Brightening White Flowers

11. Facing the Truth

My mouth dries at the scene below me. My vampiric eyes can see the fighting below in a clarity that brings up the whisper of forgotten memories. Men and women are hacking at each other with well made weapons but it is easy to pick out the ones who are fighting for Iron's River. All their weapons have a blue hue to it from the iron gathered in the mines from the surrounding area. Togin's Lieutenant, Tallic, approaches until he is next to me. His brown mare is skittish around Dancing but she stands her ground where he has led her. His voice is low when he speaks, "Are you happy to be here now?"

I purse my lips as I hand down Dancing's reins before reaching for my sword and unsnapping the band keeping it in the hilt. My voice is normal when I reply, "I was never happy to begin with... but..."

Togin intervenes as my voice trails off, "There is nothing that can prepare a first timer for this part of battle. But after we start we cannot stop until we chase them away or get to the gates." He places a gloved hand on my left shoulder and squeezes it, "Remember to control the Soul too."

One of his men comes closer to our group then. There is a red tinge just under his eyes. I recognize him as Arikel, Roran's nephew, just before he draws attention to himself, "Some say it helps you to survive if you give into the Soul a little."

Togin raises one eyebrow at the young man, "I would prefer my Warriors to fight with control rather than reckless wildness, Arikel." Arikel just chuckles as his horse stamps at the ground in anticipation, as ready as his rider to get into the chaos of battle.

"We should go, Commander Togin, before we lose the element of surprise," Tallic's gruff tone interrupts the halting light-hearted conversation.

Togin gives one last look to Hana and I then looks at the battle below before nodding. He gives one last squeeze to the hand on my shoulder before raising it in the air. The vampires behind us do not breath the second his hand hovers there but the moment it cuts through the air in a downward stroke we immediately charge down the hill and into the battle.

Our horses thunder down the hill and makes the earth tremble. The fighters down below barely have time to look up when we are upon them. We meet the battle with a multitude of clangs as metal meets metal. My own sword meets that of an enemy's. Mine slides down until I meet his hilt where I use my higher ground to push it down and sideways with a force greater than a human can stand. As I am busy another man tries to grab at Dancing's reins who neighs and pushes off with his front hooves to stomp on the offender trying to grab him. I tighten my knees around his girth and use both hands to swing sideways at my enemy's neck. My sword cuts through the muscles easily with the added force of my second hand. The cut is not clean though as Dancing kicks out with his back legs at an approaching enemy behind us. I grab his mane to steady me as I slash at another who takes the now dead man's place. I slash again as I whistle to Dancing. He snorts and trots forward as much as he can while I continue to hack and slash at the enemies surrounding us. My sword movements are less on killing and more onto pushing the foes out of Dancing's way.

I feel my heart pumping and my monster rising to the smell of fresh blood surrounding me and it nearly suffocates me as more splatters onto me. As the monster rises closer to the surface I can feel my connection to the energy world lessening. I do not stop though as my aim only gets better now and my movements faster.

In a moment of waning in the battle I can sense Hana behind me and I can hear the wind she is using to protect herself but I do not stop. I only continue to attack. Dancing whinnies as a sword cuts into his flesh by his right front shoulder. I yell out as I stab my sword into his attacker's chest through his light armor. He chokes as I use his weight and my boot to dislodge my sword from his body. The more I kill the more citizens from Iron's River gather behind me around Hana. Dancing and I force our way through the enemies as I guide us to the gates. I turn Dancing around with a tug on his reins as the gates open to let the citizens enter the city. My eyes look around quickly as I ready myself to fight more who would dare try to enter now, but as I look the enemy force is starting to flee. Togin chases them for a time before calling to his warriors that are still on the battlefield with him.