There was no time to think about whether to incite the change or not. There was simply do it or die and it didn't matter anyway because beside him Kasiria had already made the change. If she was exposed he might as well be. The Amalites were attacking their horses, and the woods was no place to be on horseback. The horses weren't helping them here, in fact the Amalites were using their own horse to their advantage, knocking them over or pulling the men from them and then crawling over their riders like bugs. There were that many of them.
"Leave the horses!" Jabone screamed as he jumped off his. He ran over, grabbed Kasiria by her left arm and dragged her from her horse before they could get to her. "Off your horses!" he shouted again. "They are using them against us." He had killed his first, second, and third man before it even had time to register. Kasiria was at his side and Tarius was at his back, and there wasn't time to think of anything but cutting the next man down. Finally he understood Katabull rage. Everything his madra had tried to explain . . . Everything he had thought he understood he didn't. His mind and body worked as one, he saw, he attacked, he blocked, he moved as if driven by the beast's desire to survive. Together he and Kasiria were making a hole in the Amalites, and Tarius was always at their backs protecting them from rear attack.
When Derek and Richard fell they moved to defend them. He heard Ufalla calling orders from somewhere well behind him, but what she was saying didn't matter because that was a different front and they could only fight one.
Suddenly before them the Amalites seemed to finally realize what they were looking at and as if they were one person they retreated from the Katabulls, fleeing through the woods as fast as they had come. Jabone, Kasiria and Tarius moved to help Thomas's unit to their left where it was being hacked to pieces.
* * *
Jestia was pinned down with Ufalla and Jason's unit. She remembered Ufalla repeating Jabone's order to dismount, and then Ufalla had pulled her off her horse, slapped it on the ass, and sent it running through the Amalites. But either Jason and his men hadn't been listening or they had just been attacked so fast they didn't have time to dismount. Either way they'd paid the price as the Amalites drove spears into their horses, ran up the dying animals, grabbed the men and dragged them to the ground where they were often times as not stomped by their own terrified mounts.
Jestia's heart pounded but she didn't have time for the terror of the moment to seize her. Why would it? She'd seen it all over and over again for weeks. She and Ufalla were alone, fighting back to back. Ufalla was killing five men for every one she killed, but she was holding her own and she began to think that maybe, just maybe, her skill with sword alone might change the dream's outcome. Trees and brush got in the way of their blades and impeded their movement and they only had seconds to adapt to fighting in the woods. Then she felt the big tree at her back and saw Ufalla on her left and her heart caught in her throat. It was about to happen.
The axe hit her blade. She tried with every once of her strength to hang onto it, then watched with a sob as the blade spun out of her hand.
* * *
Ufalla jumped away from the tree, pushing between Jestia and the axe. Knocking Jestia to the ground, she stood over her. She caught the blow and slung it back, but there was another axe, and there was just no way she was going to catch this one. Then Jestia just appeared right in front of her.
* * *
Jestia dove between Ufalla's legs and quickly jumped to her feet, looking at the axe head that was supposed to be for Ufalla and then well she didn't want to die, so she threw her hands in front of herself and cried out in desperation, "Gods damned invisible shield!"
She waited for the crackling nothing that would be followed by the axe slicing into her skull and then watched in amazement as the axe and its wielder bounced back about two feet. He swung again but again his axe bounced off.
"You did it!" Ufalla screamed at her shoulder.
"I did it!" Jestia screamed and felt her powers gather like a storm. She stood to her full height and then raising her arms to the sky called out the very next thing she thought of. "Wall of bats!"
In seconds thousands of bats filled the air, diving on the Amalites, and the remaining attackers, fearing only witchcraft more than the Katabull, ran screaming into the night.
* * *
Jabone started to chase after them still in a Katabull rage but felt his mate's hand on his shoulder. He turned to Kasiria to make sure she was all right and she was except for a nick on her chin. He wiped the blood away with his thumb and saw that his hands had half a dozen cuts on them. I am looking at my madra's hands and now I know why she sometimes stares into the night as if she's seeing something no one else can.
He remembered Derek, went to find him and knelt by his side. He was barely alive. "Ufalla!" Jabone cried out, and she was by his side in seconds, Jestia running right behind her. He was so relieved to see his friends alive and in one piece that he almost cried.
Ufalla knelt beside Derek and looked at his wounds, especially the one on his neck. She looked at Jabone and shook her head no.
Jabone looked at Jestia. "Some powders maybe?"
"My brother, there are no powders or potions for this," Jestia said gently.
"Kasiria," Derek choked out.
"I am here Derek." She knelt beside Jabone and took Derek's hand.
"Noble Kasiria, I have failed you," Derek said.
"You have failed no one, Derek," Kasiria said, her tears falling so hard they dripped onto Derek's bloody body.
"I must leave you in the hand of the Katabull."
"I would give my life for hers," Jabone said without pause.
Whatever he said next was incoherent. Derek's body jerked a couple of times and then he was still. Jabone knew he was no more. Kasiria collapsed into Jabone's arms her body rocking with the strength of her sobs. There wasn't time for it. His madra's words echoed in his head. There will not be time to grieve you must leave your dead for the crows and the maggots or be just as dead. He jumped to his feet, bringing Kasiria with him. He looked over her head and said, "Their fear will only keep them at bay so long and then they will come for us, they have to. They can't afford to let us get back to the garrison."
"What are you saying Jabone?" Thomas asked. He was helping Eric walk—she had a deep cut in her leg. When Thomas got close he saw what Kasiria and Jabone were and he stepped back. "You're the Katabull, you're both the Katabull."
"Yes and Jestia's a witch. Where do you think all those bats came from? Why do you think they ran away in terror. Not because of you with your sword," Jabone said. Now wasn't the time for pretence. "They were petrified, but their need for self preservation will over rule their fear and when it does they will come back. When they do we can not be here."
"Jabone, we can't just leave our friends . . . Derek." Kasiria's voice caught in her throat. "We can't just leave them here to be cannibalized by the Amalites."
"She's right. I don't know about you Kartiks but we don't like our dead to be eaten. These men died in battle they deserve better than that," Thomas said in disbelief.
"They deserve better maybe but they won't get it. We have to save ourselves. Live to fight another day. The dead don't care what happens to them. Only the living matter and we don't have time to cry for the dead now. We don't have time for anything but survival."
"Ufalla, you and Tarius treat the wounded. Nothing fancy, field dress it so they can ride and no more." They nodded and took Eric from Thomas to work on her first. "Thomas, round up all the able-bodied men you can find and strip this camp. Get everything we need, pack it on the horses . . . "
"You aren't in charge," Thomas said angrily.
Jabone pushed Kasiria gently away from him then got right in Thomas's face and growled, "I am the Katabull, the son of Tarius the Black, the Kartik Bastard, the Great Leader of the Katabull people and I am their prince. If I say I am in charge then I am in charge." Thomas just backed up nodding. "Pack quickly but leave no weapons, no armor, and no food for the Amalites. If they have to go back to their lair for supplies that may slow them down."
"You expect us to strip the dead?"
"Of weapons and armor yes. I will help you myself when we have settled everything else," Jabone said. "Now get after it."
"It is near nightfall; how will we move in the dark?" Thomas asked.
"I will ride in the back and Kasiria will lead. If we head south from here we will eventually get to the road, and if we make it to the road then they won't be able to catch us because Jestia was right and they don't have horses," Jabone said. Then as if that reminded him he turned to the witch. "Jestia summon the horses."
"Gather horses," Jestia called, and the horses came back to camp. Jabone and Kasiria gathered up the horses by their reins and Jabone noticed Lex was missing. He went looking for him and found him on his side with a spear through his chest. Jabone fought his tears and walked over to his horse. He knelt beside him and looked into his frightened eyes.
"Oh Jabone, I'm so sorry," Kasiria said at his shoulder. Jabone nodded quietly. He didn't have time for this either. He stroked the horses neck 'til he was calm then punched him as hard as he could between the eyes. Then as Lex died he striped his saddle and gear and walked back to camp to strip the bodies of the dead.
In minutes they were riding as hard as they dared ride through the woods. At night, with Kasiria in the front and him in the rear on the back of a horse that wasn't his. He knew the world was never going to look the same to him again.
* * *
Jestia rode somewhere near the middle of the troop—or what was left of it—with Ufalla ahead of her and Eric and then Tarius behind her. Derek was dead; Jason and his entire unit were dead as were most of the support staff. Half of Thomas's unit—there had been nearly sixty of them when the Amalites had attacked and now there were only eighteen. There were a lot of horses without riders but a lot of the horses were dead, too. She looked back to where Jabone was bringing up the rear and leading all the riderless horses that were tethered together behind him. His own horse, Lex, was dead, and she knew how he felt because she knew how she would feel if something had happened to her horse Raven. She'd lost the horse she'd had in her childhood and she still remembered what a traumatic experience it had been. Horses loved you if you grained them and petted them, and they never judged you. If a horse could it would write you a letter and send it to you.
There was no doubt that the attack they'd all been through was going to leave them all with nightmares for the rest of their lives. They had all been terrified in ways most people never would be and she was still shaken to the very core of her being. She had killed men, and she and Ufalla had nearly been killed. She looked at her hands that were cut and covered in blood and then over at her lover who was also cut and covered in blood and her heart wanted to burst out of her chest with happiness.
She was sure it would all catch up with her later and she'd just have herself a good cry, but at that moment she couldn't remember ever being so happy.
She knew it wasn't what she should be feeling so she worked at keeping it from her face, but dammit she just couldn't help it. The battle was awfu,l so many people were dead, but none of those people were them. Not her, not Jabone, or Kasiria, or Tarius and not—praise be to all the gods—Ufalla. Now that it was daybreak she saw no reason to ride single file, so she rode up beside Ufalla and dared Jabone to say anything about it. One battle and he had turned into his madra, not to say that was particularly a bad thing, and he and Kasiria were both still the Katabull for which she was personally glad.
Ufalla, who looked as grave as she was trying to, looked over at her and smiled a smile just for her and Jestia's heart leaped in her chest. Ufalla was still alive. "So, let me guess. That axe was for me," she said more than asked.
"Yes," Jestia said.
"And you were going to eat it for me because we both know that you had no idea that spell would work that time because it never had before."
"I suppose so," Jestia said, smiling as she thought of it. "So the way I see it you just owe me forever."
Ufalla looked at her and growled. "Jestia, if you ever do anything stupid like that again I'll split you." She was mad. Jestia didn't care she could be mad. She was beautiful when she was mad and at least she was alive to be mad.
"No you won't, you'll just be glad I'm not already split and we both know it so you can just lose the attitude right now, or I'll make more bats or . . . something." Jestia was now smiling in that way she knew everyone would resent, so she worked at wiping it from her face.
Ufalla leaned in closer to her and said in a low whisper. "Derek and Richard are both dead, and I know it's crazy because of all the death and blood and stuff, but I'm just giddy inside because everyone I really care about is all right and you're alive and I killed dozens of them and yes they nearly wiped us out but look how many more of them there were than us and you . . . You were amazing. Seriously, who would have ever thought wall of bats would save the day? I'm alive and I had more or less guessed from the way you've been acting lately that you were dreaming I was dead, so I just want to laugh out loud. If you hadn't been with us, Jestia, we'd all be dead." She fell suddenly silent as she seemed to be actually going over the last few days. "Jestia, did you really dream you slept with me?"
"Of course," Jestia said, and smiled at Ufalla in a way she knew gave away her true feelings for the woman to anyone who was looking and said, "and I just keep dreaming it over and over."
"Oh you did not you little liar." Ufalla laughed and then made herself stop, actually cringing a little. She worked at wiping the smile off her face, then she asked, "Do you really care for me Jestia?"
"Ufalla you huge idiot, if you don't know that now then you never will." Jestia smiled then quickly wiped it off her face and said, "How could I not love you? You who shares my problem of having to frown when all I want to do is laugh."
* * *
By the time they got to the road they were hungry. It was near the end of the day and they were so tired they wound up finding a spot on the road surrounded by a field and pitched camp right in the middle of the field on the road. Tarius, Ufalla, and Jestia treated the wounded, this time taking the time to do it right. There were five wounded in all—the worst one a belly wound—but if it was treated properly and they could get him to the garrison he'd make it. If any of them did.
Kasiria didn't want to think about what Jabone had just told her. They had both taken their human forms back but now she wondered if that had been such a good idea, at least in her case. Jabone could become Katabull any time he wanted but Kasiria couldn't and now . . . Well Jabone said he smelled them the minute the wind shifted before they'd even finished setting camp.
"They figured out where we were going. They've cut us off and now they are waiting for us. In order to get to the garrison we will have to go through them," Jabone said. "It's better we don't tell the others. We all need rest and food if we are to face the Amalite horde." He spit, and this time Kasiria did, too.
"What if they come for us tonight?" Kasiria asked, thinking it was a good question.
"Why would they come for us when all they have to do is wait for us to come to them? And they know we are Katabull, that we have a witch with us, that we can see in the dark and they can't. They are a superstitious lot. They have a saying, 'If you see the Katabull at night death will come in the morning' . . . something like that. It's close anyway."
She nodded. He knew more about them than she did. She had thought she knew everything there was to know about warfare, thought that she was ready for it, but you could never be ready for what had happened to them yesterday afternoon. Everything she thought she knew amounted to nothing when applied to real conflict.
Jabone had taken over last night. She should have been in command but Jabone had taken over and she was happy to have him do it because at that point, deeply grieved over the loss of a mentor and friend and seeing nothing but death and carnage all around her she just didn't have any idea what to do.
He told everyone that he's Tarius's son last night. So now he has kept no secret from me, but I am still keeping secrets from him. Gods! He asked me to exchange tokens with him and he gives me this. She held up her wrist and looked at it. This thing created by the hands of Jena for Tarius and given to him by her hand to protect him—and what do I give him? The gold medallion with my father's seal on it that he had made for all his daughters on their birth. So now my beloved is wearing the crest of the man that tried to ruin his family.
She shook her head. There was no time for frivolous thought. She had been calling Hellibolt all night and all day, and now as she neared the point of utter exhaustion she found herself alone in the woods calling out for him, thinking that perhaps that it was against wizard protocol to just pop up in front of everyone.
"Hellibolt please," she said for the twentieth time. Then she just looked all around her. "You always show up when I don't really need you and now where the hell are you?" she demanded.
"I'm assuming you're doing something in the woods besides trying to become an Amalite's dinner," Jestia said, walking out of the shadows.
"I was . . . "
"Unless I'm wrong—and let's face it I hardly ever am—he should be appearing shortly right about there." Jestia pointed to a spot on the ground and then there was Hellibolt looking very put out. He glared at Jestia.
"You have gotten way too powerful, way too quickly young witch." Then he turned to Kasiria. "I always show up when you don't need me? Don't need me? I seem to remember getting you out of a couple of jams."
"I knew it," Jestia said smugly. "I knew I kept feeling magic." She looked at Kasiria. "So how does a sword slinger come to have the king's wizard in their pocket? That's quite a trick."
Hellibolt frowned. "Don't be so smug, Jestia, I actually need you here. How is your mother the Queen by the way?"
Jestia seemed to size Kasiria up and guessed correctly that Kasiria already knew. "My mother the queen is fine. Safe in the Kartik which is more than I can say for me. Now can you help us or not?"
Kasiria wanted to smack her for the dismissive tone in her voice.
"Can you help us, Hellibolt? Hit them with a wall of fire or something?" Kasiria asked quickly before the old wizard just popped out of existence again.
"You have wall of fire?" Jestia asked excitedly.
"No," Hellibolt said, "but I do have this nice little ball lighting spell. Quite a crowd pleaser and it will actually blow things apart."
"Oh! I'd love to have that one," Jestia said.
"Hey!" Kasiria demanded, and they turned to look at her as if she'd just stuffed a whole cat into her mouth. "Pearson garrison is on the other side of the Amalite horde and at our backs is nothing for a three week ride but the Amalite frontier. We need help, Hellibolt. Some grand spell."
"I can't," Hellibolt said.
"I have a stealth spell. We could try going around behind them through the woods," Jestia said.
"There is no behind them. The river is on one side and they cover the ground on the other side," Hellibolt said. "You'd be going between them and their lair, and I doubt they'll sleep 'til they've killed you all, so a stealth spell wouldn't be much help."
"Forde the river then," Kasiria suggested.
"And when we're waste deep in the cold water we will be easy for them to kill," Jestia explained.
"Well do something," she demanded of Hellibolt. "And what do you mean you can't cast a spell to help us?"
"He's not here," Jestia said, and stuck her hand into him.
"Hey!" Hellibolt protested.
"It's just an image of him. He's astral projecting. A picture can't do a spell," Jestia said.
"But . . . The first time I became the Katabull you cast a spell on the men so that they wouldn't remember."
"Oh," Hellibolt said. "So you do admit that I've been helpful then?"
"You cast a spell from image?" Jestia asked excitedly.
"Well," Hellibolt said humbly, "it was only a day's ride from my actual presence and it was a simple memory loss spell."
"Still very impressive," Jestia said with real admiration.
"Hey!" Kasiria exclaimed again. "I hate to break up your little magic-users party, but Amalite horde lying in wait, impending death."
"He could tell the king to send troops," Jestia suggested.
"Help is already on the way." He looked with meaning at Jestia then. "All you have to do is make sure young Jabone stays here and waits for it to arrive. Do not allow him to attack the Amalites."
Jestia nodded then said, "Hey that ball lighting spell couldn't hurt." But he was gone. "Gods and spiders," she cursed. She looked hard at Kasiria. "So are you going to tell me how you come to be so familiar with the king's wizard?"
"No, and I'd rather you didn't tell Jabone." Kasiria watched as Jestia nodded and started out of the woods.
"You coming?"
Kasiria followed, inwardly fuming because Jestia had something to hold over her head, and given the girl's nature Kasiria was sure that she would.
When they walked back into camp Ufalla and Jabone—who'd obviously been getting ready to look for them—came running up and said at exactly the same time, "Where the hell were you? Don't run off like that again."
Jabone stopped there but Ufalla went on to say to Jestia, "Or I'll beat you to within an inch of your life."
Jestia slid up to Ufalla and slipped her arms around her. "Beat me, huh?"
Ufalla smiled in spite of herself and said sliding her arms around Jestia's waist, "Oh at least that."
Kasiria could tell by the look on Jabone's face that he was mad even before he spoke. "Jestia, do you think you could quit being in heat long enough to concentrate on the problem at hand?"
"But I've already done that." Jestia turned to look at him. "I had to find a good tree to cast bones against and your good lady was kind enough to look over me while I did so. We should not try to go down the road. We must wait here."
"That makes no sense Jestia," Jabone said. "They will eventually just get tired of waiting and come to attack us or just keep us from getting supplies and watch us starve to death."
She released Ufalla who didn't let go of her. Jestia held a delicate wrist to her forehead and said, "I have seen it. Help is on the way and we must wait for them to get here."
Gods! She lies as easily as she tells the truth. Kasiria thought. Of course I'm the one who doesn't want her to say how she really knows, so I guess that lie she just told was really mine. As if to drive this point home Jestia looked at her and winked. Then she squirmed away from Ufalla, took her hand, and started dragging her away.
Jabone watched them walk away with an air of confusion. He looked at Kasiria. "I don't know if we can trust Jestia's council."
"Because she's over sexed or because she said something you didn't want to hear?"
Jabone smiled then—the first smile she'd seen on his face since the attack. He kissed her gently on the cheek. "They have always said that I am just like my madra, that I worry too much, and now I find that like her I don't want to wait to be attacked. I would rather be the one to attack. But if help is really on the way as Jestia says . . . Alone, I don't think we have much chance of getting through them."