The Rear of Taylor’s Army

“Stop here,” said Hazel.

The revolutionaries who were moving silently through the Drum Mountains all stopped. Hazel peered out and saw the soldiers at the rear of the army, standing uneasily in formation. Hazel let out a long exhale.

“What now, Captain?” said Yidd Geraldson, who was panting by her side. He had sustained an injury to his side.

“We do what we did to the flank,” said Hazel.

“We do not have the cover of darkness,” said Kimberley Jones.

“No,” said Hazel. She closed her eyes. She Sensed herself, reaching recursively into her Mind. Yes, there was still a part of her that believed. She opened her eyes.

“We go now,” said Hazel.

And once again the revolutionaries moved in unison. Then they were upon the soldiers, who, despite having the privilege of the torches, were still just as disoriented. Yidd Geraldson, despite his injury, held his ground against the soldiers. Damien, whose throwing knife skills were unparalleled in all of Drum, did not miss a single mark. Kimberley Jones covered Damien with her battleaxe. Hazel weaved through waves of soldiers, sending off beams of burning light from her palms and sending rechallis after rechallis. The soldiers began falling back, and were colliding against the soldiers from the front and the flank who were rushing to join them. Chaos was building upon itself and could not be stopped.

Hazel struck down a soldier then sent out a challis, which found its mark. Then she sensed a challis coming towards her and turned to block it. It was Francis GIlmore. She had not Sensed him coming.

It was time to execute the plan.

“Fall back!” cried out Hazel. “Towards the town!”

The revolutionaries retreated back into the shadows of the Drum Mountains, then back towards Eastpoint.

“Your rats move quickly in the dark,” said Gilmore.

Without replying, Hazel sent out three rechallis towards Gilmore, who blocked them using Barrier Connexion without even using his blade. Advancing towards Hazel, Gilmore said, “This is why you cannot speak to braxin. They know nothing of civility.”

Hazel let out a beam of light from her palms, but Gilmore deflected it with ease with his blade. Gilmore was now already in close range.

Hazel struck with her blade. Gilmore parried, and the force of it nearly knocked Hazel off of her feet. How could it be? Gilmore was using a one-handed grip. Hazel struck again, and once again was thrown off balance by Gilmore’s parry.

“This is Hazel Drina?” said Gilmore. “The Golden Child?”

Gilmore stomped his foot on the ground with Impact Connexion and the earth shook. Hazel had to bend low to keep her ground.

“You are a woman in the end,” said Gilmore.

Hazel grit her teeth. She began gathering her Connexion, the strands she always kept loose to vaguely Sense the position of her men, as well as the orbs that she still sustained for the wounded and the children in the mines of Eastpoint. She felt the Connexion flowing back through her, like a river meeting the sea, and she was renewed. Her blade now brimming with Force Connexion, she struck upwards.

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Gilmore, taken by surprise, blocked without sufficient Barrier Connexion and his shoulder erupted with blood. Crying out, he struck at Hazel, but she parried, and the force knocked Gilmore’s blade out of his hand. Hazel drew back to deliver the final blow, but then a sharp pain erupted in her side.

Hazel steadied herself and let some of her Connexion Sense her surroundings. She turned around to see a hooded figure holding two short daggers. It was the anonymous assassin nicknamed Shadow, the newest recruit of the Councillor’s Guards. She looked down and saw blood blossoming out over her waistband.

Francis Gilmore had not let this opportunity go to waste. He retrieved his blade and began attacking again. Hazel turned and blocked his blow with Barrier Connexion, but she still had to preserve some Connexion to Sense Shadow, who was charging towards her for a second attack. She tried to parry Gilmore’s blow and turn back to face Shadow, but Gilmore was pressing down upon her with all the Connexion he had. She pushed back against him, but already she Sensed that Shadow was almost upon her. She braced herself for the attack.

But it did not come.

With a cry, Hazel managed to push away Gilmore’s Connexion. She turned to see the wounded Yidd Geraldson engaging Shadow. Though he was one of the most skilled swordsmen in the Aegis, he was having difficulty grounding himself with his left foot. Shadow, having noticed this, was striking him again and again on the left side.

But as Hazel stepped forward to help Yidd she Sensed Gilmore striking again. Hazel turned and parried, but Gilmore did not yield. Realising that this was the only chance that he had of defeating Hazel Drina, Gilmore had swallowed his pride and was drawing all his Connexion into his blade. He struck again, and Hazel felt her entire body reverberate when she blocked it. She reminded herself that this was one of the strongest men in all of Drum, and that she had to give this fight her all. When Gilmore struck again Hazel parried to her side, then a flash of light erupted from her palm. Gilmore withdrew slightly, blinded, and Hazel twisted and pushed towards Gilmore’s side, driving her Connexion into his waist, which erupted in a shower of blood. Gilmore cried out, but having regained his vision, immediately struck down towards Hazel again. Hazel rolled out of the way, but as soon as she stood up she had to parry another blow. She glanced towards Yidd. He was still holding his ground, but she saw that Shadow had inflicted another wound in his chest. But Gilmore was striking again, and so Hazel had to look away and parry his blows, one after another. Gilmore’s face was locked in a grimace of pain and fury, raining blow after blow lined with both Force Connexion and Impact Connexion, and with each blow the earth shook. Hazel parried and dodged, trying to find an opening, but Gilmore did not yield. Then she heard Yidd cry out from a distance. Gritting her teeth, Hazel raised her hand up. Anticipating another burst of light, Gilmore pushed forward to deliver the final blow. Hazel, however, did not produce a burst of light, but rolled under GIlmore’s swinging blade, stood up, and drove her blade into Gilmore’s back, into his heart. Driving her boot into his back, Hazel withdrew her blade. Gilmore collapsed.

Hazel turned immediately towards Yidd.

It was too late. Yidd was on his knees, his blade lying a few feet away. Shadow raised their arm to deliver the final blow.

“Yidd!” screamed Hazel.

Kate Rinehart was watching all this, still, from the yew tree. She saw Yidd, kneeling, his head bloody and bowed. She saw Yidd, who had told her about love, who had told her that he fought for love, about to die.

Perhaps love must be sought, thought Kate. Just as adventure must be sought. Just as life must be sought.

She leapt from the tree.

Hazel raised her hand to shoot a blast of light towards Shadow, but she knew she would be too late. But then there was a flutter of a cloak.

Yidd had collapsed to the ground, but so did Shadow. Hazel ran towards them, forming in front of her an orb of light. A cloaked figure rose from Shadow’s body. It was Kate Rinehart. Hazel knelt down to Yidd and put a finger to his neck. After a few tense seconds, she could feel a pulse.

Hazel breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up to face Kate. She tried not to look horrified. She could not tell the extent of Kate’s wounds because she was just about completely covered in dried blood.

“Captain—” said Kate.

“Will you fight for us?” said Hazel.

Kate looked down at the dead Shadow, and then at Yidd. Then she said, “yes.”

“Take Yidd to the mines so that he can have his wounds tended to,” said Hazel. “Then join us again. The battle continues in Eastpoint.”

Kate nodded, lifted Yidd up in her arms, then flew off, though with some difficulty. Hazel watched them for a moment, then sprinted towards Eastpoint.