Wings in the Darkness

The Troublemaker

This eagle woman hovering near the top of the great hall was young, though the black feathers on her head and wings gave her a dark countenance that belied that.  As Kareen flew up she knew that this eagle woman could cause trouble.  They didn't need women to riot right before a battle, not now, not even if she was right.  As it turned out, other eagle women were already turning their heads.

"The men go off to fight the real battle, and I cannot deny their courage!  But what do the women do?!  We cower with the elderly and the children when we are able bodied!  I can fight as well as any man!"

"I believe you Lailen," said Kareen, hovering next to her.  "But now is not the time to discuss it."

"When is the time?  When the goblins are on our doorstep?"

"I was thinking when the king held open petitions for new laws."

"Do you think the king would really repeal the old laws there?  He wouldn't let us fight on the front lines."

"Thankfully!" Kareen couldn't help but exclaim.  "It's bad enough my husband will be there.  At least my sister doesn't have to go."

Lailen sized Kareen up, as if wondering what her intentions were.

"What if your sister wanted to go?" asked Lailen.

"Then she would be a fool to go off and fight with the men when she could protect the young and elderly, and fight with the rest of the women."

Lailen was obviously confused.  "What do you mean?"

"I petitioned the king a few weeks ago.  We have earned the right to fight with bows to protect our elders and children.  If goblins somehow breach the outer defenses we take our elderly and the children and we run, firing back at the goblins.  It was our charge to care for them anyway, so it isn't that different to do so with weapons."

Lailen was getting more confused by the minute.  "But you couldn't have learned to use bows in a few weeks!"

"No.   But there are no rules against learning to fight, just fighting in a battle.  I and many of the women have been practicing for months."

That obviously struck Lailen in a funny way.  Kareen figured she had been training in secret, and was now realizing that she could have done it openly.

"Maybe," said Kareen.  "If you have spent more time helping us with a petition to get this compromise and less time shouting in the great hall you might have known that."

Lailen's lips quavered.  She obviously wasn't liking this.

"I haven't been training with a bow, and even if you're right that doesn't mean we'll see any fighting."

"That's why it's called a compromise.  Besides, we don't fight for our own glory, we fight to protect ourselves and those we love."

"I know.  I just want all of us to have that right...to protect the ones we love."

"I know you mean well little sister.  I'm sure whatever you've been practicing with will suffice." One look from Lailen was enough to know that Kareen had guessed right.  "But please, we don't need a riot.  Not now."

Lailen sighed.  "Alright."

They flew down together, swooping back to Kareen's perch.  That was one problem taken care of.  Now Kareen wondered how they would deal with the other.  An army of flying goblins.