Chapter 15 is here! The wait is over :) sit back and enjoy :P

Everyone ran to Annora's side when she called out. A single tear ran down the side of her face but she was still unresponsive.

"What's happening?" King Santanara demanded.

"She's beginning to wake up." Drandamir told him.

Without warning Annora opened her eyes and crawled backwards. Terror etched into her face. She paused, shuddered and fell into Santanara's arms.

She shuddered and gasped for air as she cried deeply, into his armor.

Santanara wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Her body shook from the force of her sobs.

She cried and cried.

Santanara had been angry before. He remembered when Mornhavon had first came and demanded all sorts of repulsive things, he remembered when he saw his best mate dissected, his organs had been pulled out and put all around the room, and he remembered the day his arm was unable to heal properly. But nothing had made him angrier than Mornhavon's latest act.

Annora had been happy, strong and laughing the last night and now she looked broken. She felt so delicate and fragile in his embrace. He hated Mornhavon. He hated his guts.

He had broken this strong, beautiful woman and hadn't even thought twice about it.

Suddenly Annora pushed herself away from him, she stumbled towards Karigan and pulled her into a hug.

"Karigan, no mortal man deserves you but that doesn't mean you'll be alone. The King is a fool if he didn't just marry you sooner. But it's his loss not yours." Annora whispered in her friend's ear.

Karigan was so shocked that she couldn't answer but Annora had already moved on to Telagioth.

"You couldn't have done anything. It wasn't your fault it was theirs." Annora told him as she hugged him. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then hugged Ealdaen.

"You did the best you could. If you did anything more then we wouldn't be here today and I would have died long ago." She then pulled Drandamir and Helmond into a hug.

"People aren't born brave. Bravery comes only once someone has faced their biggest fears." She told them then stood up to face the whole group.

Everyone stared up at her, not believing that she knew their secrets or that she could bounce back so quickly. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her checks were tear stained.

"Mornhavon is a monster. He deserves nothing more than to die. He thinks we'll just lie down and give up but we're not going to. We're going to show him who we are and why we still go on. We have to succeed for everyone alive. We have to." Annora took a deep breath and started packing up the camp like a one man army.

Everyone got up after that and they continued walking, all watching her closely in case she fainted.

Somehow they had formed a walking formation with Annora at the middle. King Santanara at the front next to Telagioth. Drandamir and Helmond on either side and Karigan and Ealdaen behind.

Annora smiled at the thought of her companions. They were amazing, all of them. They had been through so much and continued going.

Karigan had not only fallen in love with her monarch but she had been in and out of Blackveil, like Ealdaen and Telagioth.

Drandamir and Helmond had deserted Queen Renell but had come through the dangers of Blackveil just to save her. Then there was Santanara.

He was strong, handsome and young, but she knew almost nothing about him. But she knew what was in his heart, was that enough? Besides it's not like he'd ever think of her that way. But she felt so safe and happy in his arms...

Annora froze.

How could she be thinking of him that way? He was immortal and almost 90 years older than her. But she was immortal too.

She shook her head. It didn't matter that he was handsome with gorgeous blue eyes or that he was strong and tall, she couldn't think these ways because they could all be dead by tomorrow night.

*•*

"How are you feeling?" Santanara asked her gently that night. They were all settling down to sleep with Karigan on watch.

"Umm, I'm tired. You'd think that sleeping all night last night would help me but I'm still exhausted." Annora half smiled at him.

"I'm nervous." She admitted when he raised an unbelieving eyebrow.

"It's natural to be nervous. It won't be too bad." Annora laughed at his words and the look on his face. It was obvious that even he didn't believe it.

"You'll be fine. At least your head has healed." Santanara ran a finger gently across the fading scar on Annora's forehead. He quickly took his hand away and busied himself with setting up his bed.

"I don't care about what happens to me I'm, I'm worried about everyone else. I'm afraid I'll fail them." Annora whispered.

Santanara paused his fiddling and he smiled at her.

Annora felt her heart beat race and she mentally kicked herself.

He reached over and took one of her hands in his. "You'll be perfect."

They sat there looking into the other's eyes for a bit too long.

They realized what they were doing at the same time, jumped to their feet muttered goodbyes and went to sleep.

"Sleep well." Ealdaen said to Karigan as he took over her shift.

"I will," she hesitated, "do you think we can do it? Do you think we have a chance, or are we all going to die?"

"I think we have a reasonable chance of succeeding. But you never know. Mornhavon is very powerful and he has an army." Ealdaen said slowly.

Karigan walked back and sat down next to him.

"And what happens if we fail? Will we all be killed, dissected, tortured?"

"Santanara and Annora will be kept alive longer than me and Telagioth. I believe he'll dissect Drandamir and Helmond though." He replied sadly.

"And what about me?"

The Eletian shrugged.

Karigan looked at him with unrelenting eyes.

"We," Ealdaen frowned at her. Why, on the eve of battle did she want to think of such things? "There's a reason he kept you alive after Blackveil. We think he plans to marry you." He said reluctantly.

"I mean you are descendent of Hadriax and Lil Ambroide." He trailed off.

"I'll never be his queen." Karigan shuddered at the thought.

"Mornhavon wouldn't care what you think."

Karigan's head spun towards him. Fear and anger present in her eyes.

Ealdaen looked deeply into her gorgeous blue eyes. Mornhavon would destroy the happy glint that was always present.

"But I won't let him have you." Ealdaen whispered and pulled her into a hug.

"We won't let ourselves be captured alive. None of us." Karigan whispered.

What do you think? The eve of battle!? :D :D :D :D :D