Valiant (*On Hold*)

5 Promise - Adelaide

I sat atop my horse, gazing out at the field beneath the ridge. The grass was overgrown, patchy. Visibility would be difficult even on a clear day such as this. But the view was always better on the high ground and we had it. I reached a hand up to adjust my helmet and found it firm. I slid my fingers to the back, down toward my neck, to ensure that none of my hair was poking out of the bottom, that it was all contained within the metal helm as was necessary. The men must not know it was a woman who led them. Not yet.

"Where are they?" I asked quietly to the man at my side, the man who had always been at my side.

"They will be here soon, princess," Ridley answered me, his eyes on the same horizon as mine. "Our scouts saw them crossing the river only hours ago."

I nodded and settled myself onto my horse, squinting in an effort to ensure I noticed the very first hint of them rising over the hill. The men may not have faith in a woman's leadership but I was grateful, at least, that my grandfather did. Ridley's training of me had been our little secret for five years until I turned thirteen and one of my handmaidens found my practice clothes at the bottom of a trunk at the end of my bed. By that time, I was much too well trained for my grandfather to order it to cease.

And so I had since trained as openly as I dared and, by that, I meant only with the knowledge of my grandparents, my brother, and a few trusted men, most of them Ridley's. Finally, my grandfather had agreed that I had earned my chance to prove myself and I was grateful, though it did not surpass my notice that Acton had been granted the same privilege at twelve and here I was at eighteen getting my first chance to lead an army. Still, I was grateful for the opportunity and, though I did not doubt our victory, it added significantly to my anxiety to know that I was never meant to lead such a charge at all.

"I will protect you as much as I can," Ridley told me then.

"If you have taught me well, I will not be in need of it," I answered and he smiled.

Ridley had confidence in me. I knew that and had known that since I was eight years old. I sometimes wished I could have the same confidence in myself. But my world was designed to ensure that women never gained such confidence.

My grandfather loved me well. That was the only reason I was allowed such independence. I had become skilled in secret. That was the only reason that I was now allowed to serve my country in a way besides marrying the first man to offer an army. But my grandfather is sick and I know a change is coming. Acton will be a good King, I am sure of it. But my grandfather has spent the last ten years battling the Rirdans at our borders, keeping them confined to the coasts and pushing into Vyndoli to recapture what we can of our neighbors. It has been slow, our progress, with a lot of capture and recapture. The Rirdans are unwilling to give an inch and my grandfather's heart is not in conquest. He has focused on the rebuilding of Etzera after my parents' deaths and he has done a wonderful job. But the time has come to decide whether or not we will go to war. The council is becoming restless on the matter. So I am here to personally lead this attack, to lend some credibility to our stance against Rirdanta and to, hopefully, buy us some time.

Suddenly, the opposing force was visible on the horizon. There were more of them than was expected and they were rather organized for what my brother referred to as "brutes" and "barbarians". They paused atop the hill, surveying us as we surveyed them. I allowed my eyes to scan their ranks. Hundreds, armed well and wearing the leather of their people. But leather was pliable where metal was not. I raised my chin, turned to Ridley, and spoke. "Ready the men."

He did as he was told, pulling the reins to turn his horses to the mass of Etzerian soldiers standing in a line behind us. I watched the Rirdantans as his booming voice called out among our ranks.