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  Faelyn watched with narrowed eyes as Calius adjusted his horse's sadle. He was wearing full battle armor, which gleamed in the mid morning sunlight, and had a sword strapped at his waist.

"I don't see why I can't join you." Faelyn complained, crossing her arms.

"A battlefield is no place for a lady." Cal responded with a slight smile.

"I'm better than most of soldiers in the king's army!" Faelyn exclaimed.

It was true. Faelyn had grown up sparring with her four older brothers until her combat skills surpassed even theirs.

"True." Cal agreed "But I'd feel better if I knew you were safe."

"And I'd feel better knowing I could do something to help protect my kingdom." Faelyn argued.

"Please?" Cal asked softly, turning away from his horse and cupping her cheek with a gloved hand "Stay here. For me?"

Faelyn met his eyes and nodded reluctantly. Cal's eyes studied her face for a moment, before pressing his lips against hers in a quick kiss.

He pulled away and mounted his horse.

A soldier rode up to him and stopped, gently pulling the reigns of his stallion.

"Captain Calius, it is time." he informed in a clipped voice.

Cal nodded and sent Faelyn one last smile, before riding off to join the ranks of Quintarian soldiers.

As soon as she was out of his sight, Faelyn hurried off to the armory.

"Good morning, Kerik." she greeted the servant who was cleaning a helmet.

"Should have known you'd pay a visit." Kerik muttered as Faelyn quickly stripped off her dress and corset, revealing a pair of leather pants and a tunic.

"Would you mind preparing a horse?" she asked him, picking out a breastplate and vambraces.

"As you wish, milady." Kerik walked out.

Faelyn examined a few of the narrow swords, swinging them through the air to get a feel for them. She chose one and buckled the belt with the sheath around her waist.

Faelyn jogged outside to the stables, where Kerik was waiting with a saddled horse.

"Thank you, Kerik." she acknowledged, hoisting herself into the saddle and gripping the reigns.

"Good luck, milady." Kerik nodded grimly.

She flicked the reigns and squeezed the horse's sides with her heels. The mare galloped forward and they were off, the wind and scenery rushing past.

~•~

Faelyn fell into place among the ranks of soldiers. No one seemed to notice the women among them, as her form was hidden under the armor.

The captains stood in front of everyone else, facing the rows of soldiers. Cal's eyes swept over the ranks, as if looking for something or someone.

His eyes met Faelyn's and his chest heaved in an exasperated sigh. But he didn't look surprised.

Faelyn sent him a small smile and winked. They were going into battle together, whether he liked it or not. He'd probably never really expected her to stay put. He knew her too well to know that she wouldn't sit by and watch as he fought.

Faelyn was a fighter, not a bystander. She was brave and the most incredible woman he'd ever met. He knew how much help she would be on the battlefield, but at the same time his heart ached at the prospect of how much danger she would be in.

"Tonight" a general spoke up "We ride into battle! With our hearts aflame and our weapons raised! For Quintaria!"

"For Quintaria!" the soldiers echoed in a unanimous shout.

Some clanked their swords against their shields, yelling unintelligible battle cries.

Faelyn joined in, raising her sword with a passionate shout.

"For Quintaria!"

~•~

  Faelyn rode fearlessly into battle, the man she loved by her side. She knew that she might not make it and she would die to protect Cal, but nothing was certain on the battle field.

They could both perish. But Faelyn preferred not to think about that part, but to focus on the rush of battle and beating of her heart.

The enemy army, the Beshanians, could be seen in the distance. Instead of marching in orderly rows, they charged in one huge hoard.

Their swords were raised, they horses were galloping wildly and fearsome battle cries tore from their throats.

The Quintarians met them head on and the battle began.

Faelyn slashed a Beshanian's white horse, staining the creature's snowy fur with a line of crimson red. The stallion stumbled forward, causing the rider to pitch forward.

She killed him and turned her attention to the other enemy soldiers coming her way. She cut down man after man, her hand steady but her heart aching for the lost lives.

Faelyn tried to keep one eye on her beloved, but there were stretches when she couldn't catch glimpses of him through the frenzy of fighting.

She wanted nothing more than to stay as close as possible, but she couldn't risk being a distraction. When in the heat of battle, even the smallest distraction could be the cause of your death.

After a particularly long period of time when Faelyn couldn't spot a soldier with dark curls poking out from under their helmet, she began to worry.

Between fatal swings of her sword, she searched for Cal's oh so familiar face. Finally, she found it. Faelyn dispatched the Beshanian soldier she was battling and directed her horse in Cal's direction.

She wouldn't distract him. She just needed to make sure he was okay.

Faelyn watched as he ended the life of his opponent with a powerful blow to the heart. Cal paused a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Cal!" Faelyn called out.

She hadn't even meant to say it out loud, but her mind had been repeating it so loudly, desperate to see him face to face, to know for sure that it was her Cal under the helmet that his name slipped through her lips.

"Faelyn! Are you alright!?" Cal rode over to her, concern evident in his every movement.

He had to shout so that his voice would carry over the clanking armor and shouting soldiers. His voice sounded like sweetest thing Faelyn had ever heard.

"Yes." she assured him, as his eyes travelled over every detail of her face and body, searching for injuries "I just wanted to see you for a moment."

Cal directed his horse so that he was as close to Faelyn as he could get.

Horses and people rushed forward on either side of the pair, parting like a stream parts for a stone.

"You know it isn't safe." Cal chided loudly, though not quite a shout now that they were closer to each other.

"Safe has never been my specialty." Faelyn reminded him.

Cal sent her a small smile. Faelyn basked in the miniscule moment of piece amidst the battle. Just her and him.

Then the moment was over and Faelyn had to raise her sword to deflect an enemy blow.

She blocked another swing and fainted to the left. The Beshanian soldier took the bait and raised his sword to the left, while she killed him with a blow to his right.

She glanced to her right at Cal to make sure he was alive. He glanced at her at the same time and for an instant, their eyes met.

Time seemed to stop. There was Cal- alive and breathing, safe for a brief moment. And then he wasn't.

An enemy's soldier's blade was thrust through his back with tremendous force.

"CAL!" Faelyn screamed so loud she thought her lungs might tear apart.

He toppled off his horse, drops of blood trickling down his chin. He hit the ground with painful thud, landing on his side.

Faelyn numbly slid out of her saddle and knelt down beside him, heart pounding so loud she couldn't hear the roar of battle.

She cradled Cal in her arms, ignoring the fighting raging on around them.

Cal coughed weakly, more blood spilling from his lips. A shocked sob wracked Faelyn's body.

"Shh, don't cry." Cal soothed, his voice trembling slightly.

"I can't loose you." she told him, tears flowing freely down her face "I can loose everything, but not you... Oh God, not you..."

She'd known that they might not make it. She'd told herself that nothing was certain on the battlefield. But knowing it and watching the man she loved die in her arms were two very different things.

"Fight for me." Cal said quietly, almost too quietly to be heard over the ruckus "I love you. I... always will."

He released another trembling cough, then lay still.

"Cal! CAL! Cal, please wake up!" Faelyn cried desperately, but Calius didn't stir.

She wiped her eyes and gently lowered his eyelids, giving the illusion that Cal was simply sleeping.

Then she got back onto her horse and fought with a new fire in her heart. She cut down soldier after soldier, filled with the power of pain.

For Cal, she thought viciously as she killed enemy after enemy, For Cal...

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