Eudora
Eudora steered her steed, Marionette, to a halt, turning to face the source of the noise. Her group pulled their horses up beside her and peered curiously around her but the view was unclear through the wide peeling trunks and low-hanging branches. She raised her hand to keep the group silent and still as she nudged her horse forward, squeezing between the trees softly. Once her view was less obstructed and she sat in the thick of the trees the situation became clear fairly quickly.
“Three women,” She announced, “armed, most likely sell-swords but they’re surrounded by imps, it looks like they have been ambushed.”
“Aren’t imps rather small?” Lowri whispered nervously.
“Their heads are as high as your hips on your horse and their teeth are like daggers.” Blaire replied solemnly, “You can lose a foot or hand easily if you are outnumbered.”
“Come on,” Eudora called behind her with a twist of her head, “they look like they could use some help.”
Her girls needed no further instruction and followed her into the undergrowth without hesitation, their faces hardening ever so slightly as they prepared themselves to fight, switching from lazy comfortable riding to concentrated handling to manoeuvre their horses between branches and trunks. Once they had traversed the lines of trees and their winding roots a wide lumpy field opened up before them. At the eastern edge the women Eudora had spotted were doing battle with a horde of imps, their round bald heads bobbing up and down as they scrabbled to find an opening to gnaw on human flesh.
The largest of the three women wore half-plate armour with forest green underclothes and a shining silver helmet, she was armed with a large shield and a fine, albeit bloodied, sword and even from a distance Eudora could see she was an experienced warrior. She cut down every imp that approached her swiftly and without delay. However, she was consumed by the little bastards throwing themselves at her and did not seem to see her comrade behind her struggling to keep astride her steed. It was no wonder that the woman was struggling as she was far too close to the fight to be of great use given that she was armed with a crossbow. She showed no expression of fear or anger on her flat face ad instead diligently continued reloading her bolts and taking her shots. She had a good aim and quick hands but the crossbow is not a weapon for close range and she would either be dragged to the ground or eaten to the knees if they did not hurry.
Riding around their group with a bouncing gait, their third member was knocking down and decapitating imps three and four at a time with a spear almost as long as she. Her lithe body swinging from side to side as she twirled her weapon like a baton, her light leathers allowing for incredible flexibility and her incredibly courageous horse allowing her to throw her weight and body in a manner that would spook or at least irritate most. Lowri’s stubborn steed for certain would never allow her to ride so foolishly, she’d be thrown to the mud in a matter of seconds. Although the spear-wielding woman was doing a fine job of eliminating imps, she was not clearing them speedily enough for her friend to find an opening to pull back with her toes intact.
Eudora lead her troupe forward, sharply picking up speed while the imps had yet to notice their approach. She raised her left hand and flicked two fingers forward to signal Blaire to overtake, then made the same sign with her right hand for Lowri. They would take the front line with their steel shields, Blaire unsheathing her sword smoothly and Lowri yanking her mace from her back. Magali was already muttering incantations to herself from the back of their new formation and Eudora recognised enough words to know she was beginning with her routine protection spells. As the wash of a light shielding spell ran over her skin Eudora rearranged herself in her seat, lifting herself for better vantage and lowering her centre of gravity for maximum accuracy as she raised her longbow and readied her first arrow.
“Lowri, you join the plated warrior.” She ordered, taking aim at an unusually tall imp widening his jaw to take a snap at the kneecap of the woman with the crossbow. “Blaire, get to the crossbow as fast you can.” She released her arrow, catching him in the throat and killing him instantly. Normally she would aim for the head but she ran the risk of it shooting straight through to the horse on the other side with the animals clamouring around them so. “Magali, the usual.”
Crossbow was first to notice their approach, nodding her gratitude to Eudora as she finally gained a little breathing room.
Eudora’s ladies all made affirmative sounds and she knew she didn’t need to glance across to check they were following orders, her group was a perfect team, not like most bands of mercenaries. If Eudora did not feel she could consider you a sister, you were not fit for her family.
Blaire reached Crossbow as Eudora knocked down two more of the snarling creatures.
She continued to pick off imp after imp, riding in a wide circle around the area of battle so as to spread her aid amongst the women and simultaneously keep an eye on hers. Blaire is seasoned and confident and it shows in her fighting style, she cuts down every enemy in her path with perfect precision. Lowri is enthusiastic but less accurate, swiping at any bald-headed, sharp-toothed, pointy-eared creature to approach her. Magali is cautious and watchful, her every spell cast with mindful weighing of how she can support her fellow women best, a deliberate mixture of defensive cloaking and shielding spells intertwined with offensive bolts of electricity and small jets of fire.
Eudora paused momentarily, her bow still held taught, at the sound of light laughter; she glanced at the spear-wielder, riding in her fluid carefree manner and apparently enjoying herself immensely. As much as Eudora enjoys the feeling of victory, and especially when it draws near and obvious, she has never guffawed with happiness at any conquest. A strange woman the spear-wielder is but a worthy warrior too and Eudora lets herself smile in solidarity at their success.
They make short work of the remaining beasts, the plated woman lopping off the dry-skinned head of the final imp.
The seven of them collected together a few metres from the bodies now feeding the spongy mud with their blood. The plated woman riding up slowly, as though hesitant of Eudora’s group. For a peasant that would be understandable, but for a woman in heavy and well-forged armour with swordsmanship expertise that a blind man could see, it prickled the skin on the back of Eudora’s neck that this woman would not ride to them confidently, what did she have to be afraid of?
Her fellow warriors awaited her arrival before speaking.
The woman with the crossbow spoke first, “Thank you so much,” her voice was raspy but genuine in her gratitude, “you four have fine timing.”
Their leader pulled off her helmet with a sigh that gripped Eudora’s gut painfully, cutting off any words that might have been ready to leave her. She knew that sigh, and she knew the face that appeared from under the helmet, and the dark blonde waves tied back in a low knot that had been covered until now. Matilde’s hazel eyes locked onto her own immediately and held her frozen in place, worse than any paralysis poison she had been subjected to on adventures past.
“Yes.” Matilde agreed quietly.
“Something wrong, Titi?” Blaire asked with a knowing grin. Matilde’s group blinked curiously, the corners of the spear-wielder’s mouth twitching with amusement.
“It’s been a long time, Blaire.” She dragged her eyes to Blaire’s face slowly to give her a nod, “Dora.” she added softly, sliding her gaze back to Eudora.
“You know these gals?” Spear-wielder asked with a lazy smile and a raised eyebrow, she looked over Eudora’s group with cordial curiosity, her eyes drew you in with thick kohl liner painted across her beautiful monolids and gold powder lightly decorating her waterline, it was a struggle to look away or focus on any of her other features.
Matilde responded with a grunt, “We used to ride together.”
“Oh. Rather awkward.” Spear-wielder’s reply did not match her expression, she remained open and cheerful in face, her eyes twinkling.
Crossbow cleared her throat gently, “Well, it looks as though you are headed somewhere and we would not wish to hold you up so we’ll let you get on with your journey.” she announced, much to what looked like everyone but Spear-wielder’s relief.
“Thanks again for the backup!” Spear-wielder laughed lightly, “Bloody imps, eh?” she adjusted the straps of her spear resting across her back, pulling out any blonde hairs stuck in the clasps.
Eudora’s girls joined her with chuckles and smiles as best they could before waving and nodding their goodbyes. Eudora and Blaire both took just a few extra moments to look over their old friend before turning away and trudging their steeds back to the beaten path.
Eudora’s group rode in silence for not more than two hours before Lowri could not contain her inquisitive nature. She urged her horse, Cordelia, to line up with Eudora, breaking formation with a sheepish look.
“So, you two used to be close?” She asked in a voice barely above the sound of breath.
“A fair while ago.” Eudora answered both honestly and ambiguously.
“How close are we talking?” Lowri wiggled her brows cheekily and Eudora averted her eyes, this youngling was far too perceptive. “Were you two… sharing a tent?”
“And if we were?”
“No judgement here.” Lowri said quickly, “How come you aren’t still… sharing a bed?”
They rode in silence for a few metres as Eudora considered her answer. Blaire knew everything that had happened between she and Matilde but she was kind enough not to speak of it. Magali knew nothing of her last lover and was very unconvincingly feigning disinterest in the conversation happening not a foot from her, turning away to inspect the leaves on every bush they passed.
“She wanted a housewife,” Eudora finally answered, “I wanted to be an adventurer.”
“She didn’t know that about you when you met?”
“When we met I was your average peasant girl.” Eudora smiled softly as she reminisced about her younger self, a skittish and pathetic girl desperate to see the world. “She thought that I would grow out of it, she thought if she took me out on a few wild escapades I would have enough and decide to settle down. I saw her as a mentor, someone I could train under until I was just like her, I wanted us to be equals but she couldn’t quite get her head around that.”
Magali snorted, quickly dropping her plant-enthusiast act, “And she expected you to what, stay at home in some piddly village while she continued to live the exciting life of a warrior?” she shook her head and her dark hair swung around her throat.
“I suppose she wanted roots somewhere and thought a wife would be the best way to create them.”
“She doesn’t have family?” Lowri asked, leaning towards her with those round black eyes that made her appear even younger than her years.
“Not that I know of,” Eudora admitted tentatively, “and from the way she told it they had been pretty nomadic when she lived with them.”
Magali made a humming sound, “So, how did it end?” she asked.
“We fought, I left with Blaire and a couple of our party and never saw her again.”
“Until today.”
“Yes, and hopefully that will be the last time for a good long while.”
“You don’t want to catch up? It sounds like the two of you would have much to talk about.”
“No, I think we should just continue on our journey, we have a lot of ground to cover and those trolls aren’t going to clear themselves.” Eudora answered, fully aware of how weary she sounded. “Lowri, back in formation, please.”
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