Hope Sundered

“They’re coming for us!”

The shrill warning tore Keila’s attention away from trying to coordinate the evacuation, turning her to find one of the woman pointing at the approaching vessels of Azrahteran soldiers.

“Now they’re stealing our boats,” she growled. She looked around with frantic eyes, searching for answers in the terrified faces staring back at her. These people were doomed if she didn’t act. The need to survive forced her gaze south.

“Make for the river!” she ordered. Another glance at the Azrahterans told her it wouldn’t be enough. She had to stop their pursuit, or at least delay it. While the other boats paddled furiously for the river’s mouth, she turned her own craft broadside to the oncoming vessels.

The others on board had bows and three full quivers, and knew how to use them. She waited until the lead enemy boat was less than ten yards away when she gave the signal. Those on either side of her lifted their concealed bows and fired.

None of the soldiers aboard considered bringing shields, believing the women and children to be unarmed. Four of the six soldiers aboard took fatal wounds at point-blank range and toppled over the side of the boat.

The last soldier hid behind the one in front of him, no longer excited about advancing on their not-so-helpless victims, though the momentum of the craft kept it careening straight for Keila’s boat.

With a quick warning to the others to brace for impact, Keila leapt forward, drawing her sword in midair. She timed her jump to land on the bow of the enemy boat without suffering from the collision of the two vessels. The remaining pair of enemies struggled to regain their balance, and she cut them down without hesitation.

She looked east to see three other vessels heading for the Chastin shore. The thought of her father and Lark skewered through the back made her nauseous. Clamping her eyes shut, she released a primal scream in defiance of the random chaos consuming her world.

She had another boat now. If she hurried, she could still intercept the shore-bound vessels. I can save them, she thought. It could work. It has to work.

Before she could put her new plan into action, Keila’s attention returned to the women in the other boat. The splintering crash left them taking on water, while the other two boats full of soldiers were still bearing down on the others fleeing to the river. There wasn’t enough time, and she’d made a promise. It’s not fair!

One by one the women from the sinking boat made it into Keila’s newly acquired vessel. They rowed with all haste to rejoin the other Chastinites escaping in their all-or-nothing flight from the lake. She recalled her father’s plea from days ago. We need to live, she reminded herself. Wyndham needs to know what happened here.

The Azrahterans were closing fast, but were still dozens of yards from the head of the river. Keila had to reach it first. The southern vein was deep but narrow, which would keep them from being flanked. Once drawn into the swift current, she believed she might be able to thin the enemy ranks even more.

She traded glances between the advancing Azrahterans and the eastern shore. Pillars of grey smoke climbed above the tree line as fires continued to engulf the town. The wind cut across the open expanse of Lake Chastin, whipping Keila’s reddish-brown hair across her face. She didn't notice the biting wind as tears filled her jade eyes and flowed down her cheeks.

Keila looked one final time towards her once beautiful home and whispered her goodbyes.