Title The escape
Author Stana
date Oct 1 1999

I never ever can decipher
who listens ot the words I say
While I sense I am searching
I never know who's lurking
To scare my sacred thoughts away
Id love to hang and chat awhile
but my minds becoe vile
It seems Im losing ground
Welcome all to my disciplined breakdown

"Get ready" Lyr ordered firmly, passing the reins of
his mount off to another. "When the door gives, you're
to ride HARD North East, towards Honshu. Don't stop,
whatever you do." He restrained himself from looking
at the Chosen. They were leaving his protection, and
he had one final duty to see them safely off. His
mission was not behind him, but ahead. A careful
General would not have left ANY outlet unexplored, he
was sure the other had placed a group here at the
Northern axis.

"Understood General. Peace with you." The Syl
responded.

"And you, Ambassador. Chosen, go in safety." he
cleared his throat, the whisper of his sword sliding
free masking it. "Open the door."
There was a moment of preternatural silence, and then
the grinding rumble as the side of the mountain swung
outward.
Stana saw the startled faces of the opposing army
before Lyr let out a bloodcurdling howl and the Steel
division surged forward and over the outnumbered
group.

Clip launched himself through the widening gap, Agni
and the Syl bred at his heels. Stana grabbed the mane
tightly, hunching down over the haunches and letting
his mane whip the tears from her eyes. For a moment,
there was nothing in her but a joyful feeling of Clip
beneath her and the wind screaming away everything
else.
She shouted back into the gale, the words being torn
from her mouth as they left. The Unicorn leapt
forward, her voice spurring him on. His strides
lengthened and he galloped lower to the ground, his
flight effortless and graceful.

Behind there were the sounds of battle, and Clip's
ears flickered as a warning shout went up. His steps
hesitated as he threw a glance over to the armies.
Teri and the ambassador's mounts shot by, Audion on
their heels.

They had been seen, and although outnumbered, the Army
were ripping ferociously through the Steel soldiers to
get to them.

Stana watched, heart leadening, as more people died.

Clip whistled defiantly and turned, running after the
group. The human's fingers curled tightly  around him,
heart hammering dully in her chest.

__________________________________-

Lyr shouted his men on as the door grumbled open. He
felt the wind of the Chosen's passing against his back
as the Army swirled and surged around him.  He let the
tide carry him forward, sword slamming into the belly
of the enemy soldier carried into him. He felt a
whitle of an arrow past his ears as in the distance
there was an etheral scream of defiance.

Lyr spared a moment to look and see the Chosen
escaping cleanly, and a ragged cheer went up as his
men continued to back the opposing forces up step by
bloody step.
Outnumbered, the opposing forces fought tenasciously.
They had seen an escaping group and although they did
not know who it was that was away, they could guess
the import of it. They ripped grimly through the army
of Steel, making each one of their own deaths
expensive in blood and suffering.

Finally the last of the opposing foces lay scattered
across the field in a broken kaleidascope of gore.

"We lost two General." reported one aide. "they
slipped around to the South."

For a moment, Lyr closed his eyes, summoning a
modicrum of calm. If they were able to report back
that the Chosen had slipped through the cordon... .

"Doesn't matter" he found himself saying with more
cool than he flet "the Chosen wil be long gone before
the enemy General learns who it was that escaped.
Regroup, lets grab our wounded and head back."