32. Not a sentimental man #2
“Stop this!” Caelian yelled through the chaos, high and desperate. “Stop, damn it!”
Isolde had staggered to the ground next to Garren, blazing with blue light. “Yes, stop!” she shouted. “Please!” Her voice echoed unnaturally, something in it not entirely her own.
The mercenary leader hesitated, sword still raised. His eyes darted between Caelian, who was on his knees, gasping for breath, and Isolde, crouching over Garren. It was a perfect opportunity. Felix took another slow step forward.
“Stand down!” Caelian barked, his voice breaking. He staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on his staff. “She did not… I made a mistake. Stand down.”
The bearded man’s eyes flicked to Felix, but finally he nodded. “Disengage!” he shouted, and one by one, the other mercenaries lowered their weapons.
For a single heartbeat, everyone stood frozen in utter silence. Then Felix found his voice.
“What the fuck was that?” he yelled at the mercenary leader. “Is your first reaction to everything unexpected to go on a killing spree?”
The man raised his chin, sheathed his sword and folded his arms.
“Felix, please!” Isolde called. “Help me with Garren instead of picking another fight!” Her voice was frantic. Felix threw a last glare at the bearded man, then picked his way across the scree to Isolde’s side. From the corner of his eye he saw Luella coming down the slope.
He cursed loudly when he reached Isolde. Garren sprawled on his side, deathly pale and bleeding profusely.
“Can you heal him?” Luella asked, her voice small and quavering.
Isolde’s hands already hovered over Garren. “I’ll try. ”
Felix shifted uneasily and looked around. The mercenaries were regrouping off to the side, dealing with their wounded. Caelian stood alone, bewildered. Isolde raised her head, looking for him.
“Please stay back,” she said. Her voice was quiet, but it carried across the gully effortlessly. Then she bent over Garren once more and closed her eyes.
“My lady…” Garren croaked, almost too quietly to hear. “Isolde. I am sorry.”
She shushed him, focused on the wound in his side.
The familiar blue glow gathered around her hands, her arms, pouring into Garren like the tide.
Felix figured the best way for him to help was to make sure she could perform her healing undisturbed, so he turned his back to them and kept his eyes on the mercenaries and the mage instead.
He studied their faces as Isolde worked her magic.
Their expressions varied from suspicious to curious to downright awestruck.
He felt it too. The hum of power, pulsing like a heartbeat.
He tried to remember if he had felt it with Leif, back in the village, but he couldn’t.
It wasn’t long until he heard Luella whisper, “Thank the Triad.” Felix turned just enough to look at Isolde.
She was sitting on her haunches, one hand on Garren’s arm.
Her face was tired, but her markings were still blue.
When her eyes caught his, she smiled with relief, like he was the only thing tethering her to the world.
Before he could go to her, one mercenary rushed forward. Felix stepped to intercept him.
“Please,” the man said frantically. “My friend… I know we fought you, but… She could save him, too.”
“Absolutely the fuck not,” Felix replied, crossing his arms. “Your friend is not our problem.”
But behind him, Isolde had already risen to her feet. “I’ll help if I can,” she said quietly.
Felix spun around, blocking her way. “No, you won’t. You have done enough. They made their choice. You don’t owe them anything, Isa.”
She levelled an even, determined glance at him. “Are you going to stop me?”
“They would have killed us. They might still try. Do you think they’d do the same for you? ”
Isolde didn’t flinch. “It doesn’t matter what they would have done. It matters what I do.” She took a step forward. “Let me do this,” she said quietly, “for me, not for them.”
Felix ground his teeth, then sighed deeply. “Fine.”
She pushed past him and followed the mercenary with Felix on her heels, hand hovering near his weapons.
The wounded friend was propped up against a boulder, clutching an arrow wound in his stomach.
Isolde knelt beside him, ignoring the incredulous stares of the other mercenaries.
Her hands hovered above his abdomen, trembling slightly.
Felix crouched near her, his eyes darting back and forth. “You sure about this?” he asked.
Isolde didn’t answer, but gathered power in her hands instead.
It was faster than with Garren, but he watched the colour gradually drain out of her as she worked her magic to draw the arrow from the wound.
Felix had to restrain himself several times; from making her stop, from hauling her away from these people who had wanted them dead only minutes ago.
When the lines on her skin darkened to an inky dark blue, Felix gently squeezed her arms. “Enough, Isa,” he said. “He’ll be fine now.” Or not, Felix didn’t particularly care.
Isolde exhaled slowly and nodded. When she tried to stand, though, she swayed on her feet. The mercenaries she’d helped both reached out, but Felix wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him, and took a step backwards.
“Back off, or I will undo all of her hard work, and no healing this time.”
The friend held up his hands in supplication. “I just wanted to help. I… thank you, my lady.”
“Yes, you’re most welcome, I’m sure. Now stay here,” Felix grumbled.
Isolde sagged against him but managed a small smile.
He scooped her up without another word and took her back to the only people around he trusted.
The mercenaries stared at her as he walked past, and their expressions made his skin crawl.
Disbelief, awe. Borderline veneration. What stories would they be telling the next time they ventured into a tavern?
Maybe he should kill them all, just in case.
“No more heroics,” he murmured as he shifted his grip on Isolde and held her a little tighter. “You hear me? I don’t care how many of these fuckers throw themselves bleeding at your feet.”
She didn’t reply, but let out the smallest chuckle and nestled her head against him.
Garren was standing up, still faintly pale but steady. Luella, Leif and Mia had made their way down the slope. They looked slightly battered, but were not much worse for wear. Mia was talking to Caelian a short distance away.
“Is she alright?” Garren asked, his voice hoarse.
Felix nodded. He decided against setting Isolde down and kept her in his arms instead, glaring at Garren and silently daring him to comment, but he merely got a severe nod in return.
Mia rejoined them, frowning. “Well,” she said, “the little mage was very apologetic. He thinks Isolde’s reaction was to his using magic, and he realizes he should have warned her.
Kaeloth had told him not to cast around her, apparently.
And the mercenaries had orders to kill us off and try to subdue Isolde if anything like this happened.
Caelian was horrified to learn about that.
Wonderful dynamics in their camp, clearly.
” She rolled her eyes. “They can do pretty spells, but mages are taught absolutely nothing about normal human interaction in those bloody towers.”
“And we’re still going to just walk into their hands?” Felix asked incredulously. “Knowing all that? What will stop them from trying again when we arrive?”
Isolde stirred. “Put me down, Felix.”
“No.”
She huffed. “Fine. They panicked. It was a mistake. They realize that now. I’m not afraid.”
Luella looked conflicted. “Garren could have died, Lady Isolde. You could have died. We were very lucky.”
Isolde sighed. “I have to go to the Nexus,” she said, her voice so quiet the others had to lean in to hear her. “It’s the only way.”
** *
They made camp close to the gully. The mercenaries busied themselves dealing with their fallen, maintaining a careful distance.
Night fell, and with it, the two camps quieted down.
Felix perched on a rock near his sleeping companions, keeping watch.
Isolde had been out like a candle the moment she bundled up in her bedroll.
Mia was curled up by the fire with Biscuit, who had shamelessly wormed his way into her blankets.
Leif lay sprawled out, limbs flung wide.
The soft crunch of boots on gravel broke the stillness. Felix straightened, one hand tightening around the handle of his axe, as a shadow emerged from the gloom. It was the mercenary captain. When he noticed Felix had spotted him, he stepped forward slowly, hands held up in a gesture of peace.
“What do you want?” Felix asked flatly. “She’s asleep.”
The captain chuckled. “A little protective of her, are you?”
Felix scowled.
“My name is Hawes,” the man said, extending a hand. When Felix ignored it, he shrugged and tucked his thumbs into his belt. “Just thought I’d say hello. See if all your companions are alright.”
“We’re fine, no thanks to you. Now run along.”
Hawes chuckled again. It grated on Felix’s nerves. “You’re good with a weapon. Better than most.”
“I know.”
Another chuckle. Infuriating. “I’ve seen my fair share of killers, mind you. Most are either elegant or brutal. Not often both. Where’d you learn to fight?”
Felix was rarely interested in small talk, and certainly not in flattery. “Look, Hawes. I don’t know why you’re here, kissing my ass in the middle of the night, but I’m not in the mood. Leave me alone.”
Hawes scratched his beard. “Look, man. I want to offer you a job. Second-in-command, if you want it. I know a hired sword when I see one, and you’re almost at your destination and – I am going out on a limb here – probably almost out of a job.
The Bears are a solid company, with good pay and steady work.
None of that southern ‘we’ll pay when the moon is right’ bullshit, either. ”
Felix stared at him, momentarily speechless. “I killed your second-in-command today,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now you’re offering me her job?”
Hawes shrugged. “I’m not a sentimental man. It’s not a job without risks, Rolla knew that.”
“Right, well, the answer is no.”
Hawes blinked in surprise. “You sure? It’s a good offer. We don’t hire just anyone.”
Was he being stupid? Felix hadn’t thought about what would come after.
He didn’t know what Isolde had in mind. She probably had plans, but would he be a part of them?
What would she still want with him once she reached the Nexus?
Once she had all the answers she was looking for?
Once her father inevitably returned into the picture?
His eyes swept over the sleeping figures of his companions, landing on Isolde last. If he wasn’t part of her plans yet, he’d simply have to convince her to change them.
“Yeah, I’m sure. I have things to do.”
“Hmm,” Hawes said. “The girl, eh? Sounds like a lot more trouble than it’s worth. Regardless, the offer is open if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
Hawes chuckled again as he walked off. Felix shifted, forcing himself to unclench his fingers from around his axe handle. He only got to enjoy a few minutes of peace before a new set of footsteps approached.
“That was well done,” Garren said quietly.
Felix glanced back, his eyes narrowing. “Didn’t know you were awake.”
“Didn’t know you could turn down easy gold,” Garren replied smoothly. Felix tried to study his face, but the darkness hid most of his expression.
“I’m not leaving her, Garren. I don’t care what you think,” he said.
“You think that will be for you to decide?”
Felix crossed his arms. “At least partially, yes. ”
He expected Garren to scoff, or even laugh. To make a derisive comment. But the older man simply nodded and gave Felix a highly uncharacteristic clap on the shoulder. “Well,” he said, “I hope you are prepared to fight for it. Because you’ll have to, before all is said and done.”
Before Felix could respond, Garren turned around and left him to his thoughts.
Felix stared after him. He didn’t know what would happen at the Nexus, and had even less of an idea of what would happen after.
It would have been wise, perhaps, to accept or at least consider this offer.
But he wasn’t very wise. Isolde was his, and he wasn’t about to give her up. Not for anything.