wayfarers_lodge (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wayfarers_lodge) wrote2011-04-27 11:13 pm
wayfarers_lodge) wrote2011-04-27 11:13 pm
{Tilda} And so the war is over
The battleground was soaked with the blood of the fallen, as Spencer, Aliera Blazeblade and Tilda Bloodymane stood, backs to each other, against the Warlord of the Bloody Reaches. The crowd had fallen silent as each of the Warlord's other champions had been cut down, and now the White King, Clothed in Red, stood on his own against three of his best children.
Tilda shouted to the Warlord's soldiers on the far bank, urging them to turn their backs on their master, and cheered as Spencer's cold iron blade bit into the Warlord's chest, as she held her spear high and firm against the next attack.
Seeming unfazed by the blow, The Warlord ducked under her spear and jabbed to the left with his other sword, the one he never drew, the first lying steaming on the ground. Spencer hesitated one moment too long, and the blade sliced into his stomach and down, hard and fast, into the leg joint.
There was nothing she could do as her motleymate staggered in the mud. He was a half step too far away for her to reach in time, and was under the length of her spear, which she could not bring to bear to save him. She couldn't save him alone.
But luckily for them both, she wasn't.
Aliera ducked under her spear and in front of Spencer, face fierce and bright as she turned to face the Warlord's sword for the sake of her Enemy. It went straight into her throat and down, down, down, through the ribs and the heart, emerging near her kidneys.
As Commander Blazeblade slid off the Warlord's sword, Tilda and Spencer both howled with rage as they staggered forward and attacked their Keeper with all their might. Under their weapons, the white figure stopped, fell silent, and crumpled to the ground.
Tilda gently lowered Spencer to the ground as his legs gave out, and knelt beside Aliera's body, clutching her hand. She looked up at the people staring, shocked, and drew in a deep breath to speak-
BANG
Something struck Tilda in the head with enough force to throw her backwards, and she knew with absolute certainty that it was the Commisar, taking care of the last of these deserters.
Oh, fuck... she thought as she lay on the bloody ground, consciousness spinning away, hand still clutching her Durancemate's tightly.
~*~*~
And she opened her eyes to a world where the ground was only a suggestion, where the air was warm and sweet with sunlight, and shadows were only a memory.
She looked up at Aliera, who was smiling and holding her hand.
"Come on, Tilda," she said, "Let's go!"
The Fireheart tugged on Tilda's hand, but the Razorhands couldn't move, despite her trying.
"Why am I so heavy all of a sudden?" She cursed, trying to push herself up with her other hand.
"Because you're still alive." Aliera replied.
"Then why are you so light?" Tilda asked, and it was true- it looked as if Aliera was floating above the suggestion of the ground.
Aliera smiled sadly. "Because I'm dead."
Tilda blinked. "Don't be retarded, Blazeblade, help me up."
"I can't. You need to go back."
"But... but how? You aren't going to come back with me, are you? How am I supposed to keep fighting if there isn't us?"
"The same way you always have, sis. You're stronger than this. You aren't done fighting yet."
"But you are?" She snarled, fighting the weight on her shoulders and back. "Give me a fucking break."
"Yeah, I'm done. I got here. This fight is done- that white bastard is the only thing I had left to fight for. Now he's gone, I can rest." Aliera smiled gently, her whole face lighting up, and squeezed Tilda's hand. "But you've got people to fight for, and someone's gotta keep our promise. You've got a life back there, and a motley, and someone who loves you. You can't just give all that up because your body is heavy and because you won't have me."
"But I'm tired."
"Yeah, you are, and you will be for a long time. But you're better than that."
"I don't think I am, Aliera, please let me come with you."
"Megan." Tilda started, and looked up again, unable to deny her birth name. Aliera's eyes were serious and dark.
"You need to go now. Your body needs you. Spencer needs you. Your motley and your freehold and your men need you. Go home, sis. I will never be too far away."
She squeezed her hand again, and for a moment it felt as if she were falling...
~*~*~
Tilda woke up in a room she could only guess was white through her heavy eyelids, with Aliera holding her hand. She tried to sit up but couldn't move.
There was a pinging noise to her left, and someone stirred nearby.
"Miss Bloomington, glad you're back with us," a nurse said as they adjusted one of the cannulas in her arm. Tilda flexed her fingers against Aliera's hand, and was puzzled to not feel any resistance.
She opened her eyes slowly, and saw there was no one there next to her, but the feeling of someone's hand in hers remained, as if her friend would always be there, always and never again.
Tilda shouted to the Warlord's soldiers on the far bank, urging them to turn their backs on their master, and cheered as Spencer's cold iron blade bit into the Warlord's chest, as she held her spear high and firm against the next attack.
Seeming unfazed by the blow, The Warlord ducked under her spear and jabbed to the left with his other sword, the one he never drew, the first lying steaming on the ground. Spencer hesitated one moment too long, and the blade sliced into his stomach and down, hard and fast, into the leg joint.
There was nothing she could do as her motleymate staggered in the mud. He was a half step too far away for her to reach in time, and was under the length of her spear, which she could not bring to bear to save him. She couldn't save him alone.
But luckily for them both, she wasn't.
Aliera ducked under her spear and in front of Spencer, face fierce and bright as she turned to face the Warlord's sword for the sake of her Enemy. It went straight into her throat and down, down, down, through the ribs and the heart, emerging near her kidneys.
As Commander Blazeblade slid off the Warlord's sword, Tilda and Spencer both howled with rage as they staggered forward and attacked their Keeper with all their might. Under their weapons, the white figure stopped, fell silent, and crumpled to the ground.
Tilda gently lowered Spencer to the ground as his legs gave out, and knelt beside Aliera's body, clutching her hand. She looked up at the people staring, shocked, and drew in a deep breath to speak-
BANG
Something struck Tilda in the head with enough force to throw her backwards, and she knew with absolute certainty that it was the Commisar, taking care of the last of these deserters.
Oh, fuck... she thought as she lay on the bloody ground, consciousness spinning away, hand still clutching her Durancemate's tightly.
~*~*~
And she opened her eyes to a world where the ground was only a suggestion, where the air was warm and sweet with sunlight, and shadows were only a memory.
She looked up at Aliera, who was smiling and holding her hand.
"Come on, Tilda," she said, "Let's go!"
The Fireheart tugged on Tilda's hand, but the Razorhands couldn't move, despite her trying.
"Why am I so heavy all of a sudden?" She cursed, trying to push herself up with her other hand.
"Because you're still alive." Aliera replied.
"Then why are you so light?" Tilda asked, and it was true- it looked as if Aliera was floating above the suggestion of the ground.
Aliera smiled sadly. "Because I'm dead."
Tilda blinked. "Don't be retarded, Blazeblade, help me up."
"I can't. You need to go back."
"But... but how? You aren't going to come back with me, are you? How am I supposed to keep fighting if there isn't us?"
"The same way you always have, sis. You're stronger than this. You aren't done fighting yet."
"But you are?" She snarled, fighting the weight on her shoulders and back. "Give me a fucking break."
"Yeah, I'm done. I got here. This fight is done- that white bastard is the only thing I had left to fight for. Now he's gone, I can rest." Aliera smiled gently, her whole face lighting up, and squeezed Tilda's hand. "But you've got people to fight for, and someone's gotta keep our promise. You've got a life back there, and a motley, and someone who loves you. You can't just give all that up because your body is heavy and because you won't have me."
"But I'm tired."
"Yeah, you are, and you will be for a long time. But you're better than that."
"I don't think I am, Aliera, please let me come with you."
"Megan." Tilda started, and looked up again, unable to deny her birth name. Aliera's eyes were serious and dark.
"You need to go now. Your body needs you. Spencer needs you. Your motley and your freehold and your men need you. Go home, sis. I will never be too far away."
She squeezed her hand again, and for a moment it felt as if she were falling...
~*~*~
Tilda woke up in a room she could only guess was white through her heavy eyelids, with Aliera holding her hand. She tried to sit up but couldn't move.
There was a pinging noise to her left, and someone stirred nearby.
"Miss Bloomington, glad you're back with us," a nurse said as they adjusted one of the cannulas in her arm. Tilda flexed her fingers against Aliera's hand, and was puzzled to not feel any resistance.
She opened her eyes slowly, and saw there was no one there next to her, but the feeling of someone's hand in hers remained, as if her friend would always be there, always and never again.
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You make my cry. :-)
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I love your stories, Katie, and the way you can bring things to life so beautifully.
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=^..^=