Legend of the Iron Flower Box Set (Books 1-4)

by Billy Wong

  "Who the hell are you?" she asked as Joghra shot an arrow at her, which she dodged while stabbing at the giantess before her. Somewhat to her surprise considering her opponent's brutish appearance, she could smell perfume.

  The huge girl parried her sword, but flinched nervously as she did so. "I am Fiona, daughter of Egbert Laros of Coblan, and I wield my father's blade to avenge his death."

  Another arrow bounced off Rose's shield. "Your father was the leader of Wilner's royal guard?"

  A quick nod between swings of the massive polearm confirmed it. "And I'm glad you've survived and accomplished so much until now, for it'll bring great honor to the Laros name to destroy you, Rose Agen!"

  "But I killed your father in fair combat—no actually, he ambushed me when I was supposed to be dueling his master! Why do you hate me so?" Rose pushed the giantess back with a heavy blow she could barely block, then Joghra shot an arrow at her leg which she deftly sidestepped.

  Fiona came forward again, teeth bared in anger. "Only because you killed my entire family, wiped out our line. All my brothers dead, along with my father, and my mother growing ill with grief and passing on soon after. Only I am left, but I won't let our name die quietly!"

  Rose felt a twinge of guilt over the sad tale, but hardly slowed, keeping both Fiona and Joghra at bay for the time being. She knew she had to go on the offense soon, and asked with forced casualness, "It's a sad story, but why do you insist on throwing away your own life if you have such love for your line?"

  The question made the girl hesitate a moment, fright widening her eyes as Rose began her furious assault. Fiona managed to block several swings of the great sword, but her mastery of the halberd was not quite what her father's had been, and the first slash that got past her guard split her helmet and dropped her like a felled tree.

  Joghra stared at Fiona's prone form with apparent fear. Then the giantess rose up, lips pulled back in a snarl while blood poured down her face from the gory head wound. Both women raised their weapons again and traded more thunderous blows. Fiona seemed to gain confidence. Maybe she didn't lack skill after all, but had doubted she could stand up to Rose, doubt which faded now that she was holding her own. Unexpectedly, somebody tackled her from the side. Rose looked to see Howard straddling the teenager, hitting her face with the hilt of his sword.

  "No, don't!" she said.

  "Don't what, kill her? Why show mercy to an enemy? Just because she's young?"

  "No, I mean-"

  Fiona punched him, launching him off her. He landed hard on his back, out cold. Joghra shot another arrow. Distracted, Rose sidestepped too late, and it pierced her shoulder. Then Loreen and Justin were there, interposing themselves between Fiona and the fallen Howard. Rose charged Joghra, deflecting more arrows.

  "Traitor!" the giantess bellowed, swinging her halberd. Loreen blocked, but the impact sent her flying. Justin thrust his spear into Fiona's side. She palmed his head with a huge hand and squeezed, causing him to scream in pain.

  "Back, Fiona," Joghra said calmly, walking backwards.

  She tossed Justin aside. "Why? At least let me kill that Coblan traitor!" But then she obeyed, breaking off the fight, and neither Loreen nor Justin followed that behemoth as she leaped agilely over the barricade.

  Rose tried to pursue Joghra. Several large men rushed to block her way, but she cut through them like straw dummies, keeping the general ever in her sights. She tore the uncomfortable shaft from her shoulder, baring her teeth at her enemy. But once again the man slipped away among his allies before she could reach him, and she spat in frustration. Suddenly a great rush of fatigue hit her, and she fell to one knee.

  Three hulking Sevrians advanced on her vulnerable figure. Rose forced herself to raise her sword and shield in spite of her strange weakness, which she guessed must be due to poison on Joghra's arrow. Before the battle could commence, a dagger sprouted in the eye of one of her opponents. A man rushed the two remaining, bringing one down with a quick stab to the neck. Justin, she realized as she stood and cut the last Sevrian down. Having disposed of the immediate threats, she laid down for a rest while Justin knelt by her side.

  "Are you okay? What happened?"

  "The two giants attacked her," Howard said, awake. "I scared them off."

  Rose ignored him. "Poisoned," she breathed. She tried to rise, but her body was so very tired, and she stopped to give it more time to regain its strength.

  "Loreen! Rose is badly hurt! Get over here!"

  The one-armed woman ran to them and helped her into a sitting position. Seeing the worry on her friend's face, Rose smiled weakly. "What happened?" Loreen asked.

  "She got poisoned by Joghra," Justin answered. "And Howard ran him and Fiona off."

  Good time for jokes. "What's going to happen to me?" Rose wondered as she grew drowsier.

  Loreen shook her head. "Joghra uses a variety of poisons, but they are all fatal to most people. I hope your vitality is strong enough to withstand whatever he put in you... Rose, you have to rest now. There's no way you can fight like this."

  For once she agreed, and pleaded, "Loreen, please don't fight until I'm better. I don't know what Joghra might do to try and get to me. Stay by my side—I need you."

  Loreen hugged Rose's neck and patted her hair. "Don't worry, I won't leave you. Let's get inside, away from the battle." She helped Rose to her tent, and taking off her armor laid her down on her bedroll. Then Loreen stayed with her, watching carefully over her wounded friend.

  #

  "Why did we run?" Fiona demanded in Joghra's tent. "You poisoned her, we could have killed them!"

  "Patience, young one," he said, watching her pick at the wrappings over her flank wound with amusement. "For all you hate Rose, you should know her better—she is one who rallies under adversity, and had I engaged her it is not certain I would have killed her. She was already badly wounded when she fought your father and Wilner, and you know the result. Besides, I want to see how this legend reacts to my poison."

  "So what? Are we just going to wait for her to recover?"

  "You have little imagination. A normal person would already be dead, but I figured the poison might not enough to kill her. I don't know if this will keep her from the field, but it should at least weaken and slow her down for some time. We will thus slaughter her allies while avoiding her and watch her soft heart break. As I said, adversity strengthens her resolve, but like everything there must be a limit to that. We will see it."

  "You are cruel." Fiona smiled. "I like it."

  Just then, a messenger ran inside with a report. "General, I have important news from our spies! Finn Nost has just been spotted heading towards the enemy camp."

  Joghra saw Fiona glare at him and frowned. Amazing how easily twists in the story could ruin great plans... but that was why one should always be ready to make new ones.

  #

  Finn made his way into the encampment, his heart heavy. He'd stopped by Hullel to visit Rose's parents, and to his dismay learned her father Rick had fallen ill and was not expected to live long. He didn't know how to break the news to Rose and wished he had a spell to cure the disease, but he'd only focused on offensive magics and healing was much more complex and difficult. Their reunion would be unhappy indeed.

  Soldiers looked at him with worry on their faces. "Where's Rose?" he asked with some fear.

  An officer with curly blond hair, about his own age, greeted him. "Finn, right? I'm Justin Lipner, the general's nephew. Your lover is in her tent. She was shot with a poisoned arrow by the Death General of the Sevrians, but is holding up surprisingly well. Certainly, she is an incredibly strong woman."

  The compliment didn't much reassure him, and he demanded impatiently, "Where is the tent?"

  Justin pointed the humble structure out, and Finn ran to see his love. To his shock, he found Loreen helping Rose put on her armor. She was obviously hurt, her movements lacking their usual grace. "Rose, you're already going back to battle? I heard you
were poisoned only days ago."

  "Finn?!" Rose stared at him with shock, which in an instant turned to joy. She threw herself laughing into his arms, unsecured pieces of armor forgotten in her elation. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be working on the revival of magic in Gustrone—did you put all that responsibility on Derrick's shoulders?"

  He hugged her gently, as if she were a child. "I had to come help you, first in my heart. Look at the wounds you've already had to take without me. Why the hell are you returning to the field so soon? You need rest. Even your endurance isn't without limit."

  She shook her head sadly. "Returning? You don't know the half of it. I never really left—the day after Joghra shot me, I came back to the fight. We'd already been driven back a line that day, and I didn't think we could afford any more. I couldn't stop, not with Joghra still alive and able to pick us off at his leisure without my presence to discourage him. My body felt half asleep, but I thought I hid it pretty well. Don't worry, I already feel strong again now that you're here!"

  Finn couldn't bear to shattered his wounded love's joy, but knew he had to and finally forced the words out. "Rose, your father fell sick a short while ago, and lies dying. He wants to see you one last time."

  Her eyes turned moist. "B-but doesn't... doesn't Hullel have the healing charm?"

  "Yes, but the magic has limits. It can heal most wounds and illnesses from without—but it's useless when the body turns against itself."

  "Why didn't my mother send a message?"

  "She knew you were busy at war, and didn't want any distraction to endanger you more. But after I saw what was going on, she finally relented."

  Rose simply stared at him for a few seconds. Then tears began to run down her cheeks, and she buried her sobbing head against Finn's massive chest. He held her and let her release her fill of anguish. He noticed Loreen looking piteously at the big woman as her body shook with grief and knew she too ached with sadness for her friend, helpless for all her great strength.

  Finally Rose pulled herself away, and looked with sad determination into her love's eyes. "Let's go, Finn. I won't waste any time, but give my dad as much of me as I can before it's too late."

  #

  "See?" Joghra said to Fiona after news arrived of the lovers' departure. "Fortune does favor us."

  #

  The couple rode with few words to Hullel, where Rose came home with dread in her heart at what she must see. She walked into her father's bedroom, where her heavyset mother Lise sat by his side, watching his pale face with eyes dry from crying.

  Rose sat by her father's side, and hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Daddy, I'm here."

  His eyes slowly opened, and he blinked. "Rose, why do you look nearly as pale as me? Are you ill?"

  She forced a reassuring smile. "It's nothing. I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner. I love you. I... I don't know what to say. Daddy, I don't want you to die!" She burst into tears anew, and rested her head against his chest. He hugged her weakly. Realizing she should be the one comforting him, she returned the hug, but could not stop her tears.

  Her father kissed her and caressed her face. "Don't worry, Rose. At least I had the chance to raise such a great daughter as you. You're everything I would have dreamed my son to be, and more. I love you so much—you're the pride of my life. I remember when you were a little girl, and wanted to be a blacksmith just like me. Back then, I said you couldn't do that because it was a man's job, and you were a girl. Look at you now—who can match your sword? You're so big and strong. You're the strongest warrior in the world. Please don't cry anymore, it's unbecoming of you."

  Rose couldn't help it, and her body shook with the sobs. "Dad, is there anything I can do for you? I can't just sit here—it tears my heart to shreds to see you so! I know I'm weak, I know. But it hurts so much!"

  He looked at her, pity for her grief in his eyes. "There's nothing you can do to save me. This is my battle, one I will lose. If you must do something, tell me what a good father I was so I can fade with my heart at ease, knowing I led a worthy life."

  Seeing his lip quiver, she realized just how scared her strong father really was. She held his hand as she told stories about him, that he could hardly remember in his sickness and cheered him to hear. She tried to stop and let him get some rest when night fell, but though everyone else had gone, he would not let her go and she stayed, talking to him throughout the night. When the sun began to rise, she realized his hand had gone limp, and his spirit passed from his body. Again she buried her face in his shirt, and cried and cried.

  They buried him in the field behind the house, Finn doing practically all the digging as Rose's grief weighed down her arms and she merely picked half-heartedly at the earth with her shovel as if trying to delay her final goodbye. Rose's mother wailed when the warriors lowered the body into the grave, and Finn held Rose comfortingly while she covered it with dirt. They laid a boulder over the grave which half a dozen normal men could not have moved, and carved Rick's name in huge letters on it.

  "He would have liked this," Rose said with a sniff. "He always had a thing for grand gestures."

  They stayed a few more days, the women talking about the dead man and crying together while Finn sat there with a miserable frown. He must have felt useless in helping Rose cope with her pain though she appreciated the way he tried, holding her comfortingly as she cried in his arms when she wasn't with her mother. Finally, when Rose thought Lise could take care of herself again, she gave her a kiss goodbye. Then, she put on her armor.

  Finn stared at her. "Suiting up already? Are you sure you're ready to fight again?"

  Though she wasn't sure she could perform like she normally did on the battlefield, Rose nodded. "Why else would I leave so soon, if I didn't intend to fight? The Kayland army needs me, and I've already deprived them of my—our—aid for more than a week. I hope they're doing all right."

  They began to walk away from the house, but Lise ran out and grabbed her daughter's hand. "Please don't go, Rose. I need you by my side. Without Rick, who'll take care of me but you?"

  Lise's words made tears come immediately to her eyes as she thought of her mom all alone, grieving with no one to give her comfort, and she was sorely tempted to stay. But Rose replied, "What about the people who are waiting for my help, whose very lives are in greater danger due to my absence? I'm not going to abandon you. I'll always provide for you, and you're welcome to come live with me in Gustrone when I'm done fighting this war. But right now, I'm needed by thousands who are in far more imminent danger than you are here. I'm really sorry, Mom, but it's true. I know you're hurting, since my own heart is torn, but please let me go do what I must."

  The fright in Lise's eyes was devastating. "I can't bear to lose you too. I understand that fighting is what you do, but can't you take a break from it, just this once, for me? It's not unreasonable for a daughter to do, to set aside some time for mourning."

  Rose knew there was no way she could reconcile what her mother wanted and what her comrades needed, but tried to sooth her mom's distress. "I loved Dad and you know that, but I've already stayed too long. If this war was not so dire for Kayland, I'd stay here as long as you wanted. But it's a terrible battle we fight, and I'm scared even to see what's happened in the time since I left. Two of the most fearsome warriors I've ever met are probably butchering our allies right now. I have to go back, because we won't even have a country if our enemy has his way. Don't worry, Mom, I promise I'll come back alive. I'm so sorry..."

  Lise had no more words for her, and began to sob anew, feebly letting her go as if releasing the limp hand of a deceased child. Guilt tightened her chest, but Rose did not look back, unwilling to face again the temptation to stray from her resolve.

  Chapter 4

  With a heavy heart, Rose, along with Finn, traveled back to the encampment to find that the Sevrians had pushed the Kayland forces to their eighth line of defense in the time they were gone. Silence and fear
ful glances greeted the couple, and Rose feared the reason. Finding the tent she and Loreen shared empty, she asked where her friend was, but everyone around shrugged or shook his head. Finally, Howard burst out of his tent and pulled her inside. She saw the one-armed woman lying on a bedroll with eyes closed, clothes and light brown hair darkened with blood.

  "They left her to die," Howard explained. "When Joghra and Fiona came back and began killing our men freely, Uncle blamed you. When Loreen got hurt, he ordered that no one help her and everybody was too scared to disobey him, though Justin gave a few words of protest."

  "And you... you helped her?"

  "Of course. You helped me a little, so I should return the favor. I'm just sorry I couldn't do more. My medical knowledge is far below my peerless sword skills."

  Rose examined her friend's injuries. Loreen had some bad cuts, but none of them looked fatal and Howard had done a decent job of bandaging them. She expected the tough woman to recover in time. "Hey, you did your best and went against your uncle's wishes, which took some guts. Thanks." Anger replaced the worry on her face, and she growled, "It's time Lipner got a little talking to. Such heartless deeds can't be ignored."

  "You are a brave woman, to stand up to my uncle."

  "Have you even been watching me during our battles together?" she asked half-seriously.

  "You're strong, but not at all scary like him."

  Rose smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Howard. You're all right. You've been fortunate in the time I was gone, haven't you? Not a wound in sight."

  "Not really. My uncle wouldn't let me fight without you around. He doesn't trust me to take of myself."

  Lipner's caution must have risen from seeing Joghra and Fiona's rampage. She supposed that might be for the best. "Take care," she said, and left to settle things with the general.