Coming up to the headquarters, they’d realised that the others had managed to make it back, but it hadn’t been without consequence or disaster. In the raid to retrieve their stolen goods, several had been injured, including the Commander, Altheric, who had seemingly been hit by an arrow. It couldn’t have been too serious, however, as the Sergeant, Kildwin, was in rather good spirits as ever, mocking him.
“Do you see that, Furley? He got hit! Some Commander he is!” the Sergeant was howling with laughter. Normally, he would have laughed at the bizarre dynamic between the two of them, but he had no mirth left in him. All he could feel was pure frustration. Riding up to the stable, he gave his horse to the stablemaster and walked straight to the edge of their property, where a gentle waterfall fell beside their residence.
Putting his hands over his face, he screamed, so no one could hear it. Throwing curses, expletives and shouting inwardly, he rubbed his face, trying to regain himself. The monster within his mind was back in its cage, but it stared at him, beady-eyed, licking a paw as it observed him with amusement, almost mocking him. He had no anger, but the irritation jabbed at him like a thousand toothpicks and the frustration gnawed at him like a pan that had to air and threatened to boil over, having no way of releasing.
Daphnee walked over and put her arms around him, and they embraced one another. Her touch was like a salve on his wounds, and though completely out of character for her to be in such proximity to him, he held her tightly and appreciated every moment. They had just faced death together, and they were both trembling. He could feel his hand still shaking a little, and he bit his lip to stop it quivering as his chest heaved with the adrenaline leaving his body.
“I’m so sorry, Furley” she said. “I’m so sorry. You could have been killed. I could have done more”.
The monster paused, mid-lick, looking at him, startled. Then it flushed with embarrassment, and slinked back to the depths of its holdings, out of his sight and at the back of his mind where it belonged. And that was it. Furley put a hand on the top of her head, stroking her hair with his thumb. And in that moment, he was absolutely mortified at how single-minded he had been.
“No, Daph” he started. “I am sorry. I have been so selfish. There was you, a blade to your neck, and there was me, shouting, raving and cursing into the wind. I could have got us killed, whilst you did everything you could to keep us alive”.
There was something about that moment, where they held one another, that he had a strange feeling that they would all get through this. They would triumph, and they wouldn’t be beaten. As long as they had one another by their side, somehow, they’d get through anything. Employee of the month, yet again, he thought to himself, and he grinned.
As he thought that, he suddenly became aware of a presence around them. Catrena, the scout Harlaxton, Anastasiar and Cutch were stood, watching them with those smiling eyes, like they had stumbled on something they shouldn’t. That merely irritated him more.
“I see you two made it back just fine” Catrena began. “You did well”. Wait, what?
“How so?” he queried.
Smiling, she answered. “You kept that hunter engaged as long as you could. And helped keep his accomplice talking with us as long as possible. That meant we stalled them and gave our friends with the cargo enough time to get away”.
His face dropped, and suddenly he realised that she was no fool. He didn’t give her enough credit, and perhaps he should change that in his mind. She’d told them eventually where to find the cart and the rest of their retreating Company, but only right at the last moment. They were wily and would have known if they’d tried to dupe them. That would have led to their deaths. Catrena had had the sense to play for time, and it might just have saved everyone’s lives and got them out of a bad situation.
But there was only one question that remained unanswered. Fortunately for him, Daphne got there first, throwing her theory out onto the table for examination.
“How did they know where the goods were? Somebody in this Company must have told them something”.
“Perhaps they were just highwaymen” Catrena shrugged. Huh, he thought. Too much credit, perhaps. And his eyes narrowed as his suspicions grew, and he began mentally appraising every member of their Company in his mind.
“I think not” she responded. “They knew us. They were prepared. They were there for us, not the boxes. Perhaps they never even wanted the cargo”.
“Perhaps” Cat smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you both to your… inventory”.
That irked him. Then Ana smirked, and that wound him up further. Then the scout said something, and that got to him more. Then so did the cook, and his irritation scratched at him like coarse paper on his skin. Growling, he turned away as they all left him and Daphne alone once more. Whatever moment they had just shared, it had been borne out of facing death together, side-by-side, and that was something he wouldn’t let anyone cheapen.
“We’re at war, aren’t we?” he asked her, to which she nodded.
“Look, Fur… I’m sorr-”
“You have nothing to be sorry for” he smiled. “Stop blaming yourself for a hopeless situation. They had us beat before we had even arrived at that place. There’s nothing you could have done. What you did do is save us both, though”.
“Hardly”.
“No, the only person who is being hard on themselves here is you” he smiled. “Thirty or so bows, a blade to your neck, and we got out”. Sighing, he continued. “But, for the first time, I don’t feel overwhelmed. I look at this, and I don’t feel like I’m drowning in it. I feel like we’re going to beat this. We’re going to stand firm, and we’re going to weather this storm”.
“Well, that’s refreshing to hear from you” she smiled, still just looking at her helmet and sword, as if searching for an answer within her, desperately looking for something. But it wasn’t coming to her, and gently, he placed a hand on her helmet, and looking at him, she loosened her grip and let him take it from her grasp.
“You need to stop beating yourself up, Daph. That situation was impossible. They had us beaten before we even knew we were playing the game. You cannot win against those odds. What would you say to me if I was blaming myself right now?”
At that, she seemed to smile. “I never have been good for taking my own advice, have I?”
“Absolutely not” he chuckled. “But here we are, both knowing we should listen to ourselves more. And here we are, rising to what’s in front of us”.
“I guess we’ve come far”
“I guess we have” he smiled. “And don’t worry, we didn’t come this far and work this hard to be taken down by something like this. Now we know who we’re against, at least. Not necessarily what, how or how many, but we’ll think of something”.
“You always do” she smiled. “Well, when you’re level-headed”.
Chuckling, he felt her arm on his shoulder, and he smiled. “I’ll work on that more. But I am not who we need in this”.
“You are” she tried to say. “Fur, I’ve seen what you can do. You are a great leader. When you have your senses, you always find a way”.
“That I may do, but this time I know who we need more. I’ll find a way to get at those bastards, but there’s one woman in this kin who knows exactly how these people think” he smiled to himself, thinking of Deorla, the Company Master, who was due back any day from business at the harbour.
“If you say so. But whatever you think of, not tonight” she sighed, a weight clearly still hanging about her shoulders. “Let’s talk of anything other than this. You need to rest before you try”.
Nodding, he smiled. And they talked of things, life and burdens, though eventually they came back full circle to the problem at hand. Just as they did, Anastasiar reappeared. Probably a blessing, for he was exhausted, and Daphne was likely in need of a friend right now that wasn’t him. There was some things, it seemed, that she probably wouldn’t want to share with him. And that was just fine.
Bidding them both goodnight, he trudged off to his house and to his new wine rack. Rubbing his eyes, he felt the exhaustion slowly seep into every crack and crevice of his body. Somehow, he knew, tonight he would dream. But it likely wouldn’t be the fire.
