“Never mind.” Golden Eagle looked down at the stone steps, which led somewhere in the dark. “Did you bring torches?”
“I have one back on my horse. I’ll go and get it.”
Lady Jin heard a snarl like a tiger, and a giant frog came up the steps. The two women stepped backwards with their swords ready. The frog carried a spear in its webbed hands and walked on its two green, but human-like legs. More frogs followed. They were also armed with spears or swords.
Lady Jin and Golden Eagle stood side by side and they fought off the frog soldiers. Lady Jin smacked aside a spear thrust with her sword and stomped on the frog’s shin. The frog stumbled back. It recovered from her kick and thrust again at Lady Jin. Lady Jin sidestepped. The spear point sped by her and returned with a satisfying thrust into the frog’s side. Lady Jin smiled. She yanked her sword free. Another frog quickly replaced the dead one by hopping over the corpse of its comrade. Lady Jin deflected the frog’s sword cut and retreated. Another frog soldier got up the steps. This one also carried a sword.
The two frogs stood side by side with their sword points held out in front of them. Lady Jin smacked and dodged their swords as they attacked. One of the frogs spit its tongue out at her striking her left arm. The sticky tongue held onto her arm sleeve and pulled her towards it. Lady Jin grabbed the sticky thing and hacked through it. The frog screamed and fell backwards. Lady Jin jumped forward, flung the tongue at the other frog’s eye, and followed with a viscous hack and thrust into the belly. Three more frogs with spears forced Lady Jin back even further. Lady Jin glanced to her right to see Golden Eagle doing the same. The two women backed up to the entrance. Now they were shoulder to shoulder as five frogs approached. Behind them, more came up from the basement. Lady Jin wiped the gooey frog saliva off her hand.
“Dammit!” Golden Eagle cursed. “We have to leave this place.”
“They’ll follow us!” Lady Jin dropped to her knee as a frog with a spear stabbed, but made the mistake of getting too close. With her left hand she pushed the spear up away from her head and hacked open the frog’s amphibian guts. Lady Jin was back on her feet in an instance to block another spear thrust from a frog less eager to die.
“We’ll have a chance to escape on the horses,” Golden Eagle explained.
“True. It might work.” Lady Jin chopped off a frog’s hand and stabbed at another one’s groin.
The two women stepped outside into the daylight. Lady Jin reached for the door and slowly forced it closed as Golden Eagle hacked at the frog soldiers. Golden Eagle then helped Lady Jin slam the heavy door shut. The creatures on the other side rammed and shoved against door as the two women held it shut with their backs and legs.
“As soon as we move from the door they’re going to be out and after us!”
“Obviously!” Lady Jin laughed and kissed Golden Eagle on the cheek.
“Stop that!” Golden Eagle elbowed her and chuckled. “The kid will be ready to go.”
Lady Jin looked at the horses where Nu was still tied to her horse. All three horses had the ends of their reins tied around their front legs to hobble them, thus keeping them close by.
“One...” Golden Eagle began. “Two...THREE!”
They rushed to the horses, untied the horse’s reins, and jumped onto their backs. Lady Jin grabbed the reins of Nu’s horse with a glance at Nu. As they did this, the frogs burst out of the ruins to attack. One threw a spear that landed in the ground in front of Lady Jin’s horse. They galloped away to escape, and slowed to a trot so as not to tire their mounts.
Chapter fifteen
After they were sure they hadn’t been followed, the women set up a camp out in the tundra. I’ll need to get a fire going for later. Lady Jin untied Nu and laid the girl on a blanket and got a fire started. Golden Eagle climbed a hill where some bushes were growing. Lady Jin poured water on a rag to wipe Nu’s sweaty face. The girl swung her head side-to-side and mumbled.
“You’ll be fine, Nu.” Lady Jin took off the girl’s boots. Nu coughed. Lady Jin massaged her feet in a way meant to help the chi flow.
“These are some herbs I found,” Golden Eagle said when she returned. “I can use them with some other herbs I had in my saddlebag. It should help Nu.”
“Thank you.”
Golden Eagle mixed the herbs in a clay bowl and added some water. She cooked the mixture over the campfire. When it was ready Golden Eagle brought the bowl of herbal tea to the girl’s wet mouth.
“It isn’t a cure,” Golden Eagle said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know else what to do.”
“I understand, Snake—I mean Golden Eagle.” Lady Jin sighed.
“Yes.” Golden Eagle stepped behind Lady Jin and massaged her shoulders. Golden Eagle stopped as quickly as she started and walked to the other side of the campfire. “I’m sorry.”
After a few minutes Nu opened her eyes and coughed. “What happened?”
“You were sick for a long time,” Lady Jin said. “Golden Eagle found some herbs to help with the poison the wizard struck you with. We don’t know what it was. The stuff she gave you will only slow the poison. It isn’t a cure, Nu. I’m so sorry.”
“Its not your fault, mistress.” Nu sat up. “And I feel better now.”
Golden returned with more herbs for later, the sun had set. Lady Jin volunteered to stay up for first watch. The other two slept until it was their turn for watch duty.
Chapter sixteen
The next morning Golden Eagle checked with her magic mirror and found the wizard had moved towards the east. They rode on in the new direction to find another house of silver that was bigger than the last. This time, six human-sized frogs were waiting for them dressed in light cavalry armor on horses. Each one held a spear.
“Are you ready, Nu?” asked Lady Jin.
“Yes! I can do this, mistress!” Nu drew her sword. She didn’t look unnaturally pale to Lady Jin.
The three swords-women charged the enemy without hesitation. Lady Jin leaned down to avoid a spear and swung around in her saddle to swing her sword in an arc at the frog’s throat. She spun the other way to block another spear as she went past the enemy. Lady Jin turned her horse, as did the other women on each side. Four cavalry frogs turned their mounts toward their direction. The two riderless horses turned with them as well, but stopped finding their riders gone. Three against four! That’s better odds! Lady Jin slapped her horse’s rump with the flat of her blade. Three swords-women charged again. As the two forces met, Lady Jin smacked a spear aside and jumped at the frog to wrestle it to ground. She landed on top of the frog without breaking any of her own bones. The frog was in worse shape than Lady Jin. Lady Jin got up on her feet with her sword ready. Another cavalry frog was rushing to crush her underfoot, but Lady Jin cartwheeled out of the way. The cavalry frog turned his horse for another run at her, but Golden Eagle on horseback slashed into his neck killing the frog. His blood splattered his horse’s mane.
“Golden Eagle!” Lady Jin raised her sword in salute.
“Lady Jin!” Golden Eagle saluted back.
“Now that we killed those things,” Nu shouted from horseback. “How are we going to get inside that place?”
Lady Jin looked and saw a wide moat around the silver house.
“Swim,” Golden Eagle suggested.
After checking their horses and each other for wounds they rested and ate a little of the rations they had. Nu drank more of Golden Eagle’s herbal tea.
“Tastes like ass,” Nu said.
“You an expert?” Golden Eagle joked.
“What? Shut up!” Nu coughed.
Lady Jin chewed on old dried bread, absently thinking of getting into the house. She took her horse by the reins and led it to the edge of the moat. One of the horse’s hooves touched the water; the horse backed away with a frightened cry. She tried to pull her gelding towards the water again and he bucked.
“Easy boy! Easy. Easy.” Lady Jin took the horse away from the water to calm him.
&
nbsp; Golden Eagle tried to do the same with her horse, but got the same reaction.
“We’ll need to leave the horses here and swim across,” Lady Jin said, making a decision.
“You sure?” Golden Eagle asked. “The horses will make it. I’m sure.”
“No, my friend,” Lady Jin said. “We’ll leave them on this side of the moat. Forcing them across will just cause them to bolt and we don’t have the time to deal with that.”
“Fine by me,” Golden Eagle said. “One-eyed? Is that fine with you?”
“Yes.” Nu rubbed her nose. “What my mistress wants is fine with me.”
The three women decided to remove their leather clothes and boots to wrap up with their weapons. They held this stuff over their heads as they swam across the moat. Lady Jin found the water cooler than expected. Lady Jin and Golden Eagle found it easy to get across, but poor Nu lagged behind. As soon as Lady Jin was on the other side she tossed down her clothes and weapons then returned to help Nu. Nu was too weak to carry her belongings.
“I got them, Nu,” Lady Jin said. “Can you swim the rest of the way on your own?”
“Tired, but yes.” Nu nodded.
As soon as they made it, Lady Jin tossed Nu’s stuff by her own. Nu had to be helped out of the water. Lady Jin laid Nu down. The girl was panting. The house not too far away.
Chapter seventeen
“I’m sorry, mistress,” Nu said. “I just need to rest a...little...bit...more...”
Lady Jin saw the girl’s eyes close. “Nu? Hey, kid!” She shook the girl. Nu opened her eyes again, but was silent. Nu felt cold again. She had felt warm while in the river. This isn’t good.
“That swim shouldn’t have done this to her,” said Golden Eagle who was now wearing her leather clothes. “The poison is getting worse, Lady Jin.”
“Can you get more of that tea down her?” Lady Jin dried Nu’s wet naked body with her leather shirt.
“I need to make more.”
“Well, do it!” Lady Jin snapped.
“Okay. You don’t have to bitch like that.”
“I haven’t begun to bitch about this, Snake-tongue!”
“Hush. Please. I’m sorry, but don’t say that. Please.”
“I’m sorry...Golden Eagle.”
Golden Eagle left while Lady Jin put on her dry leather pants and then her soggy shirt. Lady Jin dressed Nu as quickly as she could. It was sunny, but the girl could still get sick from the cold.
Later Golden Eagle returned with a bowl of ground herbs. “Why didn’t you start a fire?”
“What?” Lady Jin was holding Nu’s head in her lap.
“While I was working on the herbs.”
“Oh shit!” Lady Jin said. “I didn’t think.”
“I noticed.”
Lady Jin cut some branches of nearby trees and found some moss on one of them. She and Golden Eagle started a fire and got the moss burning. Lady Jin put some wood on the fire.
“That should be enough to cook the herbs.” Golden Eagle added some water to the herbs.
Lady Jin looked at Nu again to find her breathing. Her eyes were open.
“I don’t feel good, mistress.”
“Golden Eagle is making you some more medicine.”
Nu nodded in understanding. After Golden Eagle gave Nu the herbal tea to drink the girl felt better. She sat up.
“Do you feel better?” Golden Eagle said.
“A little.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“What?” Lady Jin said.
“It’s getting worse,” Golden Eagle said.
“Okay.” Nu said. “I’ll be fine. Go check it out.”
“Are you sure?”
“Don’t worry about me, mistress.” Nu rubbed her hands together. “Just kill that damn wizard for me.”
“I will. I promise.”
Lady Jin and Golden Eagle walked towards the entrance to the house.
“You’re not much of a friend,” Golden Eagle whispered.
“What?”
“You didn’t just risk your life to save me,” Golden Eagle whispered. “But you’ve risked hers too. I can’t believe you were such a fool. I was supposed to die the day I died. Any consequences for my actions were my own fault and no one else’s.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you.” Golden Eagle touched the tips of Lady Jin’s fingers. Golden Eagle’s hands felt colder than Nu’s. “But you shouldn’t have risked your student’s life for me.”
Golden Eagle turned away to open the door to the house. Lady Jin followed without speaking, but just for a second she turned to glance back at Nu.
Lady Jin and Golden Eagle looked around the front room of the house there were burning candles hung along the wall of the room. No one else seemed to be there. Lady Jin looked at her leather and wished she had brought bronze or iron armor. Maybe a helmet would be nice. There was a spiral staircase made of stone in the center of the room. The two women walked towards it with their swords bared and their ears listening.
“He must be up there waiting.” Lady Jin saw the stairs.
“You want to kiss now?” Golden Eagle chuckled and rubbed Lady Jin’s leather covered shoulder.
“Now you ask me?” Lady Jin snorted.
Golden Eagle shrugged and looked back up the stairs. Lady Jin grabbed Golden Eagle’s face turned it. She kissed her soft, cold lips. Golden Eagle didn’t push her away this time and Lady Jin’s felt the other woman’s hand around her waist. Lady Jin felt no warmth from Golden Eagle’s body. Golden Eagle kissed back.
“Maybe we should have found a safer place to do this,” Golden Eagle said.
“Do what?” Lady Jin said.
“You know. I missed you a lot. Even before I died. I should have left you.”
“But you did.”
“I was a fool.”
“I was too.” Lady Jin kissed her again. “I should—”
“Don’t think about it.” Golden Eagle placed a finger on Lady Jin’s lips. “We may just have a few minutes left.”
“I don’t know if this is going to work or not.” Lady Jin kissed Golden Eagle’s fingers and rubbed them as if that would bring back the warmth of life. It didn’t.
“It might work.” Golden Eagle held up the magic mirror she had used to follow the wizard. “This might stop him if I can get it close enough to him.”
“I love you...Snake-tongue.”
Chapter eighteen
Lady Jin and Golden Eagle marched up the stone steps to the top of the wizard’s house. They found him seated on a large round cushion.
He opened his eyes. “And you two still wish to continue the fight?” The wizard shook his head at them. “So sad. I tried to bring joy to this world once so long ago. Maybe I have been here too long. I should go to a different part of the world after this. Maybe.” He used a cane to help him stand to his full height, but he still wasn’t as tall as Lady Jin or Golden Eagle. His back seemed more stooped than when Lady Jin first met the wizard. Lady Jin circled to the left with her sword ready.
“Where’s your friend?” the wizard taunted. “Why isn’t she here?”
“You know why.” Lady Jin sliced at the wizard, who held up a hand. A red shield appeared to block the attack and disappeared after the attack. She struck again and again. Each time the red shield appeared to stop her attack.
“And what trick have they given you stop me, Snake-tongue?” the wizard suddenly asked Golden Eagle. “Yes, I know who you are. Did they think they could fool me with such a simple trick?”
Golden Eagle attacked with her sword and the red shield appeared to block it. Lady Jin saw her chance and thrust the blade towards his back, but the red shield appeared in her way to stop her also.
“The magic I used on the girl can’t harm you, but it can harm the woman you love!”
“Noooo!” Golden Eagle shouted as the wizard turned to attack. Lady Jin prepared herself to dodge the next attack, but it didn’t come. Golden Eagle ju
mped upon the wizard and a large red shield appeared to block the tackle. The energy from the shield struck Golden Eagle and she flew backwards against the stone wall.
The wizard turned towards Golden Eagle and laughed. “You actually thought you could touch me physically and there wouldn’t be consequences? You fool! You dumb fool! Now your woman will join you in death!”
Lady Jin went to attack the wizard again with her blade, but the magic mirror on the floor had enlarged to five times its size, to something that could be held in your hand. Lady Jin suddenly understood. I need to get the wizard to stand on the magic mirror. Lady Jin dropped her sword and tackled the wizard as Golden Eagle had done. Lady Jin felt an electrical shock as the red shield appeared behind the wizard. She was knocked backwards to the other side of the room to hit the stone wall hard.
The wizard laughed at Lady Jin. He walked towards her as she watched him through blurry eyes. Lady Jin hoped he would come just a little closer.
“You fools!” The wizard’s feet neared the magic mirror, just as Lady Jin hoped he would. Just a little closer. In his arrogance he hadn’t looked down once. He laughed again, but the magic mirror began to glow a bright blue color. “What? What is this?”
“The end of you, old wizard!” Golden Eagle shouted.
“Nooooo!” Blue energy flowed up and around the wizard. The red shield appeared to block it, but it was no use. The wizard disappeared, leaving the two of them alone. The magic mirror returned to its small size.
Golden Eagle ran to Lady Jin’s side to help her up. “Are you okay, my love?”
“Yes.” Lady Jin smiled and looked into Golden Eagle’s eyes. They were the same eyes as Snake-tongue’s when he was alive. “I love you.”
“I know,” Golden Eagle said before she disappeared in front of Lady Jin.
“No, Snake-tongue!” Lady Jin screamed, but she soon vanished into thin air as well.
The Gory Pearl of Doom: A Lady Jin and One-eyed Nu novel Page 5
