Came a Sour Meet
(In previous poems, we see Realta as an untouchable champion. But she's one woman in a land full of war. Sometimes even the best are handed defeat. She'll live, though; there is more of this land and this champion to see. Also, I've added a tag for "Realta and Daingean" to the list..)
Daingean wanted to turn aside.
That was all the warning she got,
Then Realta was hip-deep in shouting men
Demanding with sword and axe and bow
Her armor, her honor, her horse, her life.
Realta did not draw her sword,
Strapped to ride as it was.
She lifted her hand, and prayed briefly.
A tickle met her mind.
"Good men, what do you here?
And where is your Lord?"
Her question was met with catcall and rude gesture.
She looked beneath.
Daingean snorted, shuffling.
He wanted to leave.
Realta saw men, only men, with darkness eating them.
But two stood out, dead swords in their hearts.
Realta pointed to them. "You two look like leaders.
Do you rule here?"
They scoffed, but one answered with a smile.
"I run this gang."
"Then in the name of my god Augoma
I ask to pass this place."
He spat and signed to turn away evil --
Or in this case, power.
"The bitches of a maggot-eating dog
Do as their master bids.
Get down off your horse and give us your treats!"
He laughed loud and sharp.
Realta nodded, lowering her hand.
"I will give you the blessing allowed by my god,
But only if you open the way."
The others sniggered and barked.
"You'll go free," lied the man.
"Free like the bondsmen."
Realta nodded again, slowly.
Daingean nodded vigorously, anxious.
"Ha! Your horse likes me!"
"He bites those he hates," Realta replied.
"We'll get along just fine, then!
I bite everyone!" She smirked, but did not dismount.
"Well? Come down! Meet my staff,
Feed my men's bellies!
We will destroy you!"
They didn't approach.
"At her! At her!"
Realta drew her blade, but the bows were swift.
She caught an arrow in the scalp,
And barely escaped one in the chest.
"Your men are untrained!
Barely hunters, much less soldiers!
Daingean, aroint!"
Daingean stood and wheeled.
Hooves met skull and broke it,
Met chest and crushed it coming down.
Sword met bow and brake it,
String cleft and arm useless.
The battle was ugly, six to one.
Trained warriors would have ended her
And her horse's life forfeit;
Augoma would have wept again.
Realta swept two more down with her blade
While Daingean kicked with a back hoof.
"My balls!" cried the man behind him.
The others tried to come in.
Daingean turned in place,
Six years' training shining out
As Realta took another life
And prayed the war-chant of her god.
"For love of life I end one,
Let murder come no more!
Forgive me this, I beg,
The threat to life must end!"
They mocked her as they stood back,
But Daingean lurched sideways,
Spurred by unknown force.
Another arrow missed its mark.
Realta aimed him at the bowman,
Leaned forward for the swing,
Knocked the next arrow out of line
And finally cut his string.
As she rode across the disarray,
She noted one sword-heart
Missing from the grove.
The sword-lady looked about.
Then the leader brought his sword in,
And Realta must block,
Fighting hard for breath
To use her Sight.
A hard blow knocked the knight
Off her seat, shaking her with the landing,
One foot still in stirrup.
Then Daingean saved her again.
The man's screaming faded
And Realta knew her life might end
As the warmth on her back grew.
But Daingean had taken his shoulder off.
Everything faded.
Augoma was there, with his angels.
She wanted to help Daingean.
She wanted to sleep.
Augoma ordered her to wake.
Sharply, Realta's eyes were open,
The shock of the world upon her,
Her body so solid again.
The day had tarried.
Her foot was still in the stirrup.
She wasn't by the bodies.
Daingean was muttering to himself.
Or.. was that a woman with her horse?
A spirit. Realta tried to look.
She couldn't See who it was.
The woman smiled and left.
As the knight tended her wounds,
She wondered where the other
With blade in heart had gone.
Daingean nickered, happy as the saddle came off.
The Lady made camp there,
Resolved to vigilance by need,
Steadfastness embodied nuzzling
Her bandaged head.
Daingean wanted to turn aside.
That was all the warning she got,
Then Realta was hip-deep in shouting men
Demanding with sword and axe and bow
Her armor, her honor, her horse, her life.
Realta did not draw her sword,
Strapped to ride as it was.
She lifted her hand, and prayed briefly.
A tickle met her mind.
"Good men, what do you here?
And where is your Lord?"
Her question was met with catcall and rude gesture.
She looked beneath.
Daingean snorted, shuffling.
He wanted to leave.
Realta saw men, only men, with darkness eating them.
But two stood out, dead swords in their hearts.
Realta pointed to them. "You two look like leaders.
Do you rule here?"
They scoffed, but one answered with a smile.
"I run this gang."
"Then in the name of my god Augoma
I ask to pass this place."
He spat and signed to turn away evil --
Or in this case, power.
"The bitches of a maggot-eating dog
Do as their master bids.
Get down off your horse and give us your treats!"
He laughed loud and sharp.
Realta nodded, lowering her hand.
"I will give you the blessing allowed by my god,
But only if you open the way."
The others sniggered and barked.
"You'll go free," lied the man.
"Free like the bondsmen."
Realta nodded again, slowly.
Daingean nodded vigorously, anxious.
"Ha! Your horse likes me!"
"He bites those he hates," Realta replied.
"We'll get along just fine, then!
I bite everyone!" She smirked, but did not dismount.
"Well? Come down! Meet my staff,
Feed my men's bellies!
We will destroy you!"
They didn't approach.
"At her! At her!"
Realta drew her blade, but the bows were swift.
She caught an arrow in the scalp,
And barely escaped one in the chest.
"Your men are untrained!
Barely hunters, much less soldiers!
Daingean, aroint!"
Daingean stood and wheeled.
Hooves met skull and broke it,
Met chest and crushed it coming down.
Sword met bow and brake it,
String cleft and arm useless.
The battle was ugly, six to one.
Trained warriors would have ended her
And her horse's life forfeit;
Augoma would have wept again.
Realta swept two more down with her blade
While Daingean kicked with a back hoof.
"My balls!" cried the man behind him.
The others tried to come in.
Daingean turned in place,
Six years' training shining out
As Realta took another life
And prayed the war-chant of her god.
"For love of life I end one,
Let murder come no more!
Forgive me this, I beg,
The threat to life must end!"
They mocked her as they stood back,
But Daingean lurched sideways,
Spurred by unknown force.
Another arrow missed its mark.
Realta aimed him at the bowman,
Leaned forward for the swing,
Knocked the next arrow out of line
And finally cut his string.
As she rode across the disarray,
She noted one sword-heart
Missing from the grove.
The sword-lady looked about.
Then the leader brought his sword in,
And Realta must block,
Fighting hard for breath
To use her Sight.
A hard blow knocked the knight
Off her seat, shaking her with the landing,
One foot still in stirrup.
Then Daingean saved her again.
The man's screaming faded
And Realta knew her life might end
As the warmth on her back grew.
But Daingean had taken his shoulder off.
Everything faded.
Augoma was there, with his angels.
She wanted to help Daingean.
She wanted to sleep.
Augoma ordered her to wake.
Sharply, Realta's eyes were open,
The shock of the world upon her,
Her body so solid again.
The day had tarried.
Her foot was still in the stirrup.
She wasn't by the bodies.
Daingean was muttering to himself.
Or.. was that a woman with her horse?
A spirit. Realta tried to look.
She couldn't See who it was.
The woman smiled and left.
As the knight tended her wounds,
She wondered where the other
With blade in heart had gone.
Daingean nickered, happy as the saddle came off.
The Lady made camp there,
Resolved to vigilance by need,
Steadfastness embodied nuzzling
Her bandaged head.