Our People

Chapter 2

efphrim: This is for those of you who are slightly confused: Asin is a guy. A little girly and a little weird but still a guy. ;)

Asin

I felt my eyes widen as I heard the hiss of the soldiers sword leaving it's scabbard. I knew the Gaian's were big on brotherly support but I didn't think they would be willing to risk a war over it. Even though I didn't belong to the Morgans, I was still under their protection. An attack on me would be seen as a attack against them.

Well, I wouldn't let it go that far. If anything bad happened here I knew Precidia had a soft spot for me and I could convince her to let anythinggo. But I still didn't want to start off on the wrong foot with my soon-to-be country men so I tried to avert the on coming fight.

"What the hell are you thinking, drawing steel on me?" Admittedly, I didn't try very hard.

"Foreign scum. I'm gonna teach you to respect your betters." Funny he should speak of betters. And what was with this foreign scumthing? I mean, isn't it the Gaians who are the foreigners here?

As the man leered at me I looked around at all the amused and somewhat angry faces, expecting at least one of them to know who or what I am. Obviously they didn't. They began to draw together in a tight circle around me, like I was going to try to run. As if.

"Well?" I nearly spit. "Are you going to give me something to defend myself with or are you going to beat an unarmed man?"

"Les, give 'em your sword." The man turned to look at someone behind him, taking his eyes completely away from me. His first mistake. I didn't need a sword to defend myself from him.

I stepped forward and brought my leg up. My bare foot connected with his wrist with a sharp crack. He howled in pain, dropping his sword. Quickly I grabbed the hilt and held it, point first in his face.

"Never turn your back on me," I stated calmly, "Or you'll most likely end up dead."

The soldiers around me made taunting remarks, but I ignored them, focusing instead on the man before me. Suddenly his eyes shifted to some thing behind me and I whirled, expecting some sort of revenge attack from one of the other soldiers.

There was the sharp ring of steel on steel, and my arm felt like it was on fire. Shocked, I stared as the sword I was holding spun lazily through the air to land in the dust a few feet away. Then I looked up into the eyes of the only man to ever disarm me.

Ciri

A few long hours after I arrived I was finally released from Precidia's company with one headache more than I had come with. Beside me Lein was rubbing furiously at his temples.

"Damn that woman never shuts up," he whispered, yelping slightly when Vise elbowed him sharply.

"Watch your mouth, idiot. You could be thrown in prison for saying something like that," Vise growled.

"The only way someone would know who I was talking about is if you keep opening your big mouth."

I sighed, exasperated at my two companions. "Both of you idiots need to keep your big mouths shut, before I have your lips removed."

They both snapped mockingly to attention. "Sir!"

"Idiots," I muttered, rubbing my sore head. Glancing up, I saw a group of my soldiers standing in a tight dueling circle around two people. "What the hell is going on?"

"Looks like a fight, sir," Lein said, squinting. Vise gave him a disgusted glare.

As we watched, a man broke away from the fighting and came running toward us. He stumbled to a stop before me, panting lightly. "Sir, the captain's picked a fight with one the Morgans. He already has his sword drawn," he said.

"Son of a-," someone behind me cursed quietly as we took off at a run.

That damn idiot! Something like this could start a full scale war. Drawing steel on an ally. The stupid man was lucky the queen had the Morgan soldiers moved to another part of the castle, otherwise he would probably be dead.

I slowed only slightly when he reached the group, allowing the others to make a path through the crowd. The soldier began shouting orders and shoving those who weren't quick enough to obey. "Make way! His Highness coming through! Outta the way!"

The last of the soldiers cleared away. I stopped frozen by the sight before me. Long black hair, slender body dressed in barely concealing clothes, and bare feet. I would have mistaken him for a girl if I hadn't heard him speak.

"Never turn your back on me." His voice was calm and dispassionate. A tone I had come to know quite well during the war. "Or you'll most likely end up dead."

His sword was up and aim at the captains throat. I moved quickly, barely pausing to think as I drew my sword and sent it in a low arch toward him.

I noticed the captain's eyes shift back toward me, alerting the boy to my presence. He reacted fast, but it wasn't enough. His sword flashed toward my throat in a killing strike. One, I was sure, that was completely unconscious.

I put the strength of the muscles in my back and thighs into the blow and sent his sword flying. He looked down in shock, staring almost accusingly at the now useless weapon, then angrily at me.

My breath caught in my chest. He was beautiful. It was the only way I could define him. Dark green eyes smoldered at me beneath elegantly curved eyebrows, and his mouth was to die for. Wide, full lips were set in an angry line as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

Reluctantly he bowed at the waist. I had to tear my eyes away from the long, toned legs exposed by the movement. "Your Highness," he said straightening.

I nodded and looked over my soldier with a cold glare. "What the hell is going on here?"

The Sargeant staggered upright and came toward me, nursing what looked like a broken wrist. "Sire this... this street rat had the nerve to challenge me to a duel," he said, turning a snear on the scowling boy. "It was only right, sire, to defend my honor, w-"

I had had enough of his whining. I made a slight gesture with my hand and the Sargeant was on the ground, Lein having put him there. "Let me make something perfectly clear - to all of you," I said raising my voice so the others could here me. "Honor or not you will abide by my rules when under my command. That includes drawing steel on allies." I turned back to the man gasping on the ground. "And you, Sargeant, no longer hold that rank." Reaching down I pulled the medal from his tunic, then skaned the crowd for the soldier from ealier. "You. Here."

I tossed him the medal, ingnoring his shocked look on his face and glanced at the others. All were approving. We were a warrior race, and were raised as such. They couldn't respect someone who couldn't take charge.

"And you," I said, pointing at the smirking boy. "Come with me."

If he was who I thought he was, the rest of my life could be living hell.


efphrim: Ahh, finally. Let me know how it went and how I can improve. Thanx for reading! ;