Chapter 7

"Do you surrender?" Magnus's voice could be heard over the sounds of battle.

Balor glanced at Luria and then at Graeme. Both shook their heads no. Graeme passed one of his short swords to Luria who hefted it and gave it an experimental swish through the air.

"I'd rather die than spend one more moment with him," Luria said. "Death holds no fear for me."

"You won't die as long as there is breath in my body," Balor claimed.

A loud trumpeting sound caught Luria's attention and she suddenly smiled. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths. "It is not our day to die, my love," she said when she finally opened her eyes. "Rowan, Shria." The two cats looked at her, Rowan grumbling a little at whatever she was telling him.

When she finished, he roared loudly, sending the beasts closest to him stumbling back a few steps before those behind them pushed them forward again.

Once more the large trumpeting noise sounded. Balor glanced toward it, seeing the first gray shape step out of the forest. "The elephants," he whispered. "I forgot about the elephants."

Graeme turned to look, knocking aside a pike that tried to push into him. He smiled, catching the eyes of one of the beasts. He nodded behind the guard, watching as he turned, his eyes growing wide as he saw the animals coming toward them. The ground trembled under the weight of the running elephants and Rowan and Shria leaped into the fray, their claws and fangs cutting a swathe through the guards gathered around them.

Luria followed them, hacking and swinging the sword, killing anything that reached for her. Balor came next, following her and then Graeme. They fought their way toward the walled city, stopping only when Graeme hollered.

They followed him around the wall and through a small gully. At the top was a locked door that was quickly unlocked from the inside. Graeme's wife stood there, pulling him into her arms quickly before ushering the others in and locking the door once more.

Luria stood, leaning against the wall. Her once silver armor was now blood red. Her arm shook from holding the sword and her body seemed to shrink as if she were too weary to hold herself up anymore.

"Are you all right?" Balor asked, rubbing his knuckles gently against her cheek.

She lifted her eyes to him, and nodded grimly, standing up defiantly against the weariness that tried to pull her down. "Yes, I'm fine." She then turned and saw Rowan walking limply towards her. "No!" she cried.

She reached him just as he fell. "Rowan?" She buried her hand in his mane and scratched his ears, trying to get some reaction from the big cat. Shria yowled, butting him with her head in an effort to get him up. Then she turned and disappeared, racing away across the courtyard.

Blood ran down his side from a deep wound. Luria looked up at Balor and then at Graeme. "Help him, please."

Marka hurried to his side, reaching into a pouch she kept at her waist. Pulling out a few leaves, she ground them between her palms, pushing the resulting mash into the wound. Rowan grumbled at the pain that she was causing him but didn't raise his head from the ground. "This will stop the bleeding and close the wound," Marka said softly to Luria. "But he will need to eat to recover his strength. I have no broth or soup that will help a lion heal."

"Thank you," Luria said, tears streaking down her face. She looked up in time to see Shria return with the leg of some animal clutched between her teeth. Setting it down in front of her mate, she yowled again, this time sounding determined. Rowan lifted his head slightly, glancing from Luria to his mate and the meal she'd brought him. He bit into the leg, pulling it closer to him and then laid down again.

"Come, Luria," Balor said, glancing around. They were too close to the gate. If Magnus's forces should break through there, Luria would be the first person that they saw. "Get him up, we have to get away from here.

Between her prodding and Shria's yowling, they got Rowan back on his feet. Marka's poultice began to work, the blood that had been flowing from the wound, slowed and stopped. The four retreated back to the elder's courtyard, Luria glancing over at the small archway that marked the spot of her wedding not so many hours before.

"We must get back," Balor said softly. He bent down and kissed Luria. "Stay with Rowan and Shria. Between the elephants and the elves, Magnus's forces should be pretty much defeated. I'll be back for you."

Marka stayed as well, though Luria thought she'd rather go and fight at the side of her husband. She began to roll bandages that would be needed for the coming day as those who'd been hurt sought out her skills. Luria reached into the basket Marka had brought to the courtyard, and began rolling as well; after all, it was her fault these events were occurring.

She tried, she really did, to stay with Marka and to do as Balor had asked, but a wildness inside of her grew, and she dropped the last of the bandages that she'd been rolling and stood. "I can't stay here," she said, almost to herself. "I need to know what is going on."

"But Lady Luria," Marka said, "You can't go out there not knowing where Prince Balor or my Graeme is." She reached for Luria's hand to pull her back down, but Luria pulled away.

"I need a sword," she said quickly, glancing about. Graeme's short sword was where she left it, lying next to Rowan. She still had her quiver of arrows but a bow would be handy as well. Grabbing up the sword, she gave Rowan a quick pat and then turned to leave.

She wasn't expecting Graeme's wife to try to stop her but when she turned, Marka was standing between her and the gate.

"Lady Luria, you barely made it back to the castle before. I cannot let you leave this courtyard."

"I have to, Marka. Can you not understand? One woman to another, this fight is over me. If it weren't for me, your husband and mine wouldn't be risking their lives now. I can't stay here and not know that he's okay, or see if he's been hurt or injured. Please, Marka," Luria almost begged the taller, older woman. "Please, don't you want to know?"

"My husband lives," Marka said softly. "I would know if he were to be brought down in battle. I would know here," she said, touching one hand to just above her left breast.

"Then let me go and find out if mine still lives," she begged.

Balor swung around, his sword meeting the one of the beast behind him with a clang of steel upon steel. Around him were the bodies of the beasts he had slain but still they kept coming.

Graeme slayed another of the foul guard, glancing up to see the many that had died. Both elf-kind and beast lay scattered upon the field of battle, yet more still fought, standing up to Magnus and the dark magic that he wielded.

The meadow, once a beautiful place, was now forever scarred by the blood and gore of battle. But he had no time to ruminate over its loss now. He looked over at the black gates of Magnus's castle. The gates were closed and they began to shimmer as if it were daylight.

"Magnus's leaving!" he shouted to Balor.

Balor pushed the beast on his sword away, and then turned toward the sight as well. "He leaves his guard to die and runs like a hound with his tail between his legs."

"He's giving up too easily," Graeme shouted as he fought another of the guards. He caught the beast's first thrust, turning it away with a quick move of his sword, then he moved under the beast's armor and sliced open its belly. The beast bellowed as it fell, landing on another of the guard.

"Balor!?" Graeme heard her call and turned to look, watching as Luria and Shria moved quickly through the battle grounds, slashing and clawing at beasts as they went.

"Balor! Your wife is approaching."

"What? Luria?" Balor turned toward her, his eyes darkening as he saw her take on two of the beasts. Shria grabbed one by the throat while Luria ducked under the other's armor and ran him through with her short sword. Then she was at the small rise in the meadow where Balor and Graeme fought.

She stood behind her husband, her back to his back and fought with him.

"When this is over, I'm going to take you across my knee and blister your hide for you," he growled as his sword clanged loudly.

"You need help, I can help," she said, yanking her sword out of the body of one of the beasts. "Shria and I can help."

"Luria, if anything happens to you," he growled, ducking a blow and then spinning to deliver one of his own.

"It won't," she said firmly. "Why are they still coming when Magnus's castle is gone?"

"They're mindless drones under Magnus's control, who knows why he does the things he does?" He killed another of the guard and blocked the sword of one that would have split him in two. He quickly dispatched that one only to turn to look at Luria. She'd been drawn further from him and was fighting one of them while another was sneaking up behind her with a club in his hands. "Luria! Watch out behind you!"

But she didn't hear him in time, looking up just as the beast struck.

"No!" Balor shouted, racing toward where the beast was going to pick up her limp form. Two arrows flashed by him, killing the beast who was trying to pick Luria up and wounding the other. Balor's sword finished him off quickly.

The beast Graeme had killed lay on top of Luria's body and Balor kicked him off. Then he knelt at her side, his hands unsteady as he reached to find her pulse. "Dammit, girl, you should have stayed in the village." He breathed a sigh of relief when he found her pulse in her throat. It was strong, but there was a huge knot forming on her temple and blood flowed from the wound.

"I have to take her in," he said to Graeme, lifting her limp form in his strong arms.

"Go, we have this," Graeme said, shooting arrows at the remaining beasts. There weren't many left and they all seemed to mill around in confusion unless they came close to one of the warriors, then they would attack.

Balor nodded, turning toward the village gates. Shria was at his side, protecting him while he carried her mistress. Wounded elves were already being brought in and a tent had been set up to house them until their relatives could be found to take over care. Balor ducked under the white flap, his eyes searching for Marka.

"I tried to stop her," Marka said, coming up beside Balor. "I told her nothing good would come out of her going out there."

"She'll be all right, won't she?" Balor asked, laying his wife on the cot that Marka directed him to.

"Head wounds are tricky; you never know what will happen with them. She could wake up and be fine or she could slip into a coma. The best I can do is try to stop the swelling and to stop the bleeding. The rest will be up to Luria."

Balor stared down at the small woman he'd married. She looked so tiny on the cot. She also looked younger, with her pale skin and light hair. The blood was a stark reminder of what she'd been through. He looked up at Marka. "When you are finished, I am going to take her to our rooms. If that is acceptable?"

"It is, it will free up a cot for someone else who is injured." She looked away and then back at Balor. "My Graeme, he is all right?"

"He's fine. He is a true warrior and a wonderful friend." He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "He'll be fine."

There was a commotion by the front flap of the tent and Balor turned his head, his hand going to his sword. He relaxed when he saw the Elder stride in, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Balor. "There you are," he said. "We just heard. Is the Lady Luria... ?"

"No," Marka said quickly. "I stopped the bleeding and there is nothing much more I can do." She looked up at Balor. "Keep a cold cloth on the bump and let her rest, when she wakes, call me."