Vaehandre: Where The Stars Fall [Under Revision]

Chapter 47: Reform

The Lord of Rathorn sat on a chair beside Ingrid in the infirmary. When he saw the daylight pick through the doorway, he leaned closer to Ingrid and held her hand.

Her brows furrowed and she woke from her slumber with a tear falling down her cheek.

"Sorry, I forgot you could read... I didn't mean to upset you," Aiden said as he tore his hand away from her.

"It's okay." She shifted her body to face him. "I thought of Brum when you were wounded."

"I just—"

"You just don't want to lose anyone close to you again," Ingrid put in.

Aiden placed his elbows on his knees. "When Lôra died in my arms." He clasped his hands. "I got scared when you didn't wake up."

Slowly sitting up, Ingrid asked, "Did you sleep at all last night."

The White Knight smiled. "Don't worry about me."

"Guess who's at our gate, Aiden," a frustrated voice came from the hallway.

Henry glanced at Ingrid, raised a brow then looked back at Aiden.

"Who's at the gate?" Aiden replied with a hoarse voice.

"It's Hesev and a boy. He says he wants to make amends."

"I'll talk to him."

"My Lord—"

Raising his hand, he lifted his forefinger. "There's more to this than what we think we know." He stood up with an effort.

"You're getting some rest after this."

"After."

He turned his head and faced Ingrid, "Will you be alright?"

"I've got Gytha here." She motioned to her fellow mage when she appeared by the door.

Aiden and Henry walked into the great hall. There he stood alone and armed with only a hunting knife.

"I'm glad to see you've recovered, my lord," the Prime hunter said with a bow.

Pacing forward two steps more, the Lord of Rathorn replied, "And how are your men taking this change in strategy."

Hesev only tilted his head.

Aiden stepped forward. "How sure are you that there aren't more like Hesev in your ranks?"

"I'm sure that if there are, my lord. They'd be too fearful to do anything now."

The Lord of Rathorn shrugged.

"I've also got wind of the extent of Emil's betrayal."

Aiden glanced at Henry with a skeptical eye. "Alard's brother?"

"Alaric was killed by Emil's new recruit. He must have fed him lies about our leadership. He was only 16."

A frown grew on Aiden's face.

Hesev's nostrils flared. "I didn't understand why he killed the boy at first. And I didn't understand how a boy could kill Alaric. He was poisoned." He looked Aiden in the eyes. "I've only ever wanted to look after my people. I didn't know what my men were truly capable of and for that, I will always be making amends."

"And what of the illness," Hemry asked.

"A little bird might know the answer to that," Hesev said to him.

Henry's eyes widened. "You'd let a boy spy for you again!"

"I didn't send him out there this time. He followed Emil when I told him about the traitor's involvement in his father's death."

He glanced at the windows and at the door. "Reeve saw something the other night, he only told me about it this morning." Moving closer, he lowered his voice. "There is a dark sorcerer among us."

"How sure are you of this?" Henry questioned.

"Reeve saw a hooded man drain the life out of one of my men. He said it was as if his skin grew darker the more he struggled and all that was left of him was mere skin and bones. What would you say that was, Knight Protector?"

"So that's why he was there to help," Henry said under his breath.

"The boy is conflicted now."

Aiden moved his head from side to side. "Maybe we should be the ones protecting him."

"He's there by my horse now."

All three of them walk to the entrance. They saw a boy wrapped in wool.

"I'll leave him here with you," Hesev said to them and took a step forward.

"We'll escort you back into the city," Aiden said. "We can't leave our allies unprotected now can we."

"I suppose we've all got targets on our backs now."

"The struggle's only just begun."