Verath the Red (Dragonwall Series #3)

Chapter 14 - Battle Aftermath

Celenore

Claire fled camp the moment Koldis landed. She took off into the wilderness hoping to escape everything, to leave it behind. She ran, gripping her waist against her shooting side ache. She fought to see through the blur of tears, half crying, half gasping through her sobs.

"Claire!" Koldis chased after her. "Claire, stop!" He caught her around the waist, gently spinning her to face him. "Claire..."

"It's my fault! It's all my fault. I can't go back to camp." She dropped to her knees, head in her hands, rocking back and forth. She couldn't be there when the others returned. She couldn't face them. Not now. Not when she was responsible for....

Another sob broke free.

"Claire..." Koldis crouched before her, rubbing her back in calming circles. "It's not your fault. Everyone with us knew there were risks. We never told them it would be safe."

"But I—"

"No. I will not let you take the blame for this."

She stayed silent. It didn't matter how he sugarcoated it. She blamed herself regardless. This was her fault. "I can't go back yet. I can't face them..."

"We don't have to go back yet. Besides, they won't return for some time. Deep breaths. Come on. Breathe." She nodded into her hands, trying to do as he said. But each breath was more of a painful gasp.

"What...what happened back there?" he asked. "Tell me what went wrong." He took her by the wrists, gently pulling her hands from her face. She was forced to look at him through tear streaked eyes. She hated the genuine concern in his expression. She'd rather see the cold, unfeeling looks he used to give her when they first met. That was the face she deserved now. "Tell me." He kept his voice low.

"I...It was all a mess. I thought I had it under control but...the images. I couldn't focus through them. When I didn't get it right on the first try, I panicked."

"Images?"

"I don't know what they were. Flashes. I saw things. Scenes of what was happening in the villages. From the Drengr. I didn't know what it was, what was happening to me. I...I panicked."

He swore. "You saw projections."

"What?"

"Projections. When...when we go into battle, words are often too much, take too long. Drengr revert to a more primal form of communication. Emotions, images, feelings, bursts of thought. It's hard to explain. It's...instinctual."

"I...but I'm not a..." She shook her head. What did it matter? It wouldn't bring Hiondel back.

"I did not think..." He hesitated, studying her face. "You can hear our voices but I never imagined you would be capable of projections. None of us would have guessed it. Not even King Talon. I should have warned you earlier but the possibility didn't even cross my mind." He sighed and sat back on his heels.

"It's not like it's your fault," she muttered. "How were you supposed to know?"

"Because unlike you, I'm not new to all of this." He fell silent.

She wiped her tears and calmed her breathing, but every moment felt like a single crack away from shattering all over again.

"You should get some sleep," he said at last. "Come on." He stood and pulled her to her feet.

"I can't sleep like this, Koldis. Someone is dead! Don't you get it?! Hiondel is dead because of me!"

He growled then, the sound deep and primal. And when he opened his mouth, she took a faltering step back. "No, that's enough! I will not let you take the blame for this. Hiondel is dead because he had a misstep and got stabbed. You did not stab him, did you?"