Darkspur

Chapter 37 - A Long Night's End

"I am so proud of you, Sam," Hanian said as he tucked the boy into bed.

Sam could hardly hold his eyes open but he was fighting hard to stay awake, scared that if he slept his father would turn out to be a dream. Next to him, in the large four poster, Milly lay snoring. Keria was kneeling next to her, a smile across her lips, brushing away lose, straggly threads of hair from her daughter's face.

"Please don't go," Sam said, his words groggy.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep," he assured him. "If you wake, there will be someone here to come and get me."

"Thank you," Sam said, gripping his father's arm, snuggling into the warrior's still blood stained hand. He was asleep within minutes.

Hanian slipped his hand away from the boy's grasp and beckoned Keria to leave; reluctantly she left her daughter, nodding at Claradris the maid who sat attentively at the bedside. Outside on the large landing, two of Hanian's men sat on the floor, their backs to the wall. They rose as their commander closed the door.

"There could still be stragglers in the castle, I don't need to tell you to keep your eyes open," Hanian commanded. "I'll send you up some food and ale when I get back down stairs." The men nodded their thanks.

The two friends descended the wide stair in silence, both lost in thought of that night's events.

"You ok?" Hanian asked, but when he turned Keria wasn't there. She had stopped further up the stairs, her face buried in her hands.

"I thought I had lost her," she said between sobs. Hanian slowly plodded back up the stair, wrapping his arms round the crying woman. He to, had tears in his eyes.

"I know," he said. "I cannot begin to count how many times I was on the verge of losing hope but something kept me going. They're safe now, we just have to be thankful for that."

He pushed her back, holding her arms, smiling. She nodded, the tears subsiding, the tension stored up in her body over the previous days, all but gone.

Downstairs was mayhem. They stood in the castle's entrance hall as a constant stream of injured were ferried past on their way to the makeshift hospital in the Great Hall. Olligruthe, the Elven Healer, was doing his best but he was only one man and no-where near powerful enough for this situation. The conventional healers were also doing their part, as were the kitchen staff, servants and rest of the Darkspur household; fetching bandages and splints, doing their best to quench bloody wounds or set broken limbs.

Caden and Ordwin were nearby trying to co-ordinate the situation as best they could, as little by little information found it's way to them.

"Should I go to him?" Hanian asked Keria, the Knight nodding towards the king.

Keria sighed, smiling at Hanian. "I don't know," she said. "And frankly, I don't care. The two of you are big enough and bad enough to sort it out amongst yourselves without me interfering."

"As I recall you said something similar the last time I asked that very same question," Hanian replied. "That ended up with Caden on the floor with a bloody nose and me banished from Darkspur. So forgive me for looking for some advice."

"I'd wait and see what happens," Keria answered.

"Such wisdom," Hanian said, rolling his eyes. "And what would that achieve?"

"I don't know, but maybe something will break the ice," Keria had a huge smile on her face and was looking past his shoulder. She nodded towards the castle door.

Hanian turned and his heart jumped in his chest.

The stunning woman strode into the hall. Her red hair cascaded in ringlets down her back framing her freckled face and large blue eyes. Dressed immaculately in a radiant blue gown that wouldn't have looked out of place at a civic ball, she marched at the head of her Magi army, throwing out orders to those behind.