The Warrior Queen

Breena looked on as men carrying bundles of arrows ran down the line of archers and dropped a bundle in front of each.

Twindle gave the order to march, and the column moved at a trot toward the gates of the city. Another wave of arrows was sent at the palace when the column reached the point where the company of foot soldiers had lost two men. A few random arrows left the walls of the city, but fell wide of the column. Those few arrows were met with thousands more from Twindle's archers. After that, there were no more arrows from the city.

The gates of Mydar were of heavy timbers nailed closely with iron nails. As soon as the column stopped, several large soldiers with heavy axes ran to the gates and began hacking away at them. More archers took places at each side of the column to protect the axemen, but were not needed. After a while of steady whacks of each axe, one of the timbers was cut in two on each side of a cross piece. A second soon followed and opened a hole wide enough for a man to pass. Six men went through the opening.

There were sounds of fighting from the other side, and a dozen more swordsmen went through the hole. The fighting stopped, and moments later the gates swung open. The sergeant who ran up to Torel saluted, and then said the guards had all run into the palace.

The battle for the palace was over almost before it began. Torel simply sent men into every entrance with instructions to kill anyone who resisted but to leave the rooms untouched. Torel did not want the Queen or any innocent people to be killed. He would later send an officer and a few men to investigate the rooms of the palace and capture anyone hiding there.

The soldiers soon came out and declared the palace to be secured. Torel called for the officers of two companies and instructed them to finish searching the rooms of the palace and to take anything of value. When he returned to Twindle's side, Twindle gave the order to march.

Breena watched them leave with a feeling of fear. She had grown fond of both men, Torel because he reminded her of her father, and Twindle because...no, he could be a friend, but nothing else. He was of royal blood and she was but a common farmer's daughter. Her eyes filled with tears as the two men rode through the gate and led the army to an uncertain fate.

Breena remembered her reason for being there and wiped the tears from her eyes. She rode the black gelding up to the officer in charge of the search of the palace rooms and asked about the Captain of the Palace Guards.

"M'lady, he has not been found, but we know he is here. When we find him, he will suffer for what he has done. I believe a sword through his belly will teach him the error of his ways."

Breena smiled.

"If I could trouble you, the man killed my father. I would speak with him before you spill his insides on the ground."

The officer said he would do his best, and summoned his men. Breena drew both her short swords and went with them to search for Almadee.

Almadee had heard the shouts and the sound of running feet just as she was finishing her morning meal. Moments later, Panuli burst into the room in a panic.

"The city is under attack by a huge army. They come from the north, the west and south. With so few guards left, I fear we will all be killed, or worse."

A glimmer of hope flashed through Almadee's mind.

"Who are they, the soldiers?"

"I heard it said they are from Shanala, but I do not know for certain."

"If they are from Shanala, all may not be lost. My village was in Shanala. They will take me away from this place and back to my village."

Panuli was crying.

"It may be a good thing for you, but I have served the Queen. They will not spare me."

"If I tell them not to harm you, they will not."

"You would do such a thing. Why?"

"You have been kind, and gave me the advice that has allowed me to remain unharmed by the Queen."

"What if they are not from Shanala?"

"Then, I do not know the outcome. We must hide until we are certain. Is there a place no one else would go?"

Panuli stopped crying.

"There is a small passage next to the Queen's bedchamber. She uses it when she has kill...when she injures a girl beyond healing. Those girls are taken from the Queen's bedchamber through a secret door and out through that passage. It leads to the stables."

"We would have to go through the Queen's bedchamber to reach it? I think that is not so good an idea."

"There is one other entrance. There is a door in the hall to the servant's quarters hidden by a tapestry. It was used years ago when the former Queen wished to entertain a lover."

"Who knows of this passage?"

Panuli shrugged.

"The Queen, the King, the Captain of the Palace Guard and a few of his men, and I. There may be others, but those are the only ones I have seen use it."

"Let us find that door, and hide there until the battle ends. We will decide what to do after that."

Panuli looked frightened again.

"I do not know if I should. If the palace is not lost, the Queen will believe I tried to help you escape. You are special to her and she would not like to lose you. She would have me killed."

Almadee touched Panuli's shoulder.

"As you say, the Queen thinks I am special. I will tell her you were only hiding me that I might not be captured. She will believe me."

They waited at the door to the hall until the stream of soldiers had passed, and then Panuli led Almadee to the tapestry.

"Hold it up while I open the door."

When the door closed behind them, Panuli whispered, "We should hide near the Queen's bedchamber. The entrance in the stable is not so well hidden, and might be discovered. The Queen's bedchamber is this way." She took Almadee's hand and led her through the pitch-black darkness toward a pinpoint of light at the end.

Panuli whispered again.

"The Queen's bedchamber is on the other side of this door. We should wait here until we know about the battle. If the Palace Guard has won, we will enter here and explain to the Queen why we were hiding. If not, I do not know what we will do."

The officer in charge of searching the palace split his command into groups of two men each. Each pair was to search the rooms on either side of a hallway and then return to the main hall. Breena followed two of the soldiers, Blader and Ropal, as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Walking quietly was difficult. The dead of the Palace Guard lay everywhere. At first, Breena was shocked by their wounds -- a severed head laying next to its owner, a gaping hole in the belly of another with stinking, purple and brown organs oozing out, and pools of dark red blood around most. Occasionally, one of the Palace Guard stirred. His movements were quickly stilled by the thrust of a short sword, and his blood joined that of the others. Breena thought it a bit strange that she could become accustomed to the carnage, but after a while, she did.

Few of the rooms held any surprises. Most were richly decorated, as one would expect to find in a King's palace. Some of the rooms were the quarters of servants, and the furnishings there were sparse. In some of the servant's quarters they found men and women who had served the King and Queen. Breena had no sympathy for them as the soldiers took their lives. They had been a part of the cruel realm, and deserved to die.

Mid-way down the hall, they came to a door with a crown of gold affixed at eye level. Ropal whispered to Breena, "This must be the Queen's chambers. She will have guards inside. Stay back until we have killed them all."

Breena took a position opposite the doorway as the two men slammed into the door with their shoulders. After three attempts, the door latch was ripped from its mounts and the door flew open. As Ropal and Blader cautiously entered the room, Breena saw the Queen standing beside a bed. In her hand was a dagger with a jeweled handle. The two soldiers were looking about for the guards they expected to find and did not see the Queen's eyes flick to the hinge side of the door, but Breena did. She yelled, "Behind you", and ran trough the doorway.

Ropal turned just in time to parry the slashing sword of the guard, but was knocked down by the force of the blow. As Blader ran to defend him, Breena saw a second guard step from behind the door and raise his sword. He swung the blade at Blader's head and would have sliced the man through the neck had Breena's sword not blocked its path. As the guard's sword glanced off her blade, Breena thrust her other sword at his throat. Blood sprayed her face as the blade sank deep. The guard looked at Breena with eyes wide open in amazement, and then sank to the floor.

Breena yanked the sword from his throat as he fell, then turned to see Ropal and Blader in a struggle with the other guard. The guard was slashing wildly at the two, but landing none of his swings. He slashed at Ropal and missed, the momentum of his effort turning him to the side. Blader took that opportunity to slash at the guard's leg. The guard dropped his sword and fell to the floor, crying in pain. One quick thrust to his neck stopped his cries, and after a few heartbeats, his writhing about on the floor stopped too.

Ropal and Blader turned to the Queen. She held her dagger at the ready, and Breena saw both fear and hatred in her eyes.

[]

The two women sat in the darkness for what seemed like forever. Then, there was the crash of splintering wood from the other room and shortly thereafter, the clang of swords clashing together. Almadee heard the thud of a man falling, and then another man cried out in pain. All grew quiet for a moment except for the cries of a man who sounded seriously injured. Those cries were cut short when Almadee heard the dull thud of a sword hitting flesh.

Almadee heard a man say, "Yes, this is the evil bitch. I saw her when the King raided my village." Another shouted, "We should kill her now." The first man replied, "No, do not kill her yet. She took my sister. I wish to give her the same treatment she gave Lonia. Tie her down and we will teach the hag what a soldiers cock feels like." She heard the Queen scream, "I will kill you all if you touch me", and then the sounds of a scuffle. The Queen screamed again, but the scream was cut short by another voice - the voice of a woman.

"She shall not be harmed. His Majesty has promised the king of Mesofal that she will be given to him. Bind her hand and foot and take her outside."

Almadee burst into tears at that voice.

"Open the door, Panuli, and hurry. I know that woman's voice."

When the hidden door swung open, Ropal and Blader, thinking more guards were entering, drew their swords and moved toward it. Almadee came through the opening first, pulling Panuli along by the hand. She did not recognize Breena in her armor and started back through the door, but Breena recognized her.

"Almadee", she cried and ran to embrace her friend.

"I hoped to find you, and now I have. Who is this with you? Another girl the Queen took from some village?"

Almadee sobbed as she returned the embrace.

"Breena, it really is you. The Gods have answered my prayers.

Breena gently pushed Almadee away.

"You are all right? You have not been hurt?"

"I am well, thanks to this woman. She is Panuli, an acolyte of the Order of Lule. Please do not harm her. I will explain later, but she is the reason I am alive and uninjured."

Breena took Almadee and Panuli to the great hall and told the officer in charge that the two women were her friends and were not to be harmed. She asked the officer if the Captain of the Palace Guard had been killed or captured. He answered that his men had not found the man, but were still looking. Breena turned to Panuli.

"The Captain of the Palace Guard, if he were hiding, where would he be?"

"I do not know for certain. I saw him before the battle, and he was running in the direction of the barracks."

Breena turned back to the officer.

"Will you send men with me to hunt down this murderer? I will go by myself if you do not. He had my father killed, and he must answer to me for that."

The barracks were deserted as Breena had expected. Every Palace Guard would have been ordered to defend the palace. Any who ran or refused to fight would have been killed by their own men. Only the Captain of the Palace Guard could avoid the battle without losing his head.

At one end of the barracks was a door with the insignia of a captain painted on the top cross piece. The six soldiers approached this door cautiously. At a nod from one, another kicked in the door. The soldier's rush into the room was stopped by the voice of a woman.

"Lower your swords. This coward knows I will slit his throat if he even bats an eye. He will not fight."

Breena walked into the room behind the last soldier and saw the man who had ordered her father killed. He did not look so imposing with the tall woman behind him holding a knife to his throat. He looked afraid. Breena took off her helmet and shook her head. Tossing the helmet to the side, she drew her dagger and walked to face the Captain of the Guards.

"Do you remember me?"

The Captain swallowed.

'No."

"You should remember one whose father you ordered killed. I am Breena, of Uvil. Now, do you remember?"

The Captain swallowed again.

"Yes. You are the daughter of that farmer who mocked me by hiding you. I -- I had no choice. The Queen would have had me killed if I had not done what I did."

The woman behind the Captain pricked his neck with the point of her knife.

"I did not know you did this, or I would have gutted you as I would a chicken."

She looked at Breena.

"I am sorry for your loss. Had I known...but I can kill him now if that is what you wish. I have dreamed of watching him die every time he pierced my body with his little cock."

Breena held up her hand.

"Do not kill him yet, though he does deserve to die. Who are you who has captured my enemy?"

"I am Idonia. I am an agent of the Queen, sent here to spy on the goings on in Madar. I was able to infiltrate the bordello of the Palace Guards as they are always looking for new women. When this animal chose me, I made sure he was very pleased. I have been assigned to his quarters since, though it sickened me to no end.

"He did not watch me closely after my first moon phase, and I was able to pass information to the Queen with the help of two traders who knew of my mission. It was I who sent the message of the army's travel to the east. This man was fool enough to tell me of the impending battle.

"Once our army attacked the palace, he ran here with the intention of escaping the battle. I was ready. He begged me to go with him, and I agreed so he would be put at ease. Then, when his back was turned, I pricked his neck with my knife and asked it he believed the blade would feel to him as his cock did to me."

Breena smiled.

"I think a quick death is too merciful for such a man. Would you allow me to make a suggestion?"

[]

Twindle was exhausted, but elated. Most of King Mandorn's army lay either dead or dying on the plains. The army of Shanala was in the process of sending those still clinging to life to meet their ancestors, and stripping them of anything of value. The few who still lived were running with all the speed they could muster. He had not bothered to send men after them. They were too few to cause any harm, and it was not likely they would return. King Mandorn lay among the dead, his head attached to his body by only a few strands of muscle. Without their king and army, Chandolay was defeated.

Torel rode up beside Twindle and grinned in spite of the cut on his arm.

"I think today was a good day for Shanala. King Mandorn is dead as are most of his army, and we have the palace. We will celebrate tonight."

Twindle sighed.

"Torel, celebrate all you wish, and see to it the men have as much wine and as many women as they desire. I, for one, am tired, and look forward to a good night's sleep. First, though, I must return to the castle and find Breena."

Torel grinned again.

"If I may speak as a friend instead of an officer, this farm girl has set her hooks in your heart, I do believe, else you would be joining in the celebration. I think you could do worse than that farm girl."

"I do not know if she feels the same, Torel. I lied to her. She will not forgive that easily."

"I think she is one who understands the reason, and is grateful for your help in her search for vengeance. She told me as much."

"You mean on the night she asked you for her armor?"

Torel lowered his head.

"Your Majesty, you did order me to give her anything she wanted."

"Yes, I remember. You could have been less accommodating, though."

"Your Majesty, Breena is a very brave and very stubborn young woman. She said she would go alone if I did not help her. I thought giving her some protection would be the best thing to do."

"You did not tell me."

"That was her second request. She feared you would tie her up to keep her in the camp if you knew of her plans."

Twindle laughed.

"I would not have tied her, but I would have found a way to lock her up."

"I figured as much, and knew she would be even less likely to forgive you for that than for lying to her." Torel laughed. "Besides, I was not sure my men would be capable of restraining her. Breena would seem to be quite the fighter if pressed hard enough."

Twindle chuckled.

"True. I would not wish to be facing her if she was angry. I only hope she has fared well in her search for Almadee. I fear she will find not the girl she knew, but instead, a woman broken by the Queen's cruelty. At worst, she may find only a grave. I must go now to see for myself and to keep my promise to her about the Captain of the Palace Guard. I will see you when you bring the army back to Mydar."

Twindle was challenged by the guards at the gate to Mydar, but upon seeing his face, the guards knelt. Twindle bade them rise and asked about conditions in the city.

"Has the Queen been found?"

"Yes, Your Highness, and she is locked in a cell in her own dungeon. It was said you had promised to give the Queen to King Huggan. She was not harmed in any way."

"And so I did. About Breena, is she all right? Did she find her friend?"

The guard laughed out loud.

"You mean the woman warrior? She found her friend and saved the life of one of our men in the process, and found the Captain of the Guards as well. You should see the punishment she gave him. I would tell you, but that would spoil your entertainment. They are in the courtyard in front of the palace."

Twindle spurred his horse through the gate and then toward the crowd of soldiers in front of the palace. They were jeering and laughing at something. He dismounted and shouldered his way through soldiers too occupied with the sight to recognize him. When he pushed through the last of the laughing men, Twindle stopped, unable to go further because of what he saw.

A table sat in the center of the courtyard. On this table, on his hands and knees was the Captain of the Guards. His hands were tied to the table as were his feet, and his knees were tied to a long piece of wood that kept them spread wide. He was very much out of uniform. In fact, he had no uniform at all.

Breena and three other women stood by the table, laughing along with the soldiers. Twindle walked toward Breena. Upon seeing him, she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"I have found Almadee and she is well. I also found the Captain of the Guards, as you see."

"I thought I said you were not to go looking for him, and that I would kill him for you."

Breena smiled.

"No, you only said I should not look for Almadee until after the battle was won. I did just as you said. After I found her, I went looking for this dog. Do not look so concerned. I took six soldiers with me."