01-19-2010, 12:31 AM
sosu 1391
Zana had known that she was far behind her brother and his comrades as Nesmed had send her on her way, not giving voice to the fact that she was suppose to stay with him and return to the infirmary. He already had known that there was no stopping the young fierce woman until she had found her sibling and Aisleran. He wasn’t for sure what the two shared but he was not going to hold her captive while those she cared for might be in danger. He had just watched the tiny warrior princess as she pushed the horse on.
Her eyes darted to a fro in the dying light of the woods as she kept an eye out for deserters. She had been lucky and hadn’t had to call upon her spear to fight back anyone looking for a last minute glory. Instead she had been forced to pick her way through land unfamiliar to her on a horse that was just a worn as she was. There were times when she had finally decided to lead the horse herself, limping along as they had made small headway through the woods.
She had breathed a sigh of relief when she came to the clearing that marked the edge of the lands that Malchan’s men had held. After a few failed attempts she gained her seat on the stallions back once more and found that the land was flying by as she urged the horse into a gallop. She would find DaVinci if it was the last thing she did.
It seemed forever as she moved through the rows upon rows of tents, never actually finding anything of interest but knowing still that she had to press on. Her ears pinned back against her head as she slowed the horse to a trot as she reached the far end of the camp. Zana was careful to watch for any signs of recent activity as she moved the horse along the edge of the trampled ground.
She frowned to herself as she caught sight of what looked like fresh manure. Slowly crawling from the back of the horse she moved awkwardly across the grass to where the droppings lay. The young warrior poked at the mass with a twig, the moisture and warm of the dung apparent as a grim smile set upon her lips. She examined the tracks of the horses as the scent of the men finally rang true. It didn’t take long to tell just where DaVinci was heading.
Struggling to gain access to the stallion’s back once more she couldn’t help but roll her eyes as the beast nudged her rear up with his head and stood ready for her next move. Zana maneuvered the beast into the woods, suddenly aware of the sounds of other beasts in the forest. Her ears pricked forward as she caught the neigh of another horse and the answering snort. She smiled as she pressed the stallion into motion, letting him find his own way as she stayed on the scent of Aisleran and DaVinci.
She had just been about to give up when she heard the distinctive sounds of battle ahead. The snarl and roar of the men fighting caught her attention as she urged the horse forward. The beast was weary, as was she but he moved quickly through the trees, bringing her closer and closer to the sounds that seemed to echo across the lands. She bit her lip in fear as she hoped that she came upon a scene of victory and not sorrow. She wasn’t certain if she could afford to be found by Malchan in the mists of the woods in the state she was in.
As quickly as the fighting had begun it seemed that it had ended, or perhaps it was just the way it seemed to her. She wasn’t for certain how long she’d been traveling since the sounds of the battle had died away but she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest as she urged the horse beyond what she knew he was able to do. It was cruel, but so was not knowing the truth.
When the stallion stumbled and fell to his knees she somehow managed to stay on his back, though her form was slumped over his neck and her claws woven into his mane. She shook from exhaust but she knew the horse was in far worse shape. She felt ashamed for having pressed him this far when she knew he was spent. The beast attempted to rise to his legs once more but Zana quieted him with a paw against his thick neck as she untangled herself from his form.
She made certain that the horse was ok and that he could rise to his feet before she tied his reins to a tree limb and continued alone, using her staff as a crutch once more as she came to the edge of the forest. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden glare of moonlight overhead as she gave a startled cry as she tried to surge across the field, her body protesting the will she pressed on with.
She made it halfway across before she stumbled and her leg gave way beneath her. She wept as she caught sight of her brother, still alive but scarred from one shoulder to his hip with a fierce wound that Mabh was stitching up currently. She took in the sight of all of his wounds, not even caring for what she’d been through as she cried bitterly, knowing now that he was alive, even if he was worse for wear.
Zana never even noticed nor protested when Aisleran bent down to lift her slight body from the ground. His murmurs went unheard as she didn’t even have the strength to protest as he carried her in his arms across the fiend to where her brother was being tended. Fresh tears escaped as she flung her arms around his neck as Aisleran set her down, the woman not even taking the time to mind DaVinci’s new wounds in her hurry to make certain he was whole.
Aisleran held no ill wishes on the woman for ignoring him; even after the attention he’d lavished on her these past moons. He understood in a sense that her brother was indeed more important, even if his thoughts on the importance were different than what Zana’s might be. He let a slight smile settle on his lips as he watch DaVinci receive her as she stumbled through so many different words at once, making a mess of everything as she went along.
Zana’s eyes were bright with tears though they had finally quite falling as she hugged DaVinci once more before sliding away from his neck and settling beside him. She had apologized a million times over for the pain she’d inflicted on him in her haste to make certain he was still there and breathing.
She never noticed the amusement in his stormy eyes as he was finally able to calm her fears and set things straight. She wasn’t for certain what was going to happen next but it seemed that DaVinci had done the impossible, even though he had assured her that Malchan was no warrior and hadn’t even lasted that long. She just shook her head in amazement as she asked, ”What happens next.”
The roar of laughter that met her ears was not what she expected as Aisleran helped DaVinci onto his horse and the true Ri placed Zana in front of him as Mabh and Aisleran’s horses dragged the corpse of Malchan behind them. The head of the usurper in a crimson soaked bag that thudded against the side of the saddle with every step the horse took.
Zana knew that she should protest at DaVinci even attempting to ride after his wounds had just been tended, knowing that he was going to upset them and cause them to bleed through his bandages before they even got back to the castle, but she was too tired to argue as she just murmured for them not to leave her stallion as she leaned back against her brother’s chest, her eyes already closing as she finally gave in to the exhaust that claimed her.
Zana had known that she was far behind her brother and his comrades as Nesmed had send her on her way, not giving voice to the fact that she was suppose to stay with him and return to the infirmary. He already had known that there was no stopping the young fierce woman until she had found her sibling and Aisleran. He wasn’t for sure what the two shared but he was not going to hold her captive while those she cared for might be in danger. He had just watched the tiny warrior princess as she pushed the horse on.
Her eyes darted to a fro in the dying light of the woods as she kept an eye out for deserters. She had been lucky and hadn’t had to call upon her spear to fight back anyone looking for a last minute glory. Instead she had been forced to pick her way through land unfamiliar to her on a horse that was just a worn as she was. There were times when she had finally decided to lead the horse herself, limping along as they had made small headway through the woods.
She had breathed a sigh of relief when she came to the clearing that marked the edge of the lands that Malchan’s men had held. After a few failed attempts she gained her seat on the stallions back once more and found that the land was flying by as she urged the horse into a gallop. She would find DaVinci if it was the last thing she did.
It seemed forever as she moved through the rows upon rows of tents, never actually finding anything of interest but knowing still that she had to press on. Her ears pinned back against her head as she slowed the horse to a trot as she reached the far end of the camp. Zana was careful to watch for any signs of recent activity as she moved the horse along the edge of the trampled ground.
She frowned to herself as she caught sight of what looked like fresh manure. Slowly crawling from the back of the horse she moved awkwardly across the grass to where the droppings lay. The young warrior poked at the mass with a twig, the moisture and warm of the dung apparent as a grim smile set upon her lips. She examined the tracks of the horses as the scent of the men finally rang true. It didn’t take long to tell just where DaVinci was heading.
Struggling to gain access to the stallion’s back once more she couldn’t help but roll her eyes as the beast nudged her rear up with his head and stood ready for her next move. Zana maneuvered the beast into the woods, suddenly aware of the sounds of other beasts in the forest. Her ears pricked forward as she caught the neigh of another horse and the answering snort. She smiled as she pressed the stallion into motion, letting him find his own way as she stayed on the scent of Aisleran and DaVinci.
She had just been about to give up when she heard the distinctive sounds of battle ahead. The snarl and roar of the men fighting caught her attention as she urged the horse forward. The beast was weary, as was she but he moved quickly through the trees, bringing her closer and closer to the sounds that seemed to echo across the lands. She bit her lip in fear as she hoped that she came upon a scene of victory and not sorrow. She wasn’t certain if she could afford to be found by Malchan in the mists of the woods in the state she was in.
As quickly as the fighting had begun it seemed that it had ended, or perhaps it was just the way it seemed to her. She wasn’t for certain how long she’d been traveling since the sounds of the battle had died away but she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest as she urged the horse beyond what she knew he was able to do. It was cruel, but so was not knowing the truth.
When the stallion stumbled and fell to his knees she somehow managed to stay on his back, though her form was slumped over his neck and her claws woven into his mane. She shook from exhaust but she knew the horse was in far worse shape. She felt ashamed for having pressed him this far when she knew he was spent. The beast attempted to rise to his legs once more but Zana quieted him with a paw against his thick neck as she untangled herself from his form.
She made certain that the horse was ok and that he could rise to his feet before she tied his reins to a tree limb and continued alone, using her staff as a crutch once more as she came to the edge of the forest. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden glare of moonlight overhead as she gave a startled cry as she tried to surge across the field, her body protesting the will she pressed on with.
She made it halfway across before she stumbled and her leg gave way beneath her. She wept as she caught sight of her brother, still alive but scarred from one shoulder to his hip with a fierce wound that Mabh was stitching up currently. She took in the sight of all of his wounds, not even caring for what she’d been through as she cried bitterly, knowing now that he was alive, even if he was worse for wear.
Zana never even noticed nor protested when Aisleran bent down to lift her slight body from the ground. His murmurs went unheard as she didn’t even have the strength to protest as he carried her in his arms across the fiend to where her brother was being tended. Fresh tears escaped as she flung her arms around his neck as Aisleran set her down, the woman not even taking the time to mind DaVinci’s new wounds in her hurry to make certain he was whole.
Aisleran held no ill wishes on the woman for ignoring him; even after the attention he’d lavished on her these past moons. He understood in a sense that her brother was indeed more important, even if his thoughts on the importance were different than what Zana’s might be. He let a slight smile settle on his lips as he watch DaVinci receive her as she stumbled through so many different words at once, making a mess of everything as she went along.
Zana’s eyes were bright with tears though they had finally quite falling as she hugged DaVinci once more before sliding away from his neck and settling beside him. She had apologized a million times over for the pain she’d inflicted on him in her haste to make certain he was still there and breathing.
She never noticed the amusement in his stormy eyes as he was finally able to calm her fears and set things straight. She wasn’t for certain what was going to happen next but it seemed that DaVinci had done the impossible, even though he had assured her that Malchan was no warrior and hadn’t even lasted that long. She just shook her head in amazement as she asked, ”What happens next.”
The roar of laughter that met her ears was not what she expected as Aisleran helped DaVinci onto his horse and the true Ri placed Zana in front of him as Mabh and Aisleran’s horses dragged the corpse of Malchan behind them. The head of the usurper in a crimson soaked bag that thudded against the side of the saddle with every step the horse took.
Zana knew that she should protest at DaVinci even attempting to ride after his wounds had just been tended, knowing that he was going to upset them and cause them to bleed through his bandages before they even got back to the castle, but she was too tired to argue as she just murmured for them not to leave her stallion as she leaned back against her brother’s chest, her eyes already closing as she finally gave in to the exhaust that claimed her.