Through the Portal

Chapter 4- Valerice

        The cave erupted in motion. Swords were drawn, arrows knocked to bowstrings. Valerice ran to her sleeping roll and grabbed the satchel beside it without breaking stride. She ran to the back of the cave where a man dressed in ragged velvet robes was struggling against the three men trying to force him to leave.
        "Andrero, you have to leave now," she demanded.
        "I won't leave these men to die for me!" he shouted at her.
        "They are not dying for you, they are dying for Planine," she told him coldly. "You will come with me, and you will do exactly as I say. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to leave me and save yourself, you do it. Is that clear?" Prince Andrero hesitated, he looked into the fiery eyes of Valerice. He did not speak. "Is that clear?" Valerice demanded taking a step closer, grabbing the front of his stained robe and pulling him closer. The prince slowly nodded without meeting her eyes. "Let's go." And without another word the three men closed in around Prince Andrero and Valerice cut a path through the heaving mass of people. Their attackers had set upon them instantly, Valerice had raised the alarm just in time.
        As the small valet fought their way through, the guards and Valerice cutting down any man who got in their way, Valerice noticed the sunlight dancing on the water of the shallow pool. The light was reflected on the ceiling and walls of the cave, but it wasn't just light, it was a rainbow. Valerice stared at it, something was strange about the way the rainbow looked, but she didn't have time to ponder it. She had to get the prince to safety. She saw a gap in the fighting and lunged for it, the guards and prince following behind. Valerice was still several yards away from the pool, with the rainbow still shining on the surface, when she, and everyone else fighting in the cave, was blinded by a flash of hot white light.
        Valerice threw her arm over her eyes, but that did little good. Everyone froze and tried in vain to stop the light from searing his eyes. The light began to dim, and Valerice was the first to open her eyes. As others opened their eyes she saw the looks of shock on their faces. The pool was still too bright to look at, but she could see her men mingled among their enemies.
        "Do not stop!" she cried. "Attack!" And the fight was renewed. Valerice's men threw themselves into battle with renewed vigor, and the attackers were nearly overwhelmed. Valerice led the small pack of men behind her through the writhing men and pushed toward the pool. It was still bright, but she could now look at it and she froze in her tracks when she saw a boy standing there.
        She was not the only one to see him. One of the enemy attackers drew back his bow, and Valerice lunged for the boy standing there, blinking in confusion. She slammed into him, and the two of them fell into the cold water of the pool. She landed on top of him before jumping up and thrusting her sword in the chest of the man who had drawn the bow. She looked down at the boy in the pool, and he looked up at her with a dazed look in his eyes.
        "Damn," she muttered under her breath. He had hit his head when he fell, and Valerice knew that she could not leave him there to die.