War Drums.

Kriss and her unit arrived back at camp along with Arerto as their prisoner and Cheytelle. The troops looked on as Arerto was led through the camp to the headquarters tent. Julieanna stepped out and saw that Arerto was bound and she gave Kriss a scathing look but Arerto smiled and just said it was protocol regardless of a prisoner's status. Julieanna ordered Arerto released and took her inside the tent ordering everyone to leave. "I am sorry Arerto for this but the queen left me specific orders for your arrest." Arerto again smiled and said that she understood and she would sort it all out with her mother on her return to the capital. "If it is okay with you Juieanna I would like to get cleaned up and go see Helena. I may have disobeyed my orders but I give you my word that I will not try to escape." Julieanna had known Arerto since they had trained together and knew she would not break her word so she just nodded and dismissed the guards outside the tent.

Arerto went to the bath tent and cleaned up then she headed over to the hospital tent and found Helena sitting on a cot with a healer tending her back. As soon as Arerto got near the healer departed and Helena stood and hugged Arerto. "You came for me general you saved me." Arerto was careful not to touch the wounds on Helena's back" I am not a general anymore sweetheart I have been relieved of command for disobeying orders". Helena broke the hug and looked Arerto in the eyes. "You disobeyed orders to come and rescue me? You have risked everything you should not have done this for me" Arerto returning the gaze replied. "Of course, I had to do it I am only obliged to obey orders I consider morally necessary and I sent you with just a hundred warriors. Anyway, it is done but you need to rest and sleep I will come to see you later." Helena slipped onto the cot and was soon asleep. Arerto found the healer and asked about Helena and the healer replied that her scars would diminish with time but it was the mental scars that need longer.

Outside the gong was sounded continuously and Arerto knew something was happening so she headed to the command tent and ran into Kriss coming out of the tent. Julieanna was just standing and putting her sword on and looked at Arerto and told her to follow her. They headed to the wall and looked out through one of the arrow slits. Before them in the valley was a rising dust cloud that spread the entire width and Arerto and Julieanna knew that there must be a lot of troops in the cloud. Soon scouts came in reporting that the enemy had horses and elephants amongst their ranks and that the enemy numbered at least twenty thousand troops. This outnumbered Julie by two to one but then she had trained warriors and also in her favour was the fact that for an attacking **** to succeed it was generally considered that you need a four to one ratio. Julieanna signalled for the camp to stand ready and the trumpet sounded and the camp came to life.