Wherever I Am

Chapter 24 - Part 2

I pulled my rain poncho on. The winds had been picking up all day, and we'd been racing the incoming clouds to Suata and lost by less than a quarter-hour. Around the bend and up the hill was all that was left, but it was also the difference between semi-dry and soaked if I didn't put on the poncho. At least we might get there before everything got muddy.

I took the lead as we took the road up to Suata Manor, just as Emil had for Bacea, a contingent along either side of me and the other Realm personalities. Ellie followed me, but I wasn't sure beyond that, the ponchos obscuring identities. Our ducklings were farther back. As we rounded the walls, there was a lot of movement in the rain.

"Sobecks," the cavalier next to me yelled, and I spurred my horse. The manor was under attack.

As we moved to close, my long blade in my hand, a howl went up, followed by others, and the Sobecks turned and fled. They weren't as quick as our horses, and with the area burned, they had no underbrush to hide in. I stabbed and slashed, dropping several. So did the others. A bow twanged, and Ellie rode next to me, her poncho slung to one side, putting arrows in those farther ahead, and either slowed or dropped them.

It wasn't long before there were no more in sight, and we turned back, letting the cavaliers and foot soldiers finish off the fallen wounded. There was a group around a fallen body, and I dismounted there.

Doina was bandaging Reginar's nose and eye, and he was breathing heavily, muttering "Stupid" over and over.

"What was stupid?"

"Lord Kevin?" His good eye focused on me, and he continued. "Me. One I was after decided to quit running and damn near got his spear point through my eye socket. I'll have to get back to Lauretti to handle this. He did get my cornea, plus the bridge of my nose, according to this fine Maid. Shit."

"We'll get him to the manor in a few minutes, Milord," Doina said. "Please help those others who are hurt."

I nodded and mounted up.

I wasn't sure with the rain coming down, but it didn't look awful, at least in that it didn't look like that first village we saw. This was an actual battle, with at least as many Sobecks down as soldiers. I didn't see women or children on the ground, and the wounded were already being hauled off.

I turned to the manor house through the protective gates. Aside from some wounded being carried in, there were no signs of battle here. Someone took my horse, and I stepped onto the porch, surprised to see Ellie, Nathan, and Sinense in my wake. As we entered, we handed our ponchos to some preteen and saw Teo lying across a woman's legs, another sewing a long gash across his ribs. A pale Oana held his hand as he whimpered.

She held another hand, this one kneeling face-down in another woman's lap, blond hair bloody. Sobs came from there as the woman held the hair back to clean that wound.

"Eliza?"

"Yes, Lord Uncle Kevin."

I felt my shoulders drop as I looked at Oana. She dropped her gaze. "We were stabbing eyes, but one of them wasn't dead, Lord Uncle Kevin. He grabbed my foot, but it only hurts."

"He's dead now, Lord Kevin. We killed him," Teo finished before letting out a grunt of pain.

"Oana," Ellie said, her voice low.

Oana raised her head, eyes meeting Ellie's. "We'll stab them in the back before we turn them over, Aunt Maid Ellie."

Ellie looked at me, confusion on her face. Mine was probably the same, and we jumped when Nathan quit tousling Teo's hair and said, "You can't ask for more than that." I saw him shaking his head as he continued down the hallway, following another preteen boy. Someone's page, I suddenly realized.

We ended up in Boian's office or den or whatever a Primor called his man cave. I'd never asked. Boian's wife, Lady Sabina, stood inside, placing wine glasses on the table, and curtsied as we entered.

"We'll have food brought in momentarily, Milords and Maids of Honor."

"No," Sinense barked. "We're not important right now. Get everyone helping those who are hurt."

Sabina looked at Sinense, then me, and I nodded. We should help, but I didn't know what to do.

Ellie grabbed a bottle, and I pulled her arm back, taking the bottle away. "No."

Her eyes went wide, but she let go.

Sinense looked around. "Where's Sorina and Mara?"

I shrugged.

"They're already helping," Ellie said. "We need to go help them." She grabbed Sinense's wrist and dragged her out the door.

Nathan looked at me, panic on his face. "We should do something?"

"I dunno," I replied and dropped into the chair.

"Kevin, are you okay?"

I let out a deep breath. I could still do that. "This was supposed to be our home base. It was supposed to be our safe place to retreat to. I've got three kids wounded, plus Reginar. Who knows how many others we lost here, and we haven't even started. I was leaving the kids here because it was safe. Now I'm leaving them because they're wounded." I stood back up. "I need to see Radu, Stefan, Gabriel, Mara, and Sorina. I need to put eyes on each of them."

"Let's do it, dude," Nathan responded. "We'll find them, dude. We'll find them."

We did, Radu with the other kids, muddy but unhurt. All four girls together helping triage the wounded. Cornelia talked with Gabriel while Stefan stood quietly next to him and put a finger up when we got close.

"You did what you had to do, Gabriel, and you saved that Cavalier. Stefan said you shot a couple of Sobecks, which is impressive. You'll be okay." She smiled at us as she turned him around.

His pale face looked up at me. I fought the urge to hug him, but Stefan slapped his shoulder.

"S-s-sir Lucian got tr-tr-tr-trapped under-under his horse. A So-so-sobeck was g-g-g-g-g-oing to stab him, b-b-but Gabby j-j-j-j-jumped off his horse and sta-sta-stabbed the b-b-b-b-bastard in his throat. It...it was awesome."

"I...I missed my shot, so I had to do something." Gabriel looked at his feet. "I killed it." It was like he couldn't believe it.

"You-you-you sure di-di-did," Stefan said. "S-sir Lucian h-h-hurt his leg, b-b-b-but," and he took a deep breath and paused. "He'll b-be...okay. Wh-wh-where's Sorina?"

"She and the other Maids are helping with the injured," Nathan said. "Some of the kids got hurt, but Radu's okay," he continued, seeing Gabriel's head jerk up.

"What now, Lord Kevin?"

I followed the voice to Cornelia, then shrugged. "It'll take a while to assess everything, I guess. Everyone is doing something except me, and I feel useless right now."

"Dude, you got like five or eight of those things when they were running, so you aren't useless. I don't know if I even hit one. I'm the useless one, but I'm just thrilled to be alive."

I nodded. That was probably true, and both boys were staring at me like I had done something wonderful. All I'd done was cut them down as they were running away. Nothing noble about that, but they deserved it for attacking us.

"Lord Kevin," Cornelia said. "Is there somewhere they set up for you?"

I nodded, still looking back at the boys.

"Let's all go back there, so they know where to find you."