Once Upon A Fae

Chapter 28

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."

Mother Teresa

Chapter 28

Dmitri led his mate out of the tunnel and into the light. Clasped tightly in his arms was the damaged Solaris teen while Faith clung onto Jaden. The dust from the cave in had ravaged the teens already damaged lungs, now his fight to live was heralded by each gasping breath.

Yelling for Luch, Dmitri sat upon the cold ground, cradling the male close to his chest for warmth. Faith sat beside him, quite tears streaming down her face. They had already lost so much, was it too much to ask for the gods to give them this one miracle. To leave this one teen in their care.

Luch rushed over leaving Shiraz to stand witness as the line of the dead grew, turning his mind to the preservation of the living. Seeing the damaged male once again fighting for his life, Luch was amazed at his inner strength. To have survived so much already and then to still fight, was a feat he had never witnessed.

Digging deep into his depleted reserves, Luch placed his hands upon the boy's heaving chest. The warmth of his healing left his own damaged body to flow into the lungs beneath his hands. With each pulse of power his own blood kept time, seeping from his clawed side.

Luch's vision greyed as dizziness overwhelmed him. Pushing what energy he had left into the teen he fell to the ground praying that it had been enough to strengthen his lungs.

With a strangled cry Faith surged forward, frantically grabbing her fallen brother. His flesh was cold as ice against her hands. His breath weak.

"No, Luch, wake up baby brother, stay with me." Faith pleaded. "I can't lose you too."

Pressing down, trying to staunch the flow of blood, Faith yelled for a first aide kit. Grabbing the water that had been handed to Dmitri, she began to flush the blood from his wound. Gently peeling off the clothes stuck into the deep lacerations Faith trembled at her first good look.

Deep didn't even begin to describe the claw marks in Luch's side. Four parallel furrows cut through his pale skin. They began at his left shoulder blade and ended on his right hip. Gruesomely circling him like a hug. At some points she could see bone peeking through the welling blood.

Faith jumped as a callous roughened hand was placed on her shoulder. Ebon and Shiraz stood next to her with medical supplies. Sadness darkening their eyes they motioned for Faith to stand.

"Let us do this for you, little sister. Our hands are steady."

Looking down at her shaking blood covered hands, Faith knew the males were right. She would do more harm than good with the state she was in.

"Havardr, Brandr, is the main house still standing?" Dmitri called out to his team members.

"It has some damage but I believe the structure is still sound." Brandr answered as he approached Dmitri.

"Make sure it's safe, then get the pups settled." Dismissing Brandr, Dmitri turned to Havardr. "We also need to set up something for the injured. What about the barracks and the commissary? How many buildings do we have standing?"

"I would guess we maybe have three that are safe. The commissary is a loss as are the two buildings that were closest. We still have the far barracks and the rec hall standing."

""Do what you can. The injured have first consideration. Set up an infirmary and get them all into a bed. Once the injured are all moved I want all the medics setting up a rotation. We have lost enough lives today, I will not stand for losing another due to neglect. "

Dmitri ran his hands through his dusty hair in frustration. All the destruction, the lives lost. All for nothing. And it was not over. He had no idea what Shiraz was thinking or what else the council had planned for them.

"Get the remaining men fed and rested. Do it in shifts. Those that are rested start to take care of the dead."

With a nod Havardr left to begin the long process of getting everyone settled.

Turning to Faith he brought her close to his side.

"Gather the pups Solynoshko Moya, get them settled. You all need rest. Ebon will take good care of your brother. When I have news I will come find you." Gently pushing Faith towards the house he then looked to the grueling task of preparing the dead.

Dmitri started yet another long trek into the forest. Shiraz close behind him. The males held a reverent silence until they were relieved of their precious burdens and began to walk back to the compound.

It was the same pattern the warriors had followed throughout the afternoon. They would gently gather one of the dead, carry him to the the altar of the dead, return, and repeat.

And with each trip Shiraz would walk with a different warrior. Honoring the fallen on the way there and questioning the warrior on the way back. Now it was Dmitri's turn.

As the silence lengthened, Dmitri glanced to the male. Shiraz's face was etched with pain. An emotional pain so deep that it hurt Dmitri's heart to see.

"You have questioned my men." Dmitri stated sympathetically. "You know the truth now."

"I would still like to hear it all."

"I won't have Faith and the young upset by having to relive that day. If I tell you from the beginning you will not question them on this matter."

Neither warrior looked to the other. Both stared straight ahead talking softly. After a grunt of acknowledgment Dmitri began to talk.

"Cameron came at Faith trying to find out where her family was. Some of the young heard the commotion and tried to stop him. Lincoln was somehow able to shift so while Rafael ran for help, Lincoln went after Cameron.

He gutted him Shiraz. He was a warrior. A protector of the weak, and he gutted an eleven year old pup. Jamie's skull was caved in. Faith was bleeding on the floor. I attacked. I don't deny it and I would do it all over again if given the chance."

"I understand. This is not what I was told and if I had known the truth I would not have raised arms against you."

Their conversation came to a halt as they were soon back at the dwindling line of dead that had to be moved. All that was left were the fragile bodies of the young.

Dmitri watched as Shiraz walked along the line until he came to the young female. Lifting her into his arms he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Did you know her name?" His question was no more than a sigh in the wind. Quite. Mournful.

"Her name was Ellie. She had just turned fourteen and went through her first shift in captivity."

Turning his back, Shiraz gathered Ellie closer to him and made his way back into the forest. Gathering one of his trainees Dmitri followed with a heavy heart.

Darkness had settled over the compound as the last body was prepared. The line of warriors that were able to make the trek through the forest seemed so much shorter than the line of the dead.

Soon they stood circled around the altar, the glow of the torches cutting through the darkness. The bodies were piled high upon the altar. As the flames caught with a loud wish, the pyre became a horrific effigy of the day. Starting furiously destructive and slowly dwindling to a hollow nothingness.

Dmitri sent up one last goodbye to his comrades in arms and to the young that had been in his care before turning back to the compound and his grief stricken family. Soon a new day would dawn and with it hopefully some peace.