In the Shadows

Chapter 25: The Fight for Everything

Alexandra's POV

I ran up to the top of the wall practically dragging Lynn behind me, I got odd looks from the men. "Would you like to argue with Christine?" I asked and all of them immediately looked away. Someone handed me a bow and quiver. I put the quiver on and then bent down to talk to Lynn.

"You have to do what I say," I said and she nodded. "Good, now you have to stay down, make sure you do not go near any open parts. I am going to keep you safe, okay?"

"Okay Aunt Alex," she replied and then I stood up as I ruffled her hair.

"Should you be up here?" Jeremy asked.

"Would you rather have me down there?" I asked.

"No, up here is fine," Bruce replied.

"That is what I thought," I said. I looked over the edge at the outside of the guild. I saw Elliot, Cecil, Aaron, and a few others talking to Cain. "Keep your eye out, they will be planning something."

"Yes ma'am," they said. I watched the conversation unfold, we were much too high up to hear anything, but I could feel the anger radiating off our men. I saw something in the tree right near them. I pulled an arrow out.

"Alex?" Arthur asked.

"Shhh," I replied. I glanced down at the scene and with in a second I regretted it. I heard Aaron yell and saw Cecil fall I took a deep breath and shot into the tree, a few seconds later a body fell.

"Jeremy, watch Lynn. Lynn, do as Jeremy says," I said and then I ran down the stairs. I had but a moment to stop in my room and grab my medical bag. I ran down to where Elliot and Aaron were. "Before you say anything, one: he is giving us an hour, we are in no immediate danger. Two: None of the men here have any medical experience, and Christine is busy, so all you got is me," I said. I knelt down next to Elliot and Aaron shut his mouth. I breathed deeply before pulling the arrow out of Elliot's back, it was not that deep so it was easy to pull out.

"We are so lucky that it hit a rib and did not go through to the lungs," I stated as I pulled out thread and a needle and quickly stitched up the wound. "He will not be able to fight, so we will talk inside about what to do."

Cecil and Aaron helped Elliot up, and we all headed back into the guild. They went to the infirmary while I went to the meeting room where Enzo waited.

Aaron came in and then Cecil and we all gathered around the table in the center of the room. "So what do we do now?" Aaron asked.

"We need to get our defenses moving, if we can keep them out, we have a chance," I suggested.

"But we will still lose men," Enzo argued.

"Alex, you have always been good at making plans, do you have any ideas?" Cecil asked.

"Just give me a second," I said as I started to pace. There were so many variables, so many possibilities.

"Alex, please do not strain yourself," Aaron pleaded.

It was in that second that I had an idea. "The guards," I said.

"Useless in a fight against assassins," Aaron replied.

"No, not for fighting at least not hand to hand. All the king's men are trained in basic medical emergencies, they can do temporary stitches, so we can relieve Christine a little. Not only that, but we can get the archers to take up ours so that we have more men on ground and up high. That way we..." I began.

"We increase the men fighting while also decreasing death rates," Enzo finished.

"Yes and with more men our defense gets stronger. They are attacking us without anywhere to run to, we have our guild where we have food and water and protection and a way to get more, but they are attacking us. We have the advantage, we just need to maintain that," I said.