The pillars of creation

Surrender.

"No!" Her own voice seemed unreal.

She slashed with her broken knife, ripping the man's arm. He bellowed a vile oath.

The man holding Jennsen's mother dropped her and made for Jennsen. She stabbed wildly, frantically, at the men around her. Reaching hands shot toward her from all around. A huge hand clamped her thrashing knife arm.

Surrender.

Jennsen gasped a cry. She struggled savagely. She kicked. She bit. Men cursed. The second man seized her throat in iron fingers.

No breath. No breath. She tried-couldn't breathe-tried desperately-but couldn't draw a breath.

He sneered as he squeezed her throat. Pain shot up through her temples. His cheek, slashed by her knife, laid open from ear to mouth, ran with gouts of blood. She could see glistening red teeth through the gaping wound.

Jennsen struggled, but couldn't pull a breath. A fist slammed her stomach. She kicked him. He seized her ankle before she could kick him again. One was dead. Two had her. Her mother down.

Her vision was narrowing to a black tunnel. Her chest burned. It hurt so much. So much.

Sound was muffled.

She heard a bone-jarring thunk.

The man in front of her, squeezing her throat, staggered once as his head jerked.

It made no sense to her. His grip went slack. She gasped an urgent breath. His head tipped forward. A crescent-bladed axe was embedded in the back of the man's neck, severing his spine.

The axe handle swung in an arc as he dropped. Sebastian, measured fury with white hair, stood behind him.

The last man let go of her arm. His other fist brought up a blood-slick sword. Sebastian was quicker than the man.

Jennsen was quicker even than Sebastian.

Surrender.

She cried out, an animal sound, savage, unbridled, terror and fury. Her broken blade slashed across the side of the man's neck.

Her half blade ripped bone-deep, cut the artery, severed muscles. He cried out. Blood seemed to float, suspended in midair, as the man pitched against the far wall on his way down. She'd swung so hard she fell sprawling with him. Sebastian's short sword struck like lightning, slamming through the great barrel chest with bone-cracking power.

Jennsen scrambled over the bodies, slipping on blood. She saw only her mother on the floor, half sitting, leaning against the far wall. Her mother watched her come. Jennsen couldn't stop screaming, couldn't breathe through her hysterical cries.

Her mother, covered in blood, eyelids half closed, looked as if she were falling asleep. But she had that spark of joy at seeing Jennsen. Always that spark in her eyes. Her face had bloody streaks from big fingers down the side. She smiled her beautiful smile at seeing Jennsen.

" Baby. . " she whispered.

Jennsen couldn't make herself stop screaming, shaking. She didn't look down at the awful red wounds.

She saw only her mother's face.

"Mama, Mama, Mama."

One arm embraced her. Her other was gone. Her knife arm gone.

The one around Jennsen was love and comfort and shelter.

Her mother smiled a weary smile. "Baby… you did good. Now, listen to me."

Sebastian was there, working frantically to tie something around what was left of her mother's right arm, trying to stem the tide of blood. Her mother only saw Jennsen.

"I'm here, Mama. Everything will be fine. I'm here. Mama-don't die-Aon't die. Hold on, Mama. Hold on."

"Listen." Her voice was hardly more than a breath.

"I'm listening, Mama," Jennsen cried. "I'm listening."

"I'm gone. I'm crossing to be with the good spirits, now."

"No, Mama, no, please no."

"Can't help it, baby…. It's all right. The good spirits will take good care of me."

Jennsen held her mother's face in both hands, trying to see it through the helpless flood of tears. Jennsen gasped with frantic sobs.

"Mama-don't leave me alone. Don't leave me. Please oh please don't. Oh, Mama, I love you."

"Love you, baby. More than anything. I've taught you all I can. Listen, now.»

Jennsen nodded, fearing to miss a single precious word.

"The good spirits are taking me. You must understand that. When I go, this body won't be me any longer. Understand? I don't need it anymore.

It doesn't hurt at all. Not at all. Isn't that a wonder? I'm with the good spirits. You must be strong now, and leave what is no longer me,"

"Mama," Jennsen could only sob in agony as she held the face she loved more than life itself.

"He's coming for you, Jenn. Run. Don't stay with this body that isn't me after I'm with the good spirits. Understand?"

"No, Mama. I can't leave you. I can't."

"You must. Don't foolishly risk your life just to bury this useless body. It isn't me. I'm in your heart and with the good spirits. This body isn't me. Understand, baby?"

"Yes, Mama. Not you. You'll be with the good spirits. Not here."

Her mother nodded in Jennsen's hands. "Good girl. Take the knife. I took one out with it. It's a worthy weapon."

"Mama, I love you." Jennsen wished for better words but there were none. "I love you."