Chapter 37

The tips of Frieda's fingers were beginning to grow numb from the amount of arrows she had shot. Her quiver was growing lighter by the second, and her basic instinct for battle was overwhelming her.

"Do not even think about it," Frieda spoke to the wind as she noticed a Roman soldier sneak up behind Leonidas, growing too close to the children.

She shot an arrow straight into the back of his hand when he reached out to grab Cassia's shoulder; her second arrow found his throat.

Leonidas gave her a small nod of thanks before he turned and attacked the next guard in his attempt to flee.

From her vantage point in the tree, Frieda could see that they were outnumbered nearly three-to-one, and more infantry were beginning to arrive from the camp.

They had had worse odds in the past, but their thoughts were focused on their children, and they were not as young as they used to be.

A fact Frieda's knee seemed to agree with as it began to seize up from where she was kneeling for too long.

Making a decision, Frieda armed her bow and turned in the direction of the fort. Tilting backwards, she raised her bow high and aimed for the sky.

The arrow shot through the density of the forest trees and into the clear morning sky, signalling Marcia and Lazarus who were waiting near the fort with the horses.

Frieda was only supposed to signal them once Ahern, Cassia and Zeph were free but they did not have the time. She was apprehensive about bringing her daughter into a battle but if there was one thing Marcia had proved, it was that she could handle herself in a fight.

The same way Frieda would have to when an arrow suddenly flew past her ear, the wind blowing her hair softly back, and imbedded itself in the trunk beside her.

Looking down she saw two Roman figures stood a few feet away from the base of her tree, their red uniforms standing out against the scenery of the forest floor along with the crossbows in their hands.

"Whoa," Frieda breathed as she moved to the side and pressed her back firmly against the tree as a second arrow was shot at her.

Reaching into her quiver, Frieda looked down in shock when she saw that it was empty. Looking to the arrows imbedded in the trunk, Frieda rolled her eyes when she saw that they were too short and thick for her bow.

Old fashioned way it is then, Frieda thought with a smile.

Peering over the edge once more, Frieda rested her bow diagonally across her chest, and waited for the first guard to shoot his reloaded crossbow.

As the arrow splintered the wood near her hand, Frieda decided it was time to move as the pair beneath her take their time to rearm.

Standing up on the branch, her legs beginning to cramp from where she had been crouched for so long, Frieda swung herself down onto the thick branches below her.

Her boots scuffed the branch a few feet down when an arrow flew over the top of her head and hit the tree beside her.

Looking back down she saw that she was close enough to the ground, about a dozen feet, and pushed herself backwards into the air.

Twisting mid-air, Frieda had never been as graceful as Krista as she landed on top of the first soldier, pushing him onto his back with her resting atop him.

Before she could do anything the second guard began to raise his crossbow beside them.

Gripping the armour at the man's shoulders, Frieda turned onto her side and pulled the guard with her until he acted as a barrier between her and the second crossbow.

The guard released the arrow without realising and shot his comrade in the back.

Releasing the dying man's shoulders, Frieda scrambled to her feet and stepped over his body.

With a spin, Frieda kicked the crossbow out of the guard's hands, his eyes widening when he realised what was about to happen.

His looks and actions indicated his young age as his fingers grappled for the sword at his waist, but he was too late.

As he withdrew his sword, Frieda was already attacking, pulling his arm around and forcing him to stab himself in the stomach with his own blade.

Frieda released his wrist and let him crash to the ground before her when she heard the screams of a child.

Her heart palpitated in her chest as she bent over and scooped a crossbow up off the ground, an arrow already poised to shoot.

Without thinking about it, Frieda turned and ran in the direction of the battle.

* * *

"Father!" Ahern cried, breaking away from the group and running to his papa, his eyes filled with tears.

"Ahern!" Diomed shouted with pure fear when he saw his son out in the open and vulnerable.

Turning back to the guard he had been fighting Diomed lifted his leg and booted the man in the lower abdomen, his boots slipping on the wet morning grass.

Diomed's senses were heightened as he heard his son squeal with fear behind him at every gush of blood and dismemberment that happened before him.

Rushing, Diomed advanced and swung his sword across the Roman's chest but it barely affected the man as Diomed's sword scratched the metal armour but nothing more.

Swinging again, Diomed cut the flesh open on the man's throat; blood poured down his front like a decanter full of wine had just been spilt.

Not waiting to see the man's blood soak into the ground beneath, Diomed spun and raced across to his son, bending down and scooping him up in his deformed arm.

"Papa!" Ahern buried his head into his father's shoulder, his small hands clinging to Diomed's shoulders as his legs wrapped around his hips, never wanting to let go again.

"It's okay, son," Diomed grunted as he turned and fought another Guard, unable to release Ahern at the same time the Guard managed to cut open the back of Diomed's hand.

Ahern screamed into Diomed's shoulder as he heard his father shout in pain.

Angered that his son had to see this, Diomed grew invigorated and the sound of their swords clashing mingled into the morning air.

After a few moments of sword fighting, the guard gave an abrupt step forward before he came to a halt, his brows furrowing together in confusion.

Diomed was equally confused as the Roman soldier turned his back to him.

That was when Diomed noticed the arrow protruding from between his shoulder blades.

Looking over the man's shoulder, Diomed smiled with relief when he saw his wife charging towards them, a crossbow in her right arm.

They may have been in the middle of a battle, but Diomed was overwhelmed with how strong and fierce his wife looked as she ran towards them.

However, she only had eyes for the guard. As she grew closer, she pulled the crossbow back with both hands before she let it swing up into the man's jaw with a deafening crack that rang out around them.

"Take him," Diomed handed Ahern to Frieda as she reached them, her arms already dropping the crossbow and stretching out towards them, "Find Leonidas. I'm going to get Krista and Argyle."

Frieda nodded as she shuffled Ahern onto her back, his arms clasped around her neck and his legs around her hips, as she removed her sword and headed in the opposite direction.

Watching them leave for a second, Diomed turned and immediately ducked when he noticed the glint of a sword aiming for his throat.

Diving forward, Diomed rolled up onto his feet, turned, and dug his sword straight into the man's back.

As he started to withdraw his sword, he spotted movement from the corner of his eye and he turned to see a further three Romans begin to encircle him.

With his sword still in the man's back, Diomed leant onto it with both hands and pushed himself up into the air, his legs stretching out behind him to kick two men in the face.

They stumbled back long enough for Diomed to retrieve his sword and kill their friend.

"Aah," Diomed hissed when he felt the sharp sting of a blade across the back of his leg.

His knee buckled in reflex.

Struggling to keep standing on one leg, Diomed swung his sword in arc, the tip of his blade scraping their metal armour.

As he turned, Diomed froze when he caught a glance of Krista over their shoulders.

"Krista?" Diomed whispered in shock when he saw her; lying on her back in the mud, blood smeared across her cheek with Octavia stood above her.

Her chest was rising and falling in rapid succession but his relief was overshadowed with doubt as she seemed unresponsive.

The sight seemed almost impossible, as if he were dreaming, when the familiar pain of a sword hilt hitting him square in the back had him falling forward, his arms stretching out to break his fall.

"Krista," Diomed reached out his hand, his fingers clutching at the grass as he tried to shuffle forward and reach his sword which had fallen a few feet away from him, "Krista! Krista, get up!"

No more than ten feet away, Krista could hear her name being called. Her breathing felt restricted, as if a great weight had been placed upon her chest. A pain radiated across her skull and blood had begun to seep into her eyes, blurring her vision.

"Krista!"

Someone was calling her.

Fluttering her eyelids open, Krista tried to move but it only caused her body to ache.

Groaning in pain, Krista managed to turn her head a little and spot Diomed lying in the mud, surrounded by guards.

His eyes were pleading for her to get up as he moved towards his own sword; even now as they were faced with death, he still did not surrender.

Krista felt as if she had failed him when she turned back and looked up at Octavia. Stood a little to her side, Octavia had lifted her boot until it was resting atop Krista's chest, pressing down on her ribs.

"Ah, there you are," Octavia smiled, slightly out of breath.

Krista gritted her teeth in agony, stifling a scream, when Octavia applied pressure to the heel of her boot, cutting into Krista's flesh.

"Let-" Krista coughed, "-Let them go."

Octavia laughed as she crouched in front of Krista, pressing their faces close together, "You still do not understand, do you Krista? You have lost. You have failed."

Krista's eyelids fluttered close once again, her body overwhelmed with fatigue and all she wanted to do was sleep.

It wouldn't take much, Krista thought, to simply close her eyes and never wake up again. They would understand-

"-Mother!"

"-Krista!"

Hearing the voice of her son, Krista's eyes flew open and she turned her head to see Lazarus and Marcia arrive on horseback, and Frieda had reached Diomed in time.

Krista's fingers began to flex, patting the earth beside her, looking for her sword.

"Oh, look," Octavia chuckled, "Your son has come to see you die."

Octavia's words struck a nerve in Krista's body, sending a surge of life through her veins.

"No," Krista turned back to Octavia, she could not find her sword but she did not need one.

Octavia leaned in closer as she stared at Krista, confused as to the look in her eyes.

"He has come to see you die," Krista whispered as she hurled her head forward, their foreheads connecting and dazing Octavia.

Krista winced at the pain, which seemed to eclipse her thoughts, as she turned onto her side and struggled to her hands and knees.

Looking over her shoulder, Krista saw Octavia approach from behind her. Lifting her leg, Krista kicked out behind her.

Her first kick connected with Octavia's shin and the second with her hip as Krista searched the area for her sword.

Before she found it, Leonidas jumped over her back and attacked Octavia.

Krista located her sword, her fingers gripping its familiar metal with relief, when she looked up and found herself only a few feet from Argyle.

"Argyle," Krista crawled to his side, "Argyle, we have to go."

Argyle gave a small shake of his head. His skin was pale as sweat covered his body. His hands were bloody from where he had been trying to hold his wound close.

When she said nothing Argyle reached out and grasped her hand in his, "You need to save them." He struggled to breath, "Get them . . . out . . . promise." He squeezed her hand.

"I- I promise," Krista nodded. She had never been close to Argyle but now as he lay dying, following her plan, Krista felt an unshakeable respect form inside her for him.

Argyle gave a small splutter of noise before his hand went slack in hers, his face muscles relaxing at the same time.

"Krista!" Frieda reached down and brought Krista to her feet, "We have to go!"

"Octavia," Krista resisted her help.

"The Legions are arriving!" Frieda told her, "We have to go! Leonidas!"

Krista glanced over her shoulder to see Leonidas land one final punch on the Commander's face before he began to extradite himself from the fight, following them.

Krista reached Lazarus to see him getting Cassia, Zeph and Ahern onto the horses with him and Marcia.

"Go!" Krista ordered him, Lazarus's eyes focusing on the cuts to Krista's wounded body, "Go!"

They did not need telling again as Marcia and Lazarus ordered the horses onwards.

Frieda, Diomed, Leonidas and Krista ran after them, returning to the fort without their leader and a dozen fewer men.