Kira 3 · Part 2 (2/2)
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Once again, Kira set her feet and pushed upwards. This time, Lykopis remained seated. Slowly, Kira worked the rope connecting her wrists up the other woman's body until her wrists cleared Lykopis' head.
"There," she said, dropping behind Lykopis once more, "that didn't hurt a bit, did it?"
"Other than almost ripping my nose off? Not at all."
"Well, your nose is a little big." Grinning, Kira fumbled behind her, fingers picking at the other woman's wrists. Moments later, the ropes fell away. Sighing with relief, Lykopis rubbed her wrists, then twisted around and began working on Kira's bonds Once Kira's hands were free, the two women began working on freeing their legs.
"I'm surprised there's been no response," Lykopis remarked, hands busy with the rope binding her knees. "We made a lot of noise there, between the pole breaking and you trying to crush me."
Kira rose to her feet. "The guards probably have orders to stay away," she observed wryly. "Wouldn't want them tempted to sample Lkauglin's prizes, would we?" Moving toward the door with a piece of the shattered pole in her hand, she added, "Still, someone will be along eventually to check on us, or to bring food. When that happens, they'll see the busted pole. With any luck, they won't call for help to investigate, and that will be our chance."
Nodding, Lykopis joined her, the two women pressing themselves to the wall on either side of the door. After a wait that seemed endless, they heard muffled cursing, followed by the sound of a key in the door's lock. As a guard rushed in, Kira lashed out with the pole, catching him in the head and driving him to the floor.
"Thanks for the help," she said, kneeling and beginning to search the guard.
"I didn't know the door swung in," Lykopis replied, pushing the door away from where it had pinned her to the wall. "And besides, I still have that splinter in my ass, so I'm not as fast as I could be."
Kira shook her head. "Stop being a man, would you?" Rising, she held out a dagger. "No sword, I'm afraid, so this will have to do." Smiling, she held up her other hand to display a ring of keys. "And this will get us the rest of the way out."
Silently, the two women left the room and began moving down the hallway beyond. At the next door, Kira tried various keys on the ring until the lock clicked open. Inside, they found one of Lykopis' officers seated on the floor, her uniform tattered.
"On your feet, warrior," Lykopis commanded. "It's time to get ourselves out of here."
"I," the woman responded without looking up, "do not deserve freedom."
Lykopis frowned. "That," she said sternly, "is not your decision to make. Now get up."
The woman shook her head. "I allowed myself to be taken alive," she said softly. "I am disgraced."
"So did I," Lykopis pointed out. "Am I also disgraced?"
"You are queen," the other woman responded. "You are above such things."
"Nobody," Lykopis replied softly, "is above such things." Reaching down, she drew the other woman to her feet. "Fate, or maybe the Goddess herself, brought you here for a reason. Who is to say that it was not to aid me, so that we both may regain our honor?"
Silently, the woman stared at Lykopis, a light beginning to show in her eyes. "Who, indeed? What is your command, my Queen?"
"Guards!"
Kira dropped to the ground, Lykopis beside her. Behind them lay seven officers freed from their cells. Thanks to the chance discovery of the guards' armory, all were armed, and all carried as many extra blades as they could.
Ahead, barely visible through the night, lay a palisade. Within, according to the freed officers, they would find captured Amazons, along with a handful of Kira's Eshoanians.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Lykopis nodded. "I may be a Queen," she replied softly, "but I am still an Amazon. Let's go."
Silently, the two women made their way toward the palisade, leaving the others behind. Reaching the wall, they split up, moving in opposite directions as they circled toward the gate. Once there, they crouched in the shadows.
"I got two guards," Lykopis said, her breathing a bit ragged.
"Three." Now dressed in a stolen uniform, Kira pushed a bundle of cloth toward the other woman. "If your officers were right, that should be all of them." Slowly, she rose to her feet, listening for an outcry that never came. "Get dressed," she said, "while I see about getting this gate open."
Inside, they found nearly sixty prisoners. Silently, they rejoined the officers, who distributed the extra weapons they carried, arming slightly less than half. Another quick visit to the armory saw each woman carrying at least a dagger. Armed, the group moved silently into the night.
"Now what?" Surrounded by the others, one of the officers looked at Lykopis. "We are free, we are armed, but we have already been beaten once. And an entire army stands between us and our people."
"We could," another officer suggested, "make our way to the path down the ridge, rejoin our forces."
"Or," Kira replied, "we could attack." Seeing eyes widen all around her, she smiled. "By now," she went on, "my husband's forces will have arrived. Our combined strength will be enough to focus Lkauglin's attention on the pass. He'll have his full strength pushing forward, but he won't be there. Lkauglin is not the kind to lead from the front. He will be in the rear, surrounded by guards."
"Attack," one of the officers said slowly. "Sixty women, many armed only with daggers, to attack a unit of fully armed, probably armored royal guards."
Lykopis shook her head. "Not women," she replied, "Amazons. And," she added, nodding toward Kira, "some very unhappy Wolves. I like it. If nothing else, a strike at their king may throw the troops into confusion. Let's go. We only have until sunrise to figure out where Lkauglin is."
"The fighting has begun," Cathyia reported as she entered the tent. "Our forward elements have begun to fall back."
"Excellent." Smiling, Darin slid his sword into its sheath. "Shall we join the action?"
Together, the two left the tent, moving quickly toward the end of the pass. "I do not like this concept of retreat," Cathyia remarked. "It is not the Amazon way."
"Maybe it should be," Darin replied. "Besides, I think you'll like the way this retreat ends."
Arriving at the rear of the massed spearemen, Darin peered toward the pass. "Can they see us yet?"
"They came into view moments ago, Your Majesty."
Darin nodded. "First flag," he ordered. With a glance toward Cathyia, he explained, "First flag is a warning. It tells the troops ahead to be ready to move when they see the second flag." After a moment, he nodded again. "Do it."
As the second flag waved, the forces within the pass suddenly surged forward, the force of their attack staggering the enemy's front ranks. Then, just as suddenly, the mixed force turned and ran. After a second of hesitation, the enemy troops gave chase.
"I just hope they bought enough time," Cathyia said.
"We shall see," was the reply.
Running at full speed, the exhausted Amazons and Eshoanians neared the massed formation blocking the pass. At the last second, the spearmen opened ranks, forming lanes down which the running women passed. Behind them, the ranks closed, shields overlapping, spears dropping to form a bristling wall of steel in the pursuers' path. Pushed from behind, unable to stop their headlong plunge, the front ranks of the enemy crashed against this wall of spears, only to fall back, bloodied.
"Troops, advance! Archers, loose!"
Setting their feet, the massed spearmen began pushing their way into the pass. Behind them, archers lofted their volleys over their heads, dropping a steady, punishing rain of shafts onto the reeling enemy from above. Stunned, their formations lost in the pursuit, the soldiers of Gruidor began to fall back.
"Not a retreat," Cathyia said, awed. "A trap. You drew them right onto your spears."
Darin nodded. "Now," he said, "we make sure they don't have time to reform."
Slowly, the massed formation pushed to, then beyond, the narrowest part of the pass. As the pass widened, Amazon forces moved up on the spearmen's flanks, widening the front and continuing the push. Slowly, desperately, the enemy began to rally, their defense stiffening.
"Damn," Darin growled, watching from his position just behind the ranks of spearmen. "I was hoping we'd make it to the end of the pass before they recovered. Now it gets bloody."
Cathyia stared at a pass now carpeted with bodies. "Bloody?"
"Bloodier," Darin replied. "Now that the first push is over, we'll have to… wait. What's that?"
Stunned, the two watched as the enemy's rear ranks began to fall away. One after another, rows of soldiers lowered their weapons, heads turning to stare behind them.
"Kira," Darin said softly, "what have you done this time?"
Through the sounds of fighting, they began to hear shouted commands. Slowly, the fighting ground to a halt as enemy soldiers began to throw down their weapons in surrender.
"Whatever it was," Darin added, "it worked."
Within moments, it was over, the enemy falling back until the pass was clear. At Darin's command, the combined army moved forward, spilling out of the pass and staring at the mass of disarmed soldiers filling the flat ground beyond. Then, as they watched, the mass of troops divided, falling back on either side as a small group moved through them.
"Is that…?"
"It is. Make way!" As the troops ahead parted ranks, Darin moved forward, followed by Cathyia and the officers of both armies. Halting before the approaching group, he shook his head.
"Well met, Your Majesty," he said, bowing, "but aren't you on the wrong side of the line?"
Still wearing her stolen uniform, Lykopis laughed. "Yes," she replied, "I suppose I am. But just look at what I found." Stepping back, she gestured toward a small group of enemy officers. In their midst stood Lkauglin. "We managed to surprise his guards while everyone was paying attention to you."
"Thank you for the distraction," Kira added, stepping forward and wrapping Darin in a brief, tight hug.
Darin glanced at the ragged uniforms of the women guarding the prisoners. "And where did you find them?"
"Prisoners," one of the Amazon officers said darkly. "Cowards who allowed themselves to be taken alive."
"These women," Lykopis declared, glaring, "these warriors, just won this war for us. How much longer would the fighting have gone on had they not had the courage to act? How many more of our own would we have lost? I consider each and every one of them a hero, and I expect you to show them the respect they deserve. Do I make myself clear?"
Stunned, the officer dropped her eyes. "Yes, Your Majesty, you do."
"Hero," Darin whispered to Kira. "Isn't that a male term?"
"Oh, hush," she replied, grinning.
"I want a detachment of guards assembled immediately," Lykopis ordered, then turned to the women behind her. "Once they arrive, warriors, turn the prisoners over to them, and then have your injuries tended to". Turning back, she approached Darin.
"With him in our hands," she said, nodding toward Lkauglin, "we should have no trouble negotiating terms. We will, of course, demand that all enemy forces leave our borders, and reperations will also be required. That, however, is for the diplomats to sort out. As for us, I think it's time we went home".
"And," she added as they turned back toward the pass, "does anyone have a pair of tweezers?"
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Kira 3 · Part 2 (2/2)
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