16. Rorin
Rorin
I left the room after only a few hours on the floor.
Exhaustion took me under again once I was seated at my desk until Bennett woke me up. According to him, Eveera’s military had arrived. They’d managed to speed up their travels thanks to Armond making them aware of the hot spots to avoid. I quickly throw myself together and we head down to the stables. I want eyes on the two armies cohabitating with one another.
The door to my bedroom was still closed and I figured after the night Eveera had it would be best to not disturb her, figuring that someone would come to get her eventually. Imagine my surprise when I come down to the stables and find her already in them. From where I stand I can hear parts of the conversation she's having with Ezra. I’d love to say it was hard to eavesdrop but the blonde’s voice carries, “—hide it better next time, Eveera. I don’t want to be woken up a second time by your new toy bitching about something he has no business knowing. ”
Her head falls back, a laugh rattling her chest, “unbelievable. So the only reason he could have possibly noticed is because you think I’m fucking him?!” She shouts.
“Wait—you slept with him?!” Axel exclaims, his finger landing on me as he walks into the stables.
I step out around the corner of my horse's stall, leaning against the wood. “Slept with who, again?” I ask, smugly.
Axel points again for emphasis, “YOU!” He shouts.
Eveera grabs her guard’s hand dragging it down to his side. “No, Axel, I did not sleep with him!”
I can’t help the grin that twitches at the corner of my mouth. “Well…I mean technically last night after everything…” I tease.
She shoots me a scathing look before snapping. “Stop it.” My mouth breaks out into a broad smile as Axel’s jaw drops. The fact that she is so offended only makes me want to drag this on more.
Ezra huffs and hoists himself in his saddle, looking down at her. “All I know is we were woken up, raked over the damn coals and there you were being paraded around like some half naked animal clawing at his arms and back. Looked like you were in some sort of sick lovers spat.”
Even from several feet away I notice her hands are flexing in and out trying to control her Wield enough to climb up on her horse. “Well thank you for thinking me a whore, Ezra. Truly. But I am not sleeping with him,” she shoots me another scowl, “not that that would be your concern. Secondly, we are here for a job and you are repeatedly diverting from it with your need to claim me like I’m some prized broodmare!” He looks so stricken it's like she slapped him across the face. “Set aside your personal grievances, I am tired of your hysterics, Commander Wake. ”
He huffs again and swivels his horse around, storming off towards base alone. I mount my horse and sidle up next to her. “They think we’re sleeping together?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes, “ that’s all you gathered?”
“Let me be clear," I start my horse passing by hers, "if we were sleeping together – there wouldn’t be any confusion around it. From anyone. Least of all you.”
She snorts from behind me . “Good thing we aren’t sleeping together then.”
“ Good thing.”
The briefing tent is a full house; my captains, Bennett, and Will were all standing with as much space between them and our guests as possible. The Obsids stand off by the tent's exit. Their stand stoically, her captains looking just as fearsome as their Vast counterparts.
Where I have common folk fighting our battles, these men, women, and beings are hardened soldiers. Battle-worn soldiers. The years of fighting the outer land creatures evident on their faces and in their eyes.
“Ah-hem. I trust you’ve all had a moment to acquaint yourselves.” I ask, followed by a round of nods. “The reality is—”
“The reality is,” Eveera cuts in, “the battle plans you Vellarans have are shit.” Subtle, I think. “Truth be told I don’t have any idea how you’re all still alive. Especially with those weapons they pulled out on us yesterday. What would you have done if we hadn’t come in to save your asses…”
The room goes still, awkward tensions rising at her brazenness. I lay my hand on her shoulder leaning down to whisper in her ear. “I think they get it, Nightmare . ”
She straightens at the nickname peering up at me through her lashes. “Well, I’m just saying. I mean honestly the plans are laughable and—” I grab her chin between my thumb and forefinger, raising her gaze to mine.
“Stop telling us what we’ve done wrong and tell us what to do next.” Her face is full of contradictory feelings. A war between irritation and compliance. She opens her mouth to speak when one of my infantrymen bursts in the room.
“THEY’RE—” He takes a sharp breath as his hands wave frantically behind him, “THE FRONT LINES.” An explosion sounds off close by and everyone in the room ducks down out of instinct. I wrap my free arm around her pulling her to the ground with me. “I fucking told you we should’ve already retaliated.” She snaps.
The two of us are a tangled mess on the ground for a moment before she’s wiggling out of my grip and barking orders at everyone. She’s out of the tent before anyone else is, leaving the group to scramble after her and into the throng of chaos. Once outside, Eveera looses her Wield freely. Her tendrils are leaking from her palms, flooding the ground where she steps.
Based on her Wield’s residual path she’s headed straight for the fields with no horse and only a few weapons on her. I don’t need to tell Eveera’s men what to do, they’ve already taken off ahead of me.
“ Would it kill you to wait for backup?” I snap, the words are thrown into her mind as Bennett passes my horse off to me.
“ Wasn’t a part of my itinerary for the day.” She retorts.
My horse follows the river of black magic leading towards the explosions. The field looks like it’s been bruised. The purple of Baelor’s military is a stark contrast against the gold and black of our men and women. I grip the hilt of my sword freeing it from the sheath at my hip, my horse and I taking off at a breakneck speed, my blade at the ready. Once down in the battle the wails of the injured, the squelching of a blade slicing the skin, and the clank of metal on metal ring throughout my ears. THUD! I land a kick in the face of a soldier aiming to gut my horse. My steed swivels back to trample over him the before I run back towards the thick of battle.
Pain laces up my arm almost costing me my sword, “Fuck!” I look down to find where I’ve been struck only to see the rune engraved into my flesh glowing a bright and angry red. Eveera. My eyes don’t have the luxury to scan for her long before my sword is meeting flesh again. What’s left of my kills continues to meet the hooves of my horse and as the pain intensifies I lose my grip on my Wield. The panic to find her has superseded the need to control it and soon the familiar symphony of those choking on air echoes out. Bodies drop to the ground one by one around me, fighting for their breath.
The little wraith is still evading my sight so instead I try reaching for her, mind to mind. “ Eveera? ”
A few seconds pass and her breathy voice filters in, “ LITTLE” Pant. “ BUSY” Another. “ HERE!” Relief at hearing her response gives me enough reprieve to pull back my Wield. Unnatural screams erupt from the left of me so I take off in the direction of them. The closer I get the easier it is for me to see that there are a few soldiers lucky enough to be a little more resistant to her magic. Their swords are poised at her back. From my right, a distant flash of blonde rushes towards her. The larger of the two Guards closes in on her first she spins on her heel at the last second her concentration snapping on her Wield as she narrowly blocks his blow. I can’t make this damn horse go any faster. Ezra is at her back fighting off the second Guard. The Guard takes a slow swipe at Ezra’s knees, I watch in horror as he jumps back colliding into Eveera. The next moments seem to go by almost in slow motion. Ezra’s body knocks her off her balance and in that same moment the Guard she’s fighting slices his sword across her abdomen. “NO!” I shout. Against my will an image of her mother’s gutted body flashes through my mind.
“ How poetic.” Her voice echoes quietly. I scramble off the back of my horse, running to her. Ezra having finally slain his opponent notices her bleeding and torn body in a heap on the ground. Rage clouds both of our faces at the Guard who gutted her looks down proudly. A whistle whips through the air followed by a, THWWUUMMP! Her assailant’s body crumples next to hers. From the corner of my eye I see Bennett breathing heavily and lowering his crossbow.
I hold a vice-like grip on my Wield as I watch Ezra fall to his knees next to her and drape his hands over her body. His wails echo as he presses down on her stomach trying to keep her together.
“GET OFF OF HER!” I shout, dropping down opposite of him. With a shove I tear him away from Eveera and gather her into my arms. Those golden eyes are already glassing over and her breaths are getting shallower. My foot lands a blow into Ezra’s side, keeping him down on the ground. My Wield is volatile underneath my skin, desperate to be allowed out as I carefully put her across my horse’s back, doing my best to hold her stomach closed. “Come on, Nightmare.” I mutter over her. “You’ve got to live, so you can tell me how much you hate me. You’ve got to live long enough to do that, to say that, okay?” I don’t know why I say it, if it’s more for myself or for her. But I repeat the words over and over again as we power back to camp. I should be concerned with the casualties, I should be concerned with what this will mean for further attacks, I should be concerned with anything but Eveera. But right now, looking at her splayed open - nothing could be of more importance than her.
“WE NEED A DAMN HEALER MAGE!” I carry her limp body into the nearest tent. We’re both soaked through with her blood. My eyes are trained on the rise and fall of her chest where her breaths are still too shallow. “Come on, Nightmare! DO NOT CLOSE THOSE EYES.” I scream through the seal, I’d shake her if her organs wouldn’t spill out at the motion.
Mages rush around us. They pull at my hands, but my grip only tightens on her body not wanting to release her. They settle on shoving me in the direction of their work table for me to lay her on. Relenting, I step back from her and let them work. My teeth saws my bottom lip between them. The commotion around me sounding like nothing more than white noise. I stare at her face - her eyes are closed now. I don’t know when they shut, if her body gave out or if the mages closed them.
“Oh, E…” Axel whispers, I glance back at him in enough time to see his face fall. His hand outstretched towards her but he doesn’t move from the entrance of the tent, no doubt to avoid getting in the way of the only people who could fix her.
I dip my head, turning towards him as Armond joins us in the tent. “Where is he?” I growl out.
“He feels bad enough, princeling.” Armond snarls back at me.
“I assure you, he doesn’t.” Axel’s eyes are glassy as he looks at his queen cracking something in my chest. The looks he has on his face is…that look…is pure devotion. Which is why gives up the answer for Ezra’s whereabouts.
“Sitting with the brothers outside. Berating himself.” His gaze never leaves her torn body. I peel out of the tent so fast I almost knock over Will who is standing outside. He opens his mouth to speak but thinks better of it quickly as he follows my gaze towards my target.
Ezra - is sitting out with Maxwell and Orem just like Axel said. His head is in his hands, blood dripping from the blonde strands. “Get up.” I bark. Both the brothers stand up and move in front of their commander who doesn’t budge from his spot. I ram the hilt of my sword into Orem’s shoulder pushing him out of my way. “I said. Get. Up.”
He reluctantly looks at me. His stare is red and his cheeks have tear tracks down them. Pathetic, I think. This is the man she had a relationship with? My stomach twists at the thought, anger bubbling in my chest.
His words come out in a low hiss. “Excuse me, princeling?”
“Did I fucking stutter, Wake? I said— get up.” When he doesn’t move quickly enough after the third command, I grab him by the nape of his neck and drag him along with me. I drag him all the way into the tent where the mages are still frantically working. “Look. At. Her.” My hold on his neck yanks his head upwards but he fights to keep his eyes cast down. The coward.
My hand moves up from his nape and tangles into his hair. With a swift tug I yank back hard, jerking his chin up. “I SAID LOOK AT HER!” His eyes finally snap up. “ You are the reason she is like this.” The struggle to get away from me intensifies. I loosen my handle on him enough that he spins himself into my chest putting his knife against my throat. “ME?! I’M THE REASON? She was on that fucking field because of her stupid damn agreement with you! You are the reason, princeling .”
I dig my throat into his blade, “she knows how to handle herself, and you hate it. So you treat her like a petulant child. In fact, she was handling herself and you” I stab my finger into his breastplate, “you cut her concentration . ”
“She was open and vulnerable! ” He shouts back at me.
I shake my head, “you were supposed to have her back! Not collide into it! Gods, do you know how to fucking fight spine to spine? Should’ve left that to me we do a great job at it.” I taunt, his face contorting into rage. “You’re callous mistake left her impaled on someone’s blade. You want to blame me for her being here? Fine, but you only have yourself to blame for her being on that table.” I’m spitting into his face at this point.
“He took a sword to my knees!” He shouts as if that’s a good enough explanation.
“Then you take that fucking sword to the knees. Better your lose your legs than she her life.” He’s at a loss for words, the knife dropping down to his side as he backs away. The smell of tonics, antiseptics, and ointments fill the air along with our silence. The mages are tense from the outburst their combined mists glow so brightly it almost hurts as they work to stitch back together what they can of her abdomen.
It’s going to leave a nasty scar with a wound that deep. His eyes flick to her for a moment as regret washes over his face. I snatch his wrist before he can take any steps towards her. “Back outside, dog. You don’t deserve to be near her right now.”
He stalls, glaring at me instead of moving. “Wake.” Axels snaps, “go back outside.”
Once he’s gone I resume my role staring at her counting each of those, painfully slow, shallow breaths. “ Open those eyes, Nightmare. You weren’t supposed to close them…please open them.” She doesn’t say anything back, her body laying as still as a statue, while the rest of us wait.
Three hours later and the three of us are still here watching her. Waiting. Will and the rest of her men wait outside. Ezra tried to come back in at one point only for Axel to chuck one of Eveera’s stars at him. I appreciated that, I won’t lie. Saved me from doing something similar. Except I wouldn’t have purposefully missed.
“Ror.” Bennett steps in, briefly glancing at the queen in her state. “The captains, they all want to speak with you. Breakdown on casualties, resources, and whatnot.”
I shake my head, “can it wait?”
“I’ll go.” Armond speaks up. He places a kiss on Eveera’s head, mumbling something meant only for her ears.
Axel speaks quietly once Armond leaves. “I told you she makes terrible decisions.” He mutters.
“She didn’t choose to be sliced open across her waist.” I snarl.
He lets out an agitated sigh. “Not the wound.” He snaps motioning towards the opening of the tent. From the slight crack I see the blonde’s head. Ezra.
Now that we can both agree on, I say in my head.
“I have to tell you though if she dies while on this escapade for you? I’ll split you open, balls to chin.” I nod threading my hands through the sweaty mop of hair on top of my head. If she dies, I’ll let him.
“Only fair.” I grunt.
“Then we understand each other.” He says, satisfied with the threat.
I understand, alright.
Armond came back another hour later, the three of us sitting in silence again until a shallow rattled breath gasps out in the tent. All of us jump up to our feet at the noise.
“E?” Axel asks tentatively. .
“Ugh, bleeding gods that hurt.” A strangled sort of sob left her man as he threw himself on her. “ Oof. Easy there you big softie.” She pats his shoulder as best she can from her position.
“Axel, if you add to her pain, you’ll be the next one needing healer mages.” I gripe. Her piercing gold eyes flit over his shoulder to me. “ You had me worried there.” I say.
Her brow cocks, “ scared you’re shiny new toy was busted, were you?”
“ Glad to see being almost disemboweled hasn’t affected that mouth of yours.”
A dangerous smile graces her face, “ thinking about my mouth now, too?” This damn woman.
Axel looks between the two of us, confusion marring his dark eyes. “Uhm, not to interrupt whatever…” He waves his hand between the two of us, “this is. But, she just got fucking split open. Can we do the weird stare off contest later?” He strokes a hand through her hair, his eyes going soft again. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart? An uncomfortable feeling flickers to life in my chest at his use of the endearment.
“I feel like I almost died. How the gods else am I supposed to feel? You try being gutted and then hauling ass on a horse with your insides dangling from you.”
He grimaces just as Bennett comes in to find me again. His face grim from whatever news he’s brought with him. He motions for me to follow him and I look back at Eveera. “I’ll be right back.” I say to her.
Her face screws up into a frown “I’ll come with.” She states matter of factly.
“You were gutted.” I argue .
She gives me a pointed look, “I am not a child. I can walk a few fucking feet. Besides now I’m all fixed up. See, your kingdom is worth a damn for something.”
The briefing tent was just as chaotic as earlier, only this time the smell of death and disappointment hangs over everyone. All of us are still bearing most of the blood from earlier too. Whether it’s more our own or others I am not sure.
“What I want to know is how the hell they retaliated so quickly.” Will barks sparking arguments to break out all around the room. Accusations are thrown Eveera’s way by one of my captains who questions her on why killing General Thornbirk didn’t buy us more time.
“It didn’t work because none of you listened to a damn word I said. I told you they would retaliate quickly. Never mind my battle knowledge or my military’s. Never mind the fact they’ve bested you guys almost every time. Of course they launched an attack.” She snaps.
I rest a hand on her shoulder. “According to Queen Eveera they have some newfangled weaponry. Ballistas…and others I need to look into. Baelor is…resourceful we all know that already.” I wouldn’t be surprised if Baelor were just sitting back accumulating soldiers. What he lacks in a Wield he wants to make up for in brute force and numbers and now apparently in ammunition.
A voice I don’t recognize takes a turn, the boy it came from looks around nervously, “maybe this is all a lost cause.” He says quietly. He wears captain’s colors on his armor but they look too big for him. Mentally, I count my captains noticing one missing and then my eyes fall to the kid. Regret blooms in my chest, realization dawning that the kid probably just got promoted thanks to his commanding officer dying.
“Snap out of those thoughts Captain or you’ll end up dead or wishing that you were.” Bennett orders.
Nobody talks for awhile until I hear a slight gasp from Eveera. “Oh gods.” She says quietly. “How did I not realize?”
“Realize what?” I ask low into her ear.
She looks up at me, her hand smoothing across her bandaged stomach. The motion sends a twinge of guilt through me. Ezra’s right, I am also a reason that she ended up the way she did today.
“We have a leak.” She answers.
“What do you mean?” Another captain of mine asks.
She falls forward, bracing her hands on the edge of the wooden table. Her face is twisted in pain as she finishes her thought. “I mean , yesterday, I saw someone. Someone in a very noticeably gold armored uniform.”
Will sputters, “and you didn’t think to mention that yesterday?” His answer is the swish of the tent flap as she walks away from the conversation. “Great. Off she goes, again.” He grits. The captains begin arguing, trying to work out a plan so I signal for Bennett and Will to take over, while I step outside after her.
Following her has become a recurring theme, you realize that right? The voice inside my head chastises as cool air hits my cheeks. “Eveera!” She stops and slowly turns back around. “Hey, where are you going?”
“Ugh, why are all of the men in my life so needy." She pouts as I frown down at her. "I’m going to go handle our leak.”
I’m stunned for a moment, shocked that she feels healed enough to do whatever it is she’s about to. “Do uh- do you even know who it is? ”
She smiles, walking her fingers up my arm and then patting my cheek with as much condescension she can muster, “of course I don’t. That’s the fun part. I get to figure it out, and then I get to play.”
Oh good. My base camp is going to become Eveera’s little shop of horrors. Perfect.