She's walking around the tribe, fulfilling her duty as a leader and making sure everything is going where it must be, pushing down every ounce of pain from the past month and letting life do its thing. Something like that.
She heard from her back. Oh god, what now?
"Hey! Um, how have you been?" The combatants' leader, Timothy, said with his best friend, Ben, at his heels.
"Um, could be worse," She replied truthfully, "how's the training going? Hopefully our little heroes are gaining their strength!"
"Oh, yeah, they're doing wonderfully! Big men, they are," He said, almost... Guardedly?
Her suspicions were answered when Tim started scratching the back of his neck and gave a quick glance at Ben, who hasn't spoken a word, Diana noticed.
"Um, are you free at the moment?" Tim asked slowly.
She looked at him quizzically before answering, "I'm just walking around, so, yes,"
"We have somewhere we want to take you," this time it was Ben who spoke up, "have to,"
"Oh..." She studied their faces for a second. Tim and Ben were um... Louis' best friends. Her now dead husband. Ex husband. Who no one knows where his corpse is, some believing that he was burnt to ashes while on a mission, which... Isn't something she necessarily likes to think about. They only found his ring, which she has now worn every single day of those two months of him being gone.
She trusts Tim and Ben. How could she not? They're what she likes to think as what she has left from Louis. So she follows her heart.
"Um, alright," she nods to herself and snaps up at them, "yeah, where do you want to take me?"
Timothy looks around with a serious look on his face before turning back to her, "We kind of can not tell you, you'll have to find out for yourself,"
"Should I be worried...?" She started getting very suspicious.
"We really have no time, this is really important, just get yourself and your horse ready, we're leaving in ten minutes," Tim excludes impatiently and throws his giant axe, that she has no idea how he lifts, over his shoulder and the two start walking towards horse stable.
She's left staring after them before she sighs,
"Guys, we have been on the road for three hours, where the fuck are you taking me?!"
She's getting impatient, if you can't tell.
"Nearly there, Di, just be patient," Ben answers with another frustrated sigh.
"Since when have I been So?!" She furrows her eyebrows at him.
"Louis never told me how annoying you are..." Ben whispers.
"Hey!" She quickly got riled up, "he-"
"we're here!" Timothy announces loudly, cutting them off.
"Um..." Diana looks around confusedly, "where?"
They ignore her question and get off their horses, to which she huffs exasperatedly before following their steps.
They tie their horses to a tree before Timothy turns to her.
"This is it, just go inside that cave over there." He points to where it is exactly.
"What, why?! Where are you guys going?!" She stares at them incredulously.
"Can you just go already?" Ben asks fake-sweetly.
She glowers at him before turning to Timothy, who was watching them tiredly before talking.
"we'll be right out here, we're not going anywhere."
"How do I know I'm not going to be killed?"
Ben grins, Diana freezes.
"Hey, man, she's right here. Tough to handle, that one is, don't know how you do it," Ben comments.
She doesn't have time to think of a comeback because the laugh she hears is so familiar.
She abruptly turns around and stares.
"Who is that?" She asks slowly. "Stop fucking with me, why am I here?"
"What do you mean, you don't know who that is?" It was Ben's turn to be confused.
"You guys brought me all the way here, just to make me see a man who looks like my dead fucking husband? For what? Do you even know how cruel it is to-"
"Dee," The man frowns, "It's me, Louis,"
She looks around at everyone and tears pool in her eyes.
"Get away from me, who is this, it's not fair to play with someone's feelings like that,"
The guy finally comes close enough for her to see his features. Man, he looks just like Lou, she thinks.
She shakes her head and takes a step back when he got too close for her liking.
"Who are you?" She steadily keeps the eye contact.
A hand on her shoulder abruptly shakes her out of her trance, and she turns around to see Tim's pitying eyes,
She looks back ahead distrustfully and doesn't move when the man takes another step closer.
Not when he gets close enough to raise his hand and caress her cheek carefully.
To the point where she got cross eyed trying to keep eye contact.
"Figured it out yet?" He whispers.
Her once confused teary expression turns into an angry one in a split second and she abruptly moves away.
"You... How could you?!" She's mad.
"You made me think you were dead... You made us think you were dead! You know how much crying I've done these past two months?! They've all been for absolutely nothing! My heart feels like it's torn in half you bloody dick!" She gives his chest a strong push to express her anger even further.
"You have to listen to me, Dee, just give me a chance to-"
"You think you have the right?! I've been trying to manage double the work all on my own while you're hanging out in your bloody cave?!"
"No, I've not just been hanging out in here, there's a lot to explain, just... Can I just hug you? I missed you an awful lot,"
Her face falls and she stands there limply before hugging him tightly, "of course I missed you, I just really hate you right now,"
He laughs and kisses the crown of her head before she adds, "But like, you told them but didn't tell me?! I have no idea how you even like that Ben guy, he's insufferable!"
"Hey, I'm right here!" Ben crosses his arms and huffs, but Tim was too busy grinning at the scene while patting Ben's back a little too hard.
"Let's go inside, there's a lot to explain to this feisty one," Louis smiles and beckons all of them inside.
"Nah, I'm saying here, I'm not gonna be close to her any longer," Ben refuses.
"We'll just go back, you guys make up for the missed time," Tim winks at Louis unsubtly, to which he laughs at.
"Alright, lads, see you tonight," He waves them good-bye while Diana stands there confused.
"Get inside, I have to clarify a lot of things."
"So they basically left my ring to make you guys believe I'm dead, which would obviously cause havoc,"
"I know we're in war, but... What do they get from that?"
She snorted, "Yeah, 'cause you're the best one out there, huh?"
He made an affronted noise and hit her shoulder jokingly, "You make me sound so selfish,"
She laughed at him and gestured for him to continue from her place next to him on the ground.
"They um..." He raised his right hand, "did this,"
She reached out to hold his bandaged hand but immediately retracted it when he winced.
"What did they do?" She frowned.
"Um..." He hesitated for a moment, "it doesn't matter,"
"Lou," she looked at him pointedly.
"They hit a nail into the middle of my palm," he squeezed his eyes and said it in one quick breath.
It was silent for a while.
"What...?" Tears pooled in her eyes as she picked up his hand, a lot more gingerly this time, "Lou, that's... I can't imagine that, I don't want to,"
He sighed, "You really wouldn't,"
"When was it?" She asked after giving it a little peck.
"About... Three weeks ago? I still need to reach out to Chris to make me something that can help me hold a sword without it hurting, that's Ben's mission for today, trying to get him to get him all this stuff without him knowing I'm still alive,"
"Why are you still hiding, love? I don't see the point,"
"I'm running away from them, still, I kind of escaped from the place with the help of another victim, they might have attacked the entire tribe if they knew I was there," he explained.
He leaned his head back against the wall and smiled warmly at her.
"I missed you..." She looks up at him, "Your mum is heartbroken, you sisters, everyone is, they think our tribe is going nowhere with just me in charge,"
"I know it could've went just fine if I were to pass away,"
"Shut up," she looked up from his hand on her lap to look him in the eye, "don't mention you dying anymore, I hate it,"
"Okay," he smiles before turning a little more sad, "and uhm, about my family, I miss them a whole lot and I feel so bad for doing this, but I can't have you telling anyone just yet. We need to keep this a secret until the coast is clear, we're going to attack their base tonight, Ben, Tim and I,"
"With this hand?!" She looked at him like he had two heads, "Lou, you can't just hold a sword with it,"
"I really wanna go home as soon as possible," he looked at her guiltily, "it's why Ben's getting me something to keep my hand in tact,"
"And if it doesn't work?"
"I... Guess I'll have to wait until it's safe to hold a sword,"
She thought silently for a moment and made a decision.
"I'll go instead of you,"
"What?! No! No way! This is my problem, I'm gonna fix it!"
"Ours, love, ours. I do know how to use a sword, you know that right?! It's what made you fall for me," she smiles.
"I fell for you because of so many things," he says, "either way, no,"
"It's safer, Lou, they don't know who I am, we could finish them off and none of them would know we're with you,"
"I made up my mind, it's a no," he looked to his side with a serious look on his face.
"I promise, we just need to finish off the big guy," he makes quotes with his hands, "then I'll be right back home,"
Her expression softens, "promise?"
"pinky promise," he loops his pinky around hers, a small gesture at which makes both of them smile wide.
"That's my cue, I guess," she gives him a disappointed smile.
He gives her forehead a small peck just because.
"Love you, don't do anything stupid," he gives her an accusatory finger but quickly retracts it because of course she's going to try to bite it.
"Love you more," she gives him a lopsided smile behind her back and heads off home with Ben and Tim, much to her dismay.
An hour into the trip, she turns to Ben.
He keeps looking ahead, "Hm?"
"I want to ask something,"
"As long as it's not about tonight, sure,"
"Well..." She trails off, "what if it is?"
"Then I wouldn't really answer your question, anyway,"
"Ben," she whines, "I could help,"
"Louis gave us strict orders not to talk to you about it," he recites sternly.
"Look, I won't come on my own, I'm not that stupid," she explains, "I'll gather a good amount of combatants and we'll come as reinforcement,"
He seems to consider it for a moment, "I don't know..."
"Just tell me the base number, I promise, I won't do anything dumb," she insisted.
"Main base," he says after a moment and purses his lips when Tim gives him an unsure look, "Main base, just... Please don't get us in trouble for this,"
"You really think the three of you could attack a whole base? The main base? With Louis's fucked up hand?"
"We talked to him about it, stubborn as a mule, he is," Ben mutters.
She laughs knowingly, "The one trait we share,"
"Don't know how the two of you get along so well,"
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
"You ready lads?" Louis announces.
"We sure are," Tim answers, "How're you and your hand doing?"
"Not the best," he purses his lips and tries to stretch his fingers out, "But we can do this, we have to,"
"Lou, you said you'd wait if it weren't healed enough," Tim tries, "you know this won't be easy,"
"It's not impossible to use it, so we're going for it," Louis becomes impatient, "I miss my tribe, gotta get back to my people,"
Tim sighs and heads towards his horse, "yeah, alright,"
He really hopes Diana stays to her word.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Alright, most of them are asleep, we can take them guards down," Louis whispers to his friends from where they're crouching down behind some bushes.
"What happens after that?" Ben whispers back.
"We just have to get to Noah's tent and do what we have to do,"
"Wow, great plan, Lou," Ben deadpans, "we won't kill him in his sleep, right?"
"If we have to, yeah, but I'd prefer not to either,"
"Alright," Tim looks at both of them, "Ben and I will take those two down, they're blocking the main entrance. We take them down and get in disguise with their clothes, it'll make it easier for us to blend in,"
"That's what I call a plan!" Ben grins.
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Louis waves them off, "Just do everything without me,"
"You can't fight with this hand Lou," Tim explains quietly, "you will if we need you to, yeah?"
"Yeah, now go, we have no time,"
Ben and Tim share a nod and approach the guards from each side, elbowing the backs of their necks and succeeding in making them pass out.
They go through the process of changing into their clothes and hiding their bodies before turning back to Louis.
"We don't know what to expect behind that gate," Tim points out.
"We'll just have to find out, then," Louis stands up.
"Wait!" Ben grabs him behind, "You can't just get in like that, you don't even have the clothes on, they're gonna recognise straight away,"
"Right..." He realises, "Well you go in before me, I suppose, and call for me when the coast is clear,"
They nod before finally standing up and going inside.
It's been five minutes. Louis counted. He's worried.
That's why he stands up and peeks behind the gate doors.
"So what might two Turkish idiots want from a place like this, huh?"
Ben and Tim are cornered. Fuck.
"Now's not the time to act all heroic, Tim, please, you literally could've made up a good lie right here,"
And so he does what a fellow idiot would do and joins them inside. They pretty much have nothing to lose, literally every guard is there.
He steps inside and immediately grabs all the attention, but what grabs all of his is the person standing on the side that he didn't see.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here,"
He narrows his eyes, "Noah,"
A guard grabbed him straight away and there he stood next to his friends with a sword to his neck. This isn't going well.
"I sometimes really question you Turks' stupidity, and honestly, this answers my question," Noah grins and steps forward until he's right in front of Louis, to the point where Louis had to cross his eyes to look at him.
"How dare you dishonour my people like that," Louis glares at him the best he could, considering the proximity of their faces.
Instead of an answer, Louis receives a kick to his stomach.
"How's you hand?" Noah smirks.
"Shut up," Louis just focuses on not crying out loud from the pain.
Noah takes a step back to pick Louis's limp hand covered in iron and laughs loud, "Wow, so efficient,"
He drops it to the floor next to where Louis is sat, which causes it to start throbbing bad.
It doesn't help that he steps on it after that. Louis screams from the agonising pain.
"Tie them to the gallows!" Noah walks back and forth, "It's been a while since we've had a party,"
Louis thinks hears everyone cheer, but he's too busy focusing on the crippling pain while being dragged to the bloody gallows.
"Fast guys, we have no time to waste! Tie you horses to the trees and move fast!"
Diana manages to gather thirty combatants I'm total without getting caught, although her mother in law was a bit suspicious.
"Where have you been dear? I haven't seen much of you today,"
"I have some work to do outside the tribe, I'll be back before you know it!"
She didn't actually lie, did she?
She's worried sick. They're forty minutes late for the time Tim and Ben gave her, and the possibilities are endless.
"Go, go, go!" She whisper-yells and beckons them on by one to surround the different gates and be ready to get inside as one.
She looks around to check, but she doesn't see anyone outside. That's not necessarily a good thing.
She sighs and turns to everyone around her.
"On the count of three, and soon as I put my hand into a fist, everyone with swords is going to jump out behind me and get in there. The ones with bows are gonna stay behind the bushes to cover us, have we got a deal?"
Everyone nods. That's enough, she guesses.
"Three... Two... One... Go!"
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
All three of them are tied to gallows. How did they reach this point.
"The one and only, Louis William Tomlinson, the hero of the Turkish empire! Tied to gallows," Noah walks back and forth and Louis's eyes follow his moves coldly, "All because of me!"
Louis turns to his boys to find them watching the entrance nervously. Weird.
"You waiting for someone? You didn't tell anyone did you?"
Tim snorts, "I wish I did,"
Louis was cut off by Noah's words.
"Why let's start," He gets close to Louis's face again, always gets on his nerves, "shall we?"
Everyone cheers and Louis swallows nervously. Guess it was the right thing to make them think he was dead, then.
He was losing consciousness. This was it, then.
He saw... A flying sword?
In one swift move he falls to the ground with a thud.
He looks up to see Tim cutting the rope around his neck hastily with a knife and in seconds he felt the relief of it being off his neck.
He looked up and blinked a few times to try and figure out what's going on, and god damn it, that little shit.
"Yeah, Tim, I'm good, let me just," he tries to stand up, but putting the weight of his body on his hand failed him miserably as he fell right back to the ground, "yeah,"
"I'm gonna carry you out of here, just wait for us to be done with this, we'll be done in no time,"
"No!" Louis refuses, "no, I wanna help, just... Just help me up, please?"
"Fucking lift me up, Timothy, I chose to be here and I'm gonna fight,"
Tim sighs after a moment and helps him up.
"Please don't make me regret this,"
"You won't," Louis assures while looking at the scene in front of him with dark eyes. He missed this.
He opens and closes his hand around his sword handle, he can do this.
One last breath, and he's pulling it out of its scabbard.
And he fights. He kills two people but his hand feels tired so he stands to rest it, but-
He looks ahead and that same flying sword comes hitting a guy's skull.
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