A/N Well. Where have I been? Sorry for the massive delay in getting this chapter up, guys. Memorial Day weekend ended up requiring crazy work, and I fell behind on writing. Then on Tuesday when I was trying to make up for lost time, I got COVID. So that knocked me out for like a week. Thankfully, I'm better now, and I'm back on track with writing. Sorry again for the delay, hope the chapter is worth it. God bless guys, and thanks for putting up with me.

An Offer

I'm not really sure which was more soul crushing. Watching the one man I'd actually come to trust walk out of my life, or having to listen to the nonstop clacking of his jester as he banged the pieces around on my chess board. On the one hand, losing Liam felt like a punch to the gut, even after the initial pain subsided, there was this aching that just wouldn't go away. It only made things worse that I was convinced he was going to die out there, another good man ripped away from me by scumbag knights. On the other, every five seconds came another clack that ruined any line of thought I had.

When I rolled over to see the dirtbag, he was just staring blankly at the chessboard, fumbling with the pieces with his pack set beside him. He wasn't even setting the board up, just mindlessly twiddling the pieces in his fingers before slapping them down. Was he bored or something? God forbid protecting a little damsel like me be boring for that brute. Perhaps the best part of the whole thing was that he just aimlessly switched between pieces after slamming them. What, was he worried they'd feel left out? Eventually I got sick of the incessant noise and sat up.

"Will you knock that off? I can barely hear myself think over your dumb clattering." I stated, more than a little ticked off. The Conqueror stopped moving the piece he was holding for a second and slowly turned his head towards me. As much as I tried to remain indignant, that darn skull on his helmet made me flinch as he stared me right in the eye. Seriously, how was he allowed to do that? To absolutely no one's surprise, he ignored me, even going so far as to slam the next piece down even harder, just to spite me. Real charmer, that one, real glad Liam left him with me.

"Nice, real nice Conqueror. Glad to see that you're petty on top of being annoying." I said. I must have gotten under his skin with that one, because he actually turned away from the chess board and faced me directly.

"You'll forgive me if I'm not exactly thrilled with this assignment." He growled. Assignment? Was that really what I had been reduced to at this point? A bad assignment no one wanted? Whoever said that chivalry is dead might have had a point, if all they ever met were crapbags like this one.

"Well why don't you just leave then? I don't like you, you clearly don't like me, so why don't you just piss off?" I asked.

"My warlord ordered me to watch over you, that's what I'm doing." He retorted. I scoffed.

"Oh, ever so noble, glorious Conqueror. You can watch me just as easily from outside this room. Or better yet, how about outside the castle?" I replied. The Conqueror definitely didn't like that remark, I could see his fist clenching around the game piece he still clutched firmly. I swear the exposed bits of his arms were turning bright red.

"You said you felt safe when Liam was right here. Besides, Mercy slipped in even with walls and guards between her, nowhere else is going to keep you safe." He barked back. Great, another actually good point. What was with these knights and actually being able to bring those up so consistently? Despite his point, I was not ready to spend any longer with him than I needed. So, I opted to fast track our time together. Without another word I threw the blankets off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The Conqueror didn't seem to react much, save for sitting up a bit straighter.

With one last push, I leapt from my resting place and landed with a soft thud on the ground, which then sent a fresh wave of pain shooting through my side. It was nothing unbearable, but it was just enough to make me freeze up and clench my teeth as I tried waiting for it to pass. The Conqueror stared blankly at me the whole time this happened, and only continued staring when I managed to get my legs working again. Without waiting for a response, I walked over to my pack and began opening various drawers to retrieve my belongings.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked in about as flat a tone as I've ever heard.

"We're only allowed to stay here until I'm fully recovered. Well bad news Conqueror, I'm feeling right as rain, get your crap and let's get going." I ordered. I'm honestly not sure how my voice didn't crack once during that, but I was more than thankful for it. Thank God for false confidence, eh? Unfortunately, that confidence did nothing to diminish the faint pressure I still felt on my side.

"Right as rain, huh? Why did you have to take a minute when you stood up, then?" He asked. I ignored him and just kept packing. I wasn't spending another minute here, not if it meant keeping him as company, and especially if it meant letting Liam run off to a needless death. Even when I heard the Conqueror start to get up, I didn't give him the time of day, and instead just kept shoving things into my pack.

"Hey, you're not in any shape to move, stop!" He said, his voice rising in volume with every word. I still didn't give him the satisfaction of a response. It wasn't until I felt his grip on my arm did I acknowledge him. Even then, it was just to try and wrestle away from him. His grip was too tight though, and I stayed right where I was, arm unmoving.

"Let go of me." I said as calmly as I could. His grip didn't loosen in the slightest, and in fact seemed to try pulling me back. Who did this man think he was, dragging me around against my will? I didn't care that he was Liam's friend anymore, I was done with him. With a firm yank I pulled my arm out of his grip, he stepped back but did not stumble as I turned to face him.

"Don't you touch me, got it?" I barked as I marched over to the chess board, huffing as I carried my pack alongside me.

"Liam told me to keep you safe, do you just not care about what he says anymore?" He yelled after me. I paid no mind to him and reached down to his own pack. What I had intended to do was sling it towards him and tell him to get moving. What ended up happening was me trying to pull it, then feeling so much resistance that I nearly stumbled forward. What in the world was he carrying that was so heavy? Turning towards the satchel, I set down my own so I could better grab hold of it. If I had to toss out whatever was in that thing that made it so heavy, then I would.

"Hey, stay out of that!" He yelled as he began to march toward me. Was that panic in his voice I detected? Anger and indignation I had expected, but panic? Now I was curious as to what the heck this mystery item was. Before he could stop me, I opened the top of the satchel and pushed aside a bunch of his crap to get a good look at whatever it was in there. What I found made my eyes widen and nearly took my breath away. Carefully placed at the bottom of the bag were several pure steel bars, the kind that could be used for weapons or armor. And also the most precious, sought after resource in Ashfeld, heck, maybe in all of Heathmoor.

Before I could fully process what I had seen, I felt the bag be ripped out of my hands as the Conqueror grabbed onto my arm and lifted me up forcefully, sending another bite of pain rippling through my side. I winced a bit and stepped back as he glared at me, malice radiating off of him like wildfire.

"I said stay out of that." He growled, swinging the satchel around his shoulder and out of my reach. His eyes were a strange mix of wild and refined, both out of control and stable, if that makes any sense. I'd pissed him off good, but I was plenty pissed too, now that I had gathered myself.

"You had all that steel this whole time, and you never brought it up when you were negotiating?!" I screamed. Seriously, how dumb was this guy? If he'd offered even a piece of all of that to the lord of the castle, Liam probably would have had an army backing hm up. Instead, Conqueror here had decided to hoard it, like a selfish little-

"It's not mine to give or take! Liam's the one that found it, not me!" He yelled back. Oh the nerve of this guy, like Liam would have cared. He was just being selfish, I knew a sleaze bag when I saw one… It took everything I had to keep myself from punching him as I shook my head.

"And that means it's alright to just let him waltz to his death? He's going to die because of you, Conqueror!" The Conqueror's fist tightened and his eyes shifted. They were still just as intense as before, but now they almost seemed to glaze over. As if something had snapped or just… stopped working. Oh no, I'd seen that before…

"Say. That. Again." It was how controlled he sounded that frightened me the most. Nothing in his voice gave away how utterly furious he seemed, only how terrifying he looked. I'm not ashamed to admit I took a few steps back and caught myself against the window, I could feel my chest getting tighter as he slowly stopped after me. For a while I didn't say anything, too scared to risk setting him off. I was only saved by the arrival of a new, but familiar voice.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something here?" The voice was soft, yet still carried an unmistakable air of authority. It was calculated, as though the words had been practiced before being spoken. Doctor Garrick was back. Relief flooded over me as the Conqueror stepped away, still eyeing me with detest as he walked off to the side and took a seat by the chess board. I let out a sigh as I pushed off the wall and put a hand to my chest, breathing in steadily as I took in Doctor Garrick's pudgy, short frame.

Garrick's eyes were narrowed ever so slightly, following the Conqueror across the room as he stepped inside, his bald head shining ever so slightly as he entered into the torchlight. Before long, he'd turned his attention back to me, crossing his fingers between one another as he folded his hands across his belly. His pure white doctor's tunic was just visible below the large brown cloak he was wearing, likely to keep any fluids off of him.

"Miss Beuer, I believe we agreed on more bed rest, that way you could recover more quickly?" He asked, tilting his head just enough that he could side eye me. It had creeped me out the first time he had done that, but now I was so used to it that it didn't even phase me. After clearing my throat and composing myself, I took a short step forward and crossed my arms.

"Yeah, about that, I was gonna tell you I'm feeling fine now. So, I should be fine to leave now." Had my voice not cracked twice in as many sentences, I'm sure I would have sounded as confident as I'd felt. As is, it came out sounding like a petulant child caught stealing sweets. Garrick seemed to come to the same conclusion, his eyes furrowing to the point his eyebrows looked more like a singular line of hair rather than two separate ones.

"Curious. Last night, standing was enough to elicit some light pains, yet now you believe yourself capable of a long march with no repercussions? A miraculous recovery indeed." It didn't exactly take a genius to figure out he was being sarcastic, I'd expected that much, honestly. What I didn't appreciate was him saying it in such a smug way, as if he'd caught me in some grand lie.

"You don't believe me." I stated. Everyone in the room was thinking it, so I figured I might as well say it. Garrick reared back a bit, placing a hand over his chest and staring in feigned surprise at me. Okay, so now he was mocking me.

"Heavens. And I thought I'd done such a good job at pretending, what gave it away?" Yep, definitely mocking me. I rubbed my head and tried to calm down, the last thing I needed was to blow up right now, though that was easier said than done with my side still burning. Walking past the doctor, I tried again to convince him.

"Well I feel fine, so you can go ahead and sign off on me, or whatever it is you need to do." The burning in my side was getting noticeably worse now, and I had to grit my teeth to push through the worst of it. You would think I'd be getting better with how long it had been since I'd been, but I suppose not.

"She's lying." Said the Conqueror, for which I turned back around and shot him an appropriately angry look. He, in turn, twiddled a chess piece in his hand and glared back at me. Prick…

"I would prefer to make my own examination before I make any sort of judgement, if that's all the same to you." Doctor Garrick replied, turning a less than pleasant glance at the Conqueror. Well, at least he was on my side there. When he turned back to me, his gaze was noticeably softer, though it still carried that smug look of superiority. I wondered if that was just his resting face.

"Please sit down, my dear, I can tell even now that you are uncomfortable." He said, reaching into his cloak. First good idea I'd heard all day, if I'm honest. I sighed and lowered myself onto the bed, grimacing a bit despite myself. Garrick made his way towards me and bent over a bit, but paused before extending towards my stomach.

"Lift your garments, please." He instructed. If the man were anything other than a doctor, I'd slap him for saying that. But a doctor he was, so I gently lifted the bottom of my tunic and jacket, revealing my abdomen and the still healing wound. The wound itself was pretty clean looking, with the main injury pretty much scabbed up by this point. It was still as small as I remembered, but the area around it still looked a little pink. I looked down to observe Garrick's work, and winced a bit as he pressed softly against the injury. Despite my efforts, a quiet gasp escaped my lips too.

"Still some tenderness, I see." He commented. It was all I could do not to grimace. Any sign of weakness now would shut down any effort to get out of here, not that my lovely little escort would care. Still, one of us had to get us out of here.

"On a scale of one to ten, one being none, and ten being unbearable, how painful would you say this pressure is?" Before I could really prepare myself, I felt a more firm press against my injury, causing my pain to radiate from my side. I clenched my teeth and beared it best I could, but I couldn't ignore it or pretend it wasn't there. Hopefully, being able to fight through it would be enough.

"A four, five maybe." I said. Garrick simply nodded and pulled his hand away, motioning with the other for me to pull my shirt down.

"That's enough then." He said as I rolled my clothing down and tucked my tunic into my trousers. That was certainly the fastest medical check up I'd gotten, but considering the circumstances, I wasn't convinced that was a good thing. Judging from the Doctor's disapproving look, I was right not to be.

"We'll start with the good, there's still no infection, and the wound has fully scabbed up. It will be harder for any malignant substance to get in now." His tone was less than convincing, so I knew a deal breaker was on its way.

"Just get to the 'but' already doc." I implored. Garrick actually smiled a bit at that, and gave a soft nod.

"But, the tenderness and notable reaction to pressure leads me to believe that strenuous travel is the last thing you should be doing." I was afraid of that. But far be it from me to go down without a fight.

"Doc, I feel fine, really. I can be careful now that I'm feeling up to it, so just go ahead and sign off on me, or whatever it is you need to do." I tried to say. Garrick was slowly shaking his head before I had even finished.

"You can barely handle me carefully pushing against your injury, do you honestly believe that walking for the better part of a day, possibly even a day and a half, would irritate it less?" He retorted. Let me tell you, I was getting real sick of good arguments. What happened to the days when everyone was an idiot and didn't think things through? Looking back on it, I know I didn't really feel that way, I was just worried and anxious. That didn't make me feel any better in the moment though.

"Doctor Garrick-" I tried to say, but before I could really begin talking he interrupted me.

"No, Miss Beuer, it is out of the question. I cannot in good faith send you out on your feet when you clearly still need a day or two more of rest. I'll not have you keeling over under my care." He asserted. There was a finality in his tone that I realized was his attempt to shut down the conversation. It probably would have worked too, had it not been for someone else.

"And if she were on horseback?" This voice was another I was familiar with. Cold, calculated, with only just enough inflection to not sound soulless. When I looked to face it, it only confirmed my suspicions. This was Lady Claire, the Peacekeeper among the Howls. She was leaning against the frame of the door, arms crossed as she observed each of us. Had she not said anything, I have no doubts she would have gone completely unnoticed by us, I could only wonder why she'd chosen to give herself away.

"My apologies, my Lady, I didn't realize you'd come. What was it you needed?" Doctor Garrick asked. In response, the Lady pushed off the frame and stepped into my room. My stomach dropped a bit at her approach, and I had to remind myself that she wasn't the same as that Peacekeeper. Figures the one person who vouched for us was the same kind as the one that stabbed me. Gotta love cruel twists of fate, right?

"If she were on horseback, rather than her feet, would she be able to make the trip? It would take only half a day at most, leaving her plenty of time to recover." She clarified. Doctor Garrick seemed to think about that for a bit, bringing a hand to his chin as he mulled it over. For my part, I actually began to get excited again. Maybe I wouldn't be stuck here.

"I suppose in theory it would be manageable, the possible strain on her abdomen would still be very much present, but with careful enough riding she could-'' He began. Now it was his turn to be interrupted, this time by the Lady.

"Then it will be settled. Doctor Garrick, prepare for hers and the Conqueror's release. I will instruct them on the necessary steps." She ordered at a speed that honestly kind of shocked me. It was kind of bizarre seeing a doctor be bossed around like that. Doctor Garrick, for his part, didn't even seem surprised, he simply stood up straight and bowed his head in respect.

"If that is your wish, my Lady." He said. Giving me one last look, he walked past me and made his way out of the room, pausing only to give a soft bow to the Lady as he passed. When he was gone, the Lady stepped forward, arms still crossed, directly in front of my bed. My heart began beating fast again, and I had to remind myself again that this was not the same Peacekeeper as before.

"My men will escort you to the stables by the side of the castle. When you arrive, you will find a medium sized horse of black and brown. You will know him from a white mark of the cross on his muzzle. He is my personal horse, and you will take him on your journey." The words came so quickly after another that I barely had the time to process them, for a moment I wasn't even sure I'd heard her correctly. She was just giving us her personal horse? That seemed like a bit much, all things considered. I wasn't complaining by any means, but the whole situation had flipped so fast I could scarcely believe it.

"That's awfully generous, Lady Claire." Said the Conqueror. I turned my attention back to him, and saw that he had stood up, his shield now tightly gripped in one hand. Thankfully, he hadn't lowered his flail, which frankly wouldn't have surprised me at this point. Still, I could tell from his stance that he was guarded, his shield even seemed to be close to his stomach, as though waiting for a death blow.

"Just what do you wish for in return for this aid?" He demanded. For once, I actually found myself agreeing with the question. This whole turn of events felt too good to be true, and it probably was. I hadn't even realized the Lady had walked past me until I heard her speak again.

"In due time, you will understand my reasons, Conqueror Stone. For now, know that my horse's name is Lefer, and you will need to speak the word "tempest" to him before he will let you ride." She replied. Not exactly a satisfactory answer, and far from giving any sort of confidence. All of this felt too easy, and maybe it was just because it was a Peacekeeper, but I wasn't sure how much I trusted it. Still, I didn't see any other way we would be able to get out of here today, so I decided to just look past it. Never kick a gift horse in the mouth, as they say.

"That is very kind, my Lady, we appreciate…" I began to say. That's when an idea clicked in my head. A way to take the gift, but insure that we'd still have the last word, and maybe even get a bit of help on the side. I only hoped my 'brilliant' friend would be able to catch on.

"Conqueror, wouldn't you say it's time to give our host here the payment we discussed?" I asked. We'd done no such thing of course, so it was no surprise when the Conqueror stared blankly at me with no clue as to what I was talking about.

"What are you-"

"The payment the three of us talked about, prior to Liam leaving, in thanks to how much they've helped?" I said, motioning towards the satchel. Both he and the Lady glanced at it when I motioned towards it, with Conqueror seeming to slowly realize what I was saying. One look, and I knew he was on board. Perhaps I'd been too hard on him, at the least, he seemed to catch onto things quickly. Without a word, he began to fumble with his satchel, and not long after, began to pull out the first of the steel bars.

The Lady actually seemed surprised, even taking a step back as he placed the bar flat against the table, sparkling ever so slightly in the sunlight that seeped in from the window. The Conqueror continued to silently place bar after bar on the table before her, leaving her stunned in the process. By the end, seven steel bars rested on the table, maybe half a foot long each. The Lady, still seeming unsure what to think, walked up to the table and picked one of the bars up. She seemed to weigh it in her hands, as if unsure of how genuine they were. Hoping to convince her, I decided to speak up.

"Liam wanted you to have these, once we were on our way. He wanted to thank you for your service to us, and hoped to secure a more permanent friendship should we return." I lied. The Lady looked at me slowly, still weighing the bar in her hand. Her gaze was like a burning fire, and I could almost feel the sweat beginning to build on my temple. Thankfully, the Conqueror decided to step in.

"It's all we have, and it would be better suited in your hands than Blackstone's." He added. The Lady shifted her gaze from me to him, then back again. For a time she only seemed interested in studying us, rather than responding. It was actually pretty terrifying, I knew Peacekeepers were master manipulators, so it only stood to reason that they'd be able to spot a lie fairly easily. My best hope was that this was so appealing that she'd just ignore it. After some time, she finally placed the steel bar back on the table and looked down, not facing either of us.

"You spin falsehoods well, Bard. I would advise you to be more cautious of who you try to enthrall, however." She said, crap, it didn't sound like she was appreciative, or even tempted by the steel. The Conqueror noticed the tone shift almost instantly, and took a step forward as I backed away off the bed. A light chuckle void of humor from the Lady was enough to stop both of us in our tracks.

"Fear not, I accept the gift, and I will ensure that my compatriots know of the new Iron Legion's kindness. But in the future, do not attempt to deceive potential allies. Not all are as forgiving as I." She added. Somehow I didn't feel any safer, even after she stepped away from the table, and especially not after she brushed past me. I admit I actually jumped when I felt her arm brush against mine. The Conqueror, bless him, actually made his way over to me and put himself between myself and the Lady. I was still far from feeling safe, but I appreciated the gesture.

"Best pack your things, Iron Legion. My men will arrive shortly." The Lady called out just before rounding the corner and vanishing from sight. Left alone, the two of us seemed to relax a bit, and I found myself sitting back down, trying to catch my breath. I had no idea how people were able to stay composed around Peacekeepers, even the friendly ones were absolutely terrifying.

"Are you alright?" The Conqueror asked, turning to better face me. I hesitated before I was able to answer. Was I okay? My heart was beating out of my chest, my side was still hurting, and I was not looking forward to a long ride back into Herongale, possibly as it was under siege. But I knew that Liam was there, to, and whether he knew it or not he needed us. Actually… I needed him. I needed him badly. So, with a deep breath, I tried to calm myself and looked up at the Conqueror.

"Guess I'll have to be."