The morning sun rose a little too early for Erik’s taste. But rise it did, waking the men and two women of their party. The Duke rose from the ground where he had laid down to sleep a few hours before as the first rays of sunlight filled the sky. He stood and stretched his back, then looked down the road back the way they had come.

Thankfully, there had been no sign of wyvern during the night, allowing the men to rest and recover as much as they could. For that he was grateful. Now he just had to get them the rest of the way home.

“Benedict!” the Duke shouted, causing the other men around him to jump up and set to work stowing away blankets and dealing out what remaining food and water they had. The knight was at his side in an instant.

“Yes, Your Grace?” the knight said, bleary-eyed and stifling a yawn. His mop of brown hair stuck out at odd angles from sleeping on the ground.

“Check the injured, and make sure the worst are situated on horses as before. And,” Erik added in a lower tone, leaning closer to the knight. “If any did not survive the night, report it to me. We may need to leave the bodies and come back for them.” Benedict nodded grimly and set to his task.

While it was not what the Duke wanted, leaving behind those that were already gone from this world was the practical thing to do. It was nothing short of astonishing that not a single man had been lost during the attack. But he had seen injuries like some of the men carried before, and the outcome had been less than ideal.

The Duke dreaded having to tell Karissa that anyone, but especially any of her guards, would have to be left behind in this manner. He hoped that maybe another miracle had occurred, and they’d all make it to the keep that day instead.

Erik went to the woods to relieve himself, as many of the other men did once they had a moment, then upon returning he approached Dalvo to help him lash an unconscious man to a horse. The young captain still had his bow and a nearly empty quiver slung over his shoulder. The Duke remembered all of the wyvern carcasses he’d dragged off of the road that had been riddled with arrows.

“Oh, Your Grace,” Dalvo said, bowing his head, and then returning to his work. “I can manage.”

“I’m sure you can, Captain, but more hands will make the work go faster. We need to get started on the road as soon as possible.” 

The Duke stepped around the horse, then held out his hand for the rope. The gray uniformed man handed it over after a moment’s hesitation. Erik wound the rope around the unconscious man’s torso and the horn of the saddle, pulling it tightly to keep the man astride, then passed it back to Dalvo to tie it off. The injured man was also in the gray uniform of a Kyleon Guard, his head bandaged with red-stained fabric from Karissa’s undergarments. 

Erik stifled a smile, remembering how taken aback he had been when she’d lifted her skirt and ripped off some of her underskirt for him. “Where did you think we got the bandages from?” she’d said. 

He made a mental note to buy her more undergarments from town when all this was over. She’s earned it, he thought musingly. 

“Right, Paul is ready to go,” Dalvo said after tying off the rope. 

“Very good,” Erik said, also mentally noting the man’s name for future use. 

Dalvo handed off the reins to another guard, who led the animal to where they were gathering all the horses with riders. He then approached another man who was laying on the ground, this time rolling him onto a litter that had been left beside him. The Duke hurried over to help, and together they got the man situated, but left him there to be lifted by others when they were all ready to leave.

The captain stood and nodded at the Duke. “Thank you for your help, Your Grace.”

“Of course.” The Duke studied the young man’s face for a moment, noting his fatigue. “You did not sleep much last night, did you?” Dalvo let out a tired chuckle.

“Did any of us?” he asked, gesturing around them. It was true, they were all exhausted, but Dalvo seemed particularly haggard. 

“You did not volunteer for a watch, if I recall. I would not have let you if you had,” the Duke continued, waving away a surely indignant reply. “My knights were more fresh than you or your men. It was only right for them to do it. But you seem like you didn’t sleep a wink.”

“... How could I?” Dalvo asked, running his fingers through his sandy hair. “How could I shut my eyes when I have Lady Karissa to protect? I was mandated to keep her safe, and that is what I intend to do. No matter how miserably I have done so far, I will see it through.” Dalvo glared at the Duke for a moment, then lowered his gaze, gripping the bow that was slung over his shoulder. “I will not fail anymore. Of that you can be sure.”

“Captain, you cannot blame yourself for what has happened,” Erik said, trying to sound kind instead of commanding. “You could not have prevented the attack. You did well in defending and protecting your men and Lady Karissa.” The Duke placed a hand on the captain’s shoulder and squeezed firmly. “And you will not be any good to her if you keel over from exhaustion before we reach the keep.”

Dalvo turned his head away and wiped at his eyes, then nodded. “Yes, Your Grace.”

“Now go get something to eat, and a drink, and sit somewhere until we are ready to depart. Alright?” Dalvo hesitated, then nodded again. “Good. Off you go.”

Erik watched him stumble over to where some guards were still dealing out food, satisfied that the young man would follow his orders.

“He’s always been hard on himself,” a voice said behind him. 

He turned to see Karissa approaching him, a handful of dried peaches in her hand, and the canteen her lady’s maid always carried for her. She was wearing a different dress, this time light blue in color. She had also redone her hair into a tighter, neater braid, but her face was no longer framed with wisps of hair. He found he liked it better the day before. 

“Actually, his father is to blame,” she continued. “Too much expectation growing up. And then my mother made him captain of the guard after the old one died in the war.”

“I wondered how one so young could have achieved the title of captain,” Erik replied, interested in this new information.

“Well, most other qualified men that were left were not… suitable, so to speak.”

“Not suitable?”

Karissa nodded, chewed a piece of dried fruit, then continued. “My father only gave power to those that supported his tyranny. My mother did all she could to root out those types of people. And so, Dalvo was the only choice left in the end. The other guards may be older than him, more experienced. But he was the right choice. And he quickly gained their loyalty, as well as their trust.”

“He seems a remarkable young man,” Erik replied, in all honesty. To have gained the trust of so many, and that of a former queen and princess… that is quite a feat.

“Yes, he is,” she said, gazing after the young Captain. “I’ll miss him.” Erik furrowed his brow at the remark. 

What does she mean by that?