Justice.
He had heard that word quite a few times in the past, especially since he followed his mother in the Blackstone Legion.
Justice for the wounded innocents. Justice for the fallen. Justice for those that suffered under the raids of these… barbarians.
The entire camp was an echo chamber for these concepts, repeated ad nauseam, in an effort to convince those that doubted… or maybe to convince themselves.
He was outside his tent, for once. The log he was sitting on was beyond uncomfortable, the cold relentlessly hit the exposed flesh on his face. A constant reminder that not every place was as prospering as Ashfell. And even that was a stretch all in itself.
The Knights had lucked out in that factor… if you could count having the less bad as luck.
He stared ahead, to the place that was next on Apollyon's hit list. Svengård… a Viking village, an important one at that… not a place of powerful warriors or "wolves", as She liked to call them. But a peaceful village of farmers, whose only sin was making sure that their people didn't starve to death in the unforgiving winter.
That was the reason why he was mulling on the true significance of the word "justice" so much.
"You shouldn't be out here Corvo. It wouldn't do for our healer to catch a cold, right?"
He exhaled, recognizing the voice. He asked himself when this tone that once brought him so much peace of mind… became one of his greatest sources of anxiety.
"I needed to clear my head. There's a lot in my mind at the moment…"
The sounds of moving armor reached the other side of the log, where the man known as Holden Cross took a seat.
"And you thought that brooding in the snow is a good idea to sort out your thoughts? Weren't you the rational one?"
His tone held a hint of teasing. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that.
"What is it then? Girl problems?"
He was definitely being teased now.
Corvo sighed deeply, holding a very rude comment between his teeth. This man had lost the privilege to tease him, so how dare he… he shook his head. Not the time to think about past mistakes.
He was kind of right in a sense though. As far as he was concerned, nobody in the Blackstone Legion had the right to talk about "justice". Apollo be blessed, many didn't even know the meaning of the word. Nobody at all…
Except… for her.
Which only made the knowledge of her manipulation sting so much more.
"Would you call what we're doing right now… justice?"
"Justice? What spurred this on?"
"Answer the damn question, Lawbringer".
He saw the older man recoil slightly. If by the bite of venom in his tone or by the way he addressed him, he knew not.
He wasn't even sure if he cared.
"... of course it is. We are procuring justice for those that…"
"I didn't ask for what She believes to be justice. I asked for your input. Or are you too much of a whipped dog to formulate your own opinion?!"
Holden Cross, the famed and feared Lawbringer, tilted his head down in shame. He didn't dare to mutter a word.
It was easy for him to interpret the silence.
He could ask a myriad of questions now. Raging from "why" to "what"... but he had just one for the man that was once akin to family for him.
"How much longer?"
The Lawbringer raised his chin back up. Corvo's furious green eyes pierced his very soul.
"How much longer are you going to pretend that this is okay?! How much longer is Holden Cross going to hide behind this… sniveling excuse of a man?! How much longer… until you finally decide to start upholding your own damn oath?!"
With that, the healer stood back up, leaving his fellow Knight to his own thoughts. He couldn't bear to spend a single second longer in his presence, lest he definitely whatever rational capability he had left.
The frown on his face was even more apparent than usual. He was doing the unthinkable after all. He was doubting. He was questioning.
He was changing.
A loud, rambunctious female voice broke his concentration. The same one that effectively caused this… chain reaction.
Skye The Warden… a name that he now could not forget if he tried. Not that he even wished to try, to be honest.
Svengård had fallen. Not really a surprise in any way, shape or form… but he, stupidly, still held onto hope. Hope that someone, somewhere, could put a stop to this senseless bloodshed. Today is not the day, he supposed.
Someone knocked on his post, breaking him out of his delusions.
"Come on in".
Once more, the hulking form of Holden Cross entered his line of sight.
A quick eye examination revealed no injuries, except for some scratches on his face. Armor or not armor, some things are just bound to happen, it would seem.
Corvo gestured for the older man to take a seat. His duty was to heal, even if it was nothing but a paper cut. Even if the person that he had to heal wasn't someone that he wanted to see.
The Lawbringer was silent for the entire time that he was being treated. Neither of the two wanted to break the peace between them and possibly devolve into another argument. But Holden came for a reason, and so eventually, he spoke.
"Apollyon's plan is proceeding as planned. With Svengård destroyed, food is going to become scarce. The Vikings will start killing each other soon for whatever small bite is left. All so that the strong ones among them can weed out the weak".
That was the plan? Drive another population to near extinction for what?! Make the "wolves" pop out of whatever hole they're hiding in?! Damn her… damn her and her moronic obsession!
"Skye found out that she was being used. She's going to leave this place soon with the remains of the previous Legions, some more soldiers and Stone. She intends to create a new Iron Legion, to oppose Apollyon and try to bridge peace with the other nations".
The healer smiled lightly. Sounds like Skye alright.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Mercy and I have begun gathering some allies of our own… anyone that disagrees with our warlord's vision, but is too afraid to speak up. We intend to join the Warden in her crusade and put a stop to all this. The invitation, of course, is extended to you as well".
Corvo finished patching up his quarry, who sighed and looked him in the eyes.
"But you are not going to accept, are you?"
"No. I will not. We both have our own oaths… our promises to keep. I cannot leave my post… until death drives me away. That was the accord".
Holden Cross sighed, probably already knowing the answer even before he asked the question.
"Both Skye and Stone are going to be disappointed. The Warden especially".
"I'm aware. Tell them that I'm sorry… and that while I may not be physically there, in my spirit I will always accompany them. Wherever they may go".
"Eh… you have changed. Just a year ago, you would have never said anything like that".
Corvo hummed to himself.
"Perhaps you are right. I could honestly say the same about you".
He started putting everything away, back to business like always.
The old soldier got back on his feet, ready to leave, when the young man spoke one last time.
"Safe travels, Holden Cross. May the gods light your way… to peace, at last".
He only caught the tail end of the healer's smile, before the tent blocked his vision.
Right… promise. He had made a promise. To the boy… the boy's father…
And his mother as well.
It was about time to stop covering his eyes and go back to fighting for what's right.
Holden Cross The Lawbringer picked up his polearm and hurried to the place where he was to meet Mercy and catch up with the Warden. Possibly before Apollyon caught wind of what was happening.
He turned his head one last time, before moving.
Maybe, someday, he could go back to the good old days. When he was an honorable man, willing to sweat, cry and bleed for justice. When he believed that life and peace meant something to the world.
When he was someone worthy… of being called an uncle.
Hello?! Is this thing on?! It is?! Noice.
Aaaaaand we're back, quicker than lighting (not really) to another chapter of A Healer's Oath. A more dramatic and emotional chapter than the last three, but we are momentarily done with the Knights, so it warranted something bigger me thinks.
Questions and answers are both piling up, but we are nowhere near done, so strap yourselves in boys and girls. We got shit to do.
That's all folks! Ta-ta for now