"Seliph's liberation army is finally here." The relief in Finn's voice was palpable.
"I'm surprised we managed on our own as long as we did," muttered Leif.
Three of Seliph's riders approached, ahead the rest of his army. One was armed with bow, and the other two with swords. "Prince Leif of Agustria, I presume," the sword knight called out.
"Aye. And you're Lord Seliph's liberation army, sent by Lewyn?" Leif called back.
The three knights halted before Leif's own forces, and the sword knight continued. "Indeed. What is the situation here? How far out are the enemy forces?"
"We just beat back another wave, it'll be some time before they can muster anything more," Finn said grimly. "But we need to defeat Bloom. Otherwise he won't stop until he's sent all the able-bodied men of Alster to their deaths."
"Of course," the knight agreed somberly. "I'll ride back to Lord Seliph to debrief him, then." He glanced at his two companions. "Ares, Lester, could you stay here with Leif's forces?"
Nanna felt her heart race as she heard the name Ares. She had heard tales about a cousin by the same name from both Lachesis and Finn, although she'd had to force it out of the latter. A niggling doubt crawled its way into her heart and she couldn't help but wonder if it was at all the same man. The chances were pretty slim, after all.
"They'll be safe with us," the bow knight replied. "Ride safely, Delmud."
The other knight smiled grimly. "Bloom's soldiers will fall like chaff to my blade. The demon sword Mystletainn, yet to slake its thirst, will revel in the blood of our enemies."
Nanna couldn't help but laugh to herself. Although she no doubt believed the cavalier was capable of wreaking havoc, such words sounded strange coming from a knight.
Ares gave Nanna a sour look, as though she had every reason to be impressed by his bluster.
Leif unsheathed his sword and brandished it toward Alster. "Let's go, then. We'll take the fight to Bloom, and Lord Seliph will back us up from the west!"
The other warriors followed suit, drawing their weapons and beginning the march to Alster.
As the din of battle died away, Nanna made her way to the cavalier from before. Ares was brushing his black stallion, the evening sun dying his hair bronze.
"Your name was Ares, right?" Nanna asked him.
The warrior glanced over his shoulder to her, one of his eyebrows quirked in curiosity. "Yes. Ares the Black Knight. Do you need something of me?"
She shook her head. "Not really. I just wanted to thank you, is all."
Ares paused, before he continued brushing his horse. "A mere trifle. I simply did as the blade Mystletainn called my sword hand to do."
Nanna managed to stifle her laughter this time, but did smile at his response.
Footsteps sounded nearby, and she turned to see Leif approaching. "Nanna, I was looking for you. The villagers set up a feast for Seliph's army. They're quite happy to be free from Bloom's grip."
The troubadour curtsied to her fiancé with a brief smile. "Of course. I'll be there shortly, Lord Leif. I was just expressing my gratitude to Ares."
Leif looked at the other man. "Ah, Ares, was it? I've never seen a warrior fight such as you. You were out there like a man possessed," he said with an appreciative grin.
Ares heaved a sigh before putting down his brush. He turned to Leif, his expression unreadable. "Lord Leif, it was no trouble, believe me." Placing a reverent hand on Mystletainn's hilt, he continued, "I consider myself your ally as long as fate aligns us so."
The Thracian prince smiled in amusement. "Well then. Ares, you care to join us at the feast?"
Ares gave an indifferent shrug in response.
Leif quirked his head sidelong at the cavalier, then looked back to Nanna. "Oh well. Let's go, then," he said with a winsome smile.
"Of course, milord," Nanna said with another curtsy. The two left the cavalier to his solitude.
Once they were out of earshot, Leif glanced to his companion. "Pretty strange guy, isn't he?"
Nanna pursed her lips thoughtfully, unsure how to reply.
The prince snickered in response. "Well, I can't complain. You saw him fight, didn't you?"
"Indeed," the troubadour said with a nod.
The two met with the rest of the army in one of Alster castle's halls. They joined Seliph and his army in the festivities, unwinding from their laborious campaign. There was music, food, and even a little bit of wine.
Before long, the sword knight from before made his way through the clamor over to the troubadour. "You're Nanna, right?"
She blinked at him in surprise. "Yes. The others called you Delmud, didn't they?"
He nodded rigorously in response. "Yes, it's me! Remember your brother Delmud? I've finally found you, and you're safe!" he said, hugging her.
The troubadour fumbled for words in her confusion. "Huh?" she asked, shaking her head. "Is this a joke?"
"Not at all. During the last war, all of us kids left to Isaach. But our mother Lachesis came here to Lenster with you after you were born," Delmud explained.
She pressed the sword knight away from her, frowning. "If you're my brother, then where is she now?"
Delmud's face darkened. "You mean mother?"
Nanna nodded solemnly. "She left Lenster when I was only three years old. To find you and our cousin Ares, but she never came back. Father and I have waited all this time, but she hasn't returned."
"I..." Delmud furrowed his brow. "But she never made it to Isaach."
Nanna felt her eyes begin stinging with tears, and she let out a bitter sigh. She'd long since come to terms with her mother's disappearance, but the reopened wound brought with it the same familiar grief.
Delmud hugged his sister once again. "Sorry, Nanna... I didn't mean to kill the festive mood." Parting from her, the sword knight smiled his most reassuring smile. "I'm just really glad to see you. It really has been so long. And our cousin Ares is with us, too!"
The troubadour shot him a quizzical glance, meeting his blue-gray gaze. "Our cousin?" she asked, her voice equal parts bleak and curious.
Her brother nodded agreement. "The cavalier from earlier. He's the son of Eltshan, our mother's brother. That's where he inherited that fearsome blade from," Delmud explained.
Nanna was dumbfound for a full instant, her mouth going slack.
Delmud grinned to his sister. "Sure, he's pretty strange. To be honest, I haven't gotten to know him very well. He likes to keep to himself, but he seems like an alright guy."
The troubadour felt the stories she'd been told clashing and twining with her own recent memories, leaving her wonderstruck. Eltshan had left a deep impression on her mother, who likewise had cared greatly for her nephew Ares. Though Nanna had been quite young, she could remember the passion with which Lachesis told stories of them. She had been too young to remember the words themselves, except for the versions later retold by Finn.
"I..." she stammered, "I suppose so." The troubadour managed a weak smile, unsure what else to say.
The sword knight peered thoughtfully at his sister, then was struck with an idea. "Nanna, care to dance with me?" he asked, taking her hand.
She laughed aloud, allowing herself to be led to the dance floor. Sat nearby, Leif caught Nanna's gaze and gave her a charming smile of approval.
The music was quite upbeat and festive, and there were already plenty of dancers participating. Ulster and a few others from Seliph's army led the floor in a dance from Isaach. The dance in question involved frequent switching of partners, and Nanna wound up dancing with each participant in turn.
Once the party finally began winding down, Nanna felt much better. Whether or not their mother was gone, there really wasn't much she and Delmud could do about it. However, the physical activity had been quite cathartic, and Nanna felt more clear-headed than before.
She wandered to the stable, where she'd found Ares before. He was no longer there, but Nanna did find the cavalier's black stallion.
The troubadour smiled softly in the darkness. "I don't suppose you know where Ares went, do you?"
The horse merely responded with a tired sigh.
"I didn't think so," Nanna mused. "Well, give him my regards when you see him." With that, she left and made her way to her room for the night.