The Warrior's Assault

by Kristen Banet

  “I asked him to stay out of it tonight, but I knew it was going to be impossible. I had a bad feeling Shadra was going to have something to deal with him. I’m just glad he’s alive, and he saved a lot of lives tonight.”

  “Except Sen and his men. Except the Hornbuckles hiding on board the ship,” Zayden whispered. “He’ll hold that against himself when he has a chance to think about it.”

  “He did everything he could. I’ll make sure he knows that. You raised a good son.” Alchan thumped his shoulder and started walking, going around the spectacle of his son and the Company trying to dote on him already. Zayden walked behind all of them. Varon was trying to sew up the holes in his son’s hide as they walked. Nevyn was shoving cloth in others. Mave and Mat just walked with his boy.

  He looked back once, hoping they got a couple of days before their enemies caught up.

  36

  Mave

  As the sun began to crest over the horizon, Mave was limping, tired, and fulfilled. They had done it. They had assaulted Ellantia, taken back their people, and walked away to tell the tale—mostly. After they defended Rain, the numbers came in. No one in the Company was more than banged up, with injuries needing to be looked at, but that wasn’t the case for others.

  Twenty-two single males lost their lives. Four males who had joined to save their females lost theirs, one particularly heartbreaking since he was the female’s only husband. Her mayara was broken, and now, she had no family. Mave later learned her parents had died during the end of the War, and her second husband had been lost during it. She had no one now. Three females died, defending themselves and the children who had been taken with them.

  At least all four of the young made it through, all of them now with their mothers and surviving fathers. The little girl watched Mave with big eyes. For the entire winter, Mave had made a decision to stay out of sight of the children. This was the first time one of them had really seen her walking in the same space as them. This was the first time she was sharing space with one and acknowledging it. She waved at the young girl, who waved back, catching her mother’s attention.

  “Hi,” her mother greeted with an exhausted smile. “I’m Thyra, and this is Runa.”

  “Hello.” Mave gave a strained smile in return. Her hip made catching up to the small family difficult. The talon lines on her thighs were closing, but they weren’t any better. Battered—Mave had been battered before, but she didn’t let it stop her. “Mave.”

  “Oh, we both know who you are,” Thyra said, her smile not leaving. “Runa has always wanted to meet you. Haven’t you, Runa?”

  Mave swallowed as the little girl nodded. “Well, it’s nice to meet you both. Is there anything I can do to make the walk easier?” She felt responsible for something. Maybe she was feeling protective. These two were from her village and had been taken because she couldn’t save them. Now she had them back. Now they were safe because she would protect them.

  “Oh, no. I can carry her for days.” Thyra shifted the little girl to her shoulders. Mave watched Runa scramble and sit up on her mother, her little hands on her mother’s head. “What about you? That looks bad.” The mother pointed at Mave’s thighs, concern taking over her expression.

  “I’ll be fine. We’ll probably camp tonight and tend to everyone, but I made sure to clean everything at the last stream we passed. Are you injured at all?”

  “No, no. Thank you for asking, though. If you need anything, tell me.” Thyra patted her arm. “Think of it as thanks for coming for us. If there’s anything the Company needs, let me know. Or any of us.”

  “The Company will be fine,” a sultry voice said from behind them. Mave looked over her shoulder to see Allaina, nowhere near as pretty as she normally was. Bags under her eyes, matted hair, bruised, she looked like hell. If Mave were mean, she would have been glad to see it, but she really didn’t like the stark contrast of the Allaina she saw and the Allaina she’d dealt with all winter. It was a testament to the torment the captured females had gone through.

  “It’s nice to see you, Allaina.” Mave tried for friendly. They might have had their moments, but they left off on a tenuous peace. That was nearly four months ago. So much had happened since then. “Has anyone told you?”

  “No one has told me anything,” she answered. Behind her, four quiet males stayed close—her husbands. “I was hoping you would open up where no one else has. I was also waiting for dawn. There’s no reason to try for quiet in the light of day.”

  “Of course.” Allaina had a good point. None of them had spoken much after they started moving north in the trees. There was no reason to draw attention to themselves if the Elvasi came calling. “I did as you asked that night…Jesvena was dead when I found her.”

  “Oh…” Whatever Allaina was thinking stopped. Her eyes went wide, her mouth hanging open just a little. “That means…”

  “You take her place, right?” Mave frowned. “You’re the new mativa.”

  “No wonder none of them wanted to mention it.” Allaina looked over her shoulder to her husbands. “You all knew, didn’t you?”

  “Of course, love, but we figured you would need time to recover after this before assuming the role.” The tallest of her husbands stepped closer, looking guilty. He shot Mave a glance, half begging for help, half condemning her for saying anything. Mave shrugged, which caused Thyra to laugh and walk faster, leaving them to talk.

  “I have duties to deal with now. Everyone here is in my care.” The normally put together female pushed dirty hair out of her face. Dismay was all Mave saw. “Okay. Well, that changes everything. I need to talk to Senri and Alchan.”

  “You might want to give Alchan a couple of days,” Mave said quickly. “He’s got a lot on his plate.”

  “Of course, of course. Thank you, Mave.” Allaina didn’t seem ready. All the confidence she had portrayed in the months Mave knew her seemed to disappear. “What else happened that night?”

  Mave quickly gave her the information she wanted—how the Elvasi killed any adult male in the village, how they murdered the elderly who were considered useless, how they tried to take children, but Leshaun was to thank for saving many of them. Allaina absorbed all of it, asking small questions.

  “We just missed you in Blackstone,” Mave whispered finally. “We were there less than a day after they left with you. We would have saved you so much sooner if we had moved just a little faster.”

  “It’s okay,” Allaina told her, reaching out. Mave let the female touch her arm. “It sounds like you did just as I asked for that night and thank you for that. As for Blackstone…There’s nothing to say. You tried your best. Alchan did, the Company, my husbands and everyone else. You all did what you could. We’re here now. We’re leaving together. I didn’t think you would even come. Senri said you probably would, but I didn’t have enough faith. I’m sorry.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for.” Mave patted Allaina’s hand. “Do you need anything?”

  “Yes, actually,” Allaina admitted. “I want you and Senri to help me with something in the evenings.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Training the females to fight better. We can all use a sword but that night…they froze. Some didn’t, but most did. They all need to get more comfortable. If this happens again, they might not just be captured. There might not be a second chance. For the entire time they had me, I thought about that. I couldn’t help but think we should have been able to protect ourselves better, and maybe Jesvena and I were too soft. That has to change.”

  Thankfully, that was something Mave had already been thinking about.

  “It does, and I will. I haven’t seen Senri yet. She’s with her family, but I’ll help you find her at some point today, and we can start talking about it.” Mave felt another piece of newfound respect for Allaina. She saw a problem and was going to correct it before anything else could happen. That was impressive.

  “You know—”

  “What do y
ou mean you’re leaving the Company?” Senri screeched from the front end of their line. “Excuse me?”

  The crowd went silent of the chatter and happy reunions. Everyone was wondering what would happen next. Mave felt a sense of dread.

  “Love, please—”

  “No! No, you don’t get to give up everything you worked for because I got hurt! You pathetic, fucking piece of shit! I won’t fucking allow it! I won’t be the person you blame in a century when you’re fucking bored. I won’t be the person who made you give up what you love, Skies damn it!”

  “Senri!”

  “No, Kian! You are staying with your friends! You are staying with your brothers! And don’t you dare try to pin any of this on them, either. Don’t you dare. This is not Mave’s fault or Alchan’s or Nevyn’s. This is no one’s fault!”

  “Yes, it—”

  “NO!” she roared.

  They all stopped walking as it echoed in the trees. Allaina was shaking next to Mave, seemingly out of pure fear.

  Mave remembered what some said about Senri—a mother hen with a battle axe. She knew all about the mother hen. It was time to see the battle axe everyone talked about. She walked closer, meeting several of the Company members near the arguing family. Willem and Gentrin were keeping their heads down. Senri was red with anger as she glared down her longest husband, Kian, who was trying his best to stand up to his wife.

  Someone grabbed her hand, and she looked over to see Matesh, his expression grave. Were they witnessing the loss of a Company member or the breakup of a long marriage? None of them knew.

  “You were captured,” Kian whispered, full of rage at everything that had happened. “And it is our fault. I can’t put you at risk like that—”

  “I was captured because I wanted to be captured,” Senri hissed. “You think I’m foolish enough to get myself taken by the Elvasi? Really? I saw them taking other females and made the choice to drop my sword, Kian. I made that decision to protect them.” She pointed to others, and many of those other females dropped their eyes. Mave’s throat tightened. Her friend had offered herself willingly.

  “I couldn’t let them go through it all alone. The Elvasi took children, Kian. Children. I couldn’t abandon them and save myself. I couldn’t do it. Allaina told me she had asked Mave to save whoever she could. She and I decided to take on the rest. We would protect them, and we did our best. It’s not the Company’s fault I was taken. It’s mine.”

  Allaina stepped up behind Mave, and they let her through. Silently, Allaina went to stand next to Senri, her chin held high. Something told Mave the story wasn’t complete, but it didn’t matter who made that final decision. It was obvious they both stood behind their choice.

  “What?” Kian seemed at a loss. “You could have been there when we got home, and you decided to…?”

  “Children,” Senri reminded him. “Little children and their mothers. Think of what would have happened to them if Allaina and I didn’t go. Instead, they focused on the leaders, and we kept their attention.”

  Mave’s stomach flipped. Oh, her friends were heroes.

  No, Senri. Don’t tell him that. It’ll break him.

  Kian was pale. Mave wasn’t foolish enough to think none of the females in the group had been raped or beaten, but like Kian, she couldn’t possibly come to terms with it happening to Senri.

  “And I’m okay because I made that choice,” Senri whispered, her voice much gentler. “I trusted the Company with you three. You weren’t supposed to blame them for this. They aren’t the villains here, Kian. No one got me captured.”

  A hand landed on Mave’s lower back. Bryn showed up on the opposite side from Mat, holding her. Together, they waited for Kian’s reply.

  It never came. He turned away, holding his face. It was Nevyn who walked out and led him away. Senri watched him go, then her other two husbands followed, leaving her alone next to Allaina.

  “I warned you they wouldn’t like it,” the female whispered. “I warned you, Senri.”

  “I know.” Senri didn’t seem bothered. She didn’t look heartbroken. “We’ll heal. We have before, and if we can’t this time, they can find a soft female who is willing to hide at home. They wanted a warrior, and a warrior fights on every battlefield.” Her orange eyes looked over the crowd and landed on Mave. “Right, my friend?”

  “Right.” Mave nodded in agreement. “Every battlefield.”

  “We have some catching up to do.” Senri dropped the topic of her husbands just like that. “Walk with me?”

  “Of course. Allaina and I were just going to look for you when…” Mave gestured in the direction her friend’s husbands went. Lowering her voice as she drew closer, she continued. “How many did you save?”

  “Not all of them but as many as I could. More than half,” Senri answered softly. “Most men like something willing more than something crying.”

  “But not all of them,” Mave finished.

  “No, not all of them.” Senri looked past her and smiled. “Can you males give us a moment?”

  “Of course.” Mat lowered his head. He didn’t leave quickly, though, Mave kissed him and pushed softly. As he left, she turned and saw Bryn hadn’t moved a step.

  “You, too,” she ordered gently, running a hand over his cheek.

  “Aye, was hoping I could go unnoticed.” Bryn tried for a sheepish smile, but it fell flat.

  “I’ll always notice you,” she reminded him. With a kiss, he backed off as well, following Mat into the crowd. They were probably going to find Zayden and take the entire Company to talk to Kian.

  “You hurt him,” Mave said to Senri.

  “I knew it would hurt him, but I had a duty to protect my village and the Andinna in it. I failed that night, but I wasn’t going to continue failing. I could protect them in captivity.” Senri seemed nonplused. She was standing behind what she’d done, and nothing was going to budge her.

  “I understand. I could have killed the ones who used me in Elliar. I never did because survival was more important than my rage.” Mave felt fragile. She could see the cracks in Senri as well. Allaina only nodded silently. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Allaina murmured.

  Mave tilted her head but didn’t pry. She narrowed her eyes on Senri, who sighed heavily.

  “We had females go into their fertile times during captivity. Three.” Senri didn’t have to say who. One of them was obvious.

  Allaina. Senri had used her body to protect the female, and now, Allaina would have to carry that for the rest of her life.

  “I should have gotten captured with you,” Mave said, growling. She was angry again, looking over her shoulder, knowing somewhere behind them, the Elvasi were probably planning to come after them. “I’ve at least gone through it before.”

  “No. You did what we needed you to do. Allaina and I promised to protect the village. You promised to protect and serve the king. There’s a difference in duties there. You had to remain to pass along word.” Senri didn’t sound like there was a problem, but Mave felt like she’d failed them. Maybe Senri noticed, giving a bitter smirk. “Don’t be Kian. I’ll scream at you too.”

  “Fine,” Mave muttered. They walked together. After a while, Allaina pulled away, touching Senri softly on the shoulder, nodded her head to them, and left them. Mave watched her go before hissing at Senri. “Damn it. Jesvena is dead, and you two are…”

  “I know. I won’t say it was easy, but I came to terms with it the moment I dropped my sword. Allaina knew there was a chance. So did I. What about you? Did it ever happen?”

  “No,” she answered, swallowing. “You know what this is going to lead to, right?”

  “If it’s what I think it is, it’s about Skies damned time,” Senri growled, a vicious smile taking over. “About damn time.”

  “Agreed. Too bad it took this.” Mave sighed. “Please…don’t leave Kian.”

  “I would never, and I don’t think he’s angry with me, either. I think I
put too much on him at once, not that I feel bad for that. Willem and Gentrin follow his lead when he’s around, but…I run my family. They’ll come back, and a real conversation will happen, the way this is supposed to happen. I wasn’t expecting him to leave the Company. That pissed me off more than I should have let it.” Senri continued to look ahead. Mave knew the profile of someone bottling it all away, knew the way pain was hidden.

  I still do it every day.

  She grabbed Senri’s arm and looped in her own, escorting her. Senri turned her head sharply, her eyes wide. There was a snowy morning, months before, when Senri had done this very thing to her.

  “I’ve never had friends before the Company. I didn’t know love before Mat and Rain, in their different ways. And I never had a female I looked up to until you.” Mave didn’t know where the words were coming from, but they poured out of her like an out-of-control rain. “So, if you need anything, tell me.”

  “I will,” she promised. “Why were you and Allaina looking for me? She’s mativa now, you know.”

  “Yes, Jesvena being dead does make her a mativa. Is she ready?” Mave didn’t know the first thing about the job, but she and Allaina had already covered the fact the prissy female was now technically in charge.

  “Before the attack, I would have told you yes. Now, she just needs time to heal. She’s a tough bitch but going into her fertile time on the ship made her a bit more fragile, vulnerable. She’ll toughen back up. I didn’t let them touch her, not when that happened.” Senri’s expression was thoughtful and pained.

  “She wants you and me to start training the females better. She wants them to be real warriors. What happened that night was inexcusable. Alchan had already mentioned it to me as well.”

  “She’s right. They both are,” Senri sneered bitterly, upset by something. “And Jesvena died for her belief females needed to be coddled, now that we are a weaker race.”

  “Are you going to be okay?” She didn’t like that look on Senri’s face.