"The Rearguard" | Sukoshi

Written by little song

The ground shook. Elves stumbled cursing as the daggers again missed their small opponent. A blue and black blur as he rolled with the earth leaping free of the circle of battle and all but vanishing into the woods.
“Not again.” One snarled, her blonde hair stained red from a pool of blood forming on her head.
A scream of rage tore from her lips as she flung a dagger in the direction he had gone. “Curse you human!”
Sukoshi’s heart skipped a beat the dagger near inches from his face though she did not realize how close he remained. Still years of training kept his body still and calm.
“My lady.” *another called crouching one hand upon the now still ground. “The shaking.”
"Useless!” She screamed again. “Even the world won’t let us finish him off.”
“Let it go.” The third spoke cradling an arm.. “We’re too far behind on our target anyhow. By now they’ve probably made it back to Middlemarch for a day.”
“Exactly why we need to finish him off before he delays us again.”
“But the ground-“
“Shut up. I don’t have time to worry about it.”
Still. Quiet. Wait. The words repeated in his head slowly as he listened. To move now might give him away. Sweat mingled with blood slowly dripped down his face from the gash in his forehead, almost identical placement to the bash he had given her.
That was the closest one so far. He had taken hits from them all this week, two slices to his right forearm, a small graze on his fingers, not to mention the bruising. It wasn’t anything too bad but still more than had ever gotten past his guard. Not since first training had he been so taxed. Sensei was correct, Blue Cloaks were vicious, brutal, and skilled.
He knew the first day he couldn’t hope to take them out. The goal was to delay. With all the other threats facing the group, knights supposedly according to Guiscard, and a risings of pale and this Atthru, no one needed crazed elf assassins at their back..
“Spread out! find him! We have-“
“Azora!” The last interjected. Gracefully aged by his appearance. At least in his fifth century and the only one not battered.. “Your rage and youth still blinds you.”
“Shut up! Your beneath me Lym.”
“We don’t have the time for this and you know it. Stay on target or Indigo will demote us all. We won’t be able to find him now. And besides that tremor is cause for concern “
Perhaps so... but it was also the thing that had saved his skin. Yet strange.
A cold chill trailed up his spine. Along with it dread. To what end... he wondered as the infamous assassins rallied and continued their trek towards Middlemarch.
He sighed letting himself relax. Bind the wound. Run... Run... Pass them... find a new spot.. Ambush... Stall... the chill again took hold... Imoto-Chan? Was she safe. That though had crossed his mind too much over the past few days but e en so... she had friends... the ... whatever it was had protected her. The knight certainly would protect her. If all else failed she would be safe with his Sensei. Stop worrying. Focus on your job. And so he ran.
Another half hour maybe and again the land shook. He paused in his gate and braced low to the ground. This was not normal something was wrong. Great stress was pulsing in his veins now..
Focus on the task.
Doom, boon. The blood pounded in his head.
She would be okay. You took precautions.
Another tremor of dread.
He groped his staff harder only then realizing that the hand was shaking.
Focus.
Fear.
Focus.
Worry.
Target.
Protect.
Fight.
Defend.
His mind swirling with confusion, Sukoshi stared into the dirt, now unmoving again. Something was wrong... something...
"Kashi...?"
The one word slipped out. Sister he had only just met... his only family to speak of. He had taken precautions. Why was he scared. It would be better to continue his assault slowing them. But...
No... it’s time to go back. If only so I won’t be worried about her in these fights. If she’s in Tir Cendel now. That would be good to know too.