Day 21
Josephine Jujitsu woke up her troop while it was still dark.
They had gotten use to Joe doing things differently and that negotiation or pleading achieved nothing. It wasn’t really the men that followed her that pleaded and tried to negotiate for more sleep or a warmer hour, but Rosaleighm.
Rosaleighm sat with a silent scowl on her face. The sleet that fell on her face melted.
“Why do we have to do this?” Rosaleighm finally asked.
“Disciple means doing things that are uncomfortable now for a favorable outcome later. It means getting up while it is cold. Because your enemy is sleeping while it is cold. They are counting on you saying no normal person would be out in this weather. If you want to win and be the best you cannot be normal. If you want to be a mighty warrior, you will have to be the one to make the decision to ride in the dark, in the cold. So that your enemy will be unprepared for your arrival.” Joe answered.
Joe had her men get off their horses and they walked the last kilometer. She didn’t want the horses to wake anyone.
“Kill everyone, leave no one. I am going for Chris. Everyone else is yours.” She instructed the men.
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Joe snuck into one house then the next. Chris had killed the whole village and taken their homes and belonging for himself and his men.
Joe went from one home to the next. Someone woke up and a scream ripped through the darkness, suddenly the camp was alive.
Joe walked in and saw Chris hiding with five men around him. They were half dressed.
“I have useful information.” Chris said buying time.
Joe didn’t care what he had to say. She slit one’s throat and kicked the second one into another. Both fell over. She threw a knife into the fourth one’s face and Rosaleighm killed the fifth one.
“Ask yourself, how did I get the gun?” Chris carried on.
Joe stabbed the blade through Chris’ chest
“I will live.” He said in pain
Joe slit this throat with her knife. Then she turned and killed number two, while Rosaleighm killed number three.
Joe turned to the five men and had Rosaleighm translate.
“This town is now yours, do better with it than the previous owners. You are now it’s protectors.”
“We follow you.” The men insisted.
“If you wish, follow me to mount Jeku and take Rosaleighm back to the castle after I leave. Then if you want come and start again here in this town.” Joe said.
“Leave without me!” Rosaleighm objected, “I want to go with you.”
“Were I go you cannot follow. My world is even cruller than this one. They will cut you open and take your blood to try to understand how you can scare animals. Live and be the queen’s friend. She will need you to show her around.” Joe could see the sadness in Rosaleighm’s face.
“Remind the queen of what it’s like to be mistreated so that she never becomes like the old queen Tiffany.”
“Also never trust anyone just because someone you trust says you can trust them. Everyone must prove themselves trustworthy.”
Rosaleighm started to cry.
“Can’t you stay? You are my family.”
Joe looked at her tears and her heart broke.
“Stop crying. Let’s go to mount Jeku and we can talk about things there.” Joe said.
They all headed for mount Jeku. Joe wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She knew taking Rosaleighm was a bad idea. But what else was she to do?
Then she made a choice. They turned around and headed back to the castle.
Joe thought that if Rosaleighm met the new queen and felt she had a place there maybe she would be willing to stay.