A joy that Frits did not know could exist swelled within him. He knew that voice. His eyes adjusted to the morning light and he saw a figure running towards him. They embraced for a moment and he saw her face.

All the weight he carried dropped in the instance as he said, "Eva, I am sorry." Frits sobbed uncontrollably as he continued, "I am sorry I left you."

"That is alright. As long as you are alive," she replied and was truthful.

She had never been so happy to see someone in all her days and her resentment melted away. She looked at her friend as if to measure his strength. "What do you say we finish this?"

Frits gave a smile and said, "I can move on. I am afraid we missed our time for the bonus, but let us finish it, together."

They laughed as Brenen cut in, "First, you need the attention of a healer."

In a moment, a man who looked older than the others came to the front of the group. He removed his gloves and placed his hands on Frits. A green aurora came from the man's hands onto Frits and he felt an instant relief. It was not enough to stop the pain, but it was as eased as it had been since he was at Frostwatch and received the medical sap treatment.

"Thank you," Frits said with a sigh.

The man's hands went to Frits' side and his face was washed with concern. "You need rest and a healer more skilled than me and you need it quickly."

"I can get both at the capital," Frits grunted as he stood up and gathered his balance.

"Then let us get going," Eva affirmed as she helped Frits up on his horse.

Eva took the reigns since Frits was too weak. The others gathered around as they prepared to make for Hailgrad.

"What happened to you to receive these wounds?" Brenen asked Frits as he continued to assess the man's state.

"We were ambushed a bit north, up the river. Eva was able to escape, but I was caught behind with them as they encircled our camp," Frits said, looking uncomfortable and guilty about the reality of what he had done. "I was stabbed in my side and fell there. Somehow, I stayed alive throughout the night. The northfolk found me sometime in the morning and dumped my body in the river. I washed ashore here and that was that."

Brenen shook his head and smiled. "This truly was a stroke of luck. I fear what might have happened to you if your horse had not come along. It is good to have you with us. I am Brenen, a sergeant in the Royal Army under Baldric.”

“I am Frits,” he said as he shifted on the back on his horse. He could feel Taunten buckle only slightly as he adjusted to carrying another burden. “Hold on, did you say Baldric? I thought your army was at the border.”

“We have been recalled to the capital by the crown,” Brenen replied.

“What for? Has word of the northfolk already made it down to them?” Frits asked in a confused tone.

“No, the first we heard of this was from Eva,” the sergeant replied with a shake of his head. “We were recalled due to the sickness at the capital.”

Frits was dumbfounded when the man’s words reached his ears. “Sickness? What kind of sickness? When did this happen?”

The soldiers looked at one another as Eva said, “They told me that the king and queen have died from a sickness that plagues the city."

Frits felt dizzy as he thought of his family and Sasha. He thought of the bustling city they left only days before being delivered such a swift and devastating blow.

“What is going on now? How many have died? Who is running the kingdom?”

One of the soldiers spoke up. His voice was airy and somber as it wavered. “Reports are one-third of the city passed on. Edwin has come home and was set to be crowned king yesterday evening. We were on patrol all night, so we were unable to see his ceremony. By all we have heard, the sickness has disappeared now. We were tasked with patrolling the surrounding lands as people are now able to move in and out of the city.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Brenen cut in, "There have been strange happenings in the fields of Aeros. Raiders all around these parts have kept us busy. Then, there are you two who bring more grave news. Let us hope we can weather the storm."

Frits’ stomach dropped and fear gripped his senses. Silence ensnared his tongue and he tried to steady his breath.

“I am sure your family is okay,” Eva said in as comforting a tone as she could muster.

Frits thought about the situation their kingdom had fallen into. He tried to remain quiet, but more questions spilled from his lips, “The sickness already came and went? It seems awful strange that this would happen so quickly and people would succumb within days. Do they know how it started?”

“No one knows, but there are whispers that it might have been caused by an outside force. Many say it was Areandel who passed judgement on our people,” the soldier replied.

Eva scoffed, “That is preposterous. Some people always go to these theories when something terrible happens. Sometimes it is just luck and unfortunately we have been unlucky.”

Frits thought, then the voices of the northfolk came to him.

It was some kind of sickness. I don't understand this magic stuff, but I know someone in the Yeleai leadership that was assigned as a guard around Bok's hold. He stays up by the ruins. She said he is able to conjure great and deadly works. Just like the catapult that busted down those gates.

A shiver came down Frits’ spine as he realized the dark reality of their kingdom’s fate.

“The northfolk did it,” Frits said finally. “They killed our king and queen.”

“That is quite the stretch,” Eva said. “You are just overtired and not thinking clearly. All we know is that the northfolk attacked Frostwatch and are running unchecked throughout the northern woods. The plague is just an unlikely coincidence.”

“Quite a coincidence I would say,” Brenen said.

“No, I know this to be true,” Frits said. “When I laid there on the ground earlier today, I heard some northfolk talking. They said that their leader, Bok, was able to conjure a sickness to cripple our defenses. They were headed to the fields of Aeros and expected the royal army to be out west, fighting the Vaelorans.”

The others stayed dead silent. Anger brewed in each of them as they thought of the northfolk and their treachery.

“How were they able to make this happen?” a soldier started, “The amount of coordination and timing involved seems unlikely. Are you sure you heard them right? You must have been in a great deal of pain, anyone could have misheard what they were saying.”

“I know what I heard,” Frits fired back. He turned to Eva, “They talked about using those enchanted rocks to destroy the walls of Hailgalad.”

“By Areandel,” she gasped.

“What rocks?” Brenen asked.

“They used these boulders that were cast by some great catapult,” Frits said. “They glowed a strange blue like they were frozen by magic. Whatever they were enchanted by, they demolished the walls of Frostwatch with ease. They talked about using them on the capital.”

“They were grunts,” the solider countered again, “ I doubt they knew anything. They were just more raiders coming down for some glory and loot. Many speak of things with authority when they actually know nothing at all."

Frits rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then, he heard something from behind them. It was something deep in the woods. It broke through the silent, morning air. It was the ominous boom of the drums once more.

“Whatever we think is not our place,” Eva cut in. “We have wasted enough time today. Frits must get this news to the crown at once. I fear we might already be too late.”

“Agreed,” Brenen affirmed as he scanned the forest behind them with anxious eyes. “Alright people, let us get to the capital by the afternoon. The city will be on full alert by nightfall. Move out!” The man’s blaring voice roused the party to ride out in the late morning sun.

They rode quickly through the birchwood forest, where Frits could not help but to feel uplifted. Golden light from the canopy showered them and renewed their spirits. He held onto Eva as Taunten trotted alongside the other horses. For the first time in a while, he felt safe.

After a time, he thought more about the soldier’s words. He tried desperately to put it out of his mind, but it crept back again and again.

How far had the sickness spread? Was his family spared? Was Sasha?

“I cannot believe the news we have heard,” Frits finally yelled to Eva over the sounds of the horses. As he spoke, he shifted in his seat. The pain from his wounds ached, but he tried his best to push them aside. “Never in all my years did I think something like this would happen.”

“I think we all gave each other some surprises. One thing is certain, Hailgalad will never be the same after this ordeal is over,” Eva affirmed.

The party rode on in silence for a long while. In time, the birchwood receded to the seas of grass that were the fields of Aeros. Frits felt the crisp air blow into his face.

His hair flowed through his air as he said, “Finally out of the woods. We are almost home.”

“Almost,” Eva said in a reserved tone.

They would need to ride a bit more to reveal the shining city of Hailgalad, but they knew it laid just south of them. A bit longer and their journey would be over. That is when they heard rustling from behind them. Then, harsh crises sounded and arrows flew at them from the tree line.