This Is the Day That We Die

"including you," Luke sharpened his gaze.

"Which is exactly why you should teach me."

"If I don't teach you then you won't be able to fight," Luke crossed his arms with a look of confidence on his face.

"If you don't teach me, I just won't know what I'm doing," Amanta walked passed him smiling smugly to herself.

Luke ran back up to her, "Amanta, I promised your brother I'd look after you."

"And teaching me to fight will fufill that promise, you'd never have to see me again."

Luke

"Well maybe I like seeing you," I blurted. "But I suppose I could teach you a little defence. Jamie always carries a spare sword... just defence though and you're not to go looking for a fight."

"That's a start I suppose," Amanta mused and then she smiled and raced off ahead. Startled, I ran after her and didn't catch up until she was outside the sick tent.

"What's with the running?" I asked.

"I want to start learning as soon as possible," She replied. "I can't wait to have a go!"

Amanta smiled as she tried to catch her breath as she returned to the tent.

"How are you feeling?" She asked the soilder, who was now sitting up, but wincing with each little movement.

"I'm feeling fine, they sent me back because I'm still bleeding."

Luke winced, "she's going to have to cauterize it."

Amanta ignored him as she sank to her knees to examine the cut on the mans abdomen. "Unfourtantly, I will have to, theres no way around it. Luke hand me the-"

Luke handed her the cauterizing brand.

She gripped the soilders hand, "this is going to hurt." She pressed the brand to his wound and he ground his teeth.

"Bite down on this," Luke put a strip of leather into the soilders mouth.

Aren slowly walked back to the two and looked Delita over.

"Are you back to normal?" She asked him, he nodded. "Silver?"

"I don't know, he dissappeared, I don't know what happened I remember it but I don't know why we did that." He muttered,

"Luke says it might be mountian sorcerers." She said,

"Probably," Kenran said looking around. "They don't want the Sea to gain any control and they will do whatever it takes to do that."

"Then we have to find a way to fight it. THere was no way we could've controlled you too." Aren said, "Why didn't they get me or Kenran?"

"Cause you two don't hold any harsh anger. Silver and I both do, it doesn't matter to who, but they feed that and that is how they can control it. They probably tried it on you two but it didn't work. THere was nothing to feed, nothing to build on." Delita replied,

"So the only way to stop them is to not be mad at anyone?" Aren asked, "That is near impossible, it has taken me forever to learn to controll my anger and even now I have trouble controlling it."

Silver

"So... Roran, where's my second payment?" Silver snapped.
"You didn't kill anybody" The stout fifty year old replied calmly.
"You didn't tell me to."
"You litl'!"
"Little? I wouldn't be talking" Silver stabbed fun at the ugly old thing.
"Here you go, but your well off, why do you need more gold deeds?"
"It's one hundred pounds of gold, I'll take it." he commented as he took the deed and left.

Luke

A little later that day, I found myself stood in a clearing facing Amanta with a sword in my hand and a shield. Amanta was equipped similarly and Jamie was sat not far away, watching.

"Don't hurt him too much, Amanta!" Jamie called out. I ignored him.

"Hold the shield further up. You want to protect as much as you can. Now try and attack me. Remember to hold the sword how I showed you." Amanta nodded, raised her shield a little and then charged. I caught her first blow on my shield and fended the others off as lightly as I could, partly to be easy on her and partly because my arm was still very sore.

Kenran pulled the half-formed bird from his pocket and absently started to whittle. He could stay and help the war end, let the Sea army think htat he eihter deserted or died, and let the general send a letter that would probably kill his mother and embitter his sister; or he could go back, finish his time, and take the risk of dying for real.

He took a deep breath as he detailed the feathers in the tail. Not yet. He would leave the army, but not until he could reassure his sister and mother that he would still be alive.

He glanced up at the others. "I'll be back as soon as I can, but I have to get back. I can't lose another letter, not now."

* Wow, this is coming to a screeching halt. I cannot seem to think of anything, mabey it's my username.

*I cannot think of anything to put with Amanta and Luke...so...Heather gets to.

I do, do I? Hmmm. Let me see...

Luke

As the evening progressed, Amanta improved and I became weary of the practise but I tried not to let it show.

"Bring the left foot in a bit. There, that's a firmer stance. Now try again," I instructed. By this time, Jamie had returned to the camp and we were completely alone. Amanta stepped forward with her right foot and then her left. I stepped back, matching her foot work and when she lunged with her sword I caught it with my blade.

"Don't put so much power behind it, you'll unbalance yourself," I warned.

"Okay," She replied, sounding out of breath. Again, she stepped forward and I stepped back and again she raised her blade. I raised my arm to meet it but suddenly the limb felt heavy and as much as I tried, I couldn't parry in time. Her sword descended and I ducked and rolled aside.

(I don't know what to do. Dang, i'll have something tomarrow.)

Amanta shreiked as her blade came dangerously close to Luke's side. Instinctivly she dropped it and stepped back.

"I think thats enough for tonight," she said when he stood up again.

"I think that'd be a good idea."

*I can't think of anything else, sorry*

Luke

I bent to gather the other sword but Amanta insisted on carrying the shield all the way back to our tents. I allowed her to in the end because my arm really was beginning to ache.

"Just put it here," I suggested as I layed the weapons upon the floor, placing both of the swords in their sheaths first.

"Goodnight Luke," Amanta called from the entrance to my tent.

"Sleep well Amanta," I replied. "I'll wake you in the morning. She nodded and stepped away, allowing the tent flap to fall. Almost immediately I collapsed onto my sleeping bag.

______________________________

Dahlia

I grew worried when I received no visit from Kenran the first night and the second night the time grew late and I became frightened. With a sigh, I blew my candle out and turned away from the tent flap.

"Dahlia?" A voice called. I span around, my hand groping for a dagger.

"Relax, it's only me." I recognised the voice and instead of the dagger, I took up my matches and re-lit the candle.

"Where have you been?" I asked. "Did you hear about the army?" Kenran nodded.

"I can't stay long or they'll take my letter again," Kenran apologised. "But I wanted to let you know that your position still remains unknown to the forest soldiers."

"Well that's a relief," I replied.

Aren

Aren watched Kenran go and the looked around.

"They are letting y'all use tents if you want to." She told Delita. She walked towards the camp to get something to eat. Delita followed probably bored,

"So you are sleeping somewhere else?" He asked,

"A tent is a death trap, never liked them." she replied,

*I'm gonna be gone for a while, please keep me alive *

Creeping stealthily through the forest, Kenran tried to get back to the camp without being caught. He hated the Sea's sentries; they could hide anywhere at anytime, and sometimes they'll just pop out of some random place and--

"Where were you?" a vocie said behind him.

Kenran held in a curse and started to turn, but immediatly he felt cold metal against his neck, sending ashiver down his shoulders.

"Where have you been?" the sentry repeated firmly.

Kenran smiled, miraculously remaining calm. "If you're thinking about taking me to the captain, and I think you are, I would strongly advise against it."

the man barked a laugh. "As any guilty man would."

"Ah, but I am not guilty," Kenran said. "The captain sent me on a rogue mission to scout out the mountain army. If you bring me in, he'll kill me for getting caught and failing the mission, and he'll kill you, because he'll know that I told you, against his strict orders to keep it a secret."

the man growled in frustration; he was caught between death for hearing something he shouldn't have heard and death for not being able to catch a rogue soldier. Kenran could only pray for the man to choose the right decision.

Unfortunately, the man decided if he was going to die either way, he would take the pest who put him in that situation with him. He grabbed Kenran's shoulder, pressed the blade harder into his neck, and started to push him back towards camp.