Lady of Nyv

Ona awoke with a start. She was unsure of what had awoken her, and as she forced her tired eyes to open, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The sun had only just risen and the snow was a frosty pink. She rose, careful not to disturb Dom, who had cuddled up next to her in the night. She slowly surveyed the area, noticing that Ser was now on duty instead of Kol.

She lay her head back down on Dom’s chest and began to think maybe she had been a little too harsh yesterday. Without thinking, she rose and started toward Ser. She had to make things right and apologize; they were a team, after all.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap. She whipped her head toward the forest just as six men emerged. She shouted to alert Ser, but it was too late. An arrow flew, striking Ser in the shoulder. Ona rushed to wake up the other men and defend herself and Ser. She could not allow him to die.

She rushed into the middle of the battle, spinning her mace angrily on its chain. She stood in front of Ser while he scrambled for his sword. The first man drew his weapon, an axe, and started for Ona. She spun her mace higher, bringing it down onto his head with a sickening thud. The man fell to the ground, skull split in half.

The other men were rushing toward battle now, having woken up by her screaming. Ser was struggling to fight off another man, and before Ona could react, the man thrust his sword into Ser’s body, and twisted. Ona ran toward the man, pulling her dagger from her belt, and thrust it into his back, between his shoulder blades.

She dropped to the ground in front of Ser, tears in her eyes. She grabbed one of his hands.

“Hold on, Ser!” She said, despite knowing he was going to die.

She could hear the sound of men grunting and blades clashing around her, and it took Ona awhile to realize that Ser was speaking. She moved her head to his lips.

“Ona.” Ser repeated.

The fighting stopped, and the men surrounded Ser, bowing their heads mournfully. Ona tightened her grip on Ser’s hand.

“Yes, Ser. What is it?” She asked him.

“Ona will be in charge. She is your only hope for survival. Obey and respect her as you would me.”

With that, Ser’s body went limp. Ona released his hand, tears slipped down her cheeks. Dom embraced her.

After a few minutes of mourning, Ona stood and surveyed the dead. Including Ser, there were six dead and four wounded. One of the thieves had tried to escape, but Ona caught him and slit his throat, placing his body with the others.

Collectively, she and the Members decided to burn all of the bodies. It didn’t seem right to leave so many in such an open and vulnerable area. Ideally, they would have liked to have sent Ser home to the North, but they couldn’t spare anyone. The Middle Lands had already proven to be more dangerous than they had assumed.

The unwounded men placed the bodies in a pile and set fire to them, whilst Ona tended to the wounded. Ita, one of the original Members, hadn’t been wounded too badly, only a cut to his arm. Ona sewed and bandaged it in a few minutes and moved on to the next. Tai, one of Kol’s men, had a broken wrist, and Cas, another one of Kol’s men, sprained his ankle. Other than that, they seemed to be in excellent shape.

Ona moved to watch the bodies burn. She was both sad and proud. She was sad for the loss of Ser, a brilliant and reliable leader; but she was proud of their triumph. She hoped that they would be able to take the South in the same manner, although hopefully with less losses on their side. They couldn’t afford to lose any more men.

Slowly, the men gathered around her. They remained silent, unsure of how to react or what to say to break the overwhelming silence that encompassed them. Ona turned her back to the fire, addressing her men without the need of vocal commands.

At once, the men focused their gazes on this small woman. Some seemed skeptical that she had the ability to lead, but Ona was determined to prove herself. Ser had put her in charge for a reason, and she intended to fulfill his dying wish. Ona cleared her throat.

“I know that we have suffered a great loss,” She began confidently, “But, we must press on. If we are to conquer the South by our desired date, we must move at a quicker pace with fewer stops.”

The men groaned in response to this statement, but Ona had a feeling that they would obey her nonetheless. They had respected Ser, and soon they would offer her the same respect. Ona felt as though she needed to prove herself to the men; however she was unsure of how to do so. She had already pushed through many obstacles that one would have deemed impossible to overcome. She decided that she needed to be seen as a stable, confident leader.

“We must move out.” Ona said.

Without a word, the men began to organize themselves in their usual straight line, with Ona taking Ser’s place in the front. They marched out of their clearing, and back to the path they had started yesterday. As they walked, Ona kept a close eye on the trees to the east and west. Ona was still unnerved by what had happened this morning. They had underestimated the thieves and nomads- they would have to be even more cautious. They could not risk another attack.

As they walked, Ona could feel the icy wind pierce through her thick layers of clothing. She clutched her wounded hand to her chest, attempting to shield it from the wind. She was aware of the fiery pain that absorbed her hand in waves, but she forced herself to push through it. There were splotches of blood decorating the rag she had bound around her hand, and she suspected she had broken a few stitches in battle. She didn’t have time to stop and fix them though; they had a strict schedule to obey.

Ona turned to the Member who walked behind her, Rhe, and requested that he summon Dom to her side. She needed to converse with someone, someone who would keep her head out of the clouds.

Dom appeared as quickly as he had been summoned and greeted her with a slight pat on the shoulder.

“How are you today, Lady Ona?” He asked her.

“I’ve had better days, brother. But, I must hold on. I need to be strong.”

Dom embraced her lightly, “I know you and Ser were close. I’m very sorry.”

Ona wrapped one arm around her brother, squeezing lightly in response. She was glad that she had someone like Dom on her side. She needed to be strong, and he was just the person to support her.

Ona realized that there was a slight pain in her heart. She assumed it was because of the premature loss of Ser, but soon realized that she ached for Kol to hold her. Ever since their first meeting in Nyv, she had had strong feelings for him. But, she was engaged. She had already been promised to another man, and it was very likely that they would have an ill fate should she fall into temptation.

She could never admit any of these feelings to Dom, however. He would overreact and he was notorious for being unable to keep things to himself. Ona loved her brother dearly, but he could not be trusted with some kinds of information- especially personal information.

Dom nudged Ona. She turned to face him.

“What is it you want, brother?” She asked.

“I’ve been talking to you for the last few minutes. Were you even listening?”

“Sorry,” Ona mumbled. “What were you saying?”

Dom sighed exasperatedly. “I was wondering if the men should sleep in the trees tonight, high off the ground. It’ll be difficult for the thieves to climb in the dark.”

“It’s a possibility. I don’t know how fond many of the men are of climbing, though.” Ona responded.

Dom nodded, and they continued their walk in silence.

Ona thought of new plans to put into action, starting with the formation in which they walked. Ideally, Ona wanted to have four rows behind her, with she, Qua and Rhe leading. However, Ona was unsure of how to go about making these changes. When they reached the mountains, she knew they would need to walk in one long row again, and the forests were far too dense below to have four rows. Mayhaps she could engage this new formation when they reached the Southern side of the mountains.

Ona also had no way to prepare herself or her men for what may lie on the other side of those mountains. It could be a barren wasteland, for all she knew. Mayhaps the South had been wiped out years ago, and they have been plotting all this time against a civilization that no longer exists.

Ona was pulled from her thoughts again by the voices of the men complaining of hunger. Some of the more experienced Members were trying to hush them, but Ona gave in.

“We may stop here for a break.” She stated.

Whilst the men moved eagerly to the fallen logs and branches of trees that littered the floor of the Middle Lands, Ona decided she wanted to learn more about the men which she would be leading to victory. She glanced around the forested area, studying each of the men in turn. Finally, she decided she would go talk to a younger looking man who had joined the Members only a year after she had. His name was Nix.

Ona walked over to where the man sat and crouched in front of him. She extended her hand.

“Lady Ona. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She introduced herself to the man.

He gripped her hand, shaking it lightly. “The pleasure is all mine, M’Lady. My name is Nix.”

“What brought you to the Members, Nix?” Ona inquired.

“When I was younger, my mother abandoned me. She fell in love with another man, I suppose. Anyhow, my father raised me- he was a trained hunter. He taught me to be stealthy and how to steal. I would go into town every day and steal things that we would need- fruits, vegetables, expensive things that we couldn’t afford. One day, a representative from the Members showed up at my door to recruit me. He said he’d been watching me, and admired my skills. So, I left my father and came here. I send him half of whatever I get paid, and I’m hoping to bring him to the South with me once we get settled.”

“That’s a very touching story.” Ona stated. “I am sorry to hear of your losses, but I trust the Members have been good to you.”

“They always are, M’Lady.”

Ona quietly removed herself from the conversation, allowing Nix to finish his meal in peace. She thought of Nix and how lucky he was to have a parent- even if they were far away. Ona longed for her family, and it was hard to accept that they were gone, even if she still had Dom.

Ona raised her eyes to look at the sky. It was almost fully blue- they were getting further and further behind with every delay.

“We must move out!” Ona belted.

The men obeyed her immediately, falling back into their simple line. She marched her men through the forest, forcing them to move faster than they were accustomed to.

Ona knew food supplies would be running low soon, and they needed to focus on catching themselves new forms of sustenance. But, Ona hadn’t seen any source of life thus far- other than the thieves. They must be living off of something, Ona thought, But what? It occurred to her that mayhaps she had been looking in all the wrong places. Of course the animals wouldn’t be out in the open- it was far too cold for them.

She decided to make it her mission to hunt for food once she had exhausted her men. They needed to make it as far South as possible- their battle was waiting.

The sun rose high in the sky, but provided little warmth when competing with the frigid breeze that descended from the North. Ona shivered in spite of herself, and hoped the men did not notice. She did not want to appear weak or vulnerable. She could hear the men laughing again behind her, finally returning to their previous routine of playful jests and casual conversation. Ona wished she could join in, mayhaps bond with the Members a little more, but she had to remain focused. She was still on the hunt for food- even if it meant something small.

When the sun reached its peak, the men began to get restless. Ona knew she needed to find something to occupy them, something that would test their skills, yet allow them to still make progress. She halted the group.

“At this point, we need to begin looking for food.” She announced. “Even something as small as a mouse could save your life. What I need, is for people who are strong climbers to climb the tress alongside us, and keep a lookout for possible prey, as well as for any possible obstacles or dangers. Do I have any volunteers?”

A handful of men raised their hands, which surprised Ona. She had thought she would have to go by herself. With these volunteers, she would be able to stay on the ground- a better arrangement considering the state of her hand.

“Nix, Dar, Qua, Wes and Kol, you five shall climb trees. Do not hesitate to call if you run into trouble, or have something to inform us of.”

Ona waited until the men had positioned themselves on their trees before she allowed the rest of the Members to continue onward.

Dom joined Ona at the front of the row, sensing her tension. He wrapped a hesitant arm around her, which she shrugged off.

“Careful,” Dom warned, “You may get premature wrinkles if you continue to worry like that!” He jested.

Ona paid him no mind; she was in no mood to be made the butt of a joke. She needed to be alert, should one of her men need her. She was becoming increasingly fond of the Members; a feeling which shocked her, considering she wasn’t even all that fond of Dom- and he was her brother!

As the day progressed, Ona found herself becoming increasingly comfortable with her surroundings. The trees no longer seemed as though they could crush her, and the shadows seemed more welcoming than ever. Many times, Ona wished someone else had been picked as the new leader. She wanted to have the freedom to explore, without the responsibility for the other men’s safety.

Suddenly, Ona heard a shrill whistle from above. She turned her head toward the sky, using her hand as a shield so she could see the figures in the trees. She noticed that one of the men was climbing down a tree. Ona hoped no one had been hurt- they could not afford to waste any further time on injuries.

The man scrambled down the tree, taking time to climb down. He sprinted over to Ona, face red from exertion. It was then that Ona identified the man as Nix.

“What is it?” Ona demanded, feeling increasingly nervous.

“The men-“ Nix managed, out of breath. “The men have him.”

“Who do the men have?” Ona snapped, becoming impatient.

“Kol.”

Ona felt her heart jump into her throat. “Where?” She asked.

Nix pointed to the tree next to the one he had jumped from, before collapsing to the ground, an arrow protruding from his leg.

“Someone help him!” Ona screamed as she raced toward the tree.

“Ona, no!” Dom called.

“I can’t leave him behind!” Ona shot back, already climbing into the tree.

As she pulled herself through the branches of the tree, she could feel the stitches in her hand breaking. Blood seeped from between the folds of the rag, and the pain was blinding. As she reached the top of the tree, she could hear someone’s laboured breathing in the next tree over. Carefully, she placed her dagger between her teeth and scanned her surroundings.

She could see a man sitting near the trunk of the next tree, bleeding badly, bow dangling from his right hand. She focused her eyes. The man was not Kol. She sighed, relieved. She jumped onto the same branch as the bleeding man and slit his throat. He was not one of her men. She began her search for Kol, calling out to him.

“Ona?”

The voice came from below her. As she peered through the thick blanket of branches, she could see he was dangling from a branch. She jumped down, clinging to the base of the branch, using the trunk for support.

“Are there any others?” Ona asked him.

“No,” He responded. “Only one.”

“Are you injured?”

“No. But my foot is caught.”

Ona reached down, and pulled his foot free from where it had become lodged in the trunk of the tree. She and Kol climbed down together, thankfully both without injury.

As they reached the ground, the Members gathered around them. Ona knew it would be best for them to stay to the ground now. They did not want any other incidents. The Middle Lands were crawling with thieves, many more than Ona had anticipated, but if the Members could stay together, they would have a better chance of survival.

“You are bleeding, M’Lady.” Qua said, offering her a needle and thread as well as more rags.

Ona took the supplies gratefully. “Thank-you.” She murmured, barely meeting his eyes.

Ona braced herself against a tree before removing the blood-soaked rag. She bent down, took some snow in her hand, and used it to clean her wound before she sewed it shut again. She pulled out what remained of the stitches- nothing more than bits of thread- and threaded her needle once again.

Once she bandaged her wound, she searched through the crowd of men to find Nix. He was sitting on a broken log, bandage around his leg, with the tip of an arrow shaft sticking out.

“They told me they had to leave it in. Is that true?” Nix asked her, deep brown eyes burning into hers.

“Yes.” Ona said with a sigh. “It’ll hurt a lot more coming out than it did going in. You’ll be fine.”

Ona was sure that Nix’s injury would slow them down, but at the rate the men were becoming injured, maybe they needed to slow down.

As the men returned to their usual formation, being sure to place the injured parties in the middle, Ona could feel the atmosphere in the group changing. She could sense that they were losing trust in her, and rightfully so. Ona believed she was a trueborn leader, but she felt that she needed time to better understand their situation. She had to be less reckless, the men’s lives were in danger- not just her own.

Ona made sure that the men walked at a cautious pace for the remainder of the morning. Because of the change in pace, the men were not as hungry as the sun rose to its peak, as they usually would be. Ona, however, insisted that they rest.

She plunked herself down onto a mound of snow, cringing momentarily at the shock of cold that soaked through to the skin.

“You’ll catch a cold sitting like that.” Kol said, smirking.

He offered her a hand, and she gladly took it. The two walked to a smaller tree, just east of where the other men were eating. They pulled themselves onto the lowest branches, Ona’s legs dangling in the air.

“It’s been a really rough day.” Kol said, mussing his hair about.

“Yes,” Ona said with a yawn. “But we must press on.”

“This slow pace is killing me.” Dom complained, as he walked over to their tree. “Well doesn’t this look cozy! Am I intruding?”

“No!” Ona and Kol exclaimed simultaneously.

Dom braced his body against the tree, resting his head on its trunk.Ona playfully messed up his hair, and he turned to her, clearly annoyed.

“Don’t make me come up there!” He growled.

“I can finally reach your hair!” Ona exclaimed. “At least let me have a little fun!”

Dom grunted, but did not resist when she began to entwine her fingers in her brother’s messy hair. His deep black hair was becoming longer every day, making him seem even more feminine.

“If your hair keeps growing, people will mistake you for my sister!” Ona joked.

Ona and Kol erupted in laughter, but Dom was not impressed. Just when Ona thought he had had enough, he cracked a small smile.

After a few more minutes of playful banter between the siblings, Ona returned to the group of men.

“We must press on. If we increase our pace, we may be able to have an early night!” Ona called out, hoping to appease her skeptical bunch.

The men made no comment, but returned to their formation. They continued south, starting out at a slow, hesitant speed, but gradually increasing. Ona contented herself by staring through the trees at the face of the mountain, which they would reach in a few days. She imagined what the climb would be like, and how the view would look from the very top.

The second half of their day passed by without further incident. Ona was thankful for that. However, with food levels becoming lower with every break, they needed to find some animals or plants that they could use as food. So far, there were no signs.

As the sun began to set, the Members became weary. Ona searched for a place to rest.

She decided that they would stop in a small clearing. She urged the men to sleep in the trees, despite it being far away from the fire, it was the safer option. Many men refused, as did the injured. Ona decided she would keep watch once again, forcing everyone else to rest. She needed some time to herself.

She watched the men get settled, and she began to walk the perimeter of their clearing, as usual. She watched as the sun set behind the trees, and darkness consumed them.

Strangely, Ona was more comfortable in the dark- she felt at home. Despite the darkness, she continued to try and find signs of life- animal tracks in the snow, or a bit of fur stuck on a branch. She found nothing. As she began to tire, she heard her name being called from near the fire.

Ona walked toward the figure, and was surprised to find that it was Dar, one of Kol’s men.

“You should be asleep.” Ona said sternly.

“I would like to ask a favour of you, M’Lady.” Dar asked timidly.

“What is it you would like?”

“Could you teach me how to fight like you do?”