�Little ones?� she whispered asked.
�Yep. He makes sure that all the little animals in the world are safe. That the mice find their burrows and make lots of babies because he knows how tough it is to be the little guy,� he said.
�Mice,� she said pointing to herself.
He chuckled. �Something like that. You see that man up by the fire there. The one every girl in this clearing wants to be with?� he asked.
Ailis saw the ugly man and shook her head. �Ugly,� she said and made a disgusted face.
Badir laughed. �Yeah. He is definitely not the most handsome guy. He is the next Regent,� said Badir. �He is going to save us.�
Ailis shook her head. She pointed to a man with black long hair richly down with the occasional braid and strand of beads. He was an attractive man who disproved the fact that the Many Gods� men couldn�t grow facial hair for he had a goatee. Dressed like a mercenary rogue, he even wore the black eye liner paint that had been outlawed on men by the royal government. �Him,� she said.
�Connor? A great man, he is. By all means a fine leader. But he isn�t of royal breed. His blood isn�t that of the Voice of Alastrina. He is a rogue, has no past. Some even say his father was a pirate. You know, on the ocean. It is far from here,� said Badir.
Confused and distracted easily, Ailis went back to playing with the medallion. �Grrrrowl!� she said pretending to attack Badir�s chest.
Badir laughed and threw up his hands in mock horror. �Please! Almighty God of Small Animals! I am a loyal servant! I beg your mercy!� he played along.
�No,� growled Ailis in her God of Small Animal�s deep voice. �I eat you!�
�Oh no! Oh no! Someone help me!� said Badir.
�Bad God of Small Animals. No eating Badir. Badir good people!� said Ailis as herself. �But hungry!� complained Ailis in her deep pretend voice. �Aye, eat Badir,� said Ailis.
�Ailis!� he said in mock shock. �I thought you were going to save me!�
Ailis shrugged. �He hungry,� she justified.
Badir laughed. Then a flash came from the forest and caught his eyes. It was as if the fire was hitting something metal. Suddenly realization struck him like a snowball to his face. The soldiers of the One God. Quickly so not to scare Ailis he took off his medallion and handed it to her. �Ailis, go to the brook. Aye. Take God of Small Animals and go to the brook and wait for me,� he said quickly. He watched the glint of metal growing as it approached. She nodded. He helped her to his feet. �Go. Quickly. Show me how fast you can make it,� he said as he put the medallion around her neck. �Don�t worry about any noise or anything behind you. You just keep going to the brook and I�ll meet you there. Don�t leave the brook without me. Aye?� Ailis nodded. She liked games. Quickly she took off into the woods. When Ailis was out of sight he drew his sword and yelled, �Attack!!�
The world was drained of sound as the words hit Cahira�s ears. At first she clutched Rhian tightly then she quickly parted in favor of pulling her daggers. A scream rose from the crowd as horses leaped from the forest into the clearing followed by the score of foot soldiers. Rhian pulled her sword from her sheath.
It was a mass of confusion as peasants ran for cover. People in their confusion even jumped through the towering bonfire. Caden drew his sword and plunge forward. None of the rebels had horses, which made the job of the men on horses quite easy. One of the soldiers on horseback was mowing down the villagers that fled with little effort.
Badir had no intentions of staying around and fighting a losing battle. He was only staying as long as it took to get Rhian, Cahira, and Weenie out of there. Weenie would be easy, he already saw her plunging into the forest and up into the trees out of the horse rider�s reach. Cahira could be swayed by the mention of Ailis. Rhian. Now she would be a bloody pain in the ass.
Rhian grinned with delight at the chance to kill the royal soldiers and ran forward screaming in angered glee. Eagerly she crossed swords with one of the soldiers. She was quick on her feet and life on the farm had made her muscles strong. Although, she was not as trained she fought with almost a maniacal energy that startled the hardened soldier. She took the advantage and ended his life with the severing of his head. It flew up into the air streaming blood that landed staining her new clothes and face. She laughed and quickly went to find someone else to fight.
Cahira leapt gracefully out of the way of a pike. She kicked the offending weapon and threw a dagger into the man�s face. �Ailis!� she screamed desperately. Terrified she moved forward constantly searching for her sister and on the look out for battle. Seeing Badir she quickly ran to him and stabbed the man he was fighting in the back. As the man collapsed she ducked at the fatal blow meant for the man�s neck. Badir quickly grabbed her arm. �Where is she?� she cried.