Sharp Flowers

Part 27

I head out from the wall. The horse's hooves beating at the Earth is but background noise under the chaos threatening to break into the gates. I pull back though, looking towards the Shields fighting to keep them at bay. Volker, are you out there?

"Raven, watch it," Sebastian warns from my side.

"This is my last stand," I declare, going for my satchel and the bow. We leap over the Shields, several of them gazing up as we soar overhead. I fire off arrows, one by one, taking down the closest I set my eyes on. One, two, three, and one I missed a fatal blow to takes off. On foot they don't make it very far before I cut them down.

"Raven" Sebastian urges.

"One more," I protest and something comes flying at me. I block but the blow knocks me back off the horse. Someone grabs me, picking me up by my arm and straining my tender shoulder. I gasp, blinking back shocked tears when I find myself staring up at Ryder. "You!" I hiss at him. Wriggling and fighting I can't free myself. I reach for my sword but I'm helpless. Ryder drags me back, pulling me towards him.

"Let her go," Sebastian's voice manifests and the dark King rematerializes before us. Sebastian launches forward but Ryder's soldiers amass together to fight back. Sebastian maneuvers around them with ease, walking through their defenses without difficulty. He grabs the nearest one and tears into their throat, ripping through spitting blood and snarling. The other men turn on him but their attempt to corner Sebastian is futile. Judging by their lack of fear or shock at his brutality I suspect they know of him. However, others watching along the archery divisions and the Shields notice. Open mouthed horror momentarily halts their rain of arrows. Even if we were to win this how will they look at Sebastian after seeing this? Shining shields clash into the field, pushing forward. The first arrow to be fired again comes straight this way. The first misses Ryder and the second takes out his left hand retainer. Sebastian snatches me up, throws me back on a horse and steals another one off the field. Elfie rushes in from behind the Shield's defenses. Weaving about out of reach, fast footed, she's a deadly force.

"Stop her!" Ryder orders but she's too fast for these soldiers weighted down by heavy armor and weapons. Though the swing after her with ball and chains and chasing after her, it would seem they couldn't pin her down. Elfie backs off behind Volker's shields, catching her breath.

"Sebastian, run now! We'll regroup after this," Elfie calls, drawing fresh knives off her belt. She veers aside, darting forward. Elfie dodges a swing, thrusting her blade up through anyone in her path. The other knife follows, twisting through and pulling back blood and torn flesh. Her enemies double over before this short, seemingly weak girl. In and out she runs, no eye can hope to catch her, as she dances the field. In Volker's defense, who's shield rocks the battlefield, knocking them all down. Then, someone's luck turns and an arrow whistles clean through the field and strikes Elfie in the shoulder. Even as they grow farther and farther away, the hole is clear. Elfie, confirming the damage, falls to the field.

"Elfie!" I call after her.

"Raven!" Sebastian and Peter snap me back to it. I turn my back on them, riding alongside Sebastian bleary eyed.

"I hate this," I sob as the distant roar becomes fainter by the second, "I don't want to run from this,"

"You have, too. Raven you can still live through this," Sebastian tells me, "Run to the monastery in the mountains. If our forces in the south prevail, you might find refuge with them," he advises.

"But what about you," I point out and we stop at a split in the road, "Both of you- I- I," I stammer, my words shaken by my grief. I drop from my horse to embrace my brother.