The defeated and disarmed guard was marching into the town square. All their posts in Larwein were now manned by Milites sporting white uniforms.
Callum and Rayla were hiding outside the palisades, not sure what to do. One thing was certain - they were going to have to get into the inn at some point to get their belongings. Zym was excited to be with them again and enthusiastically licked Callum's face as he picked him up.
"You look terrifying", said Callum in reference to her bloody face and armor, where her wounded arm had touched it. He had dressed the slash as best as he could with a strip off his own armor's body suit.
"I'm doin' alright. Again, I knew when to get out of the way", she smiled at him, looking him up and down, "You look like you weren't even there!"
He felt like his chest was going to explode. The three of them were alive and neither of them was badly wounded. Sure, his shoulder ached, but not badly. Even though the battle had gone terribly for their side, he couldn't help but feel wholly relieved.
"I'll try and find out what's goin' on in there", Rayla said with a worried glance at the wooden barricades.
He grabbed her by the elbow. "Be careful."
"Oh, good idea! Yeah; I was just gonna walz in there and make a big ruckus, get some of those friendly Templarii to chase me, that'd be fun", she gave him a reassuring smile, crouched back down and ran her hand over his cheek, "Don't worry. I've no fight left for today."
He appreciated her humor and expression but her face was still bloody and made her smile turn out a little creepy. "Okay", he said and let her go.
With help from her blades and paying close attention to how much weight she put on her wounded arm, she scaled the wooden wall. Carefully, she slipped down the far side. Hiding in a bush growing under a house's corner tree, she observed the town square. All four Guards, headed by Helmond, kneeled in the center of it, surrounded by Templarii.
The young commander of the larger unit, Torlan, was currently engaged in some kind of speech.
"... commandeered your guard and your town for nefarious purposes and I have been instructed to stand in judgement over him and over anyone who has aided and abetted his band of traitors. This is proof of my legitimacy", he unfurled a letter that was marked with a gleaming silver stamp, "I am appointed by her eminence, the Interpreter of Bastion Korhal. If you know of anyone who has been colluding with Helmond, the Abuser or the moon elven traitor, you must come forward. Confess and you will know mercy. Force me to find out myself and you will share their fate.", with this, he turned to Helmond.
"You have fought for enemies of the republic in open defiance of standing orders. For this, your judgement is clear. Do you have any last words?"
The officer raised his head, sadness in his eyes. "You've become a Templar, son. I am proud of you. Chalise chooses her nearest well."
"Ah, apparently not well enough."
The younger elf's blade came down on Helmond and he dropped out of Rayla's view. A shocked murmur went through the square.
Rayla was shocked, but she was also paying attention. The angle of the templar's attack had looked feeble, downright clumsy. It seemed as though the young man wasn't quite as sure of himself as he let on.
Torlan raised his voice, shaking almost imperceptibly, to address the crowd. He was still looking at his father's lifeless body. "Citizens of Larwein, you have one hour to consider your level of cooperation."
Immediately, there was clamoring among the people and Rayla saw many hands pointing at Talaar and Selchin. They stepped forward to speak to one of the Templars who, after some time, nodded and waved them off. Helmond's limp form was carried off by his son and another templar, where to, Rayla couldn't tell.
The crowd started dispersing. As Rayla decided it was time to leave, she saw the town guard being locked in their barracks. The day's light was fading quickly now and she found a quiet approach to the rear side of the inn. She carefully shimmied open the window of their room.
Dropping inside, she looked around, finding none of their things amiss. She quickly scooped and packed all the loose items in the room into the two packs sitting next to the door and shouldered them, just as steps could be heard outside the door.
Rayla jumped from the window and quickly made her way back to the palisades, avoiding the guards that had started patrolling the town square.
She had some issues scaling the structure with the bags but eventually managed it.
Back with Callum, she had to take a moment to compose herself, then she recounted what she had seen.
"I'm glad they let the innkeepers go. I don't think I could live with myself otherwise", Callum said. He had known Helmond for all of two days, the first of which had started with the man attempting to take his life. Now, his passing filled him with sadness and frustration.
Rayla didn't know what to think or feel. "The Legate wasn't kiddin' when he said they were going to send more people after us. Why did he lie to us about his orders having changed though?"
"Maybe he didn't know about the Templars?", Callum offered, "I mean, it sure looks a lot like they were more interested in him than us."
"I don't think we'll ever really know.", Rayla lifted her arms and let them drop to her sides while breathing a drawn out sigh. "I guess it's back into the woods for us? I thought maybe after that whole battle we could take it easy and have Helmond lead us to the Queen of Dragons with an armed escort or somethin'. Good plan, Rayla, really good plan."
She got up, grabbed her knapsack, straightened her posture and started walking, not waiting for Callum.
He looked at Zym, trying to figure out what to do with him. There was no way to hide him now. The two backpacks they had left were filled with everything they owned. Plus, after everything that had happened he was hesitant to incapacitate the little dragon again.
"We'll just have to be lucky", he said, petting the whelp's white mane.
They spent a good while walking in silence, the past day rushing through their minds. Suddenly, Rayla stopped dead in her tracks and Callum walked straight into her, not paying attention.
"Are you okay?", he asked.
"Yeah", she said absentmindedly, picking a shimmering pebble from the ground.
Callum was about to ask about it when he realized that it might be part of her secret. This was going to be a bit frustrating.
"Are you sure? A lot's happened today and you're wounded again."
She waved him off. "I just need a bit of time right now, sorry."
After the waning moon had risen, peaked and descended behind the canopy of trees, they stopped for the night under a tree with a single, large, leathery leaf that extended outward from the trunk like a massive umbrella. The forest had started looking decidedly less normal to Callum.
It being autumn, the night was cold and so they huddled together for warmth, covering themselves in their winter coats. Zym rolled up between them.
"The little guy's even warmer than you are, stove boy", Rayla said, yawning and petting the dragon.
"Yeah.", her boyfriend said.
Rayla tried deciphering his expression in the dark but couldn't manage it. Her eyes were good, but he was hard to read. "How are you holdin' up?"
"I just feel… numb. Like someone clocked me over the head.", he answered.
She nodded. "I know what you mean. We've seen our fair share of battle, but today was just gruesome."
"Feels like it was our fault", he said, slow, quiet tears cascading from his eyes.
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. Zym protested the squish. "This wasn't our fault. If Helmond hadn't tried to stab you, he'd probably be alive now, same with those bounty hunters. They're all diggin' their own graves."
She became acutely aware of how bloody her face actually was when her kiss left a purple imprint on his wet cheek. "Sorry. I'll get that off you in a sec."
She got up and put some water on a rag from her pack.
"Don't worry about it, it's just a `little` disgusting", he tried for humor and she smirked, glad that he was recovering, "You know Rayla, I keep wondering what would've happened if I had told my aunt the truth back at the banther lodge."
The elf knelt down next to him, cleaning first his cheek and then her own face.
"At first I didn't appreciate you lyin'. But now? Now I have to wonder if I'd still be alive if you hadn't."
"What do you mean?"
"There's so much hate everywhere. Just today you shocked a guy who thought I wasn't worth your love, just cause I'm not human, a bunch of elves attacked one another with no clear reason and I saw a son murder his father without a whole lot of hesitation. That's all in one day!", she shook her head. "Who's to say that if you had told her the truth, she wouldn't have killed me anyway? You know, just to be safe? She almost stabbed me while I was gettin' your stupid die.", his girlfriend frowned, continuing tonelessly, "From my perspective, she's `Amaya, slayer of Yatende Terhan`, not `autie`."
Callum shrugged. While he knew that Amaya hated elves, he didn't think of his aunt as a killer. But, Helmond had also been a father and someone's husband - and a killer.
There was a moment of silence, the quiet around them only disturbed by a soft wind, rustling the leaves of the regular trees.
"Today was a mess", Callum said finally as Rayla came back under the jackets, snuggling up against him. Zym gave up trying to squeeze between them and curled up on his chest.
"Yeah. It really was."