"I gravely underestimated the Hmon," Knight Lyon uttered as he knelt before the storm that was the Duke of Bearington. "Because of my mistake, I failed to protect the knights and your daughter… I deserve death, your Grace."
The Duke stared down Lyon, the veins in his temple bursting as he internally went over the reports of what transpired once more.
After noting the slaughter of several villages, one of their scouts had ridden towards Knight Lyon's camp, unaware their hasty tracks would be followed by a stray of roughly fifteen Hmon.
Upon following it and arriving at the camp, the strays staked the camp out, their footprints later discovered imprinted deep in the snow among the thick brushes circling the camp's southern and eastern edges.
Then they waited until daybreak.
When that time came, some of the strays rushed the eastern edge of camp while the rest swarmed the southern side, targeting the stable where the horses were kept. Killing the horse-keeper, they managed to lead the horses out of the stable and into a nearby clearing in the forest (where the horses were later discovered and recovered).
Leo—that fiery stallion—must have given them trouble since the strays had to return to the stable to re-fetch him. And that was when they encountered Airee and the others, attempting to ride Leo to safety.
…
The Duke clenched his fists, barely restraining his rage as he recalled Hazel's report of what happened next.
After Leo fled, the Hmon attacked, and while Hazel was fighting off four of the Hmon, the other Hmon overcame the squire called Tenth and gravely injured her. Hazel then heard the lady bellow, and when Hazel tried making their way towards Tenth and the lady, Hazel's opponents converged on them. When Hazel braced for certain death, however, they were saved by the unexpected arrival of a second, Hmon group.
This group quickly dispatched the remnants of the first, and their leader—a young boy—held the lady in his arms.
Seeing how bloody and limp the lady was, Hazel feared the worst.
That was when Knight Lyon burst into the stable with the other knights.
According to Lyon, upon seeing the violent, bloody scene, he and the others had been ready to charge the Hmon before them.
Until Lyon spotted the lifeless Airee.
Thick, tense silence befell both sides as both gauged the other, Lyon holding the knights back in a frozen state as he ultimately realized he sent the young lady into death's embrace.
Then—
"We do not seek further trouble," the boy holding Airee rasped. "We have done what we sought to do: to hunt the oath-vermin who have wronged and killed among our people. Yet…we acknowledge they have done the same to yours. So…we leave their remains to you, to do with as you desire."
Rage surged within Lyon.
[AS IF THE BODIES OF THE OATH-VERMIN WOULD COMPENSATE FOR THE DEAD!]
"We do not want further trouble," the boy repeated, dangerously this time, his feral eyes hooking into Lyon's as his hold around Airee tightened threateningly. "We will leave. Without trouble. Now."
…
Nodding tersely, Lyon commanded the knights to give the Hmon a wide berth as the Hmon exited the stable, Airee still in the boy's grasp.
Some of the knights then tended Hazel and Tenth while Lyon and the rest followed the Hmon as the Hmon edged towards the forest, both groups facing each other the entire time. Then, reaching the foliage, one by one, the Hmon turned and fled, kicking up snow until all that was left was three.
The middle one—the leader—stepped forward.
He lowered Airee onto the snow, never once looking away from Lyon. Then—breaking gaze and glancing once at Airee—he and the others turned and vanished after their companions.
Ordering several of the knights to follow to ensure the Hmon did indeed leave the territory, Lyon turned his attention towards Airee who—much to his relief—was breathing.
And thus, upon receiving the news, the Duke wasted no time riding out towards the west, his wrath and anxiety exploding as all he could imagine was that oath-vermin killing little Airee.
Had that oath-vermin not been beheaded, the Duke would have tortured before beheading them himself…!
…And regarding Knight Lyon, whom the Duke himself had entrusted Airee to…
"I will gladly take your life," the Duke uttered down at Lyon in the present, accepting the vice-captain's offer.
║║║║║║║║║║
Soft, low voices tugged at my consciousness, and I forced open my heavy eyelids.
"Rest, cub…" a familiar voice murmured as I struggled to breathe, every breath burning my raw throat.
"...Fa...ther...?" I whispered weakly after I was given something soothing to drink.
"You are safe..." the Duke said, resting his hand gently on my forehead, inducing sleep upon my weary state.
Time felt so heavy and slow.
I was tired—so tired, yes...yet...
"...The...Hmon..." I rasped from beneath his hand, before the dark could reclaim me.
"Retribution marches their way," he answered ominously, causing me to fully wake momentarily.
"No...!" I shouted before exploding into a fit of dry coughs.
"Not...fault...clans...uni...fy...they…please...don't...!" I inched out through my coughs, desperately hoping he would understand.
I received no answer as darkness overtook my vision too soon, my strength collapsing as my cough abated to a trembling wheeze.
Then—
"Rest now..." the Duke intoned as weariness muffled my silent protests. "Everything will be taken care of..."
I struggled to stay awake, needing to say more, to ask about what he meant, about what was currently happening and what had happened to—
"…Ten…th… Ha…zel…?" I barely murmured out.
They were well, were the words that filtered into my consciousness as I slowly drifted off.
They were well and were recovering from their wounds. Not only that, but the other squire called Tin was unharmed.
[…]
"…on the other hand…didn't make it…"
[…!!]
=====
After receiving the Duke's instructions through the messenger, Knight Bob exited his tent and readied the camp.
Together with several knights, all on horseback, Bob rode towards the western edge of the territory towards the Hmon clans, his shadowed eyes lighting with determination as he set about completing his task.
=====
Deep within the lands of the Hmon clans, in a hidden clearing within the snowy forest at the base of the mountains, a secretive group of Hmon bustled quietly around a makeshift fire.
"
Acknowledging the other's presence, the boy listened as the other informed him of what was spreading throughout the clans, a warning issued by the knights of the neighboring territory the boy and the others had just fled from.
"
[…]
"
He and the others had expected a bloodier retaliation, so this outcome was peculiar, yet…welcomed.
Better yet…
"
<…will meet the wrath and steel of the neighboring knights.>
=====
"Vice-captain."
Lyon uncurled from his thin bed and sat up, wincing as he did so.
"That title is not mine anymore," Lyon said, gazing upon the one who stood before him, "so do not call me that…Vice-captain Knight Bob."
Unhappiness flickered within Bob's eyes, his moustache drooping as he frowned. Then, just as quick, his eyes cleared. Nodding, he said with conviction, "Though his Grace demoted you, it is but temporary. You will certainly earn back your title, Lyon! In the meantime…"
Lyon sat still as Bob fretfully inspected Lyon's recently inflicted, bandaged wounds.
"His Grace gave a light punishment, punishing yet light enough for me to rejoin the knights in days' time to see this situation through," Lyon assured, hiding a flinch when Bob's hand grazed a wound too deeply.
Stiffening, Bob pulled away, sorrow and blame twisting his expression before his head hung low.
"I failed you," Bob uttered in his kneeling position, not meeting Lyon's eyes. "I couldn't aid in protecting the young lady, yet His Grace spared me even though I should have been punished alongside you…" He paused for a long moment before exhaling in an anguished voice, "And Taz…! …Despite completing my task and finding him…he—he died before we reached him…! …I failed you… I failed you!"
[…]
Lyon put a heavy hand on Bob's shoulder, grasping Bob's clasped hands in silent comfort as Bob openly wept.
║║║║║║║║║║
Three months passed.
The rings of bruises on my neck gradually disappeared, and my bloody eyes cleared.
My voice and throat also recovered, and soon, I was in a carriage with the Duke of Bearington, our destination the Valguard residence.
As soon as we arrived, the Duchess of Bearington swept me up and smothered me with a hug.
The Duke said something, and the Duchess put me down before responding in a cold tone.
I barely saw a familiar face peeking out from beside the Duchess before the Duke put a hand at the back of my head, guiding me towards the residence.
As soon as I was left alone inside my old room, I slumped on my bed wordlessly, feeling…heavy and hollow.
[…]
In the three months that I was recovering, I hadn't met with the knights at the western camp, nor did any familiar face visit me there at the northern post. I was told they were currently occupied with the Hmon, yet…
I wanted to see them, to see with my own eyes they were well.
Leo, who fled during the stable incident yet, I was told, had fetched Knight Lyon immediately after.
And Knight Lyon himself, and Knight Bob. Hazel, and the others…
Tin and Tenth…and Taz.
I stared up at my ceiling, my vision blurring as orbs of tears escaped from my eyes.
Taz was gone, his body covered and sent to his only surviving relative, his widowed aunt.
I couldn't—wouldn't—forget that he suffered and died as he laid bleeding in the snow that day.
Only when massive sobs were wracking through me did I notice the door to my room crack open and close.
Then—
"Airee…are you…crying…?" a small, familiar voice asked.
I looked at Claire, sobbing even harder when I realized she was crying herself as she crawled into my bed beside me.
Though this was the first we had interacted with each other in a long time, and I didn't want her to remember me in this state, I embraced her and wept onto her shoulder.