The Baby and the Battlefield

Chapter Seventy-One: The Middle

"Now, kill all three of them."

Cicuta smiled maliciously at her prisoners. Aurelia was still crying, her voice echoing off the distant ceiling.

From high above them, a voice rang out, "Not so fast!"

Even Salix,standing with a sword at her throat, turned to look. The two balconies that hung high above them were no longer empty. The person who had spoken was Petro, and he stood, dressed only in his tunic, bow drawn and an arrow trained on Flora Cicuta. Opposite him was a tall, lanky girl dressed entirely in black. She too had an arrow trained on Cicuta, though her angry glare was directed to Salix. Had the sword not been at Salix's throat, Tsuga's glare would have caused her to sag and crumple; as it was, she moved enough that she could feel the sword abrading the soft skin of her throat.

"Hurt them and you die," Petro said simply.

"You would not shoot me," Flora Cicuta laughed, "You could not bring yourselves to possibly harm the baby. And you cannot shoot my men, or I will hurt the baby."

Cicuta drew a small dagger from her waist, then to her own men she added, "You are perfectly safe. Kill them."

The men guarding Mulberry were the first to react. She struggled as one of them stepped behind her and took both of her arms in his. She tried to kick him and wiggle out of his grip, but he was much taller and stronger.

Marcus tried to fight his captors. It was imperative that he try to save Mulberry, she was his responsibility as much as Aurelia was, and besides that, she was - well, she was Mulberry: smart and beautiful and kind. He managed no more than a slight shrug, however, before the man who had held Mulberry drew his sword.

Mulberry's eyes grew wide as the blade was raised above her head. She could feel her heart beating in her chest like it was going to explode. She tried her hardest to move, in any direction. Any movement would be better than just waiting, agonizingly, for the blade to come down, but she couldn't even wiggle. The man held her too tightly.

She watched in horror as the blade reached the top of its arc, and then started to fall. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow, but no blow came.

Instead, there was the sudden sound of a bow string being released, and an instant after a man's groan. Mulberry opened her eyes to see the swordsman slumped over to one side on the ground, an arrow protruding from his neck. Petro had done it!

"How dare you!" Shrieked Flora Cicuta. The tall, angular woman positioned herself carefully, so that the baby was between her and Petro's arrows.

"You," She said to the guard holding Salix, "Hurry up and kill her, and then see to him."

Salix's eyes grew wide. The man holding her didn't seem to know what to do. Quietly, Petro trained his arrow on the man threatening Salix.

"Wait, don't kill me," Salix said desperately, "If you let them go, I'll take your side! I will help you, and serve you faithfully! I - I have always been loyal to you, remember, Mistress Cicuta?"

The woman seemed to consider this for a moment, but then her face curled with anger. "You are a fool, Aemilia."