The Cave System

It was supposed to be an easy assignment. Nicolas didn't understand how it had all gone awry so very quickly or why this was suddenly his problem now.

Except it was his problem now.

Lady Colette came up out of the caves crying for South Gate to be put under lock down. Unlike other towns, the mountains here spread people out so there were no city walls to protect them. Instead she had people blocking off the exits for the caves, and guarding those they couldn't block. She told them of the men she had found in the caves. Of their uniform. And of how they had captured and killed four of Nicolas' knights.

Which officially made this fiasco his problem.

The first thing he did was send off a message by pigeon to Gwenael. He informed the king as to the reasons for his delay and informed Paladin Benoite, the High Commander of the military and his superior, that he would need backup to secure South Gate. He had only a selection of his men with him. Not nearly enough to defend an entire town.

Afterwards, he went off to find Lady Vivienne.

The elder woman was the leader of the town. Though Colette was the one giving orders at the moment, she did so with the backing of her grandmother.

Lady Mayor Toinette could be found in her manor at the top of the largest hill. She had gathered a few of her friends, elder ladies all of them, to do their own sort of preparations. If there was going to be a battle, they would need bandages, medicines, and splints. The ladies were preparing them on a garden terrace when Nicolas was shown by a servant to the lady's side.

"Ah, Sir Sacha," she waved to him for a brief moment before returning to her task. Her wizened hands were steadily grinding up dried herbs into powders to create ointments and poultices used for treating infections, easing pain, and healing wounds. "How pleasant of you to come visit an old lady. Girls, you've met Sir Sacha, haven't you?"

The three other elder women nodded to him, but none stopped in their tasks.

Nicolas bowed respectfully before turning to the mayor herself. "Madam, I need to have words with you. If you have a moment."

"As long as you don't mind if I work in that moment. Do you need a chair?"

"No, madam. I'll be fast. I've sent a message to the capital. I imagine we'll have a response within a week. Lady Nina Benoite is my superior and in charge of the military. When she reads my account of what has happened here, she'll send her fastest ship."

"That's reassuring. Thank you for your hard work."

"Until then, I'm in charge of this situation. I've already set my knights to work with your city guard. As I understand it, the younger Lady Toinette is handling integrating them together. I've reports that she's doing well."

"That's my granddaughter. She's a little fool, but she works hard."

Nicolas nodded. "That being said, my lady, I need to get down into the caves."

Vivienne made a sound that did not at all encourage Nicolas. "I don't know that doing so is a good idea, lad. You've never been into the caves."

"I need information on the army. Of my men, I'm the most skilled and the best at sneaking. If I can get in, I can learn more about the troops below. Their numbers, their leader. Anything at all."

"So why come to an old woman then?"

"I assumed that you had some sort of map to the caves. I need it if I'm to navigate."

Vivienne laughed as she gently poured the powder she had created into a small jar. She stuffed a piece of cotton inside to keep it dry then placed the lid on top and sealed it with wax. She set it aside into a small box with other such jars.

"Those caves are a labyrinth. Legend says that you can follow them all the way into Hades itself. Superstitious nonsense, of course, but I can understand where the tales come from. Even we here at South Gate haven't fully explored every cavern. There is no map. In fact, my only advice about going down there is not to. Especially for an outsider. You'll be lost and your body rotted away before anyone ever finds you again."

Nicolas let out a short sigh. "I appreciate your concern-"

She held up her hand, cutting him off. "Those caves are our best defenses against this army. If they were foolish enough to go inside, then we are already at an advantage. I'm not foolish, of course. If they are in the tunnel that Colette says, then they have a straight shot to the town. It won't take them long to find their way up. However, sending you down through any other path would mean your doom. If you were to go alone, that is."

Nicolas frowned as she rang a bell. A servant rushed forward.

"Go fetch Colette for me," she ordered calmly.

"Yes, madam," the young man nodded before turning away again.

"What use have I for the younger Lady Toinette?" Nicolas asked, trying to hide his exasperation. He was pretty sure he failed by the amused look she gave him.

"No one has mapped the caves. However, no one else knows them as well as my granddaughter. If I could get her to sit still long enough, I could ask her to make you one. The good Lord only knows what sort of incomprehensible mess she would give you in return. Her mind is like a flitting rabbit. However, she's very bright and very loyal. If you are determined to go into the caves, then you would do well to have her at your side."

Nicolas tried very hard not to make a face. He failed again.

Vivienne laughed at him. "I can tell you two are going to get along nicely."

"Not to offend, my lady, but your granddaughter is...spirited."

She guffawed loudly. "That's one way to put it. I suppose that's how gentlemen speak in Gwenael."

The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes until Colette arrived. Nicolas found it shocking that this sweet old woman was the grandmother to the she-beast that had forced him into a nonsensical duel. He almost wanted to demand proof of their relation.

When Colette arrived, he was pleasantly surprised to see she looked much more serious than she had when challenging him to that duel. He had thought she would be childlike still. It appeared that she knew what she was doing though.

"Grandmother," Colette nodded to her before looking at Nicolas. He would have to be blind not to see the way her eyes visibly frosted. "Sir Sacha. You sent for me?"

"Colette, the good sir knight requests an escort down into the caves," Vivienne said without preamble.

Colette frowned, looking to him again. "The caves? Whatever for?"

"Information," he informed her calmly. "I need to know more about the army so I can plan appropriately when my men arrive. I also need to report this incident to the king. We've known that Gascony has been... restless for a while. We weren't prepared for their attack so soon. Lady Sybille Alard, the Paladin in charge of logistics and planning, didn't anticipate movement for months. They will need to know everything I can gather."

"The Paladins..." Colette whispered in reverence. Then nodded. "All right. I'll take you into the caverns. If you don't mind that a lady will be doing so, of course."

Nicolas's eyebrow twitched. At the words and her tone. "If you don't want to do it..."

She tossed her braid. "I will do anything for my king and country. Even escort a man as unpleasant as you into the caves. You're the one who is intolerant of me."

"I already praised your skill, woman, what more do you want from me?"

"Respect would be nice," she crossed her arms haughtily. "I thought knights were supposed to be gallant and charming. You're quite the disappointment."

"Colette," Vivienne said warningly, giving her a side glance.

"Forgive me. That was rude. Are you ready to go into the caves now, or do you need a moment to prepare? You do seem to be lacking armor. Ferrant can give you some, I'm sure."

"I've got armor," Nicolas assured her. He pulled on the leather vest across his chest. "There are metal plates sewn between the layers. If either of us is in need of armor, it's you."

Colette looked down at her shirt. Her bare arms. The way the material fit against her body even as it seemed to shimmer and shine with her movement.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

He sighed. "I'm sure you're skilled, Lady Toinette. I would rather not bring you into danger so vulnerable though. You're only wearing...what is that, anyway? I don't recognize the material."

He tried to get in closer to see it. It was a strange sort of fabric. It didn't even look like fabric. It almost looked like-

Colette stepped back away from him. "No need to worry about me, Sir Sacha. Grandmother. Ladies. We'll be taking our leave of you now."

"Be careful," Vivienne said seriously, giving her granddaughter a sad look. "Please don't underestimate the enemy because of your own skill, Colette. Return to me safely."

Colette beamed as she leaned down to hug the elderly woman. "I'll be as cautious as a trainee holding a sword for the first time. And I have a high knight to guard my back. You couldn't ask for better. We'll be back as soon as we can grandmother. I've already got the guards set, so you and the others can sleep peacefully tonight if we don't return by then."

"I'll be sure to see to her safety, Lady Mayor," Nicolas assured her, fist over his heart in a salute.

Vivienne nodded, her brown eyes sparkling sadly. She watched her granddaughter walk away with Nicolas and clasped her wrinkled hands together to pray for their safety. It was the first real taste of combat Colette had ever seen. Vivienne wasn't sure if she was more worried that Colette would be scared off of it forever, or if she'd take to it as easily as she had taken to her sword.

---

If the army was where Colette thought they would be, after leaving them in the largest tunnel to the surface, and if she wanted to sneak around them, she would need to take one of the lesser traveled side tunnels. She still had those entrances guarded, but the likelihood of anyone taking the meandering, sometimes dangerous paths, was low.

She waved to the guards overseeing the cave – two of her own men and one of Nicolas' – before leading the high knight into the caves. She was carrying the lantern this time, walking just a step ahead of him because she knew the path. She imagined that the haughty, bored knight wasn't the type to let people lead easily.

He stayed behind her without complaint though. He looked around with interest at the smooth, naturally carved tunnels as she led him. His black cape was wrapped tight around him, keeping him just a little bit warmer in the cool earth.

He frowned at Colette's bare shoulders.

"My lady, would you like my cape?"

She turned as though surprised. "Huh? Why?"

"Are you not cold?"

She looked down at her own exposed arms before shaking her head. "Thank you, no. I'm used to the chill. It feels nice, actually."

"This entire town is much colder than I'm accustomed, I'll admit."

"Is Gwenael a warmer place, then?"

"Yes. This is feels like a cool autumn day, not a late spring one."

Colette tried to hide her eagerness at the information. She had never really left South Gate. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to be so far away that even the weather was different.

She cleared her throat and tried to focus on the matter at hand. "If we come upon the army, are we going to fight them?"

"Two against an army? I'd rather not. We are to observe only."

She grumbled. "Why does no one ever let me fight?"

"You are entirely too bloodthirsty. My lady," he added dully.

She glared at him. "I'm not bloodthirsty. I happen to enjoy battle."

"Then you are foolish as well."

She stopped and turned. Surprised by how easily he had insulted her.

"Are you going to challenge me to another duel?" He asked, completely calm. As though it were nothing.

She gritted her teeth. "I'd rather be a fool then a coward."

His eyes sharpened on her. As though she had exactly the wrong thing. "It is not cowardice to know when not to fight. It's good sense. More fights have been lost due to overconfidence than lack of skill. I see whelps like you in training every day. They're the ones who break the easiest."

"I don't believe that at all."

"That whelps break?"

"That lack of skill won't get you killed."

"I didn't say it wouldn't. I said it doesn't contribute to loss nearly so much as foolish bravado. A man who is aware of his lack of skill won't allow a fight to start. The overconfident one will run into it head first and find himself impaled before he realizes he's in danger."

Colette glared darkly before turning on her heel and marching ahead. "For your information, Sir Sacha, I've never lost a fight in my life. Tell me, is it still 'foolish bravado' if it's fact?"

He stayed just a step behind her. "If that's true, then it seems that you're even more overconfident than I thought."

Her eye twitched in aggravation. "You saw the proof of my skill firsthand, and you still doubt me?"

"I never denied your skill, Lady Toinette. It's your arrogance I question."

He was so damn calm and unaffected. It made Colette dearly want to turn around and challenge him to another duel right at this very moment. Nothing proper and planned. She wanted a brawl that would end with her fist against his jaw and him groveling at her feet.

It was a very violent thought for her. Though Colette enjoyed the thrill of battle, she didn't take particular pleasure in causing pain or humiliation. The force of her own thoughts intruded on her anger and she shook her head to banish them.

She stopped talking to Nicolas. That was better, she decided. If she kept trying to make conversation with him, she might do something she would regret. She would have to satisfy herself with the knowledge that she had already beaten him in a fight.

Though, in this moment, that wasn't at all a comfort.

The only sound that echoed around them now were their footsteps on the cool stone. She led him silently down the tunnels, taking turns that he couldn't keep up with after the fifth one. There were just so many branching paths. Some of them were inaccessible due to size or location. She never once paused to consider their direction though.

After their conversation, just now about overconfidence, it almost had him worried.

He broke the silence first.

"You're sure you know the way?"

"If you're regretting asking me to do this, then it's too late to return. Now hush."

He glared at her back. She didn't even glance around. Her clipped voice told him that she was still very much angry with him.

"Lady Toinette, not that I doubt you've greater knowledge than me of these tunnels, but it seems we've been going in circles."

She gave him a dull, annoyed look. "You don't listen. I said hush."

"I will not, my lady, and if you don't-"

Her hand slapped over his mouth, forcing him to silence himself. Nicolas felt his eyes widen at the unexpected touch. He smacked her hand away, opening his mouth to admonish her. However, the moment of silence her action bought allowed him to hear what she had already detected. Distantly, too low to be understood, was the soft calling of voices.

When she saw that he understood she nodded once. Turning, she set her lamp down gently. They left it behind as they started forward into the dark tunnel. She reached back without thinking to take his hand so she could lead him. It wasn't until she was already holding it and feeling her way along the rocky wall that she realized what she was doing.

Too late to stop herself now. He didn't seem to protest either. She forced her mind away from his larger, more masculine hand and focused on continuing forward.

There weren't very many places in the caves that an entire army could rest without being spread out and strung along like beads on a string. However, in the tunnel she had left them, there was one large, open cavern wherein a group could make camp as a more cohesive unit. The voices that came floating towards her were exactly where she would have guessed. And if they were in that cavern, then there was a small lookout near the top that could be reached by these tunnels.

She found the small opening and pulled on Nicolas's hand, silently urging him down. Not that she really needed to do so. The Gascony troops below had many lanterns and they could see the light quite clearly in the small crag leading to the lookout. It was just wide enough to crawl though for her, it would be a tight fit for him.

Colette went first, shimmying quickly along the narrow opening. The high ledge she came out on was really only big enough for one. Maybe two if they were willing to get very close. She pulled her legs from the tunnel and tucked them under herself, trying to give Nicolas enough room to emerge. Even when he did so, he had no choice but to put his arm over her shoulders so he didn't push her too close to the edge.

Doing so allowed the dark cloth of his cape to close over her, disguising her more bright clothing in the shadows of the high ceiling.

It was uncomfortable and strange to be so close, but from here, they had a near perfect view of the encamped army below.

There were more than a few stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and a couple of stalagmites pushing up from the ground. Near one end of the cavern was a large pillar of rock that partially blocked their view of some of the men.

However, that did nothing to dampen the impressive size of the troop below.

They were tightly packed as they tried to fit as many people into the cavern as possible. However, some still spilled out into the surrounding tunnels. Lanterns had been placed strategically around the area lighting up as many faces as possible. They didn't use a flame lantern as Colette did. They had brought bulbs that could be dimmed and brightened as necessary. A true luxury in a place like South Gate. In the center of the group was a table with what looked to be a rudimentary map. The commander of the troop, the man Colette had punched in the face, was standing over it barking orders to his men.

They were trying to find their way out of here. To do so, they were attempting to make a map of the area so they would know where they had been and where to go next. Colette couldn't really see the map from here which annoyed her. She wanted to know how close they were.

Beside her, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nicolas' mouth moving as he did a quick, rudimentary count to get an estimate of the number of men down there. It took her longer than she was comfortable with for him to do so. She started doing a quick tally herself so they could compare numbers later.

As she was counting, her eyes were moving swiftly over the gathered men. She almost missed the two tied up in the far shadows of the room. Guarded by a bored looking soldier who was yawning even as her eyes drifted over him.

She reached out and hit Nicolas' chest to get his attention. He gave her a confused look and she pointed towards what she had found. It took him a moment to see it himself. He had to squint, frowning into the far shadows. However, she could tell when he recognized it because his eyes went wide with surprise.

The two knights that she had presumed dead with the other two that were definitely dead when she retreated hadn't been killed at all. Though they didn't appear to be doing very well, they were still very much alive.

Nicolas' jaw tightened. He gestured his head back before turning and crawling through the tunnel. She waited a moment before moving after him.

They came out on the other side but still didn't speak until they had backtracked to their lantern. Only once Colette had it in hand did Nicolas hiss in anger.

"My men are still alive. You said they were all killed!"

"I thought that they would be," she whispered back. She was feeling an odd mix of guilt and happiness. That she had left them behind, but that they were alive. "They don't know these tunnels. They can't tell them how to get up top. Why are they still alive?"

Nicolas shook his head. "Doesn't matter. They are alive and we need to get them back. I've already got to speak to two wives when I get back to Gwenael. I don't want to have to talk to more."

Colette nodded. "They aren't near any tunnels though. There's no way to reach them without being seen. And one of them has a broken leg."

Nicolas frowned at her. "How do you know?"

"Didn't you see it? His foot is at an odd angle and his calf is swollen."

"No, I didn't see that. It's a wonder you saw them at all. It's so dark and they were so far. You've really got a good pair of eyes, my lady."

She beamed, tossing back her braid. "Thank you."

"What's the closest tunnel to them?"

Colette frowned, thinking through her mental map. "Well, the large one, but there's no way to get through it now. So, I would say that the second closest is one of the smaller offshoots that leads down to the river."

"There's a river?"

"An underground one, yeah. It flows really fast, so I wouldn't recommend swimming through it. There's a thin walkway on the bank of it that can take you up to one of the mountain paths. I don't know how well we can climb when one of them has a broken leg though."

"Any other tunnels?"

"Just one. It dead ends and you have to be able to scale a wall to get out."

"River tunnel it is."

"In that case, I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"I'll go create a diversion. While they're focused on me, you rescue the guys. I'll loop around and meet you back in the tunnels, then we head up to the exit together."

Nicolas nodded slowly. "That's not a bad-... Wait. What kind of diversion?"

"You know, the diverting kind."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her. "Tell me."

She grinned, fingering the hilt of her blade. "I'm thinking all out tactics. Going in sword blazing!"

"Yeah. No," he said dully. "Not going to happen."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I can do it. It's fine. I'll lead them into one of the smaller tunnels and it will force them to funnel their numbers so I can just pick them off."

"Yeah. No." Nicolas crossed his arms, giving her a firm look. "I'm not returning to South Gate to tell your grandmother that I let you run out against an army single-handedly."

"I'll tell her."

"A bit difficult for a dead woman to tell people anything."

She rolled her eyes with a grin. "You doubt me still? I can do it."

"I don't care. You're not doing it regardless of whether you can or not."

"But I-"

"No, that's final. I am a high knight of the crown and I am officially taking command of this situation. You are not doing that."

Colette glared with a soft growl, crossing her eyes. "Fine, sir knight. What would you have me do?"

"Instead of getting them to fight you, get them to chase you. You know these tunnels better than anyone, so you can lead them around in circles. Even get them lost. While you're doing that, I'll rescue the men. Then loop back around and meet me so we can escape."

Colette sighed. "That is so boring."

"It's also safer."

"Basically, my plan, but you'd have me run like a coward."

"I'd have you keeping yourself safe. Now show me to the tunnels we'll be using."

He didn't allow her to continue arguing her case. No matter that she knew that she could fight the army if she had them sufficiently bottlenecked, he wouldn't let it happen. Since he did officially outrank her, she had to follow his plan. No matter how annoying it was.

However, never let it be said that Colette couldn't follow orders. She took Nicolas around as requested and showed him the layout of the tunnels and the one she should meet him at. Then, as a precaution, the one he needed to take to escape.

Then she left him with the lantern and went to go make a distraction.

The tunnel she chose to use to draw away the army was part of the larger one. It twisted and turned and branched a great deal. It was also wide open and allowed her access to most of the offshoot tunnels as she ran through. It was also nearly completely opposite of the site where the knights had been bound in place.

It took her a while to double back, find the entrance to that tunnel in the dark, then make her way towards the lights the Gascony troops had left up for themselves.

She paused then at the entrance to the tunnel. Not because she was scared. She was just getting a feel of where the soldiers were. She couldn't fight, as per her orders, but she needed to get their attention well enough that the bulk of them would turn to chase after her. And those that couldn't reach her wouldn't be looking at the bound knights for a brief moment.

The soldier closest to the tunnel was her unlucky victim.

He was standing around, talking with another man. Totally at ease and unprepared.

When Colette's sword burst through his chest from behind.

She jerked it free and cut down his companion before the others could react. As the second man was falling down, the outcry started.

Colette laughed, posing for effect. "You boys ready for round two?"

"Kill her!" Someone yelled.

Continuing to laugh, Colette turned to begin running. All the while wishing dearly that she could remain in place and take them on. She slipped her sword back into its sheath as she raced down the darkened tunnel. The light she used to guide herself now coming from the lanterns of the troops chasing after her. She made sure to keep her pace slow enough that the leader could keep up.

She had done her part, now it was up to Nicolas.

How long would he need? Only a few moments, probably. Some time to escape. Then she could make her own escape and come back around.

"Capture her!" Someone yelled from behind. "She knows the tunnels!"

Colette laughed, taunting them further. "You'll never catch me!"

She took a sharp right and she heard a couple men fall as they tried to correct themselves. She checked over her shoulder to make sure that they were still on her trail. It was hard to tell how many were following her, but hopefully enough were looking away that Nicolas could get to the captured knights and rescue them.

She kept looking back occasionally to see how slow or fast she should run. She didn't want them giving up on chasing her, after all.

And because she did so, she was able to see when one of the men pushed his way forward. She heard him urge the others out of his way as he was lifting up a throwing knife.

He threw it with a cry.

Colette jumped out of the way and the metal clanged as it bounced down the rocky tunnel. She smirked as she kept running.

The soldier, annoyed, drew another one. He aimed again. Colette was alternating between looking forward and glancing back at him. Waiting for him to throw so she could dodge.

He realized what she was doing and waited for her to look away.

As she was turning her head back forward, he threw the next knife with a cry of victory. He knew that it was going to hit her. He beamed as he watched it racing towards her back, already anticipating the accolades he would get for bringing her down.

The knife shone brightly through the air. Right towards her open back.

Colette didn't look back in time. She felt the knife hit her first, then her head whipped back around.

It clanged to the ground harmlessly.

She smirked up at the soldiers to see them watching her with wide, confused eyes.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" She taunted.

"But it hit her..." The knife thrower felt himself slowing down with his surprise.

He had seen it hit her! Then it had just...fallen off. Like it had hit armor or something. But she was only wearing a normal top!

Colette laughed as the material of her shirt bounced just a bit with each step. She took another left, forcing the men behind her to do the same. She lost a few more as one tripped, sending himself and the men directly behind him to the floor.

That should have been plenty of time.

Colette took another sharp turn and jumped down off of a raised edge, landing a few feet below into a new stretch of tunnels. She immediately dropped back and hid under the overhang. She heard the soldiers calling out, asking which direction she had gone from just above her head.

She ignored them, turning and feeling along the wall.

The hole here was smaller than the one leading to the balcony in the cavern. There was no way Nicolas could have fit through. As it was, Colette had to remove her belt and sword and push them ahead of her so she could squeeze her way past the tight fit.

The tunnel was longer than the last, but it gradually got bigger. She stood up into a crouch and reattached her belt as she quickly moved through the darkness.

She heard the rushing of the river and put her hand to the wall so she didn't get too far from it. Her hurried footsteps were buried under the sound of the water so Nicolas couldn't come to her. She knew exactly where she needed to meet him though and, when she turned a corner, she smiled at the bright light of his lantern.

And the three shadows waiting around it.

"Lady Toinette!" Nicolas called out as she came into the light.

"Evening, gentlemen," Colette tossed back her braid in greeting. "I hope I didn't leave you waiting long?"

"My lady," the two knights bowed their heads. One of them from the ground as he couldn't stand on his broken leg.

"Let's get out of here," she pointed back. "I'll lead the way."

"Carry him," Nicolas ordered the uninjured knight. Relatively uninjured. "I'll guard our rear."

Colette took the lantern from him and waited patiently for the first knight to help his brother to his feet – er, foot. He kept one hand to the wall so he could take at least some of his own weight. His broken foot hung limply down and, as he started hopping, it twisted. He grimaced in pain but when the others would have stopped, he urged them on.

Nicolas paused though. He removed his cape then used his sword to rip it into strips which he then used to make an improvised splint for the man. It wasn't pretty, but at least it was keeping his leg immobile so he could hop along after Colette.

When Nicolas was finished, he nodded to Colette, urging her forward.

She took them down further into the caves. The light of her lantern illuminated the large flowing river that she had briefly passed. It was whirring by rather quickly, pushing air against their faces as they followed it upstream. The path was narrow and she could hear the men struggling behind her. She couldn't offer to help at this point, the path wasn't wide enough for more than two to walk it. It wasn't even that large sometimes and they had to wait for the broken-legged knight to hop across on his own at a few points.

It was a long, mostly quiet walk. There was no point in talking as the river was drowning out all other sounds. Colette had to point wordlessly to the tunnel she was using when it came up. The men followed after her and they continued to walk in silence until the river faded behind them.

It was the uninjured knight who spoke up first.

"My lady, sir, we would offer you our profound thanks for this."

Colette beamed back at him. "Don't worry about it. Warriors stick together, right?"

He nodded. "My lady, if it pleases you, I am Sir Guilbert Albaine. This is Sir Juste Mauger."

The injured, panting, sweating man nodded to her with a pained grimace.

"We are forever in your debt, my lady," Guilbert said. "And... We will prostrate ourselves before you for our previous insult to your honor once we are out of here."

Colette waved his words away. "Your gratitude I'll accept, but you can keep your prostration. You were defending your captain. It's honorable. I'm pleased you're so devoted to him."

Nicolas looked on with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, so you can be reasonable."

She glared back at him. "To everyone but you, Sir Sacha."

Guilbert and Juste shared a surprised look.

Nicolas crossed his arms. "Focus on where you're going, Lady Toinette."

"Don't tell me how to navigate my tunnels. I know exactly where I'm at."

"I often worry since you overestimate your own abilities so."

"Says the man currently relying on said abilities!"

The two knights were looking between the bickering two, now a bit worried. They knew that their commander didn't like the good lady. It appeared that the lady hadn't at all taken kindly towards their commander either.

Considering their duel, the catalyst and the outcome, they understood. Still, it felt rather odd for the two to be on a rescue mission while arguing.

"How much further?" Guilbert asked, mostly to keep the argument from devolving further. Or, worse yet, coming to blows.

Colette looked around herself for a moment. "Mm... A slight distance still. This tunnel winds for a while, then it comes to a bit of a steep climb. The cave exit will be there. Do you two need to rest? Juste?"

The injured man looked at once ashamed and distraught. "No, my lady. Please, don't stop on my account. I can keep going."

"Don't be a hero," she said. "We can take a break if you need one."

"The lady is right," Nicolas agreed. "If you collapse completely, you'll only hinder us more."

"I can keep going, sir," Juste assured him before nodding to Colette. "Allow us to continue."

Colette looked at him for another moment before shrugging and turning forward again.

She was rather grateful for the two knights, actually. That was two warm bodies between herself and the lackluster high knight. High ranking, handsome, and honorable he may be, but he was also rude, uncouth, and annoying.

And loyal. And brave. And determined.

He had come down here without hesitation. Then, when he had seen his knights still lived, he had chosen to rescue them immediately rather than leaving them to their fates. Even though it was two against an army. Even though the only person he had to trust disliked him immensely. He was willing to put that aside to help his men.

If he wasn't so insufferable, she might actually like him.

Though Juste was determined to keep going, before they could reach the exit, he finally broke down. The pain and exertion were just too much. He missed his next hop and would have collapsed to the ground if Guilbert hadn't had hold of him.

He was cursing as his brother was gently lowering him down. Colette and Nicolas helped maneuver him so that he was leaning against the wall.

"Forgive me," he gasped, still panting and sweating.

"Forget it," Nicolas put his hands to his hips. "We can afford to stop for a moment. Lady Toinette, how close are we to the exit now?"

"Not far," she pointed ahead to a turn they couldn't see in the darkness beyond the lantern. "It's just around there that it starts going up. We still have the mountain path after that though. I'm afraid we're probably only about halfway to South Gate from here."

"Do you have guards on that cave entrance?"

"Yes, but they won't be expecting us."

Nicolas shook his head. "No matter. Once we're there, they can help us carry Juste. We're close enough then. Just rest for a moment. When you're ready, we'll move again."

"Thank you, sir," Juste said, sounding like he was terribly disappointed in himself.

Guilbert collapsed down beside him. His leg wasn't broken, but that didn't mean he was uninjured. He was covered in bruises and scratches thanks to his treatment by the Gascony troops. And Colette when he had challenged her to a duel. He probably needed to rest as well.

That left Colette and Nicolas still standing. Sort of refusing to look at the other, but not really having much elsewhere to look at or anyone else to talk to.

"Thank you, again, Lady Toinette," Nicolas finally said softly. "You were of great help to me today. I couldn't have done any of this without your aid."

She let out a short breath. "It's nothing to worry about. I was happy to do it. I just wish that you had allowed me to fight the soldiers."

"This again?" Nicolas looked at her in exasperation. "It was an entire army."

"If I had taken them to the right tunnel, I could have fought them in pairs. Or triplets. It would have been easy."

"Sounds easy until you multiply it by a hundred or so. You realize there was about three hundred men down there, right? You didn't seriously think to fight three hundred men?"

"I would have been a new personal best, I admit, but I still could have done it."

"No," he said finally, as though the argument were still up for debate.

She didn't like the tone of his voice and turned to tell him as much. It was the first time she had looked at him in the entire argument. The first time that she had looked past him.

"Get down!" She dived for him.

She grabbed onto his head and jerked it down, throwing her arm around him as she did so. The Gascony soldier taking aim with his throwing knives just down the tunnel had already let the projectile fly.

Colette cried out in pain as the metal ripped across her unguarded arm. The wound bled slowly as the knife fell down in front of Nicolas's face. He blinked once at the knife shining in the light of Colette's lantern before turning about on his heel.

He drew his sword and quickly knocked the second one out of the air.

Colette pulled back, making a face at her arm. It wasn't deep, but the blood was flowing freely and heavily down her arm. She grabbed onto the hilt of her sword before it could soak her palm and make it too slick to hold.

"Get up!" Nicolas ordered Guilbert who was already moving to grab Juste.

Colette stood beside Nicolas, guarding the injured men as they hobbled to their feet.

"How did they find us?" Nicolas asked, annoyed.

"I don't know. Maybe they followed the obnoxious sound of your voice."

"Now is not the time, woman!"

The knife thrower called out to his brethren just beyond the tunnel. They had been waiting, silent and out of sight, to see if he could pick one of them off. Now that he had been spotted, they quickly charged into view.

It wasn't precisely the fight that Colette wanted. For one thing, she had no choice but to retreat now because of the injured men behind her. For another, she didn't really want to have to fight beside Nicolas.

Not just because she disliked him either. She had no experience fighting next to him. She didn't want him getting in her way – or her in his, she supposed. If they fought together as well as they got along, they could very well get each other killed.

These weren't the same men that had been chasing Colette before. If she had to guess, as they rushed towards the pair of them, they must have taken a different tunnel hoping to cut her off. They hadn't precisely failed either.

"You two, retreat!" Nicolas ordered his men before giving Colette a look. "Can I trust you to retreat as well, or do I have to fight you, too?"

She glared at him.

Moving in almost perfect synchronicity, the two of them readied their swords. Colette's was still new and shined brightly even in the low light. Nicolas's was thicker than hers and just a bit longer. Though the blade was still in pristine condition, she could tell that he had been using his for much longer than she had.

Then the Gascony troops were upon them.

If they were in an open field, Colette could put some space between herself and Nicolas. Give each other room not to hit each other. In the confining tunnels, they had no choice but to trip over one another.

Which is why it surprised Colette so much when it didn't happen.

Colette's fighting style was fast, erratic, and studied. She judged when an attack would come, how it would come, and she reacted before it did so. That was how she had always fought. Her attacks were energetic and just a bit flashy without losing any power.

Nicolas, almost by contrast, was measured, calm, and relatively low energy. He didn't have any extraneous movements. He was fast, but his strikes weren't as frequent nor as flashy. With the black cloak, he looked more like a shadow closing over his foes.

Their fighting styles were nearly opposite, yet they blended together well.

Nicolas didn't move more than he had to, so he was able to move himself around her constant flitting and twisting. While the soldiers were focused on her quick movements, they stopped watching his slower ones and fell to his blade. When she would go low, he would go high. When she twisted around, she found him already guarding her back.

The injured knights moved slowly, so Nicolas had to back up at the same rate. Each small step away from the fight made Colette more annoyed.

"We can take them!" She snapped at him, spinning and putting the back of her boot against a soldier's face, downing him in one blow. "This isn't even the whole army."

"How long do you figure it will take for them to call the others, eh?" Nicolas pointed out as he cut down the man's friend who had attempted to hit her open back in revenge.

"I thought high knights were supposed to be brave! And strong! The most! Skilled! Warriors! In the! Kingdom!" She punctuated each sentence with a parry or strike so that the clanging of steel acted as her emphasis.

"There's a fine line between brave! And foolish!" Nicolas replied angrily, side stepping an attack, grabbing the attackers arm, then using his own momentum to slam his elbow into the lad's face. Blood burst forth from his nose as Nicolas threw him against an incoming attacker.

Both men fell to the ground and Colette shoved the man facing her over their bodies forcing him to trip and fall against the cold stone.

"Why fight a battle, when there's an option to not fight the battle?" He asked her, shoving his hair from his face with an angry swipe of his hand

"You're almost as much of a pacifist as Ferrant!" Colette accused, kicking a man towards him.

Nicolas cut him down and glared at her. "And that's somehow bad? Are you so very sure, my lady, that you aren't secretly eager for a war to break out?"

Colette turned to snap at him-

-and found herself staring for a second.

Four men had converged on him. She might have immediately jumped in to help, but she could see his plan as though it were written over his face.

Two men converged on him at the same time. He ducked and their blades clashed over his head in the air. He jerked his sword up against one man's hand, breaking his hold on it. As the sword fell, Nicolas grabbed it and threw it at the third man. He fell with it buried into his chest.

As he was collapsing, Nicolas blocked a strike from the fourth man with his sword. Grabbed the disarmed man by the wrist, then threw him bodily over his head into the second man. Now impaled on his own brother's sword, having crushed him under his weight, that left Nicolas free to block a second strike from the fourth man. His sword slid up the length of the other's until Nicolas rammed his head against him.

The crack of their skulls echoed even over the sound of the soldiers' cries and movements. Nicolas shook his head, a bit dazed. The second man, now ungainly and dizzy, dropped back against the ground, hitting his head on the rock wall. He didn't move from his slump.

Colette gasped in outrage.

"You!" She pointed at him, cheeks burning now in embarrassment and anger.

"What?" Nicolas asked, already blocking the next attack.

Colette bared her teeth at him as she cut down two men in one broad slash. "You did lose to me on purpose! Didn't you?!"

The skill he had just displayed put his performance at the training center to shame. While Colette was still sure she could win against him, she realized in seeing him fight now that if he had actually put in real effort, it wouldn't have been nearly so easy.

And in realizing that, she felt mortified. She had actually been bragging about a victory that was completely hollow. He had allowed her to win. Instead of taking the duel seriously, as she had, he had blown her off and had just given her the victory.

Like a parent patting a child on the head.

"Is now really the time?" Nicolas asked her, checking behind him.

They were starting to ascend up the steep ramp to the surface. He could see Guilbert and Juste rather far ahead of them, hobbling along as best they could.

"I can't believe you allowed me to win!" Colette bemoaned as though he had betrayed her.

"It hardly matters at this point, but you were happier to win!"

"I wanted a real victory! This... This is just a lie!" She nearly whimpered the last word as she drove her sword into a man's gut before kicking his body off and backwards into his fellow soldiers.

"I didn't want to deal with you anymore. It was easier to just lose!" He growled, breaking the footing of his current opponent before thrusting his blade through his heart.

"Have you no pride?!" Colette snapped.

Nicolas sighed in annoyance.

"Sir!" Guilbert called back, his voice echoing down the tunnel. "We've made it out! Colette's people are coming!"

"Finally," Nicolas breathed a sigh of relief. Not because the fight was ending, but because there would be that many more bodies between himself and Colette.

"You are not getting out of this that easily!" The good lady snapped at him.

The Gascony soldiers, in hearing that there would now be reinforcements for the two who had already been decimating their numbers, chose to retreat instead. Colette cried out in dismay as they started turning and running back into the caves.

When she would have followed them, Nicolas stopped her with a word.

"Don't! Leave them. We need to get back to the surface."

"Wha-! Bu-!"

"No, we're done here," Nicolas said, sheathing his sword as though to prove his point. "We're letting the others deal with this. You and I are going to help Guilbert and Juste back to town, then we're going to get to work preparing South Gate for attack."

Those were definitely orders. Colette couldn't stop herself from glaring at him though as she sheathed her sword as well.

She didn't get a chance to snap at him about it as, at that moment, the guards she had stationed at this tunnel entrance drew even with them.

Colette gave quick orders to her people to check for survivors among the fallen and see if they could extract information. She told them she'd be sending reinforcements to this exit as the enemy now knew its location.

Then she turned and followed after Nicolas who was already walking back towards his men. The two knights were waiting just outside of the cave entrance. Smiles split both of their faces when the lady and the knight emerged, largely unharmed but for a few small bruises and scratches.

"South Gate is that way," Colette said, pointing down a thin path that was mostly used by the sheep and goat herders around here.

Nicolas nodded before looking at Juste. "Are you all right to walk or do you need a moment?"

"I can walk, sir," he assured him, hanging onto Guilbert's side.

"Lady Toinette, lead the way," Nicolas said, moving to Juste's other side. Now that they were out, he didn't need to be on guard at the rear. He could assist Guilbert by helping take the other half of Juste's weight on his shoulders.

Colette nodded but gave him a look. "We're not done here, Sir Sacha."

He sighed unhappily as she stepped around him.

The mountain path was uneven and a bit steep at times. The nimble footed lads and girls that tended the flocks had no problem navigating them. For three men walking abreast, one with a broken leg, it was a difficult trek.

They had to stop twice to give the injured men a break. Even Colette and Nicolas, after their battle, needed to pause to catch their breaths.

As the sun was beginning to sink low in the sky, they crossed a rope bridge with some difficulty due to Juste's inability to walk. But the structure meant that they were close.

They rounded a large boulder against the mountain and South Gate was spread out below them. It was then that Colette ran ahead. She came back a minute later leading four men who were carrying a stretcher between them.

The look of relief and exhaustion that came over Juste's face made her feel guilty for not going to fetch them sooner. They helped lay the poor man over the boards before lifting him up and hauling him back towards the town and the physician's workshop.

"Go on back to the ship and rest," Nicolas ordered Guilbert.

"Yes, sir," he put his fist to his heart in a salute. Then he bowed to Colette, thanking her again, before walking after Juste.

Colette smiled at the two men a bit wistfully. Happy that they were alive, but now wishing that she could have done something to save the other two.

"I thank you again for your assistance today, Lady Toinette," Nicolas said to her, drawing her eyes back to him. He couldn't miss the way they went cold on seeing him.

She crossed her arms and replied stiffly. "It was my duty for my home and my king. But you're welcome, Sir Sacha."

"Please don't tell me you're going to challenge me to another duel."

"In the middle of such troubling times? I wouldn't think of it. I do know how to prioritize, sir knight. Besides, I'd hate to force you into something so very distasteful."

"It didn't seem to bother you the first time."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "If you will excuse me, good sir knight, I have to return to South Gate and check on my troops. Since there's clearly a battle coming, I need my people ready. I'm sure you'll want to check on your ship so you can leave here as quickly as possible."

"I don't think so, Lady Toinette. I'm coming with you."

"I assure you, I can handle troop deployment."

"And I'm sure you do it fabulously. However, I've already taken command of this situation. Until I leave South Gate to return to Gwenael, I'm acting commander of this town. I will be overseeing troop deployment and preparation for battle myself. With your help, of course."

"Please, don't. If you want command, fine, take it, but at least treat me as a common soldier and not a child you need to placate. I'd rather fight under you than stand beside you pretending that I'm useful."

"Lady Toinette, you know these mountains, this town, and its people better than I do. I'm not trying to subvert your authority, nor am I discounting you. I do require your assistance. However, for a matter as sensitive as this, you'd do better with the authority of the king, which I possess. I have a higher authority than the crown prince and for this situation, it is safer overall if I am in command. If there's a chance to prevent a war, we need to take it."

"Gascony troops are at our door. Do you really think that there's a chance to prevent a war?"

Nicolas sighed. "I don't, no, but I still must try. Our relationship with Gascony hasn't been well since their king's death five years ago. Our king has been trying to keep things calm and maintain the peace, but Queen Sabine is a rather...determined woman."

Colette frowned. "What does her husband's death have to do with us?"

"You don't know?" Nicolas seemed surprised for a moment.

"Well, I know he was assassinated five years ago."

"I suppose South Gate is too far to have heard the rumors. Queen Sabine believes that our king was the one who hired the assassins."

"What? But... That's ridiculous. They were brothers."

"Queen Sabine is not a...well woman. She never has been. Whatever evil is whispering in her ear has her convinced. She wants revenge. King Cyrille has tried reasoning with her in the past but she does not listen. I am taking over now so that I can try to diffuse the situation. If I can prevent it from getting worse, I will. For that, I will need your knowledge of South Gate."

Colette sighed, unfolding her arms. "Grandmother can tell you anything you want to know. I won't stand aside and be useless though. I'm going to fight with my people."

"Lady Toinette-"

"That is my word on it. You and I... We clearly do not get along, Sir Sacha. I would be more beneficial to you in combat. It's what I'm best at."

"That's not-"

"Grandmother can help you. If you really need me, you can come ask me anything. However, I'm going to be doing my duty by my people and seeing to keeping my town safe. Command is yours, Sir Sacha. Good night."

"Lady Toinette," he called after her, annoyed now. "Do not pretend as though you're offended now. You are a great warrior. If it means so much to you, challenge me again."

She gave him a look over her shoulder.

Nicolas blinked in surprise as he felt something like a punch to the gut. The burning red, setting sun had brought new highlights to her blonde hair that he hadn't seen before while her gray eyes reflected the colors of the dusk nearly perfectly.

Though she wore boy clothes made feminine, though she annoyed him to pieces, in a flash Nicolas felt the hot, tight fist of desire squeezing his heart.

She spoke, completely oblivious to the impact she had on him, like a bolt of lightning.

"You have already proven that you don't respect me as a lady or a warrior. By purposefully losing, you have shown me just how little you think of me. We may have different personalities, but I thought you could at least appreciate me as a fellow soldier. I had nothing but admiration for you and wanted to demonstrate that in my own way. I see now though that you do not feel the same. I'll not trouble you any longer. Good night, Sir Sacha."

Nicolas remained standing in place as she walked away from him back towards South Gate. He let out a long sigh.

What a difficult woman.