The words died as the massive wooden door in the Tree's trunk swung open of its own accord. Crystal light spilled out, illuminating Sebastian's blood-stained figure. He stumbled forward, one hand reaching out to touch the ancient wood. His lips moved in what might have been a whispered plea, too faint for anyone to hear.
The door opened wider, as if in response. Sebastian stepped through the threshold, into the heart of orc magic and mystery. Before Thornmaker could follow, the door began to close behind him.
"Sebastian!" Boarstaff called out, a sudden fear gripping him. Not of what Sebastian might do, but of losing him to the depths of his own pain.
Sebastian paused, looking back one last time. His face was pale as death, blood-streaked and hollowed by suffering, but his eyes, for just a moment, held something beyond pain. Recognition. Gratitude. Regret. A silent promise that transcended words.
"I chose," he whispered, so softly that perhaps only Boarstaff heard in his heart. Two simple words that carried the weight of centuries, of brotherhood severed and allegiances forged anew.
Then the door sealed shut with a sound like a final breath, leaving the village in stunned silence. The Heart Tree's branches trembled overhead, though no wind stirred the air.
Thornmaker turned to Boarstaff, concern evident in his expression. "This is unprecedented," he said, lowering his voice. "The Tree has never..." He shook his head. "But we have more urgent matters. What happened at the citadel?"
Boarstaff sagged against a nearby warrior, his strength finally giving out. "We were captured," he managed, the world starting to blur around the edges. "Sebastian killed his brothers to help me escape. Zarek and Dominic... both dead. House de la Sang will come with everything they have."
Shock rippled through the gathered crowd. Ochrehand pushed through, finally reaching Boarstaff's side. "He needs healing now," she declared, brooking no argument. "Questions can wait."
"No," Boarstaff said, forcing himself to remain conscious despite the darkness creeping into his vision. "No time. They're coming. Mobilize the warriors. Prepare the defenses."
"How soon?" Rockbreaker asked, stepping forward from the crowd.
"Soon." Boarstaff struggled to stay upright. "Cornelius won't wait. Not after what we've done."
The implications settled over the gathered orcs. The death of the heirs to House de la Sang would provoke a response unlike anything they had faced before. Border skirmishes, raids, hunting parties, those were the extent of their usual aggression. What was coming would be something else entirely.
"Gather the council here," Thornmaker ordered, gesturing for warriors to help support Boarstaff. "Bring Moonsinger and the others. With the Tree sealed, we'll meet in the healing house."
As they helped him toward the healing house, Boarstaff couldn't stop himself from looking back at the sealed Heart Tree entrance. Inside, Sebastian faced his demons alone, carrying the weight of killing his own brothers, of betraying his house, of choosing sides in a conflict that had defined their world for generations.
Boarstaff understood duty. Understood the burden of difficult choices. But the look in Sebastian's eyes as the door closed between them, that bottomless pain, raw grief stripped of mechanical regulation, that would haunt him long after his physical wounds had healed.
The village quickly erupted into organized chaos as warriors prepared defenses and families gathered supplies. Boarstaff struggled to remain conscious as Ochrehand began treating his wounds, while council members arrived to hear his account of what had happened at the citadel.
"Tell us everything," Moonsinger said as she entered the healing house, her ancient eyes sharp despite her years. "Leave nothing out."
Boarstaff nodded, wincing as Ochrehand cleaned a deep gash on his arm. "It began when we were ambushed in the forest," he started, his voice growing stronger as he spoke. "Zarek and Dominic had been tracking us. They already had Sebastian and knew exactly where I would be."
The council listened in stunned silence as he recounted his capture, the citadel's cold mechanical precision, Sebastian's reconditioning, and their desperate escape. He told them of the fight in the chamber, of Sebastian's agonizing choice to kill his own brothers. Of how they had stolen horses and fled through the night, pursued by guards they had narrowly evaded.
"Sebastian saved my life," Boarstaff concluded, meeting each council member's gaze in turn. "He chose us over hisfamily, his house, everything he's known for centuries. Whatever else happens, we owe him sanctuary."
Thornmaker's expression was troubled. "The Tree has granted him that much, at least," he said. "But what comes next..." He glanced toward the sealed entrance, visible through the healing house window. "We've never faced the full might of House de la Sang. Not in living memory."
"Then we prepare as never before." Boarstaff attempted to rise despite Ochrehand's protests. "We call in every ally. We fortify the village." His voice dropped lower. "And we hope that whatever happens in there strengthens our side rather than creates something worse."
"You rest," Ochrehand interrupted firmly, pushing him back down. "At least until the bleeding stops. The council can begin preparations without you killing yourself from exhaustion."
As the council dispersed to their tasks, Boarstaff finally surrendered to Ochrehand's ministrations, allowing her to do a shaman’s duty to her warchief. But even as she worked, his gaze kept returning to the Heart Tree, where Sebastian had disappeared into darkness.
"He's in terrible pain," Ochrehand said quietly, following Boarstaff's gaze. "Not just his body."
"I know," Boarstaff replied. "He killed his brothers to save me. To save us. Whatever they had become, they were still his family."
Ochrehand paused. "The Tree called to him for a reason. It has never sealed itself with an outsider inside before. Whatever healing he needs, perhaps only the Tree can provide it."
Boarstaff nodded, though the thought brought little comfort. "And if it can't?"
She had no answer for that. Neither of them did.
