The rain came down in sheets, blowing nearly sideways as the wind drove it across the courtyard and against the shuttered windows of Chateau D'Arbor. Inside, Aleatia leaned heavily against the wall of the corridor; it had been yet another long day tending to the wounded who had been brought back from fending off the latest Darcian raid. There seemed to be no end to the number of injured – when one was healed enough to return to the fight, another invariably took his place, and the count of the dead rose with each passing week. It was hard to maintain hope in the midst of constant suffering and death, and yet somehow she was able to make it through one day, and then the next, doing what she could where she could.
Slowly, Aleatia pushed herself upright and made her way to the great hall, intending to warm herself at the fire. It was late, but there were still several men and women gathered around the hearth, talking quietly together. There were times when she would have taken part in their conversation, grateful for a chance to put aside her worries, but tonight her energy was spent and she had no desire to join them. Instead, she paused only long enough to warm her chilled hands, and then slipped quietly out of the hall, heading toward the castle doors. Here she could hear the wind as it howled across the courtyard, sending the rain pelting against the doors. Finding a fairly dry corner of the entrance hall, Aleatia sat down with her back to the wall, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to relax.
As she listened to the rain driving against the doors, she remembered standing in this same hall on a night nearly two years ago now, carefully making certain she did not watch as Alanthros rode out into the rain. He had not returned since, but she had heard news of him occasionally from the wounded who were brought in, stories of a tall knight who rallied troops and determinedly held his ground, who carried the injured to safety, ignoring his own wounds, who gave new hope to those around him by refusing to give up the fight. Aleatia had taken hope from these stories; Alanthros was still alive and fulfilling his call to serve, and she could do no less. But not now – now, she was worried.
For the past four months, she had heard no new tales that could possibly have been Alanthros, and she feared that her worst dreams had come to pass. These worries ran through her mind again as she sat in the dark and damp hall, keeping her from being able to find the peace she so desperately sought. In her head, Aleatia realized that this worrying would not change anything, but it was her concern for one she truly cared about which caused this disquiet, and she struggled to trust that the King had the best plan in mind when he called Alanthros to his service. However, even these concerns and the hard cold floor were not enough to keep her from sleep, so deep was her exhaustion, and Aleatia drifted into a light doze.
She was rudely awakened some time later by large gust of wind and rain, blowing in through the now open doors to the castle. Springing to her feet hurriedly and drawing her outer robe more tightly around her to keep out the damp, Aleatia wondered who could possibly be arriving at the castle at this hour of the night. The traveler appeared to have entered through the outer gates without the guards challenging his appearance loudly enough to wake her from her doze, so she assumed it was a rider who was well-recognized by the guards – could it possibly be a courier with news of the latest skirmishes?
The wind suddenly receded as the outer door was shut once more, and she saw the traveler making his way across the entrance hall in the direction of the door which led to the stables. She quickly moved back through the great hall, which was now empty, and then down the passage leading toward the kitchens, intending to have warm tea and some bread waiting when the visitor came in from the stables – it was not a pleasant night for travel and Aleatia assumed the food and warmth would be appreciated. She gathered the food swiftly, but by the time she had heated the water for tea and headed back toward the great hall with it, she could hear the sounds of someone building up the fire in the hearth and realized that the traveler had finished caring for his horse already. As she entered the hall and moved toward the hearth, he stood from the fire and turned toward her. Giving a short cry, Aleatia quickly set down the tray and hurried towards him – it was Alanthros.
Alanthros' face lit with pleasure at seeing Aleatia, and he quickly stepped away from the fire and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest. After a moment, he realized that she was crying. Worried, he stepped back and raised her chin until she looked him in the eyes. “What's wrong? Are you alright?”
Aleatia smiled back at him through her tears. “I am now. I was so worried though – where have you been for the last several months? I thought you might have been....well....I thought you might not be coming back.”
Grimacing at the thought of the anxiety Aleatia must have experienced while waiting for news, Alanthros sat Aleatia down on the nearest bench, and then explained, “The troops at the northern front had reported an unusual amount of Darcian activity over the past six months, and those few scouts who had managed to enter Darcian territory and escape again with their lives had given accounts of massive ship-building projects. I was sent with a select group of soldiers to discover how the Darcians intended to use their new fleet, and to destroy the ships if possible. However, the Darcian shipyards were many leagues beyond the border of Darcian territory and very heavily guarded, so our mission took several months to accomplish. I'm sorry for the worry this caused you, but our actions saved many lives – the Darcians had been planning a full-scale assault from both land and sea, which we were able to thwart by setting their ships ablaze.”
As she grasped his large hand in both of hers, Aleatia replied, “There's nothing to apologize for. You serve with no thought for yourself, and I am proud to have such a faithful knight as my friend. I worry because I care about you, but I realize that your first duty is to your King and the people who depend on you for protection.”
Alanthros drew her up into a quick hug. “Thank you for understanding, and for caring about me. It's always nice to have a friend to come back to.” He drew back and took a long look at her. “And now I think it's time you got some sleep – you look like it was a long day.”
Aleatia grinned, and then squealed as the big knight picked her up.
“Remind me again which direction to your rooms? I believe you need to be escorted there to protect against any mice which may be roaming the halls....”
Laughing quietly, Aleatia pointed toward one of the doors, and the pair moved out of the hall, enjoying the chance to laugh with one another, if only for a short while.
She was rudely awakened some time later by large gust of wind and rain, blowing in through the now open doors to the castle. Springing to her feet hurriedly and drawing her outer robe more tightly around her to keep out the damp, Aleatia wondered who could possibly be arriving at the castle at this hour of the night. The traveler appeared to have entered through the outer gates without the guards challenging his appearance loudly enough to wake her from her doze, so she assumed it was a rider who was well-recognized by the guards – could it possibly be a courier with news of the latest skirmishes?
The wind suddenly receded as the outer door was shut once more, and she saw the traveler making his way across the entrance hall in the direction of the door which led to the stables. She quickly moved back through the great hall, which was now empty, and then down the passage leading toward the kitchens, intending to have warm tea and some bread waiting when the visitor came in from the stables – it was not a pleasant night for travel and Aleatia assumed the food and warmth would be appreciated. She gathered the food swiftly, but by the time she had heated the water for tea and headed back toward the great hall with it, she could hear the sounds of someone building up the fire in the hearth and realized that the traveler had finished caring for his horse already. As she entered the hall and moved toward the hearth, he stood from the fire and turned toward her. Giving a short cry, Aleatia quickly set down the tray and hurried towards him – it was Alanthros.
Alanthros' face lit with pleasure at seeing Aleatia, and he quickly stepped away from the fire and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest. After a moment, he realized that she was crying. Worried, he stepped back and raised her chin until she looked him in the eyes. “What's wrong? Are you alright?”
Aleatia smiled back at him through her tears. “I am now. I was so worried though – where have you been for the last several months? I thought you might have been....well....I thought you might not be coming back.”
Grimacing at the thought of the anxiety Aleatia must have experienced while waiting for news, Alanthros sat Aleatia down on the nearest bench, and then explained, “The troops at the northern front had reported an unusual amount of Darcian activity over the past six months, and those few scouts who had managed to enter Darcian territory and escape again with their lives had given accounts of massive ship-building projects. I was sent with a select group of soldiers to discover how the Darcians intended to use their new fleet, and to destroy the ships if possible. However, the Darcian shipyards were many leagues beyond the border of Darcian territory and very heavily guarded, so our mission took several months to accomplish. I'm sorry for the worry this caused you, but our actions saved many lives – the Darcians had been planning a full-scale assault from both land and sea, which we were able to thwart by setting their ships ablaze.”
As she grasped his large hand in both of hers, Aleatia replied, “There's nothing to apologize for. You serve with no thought for yourself, and I am proud to have such a faithful knight as my friend. I worry because I care about you, but I realize that your first duty is to your King and the people who depend on you for protection.”
Alanthros drew her up into a quick hug. “Thank you for understanding, and for caring about me. It's always nice to have a friend to come back to.” He drew back and took a long look at her. “And now I think it's time you got some sleep – you look like it was a long day.”
Aleatia grinned, and then squealed as the big knight picked her up.
“Remind me again which direction to your rooms? I believe you need to be escorted there to protect against any mice which may be roaming the halls....”
Laughing quietly, Aleatia pointed toward one of the doors, and the pair moved out of the hall, enjoying the chance to laugh with one another, if only for a short while.
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