Merlena's weary eyes met Aragon's, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and reproach. "Where were you?" she inquired, her words carrying the weight of the day's battles. "Didn't you hear the horns?"
Aragon, still clad in the remnants of his blood-stained clothes, responded with a touch of weariness. "I heard them, but I was caught up with a few of them who surrounded me. It took some time to deal with them, and they seemed to be a decent group of knights," he explained, his voice tinged with annoyance.
"Knights? Are you injured?" Merlena's gaze flickered over his body.
"No, I'm fine," Aragon assured her, though he couldn't deny the fatigue that coursed through his veins.
Taking charge of the moment, Merlena addressed the weary soldiers who stood nearby, their bodies covered with the marks of battle.
"Listen up! Healing mages, tend to the wounded, and soldiers, eat and rest all you can. We will have a busy day tomorrow, again."
