The wind whispered between the leaves of trees christened white by snowfall. Evergreens and pines cast shadows to filter pale sunlight between them, mixed with the faint cerulean of the Sleeping Star in the north. Between the dark columns of ancient trunks that soared toward the clouds in ambition, Chimi duelled her father.
"Again!" he snapped as he shattered her guard with a swing of his staff.
She narrowly avoided his swing. She decided he needed to go all out on her, blocking him had become nearly impossible with the difference in their strength. Another redirection, parry and she tagged his side.
He stopped just short of her face and smirked, "Better but not bloody enough, is it? Again!"
When she exhaled and drew breath, she dashed back from his strike; he smiled. They fought in a circle on the snow that had consumed the forest floor. Father took a swipe at her feet and found himself face-to-face with her oak staff.
He took a step back and laughed, "That's the one."
She inclined her head, "Thank you, Father," and curtsied.
He jabbed the staff into the ground and returned to their makeshift camp. Chimi pulled the staff out of the ground and followed him. She felt the distant force of the sleeping star wane on the horizon as it twinkled, then evanesced back to the dream. She returned her eyes to her father when he rustled through his bag to take out his pipe and the stone the mage school gave him. The stone was ordinary, but carved into it was a symbol for minor combustion that he used to light the tobacco in his pipe.
Out of nowhere, he packed it away instead. When his eyes caught something, he took out the bow and quiver.
"I've an idea, Chi."
She put the staffs down inside the tent, returned to her father, took the bow and an arrow from the quiver he held. She looked where he looked and found a squirrel that sat a half mile away. She drew breath, aimed, drew and loosed the arrow. The arrow hit the squirrel, it died on impact.
"Excellent shot," he said, "Now, go on, hit that tree further up, I want to see you repeat them bloody shots you did at training."
She couldn't hide the excitement that curled her lips into a smile, aimed. Loose three arrows. Her father shaded his eyes from the sun and saw the arrows that all landed within a dozen centimetres of each other.
"Father," she said, "am I ready?"
He placed both hands on her shoulders, "You've been ready for a long time." he gave her a shake, "You're my girl, I don't want to let you on the battlefield too early, but now's the time, Chi. Now is the time, today you'll join us on a roam and a skirmish if it comes to it."
"I am ready," her fists trembled with excitement.
"Your training is ready, your body will remember. But," he placed a finger at her forehead, "Your mind isn't ready, be prepared to be unprepared. Remember your training, you're going to bloody fight yourself until you get used to it."
"I will, Father," she clenched her fist, "I will become the spear saint and complete my mission. I will become Empress of Eiramoor."
He laughed, "To do that, first you'll have to unite the Steppe and leave the continent."
She thumped her chest with her fist.
"Aye, lass, let's settle down. Your mother expects you home to read with her before I take you to walk with us." he gestured for her to return to the town and took the bow.
She looked at him, then at Emmerlaine's walls, "Alone?"
He barked a laugh, "If you get lost here, how am I supposed to trust you to fight in the fields?"
She stuck her tongue out at him and started to run as he opened his mouth to tell her to take a lap around town. She heard Dad's belly laugh behind her.
Minutes of running brought her back to Emmerlaine's walls, where the watchmen were shocked to see her without guards or her father. The wood-tar walls that kept them safe stood tall over nine feet high, dwarfed by the forest and the giants in legend. She wanted to speed up the pace, but with the reminder of a skirmish, she decided it was best to save her energy. It's what Dad would order her to do.
Around, past the gate where she caught a scornful side eye, she pushed out of her mind and past a hunting party on their return, who ignored her wave. She swallowed the eruption of emotions and continued on.
One foot after the other, you crushed the snow beneath your boots. She nearly tripped over a root and heard the hunting party cackle at her.
If only I were-- No. I am fine.
She stood up, dusted her gambeson and fur of snow and kept running.
"Fall eight times, bloody go on the ninth," she said what dad said, "That's a good soldier." Her breath turned to mist, "That's a good soldier, always gets up for payback. And payback's this lap, right, dad?"
Breath turned to mist before her eyes as sweat formed under her clothes. Footsteps crunched snow beneath her as the sun's cold rays were reflected in the wilderness, much like glitter and stardust on the trees, across the snow-covered grounds.
On the final turn back toward the gate, she froze when Asher rounded the corner, his brown hair cut short under his helmet. He was armoured up with a sergeant's cloak. She imagined the intense fighting they must've gone through and that she would join them.
"G-good morning, Asher." she looked at the snow on his boots.
"Hello, Chimi." he said casually, "Don't feel bad--"
"I'm sorry--"
"Calm down, you didn't know you're cursed." he took a step toward her.
She held her ground and stared at his nose to avoid the gash across his right eye.
"You alright, bird said You were joining up with the girlie court today?" he still had that charming smile.
"Yes," she cleared her throat, "Father says I'm ready."
He gave her a salute, "Yinoyul guides us."
She returned the gesture, "Yinoyul sets the path."
"I can still see," he said, "Clearer than you, I swear to that."
She sighed a breath of relief, "Thank you. But you still haven't beaten me in shooting."
"Just keep your head down alright? Ems are still pissy 'bout the prophecy," he said, "Lady Wes is waiting for you outside your house... and a rematch."
"Prepare to lose," she shot him a smile.
He nodded, "Mhm, go on then."
She dashed past him toward the gates, where the guards pointedly ignored her. Through the large wood gates, she ended up behind one of the platoons on their return, of the thirty or so there should have been, less than twenty remained. Their gambeson and plate were torn, battered, and splattered with blood. In the back of the crowd by the stone homes, she filtered into the cluster of people. Watched the soldiers with her hood up. She saw bone-tired faces, black eyes, a few missing eyes and loose teeth among them. At the head of the platoon stood Lieutenant who looked weary.
Riordhan was meant to return hours ago, she didn't want to be caught up in the crowd, but the fact they were made to stand in shame until father's address...
"Attention!" Egeon bellowed.
Egeon and dad marched out in full armour from the barracks with a small guard. The platoon saluted.
Dad gave the nod for them to relax, "Report."
"The scouts were wiped out in a surprise attack from Crom Cruach. Our supplies and bounty from the boar hunts were completely lost." Riordhan said in a hoarse voice. "We are exhausted, Colonel, may my platoon rest, myself and Gilbert can deliver detailed reports."
Chimi excused herself and walked to the edge of the crowd and slipped out the back only to be caught by Egeon.
"Not yet," he raised a palm to her, "You're with us now, you'll attend this meeting." he said in low tones.
She blinked, "Mum's waiting for me-"
"She's already been told." Egeon said, "Follow." he turned on his heel and marched toward the barracks. She felt scornful eyes on her back when she went after Egeon and clutched her belt.
Toward the large building, two large cylinder structures with a long cuboid structure, big enough to contain a thousand people, despite their army only being eight hundred currently. They went inside ahead of Dad and the other soldiers. The moment her boots stepped on the wooden boards the men in the room saluted Egeon and met her with cold indifference.
"This is Chimi, sure you know, she'll be joining as a private today. You'll be with Sergeant Poole in the fifth platoon," he pointed to the table at the right side of the room, where a group of men had the same flat expression with their salute.
Almost indistinguishable except for the man, Poole, who wore the stripes. No scars on his face, but a crooked smile and dim brown eyes that had seen decades. When she approached, he thrust out his hand to her. She gave him her firmest shake and was surprised at the rough ridges and scars she felt in his palm.
"Good to meet you." he said gruffly.
"It's an honour to serve." she curtly replied.
He gave her a stout nod and gestured for her to take a seat next to a group of people her age who tried to their their frowns. She shoved down the bitter thorns of insecurity that crept in her stomach and took her place among them. She recognised these lot, Frankie, Dante, Harrison, Natalie and Gail.
Dad entered in silence, everyone in the room stomped their feet and saluted.
Riordhan and Gilbert sat at the head of the room behind a long table.
Dad marched up the steps onto the commander's table and fanned his hand down. Everyone sat.
"Squad Six, report." Dad ordered.
Egeon took a seat beside him.
"We went straight east on the beaten hunting paths." Riordhan said, "No messin' about, no piss takin', it was a good march and a good graft of a hunt. Some of the usual freaks attacked, mutated squirrels we cut down, no injuries, but then we saw a man with a one-sided blade twice the length of you, sir."
Riordhan thumped his fist on the table, "He was on us in a fuckin' blur, we bound up and gave him a gash. But then more of 'em came, and you know what they're like. Fight one, you fight 'em all. We took losses. Hard. All the horses, all the plunder. Gone. Back into the forest with 'em."
"Describe it." Dad gestured to the quartermaster, "Get these men some food and water."
"Human body, we're certain it was an Odibrand that was taken by the faes. Half of his body was fused with oak wood, grafted into him." Riordhan's hand shook.
"Get some rest." Angus said, "Egeon, contact the mages, get us a cadre we're moving out in an hour."