In Your Arms

Chapter One

The sword made a swoosh sound as it was guided down by its beholder. With ease and without fear Leslie beheaded the man before her, giving him a swift death. All around there was madness in the small village. The intruders had set fire to anything and everything moments before the crack of dawn, while everyone was still asleep in their beds. Now smoke, screams, and the clashing of steel filled the morning air. Leslie wanted every invader here to die at her hands. She wanted the man in charge of leading the attack on her home most of all. He would die last if he wasn't already.

"Leslie," a light feminine voice shrilled through the air.

She turned around to seek out the person calling out her name in desperation. A mix of emotions ran Leslie as she watched her younger sister being dragged away by a warrior. Cyra fought the raider abducting her earning her not but a swift punch in the jaw that left her limp and being tossed like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. Yelling a battle cry that had to have been heard all the up to the heavens, Leslie made way for her sister, cutting down every foe that stepped in her path along the way. She dodged the swing of a mace and tossed up her sword deep into the man's belly. Withdrawing her sword and taking a step back the man fall forward. Leslie simply jumped over the limp body before her and continued on.

"No," she shrieked as Cyra was thrown over a horse with the man quickly straddling the horse and taking off. Leslie sought for a horse of her own to ride and made a mad dash for one that aligned in her eyesight. Leaping onto the back of a black stead she took off after her sister. She had plans to show no mercy other than to give the man a slow tortuous death. Soon Leslie was not far behind and rode the horse hard to finish the distance between them. Sword in hand she urged the horse to gallop faster.

I will kill him!

She felt the pain in her shoulder causing her to gasp sharply. Her sword fell out of her hand and into the dirt. Somehow she managed to dodge another arrow shot in her direction and to keep her place on top of the stallion. She eyed her surroundings looking for the archer while still working on catching up to her sister's abductor. A new arrow flew but this time from the rear. Leslie took it as a sign she had passed the archer. Kicking her heels into the flank of the horse Leslie urged it to close in on the tiny distance that remained. Coming up on the rider's side she took a leap at him before he got a chance to notice her presence. Leslie and the man fall down onto the ground as their horses continued on with Cyra still on the animal's back.

Ignore the pain and get back on your feet. Leslie repeated it in her head like a mantra.

Taking in deep shallow breaths Leslie scrambled to her feet before the invader could get to his feet but she was brought down to her knees as another arrow hit. She cried out from the pain that radiated from her shoulder and now from the back of her leg. Reaching behind her she pulled the arrow out from her leg. Gasping in pain she went for the arrow in her shoulder. Counting down to three she quickly yanked. She let out a scream through clenched teeth.

"I'm gonna kill you boy."

Leslie tried to move but it was too late. He was over her in a second. His big hands went around her neck. On her back Leslie attempted to dislodge the heavy man on top of her body. She brought up her fist and punched the burly man square in the face. Leslie found great satisfaction at the sight of the blood trickling from his nose. He seemed not to take notice of the blood dripping down his lips and chin; if he did he showed it by simply squeezing tighter.