Ciara—Sacrifice.

	Most of the arrows flew over their heads, but a few hit the ground around them.  One came down and pinned Alana's flag to the ground, spraying them with mud.  Ciara pushed Niamh into her brother's arms and knelt to gather up the shreds of their last hope.
	A second arrow came down and sliced her shoulder open again.  She screamed, partly in pain, but mostly in anger and frustration.  Alana dropped down beside her, and tore the rag out of her hands.
	“That's it.  You can't go on like that, get back to the wall,” said Alana.
	“I'm faster than you,” said Ciara.
	“But your family needs you.  Niamh needs you,” said Alana.
	“But I need you, too,” said Ciara.
	“I know,” said Alana.
	There was fighting all around them.  After the arrow storm, Blackpool had opened the gates and the first wave of dark-armored lynxes met their enemies with shouts and a crash of metal on flesh.  The white flag in Alana's hands was torn and muddy, but it still shone in the sunlight when the girl lifted it up.  A few of the nearer soldiers hesitated when they saw it, their expressions a mix of bewilderment and relief.
	Ciara saw the arrow before it hit.  It struck Alana in the back and spun her around as she fell.  Ciara caught her new-found sister but was borne to the ground under the weight of her.  With only one good arm, all she could do was see to it that Alana landed on top, so she could cushion the girl's fall.
	She was up immediately, and she tore at Alana's shirt where the shaft of the arrow had gone through.  She forgot about the soldiers until someone touched her shoulder.  She spun, snarling, and Deirdre swatted her muzzle.
	“Don't think, don't feel.  There isn't time.  Keep moving,” said Deirdre.
	“They shot her,” said Ciara.
	“I know.  We need to go, or you could be next,” said Deirdre.
	Deirdre grabbed her arm and pulled, but she let go when Ciara bit her.  Half-blinded by tears, Ciara tried to pick Alana up but she was too weak to do more than shift her.  She was able to get both arms under Alana and she managed to get the girl's face out of the mud before the ripping pain in her shoulder forced her to drop her sister again.  It was then that she saw Alana's eyes were open and full of mud. 
	Deirdre grabbed her ear and twisted, to keep her down.  When Ciara resisted, her mother dug claws into her flesh until she yelped.
	“She's gone.  There's nothing you can do,” said Deirdre.
	“I'm not going to leave her here like this.  It isn't fair,” said Ciara.
	“No, it isn't.  I wish to God I could have saved her, too.  But we’ll cry for her later.  Right now I need to know I can still count on you,” said Deirdre.
	“She was on their side and they killed her.  Sabia murdered her,” said Ciara.
	“Because she wasn't on their side at all.  She was on yours.  I keep telling you, nobody else wants this to stop,” said Deirdre.
	By now, Blackpool’s counterattack had reached Connor’s army.  The soldiers that had paused for the white flag were gone, pulled into the fighting all around them.  Mud slicked many of the fighters to the waist, and Ciara couldn't see how they told their friends from their enemies.  The archers on top of the wall fired into the press and, apparently, didn't care who they hit.  Deirdre clucked her tongue in disapproval.
	“They’re too sloppy, Sabia must be desperate to get this done.  If they keep shooting like that they’ll wipe themselves out before Connor has a chance to,” she said.
	“That should please you.  It means you can just slip away and nobody will care.  And Alana will have died for no reason,” said Ciara.
	“It also means they might be more likely to surrender.  Nobody wants to fight if they are just going to get killed by their own side,” answered Deirdre.
	Ciara brushed a strand of hair out of Alana's face.  Guilt brought fresh tears and she tucked the ruined flag under Alana's head so her friend could at least be comfortable.
	“You need to see a doctor,” said Deirdre.
	“I’m not going to leave Alana behind.  She was my friend and she deserves better than this,” said Ciara.
	“She would understand.  You bury your friends when you can, but right now there are more important things to worry about,” said Deirdre.
	Deirdre dragged Ciara across the field to a clump of tall grass next to the wall.  The sounds of combat were slightly muffled here, but Ciara couldn't keep herself from looking up at the top of the wall for fear of who might be watching them.  It wasn't until she tripped and Deirdre pushed her down into Niamh's waiting arms that she remembered about the rabbits.  She clung to Niamh, and buried her face against the doe's chest.  Niamh's smell was something familiar and comforting in a world she didn't understand anymore.
	“If I see any of you around here after this is done, you’ll be sorry,” said Deirdre.
	“Oh yes?  And now that you've got us here just how are we meant to get home?” said Fiachra.
	“You’ll have to figure that out on your own.  Now, please.  Ciara's bleeding and she could bleed to death if you don’t take care of her,” said Deirdre.
	Fiachra ripped Ciara's shirt opend and she whimpered a bit as he prodded at her wound.  Deirdre took off what was left of her top and dropped it into Fiachra’s lap.
	“To make bandages.  There should be enough left,” said Deirdre.
	The fur on her breasts and stomach was clean white and the way it shone in the sunlight made her look twenty years younger.  Deirdre self-consciously smoothed her fur, then kissed them each on the cheek.   As she turned to face the battle, Ciara knew what her mother was planning to do.  She tried to get up, but the rabbits tightened their grip on her.  All she could do was watch when Deirdre jumped up and ran across the field, arms spread wide in surrender.  The white on her chest was as good as the abandoned flag and soldiers on both sides turned to look as she passed.  Ciara tensed, waiting for the arrow that would come down and kill her mother, too.  But everyone was too busy, now, and Deirdre made it safely to the edge of the crush.
	After Deirdre was gone the rabbits lifted her up between them.  Fiachra cradled her in his arms while Niamh tore Deirdre’s shirt into strips and knotted them around the wound.  Then they ran, though they were somewhat slowed by how badly Niamh was limping.  Ciara could tell that Niamh was in as much pain as she was.  In spite of Feargus’ efforts to help her, Niamh’s hip had healed badly and sometimes her bones rubbed together when she moved.  Even so, she didn’t so much as whimper in protest  and when Fiachra ran out of breath she took the lead.
	They stopped when they got to the cit wall again and Niamh fell against it with her hands over her eyes.  Fiachra moved to set Ciara down to tend to her, but Niamh flashed her teeth at him, which made him draw back.
	“Call for Embarr,” said Niamh.
	“He’ll never hear me over all this noise,” said Ciara.
	She squirmed in Fiachra’s arms to make him let her go, but he just hugged her tight.
	“Call for your horse.  He’s come this far, he won’t let us down now,” said Fiachra.
	Ciara drew a deep a breath and barked, a short, sharp sound of alarm.  It was the first cry Embarr had learned and it always brought him at a gallop.  She barked again, and this time she was answered by a shrill whinny from somewhere near the front of the city.  Ciara grinned with relief and Fiachra smiled back at her and shifted her into a more comfortable position in his arms.
	Embarr came around the wall at full speed, ears flat, ready to fight.  He slowed when he saw them, plainly confused by the lack of targets.  then he whinnied again, in an expression that Ciara recognized as joy and relief.  Fiachra relaxed a bit more as the big stallion cantered up to them and Ciara slipped out of his arms to throw her good arm over Embarr’s neck while he nuzzled her.
	“You brought him back to me.  I didn’t think I’d see any of you again,” she said.
	“He’s the one who brought us, not the other way around.  After you vanished, nobody knew where you’d gone until he came all the way back to Cearnach to get me,” said Niamh.
	She limped over and leaned against Embarr’s flank.  He turned his head to nuzzle her, too, and she scratched him between the ears.
	Fiachra grabbed Ciara around the waist, and pushed her up onto Embarr’s back.
	“I hope he’s as fast as you’ve always said.  Take Niamh and get out of here.  I’ll find the gelding and catch up to you later,” he said.
	He lifted Niamh up, too, and tossed her across Embarr’s back behind Ciara.  She scrambled upright and grabbed at him, but he jumped away from her and held up his hands.
	“Fiachra, what are you doing?” said Niamh.
	“Don’t argue with me now.  Three is too many, even for a horse like Embarr,” he said.
	“He'll manage.  Just for a little way, until we find your horse,” said Niamh.
	“I know where he is, and I thought, maybe, if Deirdre's still alive--”
	“We don't owe her anything,” said Niamh.
	“I think we do.  Nobody's going to pay attention to me,” he said.
	“You'd better come back to us,” said Ciara.
	“I will.  I promise,” said Fiachra.
	Ciara barked at Embarr again, and he ran.  The sounds of battle faded, and then there was nothing in front of them but open land.

	Ciara woke at sunset, slumped uncomfortably over Embarr’s neck.  He had slowed to a walking pace and she couldn’t hear anything except the sound of his hooves on the road.  All she could smell was her own blood which had dripped down her arm to stain Embarr’s flank.  Her whole arm tingled and her shoulder was sore, but it didn’t hurt the way it had outside of Blackpool.  She could feel a pleasant warmth there, too, which comforted her and reminded her of being taken care of as a child.  Niamh had taken her shirt off, and the hastily tied bandages, and was swabbing at the wound with a piece of gauze that smelled of blood and wine.  The pain had faded to a dull ache and when she tried she found she could still move her arm.  Just that little bit of effort hurt her so badly she had to bite her tongue to keep from crying, but it was worth it to know she wasn’t crippled.
	“I found the wine your mother dropped.  You should drink it and go back to sleep.  You need to get some rest, for now,” said Niamh.
	“I’ve slept enough.  We’re still in trouble out here,” said Ciara.
	“I want you to take it easy.  You’ve lost a lot of blood and you’ve got a nasty infection in your shoulder.  If you don’t stop pushing yourself it isn’t going to heal,” said Niamh.
	“It'll have to wait until after all of this is finished,” said Ciara.
	Niamh jabbed her shoulder a little more sharply than she needed to and Ciara jumped, which startled Embarr into a brief canter.  They crested the top of a low hill and he veered off the road into a little circle of trees.  Ciara got him stopped before any of them got hurt and she slid off his back.
	“Alana was killed because of me.  Who knows what’s going to happen to Fiachra.  I don’t have time to worry about myself right now,” she said.
	“If you don’t, you won’t be able to help anyone.  What will happen if you lose your arm?  Or if something worse happens?” asked Niamh.
	“I'll be fine,” said Ciara.
	Niamh got down and wrapped Ciara’s shirt around her to cover her chest while leaving her shoulders bare.  She knotted the arms of the shirt behind Ciara’s back so Ciara couldn’t untie it with one hand.
	“You shouldn’t blame yourself for everything.  You know how stupid Fiachra can be, especially around females he likes,” said Niamh.
	Ciara felt her ears grow hot and she looked down at Embarr's neck while Niamh finished cleaning her wound, afraid of what Niamh might be thinking.
	“I’ve always tried to discourage him,” said Ciara.
	“Yes, and you really shouldn’t, not too much.  He won’t do anything because he loves me, but he's got a real crush on you,” said Niamh.
	“He wanted to come with me when I left Oseille.  I had to run away from him to stop him.  I should have tied him up”
	“It wouldn’t have done any good.  He’s too stubborn to listen to sense and he would have followed one of us no matter what we did,” said Niamh.
	“Just like his sister,” said Ciara.
	They camped in the trees for the rest of the day, and most of the night, where they lay curled around each other for warmth. Ciara didn’t sleep much.  Close to dawn she woke from a nightmare and she saw the red glow of fire in the north, from the direction of Blackpool.