"I knew I would never be like them. They were pathetic. I wasn't, at least not yet. They fought over which one would wear which outfit. I fought to save my friends' lives. Yet all warriors give up everything for a life that appears to be glamorous.

"I didn't know this. I wanted to be the first female warrior. Not a soldier who fought for a king, but a warrior who fought for whatever reason I choose. Sometimes I still wonder if my sacrifice was good enough.

"For them, it would require giving up all their possesions. I never had possesions to begin with. So how could I give any up? My sacrifice was my life, but I still have my life.

"I remember him like a fading dream. I know I remember, but every time I try, the memory slips away. I know I'm not old and decrepit. I could still fight, if I chose to.

"I broke my sword, my daggers, my arrows, and my bow. I melted down my armor and shield. Never again would I use it them to hurt anyone. I vowed on the day they had all finally be destroyed that I would never fight again.

"And I haven't, until today. Today I go to war. Leading my troops to their suicide. I shall fight for my friends. All of them. My sacrifice will finally come to be.

"My friends died. I fought for myself to die, and I lived. The torment has lasted over a thousand years. And still no one can break my curse. Do you know how annoying that is? How frustrating it is to be trampled by horses, and get up completely unharmed?!"

She was nuts, but what she said made sense. I actually understood it. She had tried so hard to keep her friends alive, and yet they still died, but she hadn't. No, she lived on. Forever quite possibly.

"You soldiers probably don't understand that. You've lived only your few decades. I've lived two lives for every life I took. You won't.

"You will die. You will be injured. You will not survive. And if the Mother decides to spare your life, you will live with the knowledge that you are a survivor when no one should have survived."

A sniper shot a single arrow into her back. We all gasped. She just reached back, pulled it out, and threw it to the side. It was completely clean before it hit the ground. She had pulled out a bloody arrow, and thrown it away clean. With out even uttering a cleaning spell or wiping it. It was very unsettling.

"I want you to fight as if you will never die. You must believe you won't die. And quite possibly you won't. You have to believe down to your very core, that you are immortal. These warriors you will fight won't care as long as you die. So why don't we give 'em a run for their money?"

She shouted the last part and we erupted in cheers. We sounded like many legions more than we actually were. The horses became unsettled as we quieted down. Each one of us could feel the memory of fallen friends strengthen us. We could almost feel them by our sides, ready to fight, and die along side us again. I saw grown men begin crying.

I saw her horse breath a foggy breathe as the air chilled. The sun was rising to our backs. We felt warmth in our bones, but at the same time we were chilled by the air. She rode her horse over to me.

"Kilev, will you join me?"
"Aye!" She went to each soldier down the ine asking them the same question.

"How many will join me?" She shouted to the others. "If you don't think you can face this battle, step forward now, and I will give you a much kinder execution then those at the capital." No one moved. "All right then. We will begin this on our terms."

She turned around, narrowed her eyes at the sleeping camp below, and blew her war horn. We all grabbed our's and echoed her call. Her's was the most feral. We sounded like sheep next to her war cry. I realized in that moment that on either side of my charging horse was a soldier who had already died. Their horses let out no puff of smoke as they ran. I almost screeched in joy and panic. The dead had heard her speech and joined us.

The battle was over and I saw her slowly walking through the carnage. She led a different horse than the one she had begun with. As she reached dying fighters, she would put them to sleep to save them hours of suffering. I watched her as she walked from body to body, and noticed that there were others walking with her, doing the same thing. They weren't alive though, they were each soldier she helped.

One of them found me and signaled her over. She knelt next to me and checked my wounds. She gave me a sad smile before asking me if there was anything she wanted her to tell anyone back home. I just barely croaked out no. She nodded her understanding and let me sleep.

"I wish I could die that easily. Just sleep and pass on. I have a job to do. If I could figure out was it is, I would gladly do it. I guess some people are luckier than others."