Of thorns and fire

Eerika

I had been listening to the incessant arguing of my council for at least an hour and it was as pointless as it was tiresome.

"I still say if we try to attack the walls again we could get through them." Inkeri argued. "Even if we do make it to the other side of the wall we will have lost too many warriors to stand a chance."

"I think we should take the deal give them their prince get back the ravenbourne girl and go." Said brenna. "And lose our pride?" Thumond snapped, " What sort of a warrior are you?"

"Alright." I Interrupted . "I think we should take a break." slowly all the council members filed out Leaving me and osmund. I slumped in my chair."Well that could have gone better." Osmund lamented. I rolled my eyes, "this is pointless were going round in circles."

"Eerika you're the leader you need to make the decision. What should we do." I looked into his amber eyes and felt unsure. "I don't know if I feel like for every good idea there's a thousand counter points as to why we shouldn't do it."

"That's why you need to make the decision. We could go on like this for hours, days! Or you could make a decision." I squirmed in my chair and looked away.

"Eerie look at me, you can do this ive seen you make brilliant quick decisions on the battlefield. This is no different. If you could use that intuition now you could save tawny." Something clicked in my brain like a door was opening or mist clearing. I smiled. "Ive got a stupid plan that might just get us all killed." Osmund smirked back at me.

"That's what I like to hear."

I walked to the cage we had built for the prince. He looked a sight golden hair dulled, cuts covering his skin and mud caked in very crevice. "You look terrible." I stated hands crossed. he laughed, "your guards took great care of me."

"We'll you are our honoured guest. So tell me what should i do with you? Your sister made an offer for your safe return but truth be told im not going to take it."

"Was it a bad deal or are you just stubborn?"

"Both." I admitted, He's in a cage what did it matter if he knew I was stubborn? "So ill repeat myself What should I do with you? Because im having a hard time coming up with reasons to keep you alive."

" If you think i'll tell you anything about my sisters plans you're sorely mistaken."

"Well then I guess I'll send for someone to dispose of you." I started to turn away But he stopped me. "Please. I have people I need to get home to."

"What? Do you have a sweetheart waiting?" I said scornfully. "Yes... And she's pregnant." Ice shot through my veins at the words"How do I know you're not lying?"

"I guess you can't." I looked him dead in the eye trying desperately to uncover the truth. But his eyes remained unrelenting and try as I might I couldn't tell for sure either way. The real question was whether I live with the possibility that I deprived a child of its father. I took a dagger and chucked it at his feet. "There I trust you can get yourself out, we'll be gone before you reach the city so don't bother trying to stop us... I hope you haven't made a fool of me."

It was time. The plan was set in motion no going back now. I stared up at the city's high walls adorned with torches and crossbows that were surely aimed at us. Somewhere in there was Tawny. My sister. and if trying to save her was what was going to kill me... Then so be it. Most of my adviser called me crazy when I proposed my plan but Osmund and Amaya stood behind me and that's all that really matters. "You ready?" Amaya asked, I nodded. "When we get inside I want you to find tawny and get her out."

"Where will you be?"

"Me and the princess have some unfinished business."

"Make sure you get out in time. No vendetta is worth your life." I smiled at her words, "Aww are you worried about me." Amaya rolled her eyes. "You've been spending to much time with Osmund." Amaya smiled and moved away noticing that Osmund was coming towards me.

"Eerika." He said his face as red as my hair. "just in case we all die in the next ten minutes there's something id like to do." He leaned forward cupping my face in his hands and kissed me. It was short but i swear i felt fireworks. When he turned away i saw his ever present grin at full capacity. "Took long enough." amaya mouthed from her station.

I Stood at the front of my warriors. "This is it. All we've been working for comes to fruition today. All the fighting and the pain and the blood shed will be worth it if we can manage this. The first Nkarions and Tarraconians in Messia. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? That's what i want for us, I want our names to never be forgotten, our deeds to live on in infamy, I want them to remember that. We. Are. Conquerors!" They roared in approval and I nodded to amaya to signal that it was time to go. I figured out a way to circumnavigate the messians wall. I was going to get tarrigen to lift us above it. Tarrigen picked up the chains attached to the ship and rocketed us into the air. We got to the wall and and heard the messians scrambling to assemble their weapons as we flew over and landed in their city.

We crowded the streets the people were gone, evacuated most likely only their soldiers remained. My warriors spread out fighting messians, taking food, gold and jewels. I ran down the narrow cobblestone streets trying to find a way to the castle but if anything i seemed to be getting further away. Honestly, was it so hard to put up a sign or two? I looked up and could just about see the top of the castle spires over the yellow brick buildings. And that was when i had one of my ingenoius (idiotic) plans. I ran at the nearest building and used my axe to climb on top of it. Then I jumped to the next and the next getting closer and closer to the castle.

It was the biggest building I had ever seen and looked like it was made of gold. I stepped inside warily but met no opposition it seems rosalyn knew as well as I did that there was only one way this could end. Walking into the throne room i saw rosalyn whitwood sitting reagily upon her throne. she was wearing an armoured dress, a gold crown and her silver dagger was gripped so tightly in her hand it turned her knuckles bone white. "no longer a princess then." I said slowly coming closer. "no now i'm a queen." She raised her hand and a beam of ice shot towards me I dodged and cut it down the middle with a swing of my axe. Slowly rosalyn rose and said "Now it ends."