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Bekkah

The blond haired woman in the Atteran garb, did her best to remain calm as the red haired woman ran at her but just before Daxia pulled her to her feet, her pretty face broke into a wide smile. She hugged her sister just as tightly, although she mostly felt armor.

When Dazi finally let her breathe, she smiled, pushing a strand of Dazi's hair that had come loose.

"Missed you too little one." she said at the taller girl.

"And I will try not to leave you, although it appears you are no worse for my absence."

She looked over at the others and smiled waving them nearer.

"Come friends, I have food for many here. Gifts from those I helped. I cannot possibly eat them all."

Daxia

Daxia’s smile faded a bit. “Looks lie,” she said simply. She touched a finger to her forehead, then the spot on her chest over her heart. “Inside head, inside heart... not good as outside.” But having Bekkah with her again... well, the smile crept back onto her face.

“But we tell story about last night. You hear, all hear different tales, yah? Oh! Dazi find new-old friend, bring back here-now.” She waved Kay over. “Kay Koromov, Sister Dayalan, many times ago aunt of Dandy and Camelia,” she said to Bekkah, but shook her head. “Long story, complicated, even Dazi confused.” Daxia smiled at Kay, probably the first true, honest smile the elder Dayalan had shown, certainly the most brilliant. “Bekkah is sister mine, famous Lady of Attera...” She paused, recalling her history lessons. “Imperial Gods still visiting other lands in your there-then? Hastur, Rames, Attera, Jagnar? Ah, well, they come back with Bankorpools near beginning of this Age. Ha! I tell you that story sometime, okay? So, Attera great Lady of healing and mercy. Bekkah is priestess, very very good healer.” She looked between her sister and the young Dayalan. “Not like Coven battle healers, no. But no more of them,” she said sadly. “Remember I tell of Richter Gwynn, everyone love? Same as Bekkah, everyone love! Richter Gwynn fight for good people of Tarn, Bekkah help good people of Tarn get well.”

She stepped back from Bekkah to let the others give their greetings. “Just being with Bekkah is good for the heart,” she said to Kay. “Stay with Bekkah, okay? I need to talk with the shy and silent one.”

With one more hug for Bekkah and a squeeze on the shoulder for Kay, Daxia walked back into the darkness just outside the circle of light cast by Bekkah’s fire. She looked up at Romana sitting like the princess she was on her snowy white horse.

And she sighed.

“You convinced me one Eastern princess could live in friendship and peace with one Dayalan warrior. Convincing Kay will be a considerably harder task, since her life was all about war with your ancestors. But you are not your ancestors. Although...” Daxia reached a hand up to rest on Dancer’s neck, close to Romana’s hand. “...when I ask who the woman Kay spoke of, the one who led the forces from the East all those many years ago, you’re going to tell me she was your ancestor, aren’t you? And that you could pass for twins?”

Because that would just about be the worst possible scenario for the interactions between Romana and Kay. If there was one overriding lesson she’d learned since she was a tiny orphan child going to the Temple for the first time with Bekkah, it was prepare for the worst. Hope was nice, hoping for the best had never hurt her... as long as she was prepared to handle the worst.

In this case, she wasn’t sure she was prepared for the worst... having to choose between a Sister and a friend.

Actually, that wasn’t something she was willing to do; she was not willing to choose between Sister and friend. Which left the consequences of that decision. She sighed again. Well, she’d stayed fairly sane when Celi had been trying so hard to show everyone how superb her skills had been; that she was as good or better than others who were clearly more skillful. Daxia knew Romana had more sense; she was fairly certain Kay was sensible, too. After all, she was a Koromov.

Well, what better time than now to be driven to frustration and distraction? She was only the Knight of Dawnview Castle, not at all official and not really even unofficial representative of the Heir of Allaine, walking through the heart of the Korie lands. What could possibly go wrong? Besides everything?

Kadri

"Bekkah - it is good to see you again. I try to do sister duties but ..."

She spreads her hands out wide.

"Just not as good at it as you. Always wanted a big sister, never had. Sorta have TWO here."

Mikal

He rides slowly past the inn, not wanting to pull ahead of Jankin and Cesare, who are on foot. As the comment from the guard about the Guild is made he glances at him curiously, however his head snaps around when the man in Montague Grey takes a threatening, scowling, step in his direction.

The expression on Mikal's face is flat, however there is a clear underlying eagerness. As if he is begging the man to **just take one more step. One more. And it will be your last.** His hand strays near his sword's hilt.

Whether it is his eager expression of building blood lust, or the fact that Dean rides next to him, the man stops in his tracks and after a moment, Mikal turns away, dismissing the man and continuing down the trail.

After a time they rejoin the others and when they finally reach a roadside shelter, and see it is occupied, he observes carefully. However, quickly recognizing the horse, he is not surprised to see Bekkah appear.

He dismounts easily and waits patiently while Daxia tries to squeeze Bekkah to death. Once she releases her, he offers Bekkah a hug of his own. "It is very nice to see you again, Lady Bekkah. Our company was growing unbalanced. Too many men around."

He steps back then and allows Daxia to continue her reunion, moving over to begin taking care of the mounts and getting the campsite setup for the larger group.

Jankin dropped the rejects from his pile next to the fire, nodded a greeting to Bekkah, and sat to begin work out a piece of a larger scale carving he was working on; A Tree with doors that opened and revealed little woodland creatures inside. He had the main branches laid out in front of him, and was currently working very delicately just with the tip of his blade on a squirrel inside of an opening.

Cesare

As they all come together, his eyes search until they see Darian and Longtooth, then he relaxes. He is still not sure exactly how she fits into his life, his future, but he has never looked out for another in this way aside from the small family clan he had travelled with. Maybe she and the canine are becoming clan for him?

He greets her return with a smile and a nod. No fuss needed, they are comfortable with each other by now.

And then he acknowledges Bekka's return with a hand raised in greeting when she looks in his direction. He is pleased that she has returned, both as a person and for what she does to support their group, for which he has a lot of respect.

And maybe he can get his wound healed? Walking most of the day with its company has been far from comfortable. He can last a while longer though, family greetings bound to take precedence.

As usual he starts to prepare for the night, noting any water sources, defensive positions, softer ground, good places to sleep, claiming a space by dumping his pack, checking there is enough wood for the fire and gathering more if needed.

Bekkah

She greeted each of them in turn after Dazi ran off somewhere. She seemed genuinely glad to see them again and each hug was more than a token gesture.

As she bent to pet Longtooth, she smiled up at them.

"I am glad to see you all again and you all look remarkably well. I'm pleased to see that. Well most of you seem well." she added, looking specifically at Cesare as if to see if he wanted to say anything.

"Please all of you, join me. Sit and tell me of your adventures for I am certain that you have not simply ridden here without a story to tell."

[ooc: Don't know if she'd really notice, but I could see her being trained to spot irregularities]

Dean

Dean watches Lady Bekkah with ambivalence. He is obviously glad she has returned, but there is resentment in his eyes. He stays to the back of the gathering and does not quite meet her eyes.

Romana

Romana looked past Daxia, to the younger Dayalan, on the other side of the fire and a wide space of darkness between, for a long, long set of heartbeats.

After a bit she'd blink, chuckle and shake her head.

"Hometown, many many many pretty towers and many many many princes and princessessessessess ... when bads happen, always go topsy-turvys... those big small, those small bigs.

"Maybe kin way backs, far off, for bigs tend tmarry bigs... but no no nos ... except here ... in West ...

"... all Corhlayans look alike."

She then looked up, nodding to te camp.

"Go go gos ... sister waits ... Romanas needs think ..."

Cesare

He grins at Bekkah.

"Not much gets past you does it? As usual I am the one in need of your help yet again but I've walked all day and I'm still here so it will wait at your convenience."

He doubts she will wait long. She cares for people in a way he admires, a selfless dedication to those in need. But he respects her enough to want to give her options.

They are a strange group of people that he seems to have joined and even he finds that putting himself in harms way for Gaijin is becoming more prevalent, something he would not have believed months ago. It goes against much that he has been taught.

Bekkah

She returned his grin with a smile of her own.

"And I'm sure you've not said a word about it. Come, let me look at you."

She'd have to look at him by the light of the fire. And with a small amount of her lady's power, she'd heal his wound.

"That should make the next day's march considerably more pleasant."

She'd noticed Dean's look and she could guess at his displeasure. She'd just left them, forcing him to abandon his protection of her. But it could not be helped and he she did not wish for his protection. There were others who needed it far more, like her sister.

Cesare

He acceeds to her request, lying down and exposing his stomach area and a nasty gash that had been bound. He makes light of his situation but is pleased to have it sorted; he didn't like being a liability or operating at less than peak.

"Darian bound it up for me. Good job I'd say. I was playing with those giant lizards again."

He stays quiet whilst she does her magic, observing the looks between healer and squire, though he says nothing. Just as she finishes, he murmurs.

"My thanks Lady. There may be others who have injuries from the previous night."

Jankin.

At Cesare's words he looked up and shook his head in the negative, professing himself unharmed. Resuming his work, he began to fit a small door onto hinge-pegs carved into the tree, humming and muttering under his breath as he did so.

Mikal

Having finished unloading and currying the horses (OOC - likely with Kadri's help), he lays out his bedroll and then begins setting out the pots and pans, filling one pot with water and setting it on the fire to boil.

He then looks hopefully to Darian or one of the others. "If you need help with dinner let me know." Everyone knows by now that if they leave it up to Mikal they will be eating beef jerky soup and hard tack for dinner.

Daxia

Daxia looked up at her friend and grinned. “All Cohrlayans look alike, same as all Allaines look alike, same as all Kories act alike, same as all Jvrillians hate Dayalans. Silly Romana.”

She patted Dancer’s neck. “Yes, yes, yes. Romana go think. Romana go dye hair, too, maybe yes? Then Romana come back because Romana hurt, too. Bekkah famous healer, you know.” She winked at Romana. She turned to head back to the camp, but paused, and looked back at Romana.

“We all learn to give up our hates, our distrusts, our fears by knowing new people. I learned Jvrillians, most of them, are just doing their jobs... many are even good men, and one is even my friend. I learned not all followers of Rames will hate Dayalans, either. I learned that there is a caring and thoughtful — if exceedingly mischievous — Korie in the world. I learned not all Easterners are evil, from a very smart Eastern princess who taught me more than anybody — even better than Kassia — that learning more is always better than already knowing everything.”

Daxia turned again towards the camp, and said over her shoulder as she started walking, “Go think think think, Romanaska. Dazi save coney for you.”

Walking back into the camp, she nearly giggled at Cesare.

“While you are performing your healing wonders, oh sister most wonderful, I think Kay could use your kind ministrations. She took a blow meant to cleave me in two, and my small magics likely did not heal all her hurts... just as the kindness of Mikal’s magics mended my ribs, mostly. But Kay first; we would not be here without one another... but it was her action that saved me so that I might save her.”

She smiled at the youngster, then looked around at the rest of the group. “I would very much like to hear everyone’s tales from last night. I think... I think Mikal’s tale may hold the most interest to me and Kay, as you were the last to speak to our Sister, Lily.” Her eyes rested on Jankin, watching him carve his meticulous tiny wonders. “I hope our newest friend, Jankin, can shed some light on things I witnessed that... that still tear at my heart,” she said softly.

Before getting food however, before seeing to her injuries, she unsaddled Morning Star and chatted at him while brushing him down. “I only have a few apples left, my friend. We’ll have to see about getting you more. While you’re speaking to the Gardener about lowering them to a level better suited for picking, perhaps you might mention that growing them year round would be helpful for you. Perhaps alternating this tree then that tree, or this orchard then that. As I’m destined to give you the vast majority of the apples I’ll be seeing for the remainder of my life, it matters not to me how and where they grow. I’m only thinking of you, Your Magnificence.”

Cesare

Feeling much better now, he puts his clothes back on and sets about helping with the camp, whistling softly as his goes. If Darian wants help with some hunting she'll ask him, though he knows that the Hunter and her hound are probably better on their own.

He decides to forage around the outskirts of the camp, see if he can find anything edible and fresh to add to the pot.

Mikal

Hovering around the fire waiting for the others to join, and for Romana to return, so the story sharing can begin he grunts towards Daxia:

"You're spoiling him, you know. If you give him all the apples he wants he's going to get fat and colicky."

He glances at Morning Star. "Sorry."

The Heartwood
The Highland Path
Highside, West of Silk Creek Ravine
Just after sunset
Hasday the Twenty-first Day of Horse

Bekkah, Daxia, Darian, Mikal, Jankin, Dean, Cesare, Kadri ... Morning Star, Longtooth, Kay and Romana

For Bekkah, it is a fair and familiar task, to banish the hurts of her friends. Most it seems, have done the basics of battlefield first aid, enough to carry them from the place where they were hurt to hear. With Her Ladyship's aid, the balance of their wounds were mended, and they they beneficiaries of a most gentle healing. The most battered turned out to be Daxia's newest ward, who looked back at Bekkah a touch suspiciously, as if what manner of druid she be!

" ... how do you get the blood outta such light tunics?"

That's the young one's question, a touch fiesty and irreverent, as she pats down her tummy as if to confirm she was once again in one piece - even though her clothes are slightly - greatly - better ventilated than they were ... three hundred or so years ago.

For Cesare, there's sheep' sorrel and wild carrots that can be found and helped to garnish the meal ... and with Mikal's cook pots and all more to the meal than just nicely roasted rabbits.

The meal is ready, by the the time Daxia returns, with Morning star looking over her shoulder to eye Mikal speculatively, one hoof tapping thrice upon the hard packed ground.

Kay had chosen to flop down at one side of the fire, one arm resting upon her helm, the closest she comes to having a pillow at the moment. Her expression is stern as she gnaws upon her lower lip, trying and failing at trying to keep a cold watch upon another of the group.

And that would be Romana, just a shadow at the edge of the fire light, standing there, watching, still and quiet, like a wraith.

If there was a tenseness in the air it was interrupted, distracted from, by Daxia's invitation to hear the tales of the previous night and the truths of Silk Creek Bridge.

Daxia

The redhead had looked between her Companion and Mikal, shrugging in answer to Morning Star’s silent questions.

“Morning Star is immortal and magnificent, the Font of All Knowledge,” she said to Mikal. “That alone should make it abundantly clear that an excessive amount of applies — even all the apples — is not going to have the same effect so many apples would have on, say, Talia there.

“And with a title like The Magnificent, Handsome and Pragmatic Font of All Knowledge Wise and Wonderful, Magnanimous Seer of All and Listener of Innumerable Nuances, He of the Majestic Flowing Silky Mane and Charming Disposition Known as Morning Star, do you REALLY think it’s possible to spoil him?

“Really??”

Daxia shook her head and sighed. “Oh, and he rightly pointed out that, without sufficient apples, even a Being as Magnificent as his Magnanimous self might become so weak as to — perhaps — become slightly disoriented and not realize just where his hoof is landing.”

She smiled brightly at the Jvrillian. “I’m sure that wasn’t any kind of threat. Probably just a helpful warning, wouldn’t you think?”

Kadri:

She pauses before speaking.

"My story is not as traumatic, I think, as some of the others I believe I am going to hear. Those of the Coven made a bridge for me to cross silk creek of a tree, and then removed it, stranding me on the other side - I made my way through the massed eastern lines, using distractions and stealth to make my way to Mikal's forbears, once there ... I told them where to strike. I believe the words were ..."

"I am Kadri djinn Khayriyah al'Terilanquel, of Amber born. Yes 'the gardner' sent me. I am to tell you that you are to attack just before she crests the horizon. "

"And then I knew what it was like to stand and have a storm crash past you."

The slight and exotic woman goes over and stands next to the tall and exotic one.

Cesare

Feeling much better, sitting beside Darian and Longtooth, he is healed and has had hot food, no much more could a man desire. He knows his duty though and that would be to be spokesman for their trio as Longtooth cannot and Darian ia a woman of few words which is mostly how he likes it.

"We were awoken with banging at our door and a calling for the Hunter to go downstairs. Initially we didn't respond, drawn to the window and seeing a very different scene.. a different time outside. We though to warn the rest of you but as we crossed the threshold of our room it seems we stepped into that time. This Gardner instructed us to go hunt the big lizards on the far side of the creek and gave us others to help. We figured that maybe the only way back was to play our part and so we did as we were bid."

Mikal

He smiles at both Daxia and Morning Star. "It's up to you and him. But give me fair warning if you feed him more than a handful at once. I'd rather not ride behind a colicky unicorn. I know what comes out of a horse's butt when he has too much fruit. Not sure I even want to know what comes out of a Unicorn's butt." He chuckles, winking at both, and takes several steps away from Morning Star, for safety, chuckling, then finds a spot and sits by the fire as the stories begin.

After Cesare and Kadri speak he pauses then says: "I will go into a little more detail as I know that some of what I will say has strong meaning to both Daxia and Kay."

"I also want to preface this by offering an apology to both of you", he looks at Daxia and Kay, "for any role I played in events that led to the deaths of the Dayalans. I am also going to relate how things were, in the language used. Nothing is intended by it."

He clears his throat and begins. His informal training in historical storytelling causes his voice to change as he related events exactly as he saw and heard them.

"So, to begin. Dean, Jankin, and I were likewise woken by a pounding on the door. Someone was calling my name for a watch change, odd right off, and that someone named 'The Gardener' was looking for Jankin. There was a comment about 'the Allaine bitch is too bloody smart for our good and the last thing we need is to give her a chance to think', that caused me concern." He glances at Daxia, then goes on.

"Upon rising I noted my shield's device had changed to that of the Knights of Roth and therefore we carefully stepped out of our room to investigate. We were told to head downstairs."

"We first stopped at your rooms", his glance takes in all the others, "and we saw a them to be empty, with a trail of blood leading from Daxia's. The lad who woke us said 'The Dayalans are already holding the bridge. Mostly. And the prisoner's, she's already been hung up onna pike for the other side to see.'"

"Dean and Jankin asked what was going on and hard as it was to believe all the evidence, including our location, pointed to us somehow being back at the Battle of Silk Creek Bridge. I ran thru the history, both for them as well as for my own benefit and we went down to the commons."

"Once there we saw two Dayalans at the table. A brunette and a Redhead who were referred to as 'Allaine and Komorov'. Apparently, from the Allaine's comments, Komorov was noted for her appetite." He smiles slightly.

"I spent time reflecting whether, if this was somehow a retelling of that great battle, were we simply flotsam in a stream, powerless to affect events, or were our actions important? We finally concluded that either way we needed to do whatever we could to ensure that history repeated itself, and the East was defeated."

"A large man was also at the table, the 'Gardener', who fairly roughly told the two Dayalans to return to holding the bridge. The asked for how long as they noted how badly they were outnumbered and that eventually the horde would come at them all at once and overwhelm them. 'Rurik', as the Gardener was referred to by Allaine, said 'Until the Talantal garrison arrives'. The two Dayalans left and the Gardener turned to me and admitted that garrison was still in Talantal and wasn't coming."

"The Gardener then sent Jankin off to help someone named 'Ashley' and he turned to me and surprisingly asked me, 'You ... we could return you to your comrades, but the chances of an armored sworder making it through their lines is slim to none. We know surprise will help secure your victory, but we cannot let them know about our plans for the Bridge. How would you snare their attention elsewhere?'"

"Knowing how event needed to play out certainly affected my reply, but I took his question seriously and my reply was thus. Glancing at the markers spread out on the map briefly, I looked at Rurik. 'There is nowhere else for them to focus.'

I motioned towards the bridge and the ravine. 'This is the only route across the ravine between Highside and Lowside. They know that, else they'd not still be here. The only thing saving us right now are the Dayalans holding the bridge, but as the Allaine pointed out, if they ever get their act together, as unusual as that might be, and make a concerted push, they'll overwhelm them.'

'If you ask my opinion we need to put all on a roll of the bones. As long as they won't work together, with as many of them as there are, some will become bored and start looking elsewhere. Or they'll get hungry and having stripped the land nearby they will start ranging farther afield and we risk early discovery.'

'We need to make a demonstration at the bridge. We must make them think we plan to attack across from our side to theirs. We must attract their attention, and their bloodlust. Gather them into a tighter mass. Focus their gaze here', I pointed at the bridge on the map, 'and keep it there.'

'It is possible it might actually take a real attack to do it well enough to draw in the outliers. Not that they will be worried we might succeed, but more that they won't want to miss out on the slaughter.'

'Then, when the charge comes, we must be ready to shift instantly into the anvil that the hammer will break them upon. It will take discipline, and bravery, and more than a little bit of luck.'"

He looks again at Daxia and Kay. "I tell you honestly my plan was for the Dayalans to demonstrate, pretend to cross the bridge, and then retreat across to our side and block all crossing as the Knights of Roth charged into their packed rear."

"The Gardener then asked me, 'So how do we convince the Dayalans to do exactly that, since from their point of view there's only enough of them to hold the Bridge; driving out into the enemy might seem a touch suicidal. That might be a bit too obvious.'

"I replied that, 'Keep in mind that it is mostly a bluff. We don't actually want the Dayalans to charge to their deaths. We just want the enemy to think they are preparing to do so. And if necessary for them to move ahead, slightly. Not enough to get them surrounded and slaughtered, but enough to whet the blood lust of the foe. Just as you hunt rats. You lure them with bait so they are more concentrated and easier to bag.'

'Anyway, there are three ways. First, convince them of the plan. Get them to agree it is best, which would mean explaining to them who we expect to arrive and when. Second, re-enforce them. Send them enough additional forces that they feel like it is not complete suicide to move ahead. Or third, lie to them.'

'You know these Dayalans, I do not. I cannot tell you which would be best, even assuming you had re-enforcements to offer them and could choose among all three choices. I dislike lying, though, so that would be my absolute last option.'

'My choice, I think, would be to combine the first two options. Convince them of the plan and offer them re-enforcements. Since we really have no intent to charge out very far, the re-enforcements don't need to be very good. Gather up the refugees. Farmers. Anyone you can round up fairly quickly. All the men and older boys who can hold a spear, sickle, or pruning hook, and line them up behind the Dayalans. As many as you can get. They don't have to actually fight, they just have to give the appearance of new troops. Enough to make it possible to the enemy that the Dayalans could try to make a desperate attack. Make a big show of marching, and forming, with lots of horns blowing, flags flying, and drums beating. Take a long time to actually do anything. Spectacle is what we want.'

"Rurik replied", 'I like that. Especially since they believe there is a garrison on the way from Talantal. If I sent you to the homes behind us, the nearby farms, gave you my people in the tavern.. Do you think you could fool both the East and the Dayalans?'

"I responded", 'Me? Surely you have others. Someone who knows this area, and the people. Someone they trust, or at least will listen to? I am a stranger to them. As for the Dayalans, I doubt I can fool them. Anyone who knows the pointy end of a sword will be able to tell these are farmers if they see them up close. It will work against the enemy because we will be too far away for them to tell one from another. Besides, the Dayalans will need to be in on it for it to work. Do you expect me to convince them of the plan or try to trick them?'

"At which point he said", 'Whatever it takes. We need the Dayalans to believe it. And to not question.'

Mikal again looks at Daxia and Kay. "I had no idea he intended to drop the bridge with them on it at that time."

After a moment's pause, he continues with his retelling.

'I'll need a map of the surrounding towns and villages as well as where the Dayalan headquarters is.' "I said." 'You might as well round up as many of your people here as possible. It'll make a better show.'

'Thats the entire lynch pin of our plan.' "He said." We need the east paying all their attention to the Dayalans, and the Dayalans upon the East. We'll take care of the rest. They will never reach Highside. You can be assured of that. Now go. Convince them.'

"His response makes sense in retrospect, but at the time I was naive."

"We gathered a small force and marched to the bridge. As we reached it we saw a shield wall, led by Komorov. Allaine approached us to find out our purpose. I will relate the exact words we exchanged, so you may hear them."

'So. Are you the promised reinforcements from Grand Talantal?' She asked.

'We are all that was handy.' I said. 'Others will come when they can. You don't seem to lack for company, though.' I added, glancing to the East.

'Ja'. She said, '... though they are kinda lacking when it comes to showing a lass a decent time ...But at least they are honest. They want to kill us and and are right up front about it. After holding this bridge for twenty five days for whatever bloody reason the Gardener ain't tellin' us, well you come to appreciate that kinda honesty. So what brings you to our grindstone. Rurik would nay have sent anyone up here with a passle of spear ... unless he had a reason.'

"I paused, looking over the mass of enemies across the way, pondering where to begin. I'd told the Gardener I would not lie to the Dayalans, and after their bravery holding this bridge against endless assaults by the Chaos Hordes, I could not bring himself to tell them anything but the truth anyway. They certainly deserved that."

'We need to bring them', I gestured across the bridge to the mass of enemies, 'in closer. I am here to help lead a charge across the bridge.'

'Allaine I think I heard the Gardener call you? My respect.' Tipping my head and touching the pommel of my sword. 'But this needs to end. And it will, soon.'

'A charge.. Are you daft?'

She looked back over her small collection of sisters.

'Look at our numbers, or rather lack of them. The only reason we can hold this bridge is that we make them come to us. Across the breath of this bridge, their numbers don't matter. They can only face us a couple handfuls at a time. Charge them? What, is the Gardener trying to murder us?'

'I've been called worse things than daft.' Nodding at her analysis.

'But no. In....', I looks at the horizon, then shrugged, '... not too long. Just after Dawn in fact, the tactical situation will change, fairly dramatically.'

I pointed across the way. 'Do you see that rise there, just behind the rear ranks of Easterners, oh maybe a mile or so off?'

'Help is coming. And when it comes, this bridge will collapse, and the enemy will be crushed between this 'anvil', he points to the gorge, 'and the hammer that is coming.'

'We need to draw them in closer. They must be distracted so they cannot realign. So the surprise is complete. We do not need to actually charge across the bridge, but we must make them think we are about to. We must make them salivate at the chance to repay you and your sisters for the weeks of stalemate here. Bring them close, fix all of their their attention, here. And then we must run. We must get off the bridge before it is too late.'

"I knew I was putting a lot of faith in the fact that this was a replay of history. If it was not, I was perhaps dooming the Dayalans to a horrible fate."

'Whether the rock hits the pitcher,' she said, 'Or the pitcher hits the rock, It's going to be bad for the pitcher.'

"She then asked Dean for his horse."

'Buying time. We are always buying time. For twenty five days we have held this bridge!' She called out, her words harsh and strong.

'For twenty five days we have paid for the safety of the farmers, the townsfolks, the smiths, the weavers, the fisherfolk, the hunters and the woodcarvers in the blood of our kin, our kith, our friends, our family, our sisters. They watch over us. And tonight it ends. Our promised aid come. But they come ... From the low lands. They come from the other side of the bridge.'

That brought a murmur, of slow string of curses from the ones who understood, from the others came a ripple of confusion.

'There will be no more Bridge. We were told to hold it. But They had always planned to take the Bridge down. We were never meant to come off this Bridge alive.'

'Look there ..." The Dama Allaine pointed to the east, to the totems that rose above the eastern ranks. To the tallest.

'They want us to make a noise at the base of the bridge, to draw their attention here, so that the crushing blow behind will come unexpected. I say we give it to them. I say we give it to them."

Foot in stirrup, she mounted Dean's horse, settled her self into the saddle and turned the horse around. A nudge and she stood beside Mikal, and more importantly at his level and hight.

So when she reached out, grabbed him by the collar and half drew him out of his saddle it was unexpected and seen by all. Her words were barked, harsh and clipped, and meant for not just him, but her sisters too.

'And you ...' "She said to me."

'You go back ...You take this back to the Gardener ....You tell him I wish him a long, long life, that Krysta never comes for him. Full well knowing what he has done. You tell him we do not do this for him. You tell them we do this for my sister, speared upon a hill covered in dandelions. We do this for our partners who gave up their immortal lives upon the Bordertown terrace steps. We do this for that stupid Corliss farmgirl, a girl who couldn't even speak a full sentence but didn't even think twice when she ran back to the fallen temple. You tell him that there is not one who stands upon this Bridge who has not paid as dear as he and yet we still stand. You tell him that from this day to the ending of the world, we few, we broken few, we band of sisters - for she this night sheds her blood with me are truly my sisters - whether their blood be common or noble, this night shall make us peers. He sleeps, he and his farmers safe in their beds, shall think themselves accursed and hold their lives cheap forever more against the price we have paid, those who now fight with me upon this Silk Creek Bridge.'

The Allaine would then set Mikal back on his horse and yank the horse around so she faced the west. 'Tell him. Now. Get. Off. My. Bridge.'

Rising in her stirrups, she slowly started to walk her purloined horse towards the eastern lines. She called out to her sisters, her peers.

'I have a totem to collect.' It was not hard to tell which one she meant. The tallest, the highest, the one whose image was that of a slaughtered unicorn. 'Anyone coming with me?'

One by one, some slow, some limping, some looking seasons tired, even the smallest, their dark haired mascot, formed up to follow the Allaine. When they reached the base, the far end, the low side ...

They charged. And shortly after, the Knights charged from the other side.

"I could not tell if these would make a difference in our future, but I forced those men with me to stand and watch. I charged them to record and burn into their memories the sacrifice of these brave Dayalans, and to pass it down to their children and their grandchildren so it was remembered for all time."

"Shortly after that the tree grew suddenly and the bridge fell, but no Dayalan was upon it when it did. And they reached, and cut down, that totem."

He stops and takes a drink of water. The long telling parching his throat. Then looks again at Daxia and Kay. "I promise you my intent was for them to pull back off the bridge in time to watch it fall with me. They chose another path. A braver path. And I feel somewhat responsible for their deaths."

Bekkah

After mending more people than she had at first expected, she sat by the fire, wrapped in a cloak for added warmth. She listened to each strange accounting, not truly understanding what had befallen these people she knew while she'd been absent. They each spoke the truth, that she was sure of. They believed their tales, but how could this be. She said nothing waiting for the others including her sister to share her tale.

Daxia

Daxia sat down beside Kay, glancing frequently at the younger woman while they ate dinner. Somehow, they needed to find new clothing — at the very least — for Kay. She needed a sword and shield, too. Fern was a proper horse for a Dayalan, but it wouldn’t be right to ask Bekkah to give her up.

She wondered why she felt so responsible for Kay. The Initiate might be young, but she was a full grown woman. She could likely take care of herself on the road better than Daxia had been equipped to do so at that age. No doubt it was the peculiar circumstances in which the youngster joined their company.

The redhead simply raised an eyebrow at Cesare’s report. It was no wonder he’d come back injured... those Eastern hunting beasts were death on eight legs.

Listening to Mikal’s tale, however, had a very different effect on her. It seemed that almost every word made her jaws clench more... her fists grow tighter in her lap... her eyes fill with anger with every word of the Gardener’s that Mikal relayed.

At the point where the Gardener admitted that no help would be coming from Talantal, she reached out and took Kay’s hand. Those had been her people, her Sisters, who had died on that bridge. Daxia already knew this was not going to be an easy thing to hear, not at all.

She shook her head in denial at the point in his tale where Lily took Dean’s horse. The only steed that had walked upon the bridge from Highside Heather had been Morning Star.

And then... and then she continued to shake her head as tears trickled down her cheeks, lower lip held between her teeth. THAT was the proper way for a Dayalan to die... in battle, taking the enemy with them, as many as they possibly could. THAT was right and proper... not what had happened to her and Morning Star in the place they had been. Not the murderous actions of a base coward.

Her bright blue eyes fastened on the older man, the woodcarver. There was still so much anger in those eyes.

“Jankin. Tell of Gardener. Tell tale. Tell, tell. Now.” All courtly mannerisms gone now, Verchovai Daxia Yurisdotter is very much the farm girl from Dawnview in her clipped and hurried way of speaking.


[OOC: Oh, nicely done there, GM... plagiarizing Henry V’s Saint Crispin’s Day speech from the Bard. One of my favorite monologues.]

(OOC - Wolf had some nice posting in my PM so I had to take the excuse to share. Oh, btw, not sure if the lack of a verbal response to Mikal's inner turmoil was purposeful or not. It was a long post and can't expect a reply to everything. But if it was, I'll have to address it in his next post.)