Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  Jess shrugged. "Or at least, that's what I hope is going on. Otherwise, my family is a perpetual heartbeat away from disaster, unlikely to last more than a handful of years."

  Jess suddenly flushed, gazing wryly into solemn green eyes. “And here I am, revealing my innermost thoughts to a girl I adore, who I hope will never betray my trust with them.”

  Rulia's eyes widened and she looked momentarily hurt, before giving a throaty chuckle. "Ah, and have I ever given my lover a reason to doubt me? My loyalty to those I hold dear? Perhaps you need a little discipline, to remind you of just how wondrous the mistress of your heart truly is."

  Jess's smile met her own, their kiss deep and passionate.

  Rulia winked. “And if you think to distract me, lover, you seriously underestimate me. You are going on some mad little goose chase, ostensibly to humiliate you, but if there is even the slightest chance there is more to it than that, I am going by your side. Two swords, after all, are better than one.”

  Jess grinned and nodded. “In truth, I would like that, Rulia. I would like that very much. But I would regret being the cause of you missing the celebration.”

  Rulia held Jess close, stroking her hair. “A pox on the gala. You are what matters to me. Do you truly think trouble awaits?”

  Jess shrugged. “No more than to be found in any afternoon outing near the forest. I didn't sense any deception or malicious intent from the disciplinarian when she came by. If I had to guess? What she feels is mostly, well, pity. What hostility she had at my defying her would have been easily defused had I apologized to her, shown her the respect she feels she warrants. Honestly? I think she felt almost as sickened to see me beaten as Apple was. But being a lady past her prime with no husband or family, I suspect this school is all she has. Were she to defy the head disciplinarian, she would lose the only place where she feels she belongs, be cast adrift, and forced to wonder if her entire life had had any real meaning at all.”

  Rulia's gaze was strangely solemn. “Could you truly sense all that from looking at her, Jess?”

  Jess flushed and looked away. “Honestly, it just sort of came to me. As if there was a sad little girl wondering what her life had become, looking through the eyes of a middle-aged woman who pitied me.” Jess gave her lover a quick kiss. “Honestly, it is only malicious intent, such as a cold merchant's connivance or an adversary's hostile glare that I sense, Rulia. The rest is just me trying to make sense of how a bitter but decent person could watch me get beaten and do nothing.”

  Jess felt her cheeks turn crimson, even as she gazed into her lover's sympathetic eyes. “And here I am, telling you more secrets.”

  Rulia's smile lit her face. "Then you should know, silly girl, my heart is free of malice, cruelty, or envy. What I feel, well, I think it's a lot closer to this."

  A spark kindled into roaring flame as their lips touched, their kiss turning hot and fierce, and together they burned away the day in each other's arms, pushing away all frustration and worry for the sweet comfort of bliss.

  21

  “That's right, Captain. Jessica and I are going on a little courier mission for Lady Grimsly's pleasure, since neither of us is interested in the silly little gala, and we understand that you and your men are needed here to assure the well-being of all the young lords and ladies of Krona, safely under your watchful eye.”

  The captain of the academy guard gazed at Jess and Rulia both with eyes that had seen much. Few things got past him, of that Jess was sure. His grim countenance lightened into a tolerant smile. "I've seen you both fight. I seriously doubt any ruffian who dared the main road on a day when so many nobility and their retinues have come in from the city would be any trouble for the pair of you. Still, you are heading the opposite way, and the road does skirt deep forest, so nothing wrong with you both being kitted out in the sturdiest armaments we have. Helms with full cheek guards, a pair of barbutes some nobleman or other gifted us with, years ago."

  Jess flushed and smiled her gratitude, dipping her head low, fist to chest, one warrior to another. “I thank you, Captain.”

  He dipped his head in turn. “It is I who thank you for your service, Squire.”

  Jess blinked and swallowed, feeling a slight chill, but said nothing.

  The captain, it seemed, was a very observant man indeed. “I know not what games are played by my betters, nor do I wish to. But when honest fighting men and women are brought down low by the connivances of others, I believe it is our duty to look out for each other. For when all is said and done, and battle is joined, we have only ourselves to count on, when the hills turn red with the blood of friend and foe.”

  Jess smiled, her heart swelling with pride. “When the king cries havoc, and the clarion call of battle rings forth once more, it is we who lead the vanguard, the hounds of war.”

  The captain gave an approving chuckle, fist to chest, as smart a salute as Jess could want from any trooper she led. "I thought I recognized one of Eloquin's Chosen. He leaves his mark on all the officers he trains." He gave an approving nod. "Ruthless bastards, every damn one of you. And when the air is thick with enemy arrows, foes on all sides, it is officers like yourself that are most likely to get us back home alive."

  “You served then, in the border wars.”

  The man nodded. “I did indeed. Under General Calenbry. But he always made use of Eloquin's tacticians. Fierce killers and ruthless, but damned effective at breaking through enemy lines, and you lot never did spend our lives, without making our enemies bleed for it.”

  Jess nodded, oddly touched to see such reverence in a man who she had thought had seen her as but a wayward student of this ladies academy. But his hard eyes made it clear he was no fool, and she had never fought like a dainty waif. No. Always like the tactician she was. Forever a student of General Eloquin and her father both.

  “Your armsmen know how to read an opponent, press their advantage as best they can. You've taught them well. Eloquin might have use for a man like you,” Jess found herself saying. “Away from the sniping harridans that make up the faculty of this excuse for a school. If I were you, Captain, I'd make my way to Highrock on your next break, and ask Eloquin if he could use another trainer.” Her smile turned mischievous. “You can tell him that his old friend's wayward daughter sent you.”

  The captain gazed quizzically at Jess for a few quiet moments before his features blossomed into a rueful smile. “I should have guessed. I see how you pull your blows, Jessica de Calenbry. I should have sensed your father's mark upon you.” He gave a thoughtful nod. “One moment, my lady.”

  Jess nodded, only then turning to gaze at her lover, strangely put off by how solemn and sad Rulia looked.

  "Rulia?" Jess's voice was soft, tentative. Rulia shook her head and said nothing, but when an anxious hand gently quested for her own, she didn't hesitate to caress it, soothing Jess immediately.

  Within moments, the captain brought out two fine hauberks of mail. His gaze was solemn. “Whatever armaments you desire, our resources are at your disposal, my lady. Are you sure I can't convince you to have some of my men tag along?”

  Jess gazed thoughtfully at the man for a moment before eventually shaking her head. “Best case scenario, this is but another asinine errand of the head disciplinarian who will never forgive the fact that she can't break me.”

  The captain chuckled at that. “More the fool her to think she could.”

  Jess nodded. “If this is nothing, it is best that you do nothing to draw Grimsly's attention, as Rulia and I are more than capable of simple reconnaissance, since you were able to explain the route to the inn a bit better than Proctor Aislin could." Jess sighed. "But if it is more than that, then if even one of your men goes missing, our enemies will immediately know that you are far from impartial, and if they would dare to strike out at me, I shudder to think of what they might do to you and yours." Her lips hardened. "No, Captain. I have enough lives to worry about already, if you will forgive my saying so, when social
convention declares that here, unlike the battlefield, I must wait for my enemies to strike first. I am not allowed to take the fight to them."

  The captain nodded. “I cannot argue with your logic, bitter as I am to think that your enemies could use your own potential allies against you. Threatening the families of men who would fight by your side. Truly, Dame Jess, the battlefield was a far more honest place than the arena this school trains its girls to face.”

  "Don't I know it," Jess sighed, before flashing a smile that invited confidence. "Still, Captain, if you were to invest Rulia and me with your two best horses, it would be that much more an edge for an encounter which, let's be honest, is hardly likely to manifest at all."

  The captain, of course, had been more than happy to, personally gearing up his best pair of mounts, making sure mace, sword, and shield were properly secured to their saddles, waving the pair of them a fond farewell as he made his way back out the stables, and Jess was almost certain that Eloquin would find himself blessed with another skilled trainer before too long.

  Jess turned then to the stablemaster, who had all but fled the stables when the guard captain had arrived, only deigning to dip his head before Jess when the other man had taken his leave. "Can you point us to the mount prepared for us?"

  Without a word, the stablemaster did just that, the horse in question already bridled with a lead rope, packs expertly placed upon her.

  Jess shivered, her senses tingling, as all became suddenly clear.

  A single question asked and answered by the stablemaster, Jess and a grim-faced Rulia leaving the stables once more, pack mare following docilely behind.

  It took only moments for Jess to track down the captain. Words were exchanged. The captain of the guard raised a single brow.

  Quietly, Jess told him her suspicions, coming to a rapid understanding with the man, who with a grim smile promised to keep certain secrets close as Jess and Rulia headed off, now possessing a fair amount of soldier's millet, properly sealed and stored.

  A fully armed and armored Rulia looked back at Jess and smiled as they clopped their way to the gate proper of the school. “I think we are going to have a far better time of our little adventure than your sister at her boring dance, what do you think?”

  Jess looked back at the many elegantly constructed carriages to be seen, all lined up just beyond the buildings proper of the academy, any number of well-attired young men and their fathers making their way to the grand pavilion that had been set up just that day. Jess was aware that the pavilion and dining hall alike would be the sight of the festivities, yet knew little more than that, such pains had been taken to keep her utterly apart from the excitement and gossip that was lighting the interest and desire of so many of the girls attending the academy.

  Jess shrugged and sighed, feeling ever so odd. In truth, she thought she should be thrilled to avoid the bother of too tight dresses, her sister gossiping endlessly as she did Jess's face and hair, the pressure and anxiety that came with fear of rejection. The quiet shame of knowing that she was no pristine white lily; that the very men who would shout her praise upon the training fields of Highrock, stand beside her without fail upon the killingfields of war, and hold her tight as they strove to forget the horror of their deeds afterwards, those valiant lads would like as not offer but one shamefaced smile of apology before looking away to their mutual embarrassment, did Jess appear before them now in ivory dresses, looking for a husband.

  “Bloody hells, Rulia. I cannot tell you how happy I am to avoid that whole damned affair.”

  She ignored her treacherous tear, dropping to the ground in all its crystalline perfection, feeling Rulia's gentle grip on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Jess. There will be other galas, soon enough."

  “Still sure it was a good idea to come with me?” Jess joked some time later when they were past school grounds and the ever growing crowd of nobles and their retainers attending the gala, thoughts soothed by the dry rustle of brilliant autumn leaves still firmly on their trees, interspersed with pine and other evergreens that made up the woodlands near the academy.

  Rulia nodded grimly. “More than ever,” she said, patting mace and sword. Her eyes had turned solemn. “We have to be careful, Jess. You know that, right?”

  Jess nodded before catching sight of the steadily waning sun, knowing it would likely be dusk by the time they reached the inn. She felt oddly light and free, having escaped the confines of the academy, even if for but a handful of hours. And the risk of danger was enough to give her a sense of exhilaration, without the cold weight of imminent battle stifling all joy save a berserker's fury.

  She turned to her companion. “Rulia, I know how brilliant you are with sword and shield, but have you ever trained from horseback? With the mace?”

  Rulia's lips pressed tightly together. Her mount gave a nervous whicker as her tension made itself known. “Do you think it will come to that, then?”

  Jess sighed, looking back at the pack laden horse that had been assigned to them. “One way or another, I have questions, and I damn well want answers.”

  Yet despite her questions, Jess found the sedate trot by the rustling trees increasingly soothing. For the moment, at least, she could be a girl on a lark, enjoying the pristine view of the autumn forest as she rode along the main road with her lover by her side, both dressed so like guardsmen or mercenaries that no one would give them a second glance.

  As if invigorated by the rustle of leaves and the antics of squirrels, the air rich with the sharp scents of autumn, Rulia took to regaling Jess with tales of her own misspent youth, and before long it seemed more a ride with a sweet lover by gentle forest than anything like a disciplinarian's arbitrary tasks. Jess felt as if an awful weight was at last slipping free of her, wondering idly what it would be like to clasp Rulia's hand to her own, and just take off for lands strange and wondrous, far from Erovering and the burdens of family, duty, and enemies willing to cut her down at every turn.

  “Rulia!” Sharp and urgent, Jess curtly raised her fist.

  Rulia stopped, laughter cut off abruptly, gazing at Jess with suddenly anxious eyes. Jess quickly looked in her direction, gestured to her mace and shield, taking the time to prepare both, the shield light and small enough to hold stirrups even while in hand, reinforced even as Jess felt the gentle strength of the woods entire begin to well through her.

  A nervous swallow, and Rulia did the same, both of them as well armored as a fledgling knight or heavy cavalry, for all that they lacked lances.

  “Jess?”

  Jess nodded slowly, knowing what her lover was asking, confident that Rulia would overcome the anxious panic welling inside her, when battle truly erupted. She looked towards the bend in the road up ahead, sensing the ambush, some hundred yards past the bend.

  It was a trap that few would be able to sense, near dusk with thick foliage upon trees that had yet to shed their autumn coats, interspersed with evergreens as well. The inn was also close by, no doubt where the culprits had made their base.

  "Over a dozen men. I will assume fully armored, unless I know otherwise, on mounts and armed with long spikes of dead wood, or so the leaves whisper with their rustles."

  “But Jess...why?”

  Her smile turned bleak. "I can think of a number of reasons. None of them good." Jess peered intently at the road ahead. "You will note we are some fifty feet from the bend. They are still a distance away, but are rapidly closing. Their scout has already spotted us, and is even now reporting back. If we head back the way we came, they will no doubt give chase. Best, I think, if we ready ourselves to strike them down with room for a full charge, before they get too close."

  Rulia chuckled softly. "Just one of the things I love about you, fiery one. Never a dull moment." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "We could turn the corner and parlay while they are still some distance away, turning our mounts about to charge back, should they aggress. It would give us a chance to measure their intentions, perhaps diffuse thin
gs before they come to a head. Perhaps they are not even interested in us. But if they charge? Let's get ready to dart away, as fast as we can."

  Coldly, Jess shook her head. "If they dare to charge, then they show they have no hesitation in killing us. I would rather wipe that threat off the battlefield entirely. Far better than trying to race back along the trail and beat half a score of men with lances aimed at our backs the entire time. The horror of it all is that they could actually be in cahoots with our enemies at the academy, so even if we successfully flee, the lies they could tell might still seal our doom."

  Jess turned to her anxious looking lover, smiling gently. "Are you ready to fight, shieldsister?"

  Rulia gave an anxious chuckle. "Face down half a score of heavy cavalry with lances aimed at our hearts? What could possibly go wrong?"

  Jess smiled sadly. “If you trust me, if you stay by my right flank and concentrate merely on your own charge, on fighting by my side, and you will be fine. I promise you that.”

  Rulia blinked, swallowed, and nodded shakily. “I will trust you, Jess. I have no idea how you will stop death so handily, but I've trusted you this far...”

  “Do you know how to give point with a sword, Rulia?”

  Rulia gave a nervous nod, slowly unsheathing her sword, bending forward, shoulder held high, head low, point angling downward.

  Jess gave a curt nod. "Good. Let the weight of your mount do the work. Let your sword windmill down and back even as you lean forward, once you have pierced your opponent, so that your foe simply slides off your blade as you pass." Jess gave her lover an approving smile. "Good, I see you have the leather wrist loop secure. If the blade sticks or it jars at a hard angle, just let go and leave it sticking in your opponent. Don't risk breaking your wrist. Then you switch weapons, keeping your stirrups secure even as you parry with shield and strike with mace. But above all, just follow my lead and stay to my right. If we must charge, do not fear their lances, Rulia. Just crash through them alongside me, and keep going full out until I pivot and turn us about to face them again."