FROST- Jotun Chronicles #1

Death Comes Calling

There was a brief lull around us, a few seconds where no one was throwing themselves at our throats, so we arranged ourselves in a loose circle. Davin helped Stacey back onto her horse and was turning to help me when someone came barreling toward me, screaming.

Davin stumbled back in surprise and I whipped up my blade just as a long, thin rapier crashed down onto it, inches from my nose. The woman in front of me had her long blonde hair braided into twin plaits that hung over her shoulders. Her hair was messy and coming out of the braids and her helmet was gone. Her face was smudged with dirt and tear stained. It was Amy.

“Traitor!” She screamed at me, “filthy traitor!”

I ground my teeth and shoved back on her blade, forcing her to back up a step, “Amy, calm down!”

“The Queen gave you everything, you ungrateful little bitch!” She swung at me again, but she was sloppy and uncoordinated, swinging the sword like a baseball bat. I blocked it easily and shoved her back again, “Back off, Amy! I don’t want to kill you…”

“I’ll kill you,” she shrieked hysterically. Her eyes were too wide, and she was panting frantically, nearly frothing at the mouth. Had she snapped under the pressure of battle?

“Where’s Alicia?” I pushed her away again, desperate to distract her. I didn’t want to have to kill her, but obviously she was bent on killing me.

Amy’s next blow was wildly off, her face crumpled, “she’s dead. Your fire soldiers killed her.”

It felt like the breath had been knocked out of me. I could see Amy’s sword swinging for my head, but I couldn’t seem to find the strength to bring the katana up. It suddenly seemed to weigh a thousand pounds in my hands. I jumped as another blade swung in front of my face, meeting Amy’s and creating sparks directly in front of my eyes.

Davin was leaning across me, blocking Amy’s sword, his face screwed up with the effort. Amy shrieked angrily, yanked her sword back and dove towards Davin. It was like she’d gone insane, Davin’s eyes actually widened with alarm as Amy stomped forward slashing at him. The unexpected fury of her attack must have caught him off guard, because Amy’s sword slid off his and sliced into his shoulder. He jumped back with a howl of pain, and his arm swung uselessly, the sword clattering to the ground. It seemed like the blood came out of nowhere, floods of it. The scarlette patch spread over the fabric of his tunic and turned his sleeve red. She’d opened up a huge gash in his arm just below the chainmail shirt. The edges of his flesh had parted cleanly, and I felt sick when I saw the muscles and tendons beneath. When he turned slightly I could see the white gleam of bone through the blood. My stomach turned in protest.

Amy shrieked again, launching herself at Davin, face twisted in mindless fury. My feet seemed to be rooted to the ground. She was going to kill him.

A shape barreled past me, Charlotte, screaming angrily, sword outstretched as she ran. Amy’s head was down when she charged at Davin, and she didn’t even seem to notice as the tip of Charlotte’s blade pierced the rings of her chainmail and sunk deep into her chest. She staggered forward a few more steps, sword still above her head, still about to strike at Davin. Then she stopped and looked down at the handle jutting out of her leather tunic, and the confused, tormented look on her face was heartbreaking.

Amy fell backwards, landing clumsily on her back, and her sword tumbled out of her hand and onto the grass. Her head tipped back, and she stared up at the sky.

“Amy!” I stepped forward, torn between relief and sadness, “Amy…”

She turned her head slightly, glanced down at the sword in her chest and then up again, her words seemed to be forced when she finally spoke, like they were difficult to drag out, “Megan…” Her breath wheezed, rattling in her chest.