“Dad?” Callida looked up at Probus, recognizing her expression mirrored on his face.

“You feel it too?” She nodded. “I want you to go sit on the Alpha’s carriage. You know what to do.”

“Yes, sir.” Callida obeyed orders without question, and climbed up to where the driver was sitting. Germanus made eye contact with her and mounted his horse, and behind her, Probus nodded at his wife who had moved into position on the other side of the Beta’s carriage.

Whiz! Thwack!

“Hya!” Callida shouted and snatched the reins from the driver to urge the horses into a gallop. The arrow had only narrowly missed the open window and the Alpha’s chest, and Callida wasn’t going to wait for them to adjust their aim. As the carriage lurched forward, Callida could hear the soldiers behind her draw their swords. In front of her, a large host of men were emerging from the forest on both sides of the road, trying to cut them off. She gave the horses some extra motivation. They were going to break through, and if someone was trampled in the process, sobeit. “Shut the windows!” She shouted into the carriage.

The clang of weapons smashing futilely against lacquered wood echoed through the clearing as Callida slapped the reins again. Fear ultimately drove the horses to bolt, working in Callida’s favor. They were through. “No matter what happens, don’t stop!” Callida passed the reins back to the driver and carefully stood up to look over the roof of the carriage, checking to see if they were being followed.

She sat back down to relay instructions to the driver and lean around the side of the carriage to make sure the windows and door were shut tight. She could hear a couple of the younger princes crying softly from fear. “Eight horsemen. I’ll deal with the bandits, you just get the Alpha and princes to the Lion Tribe border. Once there, you should be safe.”

The driver looked at her incredulously. “You?! You’re just a kid!”

“Would you rather do the fighting and I’ll drive?” Callida watched the realization drain the blood from his face before he shook his head. “I didn’t think so. No matter what happens to me, don’t stop. Got it?” He nodded, and Callida stood back up to climb onto the roof. This was going to be tricky-- throwing from a crouching position at moving targets while moving herself. She took a deep breath and waited for the horsemen to get close, her hands fingering the knives in her belt. There were only six knives for eight bandits, and the odds of each knife hitting their target were not great.

The first wave of bandits caught up to the burdened carriage quickly, flanking it on either side. To her right, a hand reached out to grab the window frames. That’s one way to save me a knife, she thought dryly and whipped out her dagger to carve a gash into the man’s outstretched arm. He recoiled, shouting obscenities, and slowed down, falling behind his comrades. Her bloody dagger returned to its sheath, and Callida pulled one of her knives.

She got lucky. The first knife hit the bandit on her left in the throat; he gurgled on his blood and fell from his horse. She pulled her second knife, the men giving chase realizing that, despite her youth, she was still a threat. They broke off, slowing down slightly. The second knife was thrown off course by a sudden jolt of the carriage at just the wrong moment. Callida cursed internally and drew her third knife. This one missed the bandit she was aiming for but hit his horse. The horse reared and threw its unprepared rider into a ditch. Knife four….

Callida ran out of knives, but the remaining four riders were lagging well behind the carriage, probably rethinking their strategy.

Thwack!

Crap. They’re shooting. Callida climbed back down to the driver’s seat to shout into the carriage. “Sit on the floor and keep your heads down!” She heard the passengers shifting, and the curtain at the front window parted.

“How much further to the Lion Tribe?”

“Only four more miles,” the driver shouted back then ducked unconsciously as another arrow hit the carriage.

Callida realized in frustration that the horses would wear out well before they reached the border, and once the horsemen ran out of arrows…. She was out of throwing knives, and letting them come to her would put the Alpha and his sons in danger. “Driver, do you have a sword?”

“Yes?” he responded nervously.

“Good, you might need it.”

“Alpha, do you have an extra sword in there?”

“You’re the Captains’ daughter. Are you the only one guarding this carriage?!”

Callida ignored the question. “The sword?”

Crack!

The Alpha passed her the weapon without further discourse and returned to his seat on the floor.

“Driver, slow down a little. Once I’m off, speed back up.”

“You’re going to jump?!”

“Do you have a better suggestion?”

The carriage slowed, and Callida fisted the extra sword tightly. One, two, three…. She hit the ground and allowed herself to roll with the momentum. There were no two ways about it, that hurt. She stood up as soon as she stopped rolling and drew her own sword and the extra sword from their sheaths. She just had to wait.

As the bandits drew near, an arrow whizzed past her ear, but the bandits were more interested in the carriage she’d just disembarked than the child on the road. They sped up; Callida dropped to one knee. All she had to do was keep them from catching the carriage. Sorry horsies!

As they flew past her, Callida’s swords flashed silver and then crimson. Three horses reared, one fell flat, skidding to a stop on its side and pinning its rider’s leg beneath it. One man was thrown over his mount's head and landed with a sickening pop to move no more.

Callida didn’t wait for the remaining men to find their feet. With the carriage now out of reach, they’d be coming after her, and she wasn’t big enough yet to take on a full grown man, let alone two or three of them. Callida dropped the extra sword and sprinted into the trees to try and put some distance between them.

Run or hide? She just had to wait for backup to arrive. But they wouldn’t know that she needed help if they couldn’t find her. She’d have to run and hope help arrived before the men behind her caught up to her. She stuck to the trees near the road, ducking and dodging obstacles with the dexterity befitting her youth. She could hear the men behind her stumbling, but despite the obstacles, they were steadily gaining on her.

They were close enough now that she could hear them panting heavily. Help wasn’t going to arrive quickly enough. She ducked a low-hanging branch and broke through the trees to confront them on the open road.

“You little brat!” The men emerged behind her, heaving from the run. There were only two of them. They must have left their comrade pinned beneath his horse. She grounded her feet in a basic fighting stance. “Look at this, Zirovat, the brat thinks she can take us!”

“It’ll make it more fun when I kill her,” the man called Zirovat spat angrily.

They drew their swords, and Callida exhaled a calming breath. Just stay alive. Zirovat rushed her with an angry shout. He was strong and extremely tall, especially to a ten-year-old; rage was fueling his attacks. Callida staggered backwards, dodging and deflecting as Zirovat released a flurry of uncontrolled but violent strikes aimed at whichever parts of her he thought he could hit. His comrade, content to watch, merely egged him on. Nice of them to fight me one-on-one.

Zirovat’s fury began to peter out, and, consequently, his hits began to weaken and get sloppier. Callida realized that by wearing him out, she might actually have a chance to inflict damage and drop him from the fight. She waited, and her patience was rewarded. He made a critical mistake, lifting his arms above his head to try and overpower her with a two-handed hammering. He was tall, she was short. His core was wide open. Zirovat tumbled backwards, Callida’s dagger plunged to the hilt underneath his ribcage.

Callida didn’t recognize the words spewing out of the remaining bandit’s mouth, but the tone was easy enough to identify. All too soon, another sword was trying to crack her skull open. This man’s swordsmanship was more calculated. He had some training.

And his arms were longer.

Callida wasn’t quite able to stop herself from reacting when the tip of his sword slashed down the left side of her face, and the blood dripping into her eye made it difficult to see what came next. Something struck her chest hard enough to partially wind her, and with her stance broken, Callida’s back hit the ground. Scrambling to get her feet back underneath her, Callida squeaked in surprise as her opponent caught her ankle, yanking her knee back out from underneath her and dragging her backwards a ways before Callida landed a kick to his jaw. He lunged, his shins landing on her shoulders. With Callida’s knees hitting his back, the bandit on top of her shifted to sit on her upper thighs.

“BRAT!” His fist flew.

Callida tasted blood where her teeth cut the inside of her cheek, and hands closed around her throat. What vision wasn’t blurred by blood began to darken.

“GET OFF MY SISTER!”

Callida became aware of a hot, sticky sensation soaking through her shirt, and the weight on her hips rolled off to the side.

“Kid, talk to me!”

Callida felt an arm slip behind her shoulders and under her knees about the same time her body lifted off the ground. She coughed, the action highlighting the tight aching in her throat.

“Come on, kid, open your eyes for me.”

“Germanus?” she choked, and tried to blink.

“Thank the Primordials,” his voice was awash with relief. “What happened, Callida?”

She coughed again, her voice coming out in a raspy croak. “Horsemen. I stopped them. The Alpha got away.”

Germanus knelt down and wrapped his little sister in a hug. “I’m going to check your eye.” Callida hissed through her teeth while Germanus prodded her cheek and eyebrow, finally lifting her eyelid. “The good news is, your eye wasn’t damaged. You’re going to need stitches though.”

“Germanus, mom and dad? The Beta?”

“They were still fighting when a few of us managed to break away.”

“Should we go back?”

“Mom and dad will handle it. We need to secure the Alpha’s carriage.” Callida nodded, and Germanus helped her onto his horse before climbing up behind her. “Let’s go men.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

“Hold on, kid.” Callida’s hands blindly found the saddle horn, and Germanus urged his horse into a canter.

***

The Lion Tribe soldiers holding the border got a kick out of Callida, asking her to tell and retell the story of how she got the cut on her face while the medic patched her up. Germanus had to chuckle at the wide range of reactions to her battle story, and all the while, Callida relayed the details in her croaky voice with the cool demeanor of a seasoned veteran, suggesting that such battles were a regular occurrence for her. To be fair, though, they kind of were.

“Lieutenant Animo?”

“Sir!” Germanus saluted the captain responsible for the border patrol.

“At ease.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I wanted to inform you that we dispatched carts and medics to collect your casualties.”

Germanus nodded. This was the worst part: wondering how many families he’d need to send his regrets to. “Thank you, Captain.”

The lion captain clapped Germanus’s shoulder in an attempt to be comforting and changed the subject. “So, the little super soldier is your sister?”

Germanus nodded, a proud smile escaping.

“Germanus?”

“What is it, kid?”

“Will you play with me while we wait?”

Germanus could tell she was feeling anxious. “They’re on foot, Callida. It may be a while still.”

“I know. But can you still play with me?”

“You don’t want to play with the princes? Some of them are about your age.”

“I’d rather play with you. Besides, the princes don’t know how to spar very well.”

“Do you want to spar or play a game?”

“Anything.”

“How about Truth or Dare?” Germanus suggested, knowing that with Callida, it was really more a game of ‘Dare’.

“Ok!”

“Excuse me, Captain,” Germanus nodded to his host and followed Callida to a small patch of grass. “Alright, kid. Truth or dare?”

“Dare!”

Germanus looked around for inspiration. “Wait, Callida, look!”

Callida turned to follow his finger and saw a carriage crest the small hill. “They’re here!” She jumped to her feet and started down the road to meet them, Germanus hot on her heels.

“Mom!” Callida dove into a hug, pulling away almost as soon as Jineng’s arms closed around her. “Where’s dad?” Jineng pulled Callida back into a tight hug, her shoulders shaking a little. Germanus felt his heart drop into his stomach.

“Mom?” Jineng met Germanus’s eyes with tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Mom, you’re squashing me!” Callida protested, trying to push her off. Jineng’s silent tears devolved into sobs. “Mom?” Callida’s face fell. “Why are you crying? You never cry.” When her mom didn’t answer, Callida turned to look at Germanus, his own tears now falling steadily. Realization hit, and Callida wrenched out of her mother’s arms. “DAD!!” She shrieked in her hoarse little voice and took off at a dead run down the road.

She was fast. Germanus had to sprint to catch up to her. “Kid, stop!” He caught her arm, and Callida immediately tried to fight him off.

“No!”

“Callida!” Germanus wrapped his arms securely around her shoulders and dropped to his knees pulling her into his lap whether she liked it or not.

“Germanus, no! He can’t…! Dad!” Callida screamed, punching his chest when he refused to let her go. She broke down, the fists attacking him suddenly clinging to his uniform as though it were the only thing keeping her grounded.

“I’m sorry, kid,” Germanus barely whispered through his own grief. “He’s gone.”