All is Fair in War and Dragon Scales (UNREVISED)

The Champion and his Apprentice

Amazing fan art by Helena!
                             ***
"Ow!"

"I'm sorry..."

Cailin sobs as he sits at the edge of King's bed in the guest room, shirt off with Penelope trying to see if Cailin's back needs any sort of treatment.

Luckily, his spine is completely fine but bruised to hell, but that's not why Cailin's crying.

Penelope sighs, sitting up after prodding at him for minutes on end and setting her hands on his shoulders. "It's going to be okay..."

"No, it's not going to be okay!" Cailin shouts, now angry as he shoots up, ignoring the pain in his back as he paces.

"Everyone tells me everything is going to be fine and Finley will be fine, but nothing is fine!"

He glares at Penelope who has tears in her own eyes. She has less of an idea on what's happening than Cailin does, and her insides are all messed up too. But she has to be calm.

"Cailin-"

"Just everyone stop telling me everything is fine!" Cailin drops to the floor, head in his elbows on the bed as his shoulders shake and Penelope runs her hands through his hair, wiping away her own stray tear.

"Everything isn't fine. You're right... I need to stop telling people that as a rule of reassurance... Finley's not fine. And he won't be for a long time..."

Cailin doesn't lift his head, not even responding.

"I'm hurting too. I can't stand seeing such a beautiful boy who has love for nature and everyone in this school get so... different. Hurt. It breaks it my heart. And he's my son."

Cailin sniffles hard, but still doesn't move. Penelope stares down at him for a moment before smiling and letting out a laugh filled with sadness as she looks over to one of the windows. "Do you remember... when Finley brought home a possum?"

Cailin immediately laughs, one filled with sadness as well as he looks up just a little to nod. "Yeah... he started crying when it messed up your paints, thinking that was the last time you would ever paint something for him..."

"Yes... And the time he found a lizard in the flower beds, screaming when the tail came off..."

Cailin laughs again, sniffling. "He thought he killed it..."

"How happy he was when you bought him that butterfly clip..."

Tears stream down Cailin's face at that as he nods, sniffling hard and letting out a small chuckle. "He showed it to all his teachers..."

"How excited he was when you won the spelling bee..."

Penelope sets a hand on top of Cailin's head as Cailin sets one on his forehead, biting his lip to keep himself from crying to loudly.

"He made me a big sign, blew up balloons and me a big party with Sarah in his bedroom..."

"When you made it on the soccer team..."

Cailin closes his eyes, remembering the day as if it was yesterday, him coming out to see Finley in the flower field, the sun bright and the wind strong as Finley turns to see him running across the edge of the field, Cailin shouting at the top of his lungs that he made it in, Finley holding onto his huge straw hat to keep it from blowing away, his blonde hair blowing in his face but wearing the largest smile.

"We'll get him back."

Cailin opens his eyes to see Penelope staring down at him with a determined look. "He'll be back. I'm not giving up on him, or the work the headmaster can put in to saving him."