Darkness in the Twilight
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By Psycho Ferret and LunarCrystal
The Rescue
It was already fading into nighttime, and going passed dinner as everyone was handed rations. It was dark outside, too dark to see even with torchlight. There were spring clouds overhead that threatened rain upon the marshes, and promised mud on the leather of soldier's boots. Gaddes tried to remain calm, not frantic like he would have otherwise been inclined to be. The princess was in the tender care of Basram. What would they do to such an innocent little girl. His heart broke as the vivid images of her mangled body, used and beaten, entered his mind.
He couldn't think like that. He had to concentrate. Like Allen had said, they couldn't very well just march right up to their camps and take Ethan and Angelina out of there. They had to locate the camp first. It was many hours before anything was spotted. The camp remained hidden, but one of the scouts came back with a torn piece of Angelina's ribbon. It was in the north, far from the path where she and Ethan were taken from.
As soon as the scout came back with the news, Gaddes went immediately to inform Allen of their discoveries.
Allen was just inside the fort, settled where he and Gaddes used to sit and talk all the time. His back rested against the railing, his head slightly bowed, watching as he traced patterns in the wood. "She's grown up wonderfully, you know," he murmured, informing a body that wasn't there. "I never thought I'd be able to do it without you, but Gaddes and the others were there, too. I'm glad you're back... I missed you so much." Allen sighed softly, really rather oblivious to the fact that there really wasn't anyone there.
Some of the soldiers glanced at Gaddes warily as they told him that Allen was acting... oddly. They mentioned where he'd gone and left him to taking care of the commander. If anyone knew what was going on, it was Gaddes.
"Who are you talking to?" Gaddes fairly blurted out, holding his position just at the ladder. He'd been watching the scene, his eyes pained though he suddenly felt angry - angry that he didn't understand what the hell was going on.
Allen blinked, glancing up and looking over at Gaddes. His brow furrowed slightly, motioning across from him. "It should be obviou--" Allen turned his head back to where Celena had been before... and fell silent. She wasn't there anymore. The blonde looked faintly confused, staring searchingly in that direction, only to find no sign of her.
Gaddes shook his head slowly, his eyes slightly widened and scared for his friend - his lover. His brows were knitted in worry and confusion. "She's dead, Allen." he finally told him. He finally said it, damn it. He had to be told, sooner or later, but it should have been sooner. It should have been at the very first sign of his delusions.
Allen blinked a little, slowly looking over at his lover, confused. "But... she was right there, Gaddes. She was sitting right there and we were talking about Angelina..."
He approached the knight, his expression sorrowful and full of pain. Grasping him by the shoulders firmly, he leaned in close to look deeply into his partner's cornflower irises. "She's been gone for five years. You - You buried her! Right here at the fort! Don't you remember?"
Allen stared at Gaddes so close, close enough to touch, to feel. But... his words, they hurt. "But, she..." Allen bit down lightly on his bottom lip, a decidedly pained look crawling onto his pale features.
Two swift slaps to Allen's face, and Gaddes expression changed to anger. "You will listen to me. Snap out of it now, or I will leave you here and find our daughter without you. Do you understand?"
Allen flinched away from Gaddes, ducking away from him. Of course, the other had meant it for his own good, but... but even still. He was angry. Allen had made him angry because of something the blonde didn't understand. Celena... she had been there just a few minutes ago. She'd been talking to him excitedly, like usual... but Gaddes said she was dead.
Tears built in the corners of his eyes, both from the sting of pain in his cheeks, as well as from that within his heart. He didn't know what to do... he'd seen her...
It appeared to Gaddes that he was given his answer. Allen was not within his wits. Without so much as a word, the sergeant left him to shrinking away in the corner of the balcony, romping down the stairs and snatching up his men from the Crusade. Roughly slapping backs and yanking arms, he'd brought out the men. Kio was by his side, of course, ever loyal. Riden was behind the big man, as was traditional for them.
Allen watched painfully as Gaddes left. Numbly, he pulled his legs to his chest, ducking his chin against his knees. The blonde's sobs were quiet, tears slipping over his cheeks. She was dead, he remembered... she was dead and Gaddes... gods, he'd hurt Gaddes because he couldn't get over it. He'd been so stupid... so obsessive...
The blonde pulled his legs tighter to his chest, ignoring the night's chill that ran through his nerves. It hurt... it hurt so much. Had Gaddes given up on him? It was the only thing he could think of. He'd lost Gaddes...
Roughly slapping backs and yanking arms, Gaddes brought out the men. Kio was by his side, of course, ever loyal. Riden was behind the big man, as was traditional for them. Oruto and Pyle came next, then Katz and Teo. Gaddes led them swiftly out of the front of the castle, shouting out orders to all of the soldiers, adjusting his gear, his sword, and taking a lantern. Allen wouldn't have been able to see in this darkness anyway, no matter how much latern light was taken with them into the swamps.
"Isn't the boss coming, Sarge?" asked Riden curiously. Gaddes gave a short grunt.
"No."
~
Angelina was sleeping along side Hans, fair sweet Hans - her Hans. She had deemed him her personal toy bear, and though she had several in her castle chambers, he was the biggest and nicest of them all. They were in his little cloth house, the floor mat wasn't the softness that she was used to. So Hans had placed her little body to lay on top of his front. There she lay, curled up and content with his warmth and the blanket over them.
It was just for the night, she told herself. Father said he would take good care of me, and then Father will take me back to the castle and Hans will live with us. Happily asleep and enveloped in his warmth, she was oblivious to the sounds of soldiers rustling about, hissing orders to each other as they began to hear a group approach.
Hans was roused by the soldiers outside, carefully sliding the girl off of him and lying her on a bunched up pillow of his cloak. Quietly, he crept outside, speaking softly to one of the other officers before he turned to find their commander. He was, of course, with Ethan. The boy was asleep in the uncomfortable position they nearly always found him in. His hands were manacled at the wrists, suspended above him from behind. He was bent over slightly, the pain in his shoulders from the tug at his joints and muscles nothing compared to his shame and disgust and exhaustion.
A rough clothed blanket hung at his waist. He'd been washed after the activities--always washed to start freshly the next day--but there were traces of bite marks on his sore shoulders, scratches and bruises littering his pale skin. Nothing deep or scarring. They had plans for serving him up as a slave when they returned to Basram, after all, and he couldn't have any permanent damage.
The commander was still awake, admiring the exotic boy he had taken. A leer was in his eyes, and a smirk on his lips. A very pretty slave. He had already straightened his uniform, tucking his pants into his leather boots when Hans came to alert him of the commotion.
"What is going on?" he asked of his lieutenant.
"Some of the Asturian soldiers, commander, I believe they're coming for the hostages." Hostage. It was hard to think of the little girl as a hostage, really. She was so carefree and adorable. Hans inclined his head to his superior, for a moment letting his gaze linger of Ethan. The boy... was so strange, so unlike any other they'd found here on Gaea.
"Well we can't let them take the little brat, can we?" he stated more than asked, really. He hadn't really spent time with the girl, so he was ignorant to her charms. The boy, however, was a delectable morsel that he had enjoyed more than once during the course of his stay. "Ready the riflemen. Backwater Asturian soldiers don't have anything more than arrows and swords. I think we can pick them off easily enough, lieutenant."
Hans saluted the man, inclining his head to him. "It might be best if you stay out of the fray, commander. We want to keep you safe." The soldier looked at the man calmly. Though young, he was still a fine soldier. It had been ground into him, his blood burned with it.
"Dismissed," said the commander swiftly, turning back to ready his own gear as Hans left.
Angelina had been comfortable with Hans, but now that he had left her, it wasn't before long that she woken up to find him missing from beneath her. She stood carefully, tracing her hand along the canvas of the tent and feeling for the flap. She grasped it and poked her head out into the crisp night. "Hans!" she called, "Where are you?"
With a sigh and a salute, the young soldier left. If the commander died, then he, as the highest ranking subordinate in this camp, would take over. And he wasn't sure he was ready to. But he didn't dare argue with the sometimes angrily violent man. Hans paused, frowning a little and padding over to Angelina's side, resting a hand on her head. "Hush, katzchen, why aren't you still asleep?"
The very moment he touched her head, she launched herself to him, clasping herself to his leg. "I was scared. I wasn't in my bed and you weren't there and I couldn't sleep. Oh, Hans, please don't leave me." she begged, as any sweet little girl knew how to do all too well.
"Katzchen, you need your beauty sleep so you'll be perfect in the morning. I have to help my men, ja? Go back to sleep, I'll come back to you."
"Could you tuck me in?" she whispered, feeling that he was crouched down and her hands led her to his face. There she gave him tender little kisses, nuzzling, and begging again, "Please?"
"Ja, I will." Hand lifted her into his arms, sliding inside the tent and lying her down on the cloak he'd used as a pillow. He draped a blanket over her, kissing her forehead gently. And this time, it wasn't just a mockery of fondness. She was adorable... and Hans couldn't think of letting anything happen to her.
"Goodnight, Hans," she whispered sleepily, her sightless eyes fluttering closed. "When we grow up, we can get married and live together in my castle . . ." she yawned, "With father and Uncle Gaddes. . ."
Hans bit back a sigh, nodding to her. "Ja, katzchen..." He brushed his fingers through her hair, then stood, turning and stalking out, grabbing up his rifle as he left.
~
Gaddes led the group of them quietly, separating everyone into pairs. Chris, fearless and sometimes a little clueless, had run after them, hastily trying to catch up and insisting that he helped them. There were other soldiers that had been dispatched along with the crew, and they, too, had disappeared to enter the camp in a different place. Gaddes had grumbled to Chris about his place and how he *didn't* belong on the battle field . . .
Until Chris held up two sacks. Each of those sacks contained smaller sacks, rolled up cautiously into tiny canvas cannon balls with wicks coming out of the end - like cherries the size of one's fist. They smelled horrible, but Chris quickly explained that that was the ammonia from manure and the sulfur. So he was paired with Gaddes, the rest dispersed among the trees.
They knew they were getting close. Voices, barking orders and the clicking of rifles being ready made that much evident to their ears. "So," said Chris nervously, "Do we have a plan?"
"We need to figure out where they're keeping them," whispered Gaddes, crouched down beside the elder brother. Knowing Basram's habit of cruelty towards their captives, Gaddes didn't hold much hope, at least in Ethan, anyway. What would they do to a little girl, after all? She was just a child...
The Asturian man shifted nervously. "You're sure those things are going to work, right? If... you can get to a rifle, do you know how to use it?"
"It's a simple point and kill interface." said Chris sarcastically.
"If you say so," Gaddes murmured, sighing softly. "We have to make sure not to hurt Angelina or Ethan... so we can't move out until Riden and the others let us know they've found them."
"Well, how the hell will we know?" hissed the man impatiently. It seemed like they were getting no where. They didn't know where they were, or where Ethan was being kept. They couldn't risk going any closer . . . Chris could've bashed his head into the nearest tree if his brother's life didn't depend on him so much.
"They'll signal. We just have to wait," he murmured softly, shaking his head. He didn't like waiting any more than Chris did. Waiting meant those two in Basram hands that much longer. And Gaddes... didn't want that at all.
"Hi, Sarge." said Riden from behind Gaddes, sneaking up on the man as quietly as a prowling cat.
Gaddes started, hand lingering on the hilt of his sword. He breathed a sigh of relief, looking over his shoulders. "...you find out where they are?"
"Kio's working on getting Ethan now. He don't look too good, boss..." he started, giving Chris a wary glance, "The princess is in one of the tents - the larger ones. Probably commanding officer."
Gaddes pursed his lips slightly, glancing sideways at Chris. "He'll be fine," he said, brushing aside Riden's comment. He couldn't have Chris get distracted by it.
Chris' brow furrowed slightly, worry starting to well up inside of him. He didn't want his brother hurt, nor maimed, and that's what it was starting to sound like. But he was the one with the bombs to plant. He couldn't let his brother down, not when he was so close to rescuing him. He roughly handed one of the sacks to Riden, taking some matches from his pocket and handing them to him.
"Plant the bomb, light the wick, run like hell. Understand?" said the Terran. Riden only nodded dumbly, grasping the sack and the matches. Looking to Gaddes, Chris continued with finality in his tone, "Let's go."
Gaddes sighed softly, nodding. "Riden... be careful. I want all of us to go back. All of us." With that, Gaddes nodded to Chris, starting forward sneakily, cautiously, one hand always resting on the hilt of his sword.
Riden had already disappeared into the darkness, preparing to set bombs and lighting them. Chris stayed very close behind Gaddes. They were already encroaching upon the camp, keeping very well to the shadows. Just at the edge of it, they spotted the tent that Riden had told them of - the second largest one. It was across the way from the first line of tents, but through the flap, they could just barely make out the slumbering form of a little silver haired girl.
"There she is!" he hissed to Gaddes, pointing excitedly.
Gaddes nodded, glancing around at the groups of men standing around. The soldiers were ready, rifles held about. The one nearest the tent was tall and thin, but broad shouldered, white-blonde hair falling a little short of his shoulders. He murmured orders to a few of the men in their own language, his stance cautious.
The brunette pursed his lips slightly. "I'll have to trust Kio to get Ethan out. We can't worry about that right now." He rested a hand on Chris' shoulder, glancing at him and nodding. "Luck in the shadows, Chris."
Chris nodded in agreement, scrutinizing the area once more. He narrowed his eyes, carefully taking out one of his homemade bombs. "They won't be expecting this." he said, "We need to distract that man guarding Angelina's tent."
Gaddes nodded squarely to the other, narrowing his eyes at the young soldier. He looked younger then even them...
"We'll need to make it count."
He nodded again, pointing to his right, "I'll light it and throw it over there, away from her tent."
"Right. Once I see them move, I'll head out and get her, alright?" Gaddes glanced at Chris, nodding to him. They'd get her and Ethan both.
Working quickly, the Terran lit the wick of his bomb and heaved back, sending it reeling through the air toward the most congestion of riflemen that waited to attack - so it began.
The explosion from such a small little thing was enormously deafening. It sent shrapnel, men, rifles, tents - flying through the air and promptly landing in a pile of burning embers.
Gaddes flinched, turning his head away so the blast wouldn't ruin his night vision. When he heard the outcry from the soldiers, he headed out, deftly sneaking towards the tent, throwing aside the flap and grabbing up the girl. "Princess, it's Gaddes," he whispered harshly, just so she would know it was him.
Hans was altogether startled by the explosion. The silence was broken by the loud boom of the weapons they were rather used to... only now they were being used on them.
He was even more surprised at the sharp lance of pain that suddenly bloomed in his side.
The explosion nearby had caught a few soldiers in its midst, blowing apart bodies and the rifles they held, the fire igniting the gunpowder in the rifles, blowing them apart as well. Hans stumbled back, numbly, slipping onto his knees heavily and slowly, shocked, looked down at the bayonet blade that imbedded itself in his side, the armor pierced as if it was nothing. The blonde man jerked slightly, coughing as blood slickened his throat. He... was he going to die...?
Angelina was startled, and very frightened. She'd initially scrambled in absolute fright at the boom, then suddenly to have her Uncle Gaddes pick her up and hold her. She squirmed, afraid, and not able to control her shaking little body. "Uncle Gaddes! Where's Hans! Are we being attacked by pirates?! We need to save Hans!!" She fairly screamed at him.
"No! We're saving you, princess, come on!" Gaddes slipped quietly out, looking at the blonde man as blood soaked into his clothing. A pity... he was so young.
Hans looked numbly at Gaddes as he carried out the girl and the soldier's voice was hoarse, pained, but still his, nonetheless. "Katz...chen..." Hans coughed again, harshly, doubling over. He slipped forward, the blade pressed upon by his weight and he jerked again as it slid deeper, tearing at the flesh more.
"No!!" She screamed, hearing her beloved's voice and leaning out from Gaddes' hold toward it, her hands outstretched, hoping to touch him. She cried fiercely, never before have so many tears escaped her. Never has her face been twisted into such fear and pain. She'd never experienced this kind of loss. Her mother died when she was but an infant. But here she could hear the words of a dying man, his choked voice. She screamed, reaching for him, "The pirates got him! The pirates got him! Hans! Hans!! Uncle Gaddes, save Hans! He's hurt! The pirates got him!!"
"Princess, he's a bad man, leave him alone!" Gaddes stared at the girl wildly, taken aback by the fierceness of her want to help him. He glanced at the dying man. He was... so young. He couldn't be much older, if any, than Allen.
But the girl wouldn't let him leave without getting Hans, as well. Gaddes winced at seeing the blade so deeply imbedded in the man's flesh, but Angelina would surely give up their position when they were retreating if he didn't take him. With a heaving sigh, Gaddes supported the man with one arm, pretty much dragging him back into the trees.
"Hans, Hans," whimpered the girl over and over, reaching and touching any part of him she could. Oh, how she cried - the tears flowing like rivers. Not her Hans, her toy... the evil pirates that got him - surely father and Uncle Gaddes will take care of them. She felt the air freshen, and she knew they were out of the camp, able to breathe among the trees and glad for it. Air always helped her when she was sick with hiccups - maybe it will help Hans. She didn't exactly know what was wrong with him, just that he was hurt.
Hans had fallen unconscious by the time they got back into the trees and Gaddes handed Angelina over to Chris. "She wouldn't stop screaming about him," he murmured, shaking his head. He didn't think the kid would survive anyway, so he didn't see the real harm in it.
Chris took Angelina carefully, who was still crying hysterically and chanting the young soldier's name. She clung to her uncle as she did this. It was terribly heart wrenching to hear her strangled cries, her little face distraught and buried into his shirt. But he held her close, glad that she was safe and trusting in Kio to bring back his brother. He stood and started off toward the fort.
Gaddes moved rather quickly with Hans, not really too worried about being gentle. He was from Basram, anyway. He ignored the shocked looks from the soldiers in the fort as he drug the man in, taking him to the apothecary. Gaddes shoved the door open, lying the blonde man down on the table, arching a brow. "So... Angelina likes him. For some reason. Do what you can, I wouldn't worry too much about him."
Melzin looked absolutely astonished. But Asturian or Basramese - it did not matter. Melzin's only job was to heal, and that was what he immediately set to work to do. "Don't ye worry about anything, Gaddes," said the healer, quickly applying the right tinctures that helped cool the skin and staunch the blood flow, "I'll do what I need to do. You just keep your eye on the wee one."
"Well... I wasn't really worrying... but yeah." Gaddes sighed, shaking his head, heading out and finding Chris. "You... go find Ethan. Some of the others said they saw Kio bring him back, but I don't know where he is." He took Angelina from the elder brother, sighing softly.
Chris nodded dumbly, relinquishing his tight hold on the girl so that Gaddes would take her. He seemed about to say something, to ask how they thought Ethan looked, but he couldn't find his voice. He marched away from them, going down various hallways and corridors, asking solders if they'd seen the big man and his brother. He was eventually led to a room, on the first floor, the first available room with a bed in it that Kio had taken him to.
Ethan hadn't let go of Kio since he'd found him. The lithe frame shook, trembling, Ethan just sobbing, his pale face smeared with tears. His hair was mussed, the blanket still wrapped around his waist. His light flesh was scratched, smudged with dirt in places. He looked... miserable, curled up against the other man, utterly frightened.
"My god," Chris breathed, approaching his brother with swift strides and nearly pushing Kio out of the way, "What did they do to you?" he demanded, "What did they do! I swear I'll kill every last one of them."
But Kio would not be budged, merely held the sobbing young man in his arms. It was obvious what they had done, the scratches and bit marks so clear on pallid flesh. But Chris couldn't believe it - or didn't want to. Despite his desperate pleas to let him hold his own brother, Kio still would not move. "Let me - Goddamn it! Fuck! I'm his brother! Get the fuck out of the way!"
Ethan cringed away from his brother, curling up tighter against the man. His shoulders heaved with sobs, long hair slipping over his shoulders to hide his face, even as he buried it in the man's chest. "D-don't..." he sobbed, his voice heavy with his misery, "don't look at me..." He didn't want Chris of all the people to see him like that... dirty, used... oh God, he just wouldn't stand it.
Chris realized, and knew what he needed. He knew what had happened. His brother needed time. Though Chris was frantic and distraught, he had to be a good brother. If he was to think of Ethan's feelings, him being there would not have helped anything. "Okay," he said softly, the tears slowly spilling over, "I'll leave you with Kio. Ethan, I love you. You're my brother. I'll be waiting for you when you feel better. Just remember that I love you."
He knew it was the right thing. Ethan needed to clear his emotions, to clean himself, take a bath, before he would be ready to seek comfort in his brother's arms. So he left his brother to sob, trusting the big man whom he knew would never hurt maliciously, and went to prepare Ethan a bath.
Ethan just clung to Kio tightly, his fingers aching with the stress. His shoulders hurt... his body simply brimmed with pain. He cried until he had no more tears to shed and heaved dry sobs even afterwards. "He... I can't... he can't see me... not like this," he whimpered to Kio, as if he'd understand. "It's... it's wrong, right? Wrong... that... that I don't want him to know... that I... I want... I want to be pure. For... for him. But I'm just... I'm just so dirty..."
~
Angelina sobbed against Gaddes, but they were quickly starting to die down. Her head began to hurt her, and she started feeling dizzy. "I want father," she whimpered, "I want father. And Hans. Where's Hans? Did the pirates kill him?"
Gaddes sighed softly, holding onto her as he climbed the ladder to where he knew Allen still rested. He wasn't sure it was alright to leave the girl with the blonde right now, not sure just how much he'd gotten over. But nonetheless, he treaded softly over to the sullen blonde, crouching down and setting the girl's hand on Allen's narrow shoulder.
She sniffed, feeling the fabric of her father's shirt, her hands reaching to feel for his hair. "Father!" she cried, squirming out of Gaddes' hold and hugging her father around his neck. "Father, father - there were pirates. Pirates killed my Hans. Oh, father, I loved Hans. He got hurt. I was so scared! The noises were so loud. But the men you told to take care of me were nice - but now they died from the pirates!"
Allen slid his arms numbly around his daughter, blinking. "I... Princess, who are you talking about?" Allen looked at Gaddes, confused, brow furrowed. Who was this Hans...? They didn't have a soldier by that name...
Gaddes inwardly groaned as he began to explain who exactly Hans was, "Basram lieutenant we took with us after getting severely stabbed in the side, explosions sent everything flying through the air. It was unbelievable. . . She wouldn't stop crying about the lieutenant. I had no choice but to bring him with us.
Angelina just kept crying into her father's shoulder, holding him tightly and hoping he never let go. The noises - they were so loud, they were still ringing in her ears. "Is Hans still alive?" she asked weakly in between sniffles. Gaddes crouched down, touching her head softly.
"Melzin's taking care of him, princess." was all he could bring himself to say. Angelina at once became very glad, snuggling again into her father.
Allen sighed softly, tipping his head back against the railing. "We have a lieutenant in out midst..." The blonde pursed his lips slightly, his eyes half-closed, his arms still around his daughter. "And... Ethan? Do you know anything of him?"
Gaddes shook his head sorrowfully. "They apparently treated him - the only way an army of lonely, deranged murderers could." It was really all he could say. He knew what happened when you're taken captive, and Basram being so aggressive, well - what point was there in second guessing?
Allen sighed heavily, closing his eyes the rest of the way. "I never wanted them to get involved, Gaddes... they.... they've done so much, and now this..."
"We all go through it," said the sergeant quietly, taking a quiet place next to Allen, "Even if they don't deserve it. I can at least say that I understand what it feels like - and you can. We just . . . look, all we can do is help him pull through this. Not feel guilty about the fact that it happened."
Allen sighed softly, nodding a little, resting his head against the other's shoulder lightly. "Gaddes," he breathed softly, "I'm... I'm sorry. About earlier..."
Gaddes sighed, leaning his head on Allen's, "It's okay," he whispered, sensing that the princess had sobbed herself to sleep against her father's chest. "I - just hope that you've come to terms . . . with her being gone."
"I... I surely hope so. I didn't... even really realize I was doing it and I hurt you for it."
"You scared the hell out of me, is more like it," said the sergeant honestly. "But hopefully it passed. I . . . I know that today was the day that she . . . and that you brought Angelina."
Allen nodded a little, sighing. "But... it's still no excuse. I can't keep focusing on my past like that, not when I have this life here. She wouldn't want me to live like that, right?"
"No, she wouldn't. Celena loved you, Allen. Despite all the taboo of society, you were her brother - you were dearest to her heart and, my gods, did she love you so purely. Nothing could have soiled her love for you, nothing - not even all those things you went through, after you lost your sight. If there's one thing I knew quite well, it was that she *always* made you first to her feelings and affections."
Allen sighed softly, a small smile on his lips. "Then... then I'll move on. I won't let her ghost keep me back anymore. I promise." Allen kept one arm about his daughter, the other sliding around Gaddes' waist.
As much as he loved the tender moment, wanting and wishing it could last . . . he stayed there for a few moment, loving the feel of his lover - essentially his husband - and relished his warmth and affections. But it could not last. "Allen," he said softly, his voice grave, "Basram is on the move. We attacked their camp. They'll be retaliating any hour, the moment they get reinforcements."
The blonde nodded a bit, frowning slightly. "I know... and we need to be ready." Allen pursed his lips a little, looking over at Gaddes. But what chance did they stand, really, against Basram?