"And who is the one that you want?" Lixinni asked and stood at attention, sword in her hand and her eyes on the one that made the call and who seemed like the leader of the group.
"One with the voice. Will she come to us with or she would watch the death of her kinsmen?" he asked.
"She is a knight, she doesn't surrender. Formation!" Lixinni shouted and ordered the men to the formation and they held their swords in their hands after they chorused their charge sound. She had seen it in the past, how her father called the men to the formation and she believed the call would be the same. There were more than thirty armed men behind her and there were less than twenty assassins before them.
"We haven't killed a soul here today because we heard our orders right. There is a knight in the household of Tidilph. Take her out – that, I was told. Do not bring death upon this household. Surrender at will," he said again.
"Assassin, I will do unto you what you have done to many. Forward," Lixinni shouted and she lead the move while they followed her. She cut down the first assassin that came her way in the first stroke and in the respite that followed, there were clangs of swords and shouts as the collision provided.
Lixinni had a target in her head and it was the head of the assassin. She had a loathing for him the minute she saw him from the upper room and she wanted to be his end. She had been taught about the council in the knighthood and she knew their weakness – it was what she planned to use in his nabbing.
She was in the front and she cut down three with the compilation of her death strokes that she had learned in the knighthood. When she paused to see how the men behind her were dealing, she found that the household was stronger than she thought and it was amazing to find herself surrounded by the soldiers when she thought that they would struggle with the assassins. She also saw that Ish together with her friends who were introduced as the hunter's daughters was also better at the swords than she thought and they were close beside and around her.
Lixinni saw a shot at the leader and she took by. She stepped out of the mush pit that had been created by many feet and then came face to face with him.
"Who sent you?" Lixinni asked as she held the sword with one hand and the iron sheath with the other hand, both hoisted in the air and ready for a stroke.
"I was not trained to be a fool," he replied.
"It won't matter as you will not be punished for it. This is the day you die," Lixinni said and aimed a strike at his head – he ducked. She did another and the swing forced her stealth to the right and the assassin moved to the left in defense. He made a spin and earned some space with the spin. At the end of the spin, his sword was in his hand and he hoisted it in the air and slowly lowered it, and pointed it to Lixinni.
"No more talks. I am getting promoted with the blood of a knight," he said and charged toward Lixinni.
As the aimed his strike at her, Lixinni did the same thing that he did in the earlier moment of their duel and it was to survive as long as she could. The training of the knighthood came back to her and she was practicing the codes of assassins as she had been thought. She remembered the words of the commander during the section and they replayed in her ears and heart. It was saddening to have her household under the attack of the assassin but it was gladsome to be tested on the real deal and be the heroine and the knight of the night. She looked into his face and saw the killer instinct, one which she tamed and played with till she was at ease and then could read the pace of the assassin. Lixinni read three offensive paces and one defensive pace in a retreat and she had the idea of the best time to strike.
In his manner, he repeated the phase and when he began his offensive pace, Lixinni countered and landed a cut on his wrist. She watched him as she staggered backward and reluctantly changed the grip of his sword to the left. Lixinni looked back and saw that the squad that he had brought had been subdued. Again, she read the moment and saw that he was not gifted to fight with his weaker limb when he changed the placement of his sword to the right hand and looked around.
Lixinni waited till he charged toward her again and she repeated the sneak attack on his injured wrist – lowering the chance of his survival and combat. This time, he dropped his sword and held his hand to restrain the blood. Some of the soldiers from the fort attempted to arrest him and Lixinni raised her hand to stop them from the act.
"He is a wounded snake. You don't go close," Lixinni said and heard his laughter.
"You seem to know much about the assassin's attack," he said and laughed again.
"What is your name?" Lixinni asked.
He laughed again and lifted his eyes to the sky. Then he lowered his eyes and fixed his stare at Lixinni.
"In the face of death, nothing matters. Does it? it doesn't. But in the blooming phase of life, everything matters. Assassins are known to break some codes before their death and I will do the same," he said and Lixinni keened her eyes on him. She was attentive, knowing that he had something of worth to say. He stood straight and held onto the cut part of his wrist while looking fixedly at Lixinni.
"I do not know who wants you dead but I was sent by the council so someone must have paid to bid for your death. There are some strongholds of the kingdom that wants to go against the prophecy and here you are, upholding the precept and the facet of the prophecy. You seem to be the true queen of the vast lands and that is why I have come to take your life," he said and sluggishly moved close to his sword that was on the floor.
"You have failed. You have no hand, you are just a right-handed assassin and this is your weakness" Lixinni said.
"That is why I have to die. I should have learned when I had the chance. But before I die, I have to kill you first," he said.
Lixinni watched as his hand struggled to maintain a grip on the sword and she shook her head. She was going to have her first kill and she was glad about who it was going to be. She sighed and closed her eyes and listened. She heard a grunt and then she opened her eyes, she saw him from close range with his sword pointed at her and she swerved to the side after raising her sword to the level of his neck and slit his throat as he run along. He fell to the ground and his blood gushed out of the torn part of his neck.
Lixinni turned to face the soldiers and at this time, the door to the house opened and Toin walked out with his hands open as he approached his daughter. Lixinni maintained her position and allowed the hug. She heard him sobbing.
"I have to go," she said and raised her eyes as she looked across the soldier's faces.
"You all heard him. I have to go to ensure that you are safe. News will reach them soon and they will send more," she concluded.
"Why not in the dawn?" Toin asked and held Lixinni in both hands.
"They will attack before daybreak," she said.
"The road lurks with danger," Toin countered.
"Same as in here, father. I will face my battles out here than bringing the risk in here," Lixinni said.
"Let me follow you," a voice came from the crowd and it was Sanson's daughter, Ish. Lixinni looked for Sanson within the crowd that stood to watch and saw that he nodded, she then proceeded to nod at Ish.
"Me too."
"And me," the hunter's girls also stepped forward and In the same way, Lixinni looked at their father and she received a nod from him too.
"I will be okay, father. I will find the stronghold, I shall bring justice to them and I shall return. I give you my word," she said and kissed him. The squire that had volunteered also rushed to their father and kissed them goodbye.
In the late hours of the day, Lixinni, Ish, and the hunter's gemini rode out of the fort and rode into the open field that was before the fort.