Lances and Daggers

31. Their Many Paths

Reinfried appeared behind the imperials. He wore official armor decorated with crests and had an assertive look on his face. His arrival forced the imperials to lower their swords, albeit reluctantly. They exchanged a few words with him before they turned and walked away.

"Welcome back, Lance," Reinfried smiled.

"It's good to see you again." I smiled back.

"You too. And who might this be?"

I introduced Rick and then suggested the three of us board the carriage.

"I'm afraid we can't," Reinfried said as the Imperial Guard eyed us from a distance. "Do you mind if we walk from here?"

Of course, his suggestion was our only option. We told the driver to return for us tomorrow and started to walk. We passed by small wooden fences and charred houses. Ash flew in the air with every gust, and soot was mixed with the mud on the ground. The Imperial Guard was omnipresent.

"It's a mess, isn't it?" Reinfried said.

"We did our best," I said. "It's all because of Faust."

"I heard from Demetrius about the fight. You were a hero."

"For once, I stole the show from him."

A short pause followed before Reinfried said, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

"What are you saying? You were injured and exhausted."

"A hero during a crisis or a hero during peace—which do you think is more important?"

That's a difficult question. I wrung my brain and tried to find the right answer. Before I could reply, however, Reinfried continued, "Many people will leave Ashenbrook after what happened."

"I guess that's normal," I said. "And what will you do? Will you leave too?"

"No, I don't think I can ever leave this cursed town," Reinfried laughed. "Serena loved it, and my men sacrificed their lives to protect it. All my hopes and regrets are here in Ashenbrook."

It seems Reinfried has made up his mind.

"You were the hero during the crisis, Lance," he continued. "And, well, although it might seem childish, I want to be the hero during peace. Do you think I'm fit for the role?"

"There's no better candidate." I grinned. "Yeah, I can already see it."

Reinfried laughed and said, "Next time you visit Ashenbrook, come challenge me to another duel. We haven't broken the tie, remember?"

I laughed and said, "You won't beat me, even if you use Channeling."

"And I don't know what in the world you two are talking about," Rick suddenly interrupted. "Who's this 'Serena'? What duel? What Channeling?"

"It's a long story, Rick. I'm too tired to explain," I said teasingly.

Reinfried stopped and said, "We've arrived."

There it was: Marie's house, the inn. It had survived the destruction and stood amid blackened debris and trampled flowers. The fascia read, "The Bearded Fox," and I stifled a laugh. Some things never change, no matter what happens.

"Marie's been worried about you," Reinfried said. "If it hadn't been for the curfew enforced by the Imperial Guard, she would've left for Azuria."

"Well, Marie worries too much." I reached to open the inn's door but then stopped halfway, noticing that Reinfried was walking away. "Where are you going?"