The rest of that day was a blur. Once Gunner was defeated, I collapsed on the floor next to him. Greenspring and Nia fell unconscious as well, but they woke up sooner than I had. Since they didn’t have the strength to climb the walls, all they could do was wait for help to arrive. Hours later, we were found by Khristi. Arienne had found her and showed her where we were.

We stayed in the harska infirmary for a few days. Greenspring and Nia had serious injuries that couldn’t be treated with magic alone. I had fainted from exhaustion, and so was healthy enough to leave the infirmary after a day. Still, I stayed with my friends while they recovered.

While we were busy fighting Gunner, Deja and Kadir had rescued the rest of the prisoners. The pit we had been kept in when we first arrived wasn’t the only prison. There were a handful scattered throughout the fortress. With help from Bagheera, who had joined them once he was sure Damian was okay, they rescued all the prisoners. Princess was moved to the same infirmary we were in. Her injuries were minor, but her lack of nutrition made them more threatening.

While I was busy helping rebandage Nia, I heard the door slam against the stone walls. A Blur of red hair pushed me out of the way. Struggling to stand, I almost fell onto Greenspring’s bed. I grabbed onto the bedframe, managing to regain my balance. Anger surged through my body. Before I could say some words I would have regretted, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Let it go, Norman.”

I turned around, tears welling in my eyes. The figure standing before me had brown shaggy hair and a moderately sized unkempt beard. One of his arms was bound in a cast. He smiled, brushing his hair out of his brown eyes. In many ways, he looked similar to me.

“Henry!”

I grabbed my brother and held him tightly. Weeks spent worrying about him, months spent looking for him. Even though I had wanted to look for him as soon as I was deemed healthy enough, I chose to stay with my friends. Thankfully, Henry, my brother, and Arienne, my daughter, were both finally safe.

“Uncle Henry!” yelled Arienne, joining our hug.

Henry laughed, tousling her hair. “Good to see you’re safe.”

“Ouch! I told you I’m fine,” said Nia.

We turned toward Nia. Tamara had taken charge of Nia’s bandages, though she didn’t seem to be doing a good job of it. Like Henry, she looked in worse shape than the last time I had seen her. Months of abuse from the harska had given them scars and bruises littered over their bodies. Holding Tamara’s arm away from her stomach, Nia called out for my help.

We laughed as we watched Tamara and Nia fight for control. Finally, Nia gave up and let Tamara care for her. She stayed silent, only showing pain through her eyes, as Tamara wrapped her bandages. It reminded me of Beth taking care of me when I was sick.

“Look at you. How are you supposed to help me with the forge looking like that?” asked Tamara, smiling.

“What are you talking about? I feel good, great even,” said Nia. She flexed her arms to show how healthy she was, but couldn’t hold it for long. She winced, rubbing her biceps.

Tamara shook her head. She grabbed Nia’s chin, pointing her face toward herself. “Looks like I’ll be taking care of you for a while.”

Nia moved closer to Tamara. “You’re not in such great shape yourself.”

“Guess we’ll have to take care of each other.” Tamara closed the gap, pulling Nia up into a kiss. I respectfully turned away, but Henry was cheering for the both of them. My brother never seemed to respect privacy. Still, I couldn’t help but smile.

Nia’s face was bright red as Tamara pulled away. She couldn’t look at us as she pointed toward the door. “Out!”

I laughed, pushing Henry and Arienne out of the room with me. “Don’t wake up Greenspring!” I called out behind me. Nia yelled in a language I couldn’t understand, but her anger was clear. Henry and I ran down the hall, giggling to ourselves like kids. Arienne chased after us, asking why we were laughing.

We spent the next hour visiting the other infirmaries and talking with the druids. Most of the druids had left to return home, but some like Deja and Kadir stayed to help with the injured.

“You didn’t see what happened?” I asked Henry. We were sitting in my old room, collecting my belongings. Arienne had left to wander the fortress. I wasn’t worried about her, all the fight had been taken out of the harska.

“No. They snuck up behind me and knocked me out. When I came to, we were miles away from Xalir. I’m sorry, Norman.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “It’s not your fault. There was nothing you could do.”

“I could have fought back. I could have-”

“They would have killed you, and then they would have killed Arienne. Besides, you said it yourself, you were out before you knew what was happening. At least both of you are okay.”

He smiled. “Thanks to you.”

“No, thanks to you. You watched her until I got here. I can never thank you enough.”

“Really? Never enough huh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I might have to test that.”

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Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “I take it back, I’ve thanked you enough.”

“No, no. Please, continue thanking me,” replied Henry, leaning against my bed.

We continued to pack and bicker for the rest of the day. Henry returned to the infirmary at night, while I slept in my room. I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but I didn’t want to leave Greenspring and Nia while things weren’t settled. Without a proper ruler, the harska were growing restless. If Princess didn’t recover soon, there would be another Gunner-like situation.

Thankfully, Princess woke up the next morning. I noticed her eyes open while I was helping Tamara with Nia’s bandages again. Tamara hadn’t left Nia’s side since the previous day. She had pushed another bed next to Nia’s so the two could sleep side-by-side. They had only agreed to let me help if I stayed silent, which I did. Though it was a struggle.

“Good morning, Princess,” I said, bowing.

She blinked a few times before she appeared to recognize me. “You’re that bard from before. The one in the pit.”

“I wish I could give you more time to recover, but we’re running out of time. The harska are without a leader. They look to you for guidance.”

Princess frowned, staring at the floor. “I can’t. It’s my fault things got as bad as they did.”

“You’re the only one they’ll accept as a ruler. You have to lead them,” I replied.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a dark shape standing in the door frame. Black fur and yellow ears weren’t uncommon amongst the harska, but I only knew of one harska with a kink in his tail. Damian, a former general under Gunner, stepped into the room. His eyes bounced around the room until they finally landed on Princess.

“She can’t be Queen,” he said, smirking. “When King Gunner took over, he invoked the harska custom of leadership. Only those who are fit to rule can rule. By allowing herself to be captured and imprisoned, she’s permanently given up that right.”

“That’s stupid,” I replied. “The throne is her right by blood.”

Damian laughed, sitting down on an empty bed. “Maybe for you humans, but harska don’t see it that way.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in jail?” asked Nia, brushing Tamara’s hands away from her wounds.

“There isn’t a jail that could keep him.” We turned toward the doorframe again. Leaning on a wooden cane, Bagheera nodded toward me as he walked into the room. “Don’t worry about Damian, I’m keeping an eye on him.”

Princess sighed. “Damian is well respected by the other harska. Even those imprisoned by Gunner look up to Damian.”

“Convincing the other harska we needed to keep Gunner in jail was tough enough. There would be riots if we imprisoned this one,” said Bagheera, sitting down next to Damian. “This is a temporary solution as long as he behaves.”

“I’m right here, you know. It’s rude to talk about someone as if they aren’t there,” said Damian.

I ignored Damian, focusing on Princess. “If you can’t rule, then who can? What happened here can’t happen again. Not just for the people living around here, but for the harska as well. You shake the nest enough and you’ll be swarmed by bees. Someone will come and take your people out if they continue to antagonize.”

“The harska will have to choose their own king or queen. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do,” said Princess.

The room was silent after that. Even Damian, who I could tell wanted to give his own opinion on the matter, quietly groomed his fur. I looked from Princess to Bagheera, but they didn’t meet my eyes. After all the work I had done to rescue my friends and family, it would all be for nothing. Most likely, another ruler like Gunner would take over. Then we would be right back where we started.

“The vote will be tonight,” said Bagheera. He stood up from the bed, leaning on his cane for balance. “You should come with me, Norman, Gunner wants to talk to you.”

Gunner, his most loyal harska, and the remaining bandits were kept deep under the fortress. We had decided not to subject them to the pits, we weren’t that cruel. Instead, they were kept in tiny locked rooms that had been left unused by the harska. I walked with Bagheera past many of these rooms before we reached the end of a long hallway.

Bagheera opened the door, gesturing for me to enter. The room was dark and damp. Moisture seeped through the walls from a nearby underground lake. I lit a torch and placed it on the wall. Chained to the back of the room, Gunner sat with his legs crossed. He blinked rapidly, adjusting his eyes to the light before looking up at me with a frown.

“So you’ve come to see me,” he said. “You’re looking well.”

“You’re lucky to be alive.”

He nodded, sadly. “I could say the same for you.”

“What do you want?” I asked, trying to hold back my anger. Now that Henry and Arienne were safe, I wanted nothing to do with Gunner.

“When I left with the wizard to the swamps, I was like you. I wanted to become someone greater, someone who could lead my people into a brighter future. It blinded me. Seeing you for the first time, reminded me of who I was. I sensed a commonality between us.”

“We are nothing alike.”

He chuckled. “So you say. But maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re more like him.”

I folded my arms. “Who?”

He made a dismissive gesture. “It doesn’t matter now. In a year, the harska living in this fortress will die off. Even under my rule, they were barely able to survive the harsh conditions of this world.”

“No,” I replied. “They will thrive without you.”

He slammed his fist upon the floor. “Without me, they can’t survive! People will know I’m not around, they’ll know it’s the perfect time to strike. What will they do without food? Without armor to protect themselves? Weapons to protect their families?”

“Lady Iris has agreed to continue your agreement with the new king or queen,” I replied. “Whoever will lead the harska can make other agreements for weapons and armor. You look down upon your fellow harska, but they’re strong. I’ve seen their strength and resilience with my own eyes.”

Gunner shook his head. “You’re wrong. I hope you’re right, but I know you’re wrong. In a few weeks, they’ll come back to me.” He wasn’t smug, wasn’t boasting about his strength. Instead, he seemed sad.

“Goodbye, Gunner. I hope to never see you again.”

“I hope you never have to see me again.”

In the brief amount of time I had known him, I had assumed all he cared about was himself. Maybe he was trying to trick me, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. In the end, he was alone. Forever imprisoned for trying to make things right, in his own way. Hopefully, the harska would never need him again. That was a hope we both shared.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. Henry had moved into my room, using one of the beds from the infirmary. Arienne still slept in my bed. Soon, we would be home and asleep in our own beds. Touching my neck, I shuddered. Things would all go back to normal. Rolling over onto my side, I closed my eyes. I needed to sleep.

Or that’s what I wanted to do. Tamara burst into the room, smashing the door against the wall. “It’s been decided. Bagheera is the new king.”