The Prize of Palicide

--- hours later, the flames have died down in the city, and the battle weary soldiers of Palicide’s return from their skirmage on the West Bank, King Leotin, his son, Staza, and ward, Arissa, riding at his side ------

--- hearing of the fate of his sister, Prince Staza gets a fresh horse and supplies, and after a blessing from the priestess and a kiss on his cheek from his father and Arissa, he heads east after the armies of Allendor –

Arissa: (watches Staza leave, her jaw set in grim determination)

Arissa: (moves quietly over to King Leotin) I think I shall retire early, my lord.  My stomach is wrought with worry and I fear I am unable to eat a thing..

Staza: (rides his horse at a dead heat trying to make up the distance between them, then finally slows, knowing he must spare his animal or walk) (determination scrawled over his face)

Leotin: (lays a hand on her)

Arissa: (leans forward to give him an impulsive hug, kissing his cheek tenderly, feeling guilty, like it should of been her)

Leotin: Don't worry, my dear. (hugging her gently) Staza will prevail.

Arissa: (nodding) Yes, she will return.  I know it in my heart.

Arissa: (slipping out and up to her room, a rough plan forming in her mind as she quickly changes her clothes and packs a small bag)

Arissa: (slips her bow over her shoulder and sneaks down to the stable, easily retrieving her white mare in the chaos)

Arissa: (dressed in an old pair of Staza's pants and an oversized shirt, her cloak pulled tightly around her as she takes off after Staza)

Arissa: (her mind spinning, hatred boiling in her belly) ((They took my first family away from me....I'll be damned if I let them take this one too))

Arissa: (vowing to return with Imari or die trying..)

-- the river of Moratar stretches a mile across at it's narrowest ----

Isen: (puts a hand up at the head of the pack, slowing his horse at the rivers edge)

Isen: Send the word back. We camp for the night at the River of Moratar.

--- A rider breaks from the pack and races back down the long line of horses, calling out Isen's order) ----

Jaeger: (watches the calling rider pass) Fool..... We should not break until we cross...

Xavier: (eventually the rider reaches his platoon and he hears the cry)

Xavier: (keeps riding, pulling his horse off the path and riding close to the wood, skirting the fringe of the troops ahead of them, his men following dutifully in his wake)

Imari: (her breathing becoming slightly agitated, torn between wanting to stop before they get too far from her home and trepidation of what is to come)

Jaeger: (watches Xavier and his men pass them) (slow nod) Seems we agree on two things... (Xavier too far to hear his murmur)

Jaeger: (lifts a hand for his men to follow and falls in behind Xavier's troops)

Imari: Will you ransom me? Is that what this is about? Gold to line your pockets..

Xavier: You are worth far more than gold, princess. (urging his horse forward into the deep dark waters of Moratar)

Isen: (watches as Xavier and then Jaeger begin to cross the river, then gives the call to his men to camp anyway)

Imari: (having kept silent for most of the journey so far, always watching for a means to escape, looking down at the water) Land? Is that what you desire?

Xavier: (his laugh floats on the water as his horse begins the long swim, the water lapping at their thighs) I have no use for land. I'm a warrior.

Imari: (shivers, unsure if from his laugh or the cool water lapping at their thighs, soaking her skirts and cloak)

Xavier: All a warrior has his pride.

Imari: (trying to inconspicuously twist her hands in the rope binding, sneers) And it fills you with pride to conquer naught but woman and children..

Xavier: (glances back over his shoulder to check his men, seeing Jaeger crossing as well down the banks a little)

Imari: (eyes darting around)

Xavier: (chuckles again) I haven't conquered you yet.

Imari: Nor will you ever..  (biting her lip, readying herself...) ((wait...wait...))

Xavier: Is that so? You don't know how lucky you are, Princess. Do you see that man in the dark cloak over there.. (motions toward Jaeger in the darkening light)

Imari: (eyes slide over to Jaeger) I don't feel very lucky at this particular moment.  And yes, I see him.

Imari: (remembering his words from earlier...."Just finish her")

Xavier: He's the one who would have you dead. But not likely before he tore you apart.... In a way most unpleasant.

Imari: (stiffens, panic coursing through her)

Imari: And you....what are your plans for me? (almost afraid to ask)

Xavier: We'll see.. my prize.. (smirks and relaxes, the far shore still barely in sight)

Imari: (growls at being called his prize again)

Imari: (letting her eyes fall on Jaeger again, a shiver running through her, thinking how close she had been to being his prize)

Jaeger: (his gaze slowly turns to her, catching her eyes watching him)

Jaeger: (a very dark smile crosses him)

Imari: (her green eyes widening in fright, her breath hitching, quickly pulling her gaze away)

Imari: ((this isn't happening.....this can't be happening.....))

Xavier: (relaxing even more as they cross the river, closing his eyes, arms loose beside her)

Imari: (wondering if her father and brother has gotten the news yet)

Imari: (feels him relax, gathering up her courage)

Jaeger: (glances over again)

Imari: (scanning ahead, takes a couple of deep breaths, then slams her head back into his chin, lurching to the side and diving into the water as her hands finally come free from the bonds)

Xavier: (his eyes snapping open as pain jars his chin, stunned a second as she slips from his arms)

Xavier: (pulls the horse in a circle.)

Imari: (wishing she had thought this through a little better, untying her cloak to keep it from weighing her down, diving down under the water, kicking her feet trying to get as far away as she can)

Xavier: (eyes widen as she dives under, his legion of men heading straight for her, their horses hooves digging sharply in the water as they swim)

Xavier: (dives off his horse after her)

Xavier: (comes up for a gasp of air and dives again, trying to find her before she is pulverized)

Imari: (her lungs feeling as if they are going to burst, kicking up to the top, letting out a screech as she sees the horses all about)

--- a hand grabs her clothing and hauls her up ---

Imari: (screams, kicking her feet, twisting around to look at who has her)

Jaeger: (gives her an amused smile as he grasps her against his side, his powerful horse swimming onward)

Xavier: (comes up for air, barely being missed by the horses of his men)

Imari: ((Oh NOOOOOO)) (eyes wild, terrified, starts struggling, his arm like a vice)

Xavier: (shakes the water from his eyes and the hair from his face, scanning in a circle)

Imari: (screaming and clawing at him) LET ME GOOOO

Xavier: (expression mixed between relief at seeing her and anger that Jaeger has his prize)

Jaeger: Do you really want me to? (amused growl, the water churning behind them by the horses of his men swimming)

Xavier: (swims after his horse, catching it's tail and holding on as it swims on toward shore)

Imari: (panting, looking down, unsure which is a worse face)

Jaeger: (lifts her roughly and drops her on her stomach over the front of his saddle, forcing her to arch her back to keep her face out of the water)

Imari: (wheezes as she is tossed over the horse, arching up to keep her face out of the water, her cheeks burning from the indignity of it all)

--- finally they reach the other side and the horses feet catch the ground ---

Imari: (spots land, letting out a sigh of relief for not having to strain to keep out of the water)

Xavier: (on his feet again, mounts his tired horse and canters after Jaeger)

Imari: (her long blond hair plastered down her back and falling around her)

Jaeger: (moves well off shore before reining his horse in and dismounting)

Jaeger: (jerks her off his horse, letting her go to the ground like a potato sack)

Imari:  (pushes herself up off the ground, wincing as her body is jarred by the hard impact)

Xavier: Jaeger! (vaults off his horse, dropping the reins and stalking up to him)

--- the men begin to dismount, their eyes moving to the Dark and the Light.... ----

Imari: (pushing her hair back off her face, standing slowly)

Jaeger: (turns to face Xavier)

Xavier: She is mine.

Imari: (wishing she had never tried to escape back there)

Jaeger: (slow smile)

Imari: (takes a step back, her eyes moving from one to the other)

Jaeger: Was.... your prize.

Jaeger: But now, she is mine.

Imari: (growls) I am NO man's PRIZE!!!

Xavier: (glances at her)

Jaeger: (backhands her without taking his eyes off of Xavier)

Imari: (cries out, her hand going to her face)

Xavier: She is MY property.

Jaeger: I beg to differ. Possession is 9/10ths of the law....

Imari: (her green eyes flashing at Jaeger)

Xavier: (growls, angrily)

Imari: (sickened how they are talking about her, like she's naught more than a horse)

Jaeger: (turns to his men, catching a handful of her hair) Set up Camp!

Imari: (screams, lashing out at him, kicking and scratching)

Jaeger: (shakes her, slamming her back into the shoulder of his horse)

Imari: (eyes watering in tears at the rough treatment, hissing) BASTARD!!

--- the horse squeals, doing a half rear and leaving her to fall backwards under it's raised hooves ----

Imari: (screams, trying to roll away from the under the hooves)

Xavier: (starts to move to pull her out)

Jaeger: (calms his horse, and gives Xavier a warning glare) She will learn not to cross me.

=== the horses hooves miss her ----

--- the animal's nostrils flaring as it calms ---

Imari: (trembling in fear, staring up at the belly of the horse, thinking it is all too surreal)

Jaeger: (jerks her out from under the horse and slips an arm around her neck, pulling her back against his chest)

Imari: (clawing at his arm at her neck, kicking back at him with her feet)

Jaeger: (tightens his arm on her throat)

Xavier: (his cheek twitches)

Imari: (tries to drag in a breath of air, eyes wild, nostrils flaring, thrashing)

Jaeger: (presses his face near her ear) Shhhhhh... shhhhh...

Jaeger: (lessening the pressure of his arm)

Imari: (whimpers, taking in a huge gulp of air as the pressure loosens, too concerned with trying to breathe to struggle)

Imari: (trembling from the wet and cold)

Jaeger: Would you like to see what you are missing, Xavier. (a dark smile as he slides his hand across her bodice and gives the material a hard jerk, tearing the fabric)

Imari: (lets out an ear piercing scream, resuming her struggles, biting down hard on his arm)

Xavier: (the expression on his face smoothes from nostril flaring with anger to amusement as she bites into Jaeger's arm)

Jaeger: (growls a curse, tightening his arm on her neck again, his free hand groping the saddle next to him, pulling off the riding whip)

Imari: (reaching her hand back and clawing at his face, slamming her heel into his shin)

Jaeger: (throws her down on the ground roughly, placing a foot in the middle of her back, cursing in pain)

Imari: (tries to push herself up, breathing in deep gulps of air)

Jaeger: (lifts the back of his hand to his face, wiping blood from one of her scratches, sneering as he lifts the whip, and gives her a good long thrashing)

Imari: (shocked to her core at the first explosion of stinging pain, never having been treated thusly before)

Imari: (screaming in frustration, pain and anger, tears streaming down her face, wishing she had just dove back into the water and took her chances with the horses)

Jaeger: (lifts his arm to thrash her again, but it is firmly caught by Xavier)

Xavier: Enough.... (jaw firmly set) Enough....

Jaeger: (jerks his arm away)

Jaeger: (lifts her by her torn dress)

Imari: (panting, bracing herself for more pain as she is lifted)

Imari: (clenching her teeth, refusing to beg)

Jaeger: I'm going to enjoy my prize now... (turns toward his newly set up camp and drags her)

Xavier: (keeps his chin high, aware of his men watching)

Xavier: Get back to work. (growls at them and turns away)

Imari: (sickened, her mind revolting) ((NOooooooo))