Sia:

I don’t know when I slept off, head on Faust’s leg, when I awoke with a start.

Smiling as I wiped the drool off, the situation that we were in hit me like a load of bricks falling down as memories of the previous few hours came rushing in and I felt grief crush me under its weight.

Blinking back tears again, I slowly firmed my lips into a tight line and then checked Faust.

I was relieved to see that breath still fogged the small glass I placed in front of his nose and that he had not changed drastically for the worse in the time that I had been asleep.

Then I heard a sound behind me and whirling, I clenched my fist, ready to unleash a blow, when I relaxed as I saw it was Ares.

He had a grim expression on his face as he stared at me.

“What now?” I asked tiredly.

“We need to move,” He said, staring fixedly at Faust, who was lying behind me.

“What? Why?” I asked, alert now.

“Viscount Jacob Drayke and the others have reached an agreement and we need to reach the city by the next day.”

“What! What agreement and covering a two-day distance in a day will leave many of the wounded crippled!” I yelled in anger.

Throwing his hands up into the air, Ares miserably said, “Viscount Drayke’s family is being held hostage by Alastor. We need to rescue them before they can send the message back that the Viscount is coming to rescue them.”

Biting my lips, my expression softened despite my anger and I said, “So that’s why he changed sides. The poor man... But that doesn’t mean that he’s going to avoid the blame for what happened to Faust.”

Clenching his fists, Ares squeezed out the words, “He didn’t change sides. He’s still on Alastor’s side and always was.”

“What!” I shouted in shock and rage as I almost grabbed Ares by the collar.

Looking me in the eye, he slowly explained, “The Draykes were supposed to be devastated when the news of Faustus’s death reached them, according to Alastor’s plan. Then the assassination was supposed to happen on the King and Alastor was supposed to regain charge. Meanwhile, the Draykes would come under the gradual control of Viscount Drayke, who would replace Count Drayke.”

Grounding my teeth, I bitterly spat out the words, “Betrayal. Betrayal everywhere. Why?”

“Power,” Ares said simply.

Turning to Faust, who lay there... a victim of the power struggle... I felt my heart twist in grief.

“What now?” I asked weakly.

“We march. We leave in 30 minutes. Sir Leonidas said that he’ll take care of Faustus.”

“No!” I exclaimed fiercely. “He stays with me.”

“And me,” Ares said with a smile.

“Stubborn brats,” came another tired voice as the tent flap was raised as Sir Galen stepped inside.

Shaking his head, he began examining Faust before he sucked in a deep breath and squinted at us, saying, “He seems stable, but since it’s a heart wound, we should try not to move him much. That means the stretcher is the best way to carry him. I’ve asked Chase to rig up a palanquin style stretcher but you both will have to carry it... we have too many wounded as is.”

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Ares and I nodded resolutely in unison and Sir Galen sighed as he said, “Brave brats, the three of you. If we survive... if we make it home,-” A nostalgic expression passed through his tired face, “Then I’ll make sure you are taken care of.”

Hesitantly, I asked, “Where is home for you, Sir Galen?”

“Call me Galen, and my home is far away from here. Very far. If we get through this, I’ll tell you about it.” He said in a kindly voice before he went to exit the tent.

Pausing at the entrance, he said, “There’s more fighting ahead. But the two of you only have one goal. To protect the kid. He’s already had more potions - than most family heads have - poured onto him and it’d be a Baling shame if he conks it.”

Then he was gone, and Ares and I were left looking at each other.

As we busied ourselves in cleaning Faust up as best as we could, clumsy though we were, Ares spoke out, “We have thirty soldiers left after the last battle, wounded included. The Knight's only number eight. Sir Potter died in the last battle. Including Viscount Drayke, that makes 9 knights and thirty soldiers.”

Busy gently removing the grime that covered Faust, I mumbled out, “What’s our plan?”

Ares smiled bitterly, “Our plan? Wait outside the city - near the port - while the Knights rescue the Viscount’s family and then we escape by stealing a ship from the port.”

Curiously, I looked up and asked, “Ares, how do you know all this?”

Looking at Faust with complicated eyes, Ares said, “I broke through. Iron rank at your service and invited to the meeting given how pitifully few we number now.”

Gasping, I looked at him with jaw agape and then I moved my eyes to his palms, which I saw were ridged with calluses... calluses that were usually hidden behind his gloves which were absent now.

Self-consciously, Ares moved his hands behind him and looked away.

Accusatorily, I pointed at him and said, “You never told us you were training alone!”

Guiltily, he looked down before saying, “I didn’t want to be left behind.”

Walking over, I took his hands in mine and softly said, “we will never leave you behind. You’re a brother to both of us and that will always stay true.”

Awkwardly running a hand through his hair, Ares smiled lopsidedly as he looked at me and then at Faust. “I’m a brother to you Sia, but for Faust, I will be a brother in arms.”

Whacking him on his head, I huffed, “What, you can’t be a brother in arms with me?”

Panicking, he raised his hands and said, “That’s not what I mean. I meant to say that you don’t need my help in battle.”

Whacking him again, I huffed even more angrily, “And Faust does?”

He fell silent, looking at the ground.

Realizing what I had said, I immediately hugged him tight and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

Pushing me away, he smiled a sad smile as he said, “I know…”

Grabbing him by the shoulders, I held him there as I stared into his eyes and said, “Ares. What I meant to say was that you’re a brother to both of us and a brother in arms too!”

Staring at me, Ares burst out into a laugh.

Bemused, I looked, and then a moment later, I too laughed in mirth.

Just a moment ago he was explaining what he meant and now here I was - doing the same thing.

We laughed for a long moment and then we sobered up and looked at Faust and whispered together, “Come back fast, Faust.”

Then, looking at each other again, we both shouted out, “Jinx!”

Shaking his head, Ares left to pin the tent flap up so that we could carry Faust out on the stretcher-palanquin that Sir Galen had left outside.

Then we hefted the stretcher upon our shoulders after tying Faust down with straps tied gently and yet securely and as the rising sun came up behind our backs, we marched toward Sea Drayke - Viscount Draykes poorly named seat of power - and one of the access ports to the middle sea for the Kingdom of Leon.

Two day’s march in one day.

A harsh march that would have exhausted a fresh troop of soldiers.

Our weary, battle-worn, and wounded soldiers didn’t make a single sound of protest as they marched on in unified cadence.

For we were supported by the pillars that lay behind us, six feet under, on the path that we had walked.

The path that we had cut our way through.

Now we go to cut another path.

To safety.

To hope.