Bonded | Completed | Short Story

Bonded: Part 3

Her eyes opened to the dawn. Pale pink light filtered through the canvas of her tent. A thin sheen of sweat stuck to her body from her night of restless sleep and the cool morning air assaulted her skin as she pushed back her bedroll. Matilla, her tent mate, was already up and dressed. Four black lines streaked her right cheek. She looked up as Vada sat up, groaning softly as her sore body protested the movement.

"Are you joining us today?" she asked, nodding towards the wrappings around her waist. Vada looked down and noticed they had darkened, but not bled through.

"Of course," she said as she pushed herself to her knees and the grabbed for clean clothes from her pack. "I've bleed more on my lunar days." she joked, flashing her friend a smile as she pulled her shirt over her head and hid a wince behind the fabric.

Matilla grinned in return and passed her the bowl of paint before leaving the tent. Vada dipped her fingers inside and sent her morning prayer to the Goddess. She sat for a moment of quiet contemplation before dragging two lines down each cheek and one across the bridge of her nose. The left stripes for Strength. The right stripes for Determination. Her nose... There was no symbolism behind that, but the Goddess had led her to do it. It felt right for today.

She hurried to finish dressing and tumbled out of the tent, just as the drums began to sound.

They stood on the hill they had taken the day before. The valley stretched below them and beyond the gathering lines of red Kel, the pass into the mountains. Beyond the mountains was the land of Keleon, specifically, the Vale of Plenty, as they called it. The natural mountain landscape had protected this corner of Keleon from the Ylfray attack this long, but taking the Vale of Plenty was essential to providing food and material to the Goddess's warriors.

The Ylfray had been blessed with many things, but their kingdom was mountainous and cold. Harsh, a reflection of the Goddess herself. It grew warriors with ease, but vegetables with difficulty.

Her hands flexed around the pole of her spear and the handle of her shield as the horns sounded and they began their march down the hill. Already, she felt clammy with sweat and they hadn't even begun. Unease tingled in her chest as they neared the lines of red-cloaked soldiers and she wondered which one was him. Maybe her curse would end today and he would be slain by another Ylfray. She could only hope.

Her unease lessened as the battle progressed. Soon adrenaline and the sound of her own blood pumping through her ears replaced the apprehension her nightmare had left with her. The soldiers who fell to her spear, didn't hurt either. Her shield arm stung from the blows it had blocked but the burn was a pleasant one.

They made progress across the valley floor and it soon became apparent that the Kel would be forced to surrender the pass or die defending it. She watched as what remained of the red lines began to back themselves into the rocky crags of the mountains. She was sure they would attempt to hold the pass entrance and force the Ylfray to funnel through the narrowing landscape.

A smile touched her lips as a Kel soldier near her tried to rally his line forward, but some of the cowards turned back and ran for the cover of the mountain. Her smile dropped though, as the red-cloaked soldier turned towards her and she realized it was him. She didn't know why or how, but she knew.

Perhaps at the same moment, he realized it was her. For as his gaze landed on her, he took a step backward and his sword raised slightly.

"Helfaun," he spat.

"Secfah," she returned with equal contempt. She held her shield and spear at the ready, wondering if he was going to waste her time by trying to attack her. Her eyes darted to the men who still fought behind him, knowing those were her real targets. Pairs of Ylfray and Kel were locked in singular battle beyond him.