I let out a snarl and my eyes narrowed at the mention of my mother. I wanted to kill him. To make him suffer just as he had made my grandmother suffer. His sword came towards me swiftly. One handed, a hand tucked behind his back I realised. Like Eris. As our swords clashed, I recalled the movements. The attacks, the parries, the footwork. It was one and the same. I dodged the attacks, spun out of the way. He was quicker, though, I realised after a few moments. Eris has been going easy on me. Our swords clashed again, and the vibrations seemed to clang through my body, hitting every bone. It slowed me. The next attack sliced my right arm, my sword arm, and I hissed at the pain. Not a scratch this time. Finding the weakness, he knocked the sword from my hand and it fell into the mud. He grabbed my wrist tightly as he flung off my helmet and pressed his blade to my throat.
"Let her go," Eris gritted out as he approached, a sword in one hand, fire in the other.
"Have you forgotten who our enemies are in this war, son?" Beron asked. I kept my body still in his grip.
I focused in on that power that buzzed through my body and I sang softly, conjuring that fire.
"Not at all," Eris said, "But perhaps you have."
The fire listened to my call and burnt where he gripped me. He let out a low hiss and loosened his grip just enough for me to elbow him in the stomach and get out of his reach. I grabbed my sword now, moving to stand beside Eris, the reflection to him- fire in one hand, a sword in the other. A few of his men stood behind Beron, stopping him from escaping.
Beron's nostrils flared as a breeze moved past us, "She should be dead."
"Gwyn's mother was hidden away in Sangravah for years," Eris said, his voice cold. "I made sure of that."
"You're too soft," Beron shook his head, "I always knew one of your brothers would be a far better heir. You'd never be strong enough to be High Lord."
"I suppose we'll see about that." He stalked towards his father as a few of his soldiers moved in behind me, guarding my back. "I evoke the Blood Duel."
"The Blood Duel?" Beron's laughter boomed, "On what terms?"
"You threatened my granddaughter's life," Eris said, his voice turning to a snarl. "And nobody hurts my heir."
Eris was quick but so was Beron as their swords clashed and clanged. But then, I realised, not all of Eris' moves were that of the Autumn Court. Some were more Illyrian. As if he'd been learning new ways to outsmart his father. Teeth were gritted as they thought and I pressed my hand against the wound on my arm, trying to stop the blood that was trickling out. I tried to call to my invoking stone to heal myself but the pain was too much for it to answer.
Then fire spun towards me. It was quick, and my dodge was barely enough as I held out my hand, focussing on the fire. I sent it back towards Beron and it caught his sword hand. "Bitch!" He hissed.
Eris was quick and took the opening. He knocked the sword from his father's hand. "This war is over, Father, and so is your cruelty," And with that, he plunged the sword through the gap in his father's armour, right into his father's heart. With a twist, Beron fell to the mud. The ground seemed to shudder and I felt the magic and power leave his body. Silence filled the battlefield as the fighting paused. It seemed to shimmer like fire as it transferred to Eris. The new High Lord of the Autumn Court. His soldiers were the first to kneel and then other Autumn Court soldiers did too.
"This war is over," Eris declared, his voice strong and authoritative. "And if anyone disagrees, they can speak to me personally."
The shift in the atmosphere was remarkable. Soldiers helped up their enemies. Others began to help the wounded, even those from the opposite sides. Priestesses were quick to appear, healing.
Eris removed his helmet, blood splattering the areas of his face that had not been covered. "Thank you," He said to me with a bow of the head.
Suddenly, the Shadowsinger landed beside me. He took me in his arms and pressed his lips to mine, relief moving between the two of us. I felt myself stagger and he broke off the kiss, looking at me, scanning me. "You're injured," He said, his voice cold yet concerned as he gazed upon my arm. As I looked at it, I suddenly realised just how deep it was, what the white thing in the wound was and my stomach churned as I swayed. Azriel caught me in his arms.
When I woke up, I was in a tent, I realised. I could not hear any other cries of the wounded and when I looked around, I saw that I was in a small tent lying on a bed on top of fur blankets. Not the medics tent. Azriel lay sprawled out on a chair, covered in blood and mud. A glance down at my Valkyrie leathers showed me I was not much better. I looked down at my arm. It had been cleaned and stitched up. A curved line of about 5cm just above my elbow.
"The healers were very busy with the other wounded but we'll get the scar removed when we get home." Azriel said, standing from the chair. He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a kiss against my forehead.
"No," I told him, "I want to keep it."
"Why?" He raised an eyebrow.
"It's a part of my story," I replied. "Unless of course you don't like it."
"There will never be a single part of you that I don't like," He said, squeezing my hand. I let him hold me as I fell asleep once more.
We woke early the next day. Rhys, Morrigan, Helion and Eris had spent time winnowing the soldiers who were well enough to travel back home. Others were to be tended to in Tamlin's manor until they were ready. We walked out into the camp and saw Nesta and Emerie talking. All were still filthy from blood and mud, the water supply being used mostly for refreshments and for cleaning wounds instead of bathing in.
"How are you feeling?" Emerie asked me as we approached.
"I'm fine," I told her, brushing a hand against the bandage on my arm, "It's just a scratch."
"It didn't look that way when Az brought you in here last night," Nesta made a face.
"And all of you?"
"Just some bruising and aching muscles," Emerie said with a shrug. "I'm looking forward to a bath."
"Aren't we all?" Nesta shuddered.
It had stopped raining I realised as I looked out at the landscape before us. Blood seemed to mix with the mud, but the bodies were gone.
Cassian walked over to us, looking as exhausted as we all felt, "You're all free to go home and clean up and rest," He said. "No training for a few days, I think we all need some rest." He turned to Nesta, "I need to check on a few more things and then I'll be home." He turned to Azriel, "Are you okay to get everyone home?"
"Of course." They clapped each other's backs and then Azriel dropped each of us home.
I sank into the bath as soon as my leathers were off and I sighed into the water. Despite the dried mud and blood coating my body, the bath didn't seem to go dirty. The water just seemed to refresh, much to my relief. I heard the bedroom door open and close and Azriel moved to stand in the doorway.
"You know, you could come in too," I told him.
"I don't want to squash you," He replied.
"It's not as big as the bath in the Moonstone palace but you'd still fit."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure," I nodded.
He removed his Illyrian leathers and they disappeared into thin air before they hit the floor. His undershorts did the same and he carefully climbed into the bath across from me. He sighed as the warm water settled onto his skin and he adjusted himself. I moved my legs around his so that we both fit.
"See," I told him. I continued scrubbing my body down as he did the same, grateful for the lovely smelling bath salts and bubbles in the water. Azriel started to scrub his body too and I was pleased when he started to look far more like him again. I reached for the shampoo and he took it from me and gave me a hand signal to turn around. I turned around carefully and let him rub the shampoo into my hair and scalp. I almost purred at the touch and instead released a loud sigh as his fingertips worked in the soap. He rinsed the water out and I turned back around to face him, feeling cleaner already.
"Your turn," I said. He turned around in the bath carefully, tucking his wings in as he did so and I returned the favour, washing the grime out of his dark hair. Then I worked on his wings, carefully cleaning them with soap and the sponge. He shivered at the touch but I kept wiping until they were clean. I pressed a kiss between his shoulder-blades and he turned back around as I used the bubbles to hide my body once more.
"I'm so glad you're safe," He whispered, "I wanted to fight by your side…"
"We both had our orders," I told him and he bowed his head, "And I'm okay."
"Beron tried to kill you."
"But he didn't," I reminded him, "I'm still here and it gave reason for Eris to evoke the Blood Duel."
He was quiet for a moment and then he looked over at me, "Are you okay? I know my first war was really difficult."
I gave a nod, "It was more brutal than I imagined, but… I thought of what needed to be done for Prythian." His fingers stroked the tattoo on my neck in response and I let out a yawn. "How can I be so tired?"
"It's exhausting," He said with a nod, "Come on, let's dry off and go to bed."