Her company of battle maidens was practically shattered, the captain was dead, and only their extreme discipline kept the reminder acting as a unit rather than running about like untrained colts before a little thunder. They were, however, still dead, but maybe they could retreat back to Crab lands, at least then they would not rise again as zombies, like many of their sisters were like to do.
"To the East," Xian shouted firmly, insuring that her tenuous hold on command remained. "Quickly to the East, let us not die on this cursed earth!"
"Hai!" they shouted and turned to the East galloping hard for the end of the Shadowlands.
Xian glanced to her side to guage the pursuit and felt her heart drop, something was moving on her flank, something that was coming fast and hard. If they were horses she would say it was recklessly fast.
"Xian!" one of her few remaining comrades called out, pointing ahead.
Xian looked and felt disenheartened. She could see the force of goblins blocking her path east, and she was doubtful that they'd be able to break that line with just the eleven riders they had left. She glanced back toward the the approaching forces, and blinked as the fast-moving "demons" distinguished themselves from the rest of the blackness that was hounding her and her sisters.
It WAS horses, and they WERE charging recklessly fast.
"By the kami," Xian whispered. "Its the Moto. Led by a battle maiden?" For the head of the group was most certainly riding in the style taught by her family.
The second group of cavalry, all eight of them, continued charging right past Xian's group, towards the line of goblins, screaming at the top of their lungs.
"They're...charging?" Xian blinked. "What kind of fool...I am the fool, it is the only choice left...with the Moto now! With twenty of us we might do it!"
"We don't have..." one of her sisters started to say.
"Close enough! Saya! Namiko! Bows!" Xian snapped and spurred her mount forward, and angling her naginata forward. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
****
Xian stared back to the fast vanishing line of goblins and fought back a tear.
"And then there were six," she whispered, counting her own sisters. There were three Moto left, the battle maiden and two males.
Xian pulled forward to come next to the Moto battle maiden.
"Slow down! They'll not catch us now, we must reach the Crab, but we won't do that if we kill our horses in the travelling."
The Moto turned to face her and frowned but slowed her mount down.
"We were fifty, and you?" the samurai-ko asked.
"Sixty," Xian answered. "What are you doing out this far?"
"Hunting, what about you?" the Moto asked.
"Scouting," Xian said, she answered the unspoken question as to why such a large group. "The normal scouts kept not returning. I am Otaku Xian, and you?"
"Moto Akanyo," she said, and Xian felt her throat tighten. She'd heard of this woman. Prideful, reckless, bitter. A Crab on a horse had been the common phrase. She was not considered one of the best people to be in a company with.
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(Posted Sat, 26 Oct 2002 19:17)
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