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H A S H S H A S H I N A R M Y, صَفَر
V A L L E Y O F T H E B L E S S E D
R A I N S
Chaos reigned in the Valley of Blessed Rains, ripping apart the silent night. Fire lit up the wound in the land, the roar of it only adding to the din. Dark figures moved as swiftly and lightly as shadows, but every time they made their move another man of the Fort fell in their wake.
The arrows had stopped raining down on the Hashshashin some time ago, because the last two regiments had stormed up the rocky sides and taken their ambushers by surprise, appearing as silently as angels of death and carrying out their tasks just as swiftly.
There was another propeller today that enhanced the way the army moved.
It was the brothers.
Taimur, Ozer and Yunus could not deny their extraordinarily unparalleled skill. They moved as though rehearsed, fluidly, calmly. Only they themselves knew in their hearts how shaken they were from the blood shed around them. But they couldn't dwell on that now- they had only one aim: eradicate the enemy, make this end as quickly as possible, then deal with the trauma.
Raza didn't even remember his first kill. It had come so fast he didn't know who struck who, only that he had moved out of instinct and the next thing he knew, his enemy was gone and he was already moving on to the next one.
Ehsan and Ibrahim battled back to back as always, inseparable, two edges of the same sword. Not once did they collide, not once did they have to look back to check on the other.
Zain, Ali and Marwan were on the flat ground some twenty feet below, atop their steeds. They thundered across the aged dirt, slicing left and right with ease. It was almost no challenge for them and it was frightening.
Ustad had trained them well.
"Ozer! Take the far right!" Taimur boomed, and it was the loudest Ali had ever heard the snake like man ever speak, "Marwan- accompany him!"
Ozer and Marwan rose off, leaving Ali and Zain and the other Hashshashin soldiers to engage. The opposition were already beginning to try to flee, and it hadn't even been half an hour yet.
Please be over soon Ali prayed. He could not help but imagine Taghridi men fighting so ferociously had they stayed behind, only to be murdered by those trained only to kill.
He was glad there had been no Battle of Taghrid. It would never have been a real battle.
Hudayfa watched the fighting from the cave like crevice he and his curse were sitting in. It was a good distraction from that thing he had to protect, that being he wished had never made it out of the God foresaken town a few suns ago.
He observed their new additions, pleased at their skill. At least he would not have to train the boys, at least they would be able to carry the mantle much more easily then he, Taimur, Ozer and Yunus had. They had learnt everything in battle the hard way. For these boys, battle was only a validation of their learning.
Pretty boy Yunus knocked a soldier over a ledge, Zain swiftly slit his throat on his descent as though he'd been waiting for it. Ehsan and Ibrahim were untouchable, and Hudayfa would be surprised if they'd received so much as a cut.
Raza, as largely built as Marwan, sought out his opponents rather than them running to him.
That old man Hussein had trained them well.
His fiancé was so silent he suddenly remembered she was still there. He subtly glanced in her direction, just to make sure.
She was sitting down some way away, also gazing down at the scene below. He had yet to see her face, but she seemed not to be upset- a strange dimension of behaviour for a spoilt princess of Tridari.
The light of the fires in contrast to the darkness around them cast her usually blinding golden eyes to a more toned down, less piercing gaze. Her lashes cast shadows on her burgundy veil, and her brows seemed darker and more defined. The firelight suited her golden skin, it suited her temper, it suited what he felt when he laid eyes on her.
A contempt so strong it would burn her resolve until she was nothing but a shell, and then his revenge would be satisfied, and he would be free.
She noticed his gaze before he could hastily look away. She raised an eyebrow, her calm expression shattering into one of insolence.
"Cast your gaze away from me" she demanded, and he felt his knuckles whiten as fury bubbled inside him, "we are not yet married, and I wish to enjoy my last days of freedom"
He crossed the distance between them with lightening speed, hand tightening around her shoulders and pushing her back into the rocky cave wall. Her eyes widened in shock before narrowing in anger, but he'd had enough. His fist slammed down on the hard rock beside her head, and he had the satisfaction of finally seeing a glimmer of fear cross her eyes.
"Enjoy these days while you can, princess" he hissed, face so close he could make out the pure gold of her eyes even more clearly then before, "because once you are mine your life is going to be hell. You will wish you died in your excuse of a village. You will see this pride, dignity and innocence of yours burn at my hands one by one. That is my promise to you ya daughter of Khalifa, and I never fall short of my word."
His voice had dropped so low and yet it was the loudest sound between them. His eyes were so close to hers that he could see as they gradually filled with tears. He felt nothing at the sight but a dull satisfaction that she finally understood what was in store for her. What she deserved for ever underestimating Hudayfa, the Hashshashin of Hashshashin.
She finally understood. He knew it by the tear that escaped and disappeared into her veil. He knew it by her shaky breaths. He knew it by the-
A hand came out of nowhere and slapped his cheek. The force of it took him by surprise. His entire head rang with the impact. His face turned involuntarily, his entire being was frozen with shock.
Had she just-
Did she-
Nothing could describe Hudayfa's anger in that moment.
He caught her wrist that was on its way to falling to her side, the wrist that dared supplement the hand that had landed on his cheek. She struggled in his grasp, brows furrowed in fury. His other arm closed around her waist, roughly caging her. He raised her wrist up so she could see it between them. Then he twisted it with a resounding crack!
Her scream echoed through the cave. The tears fell much faster. Her knees buckled but he held her upright for a moment longer.
"Watch yourself" he whispered in her ear, before leaving her to land in a heap on the floor and sweeping out of the wretched cave.
Outside, his Right Hand waited expressionlessly. He was hooded, just like the others, and his eyes were downcast. His beard peaked out from the fabric, and unusually orange coloured eyes almost glowed in the dark. Nuh had grown up alongside Hudayfa, being just a few years older than his Prince. When Hudayfa had been ready to go to his first battle, Nuh was appointed as Right Hand. Since then the two had been inseparable.
He held the reins to Balqis, atop his own chestnut steed when he became aware his master had exited the crevice.
"Stay here" Hudayfa ordered as he mounted Balqis, "lest that girl tries something stupid. I am joining Taimur"
"Did His Highness not order you to remain here my Leige?" Nuh spoke quietly.
"The battle is over" Hudayfa responded, gathering Balqis' reins, "and if I am around her a moment longer by God I will kill her"
"As you wish" Nuh bowed his hooded head, and Hudayfa spurred Balqis away, heart as cold as ever, leaving the sound of his bride-to-be's wracking sobs behind.
Gradually the enemy had either been killed or had fled, and there was a dying down of the din. Taimur wheeled Fakhir around from the front lines and galloped across the length of his army, surveying the carnage. Behind him, his Right Hand, Zuhair held a flaming torch up high and behind him rode two flag bearers. His assassins bowed their heads as he rode past, and the enemy dropped to their knees in a plea for mercy. His men swiftly cut their throats- no mercy for those who dared ambush the Hashshashin Army.
Soon he was joined by Hudayfa, who he did not reprimand- it was enough for Hud to have refrained from entering the battle and Taimur knew it had probably driven him crazy and more importantly- driven that girl further away from him than before.
It all worked well for Taimur.
"How many?" Hud asked Zuhair, stormy eyes still surveying the carnage.
"We lost ten, sire"
"Barely a scratch in our armour" Taimur marvelled, "I wonder why they bothered at all, surely we have left an impression on this land"
"Fools exist everywhere" Hud said disdainfully.
"Ah" Taimur chuckled, "that, they do"
And there is no bigger fool than you, ya Hud.
He ordered the men to leave the bodies to rot, and bury their own. The bodies of the enemy would attract thousands of crow at dawn, and every settlement would be able to see what happened if they didn't comply with the Army.
They rode back in comfortable silence as their men gathered their things and regrouped. They would settle in the Fort itself tonight, stripped of its defenders, rewarded for their diligence with the women within.
The two princes rejoined the rest soon, just in time to hear the slave boy informing the others the palanquin had been crushed in all the fighting.
"We do not have any more?" Ibrahim asked, frowning.
"No, your highness" the boy squeaked, "there was no need, since the other woman..."
He needn't finish- respect was not shown to whores.
"My my" Hud murmured, "looks like we'll have to leave the lady behind- she could not handle riding as we do"
Zain, who was closest to them heard the snide remark. It was difficult to see his expression beneath the grime, but Taimur thought it was one of profound offence.
"Falaq can ride just fine" he said through gritted teeth, "she even has her own horse"
To Taimur's surprise Hudayfa did not object, instead to everyone's surprise he smiled.
"Good, fetch that horse and fetch my woman. She shall ride beside me tonight."