The Prince's Thief

12. Luck, Good and Bad

                 The clash of steel rang in my ears, my arms vibrating at my sword made contact with another. There were far more bandits than four of us could manage. Running my sword through the bandit, I saw two men on horseback charging at Arthur, whom was currently on foot fighting a bandit already. I wished for time enough to draw my bow, but knew I did not have it, and instead pulled a dagger from my boot, hurling it at the man on horseback. My still-healing shoulder protested the movement, but the dagger found its mark, and the man toppled off of the horse with a great thud. I only just managed to lift my sword in time to deflect a blow from another bandit, before William ran his sword through the man from behind. I gave him a quick nod, before moving on to the next. There was still far to many of them, and three more on foot running towards us. With a brief flick of my hand, there was a great crack, and one of the largest branches of an old oak tree fell onto the bandits, crushing them.

" Well, isn't that quite the stroke of luck," Elyhas grimaced, finishing off a bandit.

" Yeah. Luck indeed," I replied through gritted teeth, kicking a bandit backwards with all the force I could muster, and sticking my sword into the bandit's heart.  We were losing the battle. Williams sword only defended, and he made no offensive movements. Elyhas battled two men beside me, I battled another, and occasionally struck at the second bandit attacking Elyhas. Arthur battled two, no three, men. With an angry growl, I slashed open the abdomen of the bandit in front of me, determined not to lose to a bunch of greedy savages. I brought the hilt of my sword down upon a second bandit, knocking him out, and began to slash my way towards Arthur, for another two men were running towards him. Arthur was the Prince, and sole heir, to Calber. He could not die, not today, not for this. Elyhas must have seen what I had, for he too began to fight with all the strength he possessed, energy and purpose renewed. I got to Arthur first, and nearly took of a bandit's head with a stroke of the blade. Regardless, he fell to the ground, a gurgling noise the only reminder of his presence.  One by one, the bandits slowly fell, or retreated. A sickening thud caught my attention, and I turned to where I thought Arthur to be. Only, it was not Arthur whom stood, swaying, with an arrow in their chest. It was Aura, standing in front of Elyhas's back. Elyhas turned, catching her just before she fell. Filled with rage, I drew my bow and arrow, and let loose an arrow, which embedded in the bandit archer's throat. Elyhas was distraught, his sister Aura struggling for breath.

" I'm...sorry, Elyhas. I couldn't...let him...kill you. You're my...you mean so much to me," Aura's words were quickly losing their strength. Elyhas's tears dripped onto her clothing as he held her.  A bandit rushed towards us, and I felt anger surge through me once more.

" How dare you, you coward! Have you no respect, no honour, no dignity? Have you no compassion?" I found myself shouting at the terrified bandit as my sword slashed into his skin. I might have felt badly for the brutal death of the bandit, had he not attempted to attack at the moment he had. When I returned, Elyhas was closing Aura's eyes, and her chest had ceased to rise and fall. Rain was falling all around us, the earth quickly turning to mud. The bandits had deserted the village, and those whom were unaware of the price that had been payed let out joyous cheers. A small child ran towards us, grinning with glee, until she posted Aura.

" Mother! Moth-er!" The child's grief pierced the air, as she flung herself of Aura's lifeless body. The child looked remarkably like her mother, only with green eyes instead of brown. 

" I'm sorry, Mira. Your mother is gone." Elyhas sounded broken as he spoke to the small child, now the only family he had left in the world. Elyhas was too grief-stricken himself to say anything further, but before I could react, Arthur had picked up the young girl, and carried her back to the cottage she had run out from. I put a hand on Elyhas's shoulder, and he began to sob.

" We'll give her a funeral fit for a queen, Elyhas, I promise. You saved her daughter, her village. You could have done nothing more. Rejoice in the good of your deeds, and do not dwell on that which you can not change. Grief can be overwhelming; Do not ignore what good there is that is left in the world." I was not sure if my words would have any effect on the knight, who's heart was surely in agony, but I helped him stand anyways. Villagers brought Aura's body inside, preparing her for a proper goodbye. Elyhas sat on a wooden stool, looking at Mira all the while.

" She'll have to come back with us. I'm the only family Aura had left, I won't leave her daughter behind." There was a fierceness to Elyhas's tone, as though he were daring anyone to argue. Arthur put a hand on Elyhas's shoulder, looking him in the eye.

" We'll bring her back to Calber safely. I promise." Arthur's words softened something in Elyhas' expression, and he nodded before falling silent. Rain fell, turning the dirt to mud, and washing away the gore of the battle. The only sound was a cry more anguished than any I had heard before, and it pulled at my heartstrings. I wished I could have been deaf to the sickening sound.