SCARLETS DOMAIN

We had not gone far, when Gudrun stopped, and
listened.

"Horsemen approach!" she said.

We left the path, concealing ourselves in the trees,
to observe the soldiers as they drew near.

"We need horses if we are to stand any chance," I
whispered.

Gudrun nodded, and strung her bow, while Karelia
unsheathed her sword in readiness. It made no
difference to either of them, that there were ten
fearsome looking Gallic auxilairies, all well armed
and mounted on strong steeds.

Gudrun withdrew three arrows from her quiver, and held
them each between the fingers of one hand. Then she
notched the first and took careful aim at the lead
rider as he approached.

Suddenly three arrows were in the air, almost at the
same time, and each found their target in the chest of
each of the leading three riders.

Gudrun's shooting was not only fast, but deadly
accurate. Each rider screamed and fell, two of them
lying still as they landed, the third, twitching and
moaning.

Behind, them horses reared as their riders struggled
to control them, while some of the soldiers dismounted
quickly, anticipating more arrows, and deciding that
they would stand a better chance on foot.

Karelia and I charged, taking advantage of their
surprise, while Gudrun notched another arrow fast. I
seized one of the riderless horses, and leapt onto his
back, as I had learned to do on the steppes back home.
I screamed with sheer delight as I felt the beasts
strong back between my thighs. I had not been allowed
to ride a horse since my capture and it had been so
long.

Wheeling the stallion around, I slashed at the nearest
soldier, cutting a wide gash across his face, and in
the same movement impaled a second man through the
chest.

Karelia was screaming like a wildcat as she found
herself surrounded by angry soldiers, but her
swordplay surpassed any I have ever seen. A man might
think he had found an opening, but as he tried to make
use of it, her blade would flick unexpectedly, either
taking out an eye, or destroying his manhood at a
stroke.

Meanwhile, Gudrun fired her arrows into the melee,
backing away, in case any of them broke free and
charged her before she could notch the next arrow.

Indeed I saw one of the men come to within inches of
disembowelling her, before her arrow buried itself at
point blank range in his groin.

Her knife stilled his screaming.

It was as I despatched yet another of the Gauls that
my blood froze at the sound of a scream, the scream,
this time, of a woman.

Feeling sick to my stomach,. I wheeled my horse to see
Karelia lying on her back, her face contorted with
agony, while she clutched at an ugly slash across her
breast. She was oblivious of her attacker whose sword
was raised to administer the deathblow.

Gudrun had already dropped her bow and was sprinting
toward her fallen comrade, while I lunged at the man
from atop my horse, driving my sword between his
shoulder blades. He grunted and fell beside Karelia
only to be pushed aside like so much dead meat, by
Gudrun.

The battle was over. All the soldiers lay dead or
dying, but the trained warrior in me told me that I
had to make sure the wounded could do no further harm
before I could obey my screaming urge to see to
Karelia.

My vision blurred with tears, I thrust my blade
hurriedly into any heart that still beat, any brain
that still thought, and carried on killing until I was
sure it was no longer necessary. Then, and only then
could I turn to Karelia.

"Help me with this!"

Gudrun was trying to strip the chain mail armour from
her body. I dismounted and stooped beside her, hearing
Karelia's moan of agony as I lifted her body to help
Gudrun.

We stripped her undershift from her too, and brave
though she was, her pitiful moans cut to our hearts.

There was a hideous gash which sliced acrioss her left
breast, exposing pink fat underneath. I choked out a
sob at the destruction of such beauty, and gently
stroked her soft blond hair as she turned her head
from side to side, trying desperately to escape the
pain.

Gudrun carefully picked away at the links of chain
that were still embedded in the flesh, and Karelia
jerked as each one was removed. Gently, I caressed her
cheek, trying to soothe her while Gudrun worked. I
looked at her beautiful nakedness, the way the muscles
worked under her bronze skin as she writhed, and
prayed that she would live.

"I need water!" said Gudrun.

Reluctantly I got up, not wishing to leave Karelia,
but it seemd that her best chance of survival lay with
Gudrun, who appeared to know what she was doing.

When I returned with the canteen I saw Gudrun, holding
the piece of cloth we had taken from the Servany of
Streeth, who I had killed.

"I have no taste for Withchcraft," I muttered.

Gudrun looked up at me. "Look at her!" she said. "She
is in so much pain and I won't let her suffer if there
is a way to prevent it!"

With that, she placed the cloth over the wound.
Karelia was whimpering, almost delirious with pain,
but her sob subsided as the cloth seemed to cling to
her flesh.

"See," said Gudrun, "she is soothed, and now she will
live."

"No good ever came of Magic!"

"Do you know another way?" said Gudrun, flushed with
anger. "if you do, then we should use it!"

I glared at her, but said nothing. I prefer an honest
relationship with the world in which I live, but she
was right. I couldn't save Karelia, and after what she
had done for me in the Arena, I would have given my
soul for her then.

Karelia began to shiver, and I fetched a blanket to
cover her before we lifted her and took her to the
safety of the trees, leaving the bodies of our
attackers to rot.

She slept, and in sleeping, she healed more than would
have been possible without the magic. It took but a
few hours before she was fit enough to move on, and it
was just as well, for we could not afford to tarry
long.

I was glad to see her recover so well, and so quickly,
but it seemed to me that some of the light had gone
from her eyes.

Will continue in chapter 3...