“More than okay.” Oriel grinned, draping an arm around him. “It'd be pretty hypocritical of me not to be, really. They're both hot little pieces – I didn't think you had it in you.”
Lephas glowered but allowed Oriel to steer him from the barn.
“Hey, maybe you could get thembothto–”
“Not another fucking word!” Lephas laughed. “Keepyour fantasies to yourself. It's really not like that.”
“You're missing a golden opportunity, that's all I'm saying. They're both super grateful to you right now, yeah?”
“You are sick in the head.”
Had he really been concerned that Oriel would be angry or disappointed in him? He should have known better. Zelrus, on the other hand... He swallowed.
Lephas followed obediently behind Oriel as they exited the barn, immediately hit by an icy blast. The prince pulled the barn door closed behind them.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” the commander shouted.
“After I heard about the ambush, I wanted to check in on Magna and Indi. Just to make sure they were alright. If the King's Guard are patrolling the woods, I wanted to be here. Just in case,” he replied.
“Fair enough.” Lephas nodded.
He knew how Oriel felt about Magna – she was, more or less, his mother. The old demon had been his nurse when he was growing up, before King Tennul met his untimely end.
He knew very little about Indi. He had heard the prince and Zelrus mention her occasionally, but Lephas wasn't sure of exactly how the mysterious faerie hadcome to be part of their lives.
The men fought their way back towards the farmhouse, the windows glowed invitingly through the snow storm. Oriel shoved the door open and they stumbled inside, eager to get out of the cold.
Both Indi and Lori jumped to their feet.
“Boots off please, boys,” Magna called from the kitchen She didn't look up from the tea she was steeping.
Lephas and Oriel obediently kicked their shoes off. Oriel shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on a peg near the doorway. The commander followed suit, trying not to get too much wet, melting snow on the floor.
He glanced around at the strange sight before him. Raxx stood silently, as always, in a shaded corner. Faye was curled under a blanket on one end of a soft upholstered chair, looking shell-shocked. Both Indi and Lori had been sat beside her, but were now on their feet.
A fire crackled in the fireplace, filling the room with warmth. Though it was quite spacious inside the cottage, with so many people huddled together it felt cosy and intimate.
Indi shot forwards and wrapped her arms eagerly around Oriel's middle. The prince grunted with a breathless laugh as she hit him with force, but returned the embrace.
Lori stood frozen in place and her eyes were wide with uncertainty. Lephas knew she desperately wanted to run to him, as much as he wanted her to. Her face was creased with concern but she sat down slowly, sinking beside her sister once more. Her hands were balled with frustration in her lap.
Before Lephas had a chance to do anything, Karn trotted happily from one of the back rooms to meet him. The commander knelt and grabbed the wolf in an affectionate headlock.
“And what exactly are you doing here anyway, eh?” He laughed as Karn licked his jaw.
“I'm afraid he was in a bit of a sorry state when he arrived,” Indi explained, untangling herself from Oriel. The prince wandered away into the kitchen to help Magna with the tea.
“He'd lost a lot of blood, but thankfully he made it here before it was too late. I was able to heal him.”
The faerie reached a hand out to smooth Karn affectionately. The wolf closed his eyes, looking blissfully happy.
“Wow, he likes you,” Lephas muttered.
“Karn and I have become good friends.” Indi smiled. “He's told me all about you.”
“I... Uh, what?” the commander stuttered.
“Oh, sorry – I thought Oriel might have told you. I speak with animals, it's my thing.” The faerie smiled with a casual shrug, as if it were something trivial.
