The Thief

Chapter 46

"The Queen has been murdered."

My breath hitched. Immediately millions of questions began to flood my mind.

Ivor's eyes narrowed as he processed the information and gave Vorn a sharp look.

Vorn gave a nod a summoned the messenger who had now seemed to have caught his breath towards us.

The soldier seeming to understand what was required of him began to speak softly after momentarily giving me a strange look.

"I confirm her death General. I was present at the scene moments after the tragic murder. Her Majesty's body was still warm."

The solider looked down at his feet. He was young, looked to be around the same age as the second Prince.

"Any suspects?" Vorn who was still shaken up asked.

"Investigation is still underway."

"Who else knows of this?" Ivor enquired.

"Excluding yourself and two accomplices, five others sir. We have been given strict orders not to let this news get out during this time."

"The Bells?"

"Another reason sir. Group of enemy troops found in the city. I believe they by now should have successfully been apprehended." the solider spoke and if sensing the next question quickly responded before it could be  asked, "The troops were to far to be suspected of the murder. I believe they were near the south eastern District."

Ivor was silent for a moment. He dismissed the solider but as the solider took one step away he stopped him.

"Wait. Does General Josiah know of this?"

"The General was the one who discovered Her Majesty's body sir."

"Alone?"

The solider gave a nod. "He was the one who alerted myself and the few others who were in the area with me."

Upon hearing the reply, Ivor sent the soldier off immediately after.

"Vorn I need you to-" Ivor was interrupted mid sentence when another horn went off in the distance.

Movement started to take place in the trees where the lone rider from earlier had disappeared into. Large wooden catapults began to appear as they broke through the tree line.

Ivor began shouting orders. Archers began lining the wall facing outwards. We too had our own catapults although they were smaller and mounted to sections of the wall and manned by four men each.

I watched in nervousness as the enemies catapults began to prepare themselves to fire the first couple of shots.

"Archers aim for the men manning the catapults!" Ivor threw out orders. "Wall-pulters, shoot them down!" He was referring to the wall catapults.

Vorn who stood next to me, sent a glance my way while holding his bow and arrow in a pull back position.

"Hey just relax. Want me to sing you an inspirational battle song?" He smiled, a slight glint in his eyes.

"What?" I was slightly taken back at his question and carefree mood in a situation like his.

He ignored me and cleared his throat before letting out his vocals. Surprisingly he could actually sing pretty well.

"My brothers stand beside me,
A look of fear in the eyes,
We know we fight to see clear skies,
But who says we will live
And continue on with life
Oh me
Oh my
And into battle we shall go to die..."

I stared at him horrified. "How is that supposed to be inspirational?!"

"Well I think it was and that's all that matters." He proudly stated, a smirk on his lips.

I was speechless.

I realised he was trying to distract me and lighten the atmosphere a little.

General Ivor and the soldiers around us chose to ignore his song. Vorn directed his gaze forward towards the enemy again.

"May the gods have mercy upon them because I definitely won't." Vorn muttered, a now serious look on his face as he aimed his bow and arrow.

Another horn went off and the first shot was fired. The enemy began launching large boulders at the wall.

With in seconds chaos was everywhere. One of our own catapults was destroyed. Soldiers were getting hit as the boulders hit the top of the wall.

We had managed to take out a quite a few of them but unfortunately they switched the boulders for rounds set alight with blazing flames.

Men began storming out from the tree line as loud screams of war cries were let out. Our archers managed to take out many but they just seemed to keep on coming and they were carrying long ladders and many shields to try block out the onslaught of arrows.

A bow was shoved into my hands by Ivor as he grabbed his own. I had not shot with a bow since I was with my brothers. The feeling felt weird.

Never the less I started rapidly firing arrows. I did not pay attention to whether or not they hit any targets as I knew most of them most likely did.

Just then a large fire ball was launched towards us. Ivor jumped towards me and used the momentum to grab me and knock me out of the way causing us both to fall over in a loud thump. Ivor was on top of me.

"Are you okay?" He frantically asked.

"I'm fine don't worry. Thank you."

Ivor stood up and gave me a hand. Where we had previously been standing had a wide shallow path covered in small bit of debris and rubble. The ball of flames had gone right over the wall and had set one of the houses alight like many had done before it. People below were frantically trying to put out the flames.

I looked back to the other side of the wall and noticed two wooden poles sticking up. Seconds later a man followed.

Before he could attack, Ivor killed him with a swing of his sword and set the ladder on fire before pushing it back.

Unfortunately a few other ladders had made it a more enemies were on the walk fighting troops. Ivor swung his sword forward and killed as many as he could as the charged him. I to picked up a sword and began swinging it like a mad woman. We managed to drive them back.

"Sky listen, I want you to get off of the wall. We need to protect the people. Find Josiah and help him evacuate the civilians. At this rate the enemy will soon break through our defence. This enemy is barbaric and unpredictable." Ivor ordered.

"No I won't leave you." I panicked.

"Don't worry. I have Vorn with me." Ivor glanced at Vorn who just kicked a body off the wall and continued to rapidly fire arrows muttering incoherent speech.

I was still afraid that I would not see him again.

"Go now. That's an order."

But still I refused, I would not leave. Ivor sighed and took a step forward towards me entering my personal space.

In all the chaos around us with loud screams and shouts, soldiers rushing all about, catapults loading and reloading just as quick, boulders and fire balls destroying  parts of the wall causing debris to fly everywhere, it was like time had slowed and the surrounding sounds were blocked out as Ivor bent his head down and rested his forehead on my own.

He closed his eyes. I could feel his soft breathing from his nose.

"Please. I'm begging you."

He reopened his greenish blue eyes again and gazed deeply into mine. I noticed how he had small flecks of gold in them.

Before I could speak, he leaned down and kissed me, silencing my words.