Abigail Fredrickson

Rowan

I frown as the council disbands again.  We’re all tired of this civil war, but at the same time giving up now would mean submitting to Saber.  And if he ruled with an iron fist before, I don’t think any of us want to know what would happen now.  The last three months, no real headway has been made on either side.  I think some of us are beginning to realize that this could potentially drag on for years unless something happens to change the tide.

I close my eyes, sitting back down.  I don’t feel much like joining the others in our living quarters yet.  I need to get my thoughts in order.  Some days I feel like I’m not really contributing at all to the council, or even when I’m on the battlefield.  It should’ve been me instead of Tigress.  She had more to offer.  A lot more.  I breathe in shakily.  Besides that, she deserved the chance to build a normal life.  Or at least a semi-normal one.

We never found her.

We went back.  I would have gone even if I wasn’t allowed to.  But we never found her.  I don’t know if she was buried under the rockslide, if the samurai had something to do with it, or something else we hadn’t thought of.  All I know is we never found her, and we don’t know what happened, where she is, or even if she’s alive.

It’s almost worse than when I saw those ashes in place of the village I grew up in, if only because of the not knowing.  I pull a worn doll out from my coat’s pocket and look at it.  Why?  Why do I always end up losing everyone I care for?

Ari’s voice penetrates my thoughts and fills the large room, despite the low tone.  “Terry and Kelly are working on magic again.  I swear one of these days, they’re gonna bring down a roof.”  She laughs slightly.  I let myself smile a little.  “I think this time she’s trying for enhanced speed or something like that.  These days I don’t understand half of what comes out of their mouths…”  Walking over, she pauses next to me and puts her hand on my shoulder.  “You alright?”

I shrug, “She’d want us to keep fighting.  Told me to get some confidence once.”  I look at Ariel.  “Do you think it would’ve been better if-“

“Don’t say it,” she cuts me off sharply, sitting down.  “Tigress chose to save you, and I don’t think she regrets it, wherever she is.”

“I know, but…I was never a warrior,” I shake my head.  “Most of what I know about any of this came from her.”

Ariel laughs softly, “And you think the bunch of ragtag farmers and smiths and woodsmen that make up the majority of our forces are?”

“Well, no, yes, I-  Stop twisting my words,” I huff.

She smiles, shaking her head, “I ran an inn, Rowan.  I’m an innkeeper, and I’m one of the leaders here.  It doesn’t matter if we weren’t born warriors.  It doesn’t matter if we never spent our childhoods living and breathing solely for the battlefield.  We’re still fighters.  We can still fight for what we believe in.  We can still protect the people we love.”  She brushes a finger against the doll still tightly held in my hand.  “And we fight to honor those…who we’ve lost along the way.”

I manage a small smile, “I know…it’s possible she’s not…dead.  Everyone keeps saying…But at the same time, if she’s not, then where is she?  Wouldn’t she have come back?”

Ariel shrugs, “I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t pretend to.  But for now…why don’t you come eat something?  If those hogs we share breathing space with haven’t eaten everything already, that is.”

I grin, standing with her, “You can’t blame them for how good your cooking is.”

“No, but I can blame them for their lack of self-control,” she rolls her eyes.  “Come on.”

I follow her to the living quarters, and sure enough, Mackenzie’s dodging Dylan’s every attempt to snatch a couple bowls from her, Yan enthusiastically clapping his hands and laughing in the meantime.

Ariel huffs and playfully shoves the older boy, “Save some for us, you crazy human.  Thank you, Mackenzie.”

“No problem,” the girl puffs, handing us both the bowls and glaring at an unapologetic Dylan.

I shake my head, “Did Yan eat?”

“No,” the toddler pouts.

Mackenzie shoots him a look, “Don’t you lie.  You know you did, I saw you.  You just made sure half of it ended up on the floor.”

Ari smirks slightly, “I wish you all the luck in the world when you become a mother, Kenzie.  You don’t seem to be doing very well with Yan.”

“It’s not my fault he doesn’t like me,” she huffs.  “And you guys keep abandoning me with him.”

Ariel shrugs, “How’s everyone else doing?”

“Okay given the circumstances…Some of our Nozomians died or were wounded in that last battle.  I made rounds to the families.  They’re staying strong, but you can still tell it hurts.”  Mackenzie’s eyes lower.

Ariel puts a hand on her shoulder, “And Kevin?”

“Better, thank the Creator,” she sighs.

Ariel gives her a brief side-hug.  “I can control this circus long enough for you to pay him a visit.  Go on.”

Mackenzie gives her best friend a grateful smile and slips out the door.  Ariel’s smile dims a bit.  I watch as she prepares a bowl for Terry, blocking Dylan all the while.

“Hey…if you don’t mind my asking, are they…you know…together…?” I finish my soup and bring it over to wash.  “Kevin and Mackenzie.”

She nods, “Betrothed, actually.  Just earlier this year.”

“Ah,” I glance out the door.  That explained a lot about the pair’s relationship.  Like, for example, why Mackenzie was just about losing her mind when Kevin showed up half unconscious and losing blood.

I shake my head, “This is getting tiring.”

“This war?”

“What else could I mean?”

Dylan shrugs from his seat, “We all wish it was over and done with.”

Ariel sets Terry’s bowl down at the table with a bit more force than necessary, “Maybe if some important leaders on their side would actually show up once in a while, things may be decided quicker.”  I catch a mumbled ‘coward’ under her breath when she moves over to start washing the now empty soup pot.

“Maybe…” I sigh.  “I just wish something would happen to turn the tide.”

Tigress

The prince ducks beneath my clawed swipe, and I jump over his leg sweep, turning midair so I can catch the blade when it comes in my direction.  Altering its course behind me, I drive my shoulder into his.  To his credit, he doesn’t lose balance, merely using the momentum to spin past.  I duck under the whistling weapon and turn to attack, but find a blade at my throat.

He smirks, “Nice try.”

I raise an eyebrow, then slam my head forward, knocking the blade out of the way and simultaneously flipping up and over his head to deliver a kick to his back.  He stumbles and falls forward, but gets up laughing, “Alright, alright, fine.  You got me on that one.”

I smirk and clap hands with him before we bow to each other.  So far our sparring matches have been pretty evenly matched.  Dare I say, even fun.  The hotheaded prince is certainly not boring, I’ll give him that.

Applause catches my attention from above the training grounds.  Saber Demien stands there, clapping for a second, then gives me a nod.  “Well done, Tigress.  I believe you’ve become field ready before any of us expected.  I thought it would have taken months, perhaps even years for your skill sets to return.”

“Muscle memory, perhaps,” the empress suggests, joining him.  Prince Liam bows his head, sheathing his weapon.

I bow, “Thank you, your majesty.  But I don’t take all the credit.  I have had a highly skilled training partner.”

“In any case,” Saber begins down the steps, eyes briefly flitting over the other training samurai, “how would you feel about leading some troops into battle?  Of course, if you do not feel ready yet, no one will push you.”

I straighten, “Your majesty, it would be my honor.”