DEAL
1581 Words
Ishtun´s blood-soaked garments were lying scattered on the ground. The discarded parts of his disassembled armor marking the trail that he'd been walking as he tiredly paced along the river's shore, letting each metal plate fall to the soil before finally rewarding his sore body with the restorative steam of the delightful waters that filled the large basin to the brim.
He had been sitting in the large container situated by the creek for at least half an hour, his head thrown back against the edge of it as the shadows cast by the adjacent bonfire washed his inscrutable features, when the faint bristle of some leaves being disturbed nearby caught his attention and made him open his eyes to find Ajora silently approaching him.
Her small feet carefully stepped around the monarch's scattered vestments, which once olive color had been darkened by the murky shade of the plethora of corporal fluids that now tarnished them. The girl's fingers slowly darted at her own blood-stained clothing as she started unlatching piece after piece off her frame.
She had been wearing heavy protective gear that extended across her rounded breasts and down her belly, her small shoulders wrapped in an intricate pair of metallic pads which rose from her clavicles and all the way up to her neck. Her curvy figure entirely covered by exquisite combat attire made of emerald dyed leather and a combination of light metallic plates.
The young ruler's pupils were glued to her as she gently unbraided her dark, long hair and let it fall behind her back. His eyes wincing when he spotted the numerous lacerations etched all over her forearms, and he inevitably recalled the battle's gruesomeness once more.
It had been quite a rough day, and certainly a bitter first taste of the real magnitude of the issue that they were faced with.
Queen Elande´s troops were immense, and even when they'd managed to take them by surprise in the beginning with their mounted attack. They had soon recovered from their initial confusion and charged at the Mavaerian defenses with renewed impetus.
Isthtun´s men had fought a fierce battle, and they had achieved their goal of keeping the enemy at bay… But just barely. If they really wanted the Hathengatter forces to stay on that side of the wall, then they still had a lengthy siege to endure.
And this would surely test their patience and the Mavaerian grit like nothing else had before.
They'd already gotten a tiny sample of their rival's power, and it had been a hard thing to swallow, to say the least. Ajora had been right: There were plenty of them, and they were ruthless. But they would have to find a way to resist their attack if they wanted to succeed.
-Well… It is a good thing that I came here with the King himself – Ajora´s voice called out as she playfully dipped her toes into the hot liquid before entering the tub and settling in with a deep sigh – I could easily get used to these perks, Your Majesty.
-Believe it or not, this isn't a royal luxury at all – Ishtun scoffed, distractedly scrubbing the dried blood off his fingernails – I picked it up from Souna back at the war… We had all been freezing our asses while taking inhumane cold baths day after day until that girl came up with this brilliant idea, and I just wanted to slap myself when I realized the simplicity of it. I couldn't believe it had never occurred to any of us!
He chuckled, his hand extending towards the edge of the large recipient and patting it lightly.
-After that, the Commander made sure that enough of these were brought to the campsite, so we could all take turns using them, and the spirits soon noticeably improved among the troops. Who would have known that an old piece of cookware could make such a huge difference! – He smirked, his head shaking with amusement as he reminisced about the past - I was so jealous of her genius that I forced myself to keep on frosting my balls for the rest of the war just out of spite.
-Why? – Ajora giggled with incredulity, splashing some water towards him between laughs – Were you really that petty back then?
- Oh, I was very competitive and stupidly eager to prove my worth in every way I could… So, yeah! I would secretly turn everything into a pissing contest – He admitted, looking down at the murky water and blushing – I guess I was just a silly child trying to play grown-up back then… I still had a lot to learn.
-Really? That doesn't sound like you! – She teased, grabbing a piece of soap and carefully rubbing her skin with it – You don't strike me as that kind of person at all.
-That's because war taught me to suck up my pride in the end – He casually off – There's no use in trying to get all the glory when there are much more important things to worry about… And I'm not willing to let my people suffer any more discomfort than the battle already entails, if this means that all I need to do is make use of one great woman's clever invention, so be it.
-She sounds wonderful! – Ajora mumbled in an appreciative tone – I didn't get to know her very well while I was at Lowland's gate. But when she came back triumphant from the war, and we were told that it was safe to return home, the stories about her feats spread like wildfire… We all knew who she was, and I always wanted to be more like her.
-Well, congratulations! You're on the right path – Ishtun replied, reaching for her and running a finger delicately down the thin scratches covering her arm, making her hiss – You gave a pretty good first fight today, and you almost got out of it completely unscathed.
He paused, looking in the direction of the infirmary tent and painfully wincing as a dark shadow crossed his sight briefly – That's more than a lot of my more seasoned warriors can say tonight.
-Hey... You should be happy, Ishtun – Ajora muttered, tenderly caressing his cheek - We survived the first round just fine, and we made them back off!
-Yes, we did – He nodded somberly - But we still need to outlive the whole match or none of it will matter at all. Winning once doesn't mean a thing if you die anyway. We need to be smarter than them… And keep our composure straight.
-Then maybe you should stay behind the barricade, Your Grace – She tentatively suggested – You charged among the lines all day, you're putting yourself at risk!
- As you are, and every single one of my men – The monarch retorted – So what's your point?
-That you are the King! – Ajora said, her index finger brushing a deep cut that ran across his cheek from side to side – I think that you should put your safety above all things! We need a leader, a living one!
-Exactly! – The young ruler responded, pulling her chin up and staring into her eyes – What kind of leader would I be if I cowered behind a wall when my people needed me the most? My place is and will always be right beside my people, and that is not up for discussion.
-B-But… But I don't like it! - She stubbornly stammered, her voice unwittingly scaling into a frantic pleading tone – I don't want you to get hurt!
-Well, I didn't precisely enjoy seeing you putting your neck on the line today either, you know? – The monarch answered. Purposely grabbing her wrist and giving her a weak smile – But you specifically asked to be here. This was your decision and I fully respect it… Now I'm begging you to respect mine. I need to do this just as much as you do.
-Why? To prove your worth? – She shouted defiantly, her eyes welling up with tears – You said you'd learned how to swallow your pride! So, why can't you just lead us all from behind the lines?
-Because that's simply absurd – He calmly spoke, puffing out a muffled laughter – And this has nothing to do with me or my pride, this is bigger than that!
He paused, then he leaned towards her and placed a quick kiss on her forehead, breathing a heavy sigh.
-And I'm flattered that you are so adorably worried, Ajora – He groaned, pulling her towards his bare pectorals and hugging her tightly - I really am... But sadly, this is not my first war. So, I'm gonna need you to give me a little more credit and really trust me. Would you please do that for me?
-All right – She sniffled, cupping his face and staring at him with a serious look – But don't you dare getting yourself killed, you hear me!
-Deal! – He exhaled with satisfaction, his focus instantly switching as he latched his strong arms around her waist suggestively– Now let us give this pretty body of yours a closer inspection just to make sure that there are no other wounds we should be worrying about…
- Writer
