As Abiri and Lev rode to the mountains, one of the soldiers rushed to Hernan to inform him about this. It was Lev who asked him to keep the governor informed. As they reached the foot of the mountain, they slowed down. They got down their mounts and looked around for Rya.
"Are you sure Rya was supposed to be here?" asked Lev.
"Yes, this is the best place to secretly keep an eye on anyone coming down or going up the mountain," said Abiri as she continued to look around in the dark.
There was a faint sound of horse neighing. Lev and Abiri cautiously walked towards the sound. At the foot of the mountains, there was a horse. It was Rya's, but she was nowhere to be found. They approached the horse, it was trying to climb the mountain, but couldn't, because it was tied to a tree. Lev tried to calm the horse while Abiri looked around. A little further from the horse, she found a blood-stained blue handkerchief, with initials 'RS' stitched at a corner.
"This is Rya's kerchief. I gave it to her as a present," Abiri's voice was very concerned.
"I'm sure she is alright, let's look for her," Lev said.
"But there is blood on it. Something must have happened to her," Abiri said.
"Abiri, I know you are worried but we can't find her like this. Not with only two of us in the dark," Lev reasoned, "Let's go to the gate. I already informed father, we'll take some soldiers and search for her.
"But I saw the light, there was someone on the mountain, maybe Rya was also checking it. Let's check it out and see if Rya was there, then we can lead the soldiers directly to the place," Abiri said.
"But what if she's not there? Abiri, your father is not here, if something happens to you too then who will protect the city?"
"But it's Rya we're talking about. I can't abandon her."
"No one is abandoning her. Please calm down and let's go get more people. We are really wasting time here," Lev said.
Abiri calmed down. They went back to the gate; Hernan was already there.
He didn't want Abiri to join the search party. But he knew she wouldn't listen. He still tried to talk to her.
"Abiri-"
"Governor, I know what you want to say. But Rya is my friend and my second-in-command. I can never stay back. I have to bring her back. Don't worry, I will come back safely. Please take care of Aziza and Adeer till then," she said with finality.
Hernan just sighed. He knew this would happen.
She quickly formed a group of soldiers including three men and one woman. The woman was Haimi Kanti. She grew up with Rya and they were like sisters. She volunteered to look for Rya. They were not elites but they were decent fighters. Although she needed to find Rya, she couldn't bring all the elite soldiers with her and leave the city defenceless, she was an Arlo after all.
"I'll go with you," Lev said.
"No, you don't like fighting and we really don't know what will happen there so you can't come," Abiri said.
"Abiri, you either let me join you or I will follow you. You decide," he was serious.
Abiri looked at Hernan. He just sighed and said, "Just go. And please return safely."
Abiri nodded at Lev. As both of them took off with the group of soldiers, Hernan couldn't help but sigh again.
"Why are our children so stubborn?" he wondered.
While they left, he had to make sure no one knew that Abiri Arlo left the city.
Soon dawn broke.
There was no news of Rya. But there was a lot of activity just outside the north-east gate. Hernan woke up to the war drums.
As he hurried to the city gate, he noticed that the guards were very alert. He climbed to the top of the gate and saw hundreds of men just outside. They were all fugitives. But they had good quality weapons. It seemed like almost all of the fugitives from Bavel had escaped to the south.
Hernan tried to warn them, "You are just fugitives. You cannot defeat us go back now or we will attack."
The leader of the fugitive looked like an ex-soldier. Since the fugitives were sent to Bavel from all over the Kingdom, there would naturally be a lot of deserters among them.
The leader spoke, "You really think we can't win? I don't see any Arlos' here. You think you can stop us with both the Chief Commander and the 'Little Chief' gone? There are only you, an old man, who has no military power and these little soldiers."
"How would you know that?" asked Hernan
The men just laughed.
"You think we won't even have one spy by your side when we plan such a large-scale attack?" the leader said arrogantly.
"Who said I was gone?" Abiri emerged from behind.
The leader and his followers looked shocked.
"You- How- when-" he stammered.
The leader looked at the guards on the gate.
"Stop searching for him. He is here," Abiri said as she showed a guard tied up.
"Little Chief, please spare me. I just lost my mind momentarily and fell for their money. Please-" he begged, but before he could finish, Abiri slashed the guard's neck killing him instantly.
The army of fugitives fell silent. No one even dared to smile. The looked on as the corpse fell to the ground and then looked at their leader.
"Can't speak now? This is what happens to traitors and anyone who tries to harm the city! I am Abiri Arlo and these 'little' soldiers were trained by me personally. Did you think it was that easy to take our city? If you wish to die, I shall grant you the same," she said fiercely.
*Last Night*
Abiri and her team passed the horse and went up on foot, when she suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" Lev asked.
"Why didn't I think of it before?" Abiri said more to herself than him. Then she looked up to him and said, "The horse."
Lev looked confused.
"The horse, Rya's horse, was tied up. If she had gone to investigate the light, she would have left her horse where we had left it earlier and would have gone by foot. She wouldn't have taken her horse right to the foot of the mountain; it would be too dangerous. So, the horse should've strayed there looking for Rya. Then, who tied it there?" asked Abiri.
"Yes, you are right. We were too anxious to find Rya that we overlooked it," agreed Lev.
"It's a trap!" they both said at the same time.
"Someone wants to lure you there," Lev said.
She said slowly, "With only Aziza and Adeer left, there will be no one to command the soldiers in the city if I'm gone. What if they were planning to attack the city?"
"I don't think anyone would dare attack the city, but I think something is wrong here. Abiri, you have to go back," Lev said.
"But Rya-" she said.
"Don't worry about her. Leave it to me, I will bring her. You should stay in the city," Lev said.
Abiri still hesitated.
"Trust me," Lev said.
Although Lev hated fighting, he was a talented fighter. If Lev fought seriously, even an elite soldier might find it difficult to hold his own.
"Fine! You have to bring her back," she said unwillingly.
"I will," he said.
She hugged him and whispered, "Also you should come back safely".
"I will come back safely and join you if the thugs really come to the city," he said.
She left them and returned to the gate immediately.
She explained her analysis to Hernan. They knew that there was a spy among them, who would leak her whereabouts. So, Hernan and Abiri pretended to go back while they hid and waited with their most trusted soldiers. As expected, one of the guards tried to send a secret letter outside. They immediately arrested him and managed to stop him from leaking the information. With little interrogation, he spilled the beans. He told them about the large-scale attack the next day. He also admitted to giving out the information on their defences.
With her father and his troops gone, she had to take charge. She immediately put the city on high alert. The civilians and children were sent to a temporary camp set near the West gate. This was so that they could immediately escape in case they were defeated.
Serene Dewei led the citizens to safety and took care of them. Adeer also joined them. Hernan insisted on staying in the front-line as the governor. With the information she got, Abiri knew the soldiers and guards left in the city would not be enough to resist the attack. Also, her most talented soldier, Rya and Lev were not there. Many civilians who learnt combat from Arlo sisters volunteered to join the fight. She selected some of them who she knew had a chance to survive a fight. Even though they were not enough soldiers, she had to turn back most of them. She couldn't just send the civilians to their deaths. Aziza wanted to join too but Abiri didn't let her.
"Even if you join us, it is difficult for us to win. You are the fastest horse-rider in the city. I need you to go to father and bring him here as soon as the war there is over. Remember, the war there has to be over, you can't let him know the situation here until they had won the war. That's why you should go. You are the only one now who can be helpful there. We will hold them off till then. The city's fate rests on you now," Abiri said to Aziza.
Aziza knew Abiri was right. They could save the city only if Conall returned. But he can't abandon the border. So, he would only get distracted which might cause more harm than good. Abiri wanted to send some guards with her but Aziza declined it.
"I can hold me own Abiri, you need soldiers here," she said.
Abiri and Adeer came to send their sister off at the South gate. Adeer was crying. Aziza consoled him.
"Don't cry. I am going to bring father home. You just listen to the Governess and wait for me," she said.
"I am setting off now, take care and wait for me. Don't get hurt," she told Abiri.
As she rode off "I will do my best," Abiri whispered.
She looked at Adeer, "Adeer, I have to go now. I promise you everything will be alright, okay? Don't be scared. I made this for you. I already taught you how to use it, you remember it, right?" she said as she gave him a mini cross-bow and 50 arrows.
Adeer nodded, wiping his tears.
"Good. Use it only if you are in danger, understood? You are my brave brother," she said as hugged him.
"I will not use it. You and father will definitely win. I won't need to use it," he said stifling a sob.
She just hugged him. Without her father, Aziza, Lev, and Rya she really felt lost. She was not confident about this battle but she had to fight. She dropped him at the camp with Serene and went back to the city gate to strategize.
Abiri analysed with Hernan, "Our chances of winning are very slim. My goal is not to win this war, but to stop them from entering the city. The volunteers are all good at bows. They will stand guard on the city wall and keep shooting arrows at the enemies. Let's make a wall of shields to protect the archers from the enemies' arrows. But this alone won't be enough. Also, we have limited weapons so we have to try some makeshift weapons as well. Most importantly, we have to hold them off till my father returns. So, I will lead the remaining soldiers into the battlefield. With us and the archers, hopefully we can hold off till he comes back."
"What? You can't go to the front-lines. It is dangerous. I will not allow this. Besides, if we are to make a wall of shields then there will be no more shields for you and the soldiers. How will you defend?" Hernan said.
"You are the Governor and I am the Acting Chief of this city now. And we are facing an invasion, it is dangerous everywhere, we both have to think about the city before my own safety. And this is the only way to save as many lives as we can," Abiri said.
"But-" the governor said but was cut off.
"I am the Acting Chief Commander and this is my decision," she declared.
Both Abiri and Hernan sighed.
"I'm sorry. This is the only way. Please, we have no time," she added guiltily. Hernan had no choice but to agree.