Eternity

Chapter Eighteen

Here it is! 

Three apoplogies:

Sorry that I suck at action scenes :( hopefully this one was alright. 

Sorry I haven't posted in forever. I've been super busy and had absolutely no time/inspiration for writing. I will try to change that :)

And sorry that it's so short :/

Chapter Eighteen

Eternity

…Forget not our wounded companions who stood

In the day of distress by our side; 

While the moss of the valley grew red with their blood, 

They stirr'd not, but conquer'd and died. 

That sun which now blesses our arms with his light, 

Saw them fall upon Ossory's plain; -- 

Oh! let him not blush, when he leaves us to-night, 

To find that they fell there in vain…

War Song-Thomas Moore

          “Ready Fabel? You can lead the first regiment out now, if you please.” Tamsin sat atop her mare with Stone at her side. Dressed in heavy golden armor, Tamsin looked like a born warrior. Too bad she didn’t feel it inside.

          But her subjects would never know that.

          Fabel bowed to his queen and kissed her hand lightly before riding off on his horse across the field to inform the others. She smiled softly after him. Tamsin hated sending them into battle and prayed casualties would be close to zero if none at all. She wished the same for Devodie’s soldiers; she wasn’t so heartless.

          At least the first battle was occurring in Storman. She didn’t have to travel so far and deal with the Deccan climate. Although, it did mean more damage to the Summer Region and possible destruction of land. She sighed. The risk would have to be taken.

          Over the hill, Devodie’s troops marched in unison with Devodie in the lead. She sat high with a grim expression atop a white horse. Tamsin held back her own soldiers.

          “Hold your fire,” she said and rode ahead of them to meet Devodie. Devodie did not look at her but spoke quietly to a man that stood beside her horse. The man nodded and left to stand beside the other Deccan soldiers. Devodie looked up at Tamsin, a passive expression never leaving her face.

          “Oh, come on Devi, it’s not like you didn’t expect this to happen.” Devodie shots daggers of silver ice at Tamsin with her furious eyes.

          “Is that supposed to make this any better?” Devodie snarled. Tamsin shook her head slowly.

          “You just don’t understand Devodie. I don’t think you ever will.”

          “I understand perfectly well Tamsin. I am done talking with you.” Devodie turned and trotted over to the soldier she was talking to before. Tamsin sighed and returned to her side to speak with Fabel.

          “Send them out Fabel. Keep them safe.” Fabel nodded solemnly before the troops began to march again, Winter against Summer. Both armed with countless numbers of arrows and daggers.

          “Aim to injure.” Tamsin called to her soldiers, “We want to cripple their chances of winning, not their population.” The soldiers only replied with grim expressions.  

          The horse whinnied below her and Tamsin set her full lips into a thin line as her regimens charged forward. She retrieved her golden arrow and sleek bows from the saddle bags and followed after the soldiers. She wasn’t going to leave them to fight for their selves; this was her battle just as much as theirs.

          She plunged straight into the battle; bow perched on her nimble fingertips, sword and dagger in their sheaths at the ready. The arrows cut through the air cleanly and hit their targets exactly. She was no fool with a bow.

          Tamsin aimed for arms, legs, anything that could take them out of the battle without getting  them killed. That was all she had ever meant, to take Devodie out of the battle. She never wanted to kill her, and she certainly never wanted to hurt Lysander.  She shut her eyes for a moment and winced at the thought, but shook it off and sent off another arrow.  There was no time for regrets.

          Her heartbeat increased as she fought as hard as she could, realizing this war would be so much harder than she thought. The armies were nearly matched; strong against strong, quick against quick, clever against clever. Neither had the upper hand.

          Tamsin inhaled sharply and all thoughts left her mind as the sold metal of a silver blade touched her throat. “Always been a daydreamer, haven’t you Tam?” Tamsin held still as the sword tickled her golden skin.

          “Surprised you remember Devodie. You were always leeched to our mother’s side.” Devodie hissed and backed away on her horse as Tamsin unsheathed her gold sword.

          “I helped her. She needed me.”

          Tamsin rolled her eyes. “Please Devodie, did you ever stop to think that maybe you needed her more? Or that I needed you? Or that we all needed you?”

          Devodie’s eyes opened widely for a moment. She narrowed them again and then swung her sword at Tamsin before the silver clashed against the gold. “Liar. You never needed me. I was there everyday.”

          Tamsin grimaced and swung her sword again. Devodie stopped it swiftly. “Maybe that wasn’t enough Devodie. Did you ever stop to think of that? Maybe I wanted to be my big sister’s best friend, and she was pushing me away.” The swords slammed together again as the queens parried.

          “I couldn’t leave them alone Tamsin! Mother and Lysander would have died without me. You never even tried to help. They were sick, Tamsin. They couldn’t do it on their own.” Devodie’s eyes filled with pain. She held her sword at her side, panting.

          “In the end, it killed you Devodie.” Devodie’s eyes hardened.

          “What is that supposed to mean?”

          “Look at you; you’re secluded, you’re bitter, you’re cold. You’re unhappy. Your life is fading away and you don’t even care.” The battle around them faded into the distance. The only thing that remained was the two queens and their poison words.

          “Oh, and you’re perfectly happy? You’re out to get everyone around you. You appear to be cruel and terrible, but I know there’s something else on the inside and you’re just too weak to show it.”

          Tamsin growled deep in her chest and swung her sword with as much force as she could muster. Devodie stopped the blade just in time.

          “I. Am. Not. Weak.” Tamsin said through gritted teeth. The two battled nonstop, the clank of the sharp metal the only sound. They were a perfect match, sister against sister. Thunder rolled in the distance but the battles raged on. It wasn’t until the rain began to pour that Devodie called her troops off and retreated.

          “This isn’t over Tamsin.” She hissed. “Don’t get it into your head that this was the only battle. We still have much to sort out.” She left with her soldiers behind her. Neither side had lost many, but the injuries were great. Tamsin sat and looked over the battlefield in front of her and was grateful for the rain.

          It hid the rogue tears that slid down her cheeks.