A Battle of Pride and Desire

Chapter Twenty Seven

Brigette's heart dropped to her stomach at the sound of Taran's voice in her head. The buzz of fighting and the sound of shouts and cries faded into the background as she focused her attention on listening to her mind. She waited one minute, two minutes, but Taran's voice didn't come again.

'Taran,' Brigette sent over.

Her hands began to shake as she waited for his response. She couldn't see him in the rows ahead, only masses of people striking at one another. Only when she heard the sound of an arrow flying beside her did she jerk her head around to see where it was coming from. Liadh looked at her as she reached behind her to grab an arrow and shot behind Brigette. Brigette slowly looked behind her and saw a fae female lying limp on the ground. Brigette walked over to her and slit her throat quickly, barely registering what she was doing. It felt like an out of body experience waiting for Taran to respond but he didn't. The line between them was empty and hollow.

"Brigette," Liadh said. "Take her arrows."

Liadh nodded to the arrows that lay beneath the dead fae. Brigette rolled the body over and placed the arrows into her own quiver. Brigette finally looked to Liadh who was still watching her carefully. Words failed Brigette, afraid if she spoke she would miss Taran's response.

"You need to stay alert," Liadh warned. "I don't know if I will be able to fight like earlier. What did you do to me?"

Brigette shook her head but managed to speak, "I don't know what I did either. I just know you're healed but it might still hurt."

Liadh prodded at her ribs tentatively, "Whether I'm fine or not I would rather not have to deal with hand-to-hand combat."

Fair enough. Brigette nodded and looked out at the crowd once more. The skies were empty but Brigette knew they were on borrowed time before a fae came to assault them. She needed to focus, she could reach Taran if they could push forward. Brigette turned to Liadh and held out a hand, gesturing for Liadh to come forward. Liadh walked over, her footsteps light as a feather and looked out at the battle before them.

"They've pushed us really far back," Liadh said. "We need to keep going."

"I think Taran is hurt," Brigette blurted out. "We need to push forward, I won't survive without him."

Liadh nodded, "OK. Then let's fight."

Liadh nocked an arrow in her bow and aimed the tip at a Magmellan and fae who were sword fighting. Inhaling she released and the arrow hit the fae in the back. The fae yelped and for the split second her attention was gone, the Magmellan stabbed her in the stomach. The fae fell to the ground and the Magmellan made sure to finish her off with a quick whip of his sword. Her head rolled a few sorry inches and the Magmellan turned to Brigette and Liadh - where the arrow had come from. He bowed low on seeing Brigette and then gave a friendly smile to Liadh. That was all though, before he turned around and helped another warrior who was being scratched by a fae. Brigette watched the people around her and looked for a suitable target. About thirty yards from where she was, a fae had its back to her. Brigette looked to Liadh and motioned to the fae, Liadh nodded in acknowledgment and watched Brigette's back. Brigette quietly made her way to them, hoping the sound of her footsteps would be drowned out by the battle. However she knew the fae could probably decipher different sounds, if Taran was anything to go by. She kept her footsteps light as she approached the two, hoping the fae wouldn't turn around. The Magmellan male fighting the fae made quick eye contact with her but it was fleeting and back on the fae once more. Brigette froze, afraid the fae would notice and turn around but it didn't, only focused on the Magmellan. Brigette jogged the last ten yards, flexing her fist and then relaxing it around the dagger. Brigette could hear the fae's short breaths as he fought the Magmellan. Before she could second guess herself she stabbed him in the back of the neck. The fae dropped to his knees and Brigette stabbed an artery, the blood spraying all over her top. Brigette sighed and lazily wiped the dagger on the fae's tunic. The male was ugly with horrible nails; one of them broken, undoubtedly from scraping someone's skin off. The Magmellan male thanked her and Brigette only nodded in response. A sound behind Brigette caught her attention and she turned just in time to see a fae behind her grabbing an arrow from her quiver. Brigette's arm moved before her brain did as she reached behind her for her own. In the quickest time she had ever achieved she nocked an arrow and shot for anywhere on the fae's body. In a desperate attempt to just slow her down the arrow hit the fae's shoulder and the fae dropped her bow upon impact. Brigette sprinted towards her, nocking another arrow and shooting. The whip of the arrow through the air sounded like music and it sounded even better when the sound of a heavy weight hit the earth. Brigette stood above the fae who was open mouthed and wide eyed with shock. The arrow stood horizontally in the fae's stomach and Brigette watched the fae writhe in pain.