The Amrians were silent as they made their way to the borders with Cohnal at the lead, somber despite the elf hurrying their pace. They will get their proper rites back home, at least, Kire thought. Ed, too, was wrapped up in his own thoughts. The weight of the dead as they carried the coffins reminded him that his own brother had been dead for months now. His thoughts went to Elva, then. Like the rest of the Wyverns, she was strong in her own way, and as a healer she had held life and death in her hands many times. But he could only imagine what it had been like to lose both her brothers at once, along with the seat of power.
Now and then, the Wyverns and Narda would make sure to look over their people to see if they were keeping pace, knowing some of them, like Ed, were also still suffering some residual pain from healed injuries. But the soldiers had known difficulty before, and despite the nine-month absence didn’t keep idle. Even if their bodies had slacked, their resolve to leave and bring their brothers home was enough to keep them going.
After the long journey to the spot Aera had indicated, Kire was about to turn to Ruli when he had vanished without warning. Ed glanced at her, and Kire could tell he had already begun to form an opinion of her friend. Wait, she mouthed at him, as she took the map from their guide. A blink later and Ruli did return, though even without his warning they could tell what weather they were to expect. While Kire took the Ring from Ruli and slipped it onto her finger, grateful to finally feel it on her skin again, Ed was the only one of the Amrians to chuckle softly at Ysaryn’s remark.
Half of the group was already gone. Kire was part of the first group; though no longer a stranger to Shadow-walking, she, too, had to catch her breath.
“Well,” Ed said, hands on his knees. “That was—something.” Kire had told him how it would feel, and earlier he had relayed it to the soldiers, but nothing could have prepared them for the shock of the darkness.
“Everyone alright?” she called after making sure Ed was alright, her voice raised over the roar of rain and thunder. The next groups appeared not long after, and Kire checked on them the same way.
At the sound of Envy’s voice. Kire turned, striding towards him in case the soldiers got startled. “Very happy,” she said, grinning, gesturing for Ed to join her. Ed, after recovering from the shock of Shadow-walking, took in the strange sight: he seemed to be an elf, but definitely different from any elf he had encountered so far. His eyes only briefly went to the clothing, not wanting to be impolite, before realizing that the tall elf seemed to be blind. “May I introduce to you Edward, the Captain of the Guard of the Capital, my cousin and, now that he has returned to us, still the eldest surviving Wyvern. Ed, this is Envy, our most generous host and—I suppose we could call you the patriarch? Of the inhabitants of Ziad.”
Ed had softly elbowed Kire at her comment about his age. “Well-met, Envy of Ziad. My eternal gratitude for sheltering me and my people,” he said, glancing at Kire to silently check that he hadn’t missed any titles. When Envy told him Kire had been worried about him, he smiled. “She must have missed me picking up after her mess.”
“I did, indeed,” Kire said in retort, but nevertheless she wrapped an arm around her cousin and squeezed in an affectionate hug.
“Ach, this weather,” Narda said, shaking her head, as Envy called Rab and Aeron inside. Kire grinned, seeing how the two enjoyed themselves—the most she had seen either of them do so, in the short time she’d known either of them.
“Really, Envy, this is very generous of you. I’m in your debt,” Kire said, while Narda and Ed translated what the Kartaian had told them to the rest of the Amrians. The apprehension in their faces quickly turned to delight at the thought of a warm fire, a hot meal, and a roof over their head. Turning to her subjects, Kire said in Taakalon, “Before I take the first half of you home, we will eat together and, if our hosts have it, drink together, to celebrate our meeting, and to celebrate our fallen.”
“Pace yourselves,” Ed remarked with a playful smirk. Narda chuckled at that. “We’ll get settled first in our temporary lodgings, and then later we will meet to dine.”
“Will you be joining us?” the giantess asked Envy. “We have not had proper conversation, and as your guest, it would be remiss if I leave without having a sit-down with you.” Ed and Kire glanced at Narda then at each other, grinning.
“Come, come, let’s not keep Aeron and Rab waiting.”