The Skabelse

There Are None

The two women hit the solid ground quite hard, tumbling into a heap, with the Gladeswoman landing on top, knocking Blanche's breath out who gasped in attempts to suck air back into her lungs.

A sharp pain began to throb in Rowan's head as a slow stream of blood falling from her wound above her brow once more. Rowan gritted her teeth and wiped it on her already stained her before remembering the reason she had dove from her horse.

Rowan focused on the body that lay beneath her and quickly wrapped her arms and legs around her, pinning her down.

Blanche let out a growl and threw her head back, ramming it into the bridge of Rowan's nose. An audible crack sounded and her grip loosed as more blood began to flow from her face. Blanche then began to squirm her way out from underneath, hoping she would be able to make it to her horse and escape.

Fury filled Rowan as her face throbbed and she quickly snaked her fingers through Blanche's loose hair, yanking it back. She then managed to wrap her arm around her neck and began to squeeze with her bicep, cutting off her air supply.

Rowan collected a large portion of blood and saliva and spat into the ground before speaking. "Be still."

Blanche froze and chuckled a strained laughed, "Or what? You will make my already painfully slow death even more prolonged?"

Rowan narrowed her eyes and released her throat. Collecting a large portion of Blanche's hair in her fist, she pulled her head back before slamming her face into the ground, breaking her nose as well. Blanche called out and cursed her under her breath. "An eye for an eye?"

The corners of Rowan's mouth rose slightly as an idea started to formulate in her head. "Aye, we can do that. Shall I start with the piggy's?" she asked, squeezing her hand harder through Blanche's hair, "Perhaps carve into your skin or should I began to fillet your arms as you did mine?"

"If you want me to beg you for my life I'm sorry to disappoint you," Blanche said, defeated.

Rowan pressed her lips together and got off of her before rolling her roughly over so she could look into her eyes and pulled out a dagger from her side belt, pressing it against her throat. "I don't give a damn if you beg or not, for I'm still going to take it. You are the reason why my mother is dead. Why so many of my friends are dead. Why two of my High Kings and Queens are dead. Why I was taken away from my Skabelse and am not with child. Why so many innocent lives have been lost to fight for your cause. Shall I go on?"

Blanche looked down at the blade before slowly looking back up to meet Rowan's cobalt eyes. "You know, many years ago I came across The wise words of a man in one of the ancient history books. Would you like to know what he said?" She asked, before continuing, "Whether the blood is one's own or of others, it is the blood of Adam's race. Whether the war rages in east or west, it is the blood of the peace of the world. You're looking for a winner? There are none. We both lose regardless of my fate." Suddenly, she threw her head back and burst into laughter.

Rowan raised an eyebrow and pressed the blade down harder, silently demanding her to explain herself.

Blanche shook her head, finally calming down. "Did it ever occur to you that if you would have sided with me, you could have the future you desire? Do not tell me you wish to live with your Gladeswoman away from Bjorn and the other Roriks that you hold so dearly. After you kill me, what do you think is going to happen? That Tomwulf and Nilac will be moved to see how men and women allied together to fight the same cause and rewrite the law? That you and your Rorik would live happily ever after?" she asked, scoffing. "If you would have stuck with me, I could have offered you that, because deep down I know that really we both want the same thing."

Rowan looked away from her as she couldn't help but to think Blanche's words over. In a sense, she was right, for Rowan wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her days with Bjorn and live in peace with those that had become her dearest friends. Maybe she's right...

She snapped her eyes back to Blanche and quickly shook her head, "You're wrong. You wanted to rid the world of all forms of governance and guidance, and instead name yourself as the one and only queen, dictating our lives while having a band of mercenaries and criminals by your side. Eventually you would be the cause of the end of human existence as more wars would soon ignite. You'd have women executed if they looked at you wrong and men if they refused to be your lover," she said, shaking her head once more. "It makes no difference if I would get what I want, I can't live in a world like that. I won't."

Blanche's eyes gradually began to widen as realization flashed across her face. Before she could say anything else, Rowan slowly slit her throat. She wished she could have prolonged her death for she deserved a much more painful one, but she couldn't deny the face that there was still a war going on behind her.

She watched as Blanche gasped for air and began to drown in her own blood. She coughed up the thick red liquid, only for it to fall back down upon her face. She grasped her throat in a feeble attempt to extend her life for a few short moments until finally she was still.

Rowan looked down at Blanche's body, studying her face with a blank expression. I did it. But shouldn't I be happier? Why do I feel so empty?

Blinking once, she began to saw away at her throat, cutting through her spine until finally her head was severed.

Rowan weaved her fingers into Blanche's hair once more and gave her head a stout pull before quickly mounting her horse again. She lifted it up and looked into her glazed lifeless eyes in hopes to force herself into feeling victorious but instead it only made her feel numb. It bothered her but as the sound of clashing swords and shields sounded a few hundred yards away, she knew that there were more important things than sorting out her feelings.

"Yah!" she commanded, squeezing the horses wide abdomen with her legs.The horse did not resist this time and allowed her to guide it back to the still-raging battle.

Sorry if this is short, but I thought it was a good place to leave off! Only a few chapters left :'(