors.
"Tula is an expert with a bow, Jaysa is an expert in unarmed combat and Larkin is an expert in tactics and evasion."
"Damn, I need all three!" Tanwen said. "Any of the males have the same attributes?" Lexa nodded.
"Domnik is an expert in the bow. Viran is a champion of unarmed combat, and Steban is just as good at escape and evasion as Larkin." Tanwen looked at each of them.
"Who is okay with talking about things?"
All three women looked at each other.
"I will," Larkin said. Tanwen nodded.
"Then we'll test you out. If you don't feel like you would fit in - or if I don't, we'll try one of the others." Larkin nodded and bowed and stood beside Rabia.
"Alright, if I have Larkin, then I'll leave out Steban for now. It may change later. I think I'll need Viran. He can teach me unarmed combat." Lexa nodded. Viran was even bigger than Gustus and more agile. If Gustus wasn't her guard, she would have taken Viran as her own. He was one of the ones she most wanted for Tanwen's guard.
"What about the last man?" Tanwen asked of the thin man who reminded her of Murphy at his most sneaky.
"Guido," Lexa said." He is one of my best spies. His cover was blown and now he needs a change of job. He is excellent with both bow and sword, escape and evade, hidden traps and is an intelligence specialist."
"That's a lot," Tanwen said. She turned to him. "Can you protect me? Would you lay your life down for mine? Can I trust you with my secrets?"
"Sha, Ai Kwin, you can," he said, looking her in the eyes. She stared back at him. There was something undefinable about him that she didn't like. It wasn't anything she could put her finger on but for some reason, she was hesitant to take him on. It felt like he would just pretend to obey her but actually obey someone else. She shook her head.
"No, sorry, but I need someone who will listen to me and obey my commands. I get the feeling you'd only obey the Commander's."
"Is that true, Guido?" asked the Commander. Guido hesitated and then slowly nodded, sighing as he did.
"What tipped you off, my queen?" he asked.
"It was you staring at me. I am theTrikru Queen and as such, most people don't look me in the eye when they first meet me. You did and you didn't look away which meant you don't see me as the person to take orders from." He nodded again.
"My apologies, Commander, but she is correct."
"Then you are dismissed from consideration," Lexa said, waving to the door. Guido bowed to both of them and left.
"Okay, Domnik, your turn. Can you teach me to shoot?"
"Sha, Ai Kwin," he said, bowing,
"Good, let's start by meeting Pelana, Ingrid and Miller."
"Who's Miller?" Rabia asked.
"My friend and a Skaikru guard. I want him to learn to be my bodyguard."
"Why?"
"Because he knows what I mean and he knows our shared history. He can know what would trigger any bad memories I have of the Ark. Also, he and I can talk about the things we went through. I can't do that with you because you never went through it."
"Then go and introduce them to each other. Let me know if any of them cannot get along with all the others. I want you guarded, ai hodness, not a couple of your guards bickering and trying to outdo each other!"
"Sha, Heda," Tanwen said. Rabia led the way out of the room and Ingrid and Pelana each took a side.
"Where to, Ai Kwin?" asked Pelana.
"To your barracks. These are my new guards. We need to sit down and sort everything out. Is Miller there?"
"Sha, Ryder is training him in weapons, Solmon is training him in everything else." Tanwen nodded.
"We can introduce him before he goes off to train."
"Sha, ai Kwin," Pelana said as she led them to their barracks.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
It took a few days before they started to gel with Pelana and Ingrid. Rabia got it quickly but Larkin and Domnik had a little trouble adjusting to Tanwen's way of being guarded. They were used to the Commander and her needs, but not one of the sky people. Larkin and Domnik eventually got it. They still struggled with being that close to her, intimately, but with Pelana and Ingrid already being her confidantes and Rabia fast becoming another, they could take a step back and guard her, rather than have conversations with her.
Within a week they had all settled down to their new roles. Miller was having fun learning the Trikru ways and how to be a guard for Tanwen. He took it very seriously and was determined to be the best guard he could be. He never wanted to be a guard on the Ark, even though his dad was one. They were a little too arrest-happy for his tastes. This was a good job, one he could be proud of. One he wanted for a long time to come.
Titus was still a problem, as were the Ambassadors. A couple were friendly - Luna kom Floukru and Wildon kom Sangedakru were the most welcoming, while Queen Nia of Azgeda and Antni kom Delfikru were the ones who wanted her gone. Tanwen was positive they were both plotting her demise - just like Costia. She'd had a talk with Pelana and Rabia about it, but without proof, there was nothing they could do other than to be just as vigilant as they always had been.
Ingrid asked for four guards on Tanwen at all times. Tanwen had refused but compromised at three.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
The leaders and Ambassadors of the clans were gathered in the throne room. It was crowded but they didn't mind, they'd answered a call from the Commander. Some of the leaders were still in their home clans, but any who were at the mountain or in Polis at the time were there.
Commander Lexa and her new wife entered the room. They all bowed to them both. Rumours of what Kwin Tanwen had done in the mountain were spreading and they all held her in high esteem for taking down the Maunon. Once everyone was sat down, the Commander spoke.
"The mountain has fallen thanks to Kwin Tanwen and her bodyguards. She fought them while her guards kept anyone from attacking her. The Maunon are no more!" A roar went up, mostly from relief that they wouldn't lose family members to them.
"Indra and her people and Bellamy and his people are still going through the mountain to retrieve our people and bring out our belongings and any clan weapons we can find. Identifiable clan weapons will be returned to those clans. Any other weapons that cannot be identified as belonging to a particular clan will be divided up amongst us. Today though, Tanwen wants to return one weapon to its rightful clan." They whispered among themselves. Tanwen stood up.
"When in the mountain, we had to find clan weapons to use. My guards got me two swords which I used to great effect. After the fight, I was cleaning the weapons and noticed some writing on one of them. I asked one of my guards to translate it for me. It read 'Henroy kom Podakru'." The Podakru leader and Ambassador both stood, both surprised. Tanwen nodded to one of the guards who left the room and returned seconds later with the sword. He handed it to Tanwen.
She took the sword out of its scabbard and held it up for all to see. She lowered it and held it across both hands as she stepped up to the leader.
"Heda, I return the sword of your people. Look after it, it served me well." The leader looked at her in awe as he realised she'd used the sword to free the mountain. He took it reverently.
"May I ask if this is a one off sword or could it be replicated - minus the inscription?"
"No, ai Kwin, you may have a replica of it."
"Mochof! That sword is a perfect fit for me and I would have liked to keep it, but it does not belong to Trikru, but to your people."
"Mochof, Ai Kwin for returning one of our prized weapons! Henroy was a great leader and his death was a great loss. We never thought we'd have this sword returned. We will treasure it!" He bowed as he stepped back, clutching the scabbard and sword to him.
The Commander turned to the rest of those gathered.
"We will be sorting through the weapons. Any not known as belonging to any clan, will be put on display here. If you recognise a weapon and can prove it comes from your clan, then it shall be returned to you." The Commander rose. "When the weapons arrive, I will call you back to give you the weapons and to claim others for your clan."
"Heda," they said in unison before bowing and leaving. Once gone, Tanwen turned to Lexa.
"I miss the sword already," she sighed. Lexa smiled.
"We will find you a replacement until we can make the sword for you."
"Mochof, ai hodness," Tanwen said, leaning into Lexa's side. Titus cleared his throat.
"Commander, we have a lot of work still to do."
"A little time with my wife won't cause us to be delayed, Titus." She turned to Tanwen.
"That was well done and well said. Andon is happy to have his uncle's sword returned."
"Uncle? I'm glad I returned it even if I wish I could keep it. It belongs to Podakru and to Henroy's family."
"It does. I think that once we begin returning lost weapons and items, the clans can finally start to heal from the barbaric Maunon. Tomorrow, we will go to my favourite armourer and we can check on the swords he has. Hopefully we can find you a good enough replacement."
"Good, I feel naked with only one sword." She thought of something from the mountain. "I was surprised that the Maunon's leader was so young. He may be about 40 but I expected someone older."
"Well, according to some of the guards we interrogated, that leader was the son of the old one. His father was in charge until about a month ago. His son led a coup and installed himself as the leader and had his father imprisoned."
"What happened to him?"
"Same as the other guards. He was killed for taking our people. He came up with most of the things done to my people. The only thing his son did - without his knowledge - was create the reapers." Tanwen grunted.
"Humans always dehumanise others as quickly as they can but if anyone tried it with them, they'd scream about their rights! Sometimes I think humans were a mistake. All we do is fight, scheme and figure out ways to cheat. Humans are not a good example of how life should be. Sometimes I think that the world would be a lot better off if we had died out during the war!"
"Then we would have never met and that thought saddens me," Lexa said, nuzzling the side of Tanwen's head. Tanwen closed her eyes and sighed.
"Me too, Lexa, but humanity has a lot to learn and they don't want to."
"I know, but all we can do is try." Tanwen nodded and settled into Lexa's embrace and sighed. She could hear Titus grumbling under his breath but she ignored him. There would be time to deal with him later.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
The next day, Commander Lexa, Her guards Gustus and Ryder, Tanwen and her guards Pelana, Rabia and Viran, set off for the armourer's. Once inside - with Pelana and Gustus going in with them and the others staying outside - the Commander called out to the back of the shop.
"Timon!" A large man popped her head around the doorfrmae and then came over, bowing to the Commander.
"How may I be of assistance, Commander?"
"Kwin Tanwen needs a new sword. She gave the one she found in the mountain back to Podakru." Timon turned to Tanwen and looked at her.
"What weapons do you usually use?"
"Two swords," she replied. Timon was startled.
"Truly?" he said, looking at the Commander.
"Sha! She's very good with two swords. She needs a replacement." Timon turned back to Tanwen.
"Do you have the other sword you've been using?"
Tanwen reached back and pulled out the remaining sword before handing it over to him. Timon studied it.
"This sword was made by Parian about twenty summers ago," he said. Timon was very knowledgeable about the types and styles most weapons makers were apt to make. Timon himself was roughly 40 summers old and would have been young when Parian was making weapons.
"Did he make it for a specific person?" the Commander asked.
"No, this is one of his generic swords. It is very well made, but it was one of the swords he made a lot of."
"Do you have something to counter it?" Tanwen asked.
"Counter it?" Timon asked.
"Yes, when I fight or train with them, I need them to be able to counter each other. When I go high with one, I go low with the other." Timon nodded.
"I would need to see you with them to be able to gauge which of my swords would suit you," he said. "There is a small training yard out the back. Would you do me the honour of showing me your moves?" Tanwen turned to Lexa who nodded.
"I'd be delighted," she replied with a smile. Timon led the way and Pelana went out to check it out first before allowing Tanwen and the Commander into the yard. It was ten meters by ten metres, not that small at all! Timon had grabbed a few swords on the way through, based on the weight of the sword in his hands.
"Test these swords. See which one feels the most comfortable for you," he said, laying them on a table. Tanwen took her own back and then picked up each sword, testing its weight before putting it back again. She put several aside and then tested the remaining three. This time she picked one up, took it to the centre of the yard and began testing it paired with the other. She tried all three before she took the second one. Pelana stepped forward and took up a practise wooden sword. She began going through the warm up swings before facing Tanwen.
"Ai, Kwin, shall we spar?"
"Sha, Pelana, let's do this!" Pelana began taking her through the strokes and gradually increased the speed before beginning to improvise. They went at it for five minutes before Pelana pulled back.
"How is the sword, Ai Kwin?"
"It's alright, but it's not Henroy's," she said, really missing the sword.
"We will try again, but this time, you attack me," Pelana said. Tanwen grinned. It was the part she loved the most. The permission to let loose her own style. Timon and the Commander watched as Tanwen and Pelana sparred, making a comment now and again on her fighting style, what type of blade would suit her and the best weight for her. After ten minutes, the Commander called a halt. Timon went back inside and came out with another weapon wrapped in a leather sheath.
"Try this one, Ai kwin," he said, bowing as he offered it to her. Pelana took the sword she'd been using and Tanwen pulled the handle of the weapon and it came free from its scabbard. Tanwen was in awe of the workmanship of it.
"The sword was meant for Inga, but she was taken into the mountain. She died just after you freed her," Timon said. "She would have been proud for you to have her sword." Tanwen nodded and then took a couple of practice swings as she grinned.
"If this one works out, I still want a replica of Henroy's sword," Tanwen said. "If we can get it right, then this other one from the mountain can stay in our rooms - just in case." Lexa nodded as Tanwen and Pelana got into positions once more and this time Tanwen felt that the sword was a part of her, an extension of her movements. It was light enough she could fling it around, but heavy enough to stop her enemies.
"That's an impressive blade, Timon," Lexa said.
"Mochof," he said, bowing to her. "Sometimes I make a weapon for one person but it fits another so much better. I think Inga's sword was one of them."
"I agree. We'll take it." Timon nodded and handed the scabbard to the Commander.
"A present from a grateful clan member."
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
The Commander and Tanwen walked back to the tower. Tanwen was smiling all the way. She couldn't believe how good it felt to train with Inga's sword.
"I can't wait until tomorrow when I can practise with my new sword," Tanwen said, still in awe of its beauty and leathality. Lexa smiled.
"Tomorrow, we will find you someone to practise against who you haven't faced yet. Now that your two sword style is known, we do not need to conceal it." Tanwen grinned. She much preferred to fight in training than in reality because in training she never had to kill anyone.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
The next day, Tanwen was at the training grounds with Ingrid, Rabia, Larkin and Domnik. The Commander was there purely as the Commander watching her kwin train. She talked to the training master.
"See if she can go head to head with Gerson," the Commander said. The training master raised his brows but motioned for Gerson to take his place. Gerson was a big guy and he was fast. He was one of the best warriors in Polis from all the clans. Gerson's clan was Trishanakru. Tanwen took up her wooden swords and faced him.
"This is not a first blood situation. You will stop when I say so, you will back away when I say so and you will not press the point when your opponent is down. Begin!" the training master said. Gerson began pressing the pace but Tanwen matched him. Gerson's one sword was fast in cutting through the air and thrusting towards her. Tanwen was glad she had two swords to keep his blade away from her, she needed them both! Eventually, she saw a minute pattern emerge. She waited and once he had committed himself to the move she was sure he would be making, she ducked, lunged and then took his feet from under him with her leg. She stood and backed away until Gerson was back on his feet.
"You did not use your swords to get me down!" he said.
"In a fight for your life, anything goes," Tanwen replied. "If your sword is gone, what do you do? Wait for your enemies to strike, or find something else to use?"
"Find something else," he replied. " But you still had your swords?"
"And you weren't expecting me to use anything but them, right?" she asked him, staring him in the eyes.
"No Ai kwin, I was not."
"Sometimes your best defense is surprise. That one split second could save your life. Don't forget that your enemy does not play by your rules. There's a saying from the old world: 'expect the unexpected'." Gerson nodded.
"I will be more vigilant in future," he said.
"Good!" the training master said. "Go again!"
For the next three candlemarks, they went at it again and again. Tanwen got faster and Gerson started thinking about other possibilities. Tanwen tried a couple more times to use her fists, feet and even tried to headbut him, but he caught on and avoided them. When the session ended, all the warriors around them applauded. Tanwen had never even known they were there because she was focused on Gerson.
"You are formidable," Gerson said. "I can see why you took down the Maunon so easily."
"It was not easy, Gerson. It was hard work. It was easier only because they had no weapons. If they had their own weapons, I would have been killed almost as soon as I walked in the door. I didn't kill them all by myself, Pelana and Ingrid were there too. They took out several who were trying to flank me." Gerson nodded.
"I understand," he said, bowing to her. "If you ever need my sword, it is yours ai kwin." Tanwen nodded to him, awed by the trust he placed in her.
"Mochof," she said. She turned away to get a drink and sit down in the shade. Rabia and Larkin were her close guards while the others were a further ten feet out.
"Rest, Ai kwin," Larkin said, handing her a cup of cold water.
"I will," she replied and then took a long drink, draining half the cup. She looked around at the other warriors training. She saw a man trying to wield a sword with his left hand, but he was not quite getting it right. His right hand was a semi-permanent claw.
"What's up with him?" she asked Rabia.
"He was in a fight with some border raiders in Plains Rider territory, They cut his hand and wrist. Now he tries to learn to fight with the other hand." Tanwen turned back to him.
"He's right-handed, correct?"
"Sha, and now he has to learn to do things with his left hand."
"That's why the sword strokes are wrong," Tanwen said in understanding. She watched him some more before an idea popped into her head. She needed to send a messenger to Tondc to that healer who had the books. Maybe he had one on old-world weapons. She vaguely remembered reading about a kind of glove called a cestus, only it didn't have a blade. If she could make one and somehow attach a short blade to it - maybe a knife blade - then maybe he could use his right arm once more. The more she thought about it though, the more convinced she was that she really needed to contact Clarke to find the Ark book she had read. She needed to know how a cestus worked, how it was made and how best to fit it to the man's hand. She nodded to herself.
"Once back at the tower, I need to send a message to Clarke at Halian. I'd like to use Miller for that. He needs to bring something back for me."
"Sha ai kwin," Rabia said.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Later that day, after getting some instructions from Tanwen, Miller set off for Halian. It took him two days to reach it.
"Open up!" he called out to the gate guards. "I carry a message for Chief Clarke of Halian from Queen Tanwen kom Trikru!" The guards opened the gates while another went to fetch Clarke. She reached him as he was putting his horse into a stall having fed and watered him first.
"Miller, welcome back!" she said, hugging him. He grinned.
"I've missed you a lot," he said.
"What brings you back?"
"Message from Queen Tanwen," he said, pulling his saddlebags over and routing through it to find the scroll. He handed it over.
"Do you know what's on it?" she asked.
"In general terms, yes, but I did not read the actual letter. I know what she wants." Clarke nodded.
"Let's go to my office and we can figure out what the queen wants."
In Clarke's office, Miller sat down in the chair Clarke indicated while she sat behind her desk and undid the scroll. She read it and raised her eyebrows.
"A book? She's looking for a specific book?" Miller nodded.
"She remembers reading about an ancient weapon, a glove called a cestus. She wants to try to adapt one for a warrior who was injured on his right hand."
"Would it work?" Miller shrugged.
"I don't know what it looks like so I couldn't say." Clarke nodded.
"Come, we'll search the library. We didn't get all the books from the Ark, but we got as many as we could." Miller followed Clarke to the room set aside as the library and they began looking at each one. They'd been sorted into loose categories such as romance, d-i-y, factual, fiction and religious, but not into specific categories such as weapons, miitary, ancient world or specifically on Ancient Rome.
"Here!" Miller called out after a couple of hours. Clarke went over to him as he turned to the right page.
"That's it?" Clarke asked.
"Yep, that's a cestus."
"It looks like leather straps wound around his arm and hand," Clarke said. "How is that a weapon?" Miller shrugged.
"Maybe the leather is hardened and can cause damage when hit with it?" Clarke shrugged in return.
"Well, if that is what she wants, you can take it to her. Just bring it back sometime, please? We don't have many books."
"Will do," Miller said.
"Are you leaving soon?"
"I'd like a meal and a rest first, but I can make several hours before nightfall. If I leave by 3pm, I can get to one of the Trikru villages for the night."
"You could stay here for the night," Clarke offered.
"Thanks, but not just yet. Seeing Bryan is still a bit raw." Clarke nodded. Bryan was still acting as if Pike was innocent. He was in danger of being arrested himself if he didn't stop with his rhetoric about Pike being a great leader.
"Okay, don't be a stranger though, okay? I know you're training to be one of Tanwen's guards, but when you can return, do so. We miss you."
"I'll try, but at the moment, I'm training most of the time. Tanwen's new guards are having to learn her ways and our ways as well. Tanwen is not going to be a normal Trikru queen!"
"Not after the mountain, no," Clarke agreed. "Come on, the hunters brought in a couple of boar." Miller smiled. He loved boar meat.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Miller made it back two days later and went straight to the tower to give the book to his queen.
"You got it?" Tanwen asked when he walked in.
"Sha, ai kwin. Clarke showed me to the books they managed to salvage from the crash. I found it and looked for that cestus thing. It's in here." He handed over the book. "Page 24." She turned to it and smiled.
"This is it!" she said with excitement in her voice. MIller smiled.
"May I ask what you want it for? Specifically, I mean."
"An injured warrior. If I can get one made for him with a blade attached, it may help him to recover. He can still fight." Miller nodded.
"If you need any help, let me know," he said.
"I will. Go and get some rest, Indra's here and wants to test you tomorrow on what you've learned." Miller grinned.
"Octavia?"
"Yup, She's Indra's sekken."
"How?"
"I ordered her to take her!" Tanwen said with a smirk. Miller laughed before bowing and leaving the room.
"He is too forward with you!" Larkin said.
"He's a friend, Larkin. He was my friend long before he was my guard. Leave him alone."
"Sha, ai kwin," she said, bowing and backing off.
"Tomorrow, after Miller's training, I want to see if we can find some straps to make one of these gloves. I want a way to attach a blade to it so he can fight again," she said to Rabia. Rabia looked at the picture.
"What exactly is it?"
"It was a weapon in Ancient Rome. A fighter would wear it and no other weapons or armour. It was down to the fighter to finish off his opponent with it."
"How?"
"Dunno," Tanwen said. "We'll figure it out, though."
ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Well, I'm stuck with the rest of this story. Remember when I said it was almost finished? It isn't. I'm stuck. My mojo seems to have deserted me at the moment. There are still several chapters, but the end is not written because I can't figure out how! It's ticking me off! I will try to finish it but I may not before you catch up with the chapters. Sorry. Samdagger.