Blood covered Kilian's hands, and he helped Dante sit down on the ground.
The back was pierced by two metal feathers, stabbing into his shoulder and lower abdomen.
"When…".
Kilian was confused, the Knights had protected them with their shield during the last attack when Dante had covered him.
"When he took you to the forest" Someone mentioned quietly. I noticed him carrying you off to safety, but his back was exposed, yet he kept running".
Kilian gasped and looked up at his grandfather for help, he had no idea what to do with the groaning Dante that was resting his unconscious head in Kilian's hands.
This was why he hadn't been able to follow Kilian back to the battle, he couldn't, still, he had somehow managed to make it back just in time to protect Kilian again.
Dante really was his knight.
Three knights came to help Dante to an area where other wounded men had been laid out. Jasper was running around them all trying to tend to them as best as he could.
Kilian watched as the body was carried off.
"Are there no healers…doctors with us?"
He was still staring at the red-headed man that still hadn't moved, but his question was directed to the old man standing beside him.
Cratos broke the door of the carriage behind them, taking out something from between the smashed pieces of wood within.
"Here…" That was all the man replied, handing Kilian his cane, and helping him to stand up straight.
Kilian stared up into the Archduke's blue eyes, somehow blaming him for the situation right now where Dante could lose his life.
Cratos placed his big palm on Kilian's head, like an awkward pat, knowing that the young one wanted to know why at this moment he couldn't help him.
"We don't have many healers who wish to work in the North… The weather you see.. And they are already rare and hard to come by, the few we have are self-taught healers from the villages, but none have had proper training at the academy in the capital."
Kilian felt small under the hand, even when he was partly blaming his grandfather right now for what was happening, it was only to suppress the tiny thought of how it was his own actions that had led to this moment.
He shouldn't have come back, if he had helped him in the forest, maybe it had turned out better.
Kilian knew he was not someone noble, and even if these knights were currently thanking him for saving them, in his mind he knew he might have chosen differently and just saved the one that mattered more to him.
He could never say that though, he knew that, and he felt guilty for both leaving Dante, and also thinking he could have left the knights behind if he had known.
It was as if the duke knew his thoughts, and stood there next to Kilian like a pillar that supported him.
"I am sure your knight does not regret his choice or blame you for yours".
Kilian nodded.
What is done is done, he thought, right now all he needed to do was help the wounded, Dante, and the knights.
The guilt in his chest for thinking he could leave them turned to him wanting to help them instead.
He had helped save these men while possibly losing another, so he would make sure each one of them made it out alive.
The cane felt comforting in his hand, and he used it to steady his tired limbs while walking over the corpses of harpies, heading to the area where they had moved the wounded.
He saw Dante between several others, but Jasper had already pulled the feathers from the body and was busy bandaging the body.
He shouldn't interfere, he might do more harm than good, when he didn't know what to do.
What had they done in movies where he was from? There were limited materials, and right now it was knights who were doing first aid to other knights, with the knowledge they had from experiences.
'Boil water… don't they always boil water?' Kilian thought that was the most common thing from movies he knew about.
Either way, keeping the wounds clean to prevent infections was something he could do.
He gathered broken pieces of wood from the carriages and started two fires, one further away from the wounded.
Then without confirming with his grandfather he pointed at two men telling them to start burning the corpses of the birds.
He didn't want to risk any disease to the land, since no one knew where they were from or what they were.
They had come a long way from the snow-covered mansion area, and Kilian ran around trying to gather what little snow he could still find in the area, melting it and boiling it over the second fire.
His actions were soon recognized, and without having to tell anyone, others had started to repeat what he was doing.
Soaking fabrics in the hot water and cleaning and drying wounds, as well as they could.
Kilian ended up working as a laundry maid.
There were constantly bloody bandages and fabric that needed to be boiled washed and dried, to be used again.
They were there for two days.
Three people died on the first night after. The night had been terribly cold, and they had trouble keeping everyone warm, even with the fires.
Since they were going to the capital still, their bodies had been burned and everyone had attended to give thanks and the last farewell.
Every time someone worsened, Kilian was afraid it was Dante.
He had stayed close to him and had barely had any sleep.
Cratos and a few men had hunted in the forest for game and brought food, which was a huge relief.
At least they didn't have to worry about running out of food for a while.
It had even helped many get better.
Kilian was sitting, he had Dantes's head in his lap, and was wiping the sweat off the skin.
Many had come to offer him bowls of food or water, all wanting to give Kilian something as thanks for what he had done and been doing.
Kilian had refused them all with a small smile, he didn't feel hungry, as the smell of blood that had lingered everywhere made him lose his appetite.
Regardless he could hear the whispers and talks around him.
He pretended not to, but words like the " The young Duke… brave… strong… like his grandfather…proud".
He felt humbled, none of the men praising him knew what Kilian had been thinking, how he would have left them to just save this man in his lap if he could do it over.
The guilt stang when thinking about it and he turned to give the gossiping men a dry smile.
They saw it and got flustered like school girls and scurried off pretending to do something else.
A finger poked his cheek and he looked down surprised to see Dante look back up at him with a pained grin, like he was trying to smile, but moving his cheeks hurt too much.
Kilian didn't know what to say and just stared back, thinking about how grateful he was Dante had finally woken up.
None of it was said out loud.
But Dante knew what the young man was thinking and just gave another smile and closed his eyes again.
Dante dozed off thinking it was not so bad resting like this, after all, he could afford to be a bit greedy blaming it on his injured body needing this comfort to heal better.
They took off not too long after Dante and the rest of the injured knights were able to be moved.
They had been given space in the Archduke's carriage that was still usable, and Kilian now found himself riding in front of his grandfather, together on a horse.
The creature was magnificent, the biggest horse of them all, and seemed to be the personal horse of Cratos.
He had no clue how to ride, and at first, had been embarrassed that he had had to sit there like he was some useless kid that needed to be taken care of.
However, there were no demeaning looks or disapproving faces around him, in fact, many rode up next to him to nod their heads and give thanks for the assistance he had given during the attack.
If anything, the spot he had was an honor, as he was technically the person in front of the rest of the procession, even in front of the Archduke himself, when they finally rode in through the gates of the capital city.
There had been no issue being verified at the entrance, the emblems of Valen were the only nobles besides the royal family that was not subject to questioning or inspection upon arrival.
Heads were turned and stunned, some were eager to follow them and some looked shocked seeing the men covered in dirt and smears of dried blood.
'Intended', Kilian thought.
This way they looked more capable than if they had been wearing shiny new unused armor.
The whole thing had Jasper look smug on his horse, clearly soaking in the dramatic elaborate entrance he wanted.
The procession stopped in front of a huge round building somewhere that seemed to be the middle of the capital.
"It is the government officials' office, but also used as a war office, the King can not wage war without it being discussed and supported by other nobles".
Cratos explained seeing Kilian's curious look at the odd-looking building, that stood out from the normal housing around it.
No knights joined them when Cratos and Kilian stepped into the building, none were needed as Kilian quickly noticed how much bigger and menacing his grandfather looked compared to the young soldiers and guards at the place.
They would all profusely bow and get out of their way, as soon as they were noticed.
A big door was at the end of a rounded hallway, and they both entered.
Cratos sat in an assigned chair, and Kilian stood up behind him, leaning against his cane for support.
His grandfather had explained this was the tradition of the place, where the head of the house sat and the acknowledged heir or younger representative of the house stood behind them.
They were the last to arrive.
Ten other men and women were sitting in the chair, most of them having younger people stand behind them.
One of these men was Count Heathgrave, who was sitting and engaged in a conversation with the man beside him.
Behind him stood the eldest son of Count Hethgrave, with a proud smile and dark brown hair, combed backward in a sleek greasy style.
Most of Kilian was obscured by the large frame of Cratos, and the Heathgraves had not noticed their youngest were among them.
Yet.