True Warriors Sing by Rowan Erlking (classic book list .TXT) 📕

“Captured?” LjuBa could not comprehend it let alone believe it. “My father?”

Ljev nodded, still trying to catch his breath.

“Are you some sort of weakling?” LjuBa snapped, throwing the feed corn at him. It hit him in the face, scattering around his feet. Ljev blinked at her hunching over again with his teeth clenched. “Why aren’t you rescuing him?”

“He told me to run!” Ljev replied, looking stressed out of his mind. “He said he would fight them for me!”

A harder shower of feed corn hit him in the face.

“You idiot!” LjuBa then threw more at him.

Ljev backed up, holding up his hands crosswise to cover his face.

“Don’t you know the warrior’s code?” She chucked more at him, advancing on him. “That was a challenge! You were supposed to say, ‘No! We are brothers! I will fight with you!’ Everyone knows that!”

He just looked like she had hit him with a pot rather than feed corn, staring at her dazed. She threw more at him. This time he caught her wrist, holding back her hand.

“Stop that! I get it, alright,” he snapped, annoyed in a strangely satisfying way. “But how was I suppose to know? If he said he wanted me to stay, I would have stayed.”

LjuBa jerked out of his grip. “That’s not the point! The point was for you to do the brave thing and step up! Be a man!”

Ljev groaned, looking back to the road. But then he blinked and ducked, pulling down to the door. He dragged LjuBa with him. She went along only because the mud was so slick. Digging her heels did no good. For a pitiful squire, he was strong. He whispered, “What am I supposed to do now?”

Punching his arm to make him let go, LjuBa hissed, “Go back, you idiot, and find him. He will give you a sound thrashing, but you deserve it for running away.”

He turned, looking puzzled as he blinked at her.

“Why is that so shocking?” LjuBa set her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

“I said he was captured.” Ljev then peeked to the road.

Rolling her eyes, LjuBa shoved from him. “My father? The king’s captain? Oh, please. No one could possibly—”

“They knocked him out,” Ljev said quickly, moving his face into hers so she could not push him aside. “Real hard.”

“Impossible!” LjuBa snapped, stepping to the right now to get to kitchen door.

Ljev hopped in her way again. “Nothing is impossible. I saw it happen. When your father looked back at me, after he told me to run, he looked stunned. I think they had magic or something.”

LjuBa stiffened. “Magic?”

He nodded.

She shook her head hard. “No. The kings banned all sorcery from our lands. There is no magic in KiTai.”

Turning, Ljev sighed.

LjuBa poked him in the side. “It wasn’t magic, coward. He was shocked because you ran off.”

Ljev blinked. He then leaned back and closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Of course. And they caught him off guard.”

That was enough to upset her. LjuBa shoved him back. “He was not caught off guard!”

“I know what I saw!” Ljev retorted. “They carried him away, unconscious, talking about taking his armor to sell.”

She brought the rest of the feed basket on top of his head, the corn raining down into his shirt. He shivered even as she stomped indoors, her feet echoing on the swept stone. Ljev followed in after her, batting off the basket.

LjuBa went about gathering up another water bladder, also taking up a travel pack and filling it with meat and bread.

“LjuBa!” he called in. “What are you doing?”

She whipped around. “You are not to address me by name, Squire! I am a warriess in training. I passed the test that you failed!”

He pulled back, now silently watching her. But after she had gathered up enough supplies, he noticed her go into the closet and pull out the red striped warriess robe then the tan fur trimmed coat, pulling on both. She adjusted the red jewels in her hair, making sure they were secure. Then she grabbed her training sword. 

“Are you insane?” Ljev asked as she pulled on her boots in the doorway. “What about your heart?”

Lifting her head, LjuBa ground out of her throat, “What about your heart, coward? I intend to save my father. Isn’t that what you came for? A warriess?”

He cringed stepping back. “Actually, I was hoping you would tell someone at the castle, an experienced warrior.”

“They are all out looking for that stupid prince!” LjuBa snapped and shoved him out of the way.

Ljev followed after her. “Ok. I forgot that.”

LjuBa walked backwards out of the yard, kicking the chickens back towards their coop while she went. “Weren’t you looking for him last night?”

Cringing, Ljev peered over towards the castle with a nod.

“So, come on!” LjuBa waved him along. “You’re leading me to where you committed your most recent cowardly act.”

She heard him moan even as she pivoted on her heel to go, practically hopping to the front gate where her father’s horse was waiting. Clearly the horse Ljev had ridden had also been stolen, though it might have been just as likely that her father made him go on foot. It would serve fool right. LjuBa hurried through the gate and climbed into the stirrup, heaving herself into the saddle.

It was a great view, suddenly high. And as she took the reins to the animal, LjuBa felt giddy with excitement. It would not be just K’sjuSha out there. It was her turn to go.

“Miss! Young lady of the house of MiKial, please wait!” Ljev jogged after her, panting hard. He hurdled the fence, startling the horse only a little. “I’m begging you, your father would not want you to get lost out there.”

“And I said guide me,” LjuBa replied, likely to kick him from where she was sitting if he kept dragging his feet.

“Please, don’t just rush off. You are precious to him,” Ljev said.

LjuBa felt a shiver run through her. She looked at Ljev’s peering face that she really had not taken in before, since a warriess was never to look at a squire so below her. His gray eyes gazed on her earnestly.

However, she replied, “And he is precious to me. Now, get on and ride with me so we can save time, or run ahead. I’ll follow.”

The squire looked devastated, but then he bowed and ducked down, running on ahead. LjuBa felt somewhat sorry he hadn’t decided to ride with her, but at least he understood propriety. A squire of his age was not worthy to ride even behind a warriess.

They headed in an easterly direction towards the Eastern Provenance. There were no main roads, but LjuBa didn’t need one. No warrior or warriess did. Ljev led them along the back road her father often used until the sun was high in the sky and Ljev begged for a rest.

“Do you think his captors will rest?” LjuBa snapped, urging the horse on.

Hanging his shoulders, Ljev replied, “Yes! It’s not like they know we’re looking for them.”

She shook her head. “Then we will get the drop on them.”

He moaned. “Please, daughter of MiKial. I am begging you, at least for the sake of your horse who I am sure is parched and tired.”

LjuBa frowned, glancing at the horse who was panting. She had not ridden out that long before. In all honesty, she was at a loss and didn’t want to stop. The fear of losing her father started to clench her chest and strangle all sense out of her. With another look at the sweaty and wheezing squire, and then her horse, LjuBa nodded, dismounting.

“Alright. But only for a moment.”

“Oh…Thank Jodis.” Ljev dropped on the ground, clenching his chest and sticking his feet up.

The captain’s daughter walked over, peering down at him. He had already closed his eyes. She looked at his feet still in the air.

“What are you doing?” LjuBa set her hands onto her hips, cocking her head.

Ljev opened one eye. He blinked then sat up. “Oh, just a trick I learned to keep the blood flowing after a long run.”

She hunched down. “You look foolish.”

He blushed, scratching the back of his head. By this time his long red ponytail was caked in mud. Most of his face was smeared. Despite that, he was a good-looking guy. In fact, it startled LjuBa.

“Why in the world do you want to be a warrior? You’re too handsome.” It blurted out of her before she could stop herself, though she did slap a hand on her mouth.

Ljev blinked, lifting his eyes to her. “What was that?”

“What I meant was,” LjuBa wiped her blush off before he noticed she had embarrassed herself, “You are obviously not good at it, so why don’t you choose a more suitable career without constantly humiliating yourself in front of everyone?”

He cringed, looking down. “I don’t know how to answer that.”

Crouching down to face him, LjuBa said, “Try. But honestly, I don’t know any other man as masochistic as you. Certainly you could use your charm in a more suitable career.”

“I have charm?” Ljev lifted his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth tilting up some.

LjuBa frowned. She had said too much.

She pivoted on one foot and turned around, marching back to her horse. “I’m going to find a brook. There should be one near here. You get ready to show me the rest of the way.”

“Yes, Miss,” Ljev murmured, dropping back into the muddy earth.

They rested for only a little while. However, this time they went at a slower pace, Ljev insisting for both his and the horse’s sake. He added that detail with a turn, hiding a look that said he was only being facetious. LjuBa didn’t like being teased. Never did. It came with having a weak heart. Too many of the children her age had teased her for being unable to play games with them. Then she showed them up.

It was hours before Ljev begged for a rest, but by that time most of the day had passed and the sun was bending down towards the horizon. He pointed.

“There was the last place I saw him.” He also pointed to the surrounding thicket in the area. “That was where they were hiding when they ambushed us. They said they heard rumors of the runaway prince, and had planned to ransom him.”

LjuBa walked through the area looking at the scuffs, the marks of feet and only one set of hoof prints. It was her father’s horse that Ljev had taken back.

“Honestly, when I ran, I had thought your father could take them all on,” Ljev said, walking to her side.

She whipped around with a glare, drawing her sword. “Of course he could have taken them on. But you, you idiot, ruined it. You were supposed to fight with him. He knew even a weakling like you could take on a handful of bandits.” She gestured to the footprints. “Looking at these, I’d say there were only about seven on them, easy pickings.”

Ljev raised his eyes at her. “Easy?”

Nodding sharply, LjuBa marched back to the horse.

“Of course easy. But you blasted idiot let them knock him out. That puts them at the advantage. And now we’re a day behind them.” She stepped into the stirrup and heaved herself into the saddle. Looking down on him, she said, “Come on, fool. Get on. We ride to the eastern border. We should be able