Outer Walls

It was a colder night than most when we finally saw the outskirts of Castle Nov Domas. As we had expected, a well constructed stone wall stood around the structure, its features lit by a series of torches strewn along the outside. A good distance in front of it, a second, slightly smaller wooden wall had been erected to further keep intruders out. I suspected that the town laid just beyond it, at the foot of the castle. The tree line came to an end several hundred feet away from the entrance to the first gate, and I suspected many guards and archers lined those walls.

A cool chill ran up my spine as I looked to Stone beside me, his chest heaving as he panted heavily. Exhaustion was evident in both his posture, and in the ragged wheezes of his breath. I could relate to his feelings, my own bones ached and my legs felt weak. It had been a long day of travel, only compounded by our lack of proper rest over the past few days. After the various camping stops, spending a night in the fort, and the battle at said fort, I felt exhausted.

"Just a bit farther, Stone, we're almost done." I said, noticing the breath in my words. Suppose the fatigue was easy to notice on my end as well. Stone nodded and placed his left arm on his hip, his right dangling limply as he stared at the castle.

"Strangely, it almost feels worse now that it's so close." He mused, turning his gaze back toward me. I could certainly agree with that. Pictures of fireplaces and large beds had burrowed unwelcome into my mind, and the idea of such commodities almost seemed to magnify my aching pains. I could only sigh and nod in agreement as I looked behind us. Sat underneath one of the larger trees, legs tucked close, still covered in both her own furs and mine, Deborah looked down at the ground, looking near lifeless.

For a moment, I saw no movement from her, causing my heart to skip a beat. I turned and approached her, only relaxing when I saw her shoulders gently rise and fall. I heard Stone turn and follow me as I knelt beside her, trying to determine her condition. Her hands appeared pale, and clung desperately to the furs around her. Despite this, I was quick to notice she wasn't shivering, much like when I'd first found her at the sick bay. My stomach sank as I realized the severity of her condition.

"Deborah? Can you hear me?" I asked gently. Her head shifted at my words, her hair parting as she raised her head to face me. Her face was just as pale as her hands, and her normally vibrant eyes seemed dull, and tired. Bags had formed under them, and she seemed to struggle to even keep them half open. She blinked once then shook her head before finally resting her eyes on mine.

"I-I'm sorry, what'd you say?" She slurred. It almost seemed like she was trying to string along one long word. I glanced at Stone as he knelt beside me, grunting as he rested an arm on his knee.

"He asked if you could hear him." He echoed. I nodded and moved my hand to rest on her shoulder, hoping this would provide her some comfort. She seemed to close her eyes and shake her head again, groaning and raising her hand to her forehead. Was even this simple movement taking effort from her?

"No, no-no I meant what'd he say before-tha, I-I didn't hear…" She moaned. I shared a concerned glance with Stone, then gently moved my hand to her forehead. Deborah seemed to realize what I was attempting, because she allowed her own hand to fall limply at her side. I placed my hand against her forehead, and was alarmed to feel clammy and cold skin greet my touch. She was worse than I'd thought.

"Deborah, you don't seem well, how do you feel?" I pressed. She blinked a few times and opened her eyes half way, looking at me for a moment between slow, shallow breaths.

"I um… I can't…" She stammered, her voice quivering as she did. She looked as though she wanted to cry, though whether she was willing herself not to or was unable to I couldn't tell.

"I can't feel my-fingers, or my toes…" She finally choked out, sniffing as she did. I carefully removed my hand from her forehead, causing her to drift slightly before catching herself. It was as if even keeping her head up was a feat for her. We had pushed too far, she needed rest immediately. But leaving her here, even for a moment, was not an option. Not in this state. I stood and extended my hand out to her, and for a moment she did nothing but stare at it. When she did take it, I scarcely felt her grip at all.

"Can you walk?" I asked. Deborah took a long breath before gritting her teeth and willing herself to stand. I could feel faint pressure against my palm, and closed my hand around her tightly as I began to pull. She groaned and whimpered with effort as we both worked to get her standing, Stone stood and placed a hand on the flat of her back to further support her. It took much longer than anticipated for her to be fully upright, and she stumbled forward as she found her footing, but she stood nonetheless.

"I-I can try…" She whispered, a mix of resignation and resolve in her voice. Her face shifted down for a moment, and I followed it. My eyes fell upon the lute shaped case she had been carrying for the entire journey. She moved to grab it, but I stopped her, holding her steady by the arm. She turned to me and gave a quizzical look, before I lowered down and picked it up myself. I strained a bit against the additional weight, but it was light enough that I was able to recover quickly.

"Liam…" She whined, her hand weakly falling back to her side.

"You're unwell, I'll handle the heavy lifting until you've recovered." I replied. In her condition, I didn't want to risk her straining herself anymore than was needed. Deborah seemed a bit annoyed, but seemed to agree when she glanced at her hand. With a sigh, she tucked it back into the furs, pulling them tighter around herself as she looked beyond me.

"Close, at least." She mumbled, taking a tentative step forward. I gingerly stepped beside her, adjusting to keep pace with her. Stone followed suit, taking one large step forward to get ahead of us before slowing his stride to keep pace with us.

Our progress was maddeningly slow. The winds had shifted towards the east, biting into us like a swarm of ravenous insects. Even with all the layers of armor I wore, the chill seemed to pierce directly onto my skin, I could feel myself shivering against it. Only compounding this was all the weight we were carrying. Stone was carrying a majority of our camping supplies, and I was shouldering the satchels we had both been using in our travels. This was on top of our weapons and armor, I dared not think about how much we were carrying all at once. Of course, Deborah's pace only further slowed us down, and I found myself becoming frustrated at her. I knew that wasn't fair, she couldn't help her condition, and had been strong to push on in spite of it. Still, those feelings of frustration persisted.

Part of me considered giving her lute back to her, and making her carry it to lighten the burden. I'm ashamed to say I had to fight those urges away, rather than dismiss them outright. That shame was only heightened when she began coughing, her body practically shaking with every expulsion. I knew she was miserable, it was selfish of me to overlook that. My duty was to protect her on the road, lighten her burden. I was just so tired… And the fantasies of a warm fire and a place to sleep didn't help matters.

I'm not sure how long it took us, but we eventually reached the halfway point. The massive wooden gate now blocked all sight of the castle, save for the very tips of the towers surrounding the main structure. We were close enough now to see the silhouettes of guardsmen atop the walls, some seeming to catch sight of us. The shadows paused and observed us a moment before one left, leaving the other to ready what looked like a crossbow. Trying to tell was nearly impossible from this distance. Only a short moment after the first shadow vanished, I could hear the distant call of a buisine, and saw even more shadows rush along the top wall. They had certainly noticed us.

"Good thing we weren't going for a surprise visit." Stone said aloud, an odd mix of laughing and coughing escaping his lips as he adjusted the packs carrying our tents. I only grunted and hoisted the lute case higher, doing my best to keep it out of the snow. Deborah didn't respond to him, seeming intent on the ground below her, never once shifting her gaze. We continued our forward march, despite the new movements on the wall. We were maybe fifty feet away when a crossbow bolt landed squarely at my feet. All at once we fell still, though not without a startled yell from Deborah. Looking back up to the top of the wall, I could see one of the guards holding up a hand, ordering us to halt, I realized. I raised both arms in an effort to convey agreement, which he seemed to accept.

The guard turned to one of his fellows and seemed to say something, upon which a faint call of "At ease" seemed to pierce the soft winds around us. The guards did not lower their crossbows, but they did seem to lower them to only a half-ready position. I was just glad they hadn't told us to turn back. Turning back to my companions, I saw that Stone seemed resigned to the machinations of the castle, sitting down in the snow and allowing his guard to drop as he sighed contentedly and looked up in the sky. Deborah still kept her gaze focused on the ground before her, breaths still short and shallow.

"What's happening?" She asked, her voice hoarse and breathless, barely even audible. My shame from earlier seemed to magnify hearing her.

"They're probably sending someone out to interrogate us, or at least see if we're worth bringing in." Stone explained, resting his arms on his legs and letting his head hang low. As if on cue, the gate slowly creaked open, if only a little. The crack was just large enough for a rider to slip through, with the doors quickly being shut behind him in a resounding 'thud' that echoed across the empty expanse before it. I stood as straight as I could manage, my legs and back protesting every step of the way.

"Let me handle the talking, I'll try to get us in." I ordered.

"Don't have to tell me twice." Stone mumbled. I did not hear a response from Deborah, but assumed she had heard me. If I was lucky, she was conserving her strength, if I was not, she couldn't muster the strength, a thought that sent even more shivers down my spine. The rider continued towards us at a soft canter, in his left hand was what looked to be a lantern, illuminating both him and his surroundings in an orange hue. In his other hand was a large, intimidating looking winged spear, which looked easily a foot taller than its wielder. In the event of an attack he'd easily have us at a disadvantage, my only real hope would be to slash the horse's legs, try to bring both him and his rider down. Even if I did somehow accomplish this, the crossbowmen would easily shoot us down. I hoped it didn't come to that.

The guard came to stop about fifteen feet from us, holding his lantern aloft and allowing it to shine down on us. I turned my head away as I caught a bit of a flare off the man's chain armor, but quickly returned my sight towards him and stepped forward, coming to a stop once I'd closed our gap to about ten feet. The man wore a steel helmet that left his lower face and eyes revealed, eyes that seemed to pierce through me. His armor was covered in a checker patterned cloth that alternated between deep blue and grey, likely his legion colors. After observing me for a good while, he seemed to relax, lowering his spear and pulling the lantern in towards himself. I hoped this was a good sign.

"Warden, you are approaching the protected lands of the Midnight Howls. State your legion, and your intent in Nov Domas." He commanded. So the rumors were true, Castle Nov Domas had indeed changed hands. The guard's voice was a bit higher than I had expected, though he still spoke in a manner that showed his authority, and his confidence in it. He had been at this for some time, I suspected he knew how to use that spear, especially while mounted. I cleared my throat and stood straighter.

"I am sworn to no legion. I seek sanctuary for myself and my companions, we have been traveling for many days, and one of us is wounded." I replied, keeping myself calm and steady. This was easier said than done, as my own voice had grown slightly hoarse over the journey, exhaustion was evident in it. The guard seemed to take notice, his gaze shifting to the various satchels I carried with me. He looked past me next, observing what I can only assume were my companions. I did not take my eyes off him to confirm. His eyes seemed to shift, and I could read sympathy in his expression.

"The maiden there?" He questioned. I nodded.

"Yes, she was pierced by a blade two days ago. She's holding on, but she needs sanctuary if she is to recover." I confirmed. The guard nodded and shifted his gaze again, I was glad he did not question the severity or the cause of her injury. She deserved that much dignity. His eyes furrowed a bit, and he lifted his lantern higher once more. I could only assume he was observing Stone now, and my heart began to race a bit at the thought. I knew Stone was a good man, but could I convince this guard of that?

"And the Conqueror? He is one of yours as well?" He questioned, his tone notably darker and more stern than it had been when asking about Deborah. I nodded once more.

"He is. I've trusted him with my life many times, and never once has he failed me. He is an upstanding and loyal friend." I said. The guard seemed less than impressed with my words. From my position I could see him raising his spear towards my brother, the lantern lowering a bit as he seemed to ponder what I'd told him. For a while he said nothing, anxiety began to well up inside me as I found the grip on my blade tightening out of instinct. I fought the urge to draw my blade, I knew any hint of hostility could be misinterpreted, and through that I would doom my companions.

"High praise for one who was once a criminal. Do you swear on his character, Warden?" He finally asked, returning his gaze to me finally. I knew my word would not be enough. He'd need a show of faith, one that I couldn't give. At least, not intentionally. With one motion I plunged my sword into the earth below, the guard reacted immediately, raising his spear and aiming it at my chest. I could hear movement behind me, but I did not turn to face it. Instead, I walked closer to the guard, unarmed and with only my armor to protect me.

The guard watched me closely, never taking his eyes off me as I walked within five feet of him, then standing straight before him, well out of reach of my sword if I needed it. One good thrust from the guard, and I would be as good as dead. His eyes seemed to narrow as he realized what I was implying, and shifted his gaze back to Stone. He observed him a moment longer, then turned back to face me.

"You trust him that much?" He questioned. I didn't even need to think before I nodded.

"I do." I confirmed. He did not lower his guard at first, glaring at me as his horse shifted nervously below him, Finally, his gaze eased and he lowered his weapon, holding it by his side once more.

"Very well then. I am Eygon, Captain of the Watch and Usurper Conspiritant of the Midnight Howls." He said, properly introducing himself. He continued before I could respond; "I must speak with my lord on permanent entry. Until then, I permit you to stay within the wall. You will be surveilled by the guards for the duration of your time there, until you are permitted entry, or are exiled back into the wilds from which you came. Are these conditions acceptable to you?" He explained. These conditions were beyond fair, and truthfully, far better that I could have hoped for. In any normal case, I should have been forced to wait outside the gate. It was an easy offer to accept.

"Your terms are quite gracious, Captain. I accept them wholeheartedly, and without compromise." I replied. Only after I had spoken these words did I turn around, and look at my companions. As I had suspected, Stone had risen from his sitting position, and was slowly lowering his shield and flail from a battle-ready stance. Even Deborah, in her sorry state, looked as though she were reaching for her knife. Both slowly made their way towards me, Stone placing a hand behind Deborah in case she fell. As they passed my sword, Deborah paused and looked at it for amoment, then took the handle with both hands.

I was a bit puzzled by this, and took a few steps toward her, Stone seemed to be similarly confused. Before I could ask, she grunted and lifted with all her might, pulling the sword from the earth. She stumbled, but was caught by Stone before she could fall. Turning her gaze towards me, she coughed once before extending both arms towards me, inviting me to take the weapon back. What had compelled her to do this?

"Unnecessary, but thank you." I said, taking the blade from her. In response, she merely pulled the furs tighter around her, and shrugged.

"I… I ha- to do something useful." She mumbled, stepping away from me as if ashamed of her actions. Her eyes seemed unfocused as she spoke, and she swayed gently back and forth as Stone held a ready hand to catch her. It was like seeing her deteriorate right in front of me.

"Best hurry on, not sure she'll last much longer in this state." The Captain said from behind us. I looked towards him, seeing that he had turned his horse around, back towards the wall. He seemed to be waiting for us before continuing, which I was grateful for. Without another word, we resumed our march toward the gate, this time gratefully accompanied by the captain. The gate began to slowly open before us, wider than it had been before. In the distance I could see various buildings of different sizes but similar make. I assumed most of them were houses, some were perhaps barracks or storefronts, amongst many others. In the distance beyond them was the towering form of Castle Nov Domas, still brightly lit from the torches surrounding it.

The Captain led us through the doorway, more guards wearing the same colors as he flanked us as we followed him through. Each of them was armed with a winged spear and a kite shield, and were each wearing similar armor. I could read distrust in each of their expressions, quite frankly, I couldn't blame them. One look at Deborah, however, was enough for most of them to drop those glares. The Captain turned to one of the guards, attaching the lantern to a hook on his saddle as he spoke.

"Eliza, take the strangers someplace warm, they've an injured, cold woman with them. I'll return with the Lords and Ladies as soon as I can." He said. The guard closest to his right nodded and stamped her spear on the ground, walking towards us as she did. In that same instant, the Captain spurred his horse into action, starting at a canter before bursting forward at a full gallop. I wondered if his haste was due to our nature as armed strangers, or Deborah's condition. Before I could determine which, the guard he referred to as Eliza approached me.

"Right, you three are with me then. I'll take you somewhere the lady can warm up." She said, I only nodded in response, following after her once she turned and began leading us. Our path crossed with numerous other guards, easily more than twenty. None of them seemed to pay much mind to us, though I did catch some of them trying sneak sidelong glances at me as we passed. I supposed it wasn't often a Warden passed through these sorts of places.

Eventually, the guard called Eliza led us to a small room, one with two long tables and an array of stools. Various tapestries hung from the walls, seemingly with no discernible pattern between any of them. In the center of the room was what looked like a hand dug pit, within which a fire burned brightly. Several large stones surrounded the fire pit, forming a makeshift barrier between the flames and the rest of the room. I immediately set the lute case and my sword down on one of the tables, then gently took Deborah by the arm. With slow and deliberate steps we made our way towards the fireplace, while Stone separated from us and began examining the tapestries more closely.

"What is this room, exactly?" He asked. I paid no mind to the question, instead carefully helping Deborah to sit down. She whimpered a bit as she crouched down and sat, sighing in relief as the heat of the fire began to wash over both of us. Almost instantly I could feel the aches and pains of the days' worth of travels begin to melt away, but most importantly, Deborah's mood seemed to immediately improve, reaching forward and warming her hands as a soft smile crept across her lips.

"It was a mess hall, and a pretty crummy one until the new Lords and Ladies realized there was nothing in here to keep us warm. One of them decided to set up that fire pit; the thing has been a lifesaver this past winter." Eliza said. As she and Stone spoke, Deborah adjusted one of the furs, slinging it around her front and utilizing it as a makeshift blanket. I said nothing and let her enjoy the warmth of the fire.

"Regardless, You three stay here. We'll come fetch you once the lords and ladies arrive. What happens to you then is their call." The guard said. I did not turn to face her, instead I nodded from my seated position. I could hear her leave, as well as the muttered orders she gave to her comrades as she did. When Stone had gotten his fill of the tapestries, he joined us by the fire, dropping a majority of our equipment off to the side of one of the tables. With a weary sigh he unlatched his helmet and removed it.

"Cannot say enough how good it is to be out of the cold. With any luck, we'll be done with traveling for some time." He said, running his hand through his hair as he spoke. I merely nodded in response, keeping a close eye on Deborah as her eyes fluttered gently.

"It would certainly be a welcome chance to regain our strength. Moreover, a fortress to keep us safe may be enough to convince Blackstone to leave us be." I mused. It was more of a hope, than an actual belief. I needed to find somewhere safe for both of them, being tracked and risking their lives was not a thought I relished. Stone placed his helmet beside him and rested his arms on his knees, looking at the fire as he nodded his head.

"I see no reason it wouldn't. The Midnight Howls apparently took this place by force. Blackstone would see them as wolves for that." He replied. His words were enough to put my mind at ease, at least for the time being. Apollyon was many things, but a hypocrite was not one of them. If a "wolf" took something, then in her eyes they were entitled to have it. If the Midnight Howls had ousted the former rules of the castle, and by extension its surrounding city, Apollyon would be content to let it lie. I only hoped our presence didn't cause her to reevaluate her decision.

"So… wha- now?" Deborah asked, her head dipping ever so slightly before she caught herself. Stone shrugged and began working one of his gloves.

"Now, we wait for the lords and ladies to deem us worthy of their time." He said, wrestling the glove off his hand and squeezing a few times. I noticed that he grimaced as his fingers moved.

"An- how long will tha- take?" Deborah asked, rubbing her eyes as she did. More than aware of what Stone would say next, I decided to loosen the straps on my own helmet.

"Depends really, could be as little as an hour, but we're probably looking at a wait between two and four hours. At worst, we may be here until tomorrow morning." He explained. I could hear the disappointment in Deborah's voice as she groaned, and I slipped off my helmet. The fresh heat wrapped around my face like a blanket, and I found myself closing my eyes in appreciation. It was astonishing how much you came to appreciate the small things after long days of travel.

"I can certainly think of worse places to spend the night. A good fire and good company are hard to pass up." I said. Stone lifted a hand in a mock cheer, while I could just hear Deborah chuckle to herself. I turned to face her, noticing her head dip again as her voice began to lilt. For the second time in less than a minute, she caught herself, and shook her head as she blinked rapidly.

"You can rest now, if you need it." I reassured her. Her kind eyes turned back towards me, signs of life had already begun to return.

"An- pass up meetin' nobility? I don' think so, Liam." She snarked, gently swaying and slurring even as she tried to maintain a level of confidence. I was sure she would fall asleep long before then, so I supposed arguing with her would lead nowhere. Instead, I gave her a soft smile, and nodded. Content, Deborah let out a sigh of appreciation, and turned her attention back to the flames before us. I followed suit, watching as the sticks and logs crackled and snapped as our little group fell into a companionable silence.

Before long, moments had passed into minutes, and minutes into hours. Scattered conversations would occasionally interrupt the silence, but none of it was of any particular importance. I wasn't quite sure how long I had been staring at the fire, but I did notice it blurring together into a blob of oranges and yellows on more than one occasion. Perhaps I was growing more tired than I had realized. Images of Svengard occasionally flashed before my eyes, forcing me to breathe deep, and recenter on the friends around me. As I groaned and rubbed my eyes, I felt a gentle weight fall on my left shoulder. Confused, I looked to my left, and felt my heart skip a neat as I saw Deborah.

Both eyes were closed as she breathed softly, her chest gently rising and falling as though it were in tune with the crackling wood. The images all faded from my mind as I observed her sleeping form, a feeling I couldn't quite describe replacing them in the depths of my chest. A soft whistle snapped me out of my stupor, leading me towards Stone. Surely enough, his eyes were narrowed below raised eyebrows, a smug smirk plastered over his face.

"Lucky man, Liam. Lucky man indeed." He teased. I sighed, but even that could not suppress the small smile that had formed on my lips. I wasn't sure what it was about this auburn haired woman that made me enjoy her being so close, but I was happy for it, whatever it was. Perhaps it was seeing her fall asleep, or perhaps it was the long days' journey. Either way, I soon found myself yawning, my own eyes beginning to feel heavy. Stone seemed to notice my drowsiness, chuckling to himself as he leaned forward a bit and crossed his arms.

"Why don't you get some shut-eye, brother? I'll wake you if the guards summon us." He offered, the smug smirk having shifted into an almost paternal looking grin. My first instinct was to decline, it would be irresponsible of me to leave him as our only waking member in an unfamiliar place. And yet, despite my efforts, I found myself yawning again as a fresh wave of weariness seemed to wash over me. There would be no arguing with Stone after that.

And so, I allowed my body to relax, my shoulders slumping as my entire body seemed to loosen. I took one last look at Deborah, still sleeping soundly on my shoulder, oblivious to the world. There was still a smile on my face as I slowly closed my eyes…

…And rested.

A/N Hey all. Sorry if the chapter feels a bit incomplete, I found myself getting just a bit addicted to Elden Ring not too long ago, and I ended up neglecting the story a bit. Hopefully it still comes across okay, the remainder of it should be ready next week. In any case, God bless you guys, see you next time.