yarrr, ye scurvy boy-king, halt ye whinin'

Then the darkness was driven away by the light of a flare fired into the air on an arrow or crossbow quarrel. It drifted slowly to the ground, its light making it easy to distinguish the bare heads of the Eddisians from the crested helms of the Medes. By the painful light of the burning magnesium ball, Attolia picked out the Thief of Eddis. Beyond Eugenides, she saw the soldier who'd earlier helped her down from her horse. Though they were not close, as Attolia watched, she could see that he and the Thief worked in tandem. Eugenides pressed his opponent. When the man flinched backward, he stepped into the range of the other Eddisian, who spitted him neatly, then turned back to his own attacker. Together Eugenides and his partner has carved a hole deep into the remains of the Medes' fighting unit.

Then, the Mede crossbows, in position above the fight, began to fire by the light of their flare.

"Your Majesty will please go inside the tent." The sentry beside her was shouting. He'd lifted the flap of the door behind them, silhouetting them both against the light inside. He took her by the arm and pulled. Attolia shrugged him off, but his hand was already slipping away. She turned as he fell to the ground as a tree falls, a crossbow quarrel through his throat. Dark blood welled up to mix with the rain. His body spasmed and then was still.

The door cloth of the tent had fallen, and the light was gone, but the queen sidled out of the doorway and beyond the edge of the tent, so that she would not be visible against its lighter surface. From there she continued to watch the fighting. One Eddisian after another dropped in a rain of quarrels. Attolia scanned the melee for Eugenides but couldn't find him again.

"Peace," yelled a Mede from the hillside. "Peace now, Eddis." The remaining Eddisians fell back, lowering their swords. The Mede soldiers lowered theirs as well and waited.

Eugenides was there, shoulders heaving, sword in hand, as he used his forearm to push the wet hair off his forehead. The older man was beside him. He spoke, and Eugenides turned to face him. They stayed like that for a moment before Eugenides shook his head and turned away. He looked up the hillside to where the invisible crossbowmen of the Mede lurked.

"Peace!" he shouted into the air, and threw his sword down into the mud. The other Eddisians did the same. Peace and surrender to the Mede.

The gray-haired man spoke again, and Eugenides replied. Whatever he said made the older man give a sour laugh. Then they turned together to look at Attolia as if they could see her through the tent. She could see their pale faces, a little blurred by the rain. Eugenides said something else to the other man, who then nodded and stepped away, distancing himself from the Thief.

from The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner