Inheritance: Threads of Fate

Chapter Thirteen - The Ledger

Cale ran to the girl, and scooped her up in his arms. "Roisin..." he began to tear up.
She murmured something, then looked up at Cale. "Da?" She spoke confusedly.
"Yes darlin' I'm here." He rocked her back and forth.
You and Raxe inspected the shackles on her legs, "I have to break them." He whispered to you. "It might hurt her a bit." He pointed out her ankles which were swollen and bruised.
You knelt down in front of Cale and Roisin, "Hey," you spoke softly to her. "We're gonna get those off your feet, but you have to be brave for a moment." You made eye contact with Cale who nodded, then squeezed her tightly. You grabbed her hand. "Ok Raxe."
He struck at the link connecting the chain to her cuffs hard with the pommel of the sword, repeatedly. Roisin winced with each strike, tears forming in her eyes.
"Raxe..." you asked after the fourth or fifth strike.
"Almost there." He hammered once, twice, and then the chain clattered to the floor.
"We have to go." Caspian was standing guard by the door. "I hear a commotion upstairs."
Cale picked up Roisin and carried her out of the cell. Then spoke to you all. "I canna' draw my sword wi' her. You'll ha' teh figh' fer me."
"I'll take her." Raxe handed the sword back to one of the crewmen and held his arms out to Cale. "I can't use a sword anyway."
Cale seemed reluctant to hand over his daughter but you and Caspian nodded to him, and he went to hand her to Raxe.
"Wait." Raxe thought for a second, then took his shirt off and held it open. "Ok," he said to Cale and took Roisin in his arms, then wrapped her in his shirt so he wasn't touching her bare skin. He looked down at her and whispered. "I got you."
"Alright, let's go." Caspian led the way up the stairs. When you finally emerged into the courtyard you noticed there were several guards rounding on the crewmen and escaped slaves. Swords drawn you, Cale, Caspian, and the crew jumped into the fray.
"Form a circle around the unarmed!" You called out and the men all pushed the slaves into the center, Raxe and Roisin included. You fought back the guards as you tried to push your way towards the gate, you had almost made it when the gates drew open to reveal General Vorsud with a hoard of armed men behind him. Yourself and half the crew turned their attention to the new guards while Caspian, Cale and the others fought back the ones advancing on you.
You were trapped between two clusters of guards. one in front of you, blocking the gate, the other behind you pushing you towards them. The defenseless slaves, Raxe, and Cale's daughter in the middle. You had to push forward. You had to get through the gate. You shouted, and the men on your side rushed behind you in attack as you met the armed guards with swords raised. Clanging and slashing, blood spilling. Dodging bodies and blades. You scanned the crowd for Vorsud. If you can get to him, you can use him as a hostage...
"There." You spotted him at the edge of the group, standing aside as his guards gave their lives to protect him. You fought your way though, ducking and sliding under guards and crewmen alike. You approached Vorsud and his two guards attacked, you spun and dodged the first one,  while the second man slashed from above. You blocked and his curved blade slid against the base of your guard. You used the momentum to twist his sword and disarm him, kicking him aside as hard as you could. The first guard swung at you from behind, and you jumped over his blade as he fell forward, you stepped hard on his wrist as he landed, swiping his sword out of his hand with yours.
The General was yours. You advanced on him, and he pulled his blade out just as you swung up towards his throat, locking blades. He smiled at you sadistically.
"I missed you, my desert flower..."
You jumped back and stood on guard. "I'm sure you did..."
You attacked again, this time swinging right as you feigned left. He slashed at your open side, and you were able to turn him so you ended behind him. You slashed at the back of his knees and he went down. You saw red as you wrapped your arm around his body, placing your blade against his neck. You heard Caspian's voice in the distance shouting "NO!" as he ran towards you. You grabbed Vorsud's hair, pulling his head backwards, exposing his neck more to your edge.
"Don't!" Caspian shouted as he stopped in front of the General, "My Love. Please. You're not a killer. This is not something you can come back from."
"Ah..." Vorsud chuckled. "Now I understand. You are delusional, my wife, if you think a lowly commoner such as yourself could ever be with a king."
"My Starlight..." Caspian pleaded.
"Come back home with me. You belong to me." Vorsud spoke calmly. "You are the wife of a General of Calormen. You would want for nothing. With him you would just be a shameful secret...hidden from the world. He will take a wife, father children, while you long for him in silence..."
"Don't let him get inside your head." Caspian tried to speak gently. "Look at me." He asked.
Your eyes met his, but everything was red, and bloody. You could only feel boiling rage. You wanted this feeling to go away. The only way was to press your blade harder against his throat...
"Don't you want to know what became of your mother?" Vorsud taunted you.
You snapped your attention back to the General.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" You screamed.
"If you kill me, you'll never know." He chuckled darkly.
"If you don't spill it now, I'll spill your blood." You threatened.
"What's to keep you from doing so after I tell you hmm?"
You glared at him.
Caspian spoke up. "If you tell us where her mother is, we will spare your life. You have my word as King of Narnia."
"Call your whore off me then." Vorsud commanded.
Caspian's eyes turned black. He approached you slowly, coming behind the General to kneel at your feet. He tied Vorsud's hands behind his back tightly. Then placed his hand gently on your sword arm, and pulled it away from his neck.
"Call off your men." He commanded him.
Vorsud did so, and the fighting stopped.
"Raxe!" Caspian called, and Raxe emerged from the middle of the fighting, still carrying Roisin. "Take everyone to Zumi. We will meet you there." He commanded.
Raxe nodded and as he led Cale and the freed slaves away, you and Caspian turned your attention back to Vorsud.
"Talk." You demanded, pointing the tip of your blade against his back.
"I see you found my favorite plaything..." He commented as he watched Raxe carry Roisin off.
Your rage seethed, and you pressed the point harder, drawing blood. Caspian placed his hand on your arm.
"Ow." Vorsud turned his head so he could see you. "If you don't play nice I won't cooperate."
"If you don't cooperate, the deal is null. And I can't control her." Caspian responded.
"Your mother was an excellent wife. Obedient, quiet, beautiful. She wasn't as talented with her mouth as you, my flower, but her body was one of my favorites to use. It fathered many sons for me..."
"Where is she..." You growled through gritted teeth.
"I hated to do it, but a Lord from Terebinthia insisted on buying her. He paid three times what she was worth...something about a sickness plaguing their island... and she had some knowledge of medicinal herbs."
"What Lord?" Caspain asked.
"I don't remember his name. It's somewhere in my ledgers at home, so if you would like to accompany me back..."
"Forget it." You interrupted him, then looked at Caspian. "We can't just release him."
"We can't take him with us either." He responded.
"I have an idea." You smirked. "Get him up."
"On your feet." Caspian demanded and hauled him up.
"Walk." You pointed him out towards the desert.
"You can't be serious." Vorsud looked back at you.
"I said. WALK."  You poked him in the back with your sword, and he began to move forward.
You led him on until the sun started rising and the fortress was just a speck in the distance to you. Then you commanded him to keep walking until he couldn't see you anymore. You watched and waited until he disappeared over a dune and out of sight.