Journey of the Messenger Cycle 2 Part 4a

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Roddarra

Roddarra woke with a startled cry. Whatever nightmare had been haunting her fled as she sat bolt upright in bed, wondering what noise had startled her so. The draperies and linens that hung from Jostan’s bed were pulled to the side and they sagged low. Jostan still lay beside her, seemingly undisturbed, while one of the bed posts at the foot of the bed had broke. Dim moonlight and cold air came from the windows along the balcony, the only other source of light was a guttering candle by the room’s main door.

Something, or someone, rose among the tangled linens, looming close. Roddarra rolled over Jostan, kicking loose from the blankets. Where was Ijah? She half jumped, half stumbled from the bed only to come face to face with a darkly clad woman wielding a knife. She threw herself back, barely avoided having her abdomen slashed then landed heavily on the bed. She shouted,”Intruder!”

With the sound of tearing material Ijah surged up onto the foot of the bed, cursing. Roddarra kicked with both legs as the knife-wielding woman moved towards her. Her feet connected, striking the woman in the guts, who staggered back a pace gasping from the force of the strike. Roddarra looked around for a weapon and Ijah, having grabbed the sagging length of wood running above the side of the bed, leapt down, breaking wood and dragging a lot of cloth with her.

Roddarra stood, grabbed the ornate Hapanni vase from the night table and tried to move to one side of the intruder. Ijah and the woman struggled, the wooden pole between them, while draperies and linens tangled around the two combatants. The smaller woman was holding Ijah off with one hand pushing against the length of wood. She slashed with her knife, forcing Ijah to turn away from the attack. Her friend fell to the side, one of her legs tangled. Roddarra darted in from the other side and slammed the vase into the woman’s head with a wide swing.

The vase shattered, their foe staggered back but lash out at Roddarra with the knife. Again she threw herself back, this time coming up against a tall wardrobe. She was surprised when the woman stepped forward and tried to kick her, she seemed unstoppable. Roddarra evaded, now along the large stained glass windows. The woman’s kick broke through the door of the wardrobe, momentarily catching her up. Roddarra darted in, grabbed the woman’s knife arm and she tried to give it a twist. The woman was unnaturally strong, she pushed back and Roddarra slammed into the heavy window with the sound of cracking glass.

The woman freed her foot from the wardrobe and moved towards the bed. Roddarra saw Ijah over near the sitting arrangement by the large fireplace, metal glinted as the Kereshi picked up the swords she had been dancing with earlier. With a defiant cry Roddarra launched herself at the woman and leapt onto her back. They thumped onto the edge of the bed. She managed to get an arm around the woman’s neck, clawing at the arm with the knife, trying to get a firm grip.

The intruder reached up and grabbed a handful of Roddarra’s hair, yanking hard. She screamed as hair and scalp flesh tore free. Desperate, she gave up trying to hold the knife arm and clawed at the woman’s face. The woman pushed off from the bed, collided into the night stand which slammed against the nearby wall then toppled over. Together they staggered into the wardrobe, falling back. Roddarra found herself sitting within the standing closet, splintered wood painfully slicking into her legs and posterior.

Her foe drove an elbow back, smashing Roddarra’s breast, driving the air from her lungs. The woman surged up and away. Roddarra failed to keep a grip due to the pain that assaulted her. She heard the sound of metal striking metal as she tried to pull herself from the wardrobe, swords and knives scraped and rang from a flurry of blows, parries and counter thrusts. Roddarra forced herself to her feet.

It was over. The intruder looked down at the length of steel protruding from her chest, the knife slipped from a hand. Ijah twisted the sword she had just impaled the woman with and stepped back. Blood gushed and the woman dropped to the floor.

The main door slammed open, light spilling into the room as a pair of guards followed by a lantern bearing servant rushed in. There was a lot of shouting, Ijah set her blades down and one of the guards advanced to view the intruder. More guards and servants arrived, another shouted exchange took place. One of the servants went to the bed, pulled back the draperies and linens that covered Lord Jostan.

His Lordship stirred, opened sleepy eyes and looked over to where the two women stood, “It seems like we had a pretty good time of it. Try to settle down, ladies.” He lay back and close his eyes.

One of the servants suggested, “Get the mages, the doctor as well.” Another servant ran off.

Ijah informed one of the guards, “Lady Roddarra is wounded. Put your weapons away and help her. The intruder has been dealt with.”

Roddarra, despite her discomfort, was not letting some hammy guard pull splinters from her ass, nor any other part of her for that matter. She waved them off and with Ijah’s help moved over by the fire place. Ijah stayed with her, passed her a cloth to hold against her bleeding scalp, the two of them looked on with interest as one of the senior guards inspected the would-be assassin.

A couple of the servants saw to lighting candles and lamps while another added fuel to the banked fire behind them.

The guard inspecting the dead woman placed three matching knives and a garrote wire to one side of the body. He also found two small crystal bottles containing different liquids, a number of shattered containers and a gooey mess in one of her pouches. From within the would-be assassin’s armour a letter was found, one end stained by blood. He waved an older man over, “A letter, sir. Note the seal, Freemen by the look of it.”

More people were showing up, lords and ladies of the household and a few high ranked guests, demanding to know what had transpired. Servants came and went, more guards arrived as well. Somehow Lord Jostan slept through the commotion. Roddarra wondered if he had been drugged.

Jostan’s mages arrived, Den’Daleen and a vaguely familiar looking woman wearing an expensive nightdress, perhaps just into her adulthood. Den’Daleen went to Lord Jostan, suggesting that people should clear the room while the girl came over to them, “Hello Lady Roddarra,” she said with a certain familiarity indicative of knowing who she was, “If you’d allow it, I can see to your wounds.”

Roddarra could not place the woman at first, if it was someone who she knew from her previous visit, then she would have been in her early teens back then, “Lady Felitta?”

“Just so, yes.”

“You’ve grown up since last I was here. And, you’re a mage it seems?”

The young woman gave a dismissive sigh, “It would appear so. May I heal you, or would you like to catch up a bit first?”

Still annoying, it seemed, “Well…” She carefully turned, “I hope you’re not as squeamish as you once were.”

“Oh, goddess. Gross.” She stepped back looking shocked and rather pale.

“That bad is it?”

“Ah, well, perhaps I should see to your head wound first? Were you struck?”

Roddarra gently pulled the sticky cloth away from the side of her head, “No, the bitch just yanked a bunch of hair out.”

Felitta gagged, held up a shaking hand then spoke some arcane words before gently touching the side of Roddarra’s head. There was instant relief from the burning pain where the hair had been pulled out.

Dan’Daleen came over, Ijah asked him,”What is wrong with Lord Jostan?”

“A case of over indulgence.” He looked to Roddarra, “Lady Felitta, are you not going to finish healing Her Ladyship?”

“I thought it best to let you see to the splinters. As I would have to remove them by hand, whereas you can see to it while only causing Lady Roddarra a small amount of discomfort.”

“Very good, Lady Felitta. Perhaps you should assist the guards with inspecting the body or the things found on it.”

“The body?” She looked like she was going to refuse, glaring at Dan’Daleen who regarded her calmly. She relented and went over to the guards.

Dan’Daleen turned his attention to Roddarra, “We can leave the splinters in and let the doctor extract them, or I can do it with magic which would be quicker, maybe slightly more painful.”

“You’re just going to shape the wood and remove it?” She asked.

“More or less, I’ll be forcing your body to clear foreign materials. The healing will follow along immediately after, it would only take a matter of moments.”

“Do it.” She gave a nod, “I’m ready.”

She took a quick breath as she felt the splinters moving. Blood stained pieces of wood fell to the floor and the discomfort passed as the mage’s healing spell took effect.

“Anything else?” The islander asked.

“Just a bruised tit, I think I’ll be fine, though.”

“As you say, my lady.” He turned to Ijah, “And, you?”

“Bruises, maybe a broken rib. I should be fine in a few days.”

“Very well, if you’re sure.”

“My lady!” A sudden exclamation came from near the bed.

They looked over and saw that Lady Felitta had fainted. Having fallen onto the edge of the bed the young woman slid to the floor, limbs akimbo with the two men closest to her looking on in bewilderment.

Den’Daleen sighed, “Excuse me, my apprentice has troubles coping with blood.”

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