Chapter Fifteen

Devona had been grumpy and brooding for the past four days… and none knew it better than the Ascalon City regiment that had been placed under her capable command upon her reinstatement.

They knew it in every abused muscle in their bodies.

"Captain… ma'am…" the soldier at the head of formation gasped, hands on his knees.

"I do not remember calling you to ease, Lieutenant… or any of you, for that matter." Devona snapped, her eyes spitting disdain at the other twenty-four men and women of the unit, who were in equal states of fatigue.

"Captain, we've been drilling for six hours straight. You haven't even given us leave to relieve ourselves." He protested.

Devona's voice turned falsetto. "Oh… you're right. Because I'm sure you'll be given ample opportunities for potty breaks during battle! Or that the Charr will most certainly let you sit down and regain your strength before launching another attack… because they're just a sporting group of beings, am I right?"

Before the poor, haggard lieutenant could respond, Devona bellowed, "Of course you won't get those things! So why, in the name of all things holy, should you expect such things as you are preparing for it?"

"I…"

The warrior had a full head of steam at that point, and pointed towards the barracks in fury. "For that little bit of insubordination, Lieutenant, you and the rest of the unit get to continue the drills in full armor! Get going; you have fifteen minutes! If even one of you is late, we'll get to start off with a nice jog around the city!"

The men and women under her command took off at full speed to gather their equipment, to which Devona sneered, "Goodness, I guess you fools weren't so tired after all!"

Aidan couldn't manage to keep a straight face as Devona turned to him, grumbling about her lazy, worthless soldiers. "And what do you find so amusing, ranger?" She snarled.

Unlike the greenhorns under Devona's command, Aidan knew better than to be overly intimidated by the warrior. He, after all, had seen far worse than a bitter warrior who felt betrayed. "I never would have figured you to be one to take your frustrations out on others."

"My frustrations? Why would I have frustrations?" She attempted to say flippantly.

Aidan shook his head, "Don't you think you're over-reacting? I'm relieved you didn't fall in love before… you're insufferable when you're like this."

"I'm insufferable?" Devona challenged, jerking her right thumb against her chest. "I'm not the one who got an entire nation's hopes up, only to dash them on the cold ground. I'm not the one who decided to hide in his damned little hole. I'm not the one who ran away… twice!"

"You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Aidan said crossly. "And I find your actions on this score to be grossly unacceptable."

"You think I'm wrong?" The warrior nearly screeched. "If you were under my command…"

"Well, I am not under your command." The ranger retorted, "I follow you by choice, but unless you snap out of your pity parade, I may just choose to not to. If you don't want that to happen, you will listen to me."

Aidan very rarely confronted Devona in any fashion, and normally it was more like words of advisement so as not to appear to be subverting Devona's authority in their group. So, to see the ranger so adamant and defiant was definitely new, and enough of a shock that she complied.

"What did King Adelbern say when you tromped into an audience with him, and demanded that the bond be severed?" Aidan asked.

Devona frowned. "How did you know that?"

"I have good ears."

The warrior sighed dejectedly. "He asked why, so I told him." She quickly sensed that wasn't the answer Aidan was looking for, and so she added, "He told me not to be so hasty."

"And why is that?"

Devona began to grow suspicious. "Why do I suspect you already know exactly what happened in my audience with the King?"

"Now, how would I have gotten such exclusive information?" Aidan asked with faux innocence. "I am merely curious because the bonding was not annulled, and considering your feelings on the matter, I can't imagine what he could have said that changed your mind."

Devona sagged down to a sitting position. "He basically told me everything Coran accused him of; that there was nothing that Adelbern needed Coran for; and that Coran had obviously accomplished much since they were separated; and that he was proud of what his son has done to reach such levels of acclaim among the normally distrustful Asura; and that he could fully understand why Coran would be reluctant to return to a place where he wasn't needed at this time. Finally, the king said that there wasn't any reason he could see to break the bonding, and didn't understand why I would be compelled to either. I couldn't exactly insist at that point, now could I?"

"So you disagree with the assessment?" Aidan asked; taking a seat to Devona's right.

"No… I suppose… I don't." The warrior admitted, her eyes passively following a wisp of dust stirred up by an abrupt gust of wind. "King Adelbern does not delegate power. Grenth take us, we personally witnessed several spats between Prince Rurik and his father because the latter would not surrender even the slightest bit of authority. They even started assembling their own separate guard details because of it."

"So, if Coran's judgment was correct; why are you so mad at him?"

"I guess I don't have a reason." She declared dismissively.

"I find that as hard to believe as Cynn's declaration that she was eschewing combat so as not to risk the baby."

That got Devona to chuckle… but her face quickly returned to its downcast state. "I know it's silly. I know it's stupid… but I can't help it. Do… do you know how much I cried when Rurik came to my home nine years ago, and said Coran disappeared? For weeks, I was certain it was something I had done. Of course, the Searing happened soon after, and I didn't have much time to worry about it after that. I guess… seeing him leave again… it dredged up all that old hurt and old memories…"

She then punched the parched earth to her side, and groaned. "Why am I doing this? Why am I being so… so…"

"Female?" Aidan offered with a teasing grin.

"I was going to say, emotional." She responded, her next punch landing on the ranger's shoulder, momentarily knocking him off balance. "Alright, wise one… what do I do now?"

Aidan tapped an index finger to his chin, and said, "Well… here's a novel idea; you could… I don't know… try talking to the wayward prince. As far as I am aware, he hasn't collapsed the convenient tunnel the Asurans dug roughly oh… a half mile from the city limits."

Fate, however, seemed to make such a trip unnecessary, as a town crier dashed into the center of the city bellowing, "Hear me, people of Ascalon City! The crown prince, Coran, is here! He's at the southern farmlands as we speak!"

Devona blinked rapidly as the crier sped past again, carrying his message and stirring the haggard and lethargic populous. Aidan smiled, and gestured with his head to the south. "How remarkably convenient."

The warrior fought back her first instinct, then said, "But… I have soldiers to drill…"

Aiden gave her a rough, yet friendly, shove on the back. "Go. I think I can manage to keep your men entertained while you handle some personal affairs that need serious attention."

Devona slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Very well… inform Warmaster Tydus that I have finished my duties for the day. Don't go easy on the soldiers, Aidan. I may have been cranky, but I meant every word I said."

"Go… I'll arrange the rest."

* * * * *

Okay, so the last of the unit was a few seconds late by his reckoning. At first, it didn't seem like it would be a problem, since Captain Devona was surprisingly absent by the time ranks were fully reformed. Instead, two of her personal guild were standing before them.

"Gentlemen, I can't help but notice you missed Captain Devona's deadline." Aidan declared. "I think you all know the repercussions of that… you get to take a nice jog around the city. Lady Cynn, do you have anything to add?"

Devona was not the only one who had been grumpy the last four days. Ever since her daily massage therapy was abruptly cancelled, the elementalist had been looking for anyone and everyone she could take it out on. With a snap of her fingers, a crackling ball of fire burst to life and hovered above her fingertips. "I know the Captain promised you a jog…" she drawled, rolling the fireball about her twiddling digits, "… but I suspect it will be in your best interests to run…"