I have really gotten into this short story and Kylla has become one of my favorite characters. I hope you all enjoy her adventure as much as I do!

Kylla ran out to meet Kei, who had run ahead of her looking insane. When she pushed back the curtains to the unmoving caravan, she jumped into the battle. Her daggers sung with joy as she entered her home field, cutting down multiple foes at once.

            She kicked one man in the gut while twisting her torso to stab an approaching attacker in the chest. Using the foot she had just kicked with, she back kicked the same man with the heel of her opposite foot. When she removed her foot there was a knife mark going through his ear.

            The kachink of her second hidden blade slithering back into her shoes made her smile. Here she was at home; here no one could stop her.

            When another group approached, she sprung at them and lashed out with all the furry and power she had. Three of them dropped immediately, their heads flying in a different direction while the other two froze.

            Quickly dispatching the other two, Kylla hurried to find Kei, wanting to know whether her suspicions of him being a good fighter were correct. But when she finally found him, her eyes widened in shock.  Good fighter was an understatement.

            A group of thirteen lay at his feet, bleeding and most likely dead while he fought tons more. The feral look on his face never leaving and his look of royalty had been shattered. Having their back almost touching his were Durlock and Hilda; Hilda almost tying Kei in strength and accuracy.

            Durlock on the other hand stood without moving, every approaching enemy was quickly killed with unbelievable speed. Most of the time she had trouble seeing the killing motion, his swords being swords at his side one moment and the next through a man’s heart.

            Kylla made her way over to them, slowly at first, but when a man managed to score a cut on her arm, she made sure it didn’t happen again. Time after time she stabbed, thrusted, cut, stabbed, thrusted and cut.

            She forgot about anyone or anything else except for killing. It was all she knew and all she needed to know. From behind her a flash cut towards her and she ducked, twirling around to take care of the attacker. But before she could, he fell, his eyes void of life with Kei gasping over him. The look still spread across his handsome features.

            In a silent agreement they became allies, something Kylla had never had. Both of them had long since lost themselves in blood and death. A bond formed between them as they fought side by side and killed.

            Before long the attackers screamed for retreat and soon they were once again alone. Durlock counted up their dead and came to with a total of ten. They had lost ten members out of the starting forty. A bad number in percentage, he had said, but a rather fortunate number considering they had taken on a group of at least seventy men. 

            Kylla widened her eyes at the numbers, unable to believe that this group of ragtag thieves could fight as well as they did. What bothered her most was the fact that Durlock had accepted her threat even with his skill, which stood far beyond the rank of master. She planned to confront him about it the moment they arrived.

            “You fought well.” Kei said to her later as they headed towards a river to clean their clothes. Kylla still pretended to be a boy, knowing that the façade couldn’t last much longer.  “For what you lack in strength you make up for in speed and accuracy.” Kei shook his head and some dry blood cracked and fell to the ground. “No, I have to say that even your strength is better than most.”

            “That is true enough.” Durlock was suddenly behind her, and her daggers were instantly in her hand. She may have come to trust Kei to a certain point, but that didn’t transfer over to Durlock. “Who was your master.” It was phrased as a question, but nowhere did it convince her that it wasn’t a demand.

            She sighed and turned her back to him, heading towards where the other men had started to wash. “You’ll see soon enough.”  Durlock quirked an eyebrow at her but let it slide. Kei on the other hand was more persistent.

            “Come on, Kyller! Who was your master?” She hadn’t told Kei her name, so he had obviously heard it from Hilda. Kylla wished Hilda hadn’t told him. “He must be incredibly skilled, judging the skill you just demonstrated.” He whistled and Kylla felt her cheeks warm. “I only met Durlock a few months ago, so most of my fighting is self taught.”

            At times Kei could be like a proper man, dignified and courageous. At other times he reminded her of a child. She eventually shooed him away and found a place where she could wash her clothes and bathe. It was a place where she wouldn’t look like she was trying to hide anything, but just far enough that no one could tell she was a girl.

            She slunk behind a large boulder a few yards from where the others were and she stripped off the bloodied clothes she had taken from the dead boy and removed her actual wares as well. Kylla waded into the river and shivered as the cold water touched her toes. Slowly she warmed up to it and began to wash using the bar soap Kei had handed her.

            She soaked her black hair and washed herself down before sinking fully into the water. Her gray eyes stared at her through the waters reflection and Kylla studied them as they studied her. They seemed somewhat different from before, there was a kinder touch to them. Not necessarily gentle, but lacking some of the bloodlust from before. Kylla thought she looked a lot prettier than before.

            After she got wrinkles on her fingers and toes, Kylla exited the river and went to put her clothes back on. She had just started to place her shirt on when Kei turned the corner, obviously not paying that much attention.

            “Hey Kyller, just wondering but why aren’t you with everyone else?” He stared at her and his face flushed red; the tips of his ears resembled the flame of a fire. Without saying another word he backed away. Averting his glance, he retreated behind the rock and left her line of sight. Kylla assumed that he would head to where Durlock and the other men bathed.

            Angry with herself for being spotted, Kylla dressed and retraced her steps back to the caravan. She purposely avoided the group of bathing men where Durlock and Kei must be discussing his new finding.

            Kylla hurried back to the camp for her map, she crashed through bushes and dodged trees until she emerged from them and was greeted with the light of ten small fires.

             Lifting the top of a crate she pulled it out of a pile of fake golden apples. Thanking the goddesses that the sun was setting, she hid in a shadow belonging to a tree and climbed it.

            Kei and Durlock entered her peripheral vision just as she launched herself to the next tree. She knew her way from here to the mountain, and it would take her less time if she went alone anyways. 

            Some part of her wished she had this thief’s guild with her when she invaded the Academy and tribal meeting, but she reminded herself that they had only agreed to take her to the mountains. Not help her out.

            Still having people like Durlock, Kei and Hilda would help a lot. It occurred to her to turn back and apologize for lying, but it didn’t stick very long. She was soon on her way, her mind once again focused on her destination.