Eventually the chaos settles. Serath and Vessara sit close together, catching up in quiet voices. Therin sprawls in a chair, tankard of ale in one hand, because of course he found ale within minutes of returning. Caelum sinks into a chair near him, resting his head against the backrest. He closes his eyes. The exhaustion shows on his face now.
Kaelith meets mygaze.
Is he all right?The question in his eyes is clear.
I give a half-shrug.He’s trying.
When Vel slips in and takes her usual position by the wall, her eyes go straight to Caelum. She argued for ending his suffering. She thought it was crueler to keep him alive than to let him go. I wonder what she’s thinking now, seeing him sitting here.
She catches me watching and lifts her chin slightly. She won’t apologize for what she said, but there’s something in her expression that might be relief … and regret.
“Now everyone is here …” I turn to look at Therin. “Report.”
“Everyone is ready to move. If Kaelith is ready, the first group can travel within the week.”
Kaelith nods, moving to the table. “We can handle it. Sorel will leave tomorrow to oversee things. We will have everyone safely away from there within three weeks.”
I nod. “Any news from your contacts?”
“Yes. Today. I’ve had confirmation that Ivylock rotates their guards every six weeks. There’s a scheduled changeover due in three weeks time. I suggest we target them coming out of the preserve. That way we know for sure the guards we take have inside knowledge of the preserve.” He taps the map. “The road narrows about half a day out from Ivyock. A good place for an ambush.”
“We will need to scout it in advance.” Caelum opens his eyes. He’s been listening, taking it in, and learning the shape of this new war we’re fighting.
“Agreed. Anything else?”
Kaelith shakes his head.
“Then let’s leave it here for tonight.”
Therin is on his feet before I’m finished talking. “I’m ready for bed.Someof us have been in the saddle for days.” He claps Caelum on the shoulder as he passes. “Don’t disappearon us again.”
“I’ll try not to.”
“Caelum, your room is four doors down from here on the right. Serath, you’re in the one directly opposite him,” Vessara says. “I had them prepared as soon as Therin told us you were here.”
They all filter out. Kaelith walks out with Therin, followed by Vessara and Serath. Sorel and Vel leave together.
And then it’s just me and Caelum.
“You should rest as well,” I say.
“Probably.” He doesn’t move. “But I’ve been still for a long time. I’m not quite ready to go back to that yet.”
“Fair enough.”
We sit in silence for a while. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s the silence of two people who have known each other long enough that words aren't always necessary. I’ve sat like this a hundred times before. Before battles. After them. In the long watches of the night when sleep wouldn’t come and talking felt like too much effort.
“I know Vel wanted to mercy-kill me,” he says eventually. “I heard you fighting over it.”
“She thought it was the kinder option.”
He laughs, a rusty sound. “Of course she did. She doesn’t do well with emotions. Easier to cut them off at the source.”
“She means well.”
“I know. But you disagreed with her.”
“I wasn’t ready to give up on you. None of us were.”
