•The•Two•Kingdoms

[BlaqueCatt]

The queen and the prince were jolted out of their quiet lull by the sound of the men outside yelling. The knights were getting ready for battle, and they were almost prepared to go. However there was a problem with the horses, and it was irritating many of them, hence the shouting. Raven sighed softly and pulled away from his mother, walking over to his window and pulling the black curtains back. He looked down at the field below them, seeing his father and brothers trying to gain control of the men.

 

This is so pointless, he thought, but froze when he saw one of the knights trying to drag a beautiful black horse out if the stables. His blue eyes widened and he let out a gasp. No! That's my horse! She's not meant for battle! Ignoring the confused voice of Queen Miranda, the black-haired teen raced out of the room in a frantic dash, his lightweight, lean body, and long legs carrying him swiftly down the halls. Unlike the king and the other princes, Raven did not own a strong stallion. Instead he rode a gentle and small black mare. She would be easily injured by the larger men, as she was only able to handle people as light as Raven.

 

"Stop!" Raven cried as he ran through the front doors of the castle, surprising everyone with his sudden appearance, and even more so his rarely-heard voice. "Don't touch Siopi!" Daniel was the first to approach his brother, shocked by the tears in Raven's big eyes.

 

"Raven, what's the matter? We go to war all the time--" He stopped when he saw the harsh glare his little brother sent him.

 

"I don't care about you going to war," he snapped, "You're hurting my horse!"

[Teesie]

The naturally red head prince looked away from the other marching knights and toward the sky. It looked as if it would rain soon, but Strauss was not really worried of that. The one thing that the prince was worried of was the war. To be honest their kingdom was not in the shape to fight a battle. Usually both sides of the war would have horses, but due to his father greediness for wealth the man even refused to buy that.

 

My damn father an his pride and greed for wealth. This is all bullshit...sending out the men of the castle to fight over the damn dynasty. Not that I see anything wrong with fighting over the lands but I do think it's pointless. Though....to have my father send these men into battl without any proper preparation is a bit selfish. I hate it when he's that way. Many lives could be lose and he wouldn't show one inch of damn remorse.

 

"Dammit, please heavens look over me." A gasp was heard and the prince looked to his right to see a man just staring to him. "What? don't look at me that way."

 

"But prince Strauss....you-you just prayed to a god that doesn't exist. There is no god above lord Haesta." A confusion was playing in the knights eyes as he looked to the red head.

 

Oh that's right, the kingdom of Zelphia was convinced that there was no god, but I myself had always believed in one. That's funny.....before the royalty we, as villagers, always prayed to the savior, but now since father has became the king all of the power has gone to his head. "Your right...how foolish of me." The man nodded softly his face seeming to show relief.

[BlaqueCatt]

Realization dawned in the elder prince's eyes, and he smiled reassuringly, hiding the fact that Raven's outburst had hurt him. "Of course, I'm so sorry Raven. Some of the new knights didn't know whose horse it was." It was clear that the brunette was ignoring him, so Daniel sighed and could only watch as his brother marched over to the black mare, who had been abandoned in the center of the field after Stephen had told the knights what was going on.

 

The horse lifted its head from the ground when it heard Raven approach, whinnying softly and trotting over to the boy. Raven smiled and laughed quietly as it nuzzled his chest, butting its head against him. "Hello there Siopi," he murmured, running his fingers through her long mane. Siopi snorted and stomped her hoof into the grass in recognition. From across the field, a stunned knight went up to Stephen.

 

"I've never seen a horse act like that with someone before," he commented, not seeing the prince's rather proud grin.

 

"I know. Raven's the only one I've seen who's able to do that. The horse loves him." The knight nodded thoughtfully, contemplating something for a moment before asking,

 

"The horse's name, Siopi. What does that mean?" Stephen's smile faded and his gaze became more intense as she watched his brother, almost worried.

 

"The name is Greek. It means 'silence'."

[Teesie]

I wonder how long it will take us to make it to the Verrandes kingdom. This is such a long journey to take on foot. I hope it doesn't take weeks, there is no way that we would survive such harsh treatment. Once we get into the village I'm going to have to demand calvary to transport us. This may have my father to know that I'm with the soldier but it will be too late. I'd already be gone.

 

Stretching out the knots in his muscles Strauss yawned faintly, glancing around to the taller and bigger men. The other males did not look tired in the least. The now black haired prince had to do continue to march with the others until it was time for them to sleep.

 

"Sire, if you are sleepy we would be more than happy to stop for a camp out. I could alert the other men."

 

Strauss frowned before shaking his head softly, he wouldn't be a weakling and slow everyone down because he couldn't afford to keep up with all the soldiers. He would force himself, the red head knew he had enough energy as well as stamina to do so.

[BlaqueCatt]

Daniel's eyes widened when he saw his youngest brother grasp the horse's neck tightly, moving to pull himself up and over its back. "Raven! What are you doing? We're about to leave; it's too dangerous for you!" The black-haired teen paused for a moment, then heaved himself up onto the horse, no saddle, stirrups, or reins in place. He stayed perfectly balanced, and sent Daniel a look with his icy blue eyes.

 

"I'll just go for a look," he said softly, hiding a small smile. "I won't be too long, I just want to see how far off they are." Without waiting for permission--not that he would have gone back without it--Raven tugged gently on Siopi's name and turned her around, the sleek-furred mare rearing up before taking off at an amazingly fast speed from the castle; she was extremely fast because of her small build, having been bred for running and not fighting.

 

"I'll go after him," came the voice of Edmund, surprising everyone else in the field. He quickly mounted his own chestnut-pelted stallion and jabbed his heels into its sides, making it sprint off after the black figure in the distance. Beside Daniel, who was now pacing and muttering to himself, a knight asked,

 

"Do you want us to inform the king and queen?" His reply was a shake of the head.

 

"I don't want to cause my father any trouble, or worry my mother. Raven will come back with Edmund; he'll be safe." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself of that.

[Teesie]

Strauss and his men were now at the village and after asking around softly, the male was able to price the expenses for the transportation of over two hundred horses. The bad new was that the village only seemed to have many of their horses rented out and there was only one breeder in the small town all together.

 

The prince had nodded before losing his cool on the innocent lady that had informed him of the fact. She was hurt and had tried to run away from him, but after a threat of saying he would have her killed, due to it that he was the prince of Zelphia, she stayed and only nodded to the mean male.

 

"Dammit, this is all bullshit. You all," The naturally red head started, pointing his finger to all the soldiers surrounding him. "are basically retards! WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU FIGHT A LOSING BATTLE! Gave you not learn how to say no, to speak up for yourselves. I'm pretty sure that the other castle has a number of paladins ready to split us apart. Listen," Taking a deep breath and shaking his head. "I want five dozen of you to march back to that kingdom and protect the castle walls. The ones that decide to stay will be placed on a horse and go to battle."

 

The young Codiquíle had walked away letting the knights choose who would stay and leaving, renting over a hundred horses for those who decided to continue the journey. "I will feed us all to a meal." The dyed black hair ruffling with the wind as he turned to the chef. "The money will arrive to you shortly. I'm prince Strauss Dè Codiquíle." The dark skinned man nodded before fixing plates for all of the men. It was hard to do such a task seeing as they were a small group of workers. The man feed Strauss first because he knew of the man's irate statue. After about five hours all had a plate and was happily feasting.

 

Sighing the prince was simply strolling along the path on his horse. He had told the men to continue with their food and he would check ahead, many had stayed back to eat, but the royal male had over two dozen men with him.

 

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven and Siopi ran at a fast pace for a good ten minutes before slowing down to a leisurely walk. The young prince did not plan on going far, but he wanted some time away from the castle. I wonder how long it will be until they arrive, he thought, chewing thoughtfully on his lip. Siopi neighed softly beneath him, and he glanced down at her, smiling for the first time in a while and gently patting her neck.

 

"Good girl," he whispered, taking a moment to stare at her before leaning forward and resting his chest against her neck, tilting his head to the side to gaze out at the fields as they walked. He yawned, as the sleepless nights had been catching up to him, and his eyes half-closed. He knew better than to fall asleep while riding, however, even with a trustworthy mount.

 

A gentle wind blew at their backs, and Raven slipped deep into his mind, letting Siopi take the lead and weave them around through the forest of tall trees. The long-legged horse easily overstepped rocks and tree branches, and the atmosphere was peaceful, highlighted by the soft light coming in from between the tree leaves and the quietness from lack of people.

 

Eventually the black mare halted at a river, stomping slightly to alert Raven of a large obstacle. The blue-eyed prince lifted his head and glanced around blearily, taking a moment to gather his surroundings before sliding off of Siopi's back and sitting down on the river bank. The horse got down onto her knees behind him, almost like a trained dog, and allowed him to lean back against her side.

[Teesie]

After a while Strauss stopped at what seemed to be a large river. Smiling he climbed off the horse just to scroll along the bank looking every which way. It was a breeze that ruffled and played through his hair, glancing across the distance he saw what looked like a person?

 

"....Who is that? I mean I know you don't know who it is, but....can you get his ... or her attention?" One of the soldiers, who followed the prince as he padded along the cleft nodded before turning and squinting across the river. In the distance they could see a small speck that looked to be a person.

 

"HELLO SIR, MA'AM CAN YOU HEAR ME?" The knight yelled cuffing his hands over his mouth. He had to be cautious to call both gender, because from this distance the both of them, Alro and Strauss, couldn't even see the other. All they could tell is that the man or woman was moving and had seemed to be relaxing.

 

Strauss kept staring at the small speck to see if whoever it was would respond. He wanted to see ther person up close. "I want to get over there...now."

[BlaqueCatt]

Upon hearing the loud call, Raven was startled out of his daze, his head snapping up and his blue eyes widening. His body tensed when he saw who was across the river. Oh...it's the enemy... It took a moment for the information to sink in, as it was rather shocking that they had arrived so early. As soon as his mind recognized the realization, the young prince shot to his feet, keeping his eyes on the foreign knights.

 

"Siopi, up!" he hissed through his teeth, keeping his voice low. The black mare was on her feet in an instant, letting out a harsh and loud whinny, as she could sense her master's fear. Turning to face the horse, Raven shot a glance back towards Strauss and his men before swinging his legs over the horse's back and mounting in one leap, a great show of agility. "Go!" he commanded in his now frantic but still soft tone. Rearing upwards, Siopi spun around and took off at a fast gallop, weaving through the dense forest with ease.

 

I'll have to warn them, Raven thought, and seconds later Edmund rode by him, his horse skidding to a stop as the prince looked back at his younger brother in surprise.

 

"Raven?" he shouted, confusion clear in his voice. "What the hell are you doing?" He received no reply, and could only huff and follow after him, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.

[Teesie]

Once the other got onto the horse and galloped away the naturally red head prince frowned and rolled his eyes. "Tsk, what a waste of time." He explained crossing his arms over his chest and once again began walking along the river bank. "I know we won't be able to infritrate the Verrandes Kingdom this way. We'll have to take a longer path around."

 

The two kindgdoms weren't that far apart, but due to the river that ran hundreds of miles long the journey was more than two days. If Strauss knew that the enemy kingdom was just right across the river he would have made the horses swim across, which would result in all of them dying. The river was way too deep for the horses and neither would have came out alive.

 

Sighing audible the prince sat into the muddied ground before facing toward the soldier who was following him. "I need you to go to retrieve the men from the village and tell them to all come, we'll camp here for the day and continue our journey tomorrow."

 

After that statement the young heir to the throne sat and enjoyed the calm breeze russling his hair. It was strange how the other had just ran away from them that way. "Maybe it was a Vereandes look out." Though it was of no bother to the young teen as he fell back against the ground, shirt getting dirty as he relaxed.

 

 

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven pulled his horse to a stop outside of the castle, frowning when he noticed that the field was now empty. They must have already gone out, he thought, and quickly dismounted from Siopi. He patted her neck gently and instructed her to go back to the stable--he had trained her well--and walked swiftly towards the large doorway, his expression determined.

 

The prince made his way down the halls to the throne room, bursting in and surprising his mother and father, who had been discussing something. "Raven? What's the matter?" the queen asked worriedly, and the king stared at his son as he awaited an answer. Raven stopped in front of them and bowed, not kneeling like he was supposed to, and said in his quiet voice,

 

"I was down by the river with Siopi--" He was cut off by Queen Miranda's sharp intake of breath.

 

"What on earth were you doing so far away from the castle?" she demanded, her voice shrill, and her husband rolled his eyes. The black-haired prince raised a slim eyebrow, and said as his brother tumbled into the room after him, out of breath and sweaty from running,

 

"Edmund was with me." The elder prince raised his head from the floor when he heard his name, and this seemed to calm the queen down a bit. before she could speak again, King Alistair asked,

 

"So you were at the river. What news do you bring? It must be an important thing you saw." Three pairs of eyes were now locked on Raven, and the blue-eyed prince averted his gaze, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

 

"Ah...I saw the knights from Zelphia." Silence filled the room after that, and for a while no one spoke. "They were across the river, and they called out to me, not knowing who I was," he continued. "I left right away to warn you, as they would have seen the crest on my cloak, but they seemed not to know how close they were due to the forest. They'll most likely take the long way around, which gives us a minimum of two days before they truly arrive."

[Teesie]

Strauss looked to the men that were now trailing back to him, he had just aspire actually from a small slumber. In his dream he had thought of what the hell they could do instead of taking the long way around. It was true that the red head was lazy, but there wasn't much that they could do right? Sighing the now black haired heir averted his attention as one called his name.

 

"SIRE STRAUSS...." The brunette knight yelled to him running his way. "Prince we shouldn't sleep here. The border to the Kingdom of Verrandes is right across that river there."

 

Mouth shaped the prince quickly stood before once again glancing to the lands in the distance. "Well, I was correct. That person, whoever they were, was an enemy look out. OK EVERYONE LISTEN. THE ENEMY KNOWS THAT WE WILL APPROACH SOON. THE AVERAGE DAYS OF ARRIVAL IS THREE DAYS, SEEING THAT IT'S NIGHT TIME THEY WILL BE EXPECTING US IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS. WE NEED TO GET OVER THIS RIVER NOW."

 

All the knights were silent listening to the young Codiquíle as he stated his stratergy.

 

"Sire there is no possible way we could do that."

 

"Nothing is impossible. If you can make a way with mud, twigs, SOMETHING! As long as it doesn't take two days. I REFUSE TO GO AROUND."

 

There was silence as the red head plopped, once again, onto the ground. This would be there only strategy because Strauss would not move an inch.

 

[BlaqueCatt]

The stretch of silence in the throne room was incredibly lengthy, as all members of the royal family present took a few moments to fully absorb the information. When those few moments were up, Queen Miranda broke the silence by asking quietly, "So...how do we go about this?" Edmund said nothing, as he was not one to plan anything, and the king seemed to be at a loss for words, deep in thought. However, Raven's eyes glinted and he spoke up as soon as the question was asked.

 

"I suggest that we ambush them from the forest." He held up his hand before he could hear any words of protest; his determined expression was enough to even make his father hesitate before speaking. "I know that knights do not fight that way, and that for centuries they have fought up front because it is considered chivalrous and noble. But we can be the ones to change that tradition! Think about it, the enemy will be unsuspecting and we will manage to get in a few dozen kills before they even realize we are there, especially if we use projectiles."

 

King Alistair's eyes narrowed in anger and he stood up abruptly, glaring down at his youngest son, and this time Raven did not shy away. "How dare you think like that, a royal prince and knight of the court yourself!" he roared, startling both his wife and Edmund. "That is a dishonorable way of fighting!" Raven rolled his blue eyes and retorted hotly,

 

"Would you rather keep your honor or your kingdom?" The king grit his teeth in irritation; the black-haired boy was really rubbing him the wrong way.

 

"Both," he ground out, and was both surprised and annoyed to see the smirk that appeared on Raven's pale face.

 

"But if you could only have one, you would choose your kingdom, correct?" King Alistair had no comeback for this, and the young prince grinned victoriously.

 

"Alright then. I will lead a small group to ambush them while the rest of the men take their stations." he turned on the heel of his boot and exited the room, followed only by his brother.

[Teesie]

The prince stayed in his place on the ground refusing to move no matter what the other's said. The red head had made up his mind and he would not change it, he was the prince and the prince always had his fucking way.

 

"SIRE CODIQÍLE, I'm warning you that the kingdom of Verrandes is just across the river. We can not stay here. I know this idea has came from what I said, but it is a mistake. If we stay here they will kill us with bow and arrows."

 

"And! We didn't send you all out her with just a stick to fight with. You all have bows and some having throwing knives. So if they think that will work they should think again. We will fight and find a way over this river."

 

"But sure we have gotten horses, do you not wish to ride them until we make it there. It won't take two days sire Strauss. Please, this is dangerous." The knight knew that some people would die eventually, but it was too soon in the battle. The others would had an advantage against their army seeing as they could have more men.

 

"Who else is scared?" The young heir asked glancing to the troops surrounding them. The now black haired male was looking around to see who would all say they were scared or raise their hands. Once he saw mostly everyone confess to being scared a long loud sigh escaped him. "Fine, we'll go the long way." Standing with a small frown.

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven refused to listen to what his brother said, keeping his icy eyes focused straight ahead as he made his way down the halls of the castle. "Raven, please rethink this. This goes against the knight's code, and it's dangerous! Father said that you're not to fight at all in the war." The younger prince pushed open the doors to the courtyard, stepping out and breathing deeply when he felt a cold breeze ruffle his hair.

 

"I couldn't care less about the knight's code, as I am not a knight, no matter what the king says." He didn't refer to King Alistair as 'father' as Edmund had, and his tone was bitter. "I am a strategist, and this is the best course of action. I won't even be fighting, I'll just be supervising. It will be fine." He continued walking, gesturing for his brother to go back. "Round up whatever knights we have left; I'll get the horses and weapons ready."

 

With no room to argue Edmund turned and vanished back into the castle, leaving Raven to go to the stables and start working on a map of their attack plan.

[Teesie]

The prince of Zelphia was now walking along the river, the knights following close behind their shields all set up to block the left side of their bodies, which was were the other kingdom was located. The shields had all formed a large wall to protect them, the only one walking without their shield posed in the given direction was Strauss himself. All he wanted to do was show off his sword skills.

 

"This is reidiculous of us, all we do is run and hide like small cattle, or deer. What are we? A piece of shit I guess." As the heir complained no one really paid attention. Knowing the kid every since he was little was a way of them learning his personality to the T. All the knights were like family, therefor they already knew of his bad attitude. Hence the name "Ice King"

 

"Sire Codiquíle will we have a break to sleep, without energy we won't be able to fight to the best of our capacity. One soldier bravely spoke, only giving helpful information but would soon learn that it was better to not speak at all.

 

Sneering at the one who had talked Strauss crossed his hands over his chest and stopped walking, everyone else as well stopping. "I don't give a damn about your sleep,. You should of thought of that before coming onto the battlefield. Though, I'm pretty sure I can place you into a slumber you never wake from."

 

The statement made the men go silent as the now black haired male nodded and, once again, began to walk to their destination.

 

[BlaqueCatt]

Edmund returned to the stable with six other men behind him, their expressions obviously confused. They were all filed into the small space and made to stand in a circle around Raven, who was staring down at a large piece of paper on the table he had set up in front of him. He had just finished drawing out the plan as they entered. The young prince looked up at them all with an intense, blank expression, making all of them uneasy.

 

"You've all been called here to assist me in a surprise attack on the enemy forces by the river. I chose you six because you are out best marksmen. We will be hiding in the trees so that we can attack without them noticing us." A round of surprised gasps went around the circle, and the blue-eyed prince rolled his eyes as one of the knights asked,

 

"Has the king given permission for this? It's not...traditional." Raven crossed his arms over his chest and sent the knight a cold look.

 

"Yes, I have approval," he lied, knowing that they wouldn't do as he said otherwise. "This is the best way to deal a heavy blow to the other side before the main confrontation." he turned his attention to the map, moving so that everyone could see. "Three of you will be in the trees to shoot from above, and I will be with you. The other three, along with Edmund, will be in the bushes to shoot from the side. Use the heavier arrows to disarm their shields before going in for the kill shots; aim quickly and shoot fast, but maintain accuracy. The men in the trees will use longbows, as they can send more at once and have a better aim, while the men on the sides will use crossbows and knives. If anything goes wrong, do not stay and fight with swords; retreat immediately and return to the castle. Does everyone understand?" He received nods in reply and he smirked once more, which was even more unsettlign to the knights than his glare.

[Teesie]

Strauss and his mean had stopped for a rest. The river was yet still in walking distant but to get from harms way they had walked away from the bank of it. Plopping onto the ground the prince narrows his eyes. "Do you guys actually think that they would try to attack us? Clearly we saw one of their look outs so I hope they don't think we are stupid enough to stay there right?"

 

One of the soldiers had enough courage to speak up. "Um, but we are still here."

 

The prince looked to the man and frowned before rolling his eyes. "I know we are, but they wouldn't actually think that right? If they were in the right mind they'd think we had fleed away from the rivers. I don't think nothing will happen, if so we fight back.

 

"I hate that prince Strauss decided to come along, because he's making us do dangerous activities."

 

"I know this is damn ridiculous we should just leave him to die."

 

"Your right, why the hell should we die over some snot nosed brat who think he know it all."

 

"No guys don't be so mean, he doesn't mean it. A good leader is suppose to be strong willed."

 

Soon a bickering was now amongst the men and the now black haired heir gritted his teach. "WOULD YOU ALL SHUT THE HE'LL UP PLEASE! Now...we'll trail another meter from the river and set up camp ok?" All the knights nodded to the statement.

 

[BlaqueCatt]

It was later on that night that the knights of Verrandes set out for the river, concealed in the darkness. They took only three horses, Siopi and two stallions, to keep their approach quiet. Three out of the six men carried longbows and quivers, while the other three held crossbows and heavy bolts. Raven road ahead of the group on his black mare, with Edmund at his side. The blue-eyed prince was dressed in his usual black and gray attire, with a long and hooded black cloak that had the crest of the kingdom engraved on the silver clasp; it was not gold like his brothers'. They all walked in silence, not one daring to even whisper.

 

Just before they reached the forest, Edmund looked up at his younger brother and asked softly, "Are you sure about this?" Raven put a slim finger to his lips, sending him a glare, but he nodded nonetheless. Moving with swiftness that only came from lack of armor, the knights crept into the great expanse of trees, on high alert. One of them noticed a light in the distance and pointed to it, not speaking a word; they all knew it was the enemy.

 

Raven directed the two teams of men to advance further, until the knights of Zelphia were able to be clearly seen. The first team climbed up into trees, each a good distance apart, hidden behind the thick leaves. The second team, the ones who held the most risk, stayed put in the bushes, taking aim. Edmund went to help Raven into a tree, but the quick and agile prince made his way up without any assistance. Edmund sighed voicelessly and took his place among the foliage, keeping low to the ground.

 

They don't really seem to be resting, Raven thought, They have one fire but no tents, and I can't smell any food cooking. They must be planning on moving soon. But...it sounds like they're arguing. He smirked almost evilly. All the better, they'll be too distracted to defend themselves. Taking one more moment to observe the other knights, Raven took aim with his own knife, which he would use to give the signal; he dropped it into the grass beneath his tree, and the crossbowmen fired immediately; ten seconds later the archers sent the regular arrows.

[Teesie]

As the bickering stopped there was about two seconds of silence as a shriek that broke it once more. Moments later more scream shot through the air as the men were bolted with arrows. Strauss turned to look up at an arrow that was heading for his head before a knight threw his shield in the way, blocking it before it could cause any damage.

 

"WE ARE UNDER ATTACT DEFEND THE PRINCE."

 

The naturally red haired heir was royally pissed. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a throwing knife and narrowing his eyes. The Zelphia men had all ran and scattered into different spaces, their secondary weapons drawn and using the shield to block the incoming attack.

 

At this moment the prince was looking for the source that was shooting at them, noticing an arrow shot from a tree his eyes widened. "THERE ARE SOME ABOVE, SHOT INTO THE TREES...KILL THEM." Using his shield to block another arrow before one struck him in the leg. Letting out a hurtful yell the now dark haired male bent to grasp it. An arrow was stuck through his flesh right above the calf.

 

"Dammit, damn mutts. FIRE!" At the commands arrows from over a hundred men began to shoot randomly at the targets. Some straying into trees and Some being shot straight forward. The soldiers didn't know where the other's were located but, was sure that the arrows were aimed in the right direction.

 

"PEASENT LOSERS! HOW DARE YOU FIGHT WITH DISHONER!" The heir to Zelphia yelled still bowed, gripping onto his leg.

 

 

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven's smirk changed into a grin when he heard the screams. Even though they were now under fire as well, they had killed several of the other side. "Fall back!" he heard Edmund call from below, and listened as the knights removed themselves from the trees and bushes and ran back towards the horses; only two had been wounded. He took a moment to aim one last shot with his own bow, this time with an arrow lit with fire; he wanted it to serve as a message.

 

Half-closing his left blue eye, the youngest prince focused on the largest shield facing him, engraved with the Zelphia crest. Letting go of the string, his pale hand falling to his side, the flaming arrow sped through the air, hitting the shield straight-on, the flames rising upon impact; it was the very shield in front of Strauss. Once the arrow had reached its place, Raven dropped his bow to the ground and swung his legs over the side of the branch he was sitting on, grabbing said branch before he could hit the ground. He swung back and forth on it, almost lazily, despite the fact that various projectiles were falling around him.

 

Hmm, so my plan worked. Not as well as I'd hoped, though. Letting out a quiet sigh, he looked up at the prince across the river, their eyes meeting briefly. His smile faded and he dropped to the ground, not expecting the hands to grab him from behind. He let out a soft yelp, struggling until he heard a familiar voice.

 

"What the hell are you doing Raven?" Edmund snapped, "we have to go!" The black-haired prince broke away from his brother's grasp, panting and shaking, his blue eyes wide with fear. Edmund shook his head, looking away. Shit, I forgot he hated to be touched. "Just hurry," he muttered, turning and running off. Raven hesitated for a second before following, swiftly climbing onto Siopi's back and heading after the knights.

[Teesie]

The prince looked around to see that men were hurt, and there were about twenty of them that were killed. Hm...that was pathetic and such an unruly way to fight. Looking back across the river his green eyes met blue ones. The colors clashed as Strauss sent the other a powerful glare. Slowly reaching into his pocket he pulled out a throwing knife and watched as the other was grabbed by another male.

 

Squinting his eyes the red head threw the knife, but due to the pain that shot through his calf muscle his accuracy was off. Watching as the blue haired male climbed onto the horse to run away the knife steadily flying had soon embedded in the side of Siopi.

 

"Dammit!" What the naturally red head male was aiming for was the boy that had been watching him, he didn't really know how much the small horse meant to the youngest prince of Verrandes.

 

What do you say we do sire Strauss."

 

"I want you sir to go back to the journey to the castle and gather more men. Then come back, you will follow us on the path and before you arrive there will be a way across the river. Go now!" The knight nodded before dispatching, he would do just as his prince said.

 

[BlaqueCatt]

The black mare let out a screech as the knife met its target, the horse stumbling off course and crashing onto her side. Raven's eyes widened in shock as the way thrown to the ground by his horse's head, hitting the dirt with a loud 'thump', with a gash forming on the side of his head. Taking a moment to lay in the grass and catch his breath, he was unaware of his brother rushing back to his side, as his vision was blurred and his hearing going in and out of focus.

 

"Oh my God...Raven! Can you hear me? Raven!" Coming back to his senses, the black-haired prince realized that someone was shaking him. He blinked a few times before raising his head dizzily, supported by Edmund's strong, broad chest. "Raven?" he repeated softly when he saw the younger was responsive. Raven put a hand to his head, feeling the blood, but said nothing, getting onto his knees and pushing the older prince away.

 

What happened? I wasn't hit... His breath caught in his throat when his eyes landed on Siopi, laying on the forest floor, panting and crying out in pain, the knife embedded in her left haunch. "Siopi..." he breathed out, his voice small and quiet, even more so than usual. His expression was one of complete shock, unable to comprehend what had happened for a few moments.

 

From beside him, Edmund put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I'm sorry Raven. We can get you a new--" The older prince fell silent when Raven's hand came into contact with his cheek, a loud slap resounding through the trees. The boy's expression was hard now, his icy eyes sending a glare straight through Edmund's heart.

 

"She is still alive," he snarled, his tone dripping with venom. "If we keep the knife in she won't bleed out...but she won't be able to run anymore..." He was thinking quickly, trying to remember what he had read in medical books. Pausing in his thoughts he crawled over to her side, gently petting her neck and whispering to her reassuringly before studying the wound. "It's deep, but the hilt isn't in the wound, which means it couldn't have damaged her tendons too badly...she may not be able to run, but she'll be able to at least walk if I can get supplies..." He glanced back at his brother, who was staring at him in confusion. "I won't be able to ride her, but I want to keep her anyway. She's...my only friend," he muttered, averting his eyes. "I'll find another horse to ride, but I'm keeping her."

 

Raven stood abruptly, however he got up to fast, causing his head to spin and his body to stagger backwards. He leaned against a tree to clear his head, avoiding his brother's concerned looks. "I'll stay here and look after her," he continued, "go to my room and bring me the black bag under my bed. Please, Edmund." Edmund's lips tightened, as he hated the idea, but could never say no to his younger brother's teary face. Sighing and running a hand through his blonde hair, Edmund handed Raven his dagger and replied,

 

"Fine, but stay hidden until I come back." Giving a nod, the blue-eyed prince sat in the bushes next to Siopi, and horse and rider were hidden from view. Edmund watched them for a moment, unable to understand how someone could be so attached to an animal. He left shortly after, though, since they needed time to fix the horse's injury.

[Teesie]

The red head could clearly see when the horse fell and the boy that had made eye contact with him did also. The two was having an interaction, both boys that was. So it seemed that the smaller boy would stay behind for the horse. From what the naturally red head could see, the petit male looked to be attached to the small black horse.

 

Once the Zelphia heir watched the other male run away, he limped, gritting his teeth as he felt the arrow through his leg push harmfully through his flesh. Taking a hold of the wooden object Strauss took a deep breath before roughly snatching it out and letting out a loud yell.

 

At the shreik many soldiers eyes widened when they watch the now black haired royalty bleeding excessively. Ripping of cloth from his shirt the green eyes closed as he tightly wrapped it around his wound. Standing again the young Codiquíle slowly and painfully walked toward the edge of the river, glaring across the body of water as he began to yell.

 

"YOU ASSHOLE DISHONORABLE PEASENTS! HOW DARE YOU DO SUCH AN UNRULY ATTACK. I WANT YOU TO STAND TO FACE ME. COME TO THE EDGE OF THE RIVER OR THAT HORSE YOU LOVE SO MUCH WILL DIE!" Strauss screamed across to the raven haired enemy. The boy, to him, looked fairly young.

[BlaqueCatt]

From inside the thick bushes, icy eyes peered out at the older prince, the rest of his body and face hidden from view. The blue orbs narrowed at the threat, and he placed a hand onto Siopi's cheek to keep her quiet. Hmph. Seems my attack has rather pissed him off. Too bad for him, he was injured as well. The black-haired male smirked despite the situation he was in. Even he is stuck in the old ways. I think this method of warfare is much more efficient. He knew well enough not to say anything in response, and did not move from his place. I don't believe his threat is very well-planned; none of them can cross the river, as it's swelling now, and his angle for shooting is off due to our hiding place. If he does shoot, Edmund left me his shield.

 

Moving away from the front of the bushes, his eyes disappearing, Raven turned to Siopi and nuzzled his face into her side, breathing in her scent. "Shh," he hushed when she tried to lift her head. "It will be fine, love." This was the most affection he had shown to any living thing; he hadn't even cared this much for himself. If she does die, I have to keep something to represent her...a tribute of sorts. After taking a moment to think, the black-haired prince removed the large collar he had placed around her neck, the only thing she had worn, as she had no saddle or reins. Grabbing a sharp rock from behind him, Raven dug the tip of it into the collar and ripped off the silver emblem on the front, holding it in his shaking palm.

 

He then removed some of the sturdy black leather from the back of Edmund's shield, not caring about his brother's things, and tied it around the egg-sized emblem to make it into a necklace. He stared at it blankly for a moment, a wave of emotions washing over him, before slipping it around his neck. He felt tears prick at his eyes and he wrapped his arms around the horse's neck, clinging to her as if she was his mother. "I'll sing my song to you," he whispered, his tears wetting the mare's sleek black coat.